Results tagged “budgetcutbacks”

The FDNY announced yesterday that they would put a ceiling on how much overtime their firefighters could earn. The new cap will limit them to 81 and 1/4 hours per quarter, or 325 hours a year, for certain tasks that do not involve fighting fires or rescuing people. The change should also save on pension costs as well, with firefighters using overtime racked up in their final years to boost the salary used to compute how much their pension payments would be upon retiring. The Post says that with the new regulations, the earnings FDNY's top overtime earner last year would leave him "$65,407 less than he actually pulled in working in the Mayor's Office of Emergency Management and teaching mandated courses in equal employment opportunity." They were also able to find some disgruntled anonymous firefighters unhappy with the decision. One told the paper, "Closing firehouses is ridiculous, and so is cutting back overtime. Something is going to happen soon, and they're going to blame us."

Senator Charles Schumer said yesterday that the large chunk of stimulus money that will go to New York should be arriving by the end of this month. Local schools will be able to factor the stimulus money into next year's budgets when they're put together in late March. Schumer said, “These are difficult times for our school boards and this aid is critical to avoid layoffs and higher taxes." Schools will have to obligate 85 percent of their stimulus money by the end of 2010, with the remainder needing to be allocated by the end of September 2011. Albany will also get a good chunk of its stimulus money in the weeks ahead, with Governor Paterson and legislators expected to tangle on how to divvy it up to address various budget needs. Schumer is credited for bringing the state a good piece of the stimulus pie with one Democrat recently saying after the final bill went though, "Whatever Chuck wants, Chuck gets."

With the grim state of the city budget a hot topic these days, questions are being raised about how long we can continue to sustain the heavy financial burden that comes from the city's pension system for municipal retirees. Last year the city paid out a total of 9% of its budget ($5.6 billion total) for its pensions and analysts project that percentage is only expected to rise. Former NYPD officer and current State Senator Martin Golden told the Post, "Everything's got to be explored...The bottom line is everything's on the table."

The Polar Bears are trying to save the zoos in their own special way, with what they are calling a Naked Cruise (provided by Circle Line). Proceeds will go to the Bronx Zoo and New York Aquarium, who are currently facing massive budget cutbacks, so get out that swimsuit! Yes, apparently by "naked" they mean "wear a swimsuit," but unless your one-piece is made of fauxlar bear fur, it isn't going to keep you warm on a chilly February morning. Still willing to bare it all for a good cause? Save the date, the cruise departs on on a three one hour tour on February 28th, shoving off from Pier 83 and heading to the Statue of Liberty. More details on the Polar Bear website, including this helpful cheat: "When polar bears passengers need a break from the cold, they can bundle up inside the vessel and receive a complimentary cup of hot chocolate." And by all means, tag your photos on Flickr with "Gothamist"!