>>> IF YOU GO AND LOOK AT WHAT’S
HAPPENED TO NEW YORK, IT’S A
GHOST TOWN.
IT’S A GHOST TOWN, AND WHEN YOU
TALK ABOUT PLEXIGLASS, THESE ARE
RESTAURANTS THAT ARE DYING.
THESE ARE BUSINESSES WITH NO
MONEY.
PUTTING UP PLEXIGLASS IS
UNBELIEVABLY EXPENSIVE, AND IT’S
NOT THE ANSWER.
ARE YOU GOING TO SIT THERE IN A
CUBICLE WRAPPED AROUND WITH
PLASTIC.
THESE ARE BUSINESSES THAT ARE
DYING, JOE.
YOU CAN’T DO THAT TO
DYING, JOE.
YOU CAN’T DO THAT TO PEOPLE.
YOU JUST CAN’T.
TAKE A LOOK AT NEW YORK AND
WHAT’S HAPPENED TO MY WONDERFUL
CITY FOR SO MANY YEARS.
I LOVED IT.
IT WAS VIBRANT.
IT’S DYING.
EVERYONE IS LEAVING NEW YORK.
>> JOINING US NOW, THE MAYOR OF
NEW YORK CITY, DEMOCRAT BILL de
BLASIO
BLASIO.
MR. MAYOR, WE’VE GOT A LOT TO
TALK ABOUT.
LET’S START RIGHT THERE.
I’VE BEEN TO NEW YORK RECENTLY.
IT’S NOT A GHOST TOWN, BUT
PEOPLE REALLY ARE STRUGGLING.
A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE LEAVING.
A LOT OF APARTMENTS ARE VACANT.
BUT THE REASON FOR THAT MIGHT BE
SOMETHING THAT’S LOST ON THE
PRESIDENT.
WHERE DO YOU SAY NEW YORK CITY
STANDS NOW AMID THE CHALLENGES
FROM THE CORONAVIRUS, THE
ECONOMY AND HOW DO WE MOVE
FORWARD?
>> THANKS FOR THE QUESTION,
MIKA.
LOOK.
NEW YORK CITY IS FIGHTING BACK.
NEW YORKERS HAVE BEEN HEROIC
DURING THIS CRISIS.
AND WE WERE ONCE THE EPICENTER
OF THE CORONAVIRUS CRISIS.
WE HAVE FOUGHT THE DISEASE BACK.
OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM IS OPEN.
1600 PUBLIC SCHOOLS OPEN IN NEW
YORK CITY.
10,000 RESTAURANTS AND OUTDOOR
DINING.
JOBS ARE COMING BACK.
IT’S GOING TO BE A LONG ROAD,
BUT NEW YORKERS ARE PROVING THIS
VIBRANT CITY IS GOING TO COME
BACK STRONG.
AND THE ONLY GHOST TOWN, I SAY,
THE ONLY GHOST TOWN IS GOING TO
BE MAR-A-LAGO AFTER THIS
ELECTION WHEN DONALD TRUMP IS
FORCED INTO RETIREMENT THERE.
THIS IS JUST A PITYIFUL ATTEMPT
BY THE PRESIDENT TO UNDERMINE
THE NOTION THAT EVERYDAY PEOPLE
ARE GOING TO FIGHT BACK THIS
DISEASE BECAUSE HE FAILED TO.
HE’S LITERALLY PUTTING THE
BURDEN, HE’S PUTTING THE ONUS ON
THE PEOPLE WHO ARE SUFFERING BUT
ARE STILL FIGHTING BACK RATHER
THAN ACKNOWLEDGING HIS
RESPONSIBILITY BECAUSE HE WASN’T
HERE FOR US WHEN WE NEEDED
TESTING OR NEEDED A STIMULUS FOR
THE RECOVERY.
HE’S BEEN MISSING IN ACTION.
>> YOU MENTIONED SCHOOLS.
HERE’S THE PRESIDENT ON
REOPENING SCHOOLS LAST NIGHT.
>> I HAVE A YOUNG SON.
HE ALSO TESTED POSITIVE.
BY THE TIME I SPOKE TO THE
DOCTOR THE SECOND TIME, HE WAS
FINE.
IT JUST WENT AWAY.
YOUNG PEOPLE.
I GUESS IT’S THEIR IMMUNE
SYSTEM.
I WANT TO OPEN THE SCHOOLS.
THE TRANSMITTAL RATE TO THE
TEACHERS IS VERY SMALL.
BUT I WANT TO OPEN THE SCHOOLS.
WE HAVE TO OPEN OUR COUNTRY.
WE’RE NOT GOING TO HAVE A
COUNTRY.
YOU CAN’T DO THIS.
WE CAN’T KEEP THIS COUNTRY
CLOSED.
THIS IS A MASSIVE COUNTRY WITH A
MASSIVE ECONOMY.
PEOPLE ARE LOSING THEIR JOBS.
THEY’RE COMMITTING SUICIDE.
THERE’S DEPRESSION, ALCOHOL,
DRUGS AT A LEVEL THAT NOBODY’S
EVER SEEN BEFORE.
THERE’S ABUSE, TREMENDOUS ABUSE.
WE HAVE TO OPEN OUR COUNTRY.
I’VE SAID IT OFTEN.
THE CURE CANNOT BE WORSE THAN
THE PROBLEM ITSELF.
>> YEAH, MR. MAYOR, NEW YORK
CITY HAS BEEN PRETTY SUCCESSFUL
AS IT PERTAINS TO OPENING
SCHOOLS SO FAR.
BUT SOMETHING JOE BIDEN BROUGHT
UP IN HIS RESPONSE TO THAT WAS
THAT SCHOOLS REALLY NEED THE
FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO PUT IN
SAFETY MEASURES.
AND THAT THAT, YOU KNOW, HASN’T
COME FROM PRESIDENT TRUMP.
HOW ARE NEW YORK CITY SCHOOLS
FARING IN TERMS OF BEING ABLE TO
HAVE VENTILATION SYSTEMS, SOCIAL
DISTANCING GUIDELINES.
ARE THERE PROTECTIONS IN PLACE
FOR NEW YORK CITY TEACHERS?
>> YES, ABSOLUTELY, MIKA.
LOOK, I WAS A PUBLIC SCHOOL
PARENT MYSELF.
SO I WANT TO BE CLEAR.
IT WAS IMPERATIVE TO GET IT
RIGHT IN TERMS OF HEALTH AND
SAFETY.
SO WE LOOKED AROUND THE WORLD.
WE LOOKED AT EVERY STANDARD THAT
WORKED, EVERY RULE THAT WORKED,
AND WE TOOK THEM ALL AND
COMBINED THEM INTO A GOLD
STANDARD.
SO EVERY CHILD, EVERY ADULT
WEARS A MASK ALL THE TIME.
KIDS DON’T GO TO THE CAFETERIA
FOR LUNCH.
THEY EAT IN THEIR CLASSROOM.
A TYPICAL NEW YORK CITY
CLASSROOM NOW HAS ABOUT TEN KIDS
IN IT.
USED TO HAVE MORE LIKE 25 KIDS
IN IT.
SOCIAL DISTANCING.
CRUCIAL.
VENTILATION, ABSOLUTELY.
WE MAKE SURE THAT EVERY
CLASSROOM IS VENTILATED
PROPERLY.
IF IT CAN’T BE, WE DON’T USE IT.
CONSTANT CLEANING.
WHEN YOU LAYER ALL THOSE
MEASURES ON MUCH TO EACH OTHER
AND TESTING, TESTING, TESTING.
WE TEST CONSTANTLY IN OUR
SCHOOLS.
WE FOUND AN INCREDIBLY LOW RATE
OF POSITIVE CASES IN OUR SCHOOLS
BUT YOU’RE RIGHT.
THAT TAKES A LOT OF RESOURCES.
AND WE’VE MADE IT A REAL
PRIORITY IN NEW YORK CITY.
I THOUGHT BRINGING BACK OUR
CITIES, OUR KIDS NEEDED IT.
OUR FAMILIES NEEDED IT.
FOLKS WHO NEED TO GET BACK TO
WORK.
KIDS WHO HAVE HAD THE TOUGHEST
TIME, FAMILIES THAT HAVE GONE
THROUGH THE MOST PAIN NEED
SCHOOL THE MOST.
WE HAVE TO FIGHT THOSE
DISPARITIES IN OUR SOCIETY.
PUBLIC EDUCATION IS PART OF
THAT.
BUT WE HAD TO DO IT SAFELY.
WE DIDN’T HAVE THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT HELPING US.
IF WE WANT SCHOOLS BACK AND OUR
ECONOMY BACK, WE NEED A
STIMULUS.
BUT HERE’S THE GREATEST FALLACY
OF ALL IN WHAT DONALD TRUMP
SAID.
HASN’T LIFTED A FINGER FOR A
STIMULUS.
HE SAYS, OH, MY OLD NEW YORK.
HE HASN’T HELPED NEW YORK OR ANY
OTHER STATE.
IF HE CALLED FOR A STIMULUS, THE
REPUBLICAN SENATE WOULD HAVE
GONE ALONG.
HE NEVER DID THE WORK THAT A
PRESIDENT SHOULD HAVE DONE IN
THIS CRISIS.
>> MAYOR de BLASIO, IT’S WILLIE.
GOOD TO SEE YOU THIS MORNING.
IT’S OBVIOUSLY NOT A GHOST TOWN.
I LIVE THERE.
I WORK THERE IN NEW YORK CITY.
I KNOW.
BUT IF YOU WALK AROUND, THERE
ARE A LOT OF MEPT STORE FRONTS.
YOUR FAVORITE DINER MIGHT BE
CLOSED.
A LOT OF SHOPS HAVE BEEN
CLOSING.
APARTMENT BUILDINGS HALF EMPTY
IN SOME CASES AND PEOPLE HAVE
THIS AIR OF INEVITABILITY THAT
WE’RE GOING TO GO BACK INTO
WHERE WE WERE THIS WINTER JUST
BECAUSE OF THE NATURE OF THE
VIRUS AND FLU SEASON COMING AS
WELL.
SO WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED AS
MAYOR FROM MARCH, APRIL, MAY,
LET’S CALL IT, THAT YOU CAN
APPLY THIS WINTER TO HOPEFULLY
GET US THROUGH THIS BETTER SO
SOME OF THOSE RESTAURANTS CAN
STAY OPEN?
>> SUCH AN IMPORTANT QUESTION.
WE LEARNED THE HARD WAY.
WE WENT THROUGH SO MUCH PAIN.
BUT NEW YORKERS REALLY OUT OF
THAT EXPERIENCE FOUND A LOT OF
DISCIPLINE AND STRENGTH.
AND SO NOW YOU SEE IN THE CITY,
PEOPLE WEAR THOSE MASKS.
IT’S NOT PERFECT BUT THE VAST
MAJORITY WEAR THOSE MASKS,
PRACTICE THE DISTANCING.
AND WE HAVE TOUGH RULES.
WE HAD A PROBLEM IN SOME
NEIGHBORHOODS IN BROOKLYN AND
QUEENS.
WE WORKED WITH THE STATE OF NEW
YORK, PUT TOUGH RESTRICTIONS IN
PLACE TO STOP THAT SPREAD AND
WE’VE SEEN IT WORK IMMEDIATELY
WHEN YOU HAVE TO APPLY SOME
RESTRICTIONS.
TACTICALLY, YOU CAN DO IT.
BUT OVERALL, THE CITY IS DOING
REALLY WELL.
ONE OF THE LOWEST POSITIVITY
RATES IN THE WHOLE COUNTRY.
WE HAVE SEEN THIS SUSTAINED.
IT REALLY COMES DOWN TO THE
PEOPLE.
AND I THINK THIS IS ANOTHER
THING THE PRESIDENT DOESN’T
UNDERSTAND.
LEADERS ARE SUPPOSED TO INFORM
THE PEOPLE, EDUCATE, INSPIRE THE
PEOPLE TO BE THEIR BEST SELVES.
NEW YORKERS HAVE RESPONDED BY
REALLY SHOWING THE STRENGTH AND
THE DISCIPLINE AND THE PEOPLE
ARE -- WHO ARE SUSTAINING US.
SO, NO, WE’RE NOT SEEING A
SECOND WAVE IN NEW YORK CITY.
AND WE ARE FIGHTING BACK ANY
INDICATION THAT MIGHT SUGGEST
EVEN THE BEGINNING OF THEM.
IF WE SEE EVEN A BEGINNING OF A
SECOND WAVE, WE HIT HARD AT
THAT.
SO I’M FEELING VERY GOOD THAT WE
CAN GET THROUGH THIS WINTER
STRONG.
>> AND FINALLY, MR. MAYOR,
GETTING READY FOR ELECTION DAY,
A LOT OF QUESTIONS SURROUNDING
HOW THAT’S GOING TO GO.
YOU’RE SETTING UP WHAT’S CALLED
THE ELECTION OBSERVER CORE.
CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THAT?
>> CLEARLY PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS
TRIED TO DISCOURAGE PEOPLE FROM
VOTING.
SUGGESTED THE ELECTION RESULTS
WILL NOT BE LEGITIMATE.
SOME OF HIS FOLLOWERS CLEARLY
HAVE BEEN PRACTICING
INTIMIDATION TACTICS AROUND THIS
COUNTRY.
WE CANNOT HAVE THIS.
SO FOR NEW YORK CITY, AND I SAY
THIS FOR EVERY CITY AND COUNTRY,
WE HAVE TO HAVE THE VOTER
PROTECTION PROGRAM.
ON ELECTION DAY WE’RE GOING TO
HAVE HUNDREDS OF LAWYERS, CITY
OFFICIALS, VOLUNTEERS ALL OUT
THERE PROTECTING THE VOTE.
THEY SEE ANY INSTANCE OF
INTIMIDATION, ANY EFFORT TO STOP
PEOPLE FROM VOTING.
AND WE KNOW WHERE THIS IS GOING
TO BE TARGETED.
IT’S WHERE IT’S ALWAYS BEEN
TARGETED IN LOWER INCOME
COMMUNITIES, IN IMMIGRANT
COMMUNITIES WHERE PEOPLE OF
COLOR LIVE.
THAT’S WHERE INTIMIDATION
EFFORTS HAVE BEEN OVER THE
YEARS.
WE’LL HAVE A STRONG VOTER
PROTECTION EFFORT BECAUSE YOU
CANNOT LET THIS ELECTION BE
STOLEN BY INTIMIDATION.