Albany's legislative session is now officially over. However, Mayor de Blasio is still not ready to talk at length about how the city fared in the state capitol. Other politicians are not so reticent. They say New York City got a raw deal. NY1 political report Grace Rauh filed the following report.
“New York City tenants got played in this entire legislative process,” said City Comptroller Scott Stringer.
“Obviously I am disappointed, like countless number of tenants,” said Public Advocate Letitia James.
The legislative session in Albany is over, and the assessments are in at least from some city officials; but not from Mayor de Blasio. He has spoken only generally this week about the final legislative package. And unlike his colleagues in city government, he is trying to put a positive spin on news from the state capitol, especially as it relates to the extension of rent regulations and a tax credit, known as 421-a, meant to entice developers to build affordable housing.
“I think some real progress has been made on rent,” de Blasio said on Thursday. “So far what we've seen on 421-a leaves me optimistic,” he said. “But I reserve the right to see the final details.”
The state Senate and Assembly, though, have now approved the measure. The mayor was expected to answer questions about it on Friday, but a news conference with reporters was canceled.
An aide to the mayor says city officials are still trying to pin down the details of the legislative package in Albany. It seems Mayor de Blasio will hold off talking about it for at least a few days.
By refusing to discuss it, the mayor may have been trying to keep the focus on a celebration at City Hall in support of the Supreme Court's gay marriage decision.
After all, his big announcement Thursday about a neighborhood policing initiative was somewhat overshadowed by Albany politics, and the governor's apparent admission that he was the source of anonymous quotes attacking the mayor.
“I don't think it serves the interests of anyone to have the governor and the mayor of the city of New York exchange in these barbs.” James said.
“We need to be grownups in the room and solve some of these problems,” Stringer said.
The mayor's troubles in Albany are far from over. The Republican-controlled Senate left the capital without confirming de Blasio's three appointees to the MTA board.