The New York City mayoral debate turns explosive as Zohran Mamdani faces a barrage of attacks from Andrew Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa. From his “defund police” past to a surprise marijuana admission, the fiery exchange leaves voters stunned.
#Mamdani #AndrewCuomo #CurtisSliwa #NYCMayoralDebate #NYCPolitics #MamdaniDebate #DefundPolice #MarijuanaDebate #NYCElections #PoliticalShowdown #CuomoVsMamdani #OneIndiaGlobal
~HT.410~PR.274~
#Mamdani #AndrewCuomo #CurtisSliwa #NYCMayoralDebate #NYCPolitics #MamdaniDebate #DefundPolice #MarijuanaDebate #NYCElections #PoliticalShowdown #CuomoVsMamdani #OneIndiaGlobal
~HT.410~PR.274~
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00It's a pleasure to be here, first of all, and I really want to thank the moderators
00:03and the opportunity to speak directly to New Yorkers about this moment in time
00:06and our opportunity to transform the most expensive city in the United States of America.
00:10The headline would read, in about a year,
00:13Mamdani continues to take on Trump, delivers on affordability agenda for New Yorkers.
00:17In the theme of leadership, Mr. Mamdani, you work as a foreclosure prevention counselor
00:22for winning seat in the state assembly.
00:25You have no substantial management experience.
00:28How are you ready to lead the nation's largest and greatest city in the world in one day?
00:36You have a minute.
00:38You know, I have the experience of having served in the New York State Assembly
00:41for five years and watching a broken political system,
00:45the experience of seeing a governor in Andrew Cuomo
00:48who would rather have served his billionaire donors and the working class New Yorkers who voted for him,
00:53and the experience amidst all of that, of fighting and winning for working class taxi drivers to free them from predatory debt
01:00and delivering the first free bus lines in New York City history,
01:03and in working with unions and working class New Yorkers to finally raise taxes just that little bit
01:08on Mr. Cuomo's donors to start to fully fund our public school.
01:12And more than that, I have the experience of being a New Yorker,
01:15someone who has actually paid rent in the city before I ran for mayor,
01:19someone who has had to wait for a bus that never came,
01:22someone who actually buys his groceries in this same city.
01:25And what all of that experience has shown me, which Mr. Cuomo can't seem to understand,
01:29is that it is far too expensive and far too hard for New Yorkers to afford to live in this city.
01:35And the definition of experience is not doing the same thing again and again and hoping for a different result.
01:40That's actually the definition of insanity.
01:41Thank you, Mr. Manzani.
01:42If I can, I think I was invoked.
01:44Yes.
01:45In other words, what the assemblyman said is he has no experience.
01:49And this is not a job for someone who has no management experience to run 300,000 people,
01:53no financial experience to run $115 billion budget.
01:57He literally has never had a job.
02:00On his resume, it says he interned for his mother.
02:02However, this is not a job for a first-timer.
02:06Any day, you could have a hurricane, you could have, God forbid, a 9-11, a health pandemic.
02:13If you don't know what you're doing, people could die.
02:15Thank you, Mr. Cuomo. We have to respond.
02:15Mr. Manzani, do you want to respond?
02:17And if we have a health pandemic, then why would New Yorkers turn back to the governor
02:21who sent seniors to their death in nursing homes?
02:23That's the kind of experience that's on offer here today.
02:25What I don't have an experience, I make up for an integrity.
02:28And what you don't have an integrity, you could never make up for an experience.
02:30What would you say in your first official call with the president
02:34to set the tone for your relationship moving forward?
02:37We'll give you a minute for this. We'll start with you, Mr. Manzani.
02:40I would make it clear to the president that I am willing to not only speak to him,
02:44but to work with him if it means delivering on lowering the cost of living for New Yorkers.
02:49That's something that he ran his presidential campaign on.
02:51And yet all he's been able to deliver thus far has been prosecuting his political enemies
02:56and trying to enact the largest deportation program in American history.
03:01And what distinguishes me from Andrew Cuomo is the fact that he has gotten on the phone
03:05with that same president, not asking him how to work together to help New Yorkers
03:09or not telling him that he would refuse to back down to protect those New Yorkers,
03:13but instead asking him how to win this race.
03:16That's something I can do myself.
03:17I don't need the president's assistance for.
03:19And what I tell the president is if he ever wants to come for New Yorkers
03:21in the way that he has been, he's going to have to get through me
03:24as the next mayor of the city.
03:26I would say to the president in the first conversation,
03:28look, we have had many, many battles.
03:31I fought with, we fought together every day during COVID
03:35and the battles were blooded and I'd like to avoid them.
03:41You know, if you come after New York, you know what I'm going to do.
03:45You know, it's going to be ugly.
03:47And you know, my chances are almost 50-50, even though you're the president.
03:52I'd like to work with you.
03:54I think we can do good things together.
03:56But number one, I will fight you every step of the way if you try to hurt New York.
04:01Unless he weaponizes the justice system to go after the attorney general of this state,
04:05in which case you'll issue a statement that doesn't even name the president.
04:08And no matter what you think about Donald Trump,
04:10you know that not even being able to name him is an act of cowardice.
04:13And that's what we would see from Donald Trump's puppet on the right over here.
04:16I do want to get Ms. Leroy, but Mr. Cuomo, I'll give you a few seconds to respond to that.
04:19Yeah, I did mention, I said, political weaponization of the justice system is wrong.
04:25Both sides do it.
04:26It's wrong when Donald Trump does it.
04:28It's wrong when they did it to Comey.
04:30It's wrong when Comey did it to Hillary.
04:33It was wrong when it happened to James.
04:35Thank you, Mr. Cuomo.
04:35Brief response, Mr. Mondani.
04:37You know, Mr. Trump is already suspending infrastructure grants to this city,
04:41and he's doing it in a blatant act of political retribution.
04:44And what it requires is leadership that will stand up to him.
04:47And I disagree with Mr. Sliwa.
04:49We do need to extend the Second Avenue subway to 125th Street.
04:52It was a promise made to Harlemites decades ago.
04:55It's time to actually fulfill it.
04:56Thank you, Mr. Cuomo.
04:57If you think that there's no difference between the Democratic Party and the Republican Party,
05:00then that's the candidate for you.
05:02If you think it's time to have a Democratic Party that actually stands up to Donald Trump
05:06and his billionaire-backed assault on working people, that's the candidate.
05:09Well, first of all, you're not a Democrat, right?
05:11You're not a Democrat.
05:13You're a Democratic socialist.
05:14All right, candidates, we have other ground.
05:14You didn't vote for Kamala Harris, right?
05:16We have other ground to cover.
05:17No, no, no.
05:18We have other ground to cover.
05:19That's an incendiary charge.
05:20I want to be very—
05:20You may have a chance to address it, but we do—
05:22I'll be very quick.
05:22We have a lot of issues to get to with New Yorkers, Mr. Mondani.
05:25I'll be very quick.
05:25You didn't say leave it blank in the Kamala campaign?
05:28I'll be very quick.
05:29I said leave it blank in the presidential primary,
05:31because primaries are a place to air dissent.
05:34And like many Americans, I was horrified by the Israeli genocide of Palestinians.
05:39And if you want to look for me on the ballot, you'll find me as the Democrat.
05:42Okay, Mr. Mondani, thank you.
05:43We have to move on.
05:44And there are criticisms about your positions in the past
05:47and how you envision leading on these issues as mayor.
05:50So we have questions for all of you, but first for Mr. Mondani,
05:54because of something you said that's been generating headlines in the news today
05:57as we come into the debate yesterday on Fox News.
06:00You were asked if Hamas should lay down its weapons, key to the peace plan and ceasefire.
06:06And some say they found your answer confusing.
06:08You said, quote,
06:09I don't really have opinions about the future of Hamas and Israel,
06:13beyond the question of justice and safety,
06:15and the fact that anything has to abide by international law.
06:19And that applies to Hamas, and that applies to the Israeli military.
06:23So for the voters tuning in tonight, Mr. Mondani,
06:26what do you believe about Hamas and how lasting peace will be achieved?
06:31We know it's a complicated matter, but we'd like you to keep your answer to a minute if you could.
06:35Of course, I believe that they should lay down their arms.
06:37I'm proud to be one of the first elected officials in the state who called for a ceasefire.
06:42And calling for a ceasefire means seizing fire.
06:45That means all parties have to cease fire and put down their weapons.
06:48And the reason that we call for that is not only for the end of the genocide,
06:54but also an unimpeded access of humanitarian aid.
06:57I, like many New Yorkers, am hopeful that this ceasefire will hold.
07:01I'm hopeful that it is durable.
07:03I'm hopeful that it is just.
07:04And for it to be just, we also have to ensure that it addresses the conditions that preceded this.
07:10Conditions like occupation, like the siege, and apartheid.
07:14And that is what I'm hopeful for.
07:15The assemblyman just said in his response, well, it depends on occupation.
07:21That is code, meaning that the Israel does not have a right to exist as a Jewish state,
07:27which he has never acknowledged.
07:29That is from the river to the sea.
07:32That's why he won't denounce, globalize the Intifada, which means kill all Jews.
07:36Let's give Mr. Mamdani a chance to respond to that.
07:39I want to be very clear.
07:40The occupation is a reference to international law and the violation of it,
07:45which Mr. Cuomo has no regard for since he signed up to be Benjamin Netanyahu's legal defense team
07:50during the course of this genocide.
07:52And I find the comments that Hassan made on 9-11 to be objectionable and reprehensible.
07:58And I also think that part of the reason why Democrats are in the situation that we are in,
08:03of being a permanent minority in this country,
08:05is we are looking only to speak to journalists and streamers and Americans
08:08with whom we agree of every single thing that they say.
08:12We need to take the case to every person.
08:14And I'm happy to do that, which is why I was on Fox News yesterday
08:17talking about how I wish it was more like NASCAR
08:19so we could see all the billionaires who are sponsoring you right on your suit jacket.
08:22Mr. Mamdani, you told NBC's Meet the Press
08:25that you don't believe it's the role of the mayor to police speech.
08:28Your words about this war have comforted many New Yorkers,
08:32but they've troubled others, and I want to ask about some of this.
08:35There is your recent refusal, as we just discussed,
08:37to condemn the slogan, Globalize the Intifada,
08:40which many view as a call to arms.
08:42In 2017, you rapped lyrics, Praising the Holy Land Five.
08:46These are men who were convicted of supporting terrorism.
08:49How would you assure New Yorkers,
08:51especially Jewish residents who might be concerned about this,
08:54that you would be a mayor for all?
08:55You have one minute to answer this.
08:57Thank you for this opportunity.
08:58When I am speaking about the responsibility of leading this city,
09:06I mean leading not just those who voted for me,
09:09leading not just those who vote,
09:10but leading every single person who calls this city home.
09:13And that includes Jewish New Yorkers.
09:15And I have been so thankful for the opportunity I've had
09:18to sit with so many Jewish New Yorkers
09:20over the course of the primary and through the general.
09:22And it's in those conversations that I learned
09:24that this phrase evokes many painful memories,
09:27memories of bus attacks in Haifa,
09:30of restaurant attacks in Jerusalem.
09:32And I heard from a rabbi about their roommate
09:34who was killed on one of those buses.
09:36And in hearing that,
09:37and the distance between that impact
09:39and the rationale that some use of saying it,
09:42of speaking about the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land,
09:44is why I said that I would discourage this language,
09:47language that I do not use.
09:48And what I'm looking to do
09:50as the first Muslim mayor of this city
09:51is to ensure that we bring every New Yorker together,
09:55Jewish New Yorkers, Muslim New Yorkers,
09:56every single person that calls this city home,
09:58that they understand they won't just be protected,
10:00but they will belong.
10:02I think he's playing his own politics.
10:05Many of his positions don't even follow the Muslim faith.
10:09So I see them as two totally separate things.
10:12Mr. Mamdani, you want to respond?
10:14You know, it took Andrew Cuomo being beaten
10:16by a Muslim candidate in the Democratic primary
10:18for him to set foot in a mosque.
10:20He had more than 10 years,
10:22and he couldn't name a single mosque
10:23at the last debate we had that he visited.
10:25And what Muslims want in this city
10:27is what every community wants and deserves.
10:29They want equality, and they want respect.
10:31And it took me to get you
10:33to even see those Muslims as part of this city.
10:35And that, frankly, is something that is shameful,
10:38and is why so many New Yorkers
10:40have lost faith in this politics.
10:41Yeah, except, you know, that is totally false.
10:44I've worked with the Muslim community
10:46for many, many years.
10:47Name a single mosque you went to
10:48when you were the governor.
10:49Can you name a single mosque you went to
10:51in 10 years?
10:52Before you were ever here.
10:53Before I was here.
10:55Before you were even in state government.
10:56I worked with the Muslim community.
10:59Imams presided over state of the states.
11:02We worked in religious working groups,
11:04tolerance groups, anti-Semitic groups, etc.
11:07Jews don't trust that you are going to be there for them
11:11when they are victims of anti-Semitic attacks.
11:14Okay.
11:15Brief response, Mr. Mamdani.
11:16We have a specific question for you from Rosarino,
11:18but Mr. Mamdani, please.
11:19I agree, by the way.
11:21One of the most meaningful experiences
11:24I've had over the course of this campaign
11:26has been the conversations I've had
11:28with Jewish New Yorkers.
11:29Jewish New Yorkers who've told me
11:30about the door that they've had to lock
11:33that they had kept open for 40 years.
11:34Jewish New Yorkers who've told me on the M57
11:36about an apartment the speech therapist
11:39was trying to sell when a realtor told her
11:41put the Jewish books off the table.
11:43Jewish New Yorkers who've told me
11:44about their fear in living in this city.
11:47And I will be a mayor who finally addresses that,
11:50not through the theatrics of the politics on this stage,
11:52but through action.
11:53I'll do that by ensuring that we have police officers
11:56outside of synagogues in the High Holy Days.
11:58There have been a number of absolutely unfounded lies
12:01that have been said by Andrew Comer.
12:02I would just like a moment to address them directly.
12:04I've said time and again
12:06that I recognize Israel's right to exist.
12:08I've said that I will not recognize any state.
12:10As a Jewish state.
12:10I said that I will not.
12:11As a Jewish state.
12:12If I would be allowed to finish.
12:14Okay.
12:14That I would not recognize any state's right to exist
12:17with a system of hierarchy
12:18on the basis of race, of religion.
12:20I have made that very clear.
12:21And part of that is because I'm an American
12:23who believes in the importance of equal rights
12:26being enshrined in every single country,
12:28whether we're speaking about Israel
12:29or whether we're speaking about Saudi Arabia.
12:31You can stand here and you can lie all you want,
12:33but New Yorkers...
12:34You answered the question.
12:35Mr. Mamdani, how will you respond?
12:37You know, I agree with Police Commissioner Tish
12:39in that we do not need the National Guard
12:41here in New York City.
12:42We do not need them for the purpose of safety
12:44because if it was safety that President Trump
12:46was so concerned about,
12:48he would send them to the eight out of ten states
12:50that have the highest levels of crime in this country,
12:52but he won't because they're all run by Republicans.
12:55What New Yorkers need is a mayor
12:57who can stand up to Donald Trump
12:58and actually deliver on that safety.
13:01When Donald Trump sent ICE agents
13:02on people in Los Angeles,
13:04Andrew Cuomo said that New Yorkers need not overreact.
13:08That is the furthest answer
13:09that New Yorkers are looking for.
13:11They are looking for someone who will lead,
13:13someone who will say that they will have their back,
13:15someone who will actually fight
13:16for the people of this city.
13:17And that's who I am
13:18because I'm not funded by the same donors
13:20that gave us Donald Trump's second term,
13:22which isn't something that Andrew Cuomo can say.
13:24The next question goes to you, Mr. Mamdani.
13:26You were arrested for blocking traffic
13:27in a pro-Palestinian protest,
13:30and you participated in a sit-in at Grand Central.
13:34Protesters offered block streets, bridges,
13:37and hubs like Grand Central.
13:39How much of that would you allow as mayor
13:42and what's your line
13:44in having the NYPD arrest protesters?
13:47You have a minute.
13:48Protest is a part of what makes
13:51this city's history what it is.
13:54It is a part of the First Amendment.
13:55We deserve to have a mayor
13:56who stands up for that First Amendment,
13:59especially as we have a president
14:00that's looking to shred it
14:01at each and every opportunity.
14:03And we will continue to have protests in this city
14:05as we should no matter who is the mayor.
14:07And the line will be
14:08on the question of breaking the law.
14:10What we have today, however,
14:12is an attempt to intimidate so many
14:15who are looking to use that freedom of expression
14:17to share their opinions
14:18about the city and the world around them.
14:20And to be frank with you,
14:22what New Yorkers are looking for
14:24is someone who can show leadership in City Hall.
14:27Because when they don't see that leadership,
14:29that's when so many take to the streets.
14:31And if you had a leader like Andrew Cuomo,
14:33who was telling people not to overreact,
14:35when they see ICE agents
14:36abducting girls as young as six years old
14:39to deport them,
14:40many New Yorkers will take to the streets.
14:42We deserve to have a leader
14:43who will actually be following through
14:45on the values of the city.
14:46That's the leader that I'll be.
14:47Mr. Bandhani, just a quick follow-up.
14:49If you're elected,
14:51would you still participate in protests?
14:53No, if I'm elected, I'll be the mayor
14:54and I'll be leading the city from City Hall.
14:56But no participation in protests, right?
14:58The important thing is to lead from City Hall.
15:00That's what I'll be doing.
15:01Yeah.
15:02If I may respond,
15:03because I believe my name was invoked.
15:05A very brief response
15:06and then a question from you.
15:07I dealt with ICE.
15:08I stood up with ICE.
15:10I had a war with ICE
15:11here in New York when I was governor.
15:13And I stood them down
15:15and they moved out.
15:16What the assemblyman is saying is
15:18he doesn't believe in law and order.
15:21He believes in defunding the police,
15:22disarming the police,
15:23disbanding the police.
15:25That's who he is.
15:26Mr. Cuomo, we have to move on.
15:27Abolish jails.
15:27Sorry, Sarah.
15:28I have a question for you.
15:28Okay, 15 seconds.
15:29Very quickly.
15:30And then we do just 15 seconds
15:32because we have a question for Mr. Cuomo.
15:33Mr. Cuomo lies again and again and again.
15:36I am not running to defund the police.
15:38I am running to actually work with the police
15:40to deliver public safety.
15:41Andrew Cuomo says that he has stood up to ICE.
15:43He has not said a word about the abductions
15:45that are happening right now.
15:46He's referring to a previous comment you made
15:48and we will get back to this.
15:50I have been clear time and time again
15:51that as much as Andrew Cuomo
15:54wants to bring up tweets from 2020,
15:56which is around the same time
15:57that he was sending seniors
15:58to their death in nursing homes,
16:00I am looking to work with police officers,
16:02not to defund the NYPD,
16:04looking to ensure that officers
16:05can actually do one job
16:07when they're signing up to join that department.
16:09He was specifically referring to comments you made.
16:13We will come back to that,
16:14but we're out of time.
16:15You said they are wicked, corrupt, and racist.
16:17We're moving on.
16:18That's what you said.
16:19Your words, your words.
16:20We're moving on.
16:21Mr. Mamdani,
16:22how will you make the city safer
16:24and how will you change the NYPD?
16:28This is the concern for so many New Yorkers
16:30and I'm proud to have a comprehensive plan
16:32to bring new ideas to this city.
16:34If you want more of the same,
16:36vote for Andrew Cuomo.
16:37If you want an actual approach to lower crime,
16:40look at our Department of Community Safety.
16:42That is something that has been hailed by experts
16:44as addressing so many of the pieces
16:46of why New Yorkers are not feeling safe today.
16:48We will ensure that no longer
16:50are police officers asked to do the job
16:52of both policing and responding
16:54to the mental health crisis.
16:55We will have dedicated teams
16:57of mental health outreach workers
16:59in the top 100 subway stations
17:01with the highest levels
17:02of the mental health crisis and homelessness.
17:04We will ensure that cops can finally go back
17:07to the response times they used to have
17:09in 2020 closer to 11 minutes
17:11as opposed to the closer to 16 minutes today
17:13because they won't be asked to respond
17:15to the 200,000 mental health calls
17:18that are coming in through 911 every year.
17:20This is evidence-based.
17:21It's been successful elsewhere in the country.
17:23It's time we deliver it right here in New York City.
17:26It's time for a change.
17:27Thank you, Mr. Mamdani.
17:27Mr. Mamdani,
17:29we're going to talk about disciplining police officers,
17:30the civilian watchdog that investigates police misconduct
17:33regularly recommends discipline
17:35for cops accused of wrongdoing,
17:37but the police commissioner often overrides them.
17:40You want to change that policy
17:42so that the board has final say.
17:44Please explain to viewers in 30 seconds
17:46why you believe the police commissioner
17:47should no longer have that final say.
17:50What I've said is that I think it's time
17:53to remove much of the politics
17:54out of the question of accountability.
17:56We have the Civilian Complaint Review Board,
17:58which, as you said, studies, assesses,
18:01and investigates into complaints of abuse
18:03and the violation of the law.
18:05And oftentimes those recommendations
18:07are then subject to political pressures
18:09and not followed through on.
18:10I think New Yorkers deserve a system
18:11where they know it won't then be assessed once again
18:15that there's actually more to the recommendation
18:17in the investigation that's being done by the CCRB.
18:20He thinks the police are racist, wicked, corrupt,
18:23and a threat to public safety.
18:25Those are his words.
18:27Very quick. Mr. Mamdani, very quick.
18:29Andrew Cuomo is a politician of the past,
18:31and all he can speak about are the tweets
18:33of the past in 2020.
18:34Those are tweets which I have apologized for
18:37to New Yorkers and police officers directly,
18:39and they are not what I am actually running on.
18:42You're incapable of actually speaking
18:43about the platform that we have here,
18:45which is one that will keep New Yorkers safe.
18:46Can we just quickly ask you,
18:48because I think what some people feel
18:49they haven't heard from you,
18:50we hear you saying that you don't believe that anymore,
18:52and you've apologized.
18:53People have not heard you sort of describe
18:56the evolution of your thought,
18:57how you got from there to here.
19:00You know, growing up in this city,
19:02I would think often about safety and justice
19:05and the ways in which that that relationship
19:08has been irrevocably harmed.
19:10When I learned about the Exonerated Five,
19:12when I learned about Sean Bell,
19:13when I learned about Eric Garner,
19:15when I learned about Michael Brown,
19:16and then in 2020, when I wrote these tweets,
19:19learning about the death of George Floyd,
19:22and that was a moment where it felt
19:23as if the distance between these two ideals
19:25had never been further.
19:26And in becoming an assembly member
19:28and serving and representing
19:29more than 100,000 people in Queens,
19:31learning that to deliver justice
19:33means to also deliver safety.
19:34And that means leading a city
19:36where you recognize the bravery of the men and women
19:39who joined the NYPD and put their lives on the line.
19:41It means representing the Muslims
19:43who were illegally surveilled in my district
19:45and the black and brown New Yorkers
19:46who've been victims of police brutality.
19:48Brief response?
19:49To be very clear,
19:51the Department of Community Safety
19:52is not about responding to calls of domestic violence.
19:54We are speaking about mental health crisis
19:57and the homelessness crisis.
19:58These are the focuses of the work that they do.
20:00I actually agree with Curtis on that.
20:02It is too costly.
20:03Now that eggs are down to less than four bucks,
20:05though, my average spend every week
20:06is about 125, 150.
20:09All right.
20:09Do you carry credit card debt
20:10or do you pay it off every month?
20:12Mr. Mumdani?
20:13I pay it off every month.
20:14Mr. Mumdani, what is your monthly rent or mortgage?
20:16$2,300.
20:17Mr. Mumdani, you're pledging to freeze rent
20:19for nearly one million rent-stabilized apartments.
20:22That really affects less than half of all rentals in the city.
20:26What is your plan for those who aren't in stabilized apartments
20:28but are struggling to pay the rent?
20:30What are you going to do for them?
20:31Well, I'm proud to say that I, yes,
20:33will freeze the rent
20:33for more than two million rent-stabilized tenants.
20:36And I will also build 200,000 truly affordable homes
20:39across the five boroughs over the next 10 years
20:42to ensure that tenants, whether rent-stabilized
20:44or market rate, can actually have more housing
20:46such that they are not being priced out of this city.
20:49And finally, I'm also going to make it easier
20:51for the private sector to build housing in this city
20:54because what we see today is that it's not labor,
20:57it's not materials,
20:58it's the weight that is often costing so many,
21:00so much to actually build the housing we need in this city.
21:03So how can you promise a rent freeze today
21:05before ever seeing that data next year?
21:07You know, we've seen the data time and again.
21:09But next year's data.
21:10It's been data that's been overruled by mayors again and again.
21:14The last Rent Guidelines Board study
21:16showed that profits were up 12% for landlords of those units.
21:19And what did they do?
21:20They raised the rent, adding to more than 12%
21:23under Eric Adams' administration.
21:24What I am speaking about is actually reflecting
21:27the needs of these New Yorkers
21:29and the state of the market today.
21:31These are New Yorkers who have a median household income
21:33of $60,000.
21:34We do not need to be pushing them further out of the city.
21:37We need to keep them in their homes.
21:38Aren't you saying in that answer
21:39that you are going to prejudge
21:41you will not have seen the data for next year
21:43and you're making a determination
21:44based on data you haven't seen?
21:46I've seen the data year after year
21:48of the fact that salaries are stagnating,
21:51costs are up,
21:52New Yorkers can't actually afford their apartments.
21:54And I will also take action
21:56to actually ensure that the landlords of those buildings
21:59can better handle their costs
22:00by taking on their insurance,
22:02their property taxes, and their water.
22:03He invoked me for much of that question.
22:05Just a very brief response here.
22:07Very brief.
22:07You know, you've heard it from Andrew Cuomo
22:09that the number one crisis in this city,
22:11the housing crisis,
22:12the answer is to evict my wife and I.
22:14He thinks you address this crisis
22:16by unleashing my landlord's ability to raise my rent.
22:19If you think that the problem in this city
22:21is that my rent is too low, vote for him.
22:23If you know the problem in this city
22:25is that your rent is too high, vote for me.
22:27What do you do, Mr. Ramdani,
22:28if you can't take the train?
22:29I will either take a cab or ride a bike.
22:31Can you explain how you will make buses free?
22:34You have 30 seconds to answer.
22:35Absolutely.
22:36We will make buses free
22:37by replacing the revenue
22:39that the MTA currently gets from buses.
22:41This is revenue that's around $700 million or so.
22:44That's less money than Andrew Cuomo gave to Elon Musk
22:46in $959 million in tax credits
22:49when he was the governor.
22:50And the reason that we will do so
22:51is that making buses free
22:52doesn't just provide economic relief,
22:54but also public safety.
22:55Because what we've seen
22:56is that it decreases assaults on bus drivers by 38.9%.
23:00New Yorkers deserve more
23:01than the slowest buses in the country.
23:04I know that because I was on the M57
23:05not too long ago,
23:06and its average speed is 4.9 miles an hour.
23:08We're at time, though,
23:09but the question is how you'll make them free.
23:11We will fund the revenue
23:12that would have otherwise been brought in from fares.
23:14And that's something that we would do
23:15in partnership with Albany.
23:17And I've put forward two proposals.
23:18The first is to raise taxes
23:19on the top 1% of New Yorkers by 2%.
23:22That would raise $4 billion.
23:23The second is to raise
23:25the state's top corporate tax rate
23:26to match that of New Jersey,
23:27which would raise $5 billion.
23:28Mr. Ramdani,
23:29can you just respond quickly
23:30on the point about the mobile
23:32homeless gathering places?
23:34You know, this is something that we heard
23:35when we were fighting
23:36to make buses free in Albany
23:37when we delivered the first
23:39fare-free bus lines
23:39in New York City history.
23:40And what we saw is
23:41when we made one bus route free
23:43in each borough of New York City,
23:44there was no increase
23:45in homelessness on those buses.
23:47There was no increase
23:48in fare evasion
23:50in the surrounding area.
23:51What there was
23:51was an increase in ridership
23:53of up to 38%.
23:53Thank you, Mr. Ramdani.
23:54Tell New Yorkers tonight
23:55how you're going to pay
23:56for all of this
23:57in one minute, if you can.
23:59Look, a lot of people
24:00have called even my campaign
24:01a non-starter
24:02when we first began.
24:03And now I stand before you
24:04proud to be the Democratic nominee
24:06who got the most votes
24:07in city primary history.
24:09And I believe we will see
24:10the same thing
24:11with our push
24:12to ensure that we are taxing
24:14the wealthiest
24:15and the most profitable corporations
24:16the fair amount
24:18that they should pay.
24:18Now, there are those
24:19who will say
24:20that because it will be hard,
24:21you should give up.
24:22We saw what giving up
24:23looked like
24:24when Andrew Cuomo
24:24was the governor.
24:25He gave up on fighting
24:26for working-class New Yorkers
24:28and instead caved in
24:29to his billionaire donors.
24:30And what did we get?
24:31We have the fastest
24:32and most frequent
24:33helicopter service
24:33to the Hamptons
24:34and we have the slowest
24:35and more expensive bus service
24:36across the five boroughs.
24:38But again, Mr. Ramdani,
24:39I know Governor Hochul
24:40indicated this week
24:40there may be some
24:41some open windows,
24:43but more or less
24:44income tax on millionaires
24:45is off the table
24:46according to the governor.
24:47Look, I've said very clearly
24:48making buses fast and free
24:50costs about $700 million a year.
24:52Making universal child care
24:53a reality costs
24:54about $5 or $6 billion a year.
24:56If you raise the state's
24:57top corporate tax rate
24:58to match that of New Jersey,
25:00you'd be raising $5 billion
25:01in and of itself.
25:01I have a couple of followers.
25:02You're next,
25:03but I have a couple of followers.
25:04I would just want
25:04to add one additional thing.
25:06We have also put forward
25:07a plan to save money
25:09here in New York City
25:09with a billion dollars
25:10in savings
25:11through procurement reform,
25:13through following
25:13the Independent Budget Office's
25:14assessment
25:15about hiring more fiscal auditors
25:16and in actually collecting
25:18the fines and fees
25:19from bad landlords across the street.
25:20Just a quick couple of follow-ups.
25:21If you could find
25:21some of the funding,
25:22but not all of it,
25:23which of your priorities
25:24would come first?
25:25What would be the first
25:26among equals
25:27that you would try to get done?
25:28Well, freezing the rent
25:29doesn't require
25:30any fiscal infusion,
25:31so that will be something
25:31we'll be pursuing immediately.
25:33And universal child care
25:34after housing
25:35is the second cost.
25:37Child care is the second cost
25:38pushing New Yorkers
25:38out of this city.
25:39$22,500 a year
25:41is the estimate we've seen.
25:42Okay.
25:42That will be a priority for us.
25:44And I just want to know
25:44if you could get the money
25:47and funding elsewhere,
25:47would you drop the call
25:48for the tax increase?
25:49Absolutely.
25:50The most important thing
25:51is funding these agenda items.
25:52I think these are the two
25:53most important
25:54and straightforward,
25:55direct ways to do so.
25:56But if the money
25:56comes from elsewhere,
25:57the most important thing
25:58is funding.
25:58Andrew Cuomo thinks
26:00it's all right
26:00to spend $60 million
26:01to fund his legal defense
26:04from accusations
26:05of more than a dozen women
26:06of sexual harassment.
26:07But if I say
26:08we should spend
26:08the same amount of money
26:10on delivering cheaper groceries
26:11in this city
26:12through a pilot program,
26:14that is unfathomable.
26:15First off,
26:15have you ever called 311
26:16and if so, for what?
26:18Mr. Momdani?
26:18I called 311
26:19for issues with my heating
26:21in my apartment
26:22and I've spoken
26:23to New Yorkers
26:24time and time again
26:24who are frustrated
26:26by the fact
26:26that they can track
26:27their Uber Eats
26:29block by block
26:30but when they call 311
26:31for them to come
26:32to their apartment,
26:33it's just a question
26:34of hoping and praying
26:34that they do.
26:35There's no actual appointment.
26:36That's something
26:37that we would change.
26:37What we've seen
26:38is one of the biggest
26:39sources of noise
26:40in this city
26:40is from congestion
26:41and with the implementation
26:43of congestion pricing,
26:44we've actually seen
26:44noise complaints drop
26:46in the congestion zone
26:47and so I would continue
26:48to find ways
26:49to ensure that we have
26:50reduced congestion
26:51across the city
26:51and one of the ways
26:52is by making
26:53the slowest buses
26:54in America
26:54ones that are fast
26:55and free
26:56so that New Yorkers
26:57can not only live
26:58a life of excellent
27:00quality of life
27:00but also be able
27:01to get around the city
27:02without having to worry
27:03if they have $2.90
27:05or soon to be $3
27:06in their pocket
27:07which is already out of reach
27:08for one in five New Yorkers.
27:09Mr. Mamdani,
27:10your plan for illegal parking?
27:12We have to showcase
27:13that accountability is true
27:14whether for New Yorkers
27:16who are just living
27:16in this city
27:17or those who are working
27:18for this city
27:18and the violation
27:19of traffic laws
27:20are violations
27:21no matter who is doing it
27:22and to show
27:22that that accountability
27:23is something my city government
27:25is actually going to pursue.
27:26On the quality of life issues,
27:28the worst thing
27:28that could happen
27:29is if the Assemblyman's proposal
27:32for legalizing prostitution
27:33went through,
27:34that would be terrible
27:35for the quality of life.
27:37He also doesn't want
27:38to enforce misdemeanors.
27:39We're getting to that.
27:40That's assault,
27:41larceny, etc.
27:42That would be terrible.
27:43We're going to have time
27:43to address that.
27:44I want to be very clear.
27:45Not only have I never called
27:47for the legalization
27:47of prostitution,
27:48I'm not calling for that
27:49today either
27:50and I also have never
27:51said anything
27:52about not enforcing misdemeanors.
27:54This is just yet another figment
27:55of Andrew Cuomo's imagination.
27:57The DSA,
27:58which you give your
27:59part of your salary to,
28:01that's their position,
28:02abolish jails,
28:03no new carceral facilities,
28:05don't enforce misdemeanors
28:06and you're on the bill
28:08in Albany
28:09as a sponsor
28:10to decriminalize prostitution.
28:14The difference between myself
28:15and Andrew Cuomo,
28:16of which there are many,
28:17is that there is no one
28:18that is actually telling me
28:20what to do
28:20other than the 8.5 million people
28:22who call this city home.
28:23Who told you?
28:23If you want my policies,
28:24you'll find them on my website.
28:25Who told you to legalize prostitution?
28:27As mayor,
28:28Mr. Mandani,
28:29how would you handle
28:30this situation?
28:31You have 30 seconds.
28:33I want to first be clear
28:34that I am not
28:35and nor have I ever called
28:36for the legalization
28:37of prostitution.
28:38And if you are happy
28:39with what's happening
28:40on Roosevelt Avenue,
28:41then you should vote
28:41for Andrew Cuomo
28:42because his policy
28:43is to continue
28:44the exact same ones
28:45we've seen
28:46under Eric Adams.
28:47My policy
28:48is to actually
28:49take on sex trafficking,
28:50to have a zero tolerance
28:51for violence against women
28:53and to follow
28:54the advice
28:55of district attorneys
28:55that we have here
28:56in New York City,
28:57the current Manhattan DA,
28:58the former Manhattan DA,
28:59the current Brooklyn DA,
29:00the former Manhattan DA,
29:02having said
29:02that prosecuting women
29:04for prostitution
29:05is something
29:06that actually leads
29:06to less safety.
29:07And what we need to do
29:08is provide
29:09an economy of opportunity.
29:11Just a quick clarification.
29:13So no legalization
29:15about decriminalization.
29:18I do not think
29:18that we should be
29:19prosecuting women
29:20who are struggling,
29:21who are currently
29:22being thrown in jail
29:23and then being offered
29:24job opportunities.
29:25I think we should be
29:26actually providing
29:27those kinds of opportunities
29:28at the first point
29:29of interaction.
29:29It's been an hour
29:30and 20 minutes
29:31of this debate
29:32and we haven't heard
29:33Governor Cuomo
29:34say the word affordability.
29:35That's why he lost the primary.
29:37That's why he'll lose
29:38the general election.
29:39And you can lie
29:40all you want,
29:40but the truth is
29:41I voted for Kamala Harris.
29:43I'm the only candidate
29:43on this stage
29:44to have the endorsement
29:45of Kamala Harris
29:46and I'm not the one
29:47who's funded
29:47by Bill Ackman
29:49who called Kamala Harris
29:50unqualified
29:51to be the vice president
29:51of this country.
29:52I have denounced Hamas
29:53again and again
29:54and it will never be enough
29:55for Andrew Cuomo
29:56because what he is willing
29:58to say even though
29:59not on this stage
29:59is to call me
30:00the first Muslim
30:02on the precipice
30:02of leading this city
30:03a terrorist sympathizer
30:05is to send mailers
30:06that artificially lengthen
30:07my beard
30:08is to say to New Yorkers
30:10that they should be fearful.
30:10You are the Democratic nominee
30:17and you're also a member
30:18as we've been discussing
30:19of a political organization
30:21that may be less familiar
30:22to New Yorkers,
30:23the Democratic Socialists
30:24of America,
30:24which believes
30:26in dismantling capitalism.
30:28New York City
30:28is the global headquarters
30:30of the finance industry.
30:31So how would you be
30:33the mayor of Wall Street
30:34and the DSA?
30:36You have one minute.
30:37I would be the mayor
30:37of this entire city
30:38and that means ensuring
30:40that the wealth
30:41that we generate
30:42in this city
30:42is also wealth
30:43that every single New Yorker
30:44can actually feel
30:45in their pockets
30:46because what we have today
30:47is a system
30:48that has generated
30:48the most wealth
30:49in the wealthiest country
30:50in the history of the world
30:51where one in four
30:52of our neighbors
30:53are living in poverty.
30:54That's unacceptable.
30:55We can't look at 500,000 kids
30:57hungry every single night
30:58as just the cost
31:00of doing business
31:00in this city.
31:01That's something
31:01we have to actually change
31:03and I'm going to do that
31:04by fighting
31:04for my neighbors
31:06in Queens
31:06that I've come to know
31:07who are not only
31:08the ones who own
31:09teapots and toy stores
31:10who own diners
31:12and dry cleaners
31:13but also the ones
31:13who work there
31:14because right now
31:15all of them
31:16are being pushed
31:16out of this city
31:17by corporate greed
31:18by private equity
31:19and by a politics
31:20that refuses to fight for them.
31:22I will finally deliver that politics.
31:23Just a quick follow-up
31:24Mr. Mamdani
31:24a lot of Hispanic
31:26deaf police socialism
31:27and are a little bit scared
31:29to hear your policies.
31:30What would you tell them?
31:31Well I would first say
31:32that I wouldn't be here
31:33without the support
31:33of Latino New Yorkers
31:34because it was the majority
31:35of their support
31:36that helped to make me
31:37the democratic nominee
31:38and what democratic socialism means
31:40is a belief in the dignity
31:42of each and every New Yorker
31:43and the responsibility
31:44city government has
31:45to deliver that dignity.
31:47That's why I'm speaking
31:48about child care
31:48because it's pricing out
31:50New Yorkers from the city.
31:51That's why I'm speaking
31:51about freezing the rent
31:52because housing
31:53isn't a human right
31:54in the way that we practice
31:54our politics in the city
31:55and that's why
31:56I'm talking about
31:57making buses fast and free
31:58because one in five New Yorkers
32:00are being priced
32:00out of public transit today.
32:02Rosarina.
32:03So Mr. Slee,
32:04I would like to talk to you
32:05because you were here
32:06with us four years ago
32:08in the same stage
32:09for the general election debate
32:11and you lost it.
32:14Why do you believe
32:15New York is ready
32:16to elect a Republican
32:17this time around?
32:19First off,
32:20did I not warn you
32:21four years ago
32:22that Eric Adams
32:23would be corrupt
32:25and we would have chaos?
32:26Did I not?
32:27Of course I did.
32:28And I get praised for that.
32:29Now I'm trying to get people
32:31to vote for me.
32:32Not just on the Republican line
32:33but also my wife Nancy
32:36who was the best thing
32:37that has ever happened to me
32:38created the first ever
32:39independent
32:40protect animals line
32:42which calls for no kill shelters
32:44and putting animal abusers
32:46in jail.
32:46But the other thing
32:47that differentiates me
32:49from both of my adversaries
32:50is that I am opposed
32:52to the city of yes
32:53which will destroy
32:55the residential neighborhoods.
32:57Both of them
32:58are for the city of yes
32:59so when you vote for me
33:00whether on the Republican line
33:02or the protect animals line
33:03turn your ballot over
33:05and vote no
33:06on all those initiatives
33:07and referendums.
33:08Imagine.
33:09They've said
33:09how can you courtesy
33:10a Republican work
33:11with a Democratic majority
33:13in the council?
33:14Adrian Adams
33:15is in agreement with me.
33:16The Democratic city council people
33:18are in agreement with me.
33:20No to the city of yes
33:21which will take your homes
33:22and provide you instead
33:24with lithium ion
33:25battery warehouses
33:26next to your house
33:27which are like
33:28mini Chernobyl.
33:29I'm the only candidate
33:30who is opposed
33:31to the city of yes.
33:33I have a quick follow
33:35to that Mr. Sliwa.
33:36How do you bring down costs
33:38if you don't build
33:39more housing?
33:41Oh it's very simple
33:42to build housing.
33:43You just look
33:44in New York City.
33:45We have so many
33:47dense areas
33:48where you no longer
33:49can use the commercial space.
33:52They used to be office space
33:53and you just convert it
33:55into residential housing.
33:56You don't need to go
33:57into the outer world.
33:58You don't need to use
33:59wetlands, parklands
34:01which they seek to do.
34:02If you build a new building
34:04it takes five years.
34:06If you convert
34:06in existing buildings
34:07it can be done in a year.
34:10We want to change the pace
34:11and just get a sense
34:12of what you think
34:12about political leadership.
34:13We're curious about
34:14who you admire.
34:15Who is the best
34:16modern day U.S. president?
34:18Mr. Cuomo?
34:18Modern day?
34:22Well I'm partial.
34:24I was Bill Clinton's
34:25Housing and Urban
34:26Development Secretary.
34:28We built affordable housing
34:29all across the United States.
34:31Bill Clinton?
34:32Empowerment zones.
34:33I would say Bill Clinton.
34:34Okay.
34:35Mr. Momdani?
34:36I would say FDR.
34:40Mr. Sliwa?
34:41Oh who's the
34:42yeah who you thought
34:42the best modern
34:43best president
34:44in our lifetime?
34:45Yeah.
34:45Or I would say
34:46the best president
34:47in our lifetime
34:48that I've experienced
34:49I would go back
34:51to Ronald Reagan.
34:52Ronald Reagan.
34:52Okay.
34:53How about the best
34:54New York City mayor
34:55Mr. Sliwa?
34:58Best New York City mayor.
35:00Rudy Giuliani
35:01who endorsed me last week.
35:02Best New York City mayor
35:03of all time
35:03is Fiorello LaGuardia.
35:05Mr. Cuomo?
35:06It was Bill de Blasio
35:08last debate.
35:09No I've always said
35:09Fiorello is the best mayor
35:10of all time.
35:11Who's yours Mr. Cuomo?
35:13Is it of all time
35:14or modern time?
35:15Best New York City mayor
35:16in Europe.
35:17Of all time
35:17it is Fiorello LaGuardia.
35:19We agree.
35:21Recently I would say
35:22Mayor Dinkins
35:23and Mayor Bloomberg.
35:24Okay.
35:25How about the political leader
35:26dead or alive
35:27you most admire?
35:28Mr. Mamdani?
35:29I would say
35:30I admire Bernie Sanders.
35:33Mr. Cuomo?
35:34My father.
35:35Mr. Sliwa?
35:37I said it already
35:37George Pataki
35:38who was loved
35:39by Democrats
35:40and Republicans
35:41and the greatest mayor.
35:42Who supports
35:43Kathy Hochul
35:43for re-election?
35:44It's a decision
35:46that should be made
35:47after this general election
35:48and I would add
35:49that I do think
35:50that Kathy Hochul
35:50our governor
35:51has been doing
35:52a good job
35:53in not only serving
35:53and delivering
35:54not only delivering
35:55for New Yorkers
35:56but also standing up
35:56to Donald Trump.
35:57Do you support
35:58her for re-election?
35:58Why should the gifted
36:05and talented program
36:06be phased out
36:07in your opinion?
36:08You have a minute
36:08to answer.
36:09So I want to be
36:09very clear
36:10I have spoken
36:11solely of gifted
36:13and talented
36:13for kindergarteners.
36:14I do not believe
36:15that kindergarteners
36:16should be subject
36:17to a singular assessment.
36:19I have not spoken
36:19of any gifted
36:20and talented programs
36:21older than for kindergarten.
36:22I'm solely speaking
36:23about kindergarten.
36:24And I believe
36:25that we should be
36:26delivering the best education
36:28across the country
36:29here in this city.
36:30We will do that
36:31by following through
36:32in the proposals
36:32I've put forward
36:33to hire a thousand
36:34more teachers
36:35every single year
36:36through our
36:37community to classroom program.
36:38One that will ensure
36:40that we're providing
36:40each student
36:41whether they be
36:42in high school
36:43or someone who is
36:43an adult
36:44looking to become
36:45a teacher
36:45with $12,000
36:46in tuition subsidies
36:47so that they can start
36:49to fulfill
36:49the 7,000 to 9,000
36:51additional teachers
36:52we need
36:52so that we can
36:53actually deliver
36:54on the Class Size
36:55Reduction Act
36:55which I was proud
36:56to pass in Albany
36:57that will ensure
36:57that children
36:58and teachers
36:59actually have
36:59a manageable ratio
37:00in that classroom
37:01so that they can learn
37:02because today
37:03that learning
37:04is being rendered
37:04impossible
37:05by the number
37:06of kids
37:06in that same classroom.
37:08It's time
37:08to make sure
37:09that that number
37:09is lower.
37:10But you don't believe
37:11the mayor
37:11should run this system?
37:13I've been critical
37:14of mayoral control
37:15because of the ways
37:16in which it's been used
37:17to take away
37:18the voice of parents
37:19of educators
37:19of students
37:20and I think it's important
37:21that those same voices
37:22be a part
37:23of how we lead
37:23the system.
37:24So are you for
37:25or against
37:26mayoral control?
37:27I've been critical
37:28of it.
37:28I'm against mayoral control
37:29and I think
37:30that there's an importance
37:30of developing something
37:32that actually enshrines
37:33all of those voices together.
37:34Mr. Mondani,
37:35how much control
37:36of schools
37:36would you be giving up?
37:38Is it just a sharing arrangement?
37:39I know you want to share
37:40with the districts
37:41and with parents
37:41or would you be giving up
37:43full control
37:44and is that
37:45an accountability problem
37:46if the buck
37:46doesn't stop with you?
37:47I think the mayor
37:48needs to retain
37:49the accountability
37:50so that New Yorkers
37:51know exactly
37:52who they can come to
37:53when they have critiques
37:54and I think we also
37:55have to develop a system
37:55where we don't have
37:57what we saw
37:57just recently
37:58where you have
37:59hours and hours
38:00of parents
38:00and teachers
38:01and students
38:02testifying
38:03only to be overruled
38:04without any consideration
38:05by the panel.
38:06Mr. Mondani,
38:07I have to move on.
38:08Switching now,
38:09it's a question
38:10for all three of you,
38:11switching to students
38:12with learning challenges,
38:13parents of students
38:14with dyslexia,
38:15ADHD and autism
38:17are very well aware
38:18of the fact
38:20that the school system
38:21in New York City
38:22is not doing enough
38:23to meet their children's
38:24educational needs.
38:25How will you help
38:26these parents and students?
38:28We know that Mayor Adams
38:29has expanded evaluations
38:30specifically for children
38:32with dyslexia.
38:33It was an issue
38:33close to his heart,
38:34but what would you do
38:35more broadly,
38:36Mr. Mondani?
38:38You know,
38:38I think some of the initiatives
38:39that Mayor Adams
38:40has launched,
38:40especially with this chancellor,
38:42have been showing
38:43positive signs
38:44especially for literacy
38:45and for preparedness,
38:47especially as we're in
38:48a national crisis
38:49on reading
38:50and mathematical comprehension.
38:52And I think those are programs
38:53that should be furthered,
38:54should be invested in,
38:55all while also ensuring
38:56that we're giving teachers
38:58greater flexibility
38:59in the curriculum
39:00that they're actually teaching
39:01because what I've heard
39:02from many of those teachers
39:03is that too often
39:04the curriculum
39:04that's being procured
39:05in the $10 billion a year
39:07in DOE contracts
39:08is one that has little relation
39:10to the classroom.
39:10Thank you, Mr. Mondani.
39:11You know,
39:11when I spoke about
39:12our community-to-classroom program,
39:14the importance of it
39:15is not just bringing in
39:16a thousand more teachers
39:17every year,
39:18it's also that we would bring in
39:20a number of more
39:20bilingual educators
39:22because what we've heard
39:23from a number of adults
39:24who have taught
39:25in other countries
39:25now live in New York City
39:26is the process
39:27by which they get
39:28their certification approved
39:29to teach here
39:30is one that is onerous
39:32and one that is actually
39:32pricing many of them out.
39:34That's why this is a program
39:35that will directly address that
39:37to increase
39:38that bilingual capacity
39:39in our school system
39:40so that we can teach
39:41every single child,
39:42no matter when they got here,
39:43the public education...
39:44But, Mr. Mondani,
39:45this certification
39:45has been offered
39:46and it hasn't been successful,
39:47so how can you
39:48make more teachers
39:49to be, you know,
39:51like they want to do this?
39:53Part of what I've heard
39:54is that the tuition costs
39:55as part of the same
39:56certification exams
39:57are onerous
39:58for many of these adults
39:59looking to switch careers.
40:00That's why this program
40:01is built upon
40:02providing $12,000
40:03in tuition assistance
40:04that would lead
40:05to 1,000 more teachers
40:06every year.
40:0726 Federal Plaza
40:08has become a flagship
40:10in federal immigration crackdown.
40:12We reported that
40:13asylum seekers
40:14are showing up
40:15for like those
40:16routine appointments,
40:17not facing
40:18any criminal challenges
40:20and they end up
40:21being deported.
40:22So by the show of hands,
40:24we would like to know
40:25if you believe
40:26that you,
40:28any of you,
40:28could do something
40:29to stop this.
40:31I would be proud
40:32to be the first
40:33immigrant mayor
40:34of this city
40:34in generations
40:35and it's a 26 Federal Plaza
40:37that I've seen
40:38what used to be moments
40:39when New Yorkers
40:40would be getting
40:40their citizenship
40:41turn into moments
40:42of tragedy
40:42where judges
40:43are asking New Yorkers
40:44who are there
40:44for a routine
40:45immigration check-in
40:46whether they're prepared
40:47to leave
40:48in the very same clothes
40:49that they arrive
40:50to that courthouse.
40:51I agree that we need
40:52more legal representation.
40:53I also think
40:54we need to actually
40:55be able to stand up
40:56to Donald Trump
40:57because I heard
40:58from Pastor
40:58in East Flatbush,
40:59Pastor Galbraith,
41:00who told me
41:01how he accompanied
41:02a member of his congregation
41:03to 26 Federal Plaza.
41:06He sat there
41:06as a judge
41:07was determining her fate.
41:08They managed
41:09to convince the judge
41:10to replace
41:10the deportation order
41:11with a TPS order
41:12but they knew
41:13that ICE
41:14would not care
41:15about that change
41:16and they had to
41:17sprint her out
41:18of the building
41:18smuggling her
41:19into the elevator
41:20in order to get her
41:21back to Brooklyn.
41:24Candidates,
41:25I want to talk about
41:25New York City's economy
41:26and change the pace
41:28a little bit.
41:29Everyone supports
41:30growing New York City's economy.
41:31The mayor is our
41:33chief salesman
41:34to the business world
41:35so we want to mix it up,
41:36test your persuasive power
41:38so we're calling it
41:38an elevator pitch
41:39and we'll start with you
41:40Mr. Mondani.
41:41In this scenario,
41:41imagine you're talking
41:42to the CEO
41:43of a big tech company
41:44deciding to move
41:46its headquarters
41:46to New York City
41:47or to Dallas.
41:49The CEO is concerned
41:50New York just raised
41:51its corporate taxes
41:51and employees
41:52will pay more
41:53for everything.
41:55Look into the camera
41:55and make your pitch
41:56to that CEO
41:57to come here
41:58and not there.
41:59Do it in 30 seconds.
42:00New York City
42:01has something that Dallas
42:02or no other city
42:03across this country
42:04could actually offer
42:05and that is the quality
42:06of life,
42:06that is the arts
42:07and the culture,
42:08that is the people
42:08that make the city
42:09so special
42:10and I as the mayor
42:11of this city
42:11will deliver that
42:12quality of life,
42:13will deliver the safety
42:14that is the cornerstone
42:15of an affordability agenda
42:16and will ensure
42:17that companies choose
42:19to come to this city
42:20and also choose
42:21to stay in this city
42:22because so much
42:23of what drives
42:24the tech sector
42:25is a hunger
42:26for innovation,
42:27a unrepenting desire
42:29to actually innovate
42:30and those are
42:31the very things
42:31that are going
42:31to characterize
42:32my city government
42:33in this area.
42:34But what do you say
42:34to the CEO
42:34about the corporate taxes
42:35and also the staggering
42:37costs for the workers?
42:39We are going to make
42:39this city more affordable
42:40so that workers
42:41who want to work
42:42at those companies
42:43can actually be able
42:44to do so
42:44and we're going
42:45to ensure
42:46that this city
42:47continues to be one
42:48where we see
42:49businesses opening
42:49and also staying open.
42:50All right,
42:51thank you, Sal.
42:51Roughly 500 times a day
42:53someone calls 911
42:55about an emotionally
42:57disturbed person
42:58and in a limited number
42:59of those cases
43:00when the person
43:01is not believed
43:02to be violent,
43:04social workers
43:04are dispatched
43:05instead of police.
43:07Mr. Mamdani,
43:07you want to do that
43:08on a much larger scale
43:10so we want to know
43:11how will this work?
43:13When will you send
43:14police versus social workers?
43:17You have one minute.
43:18You know,
43:19we have a program
43:20here in New York City
43:21called Be Heard
43:22that is attempting
43:23to do this kind of work
43:24but we've had a mayor
43:26who has ensured
43:27that it's been unsuccessful
43:28to the extent
43:29that even when
43:30there was an assessment
43:30of about 60% of calls
43:32that could have been
43:33addressed by Be Heard
43:34instead of the NYPD,
43:36Be Heard
43:36was not actually
43:37responsive to it
43:38and that's because
43:39we haven't had
43:39the political will
43:40to deliver on
43:41what is a crisis
43:42that affects
43:43so many New Yorkers
43:44which is the mental health crisis.
43:46What my plan will do,
43:47an innovative plan
43:48of the Department
43:49of Community Safety
43:49will take what has worked
43:51elsewhere in the country,
43:52a program in Eugene, Oregon
43:53where they took
43:5424,000 911 mental health calls
43:56out of the police department.
43:58They were able to respond
43:59to all but 311
44:01without police assistance.
44:03When there is a concern
44:04for safety or of violence,
44:06absolutely,
44:07you would have the police there.
44:08But what we are doing today
44:09is actually ensuring
44:10that every single call
44:12is going to the police
44:13and not allowing them
44:14to do the work
44:15that they signed up to do.
44:16How will you determine
44:17whether there is a concern
44:18for safety or violence?
44:20What is the line
44:21between the calls
44:22in which police
44:23will be dispatched
44:24and the calls
44:25to which social workers
44:26will be dispatched?
44:27The line is also going
44:28to be one focused
44:29on violence
44:30and the threat of violence.
44:32And I also trust
44:33the operators
44:34who will be receiving
44:34those calls
44:35to make that determination
44:36as they do every day today
44:38for so many emergency services.
44:40And just two
44:40really quick points, please.
44:42There has been
44:42a lot of discussion
44:43that you would send
44:44social workers
44:45to domestic violence calls,
44:47which police are concerned about.
44:48So you're saying no, okay.
44:50And then the other question is,
44:52how can you be sure
44:53that a situation
44:54that does not sound violent
44:56when someone calls 911
44:57does not become violent
44:59in the moment?
44:59Would police be assigned
45:01as backup?
45:02I think what you do
45:03is you actually follow
45:04the experts
45:05that have shown us
45:06this can work
45:07when you're willing
45:07to ensure
45:08that you're trusting
45:09the mental health experts
45:10who have been doing
45:11this work elsewhere
45:12in the country,
45:12where they call
45:13for the police
45:14when they need the police,
45:15but their initial impulse
45:16when there's no violence
45:17in that call
45:18is to actually address
45:19the mental health
45:20at the heart of it.
45:21He cut funding
45:22for the Advantage program,
45:23which was putting
45:24New Yorkers
45:24who had otherwise
45:25been in shelters,
45:26otherwise been homeless,
45:27into apartments.
45:28I met one of those New Yorkers
45:29and she told me
45:30how that pushed her out.
45:31Thank you, Mr. Mondani.
45:32Brief response, Mr. Quomo.
45:33He's talking about a program
45:3414 years ago
45:35that was a pilot program
45:36that had a work requirement.
45:38It was very controversial.
45:40It was $65 million.
45:41Are you talking
45:43about Advantage,
45:44just so we know
45:44what you're talking about?
45:45It was 14 years ago,
45:47$65 million.
45:48I added billions
45:50to the homeless budget,
45:52funded the homeless budget
45:53larger than any governor
45:54in history.
45:55Okay.
45:56Okay, thank you.
45:56We want to talk about...
45:57He cut that program.
45:58Homelessness skyrocketed.
46:00Mr. Mondani,
46:01we have aired this issue.
46:02It was 14 years ago.
46:03Mr. Mondani,
46:04Local Law 97,
46:05how would you enforce
46:06the law as mayor?
46:07I support the law
46:08and I would also make it easier
46:10for condo and co-op owners
46:12to comply with the law
46:13because what I've heard
46:13from so many
46:14is that it's cheaper
46:15to pay the fine
46:16than to actually
46:16get into compliance.
46:18And I think the city
46:18has a role here
46:19in procurement
46:20at a large scale
46:21of so much
46:22of what is necessary
46:23in these infrastructure investments.
46:24We've seen it be done
46:25in the Clean Energy Challenge
46:27within NYCHA.
46:27It's time to do it
46:28right here in New York City
46:29to assist those condo
46:31and co-op owners
46:31in meeting the standards
46:32we desperately need to hit.
46:34Okay.
46:35Gentlemen,
46:35New York City loves its parades
46:37and the mayor
46:38is often front and center.
46:40You have all said
46:41that you want to be mayor
46:42for all New Yorkers.
46:43So will you march
46:45in all the parades
46:46that mayors
46:47have traditionally marched in
46:48or are there any
46:50that you would boycott?
46:51Mr. Mondani.
46:52There are many parades
46:53that I would not be attending
46:54because I'd be focusing
46:55on the work
46:55of leading this city.
46:57Which parades?
46:58A number of them.
46:58I've already missed
46:59a number of those parades
47:00because I've been trying
47:01to speak to as many
47:02as possible.
47:03Okay.
47:03I don't have the list
47:04of all the parades
47:05I've missed.
47:05Wow, that's a lot.
47:06I may as you be going
47:07to all parades.
47:08Let me ask you this.
47:09Are there any parades
47:10that don't exist
47:11that you think should?
47:13Mr. Mondani?
47:14I haven't thought much
47:15about parades
47:15to be honest with you.
47:17Would you protect
47:17the Christopher Columbus
47:18statues that exist
47:19here in the city?
47:20I'm telling you
47:21my focus is on affordability.
47:22I'm not thinking about statues.
47:23Well, you're not answering
47:24the question.
47:24Yeah, thank you.
47:25He gave the finger
47:27to the Columbus Day statue.
47:30Okay, that issue
47:30has come up earlier.
47:30That's what we call
47:31a disgraziado.
47:33What's your go-to
47:34breakfast order
47:34at the bodega?
47:36Mr. Sliwa?
47:37Oh, eggs and cheese
47:39on a roll.
47:40No salt, please.
47:41Mr. Cuomo?
47:42Same thing.
47:43No salt also.
47:45Mr. Mondani?
47:46Egg and cheese
47:47on a roll
47:47with jalapenos.
47:48Yum.
47:49Have you ever purchased
47:50anything in a cannabis shop?
47:52And if so,
47:52what did you buy?
47:53Mr. Mondani?
47:54I have.
47:56I have purchased marijuana
47:59at a legal cannabis shop.
48:00Okay.
48:00In a dream scenario,
48:01we know it's not possible,
48:02but the Mets are playing
48:03Game 7 of the World Series
48:04on the same night
48:05as the Knicks are playing
48:06Game 7 of the NBA Championship,
48:08and you can only go to one.
48:10Which one will it be,
48:11Mr. Sliwa?
48:13Again, which baseball team?
48:14This is the Mets,
48:15Game 7,
48:16Knicks Game 7.
48:17I'm not going to the Mets game.
48:19I'm a Yankee fan.
48:20True baseball fans,
48:21either like one or the other.
48:23I'm going to the Knicks game.
48:24That's my team,
48:25the Knicks.
48:26Mr. Cuomo?
48:28I'm going to go half and half.
48:29I can make it back and forth.
48:31All right.
48:31Mr. Mondani?
48:32This is what New Yorkers are sick of.
48:33Just pick a team.
48:34What's your answer?
48:34I'd be there for the Knicks.
48:35Okay.
48:36There's a lot of ground covered.
48:38We'll leave it on that light note.
48:39Thank you, candidates.
48:40Subscribe to One India
48:43and never miss an update.
48:47Download the One India app now.
Be the first to comment