Transcript: Mayor de Blasio and Billy Idol Announce Campaign to End Idling

February 27, 2020

Mayor Bill de Blasio: It’s a nice day to start again, everybody. Billy Idol is with us, by the way.

[Cheering]

Everybody, we are here with a rock-and-roll legend.

[Cheering]

And I think we should do something from now on here at City Hall, like every time we’re going to announce a major new policy we’re going to walk on to White Wedding. I think we should just do that in general.

[Laughter]

It’s going to be a thing now. So, this is – look, this is a really, really serious issue and we’re coming at it today with music, with a message, with a little bit of edge because of Billy Idol but I have to tell you I have been a fan of his for a long, long time, and I’ve been a fan of his because his music said something and spoke to a lot of people. And when I was coming up – we were just talking about this that Billy meets people all over who come up to him and tell him what the songs meant to them particularly as they were coming of age. And so I always loved deeply the simple line from Eyes Without a Face, “I spent so much time believing all the lies”. I think that’s very pertinent to what we’re going to talk about today. It’s very pertinent to many things going on in our society. But when it comes to how we handle automobiles, how we think cars are supposed to be everything in our society regardless of what it does to us, I think we’ve all spent a lot of time believing a lot of lies.

And then the other line that moves me, which you just heard – because I think it epitomizes like we all get to decide, we all get to change things if we want to change things, it doesn’t have to be this way – is, “It’s a nice day to start again”. I think it’s just one of the beautiful lines that says so much, says so much, it’s filled with so much possibility.

[Applause]

It’s got a little bit of edge, but it’s filled with possibility. And, Billy, I want to thank you and I want to thank you because I know you love this city – and everyone, we’re going to hear from Billy in a minute because I know he loves this place. He was here during the formative years of the punk era which was an amazing time in New York City. He was a part of that. He’s also someone who cares about this Earth, cares about the environment and like all of us doesn’t want to see us breathing bad air we don’t need to breathe. So, this is like an amazing thing for all of us to be able to do something good but to do it with someone so special. So, Billy, I just want to start by saying thank you. Thank you, brother.

[Applause]

So, why does idling matter? Just listen to what young people are telling us. It couldn’t be clearer. That climate strike told you everything you needed to know. We are running out of time. We’re running out of time. We’re not running out of just our time, those of us who have been around for a while, we’re really using up other people’s time in a way that’s just not fair. If you’re 20 years old, if you’re 15 years old, if you’re 10 years old, what all of us do matters to you a hell of a lot more than it matters to the rest of us and we owe you the opportunity to get it right.  So, the kids that day – we were walking right down Broadway and the kids, if you read those signs, they just grabbed you. They grabbed you about a truth we have to come to grips with. 

So, when I think of all the things we need to change to save our Earth, some of them are tough, we still have to do them. Some of them are not tough at all. Idling is just stupid. I mean we all do it but we don’t need to – sitting there in a car not going anywhere and running the engine anyway and polluting the environment and anyone who is walking by is breathing bad air. It makes no sense. It doesn’t have to be. But we just have to recognize it. We have to do something different. 

So, I have been really pissed off about idling for a long time.

Audience: Amen, Mayor de Blasio.

[Laughter]

Mayor: And we started to go at those who idle but it’s time to do something more. So, I’ll be real clear – in New York City we are declaring war on idling.

[Applause]

Because it does matter, it’s part of the whole equation. It does matter because it doesn’t have to be this way. It’s a good day. It’s a nice day to start again. So, here’s what it means – if we stopped unnecessary idling in New York City it would mean the equivalent of taking 18,000 cars off the road every single day. All that pollution would be gone. Ask anyone – I happen to have asthma – ask anybody who has asthma what it means to them that all that pollution is out there. Ask parents of kids with respiratory problems and that primarily means in so many places kids who come from families with lower incomes.

This is a part of the problem but it’s one of the most fixable parts of the problem. So, we’re not just announcing a policy today. This is participatory. We’re announcing today that every New Yorker can be a part of this. We all know a phrase that we live by. It’s a very serious phrase – if you see something, say something. Well, here’s another version of that. If you see a truck or a bus idling, if you see them breaking the law and polluting the Earth, you, right there, can take action. You can help us protect our Earth. You can help us keep our air clean. You can do it and we will not only thank you, we will pay you. 

[Applause]

We will pay you to do the right thing. Some of you might have been here – I’m going to do another hook here. Some of you might have been here when we had the incredible ceremony honoring the U. S. Women’s Soccer Team.

[Applause]

Remember? Remember what people in the audience kept saying? ‘Pay them.’ Alright, we’re going to pay people who help us stop idling. Now, we want you to remember how important this is so we needed a voice of conscience, we needed a name that people would recognize and respect, we needed a devilishly handsome front man.

[Laughter]

So, when you want to find out how you can protect our air, protect our Earth, go to BillyNeverIdles.nyc. 

[Applause]

BillyNeverIdles.nyc – at the count of three, say it with me. One, two, three – 

Audience: BillyNeverIdles.nyc. 

Mayor: We all got it. My fellow New Yorkers, let’s do this together, let’s do this right. Do the right thing and we’ll all be better off. If you don’t do the right thing and you’re idling, we’re coming for you. It’s as simple as that. Now, everybody, a few words in Spanish because it’s New York City, we are the world –

[Mayor de Blasio speaks in Spanish]

So, whether you say it in English or whether you say it in Spanish – this guy has one of the coolest names ever, by the way – he cares about our city, he cares about our Earth, his music has moved so many people and given a lot of us a sense that maybe there was a better way to do things and today he is showing us there’s a better way to do things. What a joy to present to you, Billy Idol.

[Applause]

Billy Idol: Well, thank you, Mayor. Thank you, everybody. I grew up – very young, my first memories are of America. I grew up on Patchogue, Long Island and Rockville Center, and then I had to go back to England to get this accent.

[Laughter]

This really comes in handy. And I came back in the 80s for my solo career and you helped me ignite my solo career. So, I just wanted to give back to the city and I just – when I heard about this campaign, it just made sense. It’s amusing, but at the same time it’s very serious. If you can, shut off your engine, and save my health. Give me – help my lungs. I need my lungs to breathe and sing. Thank you for taking notice of this and thank you for all being here today and it’s my privilege to be doing this. Thank you, and shut it off! 

[Cheering]

Billy Never Idles! 

[Cheering]

No way!

Mayor: [Inaudible] chant.

Idol: Billy Never Idles!

Audience: Billy Never Idles! Billy Never Idles! Billy Never Idles! Billy Never Idles! Billy Never Idles!

[Cheering] 

Mayor: Right on. You’re having too much fun, Billy.

[Laughter]

But we’re going to do another chant. Shut it off. Who wants to do, shut it off, here?

[Cheering]

Okay, count of three. One, two, three –

Audience: Shut it off! Shut it off! Shut it off! Shut it off! Shut it off! Shut it off! 

Mayor: Very good. This is a group that could really chant. I’m impressed. Okay, now, I want you to hear from our colleagues. And first of all, just some credit where credit is due, you know this beautiful idea, getting Billy involved, and helping him lead the way on this – I want to give credit to two unsung heroes at the Department of Environmental Protection, Jackie Lachman and Michael DeLoach. Let’s thank them.

[Applause]

And a thank you to our Deputy Mayor for Operations Laura Anglin, our DEP Commissioner Vinny Sapienza, the Chief of Transportation at the NYPD William Morris, and the Fleet Manager – the guy who takes care of all our cars, he’s going to make sure we shut them off – Keith Kerman. Thank you, everybody. 

Unknown: Good luck on that.

Mayor: That’s right.

[Applause]

Now, everybody, we’ve got with us our colleagues from the City Council and I want to thank them. They have been so supportive of all the efforts on climate change. They have led the way on – this City Council passed the single strongest bill on Earth to retrofit all these buildings and protect our Earth and end emissions. Let’s thank all the Council members for that.

[Applause]

Thank you Council Member Danny Dromm, thank you Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer, thank you Council Member Robert Cornegy. And we’re going to hear from two Council members now. She has been a leader on this issue – lead sponsor of legislation that helped to update the Citizen Enforcement Program that helps us stop idling – Council Member Helen Rosenthal.

[Applause]

[...]

Thank you, well done. And now the Chair of the Transportation Committee in the City Council, a longtime champion for reducing emissions, Ydanis Rodriguez.

[Applause]

[...] 

Mayor: Okay, we’ve got our environmental experts for the City of New York here. You’ve got me here but most importantly you’ve got Billy here. We are ready for your questions. Katie?

Question: I just wanted to know – this is a big initiative – can you tell us how much ‘mony, mony’ the city [inaudible] –

[Laughter]

Mayor: Very clever. Very clever. Laura Anglin is that you? Or Vinny? Who’s got it? Vinny.

Commissioner Vincent Sapienza, Department of Environmental Protection: So, to get this message out – and we’ve already had inspectors on the street doing this work – but to get the message out to eight-and-a-half million New Yorkers and everybody else who comes into this city, we’re going to spend about $1 million. Billy – no charge, no fee to Billy. He’s doing it on his own. And –

[Applause]

But media is about a million.

Question: This obviously passed last year, so how much has the City – how much has the City paid [inaudible] people who did report [inaudible] –

Mayor: Vinny will go over what’s happened. I think the – and I thank Helen for her leadership. It’s a – we already see it working but I think the thing is this is going to be night and day. This is now going to be a full-court press to get this to be something that every New Yorker hears about and feels. I think you’re going to see a very, very intense effort here. Go ahead, Vinny, I’m sorry, on what’s happened so far.

Commissioner Sapienza: So in the last 12 months that the law has been in place we’ve been basically focusing on trucks and buses or the commercial-type vehicles. Almost 5,000 violations have been issued thus far, many of them coming in from citizens who are now allowed to videotape when they see idling, send that in through the DEP portal and they can get 25 percent of the violation fee returned to them. We are now through this campaign going to start really getting the message out to private car owners who I think we all see idling. Right now over the past several months we have just been kind of knocking in windows and saying hey, you know about this local law. But now we are going to start being more aggressive.

Mayor: I want to just point my fellow citizens at a target because I have spent time with my kids, taking them to Bolt Buses and different, low-cost buses. Those guys idle like at a ridiculous rate so there’s a target for you everyone. Go check on them. Go ahead Dave.

Question: Mayor, can we ask Billy Idol, can we just ask you how did this come across your desk if you will. How did you first hear about this? Did the Mayor call you, did somebody –

Billy Idol: Yes, I think one of the lady –

Question: When did they said it, did you think of it’s a cute idea, good idea?

Idol: Yes, I think it was a fun play on my name. Yeah and a great way for me to give back. That’s what I thought.

[Applause]

Question: Can you get paid for reporting a government worker who’s idling and how much?

Mayor: Let’s talk about –

Question: What happens to the worker who gets caught idling?

Mayor: You want to do that?

Commissioner Sapienza: So you know we are trying to get the message out and Keith Kerman is here from DCAS who runs the entire City fleet. To get the message out to all city employees that you are going to be in a little bit of hot water if you are caught idling. So that’s where we are at this point. Right now under the Local Law it’s just for commercial vehicles so I am not sure if City vehicles are included in that but we are certainly making a strong message to all City drivers.

Question: [Inaudible]?

Commissioner Sapienza: I think it’s probably not a good idea.

Mayor: I think he’s referring to execution. Go ahead.

Question: A question for Billy Idol. I don’t want you to get confused Mr. Mayor. But do you drive a car? When was the last time you drove a car. Are you ever – like do you ever have an occasion to actually idle a car?

Idol: Yeah I mean I do drive a car, yeah. But not very often. I mainly ride motorcycles.

[Laughter]

Question: Do you ever idle you motorcycle, I mean?

Idol: No you don’t, because it can overheat. So, you know, you watch it. You know, you have to – yeah you can’t. Yeah, you have to be careful. 

Question: [Inaudible] logistics of the [inaudible] some people [inaudible] complained that you have to get a notarized letter [inaudible] to do this. [Inaudible]?

Commissioner Sapienza: Yeah so right now the way the system works and you know I think I have the DEP portal here and while I am talking I will bring it up. If you go to DEP.nyc.gov it will take you to a link that gives you the NYC idling complaint. You fill out the form, you upload, your video that you took of the idling. It get sent to DEP or other enforcement agencies in the city. Violation gets issued to the company. Many times they will get it, they will pay it. If they want to challenge it then there’s a process.

Question: [Inaudible] then the person needs to show up in court [inaudible]?

Commissioner Sapienza: It gets more – if the company wants to challenge it, it does get a little more complicated.

Mayor: But to the question, should it be simplified? Yes.

Question: Mayor, how conscious are you about the work detail that take you around the city, that they are not idling. Sometimes you walk in, you place – you are delivery a proclamation and you got to [inaudible] are you one hundred percent positive that they are not idling while you are in there? And as a follow up –

Mayor: I’ll do the first one and then I will come to your follow up because I have an important answer. Obsessive. Obsessive. Like all the blanking time. This is a thing, this is like a real thing for me. So the members of my detail could give you many, many, many examples of me reminding them the glories of not idling. But they also help the earth regularly because we have a thing when I am walking down the street and someone’s idling I just point towards the car and the members of the detail go and educate that individual they should stop idling. So this is a ritual. I just, if I am walking with Chirlane I just go like that and they know exactly what it means. So the fact is we’ve all been mis-educated. This is not, you know this is we are trying to be clear and we are trying to be edgy. But we are not – this is not like, we are all bad human beings because we were taught to idle. We were all taught to idle. Let’s be clear about this. We were taught, you get a car, you can do whatever the hell you want with your car. Doesn’t matter what it means to peoples’ lives, doesn’t matter what it means to the environment. That’s how society was organized. And if it cold out, idle and you know use the heat. If it’s warm out idle and use the air conditioning. That’s how we were all taught. It’s idiocy because we are on the verge of losing our Earth. We are in the middle of an existential crisis. So every little bit helps. So here’s what I would say. And I often have this conversation with people. If it’s like, it’s a day where instead of using air conditioning you could just shut off your engine and open the window. Or if it’s not comfortable in your car maybe you should get out of your car right? And just – I also think, where’s Chief – is Chief Morris here? Chief, just come up for one second. Because this is an associated point. I think Chief Morris would really like it if people would not leave their car running with the keys in it, and walk away from their car. Chief could just clarify that that would be helpful?

Chief of Transportation William Morris, NYPD: You know there’s always a segue with our concern regarding reducing crime. We’ve seen a trend throughout the city involving GLAs, grand larceny autos, where folks have left their cars running, usually in the vicinity of their residence to warm it up. And the car has now been stolen. So in terms of our crime initiatives please don’t leave the car running.

Mayor: So I am still going, Chief Morris doesn’t want you to idle. Billy Idol doesn’t want you to idle okay? I mean this is a very strong coalition right here. Thank you Chief. But seriously you know it’s gotten so ridiculous and I understand why someone would like a warm car in the morning. I’m not missing that. But to the point that polluting the Earth and leaving your car in danger of being stolen. It’s happening all the time. This is a big percentage of stolen cars are cars left idling. So the whole moral of the story is, don’t idle. Your next question?

Question: [Inaudible] pattern of traveling by [inaudible]?

Mayor: I honor your question. And I will try one last time. I don’t – I have a particular role to play in this world. It’s just reality, I represent 8.6 million people. And what I need to do given my schedule, given security, given the things I need to do to stay healthy and strong to be able to do this work every day. This is what works for me. I’m not asking anyone to understand it if you can’t understand it. It’s what works for me. If I didn’t have security I wouldn’t have security but I do. If that car wasn’t going any place I was going anyway, it would be a different story. It’s just the full reality I am living. But what I try to do in every way is ask the question, where can we do good things for this Earth? Recycling that we all do obsessively around here. The way we are reducing the car fleet of this city. All the things were are doing to try and constantly, constantly reduce emissions. But I am just in a very, very particular situation. I can tell you with assurance is 22 months, I will not own a car and I will never own a car again. So whoever said about the Zipcars and everything? That’s exactly right. I think anybody who in New York City who can stop owning cars if you can, use Zipcars, use subways, use buses use whatever, I will lead the way by example in 22 months.

[Applause]

Billy has to leave in a second. He’s got some artistry, some music to create. He’s got a world to entertain. I just want to see if any journalist has a Billy Idol question before Billy Idol has to leave? Rich?

Question: Mr. Idol, do you live in New York City?

Idol: No, no I live in Los Angles.

Mayor: But you are here [inaudible]

[Laughter]

Idol: Thinking about coming back most definitely. Especially with all this clean air. Yeah!

[Laughter]

Mayor: Last call. Anyone else for Billy. Go ahead Katie?

Question: Billy, do you take public transportation when you come to New York? Do you take the subway or the bus when you come to New York?

Idol: Yeah I normally take taxies and things like that. But maybe I will take the subway again yeah. I used to way back in the 80’s. I was on the subway, waving my guitar. You are not taking it. 

[Laughter]

Mayor: That was a representation of the 1980’s right there. You are not taking it. Everybody let’s thank Billy Idol.

[Applause]

There you go. Okay. Other questions, yes.

Question: Cars are a small target. Cruise ships much bigger problem with idling. Just a few days ago Stringer asked the EDC to have a plan to end the idling of cruise ships at the two terminals here. Do you have any plans, are you going to push for the EDC to do something about that?

Mayor: I think that’s a meritorious idea. So yeah there’s been some real good work done with cruise ships already but if there’s more we can do we should do it. So I will make sure our team follows up with you today on the next steps we will take.

Question: Just a follow up for the Commissioner, how much have regular citizens gotten from tattling on people so far? And when did that start because I am little confused. I thought it was last year. But then someone mentioned 2018?

Commissioner Sapienza: So, as Council Member Rosenthal mentioned, there was a local law in 2018. It started to be implemented in 2019. And again the focus to date has been on commercial vehicles but now as we get the message out we are letting everyone know if you are in a private car –

Question: I’m literally asking people have been tattling on commercial vehicles and supposedly getting part of the fines. How much have people gotten from tattling so far?

Commissioner Sapienza: Yeah so I don’t have the total number but –

Unknown: $387,000.

Commissioner Sapienza: $387,000. And they get 25 percent of the violation.

Mayor: A couple more on this then we are going to other things.

Question: Clarification. This isn’t just commercial vehicles, it’s also private car owners?

Mayor: Commercial vehicles, buses. Commercial vehicles and buses.

Question: So not any like a regular –

Mayor: No, commercial vehicles and buses that’s the law. Okay, anyone else?

Question: [Inaudible] it sounds like it [inaudible]?

Mayor: Okay let me do this guys. Again we are going to try and do this more often. On the technical stuff, they will get you, or you know, it’s getting cold, we have off topic to do. Anything on details they will get you. Go ahead. 

Question: [Inaudible]?

Mayor: Dude you can ask this question all day long and I’ve given you the answer. Go look at my wonderful hybrid Pacifica. It is what it is. Last call.

Question: Can you just define idling for us? How long does someone have to idle?

Mayor: Vinny what is the official legal definition?

Commissioner Sapienza: So, it’s three minutes outside of a school zone or a hospital zone where it’s one minute.

Mayor: Last call.

Question: How do you protect against people like faking it?

Mayor: Faking what?

Question: Like faking –

Mayor: That’s an awfully personal question. What are you asking?

[Laughter]

You mean someone pretending someone was idling when they weren’t idling? Okay.

Commissioner Sapienza: If you go on the website you will see the instructions and we have to see an emissions, we have to hear some noise. There’s instructions.

Mayor: Okay, go to off topic. 

Question: Mayor, yesterday you gave a very full throated endorsement of street safety efforts. You signed the Driver Abatement bill. As you know on Staten Island, there are a bunch of people who are putting up yellow ribbons on camera poles to alert drivers that there are few places where they should drive safely but the rest of the island where there are no ribbons they can drive however they want. First of all, what do you think of that? And second of all are you going to order the Department of Transportation to remove those yellow ribbons?

Mayor: I think it is something that reflects a conversation we still have not had that we need to have. The folks who don’t want to get a really hefty fine. I understand that. I mean people, and look I am here to support working people. And for working people you get one of those speed camera fines that really affects your life. So I don’t blame anyone for having an impulse of saying, hey if I can help avoid people getting that fine I want to do that. I want people to understand that if we would all just slow down, we don’t have a problem here. Everyone’s safe and there are no fines. So I don’t feel like – you know I am not trying to accuse people or be negative to people if they feel like they are putting that up to protect themselves and their fellow driver from a fine. I think they are missing the point. I want to help them get the point. So we will have a conversation with folks in the community. The goal here is to get people to slow down. Whatever will get us there, that’s what I want to do.

Question: But you could remove those –

Mayor: Again, I’m just – that’s my answer for now. I think there’s more to it. Go ahead.

Question: [Inaudible] drastic measures [inaudible]?

Mayor: Yeah I mean the last two days have been horrendous. I am, everyone knows I am a parent and my kids went to our public schools. This is just sick. I mean it’s horrible what’s happened. But I want to be careful because you know, the vast majority of parents, you know, every single day who bring their kid to school in a car do it safely. So I want to really be mindful, we’re always trying to strike a balance here. And I think Vision Zero is about getting people to handle their vehicles differently. It is not always about the idea that there is not going to be any vehicles, it’s about handling your vehicles differently. So, one of the things we announced in State of the City which is real basic as – you know, I’m ensuring that every single school zone has the stop lights and stop signs it needs. We’ve added a lot more school crossing guards who are crucial and then everything else with Vision Zero, especially the speed cameras around schools. I think that’s how you address the problem. I’m not in favor of a ban, I am in favor of doing everything we can to make sure it’s safe. Go ahead, Rich. 

Question: Mr. Mayor [inaudible] case of the coronavirus in California [inaudible]. 

Mayor: It concerns for sure, Rich, but I think it doesn’t change the strategy at all. You still have to get it from somewhere, right? So if you have symptoms and you get health care right away, it’s going to allow us to stop this and I do think it complicates a little in terms of identification. It used to be, oh if you went one province in China, and then it was if you went to China or your family member went to China, and now it’s getting more diffuse, that is harder, but it doesn’t change the basic game plan. If you have those symptoms, get health care right away, if you need help, call 3-1-1. If people do that, we’re going to be okay, and that’s actually what New Yorkers have been doing for five weeks which is why we don’t have a single case, Noah? 

Question: [Inaudible]. 

Mayor: So because of my knee surgery the medications that I’m on have been keeping me awake, that’s what compels me to be awake. When I’m awake, I want to read something and I read a story about the CNN Town Hall, and I’m reading the story and minding my own business, and I get to the last line. This is Anderson Cooper having really pressed him on stop and frisk and when he says, you know I hope my successor has learned from my mistakes. There was a surrealism to it that just drove me crazy. It was like, oh, you know we have received wisdom from him and now we will understand that stop and frisk was wrong, and I’m like what planet are you on, dude? This was a decade ago, people knew it was wrong and tried to tell you and you wouldn’t listen. So I was just expressing real frustration that, you know, besides the presidential campaign only apology, it’s just how about a real apology where you like recognize that everyone and their kid brother were telling you it was wrong and you ignored it. Go ahead. 

Question: Yesterday you signed the reckless driver bill [inaudible] last week at a town hall [inaudible] – 

Mayor: I appreciate your editorial question – no, but listen, you said, oh you’re going to do everything and then you did this. Let’s be real, I said it as clear as a bell, we’re doing the last phase of Queens Boulevard and I really would appreciate it for those of you do advocacy journalism, God bless you, is someone has done the first three phases of Queens Boulevard and no one else ever did Queens Boulevard, recognize that it’s obvious we’re going to finish. We said we’re going to finish. A new idea was put on the table on how to do it – 

Question: [Inaudible]. 

Mayor: To me it’s a new idea, don’t tell me it’s a new idea if it’s not a new idea to me. Guys you can be sour in your faces all day long, I am living my truth. I had never heard the idea before, it had never been presented to me. So I said because the Council Member raised it and I really respect her work, I said we’re going to evaluate it quickly and we’re going to do one of these things and we’re going to get it done. I said it really clearly, go ahead. 

Question: [Inaudible] is your staff currently talking to Mike Pence’s staff [inaudible]? 

Mayor: We’re dealing with CDC, we’ll deal with anyone, but CDC has been the go to. 

Question: Mr. Mayor [inaudible] South Carolina and Super Tuesday, are you traveling at all for the candidate [inaudible]? 

Mayor: What I’ve said to the Sanders campaign is, you know, whatever way I can help, you decide what you want to do. Right now what they want me to do is the media appearances with the national networks, that’s what I’m doing. If they want me to travel and I can, I will. 

Question: To get back to your kind of political Twitter account. Is it always you that tweets – 

Mayor: No. 

Question: Sometimes a staffer? 

Mayor: Yes.

Question: And, you know, there’s been some fairly aggressive tweets aimed at Pete Buttigieg, why is that? 

Mayor: It’s very personal in the sense that – it’s the same exact thing. I, you know, I’m a very nice person until you provoke me. So the – what Pete Buttigieg said in the previous debate – I’m sorry, I’m sorry, on election night in Nevada, what he said about the Bernie Sanders movement was just profoundly unfair. 13 million people voted for the guy in 2016 and he’s won three primaries and caucuses, and to suggest that it was exclusionary extremist movement, it just drove me crazy. Just don’t lie about it. So I wanted to speak very bluntly because I was offended for millions of people who look at Bernie Sanders and says, he actually represents me. He represents my values. So don’t put down a whole movement of people. That’s just not right. That’s what generated it. 

Question: I wanted to get your reaction to former Mayor David Dinkins endorsing Mike Bloomberg this week for President? 

Mayor: I disagree with former Mayor David Dinkins. 

Question: Have you spoken with him about it? 

Mayor: No. 

Question: Would you like to? 

Mayor: It’s too late. 

Question: [Inaudible] in the Democratic party [inaudible] – 

Mayor: They’re willing to? 

Question: Risk damaging the party to make sure that Bernie Sanders doesn’t get the vote. 

Mayor: That’s idiotic and against everything the Democratic Party stands for. I mean people have got to take a deep breath. First of all, when you look at a huge cross section of national polls, Bernie Sanders is actually the best position to beat Donald Trump, which I thought was the whole reason we were trying to do all of this. Folks need to be honest about – and I’ve said for years and years, progressives, we accepted moderate candidates. If they won fair and square we went to battle for them, it’s time for moderates to be willing to go to battle for a progressive and Bernie has earned it over and over and over again. 

So, this is just madness. We got a guy who is winning, winning, winning, is one of the most popular political figures in America, has got total clear integrity and consistency. Exactly what works now in elections, someone who is plausibly not part of the problem and actually has the kind of ideas that could change things and if he’s our nominee, anyone who has ever called themselves a Democrat should fold in and work for him and help him win because of course he can win, of course he can win. 

Question: [Inaudible]

Mayor: I’m going to bear with you. 

Question: Both Gersh and Julianne work for the same publication and I just have to point out, the way you spoke to her is very different than the way you answered his question –

Mayor: I’ve spoken to him much worse many times. 

Question: I know, but just – like, the stark contrast just now is –

Mayor: You can editorialize too. I have tangled with him a thousand time before. I love what they stand for, I just wish they would ask questions objectively and let me answer them rather than try to put the words in my mouth. That’s all I’m saying. 

Go ahead. 

Question: [Inaudible] 

Mayor: No, it was the night of Nevada. I was sitting, like, I think, a lot of you, watching endless returns because we thought maybe there would be a return at some point that would tell us how many people had voted and all. And it went on and on. So, I’m just like, it’s 8 o’clock, it’s 9 o’clock, it’s 10 o’clock – and so, I end up watching everyone’s speeches because I was hoping there would actually be an answer on the election. I expected Pete to do a – you know, we did good and onto the next state. And I was just shocked, and right after that I did it. 

Question: [Inaudible] 

Mayor: No. You and everyone who’s asked that a thousand times, that’s not what it’s about. He literally – what should have been, talk about himself and his own movement, that’s great. But he went out of his way to attack another movement, I thought, very unfairly, and I just couldn’t take it. And I thought it was also incredibly un-humble at a moment where, if you lose, especially, some humility is called for. Why not just – if he wants to disagree, disagree. But what he did was like putting down a whole movement of people while he was losing and it just set me off. 

Go ahead. 

Question: [Inaudible] 

Mayor: Not at this moment. 

Question: [Inaudible] 

Mayor: That’s up to the Sanders campaign. I don’t understand the mechanics nowadays because it’s changed a lot, but it’s up to the Sanders campaign. 

Question: [Inaudible]

Mayor: Again, you’re talking to the wrong guy.

Question: [Inaudible] 

Mayor: Yeah, I think we should avoid this being decided at the convention. I literally believe that. I mean, it’s a simplistic answer, but it’s actually the real answer. I think Democrats across the board should feel like this should be decided by the voters – I really believe that. And if people would get with that program, we wouldn’t even have to worry about a contested election – a brokered election.  

Question: [Inaudible] 

Mayor: Disgusted and horrifying – horrifying. And, you know, we have to every single day try and make sure that people who go into public service are the right people. And sometimes they’re missed, and when that happens we have to immediately get them out of there and they have to face the consequences. 

Question: [Inaudible] 

Mayor: She is making her own decision, I assure you. 

Question: [Inaudible] 

Mayor: A fair question that you’ve asked very objectively, and I thank you. Because, one, no one presented the alternative to me previously, that’s a mistake in this whole process here – that’s on the bureaucracy. Two, the Council Member has been a very strong advocate for change on Queens Boulevard for a long time. She made a personal appeal to me to consider an option. Since no one had ever told me about the option before, nor the pros or cons, I said, I’m going to respect you and your role in the process, we’ll consider it, we’ll consider it quick. I’ve been – Gersh, one thing you and I will agree on, I have been more than willing to take out parking in the name of safety and I’ve gotten plenty of people who don’t like it. But if she says, this might be another way to achieve the same goal, what’s the harm in giving it a look? But we have to get it done this year either way. 

On that note of unity, you get the last call. 

Question: There was a [inaudible] private garbage truck accident about a month and a half ago where the woman in Brooklyn was split in half, and there’s been no –

Mayor: Okay, what’s the question, please?

Question: There’s been no news yet from the Business Integrity Commission on –

Mayor: I don’t have an update but we will get you one. 

Thank you, everyone.