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From The Mayor's Desk ...
Most importantly, we succeeded in preserving the state agreement to provide fair funding for New York City public schools. That was in doubt back in January when the state's original spending plan was proposed. But the budget approved last week set things right by increasing state operating funds to our schools by $100 million. It also gives us the discretion we need in deciding how to spend that money. And the state's commitment to pay half the costs of building and renovating city public schools was strongly reaffirmed. With the largest school capital plan in the city's history well underway, that's good news for our 1.1 million schoolchildren and for our taxpayers, too. State leaders also agreed to restore the revenue sharing funds that come to the city with no strings attached. Last year, this aid to our city had been reduced. The adopted budget now restores 75 percent of these revenue sharing funds. In the areas of special education for pre-kindergarten students, juvenile justice, and public assistance, proposals to shift costs that had traditionally been borne by the state onto the backs of city taxpayers were rejected. State leaders agreed to reforms that we had long sought that will allow the city to build major public works projects more quickly and efficiently, and at less expense. Also, the state tax on cigarettes will go up by $1.25 per pack - and our experience in New York City shows that that's a proven way to discourage young people from taking up smoking, and to protect them from heart disease and cancer later in life. Other decisions made in Albany weren't as wise. State leaders prohibited us from considering student performance data when we're making decisions about granting or denying teachers the lifetime job protections of tenure. That gives New York the dubious distinction of being the only state in the nation with such an ill-considered policy - one that seriously shortchanges students and parents. The Assembly's refusal to even bring the governor's congestion pricing bill to a vote was also enormously disappointing, and the effects of that shortsighted decision will be felt for decades to come. But congestion pricing was only one piece of our broad, 127-item agenda for creating a greater, greener New York City. Now we're moving ahead aggressively on all our other initiatives to make sure that our children inherit a city that's even better than it is today.
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