NYC Votes 2013: Bill de Blasio
For voting information and other candidate interviews, visit MetroFocus' NYC Votes 2013 page.
ABOUT THE CANDIDATE
Democratic candidate Bill de Blasio is the Public Advocate for the City of New York, elected in November 2009 and inaugurated in January 2010. He served on the New York City Council from 2002 to 2009, representing District 39 in Brooklyn. Prior to serving on the City Council, de Blasio was the Regional Director for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for New York and New Jersey and managed Hillary Clinton's bid for the Senate.
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ON METROFOCUS
ON THE ISSUES
On early childhood education:
"A central reform I want to make, I want us to dedicate ourselves to early childhood education and after-school; two areas where we’re really lacking. I proposed, back in October, a tax on the wealthiest New Yorkers, those who make half a million or more. That would allow us to guarantee full-day pre-K for every child at that age in this city and an after-school seat guaranteed for every middle school student who needs it. That, to me, would be a fundamental investment in education and a great equalizing investment that would really lift up kids all over the city."
On healthcare:
"We are facing a different kind of healthcare crisis, a different kind of epidemic. It’s an epidemic of hospitals closures. Most dramatically, we lost St. Vincent’s on the West Side of Manhattan three years ago. But we have lost a number of others in recent years. Now, in Brooklyn, literally this summer, we could lose Long Island College Hospital and Interfaith, meaning downtown Brooklyn and brownstone Brooklyn would have much less service. Bed-Stuy and surrounding neighborhoods would have much less service. Healthcare would be available to fewer people. Thousands of jobs would be lost."
On stop and frisk:
"We have a form of stop and frisk where almost 90% of those stopped are innocent in every way, shape or form. It is not based on a suspect description, it’s a broad- brush approach that has alienated communities from police and has violated the civil liberties of a lot of everyday New Yorkers. I don’t think this is a sustainable path. I don’t think this makes us safer."
Read the full transcript here...
