De Blasio Shifts Tune on Pre-K Funding, Would Now Accept State Cash
JILL COLVIN
Mayor Bill de Blasio today said he would accept a check from Gov. Andrew Cuomo to fund universal pre-K in place of his signature tax on high-income earners–as long as the governor provides enough cash.
“We haven’t seen the final plan yet … And what I’ve tried to say is we need the verification here for New York City that we’ll have the money each year we need for five years,” said the mayor, speaking this morning on Morning Joe.
“I’ve 100 percent said, ‘If we have a verifiable plan for five years and the dollar figures we need, we can accept that,” he continued. “But I’ve also said that I don’t believe, given the vagaries of Albany–and you’ve seen them–that we’re going to have anything that’s verifiable and consistent as the tax plan we’ve put forward.”
Mr. de Blasio and the governor have been locked in a battle over how to fund the mayor’s signature program. Mr. Cuomo has pledged a blank check to fund programs across the state–arguing it would be unfair to restrict the plan to the city. The mayor and his allies argue the amount governor put forward in his preliminary budget proposal is vastly insufficient to fund the pace and scope of expansion he wants. Albany lawmakers have until April 1 to include the funding, unless the budget is delayed.
http://politicker.com/2014/03/de-blasio-shifts-tune-on-pre-k-funding-would-now-accept-state-cash/
