Linda Sarsour Photo: Getty Images
By Rich Calder April 2, 2016
City First Lady Chirlane McCray is handing over more than
$500,000 to an Arab-American activist who came under fire for denouncing
critics on Twitter as “Zionist trolls.”
The Arab-American Association of New York, a Brooklyn-based nonprofit run by Linda Sarsour, was selected as one of 14 groups by the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York to receive $10 million over five years to integrate mental-health services into their community programs. McCray oversees the fund.
Sarsour, a longtime ally and vote-getter for Mayor de Blasio, got into a Twitter war last October with Queens Councilman Rory Lancman, who is Jewish, when she posted a picture of a Palestinian boy clutching rocks in front of Israeli soldiers, labeling it “The definition of courage.”
After Lancman replied, “No, the definition of barbarism,” Sarsour tweeted, “The Zionist trolls are out to play. Bring it. You will never silence me.”
Lancman told The Post the latest grant “bears scrutiny” but he is “reluctant” to fight it because that would harm people who need services. Sarsour did not return messages seeking comment.
The Arab-American Association of New York, a Brooklyn-based nonprofit run by Linda Sarsour, was selected as one of 14 groups by the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York to receive $10 million over five years to integrate mental-health services into their community programs. McCray oversees the fund.
Sarsour, a longtime ally and vote-getter for Mayor de Blasio, got into a Twitter war last October with Queens Councilman Rory Lancman, who is Jewish, when she posted a picture of a Palestinian boy clutching rocks in front of Israeli soldiers, labeling it “The definition of courage.”
After Lancman replied, “No, the definition of barbarism,” Sarsour tweeted, “The Zionist trolls are out to play. Bring it. You will never silence me.”
Lancman told The Post the latest grant “bears scrutiny” but he is “reluctant” to fight it because that would harm people who need services. Sarsour did not return messages seeking comment.
ALBANY — Lawmakers Friday approved a $156 billion state budget — which included about $1.5 billion for their pet projects.
Although agreement on the package was announced Thursday night, the state Senate passed the package at 9:37 a.m. Friday, while Assembly members kept going through the day after taking a five-hour recess at 5 a.m., and finally approved the budget around 7:30 p.m.
Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie (D-Bronx) described the final product as a progressive’s dream, citing a tuition freeze at the city and state universities, a 12-week paid family-leave plan, and a plan to boost the minimum wage from $9 to $15.
“This is exactly type of budget that Democrats dream about, but it actually became a reality for us this year,” Heastie said.
The $15 minimum wage becomes effective in New York City in 2018, but other parts of the state will wait extra years to reach that mark.
Heastie said his Democratic conference helped restore about $800 million in proposed cuts to Medicaid in the city and to CUNY.
The spending plan set aside $27 billion for the MTA, including $1 billion for the long-awaited Second Avenue subway extension.
Critics complained of a “slush fund” for pols’ favored projects.
“The program is essentially a $1.5 billion credit card that lawmakers and the governor use to pay for pet projects,” said Ken Girardin, policy analyst for the Empire Center, a government watchdog.
“They get to spend and taxpayers get the bill, plus interest.”
Heastie countered that the funds “do good things in communities” and face rigorous review.
Some of the pet projects included:
Taxpayers got a $4.2 billion income-tax cut, which was to be phased in through 2025 for those earning $300,000 or less. Officials said 6 million taxpayers would benefit.
Several lawmakers were clearly overtired, swaying as they stood. Others dozed on couches.
Just one senator, Simcha Felder of Brooklyn, voted against a bill that included the minimum-wage hike. He did not explain why.
Although agreement on the package was announced Thursday night, the state Senate passed the package at 9:37 a.m. Friday, while Assembly members kept going through the day after taking a five-hour recess at 5 a.m., and finally approved the budget around 7:30 p.m.
Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie (D-Bronx) described the final product as a progressive’s dream, citing a tuition freeze at the city and state universities, a 12-week paid family-leave plan, and a plan to boost the minimum wage from $9 to $15.
“This is exactly type of budget that Democrats dream about, but it actually became a reality for us this year,” Heastie said.
The $15 minimum wage becomes effective in New York City in 2018, but other parts of the state will wait extra years to reach that mark.
Heastie said his Democratic conference helped restore about $800 million in proposed cuts to Medicaid in the city and to CUNY.
The spending plan set aside $27 billion for the MTA, including $1 billion for the long-awaited Second Avenue subway extension.
Critics complained of a “slush fund” for pols’ favored projects.
“The program is essentially a $1.5 billion credit card that lawmakers and the governor use to pay for pet projects,” said Ken Girardin, policy analyst for the Empire Center, a government watchdog.
“They get to spend and taxpayers get the bill, plus interest.”
Heastie countered that the funds “do good things in communities” and face rigorous review.
Some of the pet projects included:
- $5,000 for Lumberjack Lou’s Community Boxing Academy in Brooklyn, run by former Golden Gloves champ Lou Llovet.
- $50,000 for honeybee research at Cornell University.
- $2,000 for the Garden City Bird Sanctuary on Long Island.
- $7,500 for the Great Kills Memorial Day Parade Committee on Staten Island.
Taxpayers got a $4.2 billion income-tax cut, which was to be phased in through 2025 for those earning $300,000 or less. Officials said 6 million taxpayers would benefit.
Several lawmakers were clearly overtired, swaying as they stood. Others dozed on couches.
Just one senator, Simcha Felder of Brooklyn, voted against a bill that included the minimum-wage hike. He did not explain why.
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