TESTIMONY
Fahad Hussain, Teen Employee at The High Line Teen Employment Program, on Opposing Budget Cuts to New York City Parks
6:29:44
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124 sec
Fahad Hussain testifies against proposed budget cuts to New York City parks. He argues the cuts would lead to increased pollution, deterioration of park facilities, job losses for park workers, and economic loss due to declining tourism. Hussain implores allocating at least 1% of the operating budget to the parks department.
- Hussain highlights the essential role of parks in combating pollution and providing green spaces.
- He cites personal experience growing up with underfunded parks lacking proper maintenance.
- The proposed $55 million cut would negatively impact park workers' employment.
- Lack of funding will cause parks to deteriorate, as he witnessed in his community.
- Parks contribute to the city's wellbeing and economy through tourism.
Fahad Hussain
6:29:44
Good afternoon, committee chair, the members of the committee.
6:29:47
Thank you for convene, the hearing.
6:29:49
My name is Fahad Hussain, and I am representing the IR 19 Employment, a member of the Playfair Coalition.
6:29:55
I'd like to pause for a second.
6:29:57
I remind everybody why our public parties were created to combat pollution, alleviate overcrowding, and adjust the lack of green spaces in our city.
6:30:07
These vary parts that this administration wants to go funding to provide they provide essential green spaces for our citizens.
6:30:15
Meredith Adams' decision to propose a cut of 55,000,000 from the or dollars from the park budget is quite unwise.
6:30:22
Without this funding, we are gonna see an increase in pollution and littering and playgrounds where the youth of our city spend their time.
6:30:29
Our badlands will be filthy and our trees will not be maintained, leading to overall chaos.
6:30:35
Growing up in the underfunded community in the South Bronx, as our firsthand how insufficient park funding impacted our lives.
6:30:43
Our park swings were barely functional, Grafidi covered the slides, and the monkey bars left our hands were filled.
6:30:50
Only when funding increases our parks received much needed renovations, Cardiades funding will cause our parks to deteriorate once again back to the nightmare once was.
6:31:00
Furthermore, these budgets cuts of fake city park workers like my neighbor who lost her job because of similar cuts.
6:31:07
Workers like her depend on these jobs and their income in order to live a sufficient life in the city like New York City.
6:31:13
Without these jobs, we are seeing an increase in homelessness and more people at risk of lose employment, which is a problem we should aim to be solved.
6:31:21
To be solving.
6:31:22
New York City Parks will also all suffer from the lack of maintain, leading to a good decline in tourism and economic loss.
6:31:29
In summary, we are here to ask for at least 1% of the operating budget to be allocated to the parts department.
6:31:36
This funding is crucial to maintain our green spaces support our workers, and preserve the benefits these parties provide to us and our city.
6:31:45
Thank you guys, and I appreciate you guys for your time.