In the latest example of the growing influence of the labor-backed Working Families Party, five new City Council members backed by the group stood with the city’s new public advocate yesterday in his first public appearance.
It is rare for council members to align themselves with the public advocate, who is elected to be a watchdog over city government, but the new slate of WFP-supported members are showing early loyalty to Public Advocate Bill de Blasio (pictured), who also is closely aligned with the party.
De Blasio, a slew of community groups and the council members promised to use the public advocate’s office to link New Yorkers with community groups that could help them with bureaucratic problems, such as landlord-tenant disputes.
One of the WFP’s affiliates, Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, which is being probed by the Brooklyn District Attorney, also attended de Blasio’s press conference.
“I have no problem with the public advocate’s office being involved in community organizing, but one should be very careful about the groups that he organizes with,” Councilman Peter Vallone (D-Queens) said, referring to ACORN’s attendance at the conference.
“There have been incredible charges levied against them.”