de Blasio Mayor

<p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">primary 1/18 double whammy</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></p><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://www.alternet.org/2020/04/how-new-york-citys-emergency-ventilator-stockpile-ended-up-on-the-auction-block/">https://www.alternet.org/2020/04/how-new-york-citys-emergency-ventilator-stockpile-ended-up-on-the-auction-block/</a></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
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</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://www.alternet.org/2019/01/new-york-city-to-guarantee-health-care-for-all-residents-regardless-of-immigration-status-or-income/">https://www.alternet.org/2019/01/new-york-city-to-guarantee-health-care-for-all-residents-regardless-of-immigration-status-or-income/</a></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">no lnx</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" /><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, a Democrat, announced on Tuesday that the nation’s most-populous city would begin to guarantee health care to every single resident, regardless of their immigration status or their ability to pay. The mayor said the “unprecedented approach” is projected to cover more than half-a-million uninsured New Yorkers who currently use the emergency room as a primary provider.</font></font></font></font></div><div>
</div><div>“Health care isn’t just a right in theory, it must be a right in practice,” de Blasio tweeted. “Today I’m announcing a plan to guarantee health care for all New Yorkers. Through our own public option and a new program called NYC Care, we’ll ensure the first stop for people isn’t the emergency room.”</div><div>
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</div><div>Mayor Bill de Blasio</div><div>?</div><div>@NYCMayor</div><div> Health care isn’t just a right in theory, it must be a right in practice. Today I’m announcing a plan to guarantee health care for all New Yorkers. Through our own public option and a new program called NYC Care, we’ll ensure the first stop for people isn’t the emergency room.</div><div>
</div><div>2,985</div><div>6:06 AM - Jan 8, 2019</div><div>Twitter Ads info and privacy</div><div>1,180 people are talking about this</div><div>Twitter Ads info and privacy</div><div>The initiative would help provide primary and specialty care for the city’s uninsured residents, according to de Blasio. However, his spokesman Eric Phillips clarified shortly after the mayor’s surprise announcement that it was not a form of health insurance. “This is the city paying for direct comprehensive care (not just ERs) for people who can’t afford it, or can’t get comprehensive Medicaid — including 300,000 undocumented New Yorkers,” Phillips wrote on Twitter.</div><div>
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</div><div>Eric Phillips</div><div>?</div><div>@EricFPhillips</div><div> Correct. NYC already has a public option. This is the city paying for direct comprehensive care (not just ERs) for people who can’t afford it, or can’t get comprehensive Medicaid - including 300,000 undocumented New Yorkers.</div><div>
</div><div>J. David Goodman</div><div>?</div><div>@jdavidgoodman</div><div>The mayor‘s office says this is NOT health insurance https://twitter.com/zackfinknews/status/1082637761167966209 …</div><div>
</div><div>20</div><div>6:13 AM - Jan 8, 2019</div><div>Twitter Ads info and privacy</div><div>34 people are talking about this</div><div>Twitter Ads info and privacy</div><div>De Blasio spoke about the plan on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” boasting that “this has never been done in the country in this kind of a comprehensive way.” He added that New York has a public health insurance option, MetroPlus, that the city aims to improve, expand and support through NYC Care.</div><div>
</div><div>New Yorkers will be able to access the program through the city’s website or by calling 311, and tax increases will not be necessary to fund it, the mayor said.</div><div>
</div><div>“The programs will include customer-friendly call lines to help New Yorkers — regardless of their insurance — make appointments with general practitioners, cardiologists, pediatricians, gynecologists and a full spectrum of health care services,” the mayor’s office added in a press release.</div><div>
</div><div>NYC Care is expected to launch launch in the Bronx in summer 2019 and be fully available to New Yorkers across the five boroughs in 2021, the release said. It is expected to cost at least $100 million annually.</div><div>
</div><div>“We’ll put the money in to make it work; it’s going to save us money down the line,” de Blasio said on MSNBC. “We’re already paying an exorbitant amount to pay for health care the wrong way, when what we should be doing is helping them get the primary care.”</div><div>
</div><div>“This has never been done in the country in a comprehensive way,” de Blasio added. “Health care isn’t just a right in theory, it must be a right in practice. And we’re doing that here in this city.”</div></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></div><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"> =</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">ew 918</font></p><p><a rel="nofollow" target="blank" href="https://ecowatch.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=214ab5fbb3f6015d74ffab4ec&id=300961065b&e=c2e8fdabfa" style="color: rgb(43, 170, 223); text-decoration-line: none; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 20px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">London and New York Mayors Call on Other World Cities to Divest from Fossil Fuels</span></a></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">DN</font></p><p><span style="color: rgb(25, 31, 36); font-family: Roboto, " helvetica="Helvetica" neue="Neue" arial="Arial" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" letter-spacing="letter-spacing" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb">Mayor Bill de Blasio announced earlier this year that the city would sue manufacturers and distributors of prescription opioids to account for their part in the city’s ongoing deadly opioid epidemic. Firms named in the suit include Purdue Pharma, Johnson & Johnson and McKesson Corporation. The Guardian reports that more than 60 cities are suing Big Pharma over opioids. An explosive New York Times report has revealed that manufacturers of the drug OxyContin knew it was highly addictive as early as 1996, the first year after the drug hit the market. The Times published a confidential Justice Department report this week showing that Purdue Pharma executives were told OxyContin was being crushed and snorted for its powerful narcotic, but still promoted it as less addictive than other opioid painkillers. Purdue executives have testified before Congress that they were unaware of the drug’s growing abuse until years after it was on the market. Today, drug overdoses are the leading cause of death for Americans under age 50. We speak with Barry Meier, author of “Pain Killer: An Empire of Deceit and the Origin of America’s Opioid Epidemic.”</span></p><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></div><div><i><span style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(25, 31, 36); font-family: Roboto, " helvetica="Helvetica" neue="Neue" arial="Arial" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" letter-spacing="letter-spacing" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb">Reclaiming Gotham</span><span style="color: rgb(25, 31, 36); font-family: Roboto, " helvetica="Helvetica" neue="Neue" arial="Arial" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" letter-spacing="letter-spacing" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb">, </span></i></div><div><span style="color: rgb(25, 31, 36); font-family: Roboto, " helvetica="Helvetica" neue="Neue" arial="Arial" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" letter-spacing="letter-spacing" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb">
</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-size: 17px; letter-spacing: -0.2px;"><font color="#191f24" face="Roboto, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><a href="https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/juan-gonzalez/reclaiming-gotham/">https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/juan-gonzalez/reclaiming-gotham/</a></font></span></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></div><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://insideclimatenews.org/news/01022018/new-york-pension-fund-doubles-climate-investment-investors-risk-summit">https://insideclimatenews.org/news/01022018/new-york-pension-fund-doubles-climate-investment-investors-risk-summit</a></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><div><font face="Times New Roman" size="4"></font></div><div><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">nb blue team truce?</font></div><div><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">
</font></div><div><font face="Times New Roman" size="4"><a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/nyc-divestment-2524285373.html">https://www.ecowatch.com/nyc-divestment-2524285373.html</a></font></div><div><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">
</font></div><div><div class="headline-container" style="margin-top: 10px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><h1 class="headline h1" style="margin: 10px; padding: 0px; position: relative; line-height: 31px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">'Tide Is Turning': Cheers Erupt for NYC's Suit Against Fossil Fuel Giants and for Divestment</font></h1></div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="js-scroll-trigger" data-target="body" data-triggers="render-rebelbar" data-toggle-class="with-floating-shares" data-loaded="true" style="margin-top: 10px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" /></span></font><div id="utm_campaign" style="margin-top: 10px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><div class="body js-expandable clearfix js-listicle-body js-update-url" data-elid="2524285373" data-authors="Common Dreams" data-headline="'Tide Is Turning': Cheers Erupt for NYC's Suit Against Fossil Fuel Giants and for Divestment" style="margin: 10px; line-height: 24px;"><div class="body-description"><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><u>By Andrea Germanos</u></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Climate advocates hailed what they say is a "watershed" moment on Wednesday following two <a href="https://comptroller.nyc.gov/newsroom/climate-action-mayor-comptroller-trustees-announce-first-in-the-nation-goal-to-divest-from-fossil-fuels/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">announcements</a> by New York City: that the city would seek to <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/divest" style="text-decoration-line: none;">divest</a> its pension funds from fossil fuels within five years, and that it <b>filed suit against give five fossil fuel giants for their role in driving the <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change/" style="text-decoration-line: none;">climate crisis</a>.</b></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"This is a first-in-the-nation step to protect our future and our planet—for this generation and the next," said Comptroller Scott M. Stringer.</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Stringer <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2017/12/20/undeniable-victory-cheers-follow-proposals-divest-massive-new-york-pensions-fossil" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">announced</a> last month that he would soon bring a proposal to the trustees of the pension funds that included divestment. Following through on that promise, a statement from the city released Wednesday says that he and Mayor Bill de Blasio "will submit a joint resolution to pension fund trustees" to begin the steps needed to purge the funds from the dirty industry, which will first entail an analysis on the financial impacts to be carried out by the City Comptroller's Bureau of Asset Management.</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><a href="https://350.org/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">350.org</a> co-founder Bill McKibben <a href="https://twitter.com/billmckibben/status/951051243908190208?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.commondreams.org%2Fnews%2F2018%2F01%2F10%2Ftide-turning-cheers-erupt-nycs-suit-against-fossil-fuel-giants-and-divestment" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">said in a tweet</a> responding to the news that it was "One of the biggest days in 30 years of the climate fight."</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The city's five pension funds hold $189 billion in assets, and roughly $5 billion of that amount are held in the securities of over 190 fossil fuel companies, the city said.
</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>The new lawsuit names BP, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Exxon Mobil and Royal Dutch Shell </b>and seeks billions of dollars in damages for harm already inflicted on the city as a result of the climate crisis as well for preparing for effects yet to come, <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2018/01/10/investing/new-york-climate-change-exxon-divest/index.html" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">including</a> "imminent threats to its property, its infrastructure, and the health and safety of its residents."</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">New York's lawsuit follows similar suits <a href="http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2017/12/20/california-cities-sue-oil-gas-coal-companies-climate-change/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">filed</a> by seven cities and counties in California.</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The city's statement references the industry's deliberate misinformation campaign to cover up the effects of fossil fuels.</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">...</font></p></div></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></div></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></div><div><a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/new-york-fossil-fuel-divestment-2524494059.html"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">https://www.ecowatch.com/new-york-fossil-fuel-divestment-2524494059.html</font></a></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">no lnx</font></div><div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
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</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Empire State Building Shines Green After NYC's Decision to Take on Fossil Fuel Industry</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">New York City's iconic Empire State Building glowed green Wednesday night following two "watershed" announcements-that the city would seek to divest its pension funds from fossil fuel investments, and that it filed suit against five oil giants for contributing to climate change.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
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</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"The Empire State Building is shining green tonight because it's time to put our planet first. #DivestNY," Democratic Mayor Bill de Blasio tweeted Wednesday.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">350.org co-founder Bill McKibben, a major campaigner in the global divestment movement, remarked in a tweet about the green lighting, "Just this once I think it's worth the carbon!"</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The Belgium-based European Green Party also chimed in and advocated for European leaders to follow the Big Apple's footsteps.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"Let's join #DivestNY and #DivestEurope for a Green and sustainable future for us and generations to come," the party said on social media. </font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
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</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The divestment movement has grown in the U.S. and around the world. In November, Norway proposed to sell off all of its shares (about $35 billion) in oil and natural gas holdings.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Mayor de Blasio and Comptroller Scott Stringer said they intend to divest New York City's $5 billion in securities of over 190 fossil fuel companies.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">New York's lawsuit, filed in federal court, names BP, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Exxon Mobil and Royal Dutch Shell as defendants. The city seeks billions of dollars in damages and alleges the fossil fuel industry knew for decades that burning fuels drives global warming.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Environmentalists cheered the city's historic announcement.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"Today was an incredible day," author and investigative journalist Naomi Klein tweeted. "Hearing the mayor of the biggest city in the richest country on earth announce a lawsuit against 5 oil majors for climate damages AND fossil fuel divestment? Wow. We needed this. We will build on it."</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">...</font></div></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></div><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">v. Jerry Brown, speaking at a conference hosted by Pope Francis, on Tuesday denounced climate change skeptics as well-financed “troglodytes” determined to “bamboozle” local leaders.</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Brown said he has no faith in Congress to act on global warming, and urged the 60 mayors from around the world attending the event to take action to cut greenhouse gas emissions.</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“It’s up to you guys,’’ Brown said.</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Brown threw his weight behind Pope Francis’s encyclical, Laudato Si, issued in May, in which the pope linked poverty to creeping climate change and urged action to alleviate both. Human trafficking also will be discussed at the two-day conference.</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Speaking at the conference, Pope Francis urged the United Nations to step up its campaign against climate change.</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Passage of California climate change bill could set global example</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Passage of California climate change bill could set global example</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“I have great hopes for the Paris summit in December and hope a fundamental agreement is reached,” Francis said, referring to a key meeting at which a new United Nations climate deal should be signed.</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“The U.N. needs to take a strong position on this,” he added.</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">For their part, Brown and the other local leaders signed a declaration stating that ”human-induced climate change is a scientific reality, and its effective control is a moral imperative for humanity."</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Speakers at the event highlighted the role mayors can play fighting climate change, given that half the world’s population now lives in cities, which are in turn responsible for nearly three quarters of the planet’s greenhouse gas emissions.</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
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</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">With mayors from San Francisco, San Jose and eight other U.S. cities in the audience, Brown gave a glowing review of his own achievements in cutting emissions in California, offering it as a template for mayors around the world to follow.</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">California is now deriving 25% of its energy from renewable sources and has the “most efficient” buildings in the U.S., as well as 40% of the country’s electric cars, he said.</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“But we are not stopping there,” he said, adding he wanted renewable energy to reach 50% and gasoline use in cars and trucks to drop by 50% in 15 years.</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">For Brown, a former Jesuit seminary student with a political career now in its fifth decade, has repeatedly said that California cannot fight global warming alone but that the state can set an example for the nation and the world.    </font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Backing up his call to action, Brown quoted Saint Paul on man reaping what he sows, but sounded a positive note by citing Italian communist leader Antonio Gramsci, who described the “pessimism of the intellect, optimism of the will.”</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Pope Francis and Brown part ways on cap and trade</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Pope Francis and Brown part ways on cap and trade</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">He called for a campaign against the “fierce opposition and blind inertia” of “well-financed” climate change skeptics.</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">With national leaders proving unwilling to act, the governor called on mayors “to light a fire, if I may use that metaphor – in terms of climate change, it’s probably the wrong one.” </font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“We have very powerful opposition that, in at least my country, spends billions on trying to keep from office people such as yourselves and elect troglodytes and other deniers of the obvious science,” Brown said at the conference.</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
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</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>New York Mayor Bill De Blasio, speaking after Brown, thanked the California governor for being </b>“the leading voice in the nation” on climate change, and announced his intention to cut greenhouse gas emissions in New York by 40% by 2030, following California’s example.</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">After flying to Rome at the weekend, ahead of the conference, Brown stayed at the Rome residence of the U.S. ambassador to Italy and met with Father Adolfo Nicolás, superior general of the Jesuits.</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In an interview on Monday, Brown said he backed Pope Francis’ treatment of nature as part of God’s creation, to be safeguarded as carefully as humanity itself.</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“He talks about the ‘web of life’ and sums up the encyclical as stating everything in nature is an expression of the divine and therefore we have to take it seriously,” Brown said.</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“The pope is dealing with the biggest threat of our time. If you discount nuclear annihilation, this is the next one. If we don’t annihilate ourselves with nuclear bombs then it's climate change. It’s a big deal and he’s on it.”</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
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</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In the encyclical, the pope criticized the concept of buying the right to emit greenhouse gases, so-called cap-and-trade policy, which is a major component of Brown’s green policy for California.</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“The strategy of buying and selling “carbon credits” can lead to a new form of speculation, which would not help reduce the emission of polluting gases worldwide,” the pope wrote.</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Brown said he felt the criticism did not apply to California.</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“California has a uniquely constructed cap and trade. It is very tightly regulated and it is not the only thing. I get the impression that [Pope Francis] thinks a market solution is not enough. We have a renewable energy standard, building standards, we have research and development, subsidized electric cars,” he said.</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
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</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Cap and trade is designed to cut greenhouse emissions, but also to minimize any disturbances to our way of living, said Ann Carlson, a professor of environmental law at UCLA and co-director of its Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment.</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">But in the encyclical, the pope is asking a “fundamental question about whether people – specifically in the West, who on a per capita basis omit many more greenhouse emissions than those in developing countries – ought to be consuming as many resources as they do,” Carlson said.</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Times Staff Writer Kurt Chirbas contributed to this report.</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">ALSO</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Ohio's John Kasich brings heat, intrigue to 2016 GOP race</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Bush and Clinton highlight sharp contrast in dueling policy speeches</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Hillary Clinton's political director brings key lessons from her own (losing) campaign</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">wiki</font></p><p style="margin: 0.5em 0px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; color: rgb(37, 37, 37); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Bill de Blasio</b> (born <b>Warren Wilhelm, Jr.</b>,<sup id="cite_ref-nameref1_2-0" class="reference" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_de_Blasio#cite_note-nameref1-2" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[2]</a></sup> May 8, 1961) is an American politician currently serving as the 109th <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayor_of_New_York_City" title="Mayor of New York City" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">mayor</a> of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City" title="New York City" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">New York City</a>. From 2010 to 2013, he held the citywide office of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City_Public_Advocate" title="New York City Public Advocate" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">New York City Public Advocate</a>, serving as an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ombudsman" title="Ombudsman" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">ombudsman</a> between the electorate and the city government. He formerly served as a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City_Council" title="New York City Council" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">New York City Council</a> member, representing the 39th District in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brooklyn" title="Brooklyn" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Brooklyn</a>, which contains <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borough_Park,Brooklyn" title="Borough Park, Brooklyn" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Borough Park</a>,<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carroll_Gardens,Brooklyn" title="Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Carroll Gardens</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cobble_Hill,Brooklyn" title="Cobble Hill, Brooklyn" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Cobble Hill</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gowanus,Brooklyn" title="Gowanus, Brooklyn" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Gowanus</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kensington,Brooklyn,New_York" title="Kensington, Brooklyn, New York" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Kensington</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Park_Slope,Brooklyn" title="Park Slope, Brooklyn" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Park Slope</a>, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windsor_Terrace,Brooklyn" title="Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Windsor Terrace</a>. De Blasio, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_Party(United_States)" title="Democratic Party (United States)" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Democratic Party</a> nominee for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayor_of_New_York_City" title="Mayor of New York City" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">mayor of New York City</a> in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City_mayoral_election,2013" title="New York City mayoral election, 2013" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">2013 election</a>, defeated Republican <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Lhota" title="Joe Lhota" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Joe Lhota</a> with more than 73 percent of the vote. De Blasio is the first Democratic mayor of the city since <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Dinkins" title="David Dinkins" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">David Dinkins</a> was in office from 1990 to 1993.<sup id="cite_ref-3" class="reference" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_de_Blasio#cite_note-3" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[3]</a></sup></font></p><p style="margin: 0.5em 0px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; color: rgb(37, 37, 37); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">He ran for mayor promising to end <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stop_and_frisk" title="Stop and frisk" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">stop and frisk</a> and heal bitter relations between the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_Police_Department" title="New York Police Department" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">New York Police Department</a> and New Yorkers of color. His tenure has seen a spike in anti-police protests and disaffection with law enforcement, and he has been charged by the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrolmen%27s_Benevolent_Association" title="Patrolmen's Benevolent Association" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">NYPD union</a> with putting the interests of protesters above those of the police. He initiated new <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De-escalation" title="De-escalation" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">de-escalation training</a> for officers,<sup id="cite_ref-4" class="reference" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_de_Blasio#cite_note-4" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[4]</a></sup> reduced marijuana prosecutions,<sup id="cite_ref-5" class="reference" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_de_Blasio#cite_note-5" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[5]</a></sup> and oversaw the beginning of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_worn_video" title="Body worn video" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">body cameras</a> worn by police.<sup id="cite_ref-6" class="reference" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_de_Blasio#cite_note-6" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[6]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-7" class="reference" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_de_Blasio#cite_note-7" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[7]</a></sup> De Blasio approved a $41 million settlement for the five men whose convictions in the 1989 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Park_jogger_case" title="Central Park jogger case" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Central Park jogger case</a> were overturned<sup id="cite_ref-8" class="reference" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_de_Blasio#cite_note-8" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[8]</a></sup> and ended a post-<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/September_11_attacks" title="September 11 attacks" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">9/11</a> surveillance program to spy on Muslim New Yorkers.<sup id="cite_ref-9" class="reference" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_de_Blasio#cite_note-9" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[9]</a></sup></font></p><p style="margin: 0.5em 0px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; color: rgb(37, 37, 37); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" /><div id="toc" class="toc" style="border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); padding: 7px; display: table; zoom: 1; color: rgb(37, 37, 37); background-color: rgb(249, 249, 249);"><div id="toctitle" style="direction: ltr; text-align: center;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" /><h2 style="color: black; margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; border: none; display: inline; line-height: 1.3; background: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Contents</font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></h2> <span class="toctoggle" style="-webkit-user-select: none;"> [<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_de_Blasio#" id="togglelink" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">hide</a>] </span></div><ul style="line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: none; margin: 0.3em 0px; padding: 0px; list-style-image: none;"><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-1" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_de_Blasio#Early_life_and_education" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="tocnumber">1</span> <span class="toctext">Early life and education</span></font></a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-2" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_de_Blasio#Early_career" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="tocnumber">2</span> <span class="toctext">Early career</span></font></a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-3" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_de_Blasio#New_York_City_Council.282001.E2.80.932009.29" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="tocnumber">3</span> <span class="toctext">New York City Council (2001–2009)</span></font></a><ul style="line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: none;"><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-4" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_de_Blasio#Elections" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="tocnumber">3.1</span> <span class="toctext">Elections</span></font></a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-5" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_de_Blasio#Tenure" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="tocnumber">3.2</span> <span class="toctext">Tenure</span></font></a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-6" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_de_Blasio#Committee_assignments" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="tocnumber">3.3</span> <span class="toctext">Committee assignments</span></font></a></li></ul></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-7" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_de_Blasio#New_York_City_Public_Advocate.282010.E2.80.932013.29" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="tocnumber">4</span> <span class="toctext">New York City Public Advocate (2010–2013)</span></font></a><ul style="line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: none;"><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-8" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_de_Blasio#Election" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="tocnumber">4.1</span> <span class="toctext">Election</span></font></a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-9" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_de_Blasio#Education" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="tocnumber">4.2</span> <span class="toctext">Education</span></font></a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-10" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_de_Blasio#Housing" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="tocnumber">4.3</span> <span class="toctext">Housing</span></font></a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-11" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_de_Blasio#Affordable_housing" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="tocnumber">4.4</span> <span class="toctext">Affordable housing</span></font></a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-12" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_de_Blasio#Campaign_finance" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="tocnumber">4.5</span> <span class="toctext">Campaign finance</span></font></a></li></ul></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-13" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_de_Blasio#Mayor_of_New_York_City.282014.E2.80.93present.29" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="tocnumber">5</span> <span class="toctext">Mayor of New York City (2014–present)</span></font></a><ul style="line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: none;"><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-14" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_de_Blasio#2013_election" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="tocnumber">5.1</span> <span class="toctext">2013 election</span></font></a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-15" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_de_Blasio#Tenure_2" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="tocnumber">5.2</span> <span class="toctext">Tenure</span></font></a><ul style="line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: none;"><li class="toclevel-3 tocsection-16" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_de_Blasio#NYPD_relations" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="tocnumber">5.2.1</span> <span class="toctext">NYPD relations</span></font></a></li><li class="toclevel-3 tocsection-17" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_de_Blasio#Horse-drawn_carriages" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="tocnumber">5.2.2</span> <span class="toctext">Horse-drawn carriages</span></font></a></li></ul></li></ul></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-18" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_de_Blasio#Political_positions" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="tocnumber">6</span> <span class="toctext">Political positions</span></font></a><ul style="line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: none;"><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-19" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_de_Blasio#Transit_service_and_traffic_safety" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="tocnumber">6.1</span> <span class="toctext">Transit service and traffic safety</span></font></a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-20" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_de_Blasio#Charter_schools" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="tocnumber">6.2</span> <span class="toctext">Charter schools</span></font></a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-21" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_de_Blasio#Universal_Pre-K" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="tocnumber">6.3</span> <span class="toctext">Universal Pre-K</span></font></a></li></ul></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-22" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_de_Blasio#Personal_life" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="tocnumber">7</span> <span class="toctext">Personal life</span></font></a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-23" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_de_Blasio#See_also" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="tocnumber">8</span> <span class="toctext">See also</span></font></a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-24" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_de_Blasio#References" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="tocnumber">9</span> <span class="toctext">References</span></font></a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-25" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_de_Blasio#External_links" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="tocnumber">10</span> <span class="toctext">External links</span></font></a></li></ul></div><p style="margin: 0.5em 0px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; color: rgb(37, 37, 37); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" /><h2 style="font-weight: normal; margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); line-height: 1.3; background: none rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="mw-headline" id="Early_life_and_education">Early life and education</span><span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select: none; margin-left: 1em; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1em; display: inline-block; white-space: nowrap; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="margin-right: 0px; color: rgb(85, 85, 85); margin-left: 0px;">[</span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bill_de_Blasio&action=edit&section=1&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Early life and education" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">edit</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="margin-left: 0px; color: rgb(85, 85, 85); margin-right: 0px;">]</span></span></font></h2><p style="margin: 0.5em 0px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; color: rgb(37, 37, 37); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">De Blasio was born <b>Warren Wilhelm, Jr.</b> in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manhattan" title="Manhattan" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Manhattan</a>, the son of Warren Wilhelm and Maria (<i>née</i> de Blasio).<sup id="cite_ref-nameref1_2-1" class="reference" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_de_Blasio#cite_note-nameref1-2" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[2]</a></sup> His father was of German ancestry, and his maternal grandparents were <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian-American" title="Italian-American" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Italian</a> immigrants:<sup id="cite_ref-10" class="reference" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_de_Blasio#cite_note-10" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[10]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-11" class="reference" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_de_Blasio#cite_note-11" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[11]</a></sup> his grandfather, Giovanni, was from the city of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sant%27Agata_de%27_Goti" title="Sant'Agata de' Goti" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Sant'Agata de' Goti</a>,<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Province_of_Benevento" title="Province of Benevento" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Benevento</a>, and his grandmother, Anna (<i>née</i> Briganti), was from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grassano" title="Grassano" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Grassano</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Province_of_Matera" title="Province of Matera" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Matera</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-12" class="reference" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_de_Blasio#cite_note-12" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[12]</a></sup> (The family's surname was originally capitalized as "De Blasio.")</font></p><p style="margin: 0.5em 0px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; color: rgb(37, 37, 37); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">De Blasio was raised in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cambridge,Massachusetts" title="Cambridge, Massachusetts" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Cambridge, Massachusetts</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-redsox_13-0" class="reference" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_de_Blasio#cite_note-redsox-13" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[13]</a></sup> His mother graduated from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smith_College" title="Smith College" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Smith College</a> in 1938, and his father graduated <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phi_Beta_Kappa" title="Phi Beta Kappa" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Phi Beta Kappa</a> from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yale_University" title="Yale University" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Yale University</a>. His mother was 44 years old when he was born, and he has two older brothers, Steven and Donald.<sup id="cite_ref-25facts_1-1" class="reference" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_de_Blasio#cite_note-25facts-1" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[1]</a></sup> His paternal grandfather, author Donald Wilhelm, graduated from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvard_University" title="Harvard University" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Harvard University</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-25facts_1-2" class="reference" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_de_Blasio#cite_note-25facts-1" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[1]</a></sup> Although he was baptized Catholic, de Blasio is non-practicing. He speaks <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_language" title="Italian language" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Italian</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-25facts_1-3" class="reference" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_de_Blasio#cite_note-25facts-1" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[1]</a></sup></font></p><p style="margin: 0.5em 0px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; color: rgb(37, 37, 37); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">De Blasio stated that when he was 7 years old, his father left home; his parents divorced shortly after that.<sup id="cite_ref-nydaily-father_14-0" class="reference" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_de_Blasio#cite_note-nydaily-father-14" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[14]</a></sup> In a 2012 interview, de Blasio described his upbringing: "[My dad] was an officer in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_War" title="Pacific War" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Pacific</a> in the army, [and fought] in an extraordinary number of very, very difficult, horrible battles, including <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Okinawa" title="Battle of Okinawa" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Okinawa</a>.... And I think honestly, as we now know about veterans who return, [he] was going through physically and mentally a lot.... He was an alcoholic, and my mother and father broke up very early on in the time I came along, and I was brought up by my mother's family—that's the bottom line—the de Blasio family."<sup id="cite_ref-wolper_15-0" class="reference" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_de_Blasio#cite_note-wolper-15" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[15]</a></sup> In September 2013, de Blasio revealed that his father had committed suicide in 1979 while suffering from incurable lung cancer.<sup id="cite_ref-16" class="reference" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_de_Blasio#cite_note-16" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[16]</a></sup></font></p><p style="margin: 0.5em 0px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; color: rgb(37, 37, 37); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">He eventually adopted his mother's family name of de Blasio because his father was "largely absent," and he wanted to embrace his Italian heritage.<sup id="cite_ref-name_17-0" class="reference" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_de_Blasio#cite_note-name-17" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[17]</a></sup> In 1983, he changed his legal name to Warren de Blasio-Wilhelm, which he described in April 2012: "I started by putting the name into my diploma, and then I hyphenated it legally when I finished NYU, and then, more and more, I realized that was the right identity." By the time he appeared on the public stage in 1990, he was using the name Bill de Blasio, as he is called "Bill" or "Billy" in his personal life.<sup id="cite_ref-wolper_15-1" class="reference" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_de_Blasio#cite_note-wolper-15" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[15]</a></sup> He petitioned to officially change his name to Bill de Blasio in December 2001, after the discrepancy was noted during an election.<sup id="cite_ref-name_17-1" class="reference" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_de_Blasio#cite_note-name-17" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[17]</a></sup></font></p><p style="margin: 0.5em 0px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; color: rgb(37, 37, 37); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">De Blasio received a B.A. from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_University" title="New York University" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">New York University</a>, majoring in metropolitan studies, a program in urban studies, and received a Master of International Affairs from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbia_University" title="Columbia University" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Columbia University</a>'s<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/School_of_International_and_Public_Affairs" title="School of International and Public Affairs" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">School of International and Public Affairs</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-18" class="reference" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_de_Blasio#cite_note-18" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[18]</a></sup> He is a 1981 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_S.Truman_Scholarship" title="Harry S. Truman Scholarship" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Harry S. Truman Scholar</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-19" class="reference" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_de_Blasio#cite_note-19" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[19]</a></sup></font></p><h2 style="font-weight: normal; margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); line-height: 1.3; background: none rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="mw-headline" id="Early_career">Early career</span><span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select: none; margin-left: 1em; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1em; display: inline-block; white-space: nowrap; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="margin-right: 0px; color: rgb(85, 85, 85); margin-left: 0px;">[</span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bill_de_Blasio&action=edit&section=2&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Early career" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">edit</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="margin-left: 0px; color: rgb(85, 85, 85); margin-right: 0px;">]</span></span></font></h2><p style="margin: 0.5em 0px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; color: rgb(37, 37, 37);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">De Blasio's first post-college job was part of the <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcas/html/work/urbanfellows.shtml" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); padding-right: 13px; background: linear-gradient(transparent, transparent) 100% 50% no-repeat, url(data:image/svg+xml,%3C%3Fxml%20version%3D%221.0%22%20encoding%3D%22UTF-8%22%3F%3E%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20width%3D%2210%22%20height%3D%2210%22%3E%3Cg%20transform%3D%22translate%28-826.429%20-698.791%29%22%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%225.982%22%20height%3D%225.982%22%20x%3D%22826.929%22%20y%3D%22702.309%22%20fill%3D%22%23fff%22%20stroke%3D%22%2306c%22%2F%3E%3Cg%3E%3Cpath%20d%3D%22M831.194%20698.791h5.234v5.391l-1.571%201.545-1.31-1.31-2.725%202.725-2.689-2.689%202.808-2.808-1.311-1.311z%22%20fill%3D%22%2306f%22%2F%3E%3Cpath%20d%3D%22M835.424%20699.795l.022%204.885-1.817-1.817-2.881%202.881-1.228-1.228%202.881-2.881-1.851-1.851z%22%20fill%3D%22%23fff%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fg%3E%3C%2Fg%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E) 100% 50%;">Urban Fellows Program</a> for the New York City Department of Juvenile Justice in 1984.<sup id="cite_ref-20" class="reference" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_de_Blasio#cite_note-20" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[20]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-nytimesleftist_21-0" class="reference" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_de_Blasio#cite_note-nytimesleftist-21" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[21]</a></sup> In 1987, shortly after completing graduate school at Columbia, he was hired to work as a political organizer by the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quixote_Center" title="Quixote Center" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Quixote Center</a> in Maryland.</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"> In 1988, de Blasio traveled with the Quixote Center to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicaragua" title="Nicaragua" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Nicaragua</a> for 10 days to help distribute food and medicine during the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicaraguan_Revolution" title="Nicaraguan Revolution" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Nicaraguan Revolution</a>. De Blasio was an ardent supporter of the ruling <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandinista_National_Liberation_Front" title="Sandinista National Liberation Front" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Sandinista government</a>, which was at that time opposed by the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreign_policy_of_the_Ronald_Reagan_administration#Nicaragua" title="Foreign policy of the Ronald Reagan administration" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Reagan administration</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-nytimesleftist_21-1" class="reference" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_de_Blasio#cite_note-nytimesleftist-21" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">[21]</a></sup></span></font></p><p style="margin: 0.5em 0px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; color: rgb(37, 37, 37); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">After returning from Nicaragua, de Blasio moved to New York City, where he worked for a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nonprofit_organization" title="Nonprofit organization" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">nonprofit organization</a> focused on improving health care in Central America.<sup id="cite_ref-nytimesleftist_21-2" class="reference" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_de_Blasio#cite_note-nytimesleftist-21" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[21]</a></sup> He continued to support the Sandinistas in his spare time, joining a group called the Nicaragua Solidarity Network of Greater New York, which held meetings and fundraisers for the Sandinista political party.<sup id="cite_ref-nytimesleftist_21-3" class="reference" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_de_Blasio#cite_note-nytimesleftist-21" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[21]</a></sup> De Blasio's introduction to city politics came in 1989, when he worked as a volunteer coordinator for David Dinkins' <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City_mayoral_elections#1989" title="New York City mayoral elections" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">mayoral campaign</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-22" class="reference" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_de_Blasio#cite_note-22" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[22]</a></sup> Following the campaign, de Blasio served as an aide in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City_Hall" title="New York City Hall" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">City Hall</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-23" class="reference" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_de_Blasio#cite_note-23" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[23]</a></sup></font></p><p style="margin: 0.5em 0px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; color: rgb(37, 37, 37); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S.Representative" title="U.S. Representative" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">U.S. Representative</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Rangel" title="Charlie Rangel" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Charlie Rangel</a> tapped de Blasio to be his campaign manager for his successful <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_of_Representatives_elections,1994#New_York" title="United States House of Representatives elections, 1994" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">1994</a> re-election bid.<sup id="cite_ref-24" class="reference" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_de_Blasio#cite_note-24" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[24]</a></sup> In 1997, he was appointed to serve as the regional director for the<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Department_of_Housing_and_Urban_Development" title="United States Department of Housing and Urban Development" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">United States Department of Housing and Urban Development</a> (HUD) for New York and New Jersey under the administration of President <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Clinton" title="Bill Clinton" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Bill Clinton</a>. As the tri-state region's highest-ranking HUD official, de Blasio led a small executive staff and took part in outreach to residents of substandard housing.<sup id="cite_ref-25" class="reference" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_de_Blasio#cite_note-25" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[25]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-26" class="reference" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_de_Blasio#cite_note-26" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[26]</a></sup> In 1999, he was elected a member of Community School Board 15.<sup id="cite_ref-pubad_27-0" class="reference" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_de_Blasio#cite_note-pubad-27" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[27]</a></sup>The following year, he served as campaign manager for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hillary_Rodham_Clinton" title="Hillary Rodham Clinton" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Hillary Rodham Clinton</a>'s successful <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Senate_election_in_New_York,2000" title="United States Senate election in New York, 2000" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">United States Senate bid</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-pubad_27-1" class="reference" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_de_Blasio#cite_note-pubad-27" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[27]</a></sup></font></p><h2 style="font-weight: normal; margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); line-height: 1.3; background: none rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="mw-headline" id="New_York_City_Council.282001.E2.80.932009.29">New York City Council (2001–2009)</span><span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select: none; margin-left: 1em; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1em; display: inline-block; white-space: nowrap; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="margin-right: 0px; color: rgb(85, 85, 85); margin-left: 0px;">[</span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bill_de_Blasio&action=edit&section=3&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: New York City Council (2001–2009)" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">edit</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="margin-left: 0px; color: rgb(85, 85, 85); margin-right: 0px;">]</span></span></font></h2><h3 style="margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom-style: none; line-height: 1.6; background: none rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="mw-headline" id="Elections">Elections</span><span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select: none; font-weight: normal; margin-left: 1em; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1em; display: inline-block; white-space: nowrap; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="margin-right: 0px; color: rgb(85, 85, 85); margin-left: 0px;">[</span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bill_de_Blasio&action=edit&section=4&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Elections" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">edit</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="margin-left: 0px; color: rgb(85, 85, 85); margin-right: 0px;">]</span></span></font></h3><p style="margin: 0.5em 0px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; color: rgb(37, 37, 37); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In 2001, de Blasio decided to run for the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City_Council" title="New York City Council" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">New York City Council</a>'s 39th district, which includes the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brooklyn" title="Brooklyn" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Brooklyn</a> neighborhoods of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borough_Park,Brooklyn" title="Borough Park, Brooklyn" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Borough Park</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carroll_Gardens,Brooklyn" title="Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Carroll Gardens</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cobble_Hill,Brooklyn" title="Cobble Hill, Brooklyn" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Cobble Hill</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gowanus,Brooklyn" title="Gowanus, Brooklyn" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Gowanus</a>,<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kensington,Brooklyn,New_York" title="Kensington, Brooklyn, New York" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Kensington</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Park_Slope,Brooklyn" title="Park Slope, Brooklyn" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Park Slope</a>, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windsor_Terrace,Brooklyn" title="Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Windsor Terrace</a>. He won the crowded primary election with 32 percent of the vote.<sup id="cite_ref-28" class="reference" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_de_Blasio#cite_note-28" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[28]</a></sup> In the general election, he defeated Republican Robert A. Bell, 71 percent–17 percent.<sup id="cite_ref-29" class="reference" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_de_Blasio#cite_note-29" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[29]</a></sup> In 2003, he won re-election with 72 percent of the vote<sup id="cite_ref-30" class="reference" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_de_Blasio#cite_note-30" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[30]</a></sup> and in 2005 was re-elected for a third term with 83 percent of the vote.<sup id="cite_ref-31" class="reference" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_de_Blasio#cite_note-31" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[31]</a></sup></font></p><h3 style="margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom-style: none; line-height: 1.6; background: none rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="mw-headline" id="Tenure">Tenure</span><span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select: none; font-weight: normal; margin-left: 1em; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1em; display: inline-block; white-space: nowrap; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="margin-right: 0px; color: rgb(85, 85, 85); margin-left: 0px;">[</span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bill_de_Blasio&action=edit&section=5&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Tenure" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">edit</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="margin-left: 0px; color: rgb(85, 85, 85); margin-right: 0px;">]</span></span></font></h3><p style="margin: 0.5em 0px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; color: rgb(37, 37, 37); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">On the city council, de Blasio passed legislation to prevent landlord discrimination against tenants who hold federal housing subsidy vouchers, and helped pass the HIV/AIDS Housing Services Law, improving housing services for low-income New Yorkers living with HIV/AIDS.<sup id="cite_ref-32" class="reference" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_de_Blasio#cite_note-32" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[32]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-33" class="reference" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_de_Blasio#cite_note-33" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[33]</a></sup> As head of the city council's General Welfare Committee, de Blasio helped pass the Gender-Based Discrimination Protection Law to protect transgender New Yorkers and passed the Domestic Partnership Recognition Law to ensure that same-sex couples in a legal partnership could enjoy the same legal benefits as heterosexual couples in New York City.<sup id="cite_ref-34" class="reference" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_de_Blasio#cite_note-34" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[34]</a></sup> During his tenure, the General Welfare Committee also passed the Benefits Translation for Immigrants Law, which helped non-English speakers receive free language-assistance services when accessing government programs.<sup id="cite_ref-35" class="reference" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_de_Blasio#cite_note-35" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[35]</a></sup></font></p><h3 style="margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom-style: none; line-height: 1.6; background: none rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="mw-headline" id="Committee_assignments">Committee assignments</span><span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select: none; font-weight: normal; margin-left: 1em; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1em; display: inline-block; white-space: nowrap; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="margin-right: 0px; color: rgb(85, 85, 85); margin-left: 0px;">[</span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bill_de_Blasio&action=edit&section=6&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Committee assignments" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">edit</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="margin-left: 0px; color: rgb(85, 85, 85); margin-right: 0px;">]</span></span></font></h3><ul style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px; margin: 0.3em 0px 0px 1.6em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: url(data:image/svg+xml,%3C%3Fxml%20version%3D%221.0%22%20encoding%3D%22UTF-8%22%3F%3E%0A%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20version%3D%221.1%22%20width%3D%225%22%20height%3D%2213%22%3E%0A%3Ccircle%20cx%3D%222.5%22%20cy%3D%229.5%22%20r%3D%222.5%22%20fill%3D%22%2300528c%22%2F%3E%0A%3C%2Fsvg%3E%0A); color: rgb(37, 37, 37); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Education<sup id="cite_ref-36" class="reference" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_de_Blasio#cite_note-36" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[36]</a></sup></font></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Environmental Protection<sup id="cite_ref-37" class="reference" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_de_Blasio#cite_note-37" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[37]</a></sup></font></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Finance<sup id="cite_ref-38" class="reference" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_de_Blasio#cite_note-38" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[38]</a></sup></font></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">General Welfare (Chairman)<sup id="cite_ref-39" class="reference" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_de_Blasio#cite_note-39" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[39]</a></sup></font></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Technology in Government<sup id="cite_ref-40" class="reference" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_de_Blasio#cite_note-40" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[40]</a></sup></font></li></ul><h2 style="font-weight: normal; margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); line-height: 1.3; background: none rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="mw-headline" id="New_York_City_Public_Advocate.282010.E2.80.932013.29">New York City Public Advocate (2010–2013)</span><span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select: none; margin-left: 1em; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1em; display: inline-block; white-space: nowrap; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="margin-right: 0px; color: rgb(85, 85, 85); margin-left: 0px;">[</span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bill_de_Blasio&action=edit&section=7&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: New York City Public Advocate (2010–2013)" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">edit</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="margin-left: 0px; color: rgb(85, 85, 85); margin-right: 0px;">]</span></span></font></h2><h3 style="margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom-style: none; line-height: 1.6; background: none rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="mw-headline" id="Election">Election</span><span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select: none; font-weight: normal; margin-left: 1em; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1em; display: inline-block; white-space: nowrap; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="margin-right: 0px; color: rgb(85, 85, 85); margin-left: 0px;">[</span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bill_de_Blasio&action=edit&section=8&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Election" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">edit</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="margin-left: 0px; color: rgb(85, 85, 85); margin-right: 0px;">]</span></span></font></h3><div class="hatnote relarticle mainarticle" style="font-style: italic; padding-left: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; color: rgb(37, 37, 37); line-height: 22.3999996185303px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Main article: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City_Public_Advocate_election,2009" title="New York City Public Advocate election, 2009" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">New York City Public Advocate election, 2009</a></font></div><p style="margin: 0.5em 0px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; color: rgb(37, 37, 37);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
In November 2008, he announced his candidacy for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City_Public_Advocate" title="New York City Public Advocate" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">New York City Public Advocate</a>, entering a crowded field of candidates vying for the Democratic nomination, which included former Public Advocate <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_J.Green" title="Mark J. Green" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Mark J. Green</a>. <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_York_Times" title="The New York Times" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">The New York Times</a></i> endorsed de Blasio in an editorial published during the primary, praising his efforts to improve public schools and "[help] many less-fortunate New Yorkers with food stamps, housing, and children's health" as a councilmember. The editorial went on to declare de Blasio the best candidate for the job "because he has shown that he can work well with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Bloomberg" title="Michael Bloomberg" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Mayor Bloomberg</a> when it makes sense to do so while vehemently and eloquently opposing him when justified."<sup id="cite_ref-41" class="reference" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_de_Blasio#cite_note-41" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[41]</a></sup> His candidacy was </span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">endorsed by then Public Advocate <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betsy_Gotbaum" title="Betsy Gotbaum" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Betsy Gotbaum</a>, former <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City_Mayor" title="New York City Mayor" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Mayor</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Koch" title="Ed Koch" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Ed Koch</a>, former <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_Governor" title="New York Governor" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Governor</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mario_Cuomo" title="Mario Cuomo" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Mario Cuomo</a>, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Sharpton" title="Al Sharpton" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Reverend Al Sharpton</a></span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">.</span><sup id="cite_ref-nyt-sharpton_42-0" class="reference" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_de_Blasio#cite_note-nyt-sharpton-42" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[42]</a></sup></font></p><p style="margin: 0.5em 0px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; color: rgb(37, 37, 37); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><p style="margin: 0.5em 0px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; color: rgb(37, 37, 37); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></p><h2 class="yiv0519574497null" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429974321474_2311" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(64, 64, 64); line-height: 32.5px; letter-spacing: -0.75px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><a rel="nofollow" target="blank" href="http://insideclimatenews.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=7c733794100bcc7e083a163f0&id=8e15a84eb1&e=06876ede6b" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429974321474_2310" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(17, 85, 204); outline: none; word-wrap: break-word; font-weight: normal; background: transparent;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">New York Mayor Champions Economic Justice in Sustainability Plan</font></a></h2><p id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429974321474_7295" style="margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(35, 31, 32); line-height: 1.5em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429974321474_7296">Environmental justice advocates may have found a climate champion in Mayor Bill De Blasio, who this week made income equality the centerpiece of his sweeping sustainability plan for New York City. </span>Rob Freudenberg<span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429974321474_7294">, director of environment and energy at the Regional Plan Association, called the plan "novel and unique."</span></font></p><p id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429974321474_7292" style="margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(96, 96, 96); line-height: 22.5px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a rel="nofollow" target="blank" href="http://insideclimatenews.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=7c733794100bcc7e083a163f0&id=1fe9167513&e=06876ede6b" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(17, 85, 204); outline: none; word-wrap: break-word; background: transparent;">Read more</a>.</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">9/14</font></p><h3 class="yiv2141520975null" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; line-height: 22.5px; outline: none; letter-spacing: -0.5px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><a rel="nofollow" target="blank" href="http://ecowatch.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=214ab5fbb3f6015d74ffab4ec&id=7986dab6be&e=c2e8fdabfa" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(0, 11, 14); line-height: 1.2em; outline: none; word-wrap: break-word;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">New York City Mayor de Blasio Takes On Climate Change</font></a></h3><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br style="line-height: 1.2em; outline: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" /><span style="line-height: 1.2em; outline: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">New York Mayor Bill De Blasio spoke today at the opening session at the UN Climate Summit.</span></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></p><p><a href="http://www.alternet.org/print/education/battle-over-public-schools-moves-center-stage-new-york-city-new-leader-challenges"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">http://www.alternet.org/print/education/battle-over-public-schools-moves-center-stage-new-york-city-new-leader-challenges</font></a></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></p><h2 class="yiv5791945612null" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; line-height: 32.5px; outline: none; color: rgb(64, 64, 64); letter-spacing: -0.75px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><a rel="nofollow" target="blank" href="http://insideclimatenews.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=7c733794100bcc7e083a163f0&id=9eb619b2e0&e=06876ede6b" style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204); line-height: 1.2em; outline: none; word-wrap: break-word; font-weight: normal;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">De Blasio's Neglect of Climate Policy Thwarts Continued Progress on Bloomberg Legacy</font></a></h2><p class="yiv5791945612BodyA" style="margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; outline: none; color: rgb(35, 31, 32); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="outline: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Eight months into his tenure as mayor of New York, Bill de Blasio still has no one at the helm of the city's office for fighting climate change.</font></span></p><p style="margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px; line-height: 22.5px; outline: none; color: rgb(96, 96, 96); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="line-height: 1.2em; outline: none;"><span style="line-height: 1.2em; outline: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a rel="nofollow" target="blank" href="http://insideclimatenews.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=7c733794100bcc7e083a163f0&id=68fb80ea70&e=06876ede6b" style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204); line-height: 1.2em; outline: none; word-wrap: break-word;">Read more</a>.</font></span></span></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></p><hr class="print-hr" style="border: 0px; height: 1px; width: 1096px; color: rgb(158, 158, 158); background-color: rgb(158, 158, 158);" /><div class="print-content"><div id="node-966840" class="node node-story view-mode-print clearfix" about="/education/absurd-ny-tabloid-propaganda-war-against-de-blasios-reasonable-charter-school-policies" typeof="sioc:Item foaf:Document" style="position: relative;"><div class="byline education"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="field field-name-field-sources field-type-node-reference field-label-hidden"><span class="field-items"><span class="field-item even"><a href="http://www.thenation.com/" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The Nation</a> <span class="print-footnote">[1]</span></span></span></span> / <em>By</em> <em><a href="http://www.alternet.org/authors/jarrett-murphy" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Jarrett Murphy</a> <span class="print-footnote">[2]</span></em></font></div><div class="story_comments"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The Absurd NY Tabloid Propaganda War Against de Blasio's Reasonable Charter School Policies</font></div><div class="the_body body_education clearfix"><div class="big_story_tools_bottom_container"><div class="authors_signup"><div class="talk_box"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="small" /></font></div><div class="clear"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"> </font></div></div><div class="clear"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"> </font></div><div class="story_tools_bottom"><div class="text-size"><div class="story_tools_email"><div class="story_tools_print"><div class="story_tools_share"><div style="clear: left;"><div class="story-date"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><span class="field field-name-field-date field-type-date field-label-hidden"><span class="field-items"><span class="field-item even"><span class="date-display-single" property="dc:date" datatype="xsd:dateTime" content="2014-03-06T09:13:00-08:00">March 6, 2014</span></span></span></span> </em> |  </font></div><p><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">This article first appeared in the <a href="http://www.thenation.com/blog/178270/youth-plan-mass-civil-disobedience-protest-keystone-xl#" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Nation</a> <span class="print-footnote">[3]</span> and is reprinted here with their permission.</font></em></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Last week, the de Blasio administration declared war on charter schools, at least according to the New York Post. Governor Cuomo rushed to the barricades, telling a rally in Albany yesterday: “We are here today to tell you that we stand with you.… You are not alone. We will save charter schools.”  Families for Excellent Schools, who organized the rally, claimed the Mayor's decision was met with universal opposition and characterized the move as the back end of a quid pro quo with the teachers union for endorsing the mayor.</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Wondering what actually happened? The de Blasio administration released a memo reviewing forty-nine co-location decisions made last fall by the lame-duck Bloomberg administration. A co-location is when two schools occupy the same building, and it’s been a controversial aspect of the charter-school movement. Many charters, which usually serve fewer special ed or bilingual students than regular public schools, get free rent on space in the regular public schools that charter advocates so often disdain--often space that the regular school needs..</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">De Blasio’s chancellor, Carmen Farina, set aside four of the decisions that won’t take effect until the 2015–16 school year to give more time for study. It ordered thirty-five of the forty-five remaining plans implemented. It called for one to be revised. And it cancelled nine planned co-locations. Six concerned regular public schools, which also often co-locate. Three were for charters.</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">All three of those cancelled co-locations were for charters proposed by <b>Eva Moskowitz’s Success Academy</b> network. Her defenders see that as proof that the mayor, a long-time critic of Moskowitz, was singling her out. But given the aggressive expansion plans of the Success network, it’s not that surprising that she has a large presence on the list. Moskowitz will now need to find space for those students, including some already attending Success Academy’s Harlem 4, which had outgrown the two other co-located sites it was using. Given that Success Academy is rolling in money—Moskowitz reportedly pulls down $475,000, more than the president of the United States—it seems likely she’ll come up with something. Contrary to the shorthand way some have reported it, de Blasio didn’t rescind the schools’ charters—he couldn’t—he just said they can’t use public school space.</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">(And for the record, the teachers’ union did not endorse de Blasio but his chief rival Bill Thompson in the Democratic primary. The UFT did back de Blasio in the general, along with the rest of the universe.)</font></p><p><b><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Overall, fourteen charter-school co-locations—including five Success Academy ones—got the green light from Farina.</font></b></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Full disclosure: I’m a charter-school parent. My elder son attends a K-5 school in the Bronx that has its own building and, like many of New York City’s charter schools, has unionized. Despite misgivings about the charter movement, we sent him there because we hoped the school’s progressive philosophy would help him avoid the drudgery of test prep. When I’d toured a regular public school in my district to see if it was right for us, I’d seen a bulletin board of student essays… about their test prep. One kid said he visualized tackling the test and kicking its teeth out. This wasn’t what we were looking for. As it turns out, because our school performed poorly on its first round of standardized testing and had its charter threatened, test prep is now a pretty regular part of life there. But we still like it.</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">My big take-away from five years as a charter-school daddy, however, is that there’s nothing magic about charter schools, which serve all of 6 percent of the city’s students. Some are good, and some aren’t. There is no “charter school model,” because charters embrace a wide spectrum of educational philosophies. If a charter has a commitment to serving a diverse population and not suspending every kid who doesn’t sit up straight, it’s likely going to struggle on the tests just like regular schools. And the replicability of successful charter-school teaching strategies in regular schools—which I always thought was one of the reasons to permit charter schools—is uncertain not just because of the curriculum rules and union contracts that regular schools must obey, but also because many leading charters have far more resources than the typical public school.</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">For my money, charters are neither a panacea nor a plague. But whatever they are, they aren’t so extraordinary that they deserve to take space away from regular public schools that need it. Hence the logic behind the decisions rendered by de Blasio’s DOE last week.</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Permitting fourteen charters to co-locate while blocking three doesn’t look much like a “war“ on charter schools. At worst, it’s a surgical strike. Perhaps the charter movement sees it as an opening salvo that it must resist or risk worse damage later. Or maybe it’s a convenient rationale to ask for state funding to cover the expense of classroom space, which they currently don’t receive; de Blasio has, after all, made clear that he is very unlikely to approve new co-locations in the future. And he did earlier in February cut $210 million in the budget for programs to help charter schools.</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">But mostly it seems like everyone is just playing to the script. Charter-school advocates have been waiting for de Blasio to drop a daisy cutter on them. And they’re reacting as if he did, when in fact his administration rendered a pretty modest and narrow decision, especially given the sprawling ambition of the Bloomberg-authorized co-location wave it was reacting to. The de Blasio DOE’s touch was so light, in fact, that Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito and Public Advocate Letitia James have said they’re going ahead with a lawsuit to challenge some of the co-locations the de Blasio administration approved.</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Unfortunately, that will just perpetuate this unproductive argument about charter schools. It’d be better to move on, treat charters as the minor part of the system they are, and figure out what to do for the 94 percent of public school kids who don’t attend charters. The lawsuit just gives the governor another opening to swoop in and “save” charter schools. Yawn.</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Read Next: Joseph Featherstone reviews a new book by <a data-ls-seen="1" href="http://www.thenation.com/article/178134/tested" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">charter school advocate-turned-critic Diane Ravitch</a> <span class="print-footnote">[4]</span>.</font></p></div><div class="big_story_tools_bottom_container"><div class="authors_signup"><div class="talk_box"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="small" /></font></div><div class="clear"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"> </font></div></div><div class="tags"><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">See more stories tagged with:</font></em><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.alternet.org/tags/bill-deblasio" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">bill deblasio</a> <span class="print-footnote">[5]</span>,</font></div><div class="field-item odd"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.alternet.org/tags/governo-cuomo" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Governo Cuomo</a> <span class="print-footnote">[6]</span>,</font></div><div class="field-item even"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.alternet.org/tags/charter-schools" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">charter schools</a> <span class="print-footnote">[7]</span>,</font></div><div class="field-item odd"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.alternet.org/tags/eva-moskowitz" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">eva moskowitz</a> <span class="print-footnote">[8]</span>,</font></div><div class="field-item even"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.alternet.org/tags/uft" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">uft</a> <span class="print-footnote">[9]</span></font></div></div></div></div><div class="comment_button"><div class="print-footer" style="text-align: center;"><hr class="print-hr" style="border: 0px; height: 1px; width: 1096px; color: rgb(158, 158, 158); background-color: rgb(158, 158, 158);" /><div class="print-source_url" style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><strong>Source URL:</strong> <a href="http://www.alternet.org/education/absurd-ny-tabloid-propaganda-war-against-de-blasios-reasonable-charter-school-policies" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">http://www.alternet.org/education/absurd-ny-tabloid-propaganda-war-against-de-blasios-reasonable-charter-school-policies</a></font></div><div class="print-links"><p style="text-align: left;"><strong><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Links:</font></strong></p></div><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 22px; line-height: 25px; text-align: left; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Eva Moskowitz, former city councilwoman and CEO of the juggernaut Success Academies charter school network, took this as an affront. So on Tuesday, families and teachers from her schools and several others massed on the Brooklyn Bridge to vent their worries.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 22px; line-height: 25px; text-align: left; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">But critics of charter policies, such as Dan Morris of <a href="http://www.nygps.org/" style="color: rgb(0, 157, 182); text-decoration: none;">New Yorkers for Great Public Schools</a>, question the fairness of charters taking a morning off for a “nakedly political rally”—which would be “a fireable offense for most public school principals.” To public school advocates, the rally underscored the antagonism between public and charter schools. “It hurts me to my core,” said parent and NYGPS spokeswoman Zakiyah Ansari, “to see them dividing my community.”</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 22px; line-height: 25px; text-align: left; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The rally also exposed faultlines within the charter community itself and the influence of vast amounts of capital devoted to promoting certain charter chains.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 22px; line-height: 25px; text-align: left; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">*</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 22px; line-height: 25px; text-align: left; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In the hours before what was advertised as a “grassroots,” parent-driven demonstration kicked off, dozens of event organizers prowled around Brooklyn Bridge Park. Their bright red shirts identified them as “marshals.” A few spoke urgently into discreet Secret Service-style earpieces.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 22px; line-height: 25px; text-align: left; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Rally organizer Sharhonda Bossier told me that a coalition of parents and charter schools had planned and initiated the rally, and that word of it had “spread organically.” Bossier is the deputy director of <a href="http://www.familiesforexcellentschools.org/" style="color: rgb(0, 157, 182); text-decoration: none;">Families for Excellent Schools</a>, a 501(c)3 organization that received a quarter of a million dollars at its founding from the <a href="http://www.waltonfamilyfoundation.org/2012-education-reform-grants-by-investment-region#Harlem" style="color: rgb(0, 157, 182); text-decoration: none;">Walton Family Foundation</a>, a foremost proponent of school choice. She said the red-shirts were volunteers with the organization.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 22px; line-height: 25px; text-align: left; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">But FES volunteer Brett Wagoner told me that as far as he knew, his fellow red-shirts were mostly Success Academies staffers. He ordinarily works in data and accountability at Success Academies’ main office, but on this day he was assisting with event intake.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 22px; line-height: 25px; text-align: left; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Marshals shepherded families to tables stacked high with water bottles, Nature’s Valley bars, prefabricated posters, and tens of thousands of day-glo-yellow shirts, one for each attendee. Some read “Charter Schools ARE Public Schools.” Others, “My Child, My Choice.”</font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></p><ol class="search-results apachesolr_search-results" style="list-style: none; padding-left: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><li class="search-result" style="margin-bottom: 2em;"><h3 class="title" style="text-align: left; font-weight: normal; color: rgb(77, 77, 77); margin: 0px 0px 5px;"><a href="http://www.alternet.org/education/despite-common-sense-proposals-ny-mayoral-candidate-deblasio-charter-school-corporation" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-decoration: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Despite Common Sense Proposals by NY Mayoral Candidate DeBlasio, Charter School Corporation Organizes Protest Demonstration</font></a></h3><div class="search-snippet-info"><p class="search-info" style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.5em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="info-date">October 30, 2013, 10:37am - </span><span class="info-comment">0 comments</span></font></p></div></li><li class="search-result" style="margin-bottom: 2em;"><h3 class="title" style="text-align: left; font-weight: normal; color: rgb(77, 77, 77); margin: 0px 0px 5px;"><a href="http://www.alternet.org/education/absurd-ny-tabloid-propaganda-war-against-de-blasios-reasonable-charter-school-policies" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-decoration: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The Absurd NY Tabloid Propaganda War Against de Blasio's Reasonable Charter School Policies</font></a></h3><div class="search-snippet-info"><p class="search-info" style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.5em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="info-date">March 6, 2014, 1:11pm - </span><span class="info-comment">0 comments</span></font></p></div></li><li class="search-result" style="margin-bottom: 2em;"><h3 class="title" style="text-align: left; font-weight: normal; color: rgb(77, 77, 77); margin: 0px 0px 5px;"><a href="http://www.alternet.org/education/nyc-mayor-deblasios-righteous-cause-tax-rich-and-fund-pre-k-education" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-decoration: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">NYC Mayor DeBlasio's Righteous Cause to Tax the Rich and Fund Pre-K Education</font></a></h3><div class="search-snippet-info"><p class="search-info" style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.5em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="info-date">January 27, 2014, 1:40pm - </span><span class="info-comment">0 comments</span></font></p></div></li><li class="search-result" style="margin-bottom: 2em;"><h3 class="title" style="text-align: left; font-weight: normal; color: rgb(77, 77, 77); margin: 0px 0px 5px;"><a href="http://www.alternet.org/visions/promise-and-perils-bill-de-blasio-mayor-elect-new-york-city" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-decoration: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The Promise and Perils of Bill de Blasio If Elected Mayor of NYC: 9 Power Centers to Keep Your Eye On</font></a></h3></li></ol><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></p>

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