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The Rest of the Story

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If you listened to the radio over the holiday weekend, you heard commercials from the United Federation of Teachers and the Uniformed Firefighter Association decrying the consequences for city residents and schoolchildren of drastic funding cuts for their agencies. How great are those proposed spending cuts? The answer may be found in the tables on page 40 to 44 of this document, the city's May budget summary.

Total spending on the Department of Education, with all cost including retirement and debt service included, is proposed to increase by $306 million or 1.4%, in a year when inflation is zero and many people's wages are going down. To achieve this, the city's contribution is proposed to be increased by $833 million, minimum. The Fire Department budget is proposed to be reduced by $4 million, or 0.1%, with the city's contribution increasing by $133 million. What is going down is not what New Yorkers are paying, it is what they are getting in exchange.

Wearing Disguises

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THE WHO: I used to know everything about you
But today when I tried to point you out to one of my friends
I picked the wrong girl again
Don't see you in the crowd anymore
I think it's you but I can't be sure
You're wearing disguises
Occasionally a girl surprises me
When she turns out to be you
Wearing disguises

I don't think you want me to see you ever again
And today I saw you dressed as a flower bed
Last week you had a wig on your head
Directing traffic in the street
And your shoes were too big for your feet
You were wearing disguises

NY Photographer Back to Haiti

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New York Photographer Back To Haiti

 

By Michael Boyajian

 

Upon his arrival this week in Haiti New York photographer Kevin C. Downs was greeted by the surreal spectacle of Spike Lee and his film crew in the Port Of Prince airport.  Things had certainly changed from when Downs had first been to Haiti soon after the quake had hit that beleaguered country when the people were in total despair and everything was in ruins.

Time to Clean House, The White House that Is

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Time to Clean House, the White House that Is

 

By Michael Boyajian

 

Frank Rich in Sunday’s New York Times questions President Obama’s late delivery of his public face on major issues not his actual intent to do good.  Hence the tardiness to appear engaged with the BP spill whereas a series of press conferences early on would have given the president the appearance of being on top of the crisis.

The handwriting for a Cuomo budget is on the wall

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The more things change, the more they remain the same.

An incoming governor vows change is coming to Albany. The legislature responds we will see about that. 

                          Sound familiar?


At the Democratic Convention last week, Andrew Cuomo took questions on how he will handle next year’s budget.

“I’m not going to raise taxes; I’m not going to have a wage increase for public employees,” he said.