Transcript: Mayor de Blasio Delivers Remarks, Holds Media Availability Following the St. Pat's for All Parade

March 1, 2015

Mayor Bill de Blasio: As you could tell, I’m going to give [inaudible] a weather report. Okay. First of all, it’s a great pleasure to be here in Queens celebrating the St. Patrick’s For All Parade. It’s a great parade – I’ve been honored to be a part of it for many years. We’ve got a weather update for you – I want to give you before I take questions.

So, right now we’re expecting between two and four inches of snow. We think snow is going to continue at this kind of rate until at least 5 pm, and then start to slow down a little. Somewhere between 7 and 10 pm it will turn into freezing rain, according to the reports we have now. This is the portion of the show where I remind you that things can change with weather, so we’re going to be monitoring constantly with the National Weather Service. But right now, we expect between 7 and 10 – will turn into freezing rain and then, hopefully, taper off entirely somewhere around midnight. Because it’s going to warm up a bit and turn into rain, we expect very little accumulation, and we expect rising temperatures going into tomorrow morning. So we hope – we hope that there will be minimal impact on the morning commute. But again, we’re going to be monitoring very, very closely. I want everyone to exercise caution – it still will be slippery. Even if the report plays out the way we now have it, we still do expect slippery conditions tomorrow, both driving and walking. I urge everyone to be careful out there. 

We have the sanitation department out in full-force – 500 salt-spreaders and 1,500 plows ready to go. Again, the plows can only start doing their work when they have at least two inches of snow on the ground. But the salt-spreaders are out – the plows are ready to go. Very important point – alternate side of the street parking is canceled tomorrow. No alternate side parking rules in effect tomorrow – they are canceled for tomorrow, Monday. Just in Spanish, very quickly –

[Mayor de Blasio speaks in Spanish]

With that – welcome any questions you have. 

Question: Mayor, are you going to be marching in the main St. Patrick’s Day Parade?

Mayor: Hold on – right to you, go ahead. 

Question: Your concerns about the Homeland Security funding and the impact it has on New York?

Mayor: I think it’s a disgrace that the congress has not been able to complete the Homeland Security funding, in the long term. Let’s just think about that sentence – the congress of the United States has not found a way to continue Homeland Security funding. The Department of Homeland Security was created after 9/11 to protect us [inaudible].  

[Sirens blaring]

There’s nothing more essential to government [inaudible]. And this is an example of Washington [inaudible] and they have an obligation to fix this problem [inaudible]. And, by the way, as the number one terror target in the country [inaudible] New York City, we need to know that our federal government will not stand by [inaudible]. I call upon the congress [inaudible] situation immediately and permanently. 

Question: Mayor, what are your thoughts now about marching in the main St. Patrick’s Day Parade?

Mayor: Look, we’re still waiting for more information from the parade organizers. At this moment, obviously, I’ve said I’m not ready to commit to marching because all we’ve heard is that one delegation, related to NBC, will be allowed to have members of the LGBT community in it. A lot of people feel – I think, rightfully – that that is too small a change to merit a lot of us participating. We would have wanted to see an inclusive parade. Here’s an example of a parade that’s inclusive of all, that celebrates Irish heritage in a way that everyone can be a part of. I hope for some more progress with the parade in Manhattan. But there’s still time, and we look forward to, you know, some additional discussion, and, certainly, I welcome any discussions with anyone who wants to try and make it more inclusive. 

Question: Will you march in any other of the borough parades?

Question: – horse-carriages. You might have seen some signs about supporting horse carriages. Any change on that, or any updates you can give us?

Mayor: No, I mean, the legislation that we’ve presented in the council – there’s going to be a very vigorous debate on it. But I’ve said many times that I feel strongly about discontinuing horse-carriages. 

Question: Will you march in any other parade? I know last year you said you didn’t march in the Rockaway Parade because it wasn’t inclusive.

Mayor: Right – well – and that was an error on our part – it is inclusive. It was a misunderstanding and I look forward to marching in it.

Question: Okay, great. 

Question: Mayor, what more information are you waiting for from them? Is there something you want them to change in order to get you to –

Mayor: Well, I think the point that, at this moment, having only one delegation associated with one company that allows members of the LGBT community is, obviously, a pretty narrow concession, and, I think, we’d like to see something that’s more inclusive. But that – that remains to be defined – but more than what they’ve put on the table, so far.

Question: Mr. Mayor, what would have to happen for you to march in the parade?

Mayor: Again, a more inclusive structure that I could feel really meant that people were being embraced and there was no – obviously I would listen carefully to what leaders of the LGBT community felt, as well. But I think, to date, even though it is a statement of some progress – that this NBC delegation has been included – I certainly commend that – we need something more for it to really feel like we’ve turned [inaudible].

Question: Thank you.

Question: Mr. Mayor, did you hear the people along the parade route saying say no to the Sunnyside Yards?

Mayor: I did hear them.

Question: And your thoughts?

Mayor: In a democracy, people have a right to their opinions. I happen to believe that Sunnyside Yards opens an opportunity for a huge amount of affordable housing so people can continue to live in Queens – many of whom are being forced out right now by rising prices. As we’ve said many times – and the elected officials who’ve said this, to their credit – any development in Sunnyside Yards will have to be done with the community in a way that really considers the needs of the community and the height – and the scale of the communities around it. But it’s a huge site. Some parts of that site can accommodate some height and density, others less so. But I think it’s the kind of thing we should have a real conversation about how to get right because we need the affordable housing. 

Question: Thank you, sir.

Phil Walzak: One more, guys?

Mayor: Anything else? Going once –

Question: [Speaks in Spanish] 

Thank you for coming – nice to meet you. 

Mayor: [Speaks in Spanish] 

Okay, muchas gracias. Thank you.