Is it 'time for traffic problems in Brooklyn,' to borrow a phrase from New Jersey?

Council Speaker Corey Johnson at a press conference on BQE repairs (Jeff Reed/NYC Council)

BROOKLYN – Republicans open budget negotiations by conditioning approval of the cost saving Design/Build proposal for reconstructing the Brooklyn Queens Expressway (BQE), on adding a police officer at every school, a proposal Brooklynite and Senator for District 17, Simcha Felder has been trying to push through for some time.

Yesterday the Senate Majority Conference (the Republicans) introduced State budget resolution R4168 – in response to the 2018-2019 Executive Budget – opening the negotiation process.

Of particular interest for Brooklyn right now, is the way they have merged approval for the Design/Build approach for reconstructing BQE, which the City estimates would save about $100 million and two years of misery, with requiring a police officer at every school in New York City:

“Article VII Proposal (S.7508-B)
* NEW PART SSSS — The Senate advances language to provide design-
build authority for the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway project in New
York City and require the placement of a police officer at every New
York City school during school hours”

In particular, the bill has the following language:

S 13. The administrative code of the city of New York is amended by adding a new section 10-179 to read as follows: S 10-179 SCHOOL SAFETY MEASURES. THE POLICE COMMISSIONER OF THE CITY SHALL ASSIGN A POLICE OFFICER AT LEAST ONE HOUR PRIOR TO THE COMMENCE- MENT OF INSTRUCTIONAL HOURS AT EVERY SCHOOL, PUBLIC AND/OR PRIVATE, WITHIN THE CITY OF NEW YORK. SUCH POLICE OFFICER SHALL REMAIN ON SITE AT SUCH SCHOOL DURING INSTRUCTIONAL HOURS AND FOR A MINIMUM ONE HOUR POST INSTRUCTIONAL HOURS UNLESS, IN THE DISCRETION OF THE MAYOR OF THE CITY OR THE POLICE COMMISSIONER OF THE CITY, A STATE OF EMERGENCY EXISTS REQUIRING REDEPLOYMENT OF A POLICE OFFICER DURING THE REQUIRED HOURS SET FORTH IN THIS SECTION.

Senator Brian Kavanagh, who represents Senate District 26, which includes Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn waterfront that includes the stretch of BQE that needs repairing, questioned Chair of the Finance Committee, Senator Cathy Young (R-Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Livingston) on the floor of the Senate regarding the bill yesterday:

At about 2:00 minute mark in the clip above, Senator Kavanagh gets increasingly frustrated for not getting a straight answer on why an uncontroversial and money saving initiative would be tied with something quite a bit more contentious, however deserving, and asks: “Is this an example of the Majority, if they don’t get their way on a certain policy issue, however legitimate, suggesting that perhaps ‘its time for traffic problems in Brooklyn,’ to borrow a phrase from New Jersey?”