Mayor de Blasio is ignoring a campaign pledge to restore millions of dollars for some after-school programs — pulling the exact same move he excoriated his predecessor over.
During a budget hearing Wednesday, City Councilman David Greenfield identified the absence of as much as $16 million for low-income after-school vouchers in the preliminary fiscal 2015 budget.
Many of the vouchers benefited large Orthodox Jewish families. “The mayor flagged it as a priority in his campaign. One would think it would still be a priority now,” Greenfield told budget director Dean Fuleihan.
In fact, de Blasio blasted ex-mayor Mike Bloomberg for fully funding the child-care program during his 2009 re-election campaign and then cutting it once the election was over.
“I am disgusted that in 2009, Mayor Bloomberg came to this community, begged and pleaded for support . . . took the support, turned around and took away every single voucher,” de Blasio told Jewish leaders during his own mayoral run.
“The chutzpah of that is unbelievable and inappropriate and unfair,” added de Blasio, vowing to restore the vouchers.