The state senate passed a budget resolution yesterday providing $540 million a year over five years for funding of full-day pre-K and after school programs in the city. They would pay for it by removing Gov. Andrew Cuomo's corporate tax cut from the budget. The amount meets the new standards Mayor Bill de Blasio requested last week. The Assembly passed their own budget resolution authorizing the mayor's wealth tax to pay for pre-K. But Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver said he was fine with a plan that fully funded pre-K without a tax, as long as there are no strings attached. The senate's resolution did include a catch for the mayor, as it would rescind his charter school co-location decisions and impose new mandates on how the city deals with the schools. Silver made it clear he doesn't support the charter rules. The chambers will have to negotiate the final budget with the governor, who was quick to change the subject from pre-K to charter schools, saying that discussion "is going to be powerful and is probably going to be one of the more controversial and complex matters that we wind up dealing with in the budget."
The 'Imperfect Messenger': Anthony Weiner on Policy and Politics
A Gotham Gazette two-part exclusive interview with the mercurial former congressman, two-time mayoral candidate, political commentator, and New York idea guy.
Now up:
Part Two: Politics (discussing keys to being politically effective; the differing styles of mayors de Blasio, Bloomberg, and Giuliani; what it means to be a progressive; and the upcoming mid-term congressional elections, among other things).
And in case you missed it or want to read it again:
Part One: Policy (discussing Sandy recovery, the teachers union contract, seniors and development, among other things).
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Health And Hospitals Deficit Faces Further Expansion (Wall Street Journal)
What Klein Delivered For Progressives As Breakaway-Leader (Capital)
Ex-Fire Commissioner Blasts FDNY For Bigotry (Daily News)
Labor Contract Talks Off To Good Start (Daily News)