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Transcript: Mayor de Blasio Holds Public Hearing on Intros 486-A, 487-A 438, 82-A, 403-A, Signs Intros 438, 82-A, 403-A

November 5, 2014

Mayor Bill de Blasio: Alright, we’ve got a full house today. Welcome, everybody. We’ve got a lot of legislation we will be working on, so bear with us. We’ve got a lot we’re going to do. First, we want to talk about Intros 486-A and 487-A, which limit the circumstances under which Department of Corrections and the NYPD may honor federal immigration and customs enforcement detainers. In addition, Intro 486-A prevents ICE from maintaining an office on Rikers Island.

Now, detainers are voluntary requests made by the federal government to local law enforcement. The purpose is to hold someone, who would otherwise be released by the Department of Corrections or the police, so ICE can pick that person up. These bills provide that the city can honor these requests only if, first, there’s a judicial warrant that accompanies the detainer, and the person in question is convicted of a violent or serious crime or is a match on a terrorist screening database. This will obviously allow us to act when there are these serious crimes and serious situations. But in many many other situations, it will prevent undocumented immigrants, who pose no harm, from further civil immigration penalties. The bill strikes the appropriate balance between public safety and protecting the rights of our fellow New Yorkers who are immigrants. The bill is sponsored by Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito. We are grateful for her leadership on the issue. She was intending to be with us, but because of timing change, could not.

We’re going to do the hearing today, do a bill signing at a later date where Speaker Mark-Viverito can be present because we want to thank her for her leadership on this issue. I also want to thank our police commissioner, Bill Bratton. His team, along with Corrections Commissioner Joe Ponte – those two agencies spent a lot of time and energy working with other leaders of this administration to make sure this legislation was right, to make sure it will work – obviously working closely with the City Council as well. I want to thank our corporation counsel, Zach Carter, and my counsel Maya Wiley, for their extraordinary efforts on this, and of course, our immigrant affairs commissioner, Nisha Agarwal. And I want to thank from the City Council, the immigration chair of the City Council, Carlos Menchaca. To begin, I would like to introduce Commissioner Agarwal to talk about this legislation.

[…]

Mayor: Just a few words in Spanish.

[Mayor de Blasio speaks in Spanish]

With that, we will have a separate ceremony for the bill signing with Speaker Mark-Viverito at a later date, in the next few weeks. And we will now turn to the next piece of legislation, which is Intro 438. Right on cue, [inaudible]. Intro 438 establishes the West Shore Industrial Business Improvement District. This will serve Staten Island’s Bloomfield and Chelsea neighborhoods. We’re proud that this is the first – this administration’s first business improvement district that’s been signed into law on our watch and we’re proud of the fact that it is on Staten Island. And of the now 70 business improvement districts in New York City, this is only the second in Staten Island.

We think that for local businesses to thrive, they need a lot of different types of support and this BID will provide a variety of improvements in this area of Staten Island, including sanitation and maintenance services, signage, and streetscape improvements and security services. I want to thank our small business services commissioner, Maria Torres-Springer, and her staff, who’ve done great work on this legislation. I want to thank Council Member Steve Matteo for his forceful leadership. I also want to thank Borough President Jimmy Oddo, who couldn’t be here today but was a big advocate for the BID when he was a council member. Council Member Julissa Ferreras, as chair of the city council finance committee, was a great supporter. And I want to thank the BID Steering Committee, including Fred Giovanni, who is the chair of the steering committee. I like anyone named Giovanni because my grandfather’s first name was Giovanni. So, I like Fred for more than one reason. And I want to thank the Staten Island Economic Development Corporation for their leadership. To hear about this legislation, I would like to call forward our SBS commissioner, Maria Torres-Springer.

[…]

Mayor: Before I move to the table to sign this piece of legislation – just a few words in Spanish.

[Mayor de Blasio speaks in Spanish]

With that, I welcome my colleagues, Commissioner Torres-Springer and Council Member Matteo and everyone – join around. We’ll sign this legislation.

[Mayor de Blasio signs legislation]

[…]

Mayor: So, I know a lot of folks are here for the important legislation related to the TLC. We’re just going to do one other piece first, which is very quick because Council Member Reynoso has to go out of town and we want to respect his schedule, but we will do this piece rapidly and then we’ll get to the TLC legislation. I want to emphasize in advance for anyone who’s speaking to the TLC legislation – we know there’s a lot of interest – please stick to the two minute limit. There’s a little alarm that goes off that lets you know when you’ve hit two minutes. So, please stick to the two minute limit when you get your chance to speak.

Okay, so now we’re going to jump ahead with Intro 403-A. Intro 403-A requires the Department of Education to report on information regarding school guidance counselors and social workers. It includes information on how many are in each school, what type of services they’re providing.  Guidance counselors and social workers play a real crucial role in our schools. We talked about this a lot in my speech on Monday – the role they particularly play in our struggling schools and in our community schools effort. They provide educational support, college guidance, help with social skills – crucial positions. It is very important to know how they’re being deployed across our school system. This bill will ensure all students have access to quality guidance services, especially in middle and high school – sponsored by Council Member Antonio Reynoso. I’d like to thank him. I’d like to thank Chancellor Farina and Speaker Mark-Viverito for their leadership in helping to write and pass this legislation. And now, with that I would like to introduce Council Member Antonio Reynoso.  

[Applause]

How’s that for speedy service?

[…]

Mayor: A few words in Spanish before we sign the bill.

[Mayor de Blasio speaks in Spanish]

With that, let's sign a bill.

[Applause]

[Commotion]

[Mayor de Blasio signs legislation]

Mayor: Okay. Now the main event. Thank you, everyone, for your patience. Intro 82-A, more importantly known as the Taxi and Livery Driver Protection Act –

[Applause]

And this legislation – I just want to say at the outset – this legislation is happening because of all of you who fought for it, and stood together to make sure that you could be safe, and your families would know that their loved ones were safe. So, thank you for the great work everyone in this room did, contributing to this victory.

Intro 82-A requires TLC vehicles to post sign warnings – signs, warning passengers of penalties for assaulting drivers. Now, we are all – all New Yorkers are greatly troubled by the number of attacks we've seen on cab drivers, livery drivers – this includes two drivers who were tragically killed on the job this last summer. And we must do more to keep our drivers safe. This bill is similar to the protections that the MTA put in to protect subway and bus operators. The sign reminds all passengers that the maximum penalty for assaulting a driver is 25 years in prison. And that is a powerful message. The bill is sponsored by Council Member Rory Lancman, and we thank him for his leadership, and for being with us today. We thank Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, for her support. And the woman who will make sure this legislation is implemented quickly and across the board, and is doing a great job as our TLC commissioner – I'd like to welcome Meera Joshi. 

[…]

Mayor: Thank you very much. Now, I'm going to keep calling up names. If I ever get a name wrong, I apologize – and just correct it when you get up there. So, I'm going to try this – [inaudible] of the Taxi Workers Alliance. 

[Applause]

Unknown: Thank you mayor. And I am elated to be this close to you, and not to see you on television or in the newsprint. On the paper, I put author. The law that you would be signing is an excellent one for all taxi drivers. But there is something else I want to bring up to you. In my hand here – in my hand, I have a complaint that I filed at the Civilian Review Complaint Board. 

After two attempts, then I went back, and then they forward me to Internal Affairs. The police officer that called me, make an appointment at 6th Avenue – at 10th Avenue gasoline station, and told me that the investigation has been closed by someone higher up. 

Now, if you know what has happened over the years, it may make your skin hair stand up. 102nd Street, Third Avenue – a vanload of police officer pulled me over and asked me to run. The van was there. Another van was there. And two other individuals from my community in Queens were with them. I told the police officers, if I run, you will shoot. So I did not run. I walked back to the taxi, and I sit down. One of the individual who is related to me exclaimed, "they did not shoot him." Three more attempts, I coming down Second Avenue – the male individual, I do not want to tell you my relationship with them, I know them – they took the taxi on Second Avenue, and they took me three consecutive nights to the Bronx. The police flashed their badge, all undercover. 

Mayor: Sir, I'm just going to – forgive me, I have to stop you. Obviously you're not testifying on this legislation.

Unknown: Right.

Mayor: So let's do this. One of my staff members will follow up with you right away, and reconnect with the Civilian Complaint Review Board to make sure that the case is being handled properly. So I'll make sure we do that separately.

Unknown: Yeah, thank you. That's why I come. 

[Applause]

[…]

Mayor: Thank you very much. And Chairwoman Joshi mentions that there is legislating being – legislation being worked on to address the point about the lights being an indicator to the NYPD to come provide assistance. So, Meera is certainly working on that. Now I'd like to call up Bill Lindauer of the New York Taxi Workers Alliance. 

[…]

Mayor: A few words in Spanish before we sign the legislation. 

[Mayor de Blasio speaks in Spanish]

[Mayor de Blasio signs legislation]

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