Upper West Siders Optimistic About de Blasio Mayoralty
Hogan's comments seem particularly apropos, imo. I have it on good authority, however, that he's NOT, in fact, from the UWS; but from the Bronx ( America's Borough.). He was dining out w. a friend after taking in a film ( The Dallas Buyer's Club) after which he encountered City and State.Com.
>>>Upper West Siders are sure who is going to win today—and they turned out to vote for him.
Customers at Artie’s Deli on 83rd and Broadway are overwhelmingly supporting Bill de Blasio for mayor and were eager to bubble in his name on Tuesday.
“I think he’s great,” Paul Hogan, an Artie’s diner said. “He’s an exceptionally good candidate. He’s a serious, lifelong political activist, unlike most of the mediocrities running for office. They’re all about, ‘Vote for me, because I’m me.’ They’re all about power and money for the sake of power and money, and de Blasio is nothing like that.”
Many voters said they were excited for a change after 12 years of Michael Bloomberg’s mayoralty, and most said they felt good about the direction of the city.
Artie’s customer Blanca Bojaca said de Blasio was a better candidate than his Republican rival Joe Lhota and thought he would not discriminate against New Yorkers. And Artie’s customer Paul Dolan voted for de Blasio because he’s a Democrat.
“I’m optimistic always,” Dolan said. “Because it’s New York!”
Some voters who originally supported one of de Blasio’s opponents in the September primary were anxious about his leadership abilities, but couldn’t stomach the thought of Lhota in office.
“I am only concerned about de Blasio getting rid of stop-and-frisk,” said Patricia, an Artie’s customer who declined to give her last name out of concern for her job. “I don’t think he’ll do it. I think he’ll just change it, which is fine, but if that goes then I’m pessimistic about the city.”
Inside Artie’s Deli on the Upper West Side
Despite the overwhelming pro-de Blasio sentiments at the restaurant, one customer, who also declined to give his name, said he would be voting against de Blasio because it would be a “disaster” if he were elected.
“When was the last time we had a non-Republican mayor?” he said. “What was the effect on the city? There were an average of 2,000 murders a year. Today, there are 300 murders.”
But most voters argued that 20 years of Republican rule in City Hall was enough for the Upper West Side.
“After the last 12 years and 8 years before that it’s a pretty low bar to meet for him to qualify as an excellent mayor,” Hogan said.>>>>
http://www.cityandstateny.com/upper-west-siders-optimistic-about-a-de-blasio-mayoralty/
