Cork the Pork!

To the Editor:

“Bloomberg’s Early Frost” [Editorial, Nov. 12], concerning responses to pending multibillion-dollar municipal deficits, represents real leadership by Mayor Bloomberg.

Contrast Mr. Bloomberg’s position with that of New York City Council Finance Committee Chairperson David Weprin and many of his fellow Council colleagues, who want to wait before making any decisions.

Real leadership anticipates future problems and deals with them today rather than reacting to developments later when it is too late. Municipal spending has increased year after year under Council Speaker Christine Quinn and Mr. Weprin, fueled by revenues from Wall Street.

Any sudden economic downturn can result in forecasted surpluses quickly turning into multibillion-dollar unforeseen deficits. Many are now predicting such an event happening soon.

Why don’t Council Speaker Quinn, Councilman Weprin and their colleagues set an example for others by offering their own savings? They could give up funding several hundred million dollars’ worth of individual council members’ pork barrel projects, and wasteful spending of council members’ administrative budgets that are used to pay for holiday greeting ads in local community newspapers—all at taxpayers’ expense.

Larry Penner
Great Neck, N.Y.