Transcript: Mayor de Blasio Appears on Hot 97's Ebro in the Morning

May 2, 2016

Ebro Darden: Mayor de Blasio is back on Ebro in the Morning. 

[Applause]

Now, Mayor, let’s get right to it – Obama cooked you at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner – a little frying of our own Mayor de Blasio.

Mayor Bill de Blasio: It is an honor to be cooked by the leader of the free world.

[Laughter]

Darden: Play the clip, man.

President Barack Obama: I do apologize – I know I was a little late tonight. I was running on CPT – 

[Laughter]

– which stands for jokes that white people should not make. 

[Laughter]

Darden: How do you feel? How’d you feel though?

Mayor: It’s funny, but when the President of the United States makes a joke about something – that’s kind of cool. Look at the bright side, you know?

Peter Rosenberg: I would have been excited. You were part of the conversation. I got no shout out. 

Darden: On the joke part, since it keeps coming up, let’s put it to bed for – do you have any regrets on the joke?

Mayor: Well, in the sense that’s it’s gotten all this attention – it certainly was not meant to be offensive in any way. I guess I’m sad that that’s all happened, but, again, I keep saying, it was a satire. The whole show was a satire. 

Darden: And it was kind of, you know – I guess I’m helping you out here – it was meant to kind of be in bad taste. Like, you had other jokes up there that were in bad taste also. 

Mayor: Well, my friends in the media had jokes that are in bad taste too – it’s the whole nature of the show, sadly. And, you know, it’s like – it’s a satire, everyone makes fun of each other, right?

Darden: Which – even Larry Wilmore – [inaudible] used the n-word at the White House.

Mayor: Now, that’s going a little farther.

[Laughter]

Rosenberg: And he said some other pretty critical things of the President, and jokes that were like – woah. And this one just got made such a big deal.

Mayor: Yeah, that’s what I can’t understand. But the point is it’s a satire. And then, of course, it sets up a joke on myself. And, you know, so, I just hope we can understand when satire is satire. 

Darden: And you can laugh at yourself and you can laugh at Obama’s joke.

Mayor: You have to laugh at yourself in life and in public life especially. 

Darden: The last two weeks on the cover of mostly the Daily News, I think – but New York Post here and there – first it was some NYPD officials – I guess is the term – have cut some deals, or were doing favors for community leaders in New York City, and its de Blasio’s fault. Now, you’re the boss, so, it’s your fault, but can you articulate to us regular folks what exactly is happening?

Mayor: Yeah, I want to go through the different pieces, but say, of course, everything’s under investigation. So, until all the investigations are done, we won’t know the full facts. What we can say at least in the case with the Police Department is the Internal Affairs Bureau, which is the internal investigation arm, came to enough of a conclusion so far to say there were a group of senior police officials who apparently accepted gifts they should not have accepted. There are very clear rules in New York City government about gifts that you can accept – they’re very, very, very limited – and apparently some of them accepted pretty lavish gifts. Now, all of those individuals have been either demoted, or suspended, or some major action has been taken even while the larger investigation continues. That’s the only truly tangible thing we know after all these weeks of drama. But, yeah, look, everything ultimately in terms of the whole City government – I always take responsibility for the entire operation. I know Commissioner Bratton does in terms of the NYPD as well.

Darden: Oh, so you weren’t at everything single conversation when they were cutting these deals with these community leaders?

Mayor: That’s an amazing, amazing –

Darden: You’re not in every single conversation that takes place?

Mayor: I try to be in every room in New York City simultaneously – not working so far. 

Darden: Got it.

Mayor: But, you know, Commissioner Bratton – to his credit, once that first piece of the investigation happened, he took very, very stringent action. 

Darden: Who pushed for the investigation?

Mayor: I don’t know the history of how the charges first came to light. I can say something simple though – anyone of any seniority in New York City government has been trained that you’re not allowed to take gifts – that there’s a very, very stringent limit. So, I have to believe these individuals knew that and they did something inappropriate. But, again, we have to have a full investigation take course – and due process and all. But look, the overall reality is, we hold ourselves to a very high standard. In fact, we have literally a thing called the Conflict of Interest Board. If there’s any question, you go to them –

Darden: And ask?

Mayor: – and they define what you’re allowed to do or not do. 

Darden: So then, you have, after that, your aides – your top aides, as it was quoted – I don’t know if that’s true or false – took donations incorrectly? Is that how I’m reading it? Or there was something when you were running for office?

Rosenberg: It says that they found a way to like funnel money inappropriately from unions to your campaign, that’s how I understand it here. Long-time de Blasio pal Kevin Finnegan, a former political director – blah, blah, blah, blah, blah – found ways for labor groups to funnel cash – this is according to the New York Post – to de Blasio’s campaigns and cause in amounts above legal spending limits. 

Mayor: Well, first of all, I always say be careful what you read in the New York Post.

Rosenberg: I always say the same thing as well, by the way.

Mayor: Amen. Amen. Words of wisdom.

Darden: So, taking donations from unions – it’s a normal – I mean, unions endorse people all the time and –

Mayor: Correct – and make donations.

Darden: – so do real estate groups, private companies, special interest groups – all these things are part of the political process, so I didn’t understand what the controversy is. 

Mayor: Okay. And I agree with you, because the bottom line here – and again, this is a matter that’s under investigation related to the State Senate elections of 2014. So, I’ve got to explain this for just a minute. The City of New York – so many of the decisions that affect us – amazing number of decisions on affordable housing, education, taxation – go down the list – are made in Albany. Now, I’ve said very openly, I question why in the year 2016, when the City of New York has 8.5 million people, we’re the economic engine of the State, we have 43 percent of the State’s population, and still a vast, vast number of decisions made about us are not made by us. You know, everything related to rent control, for example – that’s decided in Albany – you go down the list. So, to actually be able to make change in the City, you have to be able to work with Albany. And for most of the last half-century, there’s been a Republican State Senate majority that I think has been working against the interest of the people of the whole State, but certainly has not been sympathetic to the people of New York City. I came into office and there was an opportunity to try and do something about it by working to elect a Democratic majority in the State Senate. And the law stipulates very, very clearly that there are any number of different political entities – they’re party committees, State Democratic Party, county Democratic Party – all sorts of different organizations that can work as part of that election. So, the problem in that New York Post article is it seems to be missing the fact that it is perfectly legal – and it’s been done for years and years – for someone to give money to a party committee to help elect Democrats. It’s a very normal reality. By the way, my predecessors worked very hard to elect Republicans. Now, I think, Ebro, the bigger question here is – does this system make any sense in general? I am absolutely convinced everything we’ve done was legal, appropriate, and consistent. But does this system make sense? No, it doesn’t make sense. You know, we need to fundamentally change the way we go about elections. I believe that where this country should go is literally to take private money out of the election process.

Darden: And that’s all the way to the federal level because you’re hearing those conversations as well –

Mayor: Correct.

Darden: – about – what are they called – the super PACs? Is that the thing where these big companies come together, and raise money, and put it into some sort of support for a candidate? But these are major corporations doing it, and special interest groups. 

Mayor: And unlike anything I’ve ever been a part of, many, many times it is vast amounts of money and it’s absolutely undisclosed. One thing I’ve said – in anything I’ve ever been a part of politically, we’re going to disclose who’s making the donations so the public knows, the media knows, they can ask all the right questions. But what’s happening in this country – and it’s happening in the State as well – is that vast amounts of money have gone into the political process and we literally don’t even know who gave it. When I came into office, you may remember the first year there was a huge amount of advertising against me – this was over some of the charter school issues. The money was provided by hedge fund managers – very wealthy people. They never disclosed who they were. They spent, the first time, something like $4 million or $5 million against me just for the few months in office. And that’s part of the double standard here too – private individuals, corporations, wealthy people can spend all they want to influence the process. They don’t even have to disclose it. You don’t even know who they are. And when people in my position work with folks who agree with us and are trying to achieve some of the same changes – we’re trying to make progressive change; we’re trying to change this city; we’re trying to address income inequality – but when folks come together to work with us on that, suddenly all these attacks. So, the bottom line is, where we need to go is to get private money, in general, out of politics. But until we get there, where I think there’s a double-standard is why it is okay for some people to play by the existing laws and rules including my predecessors as mayor, but when we do it, it comes under this kind of attack. I think here’s a real concern there, there is a double-standard is being held.

Darden: Do you feel like you’re being made the poster boy for controversy in the news right now because I saw an article that basically is saying that all of these things week after week – and I have told you this on the program – where I feel like, you know, you’re the mayor that stopped stop-and-frisk; you’re the mayor that is working to clean up NYCHA right now – the New York City Housing Authority; and you’re the mayor – I mean you’re not getting the credit, but 200-someodd gang members busted and I know that’s Commissioner Bratton; I know that you are working together with the NYPD and other factions to clean up these projects basically, cleanup the houses around here so that they are more livable, right. Are these the things that people are seeing you do great things – because it happens to Obama too. He does some great things, but then you have literally a smear campaign --

Mayor: Yup.

Darden: – that goes against it where people who believe those things – it starts to work on your overall brand, it starts to bring you down. And then when you run for office next, obviously they’re going to try to use these things.

Rosenberg: But Ebro, you believe the powers that be – a lot of the people with really big money interests didn’t like him in the first place and are now just finding excuses to –

Darden: Well, yeah because I also know that the Post and the Daily News – you know – they accept advertising dollars from major corporations, so you don’t think they have special interests in writing certain ways so that those major corporations can continue advertising their –

Rosenberg: How dare you. How dare you. Yeah, I think you’re probably right.

[Laughter]

Darden: But I am just saying all of this negative media begins to work against you. And what are you going to do to fight back?

Mayor: Well, you go to the people. I’ve long believed this, the people see through all this kind of thing. They certainly – look, I think people understood the attacks on President Obama. And I believe the way you opened that question – if you look at the fact that I came to office to address income inequality. The thing I wanted to do was put a tax on the wealthy in New York City to pay for pre-K. Folks in Albany – this is another great example – folks in Albany literally would not let us tax our own citizens for something like pre-K. Now, the good news is they were so concerned not to tax the wealthy they gave us other money for pre-K. Okay, good news we got pre-K. We have full-day pre-K for every child in this city – 68,000 kids. But when you think about it, this administration came into office saying we will make change, period. We have a progressive worldview and we are going to work relentlessly. And the point you made about the Housing Authority, the New York City Housing Authority, 400,000 human beings who for years and years and years were ignored by the federal government, state government, city government. We came in and we said we’re actually going to go and fix the Housing Authority. We’re going to save it, we’re going to stop it from ever being privatized because you know there are people out there who want it privatized.

Darden: And then they’re going to move people out, and then they’re going to raise the [inaudible] and then they’re going to push poor people out of Manhattan and New York City even more so than it’s already happened.

Mayor: Exactly. And we have said we’re going to save all of those homes for 400,000 people. In fact, we’re putting a lot more resources into fixing those homes and saving NYCHA for the long term. We said we needed to be fair to tenants. We actually had a rent freeze this year for rent-regulated apartments, something that has never happened in almost half-a-century. So when you look at all the things we’re doing to make change it never shocks me that a lot of very powerful people are going to fight back with the tools and resources they have, and not even tell us their names. So again, that first year we were attacked with a huge amount of money from the hedge fund world. It happened again last year. Obviously, our good friends at Uber spent millions of dollars of advertising against me. Look, this is not even close to a level playing field. You’re talking about corporations and wealthy individuals who [inaudible] millions and millions and millions of dollars anytime they want. We don’t have anything like that to respond with. So, it does not surprise me when I see these approaches. I think the people will be upset by it. I think when the people see that a government they elected – a progressive government – is making change across the board on education, affordable housing. You’re right, we reigned in stop-and-frisks with 700,000 people stopped in 2011 and primarily young men of color; treated like there was something wrong with them. We have fundamentally turned that on its head while making communities safer simultaneously and we are very proud of that gang takedown. And we have been providing the resources the NYPD to do more and more. So, you look at the fact that we’re making the city safer while also addressing the unfairness that existed before. Yeah, there is a lot of powerful interests who don’t necessarily want to see all of this succeed, but we’re going to keep fighting and we’re going to keep bringing it to the people. I was in two churches in southeast Queens over the weekend. People get it at the grassroots. They’ve seen these games before, they get it.

Rosenberg: And you’re going to build a new fully staffed 116th Precinct in Queens?

Mayor: In southeast, Queens. This is – southeast Queens literally for decades people have been begging for a new police precinct because the one they have – the 1-0-5 – is one of the biggest in the city. They were very concerned they weren’t getting the response times they needed. We said we’ve got to hear the voices of the community, so we will build a new 1-1-6 Precinct in southeast, Queens. And it is going to make people safer. And I said – when I was at churches over the weekend, I said look, we’ve right now changed the equation fundamentally in this city; again, combining the ability to make the city more fair and safer. And the first quarter of this year we had the lowest number – first three months of this year – the lowest number of homicides, the lowest number of shootings of any first quarter of any year in New York City history. But we have to go farther. I want to keep driving that down, that’s why that gang takedown was so important. We want to keep going farther and farther to make this place safer; to go at quality-of-life in this city, make it better for people. So, this is kind of the investment we are making and I think people in the community appreciate it. For 40 years they have been trying to get a new police precinct. Finally, someone’s listening and doing something about it. Again, this is why I believe the people are going to see all this in a different light because they care about whether their government is actually serving them. You talk to people whose kid we got in pre-K or a free after school for all of middle school kids – it’s another really important thing. Kids in sixth, seventh, and eighth grade, every single one now is guaranteed free afterschool programs.

Laura Stylez: Yeah, I saw that you guys were funding the Beacon programs, which are really important especially with all these kids that don’t have after school programs that are in the streets getting in trouble.

Darden: Fighting. Keep your ass out of McDonald’s. McDonald’s is not the afterschool program hangout.

Stylez: But it is important. We need after school programs. I came from an after school program that I would say changed my entire life, my entire family.

Rosenberg: And look at you now.

Mayor: You did pretty good, Laura.

Stylez: Thank you.

[Laughter]

Mayor: But it’s very important. So, look at something we did. When we came into office after school had been cut for years and years and years.

Stylez: Yeah.

Mayor: We literally said if you’re in the sixth, seventh, eighth grade – middle school, which is a very sensitive time for kids.

Stylez: Of course.

Mayor: It’s a transitional time. You are guaranteed, for free, an after school seat. You show up, you say I need an after school seat we will give you one for free. That’s the kind of change that really will affect people’s lives.

Darden: And when the Mayor says seat he means, literally sit your ass down and be quiet for a few hours.

[Laughter]

Rosenberg: Relax yourself, do some homework.

[Laughter]

Mayor: I see you’ve read our training guide.

[Laughter]

Rosenberg: Mayor, how is Vision Zero going?

Mayor: Vision Zero is working and we’ve got a lot more to do on that. You know, look, when I came into office we had almost as many traffic fatalities as murders in New York City, which I an astounding [inaudible] – it is literally true, well over 300. And we have been driving that number down. We’ve been telling people, slow down. We’ve been making it real with enforcement of speeding and telling people you have to yield to the pedestrians in the crosswalk or you’re going to get a ticket. Well, that changes behavior, speed cameras, we’re changing streets to make them safer. All of this is adding up, so dozens and dozens of lives have been saved already.

Rosenberg: So, numbers are down from the year before?

Mayor: Numbers are down. First year we put it in place we had the lowest number of traffic – excuse me, pedestrian fatalities – lowest number of pedestrian fatalities since 1910, over a century. Last year, we got even better and we had even fewer. So, this is something that needed to happen for a long time and we are doing it aggressively. So look, the first calling when you do public service is safety. So, we’ve been driving down the number of – thank God – shootings and homicides, but we’ve also been driving down the number of traffic fatalities, that’s what we’re here to do.

Darden: You’re basically saying you’re doing a good job and people still don’t like you – people in the media, let me say it that way because look – [inaudible]

Darden: They – because here at Ebro in the Morning we’re accustomed to trying to do a quality job, trying to be, you know, information first and articulate and, you know, inform the people. But really all people sometimes want to hear is you get up to the podium, and go at the New York Post and Daily News and say “shut yo bitch ass up.”

Rosenberg: So is that what you’re saying – you want to see the Mayor get up at the front of a podium and say the words “shut yo bitch ass up”?

Darden: It’s got to happen, so that people know it’s real. Because listen, he’s running down the facts guys. On paper, he’s doing a great job. Here, I’m successful at this, this, this, and this; and every week on the cover of these rags right – Crime Time For Blaz, this that, He’s In Trouble, blah blah blah.

You just need to go yo – shut yo bitch ass up. I’m out here doing work.

Mayor: Ebro, the last time I made a controversial comment in a public setting –

Darden: I was at that moment, too.

Mayor: That didn’t work out well.

Darden: No, and you didn’t even actually curse in any way. So I wouldn’t advise it, but it’s a good idea. Puerto Rico now – we are watching Puerto Rico basically go bankrupt and our Congress in Washington D.C. – Puerto Rico is a territory that we –

Mayor: It’s a part of this country. Everyone there is an American citizen.

Darden: We said many, many years ago we would take care of it, and it would be a part of our country, and be funded well just like anything else we need funded – and it’s not happening today. And isn’t New York City the largest population of Puerto Ricans outside of –

Mayor: Yes, almost 700,000 Puerto Ricans in New York City makes it the biggest community outside of Puerto Rico itself.

Darden: So what are you proposing? How do we bring attention to Puerto Rico? What can we do as a radio station who not only has been a part of the Puerto Rican community here in New York City for a long time, but obviously a lot of people have family members there and may not know the gravity of what’s taking place.

Mayor: I’m going to paint the picture very quickly and then there’s something people can actually do. They can pick up the phone and make a phone call that can actually help. Look, you have a part of our country – over 3 million of our fellow American citizens – suffering. They’re suffering because there’s already a healthcare crisis to begin with. The healthcare infrastructure is falling apart in Puerto Rico. There’s no money for it, and then on top of it Zika comes along. It’s a cruel, cruel situation. The Zika dynamic is just getting worse and worse all the time, Puerto Rico is right in the crosshairs. There’s no money to address it. There’s a human catastrophe in the making. Meanwhile, the Puerto Rican government does not have money. Now, in the rest of the mainland when something like this happens there are ways to work with – any city can tell you this – there are ways to work with them to help them through some kind of bankruptcy type situation. This is not being offered to Puerto Rico right now, the situation is just getting worse. It’s hard to miss the fact that these are over 3 million people of color who are being treated differently than people in other parts of the United States, and if this situation isn’t addressed quickly, again, you could literally have a humanitarian crisis. On top of that, if Zika isn’t addressed, that’s not good for anyone here or in other parts of the world or certainly in Puerto Rico because this is now a global health crisis.  So what I want people to do – I’m going to give you the quick rundown. The person who has the most impact on this is the Speaker of the House, Representative Paul Ryan. And he has said he would foster a plan to address it, but it has not happened, and time is running out. So anyone who cares about Puerto Rico can pick up the phone and call 1-888-909-RYAN; that’s R-Y-A-N. That’s 1-888-909-7926, and let Speaker Ryan know we need a solution for Puerto Rico. We need Puerto Rico to be treated the same way we would treat any other part of our nation in distress.

Darden: California went bankrupt some years ago didn’t they have a financial crisis?

Mayor: They had a financial crisis. They didn’t quite get bankrupt, but they got very close, you’re right. New York City back in the 70’s and that case, in New York City, the federal government wasn’t as responsive as it should be, but the state was. One way or another the important point is the rest of the public world has to come to the defense of anyone in distress. Here is a part of our nation that is in deep distress, again if this were just a financial crisis it would be bad enough, but it’s connected to a healthcare crisis, and so it just does not make sense. Are we going to watch three million people suffer when clearly our federal government has the power to address this right now?

Darden: And these are black and brown people in Puerto Rico, this isn’t just anywhere. We have deep roots there.

Mayor: It’s such a – for New York City it’s like the sixth borough. Puerto Rico is such a deep connection we have, but again – how to we have such a double-standard in this country? If this was any other part of the country, the cavalry would already come.

Darden: Now let me ask you behind the scenes, and you know I like to know exactly what’s happening – how does something like this get so far gone and go into crisis mode? Who are the representatives for Puerto Rico – I don’t know, have they been speaking up? Have they just been doing backdoor deals to pad their own pockets? Is there some sort of corruption scandal we’re going to watch unfold here because the individuals there are mismanaging things?

Mayor: I think there’s been certainly mistakes made. I can’t go into chapter and verse because I don’t know, but there’s no question that over the years there were some mistakes made with Puerto Rico in terms of spending some money on the wrong things or spending too much money. But for the last year or two a lot of leaders have been speaking up and saying regardless of the mistakes of past governments of Puerto Rico you can’t hold that against the people of Puerto Rico. You can’t allow them not to have basic healthcare services and to suffer because some of their leaders made mistakes. And that is – by the way – consistent with the way we’ve approached things in other places. If previous leaders made mistakes you don’t let the people suffer. You go in and help them work it through, and then – of course – you set up some strong standards. Set up some guarantees for the future.  This has been talked about for the last year or two but the Congress has not acted. The President has called for action. President Obama very clearly called for action, he understands the gravity of this crisis, but again – I urge anyone who wants to get involved. Put some pressure on Speaker Ryan. 1-888-909-7926.

Darden: Mayor de Blasio, actually, we’re going to tweet this out. We can get this on our social media too because I’m sure – I’m positive people don’t understand the gravity of this.

Mayor: I’m sure of it. And by the way – that’s what should be on the front pages, if I may editorialize, Ebro. That’s what we should be talking about.

Darden: I’m concerned that them trying – that’s why I said are you the poster boy for controversy in the city because I’m concerned that maybe they’re selling too many papers once your face is on the cover of the paper, and so they keep throwing you on. Listen, what goes on the cover of the papers is what’s going to sell papers.

Rosenberg: That’s down the board.

Darden: Always, right? So if they don’t think it’s going to sell. Look, maybe they have some affinity for your appearance. Maybe you’re a good looking guy and they keep –

Mayor: You know you’re showing me a silver lining here.

[Laughter]