PICKER THE ROOSEVELT -- PETE:
THE ROOSEVELT OPENED ITS DOORS
TO 20 BUS LOAD OF ILLEGALS AND
COMES AS CITY BUSINESS LEADERS
WARN SUMMER TOURISM COULD BE
BECOME A HOT MESS IF ASYLUM
PSYCHOERS TAKE OVER TOO --
SEEKERS TAKE OVER TOO MANY ROOMS
IN THE CITY.
WE HAVE TOM GRETCH WITH US.
THE ROOSEVELT IS TWO AVENUES AND
TWO BLOCKS FROM HERE.
IT’S BECOME THE HUB.
WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF HOW THIS IS
UNFOLDING IN NEW YORK CITY?
>> GOOD MORNING AND THANKS FOR
HAVING ME.
IT’S A MESS RIGHT NOW BUT I
THINK AT LEAST AT THIS POINT
WE’VE GOT A CENTRALIZED LOCATION
NOT TOO FAR.
NOT ONLY FROM YOUR OFFICES BUT
FROM THE PORT AUTHORITY BUS
TERMINAL WE CAN AT LEAST HAVE A
SENSE OF CONTROL AND
UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT SOME OF
THE NEEDS ARE AS WE CONTINUE TO
GET INUNDATED WITH THESE FOLKS
FROM OUR SOUTHERN BOARDERS.
PETE: TOM, NEW YORK CITY IS
FAMOUSLY A SANCTUARY STAY AND
SAID COME ONE COME ALL.
MAYOR ADAMS SAID RECENTLY HOTELS
WILLING TO TAKE ILLEGALS, 50% OF
THOSE ARE FILLED UP BY THAT
POPULATION AT THIS POINT.
DOESN’T FEEL SUSTAINABLE.
>> YEAH, I AGREE AND UNDERSTAND
AND THE SAME ON THE STATUE OF
LIBERTY AND GIVE US YOUR TIRED
AND POOR AND WE LIVE UP TO THESE
IDEALS AND THE SAME NOT FOR
TEXAS AND NEW YORK.
THE ISSUE FALLS SQUARE DEFEAT OF
THE CONGRESS, BOTH PARTIES AS
WELL AS PRESIDENT BIDEN TO ALLOW
THIS TO HAPPEN.
WE’VE NOT HEARD A LOT COMING OUT
OF WASHINGTON DC ABOUT HOW TO
HANDLE THIS IN A BIG WAY.
A BIG COORDINATED WAY AND I
THINK IT’S FALLEN TO OUR MAYOR
TO FIGURE ALL THIS OUT AND GOING
WITH THE GOVERNOR AND OTHERS IN
THE STATE OF NEW YORK BUT IN
FACT IT IS A MESS AND AS WE GET
TO THIS SEASON OF -- THIS IS
PROBABLY THE FIRST SUMMER IN
THREE YEARS WE’LL HAVE NORMALCY
IN OUR CITY AND STATE.
WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE
INFLUX OF FOLKS TAKING UP HOTEL
SPACE WHEN WE’RE ALMOST INTO THE
SUMMER SEASON.
PETE: TOM, YOU MENTIONED
CONGRESS SHOULD DO SOMETHING
ABOUT IT AND THAT’S PART OF IT
AND EXECUTIVE BRANCH DECISIONS
BEING MADE THAT FACILITATE THIS
AND THIS WASN’T HAPPENING THREE
YEARS AGO OR FOUR YEARS AGO AND
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT’S CLEARLY
CHANGED.
WOULD THIS BE PREVENTED AT THE
SOURCE.
>> COMPREHENSIVE IMMIGRATION
ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
NORTH, SOUTH, EAST ASK WEST THAT
ALLOWS PEOPLE TO COME IN IN A
METERED KIND OF CONTROLLED WAY?
HEAVEN KNOWS WE NEED WORKERS TO
DO SOME OF THE JOBS THAT LOTS OF
THESE FOLKS NORMALLY DO.
BUT WITHOUT ANY KIND OF
COORDINATED CONTROL IN DC --
PETE: BUT THERE IS PLENTY OF
EVIDENCE THAT BRING IN -- THE
WORKERS ARGUMENT DRIVES DOWN
WAGES FOR EVERYBODY ELSE AND IF
YOU’RE NOT HERE LEGALLY, HOW DO
YOU PROTECT COMPANIES HIRING
ILLEGALS OR MINORS IN THE
PROCESS.
IS THIS REALLY ABOUT LABOR?
>> GOOD POINT ABOUT THAT BECAUSE
RIGHT NOW THERE’S NO REAL
PROCESS IN PLACE TO ALLOW THE
FOLKS THAT ARE COMING UP HERE TO
HAVE THE ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO
LEGALLY WORK IN NEW YORK AND IN
THE U.S..
WE WERE DECIMATED IN NEW YORK
WITH THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF
RESTAURANTS CLOSED AND WE’RE
JUST STARTING TO GET BACK AND
MANY OF THE PHONES THAT WORKED
IN THE INDUSTRIES NO LONGER
CHOOSE TO WORK IN HOSPITALITY
AND IN RESTAURANTS, AND I’M SURE
IF THOSE FOLKS THAT ARE BEING
BUSSED UP HERE UNFORTUNATELY,
UNFORTUNATELY BUSSED UP HERE
COULD FIND POSITIONS IN THOSE
ROLES IF THEY WERE GIVEN THE
PROPER CLEARANCE TO BE ABLE TO
DO SO.
PETE: FEELS LIKE A SOLUTION TO A
PROBLEM THAT SHOULDN’T EXIST IF
THE FIRST PLACE PUSHING
AMERICANS OUT OF JOBS AND MAKING THE AMERICAN DREAM LESS
THE AMERICAN DREAM LESS
ACCESSIBLE IN THE FIRST PLACE.
>> 6 TO 7 MILLION IN THE CITY OF
NEW YORK AND THAT’S AN ABSURD
NUMBER AND THE FEDS OUGHT TO
STEP IN AND PREVENT THE
ONSLAUGHT OF FOLKS COMING ON UP
TO NEW YORK CITY.
PETE: THE FEDS FACILITATING THE
ONSLAUGHT AND THEY’RE THE ONES
HELPING AND SPEEDING UP THE
PROCESS OF ILLEGALS COMING TO
THIS TOWN AND OTHERS ACROSS THE