Jan

Pontifications of the Public Advocate

Demagoguery has never been in short supply in politics, but as the economy tanks and budgets shrink, it’s on the uptick. Take Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, who at a press conference two days ago slammed the Mayor for mishandling the City’s homeless population, particularly in Manhattan.

But de Blasio offered no real solutions, just demands for more services from a drowning city budget. He criticized the mayor’s proposal to move the men’s intake facility from Bellevue Hospital to Brooklyn because he says it is Manhattan that has the largest homeless problem. The Advocate should know that it takes more money to run anything in Manhattan than in the boroughs, just ask any business that has to operate within the constraints of the market and not in the make-believe world of the tax supported public advocate’s office.

It’s no accident that the homeless population tends to gravitate to Manhattan. The homeless know that’s where the money and the services are, so that relocating facilities to the boroughs as the Mayor proposed, is perfectly reasonable and budget conscious.

Despite his criticisms of the mayor, the public advocate nevertheless offered to work with the administration. But unless Mr. de Blasio is willing to accept the constraints that the mayor has to work under—mainly that he can’t print money like the federal government—his carping and grandstanding will only perpetuate the useless finger-pointing of our political culture. He needs to accept solutions that are in accordance with current budget conditions, such closing facilities that cost too much to run and reopening them where they cost less to operate. He needs to accept that reductions in services are unavoidable at a time when the city’s taxpaying population is also tightening the belt.

“Although the City has fewer resources, government cannot renege on its promises to vulnerable New Yorkers,” says Mr. de Blasio. But the mayor cannot promise what he doesn’t have and reducing services when the money isn’t there is not reneging, it’s being responsible and making tough choices.

Public officials should tread lightly and think critically before spending valuable time and tax dollars issuing inflammatory sound bites simply to look like they are doing something or to get free face-time on TV and a blurb in tomorrow’s paper.

Edited by Mario Quirce

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