By LILLIAN ROBERTS
Executive Director
District Council 37, AFSCME, AFL-CIO

DC 37 MEMBERS and all New Yorkers face a momentous mayoral election this November, an election that I hope will bring us a truly great mayor who will end the current favoritism toward the wealthy 1 percent and restore government "for the people" - the poor and working-class people of New York City.

We need a mayor who will keep a sharp eye on the people's money and use it to meet the needs of the community and provide fair treatment for the workers who deliver the services the public depends on.

Many voters thought they were getting great managerial skills when they elected a billionaire businessman, but instead we have seen vast waste, corruption and the greatest transfer of public funds into private pockets in the history of our city. The mayor laid off workers while he ignored our carefully researched proposals to save millions of dollars.

The money the mayor threw away on just one outside contract - the scandal-ridden CityTime payroll system - was enough to prevent all the layoffs and service cuts Mayor Bloomberg imposed on the workers and people of New York City, according to City Council member Letitia James.

We work hard for our money and we pay our taxes, so we need a tough, experienced fiscal watchdog to end the rip-offs. Right now, the mayor's homeless services agency is paying a private landlord an outrageous $3,000 a month per room to house homeless people in buildings plagued by drugs, prostitution, vermin and violence.

Instead of this waste, the next mayor should provide quality affordable housing for poor and working people who are being driven out of their homes by exorbitant rents. New York City has the nation's largest income gap between the rich and the rest of us, and we need affordable housing to help working people survive.

We need a mayor dedicated to funding a public education system and public libraries to help all our children of all races and ethnicities overcome income inequality and qualify for jobs in the high-tech future.

We need a mayor who understands that New York City operates the largest public health system in the United States to meet a great need - and who will insist on providing quality care instead of risking patients' health by handing direct care such as dialysis to firms that cut treatment to maximize profits.

We need a mayor committed to tax justice instead of exemptions and weak enforcement for business and the rich - a mayor unafraid to insist that the wealthy pay their fair share, especially when budget gaps threaten jobs and services.

We need a mayor committed to having public services delivered by public employees - civil service workers who have passed tests and background checks to protect the public - to replace the current evasion of "merit and fitness" standards through contracting out and excessive use of non-competitive titles. We deserve a mayor who believes in the historical role of civil service in providing a bias-free path to the middle class for generations of minority, immigrant and women workers.

We deserve a mayor who respects the public service work force and believes in fair pay and retirement security for the employees who keep the city running every day and respond to the public's needs in emergencies like blackouts and hurricanes.

Mayoral Forum May 16

District Council 37 is ready to put our mighty army of volunteers into the field to help elect a candidate who truly believes in government for the people. To help city workers decide who meets that standard, our Political Action Department has invited all the candidates who are seeking our support to address members at a forum on Thursday, May 16, from 5 to 8 p.m. at Theater 1 of the Tribeca Performing Arts Center at the Borough of Manhattan Community College, 199 Chambers St. (between Greenwich and West Streets). Call 212-470-8527 for tickets.