Transcript: Mayor Mamdani, NYC Children Open Seven Formerly Vacant Early Childhood Education Centers
Zohran Mamdani on NYC Mayor's Office transcripts.
Passages
Good morning, Boerum Hill. It is a joy to be gathered here to celebrate the opening of 274 Atlantic Avenue, a child care center to serve every family who calls School District 15 home. Despite this being a ribbon cutting, we know that scissors and toddlers are not the greatest combination, which is why we have just held what some historians are saying may be the first ever ribbon running in New York City history. Now, today has been a long time coming, and before we begin this event, I really just want to first and foremost say thank you to the parents and the advocates in this community who have ensured that this was not only possible, but that we were able to deliver this. So, if we could have a round of applause for everyone who's been a part of that. To that end, I also really want to recognize the efforts of Council Member Lincoln Restler, who seems to maybe have a personal interest in this, but who has been a steadfast champion. And to be here alongside our school's chancellor, Kamar Samuels, as well as our executive director of the Mayor's Office of Child Care, Emmy Liss, all of this together is what makes today such a special thing. And I also want to recognize we have representatives here from the Office of Assembly Member Jo Anne Simon as well. Now, universal Pre-K and 3-K were incredible achievements for our city, and yet we also know that the system as it was, was an imperfect one. It was one where families were still struggling to find options closer to home. And we saw that too often there were working parents across the city who were being forced to pick between free child care that was being offered to them many, many miles away, or spending $20,000 per child per year for an option closer to home. And I think about parents who live in District 15, frankly, who've waited so long for a child care seat, only to be offered one in Astoria, only to be offered one more than an hour away by train. And universal child care means meeting parents wherever they are, no matter where they live, no matter how much money they earn. And so one of the things that was most exciting about day eight of our administration when we stood alongside Governor Hochul to announce $1.2 billion to invest in the pathway to universal child care was not simply that it would unlock the city's ability to deliver free child care for two-year-olds for the first time in New York City history but that we would also be able to meet the demand of parents for free child care for three-year-olds. And so, today is part of that announcement we made, where we are adding 1,000 additional seats across the city to universal 3-K. Tough audience. Now, this part of District 15 is home to two NYCHA developments, Gowanus Houses and Wyckoff Gardens. And Downtown Brooklyn has seen a much-needed growth of affordable and mixed-income housing over recent years. And yet the cost of child care has stayed far higher than what low- to middle-income parents can afford. Now, we are standing here at a center where the city had signed a lease in 2021, a center that was ready for children in 2023, and yet it was left vacant by the prior administration for three years. Now, I know that has been a point of pain and frustration, frankly, for parents who were struggling to make ends meet, struggling to find affordable child care close to home, only to have to walk past the shuttered doors of a center that could have provided that exact thing for them. Now, that is going to change this fall as we open the center to provide 63 3-K and Pre-K seats right here at this very site. Now, we made the announcement that we were adding 1,000 seats in total thus far. We have announced last week that we are going to open what were seven vacant DOE-run sites. We are going to transform them into ones that will provide 240 seats. Today, as part of this announcement, it is bringing to life 450 seats across the city entirely. That brings, to date, this 3-K expansion to about 700 seats, part of that total expansion that will end up yielding more than 1,000. Now, this is just the beginning of our efforts. We are looking to do everything that we can to bring more seats online so that it can serve every single family across the five boroughs because we are tired of politics that condescend to parents and ask why there are not more children being brought up in the city without having to answer the question of how we will make it more affordable to actually do so. Today is one step towards that, and it's such a pleasure to be doing so alongside so many incredible leaders here in New York City. And with that, I'm going to pass it over to our school chancellor, Chancellor Samuels. Chancellor Kamar H. Samuels, New York City Public Schools: Good morning. When I say three, you say K. Three?
Zohran MamdaniCheck at the source And now, Council Member Lincoln Restler with a special guest.
Zohran MamdaniCheck at the source This is going to be opening this fall. As you can hear, there's a lot of excitement about that, and this is going to be for families across this district. And also, just to once again underline, today we're announcing not just this district, but also Districts 11, 15, 22, 24, 25. We're speaking about districts across the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens. And as the chancellor made clear, we're going to be reaching out to families that are eligible for this application so that they know. Because as you may be aware of the fact, many families have already applied for these seats, and we're letting them know that there's a way for them to also add this into consideration. And we're also going to be letting know those residents at NYCHA houses in the same district.
Zohran MamdaniCheck at the source So, it was for 3K. 2K will be coming up this summer, and we'll be excited to share more details on that as we get closer to it. For 3K and Pre-K, we're seeing estimates that are lining up with where we were last year, and we're seeing still the cleaning out of those individualized applications to ensure that we have the up-to-date statistics for each of the sets. We'll be sure to keep you updated as we have more on that.
Zohran MamdaniCheck at the source I think we have to also understand that, as the Council Member said, we were inheriting an outreach team that had been really disbanded, frankly, without trying to dance around it. We're seeing years of a lack of outreach to parents across the city, and so we always knew that in this first year, it would be the first step in continued outreach that would need to be maintained over many years. Because what we want to ensure is that every single person in this city knows. We're proud of the efforts that we had, and we do see them as successful, especially given that we're going to be expanding the number of seats right now, announcing an expansion. 2K will also be coming out with an application portal, and we'll see those numbers continue to reflect that. Thank you so much.
Zohran MamdaniCheck at the source I'll first say that there's a lot of baseball left to be played. And I am still keeping the faith, as I know that many Mets fans are across the city, though I will accept being addressed as Mayor Mambino for the day.
Zohran MamdaniCheck at the source You know, I will keep my fingers crossed, as every Mets fan does. And I think that this is part and parcel of what it means to be the mayor. You take it in stride.
Zohran MamdaniCheck at the source So, we'll follow up on that lawsuit. On your first question, however, I will share that after watching that video, I spoke with my police commissioner and decided the NYPD needed to take immediate and decisive steps to ensure accountability and to address the serious concerns that were raised by the incident last week in a Cobble Hill liquor store. That includes a 90-day top-to-bottom review of the Narcotics Section, stronger oversight through audits, and a comprehensive review of training, of equipment, of operational practices — that includes stricter oversight of body-worn camera requirements during arrests. Now what we all saw in that video was deeply disturbing and unacceptable. The two officers involved, along with a supervising agent, have had their responsibilities changed. They are on modified duty, and the entire team that was part of that operation has been disbanded. That is the captain, the several additional members of the team having been reassigned as part of those accountability measures, and all of this is part and parcel of the commitment that I made in light of a number of constituents in the neighborhood sharing that it wasn't simply this incident that troubled them, but that this incident was part of a larger number of concerns that had been shared around these operations, and so we take that very seriously.
Zohran MamdaniCheck at the source So, this all falls within the purview of Commissioner Tisch. The two of us are very much aligned on the necessity of a broader review as opposed to just an incident-based review, and when you look at that incident, you see a number of practices that are troubling. Part of the reason that we are speaking about the importance of stricter body-worn camera requirements is that we saw the absence of that in that incident. Part of the reason that we're talking about a review that goes beyond just those two officers is that constituents have come forward and said that they have been troubled by the actions and the ways in which the city has pursued these kinds of practices, and so we're talking about a 90-day review that is going to be comprehensive, that is focused on the Narcotics unit, and that looks at a variety of policies, big and small, that have been driving much of that work over these last few weeks and months.
Zohran MamdaniCheck at the source The calendar is something that comes as a result of negotiations between New York City Public School System and UFT, our partners in labor, and that is something that we've just released. We take very seriously the responsibility we have to parents across the city. Part of the reason that we are so excited about sharing, for example, the opening of this child care center is that we are looking at the ways in which the city can make it easier for parents to raise a child in this city. And also, what we shared with regard to 2K is that when it comes to younger children in our school system, we are speaking about a full day coverage of those same kids. Now, to your first question, what I will say is that we are reviewing all of the options that we have when it comes to this previously set up charter review commission. More and more are being presented by the day, I'll tell you.
Zohran MamdaniCheck at the source So, what I'll say is that this is a point of immense concern. I'll start with your first question and then I'll go into your second one. It's deeply troubling, these reports of the extensive nature of surveillance. I haven't read that article as yet, but that is something that we will look into, especially the point that you've made about it continuing beyond simply Madison Square Garden itself, and we'll get back to you on that. When it comes to the second point, this is something that we are very much aware of and are concerned by. This is unacceptable for drivers to be acting in this manner. I know that there have been a number of concerns that have been raised. It's something that our police commissioner is very much aware of and working on, to not only hold individuals accountable, but also to ask ourselves the questions of how do we ensure that this isn't something that is becoming normal in our city.
Zohran MamdaniCheck at the source At this time, it continues to be the focus of an active investigation.
Zohran MamdaniCheck at the source Absolutely. The conditions at the 30th Street Bellevue Intake Shelter have been unacceptable for years. We received expert guidance that vacating that site was an urgent and immediate need, as opposed to a suggestion to consider in the years to come. And so, as a result of that, we made the decision to take an action in the best interest of safety and to vacate. And that is why we have taken it as an urgent obligation to transfer shelter intake to 8 East 3rd Street. And that is not just to follow the values of our administration, but also to follow the laws in our city.
Zohran MamdaniCheck at the source The decision to endorse Lindsey is one that comes more from having seen her bravery and her courage in standing up over the years. I first got to know Lindsey when she made the decision to come forward and hold then-Governor Cuomo accountable. And she did so without a question of what this would mean for her professional career or her political career, but simply with a question of what is the right thing to do. And part of the reason that I stand here before you speaking about a new era in New York City politics is because of the courage of women like Lindsey, who stepped forward time and time again. And we need more of that courage in elected politics. And so, I'm incredibly excited to endorse her. And I'm incredibly excited by the coalition that she's built around her. And early voting is happening right now. Election Day is, I think, on the 28th. Early voting will continue through the 26th. And it's something that I'm glad to join my name to [support her].
Zohran MamdaniCheck at the source So, I have long shared my concerns about the lack of affordability when it comes to this tournament. And I've shared those concerns ever since the first ticket prices were put forward. I shared those concerns when FIFA made the decision to allow a resale market that FIFA would operate itself. And I shared those concerns when FIFA decided for the first time in history to employ dynamic pricing. And we're seeing those concerns amplified as even those who were able to afford those tickets have now found that in many cases, those tickets are not where they thought they would be in the stadium. And I think that what we're seeing is further and further evidence of the fact that so many of the working-class people that were at the heart of the birth of this game are now being priced out of it. Now, as the mayor of our city, I am looking at every option that we have to make the experience of the tournament as a whole one that brings everyone into it. I say that as someone who's a soccer obsessive myself, also someone who went to a World Cup in 2010. And some of my fondest memories were not crying in the stadium after Luis Suárez violated the laws of the game, but when I was out playing beach soccer in Durban as part of a fan fest, when I was, you know, across so much of South Africa enjoying the World Cup with so many other fans, whether or not we had tickets to the game. And so, we're asking ourselves these questions of what can we do in New York City to ensure that that continues to be a reality for those who will come here. And to your point, I really appreciate Council Member Abreu's, his idea, his suggestion, his recommendation. It's one that we're considering right now because we're looking to exhaust every potential avenue to ensure that we are tackling these kinds of not just ticket costs, but also transit costs.
Zohran MamdaniCheck at the source Those will be coming soon. We are close to around 50 days until the World Cup. And so those are some of the announcements that we're going to be making over the next few weeks and months. ###
Zohran MamdaniCheck at the source
Every passage above is taken from this recording: NYC Mayor's Office transcripts, Transcript: Mayor Mamdani, NYC Children Open Seven Formerly Vacant Early Childhood Education Centers.