No man of the people

To the editor:

Eric Adams calls himself “a working-class mayor that’s helping working-class people.” He also helps the wealthy and corporations by opposing any increase in their taxes. Adams promotes an austerity budget that cuts funding for programs that disproportionately affect the most vulnerable, while favoring tax subsidies to powerful real estate developers and businesses. 

The mayor has also tried to undermine a state law that reduces class size in public schools, and has refused to implement a rent voucher law passed by the City Council. The Rent Guidelines Board has approved increases for rent-stabilized apartments every year.  Under de Blasio, the board voted for virtually no increases. 

This brief description of the Adams administration, of course, would be incomplete without mentioning his law-and-order dog whistles and aggressive use of the police. The mayor has attacked critics, including legislators, accusing them of favoring criminals. He has targeted the homeless and mentally ill as public safety problems, and has claimed that the influx of migrants will “destroy the city, and that there is a migrant crime wave.

The mayor’s latest target has been protesters who support Palestinian rights and oppose Israel’s horrific response to the horrific attack by Hamas. An example was the recent Nakba March in Bay Ridge, an event a New York Times headline described as “…Police Violently Confront Protesters.

Adams, who has tried to smear these protests by implying they are Hamas-influenced defended the police actions that day.  Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, Council Member Justin Brannan and State Senator Andrew Gounardes, however, were concerned about the “aggressive response” by the NYPD.  Donna Lieberman of the ACLU wrote, “the aggressive escalation by the [NYPD} was a violation of New Yorkers’ right to speak out and risk chilling political expression.”

Howard Elterman