Heidi from Inwood called the show tonight to say cost-saving measures should begin long before after-school programs do. She wanted women to be more mindful of their bodies, more aware of the responsibilities of becoming a mother, more selective of the men they date. Heidi thinks more money should be spent on child prevention, than child care. I wonder how many single mothers agree.

Parents, education advocates and elected officials rallied on the steps of City Hall today against proposed cuts to child care and after-school programs. The newly formed "Campaign for Children" is hoping the City Council rejects Mayor Bloomberg's preliminary budget proposal that would eliminate 15,900 child care slots and slash after-school programs for 31,600 children.

Mayor Bloomberg has said his proposed budget invests in children, pointing out his calls for increased education aid and no teacher layoffs. He said: "We just have to reach into our pockets and make sure our kids have the future we want for them." But at today's rally, his critics wanted more. What do you say?

Should the City Council fight to restore child care and after-school programs for more than 47,000 children? If you rely on these services, how would you or your child be affected if they were gone? Is Mayor Bloomberg's preliminary budget good for the Department of Education overall?

Send your thoughts using the link above.

Dear John,

The more we provide for our young children, the less problems we will have with them when they are older. Pre-school should be a given, period. To have mothers quit jobs, not pay taxes and need public assistance instead is penny-wise, pound foolish. For a smart businessman, Mr. Bloomberg makes some unwise moves. I am disgusted.

Shelley from Park Slope

Child care and after care cuts will devastate the families of this city. Latch key kids will be alone and unprotected longer until their mothers get home. Mothers will not be able to provide for their families because of a lack of supervision for their children.
The Mayor does not care about our children!

Marie- Bensonhurst

This is the reality of a world where we have to live within our means. Children are expensive and expecting others to front the bill, in the form of subsidies, is unreasonable. At the very least, there should be limits on the number of children one can have drawing these benefits, otherwise we risk creating perverse incentives where people do not pay the full costs of their decisions to make children.

I hear a lot of whining, but not a single caller proposing how to balance the budget. Do we cut cops? Do we cut fire? What do we cut when what we collect doesn't equal what we want to spend?

Michael - Brooklyn

let's hear about Bloomberg's daughter's grades. bet they've failed some of their "horse riding" competitions.

Sally

I am for education and i am for supporting parents. however, i am not in support of people in general taking advantage of the system. people expect things to be available all the time and when cuts are made, they protest. people have to realize cuts have to be made somewhere ...that or raise. make a choice!

I agree with Heidi from Inwood. i did grow up in a single mother household and she made sacrifices and she worked. and i also grew up in a city where 18 year old women would pop out kids one after the other expecting the taxpayer to support them. i do not agree with this...which is why i haven't had a child yet.

johanna
brooklyn

this mayor is making billions a year off the backs off the people in this city he could just take a few million and donate to NYC schools and after school programs and then he can wright it off on his taxes that he is already getting a huge break on he is the worst maybe he wants to cut programs so he can pay for more bike lanes and change the name of some more bridges he is a mess he needs to Go!!

the mayor is a big crook the NYPD needs to be investigating him we already have to worry about terrorist but we have our own terrorist right here at home

William

John,

I thought Bloomberg was the education mayor? What a conman the Mayor is.

Joe
Port Richmond, SI

Hi John,

This mayor has visionssssssssssss! for the city and it's future but he has us all on a string and then gives and then take's it away. If he were such a great leader he should know that eventually they will cut all of these programs. This is just a ploy to get our votes and meanwhile they tease us and then disappoint us in the end. This is how the rich tease the poor. They have no feelings and no heart. So while we prepare for our little routines on a daily basis it all comes to a halt.

OH PLEASE GIVES US A BREAK.

Thank you John,
maxxiee
mp