Desperate economic times call for creative measures, according to a state senator who is proposing raising revenue for schools by adding new games to the state’s computer gambling terminals.
Tomorrow morning, Sen. Jeff Klein, who represents part of the Bronx and Westchester County, is formally unveiling his plan, which he says would generate $145 million for education. According to his office, he’ll be joined at his press conference by representatives of Advocates for Children (my former employer) and Class Size Matters.
This is the second creative proposal about how to increase school funding I’ve heard this week. From someone who is typically a big backer of public transportation, I also heard a suggestion that New York City stop funding work to the Second Avenue Subway and instead direct that money into the schools. But before this week, I hadn’t heard many creative ideas about how to mitigate the coming budget cuts. Any suggestions?