"WHY NOT BLOOMBERG?"

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HE DOESN'T FIGHT FOR THE MIDDLE CLASS;

STOOD BY WHILE 22 CATHOLIC SCHOOLS CLOSED

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AND WHEN HE LOSES HE BLAMES NEW YORKERS:

NEW YORK “LET AMERICA DOWN"

New York City - In a speech today, Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-Queens & Brooklyn) called on Mayor Bloomberg to apologize for saying that New York “let America down” when his West Side stadium bid failed.

Saying the comment reflected the Mayor's "narrow vision" of the City, Weiner pledged to bring new leadership to City Hall that will fight for the middle class and those aspiring to get there.

It was the ninth speech Weiner has given detailing his vision for New York. In it, Weiner offered four examples of how his active approach would bring about very different results than the Mayor's "everything is fine" passivity.

Catholic Schools -- In February, the Diocese of Brooklyn announced that 26 Catholic schools were targeted for closure, sending shockwaves through communities across the city.

Weiner responded by convening two summits for Catholic school parents and officials, business leaders and education experts in an effort to find ways to save as many schools as possible. 4 schools were ultimately saved.

The Mayor had a very different reaction: "I'm optimistic," the Mayor said, on his radio show, "that we [public schools] will be able to get some more classroom seats out of this." [Daily News, 2/12/05] He stood by as 22 schools closed.

Taxes – New Yorkers have one of the highest tax burdens in the country.

Weiner has proposed cutting income taxes on all New Yorkers making $150,000 or less by 10%, financed by creating a new tax bracket for millionaires and cutting or reprogramming the bottom 5% worst performing programs in the city budget every year.

Not the Mayor: He says that “If you think taxes are too high, I would argue you're probably a little bit out-of-step with businesses that are coming here." [New York Sun, 3/2/05]

Health Care – 1.8 million New Yorkers are without health insurance.

Rep. Weiner has proposed making health insurance more accessible and affordable by expanding programs that allow small businesses to pool their purchasing power, cutting Medicaid costs by computerizing the application process, and covering more kids by linking enrollment to school based food and nutrition programs, like school lunches.

The Mayor doesn’t see it that way. "Medical care in this city is arguably one of the few services you can point to anyplace in the world where the poor get better services than the wealthy." [ New York Post, 1/5/05.]

Governors Island -- In January of 2003, the federal government sold Governors Island to New York for $1. Two and a half years later, redevelopment of the island remains stalled.

Yesterday, Rep. Weiner unveiled his redevelopment proposal, which he will formally submit to the Governors Island Preservation and Education Corporation today. He's pledged to have a full plan in motion within the first 100 days of his mayoralty.

Mayor Bloomberg has taken a different approach: in April of 2002, he said about Governors Island: "Over the next 100 days we'll start to establish a flagship City University campus there - a Harvard in the harbor." [Daily News, 4/15/02] No significant movement has been made on that proposal or on the development of the island.

“Can you imagine any mayor saying we let America down,” said Rep. Weiner. “We the city that contributes tens of billions more in taxes than we ever see in return? We the city that showed the nation how to rise up from the most devastating adversity? We let America down? The mayor is a decent man, but he should apologize to New Yorkers.”

Said Weiner: “Sometimes in politics such statements are called gaffes. But in the case of Mike Bloomberg they are an insight into how out of touch he is with the lives of so many New Yorkers.”

Weiner delivered the speech at the CUNY Graduate Center, in Manhattan. Previously he has addressed hunger in the City, outlined his five borough economic development plan, detailed his educational priorities, proposed a series of good government reforms, called for an end to backroom deals and pay to play at City Hall, rolled out his plan to cut taxes on middle class New Yorkers, presented new ideas about reforming health care and urged a proactive approach to ensuring the safety and security of the City.

All of Weiner's speeches can be found at: www.anthonyweiner.com/content/speeches.