Home » today » News » Bill de Blasio opens a new era in New York

Bill de Blasio opens a new era in New York

New Yorkers reconnected with their political roots on Tuesday by electing to head their city, for the first time in 24 years, an unapologetic Democrat who had placed inequality at the heart of his campaign and promised to reform certain practices. policewomen.

Updated Nov 6, 2013

Richard Hétu, Special Collaboration
THE PRESS

Trailing in the polls just a few months ago, Bill de Blasio enjoyed a meteoric rise winning a landslide victory over Republican Joe Lhota. Elected to the post of New York mediator in 2009, the former city councilor and strategist for Hillary Clinton had won 73% of the votes, against 25% for his opponent, after the counting of 51% of the votes.

> React on Richard Hétu’s blog

“The people of this city have chosen a progressive course, and tonight we are going for it, together, as one city,” Bill de Blasio said during his victory speech in Park Slope, the Brooklyn neighborhood where he lives.

“For generations, New York has meant opportunity. That’s what she was for so many people and that’s what she needs to be again,” added the Italian-American politician, flanked by his African-American wife, Chirlane McCray, and his two mixed-race children, Dante and Chiara, who starred in his most effective television commercials.

Born in Manhattan 52 years ago and raised in Boston, the next mayor of New York will take the reins of the American metropolis on January 1, 2014. He will succeed Michael Bloomberg, who entered City Hall under the Republican banner, just like his predecessor, Rudolph Giuliani. The billionaire could not seek a fourth term.

De Blasio will inherit a city that Giuliani and Bloomberg have profoundly transformed, making it safer, greener, more beautiful and… more unequal than ever. Last year, the poorest 20% of New York households earned an average of $8,993, while the top 5% earned an average of $436,931.

Bill de Blasio will have succeeded in defeating his Democratic opponents, first, and his Republican adversary, then, by promising to tackle these inequalities as a priority. Among other things, he proposed building 200,000 affordable housing units and raising taxes on New Yorkers earning more than $500,000 a year to fund kindergarten for all four-year-olds.

He also pledged to reform one of the most controversial practices of the New York police, that of “stop-and-frisk”, which consists of stopping any suspicious person in the street, questioning them and feeling their clothes if necessary. to verify that she does not have a weapon. A federal judge declared this practice unconstitutional and discriminatory against young Blacks and Hispanics.

After 12 years under Michael Bloomberg, 70% of New York voters were looking for change, even though 52% of them are satisfied with the work of the incumbent mayor, according to polls conducted Tuesday outside the offices of vote.

Bill de Blasio was the first candidate to recognize this thirst for change. In contrast, the president of the city council, Christine Quinn, whom the polls favored among the Democrats six months ago, will have suffered from her too close ties with Mayor Bloomberg.

In the September Democratic primary, Quinn finished third, behind Bill de Blasio and Bill Thompson, the only black candidate in the mayoral race. She dreamed of becoming the first woman and the first lesbian to lead New York.

The campaign for mayor of New York has at times taken on the appearance of a circus. Leading the polls for a short period of time, former New York Rep. Anthony Weiner had to drop out of the race after one too many revelations about his online sexual escapades.

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.