Transcript: Mayor Adams Appears Live on PIX 11’s “PIX 11 News at 5 PM”

October 16, 2024

Kendis Gibson: New tonight, Mayor Adams announcing a tentative agreement, a local daycare union and daycare council of New York which would raise wages and set a new minimum wage for thousands of child care workers across the city.

Shirley Chan: Yeah, the employees will also receive a bonus and money to put towards health care. Joining us now, Mayor Eric Adams and Deputy Mayor Anna Almanzar. Thank you so much for joining us this evening.

Mayor Eric Adams: Thank you. This is something that Deputy Mayor Almanzar has worked on. She wanted to land this plane. It was so important. We were excited last night when the deal came through and she'll give you the top lines of that.

Chan: Yeah, so this agreement lifts the minimum rate, first of all, to $18 an hour which daycares does, which daycares do this apply to?

Deputy Mayor Ana Almanzar, Strategic Initiatives: Good afternoon and thanks for having us and it's a good day to have this contract agreement with the, as you mentioned, the local 205 as well as the daycare council of New York and D.C. 37 for workers of non-profits who have contract with the New York City public school system with the Department of Education and that is about 2,500 workers, mostly women, mostly women of color, who provide child care services to thousands of families across the city. 

And it's just a step further that this administration has taken in reimagining the early childhood education system that started this year with the announcement of the $100 million investment that was announced with the budget in late June and the continued work that we are doing with our partners across the hall with the city councilmembers. We meet twice a month in looking at how we can better the system to provide those services not only for the families that we care for but also for those who care for those families.

Gibson: And Mayor Adams, in the meantime, today we should mention is the first day of your new school's chancellor, Melissa Aviles-Ramos. Why did you want her to start so early and why did you want the previous one to quit so early?

Mayor Adams: Actually, this was his hand-picked successor and we realized having her start in the middle of the school year just won't give her the proper running start. She's been with the chancellor for many years, she has a clear agenda, she's going to continue some of the great things he's doing. But she also wanted to lean into the problem around absenteeism. 

She wants to build a community-based response. A large number of children after COVID just did not get back into the swing of coming back to school. She wanted to start early. The chancellor, as he stated, he's still here to assist her. The former chancellor is here to assist her so that she can get a good running start and we're excited about her. She's an amazing paid person, lifelong educator, a girl from the Bronx, her child is in a public school system, and we're excited about what she's going to bring.

Deputy Mayor Almanzar: And to speak about the day that she had today, she visited a local school, spent time with students, with teachers, with superintendent, just getting on the ground, getting the work done that she has loved for many years since they started her career.

Chan: And Mr. Mayor, let's talk about another key position. You're also in the process of looking for a permanent police commissioner. How is that search going and is Interim Commissioner Tom Donlon a candidate for the job?

Mayor Adams: Yes, he is. And you know, I keep saying over and over again, this city has a deep bench and we have a deep administration. We have around about eight, nine individuals with excellent law enforcement experience that they have reached out and they would love to have the coveted position of being a commissioner of the City of New York. 

Tom is in and running as well. And you know, we look at what we've done, nine straight months of decreasing crime. Today we were together destroying vape products. We were out on Roosevelt Avenue last night, taking back that community from prostitution, sex trafficking and other problems. He's he's doing a good job and he has a great team over there that is going to continue no matter who the commissioner is, continue to make this—

Gibson: What about those reports that he's planning to resign?

Mayor Adams: You know, reports come out all the time. I say this over and over again, not until an announcement is made. Someone had him walking out on Friday, not until the announcement is made. We make it as soon as we determine what position is going to be filled. And so we should wait for the announcement to be made.

Chan: All right. Let's talk about Roosevelt Avenue. This area, [inaudible] crime, brothel, sex trafficking. This is an issue that's been going on for some time now. What prompted you to call for stepped up efforts to clean up that area once and for all?

Mayor Adams: I got a call from Councilman Moya about a year and a half ago. And I went out there around 12 a.m. in the morning with Deputy Commissioner Daughtry. And he was right. Just open prostitution, sex trafficking, real problems in the area. Everything from cleanliness over some of the trash bins was spilling over with garbage. So we wanted a holistic, multifaceted approach with the police and the Department of Sanitation and other partners that are going to talk to the young sex workers and try to get them the services that they need. 

People deserve better. Residents stopped me and told me, Eric, we really want our children to be able to walk up and down shop and use this avenue without having to look at this. And I have to hats off to Commissioner Daughtry because he really took this initiative underway. And we're going to see results.

Gibson: And there was a task force that was announced in the spring. So a lot of people are wondering why again now and what difference this one will make. Mr. Mayor, I want to end with a controversy that is really swirling around your administration. I want to pop up the video because this many are calling this a travesty. 

Here you are at the Columbus State Parade and you're wearing a hat that has the New York Mets and the New York Yankees on it. So I say there is a World Series, Subway World Series. Can you say definitively, are you rooting for the Mets or the Yankees? Pick one. 

Mayor Adams: I'm a longtime Mets fan, but I'm a New York fan, even bigger New York fans. And that's my representation of saying it's time to have another Subway Series. As long as it's NY, then they're my guy. 

Chan: Yeah. All right. We have to ask you as well. Deputy Mayor, Mets or Yankees?

Deputy Mayor Almanzar: I'm a Mets fan. My dad, my entire family is a Mets fan, except for my mom, who's a Yankees fan. So let's go Mets. 

Chan: That should be interesting family dinners, right?

Gibson: Yeah, exactly. If there is a Subway World Series, and we're hoping that there will be. Yes. All right. Well, Mayor Adams and Deputy Mayor Almanzar, thank you guys for your time. We appreciate it.

Mayor Adams: Thank you. Take care.