Consumer Costs

Mayor, Council Speaker Strike Deal on $112.4 Billion Balanced FY 2025 Budget

By SÍLE MOLONEY
New York City Mayor Eric Adams, New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, Council Finance Chair Justin Brannan, members of the City Council, and senior members of the Adams administration announced an agreement on Friday, June 28, for an on-time, balanced, and fiscally-responsible $112.4 billion adopted budget for Fiscal Year (FY) 2025.

City Council Member Eric Dinowitz Confirms Full Restortion of Proposed Budget Cuts to NYC Public Libraries

By SÍLE MOLONEY
After months of what was described as dogged perseverance, District 11 City Council Member Eric Dinowitz, described by his office as a well-known champion for investment in local public libraries, confirmed that the previously proposed cuts to the public library budget will be fully restored as part of the latest FY 2025 $112 billion city budget, broadly agreed between Mayor Eric Adams and the City Council on Friday, June 28.

Petition Launched on Change.Org to Stop the Sale of Van Cortlandt Jewish Center

By SÍLE MOLONEY
An online petition was launched by a group called “Van Cortlandt” on June 9 on www.change.org to stop the proposed sale to a developer, as reported, of the Van Cortlandt Jewish Center (VCJC), located in the Van Cortlandt Village section of The Bronx. Though petitioners were asked to sign the petition by June 21, it appears to still be available.   

UPDATE U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders Holds Roundtable to Discuss His Support for Bowman in Mott Haven

By DAVID GREENE
Independent U.S. Senator for Vermont and former U.S. presidential primary candidate Bernie Sanders held a roundtable for roughly ten minutes with four selected journalists from the New York City area on Saturday, June 22, in the Mott Haven section of The Bronx, just before he joined Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14) and Democratic Congressman Jamaal Bowman (NY-16) at a rally in Mott Haven’s St. Mary’s Park.

Op-Ed: The VCJC Disinformation and Distortion Campaign

By GARY AXELBANK
Van Cortlandt Jewish Center (VCJC) President Stu Harris and Board Chair Jack Kleinfeld have succeeded in boasting about their disinformation and distortion campaign that has resulted in the worst possible real estate deal available, not only for the VCJC congregation, but for the community at large as well.