The Middle Class Dream

Much has been made in the last few years of the divide between rich and poor in NYC and around the country. After all, that was what Occupy Wall Street was all about in 2011 and it's what propelled President Obama to a second term in 2012. 

Now, as we conclude 2013 and go into 2014, Bill De Blasio assumes the mayoralty of this town promising to make NYC an affordable place to live. But how?

A great new article in New York magazine offers some solutions. Some of them are much more achievable than others, but here's a thumbnail:

• Raise taxes on the rich to give the city more revenues
• Build lots more affordable housing, particularly in underdeveloped parts of the outer boroughs
• Increase public transit, including more late-night bus service and new subway lines
• Improve schools: universal Pre-K, longer school days, smaller class size
• Focus on the homeless and starving
• Bring back manufacturing jobs
• Reform property taxes
• More access to health care
• Help people afford college
• Establish an infrastructure trust

Some of these proposals are things De Blasio has promised to pursue, others he hasn't said if he will or not. But these sounds like good ideas to create a more aaffordable city.