Monday, March 9, 2009

Look out ol' Mikey is back!

From Gangbox:

On March 5, some 75,000 New York City workers demonstrated in a huge labor protest against threatened budget cuts as the capitalist economic crisis deepens. The rally, which extended more than 13 blocks, from City Hall north to Canal Street, was by far the largest mobilization of union members in recent years.

From the NY Post:

The Mayor's Office of Contract Services rejected five applications for City Council funding and expects to disqualify others as it pores over hundreds of discretionary grants - a review process Quinn and Bloomberg established after the council's slush-fund scandal was revealed last year.

New Dimension in Care was slated to get $19,586 in a citywide allocation that the entire council approved.

Councilman Tony Avella (D-Queens), who directed $20,000 to City Solve Systems for graffiti removal, said he had funded the company with no problems in previous years.

Councilman Oliver Koppell (D-Bronx) this year set aside $7,500 for City Solve, but that, too, was cut.

Avella said most of his discretionary grants have not been allocated yet.

"It has become a nightmare process for very legitimate groups," Avella said. "[Contract Services officials] keep changing the process every five minutes."

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