Transcript: Mayor de Blasio Appears Live on WCBS 880 for the Annual Hungerthon

November 24, 2020

Wayne Cabot: Michael, good morning. The Mayor of New York City, Bill de Blasio, agreed to come on with us and talk about hunger in the city even before we got that sad news overnight. Mayor, good morning. 

Mayor Bill de Blasio: Good morning, Wayne. How you doing today? 

Cabot: Mayor, I'm fine, but I'm sure it's got to be tough for you and for your wife to hear about the passing of David Dinkins.  

Mayor: Yeah, we miss him already, Wayne. Here's a man, what a good man, first of all. Everyone saw this. What a good man with a good heart who really just wanted to help people. And for Chirlane and I, he was a mentor and we literally met because of him. I mean, I always say when I was around him for years and years, I would say, “You know, Mayor, all I owe you is my marriage, my family, you know, my career, nothing else than that.” This is a guy who just for so many of us, he was the person who put us on the path of public service and showed us the right way to do it as decent human beings. And just a huge loss and I hope now, Wayne, that his legacy will be examined more fairly because he really is the guy that helped set the city on a path to safety with Safe Streets, Safe City. And he's the person who started to focus on young people with afterschool programs. And there's so many things he did that he never got his due. And I hope now they'll finally be that sort of fair assessment of all the good he did for us. 

Cabot: I know he was a mentor of yours, obviously. I'm going to pick up on something you just said about the afterschool programs that he started. You've continued that legacy with the breakfasts for so many children at such a young age, in New York City through the schools. And now with the schools having shut down again, and with winter coming, what are your thoughts about that, as it relates to hunger in the city? 

Mayor: Wayne, we have a lot to do. First of all, I want to thank you. I want to thank all the radio stations participating today to help make sure people have food in the city. Particularly this holiday season, we've got a lot to do. Our schools are a place that our children turn for nutrition. We're going to keep every school providing free meals, not just to kids, but to families as well throughout. And I want to just say very important, any New Yorker who needs food, we don't want any New Yorker to go hungry. We won't let it happen in this city – any New Yorker who needs food can call 3-1-1, or it can go online, nyc.gov/getfood. And we can let you know where you can pick up food. Or if you're someone who can't get out of the house, if you have a disability or any other reason, you can't get out of the house, we will get food to you directly. We'll deliver it to you. But you're right, those school breakfast and school lunch programs are crucial. We're going to keep them going, but, Wayne, the bigger solution of course is to get our schools back open. And that's what we're working on right now with the State. There is a path forward. We're going to get the schools back open over time, and we're going to beat the coronavirus now that a vaccine is coming. And that's really, that's really the key to getting everything back to what people need. 

Cabot: But until that vaccine is distributed and widely distributed what are we going to see in terms of more stimulus? Do you have any indications that Washington's going to come forward on January 21st? And can the Senate even go along with it? 

Mayor: I'll tell you, Wayne, I keep hoping, because it's so clear this whole nation needs the stimulus certainly the city does. But I'm not going to be fooled again by the current Congress, which just hasn't produced it, meaning the U.S. Senate, obviously. I think the reality now is likely it's going to take Joe Biden actually taking office on January 20th to move the stimulus. But I can tell you, and we talked about this yesterday, you know, the City remains able to provide, you know, the essential services. We're going to hang on. We're going to keep protecting people, keep giving people the food they need, keep people healthy. And that stimulus, we absolutely need it, but we can wait till January or February if that's what it takes. And I know Joe Biden, I was on a – I was on a Zoom with mayors from around the country with the president-elect and the vice president-elect. Joe Biden couldn't have been more clear about how focused he is on that stimulus and how it will be job one for his administration and how he wants to see a lot of those resources go directly to cities quickly. And I believe him, I know this is what will be his priority. 

Cabot: New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio. Thank you for your continued interest in Hungerthon and for helping us raise money, our condolences to you and Chirlane and all of those who remember David Dinkins as the genteel man that he was. 

Mayor: Indeed. And Wayne, thank you again, and all your colleagues. You're doing something really important here this Thanksgiving season. Thank you for looking out for New Yorkers in need. I really appreciate it.