Pols blast Cuomo for
education budget plan
BY JENNA BAGCAL
A host of northeast Queens
representatives gathered
in Whitestone on Feb. 7 to
slam Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s
“inadequate and inequitable”
proposed education budget
increase.
State Sen. John Liu was
joined by state Assemblyman
Dan Rosenthal and
representatives from the
offices of Assembly Members
Nily Rozic and David Weprin
at the press conference,
during which they charged
that the state has fallen $4
billion short in education
funding and claimed local
public schools are feeling its
effects.
After attending an
education budget hearing in
Albany on Feb. 6, the elected
officials learned that the
governor’s proposal would
only increase the budget
by $956 million despite
the state’s Department of
Education and the Board of
Regents recommendation of a
$2.1 billion increase.
“Unfortunately for our
constituents, pretty much
none of the schools in our
area will get any additional
funding,” Liu said of the 182
northeast Queens public
schools. “The executive
budget is absolutely
inadequate when it comes
to school funding and it is
unwise when it starts to
dictate how a local school
district is managing its
affairs.”
The lawmakers also
reported that out of the $956
million, only $388 million
would go towards increases
in Foundation Aid — state
funding that supplements
local school district funding
that provides sufficient
resources.
In the past, New York City
schools received Foundation
Aid funding and were
responsible for deciding how
the money would be allocated.
Now, the lawmakers reported
that there are stipulations in
the executive budget that say
which schools get additional
money and which do not.
Rosenthal echoed these
sentiments and reported that
he learned which schools
would and would not receive
additional funding from
Mayor de Blasio’s staff up
in Albany. He said that he
believed the budget was being
“micromanaged” and added
that it should be up to the city
Department of Education and
Schools Chancellor Richard
Carranza to determine how
funding is allocated.
“My district will be hit
hard by this,” Rosenthal said.
“We try to visit all our schools
throughout the year, we meet
principals to see what their
needs are and we try to help
them with our own capital
allocations. But we still have
schools in Queens that are
significantly underfunded.
We still walk into schools that
are asking us for laptops, air
conditioning in gyms and a
lot of things which you would
consider to be basic needs and
it’s extremely concerning.”
Back in August 2018,
Liu, Rosenthal and state
Assemblyman Ron Kim were
among the northeast Queens
lawmakers who rallied for
city public schools to receive
their fair share of funding.
Liu explained that fair shares
are determined by the New
York Court of Appeals in the
Campaign for Fiscal Equity
lawsuit in 2007.
Melinda Katz picked up a key endorsement in her campaign for Queens District Attorney.
Key endorsement for Katz
County Democrats give blessing to boro prez for DA
BY BILL PARRY
Queens Borough President
Melinda Katz picked up major
support Monday when the
Queens County Democratic
Organization voted to endorse
her campaign for District
Attorney.
Katz’s coalition of support
includes the New York Hotel
Trades Council and more than
300 community leaders who
have endorsed her campaign.
“Queens County Democrats
believe Melinda Katz will be
District Attorney to deliver
the reform our borough needs
to address the inequalities in
our criminal justice system,”
Queens County Democratic
Party Chairman Joe Crowley
said. “Throughout her career,
Melinda has fought for
progressive values and she
will advocate for justice for all
as our next District Attorney.”
Katz launched her
campaign in December to
replace current District
Attorney Richard Brown who
has held the office since 1991.
The 86-year-old announced in
January he would not seek reelection.
“I am honored to have the
support of strong Democratic
leaders from across Queens
County. With Trump’s
administration advocating
for bigoted legislation and
racist immigration policies,
we need to unite and fight for
Democratic values at a local
level,” Katz said. “It’s clear that
Queens is ready for criminal
justice reform, and I look
forward to transforming the
District Attorney’s office into a
partner for justice for everyone
who calls Queens home. From
discovery reform to no bail for
misdemeanors to protections
for vulnerable communities
to keeping our streets safe, I
am committed to bringing the
progressive reform we need
to ensure that our criminal
justice system works fairly and
justly for all.”
The campaign of former
New York State Supreme
Court Judge Greg Lasak
took umbrage with the
endorsement. Lasak resigned
from the bench in September
to run for District Attorney,
the office he worked in for
25 years, rising to the ranks
of Chief of Homicide and
Photo by Mark Hallum
executive assistant district
attorney for major Crimes.
“Today, Queens County
insiders line up to support
a career politician wholly
unqualified to do the job
she’s running for — and
someone they can trust to
avoid systematic changes to
a broken system,” Lasak for
District Attorney campaign
manager Danny O’Halloran
said. “Given the choice between
Judge Lasak, an experienced
prosecutor and judge who
has actually jailed the guilty
while securing freedom from
the wrongfully convicted, and
Katz, a term-limited politician
who has never stepped foot
in a criminal courtroom, the
machine opted for the tried-andfailed
status quo. Fortunately,
reform-minded voters will
make the choice that matters
June 25th and we’re confident
they’ll choose Judge Lasak.”
The third Democratic
candidate in the race, City
Councilman Rory Lancman,
has not yet commented
publicly on the endorsement.
TimesLedger reached out to
his campaign and has yet to
receive a response.
Northeast Queens lawmakers — including state Assemblyman
Daniel Rosenthal (second from l.) and State Sen. John Liu (c.) —
speak out against the inadequate executive education budget.
Photo by Jenna Bagcal
TIMESLEDGER,4 FEB. 15-21, 2019 TIMESLEDGER.COM
/TIMESLEDGER.COM
