The Budget We Deserve
The budget that passed this week is a clear failure. New Yorkers need to elect leadership that prioritizes the needs of the people and invests in communities.
The budget passed by the Mayor and the NYC Council failed. It failed the residents of NYC, who have been raising their voices in protest and demanding change since May 29th. It failed those whose lives have been lost at the hands of the NYPD. It failed communities of color who have been disproportionately impacted by violence and brutality. Moreover, it failed to strike a potentially crippling blow to the systemic racism that has plagued the institution of policing since its inception. And in doing so, it failed to take a first, critical step toward acknowledging and undoing the oppression and inequalities that exist in our city and moving toward the creation of a model for true justice and equity — a radical reimagining of a new social compact that reflects how so many of us want to live in the future.
The need for resources and services in our communities is as unprecedented in my lifetime as the momentum of the diverse coalition of New Yorkers that has come together to call for an end to the legacy of violence and disenfranchisement of Black people in our city. Policing is not public safety. The safety of our communities relies on access to affordable housing, education, youth programs and other services that support individuals’ ability to provide for their families and live in dignity. The Mayor and City Council have failed to invest in those needs. In doing so they have sent a clear message to New Yorkers about their values and priorities and our communities will bear the consequences for years to come.
New Yorkers want — and deserve — bold, transformational leadership that is unapologetically committed to eradicating racism and the structures that perpetuate violence against communities of color. We need leaders that are not indebted to party politics or bogged down in political trading. We need representatives that heed our voices and govern in true partnership with the community in order to address our needs and keep us safe.
Those of us who have been protesting in the streets and crying out for change share a vision for what is possible. We believe in a radical reimagining that prioritizes and invests in Black and Brown communities that have long been plagued by issues of poverty and discrimination. The City’s leadership has failed to heed our call and deliver on their commitment to represent the people. But their failure has seeded a movement. Over the past month, New Yorkers have come together and that movement has grown. We are here to stay, and we will not go back. But we will remember in 2021.
