Sure there’s a budget crisis, but there’s also music in the air at City Hall.
The City Council is funding a summer music boot camp, a marching band and citywide music performances in its annual pork-barrel spending plan released last night.
Councilman Mark Weprin (D-Queens) earmarked $5,000 to the Sol Zim Jewish Enrichment Music Foundation for musical performances.
Inez Dickens (D-Manhattan) gave $5,000 to the Songs of Solomon summer music boot camp and Charles Barron (D-Brooklyn) spent $7,300 on the Soul Tigers Marching Band.
Overall, the Council increased discretionary spending by 9 percent, from $363.5 million last year to more than $396 million this year.
Council aides pointed out that spending on their own initiatives went down and the only reason for the increase was that some of the funds were restored to services – from libraries to firehouses – slashed by Mayor Bloomberg.
The Council plans to vote on the city’s overall $63 billion budget today.
One program getting money to protect affordable housing is an arm of the scandal-scarred ACORN, which has dissolved in New York, but reopened with similar staff under a new name.
The affiliate, the Mutual Housing Association of New York, is slated to receive $180,000 from the Council. The expense is listed as going to ACORN, but spokeswoman Maria Alvarado said that is an error.
That expenditure needs final approval from the mayor.
Councilman James Gennaro (D-Queens) earmarked $6,000 for Chaverim of Queens, a group that assists with roadside emergencies and offers designated drivers for Purim.
Gennaro defended the allocation, saying the group does commendable work, though he was unaware of the Purim program.
“This is ridiculous!” Gennaro fumed. “They help people. It’s a terrific program. . . . Purim is once a year.”
Councilwoman Darlene Mealy (D-Brooklyn) gave $10,000 to the Gold Elite League of Youth, to fund golf lessons for 5- to 24-year-olds. That allocation also is awaiting mayoral approval.