New York City Identity Cards (which will be available to all New York residents starting January 2015) may also come with some unexpected cultural benefits. The city is currently considering offering free memberships and discounted admission to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Brooklyn Museum, Lincoln Center and other well-known institutions.
How much would this cost to the institutions? Will it increase attendance? There will be logistic discussions for the initiative over the next few weeks.
It should be noted that admission to the Metropolitan Museum of Art is already free six days a week.
The municipal IDs will allow previously disadvantaged residents to sign checks and leases, as well as enter office buildings, regardless of their immigration status. The NYCLU pulled their support for the bill recently due to privacy concerns, as the city requires sensitive identifying information to be submitted, which can then be viewed by the NYPD and the FBI without a warrant. If the art initiative doesn’t fly, there are other ways… (Photo: @acmace)
