The Rise and Fall of De Blasio & NY Health Act Gains Momentum
No 86
Monday, October 22, 2018
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Local News:
- Politico outlined Mayor de Blasio’s embarrassing and self-sabotaging attempts to become a national progressive leader during his first term as mayor.
- The Right to Know Act, one of the most significant pieces of police reform legislation in recent memory, went into effect on Friday. However, there are concerns from advocates about the Mayor and NYPD’s seriousness in complying with its directives, which were already watered down by the City Council in late 2017.
- The Mayor’s plans to replace the boilers and upgrade heating systems in NYCHA buildings is behind schedule, with some in the De Blasio Administration blaming the HUD Department for the delay. Last year over 300,000 NYCHA residents lost heat during the winter.
- The number of homeless children in New York City schools continues to increase, now reaching 114,659, or about 1 in 10 students.
- Gothamist has mapped NYC voter turnout by block.
Elections:
- Some Democrats running for State Senate in suburban swing districts are openly supporting single-payer health care, an indication that the New York Health Act has a favorable chance of passage should Democrats win control of the State Legislature next month.
- Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer has launched a campaign to defeat two of the three City Charter questions that the Mayor’s commission put on the ballot in November.
- Former Comptroller John Liu appears to be the front-runner in November’s District 11 State Senate (Northeast Queens) race, but faces Tony Avella, who refuses to back down from a third party challenge, and an openly racist Republican challenger.
- Joe Crowley received new political contributions dated for the year 2022, a suggestion that he may be interested in running again for Congress once district lines are redrawn in response to the 2020 Census.
- Dan Donovan, the only Republican in New York City’s Congressional delegation, is facing a strong challenge from Max Rose in Staten Island.