Adding fuel to the economic fire, the subway system that underpins the city’s economy is facing a fiscal catastrophe of its own.
Under Mr. de Blasio, the size of the city’s government and its budget have grown dramatically, as have the services the city provides. He often notes that some of that growth is tied to his universal pre-K program, which is widely considered his biggest mayoral accomplishment.
“We do not want to take away jobs from public employees,” Mr. de Blasio said on Wednesday. “We do not want to take away services from communities that need it.”