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Speaker 1: What's up as way up at Angela Yee.

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Speaker 2: I'm Angela Yee, and Lieutenant Governor Antonio del Gato is

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Speaker 2: here from New York State.

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Speaker 3: Okay, good to be here.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, it's great to have you.

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Speaker 2: And you are from not New York City, but Schenectady, upstate.

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Speaker 4: Born and raised in Schenectady, lived there all through high school.

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Speaker 4: Family still in Schenectady. I now live in Duchess County.

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Speaker 2: All right, So for people who aren't from this area,

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Speaker 2: how far is that from say Manhattan, It's.

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Speaker 4: About two and a half hours to Duchess County and

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Speaker 4: then another hour or so our fifteen minutes to get

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Speaker 4: the Schenectady.

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Speaker 3: Okay, you know, about three hours total.

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Speaker 2: And you are working with Governor Kathy Hochel, and she

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Speaker 2: has quite an interesting story of even becoming governor. You know,

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Speaker 2: it was just a crazy time, things that we couldn't

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Speaker 2: have anticipated. And it's interesting for you being from upstate

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Speaker 2: because I also have a house up state and not

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Speaker 2: just remember during the action time seeing a whole lot

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Speaker 2: of Leezelden signs on people's front lawnes. You know, so

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Speaker 2: for you coming from where you're from and winning to

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Speaker 2: be in Congress, even where you're from.

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Speaker 1: That felt like an anomaly.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, it was definitely an interesting time. When I decided

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Speaker 4: to run in two thousand and seventeen, I was actually

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Speaker 4: working in the city. I was working at a law

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Speaker 4: firm in Midtown and then decided to move back upstate

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Speaker 4: where I and my wife were from. My wife from

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Speaker 4: Ulster County, Yes to Lacey, and we decided to run

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Speaker 4: because we felt it was important. And I say week

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Speaker 4: because it was a family decision. We had two little boys.

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Speaker 4: They didn't decide, but you know, twins, and it was

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Speaker 4: going to affect their lives too. We knew it was

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Speaker 4: going to be important to go home to get involved

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Speaker 4: in public service.

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Speaker 3: At that time.

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Speaker 4: And when we got there, me being from Schenectady, Lacey

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Speaker 4: being from Woodstock, we felt like we were returning home.

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Speaker 4: But the district that I was running in, you know,

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Speaker 4: it was ninety percent white. Trump had won it in

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Speaker 4: twenty sixteen by seven points.

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Speaker 2: It was a very rule because people think New York

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Speaker 2: and they always think New York City.

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Speaker 1: They don't think about New York States, right, yeah, right.

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Speaker 4: But at the same time, I think what grounded us

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Speaker 4: and what anchored us was the fact that it was home,

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Speaker 4: and you know, being upstate wasn't unfamiliar, you know, to

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Speaker 4: me or to her, and so we just got busy

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Speaker 4: connecting with people. My parents worked for General Electric in

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Speaker 4: Schenectady for a very long time, so when I spoke

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Speaker 4: about growing up in Schenectady parents working for.

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Speaker 3: GE, we were able to really connect.

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Speaker 4: But that being said, there were a lot of folks

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Speaker 4: who thought a personal color couldn't win in the district,

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Speaker 4: let alone upstate, because no person of color had ever

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Speaker 4: went to Congress from upstate New.

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Speaker 2: York ever, not a a Latino, not a black person.

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Speaker 3: Yeah no.

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Speaker 4: And so but at the time, we felt, if we

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Speaker 4: can connect people in a real way, listen to them,

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Speaker 4: engage with them, and Lee would love you know, we could.

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Speaker 3: We could do it.

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Speaker 4: And I think, especially because now we're talking about hip

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Speaker 4: hop fifty you know, me being a former hip hop artist,

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Speaker 4: I can understand why some folks maybe thought, you know, oh, well,

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Speaker 4: how's that going to translate?

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Speaker 3: Is it? Is it going to work in upstate?

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Speaker 4: But the fact that the matter is I knew, and

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Speaker 4: my wife knew, and our community knew, our friends knew that,

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Speaker 4: you know, being from uh, from home, and being able

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Speaker 4: to talk about being from home and being who we

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Speaker 4: are and true to who we are was going to resonate,

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Speaker 4: and ultimately it did.

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Speaker 1: So we didn't even get to the hip hop artists part.

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Speaker 2: Yet you brought it up first, and that was something

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Speaker 2: that was used against you though at that time from

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Speaker 2: your opponents when you were running for Congress.

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Speaker 4: It was it was used against me. They pulled a

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Speaker 4: lot of the old you know, lyrics out of context.

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Speaker 1: And you know, vicause it was positive rap.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, my mother wouldn't have any way, That's not how

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Speaker 4: I was Now. I was raising the church. So my

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Speaker 4: whole commitment to the culture was how do I utilize

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Speaker 4: this platform in a way that can help us speak

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Speaker 4: truth to power, talk about racial inequities, talk about misogyny,

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Speaker 4: even talk about things like climate change. You know, I

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Speaker 4: was rapping about that, you know, back in two thousand

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Speaker 4: and five, two thousand and six, So you know, when

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Speaker 4: they started to try to figure out how to make

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Speaker 4: me out to be something that I wasn't, it kind

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Speaker 4: of rang hollow.

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Speaker 3: It rang hollow, and not just.

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Speaker 4: To those who knew me, but even to the community.

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Speaker 4: I think they saw right through it. They knew it

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Speaker 4: was a charade and they were offended by it, and

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Speaker 4: it ultimately, I think Galvin, yeah right, they said, wait

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Speaker 4: a second, you're trying to try to play us. Really,

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Speaker 4: you're trying to make us feel one way about this

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Speaker 4: guy when we know he's not that way.

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Speaker 3: So just talk about it truthfully, you know.

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Speaker 4: And I think we were able to meet folks where

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Speaker 4: they were, and ultimately I think that was that's what allowed.

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Speaker 3: Us to have success.

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Speaker 2: Well, let's get into you and your background, because I

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Speaker 2: do always want to encourage people who may have never

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Speaker 2: thought to run for office that it is possible.

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Speaker 1: Because, like you said, ninety percent white.

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Speaker 2: It was an area that Trump had won by seven

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Speaker 2: points previously, and so people might say that's going to

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Speaker 2: happen and just counted out because I think sometimes we're

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Speaker 2: really scared of change and we can talk ourselves out

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Speaker 2: of things and say this is impossible, right, And you've

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Speaker 2: shown that it is possible. So when you were younger,

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Speaker 2: we talked about the whole hip hop thing. You really

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Speaker 2: did want to be a hip hop artist, right, and

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Speaker 2: you spent a lot of time. So where do things

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Speaker 2: go left, Because clearly it didn't work out. We're here,

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Speaker 2: which is fine, But why do you think it didn't

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Speaker 2: work for you at that time? Because some people will

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Speaker 2: feel like positive messages and hip hop don't always I

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Speaker 2: guess they're not always the most profitable.

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Speaker 3: And I think that's labels, that's certainly a part of it.

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Speaker 3: There's a lot of reasons.

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Speaker 4: I think some of you have to do with the

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Speaker 4: actual industry and what's been deemed profitable.

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Speaker 3: But you know, I can own my own mistakes too,

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Speaker 3: I think.

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Speaker 4: Let me let me first say that when I decide

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Speaker 4: to go to LA I graduated from Harvard Law, so

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Speaker 4: that was a big you know, right turn or left turn,

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Speaker 4: you want to phrase it?

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Speaker 3: For my family, what are you doing? You you have

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Speaker 3: a law degree.

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Speaker 4: You know you've been you know, getting a good degrees

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Speaker 4: and overseas and.

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Speaker 3: At Coldgate wat we pick to school.

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Speaker 4: But I always told my family, you know, you guys

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Speaker 4: raised me to follow my heart, to follow my passion,

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Speaker 4: to be true to who I am.

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Speaker 3: I believe in the culture. I love the culture. I

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Speaker 3: see it.

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Speaker 4: I actually wrote and studied a lot when I was

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Speaker 4: in law school about the essence of the culture and

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Speaker 4: where it came from and how it could lead to change.

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Speaker 4: And so I wanted to try to put that into practice.

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Speaker 4: That was my focus, that was my drive. The problem

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Speaker 4: I think for me at the time was I wasn't

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Speaker 4: thinking about the business side of it. Okay, you know,

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Speaker 4: I didn't have a real business plan. I had a vision, right,

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Speaker 4: I had an idea, right, And I think at the time,

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Speaker 4: I thought that was enough, that it was enough to

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Speaker 4: just be inspired by you know what I felt inside

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Speaker 4: of me. And I think it is important for our

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Speaker 4: young people to follow their hearts and to be inspired

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Speaker 4: and to be true to who they are. And you

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Speaker 4: never know, but it's also important to do your homework

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Speaker 4: and have a plan, to have a plan.

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Speaker 2: I say that with small businesses all the time. You

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Speaker 2: can't just say I want to start a business. Well,

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Speaker 2: let's do some research on the area. Let's see what

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Speaker 2: kind of funding is going to be needed to get

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Speaker 2: this off the ground. What is it going to cost

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Speaker 2: me to hire employees? Where am I going to find

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Speaker 2: these employees. It's just a great area for us to

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Speaker 2: open a business.

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Speaker 3: And I was humbled, you know. I I think I

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Speaker 3: went into it.

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Speaker 4: Believing that it would manifest on its own if I

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Speaker 4: just became an artist.

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Speaker 3: But at the same time, I didn't. I didn't give

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Speaker 3: up either.

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Speaker 4: You know, five years I was out in LA and

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Speaker 4: I had some pretty odd end jobs. It's a parking

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Speaker 4: lot of tendon. I was, you know, foul clerk. I

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Speaker 4: was doing all types of random things just to give

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Speaker 4: myself time to record and write and perform. And my

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Speaker 4: parents were calling me asking me to come back home.

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Speaker 4: My mom was in tears half the time, said what

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Speaker 4: are you doing?

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Speaker 1: You like you went to Harvard Law School? Sir? No,

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Speaker 1: I mean that is, and you met your wife in

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Speaker 1: law school? Right, Okay? So was she supportive of this

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Speaker 1: dream at the time?

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Speaker 4: Well, it was funny because so Lacey and I are

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Speaker 4: very similar in that we both are creative spirits. After

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Speaker 4: law school, she didn't practice law either. She went and

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Speaker 4: became an incredible filmmak. Yes, and she still is a filmmaker.

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Speaker 3: You see the difference, right, Okay?

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Speaker 1: Right, Well, women, you know how we do.

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Speaker 4: But and she'll tell you if you asked what went

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Speaker 4: wrong with me, she'll tell you he'd never plan.

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Speaker 3: Right. So, but we actually fell in love in law school.

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Speaker 4: I love at first sight for me, and but it

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Speaker 4: was one of those things where I was a one

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Speaker 4: l first year laws to wh she's a third year

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Speaker 4: law student. Timing wasn't right, and we ended up going

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Speaker 4: our separate ways. Eight years later, while I'm now in

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Speaker 4: LA and she's back in New York City, we reconnect

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Speaker 4: and that's when and while we were reconnecting, I'm now

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Speaker 4: transitioning out of the music space, trying to get back

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Speaker 4: into law now because the music thing didn't quite work out. Okay,

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Speaker 4: you know, it didn't work out because, like we've established,

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Speaker 4: I have a plan.

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Speaker 1: Yeah dope, larious about climate change wasn't.

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Speaker 3: Going to cut right, And.

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Speaker 4: I just started to realize that what I had hoped for,

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Speaker 4: it didn't mean that everybody, you know, was on the

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Speaker 4: same page. And so I had to feel whether I

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Speaker 4: was comfortable staying in this lane or try other things,

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Speaker 4: be more creative, you know, speak about certain things that

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Speaker 4: maybe I didn't really want to talk about, you know,

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Speaker 4: just to sort of broaden the audience. And I just

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Speaker 4: ultimately decided that wasn't the path I want to go down.

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Speaker 2: But I have to say that that experience probably helps

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Speaker 2: you with what you do now as far as connecting

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Speaker 2: with people, being able to express yourself, being comfortable in

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Speaker 2: front of people, and having to speak because you know,

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Speaker 2: then you transition, like you said, to come back to

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Speaker 2: New York and then you practice law. And what area

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Speaker 2: of laod did you work in? It was criminal justice reform?

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Speaker 2: You worked at pro bono?

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Speaker 4: Yes, So I ended up working at a at a

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Speaker 4: big white shoe law firm, you know, focusing on the

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Speaker 4: litigation inside financial restructuring, bankruptcy law, and commercial contract law,

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Speaker 4: complex commercial contract law, and then I did pro bono

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Speaker 4: as part of that under Criminal Justice reform, particularly on

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Speaker 4: juvenile lifers and making sure.

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Speaker 3: That as we deal with.

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Speaker 4: The cruel and unusual punishment of committing a child to

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Speaker 4: life without parole, which had ultimately been overturned by the

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Speaker 4: Supreme Court, how do we reset these individuals and get

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Speaker 4: them back on track. So that was a big part

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Speaker 4: of the work that I did when I was in

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Speaker 4: the legal field. I will say to your point though,

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Speaker 4: about the lessons that I learned when I was practicing

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Speaker 4: or when I was a hip hop artist. And I

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Speaker 4: always tell young people this failing for me as much

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Speaker 4: as it hurt, and it hurt, it was hard for

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Speaker 4: me to let go of that dream, it definitely built

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Speaker 4: some fortitude in me and it made me it gave

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Speaker 4: me a real strong sense of who I am, what

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Speaker 4: I want out of my life, and what I believe

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Speaker 4: in and what I'm prepared to overcome and deal with

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Speaker 4: to get there. And every trial and tribulation that I've

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Speaker 4: experienced since then, I've leaned on what it felt like

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Speaker 4: to fail in that moment and dust myself off and

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Speaker 4: get myself back up. And so there's a lesson in failing.

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Speaker 4: There's a lesson in tripping and falling and taking that risk.

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Speaker 4: Even if you don't, you know, do everything the right way,

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Speaker 4: don't be.

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Speaker 3: Too hard on yourself.

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Speaker 4: The real lesson is what you do in response to

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Speaker 4: that moment and how you build yourself and those long

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Speaker 4: hours and days you know, practicing law. That was hard

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Speaker 4: for me to make that transition, but I have priorities.

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Speaker 4: I had a family, you know, I wanted to make

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Speaker 4: sure that they were good, we were secure. I could provide,

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Speaker 4: and so I was able to lean on, you know,

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Speaker 4: just that discipline and that focus and things that I

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Speaker 4: was able to cultivate when I was a hip hop artist.

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Speaker 1: And for people listening to these videos are still available,

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Speaker 1: right there was a couple out there, what was the

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Speaker 1: name was it?

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Speaker 3: Add the voice.

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Speaker 1: A D the voice.

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Speaker 2: All right, make sure for the fiftieth anniversary of hip hop,

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Speaker 2: maybe we can get some of those back up and

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Speaker 2: they're out there in rotation. All right, So now let's

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Speaker 2: move to that. Because working in the space of criminal

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Speaker 2: justice reform did that? Was that one of the reasons

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Speaker 2: why you said I actually went to run for Congress

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Speaker 2: to help push through legislation because you saw a lot

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Speaker 2: of things, like you said that were happening, juveniles getting

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Speaker 2: life paroles, you know, all of that.

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Speaker 1: Is that what made you feel inspired?

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Speaker 3: Yes, that's a big part of it. I think.

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Speaker 4: I think deeper than that would just be broadly growing

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Speaker 4: inequality and the idea that folks all across this country,

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Speaker 4: in New York in particular, we're being left behind. And

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Speaker 4: I looked at my own life. I grew up working class.

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Speaker 4: I grew up cutting coupons, putting clothes on layaway, you know.

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Speaker 4: I grew up, you know, in tough neighborhoods. My parents

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Speaker 4: worked us up out of those neighborhoods over time. But

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Speaker 4: I remember, remember it. I remember, you know, when I

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Speaker 4: was four or five, six, seven, eight, you know, the

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Speaker 4: proximity and what was around and my family, my cousins

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Speaker 4: who've been in and out of jail.

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Speaker 3: So this and it.

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Speaker 2: Feels normal too when you're growing up because you grew

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Speaker 2: up that way, so it's so normalized, like this is

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Speaker 2: what life is like.

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Speaker 4: Right And now I was just talking to my brother

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Speaker 4: about this, how when you really step back and think

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Speaker 4: about that period in our lives, you know, what was happening,

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Speaker 4: who was in our lives, and our parents' friends, and

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Speaker 4: just really thinking through that that dynamic. It was revealing

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Speaker 4: to think about sort of where we started and then

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Speaker 4: how they'll ultimately you know, work really hard and got us,

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Speaker 4: you know, to safer neighborhoods, bigger apartments.

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Speaker 3: And then by my freshman.

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Speaker 4: Year in high school, I was able to we were

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Speaker 4: able to move into the suburbs and buy a brand

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Speaker 4: new home. And that was you know, remarkable for me,

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Speaker 4: and I lived. I saw that. I saw how it happened. Right,

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Speaker 4: and my dad, you know who raised me, my stepfather

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Speaker 4: who raised me, who came into my life when I

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Speaker 4: was two, you know, he pulled me onto that plot

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Speaker 4: of land and said, this is what hard work, you know,

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Speaker 4: in this country can get you. So those kind of

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Speaker 4: things they kind of stuck with me, and so when

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Speaker 4: I saw the energy shifting, I felt like there was

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Speaker 4: more of a focus from our political leaders on being divisive,

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Speaker 4: on you know, pitting folks against each other, you know.

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Speaker 3: Spreading hate over love, and not really.

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Speaker 4: Thinking about upward mobility for everybody, but concentration of wealth

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Speaker 4: and power. I felt like I have been too blessed

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Speaker 4: and too fortunate to not figure out how to utilize,

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Speaker 4: you know, my skills and what I've been able to

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Speaker 4: do over the course of my life to get in

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Speaker 4: the ring.

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Speaker 1: Did you feel a real shift when Trump became president.

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Speaker 4: I felt very concerned about who my children were going

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Speaker 4: to be looking up to and other children. I felt

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Speaker 4: very concerned about the energy that was brought into the fold.

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Speaker 4: It It felt divisive, It felt dark to me, and

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Speaker 4: it felt like it was important that we bring to

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Speaker 4: the extent that we can, some light into this situation,

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Speaker 4: because the fact of the matter is, you know, black

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Speaker 4: and brown communities disproportionately feel the effects of that kind

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Speaker 4: of advantage.

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Speaker 3: Everybody feels it.

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Speaker 4: Everybody feels it, but because of our history, we're going

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Speaker 4: to feel disproportionately so and so I felt very compelled

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Speaker 4: to step in and figure out how to engage.

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Speaker 3: And I can tell you, you.

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Speaker 4: Know, once I became a member of Congress and I

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Speaker 4: was able to engage with a lot of poor white

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Speaker 4: people in rule.

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Speaker 3: Upstate New York.

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Speaker 4: You know, you can see the pain and you can

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Speaker 4: understand the anxiety and how if you're not there on

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Speaker 4: the ground connecting with people, no matter what their background,

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Speaker 4: they feel left behind and unheard. They're going to be

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Speaker 4: angry and they're going to be upset. And it's important

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Speaker 4: to figure out how to bring change to those communities,

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Speaker 4: to the communities that have been left behind and forgotten. Black, brown, white,

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Speaker 4: doesn't matter. And I think that's where political leadership needs

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Speaker 4: to go. I feel like we're not there. We've gotten

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Speaker 4: stuck on sort of maintaining what is.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, and things are definitely divided amongst the party lines.

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Speaker 2: And I want to talk about this. These ten regional

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Speaker 2: councils that you're spearheading. It is the state's Hate and

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Speaker 2: Bias Prevention Unit. Yes, okay, so we've never had something

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Speaker 2: like this, have we?

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Speaker 4: Not?

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Speaker 3: Statewide?

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Speaker 1: Okay?

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Speaker 4: There are hate prevention not prevention, hate responsive task force

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Speaker 4: where there might be the city might have a task

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Speaker 4: force that might be reacting to a situation that's been

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Speaker 4: deemed a hate crime. But this is more preventative where

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Speaker 4: we have ten regional councils all across the state, from

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Speaker 4: the city up to the North country out to Western

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Speaker 4: New York and Buffalo, and the idea is to have

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Speaker 4: actors who are really engaged in the work of love, compassion,

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Speaker 4: and advocacy and tolerance, whether it's educators, faith leaders, business

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Speaker 4: leaders who come together voluntarily to connect based on the

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Speaker 4: needs of their community, to engage with the community in dialogue,

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Speaker 4: and to create events that foster more harmony and more

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Speaker 4: unity and create opportunities for difficult conversations because oftentimes, you know,

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Speaker 4: the hate that people feel sometimes comes from ignorance. It's

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Speaker 4: not because they don't they just naturally feel that way.

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Speaker 4: You just have to figure out how to help people

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Speaker 4: see the truth and guide them. And I think being

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Speaker 4: non judgmental in the process is important. So as the

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Speaker 4: chair of the Hate and Biased Prevention Units, which is

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Speaker 4: now under the umbrella of the Division of Human Rights,

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Speaker 4: I am leading the statewide effort to take on these

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Speaker 4: preventative steps, hopefully, you know, to sort of create a

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Speaker 4: different climate of different energy.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, because I remember seeing the statistic that shootings and

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Speaker 2: homicides were down, but hate crimes were up.

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Speaker 4: Yes, And I think that the fact that hate crimes

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Speaker 4: are growing that should really disturb everybody because that means

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Speaker 4: there's something going on in the psyche of us collectively

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Speaker 4: that we're not that we're separate from each other, that

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Speaker 4: we don't we're not connected, and that's a horrible that

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Speaker 4: is a very dangerous space to be in. And when

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Speaker 4: you look at the kinds of leaders that are emerging

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Speaker 4: right now, you get more demagogues. When you have that

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Speaker 4: kind of environment, they can manipulate that. Okay, we see

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Speaker 4: people are on edge, you know, they're anxious about stuff,

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Speaker 4: and so they play with your.

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Speaker 3: Feelings, they play with your emotions, and.

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Speaker 4: Then they call themselves you know, leaders, you know, and

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Speaker 4: I for me, that's what makes me the most frustrated

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Speaker 4: and determined, you know, to push back against because I'm

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Speaker 4: just tired of the hypocrisy and you know, the negativity

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Speaker 4: and not really fighting for people.

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Speaker 3: Right people aren't doing that when they call themselves leaders.

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Speaker 4: And so the Hate and Biased Prevention Unit is meant

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Speaker 4: to get some real coalition building going on the ground.

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Speaker 3: Be very intentional about it on the ground.

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Speaker 2: So give me some examples of things that can't be done,

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Speaker 2: because I've been, you know, all the time, like I

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Speaker 2: see different things happening. And I also saw the mayor

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Speaker 2: of New York City, Eric Adams. He was saying a

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Speaker 2: lot of times, the hate crime charge get to dropped,

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Speaker 2: right when people are charged with they We saw the

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Speaker 2: whole situation with oh, Shay Sibley. He was stabbed, you know,

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Speaker 2: he was voguing in the gas station, and that was

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Speaker 2: clearly like but the fact that they even had to

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Speaker 2: investigate it. We heard, you know, the slurs and the

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Speaker 2: things that they were saying. And then recently I saw

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Speaker 2: there were these teenagers they attacked an Asian family on

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Speaker 2: the train.

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Speaker 3: Right.

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Speaker 1: I'm sure you obviously saw that video, But what.

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Speaker 2: Was interesting to me was the family was like, look,

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Speaker 2: you know, these young girls, there's something that must have

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Speaker 2: happened in their lives for them to be like that.

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Speaker 2: This is not a hate crime, you know, even though

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Speaker 2: there were certain things that were said, like go back

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Speaker 2: to your country and things like that, but it is

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Speaker 2: true that these are young people and they're getting this

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Speaker 2: from somewhere.

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Speaker 3: So I think there's two pieces to which you.

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Speaker 4: Articulated there, and I think you can argue that they're

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Speaker 4: you know, competing people. There are young people who are

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Speaker 4: breathing in the air right of this toxicity. And Nelson

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Speaker 4: Mandela said it. You know, no one's born to hate, right,

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Speaker 4: No one, you know, comes into the world hating somebody

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Speaker 4: because of the color of their skin, their raise, their gender,

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Speaker 4: sexual orientation. That is learned behavior. Love is a natural emotion.

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Speaker 4: You feel that naturally. But there's nothing natural about hate.

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Speaker 4: It is it is cultivated, It is designed over the

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Speaker 4: course of human actions, you know, who to in a

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Speaker 4: lust for power. And so ultimately we have to be

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Speaker 4: able to make sure our young children are being taught

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Speaker 4: the power of love and engaging with them as early

442
00:20:32,480 --> 00:20:35,280
Speaker 4: as possible, and are being raised and reared in communities

443
00:20:35,280 --> 00:20:38,480
Speaker 4: that are anchored in love. And we also have to

444
00:20:38,600 --> 00:20:42,520
Speaker 4: hold bad actions to account. Right, those two things are

445
00:20:42,560 --> 00:20:47,639
Speaker 4: not mutually exclusive. You have to because otherwise, without the

446
00:20:47,760 --> 00:20:53,320
Speaker 4: accountability piece, you ultimately undermine what you're trying to establish,

447
00:20:53,320 --> 00:20:56,119
Speaker 4: because you want young people to appreciate that there are

448
00:20:56,160 --> 00:20:59,439
Speaker 4: going to be consequences for your actions. And this is

449
00:20:59,480 --> 00:21:04,120
Speaker 4: not a pro behavior. This is behavior that is terribly

450
00:21:04,200 --> 00:21:07,760
Speaker 4: harmful to the community and to yourself, right, right, And

451
00:21:07,800 --> 00:21:13,560
Speaker 4: so we have to make sure that we prosecute and

452
00:21:14,000 --> 00:21:17,560
Speaker 4: pursue justice in a way that is both that meets

453
00:21:17,600 --> 00:21:21,360
Speaker 4: the the that apportions the punishment in a way that

454
00:21:21,760 --> 00:21:26,880
Speaker 4: hopefully deters the action, but also creates a space where

455
00:21:26,920 --> 00:21:30,359
Speaker 4: that young person in particular can learn and be rehabilitated.

456
00:21:30,840 --> 00:21:31,040
Speaker 3: Right.

457
00:21:31,080 --> 00:21:34,360
Speaker 4: That there's a restorative aspect to the process that that

458
00:21:34,440 --> 00:21:38,760
Speaker 4: has to be more included in how we think about

459
00:21:39,160 --> 00:21:40,240
Speaker 4: punishment rights.

460
00:21:40,280 --> 00:21:40,880
Speaker 3: It's restored.

461
00:21:40,920 --> 00:21:44,000
Speaker 4: It should be a restorative process as well, and especially

462
00:21:44,080 --> 00:21:44,720
Speaker 4: for our young people.

463
00:21:44,720 --> 00:21:45,919
Speaker 3: I've been traveling across.

464
00:21:45,720 --> 00:21:48,840
Speaker 4: The state and engaging in communities with communities, and one

465
00:21:48,840 --> 00:21:50,960
Speaker 4: of the things that I hear from the leaders in

466
00:21:51,240 --> 00:21:54,000
Speaker 4: those communities is our young people don't have any spaces

467
00:21:54,040 --> 00:21:57,320
Speaker 4: to go into to be themselves, to be free, you know,

468
00:21:57,440 --> 00:22:00,480
Speaker 4: to to be silly, to be fun, to to just

469
00:22:00,560 --> 00:22:03,879
Speaker 4: be normal kids, you know, and in the absence of

470
00:22:03,920 --> 00:22:07,880
Speaker 4: those kinds of spaces, you know, it's a hard environment.

471
00:22:08,359 --> 00:22:11,359
Speaker 2: So what are some proactive things that you think would

472
00:22:11,440 --> 00:22:12,720
Speaker 2: be beneficial.

473
00:22:13,119 --> 00:22:16,280
Speaker 4: I think being more focused on youth and richment centers,

474
00:22:16,480 --> 00:22:19,920
Speaker 4: boys and girls clubs, after school and before school programming,

475
00:22:20,000 --> 00:22:24,639
Speaker 4: summer enrichment programmings, making sure that we create physical spaces,

476
00:22:24,800 --> 00:22:29,440
Speaker 4: physical spaces that are welcoming within our communities, empowering in

477
00:22:29,480 --> 00:22:33,080
Speaker 4: a very intentional way, the mentors, the educators, the coaches,

478
00:22:33,400 --> 00:22:36,679
Speaker 4: the faith leaders in those communities, like real partnerships, not

479
00:22:36,840 --> 00:22:39,159
Speaker 4: just throwing money at the area or the community and

480
00:22:39,240 --> 00:22:41,679
Speaker 4: checking the box and saying this organization got it, so

481
00:22:41,720 --> 00:22:44,880
Speaker 4: we're good, but figuring out who's actually doing the work

482
00:22:44,920 --> 00:22:47,560
Speaker 4: on the ground, who are the individuals that are trusted

483
00:22:47,680 --> 00:22:51,639
Speaker 4: in those communities, and making sure that they're properly supported

484
00:22:51,960 --> 00:22:54,119
Speaker 4: and enhanced. A lot of times you hear folks say, well,

485
00:22:54,160 --> 00:22:55,440
Speaker 4: you know, if they're doing a lot of good work,

486
00:22:55,480 --> 00:22:59,120
Speaker 4: but you know, they don't really have the organizational capacity

487
00:22:59,160 --> 00:23:02,720
Speaker 4: to really scale up. And that might be true, But

488
00:23:02,760 --> 00:23:05,040
Speaker 4: then do we walk away from that problem or do

489
00:23:05,160 --> 00:23:07,600
Speaker 4: we have a responsibility to some extent to figure out

490
00:23:07,640 --> 00:23:10,600
Speaker 4: how to leverage what they have at the state level

491
00:23:10,600 --> 00:23:13,280
Speaker 4: and grow it up and put the proper personnel in place.

492
00:23:13,520 --> 00:23:16,520
Speaker 4: But that takes prioritization, right, you have to actually want

493
00:23:16,600 --> 00:23:19,240
Speaker 4: to do that, And I think we're getting there, and

494
00:23:19,240 --> 00:23:21,480
Speaker 4: I think we're pushing in that direction. It's certainly something

495
00:23:21,520 --> 00:23:23,480
Speaker 4: that I and the governor talk about is how do

496
00:23:23,560 --> 00:23:27,400
Speaker 4: we get more direct and be more intentional and when

497
00:23:27,440 --> 00:23:31,200
Speaker 4: we think about equity and when we think about inclusivity,

498
00:23:31,400 --> 00:23:34,200
Speaker 4: what are we doing to really create that environment in

499
00:23:34,200 --> 00:23:35,080
Speaker 4: an intentional way.

500
00:23:35,680 --> 00:23:39,040
Speaker 2: How did you and the governor actually end up? You know,

501
00:23:39,080 --> 00:23:40,680
Speaker 2: you ran on the ticket with her, So how did

502
00:23:40,680 --> 00:23:42,800
Speaker 2: that come about? How did she and how did you

503
00:23:42,840 --> 00:23:43,479
Speaker 2: guys connect?

504
00:23:43,640 --> 00:23:47,520
Speaker 4: Well, that was you know, it kind of came out

505
00:23:47,560 --> 00:23:51,440
Speaker 4: of thin air. It wasn't you. It wasn't as if

506
00:23:51,440 --> 00:23:56,000
Speaker 4: the Governor and I had a long standing relationship. We

507
00:23:56,040 --> 00:23:58,480
Speaker 4: actually connected when I was in Congress. I think a

508
00:23:58,480 --> 00:24:00,879
Speaker 4: couple of times she came to d C to connect

509
00:24:00,880 --> 00:24:03,160
Speaker 4: with the New York delegation. She came to my office.

510
00:24:03,200 --> 00:24:05,320
Speaker 4: We had a good discussion. But this was a year

511
00:24:05,480 --> 00:24:08,240
Speaker 4: at least before we had even had talks about me

512
00:24:08,880 --> 00:24:13,000
Speaker 4: potentially becoming that lieutenant governor. When everything went down with

513
00:24:13,000 --> 00:24:15,439
Speaker 4: the prior lieutenant governor, there was a bit of a

514
00:24:15,480 --> 00:24:18,080
Speaker 4: situation where I think she was trying to figure out

515
00:24:18,080 --> 00:24:20,760
Speaker 4: with her team, you know, who could who could potentially

516
00:24:20,760 --> 00:24:23,919
Speaker 4: be in this position. I at the time was was

517
00:24:23,960 --> 00:24:26,560
Speaker 4: in Congress, you know, gearing up to run for a

518
00:24:26,600 --> 00:24:30,639
Speaker 4: third term. Potentially trying to figure out, you know, what

519
00:24:30,680 --> 00:24:32,800
Speaker 4: that was going to look like, and thinking about my

520
00:24:32,920 --> 00:24:36,760
Speaker 4: family and thinking about my boys turning nine years old

521
00:24:36,800 --> 00:24:40,399
Speaker 4: at the time, twins, and you know the challenges of

522
00:24:40,440 --> 00:24:43,760
Speaker 4: that lifestyle, and so at this while I was thinking

523
00:24:43,800 --> 00:24:46,919
Speaker 4: about all that, this opportunity just kind of came to me.

524
00:24:47,240 --> 00:24:48,720
Speaker 3: I was approached to say, hey, you know, would you

525
00:24:48,720 --> 00:24:49,080
Speaker 3: see the.

526
00:24:49,000 --> 00:24:51,520
Speaker 2: Team basically vetted you out, like let's see who would

527
00:24:51,520 --> 00:24:51,800
Speaker 2: be good.

528
00:24:51,880 --> 00:24:54,159
Speaker 4: And then there was obviously some work done, you know,

529
00:24:54,280 --> 00:24:57,200
Speaker 4: to figure out what I brought to the table, and

530
00:24:57,680 --> 00:24:59,480
Speaker 4: when the opportunity came, I could just tell you where

531
00:24:59,520 --> 00:25:00,000
Speaker 4: my head was.

532
00:25:00,200 --> 00:25:01,800
Speaker 3: My head was at well.

533
00:25:02,200 --> 00:25:05,120
Speaker 4: I loved being in Congress, I love serving my district,

534
00:25:06,080 --> 00:25:08,280
Speaker 4: and I'm you know, we've done a lot of good things.

535
00:25:08,320 --> 00:25:11,879
Speaker 4: Eighteen bills signed into law, ten under Trump, eight under Biden,

536
00:25:12,240 --> 00:25:15,200
Speaker 4: helping our farmers, our veterans or small business owners, doing

537
00:25:15,240 --> 00:25:18,719
Speaker 4: all that. So I was in the work, but I

538
00:25:18,720 --> 00:25:22,040
Speaker 4: also really liked the idea of coming back home to

539
00:25:22,119 --> 00:25:25,760
Speaker 4: New York and trying to figure out how to do

540
00:25:25,800 --> 00:25:31,280
Speaker 4: the work statewide and get into every community across the state,

541
00:25:31,800 --> 00:25:35,480
Speaker 4: you know, and really engage with the diversity of the state.

542
00:25:35,640 --> 00:25:36,960
Speaker 3: Right that was.

543
00:25:36,920 --> 00:25:40,000
Speaker 4: Compelling, and to do it and still be home right

544
00:25:40,040 --> 00:25:41,720
Speaker 4: now have to leave the state so I can wake

545
00:25:41,800 --> 00:25:44,440
Speaker 4: up in my own home, you know, with my family,

546
00:25:44,880 --> 00:25:47,040
Speaker 4: go to work, as opposed to being in DC for

547
00:25:47,040 --> 00:25:48,840
Speaker 4: two or three weeks at a time and then coming

548
00:25:48,840 --> 00:25:51,239
Speaker 4: home and then getting on the road again. So all

549
00:25:51,280 --> 00:25:56,600
Speaker 4: those pieces for me and the opportunity, you know, was

550
00:25:56,720 --> 00:26:00,159
Speaker 4: something that you know, we felt very good about. And

551
00:26:01,080 --> 00:26:03,040
Speaker 4: you know, once I got talked with the governor and

552
00:26:03,080 --> 00:26:06,240
Speaker 4: we had some good conversations about you know, what the

553
00:26:06,240 --> 00:26:08,680
Speaker 4: future could look like, we went from there.

554
00:26:08,760 --> 00:26:09,879
Speaker 1: What would you say, I have been some of the

555
00:26:09,880 --> 00:26:12,359
Speaker 1: biggest challenges. So in this first year for.

556
00:26:12,240 --> 00:26:16,040
Speaker 4: You you know, I think everything comes to the learning curve,

557
00:26:16,400 --> 00:26:19,400
Speaker 4: you know. So you know, my old district was big.

558
00:26:19,440 --> 00:26:21,720
Speaker 4: I had eleven counties, so I thought that was big,

559
00:26:21,800 --> 00:26:24,159
Speaker 4: bigger than Connecticut and I would combined. But you know,

560
00:26:24,240 --> 00:26:28,040
Speaker 4: the state's a lot bigger than that, and you know,

561
00:26:28,119 --> 00:26:31,920
Speaker 4: so just learning the state, getting around, trying to figure

562
00:26:31,960 --> 00:26:34,480
Speaker 4: out all the nooks and crannies and all the different communities,

563
00:26:34,520 --> 00:26:36,639
Speaker 4: and just figuring out how to how to relate to

564
00:26:36,680 --> 00:26:39,120
Speaker 4: people and in a real authentic way.

565
00:26:40,160 --> 00:26:42,440
Speaker 2: What matters when you talk to people because I've seen

566
00:26:42,440 --> 00:26:45,880
Speaker 2: you all across all across the state. So what are

567
00:26:46,080 --> 00:26:47,680
Speaker 2: what are some of the things that people are bringing

568
00:26:47,760 --> 00:26:48,800
Speaker 2: up the most.

569
00:26:49,119 --> 00:26:52,080
Speaker 4: I think there's a lot of different elements, but if

570
00:26:52,080 --> 00:26:56,320
Speaker 4: I had to sum it up, there's the the sense

571
00:26:56,400 --> 00:26:59,560
Speaker 4: that people want to know where we're going you know

572
00:26:59,800 --> 00:27:02,320
Speaker 4: we don't and that can manifest in different ways.

573
00:27:02,320 --> 00:27:05,199
Speaker 3: If you go to a community, for example, doesn't have broadband.

574
00:27:04,840 --> 00:27:07,840
Speaker 4: Right, well that that ended up itself as a problem,

575
00:27:07,880 --> 00:27:09,639
Speaker 4: but it also signals to them, well, what are we

576
00:27:09,680 --> 00:27:10,120
Speaker 4: doing here?

577
00:27:10,640 --> 00:27:11,800
Speaker 3: How do we not have broadband?

578
00:27:12,960 --> 00:27:14,639
Speaker 4: Like you know, if you go to a community that

579
00:27:14,680 --> 00:27:18,760
Speaker 4: has main streets where the small businesses are, you know, shuttering,

580
00:27:19,320 --> 00:27:19,720
Speaker 4: what are we.

581
00:27:19,680 --> 00:27:21,359
Speaker 1: Doing and having a crazy issue with that?

582
00:27:21,520 --> 00:27:22,359
Speaker 3: You know, where are we going?

583
00:27:22,520 --> 00:27:24,720
Speaker 4: Right? And I think people want to understand what the

584
00:27:24,800 --> 00:27:28,440
Speaker 4: vision is and how what we're what we're doing economically

585
00:27:28,480 --> 00:27:31,160
Speaker 4: and educationally to empower our young people. I think families

586
00:27:31,200 --> 00:27:33,080
Speaker 4: want to know that their children can stay in New

587
00:27:33,160 --> 00:27:36,840
Speaker 4: York and thrive. And I think layered on top of

588
00:27:36,840 --> 00:27:37,840
Speaker 4: that is the sense.

589
00:27:37,640 --> 00:27:40,240
Speaker 1: Of affordability is a really huge issue.

590
00:27:40,280 --> 00:27:43,240
Speaker 2: I feel like this amount that comes to housing congestion, pricing,

591
00:27:43,280 --> 00:27:45,800
Speaker 2: we're gearing up for that potentially next year.

592
00:27:46,000 --> 00:27:47,639
Speaker 1: I'm concerned about that. Well.

593
00:27:47,680 --> 00:27:51,080
Speaker 3: I mean, I think the affordability piece is real, and

594
00:27:51,119 --> 00:27:54,200
Speaker 3: I think whether it's the housing, whether it's transportation, whether

595
00:27:54,240 --> 00:27:58,640
Speaker 3: it's healthcare, you name it, consumer goods.

596
00:27:58,480 --> 00:28:01,040
Speaker 2: Because New York is such an expensive place for people

597
00:28:01,119 --> 00:28:03,639
Speaker 2: to live and so and then the other issue on

598
00:28:03,720 --> 00:28:06,920
Speaker 2: top of that right now is with you know, all

599
00:28:07,000 --> 00:28:10,880
Speaker 2: the listen. I am all for like making sure that

600
00:28:10,920 --> 00:28:14,880
Speaker 2: we provide housing for migrants who are coming here, who

601
00:28:14,920 --> 00:28:17,760
Speaker 2: are fleeing whatever situation they're fleeing, and making sure that

602
00:28:17,800 --> 00:28:19,600
Speaker 2: they get process and go through the system in the

603
00:28:19,640 --> 00:28:22,800
Speaker 2: proper way, but also be treated with dignity as human beings.

604
00:28:23,000 --> 00:28:24,600
Speaker 1: But how can we provide that?

605
00:28:24,680 --> 00:28:27,240
Speaker 2: I think that's also a really huge issue because you

606
00:28:27,240 --> 00:28:29,600
Speaker 2: can see certain people are trying to make an example, yes,

607
00:28:29,840 --> 00:28:31,520
Speaker 2: out of New York City. I feel like we're always

608
00:28:31,560 --> 00:28:34,360
Speaker 2: the example they want to show. New York is known

609
00:28:34,400 --> 00:28:37,040
Speaker 2: to be liberal, you know, especially in New York City

610
00:28:37,400 --> 00:28:39,280
Speaker 2: in particular, and I feel like a lot of times

611
00:28:39,320 --> 00:28:42,640
Speaker 2: they do things to try to make us have a

612
00:28:42,680 --> 00:28:44,920
Speaker 2: more difficult time so that can like, see, we told

613
00:28:44,960 --> 00:28:46,800
Speaker 2: you these liberals are trying to make this happen.

614
00:28:46,840 --> 00:28:47,760
Speaker 1: And now it's a disaster.

615
00:28:48,040 --> 00:28:51,120
Speaker 4: So I will tell you, I think that I really

616
00:28:51,200 --> 00:28:53,760
Speaker 4: appreciate where you started in terms of, first of all,

617
00:28:53,800 --> 00:28:57,520
Speaker 4: recognizing this is a humanitarian crisis, that there are people

618
00:28:57,520 --> 00:29:02,280
Speaker 4: who are fleeing circumstances, families, and we can never lose

619
00:29:02,320 --> 00:29:05,040
Speaker 4: sight of that aspect. And I think what makes New

620
00:29:05,120 --> 00:29:10,440
Speaker 4: York special is that we do have that capacity to

621
00:29:10,720 --> 00:29:12,800
Speaker 4: lead from the heart and to love and to care

622
00:29:12,840 --> 00:29:16,720
Speaker 4: for people in a real and genuine way. But we

623
00:29:16,800 --> 00:29:18,800
Speaker 4: also need to have a plan, right, and we need

624
00:29:18,840 --> 00:29:21,040
Speaker 4: to make sure that we are dealing with the practical

625
00:29:21,080 --> 00:29:24,720
Speaker 4: realities of a situation. It goes back to a sort of,

626
00:29:24,720 --> 00:29:26,920
Speaker 4: in a smaller way, the hip hop conversation.

627
00:29:27,080 --> 00:29:28,920
Speaker 3: Right, I might have believed.

628
00:29:28,560 --> 00:29:32,760
Speaker 4: Something, I might have thought I had a but ultimately

629
00:29:32,800 --> 00:29:35,560
Speaker 4: I need to make sure that I understand the practical

630
00:29:35,600 --> 00:29:38,760
Speaker 4: realities of a situation. And I think when you have

631
00:29:38,800 --> 00:29:42,920
Speaker 4: an environment too that is filled with toxicity, and you

632
00:29:43,000 --> 00:29:45,840
Speaker 4: have demogogues and people who want to be divisive in anxiety,

633
00:29:46,400 --> 00:29:49,080
Speaker 4: what happens is it even makes trying to create those

634
00:29:49,120 --> 00:29:52,560
Speaker 4: practical solutions even more challenging, because everything you put out

635
00:29:52,960 --> 00:29:57,680
Speaker 4: becomes exploited or manipulated or used for somebody else's advantage

636
00:29:57,720 --> 00:30:00,920
Speaker 4: politically as opposed to what is the problem we're solving

637
00:30:00,960 --> 00:30:02,360
Speaker 4: for it and how do we get it done and

638
00:30:02,400 --> 00:30:05,920
Speaker 4: speak honestly and truthfully to the public about it. And

639
00:30:05,960 --> 00:30:09,320
Speaker 4: I think there's going to need to be real coordination.

640
00:30:09,400 --> 00:30:11,880
Speaker 4: The Governor has been talking an awful lot with the

641
00:30:11,880 --> 00:30:14,640
Speaker 4: White House. Keep in mind, this is a problem that

642
00:30:14,720 --> 00:30:16,560
Speaker 4: fundamentally goes back to.

643
00:30:16,560 --> 00:30:18,800
Speaker 3: Our borders, not New York borders.

644
00:30:19,200 --> 00:30:23,360
Speaker 4: Right, So ultimately, you know, when it gets to immigration law,

645
00:30:23,560 --> 00:30:27,520
Speaker 4: comprehensive immigration reform is imperative. We have to have that

646
00:30:27,920 --> 00:30:30,040
Speaker 4: and we don't, right, And so because of that, you know,

647
00:30:30,120 --> 00:30:33,840
Speaker 4: New York feels a lot of the fallout of those challenges,

648
00:30:33,880 --> 00:30:38,080
Speaker 4: and it's incumbent upon us to be thoughtful around that dynamic,

649
00:30:38,360 --> 00:30:40,840
Speaker 4: but then also to have proper coordination between the city

650
00:30:40,880 --> 00:30:43,760
Speaker 4: and the state and making sure that we're all on

651
00:30:43,800 --> 00:30:46,160
Speaker 4: the same page about how we want to manage the

652
00:30:46,200 --> 00:30:49,800
Speaker 4: situation without being so quick to point fingers and blame anyth.

653
00:30:49,640 --> 00:30:52,400
Speaker 2: Right, we end up grid locked in a situation on stagnant.

654
00:30:52,760 --> 00:30:54,560
Speaker 2: All right, Well, listen, I wish we could talk for

655
00:30:54,600 --> 00:30:56,320
Speaker 2: like hours, because I have so many other things that

656
00:30:56,360 --> 00:30:58,320
Speaker 2: I want to discuss, you know, from me being a

657
00:30:58,360 --> 00:31:01,840
Speaker 2: lifelong resident, and so I do care so much about

658
00:31:01,840 --> 00:31:03,680
Speaker 2: everything that happens here. That's why I want to encourage

659
00:31:03,680 --> 00:31:06,560
Speaker 2: people who are listening to make sure you read straight

660
00:31:06,560 --> 00:31:08,480
Speaker 2: from the horse's mouth all the time, because there's a

661
00:31:08,480 --> 00:31:11,080
Speaker 2: lot of misinformation. It gets spread when you look at

662
00:31:11,120 --> 00:31:13,880
Speaker 2: social media and when you look at other people's recounting

663
00:31:13,920 --> 00:31:16,120
Speaker 2: of what someone else said. And so that's why it's

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00:31:16,120 --> 00:31:18,160
Speaker 2: important for me to have you come up here and

665
00:31:18,240 --> 00:31:20,120
Speaker 2: just say things straight from your mouth. But also I

666
00:31:20,120 --> 00:31:22,400
Speaker 2: feel like for people to see someone that they can

667
00:31:22,480 --> 00:31:23,520
Speaker 2: relate to as well.

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00:31:23,600 --> 00:31:26,840
Speaker 4: Appreciate that, and I appreciate you and the platform you

669
00:31:26,920 --> 00:31:30,040
Speaker 4: have and the voice you have, and I just, you know,

670
00:31:30,120 --> 00:31:31,680
Speaker 4: really want to say thank you for having me and

671
00:31:31,680 --> 00:31:33,400
Speaker 4: look forward to future conversations.

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00:31:33,560 --> 00:31:34,120
Speaker 1: Yes, me too.

673
00:31:34,160 --> 00:31:35,720
Speaker 2: Maybe you can do the theme song for the show

674
00:31:35,800 --> 00:31:40,440
Speaker 2: or something that we get you back. Lieutenant Governor Antonio

675
00:31:40,480 --> 00:31:42,120
Speaker 2: del Gotta. How can people reach out to you if

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00:31:42,160 --> 00:31:45,440
Speaker 2: they want to express themselves, if they want to get involved,

677
00:31:45,520 --> 00:31:47,600
Speaker 2: if there's anything happening they need to know.

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00:31:47,480 --> 00:31:48,920
Speaker 3: More, Go to my website.

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00:31:49,480 --> 00:31:51,480
Speaker 4: You know, if you search me Lieutenant Governor in New York,

680
00:31:51,520 --> 00:31:54,040
Speaker 4: it'll pop up. You know, you can get to me

681
00:31:54,080 --> 00:31:58,560
Speaker 4: on all my social handles, you know, Twitter and Facebook, Instagram.

682
00:31:58,960 --> 00:32:01,360
Speaker 3: It's pretty easy to do, all right.

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00:32:01,400 --> 00:32:02,880
Speaker 1: Well, thank you so much for joining us as way

684
00:32:02,920 --> 00:32:03,479
Speaker 1: up at angela.

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00:32:03,520 --> 00:32:06,800
Speaker 3: Ye. Well,