Received this e-mail today from U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D. MA) in support of Progressive Mayor bill de Blasio’s (D. NY) re-election campaign:
New Yorkers know as well as anyone why working families are struggling.
Long before I ran for the Senate, I studied why middle-class families were going broke. It’s not that people are spending more money on food or shopping than they were a generation ago (on average, they’re actually spending less). But the big stuff – rent, health insurance, college – all skyrocketed.
And the worst? Child care. Over the past 30 years, child care costs have jumped 953%.
Bill de Blasio recognized the problem, too – and when he ran for Mayor in 2013, he promised one of the most ambitious, progressive education programs in the nation: universal preschool throughout the city.
Bill fought hard for the program – and he won. Today, New York City enrollment in pre-K has tripled, lifting the burden of early education costs off of hardworking parents and giving kids of all economic backgrounds a jump start in their education.
Bill de Blasio is the sort of progressive leader that New York needs. He’s fighting his heart out to level the playing field for working families – and that’s why it’s important that Bill wins reelection this November. But he’s going to need our help.
Please chip in now to help Bill de Blasio finish this campaign strong – and send a message across the country that we’re ready to fight for progressive values and progressive leaders. Every dollar that Bill raises from New Yorkers like you by October 23rd will be matched by the city’s public finance program 6-to-1 – so your support will have six times the impact.
Bill is already working on a plan to take the pre-K program even further. His “3-K for All” initiative will expand universal pre-K to 3-year-olds across the five boroughs.
That’s a powerfully important policy for families, for teachers, for small businesses, and people all across the city. And it will set an example for cities, states, and our country to make bold policies that level the playing field for working families.
But Bill needs more time in City Hall to make “3-K for All” happen. I trust Bill will keep fighting as hard as he can for families in New York. So we’re going to fight for Bill – and I hope you will, too.
Please make a donation to Bill de Blasio’s campaign before the October 23rd fundraising match deadline – if you donate $5, the city will chip in another $30. And when we stand together and fight for Bill, we’ll help send a message that progressive values are New York values, and progressive values are American values.
Thanks for being a part of this,
Elizabeth