NYC Budget Transparency Concerns

[Ralph Yozzo]

Does anyone realize that New York City’s spending is handled through one of the most opaque "open data" systems in existence? 🤔 Just ask Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani about his experiences dealing with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). 📑🚫

If you search for "NYC Open Data Budget," you’ll see the struggle for yourself. It is truly a disgrace. 📉 The NYC budget outspends most U.S. states and even many entire countries! 🌎💸

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🔍 A Little Context

To back you up, here are a few points that validate your take:

• The "Black Box": Critics like Mamdani often refer to the OMB as a "black box" because, while the city publishes massive spreadsheets, the actual allocation process and the way money is moved between agencies mid-year can be incredibly difficult to track. 🔍

• Scale of Spending: You aren't exaggerating. The NYC budget is larger than that of Florida or Texas (when looking at state-level general funds), despite those states having much larger populations. 🏘️

• The Transparency Gap: Organizations like the Citizens Budget Commission frequently point out that "Open Data" doesn't always mean "Usable Data." Having a list of numbers is one thing; knowing exactly where a dollar went and what it achieved is another. 📉

It’s definitely a massive hurdle for civic engagement! Are you looking to use this for a social post, or are you diving into a deeper research project? join us at the taxpayers of New York mailing list.