Public Employee Press

Fighting to save public services from Bloomberg's cuts . . .
...at City Council Breakfast

By ALFREDO ALVARADO

Winning adequate, stable funding for the city's public libraries topped the agenda of DC 37's annual City Council Breakfast April 9.

DC 37 Political Action Director Wanda Williams welcomed the dozens of City Council members and staffers and Executive Director Lillian Roberts praised them as "the most effective City Council since I've been here."

She pressed for legislation to provide permanent baseline funding for the libraries (see page 9) and encouraged them to eliminate the $106 million in destructive cuts that Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg's executive budget had planned for the city's three library systems.

"Our children need these libraries and the excellent services they provide," she added.

"Baseline funding is better than the current annual round of proposed budget cuts and layoff threats followed by restorations," Brooklyn Library Guild Local 1482 President Eileen Muller told participants at the breakfast.

DC 37 Associate Director Henry Garrido addressed the Bloomberg administration's failure to collect some $1.5 billion in "unrealized revenue" that the city could use to fund public services without any tax increases. He called for the Dept. of Finance to fulfill its commitment to hire more Assessors to stop the loss of potential revenue.

City Council Speaker Christine Quinn spoke briefly and commended the city's first responders for their efforts during Hurricane Sandy and praised DC 37 for remaining "united and focused."

Political Action Chair Dennis Ifill introduced the many local presidents at the gathering to the City Council members and took issue with the mayor's library cuts: "How can we ask children to learn more while we close libraries?" he asked.

Williams explained DC 37's legislative agenda to the City Council members, hit hard at Bloomberg's plan to close city swimming pools in the heat of August, two weeks before Labor Day, and called for the restoration of funds for School Aides and drug counselors.

Local 1549 Executive Vice President Alma Roper closed the meeting with a powerful appeal to the City Council members to press for saving money and strengthening law enforcement through civilianization at the Police Dept.