Bill Bratton Bill de Blasio Stop-and-Frisk Protest at The Nation Gala

• Updated : De Blasio Faces Protest for NYPD Pick * Democracy Now!
  (Revised : Tuesday 10 Dec 2013 16/04)

Activists Protest Outside The Nation Magazine Gala, Honoring Bill de Blasio, Who The Nation Had Endorsed. Now, de Blasio Was Rewarding Them By Appearing At Their Gala In Exchange.

Protest against Bill Bratton's record on Stop-And-Frisk and against Bill de Blasio for picking him as NYPD commish ; at The Nation Magazine Gala at the Metropolitan Pavilion, 125 West 18th Street, NYC.

Bill Bratton is the architect of Stop-And-Frisk, a police policy that has been shown to be a state-sponsored program of racism that targets minorities.

Watch as activists jeer former NYC Public Advocate Mark Green, former TV talkshow host Phil Donahue, former GMHC CEO Ana Oliveira, Manhattan Borough President-elect Gail Brewer, and The Daily Show contributor Lewis Black for standing by Bill de Blasio's pick of Bratton as NYPD commish. Bill de Blasio, and possibly Bill Bratton, snuck in through the freight entrance at the back of the building, avoiding protesters. They used an FDNY practice exercise as a decoy to close West 19th Street from some activists.

This was a private event, but yet there was Bill de Blasio abusing his authority over NYPD and FDNY to use public resources for a private event -- a similar complaint that reform activists used to have about Christine Quinn. This is not change ; rather, this is more of the same.

de Blasio misused FDNY resources by deploying a fake emergency practise exercise at the back of the building, where activists were protesting last night.

Was the FDNY decoy exercise deliberately planned to interfere with last night's protest ?

Likely Course of de Blasio Mayoralty

Likely course of de Blasio mayoralty: left supporters stay quiet 1st year, tentatively raise some "troubling questions" in the 2nd...

— Doug Henwood (@DougHenwood) December 7, 2013

...spend the 3rd wondering what happened to "the promise of 2013," and the 4th promoting his re-election.

— Doug Henwood (@DougHenwood) December 7, 2013

Did Bill de Blasio put up his son Dante to lie to voters about ending the "stop-and-frisk era" ?

WATCH ON DROPBOX : Bill de Blasio Bill Bratton Stop and Frisk Hypocrisy

After Bill de Blasio barely won the Democratic primary with about 40 percent of the vote, top aide to Christine Quinn complained about a controversial TV advertisement broadcast by the de Blasio campaign, featuring his son, Dante.

"That ad killed us," the Quinn aide groused, anonymously, to The Daily Beast.

“He’s the only Democrat with the guts to really break from the Bloomberg years,” Dante promised in the TV commercial, adding, "And he is the only one who will end a stop-and-frisk era that unfairly targets people of color."

VIDEO LINK : https://www.dropbox.com/s/c7gqg06t9h2wb4n/Bill-de-Blasio-Stop-and-Frisk-Deception.m4v

Day 2 of "Tale of 2 De Blasios": Quinn camp says BdB supports Bill Bratton, called (by Detroit News) a pioneer of stop and frisk.

— Grace Rauh (@gracerauh) August 22, 2013

The controversial de Blasio campaign ad featuring his son, Dante, was widely reported to be one factor that helped his campaign surge following the implosions of the Quinn and Anthony Weiner campaigns. But now that de Blasio has appointed Bill Bratton to become the next NYPD commish, critics question the promises made by de Blasio -- and his son -- that de Blasio would end the "stop-and-frisk era."

Bratton shot up to fame by driving down crime based on his "reliance on 'stop-and-frisk,' in which officers detain individuals they deem to be suspicious and search them for guns, and which has been linked to racial profiling by critics," reported KQED News.

Bill de Blasio Marches In Veterans Day Parade With OWS Nemesis ; What Political Mandate ?

Mitch Rudin, president and CEO of U.S. commercial operations at Brookfield Office Properties, evicted Occupy Wall Street from Zuccotti Park.

Mitch Rudin, CEO of US operations for Brookfield Properties, joined Bill de Blasio for Veterans Day Parade http://t.co/avrBBjhWcB #OWS

— Louis Flores (@maslowsneeds) November 12, 2013

For several blocks, New York City mayor-elect Bill de Blasio marched in today's Veterans Day Parade alongside Mitch Rudin, the US CEO for Brookfield Properties. Brookfield Properties was the landlord over Zuccotti Park, which had been the site of the Occupy Wall Street encampment, before Brookfield asked Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the NYPD to evict the protesters.

Mr. de Blasio campaigned for mayor on a platform that supported Occupy Wall Street sensibilities, but the de Blasio campaign has not addressed the apparent contradiction of the mayor-elect embracing Mr. Rudin when so many Occupy activists were under the impression that Mr. de Blasio was a sympathizer.

Occupy Wall Street is "speaking to what people feel all over this country" –Bill de Blasio at Zuccotti Park, 10/13/11 http://t.co/g6PxIWBFeX

— Michael Moore (@MMFlint) November 6, 2013

• Mitch Rudin, CEO of US operations for Brookfield Properties, joined Bill de Blasio for Veterans Day Parade
• How committed is Bill de Blasio to progressive reforms ?
• Bags of Cash : Political Corruption and Lobbyists in NYC, NYS
• Bill de Blasio is going to let liberals down

Voter Turn-Out Was 22% : What political mandate ?

The media keeps describing Mr. de Blasio's win as a "landslide," yet his effective voting tally expressed as a percent of total registered voters is actually lower than 20%. Given how few registered voters made it to the polls on election day, how can the media spin such a low participation rate to equal a political mandate ?

Newsday’s Dan Janison notes the paltry turnout numbers in last week’s general election, running counter to the narrative of a “popular uprising” for de Blasio. (Voter turnout disappointing in Tuesday's elections : New York Newsday)

Turnout in Tuesday’s election for New York City mayor appeared to have set a record low of 24 percent of registered voters. (New York: Voter Turnout Appears to Be Record Low * The New York Times)

Corrupt Campaign Finance and Lobbyist Scandals in de Blasio and Cuomo administrations

Bags of Cash : Political Corruption and Lobbyists in NYC, NYS

Real estate developers, gambling interests, and lobbyists corrupt New York City and New York State politics. In this YouTube video, questions are raised about why the super-majority of liberal and progressive politicians in New York are unable to propose and enact real campaign finance and lobbyist reforms. Are Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, Gov. Andrew Cuomo, and Prosecutor Kathleen Rice more interested in milking big business interests and lobbyists of campaign donations to dare to reform the broken political system ?

Stay tuned ....

C.W.A., a pro-@deBlasioNYC union contributed $507,000 to the Anybody but Quinn campaign. (via @SallyGold) http://t.co/FxmwqgaAW2

— Gideon Resnick (@GideonResnick) October 30, 2013

.@deBlasioNYC the big winner from IE spending in the general election: his backers spent $1.29M; supporters of @JoeLhota4Mayor spent $387K.

— Thomas Kaplan (@thomaskaplan) November 4, 2013

De Blasio Accused of Coordinating with Anti-Quinn Super PAC http://t.co/E9l3Qau77L #CSFirstRead (via @ccampy)

— City & State (@CityAndStateNY) November 4, 2013

Real estate interests continue to open checkbooks for Bill de Blasio

Corruptive Influence of Money in de Blasio campaign

• A pro-Bill de Blasio union funded "Anybody But Quinn" front group
• Bruce Ratner's Forest City Ratner paid Bill de Blasio $73,000 in campaign contributions
• The 99% Mayor : Bill de Blasio’s promise may also be his problem (New York Magazine)
• Bill de Blasio flouting filing rules on $1.1M rental pad (The New York Post)
• Bill de Blasio’s connection to the David Dinkins era is the potential dalliances with lobbyists (The New York Daily News)
• James Capalino, Other Lobbyists Lined Up To Help Host Million-Dollar Bill de Blasio/Hillary Clinton Fundraiser (Daily News Daily Politics)
• Bill de Blasio Praised on Wall Street Even With Plan to Tax Wealthy (Bloomberg Businessweek)

Loopholes

de Blasio Uses Campaign Loophole	Developers Have ‘Bought’ de Blasio
Bill de Blasio has taken advantage of a campaign finance loophole that allows unions not representing municipal workers to contribute without limit, accepting contributions from unions across the country thanks to a bill he helped pass. (Bill de Blasio reaps union donations thanks to campaign finance loophole * The New York Post)	At a press conference by the new Barclay’s arena, Joe Lhota accused Bill de Blasio of trading his silence on affordable housing in the controversial Atlantic Yards development exchange for developers’s campaign contributions. (Lhota Says Developers Have ‘Bought’ de Blasio’s Silence on Atlantic Yards * The New York Observer)

Money in Politics. Despite Mr. de Blasio's claims that he was the true progressive in this year's mayoral Democratic primary, he's certainly embraced the role of money and lobbyists in electoral politics, an apparent contradiction of core progressive values. A spot financed by a pro-Bill de Blasio “super PAC” in the New York mayoral race charges that Joseph J. Lhota wants to help big corporations and developers. The campaign commercial will be broadcast in a $1 million media buy could be used by Mr. Lhota to suggest that Mr. de Blasio, who has spoken out against super PACs, is acting hypocritically by not renouncing their support. (The Ad Campaign : Group Backing de Blasio Tries to Shackle Lhota to Tea Party * The New York Times)

Money is King in NYC Mayoral Politics : Bill De Blasio Campaign Rakes in $3.7 Million http://t.co/ng3a0ddQcs

— Informed Voting (@informedvoting) October 25, 2013

Real estate opens checkbook for de Blasio ;
de Blasio's reformer credibility in doubt

From Crains :

Several real estate heavyweights­ as well as a few luminaries from the tech world­are ponying up big-time for Bill de Blasio, as the Democratic front-runner for mayor nears the finish line in what is shaping up to be a historic blowout of an election.

John Arillaga, one of the largest landowners in Silicon Valley, donated the maximum amount of $4,950 to Mr. de Blasio on Oct. 26, newly released records show. Mr. Arillaga's $151 million donation to Stanford University last July is said to be the largest gift ever given from a living donor. He is estimated to be worth $1.8 billion.

Mr. de Blasio also received a maximum donation from hotelier Ian Schrager, the co-founder of the legendarily hedonistic Studio 54. Mr. Schrager is often credited with co-creating the "boutique hotel" category of accommodation, typified by the Hudson Hotel on West 58th Street.

Raphael De Niro, son of the famous actor and head of the "De Niro Team" at real estate powerhouse Douglas Elliman, also maxed out to the Democratic frontrunner. Leonard Steinberg, who leads the firm's luxury real estate team, and Darren Sukenik, a downtown broker at Douglas Elliman, have contributed as well. (Mr. de Blasio has railed against "luxury condos" being built at the expense of affordable housing.)

Other real estate big shots to throw their support to Mr. de Blasio include Ken Colao, president of CNY Builders; Karen Heyman, a top real estate agent with Sotheby's; Aaron Jungreis, founder of Rosewood Realty Group; and Kyle Blackmon, a successful broker with Brown Harris Stevens.

Reid Hoffman, a venture capitalist and founder of LinkedIn, a social network for businesses, also chipped in the maximum amount.

Real estate has long been a supporter of Mr. de Blasio, who despite his populist rhetoric has treated the industry practically, even voicing support for projects that are deeply controversial in their communities, including Atlantic Yards.

With a de Blasio victory over Republican Joseph Lhota on Tuesday looking all but inevitable, many in the real estate world are trying to get in while the getting is good. But several real estate insiders wondered whether the donations were too late in the game to matter to the candidate, who has drawn the ire from some in the industry from his positions on affordable housing, taxes and city subsidies.

"Somewhere in de Blasio's camp, someone is keeping tabs on who gave what and when," one real estate source said. "And there is no chance whatsoever that money now is worth what money was in June when he was at 10% in the polls. That certainly applies to the late-arriving unions, as well businesses and some real estate. The real winners are the early endorsers and early donors. Buying de Blasio stock at its 52-week high isn't going to produce a bonanza of goodwill."

Another real estate insider agreed.

"He's going to be the mayor whether they like him or not," the insider said. "A third wants bragging rights that they supported him, a third thinks it's an insurance policy against him coming after them and a third thinks it gives them the ability to call him up and yell at him."

Last week, Mr. de Blasio reported almost $50,000 in donations in a single day. On Oct. 26, he raked in over $33,000. His Republican opponent, Mr. Lhota, has trailed in both fundraising and the polls.

Mr. de Blasio has denied (as all politicians do) being influenced by campaign donations.

Meet The De Blasios ; Or, Meet The Old, Inept Press ?

The Media Takes No Responsibility to Inform and No Shame For Failure to Do So ...

Now that the political realities, or impossibilities, are emerging for the expected next mayor, Bill de Blasio, the media is panicking about how little they were caught unawares of Mr. de Blasio's impending win. Like True News From Change has been pointing out, it was the media's job to vet Mr. de Blasio, and now, as the media worries about how Mr. de Blasio plans to translate his positions into actual government policy, the media forgets that it was they themselves, who gave Mr. de Blasio as pass during the primary election season.

"So which is Bill de Blasio, Sandinista or Clintonista, radical or clubhouse regular ? It’s a good question, particularly considering how vague he has been about so many things as a mayoral candidate." (Daily News Op-Ed via True News From Change)

... But Sal Albanese Calls Media Out

How the Media Lost the Race for Mayor. Bill de Blasio won the Democratic primary. Sal Albanese did not. But thanks to poor coverage of the race, the former councilman argues, New York's voters are the real losers.

No doubt, Mr. de Blasio has won the hearts of New Yorkers. If he lives up to expectations, I believe that he could make the five boroughs better for all of us. But "ifs" and "coulds" don't pick up the garbage or keep the city safe. We would be much better off if we knew what our next mayor had accomplished and really plans to do over the next four years. Unfortunately, the fourth estate has failed to provide that information.

Elections have consequences, and so does the way that we cover them. For the sake of our city's future, we must demand better. (Sal Albanese * City Limits)

Money in Politics. Despite Mr. de Blasio's claims that he was the true progressive in this year's mayoral Democratic primary, he's certainly embraced the role of money and lobbyists in electoral politics, an apparent contradiction of core progressive values. A spot financed by a pro-Bill de Blasio “super PAC” in the New York mayoral race charges that Joseph J. Lhota wants to help big corporations and developers. The campaign commercial will be broadcast in a $1 million media buy could be used by Mr. Lhota to suggest that Mr. de Blasio, who has spoken out against super PACs, is acting hypocritically by not renouncing their support. (The Ad Campaign : Group Backing de Blasio Tries to Shackle Lhota to Tea Party * The New York Times)

Money is King in NYC Mayoral Politics : Bill De Blasio Campaign Rakes in $3.7 Million http://t.co/ng3a0ddQcs

— Informed Voting (@informedvoting) October 25, 2013

All fluff and no substance. New York magazine is looking forward to the de Blasio family's holiday card. But then what ?

First look at the cover of next week's magazine: Meet the De Blasios pic.twitter.com/Si7AjnAYtg

— New York Magazine (@NYMag) October 25, 2013

Hospitals Still Face Chopping Block, Employees Keep Receiving Layoff Notices

Long Island College Hospital issued layoff notices to some 500 employees, effective Oct. 29. The majority of the workers are members of 1199 SEIU Healthcare Workers East and the New York State Nurses Association. (Brooklyn Hospital Lays Off 500 * Crain's)

Gov. Cuomo proposes to close three Brooklyn hospitals and replace them with a new hospital at an estimated cost of $1 billion. (New Brooklyn hospital proposed ; cost $1 billion ; would replace 3 existing hospitals * Crains)

Let Them Eat Cheesecake : Buying Creamy Pies While 500 LICH Employees Receive Layoff Notices

SUNY lays off 500 Long Island College Hospital employees @DownstateLICH @SUNY http://t.co/IVT23sLzn3 @deBlasioNYC @JoeLhota4Mayor

— StopNYMRT (@StopNYMRT) October 26, 2013

St. Vincent's Hospital. Healthcare activists are trying to pressure NBC 4, the host of the next mayoral debate, to ask hospital-related questions of the mayoral candidates. What do the candidates plan to do to save all of New York City's community hospitals ? Do the candidates have plans to replace the full-service hospitals that were closed under the Bloomberg-Quinn administration ?