De Blasio Bungles Another Memorial: ‘It Wasn’t Handled Right’

Another petty critique of De Blasio by the NY/metro section. These articles about his gym routine, official vehicle, and more ceremonial duties have seemed unfair to me. Could anyone consider the article's headline objective? I didn't vote for De Blasio in the primary when he first ran for mayor. But NYTimes coverage has made me like De Blasio more. More importantly, why is the NYTimes publishing this when the election is just days away? Candidate/issue articles would be far more helpful to the democratic process.

Deblasio from day 1 hired novice staffers in govt. Emma Wolf is proof of that and the other staff he kept from the public advocates office. The inexperienced and not so polished staff have no idea what they are doing, and no prior experience handling serious life events.

Someone needs to spend a little less time trying to establish himself as the head of an already flimsy national movement and a little more time being Mayor.

The saddest part of this episode is that the Mayor doesn't understand leadership. Saying, quote, "I still have to take responsibility as Mayor" - while at the very same time blaming his staff and shifting responsibility to others - is an oxymoron. You see, "taking responsibility" means, well, taking responsibility. Next time, Mr Mayor, try: "I apologize for the terrible mistake. I've reached out again to the families to apologize personally, and have taken steps to make sure this never happens again." Then gather your staff, find out what happened, make adjustments, and get on with it. And then we wonder why he's in an ongoing feud with the Governor over fixing the subway, each trading barbs and jabs about who's fault the mess is. Neener neener it is somebody else!

I’ve known Nicholas’ family for many years and still can’t imagine the amount of pain they continue to endure. Bill DeBlasio and his staff have added to that pain.

In a flimsy defense of the Mayor, I didn't remember this at all. That's how horrible of a year it's been for the news. Can the brain keep up with the constant insanity?

His inattention to detail is due to the fact that he works out at the YMCA in Park Slope every weekday morning from 9:15AM-10:45am, sometimes 11:00am. These are prime time work hours when he should be getting important work done for the city. Instead, he is doing his morning stretches during the most important time of the day -- when he should be addressing the city's intractable problems. He is there every day with his entourage of SUV's and special security, about a dozen people or so, driving down from Gracie Mansion, burning fossil fuels and precious tax payer dollars. He talks a good talk about being green, but it can't be true with such a routine. He would never dream of taking the subways like the rest of us plebeians because they are so hopelessly delayed. If he tried riding the pathetic MTA just once, maybe he would forsake his workouts and get busy with the business of running the city, as he was elected to do. As far as mayors go, he is a joke. What kind of a mayor hangs out at the gym during primetime? An effectual one. You want to get a message to the Mayor? Go to the YMCA.

The Times has been documenting De Blasio's ineptitude for years -- Aug. 25, 2013 "In the middle of the 2000 Senate race, Hillary Rodham Clinton’s advisers found themselves on a conference call about what seemed a small-bore subject: campaign signs. For 20 minutes it droned on. What color should their signs be for the Democratic National Convention that summer? And what about the font? One person had the power to end the discussion — the campaign manager, Bill de Blasio. But he declined to intervene. “Finally, someone said: ‘Seriously? Come on people, let’s go with blue!’ ” recalled a Clinton adviser... “It was amazing that Bill was more than willing to let this go on.” An examination of Mr. de Blasio’s management of Mrs. Clinton’s first run for office, however, reveals that his inclinations — inclusive and easygoing but frequently indecisive — could be agonizingly inefficient in a high-pressure, ever-shifting situation. He was so deliberative, in fact, that he was eventually elbowed out during the final stretch of the campaign. The campaign for an open Senate seat was a turning point in Mr. de Blasio’s life; it was the biggest and most high-profile political effort he had ever been put in charge of. And it turned out to be his last, as an operative. After Clinton’s victory, he stepped out of the role of strategist, and decided to seek public office himself..." https://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/26/nyregion/in-2000-a-clinton-war-room-didnt-fit-de-blasios-style.html

If DeBlasio were a lawyer he'd be held in contempt! This guy - not a New Yorker - doesn't have a clue.

Yeah, OK, an event planner who probably works in the basement of City Hall messed up, and it didn't get kicked up the chain, which may or may not be de Blasio's fault. But is this really what we want our mayors focused on? - reading names and ringing bells at memorial services? As to all the beefing about de Blasio's time campaigning for other Democrats across the country, two points. First, I have no idea how much time that actually comes to, and I'll bet a year's pension that none of the commenters here know either. Second, and more importantly, if de Blasio can help elect even just one Democrat in Alabama or Wyoming or anywhere in between, then I'm all for it. For anyone who hasn't noticed, Donald Trump is out there telling 30 lies a day (that's the Washington Post's count, not mine), and Truth, Justice and the American Way needs all hands on deck. politicsbyeccehomo.wordpress.com

I've worked in political offices and prepared speaking notes for memorials. One of the first details to confirm is who reads the names, followed by the correct pronunciations. I've even called families directly, explaining, "my boss did not know your relative personally and wants to make sure they use the correct name," for example, Bob instead of Robert. I never had anything other than a gracious response. The other point this article raises is that there does not seem to be anyone keeping track of anniversaries in the Mayor's office. This is such a standard practice, I have trouble believing it isn't a high priority among the administrative staff. Messing up a memorial is, as we see today, very distressing and it really takes so little effort to avoid offending people.

Hey New York Times -- think you could also show in your reporting a little respect for ALL the victims by naming the five Argentine citizens who were killed and the woman from Belgium?

These events are clearly not a priority for him or the dozens (?) of his well-paid-with-my-tax money-minions. Would like to know what we are getting for our money as we likely stuck with this guy for yet another term.

I fully endorse the preceding comments ridiculing de Blatherer. He couldn't manage a candy store. And I invite Times reporter William Neuman and the editors in his chain of comment at the New York Times to join the Mayor in shame for not providing the names of each and every one of the victims.

Of all the events to “get right,” this one should have been at the top of his list. He’s the Homer Simpson of big-city mayors. But he sees himself as the reincarnation of Fiorello LaGuardia.

Maybe if de Blasio would spend less time traveling the country and abroad to fulfill some narcissist need for approval around the globe, he might not have to be putting things together at the last minute for the city he actually works for.

Such events are not photo ops but moments for grief stricken citizens to come together to offer comfort and support as a community. While our Mayor accepts responsibility for an unforgiveable blunder by his staff, it's symptomatic of how he runs his administration.

Typical DeBlasio blunder. Very sad. He attends these ceremonies as if they are an afterthought . He is more interested in campaigning out of state. This is what happens when no one show us to vote and we have this gadfly as a mayor.

The incompetent "Dope from Park Slope" bungles every little thing on the local level here in NYC. The reason for that is that he's always looking ahead at his national future that will never happen. Which is why he's a Dope.

I'm so sick of de Blasio. I wish he would focus more on doing his job and less on his aspiration to be the national leader of the progressive movement. Fix the damn subways. Implement Vision Zero effectively. Fix the damn schools. Push more strongly for congestion pricing. House the homeless. And be on time for a memorial for crying out loud.