DeBlasio Logs in 7 Hours a Week in City Hall in May While Focusing on

By: Raymond Seguya

They say that being mayor of New York City is the second-hardest job in the world.

Then how come Mayor Bill de Blasio worked only seven hours in a week, according to published reports, following his decision to launch a presidential bid?

Records reviewed by The New York Post indicate that the de Blasio got to his office only six times in May. He sat in on a pair of meetings, attended four events, made five telephone calls – one of which was his regularly scheduled weekly interview on WNYC radio, according to entries on his official calendar.

“The 11 appointments amounted to a meager one-fifth of the 50 meetings, calls and other events at City Hall on de Blasio’s calendar for May 2018. He had a total 152 city events scheduled for the month,” the Post reported. “One former aide said de Blasio’s virtual disappearance from the Big Apple’s official seat of power sent a troubling message. “If he’s trying to show New Yorkers that he’s over doing the job, he’s doing a good job of it,” the ex-aide said.”

The Post claims that de Blasio’s schedule records 66 calls or meetings while the mayor was on his way around the city.

“De Blasio spokeswoman Freddi Goldstein downplayed the importance of his whereabouts, saying, “Whether at City Hall, Gracie Mansion or on the road, the mayor consistently delivers for 8.6 million New Yorkers,” said the Post.

The worst part is that the mayor has, by most estimates, zero chance of becoming president. “Despite repeatedly appearing optimistic about his chances at winning the Democratic primary, de Blasio has not received positive headlines about his campaign. Last week, his CNN town hall failed to attract half a million viewers and one of his recent Iowa events only had 15 people in attendance. Earlier this summer, parts of New York City experienced blackouts while de Blasio was campaigning in Iowa. He was criticized for not coming back to the city during the crisis,” according to freebeacon.com. “His own spokesman even said in early August he doesn’t like his job as mayor and insinuated he was running for president to get away from New York City.”

Not that there are all that many New Yorkers who want him in the city, either. De Blasio, “who looked at the 20-something-deep 2020 presidential field in May and decided to toss his hat into the ring anyway, is a pretty unpopular figure in both local and national politics,” noted vox.com. “Most New Yorkers don’t want him to run for president, and they’re blasé on the job he’s doing as mayor (though there’s a racial component that I’ll get to later). Among the Democratic primary field, candidates’ favorability tends to track with their name recognition, meaning the more Democratic voters know them, the more they like them. Except for de Blasio. Why don’t people like the mayor of America’s largest city? There’s no single explanation.”