The chairwoman of the Mayors Fund to Advance the City of New York, Chirlane McCray, has largely been missing in action: She has attended less than half of the funds board meetings, and her outreach to donors has been sporadic. Both City Hall and IBO suspect the Office of Management and Budget included fewer. More telling was that neither Herman nor McCray could even tell the council how many people are on Thrives payrolls though surely there are many. [19] Since then, the Fund has focused on mental health, immigration, and youth workforce projects. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. First Lady of New York City. our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. Mr. Walker recalled that he would often get calls from Patricia E. Harris, who served as the previous fund chairwoman while she was the first deputy mayor to Mr. Bloomberg, to invite him to meetings to talk about donating to programs, like Mr. Bloombergs initiative to plant one million trees. Taxpayers may get some value from others on her staff, like the special assistant from the mayors office who makes $115,000, and the $130,000 executive program specialist from the Department of Social Services after all, someone has to actually supervise the programs that McCray is nominally in charge of. Several people on the list, when asked about the call, either did not remember the interaction or did not recall discussing donations. She is married to former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and had been described as de Blasio's "closest advisor. McCrays office provided The CIty with names of eight full-time employees whose salaries added up to about $1.1 million. All rights reserved. But he said that he had no in-depth conversations with her about fund business. The wife of New York Mayor Bill de Blasio "can't account for" $850 million in missing taxpayer money that was granted to her mental health project, according to reports. [30][31], McCray published an essay in Essence in 1979 entitled "I Am a Lesbian". Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more Fox News politics content. Ms. McCray, the mayors wife, has not even set foot in the funds office for nearly a year; her public schedules in 2017 recorded less than 20 hours spent on Mayors Fund business during the entire year. Contributions are stagnant, if not falling, and now support fewer programs. In May 2017, Fetner Properties was named by the city as the developer of a project to build affordable and market rate apartments on New York City Housing Authority land in Harlem. Theres no separation as a practical matter.. The funds federal tax returns say that she spends only an hour a week on fund business. In 1964, the family moved to Longmeadow, near Springfield. Heres What Theyre Trying To Distract You From With The Trump Indictment. This story has been shared 117,403 times. But the fund itself has become a much larger operation, adding employees and salaries. In the years after the Sept. 11 attacks, the Mayors Fund to Advance the City of New York became a fund-raising juggernaut: The city-run nonprofit, which channels donations to city programs or causes, raised tens of millions of dollars from private sources. News Corp is a global, diversified media and information services company focused on creating and distributing authoritative and engaging content and other products and services. In fact, said Caraway, New Yorkers should be thanking McCrays staff for their contributions. Kathryn Garcia has 'no idea' what happened to $1B for ThriveNYC This story has been shared 119,457 times. Hey, the family that preys together stays together, right? The Times further reported that according to McCray's public schedule, she had spent 19.5 hours in 2017 on work for the Mayor's Fund; however, her spokeswoman estimated that McCray spent 10% of her work schedule on Mayor's Fund business. Get hyperlocal forecasts, radar and weather alerts. Harold Fetner, a real estate developer who joined the funds advisory board in 2014, made multiple donations to the fund, through companies he owns, from 2015 through 2017, totaling $67,350. As the City navigates unprecedented challenges triggered by the COVID-19 crisis, these public servants continue to show up everyday to deliver solutions that reach into every neighborhood and family, and we owe them a debt of gratitude, Caraway said. Chiara was born seven months after the wedding in December 1994. Chirlane McCray Biography - Facts, Childhood, Family Life, Achievements McCray is the proprietress of ThriveNYC, a mental-health-related something-or-other created four-plus years ago to give a little heft to the conceit that Bill and Chirlane were elected as co-mayors which is nonsense on stilts. Anyone can read what you share. Chirlane McCray Bio, Affair, Married, Husband, Net Worth, Ethnicity Thank you! Even as the city has poured money into mental health . Given that nobody seems to know how many programs there even are, itll be a while before McCrays allowance is cut off. The three largest programs, according to the most recent tax filing for 2016, were federal grants for antipoverty initiatives, civic service programs and a Bloomberg-era effort known as the Young Mens Initiative aimed at supporting black and Hispanic men. Thereafter from 1994, she served Carl McCall, the New York State Comptroller, as his speech writer. However, according to current and former employees in the Mayors office -- and public records --McCrays staff makes closer to $2 million. In that essay, McCray "frankly discussed her sexuality and expressed gratitude that she came to terms with her preference for women before marrying a man". The first lady of New York City Chirlane McCray is married to an American politician Bill de Blasio. "[2] She chaired the Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City and was appointed by her husband to lead a billion-dollar initiative called ThriveNYC. In interviews with more than a dozen donors and others who had contact with the fund, none said that they had substantive conversations with Ms. McCray. Ron DeSantis. She defended her tenure and said that she frequently took part in activities outside the fund offices, like visiting programs that it had financed. But also mayoral spouse Chirlane McCray, who has just been revealed as a world-class boondoggler in her own right. The Phantom of the Opera The Final Curtain, California Consumer Limit the Use of My Sensitive Personal Information, California Consumer Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, McCray says the citys mental health hotline, NYC Well, logged 33,000 texts, chats and calls this January, Some critics have said that Thrive focused too little on those with serious mental illnesses, The mayors most recent budget deal includes another $115 million in mental-health spending. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. [20] In May 2018, The New York Times reported that McCray had last visited the offices of the Mayor's Fund in May 2017. In 2013, Chiara suffered from depression and drug use, which has since been addressed. During the tenure of President Clinton, she worked for the New York Foreign Press Center as a public affairs specialist. The number of programs the fund supports has also declined, from 123 during Mr. de Blasios first year in office to 97 the next fiscal year. [37], "Chirlane McCray in sling after birthday injuries", "De Blasio gripes about rules barring spouses from paid gigs in government", "Chirlane McCray, de Blasio's Wife, Is Questioned Over His 'Revolutionary' $1 Billion Mental Health Plan", "NYC'S New First Lady Makes Barbadians Proud - Caribbean and Latin America Daily News", "Chirlane McCray: From Gay Trailblazer to Politician's Wife", "Once Alienated, and Now a Force in Her Husband's Bid for Mayor: Chirlane McCray Plays Key Role in de Blasio Campaign", "Ancient History: The Lesbian Past of Bill de Blasio's Wife", "Bill de Blasio's wife, Chirlane McCray, on the "fluidity of love" and the political spotlight", "Pioneering Black Feminist Makes History Again", "The Family Bible Is a Guest for the Oath, but Not a Participant", "Bill de Blasio's wife, Chirlane McCray, opens up on her role as the mayoral race's most visible spouse", "At City Hall, Backstage Player Is Cast in Main Stage Uproar", "Rachel Noerdlinger, former Chirlane McCray aide, kept ex-con boyfriend updated through controversy", "De Blasio Appoints Chirlane McCray, His Wife, to Lead Nonprofit Group", "Once-Thriving City Nonprofit Sputters Under Mayor's Wife, Chirlane McCray", "NYC First Lady Chirlane McCray Weighs in on Federal Mental Health Reform", "ThriveNYC: A Mental Health Roadmap for All", "Chirlane McCray and the Limits of First-Ladyship", "With opaque budget and elusive metrics, $850M ThriveNYC program attempts a reset", "There's too much money in Chirlane McCray's hands", "First Lady Chirlane McCray considering run for office in 2021", "Chirlane McCray's latest hires hint at run for public office", "Family in the Spotlight: De Blasio's Wife, Children Provide Multiracial Backdrop to Likely Mayoral Bid", "Bill de Blasio's wife recalls him first learning that she was a lesbian", "When Bill de Blasio's Wife Was a Lesbian", "De Blasio Finally Settles Down at Gracie Mansion", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chirlane_McCray&oldid=1144515944, This page was last edited on 14 March 2023, at 04:47. The previous February, Mr. de Blasio had announced plans to build a streetcar line along the Brooklyn-Queens waterfront, in neighborhoods where Two Trees has developments. Thats because there never was any doubt what the program was about. Learn More. Well, he didnt actually say rathole, and the price tag has doubtless been lowballed but he also had no credible explanation for the debacle, nor did he apologize for it. Chirlane McCray Wants to Get You Paid - ELLE [27] In a March 2019 article on ThriveNYC, The New York Times reported: "Public health officials credit the plan for drawing attention to mental health At the same time, some initiatives failed to get started, while others placed unrealistic demands on already strained mental health services". Theres a $117,000-a-year speechwriter, even though McCray held that same position under former Mayor David Dinkins, and a $150,000-a-year senior adviser who was recruited in April after de Blasio announced a hiring freeze to help close a $7 billion deficit caused by the coronavirus. who recorded the first lady baking cookies during the pandemic. We've received your submission. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio attempted to defend first lady Chirlane McCray against backlash on Wednesday after it was discovered she had private staff that's getting paid millions in. Same for her $65,000 associate director of advance.. Chirlane always wanted kids, but it was a bit tough for her to adjust to the added responsibility and limited freedom. Chirlane Irene McCray (1954-11-29) November 29, 1954(age 68) Springfield, Massachusetts, U.S. This is a disgrace! Ulrich fumed. If you love what we do, please consider a $1/month donation to keep us live! Other families in the neighborhood circulated petitions demanding they leave. If theres a program thats been found to be effective, we should continue it.. Only 570 of the estimated 12-15,000 mothers who experience postpartum depression have been reached by the program, Politico reported, a number NYC disputes. EXPOSED: Dr. Peter McCullough On How Nattokinase Could Counteract Spike Protein Damage! This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. The Untold Truth Of Bill de Blasio's Wife, Chirlane McCray The rejection by her friends sowed the seeds of social and political activism. If youre civic-minded, youre probably involved in campaign support as well as philanthropy and the rest of it, so its hard to. With opaque budget and elusive metrics, $850M ThriveNYC program Ms. McCrays schedules show that last year she made three calls to Ms. Simons, in July, September and December. It is not, in the end, just about money. [8] McCray cites her early experience with racism and bullying as part of the reason she began to write, using her poetry as an outlet for her anger. Download it here. The First Lady has also been working with local leaders from municipalities across the country, part of the Cities Thrive Coalition. That Stringer could sleep through it all is the real scandal; why does the city even have a comptroller, if thats the standard of performance? How much taxpayer money will the mayors wife pilfer before leaving office? Four years later, no one seems to know what that money was actually used for, according to the New York Post. Bill de Blasio's wife can't account for $850m given to mental health The couple has two children, a son called Dante and daughter called Chiara. They also mocked her, often contorting their mouths to make their lips look big. How many other big-bucks initiatives are in similar straits is unknowable mostly because bureaucrats never blow the whistle on themselves and also because Gothams formal watchdog, city Comptroller Scott Stringer, is among the most incurious individuals ever to hold the office. And it's only (your) money even if it is quite a lot of it. Though, data on what the program has accomplished is hard to find. ThriveNYC, a Mental Health Initiative, Comes Under Scrutiny In the first 10 months of the current fiscal year, the fund raised $14 million, according to a spokeswoman, Cynthia Olson, putting the fund on pace for its lowest annual revenues in more than a decade. Early in her youth, Chirlane McCray identified herself as a lesbian and continued to do so till 1991 when she met her future husband, Bill de Blasio, at that time working as an aide to David Dinkins. Please share your thoughts about this article below. (Her spokeswoman, Kate Bernyk, estimated she spends 10 percent of her time on fund business.). Her mother, Katharine Clarissa Eileen (ne Edwards), was an assembly worker at an electronics factory, and her father, Robert Hooper McCray, was an inventory clerk at a military base. And just as surely, jobs are the point both municipal positions and employment with the numberless, anonymous, unaccountable and usually politically connected not-for-profit agencies that live off city dollars. Chirlane McCray, de Blasio's Wife, Is Questioned Over His The U.S. economy no longer looks so exceptional. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio attempted to defend first lady Chirlane McCray against backlash on Wednesday after it was discovered she had private staff that's getting paid millions in taxpayer money. The mayor's most recent budget deal includes another $115 million in mental-health spending, an effort McCray says to respond to the mounting mental health care needs of city residents after. A spokesman for Mr. Fetner, Sam Spokony, said there was no link between the donations and the development project. In January 1, 2014, de Blasio was sworn in as the Mayor and with that McCray became the First Lady of New York City. The programs at issue ostensibly are meant to assist particularly challenged people the helpless, often homeless, mentally ill and small children whose futures are forfeited because they landed in shamefully nonfunctional schools, an experience from which they will never recover. Fast-forward to Wednesday, when the City Council was startled to discover that McCray and Team Thrive are closing in on having spent an eye-popping $900 million since the programs inception and nobody seems to have a clue on what. First lady Chirlane McCray's ThriveNYC unveiled a splashy new website Monday purporting to show the $1.25 billion plan has "dramatically improved the landscape of. McCray says her hope is that the Office of Community Mental Health, created via an executive order, continues long after she leaves Gracie Mansion, but also admits the rebranding was an effort to move away from the negativity surrounding the ThriveNYC moniker. The 1984 ruling, known as the Chevron deference, directs courts to defer to a federal agencys legal approach when Congress has left the statutory language ambiguous, which some conservatives have come to oppose. The fund has also moved into a larger space, in a building across from City Hall, which, for the first time, now includes a separate office for the chairwoman. So, ipso presto, co-Mayor Bill coughed up enough cash to break a pack mules back and sent it off to co-Mayor Chirlane who then went forth to cure Gothams mental-illness problems. "I like the fact that money is going toward mental health, but when they say we're seeing a benefit in all areas, I take exception to that, because I don't see it everywhere," Queens Councilman Robert Holden told The Post. Market data provided by Factset. She also received books as Christmas gift. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. #thriveNYC. By this fall, every public school will have at least one full-time social worker on hand or school-based mental health clinic, and when 911 calls are made for a mental health disturbance, EMTs are now accompanied by social workers police are often called in to assist. [25][26] In February 2019, Politico criticized ThriveNYC for having an "opaque budget" and "elusive metrics". Whatever happened to the money from ThriveNYC? asked City Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Queens). The City Council discovered this shocking amount of potential waste during a meeting Wednesday. She published an essay in Essence in 1979 entitled "I Am a Lesbian". Trump threatens to send federal agents to New York City if Bill de Blasio can't stop the violence, Oklahoma governor makes performing 'irreversible gender transition surgeries' on children a felony, Texas Gov. She makes calls to share what our priorities are and to get attention and interest from others, said Mr. Bloch, describing Ms. McCray as a key part of the organizations fund-raising. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Chirlane McCray can't explain where the $850m in funding has gone after it was given to the organization she runs, ThriveNYC. The couple honeymooned in Cuba in violation of a U.S . 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