Bloomberg's Proposed Budget 'Eliminates' 20 Fire Companies

[Truck4 48]

Mayor Bloomberg announced his proposed budget today with 820 cops cut from the NYPD through attrition and 'eliminating' 20 fire comapnies. Bloomy says if Gov. Paterson's budget passes Albany, those numbers could change dramatically:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/29/nyregion/29budget.html?ref=nyregion

[Mark Z 18]

OUCH! Welcome to the modern era of doing without, the era of doing more with less is over! My guess is that about half that number will actually get cut. None will be in Manhattan and none will be in wealthy neighbor hoods.

[M' Ave 1,466]

This initial budget is brutal.....I hope it's not so terrible when it comes to fruition. I'd bet that the 16 companies that were funded by the city council last year will continue to be funded this year. He MIGHT get the 4 that he added to the budget this year. Brooklyn has about 60 engine companies (and needs them all), so they're the easiest place to cut. Stupid, but that's how they do things. The Bronx stands to loose at least one and I'd bed that 4 engine could be in the line of fire as well.

Remember, 20 companies means 20 city council districts and community boards. 20 council members opposed to the budget hurts his chance of getting it passed. This is the first strike and we'll see what actually comes out at the end.

As for the 5th man.....that a negotiable item and I hope I don't eat my words, but I'd like to think that it's OFF the table and we won't be giving that up.

[helicopper 1,050]

In tones that frequently ranged from exasperation to frustration, Mr. Bloomberg warned that if Gov. David A. Paterson’s proposed state budget is enacted, the city could face an additional shortfall of $1.3 billion — and be forced to lay off 8,500 teachers, 3,150 police officers and many others — on top of the cuts included in Thursday’s proposal.

This is a vicious cycle. It reminds me of the fiscal crisis and mass layoffs of the 1970's, followed by the crime, fires, and pandemonium of the 1980's, and rebuilding of the city in the 1990's.

Here we go again. We're going to cut public services and allow things to start that downward spiral again...

[M' Ave 1,466]

I'd like to think that in this day and age, that's not possible.

Also...you would need a great deal more civil unrest for those conditions to return. We pay such a considerable portion of our taxes to social services, ect. ect. that the quality of life is at a level far above what it was 40 years ago.

[weaselff 6]

OUCH! Welcome to the modern era of doing without, the era of doing more with less is over! My guess is that about half that number will actually get cut. None will be in Manhattan and none will be in wealthy neighbor hoods.

What makes you think none will be in wealthy neighborhoods or Manhattan? Engine 4 which was saved from the chopping block at the last minute last year is first due on Wall Street!!!

Edited January 29, 2010 by weaselff

[x635 4,066]

Besides the cuts to emergency services, there are tremendous cuts to the city's social, education and health services programs. I agree with Chris, all these things tied together will create a very serious downward spiral. It will create some serious, maybe even deadly conditions for thousands of people who are already on the brink.

[ny10570 745]

Relatively few people actually live in that neighborhood around Wall St. All the brokers, lawyers, bankers, and execs that don't live there don't give a gosh darn.

[JBE 328]

The rich won't care unless it's Riverdale, or Midtown, or one of those neighborhoods. Everyone is going to take a hit here. Every Borough is going to lose something. Will it cause a downward spiral?? I don't know, but the gamble isn't worth it.

[x635 4,066]

Relatively few people actually live in that neighborhood around Wall St. All the brokers, lawyers, bankers, and execs that don't live there don't give a gosh darn.

Yep. They all take the train home to the Westchester suburbs or CT...............lol

[Guest bigal8]

I'd be careful "LOLing" at lawyers and bankers. Those wealthy people, the "top 1%," are the ones that pay around 40% of the country's income taxes...the money which is needed to pay for the fire companies you were discussing earlier in the thread.

[JBE 328]

Relatively few people actually live in that neighborhood around Wall St. All the brokers, lawyers, bankers, and execs that don't live there don't give a gosh darn.

The ones that don't live in the burbs will care when it's their local engine company getting shut down.

[Bnechis 3,961]

Yep. They all take the train home to the Westchester suburbs or CT...............lol

And at home they are protected by big fire stations with lots of apparatus and more highly trained manpower......oh never mind....dont want to spoil the atmosphere.

Most commuters think they have the same coverage at home that they see in NYC

Edited January 30, 2010 by Bnechis

[Remember585 815]

Most commuters think they have the same coverage at home that they see in NYC

Nooo...... I've never heard the "Oh wow, you're all volunteer" phrase from people in our area...

[TL2L31 8]

And I was really starting to feel safe when I went into the city. Does this mean all the hookers and pimps will be coming back to Times Square? LOL

[spin_the_wheel 460]

I see in todays news an article about pulling out the street boxes.

[ny10570 745]

And I was really starting to feel safe when I went into the city. Does this mean all the hookers and pimps will be coming back to Times Square? LOL

One can only hope.

I see in todays news an article about pulling out the street boxes.

http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2010/01/30/2010-01-30_lets_pull_fireboxes_mike_says.html

Mayor Bloomberg wants to extinguish fire alarm boxes from city streets.

Bloomberg pitched the fiery move this week as part of his budget for fiscal year 2011, saying it would save FDNY $2.5 million.

Since 85% of calls made through the street boxes are false alarms, Bloomberg said, "In the days where everybody has cell phones ... the city would be just as safe without them."

Only 140 structural fires last year out of 26,666 were first called in through an alarm box - and phone calls on those fires came in after the boxes were pulled, according to the FDNY.

[firepost 0]

The City of New York has been once again talking about potentially severe Fire Company cutbacks and eliminations.

Here is a link to the New York Times article.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/02/nyregion/02fdny.html

Edited March 4, 2010 by firepost

[mstrang1 213]

One can only hope.

http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2010/01/30/2010-01-30_lets_pull_fireboxes_mike_says.html

Since 85% of calls made through the street boxes are false alarms, Bloomberg said, "In the days where everybody has cell phones ... the city would be just as safe without them."

Only 140 structural fires last year out of 26,666 were first called in through an alarm box - and phone calls on those fires came in after the boxes were pulled, according to the FDNY.

Maybe in posh Manhattan everyone has a cell phone, but go to some poor neighborhoods in any of the five boroughs and see how many poor folk have cell phones.

[helicopper 1,050]

Maybe in posh Manhattan everyone has a cell phone, but go to some poor neighborhoods in any of the five boroughs and see how many poor folk have cell phones.

Cell phones aren't just for the nouveau riche any more. You'd be surprised how many "homeless" and "indigent" people seek public assistance from Social Services while on their cell phones...

[dmc2007 17]

Cell phones aren't just for the nouveau riche any more. You'd be surprised how many "homeless" and "indigent" people seek public assistance from Social Services while on their cell phones...

+1

You go to most third world countries and you'll see many with cell phones. Even in places without access to things like potable water, people have cell phones.

[SRS131EMTFF 471]

+1

You go to most third world countries and you'll see many with cell phones. Even in places without access to things like potable water, people have cell phones.

very true, when I was in the Dominican Republic, people in the migrant worker town that I stayed at, who live in what we would consider a garage with rooms had better cell phones and watched tv more than I did.

[dillondotcom 16]

[i'd like to think that in this day and age, that's not possible.

Also...you would need a great deal more civil unrest for those conditions to return. We pay such a considerable portion of our taxes to social services, ect. ect. that the quality of life is at a level far above what it was 40 years ago.

/quote]

Tell that to people that live in some of the buildings I walk into in the South Bronx.

[ny10570 745]

The crap buildings and homes in the boogie down are absolutely head and shoulders above what was there 30 years ago. The borough isn't plagued with homelessness, heroin, crack, and violence that it was in the 70s and 80s.

[mstrang1 213]

I know cell phones are not really for the nouveau riche anymore. I was just saying that just because he assumes everyone has them, does not make it true. Besides, what happens when the entire northeast region loses power like it did 7 or 8 years ago? What are you going to do, use the flash of your camera to "bat-signal" you emergency in?

[aviator70 16]

Yep. They all take the train home to the Westchester suburbs or CT...............lol

Remember though, people who work in NYC pay a payroll tax to work there. Yonkers has the same thing. They are already contributing to those services. It is a shame that 2 localities that collect extra money from those who just work there still can not afford to pay for necessary services.

[HazMatHarry 0]

Remember though, people who work in NYC pay a payroll tax to work there. Yonkers has the same thing. They are already contributing to those services. It is a shame that 2 localities that collect extra money from those who just work there still can not afford to pay for necessary services.

NYC currently has no commuter tax.

[16fire5 693]

NYC currently has no commuter tax.

Just one for firemen and cops. Oh wait it's not a tax it's a condition of employment.

[aviator70 16]

NYC currently has no commuter tax.

Really? Is the tax just on those who live there? Yonkers has a commuter tax, right?

[Bnechis 3,961]

Really? Is the tax just on those who live there? Yonkers has a commuter tax, right?

Both NYC and Yonkers have a nonresiedent payroll tax, if you work in either city you get to pay.

The MTA commuter tax is on the employeer not the employee in the Hudson valley (and ?) for the honor of being close to NYC and as a reward to the MTA for not being able to stay within its multi billion dollar budget.

Bloomberg proposed an additional commuter tax, but it was not approved by the state

Edited March 10, 2010 by Bnechis