Letter to Mr. Bill de Blasio, New York City

Dear Mayor Bill de Blasio,

One of my favorite parts of being a grandma is being able to travel and bond with my grandchildren.  When they were very young I brought them to New York City in order to share highlights of my hometown.  I had shown them pictures of places we would be visiting and asked which ones they looked most forward to seeing.  The two top votes were: the horse and carriage ride in Central Park and visiting the top of the “Vampire” State Building.  Among the first things we did upon arrival was to take a Hansom Cab ride through Central Park.  I have never seen such looks of excitement on their little faces.  Please reconsider removing this iconic amusement from our beloved city.  Natives and tourists alike enjoy this ride so much. As a native-born New Yorker I rarely got to take one but each was memorable.  As it turned out revisiting the city managed to reinforce my idea that New York has the greatest abundance of places for children to enjoy of any grand city in the world: the children’s zoo, the main zoo, the carousel, boat pond, Alice in Wonderland statue, Rockefeller Center, the boat ride around Manhattan, the tram to Roosevelt Island, Grand Central Station, Greenwich Village, the skating rinks, Carl Schurz Park, Serendipity and all the incredible museums.

In your inaugural speech you mentioned that you don’t intend to penalize the rich for being successful, you just want them to pay a little more in taxes.  I wonder if anybody looks at Detroit and says, “This bankruptcy never would have happened if only the rich had paid a little more in taxes.”  The truth is, if you increase taxes on the rich, they will in turn raise the cost of their goods and services.  The cost of living goes up.  This ultimately ends up hurting the poor.  Taxpayers are looking for value and clarity about where the extra tax revenue is going and you have been very specific about sharing these facts.  There is no question in my mind about your request.  We understand your desire to make the city inclusive and accessible to all.  Bravo!

Your New York and mine, were created and built by the wealthy.  They gave New York it’s unquestioned educational and cultural heritage.  Had it not been for John Jacob Astor, Cornelius Vanderbilt, Henry Clay Frick, Andrew Carnegie, Peter Cooper, John D. Rockefeller, J. P. Morgan and Henry Ford to name a few, through their philanthropy, there might not be such a magnificent city.   Without their foresight, planning and infinite wisdom, Gotham might never had existed.  These founding families endowed hospitals, museums, colleges, parks, zoos, libraries, botanical gardens.  Whether you talk about Wall Street(where Mr. Dow set out to track the original 11 stocks), Schubert Alley, Greenwich Village or the docks, the bridges, tunnels, skyscrapers or roads, these were projects begun by the wealthy who were also huge patrons of the arts.  Any great city must have it’s own symphony orchestra, concert hall and opera house.  These people set the standards we now enjoy.  When the rich people attended the Metropolitan Opera wearing black tie on Monday nights, the middle class took notice and  spired to such customs, to higher education as well.  They tried to emulate the habits of the wealthy.  They began to live and work in the city and strived to better themselves. Soon, people living in the ghettos began to emulate the middle class.  They too attempted to better their living conditions and education.  A thriving city must be inclusive and New York is just that  The rich living and working in the city is vital.  They provide a cultural and educational template as well as strong economic support.  We have true equality as Americans in the opportunities we have.  The doors are always open to those who want to learn and to give their children a better experience than they had.  When leaders make divisive comments about any portion of society this becomes a form of latent bullying.  It’s like saying that people with blue eyes are evil. 

New York is the greatest city in the world and it’s the inclusiveness of a population of different and diverse backgrounds joined together that makes it work.  The wealthy denizens will always be a willing partner and participant in your plans to keep New York open for all. I’d like to suggest a plan.  Give the rich a choice to either underwrite a program, give a grant or endowment for your favorite pet projects.  Allow them to be your partner by paying the extra tax burden in direct payment to subsidize hospitals, new housing, transportation, education or anything you deem a good, productive idea.  It might be music or art education, speciatraining of some sort, pre-natal classes, nutrition or child care.  Instead of sending Mr. Trump a hefty tax bill, ask him to donate his valuable time as well as his money to teach kids how to play golf. 

There should be a tangible benefit for society, not just big bucks thrown in the air.  Gustavo Dudamel, the Los Angeles Philharmonic music director, is having musical instruments and lessons given to many of the underprivileged children in Los Angeles.  You have so many brilliant retired people who would be happy to share their knowledge with youngsters.  Harness their power to enrich and educate the youth.  This type of extra taxation will reap excellent benefits if you will allow the wealthy to become a partner of yours to enrich the heritage of the greatest city in the world.

Our very best wishes to you for a wonderfully productive and happy new year.

Blessings to you and your treasured family,

Irene DeBlasio

Studio City, California