Transcript: Mayor Adams Hosts "Hear From the Mayor" Radio Show

February 9, 2025

Gary Byrd: Well, good morning Tri-State, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and of course the big, big, big apple to all of you listening in the city in Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens, Long Island, Staten Island, wherever you happen to be this morning. Westchester, we got you too. 

Well, as you know, each and every second Sunday of the month, WBLS is proud to welcome the 110th mayor of New York City, second mayor of color, and the first hip-hop mayor in the city's history. It's time to hear from the mayor, Eric L. Adams, who joins us at 107.5 WBLS. Mr. Mayor, good morning and welcome.

Mayor Eric Adams: Yeah, brother, that's a tongue twister. You know, good morning. Great to be on with you and the listeners. You know, people bump into me all the time and say, listen, I heard the show and just extremely informative. And so welcome back again to Hear From the Mayor. And I'm your mayor, Eric Adams. 

If this is your first time tuning in, really, the purpose of the show is just to hear from you. Everyday New Yorkers, give us your thoughts. And listeners should give me a call and hear directly from your mayor on what we are doing to build a better city for working class families every day. 

You can sign in to hear from me by visiting NewYorkCity.gov/hearfromEric. You can sign up on your website to Text with Eric and you can talk with me on WhatsApp. But today we can do it the old fashioned modern day [inaudible] use it any way you want to dial in to one to five, four, five, one, zero, seven, five, two, one, two, five, four, five, one, zero, seven, five. 

Before we get to the callers, I just want to let us know last night if you have not been outside, we– last night and this morning, actually, we received between two to five inches of snow depending on where you live. The outer boroughs always seem to get more, Gary. But as always, melting snow has the potential to freeze over the coming days, causing slippery conditions. So New Yorkers, please exercise caution when traveling. Use mass transit. We've made it safer. So come on, get back on the train. And this is a Code Blue declared today, so anyone who needs help should call 311. And finally, alternate side street remains suspended, so you don't have to go out and rush to move your car and your pajamas, you can just sleep a little longer. But I'm excited about today's show, Gary. 

You know, I have on a commissioner that is just the hardest working commissioner in show business. And, you know, that's Commissioner Gross. She is amazing. You know, as you know, last week our administration celebrated Jobs Week, highlighting our efforts to ensure job opportunities. It's all about opportunities. 

We'll reach every borough, every block and neighborhood. We announced a $15 million new program to help justice impacted or young people who are involved. New Yorkers get job training. This is so important because sometimes people believe when they made a mistake in life, it's the end of the road. 

You know, but a bend in the road is not the end of the road, you know, as long as you can make the turn. And we're going to help folks make the turn. This job training kicks off our Race for Space initiative to create good paying union jobs while attracting the best companies to our commercial spaces and office spaces. 

A $2 million grant to invest in our apprenticeship expansion. One of the best opportunities our young people could receive is to get an apprenticeship so they can really understand how to be in a working environment. But, you know, really the focus around this and what we're doing is just really Commissioner Gross. She has taken small business services to the next level, and she just has so much fun doing it. That's the interesting part about it. 

So, you know, I just want to bring her on. She oversees our hiring halls. We dropped unemployment by 20 percent in the Black and brown community and dropped it overall in our city. She made sure that small businesses received a $50 billion in savings because we cut down on those fines that folks have been receiving in their businesses. 

She's on the front line with her team, and they just bring so much energy to the game. So, commissioner, say hello to the listeners. And we just currently have the most small businesses in our city history. How did we get there? What did you guys do over in SBS? 

Commissioner Dynishal Gross, Small Business Services: Thank you so much, mayor. I'm really excited to be here with you this morning. At SBS, we're really following your lead, working to help business owners, entrepreneurs launch new businesses in New York City. 

I've heard you say so many times that work is what you do before sleep. That allows you to achieve the American dream. And many New Yorkers support themselves and their families by working for a business or government, and others transform their skills and passion into economic activity. That's the alchemy of entrepreneurship. 

And New York City is rich in the entrepreneurial spirit. I really think it's as much a part of the city's brand as Broadway and the creative sector. So since the pandemic, we've seen a surge in the creation of new small businesses from Manhattan to Bed-Stuy, Crown Heights, Flushing, and all along the Brooklyn-Queens waterfront. And many of those businesses began as sole proprietorships, could be food sector businesses, personal care businesses, but others are professionals, technology, legal services, architects, discovering opportunity and being emboldened to strike out on their own. 

And we know from EDC research that 40 percent of those sole proprietorships are going to scale and eventually take on employees, growing the city's job base. So we're doing all we can to support entrepreneurial initiation, supporting the growing number of entrepreneurs who are diverse. 

We see 20 percent of our businesses now operated by New Yorkers of Asian descent, 17 percent who are Hispanic, growing percentage who are Black entrepreneurs. And we are working in every way that we can to put them in community, connect them to financing assistance, to advisement, so that they can launch new businesses that grow the city's economy.

Mayor Adams: You know, what's interesting is that what you have done over at the Workforce One Centers, you know, many people hear that and they say, you know, what is that some type of movie center or something like that? Tell us what the Workforce One Centers are and what can New Yorkers expect when they visit one?

Commissioner Gross: Thank you so much, mayor. Workforce One Centers are friendly front doors to opportunity for New Yorkers. They're places they can connect with advisement, jobs, and training. So our professionals at Workforce One will help New Yorkers describe their experience in a resume, understand how to speak to a potential employer about gaps or challenges that they've had. You mentioned justice-involved New Yorkers. How do you talk about that in an interview so you can connect to the job that will create new opportunity for you and your family? 

We also connect New Yorkers to training so they can improve their qualifications and then match them with jobs. We have 18 centers across the five boroughs, big hubs in Jamaica, downtown Brooklyn, the Bronx, and smaller specialty neighborhood centers that help target populations or focus on specific industries, like healthcare or the industrial or transportation sector, where jobs are really growing. And any New Yorker who's seeking work should feel comfortable walking through those doors. The services are no cost. They're professional. And New Yorkers can learn more by calling New York 311 or visiting nyc.gov/getwork.

Mayor Adams: You know, one thing we did when we first came into office on the campaign trail, I would hear peoples who were unemployed and really unemployed for years say, I just don't know how to navigate the system. You know, I don't even have money for a metro card to go downtown to get a job. And we came up with Henry Garrido from DC-37, what we call hiring halls. Can you talk about that and the success of them and how do people find out about them?

Commissioner Gross: Absolutely, mayor. You really challenged SBS and the entire workforce system of New York City to be proactive about connecting New Yorkers to career services. And as a result of that, we created a jobs NYC initiative, and that focuses on the communities in the city with the highest unemployment disparities. 

Neighborhoods where New Yorkers have challenges in transitioning to employment. And you told us to take the show on the road. We've done that by holding 31 hiring halls across the five boroughs in under a year. And through those hiring halls, we've offered New Yorkers more than 3,300 on-site interviews, 1,200 conditional job offers. 

When you walk into a jobs NYC hiring hall, it's welcoming. It's customer service oriented. You will see a mix of private sector employers and government employers. And every attendee at those events also gets registered with Workforce One. So if you don't match that day, you're getting follow up services. 

On January 30th, we had 439 job seekers served at Bronx Works and 100 percent employer satisfaction at that event, which is the first time we've achieved that. Because we've got to serve employers and job seekers as well equally. In late February, we'll hold a hiring hall at Ebenezer Urban Ministry Center in Brownsville, New York. The registration is already open for that, and New Yorkers can sign up at jobs.nyc.gov.

Mayor Adams: You know, what's interesting, and I remember when we announced some of the success of the hiring halls, there was a young lady that joined us. She went from job to job to job, and she finally decided to come to a hiring hall. She was able to get interviewed, got an offer on the spot. She went on to become an employee with DOT, and she came and she said that she didn't think this was real. 

And now she has a union job, good salary, retiree benefits, and she said, I can finally take care of my child with special needs and give them the health care they deserve. And so it's a real result, and it was smart that we went on the ground. You and your team went on the ground with DCAS and made sure that we were in the communities. 

You know, people don't realize how intimidating it is to go downtown or how to find a job. You know, if you are wandering around there, folks, and you're looking to be employed, or you have that nephew that's still sleeping on your couch, say, listen, get down to that hiring hall so you can get your own apartment. 

And we're building more units here in the city, so this is an opportunity to do so. But, you know, what was really impressive with SBS was many businesses, small businesses in particular, were seeing citations turn into taxation. We were hitting them with these fines over and over again. I heard it all the time on the campaign trail. And we went in and looked at that. And what did we come up with when you look at the fines that we were giving people?

Commissioner Gross: So, mayor, in your first days in office, you signed Executive Order 2. And that required all of the regulatory agencies of the city to really look at the fines, fees, regulations that impact small businesses. 

Each agency found the top 25 violations and then figured out how they could reduce those costs for small businesses without risking health and safety. And those changes were enacted by City Council in the fall of 2023. And those savings alone have resulted in nearly $9 million in savings for small businesses. 

And then SBS put those changes into action with the creation of the NYC Best Initiative. So this is a team of small business advisors and compliance advisors, many of them former inspectors from the regulatory agencies. And we go into communities, go into individual small businesses and give them deep advisement about the regulations that affect their business practices. And through that advisement, we've saved small businesses an additional $42.5 million in potential fines and fees.

Mayor Adams: Wow, that's real money. Tell me something. The success of that is really getting on the ground. But, you know, now we talk about small businesses, but let's talk about jobs of the future. There's so many different jobs that are available. AI has changed the game, online deliveries, online purchasing, retail shops. What does the future in small businesses look like?

Commissioner Gross: You know, we can't be a static government agency if you want to support entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship is dynamic. It's always changing to discover new opportunities and adapt to the challenges of the times. 

So SBS is also listening constantly to small businesses. Another innovation of your administration was the creation of the Small Business Advisory Commission. So we're constantly in conversation with industry to learn about new challenges and new opportunities. We are supporting businesses through education programs, offer through our business solution centers and how to market themselves effectively in a changing environment. 

For example, using the great LinkNYC kiosks around the city. That connects businesses to a marketing resource that they might not be able to afford on their own and is a way of driving new customers their way. So we're constantly innovating in that way. And I encourage New Yorkers to visit our website, nyc.gov/business, to learn more about the services that can help their business.

Mayor Adams: Good stuff. And the Small Business Opportunity Fund, that's another home run that you did over in SBS. Can you explain the businesses and the listeners what that is about?

Commissioner Gross: Yes, mayor. The Small Business Opportunity Fund was a city investment in what is a persistent need for small businesses, which is access to a capital. And you can be online as a small business and chat bots pop up offering you access to resources. And it's not always responsible or affordable capital for a small business. 

So we launched the Opportunity Fund in partnership with Goldman Sachs, MasterCard, and a coalition of CDFIs to really connect small businesses citywide to affordable, responsible capital. And more than 1,000 businesses benefited from that program. We distributed more than $85 million in loans to those small businesses. And it was a fabulous experience that we learned from. We're doubling down on that commitment by working to launch NYC Future Fund this year. And I thank you for the administration's commitment of $10 million to help seed that fund. We're looking to make the first loans in 2025.

Mayor Adams: Love it. You know, you're doing so much over there. But how did you get into this work and what drives you? You know, when you get up in the morning and it's snowing outside, you still have to put on your boots and go out in the snow. Something has to drive you. What drives you to do the work you're doing?

Commissioner Gross: Well, to answer first how I got into this work, mayor, you helped to open that door. You were my state senator in Flatbush in Brooklyn. And Reuven Lipkind from your office connected me to my first job at the City Council. It was through work at the City Council that I moved to the Department of Small Business Services. And I've been working on programs at SBS until my promotion to commissioner in September. And what drives me every day is the obsession about New York City that I think every member of your administration shares. And a real sense that it's a privilege to be in public service.

Mayor Adams: Love it. That music is driving us to a break, you know, but really happy to be here with SBS commissioner. On the other side of the break, we're going to field your calls.

Byrd: The program is Hear from the Mayor. And the mayor wants to hear from you. 212-545-1075 is the number to call. That's 212-545-1075. From 107.5 WBLS.

[Commercial Break.]

Byrd: It's Black History Month 2025 and we are all the way live. Live from City Hall with our mayor, Eric Adams. The program is Hear from the Mayor and the mayor wants to hear from you. 212-545-1075. And now, back to the mayor.

Mayor Adams: Thank you so much, Gary. And we want to open the phones and let people give questions to either myself or to Commissioner Gross from Small Business Services. So I look forward to hearing from our callers. Why don't we go to the phones? Caller, you're in the air.

Question: Good morning, Mr. Mayor.

Mayor Adams: Good morning. How are you this morning?

Question: I'm good. How about yourself? And I'm glad to hear that you're in optimum health.

Mayor Adams: Thank you. Thank you so much.

Question: You're very welcome. I called you last month on the show and I am trying to get a property that my family and I have, as I mentioned to you, up to optimum code. And I'm running through all types of opposition. 

I want to make this property a multiple dwelling, which we have the right to do because of the zoning in Brooklyn, so that people who are less fortunate could move in. And I can assist in that way. This is a property that's been in our family for over 65 years from our currently deceased grandparents. 

So I needed contact information. I've been unable to get that information where I can reach someone from your office. So I would appreciate that if I can get some information now, because there are a lot of people that are in the same position as I am where they're losing their property. You know, this is a legacy of their grandparents and their parents, and we're losing substantial wealth. And I just want to help people who are less fortunate.

Mayor Adams: Yes. Okay, I like that. So I want to do two things. Number one, did you get a contact for us or you never even got a contact?

Question: No, I never got a contact. I was not able to get through to WBLS.

Mayor Adams: Okay, got it. Got it. Okay, so we need to we need to figure out how do we get to get your contact. Because I want to make sure we do so. So my team is going to get it. My team is going to get it. He's texting the station now. When you get off the air, they're going to make sure you connect with the WBLS and this way we get to contact. 

Second, you inspired me for an idea. We're going to do a show just with my Commissioner Carrion on from HPD and just an open time of asking questions about holding on to property, deed theft, how to navigate the process? We're just going to spend a whole half hour just on those who are homeowners. And we want to answer those questions. You inspired me based on what you just said. But give them your number and we're going to get in contact with you, okay?

Question: Yes, mayor, should I hold on? 

Mayor Adams: Yes, you can. Okay. Caller you’re in the air. 

Question: Good morning, Mr. Mayor, this is Joe Gonzalez from Brooklyn, New York. I want to raise with you and your administration the serious matter of charity fraud. As you know, fires are raging in Los Angeles. People are donating large amounts of money. And already we're getting reports that the money is not getting to the victims. This is nothing new. 

Fifteen years ago this month, an earthquake hit Haiti. Large amounts of money was donated. It didn't get there. And you certainly are of an age where you remember 40 years ago this month, starvation in Africa was on the world stage. And Hollywood came together. They sang the song We Are the World. A large amount of money was collected and it didn't get to the victims. 

Those three examples and many others have given a lot of us pause for whether we're going to donate to charity when there's some kind of a crisis. I would respectfully ask that your administration bring together the various law enforcement players and have a serious conversation about how to protect people's donation and follow up with these various charities. Are you of a mind that this is something that needs to be done? Thank you.

Mayor Adams: Thanks so much. You are definitely a historian and share information all the time. The attorney general's office, Attorney General Letitia James. She has a charity bureau that oversights and ensures any charity that is not doing what it's supposed to do is held accountable. So I would encourage you to share that. 

You're normally out and about and you see the AG all the time with her team. She has an omnipresence to her job, but that's the office to share that with. But I will also make sure that I get that information out to the organization and to her as well. So if you go into New York State site, you can also see where your money goes and where your charities as well. It's charities, New York State.com charities, NYS.com charities, NYS.com. Caller you’re in the air. 

Question: Hello? 

Mayor Adams: Yes. How are you? 

Question: Oh, great. Hi, Mayor Adams. Thank you for taking my call. I know time is short. I'll make it quick as possible. I have been working for the city since 1972. And one of those 10 years I was with the NYPD. Here's the question or should I say assistance that I need? I'm so nervous. 

I'm currently trying to wrap up the 53-year history I have with New York City. But I still need a little time on the payroll, you know, in order to take care of an operation. But the the situation I have, I need to explain to you offline, perhaps. Is there any way I can reach your office or have a representative contact me?

Mayor Adams: Yes. First of all, thank you. 50 something years of working for our city, giving back to our city. The least we can do is help you navigate this challenge that you're seeing now. Stay on the line, give your number to the WBLS family that's there and we will get it. They'll send it over to us. And I'm going to have someone from my constituents assistance unit. Commissioner Kreizman is in charge of that unit. He will find out and we will try our best to help you navigate. And again, thank you for over 50 years of service. Thank you very much. Caller you’re in the air. 

Question: Hi, good morning, Mr. Mayor Adams. 

Mayor Adams: Good morning.

Question: I must commend you for doing a great job for NYC. You're an inspiration. You're an inspiration.

Mayor Adams: Thank you. That’s really kind of you.

Question: You’re welcome. My issue for me was as an MTA bus operator, I was unjustly terminated. I had no union representation, never been through the process to get in my job to fight for my job. And now I've been applying for jobs all over and can't get employment. I'm still unemployed.

Mayor Adams: With your skill set, you know, as being an MTA operator, there's definitely a need for you in city government. Commissioner, you want to talk about that for a moment. Some of the things you could do. You know where she can go?

Commissioner Gross: Absolutely. Mayor, the industrial and transportation sector is a growing sector in New York City. And drivers, professional drivers are highly desirable. So I encourage you to visit NYC.gov/getwork. You can do that this Sunday morning without stepping out into the slush and snow. 

Get signed up for Workforce One and figure out which center can help you in your job search. I want to let you know that many folks have careers that are interrupted. It's not a brick wall. We can help you get past that hurdle. And you have skills that are in demand. So NYC.gov/getwork. Visit today. Register with the system and you'll get outreach to help you find a new job in industrial and transportation.

Mayor Adams: Great skills. You have great skills. Trust me, you should not have difficulty finding employment. So go do what the commissioner just stated. And let's get you back on your feet and employed.

Question: Thank you so much Mayor Adams. God bless you.

Mayor Adams: Thank you. Yes. God has blessed me, blessed me in so many ways with a great city and a great team. Like Commissioner Gross and many of our other commissioners that have been part of moving our city forward. And we look forward to continue to do so. 

So thank you, callers. Thank you for calling in, and to the WBLS family that joins us each month to bring information to everyday New Yorkers. We appreciate you. Let God continue to put us to be a light in our lives. Thank you very much.

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