Bill gets an unfriendly welcome in Albany

From CBS 2:

Mayor Bill de Blasio traveled to Albany Monday, where lawmakers turned his annual budget hearing into a fiery showdown.

As CBS2 Political Reporter Marcia Kramer reported, the mayor defended himself against questions surrounding his performance.

De Blasio was on a charm offensive on steroid as he shook hands and exchanged hugs and kisses at the start of his annual attempt to get funding from Albany. But it did not take long before he found himself on the ropes – with two grand jury investigations front and center.

“What should be of grave concern to every single person in this room is the two sitting grand juries; is the $11 million you’re asking the taxpayers to pay for representation for you and your administration’s legal fees,” said state Sen. Terrence Murphy (R-Shrub Oak).

Murphy was questioning why de Blasio deserves a three-year extension of mayoral control of the schools.

Do you trust this man with our schools?

From the NY Post:

With Albany just weeks away from deciding on extending Mayor de Blasio’s control of the public schools, voters in the city are split on the issue, according to a poll released Monday.

The Quinnipiac University survey found 46 percent of voters in the five boroughs favored an extension, while 43 percent didn’t.
Opposition was far higher outside the city.

“Upstaters and suburbanites don’t want Mayor Bill de Blasio to keep control of New York City schools. Even New York City voters aren’t that wild about the idea,” said pollster Maurice Carroll.

“Since this issue is decided by the state Legislature, not the New York City Council, Mayor de Blasio will have to press his case in Albany.”

The state Senate plans hearings on the issue next month.

De Blasio doesn't mince words about Cuomo

From Capital New York:

Mayor Bill de Blasio delivered his most blistering criticism to date of Governor Andrew Cuomo, telling reporters inside his City Hall office Tuesday that the governor was more concerned with backroom deals than with serving New Yorkers.

"There is a kind of deal-making and horse-trading that he engages in that I think often obscures the truth. It gets so convoluted I'm not sure he and the people around him remember where they began," de Blasio said.

De Blasio in the past had said he and Cuomo were old friends working together. But on Tuesday, just days after the State Legislature defeated some of his top priorities, de Blasio said his legislative agenda was derailed by a governor whom he said exacts "revenge."

The mayor also insisted he would have won a longer extension of mayoral control of city schools had Cuomo not pressured the State Senate to push for a one-year deal. De Blasio had pushed for permanent control but in the end, agreed to a three-year extension.

De Blasio spoke in measured tones for nearly 30 minutes about what he said was Cuomo's role in defeating his agenda in Albany. He blamed Cuomo for unduly influencing the Republican-controlled Senate, saying he had been "disappointed at every turn" by a governor he endorsed for re-election last year.