NEW YORK, NY Feb 11 (DPI) – New Yorkers posting on NYTimes.com sound genuinely fearful of Mayor Bill de Blasio and his plans to raise the minimum wage, create low- and moderate-income housing and give IDs to illegal immigrants, all laid out in his first “State of The City” speech yesterday.

The most-recommended reader comments suggest the mayor will get plenty of pushback if he starts raising taxes and introducing more government rules to a city already notorious for its high cost of living, high taxes and formidable civic regulation.

“Tread carefully Bill–only 18 percent of NYC voters voted for you,” posted a reader on NYTimes.com, a comment that within hours became the most highly recommended among more than 350 posts.

In fact, seven out of eight of the highest recommended posts expressed dismay and concern about the blatant class hostility underlying de Blasio’s views, suggesting the new mayor may have trouble carrying out his plans.

More than one reader pointed out that de Blasio won an election with 24 turnout of eligible voters. Others pointed out that attracting more illegal immigrants with ID programs and raising taxes on the wealthy would only drive away more jobs and what remains of New York’s middle-class citizenry.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/11/nyregion/de-blasio-state-of-the-city-speech.html

(Highest recommended, by both readers and editors) De Blasio’s “sweeping victory” was to win 73 percent of the 24 percent of eligible voters who voted. Tread carefully Bill–only 18 percent of NYC voters voted for you.

Another reader, who claimed to make $500,000 a year, declared “we do not deserve to made out to be the bad guys.”:

(Second highest recommended) $500, 000 a year can mean two working professionals working long hours, with huge student loan burdens, childcare costs, housing costs without any subsidies, medical costs. We had to work very very hard to get there and to live in this city is not easy. We do not deserve to be made out to be the ‘bad guys’ in fact there are still a lot of opportunities here. People should take advantage instead of looking at someone’s else success in a negative way,

(Third highest) As a middle-class New Yorker, it sounds like it is time for me to start packing my bags. de Blasio only sounds interested in pandering to those who contribute the least in terms of taxes.

(Fourth highest, first paragraph only) Ugh. Almost four more years of listening to how we owe him something merely for being successful. 50% in tax is plenty, thanks. We don’t owe a dime more. And no, Bill, “undocumented” aliens are not “New Yorkers” too, they are foreigners who shouldn’t be here.

(Fifth highest recommended) I am surprised to see how damning the majority of the comments are about de Blasio’s aspirations for the city. I suppose it shows how far to the right public discourse has shifted over the last 30 years or so, but I certain would hope that people have learned that the dream of ‘trickle down’ economics and having the market define everything of value hasn’t exactly worked out so well for most people.

(Sixth highest) Well, that 76 percent who couldn’t be bothered to vote doesn’t really have a dog in this fight, now do they?

(Seventh highest) i just do not understand ” income inequality” There is grade inequality, there are succesfull sports teams and last place teams. My income reflects my long hours ( 60 hrs/week), my education and my responsibility. I am not opposed to a higher minimum hourly wage, but that will not shrink the income inequality.
Everyone of the liberals/ democrats talks about this like we should be ashamed of our success.
You can not solve this by taking my money and giving it to those who are not equal. That seems like the solution being offered. How about addressing teenage pregnancy, lack of fathers.. that will change this income disparity.. but it requires courage from liberals.. rather than touchy feely words of sympathy.

(Eighth Highest) Most New Yorkers who have achieved financial success by their own hard work will take exception to de Blasio’s claim that they were “born under a lucky star”. And the quickest way to put New York State deeper into the black hole of job creation is to raise the minimum wage and simultaneously raise taxes on the wealthy, who already took a federal tax hike in January. Class warfare is not the American way, but it is now the rallying cry of the Democrat party.