PoliticsNew York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and Al Roker are feuding over the city's decision to not close public schools today because of the brutal snowstorm.
Roker fired the first shot early Thursday morning:
Why are schools all around NYC closed? It's going to take some kid or kids getting hurt before this goofball policy gets changed
- Al Roker (@alroker) February 13, 2014
He went on:
So now my daughter's NYC public school is being let out early. @NYCMayorsOffice @NYCSchools Is it worth putting kids' safety at risk?
- Al Roker (@alroker) February 13, 2014
And how about all the parents and caregivers who have to scramble to get their kids home? Is there no one there with any common sense?
- Al Roker (@alroker) February 13, 2014
And then fired off a dagger:
I knew this am @NYCMayorsOffice @NYCSchools would close schools. Talk about a bad prediction. Long range DiBlasio forecast: 1 term
- Al Roker (@alroker) February 13, 2014
Asked about Roker's tweets and comments at a press conference Thursday, de Blasio said, "It's a different thing to run a city than to give weather on TV." Roker's response:
Mr. Mayor, I could never run NYC, but I know when it's time to keep kids home from school
- Al Roker (@alroker) February 13, 2014
De Blasio and Schools Chancellor Carmen Farina reiterated at the press conference today that the decision on school closures comes down to several different factors. One of them is the fact that, if school is canceled, many city children don't eat one or two meals that day.
"We hear from a lot of parents who get frustrated that we might close school," de Blasio said.