Transcript: Mayor Adams Calls In For Live Interview On 77 WABC’s “Cats & Cosby”

May 15, 2024

Rita Cosby: Well, fresh back from a big visit from Rome and so much going on. Of course in New York City is the 110th mayor of the Big Apple, Mayor Eric Adams here on Cats & Cosby. Great to have you here, Mr. Mayor.

Mayor Adams: Always good speaking with the two of you, it's great being on, and I hope you're doing well.

Cosby: We are, we are. John wants to know, did the Pope bless New York City?

Mayor Adams: Listen, I hope so, I hope that the mere fact that the mayor was there, that he realized how powerful our large Catholic population here is in New York, and I hope he gave us a special prayer.

John Catsimatidis: We need everybody's prayers. Tell us, you went on a conference in Rome, or in that area. Tell us what else got accomplished in your visit over the weekend?

Mayor Adams: You really have to say that the Pope understood that as a global community, we must come together. He put in place an important conference that we, the Human Fraternity, how we could come together. You look at the global challenges we are facing, not only the war in the Middle East, but we're looking at what's taking place in Sudan, we're looking at what's taking place in Haiti right now, what's happening in Yemen. You're seeing children and families being displaced in violence, even in Ukraine.

My call was to ask him to pray for us, but also to sit down with other leaders and talk about how do we shift the energy of our planet and the power of us coming together. What was really interesting is that while I was there, I went to see the largest mosque in Europe actually is in Rome. And I was also able to go to the historic ancient Jewish Ghetto, where many of the Jewish residents of Italy had to live in that ghetto for over 300 years. Right there, you saw the intersectionality of Abrahamic religions, from the Catholic Church, to Christianity, to Muslims, Islam, to Judaism, and it was just a wonderful experience to see in that short period of time.

Cosby: Mayor Eric Adams, you also talked about the migrants I know when you were over there. I have to get your reaction on two things that are making a lot of headlines as of late. One is the fact that we're seeing that a number of these migrants who beat the officers in Times Square, a number of them got very, it seems like, a sweetheart plea deal, if you will. Your reaction, because I know that you're a big supporter of the men and women in blue. Then also, the comment the other day, a lot of people are talking about it, about the shortage of lifeguards, and your comment on that.

Mayor Adams: Two things. One, when people assault our officers, they should be held accountable, and it's the role of the judicial system. We make the arrests, and then the other parts of the judicial system will determine the outcome. These officers are continuing to place themselves in harm's way, and I commend them for doing so. They have continued to remove over 15,000 illegal guns off our streets. We're seeing double-digit decrease in homicides and shootings. Our subway system has turned around from the January small bump that we had in crime, and that's what we need our officers to do, and we should make sure anyone that assaults them are held to the full extent of the law.

Then when you look at the silliness of trying to turn a comment, the fullness of what I said around needing lifeguards, like we need food service workers, like we need nurses, like we need backstretch workers in the racing industry. Everyone missed that part of it because we're in a universe now where we have the word police, and they want to make everything super sensitive and silliness. I don't respond to that. I got a whole city to run. I'm simply saying, let the migrants and asylum seekers work. We have a shortage of lifeguards, we have a shortage of nurses, we have a shortage of food service workers. These men and women who are here, they want to work. Let's allow them to work. And so people want to exploit that and say, I'm being insensitive, well, you know what? Welcome to New York, 8.3 million people, 35 million opinions, and we got a whole I hate Eric section that sits up every day and say we're the word police for Eric Adams. I don't respond to that madness.

Former Deputy Mayor Rudy Washington, Community Development and Business Services: Mayor, this is Rudy Washington. How are you?

Mayor Adams: Hey, Rudy. How are you doing?

Former Deputy Mayor Washington: I'm blessed. Look, they were having discussions in Albany during the budget about giving [Sheriff Diaz] the ability to close down some of these illegal smoke shops. Did that pass? Did that happen?

Mayor Adams: Yes. Sheriff Miranda,

Former Deputy Mayor Washington: Miranda, not Diaz, Miranda.

Mayor Adams: I know who you were talking about, we did 150 inspections and last week closed down 70 shops, issued $5.9 million in penalties and issued over 3,800 violations. He's moving ahead. He's doing an amazing job. They gave us the authorization to deputize police officers and really to give some teeth that we need, and we're moving full steam ahead. These illegal shops are targeting our children. Not only are they selling illegal cannabis, they're selling also gummy bears that's laced with cannabis and other items, and so this was crucial, and hats off to him for doing the work that's needed.

Cosby: Before we let you go, Mr. Mayor, too, I want to also ask about some of the economic projects, because you've been doing a lot of big things and rejuvenating a lot of places where a lot of New Yorkers thought were dead.

Mayor Adams: Listen, there was a time when New York City was the graveyard for great projects. We just did the opposite, and our success has been enormous. Anytime you're able to see our Willets Point project, 2,500 units of 100 percent affordable housing, a soccer stadium, new schools, a park space, it's just excellent. Then we just announced yesterday the Marine Terminal, Brooklyn Marine Terminal. We're going to open up that waterfront with a combination of housing and using our ports the way they should be. The North Shore of Staten Island, the Kingsbridge Armory laid dead for many years, and we're able to get it done, SPARC Kips Bay, bringing life sciences there.

These are projects that many administrations have attempted to do, but we're the finisher. We come in, and we're able to get the project over the finish line with the help of our state and an amazing governor, and that's a success when you bring the right team together.

Catsimatidis: I was talking about the North Shore of Staten Island, and that's where we have the stadium, and it's the most beautiful view of Manhattan and the Bay, and I recommended to EDC, Mr. Mayor, that housing there right on, with that view, will be a sellout, and a zero chance of failure versus bringing a wheel back or something.

Mayor Adams: Yes, I agree. Listen, I've got to hop on to a live six, top of the hour hit, but you know what? Whenever you call, I'm there. Good to speak to you all.

Catsimatidis: Thank you, Mr. Mayor.

Cosby: Thank you. Great to have you here, as always. Thank you so much.

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