In the Press

February 20 – New York Times
Public Advocate Hires Consultants for a Likely Mayoral Run
“‘He just seems rooted in a real way in the city — he has kids in public schools, he’s from Brooklyn, he knows about grass-roots organizing,’ Ms. Greenberg said. ‘He feels like the right person at the right time, when the city is in transition.’”

February 17 – New York Observer
Bill de Blasio Asks Bronx D.A. To Expedite Ramarley Graham Shooting Investigation
“‘As our community continues to mourn the loss of Ramarley Graham, our city must remain vigilant in its investigation into this tragedy. Time is of the essence; the Bronx District Attorney must expedite his investigation into the incident,’ Mr. de Blasio said in a statement.”

February 17 – Metro Focus
This Week’s Winners and Losers
“Winners: Bill de Blasio – You don’t have to hit a home run to score – you just have to round all the bases. The city public advocate did it this week by getting on the popular side of a range of issues – letting churches worship in public schools, pressuring the Bloomberg administration to release data on NYPD officers diagnosed with cancer after 9/11, and investing city pension dollars in affordable housing and local infrastructure.”

February 16 – NY Daily News
Immigrant Business Owners Get Little Help From the City
"'If these business owners actually received help from the city commensurate with their weight in the economy,' De Blasio said, 'they could add thousands more jobs right in their own neighborhoods.'"

February 14 - WNYC
Public Advocate de Blasio Pushes City Pension Fund to Invest More Locally
“One of the biggest arguments by defenders of the public pension system as it works now is the power the funds can wield to do good in the world. New York City Public Advocate Bill de Blasio would like to see the city’s fund do a little bit better. De Blasio called on the city’s largest pension fund to expand its investment in local housing and infrastructure projects.”

February 13 – Metro
Bill de Blasio, Responders Demand 9/11-Related Cancer Data
“This morning, Public Advocate Bill de Blasio said he requested cancer-related research from Mayor Michael Bloomberg on officers who worked on Ground Zero. He asked for a list of all NYPD officers who worked at the World Trade Center, and a list of those who have cancer, by Feb. 24.”

February 12 - The Daily News
Public Advocate Bill de Blasio Blames Mayor Bloomberg for Impasse in Teacher Evaluations
"'Mayor Bloomberg has not set the right tone because of his attacks on teachers in his State of the City speech and because of his threat to cut 50% of the teachers in 33 schools,' de Blasio said outside the city Department of Education’s headquarters."

February 3 – CBS New York
New York City to Cancel Rent-Subsidy Program; Thousands Of Families Could Flood Shelter System
“The city’s decision ‘will mean a surge of entries to our homeless shelters, which are already close to the breaking point,’ objected Public Advocate Bill de Blasio in a statement.’”

February 2 - DNAinfo
Bloomberg's Budget Plan Includes Cuts to Fire Companies, Childcare Programs
“'It’s inexplicable to me that they’re singling them out in this manner,' [de Blasio] said, calling it a 'double-whammy' for low-income families struggling to hold down jobs and raise their kids.”

January 29 – Wall Street Journal
Flaws Seen in Vocational Education
“Nearly four in five vocational programs in city high schools aren't directed toward high-growth careers, meaning it could be tough for graduates to land jobs, according to a report to be released Monday by Public Advocate Bill de Blasio.”

January 21 – The Huffington Post
Unhappy Anniversary
“Today marks the unfortunate two-year anniversary of the Supreme Court's Citizens United ruling that opened the floodgates for undisclosed spending in our elections. In just two years, we are already all too familiar with how this landmark ruling has transformed campaigns and elections in this country, threatening the fabric of our democracy.”

January 20 – New York Times
Sobering Report Describes Trends in Deaths of Abused and Neglected Children
“Mr. de Blasio released the report to commemorate the sixth anniversary of the death of Nixzmary Brown, a 7-year-old Brooklyn girl whose brutal beating by her stepfather, which came after city workers missed several warning signs of abuse, prompted the city to overhaul the child welfare system.”

January 7 – New York Daily News
Bill de Blasio Urges City to Stamp Out Fingerprinting Requirement for Food Aid
“‘We’re treating people like second-class citizens,’ said de Blasio, who called on Mayor Bloomberg to announce an end to the practice in his upcoming State of the City address.”

December 27 - NY Daily News
Crown Heights Building Tops Public Advocate Bill de Blasio’s List of City’s Worst
“‘There have to be consequences for bad actors that walk away from their most basic responsibilities to tenants,’ de Blasio said, noting the purpose of the list is to shame landlords into improving conditions.”

December 18 – New York Times
De Blasio Backs Wage Bill in Challenge to Quinn
“‘The desperate state of New York City’s middle class, the experience of other localities, and improvements made to the bill in recent months have collectively convinced me that the time has come to pass a living wage bill that uses the power of our economic development dollars to reduce income equality,’ Mr. de Blasio wrote.”

December 7 – New York Times
City Council Investigates Allegations Of Abuse At Immigration Detention Centers
“Public Advocate Bill de Blasio calls the treatment of immigrants held in city detention centers run by the Geo Group a ticking time bomb. ‘We only know one thing, that Geo Group has a horrible track record,’ De Blasio said.”

December 7 – NBC New York
Alleged Cop Facebook Posts Ripping West Indian Parade-Goers Prompt NYPD Probe
“‘The officers who have allegedly made these derogatory and disgusting remarks, directed at African-American and West Indian New Yorkers, are an embarrassment to the NYPD and its maxim of courtesy, professionalism and respect,’ de Blasio said.”

December 3 – DNAinfo
Mayor Bloomberg Defends Call to Cut Teachers by Half
“Public Advocate Bill de Blasio called on the mayor to issue an apology for his ‘ill-conceived’ remarks. ‘Those of us with kids in the city’s school system find the thought of 50 students packed into our children's classrooms appalling.’”

December 2 – Reuters UK

Put NYC Pension Fund in Minority Hedge Funds: Official
“New York City, weighing how best to invest some of its $109 billion pension money in hedge funds, should hire so-called emerging managers, said Public Advocate Bill de Blasio. Emerging managers include women- and minority-owned hedge funds, which are fairly new and thus typically manage less money than older, more established rivals.

November 29 – The Huffington Post
A Blow to Freedom of the Press
“Just as a city without vigilant police would fall into disrepair, a city devoid of watchful journalists would lead to an obscure and secretive government. To function effectively, we must foster and protect the rights of both.”

November 22 – Capital New York
De Blasio Says the City Botched A Plan to Help Owners of Small Businesses
“In a news report released yesterday, Bill de Blasio said owners are fined for minor infractions and have to show up in person to deal with the fines, costing them valuable time away from their businesses.”

November 16 – Politicker NY
Cynthia Nixon: ‘ I Want to See Bill de Blasio as the Next Mayor of New York City’
“‘For every reason—as a woman, as a gay person, as a public school parent, as a progressive—I want to see Bill de Blasio as the next Mayor of New York City,’ said Ms. Nixon. ‘I want to wake up and find that that’s true.’”

November 15 – Politicker NY
De Blasio Calls Mayor’s OWS Decision “Needlessly Provocative and Legally Questionable”
“New York Public Advocate Bill de Blasio blasted Mayor Michael Bloomberg today for his decision to raid the Occupy Wall Street encampment in the wee hours of this morning.”

November 13 – New York Times Editorial
They Like Transparency, Until They Don’t
“The New York City public advocate, Bill de Blasio, has started an investigation into why the city fails so miserably to release even the most routine data requested under the state’s Freedom of Information Law.”

November 10 – NY Post
City Housing Computer Glitch Causes Eviction Nightmare
“‘Tenants are getting eviction notices slipped under their doors because NYCHA has withheld months’ worth of rent that it should have paid,’ city Public Advocate Bill de Blasio said. ‘It’s infuriating to see yet another city computer system failing to deliver the promised results.’”

November 7 – NY Daily News
Latino and Black Protesters March Downtown to Join Occupy Wall Street
“Public Advocate Bill de Blasio joined the marchers for about 30 blocks as they moved down Broadway, saying he was there to ‘respect the message of the protest, which is tremendous frustration with the economy and a need for a real response from government.’”

November 7 – Brooklyn Daily Eagle
Pols Create Guide To Prevent Sexual Assault, Harassment
“‘My family lives in Park Slope, and this string of attacks worries me both as a father and a husband,’ said Public Advocate Bill de Blasio. ‘Our job is to raise community awareness and ensure all Brooklynites know about the resources available to them.’”

November 3 – Crain’s Insider
De Blasio Outlines Economic Strategy
“At a Stroock & Stroock & Lavan breakfast forum, de Blasio said the city must use its pension funds, procurement efforts and contracts to favor local workers and businesses.”

November 1 – Wall Street Journal
Bill Focuses on Cost of Keeping Firms in City
“The city’s economic development arm would have to disclose more information about the cost of the deals it makes with business — and just how many jobs those deals create — under a bill being introduced Tuesday by New York City’s public advocate.”

October 30 – New York Magazine
Who Will Win the 2013 New York Mayoral Election?
“At this early point in the campaign de Blasio is able to offer the most comprehensive progressive critique of Bloomberg’s legacy. ‘I think there’s a tremendous desire for an end of the imperial mayoralty,’ he says.”

October 20 – Capital New York
The Public Advocate Wants to Track How Long it Takes Bloomberg To Release Data
“Criticism over access to some of the city’s facts and figures is prompting Public Advocate Bill de Blasio to push for a bill that would monitor how city agencies and the mayor’s office responds to Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) requests.”

October 20 – Courthouse News
Protesters Rally for Wal-Mart-Free NYC
“New York City Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, who co-authored a report months ago urging city officials keep the city’s gates closed to store branches, spoke to the crowds before the procession formed.”

October 19 – New York Times
De Blasio Pushes on Information Requests
“The New York City public advocate, Bill de Blasio, said Wednesday that he was starting an investigation into city agencies’ responses to the state’s Freedom of Information Law requests because he was concerned that the agencies were taking too long to release public information.”

October 18 – CNN en Espanol

Denuncian Abusos en Centro de Detención de Inmigrantes en Nueva York (VIDEO)(Denouncing Abuse in Immigrant Detention Centers in New York)

October 14 – Good Day New York
Public Advocate Bill de Blasio Shares Protesters Call (VIDEO)
“De Blasio says he wants to see negotiations between the City and the demonstrators who are calling on a wide variety of reforms.”

October 14 – NY Daily News

Bus Companies Paid Billions, But Students Still Stuck in Grueling Commutes as Operators do Nothing

“There is ‘no accountability or incentive’ for the bus companies to improve service because the city does not require them to rebid their contracts, some of which date to 1979, Public Advocate Bill de Blasio reported.”

October 13 – Queens Tribune

End Abuse At Center: de Blasio
“Public Advocate Bill de Blasio held a press conference Oct. 6 to call for the investigation into private immigrant detention facilities amidst accusations of abuse.”

October 13 – The Wall Street Journal
NYC Public Advocate Visits Protests
“New York City’s Public Advocate is expressing concerns about plans to move Wall Street protesters out of their Manhattan encampment so the area can be cleaned.”

September 12 – NY Metro Parents
Public Advocate Bill de Blasio Urges Public School Parents in Brooklyn to Sign A ‘Count on Me’ Pledge
“‘My wife Chirlane and I are proud public school parents, and we know firsthand that an involved parent can make a huge difference in a child’s education,’ said de Blasio.”

September 2 – DNAinfo
Public Advocate Slams Mayor for ‘Lying’ About Goldsmith Resignation
“Public Advocate Bill de Blasio sent Mayor Michael Bloomberg a scathing letter, slamming him for “lying” about the resignation of Deputy Mayor Stephen Goldsmith, who left office shortly after he was arrested for a domestic dispute in Washington, DC.”

June 1 – New York Observer
Ring of Fire: Bill de Blasio, Bloomberg Critic, Blares Protest Song
“Most people who have become mayor have come up from the grass roots and through a variety of offices and have a natural understanding of what some of these actions do to people and mean for people. I don’t think this mayor has that.”

May 9 – NY Daily News
Park Slope Tenants, Public Advocate Bill de Blasio Team Up to Force Building Repairs
“As the rent-controlled building continues to deteriorate, Public Advocate Bill de Blasio is stepping up to help. He plans to hold a news conference Monday to announce he is joining Rivera and the other tenants in seeking a court order directing the receiver to make repairs and the bank to advance the funds to pay for them.”

April 3 – New York Times
Identifying City’s Worst Landlords via Craigslist, and Trying to Penalize Them
“The agreement with Craigslist is part of an eight-point package that Bill de Blasio, the city’s public advocate, is proposing on Monday to empower tenants and compel landlords to act more responsibly.”

September 22, 2010 – Mother Jones
Bill de Blasio: Citizens United Avenger
“The Supreme Court may have opened the floodgates for corporate campaign spending, but Bill de Blasio, New York City's public advocate, is doing his part to staunch the unfettered flow of political money—one company at a time.”