De Blasio Endorsed by Economic Justice Group

By LORETTA CHIN

Public Advocate Bill de Blasio on Tuesday received the endorsement for mayor of an influential liberal economic justice group boasting 45,000 members.

The group, New York Communities for Change, gave de Blasio the nod at a boisterous Brooklyn rally where the candidate vowed to support affordable housing by raising taxes on the rich and supporting other liberal causes.

“We don’t want business as usual,” he said to a crowd of 50 to 100 supporters.

“I want a City Hall that says thank you NYCC,” said de Blasio.

“The Bloomberg administration just looked the other way,” he said when developers got the upper hand in the city.  “It’s a pattern that has been repeated over and over.”

Not everyone was cheering, however.

“You all come to our communities and say the same things, but we know what the problem is,” said Andre Orange, 52, a 30-year resident of Flatbush who complained about the lack of fair wages to meet fair market rents.

In response, the candidate echoed many of the liberal themes of his campaign.

“You have to be in it to win it,” said organization member Patricia Malcolm as she encouraged all the members to vote.  “Go down Church Avenue and tell the world to endorse the best candidate,” she shouted as the group marched together to do just that.