Koch: Dump The Lawmakers Who Cut School Money
BY RICHARD GENTILVISO

As the Honorable Edward I. Koch strode into the room, excitement filled the air, transcending the usual humdrum schedule. It seemed like 1989, when standing at the podium, the 105th Mayor of the City of New York, said, "There is a problem the Mayor has which you could help us with." He was, of course, referring to 108th Mayor of the City of New York, Michael Bloomberg, and not himself, Ed Koch, but this was almost as good as a visit by Mayor Bloomberg.

"This affects the schools that the Mayor wants to build," said Koch to Community Board 7. Koch served as a member of his own local board in Manhattan's Greenwich Village before being elected to the City Council, the U.S. Congress, and as Mayor of New York. "I know what you do," Koch told board members at their March 13th meeting in Flushing.

In an effort to rescue 21 school construction projects, Mayor Bloomberg has deployed a team of emissaries, including Schools Chancellor Joel Klein and Deputy Mayor Dennis Walcott, to enlist help for the city to lobby the state for its half of a five-year, $13 billion capital budget.

"This is very important to over 1 million public school children," said Koch, noting the city's schools are the largest school district in the country. "The state has not provided its share under the law," he said pointing out they are required to provide every school district with money to build new school seats set at 65 percent of the cost by the legislature. "In fact, it is not true," said Koch.

"The mayor has asked for 50 percent over five years, $6.5 billion, and the legislature said it would [allocate the money] but it didn't," Koch said. Last year, the first year of the five-year capital construction plan, the city put forth the state's share of $1.3 billion. "But it can't do that again, because it will never be repaid," Koch said.

"How do you get [the Legislature] to put in the money? You call your Assemblyman and senators and give them a message-if you don't put up the money, we're not going to put up with you," Koch said in his unmistakable style New Yorkers know so well. "Give them a good piece of your mind, but very politely," he said, adding, "In an election year you can accomplish a miracle."

Councilmembers John Liu and Tony Avella joined in to support former Mayor Koch. Liu said a project on Franklin Street in Flushing, P.S. 244, would eliminate over 400 new seats if the cuts go through. "We have a solid five-year plan in place. The state is reneging on $1.8 billion. We cannot allow that to happen," said Liu.

Koch said this effort to gain funding for school construction was not related to the Campaign For Fiscal Equity lawsuit the city has won but Governor George Pataki continues to appeal. Asked if people should also call and write the governor, Koch said Pataki would not veto the legislature. "The key people are [Senate Majority Leader] Joe Bruno and [Assembly Speaker] Shelly Silver," Koch said. "Do this for the children that belong to you or for the children that belong to all of us-the children of the community."

Clearly still very popular although 16 years removed from office, Koch was asked, "Are you going to run again?" "Let me tell you a little anecdote," he responded. "In 1993 (at the end of David Dinkins' first term as mayor after Koch lost to Dinkins in 1989), people came to me and said, 'Mayor, you must run again, you must run again.' My response was, no. The people threw me out and now the people must be punished."

In other business, the board was scheduled to vote on a request by the Broadway Flushing Homeowners Association to create a historic district. The district would include 1,330 properties extending beyond the Broadway Flushing Homeowners Association to include parts of Auburndale as well.

Speaking in favor of the historic district, Avella said landmarking for historic preservation was "the ultimate protection" in the effort to preserve quality of life in neighborhoods. "It does have its pros and cons," said Avella.