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BOROUGH PRESIDENT MARTY MARKOWITZ AND BROOKLYN CITY COUNCIL DELEGATION CHAIRPERSON LEW FIDLER ISSUE JOINT REACTION TO MAYOR BLOOMBERG'S PROPOSED BUDGET CUTS AND INCOME TAX REFORM

“We understand that Mayor Bloomberg was forced to make some incredibly difficult and painful choices to try and balance this year’s budget. Brooklyn is certainly willing to contribute its fair share to help during our fiscal struggles, but we are very concerned that some of these proposed budget cuts will reduce essential services and hurt tens of thousands of Brooklynites. Five out of the eight firehouses targeted for closure are in Brooklyn which could leave many Brooklynites without vital fire protection. Since Brooklyn has the largest number of residents over the age of 60, closing eight senior centers will inflict permanent damage on a very vulnerable segment of our population. The Mayor’s proposal for tolls on the East River Bridges is another example of forcing the 2.5 million residents of Brooklyn and local businesses to shoulder a much greater economic burden than the other boroughs and poses a serious threat to our environment. Poorer air quality would subsequently increase health care costs at a time when every single dollar counts.”

“Even though we disagree with the Mayor on some of his proposals, we applaud his idea to reform the City’s personal income tax structure to tax non-residents who work in the City and for increased Medicaid reimbursements. These two revenue enhancement measures were something that we called for with the Brooklyn Borough Board earlier this year. We also support the Mayor’s call for increasing the productivity of the City’s workforce.”

“Additional revenue enhancement measures that we have also previously recommended include streamlining the City’s contract and procurement process, a comprehensive review of the City’s revenue collection procedures to ensure that every penny is collected and fraud is eliminated, the collection of franchise fees from all telecommunications providers and more efficient billing by the Emergency Medical Service for ambulance services. All of these measures taken together would provide the City with hundreds of millions of desperately needed dollars.”

“This is not a time for partisan politics. This is a time for New York City to once again come together to devise a far more equitable solution to our budget crisis. Brooklynites understand that this temporary situation that our City is in is not of our own doing. The Mayor has shown courage and creativity in many aspects of his plan. We know that the Mayor is a reasonable man and will seriously consider our proposals. We look forward to working with the Mayor and the rest of the City Council to make sure that our 2.5 million residents will continue to receive all of the vital and basic services that this City has always and will always provide.”