Firefighters are like Marines: The only thing more expensive than maintain ing them is not having them there when you need them.
Thus, it was gratifying to hear that Mayor Mike is rethinking plans to cut 20 fire companies to save $41 million.
“I’d like to have another five or six weeks of tax-revenue information [and] see how tax revenues are coming in” before deciding, Bloomberg said.
He also hopes to get more information from Albany — which has yet to pass a state budget — about state aid to the city.
He needn’t wait: Whatever the cash flow, those companies must stay open.
Period.
Remember, firefighters today don’t merely put out fires (reason enough not to shut them): They’re also first responders to terror threats (e.g., the Times Square car bomb). They conduct rescues, inspect buildings, teach fire safety and perform a host of other critical jobs.
New York City simply can’t function safely without them. And the fewer the companies, the greater the risk.
Meanwhile, Mike is pushing a $63 billion budget for the coming year. School spending, among the highest per student in America, is to rise $300 million, despite a $500 million drop in state aid.
Surely he can find $41 million for vital fire companies. It’s a matter of priorities.
Mike seems to understand: He recently nixed his similarly unwise plan to cut 900 cops. Now he needs to do likewise with the FDNY.
Keep the companies open, Mike.
Keep New Yorkers alive.