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New Public Advocate James Blasts Bloomberg's Policies, Calls Homeless Child Dasani "My New BFF"
By
Rebecca Fishbein
Published Jan 1, 2014
Modified Jan 1, 2014
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By
Rebecca Fishbein
Published Jan 1, 2014
Modified Jan 1, 2014
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Letitia "Tish" James was sworn in as the city's new Public Advocate today, and in her inaugural speech she wasted no time going after former Mayor Bloomberg's policies and legacy. Dasani Coates, the subject of a harrowing NY Times piece on homeless children in Bloomberg's New York, held the bible for James, who declared Dasani was her "new BFF."
With a stone-faced Bloomberg sitting in the front row, James criticized the city for a litany of its policies during Bloomberg's administration, including NYPD surveillance of Muslims, stop and frisk and income inequality. She also noted some of the city's failures during Bloomberg's 12 years in office, including the Department of Education's "race to the bottom" when it comes to standardized testing. She called Dasani up to the stage, holding her hand. "This Dasani Coates. You all read about her in the NY Times," James, who was previously the City Council Member representing Dasani's district of Fort Greene, said. "This is my new BFF."
James praised Mayor de Blasio and the new administration, but noted she would still keep a sharp eye on the city's leadership. "You better believe Dasani and I will stand up," she told the crowd. "All of us will stand up and call out anyone and anything that stands in the way of our progress."
Last month, when asked about Dasani and her family's plight, Bloomberg said that their story was "atypical," and touted his policies. He added that she "was dealt a bad hand. I don’t know quite why. That’s just the way God works. Sometimes some of us are lucky and some of us are not."
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dasani coates
de Blasio
letitia james
mayor bloomberg
tish james
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