Anti-Wall Street March: 'Enough is Enough!'
by Yuridia Peña
On May 12, CSA members marched from City Hall to Wall Street with thousands of educators, students, community group members, union members and lawmakers in solidarity against the mayor’s plans to eliminate 6,000 teacher jobs through layoffs and attrition, cut classroom and day care funding, and close firehouses, senior centers and public libraries.
New Yorkers expressed their frustration as they clamored, “Tax the rich”! One demonstrator held a sign that depicted the mayor as Mr. Burns, the recurring corporate villain in the animated series The Simpsons and read “Bloomberg to Schools: DROP DEAD.” Numerous teachers wore t-shirts that read, “The Education Mayor really?’ while others held signs that read “Make Banks Pay” and ‘”Billions for Bankers, Cutbacks for Workers? HELL NO!”
As the demonstrators gathered near City Hall, the Rev. Al Sharpton rallied the troops: “We’re going to stand together as brothers and sisters. You took the money from us. We’re going where they sent the money to tell them we’re not going to take it no more,” said the Rev. Al Sharpton. He then asked the crowd: “Are you ready to march”? Protesters then peacefully but loudly marched onto Broadway and down to the financial district.
Mayor Bloomberg, for his part, blames the upcoming cutbacks on the state and federal government. “We’re ready to do our part to help the state, but we don’t deserve to be penalized for our responsible actions. If the state does not come through, layoffs and service cuts will be more severe,” stated Mr. Bloomberg in a release that presented the fiscal year 2012 draft
budget.
The proposed cuts caused an eruption from the public. Many have responded in newspapers, on television and on the Internet saying the cuts are unnecessary, the city should use some of its surplus and that financial institutions and Wall Street executives need to pay their fair share.
“We deserve to be treated with respect and dignity because this city belongs to us … not the rich,” said Norman Seabrook, Correction Officers’ Benevolent Association President. However, Gov. Andrew Cuomo refused to continue the so-called millionaires’ tax, which would have generated billions of dollars for the state, and Mr. Bloomberg refuses to use any of the city’s surplus funds – about $5 billion – to at least narrow the budget gap.
Firehouses targeted
Mr. Bloomberg has proposed a number of cuts to many city agencies including closing 23 firehouses – eight in Brooklyn alone, reduced library hours, laying off more than 4,000 teachers (and eliminating another 2,000 positions through attrition.) The City Council is expected to restore some of the funds in the annual dance of the season, but since the city’s budget deficit is about $4.8 billion, certainly some NYC residents will see a reduction in some services.
Earlier this year, the mayor proposed eliminating 16,500 subsidized Day Care slots, or 15 percent of the capacity. Recently, he restored nearly half of the $91 million cut and said no family will be without services. But Day Care advocates fear hundreds of children from low-income families will indeed be affected, and don’t understand how $40 million in restored funds can pay for $91 million worth of care. (See story for more information.)
“As you know the people being hurt here are our children …and he’s talking about being an education mayor…that’s a lie,” said DC 37 Executive Director Lillian Roberts.
The May 12 Coalition and dozens of advocacy groups organized the demonstration; weeks before the rally, the May 12 Coalition released a report that offered budget solutions such as eliminating bank subsidies and ensuring a “fair-share” tax system for millionaires, hedge fund operators and private equity firms.
Different media gave various numbers for the size of the rally; The Chief’s estimate was 10,000 although some reports gave twice that number.
While the demonstration was mostly peaceful, at one point at Water and John streets, walkers began to push and scuffle; dozens of officers arrived at the scene to maintain order and help move people safely.
Labor leaders and community organizers promise to continue hounding the Mayor to rethink his budget. “We will be out on the streets today, tomorrow, until we are heard,” said Denis Hughes, president, NYS AFL-CIO. “There’s no power like people power,” he added.
