City School Cuts Seem Pointed at Albany

Gotta love Bloomberg playing some hardball -- now if only he'd do the same for the charter cap, though in fairness the same linkage doesn't exist.  In this particular instance, it's very simple: if you don't send the funds to build new schools, then new schools won't get built in your district...

When Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg announced this week that he was killing plans for dozens of buildings that were to be built under New York City's school construction plan, he blamed leaders in Albany for not sending enough money to the city.

But the schools that the mayor singled out were apparently chosen for a reason: They were in the districts of powerful lawmakers in Albany, including Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and several Republican state senators, signaling that the mayor is prepared to use his muscle to penalize lawmakers if they do not support his effort to get more school aid from Albany.

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City School Cuts Seem Pointed at Albany

 

By JENNIFER MEDINA

Published: February 18, 2006

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/18/nyregion/18schools.html?th&emc=th

When Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg announced this week that he was killing plans for dozens of buildings that were to be built under New York City's school construction plan, he blamed leaders in Albany for not sending enough money to the city.

But the schools that the mayor singled out were apparently chosen for a reason: They were in the districts of powerful lawmakers in Albany, including Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and several Republican state senators, signaling that the mayor is prepared to use his muscle to penalize lawmakers if they do not support his effort to get more school aid from Albany.

Of 21 schools that were to begin construction this year and are now being scrapped, four are in the district of State Senator Serphin R. Maltese, a Republican. Earlier this month, mayoral aides said that Mr. Bloomberg was so frustrated with Albany that he was considering supporting a Democratic challenger to Mr. Maltese in the November elections, even though the mayor is a Republican.

"I am extremely disappointed in this," Mr. Maltese said. "Obviously, this is something the mayor is putting a priority on. He's clearly aroused a lot of attention, but the way to deal with this is by negotiating at the table, not with political negotiations."

But the mayor is not only singling out Republicans. Three other schools shelved for this year fall within the district of Catherine T. Nolan, the new chairwoman of the Assembly's education committee. Meanwhile, the mayor has spared school construction projects in the districts of lawmakers with less of a stake in the fight.

Officials at City Hall appear to be convinced that focusing on schools in the districts of powerful lawmakers will prod legislators to comply with a court order requiring the state to give the city billions more in education aid.