Once We Stood Grandly . . .

. . . now we slink out through the poor door:

Mayor de Blasio and other officials denouncing “poor door” entrances for subsidized tenants in luxury buildings actually voted in favor of a measure that made such separation possible, a Post review found.

When the lengthy text of a zoning resolution was amended by the City Council in July 2009, then-Councilman Bill de Blasio — who arrived late to the meeting — was among the majority who voted “aye.”

One provision said developers of market-rate condos could include affordable units on site, instead of off-site, while allowing for the separation of a number of services that included the entrances.

But de Blasio’s vote didn’t stop City Hall officials last week from putting the blame for the controversial Extell Development project at 40 Riverside Blvd. — which will have separate entrance for subsidized tenants — solely on former Mayor Mike Bloomberg’s team.

[. . .]

Among the other elected officials who voted in favor of the 2009 zoning changes are current Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer and Public Advocate Letitia James.

The two were among those who took part in a press conference on the steps of City Hall this past Friday condemning the prior administration for signing off on the project.

“Broad Progressive Agenda,” With An Emphasis On “Broad”

I get “broad,” but by “progressive,” they mean . . . whatever they say it means, because clearly it doesn’t mean very much:

School bus operators who need Mayor Bill de Blasio’s help to retain lucrative city contracts contributed nearly $40,000 to a mayoral nonprofit — but took steps to hide the donations from public view, a Post review found.

The school bus owners were among a number of special-interest groups that helped de Blasio’s Campaign for One New York raise $1.7 million in the first six months of 2014. But, unlike the yellow-cab firms and the teachers union, the bus owners tried to mask their involvement.

[. . .]

“The Campaign for One New York is supported by individuals, foundations and organizations committed to expanding early education and to the mayor’s broad progressive agenda,’ said co-founder Jonathan Rosen.

Mr. Mayor, Please Come Home; All Is Forgiven

Because the Public Advocate has a legal team, and she’s not afraid to use it:

Public Advocate Letitia James has directed lawyers on her staff to research what executive powers she might have when Mayor de Blasio is on vacation in Italy, a top aide said Tuesday.

The focus of the review is what would happen once the mayor is away for nine days–the trigger under the city Charter that bestows certain executive authority to the public advocate.

The Super PAC Mayoralty

In which being mayor means staying mayor, and spinning all the stuff you do in the office of mayor:

Mr. de Blasio, who has called himself a strong proponent of transparency, did not disclose the event on his schedule, and has not mentioned it since.

But one New York City vendor subsequently posted a picture of himself on his company’s website talking with the mayor at the chummy event, which was sponsored by one of the city’s biggest lobbying firms and held at the Friars Club in Manhattan.

Asked about the photo, the vendor declined to discuss it with a reporter; it was taken off the website.

But the mayor’s appearance at the June 10 fund-raiser provides a rare glimpse at Mr. de Blasio’s political operation as it continues to take shape outside the confines of City Hall. Created by his campaign strategists to promote his plans for universal prekindergarten, the lobbying entity, initially called UPKNYC but renamed the Campaign for One New York, has begun branching out to advocate other aspects of the mayor’s agenda.

Also, it’s worth wondering why a dude elected with 72 percent of the vote somehow needs a dedicated lobbying arm supporting him.

Join The De Blasio Administration, See The World

The mayor, embarking on a “best seeing Italy and not heard” strategy:

[. . .] This month he will embark on a nearly 10-day tour of Italy, the lengthiest out-of-town trip by a New York City mayor in more than 25 years.

The trip will cover two coasts, from Rome to Naples to Venice, and include visits to the ancestral villages of the mayor’s maternal grandparents, in what his aides described as a chance for Mr. de Blasio’s family to learn more about its heritage.

But the mayor’s wife and children will be joined by other important people in his life: his press secretary and his chief of staff, who will accompany Mr. de Blasio, along with a third City Hall aide, to formal meetings with top Italian officials to swap notes about the art of running cities. Mr. de Blasio is paying for himself and his family; the city will pick up the bill for his aides’ airfare and some of their accommodations.

Italy, rarely cited as a model for efficient government, may be an unusual choice for a New York mayor’s first official international trip. But it is of a piece with an administration that proudly blends the personal with the political.

The Italian media have embraced Mr. de Blasio as a symbol of Italian-American achievement and pride, and leaders of the towns he plans to visit are preparing elaborate receptions. When Mr. de Blasio was elected last fall, some of his distant Italian relatives watched the returns on streaming video.

Mr. de Blasio’s team is scheduling public events with the mayors of Rome and Naples, part of the reason other City Hall officials will be traveling with him. (His police security detail will also make the trip.) The mayor’s office declined on Friday to provide an estimated cost of the expenses associated with the intercontinental travel.