Ferrer's Advantage — Jobs, Education, Housing
October 27th, 2005
Daily News columnist Juan Gonzalez writes that Fernando Ferrer “gets a chance to keep his comeback hopes alive” if during the first of two debates with Michael Bloomberg on Sunday morning, he goes on the attack in three areas:
Jobs: “More than 81,000 have been lost in this city since Bloomberg became mayor”
Public Education: Federal test scores show only 34 percent of fourth graders in New York “met the standard for proficiency, while Albany officials – using their own standard – were claiming” 85 percent. “That’s an astounding difference.”
Housing: “Is there anybody in this city who doesn’t think the cost of housing is obscenely high?” Gonzalez asks, and then catalogues the “wholesale displacement of low-income and middle-class families” during the Bloomberg administration — the decontrol of 200,000 rent-stabilized apartments because they have gone over the $2,000-per-month threshold, and the conversion to the private market of 40,000 Mitchell Lama apartments (for the middle class) and 10,000 Section 8 apartments (for the poor). “Bloomberg’s aides routinely provide tax breaks for rich developers to build more luxury housing, usually throwing in a small percentage of ‘affordable’ units for public relations purposes.”
By Jonathan Mandell on October 27, 2005, 5:45 amIn category: Education, Electoral Politics, Housing | 4 Comments »


October 27th, 2005 at 8:47 am
Thanks, Jonathan, for this helpful summary.
October 27th, 2005 at 2:24 pm
but according to Bloomberg he has created jobs…oh that’s right that is only in the last 2 years. He uses stats from 2 years ago when it suits him and 4 years ago when it does as well.
October 28th, 2005 at 10:08 am
There are millions of jobs in New York City. The tens of thousands that Bloomberg says he created, or even the close to 100,000 jobs lost, are small changes. The real story is that throughout the current economic recovery, jobs have stagnated. There are approximately zero new jobs to accomodate population growth, despite the recovery. That is why poverty is increasing and the standard of living for the majority of people is slipping.
Yet every newspaper says that Bloomberg’s lead owes to the fact that he’s created propsperity. They’re making that up! Only rich people are prospering, even while the economy is growing!
November 2nd, 2005 at 12:16 pm
Bloomberg what exactly is your defination of low income housing, I look arround hoping to find something that resembles low income rents, but what I find is luxuary high risers that I can not afford. Now many would say that I make a decent living at my job, But When I attempt to look for a 2 bedroom co-op in Harlem I find that I could almost afford the mortgage if I didn’t buy food or use any of the utilities. E.M.