Transcript: Mayor Adams Appears Live On FOX5’s “Good Day New York”

March 1, 2024

Rosanna Scotto: Beginning today, every business in the city will be required to put their trash into bins with lids when putting it out on the street.

Curt Menefee: This is part of the Sanitation Department's plan to decrease the amount of trash bags littering the streets and sidewalks, and they're trying to help us get rid of those pesky rats. Joining us right now with more details on these rules are Mayor Eric Adams and the Sanitation commissioner, Jessica Tisch. Thank you both for joining us, we appreciate it.

Mayor Adams: Thank you. Thank you. This is our morning trash talk.

Menefee: This is where we have to keep it right here. Keep the trash talk to the trash.

All right, let's start. I'll start with questions for both of you, mayor and commissioner. First of all, exactly what's going to be required; and secondly, I'll start with you then, Commissioner Tisch. How can this be enforced?

Commissioner Jessica Tisch, Department of Sanitation: So, what's required is pretty straightforward. We're asking all businesses in the city — there are about 200,000 of them — to put their trash out in WheelieBins with sealed lids rather than in trash bags directly on the street. We've been rolling this out in phases, so we started with restaurants, bodegas, bars, delis. We moved to chain stores.

We've seen widespread compliance. And we start each phase with a one‑month warning period where we give out tens of thousands of warnings; and then a month later, we start with our summonsing part of our enforcement program. But we found in other phases that by one month in we see widespread compliance among affected businesses.

Menefee: So, mayor, when you look at this right now, I mean, where did this idea come from? Obviously the commissioner came here and said we've got to do something. You've got your rat czar, you got all this. But specifically, why this plan now?

Mayor Adams: Well, you know, we always felt when you look internationally cities have been putting their trash into bins. And New York, we do not lead from the rear, we lead from the front. And when the commissioner stated, Eric, we want to get rid of rats, we have to get plastic bags off our streets.

And people told us it was going to take five years to do, but within two years and two months we have started really moving almost 50 percent of our trash is going to be impacted and we're going to move to the next phase. So, it's about cleanliness, the visualization and dealing with the unsightliness of rodents and garbage in our city.

Scotto: So, I'm hearing former Mayor Bloomberg calls you. Is he on trash patrol in his neighborhood?

Mayor Adams: He just always has good input on things that he observed. Being a former mayor, you see some of the things that could be improved upon, and he knows I'm receptive to hearing those good ideas. And that is how you really have what I like to say a marathon effect of mayors on how we improve our city.

Scotto: I know that you're very close to the former mayor. I'm wondering if you have leaned on him with all these FBI investigations going on. Three of your top former aides have been rated by the FBI. Has the FBI given you any indication if you're a target? And how do you make sure this is not a distraction in what you want to do for New York City?

Mayor Adams: Well, first, let me answer that question: no, I have not received any indication of that. And you know, you talked about the former mayor and mayors. They were very clear. Eric, throughout your administration, there are going to be a lot of things that are going to come up.

And that's why I coined that phrase "stay focused, no distractions and grind." That's what New Yorkers want me to do. I'm not going to pick trash off the streets or keep our city safe or build housing if I'm going to be distracted. I must stay focused on what I was elected to do, and that's what we're doing.

Menefee: You know, one of the big focuses, mayor, while we have you here, is the migrant situation here, not only here, but all across the country. We've talked before that this is really a federal issue that passes down to the state, which then passes down to the city. But you have to deal with it on a daily basis.

I know back on what they call Tin Cup Day, you went to the legislature and said, hey, we need more financial help. The governor said, [she] didn't ask me directly. Have you had any conversations with Governor Hochul about the state kicking in a little bit more money as the state budget goes into effect on April 1st?

Mayor Adams: The governor has been a real partner, and I want to be clear on that. She has assisted in so many different levels around the migrant and asylum crisis, which is a national problem. And yes, other cities are being impacted: Chicago, Denver, Houston, Washington.

But all are looking towards New York. What we have done, no one has been able to duplicate it at our capacity: 177,000 migrants and asylum seekers entered the system, over 100,000 becoming self‑sustaining. And some of them are finding people who want to exploit them, like the individual who had migrants living in his basement. He was making over $300,000 a year. That's not acceptable.

We have a system in place and we're going to continue to do that, and we're going to be continuously talking with our Albany partners to help us on many different levels that we need help on.

Menefee: So, but just to follow up. Have you had any conversations about them kicking in more money before the state budget goes into effect?

Mayor Adams: Yes, and that's our goal. We're going to try to get as much as we can. My 10 trips to Washington D.C. were not fruitful, but they were fruitful in my trips to Albany and my communications with the governor's office. Jacques Jiha, our budget director, has had extremely fruitful conversations with them as well.

Scotto: Mayor, I know you were talking about the illegal housing of migrants, two busts this week. Do you have the city going out there looking for more? Are you concerned there's more illegal housing of migrants?

Mayor Adams: No, I am not. Even prior to our migrant and asylum seeker crisis, people were living in conditions that they were not supposed to live in. There's always been modifications of basements in other locations. We know that it exists. The FDNY and the Department of Buildings, they both go out and do periodic inspections, and they answer any 311 calls that come through. This has always been part of the city, as we're densely populated.

But what it does say, Rosanna, as we have been continuously stating, we have a one percent vacancy rate in the city right now. We have to build more. We must get a 421‑a type program put in place. We need to do what the governor and I have been calling for. If we don't build more, we're going to create these desperate situations for all New Yorkers.

Scotto: So, mayor, I'm just also wondering, you know, you talk about sanctuary city, there's been migrant crime going on, as you know. Do you get a little upset the minute you start talking about, yeah, I want to change the sanctuary laws, and then the next day, the City Council president says, no, we're not.

Mayor Adams: No, it doesn't. This is the government structure we are in. We have two parts of government. They have their role, I have my role, and New Yorkers will weigh in. I think it's crucial that you can't have people who are repeatedly committing violent crimes to stay in our city. It is a blessing to live in this great city, and the overwhelming number of migrants and asylum seekers are here doing the right thing. We had a migrant who was assaulted by a migrant that did a violent crime.

After people serve their time, we did our job of making arrests. The prosecutors do their job of prosecuting. The federal government should do its job of deporting those who are committing violent crimes in the city after they serve their time.

They've got to serve their time, because if they don't, they're just returning back to the city and do it all over again. But I think that it is crucial for us to examine how the laws were before under Mayor Koch, under Mayor Bloomberg. They were changed in a previous administration. And I just think we need to change that aspect of it.

Menefee: So, in about 30 seconds here, how can you change that? Because if you say you want it changed, obviously we understand the way the system works, the City Council has to change the law that's in existence right now. You've got to do more than just go back and forth. What can happen here immediately?

Mayor Adams: Well listen, we're not going back and forth. I stated my position, they stated their position, and so the legal team is now looking at what are the options we have. And we're going to stay focused on the many other things we have to do in the city. I just want New Yorkers to know that it doesn't matter if it's a longtime New Yorker or a migrant and asylum seeker, no one should harm our public safety in this city, and I've been clear on that from the day of being a police officer.

Scotto: All right, mayor, I know you've got a lot on your plate, but it is Friday. What are we doing this weekend?

Mayor Adams: You know, I always say, whenever people ask me, hopefully nothing. I want to stay in my pajamas one weekend and just watch old reruns of Twilight Zone.

Menefee: You, too, commissioner. You enjoy the weekend. Hopefully we see all those trash bags in a bin from now on and everybody can get rid of the rats. You know how I feel about rats, mayor. Thank you so much, both of you, for joining us this morning.