Last Thursday evening at Lehman College in the Bronx, Mayor Bill de Blasio’s third State of the City address was bracketed by two unwelcomed events: the failure to restrict the horse-drawn carriage industry in the early hours of the day and a report that two police officers had been shot that evening in the Bronx, not too far from the college.
It seems the mayor can’t catch a break.
What he did catch in his hour-long-plus speech was rounds and rounds of applause, particularly when he announced a litany of numbers that underscored his promise of “One New York.”
In fact, “One New York” was emblazoned behind him on the screen and festooned around the auditorium, which included just about every elected official in the city and some from the state, including Speaker Carl Heastie, who de Blasio lauded for pushing through the Paid Family Leave Act.
But like most of the mayor’s State of the City addresses—and this one he called “State of Our People”—it was densely populated with figures, none matching the $2.5 billion promised to the MTA. Another huge number that he proudly proclaimed was the 750,000 New Yorkers with IDNYC cards in their pockets. With this identification, every resident, even undocumented immigrants and the formerly incarcerated, can have government-issued identification that would otherwise be difficult to get.
After a few words in Spanish, “our vision is one New York,” the mayor rattled off a string of accomplishments as he completes the first half of his administration. “We filled a million potholes over the past two years,” he said, “paved 2,200 lane miles … and we will add 2,000 new police officers—the first increase since 2001.”
A great portion of the speech focused on the courage and bravery of the NYPD, FDNY, EMS and correction officers—all of whom had performed in a singular way to protect, save a life or deliver a baby. Officer Kenneth Healey, who was attacked by a mentally disturbed man, was singled out by the mayor. “He survived the attack and is here with us this evening,” the mayor said, asking the officer to stand.
First responder Ray Pfiefer, now battling cancer contracted while rescuing people on 9/11, was also cited as the mayor praised him and noted the passage of the Zadroga Act, which finally made the health care program for 9/11 survivors permanent.
If there was one thing that was repeated again and again by the mayor, it was how safe the city is. He said the city experienced the safest January in history. “There were 45 percent fewer murders and 34 percent fewer shootings,” he said.
One of the milestones of his administration has been the pre-K initiative, “and I’m sure you know about that,” the mayor joshed before announcing that 68,000 children were now in the program. Affordable housing has also been high on his agenda, and he said last year was the best ever for available affordable housing, “and we had the first rent freeze ever on stabilized units,” he added.
“We moved 22,000 people from shelters to permanent housing,” he declared. “And we kept 91,000 in their homes.”
The digital divide, expansion of health clinics, the new economy and bolstering small businesses were topics he covered with a fresh narrative. Various locations in the five boroughs were slated for infrastructure development—Far Rockaway, Brownsville, the South Bronx—as well as Governors Island.
When he mentioned the solar panel atop City Hall, it was a fitting example of his administration’s concern about climate change, right down to totally eliminating No. 6 heating oil.
Perhaps the thing that was most memorable was his plan for a citywide ferry and streetcar to run along the East River from Astoria, Queens, to Sunset Park, Brooklyn. He called it the “BQX.” This 16-mile route, he said, will bring in billions of dollars over the next generation and facilitate the movement of people in the vicinity.
Harlemites in particularl can cheer the mayor’s promise to bring high-speed Internet to the Jefferson Homes and the city’s plans to step up measures to deal with mental illness via the first lady Chirlane McCray’s Thrive NYC.
Equity and excellence, as always, were central themes in the mayor’s speech, but they were keyed to his notion to end the dichotomy of two cities with plans for “One New York.”
