Gotham Gazette

The Place for New York Policy and politics

Bill de Blasio

Bill de Blasio

  • What is New York City Doing to Prepare Its Workforce for the Post-Pandemic Economy?

    resource fair

    Resource Fair (photo: Ed Reed/Mayor's Office)


    With the announcement Friday of a $155 million investment in small businesses, including $5.5 million for workforce development programming, Mayor Bill de Blasio staked a foothold along a critical frontier in New York City's pandemic recovery: preparing workers for the changing economy.

    The city's economy was devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic, with the unemployment rate jumping fivefold to a high of over 20% last June. In-person jobs have contracted significantly, especially in hospitality, nightlife, retail, and

    ...
  • Schumer Says Big Infrastructure Package is on Deck; What's on New York City's List?

    rep clark us

    Senator Chuck Schumer at City Hall (photo: Benjamin Kanter/Mayoral Photo Office)


    As Mayor Bill de Blasio celebrated the passage of President Joe Biden’s American Rescue Plan, which will deliver $6 billion in direct aid to New York City government and many additional billions to New Yorkers, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer had more good tidings to offer as he promised that a massive infrastructure program is next on the agenda. 

    Biden has proposed a $2 trillion “Build Back Better” plan to invest in infrastructure and combat climate change. It’s

    ...
  • After Overstating Budget Deficits, Cuomo and De Blasio Get Big Federal Bailout

    4 amazon gov corp

    Governor Cuomo and Mayor de Blasio (photo: Ed Reed/Mayor's Office)


    Governor Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio have spent many months warning New Yorkers about cratering tax revenues because of the coronavirus pandemic, outlining yawning budget gaps that could force them to make drastic spending cuts to state and city services and lay off thousands of government workers. But while the fiscal future remains uncertain, their worst predictions did not come to pass — revenues were higher than expected and significant federal aid has flowed to New

    ...
  • 'Wholly Unacceptable': City Council 'Deeply Concerned and Frustrated' with De Blasio Delay on Cuomo-Ordered Police Reform Plan

    2 2years

    Mayor de Blasio and Police Commissioner Shea (photo: Ed Reed/Mayor's Office)


    Update, March 5, 2021: Shortly after the publication of this story and after having declined to comment for the story over multiple days, the de Blasio administration on Friday released the first of a three-part draft plan with 36 proposals. "The plan will now move through a public comment period where it will undergo further revision based on the feedback of the public and through a process with

    ...
  • Mayor's Fund Provides $62 Million in Relief to Immigrants, Food to Health Care Workers

    De Blasio relief fund

    Mayor de Blasio announces Mayor's Fund fundraising (photo: Michael Appleton/Mayor's Office)


    One year after the de Blasio administration established the COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund to support some of the individuals and businesses most acutely impacted by the pandemic, the Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City has spent approximately $62 million on programs ranging from one-time payments to undocumented immigrants to grants for survivors of domestic violence. Though a significant sum was raised and moved out the door to key causes, some signature programs,

    ...
  • Amid Great Uncertainty, City Council Begins Examining De Blasio's $92.3 Billion Preliminary Budget

    hearing gov joint

    Budget Director Jacques Jiha (photo: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office)


    The New York City Council on Tuesday began its examination of Mayor Bill de Blasio’s $92.3 billion preliminary budget for the 2022 fiscal year, which begins July 1. The hearing was the first of many that will take place over the next few weeks as the Council digs into the mayor’s final budget plan of his eight-year tenure and as key questions remain about the city’s fiscal future. 

    The coronavirus pandemic stripped the city of billions in tax revenue,

    ...
  • Unable to Move De Blasio, Carranza Leaves a Still Deeply Divided School System

    holds ava photo

    Mayor de Blasio and Chancellor Carranza (photo: Ed Reed/Mayor's Office)


    In July 2018, a few months after New York City welcomed a new schools chancellor, The Atlantic asked, “Can Richard Carranza Integrate the Most Segregated School System in the Country?”

    Now we have our answer. On Friday, Carranza announced his resignation, attributing it to the emotional toll the pandemic had taken on

    ...
  • City Releases First 10-Year Food Plan Under New Law

    de Blasio food plan

    Mayor de Blasio at a food pantry, pre-pandemic (photo: Ed Reed/Mayor's Office)


    The New York City Mayor’s Office of Food Policy is announcing the city’s first-ever 10-year food plan, called Food Forward NYC, to better address food insecurity, improve a number of food- and nutrition-related processes, and meet the requirements of legislation passed by the City Council early last year.

    The policy, previewed by Gotham Gazette before its public release on Monday,

    ...
  • To Avoid More Cuomo 'Supplanting,' De Blasio Pushes for Direct Aid to New York City in Next Federal Package

    Cuomo de Blasio presser

    Mayor de Blasio & Governor Cuomo (photo: Rob Bennett/Mayor's Office)


    With so much on the line, Mayor Bill de Blasio is pushing leaders in Washington, D.C. to allocate direct aid to New York City in the next big federal stimulus package, currently being negotiated among President Joe Biden and members of Congress. At the same time, de Blasio is calling on the State Legislature to help him stop Governor Andrew Cuomo from continuing to syphon off hundreds of millions of dollars in federal aid coming through Albany.

    Both de Blasio and Cuomo have said

    ...
  • De Blasio Pledges Last Gasp Property Tax Reform Effort

    2 daily imagery exercising

    New York City (photo: Benjamin Kanter/Mayoral Photo Office)


    After getting "derailed" by the pandemic, Mayor Bill de Blasio is reviving one of his earliest and most delayed mayoral commitments: to reform an out-of-date and unequal property tax system. The city's Advisory Commission on Property Tax Reform will begin holding public hearings, originally scheduled for last March, on its preliminary recommendations and will produce a final report by the time de Blasio leaves office at the end of the year, he said Thursday

    ...
  • De Blasio Warns of Cuomo Budget Moves, Outlines Albany Agenda in Final State Legislative Hearing

    1 budget hearing governments

    Mayor de Blasio testifying remotely (photo: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office)


    Mayor Bill de Blasio pleaded to state legislators on Thursday to protect New York City from hundreds of millions of dollars in cuts and cost shifts in Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Executive Budget for the next fiscal year, warning that the damage could be worse if federal stimulus aid is not delivered on time.  

    In his annual, and final, appearance before the state Legislature to testify about the governor’s budget plan and the

    ...
  • WATCH: Democratic Mayoral Candidates Outline Their Albany Agendas

    4x4mashup edit

     l-r (top): Kathryn Garcia, Scott Stringer, Maya Wiley, Carlos Menchaca; bottom: Shaun Donovan, Dianne Morales, Loree Sutton, Eric Adams


    Eight leading Democratic mayoral candidates appeared in two sessions at the "Albany Agenda" forum hosted by Empire State Indivisible and moderated by Gotham Gazette editor Ben Max. The candidates — Kathryn Garcia, Scott Stringer, Maya Wiley, Carlos Menchaca, Shaun Donovan, Eric Adams, Dianne Morales, and Loree Sutton — discussed their state policy agendas and how they would navigate the processes, politics, and

    ...
  • City Council Jumps Into Police Reform Action Amid De Blasio Delay in Meeting Cuomo Mandate

    de Blasio NYPD officials briefing dais

    Mayor de Blasio & NYPD officials (photo: Ed Reed/Mayor's Office)


    When Governor Andrew Cuomo signed an executive order in June mandating that localities set blueprints for broad police reform or risk losing state funding, he tasked mayors and other municipal leaders to engage the public and local legislatures in a collaborative reform process. Now, in response to delays and limited communication from Mayor Bill de Blasio’s administration, the New York City Council has signaled that it will move ahead with its own police reform agenda to meet

    ...
  • 'A Recovery For All Of Us,' De Blasio Pledges in His Final State of the City

    state city focuses

    (photo: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office)


    When Mayor Bill de Blasio delivered his State of the City speech last year with a plan to “save our city,” he couldn’t have imagined how prescient his choice of words would be. With less than a year left in office, the mayor now faces his most daunting challenge yet in attempting to usher in New York City’s revival from the devastation wreaked by the coronavirus pandemic. On Thursday, in his final State of the City address, he sought to address that task, releasing a broad recovery plan to jumpstart the economy,

    ...
  • Out of School and Out of Work, City's Disconnected Youth Have Steep Hill to Climb, Report Says

    5 city finally rel

    Mayor de Blasio at an announcement (photo: Ed Reed/Mayor's Office)


    The pandemic's greatest health impact has fallen on older New Yorkers, but its economic effects are being deeply felt by the city's young adults.

    The number of young people who are both out of school and jobless in New York City -- so-called "disconnected youth" -- has likely doubled since the coronavirus roiled the city beginning last spring, according to a new and long-awaited report from

    ...
  • Despite Assurances, De Blasio Yet to Release Recovery Plan for City's Devastated Economy

    media avail th

    Mayor de Blasio at his September announcement (photo: Ed Reed/Mayor's Office)


    New York City went into partial lockdown in March as the coronavirus ravaged the population, bringing a once booming economy to its knees and leaving the city teetering on the edge. The immense flock of tourists ground to a halt; the flow of suburban commuters reduced to a trickle; an untold number of residents fled the five boroughs; “non-essential” businesses were forced to shutter at least temporarily; and people were told to stay inside but for essentials. Many thousands fell

    ...
  • Max & Murphy Podcast: What the De Blasio Administration Wants from the Biden Administration

    us conf mayorswinter

    Mayor de Blasio (photo: Benjamin Kanter/Mayoral Photo Office)


    January 20, 2021 - Max & Murphy Podcast: What the De Blasio Administration Wants from the Biden Administration

    Bill Neidhardt, press secretary for Mayor de Blasio, joined the show to discuss the de Blasio administration's priorities when it comes to the new Biden administration in Washington.

    Listen to the conversation and let us know what you think -- we're on Twitter @TweetBenMaxand ...

  • The City’s New Plans to Help Disconnected Young Adults

    youth employment program

    Mayor de Blasio with city youth (photo: Michael Appleton/Mayor's Office)


    The coronavirus pandemic that has ravaged New York City since early last year has presented daunting challenges for our youth and young adults. Students from pre-kindergarten through college have missed out on months of in-person instruction, not to mention the countless everyday interactions beyond the classroom that help them discover who they are and who they want to be. Young adults who held jobs before COVID-19 are disproportionately likely to have fallen out

    ...
  • 7 Months Later, No Sign of De Blasio's Promised 'Racial Justice and Reconciliation Commission'

    visits si blm

    Mayor de Blasio painting a Black Lives Matter mural (photo: Ed Reed/Mayor's Office)


    After weeks of mass demonstrations last June calling out police violence against Black people, New York city and state officials responded by passing and signing legislation for police reform and accountability that had seemed indefinitely stalled, ordering investigations into the policing of the protests themselves, and painting murals as a sign of government solidarity with its people.

    One of the commitments made by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio was to establish a

    ...
  • Why Didn't New York's Hardest Hit Communities Receive Covid Vaccine Priority?

    police academy a

    The covid vaccine (photo: Ed Reed/Mayor's Office)


    The first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic devastated Black, Latino, and immigrant communities across New York City at disproportionate levels last spring and since. Some lawmakers are now asking why the same populations were not included in vaccine priority plans crafted by the state and city.

    At a January 12 City Council oversight hearing on the de Blasio administration's roll-out of the first batches of the covid vaccine, members of the Council’s committees on hospitals and health asked the city's top

    ...
  • De Blasio Releases $92.3 Billion Preliminary Budget for 2022 Fiscal Year

    de blasio budget address

    De Blasio in 2017 (photo: Michael Appleton/Mayor's Office)


    Mayor Bill de Blasio released a $92.28 billion preliminary budget for the 2022 Fiscal Year on Thursday, expressing optimism that the city will receive additional federal funds but warning of cuts from the state.

    The mayor’s budget plan for next fiscal year, which begins July 1, is more than $4 billion larger than the budget that was adopted last year for the current fiscal year, and reflects a nearly $20 billion increase from the last budget he inherited from former Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

    ...
  • De Blasio Excuses for Slow Vaccine Rollout Contradict Prior City Statements of Readiness

    mayor slow vaccine

    Mayor de Blasio vaccine promises (photo: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office)


    Three weeks after New York City received its first batch of COVID-19 vaccines, and more than five weeks after officials knew when they were coming, only a third of the half-million doses had been dolled out, raising questions about why the city wasn't more prepared to step into "the light at the end of the tunnel."

    That has been a favorite phrase of Mayor Bill de Blasio since he signaled the city was on the verge of receiving the life-saving, pandemic-ending treatment over a month ago.

    ...
  • Chuck Schumer's Moment

    3 nys congressio

    U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer (photo: governor's office)


    With Democrats poised to win both seats in the Georgia United States Senate runoffs, Senator Chuck Schumer of New York is poised to be one of the most influential elected officials in the country, with enormous implications for his home state and city. After four years leading the minority conference, Schumer is on the verge of being able to set the agenda in the Senate under Democratic President-elect Joe Biden and in partnership with a Democrat-controlled House of Representatives under Speaker Nancy

    ...
  • Max & Murphy Podcast: Previewing Bill De Blasio's Last Year as Mayor and the Race to Replace Him

    mayor delivers sotc

    Mayor de Blasio at his 2020 State of the City (photo: Michael Appleton/Mayor's Office)


    December 23, 2020 - Max & Murphy Podcast: Previewing Bill De Blasio's Last Year as Mayor and the Race to Replace Him

    Mara Gay of the New York Times Editorial Board and Sally Goldenberg of Politico New York joined the show to discuss Mayor Bill de Blasio's legacy to this point, what to watch for in his final year as mayor, and key aspects of the developing race to replace him in the 2021 election, with the all-important June

    ...
  • 'Shameful': No Sign of City's Long Overdue Plan for 250,000-Plus Disconnected Youth

    2 still no sign

    Organizers and activists (photo: Michael Appleton/Mayor's Office)


    While unemployment booms and New York City faces its worst economy in decades, the fate of the city's disconnected youth -- people aged 16 to 24 who are both out of work and out of school -- is getting a shrug from city government.

    The city's Disconnected Youth Task Force, created by the City Council and Mayor Bill de Blasio to examine the factors that inhibit employment and school enrollment among this group numbering in the hundreds of thousands, is more than two years late to submit its

    ...