Editorial: Bill Thompson for mayor

In this year’s Democratic primary, voter turnout is crucial. In the Latino community, it is imperative. As we continue the battle for immigration reform, we are more aware of the millions of Latinos who cannot vote. Yet an embarrassingly low percentage of those who have that right are expected to turn out in local elections.

We must challenge that expectation. There are 950,000 Latino registered voters in New York City— 702,000 of who are registered Democrats. We urge you to make the voice of Latinos heard.

In the race for Mayor, there is a movement underfoot to make New Yorkers worry that without Mike Bloomberg, the city is doomed. We are grateful to Bloomberg for his fierce support of immigration reform and his unwavering commitment to the city’s immigrant community. His voice on the national stage has helped change the conversation. He also brought many people to government who would not otherwise have served, and he set high expectations.

Yet, while the business sector has thrived, our education system is still in crisis and the gap between New York’s wealthy and poor has widened, not narrowed. The middle class has effectively been shut out of many parts of Manhattan, relegated to watching it from public spaces or from splendid bike rides if they have the credit cards necessary to rent one.

Bill Thompson is the most thoughtful of the candidates. In a race that has been anything but boring, he has been a constant source of common sense and seriousness.

With solid experience in both elected and appointed city offices, he brings a deep understanding of long-standing challenges and offers a host of proposals to address them.

Thompson is a New Yorker who has been consistent in his dedication to this city — he spent eight years in elected office as the city comptroller and served with the Board of Education. While most of the Democratic candidates have a relationship with the Latino community, Thompson’s goes back to when he was Deputy Borough President of Brooklyn. He didn’t just wake up to the potential and power of this emergent demographic.

Thompson knows how to bring people from diverse communities together and is also highly regarded in the private sector. He has been consistent in his support for Latino causes and leaders.

His reluctance to include an independent monitor of the Police Department should not distract from his fundamental commitment to undoing the quotas and racial profiling that have driven “Stop & Frisk”. The fact is that it is the mayor who appoints the police commissioner and directs the NYPD’s policies and tenor.

Thompson wants to usher in a new era of community policing for protecting our communities from gun violence and crime. He has also committed to hiring 2,000 more cops and sending more experienced officers, not rookies, to the most challenged communities.

As a former president of the Board of Education, Thompson has the most familiarity with the behemoth public school system. He has promised to reduce the academic achievement gap, which is a huge issue for our community. He will begin by giving a voice to parents in educational policy. He will also work to make sure schools are focused on critical thinking and comprehension and that students leave high school ready to compete and succeed.

Finally, he supports educational opportunities for immigrants and has proposed a program called “Big Apple, Big Dreams”, which would create a fund for “Dreamers” and provide up to $5,000 in grants to undocumented students in the city who want to attend college.

Thompson speaks to the lack of affordability that reigns in New York and believes it is “a city of opportunity for a few and it needs to be a city of opportunity for many.” We strongly agree.

In 2009, he came close to beating the highly self-financed incumbent mayor Bloomberg when others declined to run against the odds. He gave voice to the “other New Yorkers.” We believe he will make a great mayor and an even greater ally in the quest for a more Latino-friendly city.

On Tuesday, September 10, cast your ballot for Thompson.

John Liu: He is an energetic candidate who really gets the immigrant community and who despite serious challenges has been upbeat and steadfast.

Christine Quinn: As the only woman and LGBT person in the race, her possibility to make history is compelling. But her complicity with mayor Bloomberg on bypassing voters to secure a third term raises serious questions about a commitment to democratic practices. You simply cannot preach good government and practice self preservation.

Bill De Blasio: His progressive politics are appealing and have effectively elevated the discussions in forums around town, but he has not connected with our community on the ground.