Every Friday, Mayor Bill de Blasio calls in to the Brian Lehrer Show on WNYC for an Ask the Mayor segment, a conversation that all New Yorkers are invited to join by calling 646-435-7280, or tweeting a question with the #AsktheMayor hashtag. The show airs 10 a.m. to noon on WNYC 93.9 FM, AM 820 and wnyc.org.
Below is a transcript, as well as the audio, of this week's segment, where de Blasio fields questions from Brian and New Yorkers, and discusses the ongoing Rikers crisis, the Gifted & Talented program, low hospitalization rates, and more.
Brian Lehrer: Brian Lehrer on WNYC, and time now for our weekly Ask the Mayor call-in, my questions and yours for Mayor Bill de Blasio at 646-435-7280, or tweet a question. You never get a busy signal on Twitter. Just use the hashtag, #AsktheMayor. It'll be a little shorter than usual today because our membership drive schedule dictates that. So, go get your calls and tweets in right away. Hashtag #AsktheMayor or 646-435-7280. And good morning, Mr. Mayor. Welcome back to WNYC.
Mayor Bill de Blasio: Thank you so much, Brian. And Brian, some quick, very good news for you. Official news, breaking news – citywide hospitalization rates as of today are half of the levels they were as recently as August. And specifically at our public clinics, our public hospitals, the places hardest hit by COVID this whole time, the hospitalization rates are now – this is amazing – hospitalization in public hospitals, lowest since the beginning of the pandemic. From the very beginning to now, we are now at the lowest point in our public hospitals.
Lehrer: That is great. And I presume you credit vaccination for that largely?
Mayor: Unquestionably, and Dr. Mitch Katz spoke about this reality that we're now at six million New Yorkers who have had at least one dose of the vaccine and climbing. Dr. Katz has done an amazing job running the public hospitals. He said, this has been the difference-maker. And as you've asked about many times, are we reaching deeper into the communities most affected, deeper into immigrant communities, communities of color, now the vaccination rate among Latinos higher than among the white population, and the vaccination rate for African-Americans is growing steadily now because of the incentives and mandates. So, something very powerful is happening and we're seeing it profoundly at our public hospital.
Lehrer: Let me ask you about one case on the downside of that and not to say this represents what's going on overall, but according to City Health Department data, our news department saw that the COVID death toll for New York City children rose this week by one child. Now, pediatric COVID deaths in the city are rare, for context, and this is the 30th recorded, however, by the City, since the pandemic began. I'm curious what you know, if anything, about this incident that a child died this week, or is it an earlier pediatric death that wasn't confirmed until now?
Mayor: Well, you'll understand, Brian, regarding a specific case it's very, very important to respect confidentiality for that family. So, I'm not going to go into any detail. I want to say we – every situation we look at very closely. What our health care leadership says is that vaccination overall is changing the entire environment for all families, all ages. Thank God our youngest kids have been the least affected by COVID throughout. And the big news, the extraordinary news will be, we really believe in just a few weeks, we'll be able to reach five- to 11-year-olds with the vaccine, and we'll be ready to do that the second we get authorization from Washington. So, I think that's the bigger reality.
Lehrer: Now, I believe you said you're against a mandate for the kids in that age group, is that because it would be difficult to implement because some parents hearing a statistic like 30 – if I saw that number right – child deaths in the city since the pandemic began, might want a vaccine mandate for kids.
Mayor: Well, the issue that's been raised so many times is, should there be a mandate for a child to be able to go to our schools. And I feel very strongly, our health care team feels strongly, our Chancellor Meisha Ross Porter feels very strongly our kids need to be in school. It is absolutely crucial for all elements of health, physical health, mental health, educationally. Our kids need to be in school and school has been incredibly safe. So, I've said I'm not ready, nor is the Chancellor to exclude children who are unvaccinated because their parent won't let them be vaccinated. That's the reality. The child doesn't get to decide, the parents have to give consent. Now, 75 percent of the teenagers already are vaccinated. That's a really promising sign. I think the younger children will be even a higher percentage ultimately. But I'm not going to – certainly not at this point – I'm not going to say a child can't come to school if they're unvaccinated because they've been excluded from education for too long.
Lehrer: Julia in Woodside, you're on WNYC with the Mayor. Hello, Julia.
Question: Hello, Mr. Mayor. I have a question for you, sir. On September 6th, you were in my flooded basement with AOC and Mr. Schumer. And you hugged me and told me that FEMA would take care of everything. Unfortunately, FEMA didn't give up to $34,000 to anybody in our Woodside homes. The least amount was under $5,000, and that can't replace a water heater, a boiler, or replace all the walls, which you were in my basement and saw I had no more walls. We had to remove everything because the mold and mildew and the smell was horrific. We finally got the smell out and I just had to refinance, get money for $11,000 for a hot water heater and the boiler. I still have to replace everything, my washer, dryer, refrigerator. And there's no – I’m retired, as I told you, and you told me your wife was retired and didn't get her pension. So, how does this work for everybody in the community of Woodside, Queens, who were flooded from Ida?
Lehrer: Mr. Mayor –
Mayor: Julia, I remember you really, really well. And we had a great conversation, under a tough circumstance but I appreciated you. And I know you served this city and I want to thank you for that. I – just one factual point. My wife's not retired. That was about my mom, actually, may she rest in peace, that she had a pension, and it was taken away. Yeah, no, she had a pension from a private company and then it was canceled while she was in retirement. I'll never forget that. But, Julia, look we've got to get you more help is the bottom line. I want you to give your information to WNYC. I saw the destruction in your basement. It's clearly a lot of money. We got to get you back on your feet. I'm surprised and very disappointed – if FEMA is only giving people that small amount of money, we've got to fight back on that. And we have other sources of funding as well. Everything from grants to no-interest loans, very low-interest loans. There’s a variety of things. Obviously, most people need grants. So, Julia, let's get back to work getting you more help. You need it, you deserve it. My team will follow up with you today. And I think we can help you and definitely do better than what FEMA did.
Read More: More Than A Month After Ida, A Family That Lost Everything Is Still Without a Home
Lehrer: So, Julia, we're going to put you on hold. Leave your contact information, and it sounds like you're going to get some follow-up help, so that's good. Cassius, in Brooklyn, you're on WNYC with the Mayor. Hello, Cassius.
Question: Hey. Good morning, guys. You know, there's this ongoing crisis at Rikers, is what I wanted to speak about. Mayor, even by your own plan – you know, you say that, of course, the ultimate solution is to just shut it completely down and get off that island. But your own plan doesn't call for that for like five or six years from now. And, you know, we keep hearing about these reports of just this hellhole environment in there, where people are defecating and urinating on themselves or in the space they're in, you know, because the plumbing is all screwed up and not getting enough food. Like, we want to hear about these practicalities being addressed, you know, like today. Like, there's still close to 6,000 or 5,000 people in there when, you know – like, today, can we hear about teams of plumbers being sent in there just to start improving the practicalities of their living situation in there?
Lehrer: Mr. Mayor?
Mayor: Yeah. Cassius, I can tell you're speaking from the heart and I appreciate it. And it’s a real concern for folks whose life ended up in a bad situation. And look, first, the whole approach that I've tried to take is to see anyone who ends up incarcerated as someone that we can help and rehabilitate. The previous administration did not do that. We now provide training and education five days a week. We provide transitional jobs when people come out of Rikers. We ended solitary confinement, which was horrible and really set people back in terms of mental health. And we are getting off Rikers. I am frustrated as you are that it takes so long to build new facilities, but the good news is they will be new, modern, rehabilitation-oriented, safe, clean facilities. That's what has been needed for years. Rikers, in some parts, 85 years old – it just shouldn't exist.
But in terms of your question in the here and now, a lot of work has happened the last few months. It's a very different reality. The plumbers have been in, folks have been cleaning, painting, a whole host of things, but, most importantly, reducing population. We needed the State government to help us and they have. The population now is around 5,500. We’re going to get it under 5,000 for the whole Correction system and then keep going down. And this is the bottom line, getting people out, stopping people from coming in who shouldn't come in to begin with, like the technical parole violators, which is why the law that passed in Albany was so important on that front. Improving the conditions, bringing the officers back – and this was a big part of what went wrong. Officers claiming to be sick, who weren't – we're now being very tough on that, and people are coming back by the hundreds, and that's helping us change the reality. So, a lot of work to do. But the last thing I’d say, Cassius, is, the sad reality is, I understand why the media pays attention at times, and the public, but the larger reality of Rikers has been deeply troubled for decades, has never been the place that we want to be in. And this is something we've got to end once and for all. I wish it could be faster. I don't think, honestly, that's the core issue. The core issue right now is making sure that everything that happens after we leave office, that people stay on the current schedule and don't let it lag.
Read More: De Blasio Interventions Haven't Improved Dire Conditions On Rikers: Report
Lehrer: Rory, in Queens. You're on WNYC with the Mayor. Hello, Rory.
Question: Hi. I'm calling on behalf of some teachers that I know [inaudible] in the Board of Education. Really, my question is, a lot of the students – I mean, even before the pandemic, were having – when they were entering middle school, they were not getting what they needed in elementary school. And what's happening is, is they're entering middle school not knowing how to read. And this is it applies more to the specialized self-contained classes, but every year they've been getting lower and lower. They're not going [inaudible] elementary school. So, I was wondering if you had any plans before you leave to try and address that or help that, because, you know, for example, the District 30, like, cultural diversity grant – like, yes, that's great – millions of dollars put into cultural diversity, but if the students can't read and they're not getting the support, I think that is more important, because they're not going to be able to succeed –
Lehrer: Rory – and I know – I think if I understand you correctly, you're talking about kids in special-ED programs in particular. Is there a certain kind of additional support that you or a group of parents or teachers you know is asking for?
Question: Basically, what's happening is when students are in elementary school they're just not getting the reading intervention programs that they need, even in the middle school they're not getting reading intervention programs that they need. So, they come into middle school not knowing how to read, because they weren't helped [inaudible] in elementary school. And then, because the middle school doesn't have the funds for reading [inaudible] programs – and this is all of the city. Like, the school I have this knowledge from is a Magnet School. They are getting students from the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens – you name it, they come to the school. And every year they [inaudible] lower and lower and not knowing how to read and –
Lehrer: Rory, I'm going to leave it there and get you a response. Well, for all the talk about gifted and talented recently, here's the other end of the spectrum. It sounds like that Rory says, at least, needs a lot more attention.
Mayor: Well, Rory is right that this is the crux of the matter – literacy. And what I've focused on is literacy by third grade, because that's a very widely held standard among the educators nationally that if a child is able to read on grade level by third grade, it's a great predictor of academic success, going forward. If they're not, they're in trouble. And so, this is why we did a Pre-K for All. This is why we are well on the road now to Universal 3-K. And when we have every three-year-old and every four-year-old in a classroom, getting the support they need for free in this city, you’re going to see the literacy dynamics change profoundly. We've already seen it. I'm not a big fan of standardized testing, but, to the extent it tells us anything, we saw that since the Universal Pre-K reality came into play, reading levels are going up. We're now going to double down, to Rory's point, on kindergarten, first grade, second grade with a lot more reading coaches, doing everything from helping teachers to focus on literacy and focus on the kids that need help, to, literally, tutoring and pulling out kids, and giving them extra help. And that's true of general-ED and special-ED kids. So, what Chancellor Porter is focused on is reorienting the whole school system earlier. I started it with pre-K, now 3-K. She wants to fill in, rightfully, that gap – kindergarten, first grade, second grade. And we front-load all of our efforts and a lot more personnel, particularly in the districts that need it most, to get kids reading on grade level by third grade. So, I think this is exactly where we need to focus more, going forward. This is – if you get this foundation right in a child's life, then everything else is possible.
Read More: De Blasio Vows To Replace NYC Schools' Segregated Gifted & Talented Program
Lehrer: When you were on last week, it was the day you announced the end of Gifted and Talented tests and classes for elementary school. And reactions are varying depending on people's politics. I see there've been a couple of demonstrations at City Hall this week by G and T supporters. And one of the things they've been arguing is that both your kids went to a G and T middle school in Brooklyn, M.S. 51, I think, and the selective high schools Beacon and Stuyvesant. So, they see you as at least having been willing to benefit from the system you now say is discriminatory. And at worst, as they characterize it, pulling up an opportunity ladder after your kids benefited from it. How would you respond to those critiques?
Mayor: I want to respond. I want to also correct the record that Dante went to –
Lehrer: Brooklyn Tech. Sorry, I said Stuyvesant.
Mayor: Proud – they call themselves Technites. Very proud, not Stuyvesant. But listen, I understand that people say, Hey, look at those schools, we want the best for everyone. That's exactly the impulse. That's why I think specialized high schools, and I fought for this in Albany and met with incredible resistance. Specialized high schools need to be much more representative of all our kids. We're changing the screened schools, including places like some of the schools my kids went to. We're changing the admissions to bring in a much greater diversity of kids. And on Gifted and Talented, we're saying all 65,000 kindergarteners – I mean listen to the fundamental fact right now, Brian. 2,500 kids each year. This was the model I received from the Bloomberg administration. I needed a plan that would actually work as an alternative. Chancellor Porter gave it to me. Instead of 2,500 kids a year getting Gifted and Talented education, we're going to evaluate all 65,000 kindergarteners. These are kids now who more and more will have had pre-K and 3K ahead, so there'll be in really a stronger academic shape. And we're looking for their gifts. We're looking for all of their gifts. A lot of kids who don't get into a Gifted and Talented program now because precisely 62,500 don't get in and 2,500 do. It's incredibly exclusive and unhelpful. So, we're valuing every child. Some, one child might be really advanced in math, but no other subjects. Great, let's help them keep playing out that talent in math. Some other child might have talent across the board and ability. Let's keep working with them to maximize those abilities. But it should be for every child. And so, the vision we put forward, which now is going to go through a couple of months of parental involvement, engagement, community conversations, is to start with everyone. And then over the years, as we see kids who really have that opportunity to learn in an accelerated fashion. It shouldn't be 2,500 a year. We think it's more like 25,000 per year when you got to third grade, fourth grade, fifth grade.
Lehrer: One more call before we run out of time. Crystal in Brooklyn, you're on WNYC with the Mayor. Hello, Crystal.
Question: Hi. Thank you. My landlord's son, who's the manager of the building I live in in Greenpoint, sexually assaulted me in the hallway of the Kings County Housing Court. I've been savagely harassed by my landlord, her son, and their acting agents in many other ways, for the past five years, as retaliation for filing a rent overcharge claim, to which I recently won. I've been reporting all of these incidents to the police from day one. Not only do I receive apathy and negligence, I received full on misconduct. I'm victim-blamed and gaslit. I was told once by a Lieutenant that I was going to be arrested if I kept calling for help. I – sorry, I lost – okay. I've reported this to all City and State agencies with oversight to help me. And I get no correspondence, more apathy and negligence or well wishes. In 2019, the New York State, well, New York State enacted a penal law that defines the harassment of a rent regulated tenant as the interference or disturbance of comfort, peace, and repose, and quiet of such tenant in an effort to get them to vacate their apartment.
Lehrer: Crystal, this obviously sounds horrific. The clock's going to run out on us. Do you have a specific ask of the Mayor?
Question: Yes, I do. Yeah. I don't have access to this law because my precinct has been stonewalling me. Mayor, you and other elected vehemently claim New York has zero tolerance for unscrupulous landlords. If someone like me, a tenacious citizen who speaks English fluently and has zero dependents can’t access this law that's been in effect for two years, what hope does a disabled person, a senior citizen, an immigrant, a single parent have of being protected and attaining justice?
Mayor: Crystal as Brian said, it sounds horrific what you've been through. And really, I'm just very, very pained to hear what you've been through. And we've got to find a way to help. And so, look, two things in terms of what we do to protect tenants. We have a very, very aggressive Office of Tenant Protection that provides free legal services and has done a lot to fight back against bad landlords. So, that's one piece of the answer. But the, but your situation, there's a lot you've just said. I want our Law Department to talk to you directly at a senior level. You can expect that call today if you please give your information to WNYC. And look, if anyone in the police department handled things appropriately, there will be action taken. But the immediate issue here is to make sure that whatever, you know, help and support that you deserve gets to you. So, let me have someone senior follow up with you today, and hopefully we can help you quickly.
Lehrer: Crystal, hang on. We will take your contact information off the air. And that is all the time we have for today, Mayor. Mr. Mayor, thank you as always. Talk to you next week.
Mayor: Thank you, Brian, take care.
To join in the next conversation, you can call in to 646-435-7280 on Friday mornings, or tweet your question using the #AskTheMayor hashtag.
