PSC Backs De Blasio For Public Advocate, Leaves Quinn Off List

BILL DE BLASIO: PSC likes his 'vision' for CUNY.

The Professional Staff Congress Aug 3 endorsed Bill De Blasio for Public Advocate, as well as announcing City Council endorsements, with a notable snub of Council Speaker Christine Quinn in her race for re-election in Manhattan's Third District.

Although PSC President Barbara Bowen was unavailable, the union's first vice president, Steve London, called Mr. De Blasio "a good friend of [the City University of New York] in the past and good friend to the PSC, and outspoken in defending the rights of CUNY students on public assistance." Mr. De Blasio has been the Chairman of the Council's General Welfare Committee for the past eight years.

'Supports Progressive Policies'

"Bill De Blasio has built a broad coalition in support of his candidacy and articulated a clear strategic vision for economic and cultural development of the city and CUNY's place in that development," Mr. London continued. "He will advocate for preserving local jobs, and for education, affordable housing, and child care. PSC members care about these issues . . . he will use the Public Advocate position to build support for progressive policies that will benefit all New Yorkers."

Mr. London also made it clear why the union had snubbed Ms. Quinn. "Speaker Quinn has not visibly supported CUNY as part of her middleclass initiative," he said. "We think that is a mistake. We believe she is supportive of CUNY and look forward to working with Speaker Quinn to make CUNY the funding priority it ought to be, because CUNY is the path to New York's future."

PSC is not the first union to decline to back the Speaker; District Council 37 omitted her from its list of endorsements last month, although its political action director said that the union declined to endorse only because Ms. Quinn missed her meeting with the screening committee.

However, neither union went as far as to support her strongest challenger in the district, civil rights lawyer Yetta Kurland, who has vociferously slammed Ms. Quinn for her political alliance with Mayor Bloomberg in extending term limits.

The PSC has not yet endorsed a candidate for Mayor. Mr. London said that the union was "not ready to make an endorsement at this time," adding, "We're watching the races and evaluating both [City Comptroller William C. Thompson Jr.'s] and Bloomberg's candidacies."