Madmallard
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Gov. Andrew Cuomo touted a $1.4 billion budget package for central Brooklyn revitalization on Thursday, essentially applying the geographic focus used for the Buffalo Billion to an area of New York City state officials say is underserved and rife with poverty and crime.
The plan was buried deep in Cuomo’s State of the State plans, released in January (click here, see page 279).
In outlining his “Vital Brooklyn” plans at Medgar Evers College, Cuomo said Brooklyn lawmakers should prepare for a war in Albany as they try to shepherd the funding past colleagues from other regions of the state who might try to poke holes in the plan. But, the governor contends that $1.4 billion in spending now is money better spent than on dysfunction down the road.
“You want to talk about expensive: $50,000 a year to keep a person in prison, that is expensive,” Cuomo said, noting that tuition at Harvard University is cheaper. “Drug abuse is expensive. New York Police Department of 50,000 policemen, that’s expensive to keep people safe. Murder is expensive. It is dysfunction that is expensive.”
“I would much rather invest early on, prevent the problem in the first place, than pay for the manifestation of it later on,” he added.
The plan covers key themes state officials believe can make struggling communities more vibrant, including the creation and improvement of open green spaces, construction of affordable housing, promotion of violence prevention initiatives like midnight basketball, promotion of healthy food programs and improvement of connections between upstate food growers and downstate consumers.
Cuomo touts $1.4B budget package for Brooklyn
The plan was buried deep in Cuomo’s State of the State plans, released in January (click here, see page 279).
In outlining his “Vital Brooklyn” plans at Medgar Evers College, Cuomo said Brooklyn lawmakers should prepare for a war in Albany as they try to shepherd the funding past colleagues from other regions of the state who might try to poke holes in the plan. But, the governor contends that $1.4 billion in spending now is money better spent than on dysfunction down the road.
“You want to talk about expensive: $50,000 a year to keep a person in prison, that is expensive,” Cuomo said, noting that tuition at Harvard University is cheaper. “Drug abuse is expensive. New York Police Department of 50,000 policemen, that’s expensive to keep people safe. Murder is expensive. It is dysfunction that is expensive.”
“I would much rather invest early on, prevent the problem in the first place, than pay for the manifestation of it later on,” he added.
The plan covers key themes state officials believe can make struggling communities more vibrant, including the creation and improvement of open green spaces, construction of affordable housing, promotion of violence prevention initiatives like midnight basketball, promotion of healthy food programs and improvement of connections between upstate food growers and downstate consumers.
Cuomo touts $1.4B budget package for Brooklyn
