In one way -- a big way -- it would be difficult to call Andrew Rasiej’s campaign for public advocate a success: He got five percent of the vote in the Democratic primary in September. Nobody was surprised, since he had no experience as a public official or even a candidate, his opponents were far better-known, and he built his entire campaign based on a single issue that many said has nothing to do with the office for which he was running. He said that there should be “a universal low-cost wireless Internet system for all New Yorkers,” including free wireless service in public spaces.
On the other hand, the city recently announced plans to provide free wireless access in ten parks, including eight locations in Central Park. And New York City Councilmember Gale Brewer, head of the council’s Technology in Government Committee, is taking up where Rasiej left off, pushing for a task force to figure out how to provide affordable broadband Internet access to every city resident, business and non-profit organization.
Both Rasiej and Brewer argue that increasing Internet connectivity is essential to improving the lives of city residents and to enhancing the city’s economic competitiveness. A primary goal of Brewer’s efforts is to reduce the cost of in-home broadband Internet access, so that more New Yorkers will take advantage of these capabilities.
Only an estimated 38 percent of New Yorkers currently have broadband access, but an ever-higher percentage of Internet content (such as video) requires this capability. The “digital divide” between higher and lower income communities may never be closed completely, but municipal broadband and wireless initiatives represent a concerted attempt to narrow this gap.
The city’s broadband task force has not yet been formed. The Technology in Government Committee has held an initial hearing, and plans to hold a second hearing in November.
Many other US cities have charged similar task forces with providing direction for broadband/wireless development, including Los Angeles, Seattle, and Philadelphia.
Indeed Rasiej held up the “Wireless Philadelphia” initiative as his model. Philadelphia has moved more aggressively than any other US city to develop a city-wide wireless network. Using Philadelphia’s business plan, Rasiej estimated that the cost of establishing a wireless network in New York is $80 million (PDF). In fact, though, Philadelphia did not even determine the vendor for its wireless network until early October, three weeks after Rasiej’s campaign came to an end with the primary.
Philadelphia now has chosen Earthlink to build its network, and the company has offered to build and manage it at no cost to city residents. The city and Earthlink will share any revenues that emerge from the project. Search engine titan Google recently offered to construct a wireless network for San Francisco at no cost to the city. Similarly, Rasiej argues that private companies should pay the cost for building a wireless network in New York. Although it is too early to know whether all of these funding approaches will materialize, the early trend in municipal wireless development is for intensive private investment.
If private companies did not expect to make a profit from wireless networks, they would not want to build them. The most obvious source of revenue is new forms of advertising, which could conceivably be tailored to specific individuals based upon their Internet browsing patterns. There is a definite potential for a loss of personal privacy unless municipal broadband/wireless projects are carefully developed. Municipalities that undertake these projects should plan to develop educational campaigns about how to protect confidential information online.
Although privacy concerns are legitimate, they are not severe enough to prevent further broadband/wireless development in New York City. There are too many potential benefits for the city:
1. More timely access to life-saving information for emergency responders, who could download this information over wireless networks en route to the scene of an accident
2. Greater involvement of residents in the work of city government
3. Better ability of children to study at home, and to communicate with their teachers about what they discover online
As New York City embarks on a more comprehensive approach to broadband and wireless development, important questions remain unanswered, but there is little doubt that, sooner or later, one way or another, it's going to happen.
Marcus Banks is a librarian at the New York University School of Medicine.
New Yorkers who struggle each day to juggle work and child care would probably have been interested to learn that as part of his campaign for reelection, Mayor Michael Bloomberg recently promised to double the number of pre-kindergarten and day care slots to serve more than 300,000 children.
Democratic challenger Fernando Ferrer has a similar proposal and promises to invest $550 million in pre-K programs for three- and four-year olds.
But voters never got a chance to compare the two plans.
The mayor’s child care announcement – which even included an appearance by Rosie O’Donnell to help draw reporters – occurred on the same day that Mayor Bloomberg decided to skip a debate at the Apollo Theater with Ferrer and Conservative Thomas Ognibene. It was also the day that the mayor announced that there was a “credible threat” that the subways could be bombed by terrorists, which turned out not to be true.
For the next week, the campaigns and the press focused on little else.
In the 2005 mayoral race, this kind of scenario seems to repeat itself over and over. Most often it is who is ahead in the latest poll or who endorsed whom that makes headlines, not what each candidate has proposed to do to make the city a better place to live.
“For many New Yorkers, it is not clear exactly how Fernando Ferrer and Michael Bloomberg differ on the issues,” said Jonathan Bowles of the Center for an Urban Future, a think-tank that issued a report outlining some of the most crucial issues that must be addressed by the next mayor, such as how to give workers skills for future jobs, how to reduce homelessness, and how to dispose of the city’s tons of garbage.
Of course, there is plenty of blame to go around for the lack of serious debate in this year’s campaign.
The press has focused mostly on the mayor’s money, the polls, and campaign gaffes.
Mayor Bloomberg has decided to attend only two debates scheduled for the week before the election, so there has been no direct exchange of ideas between the candidates.
And some political observers say that neither candidate has provided a distinct vision for the next four years.
“This has been a backward looking, retrospective race, as opposed to planning for the future,” said Douglas Muzzio of the Baruch School of Public Affairs.
Mayor Bloomberg has focused almost exclusively on what he has accomplished and has said very little about what he plans to do in the future. His television ads, which run nearly non-stop, tout his record and then instruct voters; “Now is not the time to go in a different direction; it's the time to continue with strong leadership."
“It’s politics,” said Andrew White of the New School Center for New York City Affairs. “He’s playing it safe and not venturing into areas that would be controversial.”
Ferrer has also struggled to outline how he would be different from Bloomberg, except to promise that he will focus more on the city’s poor and working class than the billionaire mayor.
“You’d think the Ferrer campaign would be floating all kinds of great ideas,” added White. “But I don’t see Ferrer getting across a message that makes it clear to voters what kind of mayor he would be.”
The Republican mayor and the Democratic challenger actually agree on many key issues.
Both Bloomberg and Ferrer agree that:
• The state must provide more funding for education.
• Students should not be promoted to the next grade if they can’t meet standards in reading and math.
• Subway stations need more security cameras to help prevent terrorist attacks.
• The city should transport garbage out of the city by boat and train rather by trucks.
• New subway lines must be built.
• Medicaid must be reformed.
Unlike national elections in which candidates may have strong philosophical differences, in local elections, what often separates one candidate from another is a matter of nuance, style, and approach – which are harder for voters to discern.
"There is a certain amount of agreement [among the candidates] on many of the issues, but the difference is on the margins," said Bowles. "Of course, those margins matter."
EDUCATION
Education is arguably the number one issue of the campaign. In 2002, the mayor gained control of the public school system, with power to appoint the chancellor, allocate the education budget, and set school policies. When he took office, Bloomberg said voters should judge him on public education.
Michael Bloomberg
Bloomberg has put his emphasis on overhauling the structure of the education system, instituting a uniform curriculum, and holding back students in the third, fifth, and seventh grade if they do not score high enough on standardized tests. Bloomberg has also divided up larger schools to create 150 smaller ones.
Fernando Ferrer
Ferrer argues that test scores are not the best way to measure performance. He wants to significantly expand after-school and early childhood education programs to help increase graduation rates. Ferrer also argues he would abolish Bloomberg’s top-down approach of governing the schools.
Other Candidates
Seth Blum, a public school teacher running on the Education Party line, argues that both the front-runners are missing the real issues. He would let teachers develop the curriculum, reduce standardized tests, and hold weekly town hall meetings to address parents concerns.
Conservative candidate Thomas Ognibene says mayoral control of schools has just added more bureaucracy. He would put principals in charge of each school’s budget.
AFFORDABLE HOUSING
During the Koch administration, when the city undertook a major effort to build 100,000 apartments in ten years, much of the new housing was constructed in buildings that the city took over from owners who had defaulted on their taxes. Today, much of the city’s “in rem” housing is gone, and vacant tracts of land are rare. At the same time, New York City is experiencing a real estate boom, with the cost of housing skyrocketing.
City officials are now working with private developers to build affordable housing. Some argue that the city should demand more from developers who want to build taller buildings or take advantage of tax breaks. Others argue that mandating affordable housing will drive up rents and actually hurt the city.
In addition, the city’s traditional ways of preserving affordable housing - rent regulations, Mitchell-Lama developments, and federal section 8 vouchers – are threatened.
Michael Bloomberg
In 2003, Michael Bloomberg proposed a plan to build 65,000 new homes over five years. So far, about 17,000 are completed and another 9,000 are currently planned. The mayor has rezoned neighborhoods across the city to allow more housing to be developed and offers developers tax incentives to build affordable housing.
Last week, the mayor added to his existing proposals by calling on banks and foundations to provide up to $200 million for affordable housing, which the city hopes will result in 30,000 new units of low- and moderate-income housing over ten years.
Bloomberg’s position on the Urstadt Law - which gives the state control of the rent regulations - has changed over time. In the past, he said he supported the repeal. However, he now says that the law should not be repealed because the city cannot afford to administer the rent regulation system that the state currently administers.
Fernando Ferrer
Fernando Ferrer argues that the mayor’s housing plan does not focus enough on low- and moderate-income New Yorkers. Ferrer has proposed building 167,000 new homes over a ten-year period. He wants to mandate that 30 percent of new housing be set aside as affordable and use tax incentives to reserve an additional 20 percent.
Ferrer supports the repeal of the Urstadt Law and will fight in Albany to earn the city’s right to control its own rent regulations.
Other Candidates
Green Party candidate Anthony Gronowicz promises to freeze rent increases for rent-controlled apartments.
Jimmy McMillian, a little-known candidate who recently appeared on the Board of Election’s list for the general election, is making his views known by running on the "Rent Is Too Damn High” party line.
CRIME
Crime is down nearly 20 percent since 2001, and the murder rate is at a 40-year low. Experts disagree on exactly why this is the case, but no one wants to see the city’s crime rate go back to what it was in the 1970s and 1980s.
Terrorism also remains a crucial issue, as the recent threat of a subway bombing illustrated. The next mayor will have to make decisions on how best to keep the city safe from another attack.
Michael Bloomberg
Bloomberg has reduced the number of police officers by 2,800 since he took office. While crime is down, the police are being asked to do more counterterrorism work. A new contract for police also cut the starting salary to $25,1000.
Fernando Ferrer
Ferrer promises to hire 1,900 more officers and assign at least half of them to patrol the subway system. Ferrer also says he would renegotiate a better contract with the police union.
Other Candidates
Conservative candidate Thomas Ognibene says the Bloomberg administration has abandoned its enforcement of quality of life crimes and should return to the priorities of the Giuliani administration.
JOBS
The future of the city’s job market is uncertain. Manufacturing jobs – once the backbone of the economy – are dwindling. Wall Street is still the economic engine of the city, but many believe New York will need to rely less on it in the future. The future of the World Trade Center is still uncertain.
Some argue that city officials must lower taxes and offer incentives for companies to stay. Others argue that because most businesses in the city have fewer than 60 employees, the city must work to reduce costs for small businesses.
Michael Bloomberg
During his first term in office, Bloomberg has sought to create jobs by attracting large events like the Republican National Convention, giving tax credits to large corporations to encourage them to build new headquarters in Manhattan, and boosting tourism. He also sought to build a football stadium on the West Side of Manhattan, which he said would create thousands of new jobs.
Last week, the mayor vowed to shift his focus to create 250,000 new jobs by making the city more “business friendly.” He wants to establish a business hub at the Brooklyn Navy Yards, work to expand businesses in Queens and Harlem, and take a more active role in rebuilding the World Trade Center.
Fernando Ferrer
Ferrer has spent much of the campaign criticizing Bloomberg for his plan to build a $1.9 billion stadium. He wants to focus the city’s efforts on small business rather than giving large tax breaks to corporations. Ferrer proposes a temporary amnesty on fines, reducing regulations, and providing assistance to new business owners.
TAXES
No politician likes to raise taxes, but there are different philosophies about when they have to be raised and how they impact the economy. Some argue raising taxes should be a last resort. Others argue that sometimes taxes must be raised in order to maintain basic services like police, fire, and education. Some argue that dedicating a tax increase to a specific area of need is a good way to invest in the city’s future.
Michael Bloomberg
Although he promised not to raise taxes in his 2001 campaign, the mayor raised several taxes several times. He raised property taxes by 18.5 percent in 2002, but in the last two years returned some of that money with $400 rebates to homeowners. He also raised cigarette taxes and instituted a temporary sales tax on clothing.
Fernando Ferrer
Ferrer wants to institute a Wall Street stock transfer tax to fund $4 billion in education. He proposed raising taxes on vacant residential properties next to occupied homes, which he predicted would generate $900 million to help fund affordable housing projects.
Other Candidates
Conservative candidate Thomas Ognibene says he would repeal the property tax and the cigarette tax.
DEATH PENALTY, ABORTION, AND GAY MARRIAGE
The mayor has little power over these three social issues. However, he can advance his personal views by using his position as “bully pulpit,” and he can sign or veto legislation that pertains to how state or federal laws are implemented locally.
When it comes to these issues, what a candidate says he believes does not always translate into action.
Michael Bloomberg
Bloomberg is pro-choice and he has proposed spending $3 million for emergency contraception education and outreach. However, he vetoed a bill requiring hospitals to offer rape victims emergency contraception and a bill requiring pharmacies to post signs about emergency contraception, arguing that the regulations were too burdensome.
And although Bloomberg has said he personally supports gay marriage, he has refused to issue marriage licenses to same sex couples. Bloomberg also vetoed the City Council's Equal Benefits Law, which requires contractors that offer benefits to the spouses of their employees to extend the same package to the domestic partners of workers.
Bloomberg opposes the death penalty.
Fernando Ferrer
Ferrer’s change in position on the death penalty has been widely covered. In 1997, he went from opposing the death penalty to supporting it. Now he says he supports a moratorium until flaws in the law can be addressed.
Ferrer has also changed his stance on reproductive rights. In 1997, Ferrer described late-term abortion as "barbaric." He recently said abortions should be "safe, legal and rare."
Ferrer has said he would be an advocate for gay marriage in the city.
DEALING WITH ALBANY AND WASHINGTON
Whoever is elected must work with officials in Albany and Washington to get things done. The mayor needs the state’s approval to raise taxes, with the exception of the property tax. The state also controls much of the city’s education funding, Medicaid policies, and rent regulations.
Mayors must maintain a complicated balance between cooperating with state and federal officials and criticizing them when the city is being shortchanged. How effective the mayor is at getting funding is crucial to the city’s well being.
Michael Bloomberg
Bloomberg has supported Republicans President George W. Bush and Governor George Pataki and has looked for their support in return.
Critics say his good will efforts have not paid off. New York still gets less per capita in federal anti-terrorism funding than most other states. And the Republican national convention has not generated much lasting good will toward New York in the Bush administration.
Governor George Pataki has offered Bloomberg support on key efforts like raising taxes to help balance the budget and the Olympic bid, but Pataki has faltered in other areas, most significantly in efforts to rebuild the World Trade Center and to provide billions more in state money for schools.
Fernando Ferrer
Ferrer argues that the mayor has not done enough to fight for the city’s fair share in Albany and Washington and is too quick to give in to state and federal officials.
He particularly criticizes Bloomberg for the state of the World Trade Center site, but he has not offered a significant vision for how things should be done differently. He also argues that when the MTA raised subway fares, the mayor and his representatives on the transportation authority’s board, did not oppose the hike even though the state and city comptroller’s said they were not justified.
Listen to the debate at the Apollo Theater between Fernando Ferrer and Thomas Ognibene
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Every two weeks the New York City Council meets for its Stated Meeting to introduce and pass legislation. Gotham Gazette covers these meetings and posts a summary of the bills passed.
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
"When New Yorkers return to their cars on Sunday and don't find a parking ticket, they can thank God... but they shouldn’t thank Mike Bloomberg." - City Council Speaker Gifford Miller on a bill to eliminate parking meter regulations on Sundays.
MEETING SUMMARY:
HEALTH CARE FOR GROCERY WORKERS
In August, the City Council passed a bill that requires employers in the grocery and food industry to provide their workers with health care insurance.
The legislation (Intro 468-A) mandates that stores with more than 35 employees contribute $2.50 for each hour an employee works, or $5,000 a year for a full-time employee toward the worker's health costs.
Between 6,000 and 12,000 store grocery employees will be covered by the legislation.
The council argues that the bill is needed to help protect businesses, like Fairway, Gristedes, D'Agostinos, Key Food, and Pathmark, that already offer benefits to their employees. It would also block large chain stores like Wal-Mart - that sell food and do not offer benefits - from coming to New York.
Supporters also say it will also reduce dependence on government health care programs.
"These businesses puff up their profits by not offering benefits," said Councilmember Christine Quinn, who drafted the bill. "And at lunch, they give their workers an extra half hour to register on a public health insurance program."
Mayor Michael Bloomberg vetoed the bill, arguing that it violates federal law, which limits state and local government involvement in employee benefits.
The City Council overrode the mayor by a vote of 39 to 2 with two abstentions, more than the 34 votes needed. Council members Andrew Lanza and Simcha Felder voted "no"; Charles Barron and Peter Vallone, Jr. abstained.
Barring litigation by the Bloomberg administration, the law will go into effect in 90 days.
Supporters see the initiative as a pilot program and would like to extend similar regulations to other industries as well.
However, the bill will soon be revised.
Councilmember Christine Quinn has promised to draft an amendment that would exempt certain small businesses and "green grocers," companies that specialize in selling fresh fruits and vegetables, from the regulations.
NO PARKING METERS ON SUNDAY
For much of the summer, the mayor and the City Council have debated Sunday parking meter regulations, which some politicians have dubbed a battle over "pay to pray."
Mayor Bloomberg argues that Sunday meters, which were instituted three years ago, prevent people from parking their cars on Saturday night and not moving them until Monday morning, which means fewer available spaces in front of shops and businesses. The mayor also argues that city needs the $12 million in revenue, and he vetoed council legislation (Intro 669) to eliminate parking meters requirements on Sundays.
The City Council, backed by a coalition of religious leaders, argues that worshipers are forced to feed the meters while they are in church. Council leaders say its is the time to give New Yorkers a "day of rest" from parking meters and tickets.
"When New Yorkers return to their cars on Sunday and don't find a parking ticket, they can thank God... but they shouldn't thank Mike Bloomberg," said City Council Speaker Gifford Miller.
The council voted 41 to 2 to override the mayor's veto. Council members Tony Avella and Helen Sears voted with the mayor.
Republican Councilmember James Oddo that the bill should have been tailored to apply only to areas in front of churches, but the Department of Transportation refused to negotiate.
"There was a better bill out there, but we can't negotiate against ourselves," said Oddo.
Mayor Bloomberg has accused council members of using the issue to pander to voters in an election year.
"It is not pandering to do something that people want," said Miller. "This is a responsible step to give a little relief to New Yorkers, and that is known as good government."
Council members Tracy Boyland, Miguel Martinez, Phil Reed, Diana Reyna, James Sanders, Larry Seabrook, and Joel Rivera were absent.
The next Stated Meeting is scheduled for October 27.
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