1 00:00:02,320 --> 00:00:08,239 Speaker 1: Bloomberg Audio Studios, podcasts, radio news. Scott Stringer joins us 2 00:00:08,320 --> 00:00:12,159 Speaker 1: right now, a former New York City Controller and a mayor. Ken. 3 00:00:12,280 --> 00:00:14,840 Speaker 1: It is a primary, and there's an election in that. 4 00:00:14,960 --> 00:00:17,160 Speaker 1: Let's get the primary out of the way right now. 5 00:00:17,480 --> 00:00:20,920 Speaker 1: New York Times writes it up. The mayor's occupied, the 6 00:00:20,920 --> 00:00:25,720 Speaker 1: governor's piled into the race, and the line is everyone's invisible. 7 00:00:25,800 --> 00:00:29,520 Speaker 1: How does Scott Stringer get visible up the June primary? 8 00:00:29,960 --> 00:00:32,560 Speaker 2: Wait till the mayor race actually started. You know, you 9 00:00:32,720 --> 00:00:35,760 Speaker 2: mentioned my cousin Bella Abzug and the mayor's race of 10 00:00:35,880 --> 00:00:39,280 Speaker 2: nineteen seventy seven when Ed Koch was barely a blip 11 00:00:40,360 --> 00:00:43,159 Speaker 2: during that race until two weeks to go. And so 12 00:00:43,360 --> 00:00:46,040 Speaker 2: everyone who thinks these races end in May, they don't. 13 00:00:46,040 --> 00:00:47,640 Speaker 3: They actually end the end of June. 14 00:00:47,920 --> 00:00:50,559 Speaker 2: And I have high favorable as a record of fiscal 15 00:00:50,640 --> 00:00:54,240 Speaker 2: prudence and a government record that is unmatching this race. 16 00:00:54,280 --> 00:00:57,040 Speaker 2: So I'm very confident going into the next couple of months. 17 00:00:57,080 --> 00:00:59,760 Speaker 1: Is your constituency off of Naylor and Rest and you 18 00:00:59,800 --> 00:01:04,760 Speaker 1: know the whole thing is your constituency as organized is 19 00:01:04,840 --> 00:01:08,000 Speaker 1: it was twenty years ago. Is there a machine in 20 00:01:08,040 --> 00:01:11,399 Speaker 1: New York City where the Liberal party that progresses can 21 00:01:11,480 --> 00:01:13,920 Speaker 1: get behind one candidate or is it chaos. 22 00:01:14,400 --> 00:01:17,120 Speaker 2: Look, I think times have changed in this city. I 23 00:01:17,160 --> 00:01:20,840 Speaker 2: think people really want a mayor who knows what he 24 00:01:20,920 --> 00:01:23,360 Speaker 2: or she is doing. They want someone who's competent. They 25 00:01:23,360 --> 00:01:24,480 Speaker 2: want someone with experience. 26 00:01:24,520 --> 00:01:25,639 Speaker 3: They're tired of the chaos. 27 00:01:25,640 --> 00:01:28,720 Speaker 2: They don't want the current mayor, Eric Adams cast, they 28 00:01:28,720 --> 00:01:30,039 Speaker 2: don't want Quomo casts. 29 00:01:30,120 --> 00:01:31,000 Speaker 3: They want somebody here. 30 00:01:31,000 --> 00:01:32,240 Speaker 1: You went after build a Blasio. 31 00:01:32,880 --> 00:01:35,320 Speaker 2: I was controller during that time period. 32 00:01:35,360 --> 00:01:35,840 Speaker 3: I went after. 33 00:01:36,000 --> 00:01:38,639 Speaker 2: I held up to Blasio accountable three hundred and sixty 34 00:01:38,640 --> 00:01:40,440 Speaker 2: four days a year. I gave him a day off 35 00:01:41,120 --> 00:01:45,440 Speaker 2: due to Christmas. But I understand city agencies. I've exposed 36 00:01:45,480 --> 00:01:48,400 Speaker 2: waste and corruption. I know how to run a government 37 00:01:48,440 --> 00:01:50,080 Speaker 2: in the most competent way, and I think. 38 00:01:49,960 --> 00:01:50,680 Speaker 3: That's what people want. 39 00:01:50,680 --> 00:01:53,440 Speaker 2: But they also want to live here, to have affordable housing, 40 00:01:53,560 --> 00:01:57,800 Speaker 2: to have economic opportunity. People who come here understand how 41 00:01:58,000 --> 00:02:00,480 Speaker 2: critical it is to want to stay. We got to 42 00:02:00,520 --> 00:02:03,880 Speaker 2: go back to the compact of safety, good parks, clean air. 43 00:02:04,240 --> 00:02:05,800 Speaker 2: This is all what a mayor has to do, and 44 00:02:05,840 --> 00:02:07,400 Speaker 2: we need someone to start focusing on it. 45 00:02:08,040 --> 00:02:09,320 Speaker 3: From your perspective, Scott. 46 00:02:09,200 --> 00:02:11,880 Speaker 2: What is the state of the city today. 47 00:02:11,720 --> 00:02:13,080 Speaker 3: I think we're at a crossroads. 48 00:02:13,400 --> 00:02:16,200 Speaker 2: I don't think people understand just how corrupt the last 49 00:02:16,280 --> 00:02:18,720 Speaker 2: four years have been. And the first thing the next 50 00:02:18,720 --> 00:02:21,440 Speaker 2: mayor has to do is literally reform the government. Bring 51 00:02:21,520 --> 00:02:24,119 Speaker 2: in the best and the brightest, Bring in people who 52 00:02:24,160 --> 00:02:26,760 Speaker 2: are competent, who want to see a better city. Look, 53 00:02:26,800 --> 00:02:28,840 Speaker 2: we've got to hire three thousand more cops. We have 54 00:02:28,880 --> 00:02:31,839 Speaker 2: to align policing and a mental health initiative. We've got 55 00:02:31,840 --> 00:02:34,640 Speaker 2: to make sure that a strong mayor can take on 56 00:02:34,760 --> 00:02:36,839 Speaker 2: Trump when he's going against New York City. 57 00:02:36,880 --> 00:02:38,240 Speaker 3: We need somebody who. 58 00:02:38,120 --> 00:02:41,160 Speaker 2: Has that experience, not just pie in the sky promises. 59 00:02:41,360 --> 00:02:43,640 Speaker 3: And I think I positioned myself in that way. 60 00:02:44,360 --> 00:02:48,760 Speaker 2: Metropolitan Transit Association, the congestion tax, what's your view there? 61 00:02:49,480 --> 00:02:50,840 Speaker 3: Look, I think gets working. 62 00:02:51,360 --> 00:02:54,960 Speaker 2: I think people want to pay a little more to 63 00:02:55,440 --> 00:02:56,280 Speaker 2: move the city. 64 00:02:56,800 --> 00:02:57,280 Speaker 3: We have a. 65 00:02:59,160 --> 00:03:02,760 Speaker 2: City government that depends on goods and services how they 66 00:03:02,760 --> 00:03:03,920 Speaker 2: get in and out of New York. 67 00:03:04,080 --> 00:03:06,600 Speaker 3: But look, let's make let's make it clear we have 68 00:03:06,639 --> 00:03:07,120 Speaker 3: work to do. 69 00:03:07,360 --> 00:03:09,840 Speaker 2: Congestion pricing helps some, but we have to build out 70 00:03:09,840 --> 00:03:12,480 Speaker 2: a fibroa transportation plan, and we have not done that yet. 71 00:03:12,480 --> 00:03:15,520 Speaker 2: When I was supporting congestion pricing, back when Mike Bloomberg 72 00:03:15,639 --> 00:03:18,480 Speaker 2: was mayor, we always said we would look at Queen's 73 00:03:18,520 --> 00:03:19,880 Speaker 2: and Staten Island and how. 74 00:03:19,720 --> 00:03:21,480 Speaker 3: We can close those transit deserts. 75 00:03:21,639 --> 00:03:23,639 Speaker 2: So this is just the first step in a long 76 00:03:23,720 --> 00:03:25,680 Speaker 2: transportation journey for New York City. 77 00:03:26,160 --> 00:03:28,960 Speaker 1: Mention that mister Bloomberg, of course, of Bloomberg LP is 78 00:03:29,000 --> 00:03:33,040 Speaker 1: the founder of this radio station and signs my paycheck, 79 00:03:33,160 --> 00:03:38,040 Speaker 1: and you know, exactly once a year, Good morning, mister Bloomberg. 80 00:03:38,280 --> 00:03:40,160 Speaker 3: Scott, I thought it'd be good to mention him. Just 81 00:03:40,440 --> 00:03:40,880 Speaker 3: that's good. 82 00:03:41,160 --> 00:03:43,000 Speaker 1: Yeah, and you mentioned him, I got to mention it. 83 00:03:43,120 --> 00:03:44,920 Speaker 1: I'm not in speaking terms with them, but that's a 84 00:03:44,960 --> 00:03:51,240 Speaker 1: separate issue, Scott Stringer. How can liberals be conservative and 85 00:03:51,280 --> 00:03:55,200 Speaker 1: be anti crime? I mean, there's a whole modern theology. 86 00:03:55,400 --> 00:03:57,800 Speaker 1: The last election was to me and Eldam out of election, 87 00:03:58,120 --> 00:04:01,680 Speaker 1: Long Island rose up and screened afraid. How do guys 88 00:04:01,800 --> 00:04:07,440 Speaker 1: like you in a city that's become afraid support NYPD 89 00:04:07,640 --> 00:04:10,119 Speaker 1: and support a tougher crime view. 90 00:04:10,800 --> 00:04:15,560 Speaker 2: Why do you think that people who are on the 91 00:04:15,640 --> 00:04:18,599 Speaker 2: liberal side of the equation or even the conservative side 92 00:04:18,680 --> 00:04:22,000 Speaker 2: can't come together and recognize a problem when you see it. 93 00:04:22,320 --> 00:04:24,880 Speaker 1: Me, that's what we've got inst. 94 00:04:24,720 --> 00:04:25,760 Speaker 3: But I got to tell you something. 95 00:04:25,800 --> 00:04:27,839 Speaker 2: It's very easy for me to look at the problem 96 00:04:27,880 --> 00:04:30,919 Speaker 2: and say, hey, we are having a trouble retaining the 97 00:04:30,960 --> 00:04:34,240 Speaker 2: police officers we have. You know that young police officers 98 00:04:34,240 --> 00:04:37,760 Speaker 2: are leaving the police force in droves, and they're not 99 00:04:37,839 --> 00:04:41,480 Speaker 2: retiring from policing. They're actually going to Long Island or Mosquito. 100 00:04:41,520 --> 00:04:44,760 Speaker 2: States like Texas and Florida. Paid well, it's not so 101 00:04:44,839 --> 00:04:47,240 Speaker 2: much pay as it is how do you create a 102 00:04:47,279 --> 00:04:50,119 Speaker 2: work life balance. You know, we've gone from six hundred 103 00:04:50,120 --> 00:04:52,800 Speaker 2: and fifty million dollars in overtime for policing to one 104 00:04:52,839 --> 00:04:55,640 Speaker 2: point three billion. We have the lowest head count in 105 00:04:55,680 --> 00:04:59,359 Speaker 2: the NYPD in generations. We're down a thirty three thousand cops. 106 00:04:59,400 --> 00:05:01,400 Speaker 2: So what should we do. It doesn't matter whether you're 107 00:05:01,400 --> 00:05:04,119 Speaker 2: a liberal conservative monitor. We got to hire more cops. 108 00:05:04,120 --> 00:05:07,200 Speaker 2: That makes financial sense and also from a safety perspective, 109 00:05:07,360 --> 00:05:09,240 Speaker 2: makes sense. I want to put a cop on every 110 00:05:09,279 --> 00:05:11,400 Speaker 2: train during in those high crime areas. I want to 111 00:05:11,640 --> 00:05:14,920 Speaker 2: align policing with a mental health initiative because we see 112 00:05:14,960 --> 00:05:18,320 Speaker 2: people languishing, suffering, dying on the streets. When I take 113 00:05:18,360 --> 00:05:21,200 Speaker 2: my two kids on the subway most mornings. 114 00:05:20,839 --> 00:05:22,200 Speaker 3: To go to school. You know what I see. 115 00:05:22,360 --> 00:05:24,720 Speaker 2: I see what I saw in the nineteen seventies, people 116 00:05:24,920 --> 00:05:25,840 Speaker 2: languishing side. 117 00:05:25,839 --> 00:05:28,640 Speaker 3: It must admit well said, and it's actually true. 118 00:05:28,760 --> 00:05:31,320 Speaker 1: Scott's tringer here with the primary in June, an election 119 00:05:31,720 --> 00:05:34,960 Speaker 1: in November, of course, with his public services family service 120 00:05:35,040 --> 00:05:37,080 Speaker 1: over the years to New York City. 121 00:05:36,880 --> 00:05:41,120 Speaker 2: Pulse reading, Scott is, were you to be elected, what 122 00:05:41,120 --> 00:05:41,640 Speaker 2: would be. 123 00:05:41,880 --> 00:05:43,800 Speaker 3: The first one hundred days of your administration? What would 124 00:05:43,800 --> 00:05:46,920 Speaker 3: be the focus? We bring in a whole new government. 125 00:05:47,160 --> 00:05:49,120 Speaker 3: We reform these city agencies. 126 00:05:49,240 --> 00:05:51,839 Speaker 2: We have a clarion call for people who want to 127 00:05:51,880 --> 00:05:54,240 Speaker 2: serve this city to come into this government and do 128 00:05:54,360 --> 00:05:55,320 Speaker 2: the people's business. 129 00:05:55,320 --> 00:05:56,159 Speaker 3: That's the first step. 130 00:05:56,200 --> 00:05:58,760 Speaker 2: Second, I want to build the same kind of housing 131 00:05:58,760 --> 00:06:03,920 Speaker 2: that was built in a different generation called Mitchellama Housing Mitchellama. 132 00:06:03,360 --> 00:06:03,960 Speaker 3: Two point zero. 133 00:06:03,960 --> 00:06:06,400 Speaker 2: I want to take our thousand vacant lots in the 134 00:06:06,440 --> 00:06:09,080 Speaker 2: city and let's put to work for affordable housing so 135 00:06:09,160 --> 00:06:12,320 Speaker 2: families can come here, go to our best universities, and 136 00:06:12,360 --> 00:06:15,200 Speaker 2: stay here in a way that's affordable. I want to 137 00:06:15,240 --> 00:06:18,080 Speaker 2: put three thousand cops back on the street. Want to 138 00:06:18,120 --> 00:06:22,080 Speaker 2: make sure we align that program with a mental health initiative. 139 00:06:22,240 --> 00:06:24,760 Speaker 2: I want to make sure that we have people taken 140 00:06:24,800 --> 00:06:28,160 Speaker 2: the police test again, eight thousand people took the police test. 141 00:06:28,320 --> 00:06:29,040 Speaker 3: Do you know how many. 142 00:06:28,920 --> 00:06:33,040 Speaker 2: People took the sanitation test? Sixty thousand. There's something wrong here. 143 00:06:33,080 --> 00:06:35,719 Speaker 2: We're just not governing anymore. And also I want to 144 00:06:35,760 --> 00:06:39,640 Speaker 2: make sure that we bring back something called quality of life. 145 00:06:39,640 --> 00:06:41,640 Speaker 2: We'll have a Deputy Mayor for quality of Life, will 146 00:06:41,680 --> 00:06:45,080 Speaker 2: initiate quality stat will break down the silos of all 147 00:06:45,080 --> 00:06:47,640 Speaker 2: these city agencies. I've ordered all of them. And I 148 00:06:47,720 --> 00:06:50,520 Speaker 2: got to tell you, mental health has to start talking 149 00:06:50,600 --> 00:06:51,160 Speaker 2: to small. 150 00:06:50,960 --> 00:06:52,000 Speaker 3: Business and vice versa. 151 00:06:52,120 --> 00:06:54,200 Speaker 2: We got to get a handle on this government. You 152 00:06:54,240 --> 00:06:57,480 Speaker 2: need somebody who actually knows how to govern. And as 153 00:06:57,520 --> 00:06:59,960 Speaker 2: borough president for eight years, is controller for eight years, 154 00:07:00,360 --> 00:07:02,560 Speaker 2: I know the fiscal situation in the city like the 155 00:07:02,600 --> 00:07:05,960 Speaker 2: back of my hand. I'm not over promising like others 156 00:07:05,960 --> 00:07:08,080 Speaker 2: in this campaign. I'm just going to be me and 157 00:07:08,120 --> 00:07:10,400 Speaker 2: be the lifelong New York I've always been to fix 158 00:07:10,440 --> 00:07:14,280 Speaker 2: the city taxes. Pretty Much everybody you walk into on 159 00:07:14,320 --> 00:07:16,120 Speaker 2: the streets say my taxes are too high. 160 00:07:17,040 --> 00:07:18,280 Speaker 3: What do you say, what's your tax. 161 00:07:18,160 --> 00:07:22,920 Speaker 2: Well, let's give people some value for those taxes. Let's 162 00:07:23,080 --> 00:07:26,440 Speaker 2: go back to the compact we've always had in this city, 163 00:07:26,480 --> 00:07:29,080 Speaker 2: which is if you come here, you pay a little more, 164 00:07:29,440 --> 00:07:31,440 Speaker 2: but you're going to get a clean city. You're not 165 00:07:31,480 --> 00:07:34,080 Speaker 2: going to have rats running around, garbage piled high. I mean, 166 00:07:34,080 --> 00:07:36,360 Speaker 2: we've got rats walking upright right now. They've come up 167 00:07:36,400 --> 00:07:38,720 Speaker 2: to me on more than one occasion at night saying, hey, 168 00:07:38,760 --> 00:07:41,520 Speaker 2: can you beat Cuomo. I mean, this is a real crisis. 169 00:07:41,520 --> 00:07:43,720 Speaker 2: People say, what am I paying for? What's the value 170 00:07:44,120 --> 00:07:46,080 Speaker 2: of my taxes? And we have to go back to 171 00:07:46,120 --> 00:07:49,720 Speaker 2: making people understand that what they get in return is 172 00:07:49,720 --> 00:07:52,320 Speaker 2: a real New York City that they'll never leave. 173 00:07:52,400 --> 00:07:56,400 Speaker 1: What is your policy on immigration and migration and the 174 00:07:56,440 --> 00:08:00,520 Speaker 1: emotion here of people coming in that are new troubled. 175 00:08:01,080 --> 00:08:04,560 Speaker 2: But we've always had people come, like my grandparents came 176 00:08:04,600 --> 00:08:07,040 Speaker 2: to this city and came to this country. So let's 177 00:08:07,040 --> 00:08:10,320 Speaker 2: not start filtering out who comes and who doesn't. Let's 178 00:08:10,320 --> 00:08:13,120 Speaker 2: be very smart about this. Look, you bring gang members 179 00:08:13,160 --> 00:08:15,080 Speaker 2: in here, get them out. I'd be the first one 180 00:08:15,120 --> 00:08:17,720 Speaker 2: to stand and say we want you out of here. 181 00:08:17,880 --> 00:08:19,520 Speaker 3: No guns, no violence. 182 00:08:19,400 --> 00:08:22,520 Speaker 2: But for people who flee persecution, for people, I mean, 183 00:08:22,680 --> 00:08:25,080 Speaker 2: come on, we were so much better than this, and 184 00:08:25,120 --> 00:08:29,520 Speaker 2: we can Good government means we can absorb people. We 185 00:08:29,560 --> 00:08:32,280 Speaker 2: can absorb crises. It doesn't have to be a meltown. 186 00:08:32,360 --> 00:08:34,600 Speaker 1: I gotta ask you one final question, Harry. I think 187 00:08:34,600 --> 00:08:37,520 Speaker 1: it's hugely emotional for everyone across this nation. 188 00:08:38,120 --> 00:08:39,000 Speaker 3: There is an. 189 00:08:38,840 --> 00:08:43,600 Speaker 1: Uproar among liberals over a generational shift, as identified by 190 00:08:43,679 --> 00:08:47,920 Speaker 1: Senator Schumer, over to something new. John Ferrell mentioned to 191 00:08:48,000 --> 00:08:52,280 Speaker 1: Glenn Young Kenne Virginia the Utah event of Senator Sanders 192 00:08:52,280 --> 00:08:55,160 Speaker 1: the other day. Help me here with what the new 193 00:08:55,200 --> 00:08:57,000 Speaker 1: generation of Democrats look like. 194 00:08:57,360 --> 00:09:01,840 Speaker 2: Look, we've always had a new generation of Democrats. You 195 00:09:01,920 --> 00:09:04,640 Speaker 2: mentioned the starting at the show, Very very smart, right, 196 00:09:04,760 --> 00:09:07,200 Speaker 2: Bella Abzug was a new generation. 197 00:09:08,320 --> 00:09:11,040 Speaker 3: Of course, you can't imagine. No one can shock and 198 00:09:11,160 --> 00:09:13,680 Speaker 3: this mouthy woman was. It was for the products. 199 00:09:13,679 --> 00:09:15,520 Speaker 2: And look, I was a twelve year old kid running 200 00:09:15,559 --> 00:09:18,000 Speaker 2: around campaigning with her during the Vietnam War. 201 00:09:18,360 --> 00:09:20,720 Speaker 3: And you know what happened. A few years into her term. 202 00:09:20,800 --> 00:09:23,280 Speaker 2: The US News and World Report, not the most liberal 203 00:09:23,440 --> 00:09:28,000 Speaker 2: newspaper or magazine, named her the number three most competent 204 00:09:29,040 --> 00:09:33,760 Speaker 2: and effective member of Congress. I am I embrace the 205 00:09:34,280 --> 00:09:37,720 Speaker 2: new generation, but right now we need somebody in New 206 00:09:37,800 --> 00:09:42,160 Speaker 2: York City who represents vision, experience, and competence. Make no mistake, 207 00:09:43,040 --> 00:09:44,960 Speaker 2: this is a moment where we have to rate the 208 00:09:45,000 --> 00:09:45,760 Speaker 2: ship so that the. 209 00:09:45,720 --> 00:09:48,760 Speaker 3: New generation can come in do it all generations. 210 00:09:48,960 --> 00:09:51,559 Speaker 1: Some would say you just describe God or Cuomo. I mean, 211 00:09:51,600 --> 00:09:54,400 Speaker 1: the basic idea is he's been around his father's iconic. 212 00:09:54,920 --> 00:09:57,560 Speaker 1: You're up against Cuomo. What's the biggest stetriment there? 213 00:09:58,240 --> 00:10:00,600 Speaker 2: Oo he's chaotic and he's not prone New York City, 214 00:10:00,640 --> 00:10:03,080 Speaker 2: and he doesn't like people, and he's running the worst 215 00:10:03,160 --> 00:10:06,319 Speaker 2: kind of campaign. That makes him unelectable. 216 00:10:05,679 --> 00:10:07,439 Speaker 3: In my mind. But no one's going to realize that 217 00:10:08,040 --> 00:10:09,160 Speaker 3: until June first. 218 00:10:09,240 --> 00:10:10,920 Speaker 2: And I hope to come back on this show as 219 00:10:10,960 --> 00:10:13,920 Speaker 2: your mayor elect and talk to you, especially about the 220 00:10:13,960 --> 00:10:17,000 Speaker 2: history of mayoral politics and what went wrong in his campaign. 221 00:10:17,080 --> 00:10:18,560 Speaker 2: But I am not feeling him diskettering. 222 00:10:18,760 --> 00:10:23,760 Speaker 1: Thank you so much, former running here for mayor this morning.