Statement by Public Advocate de Blasio on Mayor Bloomberg's Preliminary Budget

Living within our means must be our top priority. But we cannot stop investing in our future. This is why I am disappointed the Mayor put forth a budget proposal that hurts New York’s children and makes it harder for families to work.

Everyone from President Obama on down has emphasized early childhood programs are critical, and yet the Mayor is refusing to invest the necessary resources in Head Start, Universal Pre-Kindergarten, and child care. The consequences of the Mayor’s proposal are striking: with so many of our schools still struggling, nearly 16,000 of New York’s youngest and most vulnerable would be forced to go without the preparation they need to enter school ready to succeed. And, with New York City still down 180,000 jobs since the recession started, we cannot force more families to choose between their jobs and their children.

The dollars and cents of our city budget must reflect the priorities, the values and the reality of working people. This fight is about championing the next generation, helping parents work and investing in a vibrant five-borough economy of the future – it is a fight we cannot afford to lose.