Public Employee Press

Poltical Action 2006
Budget victories at City Hall

DC 37 won more than $100 million in city budget restorations for 2007, providing much needed funding to keep neighborhood clinics and libraries open, stem school dropouts and keep city parks safer and cleaner.

“This year the city had a windfall $3.4 billion surplus in its budget,” said DC 37 Executive Director Lillian Roberts.

“Through our lobbying efforts and local presidents’ testimony at City Hall in June, we were able to convince Council members and the mayor to invest in our city, its services and its workforce,” she said.

In testimony at City Hall hearings this spring, DC 37 leaders called for the city to provide funding to maintain and enhance the services members provide for the city’s working families and poor people. The City Council and mayor agreed to a budget that restored $100 million previously cut from the mayor’s initial plan.

Health care: The Council restored over $1.9 million in funding for summer School Nurses and gave Child Health Clinics $6 million in operating revenue; substance abuse programs got $3.3 million and hygiene programs were granted $2.6 million; $4.8 million was budgeted to prevent infant mortality and City Council restored$1 million for interpreters at health care ­facilities.

Libraries received $40 million for five-day-a-week service, while cultural institutions got $14.2 million plus an additional $2 million that doubled the security budget to $4 million.

The Parks Dept. received $7.3 million for Seasonal Parks Workers; a $1 million enhancement was added to the $2 million for PEP Officers, and $2.1 million was budgeted for tree pruning and maintenance.

Education: AIDP, Attendance Intervention/Dropout Prevention, for at-risk high school students received $1.34 million; CUNY community colleges were allocated almost $17 million. Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg initiated funding for summer School Crossing Guards.

Political Director Wanda Williams said, “Our activists’ understanding of political pressure and their personal portrayal of problems affecting members strengthened our ability to win significant budget restorations this year of funds for essential services that our members provide.”