NYC gov’t doesn’t need more money — it already has too much!
Mayor Eric Adams’ budget, rolled out Wednesday, aims to shell out $106.7 billion in taxpayer funds yet still warns of multibillion-dollar cash shortfalls in coming years.
Not enough money to make ends meet? Ha!
Take one look at some of the ridiculous spending: The city has too much cash on its hands.
Consider these outlays:
- $100 million over six years for a 24/7 “public-health call center” — complete with doctors, nurses and phone agents.
Yes, during the pandemic, the Health Department fielded thousands of calls, but COVID was a once-in-a-century event.
- $700 million for a Governors Island-based “New York Climate Exchange.” NYC’s share: $150 million.
- $4 million for billboards that ask drivers to slow down, even though such signs in Texas proved distracting and led to more accidents, a study found.
- $4.2 billion for a whole new agency to deal with migrants.
President Biden deserves the bulk of the blame for this after waving in newcomers by the millions. But the city’s ludicrously generous laws and policies only worsen the problem.
- $1.62 million for “decarbonization officers” at city agencies to cut greenhouse-gas emissions. They’re part of a metastasis of czars, including one to get rid of rats ($155,000) and another to deal with artificial intelligence issues (up to $140,000). (Maybe ChatGPT could do that job?)
- $4 billion (yes, with a “b”) to make schools all-electric, to avoid fossil fuels for heating and power. Oops: All that electricity will come from power plants that, at the moment, run almost exclusively on fossil fuels.
The City Council, meanwhile, called for $1.3 billion more spending on top of the $102.7 billion plan Adams presented in January. That includes:
- $10 million more for child care for migrant kids.
- $61.5 million to further expand eligibility for reduced transit fares.
- $60 million to further increase cost-of-living-adjustment pay for health and human-services workers.
- $1 million for “community development financial institutions” to “create programs” for “under-represented entrepreneurs,” minorities, women and small businesses.
- $570,000 more for the Office of the Tenant Advocate. (No, there’s no Office of the Landlord Advocate.)
That’s just the tip of the iceberg.
At least when the downturn hits and funds run dry, there’ll be plenty of spending to cut — and no one will even notice.