Mayor Eric Adams knows all too well how President Joe Biden screwed New York by waving in migrants yet refusing to pay to accommodate them.
But Adams and his folks are now blaming funding shortfalls on Republicans.
Is Hizzoner thinking more about his own political future than the city he runs?
On Monday, Adams’ budget director Jacques Jiha admitted the prez won’t provide significant aid for New York’s migrants, as costs to handle them top $4.2 billion just through June 2024.
Yet instead of blaming the mayor’s fellow Democrat in the White House, Jiha pointed fingers at congressional Republicans. That’s chutzpah.
“You know that we’re not gonna get any third [of the costs] from the federal government because of the Republican-led House,” the budget czar testified.
Huh? Republicans took control only in January, and Dems offered next to nothing before that. Adams wanted Washington and Albany to split that $4.2 billion with him three ways, each kicking in a third, or $1.4 billion.
Dems OK’d just $800 million for migrant aid in December for the entire nation, not just New York. And so far, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has authorized only a measly $8 million for the city, or 0.6% of Adams’ ask.
And remember: Republicans never backed Biden’s open-border policy, which caused the problems. Had the prez stuck with the policies of his GOP predecessor, there’d be no flood of migrants and no added costs for anyone.
So where does Team Adams get off blaming Republicans for not ponying up?
Nor is the GOP at fault for opposing Biden’s immigration plan, which boils down to letting in everyone. (Imagine the costs then!)
Adams could lighten the city’s burden by trimming New York’s generous migrant benefits. Yet on Tuesday, he unveiled a whole new agency to deal with migrants, the Office of Asylum Seeker Operations. No word on how much that will cost, but it’s to provide a 24/7 arrival center, job-training, even legal services — all paid for by . . . city taxpayers.
Why won’t Adams hold Biden accountable? Well, consider: Hizzoner was recently named to a national advisory panel to support the prez’s reelection. On Tuesday, the mayor actually claimed Biden is “good for the country” and provides real “leadership.”
Adams may want to hitch his wagon to Biden’s star, but publicly blasting the prez instead might actually get Joe to address the migrant crisis. If the mayor managed that, it would not only help New York, but maybe even his political career, too.