Thursday, September 5, 2013

One New York, Rising Together

Friend,
I talk a lot about New York City becoming a Tale of Two Cities -- one that works well for the wealthy, but has forgotten millions of everyday New Yorkers.
For the elite, these are the best of times.
At the same time, another New York exists in all five boroughs. In this New York, affordable housing is an oxymoron; good jobs and schools are the exception not the rule; residents face misused police tactics that divide communities and cops; and pre-K and after-school programs that set our children on the right path, and keep them there, seem impossible to obtain.
These "two cities" may feel like different worlds, but they aren't even very far apart. Spend 20 minutes on a north-bound 2 train from Chambers Street in lower Manhattan and you'll get a view of both by the time you get to the Bronx.
The inequality infecting our city is truly the challenge of our time; how we respond will be the greatest test of our city's progress.
I am proud to present my answer:
One New York, Rising Together is a framework for addressing New York City's inequality crisis and my solemn commitment to every resident of the city we all love so much.
This book is a vision for change -- a roadmap for bringing opportunity to every New Yorker.
It's a plan to create jobs in all five boroughs, dramatically expand affordable housing and accessible health care, fund early childhood and after-school programs by taxing the rich, and build strong police-communitiy relations that ensure the safety and dignity of all New Yorkers. Additionally, it's a plan to promote sustainability, develop better transit, promote the rights of new Americans, reform our government so it is as great as our city, protect vulnerable populations, and continue the fight for full equality for all New Yorkers.
It's going to take real leadership to act on the most urgent priorities of our time. And real leadership means being unafraid to say what needs to be said – even when it’s not politically popular.
In this election, New Yorkers face a critical choice: we can continue the misguided priorities of the last 12 years and let the chasm of inequality widen, or change course and restore the promise of our city.
As mayor, I'll spend every waking moment building one New York, where we all rise together.
I am proud to have you on my side,
Bill

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