Category Archives: Columbus Day Parade

Photo Highlights of The Decade



As the decade rolls to an end we’ve compiled a brief photographic retrospective with a few of our favorite photos of the 2010s.

Political foes Mayor Bill de Blasio and Governor Andrew Cuomo shake hands, seemingly at the urging of RWDSU’s Stuart Appelbaum, as they march in the 2016 Labor Day Parade. 9/10/16

Our decade highlight gallery is available here.

Our focus is on New York politics, both city and state, but the gallery includes other shots of New York.  Among the campaigns we’ve covered are the 2013 and 2017 mayoral races, the 2014 and 2018 gubernatorial races, congressional primaries in 2014, 2016 and 2018, the 2016 New Hampshire Republican presidential primary and the 2019 public advocate special election.  NYTrue.com began in late 2012, with mostly video and little photography in 2012 and 2013, so this is a somewhat truncated decade retrospective that covers 2014-2019.

Special Bonus – Unabridged Gallery:

For those of you who really love New York politics we have an expanded decade retrospective gallery with lots of great shots that didn’t make it into the decade highlight gallery.  Take a look, and a walk down memory lane, here.

We’ve included a few 2013 iPhone shots in a brief addendum at the end of the expanded gallery.

Our 2019 year in photos is available here.

All of our photo galleries are available here.

2019 Year In Photos



As 2019 comes to a close here’s our photographic recap:

Photo Gallery:

Our full 2019 retrospective gallery is available here.

Our photo retrospective on the past decade is available here.

Photo Gallery: Columbus Day Parade 2019



The 2019 Columbus Day Parade featured plenty of marching politicians, including Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio.  Cuomo and de Blasio proudly display their Italian heritage and are regulars at the parade celebrating that heritage, but they continued their parade practice of studiously avoiding one another.

Continue reading Photo Gallery: Columbus Day Parade 2019

Photo Gallery: Columbus Day Parade 2018



The Columbus Day Parade drew a large contingent of elected officials and candidates to Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue Monday for the annual celebration of Italian heritage.  Headlining the group was Governor Andrew Cuomo, with his Republican opponent Marc Molinaro and frequent nemesis Mayor Bill de Blasio among the attending politicians.

Photo Gallery:

Our full photo gallery is available here.

Photo Gallery: Columbus Day Parade



The 2017 Columbus Day Parade had its usual large helping of politicians, including a full set of mayoral candidates.  Among those attending were Governor Andrew Cuomo, Mayor Bill de Blasio, NYS Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, NYC Comptroller Scott Stringer, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. and Representatives Tom Suozzi and Carolyn Maloney.  2017 mayoral candidates attending, in addition to Mayor de Blasio, included Republican/Conservative candidate and Assembly Member Nicole Malliotakis, independent candidate Bo Dietl and Reform Party candidate Sal Albanese.

Mayoral candidate friction was exacerbated by the contretemps over statues of Christopher Columbus.  Bo Dietl shouted and booed as Mayor de Blasio marched past a waiting Dietl without acknowledgment

Photo Gallery:

Our full photo gallery is available here.

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: Columbus Day Parade



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As has become standard, Governor Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio appeared separately at this morning’s Columbus Day Parade.  Governor/mayor tensions seem somewhat lower, at least momentarily, as both seem satisfied with their recent agreement on funding the MTA capital plan.  Continuing tensions on a variety of other issues is a virtual certainty, however, and neither appeared eager to discuss the other in their respective press Q&As.  As Governor Cuomo was ending his Q&A a reporter asked whether he had given “any thoughts about marching with the Mayor?”  “I normally march alone” Cuomo replied.

We caught up with both, however, and have photos from each appearance.

Our full photo gallery from this morning’s Columbus Day Parade is here.

Cuomo Press Q&A: The Columbus Day Parade Edition



Governor Andrew Cuomo spoke with the press this morning just before the start of the Columbus Day Parade.  Appearing a few minutes and a few blocks ahead of Mayor de Blasio, Cuomo began with a long statement on the parade, Columbus Day, Italian-Americans and his own family.  He then answered questions on the recently announced agreement with the City on funding the MTA’s capital plan, including how an apparent logjam was broken, what it will mean for subway and bus riders and how he and Mayor de Blasio personally interacted in reaching this agreement.  When asked whether he had considered marching with Mayor de Blasio, Governor Cuomo replied “you know, I normally march alone.”

de Blasio Press Q&A:  Mayor de Blasio’s pre-parade press Q&A is here.

Photo Gallery:  Our parade photo gallery is here.

de Blasio Press Q&A: The Columbus Day Parade Edition



Mayor Bill de Blasio spoke with the press just before this morning’s Columbus Day Parade.  He began with a statement about his first town hall meeting, scheduled for Wednesday evening and intended to focus on tenant rent protections and the recent rent freeze.  Saying that “I know you guys are anxious to see the wonderful dialogue” the Mayor suggested that he will have additional town halls, adding that “you’re gonna see a lot of dialogue now and going forward.”

Question topics included the recent agreement with Governor Cuomo on funding the MTA’s capital plan and what New Yorkers should expect from the deal, whether he’s frustrated that many New Yorkers blame the City and the Mayor for MTA problems despite the fact that it’s a state agency controlled by the governor, what he would like the MTA to spend its capital funds on, a recent NYCHA report suggesting that drawing higher income residents close to NYCHA facilities harms NYCHA tenants, his relationship with recently indicted Nassau County businessman and de Blasio donor Harendra Singh, a REBNY lawsuit over a recently passed law restricting conversions of hotels to condo’s/co-ops, the Chase Utley slide which broke Ruben Tejada’s leg and his current relationship with Governor Cuomo.

Ballot Propositions – Gubernatorial Candidate Views



There are three ballot propositions on the November ballot.  If approved by voters they will: 1) Create a redistricting commission to draw the new state legislative and House of Representatives’ district lines every 10 years, with the commission members appointed by the state legislative leaders, 2) amend the current constitutional requirement of distributing paper versions of proposed bills to state legislators to allow for electronic distribution and 3) authorize New York State to borrow up to $2 billion for school funding, with a stated purpose of “improving learning and opportunity for public and nonpublic school students”, including the purchase of equipment, expanding school broadband access, building classrooms for pre-K and replacing trailers and installing “high-tech security features.”

I’ve asked gubernatorial candidates Andrew Cuomo and Rob Astorino for their positions on each of the propositions.  Cuomo supports the first and third propositions, the redistricting commission and school bond issue.  On allowing electronic bills in place of paper bills in the state legislature, Cuomo said “I haven’t taken a position yet.”  Astorino opposes the first and third propositions, the redistricting commission and school bond issue.  In our discussion he did not state a position on the second proposition, to allow electronic bills in place of paper bills in the state legislature.

I spoke with Cuomo today, just before the Columbus Day Parade, and with Astorino on September 26th following an appearance in Farmingdale.

Here’s NYS Comptroller Tom DiNapoli on the ballot propositions.

Update:  On October 23rd Cuomo revised his position, stating that he supports proposition #2.

Columbus Day Parade



Governor Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio were among the many elected officials and candidates marching in today’s Columbus Day Parade.  Marching separately, they each held a press gaggle, Cuomo just before marching and de Blasio as he concluded.

Cuomo:

Accompanied by his daughter Michaela, Cuomo made an opening statement lauding Columbus Day, the parade and Italian-American contributions to New York.  Question topics included his contemplated trip to Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, his favorite italian food, his position on the three propositions appearing on the November ballot, whether he’s optimistic about his reelection, Italian-American contributions to New York and Mitt Romney’s recent fundraising email in support of Rob Astorino.

de Blasio:

Joined by OEM Commissioner Joe Esposito de Blasio answered questions on the City’s readiness to deal with ebola, whether his reaction to Rachel Noerdlinger’s issues represents a “double standard” and changes in the levying of fines by the Department of Consumer Affairs.