Going by the book in race for City Hall
Political wannabes usually try to draw attention through clever ads, prominent endorsements and a smattering of policy ideas. Mayoral hopeful Shaun Donovan is seeking to up the ante by releasing a bevy of policy proposals in book form.
His 204-page-long “Plan for the City of New York” covers everything from racial equity and criminal justice to transportation and climate change — and aims to cement Donovan’s place as the candidate of ideas in the packed Democratic primary for mayor.
His campaign planned this week to mail about 100 hard copies of the tome to journalists and other New Yorkers, along with e-book versions to members of the public, with more to follow. It’s an old-school approach as rivals like Andrew Yang take to new online forums such as TikTok and Clubhouse.
The book sends “a very clear message that Shaun is the man with the plan in this race to turn New York City around,” Donovan senior adviser Rick Fromberg told the Daily News on Tuesday, adding that the document will play a key role in online campaigns to come.
“It’s rooted in his experience managing crises like the massive financial foreclosure crisis, like the Hurricane Sandy recovery, like the role he played with Ebola and Zika response, like being housing commissioner in the wake of 9/11,” said Fromberg, citing Donovan’s time heading the Housing and Urban Development Department and then the Office of Management and Budget in the Obama White House. The candidate was also head of the city Housing Preservation and Development Department under former Mayor Mike Bloomberg.
The book collects and details a number of proposals Donovan has previously announced. Rivals have attempted to address many of the same issues, though Donovan implicitly makes the case that his ideas are more thorough and, presumably, more do-able.
For instance, under Donovan’s “equity bonds” plan, the city would “provide $1,000 to every child in New York City, followed by up to an annual $2,000 for each year until they turn 18,” with the goal of providing kids $50,000 in savings by the time they graduate high school.
On public safety, Donovan wants to take $3 billion away from the NYPD and allocate that funding toward community-based solutions and racial justice initiatives.
He also touts his plan to provide “a great public school, fresh food, rapid transportation, a beautiful park and a chance to get ahead” within 15 minutes of every city household.