Notes on a NYC State of the City Speech: Mayor Bill Deblasio; 2014

Jillian Lubarsky

NYC Speech Writing | Summer 2015 Semester

Notes on a NYC State of the City Speech: Mayor Bill DeBlasio; 2014

Below are notes on Mayor Bill de Blasio’s State of City from 2014—the year he took office.

Brief background on the Mayor:

-He is the city’s 109th Mayor who ran as a Democrat against Republican Joe Lhota.

• He won with more than 73% of the vote

-Before taking office, de Blasio was the city’s public advocate; he was also a councilman in Brooklyn (district 39) where he lived with his wife, Charlene, and their two children.

Brief background on the speech:

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio began his term with a State of the City address that honed in on a topic he campaigned upon heavily prior to his election: InequalityEconomic Disparity.

-From improving education across CUNY schools to job preparedness to paid sick leave for employees, de Blasio hit hard on messaging to support low-income residents and to revitalize a diminishing middle class. The Mayor was also very encouraging of helping immigrants achieve success in New York City through municipal ID cards. The most powerful way to correct the inequality gap in New York City, according to Mayor de Blasio would be achieved by rising minimum wage.

-The Mayor’s tone and style was powerful, bold, and strong—showing a large audience that he’s not going to be bullied by the wealthiest 1% of New York City. Watching the speech, I felt as though de Blasio was telling a story about the city (which he was; more information on that appears in the bullets below). His pace changed throughout, and on major points he raised his voice.

• Example, “We have forged an agreement with city council that will provide a right to paid sick leave!” and “We’re fighting to give everyone a fair shot!”

-Standing tall on a podium before a large audience in Queens, Mayor de Blasio spoke against the backdrop of flag adding a strong element of patriotism to his address. He also encouraged the audience to applaud whenever he made solid points, which was another way he took command of the office.

• Example: He referenced a woman in Bushwick, Brooklyn, and when someone in the audience cheered for Bushwick, de Blasio paused, smiled, and said, “you can cheer for Bushwick!” I feel that de Blasio was present during his remarks—he was aware of how his audience was responding throughout the speech.

-A significant theme of this address was theTale of Two Cities, demonstrated by this bold quote: “Because the truth is, the state of our city, as we find it today, is a Tale of Two Cities, with an inequality gap that fundamentally threatens our future.”[i] The Mayor added, “Our middle class isn't just squeezed; it's at risk of disappearing altogether.”[ii] He spoke about the different people within New York City and what their lives were like—using illustrative words to bring imagery to his word.

-The Mayor delivered this speech at LaGuardia Community College in Queens (specifically in the school’s performing arts center) on February 10, 2014, just a month after taking office. He stood alone on stage before a very large audience. The room was dark with spotlights pointed on him. I initially found it interesting that he was alone on stage, but when I watched other “State of the City” speeches, realized that was a theme across other mayors.

Recent events leading up to Mayor de Blasio’s State of the City[iii]:

New York City / United States / International
Regional Host to Superbowl Alley (2014) *economic gain for NYC / Launch of Affordable Care Act (or, failed launch!) / The economy mended in the U.S. and Japan
Mayoral Campaign (De Blasio won) / Boston Marathon Bombing / Kenyan Mall Shootout
Severe weather (snowstorms, hurricanes) / American Leaps to Top of Air Industry / Edward Snowden

Media coverage of de Blasio’s State of City was tough.

-The New York Post was the most critical, citing that the Mayor arrived 35 minutes late and didn’t offer anapology or acknowledge his tardiness to audiences. The article quoted people who agreed that the Mayor has a tendency and history of running behind schedule.[iv]

-The New York Times was critical of de Blasio’s State of City, but for more substantive reasons than being late. Overall, it seemed that de Blasio’s remarks showed “his usual themes (rather) than an airing of fresh policy proposals.” Further, the Times said that the Mayor’s address “reinforced Mr. de Blasio’s vulnerabilities: a tendency to propose plans anathema to crucial Albany lawmakers who must approve them, and a vagueness that has concerns about how the mayor can deliver on his promises.”[v] To describe the backdrop, the Times described the room as “a small auditorium” where Mayor de Blasio “stood behind a simple lectern on a sparsely decorated stage, reading his speech from a binder without the aid of teleprompter.”[vi]

-In my opinion, the auditorium was large and the stage had enormous flags and television screens on display. I watched the speech on two different websites: NYC.gov and The New York Times, and both showed a large room. This is evidence that the media is victim of putting heavy spin on the speech.

-Further, in a report by the Associated Press, New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer said, “inspirational quotes only work if there’s money to back up that hope.” This showed doubt in Mayor De Blasio’s ability to deliver the promises was making to New Yorkers.

Most information about Mayor De Blasio’s Communications Team and speech writers seem to be available after the State of the City was delivered.

-On March 29, 2014, De Blasio announced that he’ll be growing his team to include a director, writers, and aides.[vii]

-On April 16, 2014, De Blasio still has not formed his team[viii]

-On June 17, 2015, De Blasio announces a speech writer and communications advisor[ix]

What most interesting was an article published after Mayor De Blasio’s Inaugural Address, New York Times editorial blasts de Blasio inaugural speeches, which may explain why I can’t find a speech writer for the State of the City speech.[x]

Below are excerpts and passages that require an explanation to understand:

The overall concept of “Tale of Two Cities” / This is a novel by Charles Dickens; set in Paris, France. Book is available on Amazon
Extensive referencing to the work achieved by former New York City Mayor LaGuardia / Former NYC mayor (R) who was in office during the New Deal.Mayor La Guardia revitalized New York City and brought back the public’s positive view in government. He was responsible for improving the public transit system, creating public housing and other social services needed for the city.[xi]
“In the first month of this Administration, we have forged an agreement with this City Council that will provide a right to Paid Sick Leave to 500,000 additional New Yorkers.” / This was a major political issue during the campaign
Stop & Frisk / This was another major political issue that many were polarized on during the campaign. Many felt strongly that “stop and frisk” was good because it lowered crime in dangerous neighborhoods and communities—and on the subway. And many felt the opposite—that this approach to fighting crime in NYC targeted minorities and was racist. It was very controversial.

De Blasio spoke fondly of New York City’s 99thMayor,Fiorello G. LaGuardia (aka, Little Flower) and how he made the New Deal come alive in the city, through “fierce determination” and “relentless action”.

-The significance of this is clear based on the location of the speech (La Guardia Community College). What made the speech even more special was the introduction Mayor de Blasio received from Mayor La Guardia’s granddaughter, Katharine. de Blasio spoke with great admiration and respect for Mayor La Guardia stating:

• “Mayor LaGuardia called for ‘government with a soul’. He saw beyond the numbers in a budget...understood that those numbers represented real people who were just trying to live their lives, and asked only for a little help. And that is what we resolve to do.”

-Concluding speech, drawing on final parallels of Mayor LaGuardia:

• “Or we can take the other road...the path to closing the inequality gap...that very New York option of taking on big challenges and getting results. That's what Mayor LaGuardia did - making the New Deal come alive in New York City...and ensuring that New York responded to the urgent challenge of his time”

Healthcare and paid sick-leave were also components of the speech that introduced New Yorkers to two citizens, KathyDelahoz and Esmeralda Valencia:

Story #1:“Kathy Delahoz made a good living, earning $50,000 a year at her job as a computer technician for a company with 11 employees. After suffering a car accident, she refused medical treatment and instead went back to work the next day because she was afraid of losing a day's pay - or even losing her job. After her doctor urged her to take a day off to recuperate, she agreed - explaining the situation to her supervisors. A short time later, she was forwarded a text that read simply: "Just tell her the job is not for her." Under the expanded Paid Sick Leave legislation, New Yorkers like Kathy won't lose pay just because they put their health, or the health of their kids, first.”
Story #2:“Esmeralda Valencia, a restaurant owner from Brooklyn knows why that's important. That's why even before the new law passed, she offered paid sick leave to her employees - because she knows that a healthy workforce is a more productive workforce”.

In addition to The Tales of Two Cities, the Mayor also referred to “the path” a total of 9 times. This was likely down to illustrate the “Tale of Two Cities,” which was a major theme in this address. This phrase was also used when describing the importance of education, starting with an introduction to universal Pre-K through college.. In essence, Mayor deBlasio was telling everyone his approach to ending inequality would be done by choosing ‘the path’ to take on big challenges and make results happen.

Of all the passages and excerpts, one part that stood out to me was about hospitals and healthcare. Although it wasn’t a central focus of the speech (when watching it), these words jumped out when I was reading the text:

“We made it clear that we will no longer accept a reckless pattern of closing hospitals without regard to the people who need the medical services they provide. Instead of watching hospitals shuttered and simply sold off to the highest bidder, we will continue the battles we've won over the last several months - requiring alternatives that put the health of our people ahead of profits. And on that, we will not retreat.”

This part resonated with me because of descriptive words used (reckless, shuttered, retreat, battles). I also have a personal interest in healthcare so these topics always jump out at me.

Another part of the speech (overall) that stood out was de Blasio’s certainty and confidence. He said, “We will” or “I will” – giving a sense of certainty in his deliverables. On paper, and when watching, this sounds great. However, there weren’t specifics outlined in what steps would be needed to make everything a reality.

There’s an excellent article in The New York Times that offers readers recommendations that “look at Bill deBlasio’s first year as Mayor” and includes:

-Eric Alterman’s “Equality and One City: Bill de Blasio and the New York Experiment, Year One” (ebookNation) which is described as “a de Blasio booster’s handbook to how much the mayor has already accomplished and a sober reminder — no matter how many poor people vote for empathetic local candidates — of just how much Albany and Washington can scuttle his agenda.” (source: Building New York’s Future and Its Past)

-Another way to learn about Bill de Blasio is through his appearance on The Daily Show. Link to watch is available here:

-This is a video from 2013 when Mayor de Blasio was running for mayor of New York City: Here TV For and Against: Interview with Bill de Blasio, 2013 NYC Mayoral Candidate

[i]Bill de Blasio, 2014 Remarks, Delivered by Mayor Bill de Blasio, LaGuardia Community College.

[ii]Bill de Blasio, 2014 Remarks, Delivered by Mayor Bill de Blasio, LaGuardia Community College.

[iii]Wall Street Journal, 2013 Year in Review: Tragedy, Transition, Triumph, January 14, 2014.

[iv]

[v]Michael M. Grynbaum; Kirk Semple,De Blasio Plans a Minimum Wage and City ID Cards, New York Times, February 14, 2014.

[vi]Michael M. Grynbaum; Kirk Semple,De Blasio Plans a Minimum Wage and City ID Cards, New York Times, February 14, 2014.

[vii] Annie Karni, Mayor de Blasio is expanding communications team by hiring director, writers and aides, Daily News; March 30, 2014.

[viii]Annie Karni, Four months after taking office, de Blasio still searching for communications director, Daily News, April 16, 2014.

[ix]Mayor de Blasio Announces Kate Blumm as Chief Speechwriter and Erin White as Communications Advisor, NYC.gov, June 17, 2015.

[x] Chuck Ross, New York Times editorial blasts de Blasio inaugural speeches, Daily Caller, January 3, 2014.

[xi]Fiorello H. LA Guardia and the Making of Modern New York