de Blasio Press Q&A: The Historic Edition

Late Friday Mayor Bill de Blasio held a press conference to discuss progress in the effort to keep Long Island College Hospital, or LICH, open.  de Blasio also made a closing statement concerning the imbroglio surrounding his NYPD security detail following a news report that the detail was speeding and rolling through two stop signs as it drove de Blasio away from a press conference Thursday in Maspeth.

The State University of New York (SUNY) controls LICH, and has been trying to sell or close the money-losing operation.  On Friday, de Blasio announced that SUNY and Governor Cuomo have agreed to a new round of bidding from prospective buyers.  This additional RFP will have a revised weighting in the scoring and selection of a winner from the submitted proposals.  It’s another chance to find a bidder who will continue hospital operations at the site, but the new RFP is far from a solution despite the repeated references to such development as “historic”.

Closing Statement:

Here is de Blasio’s closing statement, addressing the imbroglio around his NYPD security detail and it’s driving.

Full Q&A:

Here is de Blasio’s full press Q&A:

de Blasio Press Q&A: The Pothole Edition (Updated)

Today Mayor Bill de Blasio held a press conference in Maspeth to highlight the City’s efforts at pothole repair.  The city’s roads have been battered by a high number of winter storms and temperature fluctuations, producing a bumper pothole crop.  The mayor’s press conference, held at 69th Lane and 60th Avenue in Maspeth, featured the mayor and Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg joining a Department of Transportation road crew in filling a pothole.

Full Q&A:

On-topic questions for the mayor included the cost of the pothole repair program, the furlough of seasonal DoT workers, the average time between pothole complaints and repair, the outlook for the rest of the winter, the number of potholes repaired, how potholes are identified for repair, the DoT’s road resurfacing plans in the near-future, how many crews are working, why this particular pothole was chosen for the press conference location, whether the mayor is enjoying “this aspect” of his job and an assessment by the road crew of how the mayor performed.  Off-topic questions included the mayor’s proposed budget and the potential cost of open labor contracts, a timeline for settling the open labor contracts, the Build it Back program, the administration’s “comprehensive review” of the city’s Sandy recovery efforts, release of Bishop Findlayter’s arrest report, the mayor’s September promise to visit a carriage horse stable before acting on his pledge to ban carriage horses and the administration’s community development block grant application.   Here is the mayor’s full press Q&A:

Sandy Recovery:

The mayor was asked three separate questions concerning the city’s ongoing efforts at recovery from Hurricane Sandy.  The first focused on the Build it Back program, which is widely criticized for a slow, even glacial, pace of funding repairs.  The second (from yours truly) asked about the “comprehensive review” briefly mentioned by the mayor in his State of the City address on February 10th.  The third asked about the city’s community development block grant application, due to be submitted to the federal government by March 18th.  Here is how the mayor responded:

Update – Pothole Repair:

Mayor de Blasio and DoT Commissioner Trottenberg filled a real live pothole; here’s how it went.

de Blasio Press Q&A: The Capitol Edition (Updated)

Mayor Bill de Blasio briefly answered questions from the press this afternoon while in Albany for the annual legislative conference hosted by the New York State Association of Black and Puerto Rican Legislators, Inc.  The mayor was focused on his pre-K/middle school program initiative, particularly the income tax surcharge included in his initiative, and the majority of the questions were on that topic.

de Blasio declined to answer a question about the controversy around his Monday night call to the NYPD after learning of the arrest of Bishop Orlando Findlayter.  Despite his clear desire to move on to other topics, it appears that press and public interest is far from sated.  In part that continuing interest comes from the drip drip of reporting on what appear to be Findlayter’s financial and tax issues.  It also comes, however, from disparate reactions to de Blasio receiving such a late night phone call and acting on it.  To the former council member and public advocate it’s probably not unusual or surprising that he would receive such a call, and he appears to have reacted the way a council member or public advocate would.  To many people, however, the fact that he would make such a call is surprising.  Even for those not surprised, there is still a desire to see and hear de Blasio think through whether as mayor, and at the top of the chain of command, he should react differently than he would as a council member or public advocate.  He hasn’t really conveyed that he’s fully thought that through or internalized the different perceptions his actions acquire as mayor.  Closure for him on this topic seems unlikely until he does.  (You can watch de Blasio answer multiple questions last Thursday on Findlayter and de Blasio’s call to the NYPD here.)

de Blasio was also asked about the recently granted federal medicaid waiver and it’s effect on two ailing Brooklyn hospitals, and about two of his recent housing appointees and their ties to the real estate estate industry.

Here is his full press Q&A:

de Blasio Press Q&A: The Snow School Edition (Updated x 4)

Today Mayor Bill de Blasio faced extensive, skeptical questions from the press on two topics: His decision to keep city schools open today despite a major winter storm and his late night call Monday to the NYPD concerning the arrest of locally prominent bishop and friend of de Blasio.

Toward the end of a lengthy series of questions on his decision to open city schools today, de Blasio offered this broad reasoning:

Update – Al v. Bill:

Mayor de Blasio addressed critical twitter comments on his school opening decision from well-known weatherman Al Roker. The question was posed by Newsday’s Matthew Chayes.

Update #2 – Parking Meters:

Mayor de Blasio addressed a lingering New York City snow mystery – why do parking meters remain in effect during major storms, even as alternate side of the street parking regulations are suspended.  The mayor made that announcement today, as he has at every snow press conference.  The question came from Dana Arschin of News 12.

Update #3 – Full Snow Q&A:

The mayor faced a barrage of skeptical press questions on his decision to open city schools today.  Here is the full portion of his press Q&A devoted to snow-related questions.

Update #4 – NYPD, Findlayter & de Blasio:

Finally, here is the “off-topic” portion of the press conference, which focused solely on de Blasio’s Monday night phone call to the NYPD after he learned that a local clergyman, Bishop Orlando Findlayter, had been arrested.

de Blasio Press Q&A: The Revving Up Edition

Today Mayor Bill de Blasio revved up his push for full day pre-K/middle school programs initiative, speaking at a clergy breakfast in Bedford-Stuyvesant and holding a press conference immediately afterward.  The breakfast featured speeches by de Blasio, his wife Chirlane McCray and the Rev. Al Shapton to an audience estimated to include 100-200 clergy.

de Blasio appeared angered, in his even-keeled and sober way, at the comments yesterday by Senate Republican leader Dean Skelos that he does not intend to allow the state senate to vote on de Blasio’s proposal.  It’s a major hurdle for de Blasio, and complicates the already difficult road he faces in trying to either convince or out maneuver Governor Cuomo.   de Blasio has little influence or connection with the Senate Republicans.  From the outside, it’s difficult to discern whether, or to what extent, Governor Cuomo is encouraging the Senate Republicans to block a vote, potentially sparing the governor a difficult choice.  For de Blasio, who has already put substantial effort and energy into gaining Albany approval for his proposal, it’s a breakdown in the weakest link in the process.

Following their speeches, de Blasio and Sharpton held a joint press conference.  Here is their full press conference, including their statements and the press Q&A.  de Blasio and Sharpton answered on-topic questions only.

Mark-Viverito Press Q&A: The SOTC Edition

City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito answered questions from the press this afternoon, immediately following the mayor’s State of the City address.  In the portion presented here, Mark-Viverito addressed the City’s open labor contracts and expected contract negotiations, the City’s fiscal situation and an expected expansion of the living wage law.  She was also asked whether she is concerned that the mayor is taking important actions on his own, such as the expansion of the living wage law, without going through the City Council.

de Blasio Press Q&A: The Pussy Riot Edition (Updated x 3)

Today Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the appointment of Carl Weisbrod as chair of the City Planning Commission.

Among the topics discussed during the Q&A portion of the announcement press conference was a vital question – can the mayor pronounce the name of guests scheduled to visit him this afternoon.

Continue reading de Blasio Press Q&A: The Pussy Riot Edition (Updated x 3)

de Blasio Press Q&A: The Pinch Edition (Updated x 2)

Today Mayor Bill de Blasio named his wife, Chirlane McCray, as chair of the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City.  McCray and de Blasio visited the Osbourne Association, a non-profit dedicated to assisting incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people improve and transform themselves, in the Mott Haven section of the Bronx.  During their visit, de Blasio announced the appointment and answered questions from the press.  McCray gave a short speech following de Blasio’s announcement.

To start, here’s a brief clip from the beginning of McCray’s remarks.

Update – McCray:

Here are McCray’s full remarks.

Update #2 – Q&A:

Here is de Blasio’s full press Q&A.

On-topic questions include: whether de Blasio and McCray’s partnership is modeled on the Clintons, how the Mayor’s Fund will be financed including whether they plan to ask Michael Bloomberg to contribute money, the anticipated size of McCray’s staff and office location, whether McCray will regularly issue a public schedule, how de Blasio decided to appoint McCray, whether she will continue to be active in other efforts related to the administration such as the pre-K initiative, whether McCray is ready for increased public and press scrutiny and how others who disagree with any actions or decisions by McCray at the Mayor’s Fund can address those with the mayor.

Between the on-topic and off-topic questions, de Blasio made a statement criticizing the NY Times for a specific story on Sanitation Commissioner John  Doherty.  (de Blasio’s statement and an in-depth look at the topic is also separately available here.)

Questions on other topics include: the NYS Attorney General’s investigation of the Puerto Rican Day Parade committee, whether de Blasio’s pre-K initiative will include private and parochial schools, the “absent teacher reserve”, a protest by Girls Prep supporters against de Blasio’s expected  charter school policies, performance of Administration for Children’s Services and whether de Blasio plans to contact the St. Patrick’s Day Parade committee to urge them to lift their exclusion of LGBT groups and organizations.


Our look at Mayor de Blasio’s complaint about the New York Times’ reporting on Sanitation Commissioner John Doherty is here.

de Blasio, Doherty & Snow Politics

This afternoon Mayor Bill de Blasio harshly criticized the New York Times for a specific story published last night/today.  A Rough Final Winter For New York’s Sanitation Chief described the recent tribulations of Sanitation Commissioner John Doherty arising from a blizzard of media and public complaints that the Sanitation Department failed to adequately perform it’s snow removal duties during the January 21-22 storm.  Taking a rich look at Commissioner Doherty’s Sanitation Department career, which began in 1960, the article also portrayed Doherty as essentially on the outs with the mayor and likely to be pushed out of the Department by winter’s end.

Here is de Blasio’s statement:

Here are a few observations on the Times article, de Blasio, Doherty and current snow politics. Continue reading de Blasio, Doherty & Snow Politics

de Blasio Press Q&A: The Endless Snow Edition (Updated)

Today Mayor Bill de Blasio held a press conference addressing the city’s response to the storm that arrived overnight.  The fourth storm of de Blasio’s five weeks as mayor, it brought the new wrinkle of including ice as part of the precipitation.

Rock Salt & Governor Cuomo:

Wednesday morning, Governor Cuomo told reporters that in order to alleviate a shortage of rock salt, he was ordering deliveries of New York State’s rock salt supplies to New York City and other municipalities.  When asked by the NY Times Kate Taylor, Mayor de Blasio described a far less dire supply situation, while seeking to avoid any sort of dispute with the governor.  The question also featured a rare on-camera moment for First Deputy Mayor Tony Shorris.  Although he’s frequently at the mayor’s press conferences, Shorris clearly prefers an off-camera role.

Update – Full Press Q&A:

Mayor de Blasio answered storm related “on-topic” questions only.  Among the questions: whether he’ll speed up his move to Gracie Mansion in order to avoid snow shoveling, a reported road salt shortage, the current blood supply shortage and whether he’ll donate blood, whether he would consider allowing boroughs or school districts to make their own decisions on closing for inclement weather, the 911 response times and city overtime costs, what Sanitation Commissioner Doherty learned from the second storm of this administration, the cause of a signal failure this morning on the 1/2/3 subway line and his take on the many snow storms in his brief tenure.  Here is his full press Q&A.

Mark-Viverito Press Q&A: The Horse & Parade Edition (Updated)

Following the city council’s stated meeting today, Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito answered questions from the press.  Among the topics: the council’s override of six Bloomberg vetoes, a timeline for a carriage horse bill, the Puerto Rican Day Parade and an investigation by NYS Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, the expected paid sick leave expansion and the mayor’s and her own decision to not attend the Manhattan St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

St. Patrick’s Day Parade:

Speaker Mark-Viverito discussed the Manhattan St. Patrick’s Day Parade and the mayor’s announcement that he would not march in it because of the parade’s ban on LGBT-focused groups and organizations.  Mark-Viverito strongly supported the mayor’s decision and stated that she too would skip the parade.  She also discussed the effort by some to prohibit uniformed city workers, the NYPD, FDNY and Sanitation, from marching in uniform and under identifying banners.

Full Press Q&A:

de Blasio Press Q&A: The Snow Charm Edition (Updated x 2)

Hoping that the third time’s the charm, Mayor de Blasio held a press conference today to discuss the City’s storm preparation and snow removal efforts during the third snow storm of his administration.

de Blasio answered on-topic questions only.  Among them were changes in plowing routes and Sanitation Department operations, conditions on Staten Island, whether passenger cars complicated the snow removal in the prior storm, the utilization of traffic agents, whether he preemptively planned any neighborhood tours “to express regret”, whether the Sanitation Department is utilizing Police Department street cameras to assist in snow removal and whether New Yorkers have unrealistic expectations concerning snow removal.  Here is his full press Q&A.

Update – Action:

During the press conference, reporter Marcia Kramer of WCBS-TV relayed complaints from Staten Islanders concerning a particular road.  Here’s what happened.

Update #2 – Unrealistic Expectations?:

Do New Yorkers have unrealistic expectations concerning snow removal?  That’s what Josh Robin of NY1 asked Mayor de Blasio this afternoon.  Here’s how the mayor responded.

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