NYC'13: Congrats to Mayor de Blasio

[Lupo]

Urg, there are no good options.

Not Bill DeBlasio:

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Not Bill Thompson:

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And definitely not Christine Quinn, either.

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...

The leading Democratic contenders are all horribly out-of-touch and anti-progressive on transit issues, which is my number one issue wrt city government.  They're sufficiently bad that I would seriously consider voting for Lhota should he get the nomination.

Being a bike lane proponent would be a surefire way to lose the election.  The outer boroughs despise bike lanes, to the point that they're a running against Bloomberg and the DOT. 

FYI, being a former MTA chairman who oversaw toll and fare increases is another easy way to lose.

[traininthedistance]

Being a bike lane proponent would be a surefire way to lose the election.  The outer boroughs despise bike lanes, to the point that they're a running against Bloomberg and the DOT.  

FYI, being a former MTA chairman who oversaw toll and fare increases is another easy way to lose.

A popular meme that is completely untrue.  Heck, even at the furthest reaches of Eastern Queens, which is about as "outer borough" as you can get besides Staten Island, more people like them than not.

It is certainly true that the editorial boards at the newspapers (who are not representative of the city as a whole) may not like them, and of course there are the misinformed busybody NIMBYs who get all the oxygen and drive coverage, but if you actually listen to actual people, and this includes actual people in the Bronx and in Brooklyn and in Queens, they most definitely tend to approve of bike lanes.

...

Also, it wasn't Lhota's fault that fares had to be raised- Albany forced his hand.

Edit: forgot this one.  The most recent poll, from August, has support for bike lanes rising to 66 percent.  Oh, and more households in NYC own a bike than a car, and yes that includes all five boroughs.  The idea that this is a "surefire way to lose the election" is rendered utterly ridiculous by the actual poll numbers.

[njwes]

Quinn is an interesting case for Progressives. A lesbian, but tied herself to Bloomberg.

Contrary to popular belief, not all gay people are so enthralled by the whole slate of "Progressive" beliefs

[traininthedistance]

But are these the major issues?

How would former Ambassador to Japan (2001-2005) William Burgess IV do in the race, if he were real?

They're the major issues for me.  I am of course aware that they are not the major issues for 90 percent of the electorate, and I am unlikely to be satisfied.  Gun to my head, I probably go with Quinn right now- at least she was in favor of congestion pricing.

[Benj]

But are these the major issues?

I think they are pretty important, actually. This is a local government election; people vote on local government issues, including such mundane stuff as transit policy and bike lanes, as well as other boring things like trash removal.

I mostly agree with traininthedistance, but I don't expect much on transit policy from anyone but Lhota anyway. Like he said, at least Quinn supports congestion pricing (which is a huge political issue in NYC).

[Blackacre]

Am I the only one that would vote for Anthony Wiener, should he run?

[Oldiesfreak1854]

Me too. Quinn would be a return to the failed Lindsay-Beame-Dinkins style leadership that led this city to the brink of destruction. What we need is a candidate in the Koch-Giuliani-Bloomberg tradition. (Hmm, I thought I made up "Koch-Giuliani-Bloomberg tradition")

I've always been fairly surprised as to how leadership quality isn't really a factor of party here in NYC.

Dear me! Koch as a good mayor? He was the worst of the worst, excellent at grandstanding while the city burned. Definitely worse even than Dinkins (who is given less credit than he deserves--crime started dropping on his watch, not Giuliani's) and not even remotely comparable to Giuliani and Bloomberg.

Koch saved the city from financial disaster.   En pace requiescat.

[Blackacre]

Me too. Quinn would be a return to the failed Lindsay-Beame-Dinkins style leadership that led this city to the brink of destruction. What we need is a candidate in the Koch-Giuliani-Bloomberg tradition. (Hmm, I thought I made up "Koch-Giuliani-Bloomberg tradition")

I've always been fairly surprised as to how leadership quality isn't really a factor of party here in NYC.

Dear me! Koch as a good mayor? He was the worst of the worst, excellent at grandstanding while the city burned. Definitely worse even than Dinkins (who is given less credit than he deserves--crime started dropping on his watch, not Giuliani's) and not even remotely comparable to Giuliani and Bloomberg.

Koch saved the city from financial disaster.   En pace requiescat.

I liked Ed Koch a lot, from what I read about him (born after his time was up)

[© tweed]

I'm just shocked Bloomberg didn't pay again to get the law amended so he could become king of New York.

he wouldn't win, he almost lost last time (though granted those last few points have a lot of friction to them)

[Vosem]

Just because a majority of people don't drive cars to work doesn't mean that the large minority who do so should be ignored, traininthedistance.

The correct answer about bike lanes, I think, is that most people really don't care but are expressing an opinion because they are New Yorkers

[traininthedistance]

Just because a majority of people don't drive cars to work doesn't mean that the large majority who do so should be ignored, traininthedistance.

Um.. what do you mean by "large majority who do"?  Because in NYC, a large majority don't drive to work, and IIRC non-drivers are a majority in every borough except perhaps Staten Island.  You're not using words right here.

Also, the laughable contention that drivers are being "ignored" by advocates for a sane transportation system is nothing but their sense of overweening entitlement that assumes non-drivers are to never have any voice whatsoever.  All of these improvements have been subject to community input.

[Vosem]

Just because a minority of people don't drive cars to work doesn't mean that the large majority who do so should be ignored, traininthedistance.

Um.. what do you mean by "large majority who do"?  Because in NYC, a large majority don't drive to work, and IIRC non-drivers are a majority in every borough except perhaps Staten Island.  You're not using words right here.

Nothing quite as 'fail' as thinking minority but typing majority

Also, the laughable contention that drivers are being "ignored" by advocates for a sane transportation system is nothing but their sense of overweening entitlement that assumes non-drivers are to never have any voice whatsoever.  All of these improvements have been subject to community input.

I'm not referring to the actual opinion-making process so much as your opinion (unless I've misunderstood it) that the city doesn't have the same obligation to help drivers as those who get to work using public transportation/any other method because they are a minority.

[traininthedistance]

I'm not referring to the actual opinion-making process so much as your opinion (unless I've misunderstood it) that the city doesn't have the same obligation to help drivers as those who get to work using public transportation/any other method because they are a minority.

You're misunderstanding a lot more than just my opinion.

[fezzyfestoon]

New York seems all but guaranteed to have a pretty terrible mayor for a while.

[Maxwell]

New York seems all but guaranteed to have a pretty terrible mayor for a while.

They already have.

[seanNJ9]

Bloomberg has done some questionable things, notably the term limit fiasco, but overall I believe he's been a good mayor.

[Simfan34]

We need a "two whatevers" mayor.

[publicunofficial]

Jack Dorsey, creator of Twitter, is "serious" about about a run for mayor. I doubt he'd do it this year though.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18560_162-57574758/the-innovator-jack-dorsey/

[Warren 4 Secretary of Everything]

Anthony Weiner is giving it some thought from what I've heard.

[Dave from Michigan]

I don't know much about the NYC mayors race but New York has the best public transportation of any American city. You would think most politicians would be very pro public transportation. I have only been to New York city once but was very impressed with the public transportation options, of course I come from Detroit where there is almost no public transportation. New York city is not a car city at all and should not be, increasing the public transportation options should be a top issue for all elected officials in NYC. NYC should build some bike highways like they have in Copenhagen.

[Benj]

Me too. Quinn would be a return to the failed Lindsay-Beame-Dinkins style leadership that led this city to the brink of destruction. What we need is a candidate in the Koch-Giuliani-Bloomberg tradition. (Hmm, I thought I made up "Koch-Giuliani-Bloomberg tradition")

I've always been fairly surprised as to how leadership quality isn't really a factor of party here in NYC.

Dear me! Koch as a good mayor? He was the worst of the worst, excellent at grandstanding while the city burned. Definitely worse even than Dinkins (who is given less credit than he deserves--crime started dropping on his watch, not Giuliani's) and not even remotely comparable to Giuliani and Bloomberg.

Koch saved the city from financial disaster.   En pace requiescat.

lol, no he didn't. Mayor Beame and President Ford saved the city from immediate financial disaster in 1975. When Beame left office in 1977, the city was running a $200M annual surplus (from a $1.5B annual deficit when Beame took office). Then inflation saved the city from longer term fiscal issues by inflating away the remaining debt. That was the primary good result of late-70s inflation: It gave a lot of municipalities facing enormous debt loads a new lease on fiscal life.

Ed Koch was great at taking credit for things and grandstanding. That's about it. Hopefully now that he's dead a while people stop feeling bad for pointing out what a terrible mayor he was.

[traininthedistance]

So, it appears there is a good option out there, someone who understands the crucial importance of transit issues to this city and is putting forward a sensible, forward-thinking plan, and putting it front and center- Sal Albanese.

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And his views on other issues seem good too.

Pity it's the long-shot dude that everyone thinks has no chance.

It's early, but screw it, Sal has my support.

[fezzyfestoon]

So, it appears there is a good option out there, someone who understands the crucial importance of transit issues to this city and is putting forward a sensible, forward-thinking plan, and putting it front and center- Sal Albanese.

You must be logged in to read this quote.

And his views on other issues seem good too.

Pity it's the long-shot dude that everyone thinks has no chance.

It's early, but screw it, Sal has my support.

Dude seems like the real deal, I like him a lot.

[traininthedistance]

I just got called by Quinnipiac (for some reason we still have a land line) and decided to do my civic duty and answer it.  Took ten minutes.

Mostly about NYC stuff; the top-line Dem primary question only included four prompts: Quinn, DeBlasio, Thompson, Liu.  Not Albanese, boooo. 

Also approval/disapproval of several figures (one of which even a political junkie like me didn't recognize), stop and frisk (disapprove, of course), Bloomy (I approved), and several Bloomy initiatives:

* adding more skyscrapers to Midtown (I VERY VERY strongly approve of this, cannot be overstated)
* the soda ban (I said I disapprove, but wasn't an easy choice)
* the initiative to hide cigarettes behind the counter (I approve of this)

And of course all the standard demographic stuff.

[cinyc]

I just got called by Quinnipiac (for some reason we still have a land line) and decided to do my civic duty and answer it.  Took ten minutes.

Mostly about NYC stuff; the top-line Dem primary question only included four prompts: Quinn, DeBlasio, Thompson, Liu.  Not Albanese, boooo.  

Also approval/disapproval of several figures (one of which even a political junkie like me didn't recognize), stop and frisk (disapprove, of course), Bloomy (I approved), and several Bloomy initiatives:

* adding more skyscrapers to Midtown (I VERY VERY strongly approve of this, cannot be overstated)
* the soda ban (I said I disapprove, but wasn't an easy choice)
* the initiative to hide cigarettes behind the counter (I approve of this)

And of course all the standard demographic stuff.

Partial results are here, for some reason, not including the mayoral horse race question.  NYC voters don't approve the soda ban, adding more skyscrapers to east Midtown (there's a gender gap on that one, with women most opposed) or stop-and-frisk.  NYC voters approve hiding cigarettes behind the counter.  

I guess the mayoral horse race question will be released another day, perhaps tomorrow.  Without Weiner, it's really not that interesting, anyway.

Edited to add: No, the horse race results were released on Wednesday:
Quinn 32% (her lowest number in 5 months)
de Blasio 14%
Thompson 13%
Liu 7%

It would be interesting to see if including Weiner changes things much.

Lhota leads on the Republican side, 23% to 11% for McDonald (who?) and 8% for Catsimatidis.     

Every Democrat kills Lhota in the head-to-head matchups.