Transcript: Mayor Bill de Blasio Delivers Remarks at 37Th Annual COJO Flatbush Legislative Breakfast

March 6, 2016

Mayor Bill de Blasio: [Inaudible] the anti-terrorism funding for the number one terror target in the United States of America made no sense and Senator Schumer stood up for us. Let’s thank him for all he does for us.

[Applause]

I want to thank all of the elected officials, all of the members of my administration here. If you happen to own a small business, I want you to know and meet our new Small Business Commissioner Gregg Bishop – stand up and [inaudible].

[Applause]

If you’re having any challenges with the city government and you’re a small business – and that’s a lot of people I suspect – please see Gregg Bishop and his team because we will help.

Now listen – very quickly. What COJO Flatbush does helps so many people. It strengthens the community in so many ways. It helps seniors, you help youth, you’re helping with literacy – there’s so many things you do that matter. And I have to let you know that I consider the mission of COJO Flatbush absolutely synonymous with what we do in the city government. And my job is to help make sure you can do your job. And so I want to talk about the things we are doing to help the community. Very quickly – and there’s a word for this we use in Italian, and the word is [inaudible]. I can’t quite translate it. I hope you understand.

[Laughter]

But it’s true. It’s true. We move forward. I want to thank Councilmember [inaudible] – we moved forward on the security funding for Yeshivas.

[Applause]

We moved forward. We made up for a wrong that was committed many times in the past and we restored money for childcare vouchers for large families that needed them.

[Applause]

And you know for years, really hardworking families had to fight with the Department of Education to get the special services their children need, and we’re finally turning that around. I want to thank Senator Felder. I want to thank everyone at this venue who supported that.

[Applause]

Why should a hardworking family have to fight for the services they deserve anyway? We’re trying to make it something that’s just there for them because their children need it. So there’s so much that we’re doing every day, but I also want to note one more thing that Senator Schumer talked about. And in fact, it’s even bigger than what he mentioned. With the help of Melissa Mark-Viverito and the City Council – between the new officers that we’re hiring for the NYPD and the officers who going to go off civilian jobs and go protect people in neighborhoods all over the city – it’s actually going to be 2,000 more officers on our streets by the end of this year.

[Applause]

And that will make us safer. I want you to know – one of the first times in this city’s history. Because we know the dangers that surround us in the world, and we know that the dangers are focused on New York City and particularly on the Jewish community. So the first time in our history – 500 plus officers in an anti-terrorism unit called Critical Response Command – highly trained, well-armed, ready to stop terror in [inaudible] city.

[Applause]

So I’ll be [inaudible] with this – this community – it’s one I feel such a deep connection to – the entire community, particularly [inaudible] here at Flatbush and everything that COJO of Flatbush does. And I have a special obligation as the mayor of the city – anywhere you go, this is the city with the largest Jewish population of any city on the earth.

[Applause]

We are proud of that fact that it is a strong and growing community. And I have a special obligation to keep this community safe and help this community thrive, and it is my honor to do so. It is good to be home at COJO Flatbush.

Thank you, everyone.

[Applause]