Cities are "masters of their own destiny" despite changes at the federal level in Washington, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said at a Chicago luncheon.
"A single election does not change the soul of America and it does not change the values of each locality," he said Friday at the City Club of Chicago. "We have a common destiny. Our cities are more and more the economic engines of the entire nation, much more than 50 years ago."
Many cities including New York and Chicago are worrying about how the election of Republican Donald Trump as president will affect funding from the federal government.
"The federal government doesn't police our streets," said de Blasio. "The federal government doesn't educate our children through schools. The federal government doesn't run our public hospitals or pick up our garbage. A huge amount of decision-making belongs at the state and the local levels."
De Blasio, who took office in 2014 after four years as the city's elected public advocate, touted his theme of multiculturalism. His initiatives have included universal pre-kindergarten, paid sick leave and a 10-year affordable housing plan.
"I run a city of eight and a half million people. We are intensely dependent on the federal government in so many areas, just like Chicago, in housing, education and mass transit. I understand the dangers in the next federal budget and the ones thereafter, but that does not make me hopeless."
Earlier in the day, de Blasio met with Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. At the luncheon speech, he praised Emanuel and ripped Trump for his negative comments about Chicago's crime level.
"I'll be very blunt: I am sick of President Trump denigrating Chicago," he said to applause. "It's just very painful stereotyping of cities and particularly painful stereotyping of Chicago. You know what's constructive? Provide support for Chicago to hire more police officers."
