De Blasio Labels Himself 'Fiscal Conservative' In Speech To Business Leaders
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) - A year ago, Public Advocate Bill de Blasio was an overlooked New York City mayoral candidate who was coldly received by a small group of business leaders when he outlined his plan to raise taxes on the wealthy to fund a universal pre-kindergarten program.
He returned to the same gathering on Friday, making a similar speech. But political circumstances surrounding the candidate have changed.
De Blasio is now the Democratic nominee for mayor with a huge lead in the polls, and the crowd that packed a Times Square hotel ballroom greeted him with a standing ovation.
"We all benefit when the middle class is growing, and more of our fellow citizens are lifted out of poverty,'' de Blasio said. "Over the course of this past year, our case has only grown stronger.''
De Blasio Labels Himself 'Fiscal Conservative' In Speech To Business Leaders
De Blasio said New York is "a city that understands our economic might isn't measured solely by the number of millionaires in New York City, but by the promise that every family - every family - has a shot."
When he spoke there a year ago, De Blasio dubbed the gathering of the Association for a Better New York, made up of business and real estate leaders, "the lion's den.'' Polling in the single digits, he unveiled his plan to raise taxes on those making $500,000 a year or more to pay for his ambitious pre-kindergarten plan.
The plan, which elicited little reaction from the group then, became the centerpiece of his mayoral campaign and his message of ending "the tale of two cities'' by combating income inequality that propelled him to a rout in the Democratic primary. A pair of recent polls has him up nearly 50 points over his general election foe, Republican Joe Lhota.
De Blasio's ascension has created a sense of nervousness within some corners of the city's business community, which prospered during Mayor Michael Bloomberg's 12-year reign and is fearful of more liberal policies emanating from City Hall.
The candidate has acknowledged the tension, sending reassuring signals to leaders in a series of closed-door meetings and fundraisers, and praising Bloomberg far more often than usual in his Friday speech.
"Look. I know not everyone in this room agrees with every part of my plan,'' de Blasio said. "Today let's go forth together and resolve that the tale of two cities will be in our past and that building one city will be our future.''
"While we certainly don't begrudge our fellow New Yorkers their success - we appreciate their success - we also can't ignore those who struggle to find good jobs and quality schools," said the Democratic nominee.
The cheers for de Blasio did wane during the event, as the candidate outlined his hopes to expand paid sick leave and create a stronger living wage bill. But many in attendance were comforted by what they heard.
"I think his objectives are something that New York City clearly accepted, welcomed in the primary,'' said Steve Spinola, president of the Real Estate Board of New York. "Now the question is how do we as an industry, how does everyone in this room and beyond help him accomplish those goals and still keep the city moving forward.''
De Blasio also raised eyebrows in the Marriott Marquis ballroom when he dubbed himself a "fiscal conservative.''
"I'm a progressive activist fiscal conservative, but I'm still a fiscal conservative,'' he said while fielding a question from the audience. "And so we can't talk about tax cuts in any sector until we sort out our financial situation.''
As CBS 2's Marcia Kramer reported Friday, that prompted Lhota to issue a statement calling the performance "Another episode of the latest in unreality TV titled 'Pandering Bill.' He'll say anything to anyone to get elected... Cue the laugh track."
De Blasio later explained his remark to reporters, saying his "progressive'' plan "begins with balancing the budget.'' By law, the city is required to balance its budget.
A new poll, the second in two days, showed de Blasio with a commanding lead.
The New York Times/Siena College poll had de Blasio at 68 percent and Lhota at 19 percent among likely voters with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.7 percent, Kramer reported.
Lhota claimed he can overtake de Blasio because of his stand on the issues. He pointed to the poll finding that New Yorkers want Ray Kelly to remain police commissioner, something he supports but de Blasio does not.
"If you think about it and go back to 2001, at this point in time Mike Bloomberg was behind 35 percent. It gives me hope," said Lhota.
As WCBS 880's Rich Lamb reported, the nominee also said he is considering Rudy Giuliani's first police commissioner Bill Bratton to be the next police commissioner.
"I have sought his advice on policy for years and he's been an extraordinarily helpful advisor, as has David Kennedy and some other key leaders in the field of public safety. I have also consistently said, of course until the people decide on Nov. 5, I'm not having any discussions about personnel with anyone and i haven't made any choices."
De Blasio said two people must be interviewed for the job: Bratton and the current Chief of Department Phil Banks.
People close to Bratton say he'd love to have the job back but he has said publicly it's not something you campaign for, Lamb reported.
The mayoral candidates differ on more than political policies; they're also fans of some sworn sports enemies.
De Blasio, who moved to Cambridge, Mass. from New York at the age of 5, recently revealed his long-time love affair with Massachusetts sports teams.
He's not only a Boston Red Sox and Celtics fan, he's a Tom Brady, Bill Belichick New England Patriots fan. De Blasio
Lhota, Born in the Bronx, is a loyal Yankees fan and a huge Rangers fan. He also likes both the Jets and the Giants and he's a Knicks fan, too, Kramer reported.
Lhota is scheduled to address the Association for a Better New York on Tuesday. Later that day, Lhota, de Blasio and Bloomberg are scheduled to share a stage for the first time during a panel discussion partly sponsored by the mayor's philanthropic organization.
You May Also Be Interested In These Stories
(TM and © Copyright 2013 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
