Mike Bloomberg was recently inaugurated mayor of New York City, and he lost no time announcing his proposal for budget cuts which could devastate working people's lives.

He has asked the Board of Education to prepare to cut up to 10 percent of the budget--in a city which already has severely overcrowded, understaffed and underfunded schools.

This is an insult to the 1.1 million children in New York's public schools and to the 80,000 teachers who have been working without a contract or a raise for almost two years. Already, New York City teachers earn far less than their counterparts in surrounding school districts.

Schools in New York City simply cannot "do with less." We need more money for books, supplies, school repair and smaller class sizes.

It's time to tell Bloomberg that he cannot sacrifice education to protect big business.

A reader, New York City

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