PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Paperboy Love Prince, Founder of Paperboy Prince Love Gallery
0:32:01
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4 min
Paperboy Love Prince, an artist and activist from Brooklyn, critiqued New York City's budget allocation and effectiveness in addressing various issues such as mental health, homelessness, and education. They emphasized the disconnect between the city's large budget and the persistent problems faced by residents.
- Questioned the effectiveness of initiatives like Thrive NYC, which received $850 million for mental health issues
- Highlighted the disparity between NYC's budget (larger than 47 out of 50 states) and ongoing crises in homelessness and hunger
- Criticized the city's education spending, noting that 65% of NYC public school students aren't proficient in math or reading by 8th grade
- Called for reinvestment in overlooked areas like Myrtle Broadway and Jamaica, Queens, rather than focusing solely on areas like Times Square and 34th Street
Paperboy Love Prince
0:32:01
Hello?
0:32:01
Okay.
0:32:06
Good morning.
0:32:16
Hi.
0:32:17
I'm Paperboy Love Prince, coming from Brooklyn, New York.
0:32:21
I'm an artist, an activist, and founder of the Paperboy Prince Love Gallery in Bushwick, Brooklyn.
0:32:29
So many folks got chewed up and spit out in this city during the pandemic.
0:32:38
It feels like we've forgotten about them.
0:32:41
People losing their jobs, their homes, and businesses, all while we've allowed major corporations to receive record profits.
0:32:51
New York City's budget is larger than 47 out of 50 states.
0:32:57
But with all that money spent, it seems like the problems are often made worse and the issues never get resolved.
0:33:05
When it comes to the average person, it seems like they're just a number that doesn't matter and will never have hope of getting heard through the bureaucracy that is the n y c government.
0:33:18
But somehow, the same players and usual suspects get all the opportunity and special consideration.
0:33:27
In 2015, when the city of New York committed $850,000,000 to address mental health issues with its initiative, Thrive NYC, which was ran by former mayor Bill de Blasio's wife, why did it seem like the mental health crisis only got worse?
0:33:54
That's my point.
0:33:56
850,000,000 to address mental health issues.
0:33:59
And who did it go to?
0:34:00
How do you vet them and track their goals?
0:34:03
Why does it seem like it's always folks from well outside the community with very little knowledge on the true issues of our areas that come in with their reports in offices, and now folks are working from home, but and they get large contracts to help, but it only makes things worse.
0:34:24
Not anymore.
0:34:25
This clown show stops now.
0:34:30
We need to do a better job of getting that money in the hands of real people on the ground.
0:34:35
We've lost connection with the people.
0:34:35
We've lost with the people.
0:34:38
We've lost our sense of love.
0:34:40
We've become so beholden to banks and big money that we're separated more than ever before, working longer hours than ever before, so much that folks in NYC today barely speak to their neighbors.
0:34:55
Our budgeting sucks.
0:34:57
Please conclude.
0:34:58
I'm getting to my, conclusion.
0:35:00
Our budgeting sucks, as does the follow through and tracking.
0:35:09
I'm in conclusion, how do we have a city budget that's larger than 94% of all states in America but still have such a homelessness crisis?
0:35:23
Why are so many folks going hungry here every day?
0:35:26
Despite over a $100,000,000,000 in resources, New York City remains the most expensive city in the United States with 60% of residents saying they struggle to make ends meet.
0:35:38
I'm concluding.
Justin Brannan
0:35:41
Thank you.
Paperboy Love Prince
0:35:42
38,000,000,000 on education, and yet 65% of NYC public school students aren't proficient in math or reading by the 8th grade.
0:35:51
We need real solutions.
0:35:53
So to my issue with introduction, 1090, while I think it's great to support growth of areas like Times Square and 34th Street, we can't keep overlooking areas like Myrtle Broadway and Jamaica, Queens.
0:36:09
It's important to reinvest in places like this to help foster more economic growth in emerging areas that are essential to growing our culture and to resolution 0011.
