2 out of 3...

The New York Nonprofit Press published an article in its March issue outlining the budgets of Mayor Bloomberg, Governor Spitzer, and President Bush, and also nonprofit, human service provider advocates' subsequent reactions to these budget proposals. Advocates responded fairly well to the proposals of Mayor Bloomberg and Governor Spitzer, acknowledging that they will still need to ask for more. Joel Berg, Executive Director of the New York City Coalition Against Hunger, was quoted as saying, "We are delighted. Governor Spitzer is leading with both his head and his heart. We hope the legislature provides at least as much funding as he proposed."

President Bush's budget was not so well received; in fact, it was bashed by advocates on all sides. The Coalition on Human Needs characterized it as "Less Help for People in Need; Needless Help for Those with High Incomes." NYCCAH's Joel Berg commented, "For the second year in a row, President Bush's budget has proposed eliminating the USDA Commodity Supplemental Food Program. That would take food away from about 400,000 low-income seniors and children nationwide, including approximately 35,000 in New York State." Berg also criticized the President's proposed changes to federally-funded programs that would have dire effects on the Food Stamp program among others.