People have questioned what a borough president's power is; David Casavis (R-Manhattan) is running to eliminate the borough president position. We know that a president of the United States, for example, can fire the head of General Motors.

A borough president's powers now seemingly involve the wages and benefits of anyone who works in Manhattan:

Union Workers Rally Outside Tavern on the Green

WNYC Newsroom

NEW YORK, NY September 25, 2009 —Hundreds of union workers are demanding that the new management of Tavern on the Green keep their jobs, benefits and wages intact.

REPORTER: Workers held a rally outside the Central Park landmark restaurant this afternoon. Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer was there to support the protesters.

STRINGER: You can't serve a 20 dollars salad and tell the waiter you're gonna cut his pension. It's not gonna happen in this borough, in this city, at this time. It's just not gonna happen!

No private industry pensions are going to be reduced in Manhattan? When did a borough president become a union leader?

Yes, Tavern on the Green must get a lease from the Parks Department, but this is a private labor dispute. Both sides are ably represented. In my opinion, the Manhattan borough president should stay out of it.

It may be economic news to the Manhattan borough president, but this is a severe recession. Businesses have closed. Workers have lost their jobs. One place where a business closed and workers have lost their jobs is at Tavern on the Green.

Labor should be cheap now--I've read somewhere today that there are 16 people fighting for every open job position. It makes sense that an owner who wants to profitably run Tavern on the Green would also want to reduce costs.

"You can't serve a 20 dollars salad and tell the waiter you're gonna cut his pension." Hey, Manhattan Borough President! The city had me decide a $155 parking ticket and I never got ANY pension! No tips, either! Just a miserably low salary!

"It's not gonna happen in this borough, in this city, at this time. It's just not gonna happen!" Business owners can't reduce labor costs at this time--in a recession? Why can't they, when it makes economic sense? Because the Manhattan Borough President said so?

Cut labor costs now.

Eliminate the borough presidents!

LINKS:

http://www.wnyc.org/news/articles/141525

http://www.nrn.com/breakingNews.aspx?id=373422&menu_id=1368

Workers rally at NYC’s Tavern on the Green

By Elissa Elan

NEW YORK (Sept. 25, 2009) More than 500 members of the New York Hotel Trades Council, also known as Local 6, rallied at Tavern on the Green restaurant Friday, protesting what they say are plans to cut employee wages, benefits and pension funds when new operator Dean Poll takes over Jan. 1.

(...)

Manhattan Borough President Scott M. Stringer told the crowd at Friday’s rally that he would fight to ensure that Tavern’s employees would continue to enjoy their current standards of living.

“You cannot serve a $20 salad and cut the waiter’s pension,” he said. “That’s not going to happen — not during a recession, not in this city, not at this time.”