Bloomberg Stands Against Food Stamp Proposal, But Quinn Dissents
To view our videos, you need to
enable JavaScript. Learn how.
install Adobe Flash 9 or above. Install now.
Then come back here and refresh the page.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg is calling on Governor Andrew Cuomo to disregard one of the proposals outlined in his State of the State address.
The governor wants to end the city's policy of fingerprinting families who apply for food stamps.
He said it creates a barrier for feeding hungry children, but Bloomberg said the policy is only turning away those who don't qualify for the program.
"The percentage people who are eligible for food stamps who actually receive the food stamps is greater in New York City, where we have fingerprints, than in the rest of the state, where they don't take fingerprints," said Bloomberg.
In a rare split with the mayor, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn released a statement urging the mayor not to challenge the governor's decision.