Transcript: Mayor de Blasio Appears Live on WNYC

May 19, 2017

Brian Lehrer: It’s our weekly Ask the Mayor segment to start the program today with Mayor Bill de Blasio. You can call in for the Mayor at 2-1-2-4-3-3-WNYC or tweet a question. We’re watching our Twitter feed in real time. Just use the hashtag #AskTheMayor.

Good morning, Mr. Mayor. Welcome back to WNYC.

He’s not here yet? He’s never missed a ten o’clock date with us yet. Hi, Mr. Mayor, you’re there now, right? Yeah?

Mayor Bill de Blasio: Hey.

Lehrer: Hi, there. Mr. Mayor, you’re on the air. Hi, there.  

Mayor: Hey. How you doing, Brian?

Lehrer: Good. Welcome back to WNYC.

Mayor: Thank you.

Lehrer: The horrific car rampage in Times Square yesterday that killed an 18-year-old pedestrian and injured 22 other people. I see the driver has now been charged with murder plus 20 counts of attempted murder. How awful. Can you confirm that the police have concluded that this was intentional but not terrorism?

Mayor: There is an ongoing investigation. That’s the first thing I have to say, and we have preliminary information, Brian. What we know right now continues to confirm it was not an act of terror, that this individual who we’re now hearing from family members has had demonstrated mental health issues going back to childhood. That, like so many other such situations in our society, went unaddressed even during the time he was in the U.S. military. So, it appears to be intentional in the sense that he was troubled and lashing out. What we don’t – do not know yet fully, we know there was some kind of drugs in his system, we don’t know the full analysis and whether the type of drugs in his system exacerbated his feelings in a negative way.     

But at the root of this, from what we know so far, is an untreated mental health issue going back probably decades.

Lehrer: Because there have been terrorist attacks in Europe committed just this way, Times Square is exactly the kind of iconic target where maybe there could have been barriers or maybe cars should be banned all together, some people have said. Do you or will you have any policy response to this incident?     

Mayor: Brian, the NYPD is evaluating, based on this incident, what other approaches to take. Here’s the bottom line. When the reconfiguration of Times Square was done, a tremendous number of measures were put in place to isolate the pedestrian areas from vehicles. And obviously, there’s a huge police presence in Times Square including out counter-terrorism officers. This particular incident, nonetheless, is deeply troubling. And we’re going to look at Times Square and see – obviously we’ll look at some other key locations – if we have to do different things in our approach. I’ll tell you one thing, after the car attacks or truck attacks in Europe, we changed our approach to public gatherings. Obviously what happened in Berlin, what happened in Nice were directed at large public gatherings. You saw that reflected in how we handled parades including St. Patrick’s Parade and the Thanksgiving parade where we don’t allow vehicles to cross the path of those parades anymore, and we put barrier trucks – sand trucks – in the way. We’re going to make decisions case by case, but we take this very, very seriously.

Lehrer: Some much better news from the roads, Queens Boulevard, once nicknamed the Boulevard of Death – zero pedestrian deaths in the last two years. Now back in the 90s, some people remember more than 20 people a year sometimes died on Queens Boulevard. It had gotten down to usually two or three a year before you came in, but now zero the last two years. Are there lessons that can be applied to other roadways?

Mayor: Absolutely, Brian. This is proof positive that Vision Zero works, that these crashes that took so many lives didn’t have to happen to begin with. We had badly designed roads, a speed limit that was too high, not enough enforcement in terms of both the police enforcement and speed cameras. We’ve changed all of that. The fact is it’s been over two and a half years, I think it’s 925 days straight without a single fatality on Queens Boulevard. You’re right. At the high point in the 1990s over 20 people a year were dying on Queens Boulevard. Absolutely unacceptable, but this is now turned around. It took a lot of work, and it did take overcoming some opposition from community members, but look at the results. Now, Brian, yes it’s applicable elsewhere. We were having a discussion, obviously, about Ocean Parkway in Brooklyn – an area I used to represent in the City Council. Same thing – by bringing down the speed limit and adding more enforcement, the number of fatalities and injuries have dropped remarkably. So we’re going to be doing a lot more. Vision Zero is still in its infancy. We’re going to be doing a lot more to reverse that history that went on for too many years of lives that were lost that did not to be lost.

Lehrer: Eugene in Long Island City, you’re on WNYC with Mayor de Blasio. Hi, Eugene.

Question: Can you hear me?

Lehrer: Yes.

Question: Okay, hi, Mr. Mayor, Brian. I’m a small investor in a restaurant that’s in Greenpoint, and it’s recently been shut down by the Department of Buildings, and I guess what happened was an angry tenant contacted somebody who has some pull and the Police Department and Fire Department showed up with tactical gear and shut the restaurant down. It’s been around twenty days now. And they’ve not been found to have broken any laws or anything, and they’re kind of in limbo. They have 50 employees. They’ve got 30 weddings booked for this season, and they’re just kind of at a standstill, and they want to know what they can do to move the process along. So I thought I’d call you since I know how to get directly in contact with the Mayor. I know it’s on your desk. I have the woman’s name who has the file.

Lehrer: Mr. Mayor, are you familiar?

Mayor: It’s not on my desk. I’ve never heard about this situation before, but Eugene I’m glad you’re telling me. Look, I don’t know the facts. Saying that the Police and Fire Department showed up in “tactical gear” that does not sound like your usual complaint about a restaurant. So there may be more going on here than meets the eye. Give your information to WNYC. My folks will follow up and see what’s going on, and see if there’s a way we can help.

Lehrer: Eugene, we’ll definitely do that. Thank you for your call.

I want to move onto newly released federal data on immigration arrests for New York City. I saw in reported in Crain’s, and they showed that since Trump was inaugurated, federal immigration agents have arrested 156 non-criminal New Yorkers – more than double for the same period last year – non-criminal New Yorkers. You met with Homeland Security John Kelly on Monday. Did you know about the increase then, and did you raise it with him?

Mayor: I did not know about this report at that point, and although I will not characterize the conversation with Secretary Kelly – I’ll let him speak for himself – I pressed him very hard on the fact that the policies of the Trump administration were creating tremendous and needless fear in our immigrant communities and were making it harder for us to do the work we do of public safety. And the NYPD was particularly distressed that this kind of atmosphere was discouraging immigrant New Yorkers from communicating with police to keep us all safe. And, you know, what I heard from Secretary Kelly was – again, broad characterization – that their focus was going to be on people who had done very negative and violent things, so this certainly doesn’t jibe with that. I want to know what this means, and I’m going to press him further on that.

The bottom line is the city’s policy, the city’s law focuses on the very small number of folks who are undocumented or even green card holders who have done serious and violent crime. We’ve delineated 170 offenses where we will cooperate with ICE if someone is convicted of those offenses, but we will not cooperate when someone hasn’t done anything criminal or has only done low level quality of life type offenses. So it’s very – it’s very distressing, Brian, to hear that ICE is picking up people who are law abiding and contributing to the community. That’s only going to undermine the relationship between our immigrants and our police and our government in general. That’s not going to make anyone safe.

Lehrer: And we have the City Bar Association now wanting you and the Police Department to expand the number of non-violent low level offenses that will draw just summonses, not arrests, under a new law because many immigrants who get arrested even for minor crimes like turnstile jumping that are not included are now deportable under President Trump’s new policies. Will you add turnstile jumping or any other small infractions to the summons policy in response to the Bar association?

Mayor: No, Brian. I’ll tell you we’ll always evaluate the situation year-by-year, but that’s not how I look at it. And I want to be clear why – my mandate is public safety of all New Yorkers. There’s eight and a half million people, and we need to do what we think will keep this city safe regardless of policies in Washington, which I believe will be temporary in the larger schemes of things, and of being played out in a very inconsistent fashion anyway. As you just said, if some of these are random actions by ICE towards people who haven’t committed any crimes that just proves how unpredictable this all is. We have to make our decisions based on what’s good for New York City. Now turnstile jumping is a classic area that’s being fundamentally misportrayed by a lot of commentators. Generally speaking, first of all I condemn turnstile jumping – it’s not the right thing to do – generally speaking if you do it insolation you don’t have other offenses or warrants outstanding and you haven’t done it many times, you’re not going to be arrested, and you’re not going into any database. The folks who get arrested are those who consistently commit that offense or have outstanding warrants for more serious issues. Now that’s part of addressing public safety. So no, we’re not changing our basic approach to law enforcement. We’ve been driving down crime three years in a row now. We’re not going to stop doing that.

Lehrer: Felani in the Bronx, you’re on WNYC with the Mayor. Hello, Felani.

Question: Good morning, Mr. Lehrer and good morning, Mr. Mayor. I’m the parent of a six-year-old kindergartener. She attends a New York City charter school in the Bronx, and she takes the school bus that is contracted through the Office of Pupil Transportation. The bus has about 40-45 five to six years old because it’s a young charter school, and there’s no one on the bus other than the bus driver – who I would imagine needs to focus on the traffic on the road. She’s been hurt on the bus before, and I think it was a totally avoidable situation had there been somebody on the bus that could provide appropriate supervision, so I’m just calling to try to understand why is it the DOE’s policy only to provide bus monitors for buses that transport special education students, and how can we move to have it so all students that ride the bus can have appropriate supervision particularly when there are elementary students that are five and six years old?

Mayor: I appreciate the question very much and my kids use to ride the school bus, when they were in school, so I certainly can relate as a parent. I don’t know enough to tell you how the policy developed, but I can find out. And I obviously want you to give your information to WNYC so we can follow up with you. I think – one thing I will say is having represented people in Brooklyn and now the whole City over the last 15-plus years, generally speaking my experience from parents has been – the sensitivities, as you say, are the kids with special needs on school buses; tremendous concerns there. And we have tried to address those concerns, but less so general education kids. But you’re raising a perfectly fair point. I’m not going to give you a position on air because I just don’t know all of the facts and all of the history. But let me follow up on that. We will follow up with you directly. And then Brian, if you want to bring it up in a future show I can speak about the broader issue.

Mayor: Great, we’ll do that. Hang on, we’ll get your contact information and they will follow up with you.

Lehrer: A tweet – question via twitter. Someone asked Crain’s NY poll finds readers support adult literacy and want BDB to restore funding. This is an issue, right? A funding cut in the budget that is proposed for the next fiscal year regarding adult literacy, familiar with it?

Mayor: Yes, I mean it’s the classic question of whether the word cut is the right word to use. I propose a budget, Brian, and there is an ongoing process with the City Council. And you can’t judge the final product until we get there. I value adult literacy greatly. I think compared to some of the other things that we have to make choices about; we do not consider it the top priority. But the Council cares very deeply about it and that is going to be an ongoing discussion. So, look this is always the challenge of a City of eight-and-a-half million people and a certain limit on how many resources we have. We have to make strategic choices, but I am very open to that discussion with the Council. I know they are passionate about it. So there are still a few weeks before the budget to see if we can work that out.

Lehrer: Our next segment is going to be about mass transit. And you told reporters yesterday, these MTA issues it’s not like they don’t have money. They are making decisions with their money. And of course we know there have been a lot of subway delays and other problems lately. Do you think the MTA is spending its money unwisely?

Mayor: Well, they are clearly not addressing the core reality. And that to me is – I think people are outraged by it. I think it is unacceptable. Let me give you the facts, the total MTA annual operating budget $15.7 billion. That is the operating budget. They have a five-year capital plan of $29 billion. So here is the question New Yorkers need to ask; are they spending the money the right way? Are they spending it I the right place? Are they spending it fairly in terms of the needs of our subway system versus all the other things the MTA does? Look, almost six million riders a day – five to six million riders a day, Brian. The core of what the MTA does in the whole region is the subways of New York City. Are the subways getting the attention they deserve? Are they getting their fair share of the resources? When you think about what the subway system means for the entire regional economy and State economy, is the MTA – and therefore by extension the Governor and State of New York – are they making the right choices with the money they have? And I think in general all of us should be held accountable. Anyone of us who is in charge of something has to be held accountable. You hold me accountable, rightfully, for the NYPD, for our school system, for our jails, for affordable housing plans. All of that I have given you very specific numbers and goals and I should be held accountable. Well, it is time for the MTA and the Governor and the State to do the same thing.

Lehrer: The Governor actually said yesterday that he is not responsible for the MTA. He is just a guy like you who gets to appoint some members to the Board. What is your reaction to that?

Mayor: That is a fantasy. That is absolutely inaccurate and he said earlier in the year he was in charge and he was focused. So, let’s be clear – there is a division of labor. It’s out in the open, let’s not kid around anymore. If you have a concern – if you like something the NYPD is doing or you don’t like it, talk to me. You like something going on in the schools or you don’t like it, talk to me. If you like something happening in our subways or don’t like it, talk to the Governor. He is in charge. He should just own up to it and take this responsibility seriously and put forward a plan. You know, Brian, you and many other journalists and community folks all over the City rightfully demanded of me an affordable housing plan; a plan to improve our schools, a plan to reduce crime, a plan to reduce homelessness, a plan to reduce opioid deaths. I have produced – physically – plans on each and every one of those topics with numerical goals. The Governor should do the same thing for the MTA and they got resources. The question is if the system is constantly experiencing delays and New Yorkers are suffering as a result of it, where the plan to end those is delays and focus those resources where they are needed the most.

Lehrer: You say they’ve got resources and it is the Governor’s responsibility, but as quoted in the Times today aides to the Governor noted that when Bloomberg was Mayor he took an active role in setting the agenda of the MTA even using $2.4 billion in City funds to expand service on the 7 line to the far west side of Manhattan. So are you just less engaged?

Mayor: That is apples and oranges. That is just a smokescreen from the Cuomo team. Look, the extension of the 7 line was based on a particular development reality on the west side of Manhattan. I am glad Mayor Bloomberg did it. I think it was a good move. We’re doing a similar thing with light rail in Brooklyn and Queens, from Astoria down to Sunset Park. But we’re doing it our own way, rather than waiting on the MTA. It’s going to be done a lot quicker that way. And obviously the ferry service we just started. We’re doing our own. It is happening; it is real. We didn’t wait for years and years, it’s there. We’re working in this case with the MTA productively on more select bus service. We invest in that. But there is no comparison between the extension of the 7 line where the far west side of Manhattan was being developed for the first time, versus the day to day operation of the subway system that is the MTA’s responsibility and the Governor’s responsibility. And by the way, we contributed $2.5 billion, two years ago; the City of New York on its own – without any legal requirement to do so – contributed $2.5 billion to the MTA.

Lehrer: The State was asking for a lot –

Mayor: Making choices within the money they have.

Lehrer: The State was asking for a lot more than that.

Mayor: Yes, but Brian that is not how it works. Again, this is the division of labor. We have responsibilities for a huge number of the things that affect the day to day life of New Yorkers. The City of New York – number one responsibilities include policing, fire department, schools; all the things that effect daily of life of the people – public hospitals, etcetera. The MTA – unless the Governor wants to turn the MTA over to the City of New York – the MTA is the State’s responsibility. They have revenue. Now, just like every other organization, make choices within the revenue they have. What is more important than making sure the trains run properly. I don’t know what else could compare in terms of the use of resources.

Lehrer: We have one minute left, last thing. Quinnipiac poll finds out have a 60 percent approval rating – good for any politician while in office and the best poll numbers of your mayoralty. And your highest – 57 percent – say you deserve reelection. This compares with dismal approval for the President within the City. His best was on Staten Island and it was only 40 percent there. Do you think your vocal resistance to Trump is responsible for your bump?

Mayor: I don’t think that’s the core of it. And I don’t live and die by polls. They change all the time, but I will say it’s been three years of the City getting safer. It is the fact that we have continually improved graduation rates and added pre-k. It’s more affordable housing being provided and more ways of protecting people who have affordable housing right now like providing lawyers to stop evictions. Those are the things that affect people’s daily lives. That is what – some people care deeply about taking on Donald Trump and I am happy to say I have been very clear, you have to be uncompromising when taking on Donald Trump and go right at him and take him on frontally and we have done that. And I think it has helped and other cities have done it as well. But no, I think, Brian, in the end the people express their views and they ultimately vote according to what is going on in their daily lives. And I think it reflects the fact that we have been able to improve the daily lives of New Yorkers.

Lehrer: Mr. Mayor, thanks a lot. Talk to you next week.

Mayor: Thank you, Brian.