Featherstone: Another Bloomberg legacy: progressivism?

Bill de Blasio could barely keep his eyes open. Even though it was only 10 o'clock in the morning, the mayoral front-runner, recently interviewed at his campaign headquarters in Downtown Brooklyn, was exhausted.

But he came to life when I asked him about land use -- not a sexy subject, but one that affects the lives of almost all New Yorkers. He said he'd use the mayor's power over land-use decisions to fight economic inequality in this city.

"The Bloomberg approach has been very deferential to the real estate industry," de Blasio said, adding that his own administration would pursue "jobs and affordable housing," as aggressively as Bloomberg's has pursued luxury housing.

In addition to de Blasio's showing among the Dems, progressives are leading in the public advocate and comptroller races. After so many years of Republican mayors, why do New Yorkers now seem to be leading toward progressive policy?

We may have Bloomberg to thank. By governing autocratically -- taking control of the Board of Education and moving to abolish term limits -- he revived interest in democracy. By running a government unabashedly by and for the 1 percent, he angered the 99 percent and put the problem of economic inequality at the center of NYC political conversation.

Hizzoner also set the stage for progressive politics in positive ways. By running a government that was efficient and mostly uncorrupt, he helped legitimize government again. He also promoted some progressive goals: better public health, gun control, a clean environment and, the most urgent of our time, easing and adapting to climate change.

I have no idea if Bill de Blasio is truly progressive. After all, speaking of land use, he accepted campaign money bundled by Forest City Ratner, perpetrator of Brooklyn's dreadful Atlantic Yards project -- a sinkhole of corporate welfare that has yielded little in the way of long-term living-wage jobs for the neighborhood.

Still, the fact that de Blasio and other candidates are getting so popular by talking about economic justice is a big deal. They are raising progressive expectations -- and will probably face some pressure from the left to make good on their rhetoric.

For that, let us raise a modestly sized glass of soda in thanks to Bloomberg.

Liza Featherstone lives and writes in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn.