Posted on 01/21/2009 8:31:27 PM PST by neverdem
A zoo director calls a porcupine into his office to break the news. “There’s no easy way to say this,” the director tells the prickly animal as it squirms on its chair. “Even though you bring record numbers of people to New York and help the economy, we’re going to have to let you go.”
The humorous video — made by the Wildlife Conservation Society, which oversees the city’s zoos and the New York Aquarium — has a sobering reality behind it. In New York State’s next fiscal year, which starts in April, state financing for all 76 zoos, botanical gardens and aquariums would be eliminated under Gov. David A. Paterson’s proposed budget. This after a 55 percent reduction this fiscal year — a move that was made only last month, surprising many organizations so late in the fiscal year.
The state cuts, combined with a precipitous drop in endowment funds and corporate donations, have organizations from the New York Botanical Garden to the Niagara Falls Aquarium to the Utica Zoo reeling.
“It’s hard to understand what you’re even going to do next,” said Susan Lacerte, the executive director of the 39-acre Queens Botanical Garden, which had expected to receive $226,000 from the state this year. Assemblyman Steve Englebright, a Democrat from Suffolk County, home to organizations like the Hoyt Farm Park in Commack and the Long Island chapter of the Nature Conservancy in Cold Spring Harbor, called the cuts “very bad policy.”
“A 100 percent cut is essentially a way of forcing zoos to lay off people, reduce their living collections or close,” he said.
Mr. Englebright said he was particularly troubled by the impact on children. “It is through these institutions — the excitement of a trip to the zoo, or the ability to touch an exotic plant...”
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
The entire budget is probably barely enough to cover the pensions now. Everyone knew the chickens were coming home to roost eventually. The Nation just can’t afford all these extravagant city and county pensions.
And we still have to pay more in taxes.
When the heck is the next tea party?
Now that Obama has been elected, everything is shutting down.
Time to hit the reset button on government in general.
Kids will just have to stay home, and watch Mr. Obama on TV.
The quickest way to balance a budget is to fire government workers. Just like the private sector does. Who would have thunk.
A lot of enterprises work this way...When people use the services provided by the organization, they pay the organization an amount of money necessary to cover the costs (and some profit) of providing that service. Might be something for them to think about. I'm just sayin'
Thats sure to be a zoo in its self.
But we need millions for the NEA!
“Change” is going to come too hard and too fast for the electorate. Watch this Administration implode the country and have the lamest lame duck last year in office ever.
I don’t mind if they cut the other lard too.
as far as Im concerned, a zoo is a private enterprise. Why the * should they get my tax dollars? Why do I pay admission when I pay taxes?
Make ‘em stand on their own two feet. If they can’t make it, let ‘em rot.
100 years ago, states, cities and towns had all the money they needed to provide good infrastructure, parks and municipal facilities. Now all the money pays bums and lowlife and there’s not a drop for the things that make our towns and cities livable.
Socialism and welfare destroys society and Western Civ.
CAROLINE KENNEDY ENDS SENATE SEAT BID
FReepmail me if you want on or off my New York ping list.
Some good news: Hillary went to Foggy Bottom. I can't remember a Secretary of State that served much more than four years. Hopefully, this is her last federal job.
Awww, the poor chillin'. It's always about the chillin'. Maybe they should charge admission to these places? What a novel idea! Then they can call all the schools and schedule more frequent trips, thereby causing the schools to extort admission fees for the zoo's and gardens from the chillin's parents more often, solving the dilemma.
Thanks for the ping!
Maybe it's some kind of strategy:
Holding their fire for really big policy fights?
The rats control Congress and the White House so they have responsibility for all the bone headed ideas and screw ups?
Opposition to O's administration will be portrayed as racist?
there is no room to have zoos, parks, trails, museums, gardens...
the civil servants have spoken, and they will swallow down with gusto any govt money, and our dear leaders are letting them.....
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