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Mayor de Blasio isn’t letting the controversy surrounding his wife’s embattled billion-dollar mental-health initiative stop him from appointing her to head a new coronavirus recovery task force.
Citing her work with the ThriveNYC initiative, de Blasio revealed on Sunday that First Lady Chirlane McCray, a rumored contender for Brooklyn borough president, would co-chair a Task Force on Racial Inclusion and Equity as the city plans its eventual reopening.
“The economic and racial disparities that have been made so clear by this crisis, we knew about them before,” said de Blasio, who was elected six years ago on a pledge to make the city more equitable and eliminate its “tale of two cities.” “A powerful, painful exclamation point has been put on them by this crisis.”
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New York’s poorest ZIP codes have been hardest hit by pandemic, city data show, and minorities — many among the city’s essential workers — have died at disproportionately high rates.
De Blasio said he formed the task force to ensure New York’s underdogs aren’t left behind in the recovery.
But city lawmakers on both sides of the aisle were scratching their heads over the appointment of McCray in light of her signature Thrive program, criticized as a billion-dollar money pit with a dubious record of results.
“Chirlane doesn’t have an impressive track record running task forces or agencies,” said Councilman Joe Borelli (R-SI), who has jousted with City Hall over Thrive’s alleged lack of help for the NYPD amid a spate of suicides by cops.
“This is too serious an issue to use it as profile raiser,” he added, referring to her potential political aspirations.
Chirlane McCray speaks during the Women's Unity Rally at Foley Square on January 19, 2019 in New York City. Two years after millions gathered for the inaugural Women's March, demonstrators around the world march again in solidarity with communities of women and allies who seek to create a future of equality, justice, and compassion for all. (Photo by Karla Ann Cote/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Councilman Robert Holden said the appointment reeks of political calculation by the mayor to up McCray’s visibility ahead of a widely rumored run for Beep.
“This is political. I wish de Blasio would stop doing this,” said the Queens Democrat. “Let her win the Brooklyn borough presidency on her own merits.
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“Her track record on Thrive and the statue commission hasn’t been so good,” he added, referring to another of McCray’s questionable forays into the spotlight.
During the city’s search for women to memorialize with public monuments last year, McCray ignited outrage by vetoing a public poll’s top choice for the honor — the sainted Italian-American nun Mother Cabrini.
“ ‘Putting @NYCFirstLady in charge of the newly created task force on racial inclusion and equity is a great idea,’ -said No One Ever,” Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Queens) tweeted Sunday. “By the way, what ever happened to all that money for ThriveNYC?”
The initiative has been beset for years by criticism over its 10-digit price-tag and failure to make appreciable headway in helping New York’s mentally ill.
In an apparent admission of the Thrive’s inefficiency, the city last month announced plans to slash half of its 54 sub-programs and scale back spending — a move sources said at the time was meant to polish McCray’s reputation ahead of the Brooklyn Borough Hall race.
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But de Blasio insisted at his Sunday briefing that McCray was the ideal candidate to shepherd the new coronavirus initiative — not despite her record at Thrive, but because of it.
“Of course not,” Hizzoner said when asked if Thrive’s performance gave him any misgivings about giving his wife the reins.
“I think what Chirlane has done over these last six years is take this issue, put it in the light, open up access for millions of people and then continue to build out a structure that could focus on effective delivery and equity.
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“I think that’s exactly the kind of mindset needed for this task force.”
Among the group’s goals will be ensuring that the hardest-hit communities as well as minority- and women-owned businesses get their fair share of help as the city rebuilds from the pandemic.
McCray will not be paid in the post, but the city didn’t respond to questions about what the task force’s dedicated budget is — or if it has one.
“She’s exactly who New Yorkers want in their corner and will help us rebuild this city stronger than it was before,” said City Hall spokeswoman Freddi Goldstein.
In addition to the task force, de Blasio unveiled a Fair Recovery Task Force to plan the city’s broader recovery and eight Sector Advisory Councils to advise the city on restoring various facets of city life, including business, arts and culture, labor and educational training.
Additional reporting by Lee Brown.
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