Latest news with #CitizensBudgetCommission
New York Post
5 days ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Subway crime starts at the turnstile — and every Democrat fails the test
Pro-crime Democrats are propelling New York toward anarchy and financial ruin by refusing to grapple with the city's most prevalent crime. All the candidates vying for the Democratic nomination for Gotham's mayor — including front-runners Andrew Cuomo and Zohrab Mamdani — unanimously oppose increasing penalties for farebeaters. Their soft-on-crime positions make them unfit for the city's top job. These pols do not regard law-abiding New Yorkers as their constituents. Instead they're siding with criminals and left-wing ideologues who excuse crime as a side effect of society's imperfections. Stopping farebeating keeps dangerous criminals out of the subway system, explains former NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly. 'In previous administrations, proactive fare evasion enforcement has been a powerful tool in reducing overall subway crime,' Kelly told me. Thieves and assailants don't swipe a card to get onto the train before they prey on innocent riders. Their first lawless act is jumping the turnstile. And many have rap sheets. Arrests are infrequent, but 45% of those arrested for farebeating in 2023 were already wanted for other crimes — and about 10% of them were carrying weapons. Clearly, consistent farebeating enforcement would keep thugs out of the subways. A crackdown would also fill the MTA's empty coffers, eliminating the financial rationale for congestion pricing. Some 14% of subway riders and nearly half of bus riders don't pay the fare, adding up to an annual $800 million shortfall in MTA revenue. Gov. Kathy Hochul's congestion-tax scheme is one way to offset those yearly losses — but it's a gut punch to law-abiding people driving into Manhattan who work for a living. 'If you let the police do their job' against turnstile jumpers, President Donald Trump reminded Hochul when they met at the White House in February, congestion-pricing revenue isn't needed. 'The way it is now,' the president told her, 'you feel like a sucker if you pay the fare.' New York state law makes farebeating a Class A misdemeanor, allowing police officers to issue criminal summonses or to arrest offenders. But arrests are rare, and the city's district attorneys almost never prosecute. In January, MTA head Janno Lieber called on Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg, Brooklyn DA Eric Gonzalez and Bronx DA Darcelle Clark to change course and prosecute persistent fare dodgers. Lieber calls fare evasion 'the No.1 existential threat' to safety and order underground. The Citizens Budget Commission, an esteemed government watchdog group, also called for more prosecutions this spring. Good luck with that. Democrats have been moving in the opposite direction for years. In 2017 Manhattan DA Cyrus Vance announced he would stop prosecuting fare evasion. Other boroughs' DAs followed. From 2019 to 2024, fare evasion roughly doubled, according to MTA data. And no surprise, violent subway felonies rose 14% during the same time period. A year ago, Hochul eliminated the $100 civil fine for first-time fare-dodgers as part of the state budget she proposed and signed. What's her logic — that it's OK to steal the first time? Worse, a bill proposed in the Legislature by state Sen. Cordell Cleare of Harlem would wipe criminal penalties for farebeating off the books entirely. Decriminalization is crazy. 'Civil summonses have proven not to be a deterrent,' Kelly says. And DAs' long-running refusal to go after farebeaters distorts the law, Kelly adds. 'District attorney discretion was never meant to allow refusal to prosecute an entire category of crime such as fare evasion,' he notes. Across the five boroughs, New Yorkers live in many different circumstances, but the subway is everybody's neighborhood. Prosecuting farebeaters should be a litmus test for every candidate — and Democrats are failing the test. Voters need to consider other candidates. Mayor Eric Adams, running as an independent, says he wants tougher enforcement. 'If we start saying it's all right for you to jump the turnstile, we are creating an environment where any and everything goes,' he warned in 2022. But since then, he's lacked the political capital to get much done. Curtis Sliwa, the Republican mayoral candidate, also calls for 'aggressive enforcement' in his platform. And we should look beyond the mayor's race to seek out common-sense candidates throughout city government Richie Barsamian, a former cop running for a Brooklyn City Council seat as a Republican and Conservative, cautions that tolerating fare evasion 'opens the window to normalizing crime.' He's right — normalizing crime is at the core of the Democrats' agenda. They tolerate lawlessness and philosophize about crime's 'root causes.' New Yorkers can't wait for society to fix root causes. They need safety now. When it comes to subway crime, that means electing leaders who will crack down on farebeaters. Betsy McCaughey is a former lieutenant governor of New York and co-founder of the Committee to Save Our City.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
NYC mayoral candidates answer questions on taxes, affordability, spending
The Brief The Citizens Budget Commission sent out a questionnaire to the New York City mayoral candidates. Nine of the candidates responded, answering questions regarding government efficiency, taxes and other topics. NEW YORK CITY - The Citizens Budget Commission's (CBC) new questionnaire sheds some light on the potential future spending habits of New York City's mayoral candidates. All answers provided by the candidates were taken from their responses to the CBC's 2025 New York City Mayoral Candidate Questionnaire. What we know SKIP TO: Services and operations | Education | Attracting residents and businesses | Taxes Twelve candidates were sent the questionnaire – only New York City Mayor Eric Adams, City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams and Senator Zellnor Myrie did not submit responses. The other candidates are as follows: Former Assemblymember Michael Blake Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo New York City Comptroller Brad Lander Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani Senator Jessica Ramos (who just recently endorsed Cuomo) Curtis Sliwa Former New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer Whitney Tilson Jim Walden A more comprehensive look at each candidate can be found here. What they're saying Here are some of the subjects broached by the questionnaire. A majority of the candidates rated the efficiency of NYC's services and operations from fair to poor, with only Jim Walden rating the efficiency as "good" – Mamdani, Sliwa and Tilson were the three to rate the services and operations as "poor." In comparison, none of the candidates rates the quality of these services as "poor," with Stringer and Blake going so far as to label them "good" (the other candidates all settled on "fair"). "If you can't afford rent, find a good school or feel safe walking home, you're not staying in New York City." Senator Jessica Ramos The variation of answers was far greater when the candidates were asked which two major agencies offer significant opportunity to improve said efficiency. Blake and Ramos highlighted NYCHA (NYC Housing Authority) as one of their two chosen agencies; Blake, Mamdani and Sliwa pointed to education. While on the subject of education, only one candidate argued against the concept that increasing public school per-student spending would increase achievement: Curtis Sliwa. "Results come from better leadership, not blank checks." Tilson did not commit to a yes or no answer: "Higher per-pupil spending generally does not increase achievement, but I want to invest in certain areas, such as expanding 3-K and reading tutors in elementary schools, for struggling children." All seven other candidates agreed with the idea that an increase in per-student spending would lead to higher achievement rates. Every candidate who participated in the questionnaire agreed that public safety and housing affordability were the two most pressing issues regarding attracting new residents and businesses. "New Yorkers with children under the age of six are leaving the city at more than twice the rate of those without young children." Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani When asked to choose a third factor, the candidates began to diverge in perspective. Lander, Ramos, Stringer, Tilson and Walden concurred that the city's quality of education offered is an obstacle to attracting newcomers. Sliwa cited high taxes as his suspected issue, while Mamdani zeroed in on childcare, or more accurately, a lack of affordable childcare options. Cuomo and Blake settled on similar matters, with Blake attributing the issue to the cost of living overall, while Cuomo pointed to "quality of life write large" as the issue. All candidates involved said they would keep the city's sales tax as it is currently – answers diverged in regard to personal income taxes and property taxes. Ramos and Mamdani would increase the personal income tax of New Yorkers, while Cuomo and Sliwa would decrease them, with the other candidates saying they would keep them the same. Walden, Cuomo and Sliwa would decrease the property tax rate, while Blake would increase it – most other candidates would keep the rate as it is now, except for Ramos, who did not provide an answer. The Source This article includes information from a Citizens Budget Commission questionnaire.
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
More than 125,000 residents have fled NYC for Florida since 2020 — but don't count the Big Apple out just yet
Like Kurt Russell in his 1981 classic, a notable number of city dwellers have been trying to Escape from New York in recent years. Citizens Budget Commission (CBC) data gathered by New York Post suggests that over 125,000 residents have left the Big Apple for Florida since 2020. These expats took an estimated $13.8 billion aggregate income along with them. Thanks to Jeff Bezos, you can now become a landlord for as little as $100 — and no, you don't have to deal with tenants or fix freezers. Here's how I'm 49 years old and have nothing saved for retirement — what should I do? Don't panic. Here are 6 of the easiest ways you can catch up (and fast) Nervous about the stock market in 2025? Find out how you can access this $1B private real estate fund (with as little as $10) But Florida isn't the only state attracting New Yorkers in recent years. City residents have also moved to nearby states like New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and distant states like California and Texas. This level of out-migration could have a significant impact on the city's economy. Here's why the CBC report believes New York City is at an 'inflection point' and the trend could reverse. A city that loses residents also loses tax revenue. This problem is particularly acute in New York, which taxes its residents higher than most other parts of the country. On a per capita basis, the state of New York collected $12,751 in 2022, 79% higher than the national average and the highest among all 50 states, according to the CBC report. Out-migration in recent years could create a shortfall in tax revenue in the years ahead. The city's budget could see a gap ranging from $7.8 billion to $10.1 billion, according to the CBC's estimates. Faced with a gap in its coffers, city officials might have to make difficult decisions about how much they borrow or spend to manage city services. However, there are signs that the city's population and aggregate income is growing, which could mitigate some of this gap. Read more: Want an extra $1,300,000 when you retire? Dave Ramsey says — and that 'anyone' can do it New York City Mayor Eric Adams recently announced that the city's population decline was over and that the number of residents was on an upswing. The city's population grew in 2023 and 2024 and stands at 8,478,000 people as of March. International migration is a key reason for this reversal. While the city is losing some residents to other states, it's gaining residents from other countries in recent years, according to the CBC report. The growth in job opportunities has helped too. Since 2020, the number of healthcare and social assistance jobs in the city has increased by 27%, while jobs in financial activities, securities and transportation and warehousing also saw modest growth. The pushback on remote work in recent years could have pulled more employees back to the city as well. If these trends continue, New York's future may not be as gloomy as it once seemed. "The numbers do not lie. Our city's best days still lie ahead of us," Mayor Adams said in the press release. "Jobs are at their highest levels in city history, crime is down across the five boroughs and people are coming back to the greatest city on the globe. New York City has emerged from the darkest days of the pandemic and continues to take leaps towards a brighter future. Believe the hype: New York City is back." Rich, young Americans are ditching the stormy stock market — here are the alternative assets they're banking on instead How much cash do you plan to keep on hand after you retire? Here are 3 of the biggest reasons you'll need a substantial stash of savings in retirement Robert Kiyosaki warns of a 'Greater Depression' coming to the US — with millions of Americans going poor. But he says these 2 'easy-money' assets will bring in 'great wealth'. How to get in now Here are 5 'must have' items that Americans (almost) always overpay for — and very quickly regret. How many are hurting you? Like what you read? Join 200,000+ readers and get the best of Moneywise straight to your inbox every week. This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
Hindustan Times
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Mira Nair's son brings Bollywood flair, Hindi to New York mayoral campaign
Zohran Mamdani, a democratic candidate for New York City's mayoral race, on Wednesday tapped into his family's movie background to attack front-runner Andrew Cuomo and make his case for the June 24 election. Mamdani, who is the son of filmmaker Mira Nair, shared a video on X, pitting his agenda against that of Cuomo. But there is a twist - the campaign video is in Hindi. 'This election is just 20 days away, and the choice is between me and Andrew Cuomo. This is all that Andrew Cuomo has to offer,' Mamdani says in Hindi before the video cuts to a scene of Amitabh Bachchan's 1975 hit Deewar. Instead of Shashi Kapoor saying "mere pass maa hai" to the question 'what do you have?', the video cuts to Zohran Mamdani, who says,' I have the people.' Mamdani, who could become the first New York mayor of South Asian descent, said that it wasn't about who he's become but about what he would do. 'I'm going to make our city affordable. New Yorkers are struggling to afford food, clothing, and shelter. I'm fighting to change that. Freeze rent, free buses, universal childcare, and cheaper groceries,' he says in Hindi. Mamdani, a New York state representative, is one of the leading candidates in the Democratic party for the mayoral race, along with Andrew Cuomo, the former New York governor. Incumbent mayor Eric Adams is contesting the polls on an independent ballot. A majority of New Yorkers still say the biggest US city needs safer streets and better housing to make it more livable, according to a survey cited by Bloomberg. Just one in three New Yorkers, or 34 percent, rate the city's quality of life as excellent or good, according to the latest resident survey from the Citizens Budget Commission. That's up slightly from 30 percent in 2023's survey but less than the 51 percent in 2017 who gave it high marks. According to the report by the nonpartisan fiscal watchdog, affordability, crime and safety, housing, and taxes are the top issues in deciding whether to remain in New York City or leave. About 55 percent of those surveyed said they planned to stay in the city for the next five years. While that's up from 50 percent in 2023, it's still less than 58 percent of residents in 2017 who planned to remain in the city.
CBS News
04-06-2025
- General
- CBS News
New Yorkers are not satisfied with quality of life in NYC, survey finds
New Yorkers say they're not satisfied with quality of life in new survey New Yorkers say they're not satisfied with quality of life in new survey New Yorkers say they're not satisfied with quality of life in new survey New Yorkers are dissatisfied with the quality of life in New York City, according to new data from the Citizens Budget Commission. The recently surveyed residents are sending a clear message: The city isn't delivering enough. New data from the CBC reveals widespread dissatisfaction with quality of life, government services and public safety. Only 34% of New Yorkers rate citywide quality of life as "excellent" or "good," which is a sharp drop from 51% in 2017. Only 27% rate city services positively, plummeting from 44% in 2017. Housing, homelessness and mental health services rate among the worst, and only 42% of residents say they feel safe in their neighborhoods, despite NYPD data showing major crimes are down. NYC mayor race faces 1st debate tonight The survey comes with less than three weeks to the New York City mayoral primary elections, and the race is heating up. Nine democratic candidates will face off Wednesday night on the debate stage, trying to convince voters why they should be the city's next mayor. Recent polling shows Andrew Cuomo and Zohran Mamdani are leading the group. The list of contenders also includes Adrienne Adams, Michael Blake, Brad Lander, Zellnor Myrie, Jessica Ramos, Scott Stringer and Whitney Tilson. Political experts believe the debate will touch on topics like crime, immigration, education, congestion pricing and affordable housing. The debate is one of two that will be held before the June 24 primary elections. New York City Mayor Eric Adams will not be taking part, because he is running for reelection as an independent.
