New York’s mayor-elect Bill de Blasio will the state’s first Democratic mayor in 20 years, and he has big changes in store. His “top priorities” address the issue of economic inequality, and include taxing the rich in order to finance a universal all-day kindergarten. Child services are a major focus for de Blasio, and he chose Gladys Carrion to head New York City’s child protection agency. “The fact that this tale of two cities visits our children so sharply is one of the most troubling realities of the day,” de Blasio said. “Our children more and more are living in homeless shelters. Our children more and more are living in poverty. Our children more and more are not getting the level of education they need for the modern world.”
De Blasio is taking over from Michael Bloomberg, who de Blasio says did nothing to decrease the gap between the rich and poor. “He did not address inequality. He looked away from it. He governed during the greatest economic crisis since the Great Depression and he never addressed it,” de Blasio said. “We will decidedly write a new chapter.”
