REMARKS
Council Member Yeger criticizes one-size-fits-all approach and questions $5 billion funding promise
0:45:54
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129 sec
Council Member Kalman Yeger delivers a speech criticizing the proposed zoning plan as a one-size-fits-all approach that fails to account for the diversity and complexity of New York City. He also expresses skepticism about the promised $5 billion in funding, arguing that it is not actually budgeted and may not materialize.
- Yeger argues that the city is too large and diverse for uniform solutions in areas like zoning, sanitation, and transportation planning.
- He characterizes the $5 billion funding promise as "phantom" money that is not currently planned for in city or state budgets.
- Yeger urges his colleagues to vote down the current plan and send it back to city planning for a more tailored approach with secured funding.
Kalman Yeger
0:45:54
Thank you, madam president.
0:45:56
Whenever this body does one size fits all rules, we fail.
0:46:01
Whatever the topic is, whether it's sanitation, whether it's zoning, this city is too large, too complicated, too complex, too diverse, too underdeveloped in some places, too under overdeveloped in others for us to do a one size fits all plan for the top of the Bronx at the bottom Staten Island.
0:46:20
It just can't be done.
0:46:21
And it's irresponsible and lazy to tell New Yorkers that it can, and we do that frequently, not just on this topic, but on many topics.
0:46:30
On planning roads, on planning bike lanes, planning sanitation.
0:46:33
We do it all the time.
0:46:34
We really shouldn't.
0:46:35
It is a big city, and we should treat it like that.
0:46:39
A lot's been said here on this body and this floor today and, in the last couple of days weeks about this great gift of $5,000,000,000, this phantom $5,000,000,000 in monopoly money that we've been granted.
0:46:53
$5,000,000,000 that is not $1 planned for in the city's budget, not $1 planned for in the state's budget.
0:47:00
$5,000,000,000 of promise, the promise that buy the burger today and gladly pay you next year Tuesday.
0:47:09
There is not a single penny planned for, but we are guaranteeing that we will pass this.
0:47:16
You can't get your vote back.
0:47:18
Understand, colleagues, you cannot get your vote back.
0:47:21
You vote for this.
0:47:22
That $5,000,000,000 isn't there, magically becomes $2,000,000,000 you don't get to come back here and say, give me my vote back.
0:47:31
One time chance to do it right.
0:47:34
As council member Carr said, we have a chance to vote this down, vote down the modification, send it back to city planning.
0:47:40
We can do a plan that we can disapprove this one, vote for an actual plan that does this in a real way, and does it in conjunction with the city budget so that we can actually achieve the monies that we think we're getting.
0:47:54
And I urge colleagues my colleagues to do that.
0:47:56
I also wish to associate myself with the remarks of council member Banks.
0:47:59
They are wise, and I appreciate them very much.
0:48:02
Thank you, madam president.
