Adams Underestimates NYC Fiscal Outlook + Independent Congressional Redistricting Proposal Released
No. 362 | Monday, February 19, 2024
The NYC Thorn is a weekly roundup of local political news compiled by members of NYC-DSA.
Local News
The New York City Independent Budget Office (IBO) released a budget report that claimed the Adams administration is significantly underestimating the city’s fiscal outlook. The IBO calculated a discrepancy of over $3 billion with Adams’ projections for FY25, calling into question the urgency of the mayor’s sweeping budget cuts since he took office.
NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban suggested that the city was experiencing a "wave of migrant crime," a pronouncement amplified by Donald Trump, but all available police data does not support this claim.
The real estate lobby is expected to heavily push for proposals in the state budget and legislative cycle that would give landlords more power to deregulate rent stabilized housing and increase rents when renovating an apartment.
Governor Hochul apologized after making a "joke" that Israel had a right to destroy Gaza while making a confusing analogy to Buffalo and Canada.
The Legal Aid Society sued the Adams administration for failing to expand eligibility for a housing voucher program, after the City Council passed a suite of related bills last year. The City Council is expected to join the lawsuit.
Almost 1000 migrants slept on the streets in January while waiting for placement in city shelters, which could amount to a 25% increase in the city’s street homeless population.
NYPD school safety agents have started to wear bulletproof vests across city schools.
Election News
A new congressional redistricting map proposal was released by the Independent Redistricting Commission, but some prominent Democrats raised objections that they are too similar to 2022 maps that favored Republicans and were thrown out as unconstitutional. If Democrats in the state legislature reject the independent proposal, it would likely result in Democrats developing a new partisan map ahead of this year’s election.
The Indypendent interviewed Eon Huntley, DSA-endorsed candidate for Assembly District 56 (Bed Stuy), about his vision for the district.
Following Tom Suozzi’s 8-point victory in the special election for NY-03 (Eastern Queens, Nassau County), organizations and interests across a wide swath of the Democratic Party have sought to reframe the victory as their own.
The NYC Local
We're excited to say that Alex Chan, David Kim, and David Turner have revived our chapter's labor newsletter, The Local. It arrives every other week with a focus on labor organizing, bargaining, and local legislation that impacts NYC's workers. Give them a follow here.
Revolutions Per Minute
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