By Tara Kyle
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MANHATTAN — Amid warnings of possible teacher layoffs, the United Federation of Teachers has launched a new ad accusing Mayor Michael Bloomberg of putting millionaires ahead of public school students.
The language in the 30-second clip, called "Blizzard" implies that the Mayor has a distorted view of the real problems in New York City schools, by placing him next to a snow globe version of the city.
"Our schools are short of money, yet he refuses to ask millionaires to pay their fair share," the narrator says. "This is about protecting our kids'future…and that’s a lot bigger than any snow storm."
Another scene shows a fishbowl lens view of kids crowding into the classroom while the narrator says Bloomberg believes "class size doesn’t matter."
The video’s narrator also says that Bloomberg should be halting teacher layoffs, rather than pushing for a job security system based on merit rather than seniority.
The ad follows weeks of escalating tensions between Bloomberg and teacher’s union president Michael Mulgrew, who just last week compared the mayor’s governing style to that of ousted Egyptian autocrat Hosni Mubarak.
"Blizzard" will air through Feb. 22 during a mix of mostly comedy and news programs including NY1’s "Inside City Hall," "Saturday Night Live" and "The Daily Show."
