As the saying goes, you gotta give. But apparently the richest New Yorkers aren't feeling that way about their own city.
According to a story in the New York Times, the city's "influential philanthropic class," as the paper puts it, "is newly wary of giving to causes aimed at addressing the city’s biggest problems, according to conversations with more than 20 donors, philanthropic advisers and fund-raisers."
For instance, The Mayor's Fund, the charity run by the City, has received just $3 million to help care for asylum seekers, compared with the $77 million it got during the first wave of the pandemic.
The story gives a few reasons for this—the rich have moved on to other causes (like donating to Israel), or they're upset that the public has curbed their crusade of endlessly expanding charter schools, or they'd rather have their name on a concert hall than anonymously fund a policy initiative—but the biggest explanation appears to be vibe-based.
"There’s no hopeful message here that people want to invest in," the head of the United Way of New York City told the Times. "It's a hard conversation to have with donors when your mayor is saying, not only do we not have good solutions for a problem that should be solved by the federal government, and I agree with that, but we’re also cutting the budget."
New York is facing multiple crises that include housing and healthcare and childcare and, well, literally, you name it. Why should our ability to have more resources to fight these problems hinge on the delicate sensibilities of hundreds of people who harbor more wealth than anyone can spend in a lifetime? To put it bluntly, these motherfuckers and their private spaghetti clubs are crying out to be taxed.
Governor Kathy Hochul, who is laying out her legislative agenda for the year at 1:00 p.m. today in her annual State of the State address, has said she won't raise income taxes this year. The state legislature's wish list is still in the works, though passing meaningful legislation to do something about the housing crisis appears to be at the top of the list.
How about coming up with some creative ways to chip off a few billion dollars from the people who can't make up their minds on how to spend it?
Here are some links to give your attention to:
- Mayor Eric Adams will be in Albany today meeting with legislative leaders and attending the governor's State of the State speech. He needs help and he needs money, though he may not get either.
- Why is Adams releasing his proposed City budget at the same time next week as Hochul is releasing the state's budget? It reeks of misdirection.
- On Tuesday morning, around 40 migrant families moved out of the Midtown hotel they were staying in, abiding by the Adams administration's 60-day orders to leave their current shelter. The administration has promised to find them housing somewhere else, though that is not happening, according to some asylum seekers. The New York Times profiled one family from Venezuela who came to New York, received asylum, and then had it taken away.
- City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams has threatened to sue the Adams administration if they refuse to swiftly enact laws the council passed to expand the City's housing voucher program, while the Legal Aid Society is preparing their own lawsuit.
- Housing developers love getting tax breaks, and they built a lot more housing when those tax breaks (like 421-a) existed.
- "Police arrest hundreds after Pro-Palestinian protesters shut down 3 bridges, Holland Tunnel."
- "January's secret"? It's a fucked up month full of flooding and temps in the 50s and no snow.
- Hochul seems to be keeping her promise to open up more psych beds that provide long-term care.
- Chick-fil-A is not good. There is no actual reason to eat there.
- Will cowardly state legislators once again prevent NYC from lowering its own speed limit? We're gonna find out!
- The widow of 43-year-old Chima Williams, who became the first person to die on Rikers Island in 2024, is demanding answers.
- DREAM: Dark Money Rules Everything Around Me (Albany).
- And finally: Yes we have seen the "tunnel" videos, yes we are looking into them.
