Opposing the Mayor’s Cuts to CUNY and Other City Agencies

PSC President James Davis stood with members of the City Council’s Progressive Caucus, NYS Senators Jabari Brisport and Gustavo Rivera, Assembly Members Zohran Mamdani, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, and The Peoples Plan coalition on Monday, December 11 to oppose Mayor Adams’s unnecessary mid-year cuts to CUNY, libraries, schools, parks and other city agencies and institutions.

Enough with the fear mongering about asylum seekers. Enough with the PEG cuts, @NYCMayor. We need #CareNotCuts @NYCProgressives @PeoplesPlanNYC pic.twitter.com/uwfZLFej5F

— PSC_CUNY (@PSC_CUNY) December 11, 2023

After the rally, President Davis and other PSC members testified before the City Council urging them to continue to fight against the mayor’s cuts.

“The city’s proposed across-the-board cuts to CUNY will inflict unquestionable damage on our campuses, especially the community colleges, and make our advocacy at the state level far more difficult,” Davis testified.

Broadening his commentary, Davis said, “It is unconscionable that PSC members and students face austerity in a variety of services, not just CUNY. Libraries are expected to cut hours; Parks Department will cut maintenance staff; composting programs and associated jobs will be lost; a hiring freeze for teachers at DOE; slots eliminated from Universal Pre-K programs next year. If there is a problem with recruiting and retaining a workforce in a vibrant New York City, these cuts will exacerbate it.”

Read the full testimony.

Published: December 11, 2023 | Last Modified: December 13, 2023