#NYC Council rams through pork-barrel spending amid COVID-19 fiscal crisis

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New York City Council Speaker Corey Johnson speaks at a press conference calling for a ban on police chokeholds last month.
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They boasted of gutting the police department. But the COVID-19 fiscal crisis didn’t stop City Council members from ramming through $326 million in spending on pet projects in their districts spanning the Big Apple.

Council members’ pork-barrel funding was earmarked to thousands of groups — spanning such weighty initiatives that include paper shredding, handball playing, “Drag Queen story reading,, bead-making, parrot adoption and a group that promotes “decarceration.”

The line-item splurge is spelled out in Schedule C of the just-approved city budget.

Each council member gets a minimum allotment of $400,000 — totaling more than $20 million combined for all 51 council members — to spend on individual programs in their district.

But the council members, and Speaker Corey Johnson, dole out more money based on a council district’s poverty rates as well as for borough and citywide needs. The tally comes to $326 million.

Budget watchdogs questioned the spending.

“This doesn’t look like an emergency budget,” said Nicole Gelinas, senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute.

“Are these really critical programs right now? Many of these programs are not as important as maintaining basic services,” she said.

A review of Schedule C of the city budget finds funding was awarded to groups including:

• $250,000 to the “Center for NuLeadership on Urban Solutions in Brooklyn. The Post reported a decade ago that Medgar Evers College in Brooklyn booted the controversial center run by ex-convicts off campus after ruling it lacked research credentials and failed to show academic value to students. The group calls for “decarceration” and less police enforcement and punishment.
• Upper Green Side: $12,000 for funding for such things as paper shredding. Backed by Manhattan Council members Ben Kallos and Keith Powers.
• $27,000 to the US Wallball Association for youth handball, sponsored by Council Speaker Corey Johnson and four other reps.
• The Wild Bird Fund gets $50,000 from Council members Marc Levine and Justin Brannan.
• $25,000 earmarked to the “Drag Queen Story Hour NYC, Ltd.” In libraries to promote tolerance for LGBT residents. “Funding will support operating costs for Drag Queen Story Hour readings…featuring drag queens reading picture books to children,” a brief explainer said. The funding was requested by a half-dozen reps, including Council Finance Committee Chairman Daniel Dromm (D-Queens).
• $8,000 to the “Urbanglass New York Contemporary Glass Center.” “To support the Bead Project, a semester-long program that teaches the basics of bead making, jewelry fabrication and entrepreneurship.” Requested by Brooklyn Council members Stephen Levin and Laurie Cumbo.
• $10,000 to the “Order of The Feather” fraternity: “Funding will be used to support the operational expenses associated with the Rites of Passage leadership conference/seminar,” a brief statement explains. The funding was requested by Queens Council members Daneek Miller and Adrienne Adams.
• $18,000 to the Staten Island Sports Hall of Fame sought by the borough’s delegation (Joe Borelli, Debi Rose, Steven Matteo)
• $5,000 to the Feathered Friends Parrot Adoption Services, at the request of Queens Councilman Robert Holden.
• $15,000 to the “Green Earth Poets Cafe” “To provide funding support for the spoken word open mic series, youth are slamming poetry workshops and no more silent voices prison poetry stage plays.” Backed by Brooklyn Council members Robert Cornegy and Alicka Ampry-Samuel.
• $15,000 to Queens Rail Corporation to advocate for transportation in “outer” Queens. Requested by borough reps. Holden, Donovan Richards and Eric Ulrich.
• $40,000 steered to Giving Alternative Living Uplifting Opportunities to fund “therapeutic” horse riding including equestrian. Sponsors include Speaker Corey Johnson, and Council members Eric Ulrich of Queens and Mark Gjonaj of The Bronx.

A spokesman for Johnson said funding for the discretionary programs was reduced to $326 million from $407 million.

Dromm, the council finance committee chairman, defended the spending.

“Discretionary funding is the heart of the safety net. The Council stated from the get go that we would protect that money so programs for youth, immigrants, seniors and others wouldn’t suffer,” Dromm said.

“NYC’s most vulnerable and those most affected by the pandemic depend on that funding for food, healthcare and legal services for housing. I am proud we protected these New Yorkers.”