A central theme that is found in the readings is the apparent inequality in one of the most economically powerful cities in the United States. As one article states,  the advent of such conditions were paved by the financial ideologies of the 1970s and 80s that promoted austerity, privatization, industrial deregulation and significant tax cuts for the wealthy. From one perspective however, the urban neoliberalism that dominated New York City economics in the late 1900s brought the city to a position that it couldn’t have reached if it followed traditional routes. New York City essentially became a magnet for people of all ethnicities and backgrounds, and symbolized the ideal welfare state. That same “perspective” would also applaud that family incomes of New York City’s wealthiest neighborhoods increased 55% from 2000-2010. Yet from a more common perspective, New York City for the past 30 years has cultivated clear-cut contrasts between the rich and the working-class. A striking statistic I found in the article “Welcome to the Gilded City of New York” was that the top 1% of wage earners in the city took in 38.6% of the city’s total income in 2012; a percentage which was even greater than the entire country’s! In other words, even though the opulent (especially at Wall Street) have undoubtedly prospered as a result of economic deregulation and the benign relationship between the city’s financial sector and political parties, a considerable amount of the city’s population is essentially stagnant, stuck with earning minimum wage, experiencing many social service cutbacks, and constantly facing fear of poverty. Furthermore, another central topic discussed in the readings was the future of New York City and what  economic and social changes are on the horizon. Mayor DeBlasio, during his campaign, has formed many alliances with organizations that essentially seek to alter the huge gap that is there between the affluent and the working-class, and his agenda will be faced with much contempt from the wealthies.  In my opinion, even if Mayor DeBlasio’s bottom-up approach in areas like public education and unionization isn’t a complete success, his efforts and time in office will certainly illustrate that New York City is a dynamic city that is constantly changing and isn’t a place reserved only for the affluent.

Discussion Question: What will be a harder task for Mayor DeBlasio, mitigating the gap between the rich and middle-class or making sure he doesn’t alienate his wealthy supporters and acquaintances?