Homeless fight ‘a long war’
paign promises for a second term.
Instead, he’s focused on growing programs he’s already rolled out. Some of them require help from other levels of government — a millionaire’s tax to pay for transit would need unlikely support in Albany, while his “3-K” program would need millions in state or federal cash to expand to all students.
He touted his housing program, which is ahead of schedule in its quest to build or preserve 200,000 units of affordable housing, saying resistance from City Council members to certain rezoning was a “small part of the equation,” though he allowed some may hit a wall he can’t break through.
“I think what’s going to happen now is that on the outstanding rezonings, there may be a few that there’s not sufficient interest in the community or the Council member’s not game,” he said. “We take those resources and we move on, and we find other places that want it.”
The mayor’s term has seen crime fall and test scores rise — but it has also seen the budget grow. Despite looming threats of federal cuts, de Blasio insisted that wasn’t a problem — pointing to reserves and asking if he ought to take back 2,000 new police officers, universal pre-K or other investments.
“Where am I supposed to make that cut?” he asked. “My view is we’ve increased headcount, increased the budget for strategic purposes and we have extraordinary reserves, and we have the highest bond ratings we’ve ever had.”
He argued the investments he’d made in the city would also increase the tax base, and the city’s revenue.
“It’s not limitless,” he said. “It’s not like you can just add all the time. There’s a point, and we’ll have to watch Washington, in particular, very carefully. There’s a point where we may have to make tough decisions. But to date I feel they have been responsible.” THE CITY’S sergeants union wants Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis as the next mayor. Ed Mullins, president of the Sergeants Benevolent Association, threw his union’s backing behind Malliotakis during a Tuesday morning breakfast at Antun’s in Queens Village. “On behalf of, I’d like to say all members of the NYPD, because I know what they feel, particularly the members of the Sergeants Benevolent Association, we are endorsing (her) for the next mayor of the City of New York,” he said. De Blasio’s Republican challenger was grateful for the support, and said she feels “very confident that we are going to win this election,” she said.