Bill De Blasio won't ban NYPD, FDNY from St. Pat's parade
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio speaks at a news conference on Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2014. (Credit: John Roca)
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said
Tuesday he would not march in Manhattan's annual St. Patrick's Day
parade -- becoming the first mayor in 20 years to boycott the event --
but he rejected a call by gay rights activists to ban uniformed city
employees from participating. 
NYC St. Patrick's Day Parade 2013
Bill de Blasio
New York City mayors
Event organizers have long prohibited gay groups from bearing signs, pins or other displays noting their sexual orientation. De Blasio said that he has not marched as an elected official in the past and added, "I simply disagree with the organizers of that parade in their exclusion of some individuals in this city."
He would not, however, endorse an open letter addressed to him and signed by Public Advocate Letitia James, State Sen. Brad Hoylman (D-Manhattan), other present and former officials and dozens of gay activist groups and their supporters.
PHOTOS: Bill de Blasio | NYC mayors
"I believe that uniformed city workers have a right to participate if they choose to, and I respect that right," the mayor said when asked about the letter during a City Hall news conference.
The letter said the presence of uniformed police officers, firefighters and other city workers "sends a clear signal . . . that these personnel, who are charged with serving and protecting all New Yorkers, do not respect the lives or safety of LGBT people."
Former mayors Michael Bloomberg and Rudy Giuliani -- both supportive of gay rights -- marched in past St. Patrick's Day parades, which run along Fifth Avenue and draw about 1 million spectators. Former Mayor David Dinkins, like de Blasio a Democrat, was booed and pelted with beer cans for marching with gay activists in 1991 in defiance of the ban. He boycotted in 1992 and 1993.
Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito and Comptroller Scott Stringer also said they would boycott this years's March 17 parade. De Blasio said he would participate in other events celebrating Irish heritage that day. Mark-Viverito had no immediate comment on de Blasio's rejection of the ban on uniformed city workers.
Parade organizers didn't return calls for comment. Spokesmen for police and fire unions had no immediate comment.
Catholic League president Bill Donohue, who marches annually with his conservative group, said in a statement he is "delighted" that de Blasio won't march.
Donohue said the parade is "not about homosexuals, or abortion, or anything other than honoring St. Patrick."
Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer (D-Sunnyside), an openly gay Irish-American arrested at the 2000 parade for marching with a gay-pride banner, called de Blasio's boycott a "strong stand against discrimination."
He expected the conversation on taking further action would continue with the mayor: "It's only fair to give him the time and the space."
Bill De Blasio won't ban NYPD, FDNY from St. Pat's parade
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio speaks at a news conference on Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2014. (Credit: John Roca)
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LI Confidential > Stop
scratching on holidays
Stop scratching on holidays
Published: June 1, 2012
Off Track Betting in New York State has been racing into a crisis called shrinking revenue. Some people have spitballed a solution: Don’t close on holidays.
New York State Racing Law bars racing on Christmas, Easter and Palm Sunday, and the state has ruled OTBs can’t handle action on those days, even though they could easily broadcast races from out of state.
“You should be able to bet whenever you want,” said Jackson Leeds, a Nassau OTB employee who makes an occasional bet. He added some irrefutable logic: “How is the business going to make money if you’re not open to take people’s bets?”
Elias Tsekerides, president of the Federation of Hellenic Societies of Greater New York, said OTB is open on Greek Orthodox Easter and Palm Sunday.
“I don’t want discrimination,” Tsekerides said. “They close for the Catholics, but open for the Greek Orthodox? It’s either open for all or not open.”
OTB officials have said they lose millions by closing on Palm Sunday alone, with tracks such as Gulfstream, Santa Anita, Turf Paradise and Hawthorne running.
One option: OTBs could just stay open and face the consequences. New York City OTB did just that back in 2003. The handle was about $1.5 million – and OTB was fined $5,000.
Easy money.
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