Bill de Blasio highlights wealth gap in mayor's first state of the city speech
Source: The Guardian
Bill de Blasio highlights wealth gap in mayor's first state of the city speech
Adam Gabbatt in New York
theguardian.com, Monday 10 February 2014 20.52 GMT
New York City mayor Bill de Blasio gave his inaugural state of the city address on Monday, reprising the Tale of Two Cities rhetoric he honed during his campaign, to warn of an inequality gap that fundamentally threatens our future.
De Blasio expanded on his pre-kindergarten plan for the city as he made the case for tax increases on the wealthy, while seeking to temper expectation by highlighting unprecedented budget challenges including renegotiating union contracts.
The main focus for the self-styled progressive mayor was on income inequality and narrowing the gap between rich and poor. While Wall Street and some New York neighbourhoods had rebounded following the recession, De Blasio said, others were still struggling.
For millions in this city New Yorkers living in all five boroughs the economic rebound hasnt just been slow in coming. It seems a distant fantasy, with the ladder up to the good life stretching farther and farther out of reach, De Blasio said.
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