De Blasio Blasts Pre-K Budget Threat in Albany
By MICHAEL HOWARD SAUL
Mayor Bill de Blasio on Tuesday demanded in a fiery breakfast speech that Albany “respect our rights,” delivering a strong rebuke to GOP state Senate leader Dean Skelos for saying he would not allow a vote on the mayor’s plan to increase city income taxes on the wealthy to pay for universal prekindergarten.
One day after Mr. Skelos said he would not let the proposal come to a vote, Mr. de Blasio, first lady Chirlane McCray and the Rev. Al Sharpton gathered at Bethany Baptist Church in Brooklyn before roughly 200 clergy members to build momentum for an aggressive fight to win approval for the mayor’s signature campaign initiative.
“We hear yesterday that Sen. Skelos in Albany refuses to bring this plan to a vote, denying us our rights in a democracy,” Mr. de Blasio told the crowd. “Let’s not sugarcoat it. The people of this city demand something for our children, and we are told we don’t even get a vote in Albany, as if our children don’t matter.”
“Is that acceptable to you?” the mayor asked the crowd.
“No,” the crowd shouted back.
http://blogs.wsj.com/metropolis/2014/02/11/de-blasio-blasts-pre-k-budget-threat-in-albany/
