Transcript: Mayor Adams Appears on CBS 2's "The Point With Marcia Kramer"

June 2, 2024

Marcia Kramer: Mayor Eric Adams is involved in an increasingly volatile tug-of-war with the City Council over who gets the final say over agency heads. He's determined to win, but will he? 

Mr. Mayor, the battle lines are drawn. The City Council wants the right to approve 21 different agency heads, not Police or not Fire, but things like Sanitation and Buildings and Health. They point out to the fact that in the state government, the Senate gets to approve, advise and consent on all the appointments. Why should it happen in the state and not the city? Why do you think it's a bad idea in New York City? 

Mayor Eric Adams: I think the city forefathers, those who wrote the beginning on how they want this done, laid out the reason why some of this stuff moves at a very swift pace. They presented their proposal. We disagree with it and we're going to just stand firm on it. I have the obligation and responsibility to get hundreds of thousands of people who voted for me as mayor to appoint commissioners, to execute plans. That's really timely on some of these plans that we have to do.

Kramer: Why should the city be special and not have the same kinds of advice and consent as the state? 

Mayor Adams: No, I don't think we're special. I did not create these rules. These are the same rules that previous mayors have been under. These are the same rules that have been in place and they've been working for our city and we just disagree. Just the same as I shared, I wouldn't want to pick the chairs of committees. 

Kramer: Of the City Council. 

Mayor Adams: Of the City Council. City Council have committee chairs: Public Safety, Land Use, et cetera. I don't want to say to the speaker I want to pick your committee chairs. That doesn't make any sense to me. 

Kramer: Is this a clash of philosophies? The moderate mayor versus a quote progressive City Council?

Mayor Adams:  I don't know. I think Adrienne and I are cut from the same cloth. Both Bayside High School alumni. When you look at what we have accomplished, 95 percent of the things we agree on. We've been able to really get housing built, public safety, manage the migrant crisis. 

I think that we're from the same community, the same mindset. Are there those in the council who have extreme views that are just counter to mine? I don't believe we should move school safety agents from school. I don't believe we should take down our Police Department, disband our Police Department. I don't believe we should have people protesting the street, calling for the destruction of America. We just have a philosophical disagreement. That's not what I believe the speaker is. 

Kramer: In this debate, there was a City Councilwoman from Queens, Vickie Paladino, who said that giving them the ability to advise and consent on these agency heads, quote, would lock in progressive control over this entire city. 

Is that something that you agree with? That if they were to go through and have the ability to approve your appointments, that it would lock in progressive control? 

Mayor Adams: I think that Councilwoman Paladino shared what her thoughts were. I've been very clear that the people of the city, hundreds of thousands of people, elect the mayor, not just a small number. They want to hold the mayor responsible. 

I want to be held responsible if trash is not picked up. I want to be held responsible if our children are not educated as the state gave us mayoral accountability. The mayor should be held responsible for the delivery of goods in the city, not get into a political back and forth with the council, determine who the commission is going to be. 

Kramer: Your response to this was to appoint a Charter Revision Commission that's supposed to make recommendations by August 5th. The question is, what do you expect them to do? One of the things that I thought was sort of interesting is that you wanted them to look at contributions to public safety. 

Was this a reaction to council bills, which, for example, How Many Stops, which would try to dictate what happens in the Police Department? Do you think that this is not a good thing? Should the council be able to dictate police policy, or should that be left up to the mayor and the police commissioner? 

Mayor Adams: This was not a response to their actions, their bill. In April, early April, we received a letter from constituents in the city, a cross section of constituents who asked to meet with me. They met with me in May. During that meeting, they asked, can we put a Charter Commission in place? We basically agreed at that time. 

When we notified the council that we were going to do a charter revision, they called us and said, hey, by the way, we're going to do this bill. We were not responding to that. I want to be clear on that.

Kramer: Here's the question. What do you want them to do in terms of public safety? Do you think that there should be something in the charter that says that the mayor and the police commissioner set police policy?

Mayor Adams: It wasn't what I wanted, as I stated. They came to me. 

Kramer: Do you think that there's a feeling…

Mayor Adams: My personal belief, I believe that we have to be very careful when we do things that impact public safety. Public safety is the prerequisite to our prosperity. 

Kramer: You were very upset with the How Many Stops Act and other things because you argued at the time that this would make it more difficult for police to do their jobs.

Mayor Adams: I wasn't the only one upset. We heard from a countless number of New Yorkers. I believe that there's just a philosophical disagreement. I am really surprised at how many lawmakers really see the police as an enemy and not part of the foundation of our safety. I say all the time, something happens, people call 911. 

Kramer: Here's the question. I'm not telling you to say, I want the Charter Revision Commission to do this. I know you're not ordering them to do that. Would you like to see something in what they come up with that would curtail the ability of the City Council to set police policy and tell police how to police? 

Mayor Adams: I want a cross-section of New Yorkers that are making up the Charter Revision, Carlo Scissura, all those who are part of it. I want them to sit down. Reverend Herbert Daughtry, who has been a real advocate for police reform. I want them to sit down and look at how public safety should be dealt with in our city. How should we deal with budgeting issues in our city. This is a great opportunity to do some amazing things with a charter revision. 

Kramer: As a former police officer and as the mayor and as the person who appoints the police commissioner and has more than a working knowledge of how the Police Department should operate, does it trouble you that people who have no working knowledge of the Police Department can then dictate how the police can go about doing their job? 

Mayor Adams: Without a doubt, it does trouble me. I don't think people know the delicacies of proper policing. I advocated for proper policing as a police officer, as a state senator, and a borough president. I think of this black and white philosophy of policing, without understanding the complexities surrounding it, I think we can make huge mistakes that can have long-term implications. 

We've seen it already with recidivism. We're seeing the person who shot Detective Diller was arrested 20 times. The person in the car with him that had a gun was out on a gun charge and now there's a gun found in the car. We're seeing action, everything from shoplifting… How do you have such a small number of people who are arrested 7,600 times for different crimes in the city? We're seeing the impact of those that really are hurting what I think are public safety concerns. 

Kramer: Would you as mayor like to see something in the charter that specifies that the mayor and the police commissioner are the ones in charge of setting police policy, not the City Council? 

Mayor Adams: First of all, we are. 

Kramer: Except that they keep passing these bills you don't like, and they override your vetoes.

Mayor Adams: There's a difference between laws and policies. The policies that…  

Kramer: What about the laws they pass that you hate? 

Mayor Adams: I can disagree with that, but this is the system of governance that we have. 

Kramer: But the charter could change that. 

Mayor Adams: I think that those who are going to sit down and ask us to meet with them in April, they have an opportunity now to determine what the charter is going to look like. 

I respect the system of government. Our system of government states that there should be checks and balances, and I respect that. I don't have to like all the checks and balances that are put in place, but I think this is a great system that we have, and I respect it, and I'm going to utilize my tools to make sure I keep the city safe for working-class people.

Kramer: It's clearly been a tense time between you and the City Council over several issues, not only police policy, but also, in terms of the appointments and other issues have come up. I know you agree on the budget, and that's part of the job of both agencies, but I'm wondering if you think that members of the City Council, especially the progressive members of the City Council that you clash with, actually represent the views of their constituents. 

I, over the last week, took a look at the voter turnout in all 51 City Council districts, and I want to tell you there's 173,000 people in every City Council district. Some of these council members get elected with 1,000 votes, 1,200 votes. The biggest one I think I saw was 20,000 votes out of 173,000 people. Do you think that these people represent the people that they are elected to represent? 

Mayor Adams: First of all, I think it's alarming when we don't have the voter participation that come out. I was in certain Council districts, and people were saying they strongly oppose some of the actions, particularly like the How Many Stops Act, but they didn't vote. They threw up their hands and said that they don't believe in the voting system. 

We have to go out and participate in democracy in order for democracy to work, and so it is disheartening when you look at some of the numbers and see the low participation, and then you see people take actions that really are diametrically opposed to what the everyday working-class people want in a district. 

I have never, Marcia, went to one Council district or Senatorial or Assembly district where people say, we don't want police here. Just the opposite. When I hear someone stand up advocating to disband police departments, or some people say we don't want police on the subway at all, I say, who are you representing? that is not what New Yorkers want. 

Kramer: Mayor Adams, more voter questions, but we'll have to leave it right there for now, but we'll be right back with more from Mayor Adams.

[Commercial break.]

Kramer: We're back talking to Mayor Eric Adams. One more voting question. I wonder how you feel about a bill in Albany that's supposed to pass, I think between now and next week, that would make all the elections in New York in even years. That would mean that the mayor, the City Council would be running at the same time as the governor, the congressmen, the president, if it was a presidential election year. Good idea? Bad idea? How do you feel about it? 

Mayor Adams: Number one, it saves money of these various election cycles. I think it would increase voter participation. I need to read through the bill to get the in-depth analysis and ask those who really understand these number crunching what their thoughts are. 

Conceptually, I don't see a problem with it. I don't know if it's the best thing to have a complete change of government at one time. You want to sort of stagnate it a little. Conceptually, I like the idea, but I will have to dig into the bill more.

Kramer: Your reservation has to do with changing every part of government all at the same time, because you think you need to have some consistency? 

Mayor Adams: Some form of consistency on the state level, on the city level, on the federal level. If there's a way to stagnate it, to protect that, conceptually, I think it's a good idea. 

Kramer: Another thing that Governor Hochul is talking about doing is to outlaw cell phones, actually the ones that connect to the internet, in schools. She would allow kids to take regular phones into schools that they can text with, just not that can connect to the internet.

Mayor Adams: Right. 

Kramer: Good idea, bad idea?

Mayor Adams: I love it. I think phones in schools are big distractions. I understand that particularly after 9/11, parents wanted to have contact with their children. I respect that. But it is a huge distraction from bullying to communications. There's a real distraction. Schools should be a place for learning, not for all that other stuff that's going on.

Kramer: You would support her bill that would outlaw cell phones in schools in New York State and in New York City?

Mayor Adams: The devil is always in the details. I need to look through it. Conceptually, I think phones are huge distractions. I'm hoping that the school communities can come together and really look at that. We shouldn't even need a law. Each school community should say what policies we want around phones. 

Kramer: Congestion pricing, another big issue. It's supposed to start in New York City at the end of June, which is this month. Here's the thing. As you know, congestion pricing is supposed to raise $1 billion a year that could be bonded. There are new reports that the MTA, that's not enough, that the MTA needs another $6 billion to weatherproof the system from climate change so you won't have those floods and all the things that are stopping the system. Where's that money going to come from?

Mayor Adams: Huge question. Great question. I believe we need help on the federal level and on the state level.

Kramer: We're talking another tax? We're talking the fare box? We're talking New York City?

Mayor Adams: I've long said I hope that New York City can manage its own transportation system, but the dollars need to come with it. I think New Yorkers, who they don't realize, I actually go on the subway system all the time. They think the mayor is in charge of the MTA. We're not. The mayor was not in charge of congestion pricing. The state turned it over to the MTA. But we have to properly fund our MTA to make sure that it's a first class transportation system.

Kramer: But the federal government hasn't been that forthcoming in terms of dollars for transportation in New York City. There's not a lot of love for New York City in Washington. 
If you can't get the money from the federal government, is this going to mean that they're suddenly going to raise the congestion fee in order to weatherproof the system?

Mayor Adams: I hope not. 

Kramer: But we have to do it.

Mayor Adams: We do because climate change is real and we're seeing the byproduct of that. It's going to be a combination of the federal government and our state lawmakers. We have great leaders up there. 

Carl, Assemblyman Heasite has always been an advocate for New York City. Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, they understand. I cannot say enough about what the governor and those two leaders did for New York City during the last budgetary cycle. They knew what we went through during the migrants and asylum seeker crisis. They really stepped up for us. As a matter of fact, they called me and said we're going to be there for New York.

Kramer: Another hot topic in New York City, pot shops. There are, I don't know, 15,000 illegals, maybe 2,000 at this point, illegal pot shops. You've taken a stab at it. I think you've closed about 200.

Mayor Adams: Yes, inspected over 300, closed over 200. We're really starting to get our groove. We had a major bust over the weekend in the Brooklyn Navy Yard. 
I've said this before. I believe there's a major entity that's treating this like a chain store network. The products are the same, the same methodologies. 

Kramer: Why don't you find this network? 

Mayor Adams: That's what we're doing. We think we found a main artery in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, but we have to continue to drill down on it. 

Kramer: See, here's something that I've noticed. A lot of these pot shops have decided, oh, they're going to come after me now. They're now calling themselves healthful snack shops. If you go into them, there's no pot, there's no CBD, there's nothing on the shelves, just things that would pass muster. 

But if you say, hey, listen, do you have any pre-roll or do you have any flower? They go in the back and they get the product. How are you going to stop these people when, looking at it, it looks normal?

Mayor Adams: First of all, I'm really blown away that you know all the terminology. Let me start with that. In addition to that…

Kramer: Excuse me, you know all the terminology too. Just for the record.

Mayor Adams: But in addition to that, they are trying to get smarter and they have attorneys who are organized. 

Kramer: So if they get smarter, how are you going to go after them? 

Mayor Adams: We have to get smarter and the lawmakers must remain fluent. We must make sure the law does not stagnate us and hurt the entire system and undermine the legalization of cannabis. 
My biggest concern, Marcia, young people. When I speak to my teachers, they say, Eric, our children are high all the time. We're smelling cannabis. T

Kramer: That’s because the stores are so close to school. 

Mayor Adams: That's why we're talking to them. We're talking to them. We're going after those stores and we're going to continue to close them down. We've been dogmatic. Anthony Miranda, the sheriff, has been amazing in this area. 

Kramer: We only have about one minute left. I have to ask you about Andrew Cuomo, who's increasingly active politically. Here's the question. You're a man who believes in second chances. Does he deserve a second chances and does he have a political future? 

Mayor Adams: I think everyone deserves a second chance. If I didn't have a second chance, I wouldn't be sitting on this couch having a conversation with you. 

This is all part of the process. The voters are going to determine who's going to be the next elected. We must sell our product. And this is going back to what I'm saying in this minute we have left about Adrienne and I. My biggest fear is that the three or four things we disagree on is going to overshadow what the first woman of color as a speaker, the second mayor of color, what we have accomplished. 
We've navigated us through COVID, through migrants, through crime. I'm so proud of what Adrienne has accomplished as a speaker. I bet if you ask her, she'll say she's proud of what I've accomplished. 

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