CITY IS COMING BACK
Doom and gloom about NYC’s future is utterly unwarranted
f you’ve lived in New York City long enough, you’ve read its obituary too many times to count. It’s often written in the aftermath of our most painful hours: The fiscal crisis of the 1970s. The 9/11 attacks. The Great Recession. Hurricane Sandy.
Now, seven months into a pandemic that has changed all of our lives, we’re seeing another round of these pessimistic arguments from those who are quick to write off the greatest city in the world. What we’ve been through in this crisis, granted, isn’t like anything we’ve seen before. COVID-19 took a massive toll here and continues to run rampant across the country. We are dealing with the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression and the federal government has shown no interest in helping us out.
This pain is all too real across our city. But if you’re one of the few who thinks New York City won’t come back, you don’t know the strength and resolve of our people.
New Yorkers have already proven it by beating back this virus. We’ve gone from the national epicenter of this crisis to the envy of the world. I write this on a day when the COVID-19 positivity rate in New York City is just 0.63% — and we’ve achieved it while more and more of our economy comes back into play. It’s a testament to 8.6 million New Yorkers acting in unison: wearing face coverings, practicing social distancing, and turning the tide together.
And it’s a reminder that COVID-19, for as much pain as it’s caused, is a temporary reality. Yes, New York City will one day move beyond this virus.
But a real recovery isn’t about going back to “normal.” The goal should be more than just getting rid of COVID-19; it should be about getting rid of the disparities in our society. It’s about continuing the work we’ve done for the past seven years. It’s about bringing justice and equity to working people.
It’s about putting them first in a way New York City rarely has. That must be the beating heart of our recovery — and it’s how we’ll emerge a better, fairer city
We’ll recover by keeping working people healthy. We’ve seen so clearly in this crisis how disparities in health care have brought more pain to communities of color and working-class neighborhoods. That’s why we’ve expanded free access to health care to every borough, invested in our public hospitals, and just last week, launched our own dedicated COVID-19 lab.
We’ll recover by reopening steadily and safely, building on the incredible progress we’ve made so far. We emerged from shelter-in-place and moved through Phases 1, 2, 3 and 4 — all while flattening the curve. Gyms are open and our restaurants are ready to begin indoor dining. And crucially for so many working parents, 3-K and Pre-K will begin in-person learning tomorrow, followed by the rest of our students in the weeks to come.
I’ve heard from some business leaders, now returning to our city, on how they believe they can help. Just last week, we opened the One Vanderbilt Building — a remarkable example of what’s possible through publicprivate partnerships, and a powerful sign of resilience.
We’ll work with anyone and everyone in this recovery. But I’ll be clear: The interests of working people must come first.
We’ve seen the heights our city can reach when we do exactly that. When I came into office determined to fight for measures like $15 an hour and paid sick leave, Doubting Thomases told us we’d wreck the economy. What happened? We won those fights. And as recently as February, New York City had 4.6 million jobs — the most in our history.
That’s only the beginning of what’s possible if we put working people first in our recovery. A city that puts economic justice, climate justice and healthcare justice first will be a beacon to people across the country, and the world, looking to build a better life for themselves. They will be eager to be part of the rebirth of this city, ready to contribute, knowing they have a city that will protect them.
New York City’s recovery won’t come down to what’s written by wellconnected billionaires, or whether wealthy individuals return from their beach homes. It’ll be about working people. The same ones who stuck it out through this pandemic — saving lives, delivering meals, and doing essential work at our groceries and pharmacies. The same ones who call this place their only home. The same ones who come here with little more than a dream and work hard, generation after generation, so their kids’ lives might be a little better than their own.
As long as those working people are still the heart and soul of our communities, New York City will be alive and well.
De Blasio is mayor of New York