J.R. Giddings: Good morning Mr. Mayor and how are you? How are you feeling this morning?
Mayor Eric Adams: Good. Excellent. Fine and just excited about the future. As I keep saying over and over again, I am leaving the city in good shape. Someone sent me a text this morning, a reporter saying that, “Now that you’re not running, I just want to be honest. There's never been a mayor that has done more around housing, around safety, around cleanliness of the city, around bringing businesses back, around all of these important issues.”
We have broken the record. We're outpacing the state in reading and math. We built more housing in year one, year two, year three in the history of the city. We've zoned the city for more housing, 426,000 units. That's more than Michael Bloomberg's 12 years and eight years of de Blasio combined. The lowest numbers of shootings and homicides in recorded history. Our subway system is the safest it has ever been when you take out the two years of COVID.
More jobs in the history of this city. We broke the record in unemployment in Black and brown community by 20 percent and all of that would be fine if it was just being successful. No, but we did it with COVID. We did it with 237,000 migrants and asylum seekers. We did it with a lawfare indictment facing 33 years in prison.
I showed what resiliency is all about and I'm leaving with only one thought in mind. I'm the man that I always thought I was and mommy raised the mayor of the City of New York and how could I be upset over that?
Giddings: Well, Mayor Adams, I don't know how you, all that you just laid out, I don't know how it was overshadowed. I don't know how so many New Yorkers are not in touch with what's happening. What do you attest that to?
Mayor Adams: Well, go back. You know, some people would say that there was ill feelings after the indictment took place, but go back. Go back in January and this should be a real lesson for our community. The mission started when I won the primary, actually. There was a clear mission that “We're not going to report anything this mayor has done. We're going to be as aggressive and as bombastic as possible.”
Read some of those stories January 2022 when I first got in office. It started then. It was a very clear mission and because they thought that we were going to fail. I'm a blue collar working class mayor coming from poverty. I didn't go to Harvard and Yale. I went to a CUNY school at night, it took me 14 years to get my master's. They didn't think I could do it. Trust me when I tell you.
They alienated the Black community from me and they were successful in doing so. They were able to erode my foundation. They used to say that, “Hey, this mayor is not doing what needs to be done.” Let's pick apart some of this. I want to come on to Reset several times. I really want to break down what happened in these last four years.
First thing they did, they said, “Well, he's only out partying all the time. He's not running the city. He's in clubs all the time.” What they didn't understand is that the nightlife industry is 100,000 employees. Many of them, if they weren't working at nightlife, they didn't have some of the skills needed in some of the other employments so, nightlife was a stepping stone for them.
And it was dead when I came into 2022. So, I had to go out, excite people, go into the kitchen, speak to the dishwashers, the busboys and bartenders. I had to encourage New Yorkers, listen, let's come back out. It's a $30 billion industry. Now we have revived it. We have more nightlife establishments that's operating in our city, employing New Yorkers every day.
And we stopped the raiding of Caribbean businesses, those nightlife. We were doing march operations in previous administrations where we were closing them down, summonsing them, harassing them. We stopped all of that. It was not one of those Caribbean and other immigrant and other communities businesses were closed down under this administration.
And so, when you take good actions and put it through the prisms of those who wanted to hate on you, it turns into a negative action. And our folks, you know, listen, our folks are gullible, brother. Let's be clear. You know, they pick up that paper, that Daily News, Chris Sommerfelt, who was assigned to cover me and has been one of the most unethical journalists I've ever met in my life. And he was assigned to tell my story. So, I don't blame Black and brown folks for saying this mayor did nothing because they were never told what I did. And it was turned just to the opposite.
Giddings: So, Mayor Adams, are you leaving the city in better shape than you received it?
Mayor Adams: Listen, I don't think, don't hear from me, hear from the critics. You know, all of a sudden, everybody's starting to write. They said, wait a minute, this guy has built more housing than anyone. This guy has removed 24,000 illegal guns off our streets.
And you know what's interesting also? ICE is not raiding our schools, our churches, our jobs, our communities. We don't have the national guards in this city. Go look at what's playing out in other cities and the violence that you're seeing. You don't see that in New York. Where are all the encampments that I saw when I first came into office? People were living in trees in the parks. You don't see that anymore. I moved more people out of shelters into permanent housing more than any other mayor in history.
This city is in excellent shape. And I'm just hoping to God that we don't mess it up with some of the ideologies of those that don't understand the complexities of running a city of this magnitude. And think about this, J.R. This is what I love the most. What I did for Black and brown people. Who is the victim of the most violence in this city? Black and brown. I brought down homicides, brought down shootings, brought down robberies, removed the illegal guns off our streets.
Who lives in NYCHA? Black and brown. NYCHA has finally seen a decrease in crime, free high-speed broadband. That's $159 a month back in the pockets of NYCHA residents. Who are part of the foster care children? Black and brown. I'm paying college tuition for foster care children, giving them life coaches until they're 21 years old, and a stipend to make sure that they don't slip through the cracks.
Who's street homeless in our city? Black and brown. I have moved more people out of street homelessness into permanent housing. 3,500 and 1,000 off our subway system. Who needed the child care in our city? Black and brown. I decreased the cost of child care from $220 a month to less than $20 a month.
Who's had medical debt in the city? Black and brown. I'm excusing medical debt for low-income New Yorkers. And who are low-income New Yorkers? Black and brown. They no longer pay any income tax at all in this city, at all.
And I could go through the list. $19 billion in procurement for Black and brown and women-owned businesses in this city. What we have done to the people who are always, always overlooked is amazing. And that is what I'm proud of, of what I've done for Black and brown people who have been denied the resources that city government has always denied them of.
Giddings: Mr. Mayor, so this message was unable to get out because you didn't get your matching funds to go after re-election. Because everything that you're saying here, I'm sure it would have been part of your message to the audience for your re-election. But I want you to talk a little bit about the legal action you took against the Trump administration to protect $12 million in federal counterterrorism funds from the New York City subway system. Could you talk a little bit about that?
Mayor Adams: Yes. But listen, anytime you go after the dollars that's associated with people, keeping people safe, we have to raise it and discuss it. There was a larger dollar amount that was going to be removed from the city because of the actions of the governor and myself of communicating with Washington saying, “Listen, we need these funds. We're still the top target for terrorists.” New York City will always be the top target because of the interest of the city and being the most important city in America.
So, we're going to fight to get those $12 million, this $12 million that will go to the New York City Police Department to secure our subway system so that it can continue to be the safest subway system that we have witnessed in decades, if not the recorded history of the city. And so, it's a real concern, part of some of the cuts that we're watching across many of our initiatives, and we're going to continue to fight on behalf of that.
Just as we fought to slow down or to remove some of the other terrorist funding that was going to be removed from the city, we were able to fight to get that reversed and some of the other initiatives that we fought to get reversed as well.
Giddings: Okay, as we talk about the subway system, Mayor Adams, you talk about safety in and out of the subways. But last week, two teenagers died while subway surfing. What's your message? What initiatives are in place to combat that?
Mayor Adams: You know, we have done a number of things. We have not sat on our hands and stated that we can't do anything about the problem, and we can. And you know, we get these high profile cases. I think we had about 20 that took place. We're concerned about it. So, what do we do?
First of all, we started using drones to monitor the subway system. Deputy Mayor Kaz Daughtry was the first to introduce this. It's so important. It's amazing when you look at it from the JOC, the command center at 1 Police Plaza. You could actually monitor the top of the trains and the outdoor stations. Normally the seven line is where you get a lot of the subway surfing.
And we had over 200 rescues of young people. And I'm talking about young people as young as 11 years old on top of the trains, riding the trains. Historically, you were only able to police the trains on the ground level. These drones are allowing us to do it through the sky, and that's been successful.
Second, we have been doing an amazing education with our children, because peer-to-peer communication allows young people to talk to each other and talk about the dangers. They put together a social media campaign and other information.
The third thing we're doing, we're going to the homes. I cannot tell you the stories when we knock on the doors of parents and say” Your son or daughter was riding on the top of the train” and the parents say, you know, “That's a lie. My son or daughter would never do that.” And then we showed them the video of their son or daughter on top of the train. And it's a real awakening.
And so, we are allowing young people to talk to each other to stop this. We're communicating with parents and we're using technology to help. And you know, do we get them all? No, we don't. And unfortunately, it's unfortunate that those two girls lost their lives and so many others, you know. So, it's painful and it's hurtful, but we have approached this at every level.
Giddings: Thank you, Mayor Adams. Don't go anywhere. Listen, panel, we have only five more minutes with the mayor. So, I would like you guys to, of course, say good morning to the mayor and so we could keep it going because I want to, I really want to end on a high note. Dr. Giddings, Jeff, and Donnatella, please just say hello to the mayor because, you know, he's been with us. He's been a part of us. So, Dr. Giddings, quickly, we have four minutes.
Dr. Shelleyanne Giddings: Good morning, mayor. Good to see you. You sound a little bit hoarse, so take care of yourself. But I just want to mention, you mentioned a whole plethora of things that you've done. The ones that— you've left out quite a few and the ones that are near and dear to me is the plant-based diet implemented in schools because, as being a pediatrician, healthy children become healthy adults. So that's going to go a long way and also the health care initiatives at the hospital with the health care workers. So those are two that stand out for me. Great to see you and good luck with everything that you're doing.
Mayor Adams: Thank you, Dr. Giddings. You know, I enjoy all the time hearing you on here. You know, it's time for you to break off and do your own show.
[Crosstalk.]
Mayor Adams: And you're right. We've done some foundational health care things and we were feeding the health care crisis. 70 percent of 12-year-olds had early signs of heart disease. That's the number one killer. And when you have our babies at that young age dealing with heart disease, early signs of heart disease, that's a wake-up call.
Then you're dealing with childhood obesity, you're dealing with childhood diabetes. You know, our children are living stationary lives. And so when we introduce meditation, breathing exercises, healthy food, that's a holistic approach. And then we did teen space to allow our children to use their phones to speak 24 hours, seven days a week to a mental health professional so that they could talk about some of the issues that they're facing. So, we did a real holistic approach of health and wellness and we're going to continue to move forward.
And it's revolutionary some of the stuff that we've done. And many people didn't think we could do it, but we were able to do it and we're going to continue to the last day pushing these things forward. But we're going to make sure we have a good transition document to show whomever's the mayor, here's what we've done, here's why we did it, here's what we think you should continue, and then they will make the call. But we're not going to leave anyone in the blind because this is our city and we still love our city.
Dr. Shelleyanne Giddings: Just know that this will just be your legacy, all your accomplishments. So it won't be unnoticed. Take care.
Giddings: Thank you, Dr. Giddings. Jeff, Donatella, I'm imploring you.
Donatella Craig: I will make mine very, very quick.
Mayor Adams: Don't listen to him.
Craig: Okay. I just want to say that I attended TruFunds TruImpact Awards last week, where I saw your chief diversity officer, Michael J. Garner, accept an award for the $27 billion that you've contributed into Black and brown businesses. As well as I watched you speak live yesterday for the baby [box] initiative to help mothers who are having babies not give birth in shelters and the takeaway baby [box] that they are going to receive. And I want to thank you so much.
And I just need to know from you, how you would recommend people vote for a candidate that can maintain what you've already established and also create innovative things to keep us moving forward?
Mayor Adams: That's just such an excellent question. And I think that we have to ask the hard questions in the next two and a half months, or actually, we’re in October, the next 20 something days, I should say, whatever that number is. But we have to ask the hard question. Early voting is in 10 days. And we need to make sure that the candidates are going to be honest about what could be done.
What do I mean by honesty? You're hearing one candidate, Zohran, stated he's going to freeze rent. You can't freeze rent in NYCHA. You can't freeze rent in Mitchell-Lamas. You can't freeze rent in market-rate housing. You can't freeze rent in many of our housing stocks. And so, you have to be honest with New Yorkers. And I always said, I'm going to be honest with you. I'm not going to tell you what you want to hear. I'm going to tell you the truth.
And so, if we are being dishonest when we are running, then that same dishonesty is going to be when we are in office. So, I think we need to drill down and make sure these candidates answer the questions, and so that we know what the vision is for our city, because we can't go backwards.
And I want to tell all your listeners, go look at what's playing out in Europe. Look at what's happening in Portland, Seattle, and some of the other big cities across America. If we don't maintain a level of discipline in the city, we can be just like those cities. We don't have that here.
We don't have the total anarchy in our cities, because I'm very clear on the message that this is going to be a safe city, and we're going to respect the rights of our neighbors. And we can't go backwards in this city. But I think asking the right questions, the debates are Thursday. Listen to those debates. Hear how the questions are being answered, and make the right decision.
Giddings: Thank you, Jeff, we have New York City Mayor Eric Adams right here. Your question or your greeting?
Jeff Dismuke: Well, good morning, mayor. Five and a half years you have been coming on this show, and I just appreciate your candor, the truthfulness, just the way that you have been available all of these years to speak to the people of New York City through this show. And you have had a positive impact in New York City, the greatest city in the world.
And you have had just an incredible life, and I just want to encourage you just to keep it going. You're not going to be mayor of New York, but you have a legacy that can continue on, and all of these good, great things that you've done.
Like what Dr. Giddings was saying, the first time I heard you talk about your story, your struggles with diabetes, but you took it head on. And there's a lot of lessons in that and the rest of your life. And sitting back from an outsider, somebody that doesn't live in New York, and watching how your life shaped your administration and what's going on there, it's been amazing.
And I wish you just the very best. And so, thank you so much for these five and a half years. I hope you see I'll keep on coming. Maybe you can get on this platform and share a seat here with these other people.
Mayor Adams: Thank you, really kind of you. And it has been an amazing journey. And when I think about it, every dark moment was not a burial, it was a planting. You know, if we all are honest with the reflection of our lives, the universe has a way of telling us when it's time to pause, and to just do some self-reflection.
So, I don't care if it was overcoming dyslexia, if it was overcoming being arrested as a child, it was overcoming diabetes, it was overcoming of the lawfare that I experienced. All those moments just allowed me to just take a moment of reflection. You know, sometimes God said, be still and know that I'm God. And I have had many moments like that. And I'm really excited.
Listen, there's a sunrise and a sunset to everything. It doesn't matter if it's 12 years under Bloomberg, eight years under de Blasio, four years under Dinkins, 12 years under Koch. There's a sunrise and a sunset. And, you know, it's not the quantity, it's the quality. When history does a reflection of this administration, they are going to see that I am clearly one of the best mayors this city has ever had, and what I've done for working class people.
And, you know, and trust me, don't feel any level of sadness, because I am— I've reached the top of any political initiative in being the mayor. And I am offered, I have three offers that I'm looking at, and they are my dream jobs. People that watch me, they say, “We witnessed what you did, what you have done for New York.” And for the last six, seven months, I was being recruited. And these are the jobs that I'm looking at, that I always wanted to do outside of being mayor. And I'm really excited.
God is blessing me. Normally you get one dream job in your lifetime. I have the opportunity to do another dream job. And I'm just, I'm just really excited about what is on the horizon for me. I am, I have just gotten started.
Craig: Excellent. So, we'll be seeing you back.
Giddings: So, Mayor Adams, of course, you have two more months in office. So, we still expect to see you every month here on the Reset before you close out. Yes. So, are you endorsing anyone for mayor?
Mayor Adams: I am, you know, there's really only– there's a non-starter for me and Zohran, and not even so much for his policies, but the policies of the DSA. And many people don't see the connection. He has made it clear. He's going to fully embrace the policy of the DSA.
They are against family. They don't believe in homeownership, something that our Black and brown wealth is. They don't believe millionaires should be in this city or who pay 51 percent, 50 percent of our taxes. How the heck do we think we hire our teachers, our firefighters and others? They want to decriminalize prostitution. After all I've done to get prostitutes, the support that they need, watching young boys selling their bodies on the street corners, young girls selling their bodies on the street corners, through sex trafficking.
They want to empty out 3000 people off of Rikers Island. They're going to go back into the communities that they preyed on. They said there should not be jails. Jail should be humane. But trust me when I tell you that there needs to be a place that people who are too dangerous for society should be addressed. So, when you look at the DSA's policies, as Zohran said, he's fully embraced, it's problematic for working class people in this city. And so, I can't see myself endorsing him.
So, that leaves Curtis and Andrew. We are in conversations. I'm in conversation with Andrew. I think it's important that we can't succumb to the far left agenda in this city. Because I stated before, folks go look at what is happening in France, parts of Germany, parts of Paris. You have to look at what's happening in these cities. And thank God I was the mayor of this city to keep some of that far left radicalization of our young people and our city away.
And so, I need to make sure if I say to New Yorkers, this is who I endorse, I need to make sure that they are not going to be harmful to the city that I love so much. And so when our times come, I'll make an announcement of, you know, like I said, we're 10 days away from early voting, 20 something days away from November 4th. There's a lot of time. Don't let anyone fool you to believe this race is over. Trust me, there's a lot of time to determine who's going to be the next mayor of the City of New York.
Giddings: Thank you, Mayor Adams. Thank you for your time this morning. Thank you for always coming to the Reset Talk Show. We have to catch up. There are a lot of things that we have to talk about as well. So, I'm going to leave you for now, but keep us posted with your endorsement.
Mayor Adams: Thank you so much. And I'll come back here and announce it on the Reset talk show, you know, because no matter how hard the week is, I can always come here and reset.
Giddings: Thank you, Mayor Adams.
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