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Mayor's budget will hurt the needyFred's Gripes blogBY FRED BEDELLThe Mayor's proposed budget will hurt the city's neediest residents, who stand to suffer the most. To start off with police officers, numbers will be slashed by attrition in the amount of 1,300 and our Fire Department will lose 20 engine companies and again a loss of 400 firemen by attrition. Than child-welfare services will increase case load for case workers. The city will end nurse coverage for elementary schools with fewer than 300 pupils. Homeless services will close a 24-hour drop-in center in Manhattan. And in the Parks Department, four swimming pools will close two weeks early. All this is being done maybe to keep taxes from being raised and yet I wonder at what price? In my opinion, crime will increase, longer response time for fires will increase and more children's lives will be at risk due to an increased case load of workers. I think better financial solutions need to be found or else the future looks bleak for most of us. I think though that one answer could be for unions to seek less of a raise and instead gain a willingness to compromise with the city during these hard economic times. Finally, let me say to our Mayor, "Please say it ain't so."
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