Category Archives: Bill de Blasio

Trump ConCon Effect?



nunst053Will the anger and discontent fueling Donald Trump’s presidential campaign energize a “yes” vote in next year’s ballot question of whether to convene a New York State constitutional convention?

First, some background.  Article XIX of the New York State Constitution provides for a ballot question every twenty years of whether to convene a constitutional convention, often referred to as a “ConCon,” with the next such vote set for 2017.  If a simple majority vote yes on convening a convention, delegates to a convention will be elected in November 2018 and the convention will convene in April 2019.  Voters rejected conventions in 1997 and 1977.  Voters did approve a convention in 1965 (on the ballot pursuant to a statutory mandate from the legislature) and it was held in 1967, although voters later rejected the revised constitution produced by that convention.

A convention has the authority to rewrite any part of, or the entire, state constitution, but any changes take effect only if subsequently approved by voters in a statewide election.  It’s an alluring prospect to many, offering a chance for a favored change stymied by the governor and/or legislature as well as offering the possibility of a broad reshaping of state government.  In reality though, the prospect of a convention has generated strong organized opposition from public employee unions, who rightly fear removal of the constitutional prohibition on reducing state employee pensions, and ultimately fallen to the fear of possible excess by a convention free to radically rewrite the Constitution.

Continue reading Trump ConCon Effect?

Columbus Day Parade (Updated)



Columbus Day Parade 10-10-16Today’s Columbus Day Parade featured New York’s two most prominent Italian-American politicians, Governor Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio.  Consistent with their general practice they marched separately.  (In an unusual occurrence they marched together last month in the Labor Day Parade.)

Arriving for the start of the parade, Cuomo held a brief press gaggle and then marched with the leaders of the parade organizer, the Columbus Citizens Foundation.  Cuomo ignored his own parade contingent, a group that included several elected officials and union leaders marching behind a “State of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo” banner and accompanied by a soundtruck.   Cuomo waved to the crowd but only approached spectators and shook hands as he was departing.  He departed midway through the parade route, after greeting Cardinal Dolan at St. Patrick’s Cathedral.  Continue reading Columbus Day Parade (Updated)

Photo Gallery: FDNY Battalion Chief Fahy



img_8165New York City Fire Department Battalion Chief Michael Fahy died in the line of duty Tuesday, killed in a Bronx house explosion.  Mayor Bill de Blasio joined FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro and other officials at a New York Presbyterian/Allen Hospital press conference to announce Fahy’s death.

img_8161

Shortly after the press conference Fahy’s remains were removed from the hospital and transported to the City Medical Examiner’s Office.  More than 100 firefighters present stood at attention, saluting their fallen comrade as the FDNY ambulance carrying his remains passed, with many then joining a motorcade for the sad journey.

img_8168

Photo Gallery:

Our full photo gallery is here.

Cuomo & de Blasio At Explosion Site



Cuomo & de Blasio At Chelsea Explosion Site 9-18-16It was a tale of two hugs.

Governor Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio briefly put aside their differences this morning to jointly visit the site of Saturday night’s explosion in Chelsea.  They did not make any public comments or answer press questions during their walk, however, instead holding separate press conferences.  Cuomo spoke with the press at the site shortly before their walk, following an initial unannounced site visit by Cuomo, while de Blasio spoke with the press shortly afterwards at NYPD headquarters.  de Blasio had also held a press conference Saturday night at the site.

Cuomo & de Blasio At Chelsea Explosion Site 9-18-16

The governor and mayor met just outside the security perimeter at 23rd Street and Seventh Avenue, hugging hello and then moving inside the security perimeter accompanied by aides, their own respective photographers and videographers and a small press pool.  They spoke with a few small groups of residents and business owners/employees inside the perimeter as they made their way to and from the blast site.   Most of the large press presence observed from outside the perimeter, about 100 yards from the blast site.

Cuomo and de Blasio wrapped up their walk with a visit to a Starbucks just outside the security zone, press excluded.  Emerging from Starbucks the pair again hugged, amid a press crush, then parted.

Photo Gallery:

Our photo gallery is here.

Photo Gallery: Bratton Departure Walk



Bratton Departure 9-16-16William J. Bratton concluded his second term as New York City’s police commissioner Friday with a sun-dappled stroll through a cheering crowd of several hundred police officers and invited guests.  Leaving the NYPD’s One Police Plaza headquarters with his wife Rikki Klieman, Bratton smiled, waved, shook hands and hugged his way across Police Plaza.  Waiting at the end of the line were his successor, Chief of Department Jimmy O’Neill, and his boss, Mayor Bill de Blasio.  With some final goodbyes Bratton and his wife mounted an antique fire engine for a short ride through the arch of the Municipal Building and onto Park Row.

Bratton Departure 9-16-16

Bratton leaves behind a re-energized New York City legacy, having led the NYPD through continued declines in crime over his 32 months in office, and stood as a central figure in the de Blasio administration’s public profile.  He’s been an enormous political asset to the Mayor, both for his Department’s success in continuing to push crime rates down and for his essential public role as de Blasio’s prime voice on public safety.  His polite Boston-accented bluntness has mostly been welcomed by the public, giving his “progressive” boss room to operate amidst a determined chorus of “hellholers”; critics who from de Blasio’s election declared that the City is destined to become a crime ridden hellhole with de Blasio in charge.  Preventing that from actually occurring and fighting the creation of a public perception that it’s occurring are both vital and Bratton largely succeeded on both.  He certainly has critics though, and a small but vocal group stationed themselves near the end of Bratton’s walk.

His successor Jimmy O’Neill is, so far in his career at least, not nearly as large a public personality and doesn’t display any evidence of a craving of the spotlight.  The large post-Bratton vacuum will be filled, but whether it’s by Mayor de Blasio, Commissioner O’Neill or critics is, of course, to be determined.

Photo Gallery:

Our photo gallery is here.

Bratton Departure 9-16-16

Saddle Up For 2017



Horse Protest - Gracie Mansion 9-15-162017 could be a rough ride for Mayor de Blasio as animal rights activists saddle up for a renewed campaign to end the use of carriage horses in Central Park.  150-200 activists loudly protested outside Gracie Mansion this evening, demanding de Blasio follow through on his 2013 promise to do so and expressing bitter disappointment over his failure to do nearly three years into his first term.

Horse Protest - Gracie Mansion 9-15-16

During the 2013 campaign de Blasio unequivocally promised to immediately end the use of carriage horses, drawing enthusiastic support from advocates.  He quickly encountered difficulties in fulfilling that promise, however, with little visible progress after nearly three years.

Fairly modest in number, activists working toward a carriage horse ban are highly organized and energetically devoted to their cause.  Their loud visible presence hounded Christine Quinn in the 2013 mayoral campaign and it looks increasingly likely that, unless Mayor de Blasio comes through on his long-promised ban, he will receive similar attention in 2017.

Photo Gallery:

Our photo gallery is here.

Photo Gallery: Dominican Day Parade (Updated)



Dominican Day Parade 8-14-16It was a Sixth Avenue sauna for the annual Dominican Day Parade today, as marchers made their way up a hot and humid Sixth Avenue.   The crowd was smaller than past years, perhaps due to the uncomfortable weather.

Dominican Day Parade 8-14-16Mayor Bill de Blasio was the political headliner, joining numerous members of Congress, state legislators and city council members (including Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito) and fellow City-wide electeds Comptroller Scott Stringer and Public Advocate Tish James.  Among the legislators were State Senator Adriano Espaillat, Assembly Member Guillermo Linares and Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez, each born in the Dominican Republic.  de Blasio did not hold a Q&A or take press questions, and reporters and photographers were kept well away from the Mayor as he marched.  Governor Andrew Cuomo, the honoree at the 2015 Dominican Day Parade breakfast, did not attend.

Dominican Day Parade 8-14-16

Photo Gallery:

Our Dominican Day Parade photo gallery is here.

The Mayor of The Bronx Riviera



IMG_7743Orchard Beach, once nicknamed New York City’s Riviera for its broad crescent beach, hosted a visit from Mayor Bill de Blasio and NYPD Chief of Department Jimmy O’Neill this afternoon.  de Blasio and O’Neill, named by de Blasio as the next NYPD Commissioner, inched their way along the boardwalk for about 45 minutes posing for pictures with a steady flow of well-wishers.

It was a very positive reception for the pair, with no vocal negative reactions apparent.  de Blasio, readily recognizable, maintained a steady refrain of “have you met our new commissioner” as he exchanged pleasantries with the stream of people approaching him.  O’Neill appeared to enjoy the walk, although he was less absorbed in it than de Blasio. At times O’Neill, in uniform and still the highest ranking service member of the Department, appeared equally absorbed in what he’s done for decades – watching the goings-on around him and the operation of his Department.

IMG_7737

Mayor de Blasio and his administration face a very large transition in Commissioner Bratton’s departure, larger than in any other commissioner replacement.  Bratton arrived as a dominant public figure, well-known to New Yorkers from his prior stint as New York’s police commissioner and enormously comfortable in the public eye, and his public visibility has dwarfed that of all of de Blasio’s other commissioners.  O’Neill is a very well regarded chief, but largely unknown to the public and a very different persona than Bratton.  He may well succeed in both managing the NYPD and in the larger public role that comes with being commissioner, but his tenure will undoubtedly be very different as he moves into the post-Bratton vacuum.

This very small moment in O’Neill’s rollout as commissioner and de Blasio’s simultaneous lead up  to a reelection campaign was a success, moving both efforts incrementally forward.  As they departed de Blasio commented to O”Neill on the warm reception, optimistically emphasizing that “they want you to succeed.”

IMG_7740

 

Photo Gallery:

Our full photo gallery is here.

de Blasio Press Q&A: The Tampon & Pad Edition



de Blasio Press Conference 7-13-16Mayor Bill de Blasio celebrated the passage of three City Council bills increasing access to tampons and pads in schools, jails and shelters with a Tuesday signing ceremony and press conference.  City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, Council Members Julissa Ferreras-Copeland and Vanessa Gibson and Assembly Member Michael Blake joined de Blasio at the High School of Violin and Dance in the Bronx.

de Blasio Press Conference 7-13-16

After remarks by the elected officials, following an introduction by 11th grader Mayelin Sanchez, de Blasio sat for the actual bill signing.    He then returned to the lectern for a lengthy press Q&A.

Here is his full press Q&A, split into on and off topic portions:

 

Photo Gallery:

Our full bill signing and press conference photo gallery is here.

de Blasio Press Conference 7-13-16

Grand Conspiracy



Governor Andrew Cuomo rejected, but did not expressly deny, the notion advanced by Mayor Bill de Blasio that Cuomo is behind the current investigations of de Blasio’s 2014 senate campaign fundraising efforts.  de Blasio has pointed to the efforts by a longtime Cuomo staffer, now in a specially created post at the state Board of Elections, at fomenting the investigations as driven by Cuomo.

Cuomo did not directly deny having any role in having the mayor and his fundraising investigated, instead saying that “[t]he only thing I know about the investigations on the mayor is what I read about in the newspaper.”  Going on to say that if there is a “grand conspiracy” against the mayor the U.S. Attorney, the Manhattan District Attorney and the New York Attorney General are all part of that “grand conspiracy” as they are each investigating the mayor’s fundraising.

Cuomo was responding to NBC 4’s Andrew Siff during a Manhattan press conference.

de Blasio Press Q&A: The Motivation Edition



IMG_6951Mayor Bill de Blasio vigorously defended his 2014 fundraising for state senate candidates Monday in the face of explosive allegations by a New York State Board of Elections official.  de Blasio was unequivocal in insisting that neither he nor his “team” violated campaign finance laws in his 2014 efforts at electing Democratic state senate candidates and effecting a change in control of the senate.  He hammered at the “motivation” of that Board of Elections official, Chief Enforcement Counsel Risa Sugarman, a former staffer for Governor Andrew Cuomo and appointed by Cuomo to a specially created position at the Board of Elections.  A memo written by Sugarman describing that fundraising as involving “willful and flagrant” violations of the law has prompted criminal investigations the Manhattan District Attorney and the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York.

Mayor de Blasio defended his fundraising as legal and appropriate, while lamenting the current campaign finance system.  Terming the Citizens United decision as “one of the worst decisions in the history of the Supreme Court”, de Blasio urged “full public financing of elections” while criticizing the current system.  He repeatedly referenced Sugarman’s motivation in writing that memo, alluding to but not expressly mentioning Governor Cuomo and de Blasio’s seemingly endless conflicts with the governor. Continue reading de Blasio Press Q&A: The Motivation Edition

A Tale of Two Gaggles (Updated)



IMG_6638Making up for two boycotted years, Mayor Bill de Blasio bookended his first of two three marches in todays St. Patrick’s Day Parade with two gaggles.  He spoke with a large group of press before marching, focusing on the Parade’s opening this year to LGBT groups marching under their own names and banners.  After marching he again spoke with the press, focusing on the recently reported federal investigation into lead paint conditions in New York City Public Housing.

Gaggle #1:

de Blasio began with a statement lauding the opening of the parade to LGBT groups, calling it a powerful and very moving day in New York City.  Four of the five questions concerned the change in parade policy, including whether his boycott brought about the change, whether it’s a sign that discrimination has been abolished in the parade and what it means politically for the City.  A final question focused on de Blasio’s announcement that he plans to close the “Campaign For One New York”, an outside advocacy organization he created upon taking office.

Gaggle #2:

Mayor de Blasio returned to the press after marching, giving a statement on the recently revealed federal investigation into lead paint in NYCHA housing and NYCHA’s federal reporting on lead paint conditions.  de Blasio emphasized the preliminary nature of his information on the investigation, but pointed out that New York City has long had stringent laws on abating lead paint and a resulting longterm NYCHA effort on abatement.  Other question topics included the use of police officers in place of school crossing guards, Governor Cuomo’s announcement that he will appoint an outside management expert to examine CUNY and Mayor Dinkins’ 1991 hostile St. Patrick’s Day Parade reception.

On his initial march, with the NYPD, Mayor de Blasio inspired minimal reaction from the large crowd, receiving a polite reception with modest applause and little heckling or boos audible over the sounds of the NYPD’s marching band.  de Blasio’s second trip up Fifth was not disclosed in advance to the press and I did not join him for that march.  His third trip was the centerpiece of his day at the Parade, joining the Green & Lavender Alliance as the Parade fully opened to LGBT groups after years of bitter resistance.  The Alliance was near the end of the Parade’s line of march and Fifth Avenue was gray and largely deserted as they made their way up.  The few remaining spectators greeted the Alliance and the Mayor with repeated rounds of applause, however.

Photo Gallery:

IMG_6685

Our parade photo gallery is here.

Vandalized Menorah Relit



Tonight Mayor Bill de Blasio joined a menorah relighting in Manhattan’s Carl Schurz Park.  The menorah, initially lit last night for the first night of Hanukkah, was vandalized overnight.  Mayor de Blasio joined rabbis from Chabad-Lubavitch of the Upper East Side and Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun, Council Member Ben Kallos, Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright and a crowd of about 200 people in a non-traditional relighting ceremony, intended as a  public display of defiance to the vandalism.  The park is adjacent to the Mayor’s official residence, with the menorah about two blocks from his door.

Carl Schurz Park 12-7-15

After brief remarks from the hosts and Mayor de Blasio, the candles were lit.  The evening concluded with the mayor joining other men (but no women) in a dance:

Update – Photo Gallery:  Our photo gallery from the relighting is here.