Democrat New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Wednesday that he would have to begin to furlough or lay off essential New York City employees if the city does not receive federal stimulus funds to fill budget deficits caused by the coronavirus.
“Right now what I’m staring down the barrel of, and cities and states all over the country, people are either acting on furloughs and layoffs or preparing for furloughs or layoffs of the exact people who have been the heroes in this crisis who we should be celebrating and supporting — first responders, the health care workers, the educators,” de Blasio said on CNN’s New Day.
“How are we going to support these people who we need if we don’t have any money?” de Blasio asked.
The New York Democrat has said in the past that cuts to the workforce would be used only as a last resort.
President Donald Trump told the New York Post in an exclusive interview Monday that Democrat-run states like New York that are cash-strapped should not expect to be bailed out because it would be unfair to Republican states.
De Blasio has had to change his expectations on other things related to the coronavirus as well.
De Blasio recently announced that New York City’s public schools would be revising its grading system for most of its students for the duration of the pandemic.
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