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Critics Sound Off On Mayor's Budget Cuts

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Mar 27, 2008 8:17 pm US/Eastern

Critics Sound Off On Mayor's Budget Cuts

Bronx DA: Hiring Freeze In Prosecutors' Offices May Impact Safety

Reporting
Sean Hennessey
NEW YORK (CBS) ― New York City is preparing for tough economic times as officials deal with budget cuts. And at least one district attorney says public safety may be in jeopardy. All of this is fallout from Mayor Michael Bloomberg's proposed budget.

The city's budget is filled with pages that detail cuts for schools, the homeless, social service programs, police hiring and those who prosecute the ones arrested.

"They're not understanding our point of view," Bronx District Attorney Robert Johnson said.

Johnson's department of facing a $2.7 million cut despite his caseload jumping by 14 percent, thanks to a rise in arrests. Johnson says the cuts will jeopardize public safety.

"I don't think the mayor nor we would want to tell police, 'Stop, don't arrest people.'"

A drop in tax revenues spells tough times for the city's finances.

"When Wall Street catches cold, the city's economy catches something much worse," said Ronnie Lowenstein, who runs the city's independent budget office.

Lowenstein says surpluses from the past will cover the city's deficits for the next two years, but after that a rainy day on the horizon will be here and the budget cuts now are like a preventative medicine.

"That's not to say there won't be more medicine needed later but right now we just don't know how sick the city's economy and the city's fiscal position are going to be," Lowenstein said.

For some, the budget hits home.

"My sister got a masters degree. She works hard for the city and they can't afford to pay fulltime when she's more qualified than half the people fulltime," said Brett David of Manhattan.

Back at the Bronx DA's office, a hiring freeze is already in place. Layoffs may be next and more cuts are on the way.

Mayor Bloomberg has said he doesn't want his successor to inherit the same kind of financial problems he did, and he says the budget is one way of preventing that.

The city has until July 1 to pass the budget.

(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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