Bill de Blasio (D) continues to put the smack down on his opponent Joe Lhota (R):
http://www.nydailynews.com/...
Corporations and wealthy individuals would gain more than $2 billion in tax breaks under Joe Lhota’s economic plan, Bill de Blasio said Sunday.
The Democratic mayoral front-runner accused his Republican rival of seeking to get “more tax breaks for corporations and wealthy individuals” by eliminating many levies.
The debate stems from a policy paper Lhota quietly issued in September that calls for slowly eliminating the commercial rent tax, cutting the hotel room tax and general corporation tax, and giving tax deals to expanding businesses.
Lhota, a former city budget director, has defended his plan, saying it would create jobs, but de Blasio bashed it. - New York Daily News, 10/14/13
Here's a little more info:
http://politicker.com/...
Speaking to reporters at a Queens endorsement event, Mr. de Blasio–who is far ahead in the polls–said that Mr. Lhota’s economic plan would bring big benefits to the city’s wealthiest.
“It is chock loaded with tax breaks for corporations and for wealthy individuals. In fact, it’s several billion–two to three billion dollars a year–of tax breaks for corporations and the wealthy,” he charged. “And I think that is fiscally irresponsible. And I think that points out that Mr. Lhota seems very interested in serving the most powerful special interests.”
Reached for a response, Mr. Lhota’s campaign spokeswoman, Jessica Proud, said Mr. de Blasio had his numbers wrong. She further contrasted Mr. de Blasio’s résumé with Mr. Lhota’s, which includes a stint as former Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s budget director.
“That assessment is incorrect,” Ms. Proud wrote in an email. “The tax reductions will be phased in over time and will lead to increased economic activity and job creation, giving our small businesses an opportunity to grow and hire more New Yorkers. Mr. de Blasio has never managed a large budget and he lacks the understanding of how to grow the economy and create jobs.” - Politicker, 10/13/13
This isn't the first time Lhota's helped give the rich and powerful tax breaks:
http://www.nydailynews.com/...
Madison Square Garden enjoys one of the most controversial tax breaks in the city. Since 1982, it has not paid property taxes, even as it made millions of dollars a year.
But in 2010, the Garden wanted more.
Joe Lhota — who at the time was an MSG executive vice president and today is the Republican nominee for mayor — lobbied the Bloomberg administration that spring for a tax break related to the arena’s impending $1 billion renovation, according to documents and a former city official.
“My recollection is Madison Square Garden came into EDC to talk about the renovation project and to ask for assistance from the city in the form of tax relief for the project,” former EDC President Seth Pinsky said Friday.
“We listened to them and I indicated at the end of the meeting that I didn't think it was likely that the city would provide the tax benefit, and that was the end of the meeting."
A 2010 lobbying form MSG filed with the city cited “taxation” as an issue the company was discussing with EDC at the time. It listed Lhota as one of five lobbyists. - New York Daily News, 10/12/13
But Lhota has been stepping up his attacks on de Blasio:
http://www.nydailynews.com/...
Stop calling the city’s hardworking cops lazy, Joe Lhota told Bill de Blasio Saturday.
The Republican nominee accused his Democratic rival of agreeing with actor Alec Baldwin in an appearance on his show “Up Late” Friday night that stop and frisk is a “lazy” policing policy.
“Bill characterizing the NYPD as lazy is infuriating,” Lhota said in a statement sent to reporters Saturday afternoon. “On what planet is he living? We have victims of crime in this city every single day and he dares to call police who do their jobs lazy!” he said. “He needs to apologize immediately.”
De Blasio called the shot “cheap.”
“My opponent keeps going further and further afield and distorting the truth more and more,” he said at a campaign event in Brooklyn Saturday.
“We were talking about the difference between a policy — a policy — that protects constitutional rights while keeping us safe, versus a policy that doesn’t protect constitutional rights. The American ideal is based on really doing something tougher than is done all around the world. Of really protecting people’s individual liberties while keeping law and order, and so that’s what he (Baldwin) was talking about,” he said. “I think there’s a very insightful, or a historical analysis he was offering.
“For my opponent to characterize it some other way, that’s just cheap.” - New York Daily News, 10/13/13
And Lhota is no going after de Blasio on charter schools:
http://www.nydailynews.com/...
“Charter Schools allow parents to choose the best education for children. Accountability. Better scores. Greater hope. But Bill de Blasio wants to roll back their success,” the narrator says in the 30-second spot.
De Blasio supports requiring charter schools to pay rent to use city space and a moratorium on co-locations of charter schools in public school buildings, and opposes lifting the state cap on the number of charter schools that can be established.
Lhota has charged his support for policies that would “destroy” the privately run, publicly funded schools means he can’t call himself a real progressive. - New York Daily News, 10/14/13
Going nasty really is Lhota's best approach for him:
http://www.amny.com/...
Staring at a 3-to-1 deficit in polls, Lhota will have to step outside his comfort zone as a measured speaker to counter de Blasio's more dynamic demeanor, Muzzio said.
"Lhota has to be very aggressive toward de Blasio, he's got to take him down," he said. "He's got to be confrontational, but that runs counter to his personality, because he's not a very demonstrative person."
De Blasio cuts an energetic figure, even though he has logged less time on the stump since winning the Sept. 10 primary.
Donald Waiters, 58, of Harlem, a member of District Council 37, the city's largest municipal union, recently asked de Blasio whether union workers would get raises if he were elected mayor on Nov. 5. He caught de Blasio as the candidate was dashing to a waiting SUV after a Harlem campaign stop. But de Blasio stopped to grip Waiters' shoulder and told him: "We're going to get you a contract. It might take a while."
Waiters seemed reassured. "He'll do what he can," he said. - AM New York, 10/13/13
FYI, the New York Times has a good piece about de Blasio and the lessons he learned from his father:
http://www.nytimes.com/...
In Mr. de Blasio’s eyes, his father was a tragic hero, a man who fought courageously in World War II, only to lose part of his left leg to the grenade of an enemy soldier he had just killed.
He returned with a Purple Heart but found his loyalty to the United States questioned in McCarthy-era investigations.
When Mr. de Blasio was 18, his father killed himself, firing a rifle into his heart while sitting in a car outside a motel in Connecticut.
Politicians often speak about the formative influences of parents: mothers who taught the importance of persistence, fathers who instilled a love of learning. But Mr. de Blasio, the Democratic nominee for mayor of New York City who has a big lead in the polls, has defined himself largely in opposition to his father.
At times, he felt so scarred that he wondered whether he could raise a family of his own.
“My father was a picture of courage in terms of his war service and strength, and yet in his decline, I learned primarily negative lessons,” he said in an interview. “I learned what not to do.” - New York Times, 10/13/13
The election is Tuesday, November 5th. If you would like to donate or get involved with de Blasio's campaign, you can do so here:
http://www.billdeblasio.com/
P.S. Chirlane McCray sent out an e-mail today reminding people to RSVP to a debate party tomorrow night:
The first major TV debate of the general election airs live on WABC tomorrow night at 7 PM. I'll be watching, and I hope you're planning to tune in and cheer Bill on, too.
Your fellow Team de Blasio supporters have organized debate watch parties across the City, and I want to make sure you have all the details to join them. Sign up to attend the party closest to you here:
Team de Blasio Debate Watch Party: RSVP here to say you'll be there:
http://my.billdeblasio.com/...
I always get a little nervous before these things, even though I know Bill's going to be great.
No matter what they throw at him, Bill will show the voters what you and I already know -- that he'll be a voice for those too often forgotten by City Hall, and a mayor for all New Yorkers.
Get out there tomorrow night at a Team de Blasio watch party and see for yourself why the choice in this election is clear:
http://billdeblasio.com/...
Thanks for all you're doing to help change this city so that it works for every New Yorker. Bill reminds me every day how proud he is to have you by his side.
Keep it up,
Chirlane
PS: If you're free beforehand, Team de Blasio is gathering outside the venue to cheer Bill on when he goes into the debate. Click here to get the details and say you'll be there!
http://my.billdeblasio.com/...
Click here to RSVP:
http://my.billdeblasio.com/...