“I’ll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today,” pleads Wimpy every week in the Popeye comics. And the line always draws big laughs, because who’d keep asking for a loan, week after week, without any real plan for paying the money back?
Sadly, here in 2006, we’ve got our own Wimpy, always skipping out on the tab with a plea to pay later - it’s New York State, which year after year deprives the city, and our kids, of our fair share of education funding.
What does this lack of funding mean in real terms for students in the 28th Council District in Southeast, Queens?
In my district, there are a total of 22 Public Schools - 17 elementary schools, ONE Junior High, ONE Intermediate School, and 3 High Schools.
More specifically:
P.S. 30 will lose $2.5 million - for essential auditorium repairs.
P.S. 4 will lose $219,000 - for climate control and gymnasium repairs.
P.S. 45 will lose $180,000 - for its playground.
I.S. 226 will lose $2.4 million - for a science lab, electrical systems and student toilets.
These are just a few of the examples of how students throughout the city are forced to learn in crowded classes, in conditions that are sometimes unsafe and almost always unsuitable for learning.
Over a decade ago, a courageous group of New Yorkers formed the Campaign for Fiscal Equity (CFE) and filed a lawsuit demanding our fair share. They won. But we still haven’t seen a dime of the money that Albany owes us because Governor George Pataki has appealed the ruling.
Students who entered kindergarten when the CFE lawsuit was initially filed will graduate from high school this year. Due to Albany’s neglect, an entire generation of our City’s students has not received the education they should be getting.
This year, yet again, the Governor’s proposed state budget doesn’t include money for our school construction and rehab plans. That means major cuts to our plan - $1.8 billion cut from this year’s budget and another $1.7 billion the following year. 35 new schools simply won’t be built. $238 million in repair work will not happen. Schools which were originally built without science labs, gymnasiums, outdoor play space or art and music rooms will not see $365 million in educational improvements.
But the city can’t - and won’t — pick up the tab again.
This year, together with the Mayor, we are demanding our fair share. We won’t let another generation of kids be shortchanged by upstate politicians who promise to pay us Tuesday.
How can you help? Take a stand with us. Call the Governor at 518-474-8390 and tell him to fully fund New York City schools.
To find out more about proposed cuts in your neighborhood, or what else you can do to help, go to www.fundourschools.org.
Together we can make sure needed schools are built, scheduled renovations happen, and that our students get the space and facilities they need to learn and grow.
Thomas White, Jr. is the City Councilman from the 28th Council District in Queens which covers Jamaica, Rochdale Village, Richmond Hill, Ozone Park and South Ozone Park.
