New York’s newest mayor said he would narrow the playing field between the rich and poor in the nation’s largest city. De Blasio points fingers at former Mayor Michael Bloomberg, saying his policies favored the rich. According to CNN, De Blasio harped on the Dickensian phrase “tale of two cities.” On Wednesday de Blasio said, “I will honor the faith and trust you have placed in me. And we will give life to the hope of so many in our city. We will succeed as one city.”

On January 1, 2014 Bill de Blasio was sworn in as New York’s 109^th mayor. Former President Bill Clinton ran the oath of office at a ceremony outside City Hall using a Bible once owned by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. On opening day, de Blasio drew out his agenda for his administration including that he will be raising taxes for those earning more than $500,000 a year to help fund full day universal pre-K and after school programs for middle school students. Not only that but he also wants to expand paid sick leave for employees of businesses that have 20 or more workers.

De Blasio disregarded the critics who questioned his experience as a city councilman from Brooklyn; they don’t necessarily feel that he is fully prepared or even ready to run the Big Apple. De Blasio stated that he will be reinforcing the stop-and-frisk law; this is when police stop, question and frisk people they deem suspicious, even if they’ve committed no crime. This was one of the most controversial laws in recent time. But before reinforcing it completely he will be improving it both to protect the dignity and rights of young men and women.