@edgarblythe,
DeBlasio manages to present a good appearance, then his full arrogance and ugliness comes out.
Several pages of his E-mails were released recently. The local press had asked for them and by law he had to do it. In them he carried on about how mean and wrong minded the press was to him. He badmouthed the entire media. It as sort of like a Democrat/(alleged) Progressive version of Trump. He does similar things at press conferences and other places.
He lives in Manhattan on the east side and there are YMCAs in the area, however he takes himself and an entourage by several SUVs over to Brooklyn everyday for his "workout" . Ask him any question and he will attack. He doesn't want to work before that either.
Now, we have his latest. He wants to do away with entry exams for the city's top schools. He says this will even the field and bring in more minorities (he means black and Latino). Apparently Asians aren't a minority. Oh wait they are, but the same kids steal all the school spots by doing well on the admission tests. Some 60% are Asian.
While abandoning the admission tests, he wants to take the top 5% from each junior high/middle school. Since many of these schools have truly abysmal graduation rates (one school says only 7% are prepared for high school), it will likely power he standings of the specialized schools. At no point in time has he addressed the fact that some 5 years into his reign, the schools are still failing. There are students being graduated who have little to no idea of what fractions are. There are many who cannot compose a sentence much less n essay or book report.
Sure he won a second election. It was as bad as the first. Not even 30% bother showing up to vote. Why? Because the NYC machine doesn't put forth any challengers.. I mean real challengers, not some unknown. The Republican ticket has also helped him as they can't find a strong candidate, which isn't all that odd in NYC which is mostly Democrat. The exception being the borough of Staten Island which pulls more towards Republicans, especially out on the south shore.
There are many other problems associated with DeBlasio (the number of homeless shot higher and he hasn't gotten a handle on it). He plans to shut down Riker's Island, the main prison within 10 years (i.e., he'll be gone and someone else can get any blame). He's proposed a prison in The Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens, nothing however on Staten Island which still has most of The buildings from the Arthur Kill Correctional Facility.
Staten Island is also transportation challenged. DeBlasio put fast ferry service into the other 4 boroughs, however, nothing for Staten Island. It's clear why they refer to themselves as "the forgotten borough". They're still waiting for the subway to be brought there. (along with festivities and much back-patting, ground was broken for it back in around 1921 or 22. 40 years later they got a bridge to Brooklyn. Nice bridge, 2 levels. The downside is the toll is higher than elsewhere in the city.
So, Progressive DeBlasio is not one i would go for. Ask people such as Christine Quinn how he sabotaged her shot at becoming mayor.
Ask me about how when he was Public Advocate he did nothing to fry to save the local hospital. Her did however take on the chance of a photo-lo when a hospital in Brooklyn was facing a similar fate. I recall he even got a slap on the wrist summons and pseudo -arrest. If it hadn't been election season (his first for mayor) or cameras, it's a sure thing he wouldn't have been there.
One last thing, while not getting the schools up to a sec he standard, he does all he can to try and end charter schools. The charter schools at least educate the children and are well integrated. Maybe he should ask what they are doing!
