The Bill de Blasio I Know: A Commentary by Mayor David Dinkins

The following was originally published in the New York Daily News.  Manhattan: For the past 27 years, I have liked and trusted Bill de Blasio. Nothing I have read or heard lately has changed my opinion. From when he first joined our team in 1989, he was energetic, committed to a progressive government and a person of integrity. I saw him grow in experience and stature, helping guide HUD Secretary Andrew Cuomo and helping elect Hillary Clinton to the Senate. Like other New Yorkers I have seen the media stories about the mayor’s fundraising. And, like them, I have seen mayors come and go. But I also know, better than most, the powerful political, business and media interests that play hardball if a mayor seeks to enact a progressive or controversial agenda that they find threatening. It is easy, for all of us, to be influenced by unproven claims and denials in response to sometimes misleading headlines. So I say to the media: Ask all the questions and provide all the answers we are entitled to. But let’s not rush to judgment. The heat of politically charged leaks is a poor substitute for the light of facts. We do know some things for sure about Bill de Blasio. He has made clear that he is actively cooperating with any prosecutorial investigations. We also know that in a relatively short time as mayor he has undertaken a progressive agenda unlike any we have seen in a long time. His efforts to assist those without a voice has resulted in: paid sick leave protection for 50,000 workers; a $15-hour minimum wage; 70,000 more children in pre-K classes and a safer city for young black and Latino men when it comes to interacting with our great police department. He has also vowed to create or preserve 200,000 affordable apartments to house a half million New Yorkers over the next 10 years. These are the facts that may not be in the headlines. The de Blasio I know has always pursued the highest personal and public standards. I trust and have confidence the process will show nothing less. Meanwhile, the mayor has encouraged ambitious programs to help New Yorkers who have had too little for too long. Clearly, some powerful folks, for their own reasons, may want to see that fail. Most fair-minded New Yorkers would love to see him succeed.

David N. Dinkins, 106th Mayor of New York City