Latest news with #People'sBudget
The Hill
06-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Zohran Mamdani's education agenda would set New York City up for failure
Zohran Mamdani's recent victory in the New York City Democratic mayoral primary has drawn widespread attention for his affiliation with the Democratic Socialists of America and what some see as antisemitic rhetoric. But beyond the headlines, it's the education platform Mamdani champions that could pose the greatest threat to New York City families — especially those striving to access better schools and brighter futures for their children. At the core of Mamdani's approach is an unambiguous rejection of school choice. He opposes vouchers, charter school expansion, and even co-location policies that allow high-performing charters to operate in underutilized public school buildings. His platform calls for a funding overhaul that could severely reduce resources for charter schools, even though they serve 15 percent of city students. Mamdani opposes charter schools and vouchers based on the claim that they divert public resources, lack accountability and mainly benefit wealthier families at the expense of low-income students. He argues that voucher programs, despite being marketed as tools to help struggling students, are often used by affluent families already in private schools. As President Trump pushes for a national voucher initiative, Mamdani insists that New York must instead invest in a fully funded public school system to ensure true educational equity. But the evidence paints a sharply different picture. Success Academy, New York City's largest and most scrutinized charter network, enrolls a student population that is 98 percent made up of minority students, with the vast majority coming from low-income households. Despite these demographics, its academic results are nothing short of exceptional: 96 percent of its students passed the state math exam, and 83 percent passed the English Language Arts exam. By contrast, the citywide public school proficiency rate hovers around just 49 percent, underscoring the extent to which charter schools like Success Academy are not undermining public education but outperforming it. By restricting charter expansion and threatening funding, Mamdani's platform effectively removes one of the few viable paths to academic success for students in underserved neighborhoods. The families who rely on charters are not opting out of public education — they are opting out of failure. As a co-author of the 'People's Budget' proposed by the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Legislative Caucus, Mamdani supports targeted spending initiatives that prioritize political messaging over tangible educational outcomes. The 2025 budget included an initiative aimed at increasing teacher diversity, with the caucus demanding an $8 million investment in recruitment, training and retention programs to make the teaching workforce more diverse. This initiative is particularly ironic given that New York City's public school system — the largest in both the state and nation — already has a teaching staff that is approximately 42 percent Black, despite African Americans comprising only 22 percent of the city's population. In the same budget, Mamdani's caucus allocated $250,000 to promote 'racial and cultural inclusivity' in K–12 classrooms and dedicated $351,500 for statewide conventions aimed at supporting 'underrepresented' educators, supposedly to address barriers faced by educators of color. But the problem isn't with diversity — it's with Mamdani's misaligned priorities. New York City already boasts one of the most diverse populations in the country. Meanwhile, student performance in core subjects continues to falter, and chronic absenteeism nears 40 percent. Despite spending more per student than any other state — over $36,000 annually — New York continues to fall short on basic benchmarks. Mamdani's answer is more spending, with little accountability and no meaningful strategy to improve outcomes. School choice, in contrast, offers a proven mechanism to elevate student achievement without pulling funding from traditional public schools. Programs in states like Florida and North Carolina show that scholarship and charter models can coexist with public education. In many cases, they drive improvement system-wide. A 2019 study even found modest academic gains in public schools that must compete with nearby choice-based alternatives. Mamdani dismisses these successes, framing school choice as an ideological threat rather than a practical solution. But for many families, school choice lets parents select the best educational environment for their children, whether that's a high-performing charter, a faith-based school, or specialized instruction that better fits a student's needs. Mamdani's plan offers the opposite. It preserves a rigid system that too often fails the students most in need, while redirecting resources toward symbolic programs that do little to improve reading, math, or attendance. His vision elevates bureaucracy over results and ideology over opportunity. New York City doesn't lack funding, it lacks alignment between spending and outcomes. What the city needs are policies that empower families, reward effective schools and confront failure with urgency — not just slogans. Mamdani is not the kind of leader New York City students can afford to have in office. Gregory Lyakhov is a high school student from Great Neck, N.Y.
Cambrian News
03-06-2025
- Politics
- Cambrian News
David Lloyd George Museum reopens after £280,000 makeover
Key objects to look out for include Lloyd George's draft copy of the Treaty of Versailles, the first copy of the People's Budget from 1909, Chancellor of the Exchequer uniform worn by Lloyd George, and the many freedom casks gifted to him by cities and towns from Wales, England and Scotland.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Charlotte City Council members still looking at funding for different nonprofits
CHARLOTTE (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — In a budget workshop meeting Monday afternoon, all council members say they have organizations they want to help, but they know doing that is not a responsible way to handle tax revenue. There are several line items the council looks at in the budget, but funding the nonprofits and other organizations is always tough. Many help the city of Charlotte in a variety of ways, from improving neighborhoods to keeping communities safe. A couple of the organizations that have applied include the Charlotte Museum of History and the Knothole Foundation. Other organizations include the Carolina Migrant Network, which provides legal representation for some residents, and Artpop Street Gallery, which helps commission artists in the city to paint murals. Peacock appointed to Charlotte City Council District 6 seat Some on the council say they will look at the People's Budget, which has called for money to help landlords install air conditioning units in low-income apartments, and funding violence prevention programs in the city. 'A lot of these organizations that we are supporting, and we are talking about it, they are taking hits because of DEI,' said District 3 councilwoman Tiawana Brown. 'No one will say it, but I will say it. They are already falling short, so now is a time for us as a council to step up and support the people that we can support as a community. The people that show up for us every day.' A couple of council members voiced concerns about whether every organization gets funding this year, there will be enough money in the 2027 budget to do the same thing without raising taxes. There will be one more workshop meeting before the Charlotte City Council votes on the full budget next month. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
19-04-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
LA Mayor Karen Bass discusses budget ahead of State of the City address
From the deadly fires, a historic Hollywood production slump and a budget crisis , Mayor Karen Bass urged Los Angeles to brace for the future as she prepares to deliver a difficult State of the City address Monday. "It's going to be a very, very difficult budget," she said. "We are very concerned about the impact that's going to have on the workforce. We're working until the last minute. We hope to avoid layoffs. We hope to avoid drastic cuts. But, we are going to have to make some structural changes." Faced with seemingly no other options, City Administrative Officer Matt Szabo told Bass and other council members that LA's $1 billion budget shortfall made "layoffs nearly inevitable." However, thousands of layoffs "cannot and will not be the only solution" to the city's dire situation, according to Szabo. The City Council must consider service cuts to balance its budget. In closed session, city leaders also mulled over the possibility of deferring union-negotiated raises to police officers, firefighters, trash truck drivers and librarians. During Black Lives Matter Los Angeles' annual presentation of the People's Budget in Leimert Park, Bass said the city had chipped away at the $1 billion deficit by Friday night. "We started about a month ago with a $1 billion deficit," she said. "We were able to bring that down to about $800 million." A core mission of BLM LA is to defund the Los Angeles Police Department and allocate the agency's budget to other city programs. "Why are we spending money on police when we need to figure out how to make sure everyone living on Skid Row is housed?" co-founder Melina Abdullah said. "Why are we spending money on police when we need to make sure that everyone eats?" Two years ago, Bass and the City Council negotiated substantial raises and benefits boosts for the LAPD to help retain and increase staffing at the severely shorthanded department. She maintained her support for police, though it's not clear what budget cuts they may face. A recent poll from the LA Times and UC Berkeley showed that Bass' popularity has taken a huge hit in the aftermath of the fires. However, Bass said she is focused on the recovery, which she said is way ahead of schedule. "That is the center of what is happening in our city right now," Bass said. "I don't care how fast we are rebuilding. The people who are still out of their homes, it's still too long. But, I have to tell you, we are months, if not a year, ahead." Another factor looming over the city's budget is President Trump's tariffs. "What we're all going through in the country is just the uncertainty," Bass said. "There's only so much we can control here. The decisions that are being made on a federal level impact us. Will there be tariffs? Will there be a trade war? All of that impacts us on a day-to-day basis."
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Voting begins on Richmond's $3 million People's Budget
Richmond residents fill out cards to give their suggestions for capital improvement projects at the formal launch of the Richmond People's Budget on Sep 10, 2024. (Photo by Charlotte Rene Woods/Virginia Mercury) Last summer, the city of Richmond made waves by announcing a $3 million dollar check for its residents to spend as they see fit. Now, the city is handing the reins over to its people, inviting everyone 14 years and older to vote on how that money should be allocated. From April 1 to 15, Richmonders can head to pop-up events around the city or log on to cast their votes for the projects they want to see funded in what the city has dubbed 'The People's Budget.' Ideas on the table range from improvements to bus routes, tree plantings in underserved areas, and sidewalk enhancements for pedestrian safety, to more region-specific projects, like a 'Welcome to Southside' sign at entry points to Richmond's 8th City Council district, or better trail access to the James River in the 5th District. Instead of just picking one project, the process uses ranked choice voting, allowing participants to express preference for several initiatives. The People's Budget initiative, which was led by former city councilor and mayoral candidate Andreas Addison, started with other pop-up events and online solicitation to gather input from residents across the city. As for the $3 million, it's being divided across the city with a focus on equity. Isaac Samuels, lead organizer of the People's Budget, explained that Districts 1, 2 and 4 will each get $200,000, while Districts 3, 5 and 7 will receive $300,000 each, and Districts 6, 8 and 9 will be allocated $500,000. The goal of this varied distribution is to direct funding to areas that have historically been underinvested in, ensuring that all of Richmond's neighborhoods benefit. Richmond's Southside, home to many historically Black neighborhoods, has long faced challenges rooted in systemic inequality. Less tree canopy in these areas leads to higher ground temperatures during hot months, and a history of discriminatory housing policies has contributed to lower home values. In the 1930s, appraisers marked Black-populated neighborhoods nationwide in red, labeling them 'hazardous' for home loans. The lasting impact of these racist practices is still evident today, with each negative appraisal continuing to affect future evaluations and resulting in less local government investment in public infrastructure. 'This is a big milestone for us,' Samuels said. After months of outreach and community engagement, Samuels is thrilled to reach the voting phase, knowing the projects selected will soon become a reality. With voting ending on April 15, he expects the results to be available by April 21. From there, the implementation of winning proposals will vary based on which city departments are involved and the procedural steps leading up to any development work. 'We will be tracking it basically like a Domino's Pizza Tracker on our website, noting every different step that we're taking,' Samuels said. Ranked choice voting gives Richmond residents a better shot at seeing their favorite projects come to life. If their top choice doesn't get enough votes, their other picks may still make the cut, giving them a greater sense of influence over the outcome. This voting method has gained traction in Virginia in recent years. Former state delegate Sally Hudson carried legislation that was signed into law in 2020, allowing localities to adopt ranked choice voting for city council and board of supervisor elections. Arlington was the first to use it in 2023, and Charlottesville is set to implement it this year. Richmond nearly became the first locality to adopt it in 2022, but city councilors were still unsure and ultimately voted it down. A major concern was that the law couldn't be applied to school boards or citywide elections contests like Richmond's mayor, who, unlike most Virginia localities, is separately elected instead of being a member of the city council. This year, a bill from Sen. Saddam Salim, D-Fairfax, aimed to expand ranked choice voting, but it was recently vetoed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin. Youngkin, who used ranked choice voting to secure his victory in the 2021 Republican gubernatorial convention, explained in his veto that more data was needed before expanding the method. He said doing so at this stage 'risks institutionalizing a system that has yet to prove its effectiveness in broader elections.' However, Hudson, now executive director of Ranked Choice Virginia, argues that Youngkin is overlooking 'the growing body of evidence' showing successful ranked choice voting trials. Arlington has already used it in several elections, and Falls Church and Loudoun county are also considering adopting it. Both Hudson and UpVote Virginia executive director Liz White have pointed to expanding use of ranked choice voting nationwide. 'I definitely see an increase in just people being familiar with it. I think that that, for us, is the biggest measure of progress,' White said. 'The more people use it, the more people know about it, the more they like it.' While more local elections are still waiting for the ability to use this method, White is thrilled to see it applied in Richmond's People's Budget. 'There's more nuance to (residents') votes and they can provide so much more information with their vote,' White said. 'I think that's really cool.' To vote online in the People's Budget, click here. For more details on in-person voting, click here. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
