Mayor De Blasio Arrives Early For Flight 587 Memorial Service In Queens

NY City police officers have been working without a contract since 2010. “Their lives mattered. Their lives are worth more than one”, said Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association President Patrick Lynch.

In 2014, de Blasio outraged mourners when he arrived late to the annual early morning memorial service in the Rockaways for those killed in the American Airlines Flight 587 crash.

The forum was becoming a distraction for de Blasio as its status remained unclear for months and critics began to question whether the mayor was spending too much time focused on national issues such as income inequality as opposed to everyday NY issues such as homelessness.

The crash, which came two months after the September 11 terror attack, rattled New Yorkers, prompting evacuations at the Empire State Building and United Nations Headquarters. Political pundits described de Blasio’s strategy as shrewd, given Hizzoner’s low favorability ratings and up to date adverse news source tales about transparency, his outside advisers & dwindling support amongst his base.

The incident highlighted de Blasio’s tendency to be tardy.

The independent arbitrator was called in after contract talks between the union and the city stalled.

Contentious relationships are natural between big-city mayors trying to control payrolls and union leaders seeking money and benefits for members.

“He rolled the dice and he lost the roll of the dice”, Bratton said of Lynch’s bet to seek arbitration rather than negotiate.

Organizers say the dinner raised about $2.6 million for charities.

But de Blasio overestimated his level of influence, said experts. “We’re going to put a lot more emphasis on going out to communities”, de Blasio said.

Last winter, protesting police staged a slowdown in which they cut the amount of parking tickets and other summonses by more than 90%.

But the executive director of the group said Tuesday that the event has been scuttled.