Mayor Bloomberg warned lawmakers in Albany Monday that Gov. Paterson's proposed $134 billion budget for 2010-2011 would cost the city 18,500 jobs.

That breaks down to 10,000 city employees and 8,500 teachers.

"We would, for example, have to lay off 3,150 police officers - reducing the NYPD's operational strength to 1985 levels," Bloomberg said in prepared testimony. "Some 1,050 firefighters would be laid off, and the firehouses where they work would be closed."
"We'd also have to lay off close to 900 City correction officers," he added.

More cuts, as threatened by Bloomberg:

Street cleaning and litter basket collection service slashed in half, curbside pick-up reduced by a third, some 500 parks personnel (close to 19 percent of the staff) would face firing - "the equivalent of closing all pools, beaches, and recreation centers, citywide. "

Also on the chopping block would be city funding for 500 soup kitchens and 15 senior centers.

"Such budget cuts would inevitably damage the quality of life in the city that drives the economy of the entire state. It's in your power to prevent many of those dire consequences - simply by giving the people of New York City a fair deal," the mayor says.

If the Legislature restores the $328 million in revenue sharing Paterson has proposed cutting from the city (94 percent of the $349 million statewide reduction), it would "spare" some 3,400 uniformed employees and nearly 2,500 civilian employees, Bloomberg maintains.

This budget dance goes on pretty much annually. For example, Bloomberg threatened last year to lay off some 14,000 teachers if the state didn't restore about $770 million worth of education funding cuts Paterson proposed.

In the end, however, the Legislature restored much of the education spending (and health care dollars, too) that Paterson had sought to cut, and Bloomberg backed off the layoff threat.

So far, Paterson isn't showing any sympathy for Bloomberg's plight, saying last week that while he understands the mayor is upset, "this is a budget of necessity."

HE basically told Bloomberg to deal with it: "You, yourself, mayor, are going to have to make cuts that you really don't want to make."

The mayor does voice support for some of Paterson's 2010-2011 budget initiatives, including the so-called "fat tax" on sugary drinks, the cigarette tax increase and the move toward starting to collect taxes on cigarettes sold on Indian land.

He also calls for lifting the charter school cap and the passing of legislation prior to a March 17 deadline that would enable the state to qualify for federal funds for improvements to public housing.

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