Transcript: Mayor de Blasio Announces 11 Sites Added to Community Parks Initiative

September 25, 2017

Mayor Bill de Blasio: Thank you. You did pretty good. I think you have a public speaking career ahead of you.

Max Katz: I’m working on it.

Mayor: Max, Rome wasn’t built in the day, but you have a started on the journey to public speaking, thank you. I want to thank Max for talking about this community here in the East Village and what parks mean to people in the community and what they need, and for advocating for the community to make sure that those changes are made. Let’s thank Max for all that he is doing for the community.

[Applause] 

I want to thank, first and foremost, the people who make our parks great. There are so many New Yorkers who chip in to help our parks in so many ways through their own physical efforts, through their donations, through the organizations they put together to help parks. But a special thank you to the people who do the work every day to keep our parks green and beautiful and safe for our kids, and safe for everyone. Let’s thank all our Parks employees for all they do.

[Applause] 

And thank you to the folks who are here who care deeply about this community and do so much. Folks from the Grand Street Settlement we thank you, the Tenant Association of Campos Plaza and Community Board 3. Let’s thank them all for all they do for the neighborhood.

[Applause] 

So, today we announce something called good news. It does still exist in the world and this is something very good for a lot of neighborhoods and a lot of parks that have not gotten their due. But before I get into the good news, I’ve got to talk about a situation that we are all feeling so deeply, which is the tragedy in Puerto Rico.

And this community in the East Village is home to many Puerto Rican New Yorkers. Otherwise known as ‘New Yorkicans’ who deeply, deeply are feeling the crisis in their homeland, and I am having this experience everywhere of people either still trying to contact a loved one, trying to reach their mother, their father, their grandparents. I mean I’m talking to people literally every hour it seems who are still searching for someone they love in Puerto Rico to make sure they’re okay.

But I’ve also had the joyous experience, including with one member of my team, of getting that call to say they found them. One of my colleagues found her father was safe and sound, and I just want all New Yorkers to feel what Puerto Ricans are feeling right now – the pain on the ground, three-and-a-half million Americans who have lost so much.

I mean imagine, imagine if everywhere didn’t have electricity, if roads were not passible, if basic supplies were not available. We experienced some of that after 9/11. In this city we experienced a lot of that after Sandy in this city. But we’re talking all of Puerto Rico has been affected. So, there is a lot of pain, there is a lot of confusion, there is a lot of fear. And there are 700,000 people here, proud Puerto Ricans, who are feeling it very, very sharply, very personally.

But I made the point earlier this morning. You know I was up at Abyssinian in Harlem yesterday and I asked the congregation to raise their hands if anyone had a close personal connection to Puerto Rico or Puerto Rican people, and every hand in the congregation went up because we’re New Yorkers, which means every one of us has a connection to Puerto Rico.

So remember why we feel this. Almost 10 percent of our family – excuse me 10 percent of our city is Puerto Rican, has family in Puerto Rico. We need to be there. And we need to be there no matter what the federal government does. And we need to push the federal government to do the maximum. We, as New Yorkers, are going to have to be there for Puerto Rico for a long time. This is an island-wide disaster. There has never been anything like it. We’re going to have to be with them shoulder-to-shoulder for a long time. 

[Applause] 

We, in the City of New York, are blessed to have the finest first responders anywhere in the nation, the finest professionals working for our City agencies, including people with technical expertise that’s desperately needed right now in Puerto Rico. We have been working closely with the City of San Juan, the number population in Puerto Rico, to provide that support directly and of course with FEMA. Our teams that have been sent down on the behest of FEMA continue to grow.

Right now there 58 New York City personnel in Puerto Rico. FEMA has just requested additional personnel to go down immediately and that is being organized right now. We also have had a very, very powerful response to our call to City employees to volunteer their time to go down to Puerto Rico. We’ve had a lot of City employees ready to go. Our advance team from the Office of Emergency Management is setting up an Operations Center to be able to receive that personnel when time is right. And we still have more that has to be done to get ready to receive them. But there has been an immense and warm and human response from the people of New York City to deploy to Puerto Rico.

Now, I want to remind people. We need donations of every kind. So let’s talk about charitable donations that are actually the material things that are needed right now in Puerto Rico. And listen everybody, it’s really important. I ask all of my colleagues in the media. Please differentiate this in your coverage. 

What Puerto Rico needs right now and what they don’t need from us – because there is a division of labor. The federal government, of course, taking the lead on some of the most urgent matters. What is not needed right now is clothing or food for adults. There have been a lot of donations of food. There are a lot of donations of rice etcetera. We don’t need that right now, we need baby food, but we do not need adult food right now.

So here is exactly the five things that we are asking New Yorkers to give and they can give, again, at 18 EMS stations and fire houses around the city.

Five things – baby food, diapers, batteries, first aid supplies, and feminine hygiene products. I am going to say it one more time – baby food, diapers, batteries, first aid supplies, and feminine hygiene products. Those are the five things we need. They could be dropped off at any of the 18 locations – FDNY locations. To find one, you go onto our website nyc.gov/donations.

Obviously, there’s a lot of New Yorkers who want to help financially. You could that through the Mayor’s Fund at nyc.gov/fund. And we ask people to be as generous as humanly possible. 

And we need to keep the pressure on the federal government – three-and-a-half million Americans suffering right now in a way that again we can hardly of any parallel. Perhaps, Katrina in New Orleans but the sheer extent of this goes beyond anything we’ve seen. It’s as if an entire American state was without electricity, without safe passage on roads simultaneously.

The New York City Congressional delegation understands that aid is needed and its needed right now. It can’t wait. There has been some talk in Washington about taking their time getting the aid package to Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico needs it right now. 

So I am calling on President Trump and everyone in the executive branch to expedite aid for Puerto Rico. Remember Puerto Rico does not have the same government infrastructure that a number of other states in this country have. Puerto Rico needs more help now.  We’ve talked to our team down there. Getting around is very difficult. There are real concerns going forward about law enforcement. These are the areas where the federal government could have a particularly strong impact in securing the roads and making them passable and making sure people are safe. So we’re going to continue our efforts but we have to push Washington to do more.

And I should note we will also be looking for every opportunity to help our brothers and sisters in the U.S. Virgin Islands which were devastated. We want to find ways to help them. Obviously, the situation in Mexico we’re all feeling deeply and there is almost a quarter-million Mexican-Americans in this city. 

So we’re going to try and find ways to help everywhere we can. But the sheer intensity and the breadth of what’s happening to Puerto Rico demands particular attention. Just a few words in Spanish to summarize.

[Mayor de Blasio speaks in Spanish]  

So, I’m sure we’ll talk about that more in a moment, but let me go back to the matter at hand. I want to say a few words, and then you’re going to hear from some of my colleagues. So, I thought Max really made clear what a community park means to a neighborhood. It’s like one of the centers of life. Birthday parties are held here. For a lot of families this is literally where they spend their summer vacation because they don’t have the money to get out of town. 

So, right here so much of what happens – particularly in the lives of our kids, this is where they learn, this is where they grow, and we have to make sure every park gets all the help we can give it regardless of ZIP code. 

Now, we know that wasn’t always the case in the past. We know there were some parks that got neglected while others thrived. We need to improve everybody’s quality-of-life. We need to make sure every neighborhood gets help. And we don’t accept inequality in any form including inequality in parks funding.

Now, when you invest in a park it does something big for the whole community. Right here is a great example. This park, as you heard, hasn’t gotten serious investment in about 20 years. It needs it. And you can see the kinds of changes that are possible when that investment comes. So that’s why we announced the Community Parks Initiative three years ago to focus on parks and neighborhoods that had not gotten their share of investment, and also to focus on places where the need was great, a lot of which are growing communities in this city. So, we knew we could take things that are worn down and make them beautiful again, and that millions of New Yorkers would benefit.

So, today we announce 11 more parks that will be transformed. These are the final 11 in the list of 67 that we started out with when we announced the initiative three years ago. So let me just call the roll here. In the Bronx, Prospect Playground and Mapes Ballfield. In Brooklyn, Bartlett Playground, Lewis Playground, Penn Triangle. In Manhattan, Bill Bojangles Playground, Harlem Lane Playground, right here where we are, Joseph C. Sauer Park, and Playground One. In Queens, Chappetto Square. And in Staten Island, Mariners Harbor Playground. That will bring to 67 the number of parks that are getting this help.

Amazing facts – 67 parks and just in terms of who lives by them let alone who comes to use them from surrounding areas. These 67 parks, within just a five or ten minute walk of these 67 parks live half-a-million New Yorkers. Half-a-million people. So, we know we’re going to reach a lot of people with this initiative. The City is spending $318 million dollars on the 67 parks. And I want to thank the City Council and Council Member Rosie Mendez for her strong support. This – you can clap for her.

[Applause]

And just to give you the update, this stuff is happening right now. Five of the parks on the original list are already transformed and opened and people are enjoying them. Twelve more will be done at the end of this year. By the end of 2018, 30, and we’ll continue until all 67 are done. And when you go around – this is part of the beauty of City Hall in Your Borough – when you talk to everyday people this is exactly the kind of thing they say, I hear it all the time, they care about the big issues but they also want to make sure that everyday life is better,. They want their park to be better for their children, it’s one of the most passionate things I hear from my fellow New Yorkers. And we’re certainly going to be talking to people all over Manhattan this week. And I know Gale Brewer will be happy to know that four of the 11 new sites will be in Manhattan.

Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer: Yay.

Mayor: There you go.

[Laughter]

From the Lower East Side to the East 150s, so we’re covering different parts of the borough.

It’s time to make sure that every neighborhood gets a fair shake. And that’s what this initiative is all about.

A few words in Spanish.

[The Mayor speaks in Spanish]

With that, the man who makes the magic happen – even though he is not wearing his customary Parks Department polo shirt. I’m a little upset about that because it’s the – I got to say we love all the departments, Parks people I’m going to tell you from the bottom of my heart, every department is beautiful, love them all, the coolest polo shirts are the Parks Department ones. The most fashionable –

[Applause]

Sorry, it’s just true. But Mitch Silver has failed to show us that today, maybe he will do it on another occasion. Commissioner Mitch Silver.

Parks Commissioner Mitchell Silver: Thank you, Mayor, I think I have a Superman Parks shirt underneath.

Mayor: [Inaudible] rip it off, that would be very cool, Mitch. That would be a good visual for TV.

Commissioner Silver: I’ll work on an ad. So I have my staff getting ready to prepare that shirt. So thank you, Mayor, and thank you all for being here at Sauer Park. This program has really been transformative because as Max said this is a well-loved and well-used park. And you can see that it hadn’t really seen investment in really a long time. And this is the kind of public space that we would like to see transformed. So there is good news, that we’re about to transform this space that really serves the community’s needs. What you’re looking at is Van Alst Playground in Astoria, Queens – the first of the Community Parks Initiative that’s been transformed.

You’ll see to my far left what it looked like before the transformation and now with vibrant colors and new places where people could enjoy of all ages. I’m told from the mothers in Astoria this is now their most favorite destination park to go to. And now it is bringing so many great memories to so many in that neighborhood.

Like all of us and like Max I grew up in New York City parks. I learned to run there, I had my first date in a park. In fact the Mayor got married in a park. There is something that we say. If you’re first date or you get married in park, your marriage will last longer – 

Mayor: That’s right. 

Commissioner Silver: So, just look for those parks to enliven your lives. But there is no question that we now have an opportunity to make sure that all New Yorkers have access to a quality park. Our neighborhood parks are more than just green spaces; they’re our living rooms, our front porches, our backyards, our town squares. It’s where people come to connect and really have lifelong friendships.

That’s why Mayor de Blasio’s vision for Park Equity the Community Parks Initiative is what it’s all about. These bottom-up Community Parks Initiative renovations will bring new parks, playgrounds from their foundation and make these incredible public spaces for people of all ages. These are not just for children and families but for our seniors. We want them to age gracefully in New York City. It is so important. So, I can’t wait to get started and to learn what the Community Parks Initiative can do for this next round of 11. I enjoy redesigning, and I’m even looking at this beautiful tree which is really in my opinion one of the center pieces of this public space. Is that correct Max?

Katz: Yes.

Commissioner Silver: It is. So we’re now going to have a public scoping meeting and community visioning to really work with the community for this park and all the other parks to help realize what this park can be for this community. Thank you very much. 

Mayor: Mitch, wonderful presentation. Please dress appropriately for the occasion next time.

And now – she’s going to make sure all week long, that I do good things for Manhattan, or else – the Borough President of Manhattan, Gale Brewer.

[Applause]

[…]

Well, Brian, I thought your statements were very clear and eloquent. If ever Brad says something that doesn’t make sense, remember he has a one-month-old baby and probably hasn’t slept in a long time. 

[Laughter]

Assembly Member Brian Kavanagh: [Inaudible]

Mayor: No, no. I said this was good this time.

[Laughter]

I’m giving you so room for next time. Assembly Member Kavanagh, we have called him so many times looking for help on so many things in Albany. He has answered the call every single time and done it so well. This is not a political event – I just will say, I think, I look forward to the day when I get to call Brian Kavanagh by a different title and look forward to the great work he will do up ahead. Assembly Member Brian Kavanagh.

[Applause]

[…]

So, a long time ago, when I went to college at NYU, very close to here, I had a classmate and we were very much cut from the same cloth. And who knew that we would both end up in public office. But she has done a great job. She’s a true voice in the community and has been someone who really represents what the grassroots feel and that’s been an important and powerful mission in her work in the City Council. And we will miss you as your term comes to an end but congratulate you on a great, great job in the City Council. Councilmember Rosie Mendez.

[Applause]

[…]

Mayor: Let’s first questions about the Community Parks Initiative and then we’ll go from there. Any questions about this announcement today? The new parks? Yes?

Question: You said $318 million [inaudible] previously $285 million for all 67. Has there been an increase? 

Mayor: Well, we make adjustments as we actually experience the real costs. Mitch, you want – is that the simple answer? That’s the simple answer. So, the original was the projection. As we have proceeded with it, cost has gone up. Obviously, it’s a meaningful amount of money but we think it’s a fair amount for what we’re achieving.

Yes, sir?

Question: Is the park being entirely closed? How long –

Mayor: Excellent question. So, starting in ’19, done in ’20. Is that what you said? Work – physical work in ’19. Done in ’20.

Commissioner Silver: Correct. The physical work will start in about ’19 and will be completed in 2020. We have a community visioning meeting, that’s what we call scoping. It’s very likely, in almost all cases; the entire park is transformed and will be closed during that time. We try to minimize it to less than 12 months. But the answers – mostly likely yes, the park will be closed during that period. 

Question: Given the adjustment in funding, have you included the future sites in those projections of the $318 or do you expect the price will go up again when you identify –

Mayor: Well, one, that’s that adjusted amount right now. We, each year in the budget process – look, now, here’s what we find. Sometimes, it’s not shocking to anyone, prices for a project go up. Sometimes we find ways to save money. Sometimes a project takes longer and therefore it gets stretched out over a longer period of time and that changes how we budget by year. So, it’s a natural thing we do each year in the budget process to make those adjustments.

Let’s see if there’s anything else on this. I want to go to Puerto Rico next, so we’re taking media questions. 

Media? Yes?

Question: Just one question –

Mayor: Media question? Yeah okay, just taking media questions right now, but be happy to see you after. Media questions first on the parks, just want to see if there’s anything else on the parks, now let’s just take Puerto Rico questions, and then we’ll go to other topics.

Yes?

Question: Is there anything the City is doing to prepare for maybe an [inaudible] Puerto Ricans coming to New York to stay with relatives, like any services that would be offered?

Mayor: Yeah, great question. So, with – there’s no way yet to know what that number may be but I think it’s absolutely right to assume that there will be a substantial number of Puerto Ricans families coming here because they have family ties here and places hopefully they can stay. I don’t – we can’t project yet, I would be surprised if that was less than, you know, the thousands. First things for families, obviously, our public schools are ready to receive any children who come, but the thing I spoke with Deputy Mayor Palacio, she raised this morning, you know, people come up and have particular health care needs, especially health care needs that may have been exasperated by this crisis.

Health + Hospitals Corporation is going to take a lead on that. So our team that is down there now that has set up an operations center will be relaying back to us if there’s particular situations where our help is needed in terms of health care and folks who need to come up here for health care, and we will be working to accommodate them through Health + Hospitals, in some cases through the private hospitals depending on the need. 

But I think you’re right to ask the question because I assume this is going to be a major area where we can help Puerto Rico but I think it’s also several weeks away in many cases because people still can’t even get around normally to be able to relocate for any period of time.

Yes?

Question: I wonder what [inaudible] as far as what the federal government should be doing right now [inaudible] not doing. [Inaudible] lack of electricity of a whole entire island –

Mayor: Right.

Question: [Inaudible] engineers there that you know of?

Mayor: I don’t have enough of a sense of specifically which personnel are there through FEMA and the federal government. I think the point is, one, the aid package should be approved as rapidly as possible. It was a very good thing that aid for Texas, for example, was agreed upon quickly and that’s largely due to the good work of Senator Schumer. There – you know, quite in contrast to the debates that happened after Sandy which you remember were tortured. I – what we feel as New Yorkers is, one for all, all for one. You know, if we – if Texas is in trouble, if Florida is in trouble, if Puerto Rico is in trouble, get them an aid package, and get it to them quick just like we would expect for New York. We want it for everyone. Everyone treated equally.

[Applause]

So, that’s what I’d like to see first, a substantial dollar figure agreed to and earmarked for Puerto Rico immediately, that’s going to open up the possibility of more action. In, terms of any of the personnel, the equipment, etcetera – first blush we’ve seen some very good efforts from the federal government and from FEMA, want to see those deepen and speed up.

The electrical situation is obviously beyond anything that anyone’s seen anywhere. I cannot – I mean I have a decent memory of history, I can’t remember any other time that effectively something the size of a state all knocked out, you know, this severally. So I don’t think there’s precedent for this. But we’re going to push very hard to make sure that material help is there as well.

Let’s see, anything else on Puerto Rico. Yes, Gloria?

Question: Mr. Mayor, do you have any plans to travel to the island? The Speaker has been down there –

Mayor: Yes.

Question: [Inaudible] 

Mayor: Well, I’ll announce if I do, right now, no. I’m staying by the same exact thought that I offered to you the other day. We want to help in every where possible, I’ve been in touch with our colleagues down there. Right now the aid we’re sending is what they’re asking for. We have a lot more work to do to get more aid down. That’s where I’m going to keep my focus. And, if it makes sense at some point to go down so I can help in a particular manner, I will. But right now the focus is here.

Anything else on Puerto Rico before – yes, sir? On Puerto Rico first before we go to any other topic. Media questions. Media? Yes, sir?

Question: Could you elaborate a little bit more about exactly what [inaudible]?

Mayor: Yeah –

Question: Have you got any feedback [inaudible] about how bad it is there?

Mayor: Yes, no, I’ve definitely gotten feedback from our folks down there. I mean everyone’s horrified. It’s widespread destruction and dislocation. Thank God, at this point, the loss of life has not been much worse, but that’s still a lot of places that have not been gotten to yet. So, we fear something worse.

But, I think it’s the sheer breadth and magnitude of this that’s so shocking. That so many roads are impassable, so many electrical lines down, you know, electrical service out, folks literally can’t communicate, there’s a gas shortage, there’s a food shortage, there’s a water shortage. I mean it’s just total.

So, our folks have said very clearly there’s endless need and the most important thing is to create the conditions to receive a lot more help. But that will take a lot of work to organize. We have two elements, the biggest is the Urban Search and Rescue Teams directed by FEMA – that totaled between 30 and I think, 35, the original group.

FEMA has asked for more, we’re waiting for an exact number. We’ll get that next ground down probably in the next 48 hours. Separately the effort we have mounted with the City of San Juan which desperately needs help and we have sent Office of Emergency Management personnel to help them set up their emergency work and receive support from New York City, and that will be supplies, that will be our personnel. But everyone is dealing with such a total crisis that they literally have to take it one step at a time. There was a period of time where the aid teams were held while the airport was fixed because when flights started to go in with aid the airports structural damage became evident and they had to stop for a while, while they fixed it to be able to take more flights in. So, it’s – everything’s interconnected and it’s going to take a series of steps to really be able to receive aid on a large scale.

Let’s see anything else on Puerto Rico first. Okay, any other topics? Yes, sir? 

Question: Your response to two questions. One, the Anthony Weiner sentencing and also – 

Mayor: Let’s just stay on that. First it’s very, very sad. It’s a human tragedy for his family, for him. And someone who you know at one point, I think, had a lot to offer in public service. And – but I also think it’s time for us all to just stop talking about it. I honestly believe that it’s over, he’s been sentenced. Let’s leave his family at peace, and let’s go on. I really feel that.

Question: President Trump’s remarks about the NFL players and all those SOB’s being fired –

Mayor: Yeah.

Question: Can you weigh in on this? 

Mayor: That’s totally unacceptable and, you know, he doesn’t ever think about the power of his words and the horrible impact his words often have. But you know as someone said the other day, he just insulted the hard-working, decent, good mothers of all these athletes who work so hard to get to where they got. And you know it’s incredibly hard to be a professional athlete and that, humanly, is unacceptable to begin with.

But second, this is about the right to free speech in this country. And as a lot of you know, you know, I am a New England Patriots fan and one of my friends up there was at the game and he was distressed that some fans did not respect the right to protest and he said this is the place where the Sons of Liberty were originally. You know, in Massachusetts is where the American Revolution began largely on the ideas like the right to free speech and the right for everyone’s views to be respected, and that arbitrary authority could not tell people what to think. 

So I think it’s just inappropriate for the President to say the things he said. And I think the NFL has stood up to him, which is right. And we’ve seen a lot of solidarity for the right of these players to speak their minds. You know, I’ve said openly. I would not do it the same way, personally. I want to see a lot of change in this country too. I think these players want to see real change in this country. I think they are motivated by a hard-felt desired to see change. I want to see change too. 

My personal approach is different. I believe in saluting the flag while working on that process of change. But I will defend, 100 percent, their right to express their views. That is as American as it gets. Grace?

Question: Tomorrow I believe is the deadline for City lawyers to file an appeal, an appeal agreeing [inaudible] Agents of the City lawsuit. And I know you’ve spoken about this before but, I’m wondering [inaudible] intending to repeal the judge’s earlier decision. 

Mayor: Everything is continuing as it was. 

Question: And explain why when FOIL experts, lawyers, the government [inaudible] –

Mayor: I’ve explained it many times.  

Question: Why, why not turn those –

Mayor: I’ve explained it many times that the legal guidance said that what we’re doing is appropriate. We stand by it. Yes?

Question: The City’s DNA database has grown significantly in the last couple of years. Why is the City keeping the DNA of people not convicted of crimes? I’m not familiar with the how the database is kept. I’m happy to look into, but I’m just not familiar with the details [inaudible] but we can come back. 

Question: [Inaudible] 

Mayor: Again, not knowing the details, I don’t want to comment. But I’d be happy to look into it and have an answer.

Question: Mr. Mayor, the City of London is pulling Uber’s right to operate there. Is there any chance that New York City is going to follow soon? Or are you happy with how Uber is operating here? Or what’s your –

Mayor: Well, that’s separate. There’s several parts to that question. So let me – Rich, let me try and pull apart the pieces. I have always had concerns about Uber as you know. And I was very disappointed in the way Uber handled a number of issues in the last couple of years. And I think the board was right to remove the CEO and to start a process of change. We are working with the entire for-hire vehicle industry to try and create fairer rules on a host of fronts – disability access, fair treatment for workers, consumer rights, a whole host of things. We’re going to try and create a uniform approach. So, I’m not familiar with the details of what London has done. I have a lot of respect for Mayor Sadiq Khan in London but I don’t know the details. I will say we’re trying to figure stronger and better rules for our whole for-hire vehicle industry as we go forward. Way back? 

Question: [Inaudible] Trump travel ban?

Mayor: It’s got the same problem as the original travel ban. It is treating people the same regardless of their personal details. The fact is security experts will say – and I’ve had this conversation with our security experts here in the city – you don’t ban people based on what country they come or the faith. You ban them based on some specific fact in their life that makes them a threat. So, again it’s the same problem over and over again. And it’s not going to make us more secure in my view. And it’s also going to mean a lot people who should have had a right to be here won’t. Willie?

Question: On the question of the NFL protests. Nicole Malliotakis, who’s running against for mayor, put out a statement yesterday saying, "Trump is right. The NFL should fire or fine those who disrespect both our flag and the millions of fans who ultimately pay their salaries." I’d like you to address specifically [inaudible] into this issue.

Mayor: I just disagree with the Assembly Member. I think it’s a misreading of the American right to free speech. I just think it’s right to say that people who are acting out of honest political conviction should be penalized in that way. They are athletes. They are choosing to express a concern, a concern that many of them have experienced personally and their families have experienced – meaning the challenges that have existed between police and community. And I just think it’s irresponsible to call for that.

Question: She said specifically that it’s improper for somebody to express their political views in their workplace. Somebody who worked with her today mentioned to me or raised the issue that they have said that you at one point said that it was inappropriate for police to protest something political during their work time.

Mayor: Apples and oranges if ever I’ve heard them. Public employees across the board are not allowed to express personal, partisan views while doing their work in public services. It’s the nature of public service, it’s part of what everyone agrees to when they engage in public services. It must be politically neutral. That is very different than a private citizen, an athlete choosing to express their views. Yes?

Question: In the last month or so you’ve held up the School Construction Authority a couple of times as a contrast to the MTA –

Mayor: Yes.

Question: [Inaudible] deficient, capital construction. But your own Mayor’s Office of Operations has said that they’re actually quite over budget on a lot of their big projects to the tune, if you add all up, it adds up to more than $300 million. So, I’m wondering about the discrepancy between what that office –

Mayor: Again, I would say apples and oranges. That is not a discrepancy. Some projects legitimately require more money. It’s just a part of the reality of building a lot of things, especially a lot of things quickly, which the SCA has done. 

I want to remind to people with SCA – we have asked them to do a huge school building and renovation program which they were doing very well and very quickly. We then asked them to do a whole lot more to increase the number of school seats available in this last capital budget which they took on willingly. We asked them to greatly expand pre-K capacity which they did on time with each of the tranches of pre-K developing.

Then we turned around and said we need you now to create a full-blown 3-K program which they’re doing, and we said we need to put air conditioning in every classroom in New York City that doesn’t have it. And they’re doing that too.

So, we keep throwing more and more work on the SCA and they keep doing it and doing it well. But sometimes specific projects cost more than originally anticipated for perfectly legitimate reasons. Now look, we’ll always look to see if we think there’s a specific thing we need to do better. There is no question about that.

When you think of the billions and billions of dollars they spend and spend well. I’m very satisfied with their efficiency and I think it is night and day from the reality with the MTA is particularity historically.

Question: Mr. Mayor I was wondering if you – if there’s anything you’re doing to help convince Amazon to come to the city. And, I wanted to ask you if you would be willing to offer any kind of incentives and if you think that they should come here.

Mayor: I do think Amazon should come here. I think Amazon would do very well in New York City and I think New York City would greatly benefit from Amazon’s presence. And we were thrilled that Amazon already, separately, decided to move several thousand jobs here, some of their professional jobs because they realized this was the right environment that they wanted in terms of being able to get great personnel, keep them, and being able to connect to so many other industries that are here. So that’s a really good sign that even as they embark on their process of determining their second headquarters, they proactively decided to move several thousand professional employees here.

So I think we have a lot to offer them, we’re going to work very hard at it. I expect to meet with Amazon leadership. We’ve already started to set that up. We’re going to make a strong proposal. We’re going to show them different parts of the city that could work in a single campus or multiple pieces. I think we have a lot to offer. We, as you know, do not believe in the traditional forms of subsidy. There are some State subsidies that are available, there are some specific things by law that anyone would be allowed to tap into, but we will not provide the traditional add-on economic subsidies, that’s not something we believe in. 

Question: Mr. Mayor, do you order from Amazon or you do brick-and-mortar?

Mayor: What do you think Rich? Rich, I am sick of that kind of question. What do you think? Do you not know me by now?

[Laughter]

I have never ordered from Amazon, that’s no disrespect to Amazon, God bless Amazon. I believe in bricks-and-mortar.

Borough President Brewer: Yay!

Mayor: Thank you, Gale.

[Applause]

That’s my semi-annual praise from Gale Brewer. No, it’s – yes, I understand the efficiency of it, and I’m not speaking for the First Lady who uses all methodologies. But no, I personally just like the experience of going into a store, choosing something myself, you know, having the physical opportunity to see what the thing looks like. But I understand why Amazon would be so important to New York City and I certainly want to see them come here and thrive here. 

Yes?

Question: [Inaudible]

Mayor: Really?

Question: Do you believe that?

Mayor: No.

Question: [Inaudible]

Mayor: Yes.

Question: [Inaudible]

Mayor: Race has something has something to do with almost everything Donald Trump says. When are we going to get this through our heads?

[Applause]

It’s pretty clear. I have said he’s a racist before, I’ll say it again. It’s – look, there’s this kind of sick term we use, dog whistling, when people use coded racial language. He doesn’t bother with the coding a lot of times. He just goes right to it. And that’s true. There’s a really interesting analysis I recommend to everybody in Politico looking at the roots of Donald Trump’s overt racism back in the 70s and 80s in the way he handled things in New York City, including the Central Park Five. It’s not even close.

So yeah, of course, that’s part of what’s going on here, and it’s sad. And I don’t think it’s going to work. I mean, I think his concept, this is this Steven Bannon inspired, incessant interest in a narrow political support base that sadly a lot of whom want to hear that. That’s not the majority of Americans. That’s not the swing voters. I mean, it’s a ridiculous, morally unacceptable, and ridiculous political strategy but he’s going to do it over, and over, and over again. And yes, that’s what’s happening here.

Yes?

Question: Just to clarify on Amazon, you’re saying that your wife does order from Amazon so your family –

Mayor: Oh yeah. I believe she does.

Question:  [Inaudible] you make goes to Amazon.

Mayor: Sure, I wasn’t suggesting otherwise. The question was, do I personally order from Amazon. No. It’s not a dis on Amazon, it’s I like traditional stores. Chirlane, you’ll have to ask her separately from whom she orders but I do believe she orders from Amazon among others.

[Laughter]

Question: Have you ever bought anything online?

Mayor: Yes.

Question: What?

Mayor: Baseball tickets.

[Laughter]

I want – I’m very proud of this fact, I went to the first World Baseball Classic in San Diego and I bought those tickets online because I wanted to be part of a new thing. Just tell me how many people you’ve met who have been to the first World Baseball Classic in San Diego. Trivia question.

Okay, any other questions? Going once, going twice – Rich? Close us out, Rich?

Question:  Yes –

Mayor: You’re supposed to say, have you ordered from Amazon?

Question: No.

Mayor: Yeah, Rich, have you ordered from Amazon? Okay, my brother.

Question: You know what? My question has been answered, actually. I’m good.

Mayor: I appreciate that question. Thank you everyone.