New York to cut 3,000 government
jobs: reports
DPA
New
York, Nov 7 (DPA) Hard economic realities are hitting New
York City, with Mayor Michael Bloomberg deciding Thursday
to cut City Hall's workforce by 3,000 and end contracts of
1,000 police officers, news reports said.
Bloomberg
also plans to raise income tax for residents by either 7.5
percent or 15 percent, depending on their incomes.
News
reports said the job cuts will be just the beginning of a
slew of other measures to deal with a budget shortage and
severe drop in the city's revenues from sales tax, caused
by the economic downturn and the Wall Street slump. New York
City's sales tax stands at 8.5 percent, one of the highest
in the US.
"The
gravity of the budget situation requires us to propose both
deep spending cuts and revenue increases," Bloomberg
said. He also reneged on a promise to give residents $400
in property tax rebate.
"Every
city agency must push each dollar further," Bloomberg
said. "We're going to do that, and doing that means making
hard choices that will not be popular with everyone or perhaps
anyone."
Some
City Council members have already voiced opposition to the
drastic measures at a time of economic hardship brought on
by the financial crisis.
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