Bill De Blasio

Young Joe Lhota Hated Communism, Overpriced Beer

Much of the mayoral race's mudslinging this past week has centered around whether Democratic nominee Bill de Blasio is, in fact, a class warfare-loving "Marxist playbook" user, as his Republican counterpart Joe Lhota has suggested. And since we were all wondering, the Paper of Record confirms it: th ... More >>

Bill de Blasio's Elusive City Council Papers Raise More Questions Than They Answer

More and More New Yorkers Are Living Under the Poverty Line, Says Census Bureau Study

The U.S. Census Bureau released its 2012 report on housing, education, and income. The findings show that poverty in New York City increased in 2012, up to 14.8 percent from 14.1 percent the year before. Despite the steady clime in the number of people living under the poverty line since 2009, rent ... More >>

De Blasio's Victory Spurred On By Early Embrace Of Deep Public Disaffection With Stop and Frisk

Bill de Blasio's victory tonight in the Democratic mayoral primary caps a fairly startling turnabout in what was a most amusing and topsy-turvy race, a race which saw the sitting City Council Speaker Christine Quinn tumble from a large early lead to a fairly pedestrian third place finish. That de B ... More >>

How the NYC Mayoral Race Betting Odds Shifted in Two Months

Just a couple of months ago, people were saying things like "I'm not a huge Weiner fan but I guess I'd rather vote for him than Quinn" and "The real question is, who faces Quinn in the runoff?" and "I like de Blasio but I don't wanna waste my vote on a guy who has no chance." Things have changed. H ... More >>

Mayor Bloomberg Takes Some Shots From Al D'Amato, Freddy Ferrer Over New York Mag Interview

Wow, former Republican senator Alphonse D'Amato and three other former high profile pols really let Mike Bloomberg have it tonight over the mayor's criticism of Bill de Blasio's use of his family in his campaign. Bloomberg told New York magazine that de Blasio has been running a campaign that smacks ... More >>

Different Direction, Good; Stop and Frisk and Overturning Term Limits, Bad, Voters Say in Exit Poll

An Edison Research exit poll conducted tonight is saying that 3/4 of New Yorkers want to move in a different direction from the Bloomberg years, even though 51 percent think he did a good job. The pollsters also found that 58 percent thought the stop and frisk campaign was excessive, and 66 percent ... More >>

De Blasio Campaign Workers Seen Inside Bronx Polling Site ... Uh, That's a no-no

As NY1, quoting a Edison research exit poll, reports that Bill de Blasio is close to a runoff-proof margin, and not to throw a monkey wrench into the looming de Blasio party, but Voice staffer Anna Merlan just wrote in to tell us that de Blasio campaign workers were seen in full regalia inside a pol ... More >>

Mayoral Candidates Vie for Food Cred

Rich People Are Upset Bill de Blasio Is the New Frontrunner

Now that Bill de Blasio has secured his status as frontrunner in the lead-up to to the Democratic primary, all of a sudden rich people are afraid the man might follow through on one of his marquis campaign promises: tax the rich to expand early education. Bloomberg Businessweek reported this morning ... More >>

Mayoral Candidate Cocktails? I'll Drink to That

What do a man under federal investigation, a Happy Meal hater, an arrested protester, a flip-flopping stop-and-frisker, and a serial sexter have in common? They're all front runners to becoming New York City mayor. With a cast like this in the polls, we had to have some In The Spirit fun. We asked t ... More >>

Weiner-de Blasio Bromance Blossoms in Final Debate

Besides the shocking revelation that not a single Democratic candidate for mayor composts (for shame!) there was very little new ground broken during Tuesday night's mayoral debate, the last before the primary on September 10. If anything, the debate reflected the latest poll showing Bill de Blasio ... More >>

De Blasio Secures Crucial Hot 97 Endorsement; Host Calls Dante's Hair "The Most Epic, Non-Jewish Jew-fro of All Time."

On the heels of a Quinnipiac poll released Wednesday showing Bill de Blasio with a big lead over Christine Quinn, comes more good news for the mayoral candidate: on Thursday he won the endorsement of New York's Hot 97 FM. Sure, Quinn may have gotten the New York Times, the New York Daily News and t ... More >>

Bill de Blasio Courts The Youngins with a Throwback Photo [PHOTO]

Hi, can I grab this seat next to you? This coffee shop is always so full! Wait, do I know you? You look so familiar, I just can't put my finger on it. Oh, you're Bill de Blasio from the '80s? Sorry, I had you confused for every white hipster I've ever met. That's your target demo, huh? That's someth ... More >>

A Drinking Game for Tonight's Mayoral Debate: Let's Talk Policy and Get Hammered, Too

The primary season's umpteenth mayoral debate will be broadcast live on NY1 and streaming on its website at 7 p.m. tonight. We here at Runnin' Scared thought, hey, what better way to endure the sloganeering and the personal barbs then to get really, really drunk while it's happening. (hat tip to r ... More >>

Upper West Side Woman Thinks Manhattan's Too Good for Stop-and-Frisk

Watching interactive talk shows is like playing Russian roulette. There's no telling who is going to call in and say something bananas on live television. (You also never know if Cher might have a thing or two to say about the state of affairs in Washington, but I digress.) NY1's The Call got the lo ... More >>

In Response To Censorship Request, New York Post Publishes Incredibly Bitchy, Fairly Hilarious Collection of Bill de Blasio Photos

Here's the thing about reporters: they're incredibly contrary. (Also, not that hygienic, and so poorly-dressed we should probably have our own clothing drive. But that's a different post.) So, when you're a politician, or you work for a politician, and you do something like send an email "asking" (i ... More >>

Bill De Blasio Wants to Ban Saudi Arabian Airlines from American Airports over Their No-Israeli Policies. I Call BS.

Here's a little morsel of insanity for your Tuesday morning: New York City Public Advocate and candidate for Mayor Bill de Blasio is trying to yank Saudi Arabian Airlines' right to land at U.S. airports over its policy of not allowing Israeli citizens to board, starting with JFK. The Director Genera ... More >>

Thanks To a Restraining Order, Long Island College Hospital (Barely) Made It Through the Weekend

On Friday, Long Island College Hospital looked to be at death's door, with doctors at the Cobble Hill hospital reporting that they'd received orders to immediately start transferring their remaining patients to other facilities. That was despite a temporary restraining order that should have theoret ... More >>

Bill de Blasio Says Long Island College Hospital Will Be Closed Illegally This Weekend, and He's Mad as Hell About It

After weeks of protests from doctors, nurses and community advocates, it looks a lot like Long Island College Hospital will be closing its doors this weekend. According to reports from several media outlets, doctors at the downtown Brooklyn hospital have been told to start transferring their patient ... More >>

Bill de Blasio Met The Drag Queens Last Night

Last night at the Cutting Room, Cynthia Nixon and Alan Cumming hosted a rousing event for mayoral wannabe Bill de Blasio, whose liberal stance and "We want our city back!" slogan have become pretty irresistible in the face of our Mary Poppins state. In fact, I appeared in a skit with Unitard's Nora ... More >>

Only Two Mayoral Candidates Showed Up to the Forum on Stop and Frisk at Riverside Church Last Night

Though considering that Public Advocate Bill de Blasio and Comptroller John Liu had very similar positions, it wasn't a particularly contentious discussion. When moderator Juan Manuel Benitez of NY1 asked the Democratic hopefuls how they differed in their stance on stop and frisk--of which both ar ... More >>

Word of Advice to Mayoral Candidates: Do Not Hire Staffers Like "Hyman Doodlesack"

If the FDNY social media guidelines enforced a few weeks ago taught us anything, it's that conducting yourself on the Internet as a government official or affiliate is not really that hard. Just keep the nudity and racism at bay. That's pretty much it. Well, one of Bill de Blasio's staffers on his ... More >>

The 'Anyone But Quinn' Campaign Paints Speaker As Bloombergian Nightmare

You might've already seen this little snippet released by New York City Is Not For Sale 2013 (that's a mouthful).The video opens to a "smoke-filled room" with four stools in it, where the viewer would assume the Speaker makes shady deals with business-type folk. She's charged with a pseudo-liberal a ... More >>

Sal Albanese Duels Bill de Blasio Over Quinn's Member Items Mishap

How do you create more mayoral drama? Start fighting over who's better at dealing with previous mayoral drama. Yesterday, we reported on the Halloran/Smith scandal's foray into the electoral spectrum. News swirled around the fact that Councilman Dan Holleran had planned to use Council/taxpayers' fu ... More >>

After the Storm, Mold is Taking Over Flooded Rockaways Homes

Nearly three months after Sandy pushed the ocean clear across the Rockaway spit, there's a hidden aftermath. In basements and first floors across the peninsula, a vast bloom of dangerous mold is spreading across flood-soaked beams and floorboards, studs and drywall. Stakes are high. "What starts in ... More >>

New York City Parks Are Hot Spots For Rapists. Bill de Blasio Credits NYPD "Blind Spots"

New York City Public Advocate Bill de Blasio says NYPD "blind spots" are partially to blame for a recent spike in sexual assaults in city parks. To fix the problem, de Blasio says the cops need to start tallying park-crime data.De Blasio's suggestion comes just days after a 31-year-old woman was nea ... More >>

New Legislation Will Make Subway Fondling a Felony (Because It Wasn't Before That?)

You may have heard what has been called "subway grinding." On the subway, there is a sign that warns, "Sexual harassment is a crime in the subway, too. A crowded train is no excuse for an improper touch." The inclusion of the "too" in the first sentence always confused me; are we to assume ... More >>

Melissa Mark-Viverito, Bill de Blasio Call on City To Retire Carriage Horses

Around fifty people gathered on the steps of City Hall this afternoon to demand the City Council test out a prototype electric car that they hope can replace horse-drawn carriages. That proposal, Intro. 86A, is sponsored in the City Council by Member Melissa Mark-Viverito. New Yorkers for Clean, Li ... More >>

In Stop-and-Frisk Debate, Mayor Bloomberg and Bill de Blasio Bad-Mouth Each Other

The debate over the NYPD's controversial stop-and-frisk policy is in full swing this week with a proposal from the public advocate prompting a badmouthing match between the mayor and the elected official who hopes to replace him in 2013. Yesterday, Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, an expected mayor ... More >>

Bill de Blasio Creates Another Website To Tackle a Not Very Local Issue

Public Advocate and mayoral hopeful Bill de Blasio has gotten some headlines recently about his campaign against car companies that do business with Iran. In March, he created the website IranWatchList.com, designed to target companies that work with Iran and in some cases allegedly sell directly ... More >>

Bill de Blasio: Release Your Staff Evaluations, Mr. Mayor

Public Advocate Bill de Blasio is upping the ante on the debate over teacher evaluations by calling on the mayor to release evaluations of staffers from his office. De Blasio -- who is expected to run for mayor in 2013 and who frequently gets headlines for criticizing Bloomberg -- is rallying arou ... More >>

Mayoral Hopeful Bill de Blasio Gets Involved in Foreign Policy, Targets Iran

​Running for mayor of New York City? Well, you better stick your nose in some foreign policy issues -- and backing Israel certainly won't hurt your cause. Enter Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, who is expected to run for mayor in 2013, and who held a press conference this morning -- on a plaza on 4 ... More >>

Public Advocate Bill De Blasio Criticizes The City for Criticizing His Report On Child Deaths

​Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, who plans on running for mayor in 2013, released a report over the weekend on child deaths in the City -- calling on the Administration for Children's Services to implement a more comprehensive system for assessing cases of abuse and neglect. De Blasio argued ... More >>

Bill de Blasio, John Liu, and Scott Stringer: Mr. Mayor, Why Did You Talk About Teachers That Way?

After Mayor Mike Bloomberg finished his State of the City speech in the Bronx, Runnin' Scared tripped over many reporters and shoved a recorder in the face of a few relevant pols to get their reactions. We reached Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, Comptroller John Liu, and Manhattan Borough President ... More >>

New Yorkers Protest Target's Donation to Anti-Gay Candidate

​New Yorkers unhappy with Target's recent $150,000 donation to anti-gay-rights Minnesota gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer gathered yesterday at the flagship Target in Brooklyn to protest. The rally, organized by Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, City Councilmember Letitia James, and MoveOn.org ... More >>

Bill de Blasio to Landlords: You'll Be in Hot Water if Your Tenants Aren't

Public Advocate Bill de Blasio is warning that he wants to more than double the fines for New York City landlords who don't heat their buildings for more than five days in a row. In 2008, there were 230,000 lack-of-heating complaints logged by the city, and tenants commonly take such dangerous meas ... More >>

Bill de Blasio Pleads with Bloomberg to Return to the Enlightened Homeless Policies of Rudy Giuliani

On Monday the Times ran an article saying new Public Advocate Bill de Blasio "Assails Bloomberg's Performance on Homelessness." This is curious, as de Blasio's pitch is described later in the article pithily thus: "Mr. de Blasio offered several suggestions on how to improve conditions for the homel ... More >>

Election Night: At de Blasio Party, Shock, Then Euphoria

Over at his victory party in Dumbo, Bill de Blasio seemed shocked that he managed to get himself into a runoff for the office of Public Advocate with veteran candidate Mark Green. "This is a wonderful result -- amazing!" de Blasio said between hugs. "You kind of just get used to assuming it's not go ... More >>

de Blasio Petition Crisis Settled; Gerson (and now Jackson!) Still Waiting

The petition problems of Bill de Blasio (pictured) have been settled with the Board of Elections and he's back on the Democratic primary ballot for the public advocate nomination. No word yet about councilmember Alan Gerson, whose petition rejection we announced earlier and whose case is supposed to ... More >>

Bill de Blasio Thrown Off Ballot for Petition Error, Will Appeal

 There's a reason why political candidates take such care with their ballot petitions in New York; they are subject to notoriously arcane rules and can be easily challenged and denied. Councilmember Bill de Blasio, a strong contender for the office of Public Advocate, had his ballot application ... More >>

Case Against Term Limits Overturn Thrown Out of Court

A case requesting reinstatement of term limits, brought by councilmembers Bill De Blasio, Charles Barron, Tish James et alia and which began in Brooklyn on January 5, has been thrown out of court. Plaintiffs argued that the council's overturn of the limits was a violation of the civil rights of vot ... More >>

Staten Island's Molinari to Sue Over Term Limits

Two Term-Limits Rebels Run for Gotbaum's Seat

Bloomberg's Term-Limits Coup: Heroes, Villains, and Wimps

Brutal brawling in the first throwdown of the 2009 elections

Welfare Chief: New Federal Law Could Soak City

Council Orgy

Erasing term limits and contribution caps amid a speaker battle

Council Jihad

De Blasio Leads Unholy Union War on City's Campaign Finance Board

Park Slope Scramble

Is the 39th CD De Blasio’s to Lose?

Slicing the Park Slope Pie

Could DiBrienza Wannabes Cost Lefties the Race?