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NYC Union Workers Camp At ‘Bloombergville’ To Protest Budget Cuts
Union workers expressed their opposition to potentially devastating budget cuts by camping out overnight in the shadow of City Hall, Jay Dow reports.
Union 37 workers, supporters camp out in protest. (Credit: CBS 2/New York) They’re trying to save thousands of jobs. District 37 Union members and their supporters called the encampment “Bloombergville.”
“We need more money, we need contracts, we need everything,” said union member Sylvia Williams.
“They might as well put us on welfare with everybody else, because we can’t afford to live off what they pay us now,” said Josie Bennett, president of Local 1505.
District 37 is New York City’s largest public employees union. Members said City Hall’s proposed budget, which calls for laying off 4,100 city workers, cuts too deeply. They cite a union research report that claims the city could soften the blow by tapping more than $800 million in newly-identified potential revenue sources, including uncollected taxes.
Mayor Bloomberg, however, wasn’t as optimistic. “This city does not have the kind of revenues that we had back when we were putting money away,” he said.
In fact, the mayor says next year’s financial outlook isn’t any better.
“We have to start looking right now for ways to start doing more with less in city government, and we’re going to continue to do that. Getting another budget is just another step.”
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Show All"Mayor Bloomberg, however, wasn’t as optimistic. “This city does not have the kind of revenues that we had back when we were putting money away,” he said."
What happened to that revenue? Isn't Wall St. part of NYC? Aren't they up to 12 already on the DOW? Why doesn't NYC get a return on that profit? Don't they contribute to the welfare of the city they reside in? Aren't the top 02% of New Yorkers now wealthier than ever?
"“We have to start looking right now for ways to start doing more with less in city government, and we’re going to continue to do that. Getting another budget is just another step.”"
I am betting they aren't going to cut services to their wealthiest citizens/clients. They'll still be covered. The only goverment that is going to be cut is that which provides for protections and services to/for poor and working classes.
Instead of outright shooting people the Elites choice is a slow painfull death for workers by starvation, exposure to the elements by loss of housing, death from lack of medical care and eventually starvation from inflated commodity prices due to speculation by the ruling class.
It's called class warfare. It's a little slower than death by execution but it still gets you to the same place.
If working people don't wake up to what corporations are doing to them and start fighting back the above is what awaits them.
It's not even the Sixth sense that's needed to observe the class war, but the outcome is the same, "I see dead people".
(note to purists: never seen the movie, looked like crap but I'm operating on my cultural understanding of it, culled from unwanted exposure to ads, previews or others conversations.)
Mayor Bloomberg is against taxing the rich because he is the rich and will work to protect his own interests.
NYC doesn't have a de-population problem. Quite the opposite. It seems like half the rich and famous in the US end up living in Manhattan. If they don't want to pay up, let them leave. Some other rich bastard will by their townhouse or penthouse.
We need One BIG Union. IWW