Transcript: Mayor de Blasio Performs Dramatic Reading, Holds Impromptu Press Gaggle In Room 9

January 27, 2015

Mayor Bill de Blasio: I have a statement to start with. Tell me when you’re ready. Everybody good? Everybody good? Okay, I’m going to do a dramatic reading of The Onion. 

“NYC Mayor: ‘Reconcile Yourselves With Your God, For All Will Perish In The Tempest’ –
New York – As a major winter storm continued its advance toward New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio advised residents Monday to make peace with whatever higher power they call God, for all shall meet their death in the coming tempest. “The furious hoarfrost bearing down upon us knows neither mercy nor reason, and all within the five boroughs will perish, cowering in their brittle dwellings,” said de Blasio, adding that none would find succor from the gale save those favored by providence to pass quietly in their sleep. “This shall be a tempest the likes of which has never been glimpsed by man or beast. Clutch your babes close to your breast and take small comfort in knowing that they will howl for but a few hours before death becalms them forever.” De Blasio added that, barring an unexpected intensification in the storm, normal subway and bus service would resume Wednesday.”

It’s so brilliant, I had to do a reading of it. Okay, with that, what do you want to talk about?

Question: Should I start?

Mayor: Go ahead.

Question: [inaudible]

Mayor: I have not heard the last few hours’ updates. Look, obviously what’s going to go on in the future with the Assembly is the Assembly’s choice. You know, I’ve made clear my experience with Speaker Silver.

Question: I mean, there’s people that have called him to step down now. Tish James called him to step down. Stringer has called it – and is there anybody you’d like to see, you know, take –

Mayor: Again, look, the Assembly will make a decision about its leadership and we have to respect that. You know, it’s a body of members that have to decide their own course. But again, I’ve made clear, in my experience with Speaker Silver, what I think of him – and nothing about that has changed.

Question: How important is it for you to have the speaker of the Assembly to live and maybe be from New York City?

Mayor: I think it’s crucially important for New York City to have leadership in the Assembly that wants to be fair to New York City. I mean, let’s be clear, we often don’t get our fair share from state government. Look at the education funding dynamic. Look at the campaign for fiscal equity lawsuit and the court settlement there and the fact that, to this day, we still are owed billions and billions of dollars in education funding, and that’s not the only area where there is that kind of disparity. So I think, historically, the Assembly leadership has tried to defend the valid interests of New York City, and it’s very important that that continues.  

Question: Mr. Mayor, you've obviously been pretty busy over the past few days –

Mayor: Yes. 

Question: – but, have you had a chance to look at all at the complaint –

Mayor: The complaint.

Question:  – the complaint against Speaker Silver, and are you concerned at all about describing him as a man with integrity, given what's in there?

Mayor: I haven't looked at the complaint. My comments – and I, you know, elaborated on them when I was in Washington – are about my own experience with him, which has been consistent now for literally 20 years. I mean, I've known him since 1995 when I was the state director for the Clinton-Gore reelection campaign. In all my dealings with him, he has been consistent. He's done everything he said he was going to do. Obviously, I've made very clear that we would not have achieved pre-k for all without him. And that's very important to me. So that – I'm talking about my own experience and the consistency I've seen in him in that experience.

Question: But even with, you know, an increasing number of some Democrats saying that he should resign, you yourself would not say personally that you are calling him to do that?

Mayor: No.

Question: What about Deflate Gate? Do you think the Patriots cheated?

[Laughter]

Mayor: [inaudible] important. I have a lot of views on this. I did not see those press conferences. It just doesn't make sense to me.

Question: That they would deflate the balls?

Mayor: It doesn't make sense to me that anyone would attempt such a thing, and think it wouldn't be an issue to begin with. And it doesn't make sense to me in the context of playing the Indianapolis Colts. Let's just – why then, and why would someone think they could get away – it just doesn't make sense. So, in the absence of being able to make sense of it, I can't feel particularly accusatory.

Question: You don't think they cheated, like you don't think they did anything wrong. Like you believe their story?

Mayor: I believe their story because I – I'm obviously a fan, and I'm biased. And I really want them to win. And this, obviously, may be the last chance for Belichick and Brady to win. But, I'm saying on a – just a logic level, I can't see the logic of why someone would do that and not think it wouldn't be a problem in a society where everything becomes public. And I also don't see why you would care to do it – with all due respect to our friends in Indianapolis – why bother to do it against the Indianapolis Colts.

[Laughter]

They could have had a brick for a ball, and they would have won that game.

Question: Mr. Mayor – 

Question: Are you or any of your staff making calls on behalf of any of the potential speaker candidates?

Mayor: The – I believe this is a decision the Assembly makes, by definition. I'm not talking to assembly members at all. We're trying to keep abreast of what's happening, because we have a lot of things that really matter to us – the budget, and a lot of other things [inaudible]. We're trying to stay close to what's happening so that we are able to act on the substance of the situation. But that's where we stand right now.

Question: But your staff isn't calling, promoting any candidate or trying to help anyone who might replace Speaker Silver?

Mayor: We're just trying to gather information. 

Question: Question on veterans – there's a bill in the Council that would make MOVA its own department. You – I'd asked you about it when you appointed Commissioner Sutton. It's now up to 27 sponsors. I'm wondering if you have talked to Sutton about that, and what your views are on that bill.

Mayor: I have not talked to her recently about it. I think the intention of the bill is a good one, obviously, and as everyone knows, you know, I grew up in a household of a veteran who came back very grievously wounded from World War II, so I understand how important it is to focus on our obligations to veterans. I've never been convinced that turning an office into a department, in any subject matter, is necessarily the way to get things done best. So, I'm certainly going to look at it. But my central question – which I'll wait for more guidance from General Sutton on – is what's the best way to serve veterans? What will get the job done best? I like the plans that she's putting together. I think they're very aggressive. I think, as people know, she has an extraordinary history – a brigadier general, top ranking mental health official in the Army. I think she's putting together some very substantial pieces in her current rubric that are going to have a big impact for veterans. 

Question: Just a quick follow-up – did you – her 90-day review is up on December 1st, has she submitted her report to you?

Mayor: I haven't seen it, but I think the deputy mayor has. So, I can't comment personally.

Phil: Couple more, guys [inaudible]?

Question: Among the assembly members from the five boroughs, Carl Heastie's name's been mentioned as a leading contender. I was curious if you'd be supportive of him as speaker of the Assembly.

Mayor: Again?

Question: Oh, would you be supportive of Mr. Heastie as –

Mayor: Again, it's the assembly members' choice. So, it's not my place to weigh in. We need to know what's going on, obviously, for a variety of reasons. But it's not my place to weigh in.

Question: You spoke earlier – want to err on the side of caution when it comes to the snow, the storm – in particular the component of the subway being closed, [inaudible] receive a lot of notice for that. [inaudible] there's some trans advocates [inaudible] that one piece is one they were a little uncomfortable with closing. It's the first time it's ever happened for a snowstorm. Just for the subway element of this, is that something that going forward, you'd want to have a little more input in, a little more debate about whether it should close?

Mayor: Sure. I think we have to – I said earlier – I think we have to look at all the decisions we make and evaluate them, and determine, based on real experience, if we want to handle things differently in the future. So I think that's a big decision, an unprecedented decision, that absolutely should be evaluated after the fact, and see what we can learn from it, and if there's anything we can do better going forward. 

Question: Would you have made the decision [inaudible]?

Mayor: It's abstract, because obviously we know that the state and the MTA have a different set of information than we have, but, you know, I think it was a very big move, and certainly something we would liked to have some more dialogue on, but I also said very clearly – and this is a nuance that I'm certain everyone can grasp – that the decision to focus on safety and take more precautions rather than fewer was the right one – that was right at the city level, that was right at the state level. And the governor's team and I were very united in that broad philosophy. You can debate any of the specifics, but we shared a common philosophy about how to approach this.

Question: [Inaudible] you know, you said it’s important that the next speaker, whomever that may be – or the current speaker or whoever – understands the importance of New York City. Is it important to you that that person is from New York City? Because that’s what some county parties have been calling for, within the city. Does that matter to you?

Mayor: It matters in the sense that it would be hard to believe, given at how unfair the dynamics have often been to New York City, that someone from outside would, you know, change that in a substantial way. I think it’s been tough enough to get our fair share, even with a speaker from New York City, so, one can imagine that someone from outside – with someone from outside, it might be harder.     

Phil: Last call, guys.

Question: Do you think –

Mayor: Hold on –

Question: Mr. Mayor, just wondering – were you surprised at the gravity of the corruption charges against Mr. Silver, given your experience with him?

Mayor: Yes. Absolutely.  

Question: Do you think he should be punished for the failure to report income, and that’s been established –

Mayor: Again, having not read the report and the different charges, I can’t comment on the specifics. I told you what I think of him, and what my relationship with him has been. But again, what happens from this point forward is about what he decides personally to do and what the assembly members decide. Thanks guys.