1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:02,480 Speaker 1: Hi. This is new due to the virus. I'm recording 2 00:00:02,520 --> 00:00:05,960 Speaker 1: from home, so you may notice a difference in audio quality. 3 00:00:09,880 --> 00:00:12,039 Speaker 1: On this episode of newch World, we have a guest 4 00:00:12,080 --> 00:00:16,079 Speaker 1: who knows personally how dangerous it is to have the 5 00:00:16,079 --> 00:00:20,759 Speaker 1: federal government decide that Washington bureaucrats will define what kind 6 00:00:20,800 --> 00:00:23,520 Speaker 1: of zoning you can have, what kind of neighborhood you 7 00:00:23,520 --> 00:00:26,119 Speaker 1: can have, and that they can bring the full power 8 00:00:26,560 --> 00:00:29,400 Speaker 1: of the federal government to force your county or your 9 00:00:29,520 --> 00:00:32,960 Speaker 1: state to cave and do what the Washington bureaucrats want. 10 00:00:33,479 --> 00:00:36,320 Speaker 1: This is really a vital issue. There are bills in 11 00:00:36,360 --> 00:00:40,680 Speaker 1: Congress which Vice President Biden has endorsed, which would literally 12 00:00:40,680 --> 00:00:44,680 Speaker 1: tie federal funds for highways and other things to whether 13 00:00:44,760 --> 00:00:48,240 Speaker 1: or not your county agrees to do what they're told 14 00:00:48,680 --> 00:00:52,360 Speaker 1: by Washington bureaucrats. This could mean that your house could 15 00:00:52,360 --> 00:00:55,840 Speaker 1: have next to it a five story apartment build, means 16 00:00:55,880 --> 00:00:58,440 Speaker 1: that you would literally not be in control and not 17 00:00:58,560 --> 00:01:01,040 Speaker 1: be allowed to have single family. He's only of any kind. 18 00:01:01,640 --> 00:01:05,440 Speaker 1: This is not some kind of threat or nightmare. This 19 00:01:05,520 --> 00:01:09,240 Speaker 1: is a reality that occurred during the Obama years and 20 00:01:09,720 --> 00:01:12,319 Speaker 1: our yesterday rob Astrino was right in the middle of it. 21 00:01:12,760 --> 00:01:15,760 Speaker 1: As the executive of Westchester County, New York, and I 22 00:01:15,840 --> 00:01:18,480 Speaker 1: wanted to take this time to bring this issue to 23 00:01:18,560 --> 00:01:21,759 Speaker 1: your attention because I really do think this is one 24 00:01:21,800 --> 00:01:25,200 Speaker 1: of the places that could most change America and most 25 00:01:25,280 --> 00:01:28,240 Speaker 1: change the quality of our life and the relative amount 26 00:01:28,280 --> 00:01:31,119 Speaker 1: of freedom we have. And that's why I think having 27 00:01:31,240 --> 00:01:34,679 Speaker 1: Rob Asterrino tell you what he's lived through so you 28 00:01:34,680 --> 00:01:37,800 Speaker 1: can see how really true it is is an important thing. 29 00:01:48,720 --> 00:01:51,080 Speaker 1: This episode of News World is going to focus on 30 00:01:51,120 --> 00:01:54,600 Speaker 1: the war on the suburbs, and I am really delighted 31 00:01:54,640 --> 00:01:58,400 Speaker 1: to have one of the leading experts, a genuine warrior 32 00:01:58,680 --> 00:02:02,480 Speaker 1: in this topic, here to help us understand it. Rob 33 00:02:02,480 --> 00:02:07,680 Speaker 1: Asterino served as the Westchester County Executive from two ten 34 00:02:07,720 --> 00:02:11,520 Speaker 1: to twenty seventeen. He was twice elected by thirteen point 35 00:02:11,560 --> 00:02:16,080 Speaker 1: margins during his eight years in office. Asterino cut property 36 00:02:16,080 --> 00:02:19,160 Speaker 1: taxes are held in flat every year he was in office, 37 00:02:19,680 --> 00:02:23,920 Speaker 1: helped create over forty four thousand new private sector jobs, 38 00:02:24,440 --> 00:02:27,600 Speaker 1: and the one point eight billion dollar budget he inherited 39 00:02:27,960 --> 00:02:30,480 Speaker 1: was the same one he left the county when he 40 00:02:30,600 --> 00:02:36,080 Speaker 1: left office. This fiscal responsibility earned Westchester the highest credit 41 00:02:36,120 --> 00:02:39,280 Speaker 1: reading in New York State, while holding the line on spending. 42 00:02:39,600 --> 00:02:43,919 Speaker 1: Asterino also managed to preserve essential services and make new 43 00:02:43,960 --> 00:02:49,800 Speaker 1: investments into childcare, county parks, open space preservation, county roads 44 00:02:49,800 --> 00:02:54,320 Speaker 1: and infrastructure. Robed, it's really great to have you with us. 45 00:02:54,919 --> 00:02:59,359 Speaker 1: You really did create a remarkable record and a remarkable reputation. Well, 46 00:02:59,400 --> 00:03:01,960 Speaker 1: thank you, mister speaker. I appreciate the opportunity to come on. 47 00:03:02,000 --> 00:03:06,640 Speaker 1: And this is a real important topic that is easy 48 00:03:06,680 --> 00:03:10,239 Speaker 1: to understand if it's presented right, but it can get convoluted, 49 00:03:10,280 --> 00:03:14,560 Speaker 1: and of course race becomes the stone that every Democrat 50 00:03:14,600 --> 00:03:18,519 Speaker 1: throws because they don't want this issue to be understood 51 00:03:18,560 --> 00:03:22,040 Speaker 1: by people all around the country, but especially in the suburbs. 52 00:03:22,320 --> 00:03:25,000 Speaker 1: We dealt with this issue, but it was a fight 53 00:03:25,080 --> 00:03:28,880 Speaker 1: worth fighting. It was a fight worth winning. For seven years. 54 00:03:28,880 --> 00:03:32,040 Speaker 1: You fought constantly with the Obama era Department of Housing 55 00:03:32,480 --> 00:03:38,040 Speaker 1: and Urban Development and they're affirmatively furthering fair housing. What 56 00:03:38,160 --> 00:03:41,800 Speaker 1: were they trying to accomplish and what was that? Well, 57 00:03:41,880 --> 00:03:45,160 Speaker 1: go back a little bit to two thousand and six. 58 00:03:45,480 --> 00:03:53,760 Speaker 1: Westchester was sued under the eighteen sixty three Act, which 59 00:03:53,800 --> 00:04:00,880 Speaker 1: basically said that Westchester did not certify correctly they're housing 60 00:04:01,000 --> 00:04:04,360 Speaker 1: funds that they received. This was the false Claims Act 61 00:04:04,360 --> 00:04:08,760 Speaker 1: of eighteen sixty three. Why would somebody go back and 62 00:04:08,960 --> 00:04:12,200 Speaker 1: find an act that's that old in order to sue you. 63 00:04:13,400 --> 00:04:16,440 Speaker 1: It's almost one hundred and fifty year old act. Yeah, 64 00:04:16,480 --> 00:04:20,240 Speaker 1: and Obama gets elected. We had a Democratic county executive 65 00:04:20,279 --> 00:04:23,360 Speaker 1: here in Westchester, so they figured this is perfect, we'll 66 00:04:23,360 --> 00:04:26,599 Speaker 1: work with the Obama administration. Well, it turns out the 67 00:04:26,640 --> 00:04:29,760 Speaker 1: Obama Justice Department wanted to put a spotlight on somebody, 68 00:04:29,839 --> 00:04:33,240 Speaker 1: make them the example, and then rolls out nationwide. So 69 00:04:33,920 --> 00:04:37,200 Speaker 1: what happened was Westchester ended up settling right before I 70 00:04:37,200 --> 00:04:40,600 Speaker 1: got into office. And this is important. There were no 71 00:04:40,720 --> 00:04:44,800 Speaker 1: findings of wrongdoing by the county, no findings of discrimination, 72 00:04:45,600 --> 00:04:48,680 Speaker 1: of fraud, any of that. So what happened was Westchester 73 00:04:48,800 --> 00:04:53,640 Speaker 1: certified that they studied obstacles to housing, but they didn't 74 00:04:53,680 --> 00:04:56,680 Speaker 1: study whether race was an obstacle. That was the whole thing. 75 00:04:57,600 --> 00:05:00,320 Speaker 1: They settled the case, and it turned out that we 76 00:05:00,360 --> 00:05:02,760 Speaker 1: had to spend over fifty million dollars to build seven 77 00:05:02,839 --> 00:05:06,160 Speaker 1: hundred fifty units of what's called fair and affordable housing 78 00:05:06,320 --> 00:05:11,080 Speaker 1: low income in predominantly white neighborhoods based on the two 79 00:05:11,160 --> 00:05:15,719 Speaker 1: thousand census. I opposed this because when I read the settlement. 80 00:05:15,760 --> 00:05:18,920 Speaker 1: I knew exactly what the setup was. This gave so 81 00:05:19,040 --> 00:05:23,039 Speaker 1: many open ended issues that we would be tangling with, 82 00:05:23,440 --> 00:05:26,240 Speaker 1: and a very aggressive federal government would have a lot 83 00:05:26,279 --> 00:05:29,640 Speaker 1: of say and power. I took office day one, this 84 00:05:29,760 --> 00:05:33,200 Speaker 1: settlement begins, and we said, look, I don't like it. 85 00:05:33,640 --> 00:05:36,000 Speaker 1: The county signed off on it, and we have to 86 00:05:36,040 --> 00:05:38,800 Speaker 1: build this housing was a seven year settlement. After the 87 00:05:38,839 --> 00:05:42,360 Speaker 1: second year, Westchester had to start meeting certain benchmarks in 88 00:05:42,520 --> 00:05:48,120 Speaker 1: number of houses that had building permits and financing. So, 89 00:05:48,480 --> 00:05:49,839 Speaker 1: you know, we knew we had to do this because 90 00:05:49,839 --> 00:05:52,680 Speaker 1: we didn't want to bankrupt the county and fines, but 91 00:05:53,160 --> 00:05:55,160 Speaker 1: we also knew this was not what it was about. 92 00:05:55,480 --> 00:05:58,960 Speaker 1: And then we received a letter from HUD and it 93 00:05:59,240 --> 00:06:03,719 Speaker 1: very explicit least said we demand, basically Westchester do things 94 00:06:03,720 --> 00:06:06,520 Speaker 1: that are outside the four corners of the agreement, meaning 95 00:06:07,040 --> 00:06:08,680 Speaker 1: we know it's not in the settlement, but this is 96 00:06:08,680 --> 00:06:11,800 Speaker 1: what we're going to demand that you do anyway. And 97 00:06:11,880 --> 00:06:16,440 Speaker 1: it just listed all these things about new issues that 98 00:06:16,560 --> 00:06:19,040 Speaker 1: Westchester had to deal with that we're not in the settlement. 99 00:06:19,080 --> 00:06:21,240 Speaker 1: So we kept going back and forth into federal court. 100 00:06:21,279 --> 00:06:25,600 Speaker 1: We had a terribly liberal judge and it was just 101 00:06:26,120 --> 00:06:30,039 Speaker 1: really bad, and at some point the Justice Department threatened 102 00:06:30,080 --> 00:06:33,240 Speaker 1: me with contempt and all these issues that were crazy. 103 00:06:33,600 --> 00:06:36,080 Speaker 1: We're a democratic county, by the way, as you know, 104 00:06:36,720 --> 00:06:39,600 Speaker 1: Chappaqua is part of the town of Newcastle, which is 105 00:06:39,640 --> 00:06:43,520 Speaker 1: in Westchester. Chappaqua has two very famous residents, Bill and 106 00:06:43,600 --> 00:06:47,599 Speaker 1: Hillary Clinton that live here, and they're part of the 107 00:06:47,600 --> 00:06:51,039 Speaker 1: settlement community because it's an overwhelmingly affluent, in white community. 108 00:06:51,520 --> 00:06:55,760 Speaker 1: And what HUD was zeroing in on was zoning, they 109 00:06:55,839 --> 00:06:58,279 Speaker 1: felt with zero proof, by the way, in fact, it 110 00:06:58,320 --> 00:07:03,039 Speaker 1: had been disproven, but they claimed, and of course the media, 111 00:07:03,080 --> 00:07:06,560 Speaker 1: elected Times and everybody else gleefully went along and said 112 00:07:06,600 --> 00:07:11,360 Speaker 1: Westchester was segregated and bigoted and racist and all this 113 00:07:11,560 --> 00:07:15,400 Speaker 1: nonsense we're dealing with today. But they said zoning, single 114 00:07:15,520 --> 00:07:21,000 Speaker 1: family zoning specifically, was inherently segregationist and racist and had 115 00:07:21,040 --> 00:07:24,320 Speaker 1: to be abolished. And all those kind of restrictions like 116 00:07:24,960 --> 00:07:28,040 Speaker 1: limits on height in a specific neighborhood, on density, a 117 00:07:28,200 --> 00:07:31,240 Speaker 1: number of units, on number of bedrooms, on water and 118 00:07:31,400 --> 00:07:35,960 Speaker 1: sewer issues, all of those issues all of a sudden 119 00:07:36,000 --> 00:07:40,239 Speaker 1: came into play that never were and HUDD threatened the county, 120 00:07:40,680 --> 00:07:44,240 Speaker 1: took away our federal money, took us back into court, 121 00:07:45,120 --> 00:07:47,120 Speaker 1: and none of these things were in the settlement, so 122 00:07:47,160 --> 00:07:51,160 Speaker 1: it became a runaway federal government justice and HUD led 123 00:07:51,200 --> 00:07:54,760 Speaker 1: by Obama and Biden, and we were the resistance, if 124 00:07:54,760 --> 00:07:57,880 Speaker 1: you will, and we stood our ground, and it took 125 00:07:57,920 --> 00:08:01,760 Speaker 1: a long time even after moving that zoning was not 126 00:08:01,880 --> 00:08:04,760 Speaker 1: an issue to building affordable housing because we were building 127 00:08:04,760 --> 00:08:07,600 Speaker 1: it by the terms of the settlement, and we were 128 00:08:07,640 --> 00:08:11,800 Speaker 1: building it years and decades before HUD even interviewed, because 129 00:08:11,800 --> 00:08:15,240 Speaker 1: every community had within its zoning codes the ability to 130 00:08:15,240 --> 00:08:19,360 Speaker 1: build affordable housing, maybe not in every neighborhood, but certainly 131 00:08:19,440 --> 00:08:22,080 Speaker 1: throughout parts of the town. Why do you think they 132 00:08:22,160 --> 00:08:25,960 Speaker 1: picked on Westchester out of the thirty three counties in 133 00:08:25,960 --> 00:08:30,400 Speaker 1: the US. There have to be a lot of other targets. Well, 134 00:08:30,480 --> 00:08:34,600 Speaker 1: it stemmed from the ADC, the Anti Discrimination Center, which 135 00:08:34,600 --> 00:08:37,760 Speaker 1: literally is one person. He made millions off of this 136 00:08:37,800 --> 00:08:41,440 Speaker 1: deal under the False Claims Act. He chose Westchester. He 137 00:08:41,480 --> 00:08:43,280 Speaker 1: lives in New York City, so I guess he did 138 00:08:43,320 --> 00:08:46,959 Speaker 1: some research and figured why not try, and he did 139 00:08:47,000 --> 00:08:51,199 Speaker 1: and he was successful because the Democrats, which controlled Westchester 140 00:08:51,240 --> 00:08:53,520 Speaker 1: at the time, both the County Board of Legislators and 141 00:08:53,559 --> 00:08:57,640 Speaker 1: the County executive at the time folded. Instead of standing 142 00:08:57,720 --> 00:09:01,160 Speaker 1: up for us, they backed down quickly and acquiesced, and 143 00:09:01,720 --> 00:09:04,400 Speaker 1: we see what the results were. But we went in 144 00:09:04,440 --> 00:09:08,079 Speaker 1: there and we said, no, I'm going to defend my community. 145 00:09:08,360 --> 00:09:11,120 Speaker 1: And the interesting thing is, you know we're a two 146 00:09:11,160 --> 00:09:15,320 Speaker 1: to one Democratic county. It's a blue county politically. It 147 00:09:15,440 --> 00:09:18,359 Speaker 1: was an issue that I ran on because the settlement 148 00:09:18,520 --> 00:09:20,960 Speaker 1: terms were thrown at us in August of Oz nine 149 00:09:21,000 --> 00:09:23,640 Speaker 1: when the election was in November, and of course they 150 00:09:23,679 --> 00:09:26,079 Speaker 1: were threatening, if you don't agree with this settlement, you're 151 00:09:26,080 --> 00:09:30,400 Speaker 1: a racist, and so it passed. I was dead set 152 00:09:30,480 --> 00:09:33,480 Speaker 1: against it as a candidate, and I won partly on 153 00:09:33,480 --> 00:09:40,280 Speaker 1: this issue. I won very democratic communities that a conservative 154 00:09:40,280 --> 00:09:43,880 Speaker 1: Republican like me never would have won, and I won 155 00:09:43,920 --> 00:09:46,400 Speaker 1: by thirteen points county wide in a two to one 156 00:09:46,440 --> 00:09:49,720 Speaker 1: Democratic county. This was a really important issue to people, 157 00:09:50,200 --> 00:09:53,560 Speaker 1: and I won reelection in thirteen by another thirteen points 158 00:09:53,600 --> 00:09:56,720 Speaker 1: because we were not backing down. And I had these 159 00:09:56,840 --> 00:10:00,320 Speaker 1: liberal white Democrats coming up to me in Chapter Quad 160 00:10:00,320 --> 00:10:02,760 Speaker 1: and Scarsdale and all these areas that are very affluent, 161 00:10:02,840 --> 00:10:05,880 Speaker 1: and they would look both ways and making sure nobody 162 00:10:05,960 --> 00:10:09,040 Speaker 1: was checking out that we were talking, and they would whisper. 163 00:10:09,400 --> 00:10:11,400 Speaker 1: You know, I'm a Democrat and I don't agree with 164 00:10:11,400 --> 00:10:13,840 Speaker 1: you on everything, but keep fighting hard. I'm with you 165 00:10:13,880 --> 00:10:17,760 Speaker 1: on this. You got my vote. Don't tell anybody. The 166 00:10:17,800 --> 00:10:23,560 Speaker 1: President thankfully understands that he can help save the suburbs, 167 00:10:23,800 --> 00:10:28,200 Speaker 1: which is an inherently unfair issue that the federal government 168 00:10:28,240 --> 00:10:30,360 Speaker 1: is trying to throw down the aproats of all of 169 00:10:30,400 --> 00:10:35,800 Speaker 1: our communities. Joe Biden and the Democrats want to fundamentally 170 00:10:35,880 --> 00:10:40,480 Speaker 1: change the suburbs to make it more urban by abolishing 171 00:10:40,640 --> 00:10:45,679 Speaker 1: single family residential zoning. And if anyone understands that, they 172 00:10:45,720 --> 00:10:48,599 Speaker 1: would be crazy to vote for the Democrats. It is 173 00:10:48,640 --> 00:10:52,360 Speaker 1: a very different suburb in America today than it was 174 00:10:52,400 --> 00:10:55,800 Speaker 1: in the nineteen fifties. Now, I think it's forty percent 175 00:10:56,200 --> 00:10:59,480 Speaker 1: of the residents of suburbs are non white. And why 176 00:10:59,480 --> 00:11:01,680 Speaker 1: are they moved to the suburbs Because they want to 177 00:11:02,040 --> 00:11:05,800 Speaker 1: They want single family residential neighborhoods. They want to buy 178 00:11:05,800 --> 00:11:08,320 Speaker 1: a little piece of the earth, pay off a mortgage 179 00:11:08,320 --> 00:11:10,080 Speaker 1: for thirty years and call at their home and have 180 00:11:10,160 --> 00:11:12,640 Speaker 1: a nice school district, have a tree in front of 181 00:11:12,679 --> 00:11:15,360 Speaker 1: their house, mow the lawn on a Saturday like the 182 00:11:15,360 --> 00:11:18,600 Speaker 1: rest of us, and that's where they choose to live, 183 00:11:18,960 --> 00:11:21,760 Speaker 1: and God bless anybody who wants to do that. And 184 00:11:21,840 --> 00:11:24,840 Speaker 1: the Democrats are saying it's inheritently racist. Really, tell that 185 00:11:24,960 --> 00:11:27,160 Speaker 1: to the Hispanics and to the Asians and to the 186 00:11:27,160 --> 00:11:29,680 Speaker 1: African Americans who are moving in the suburbs and droves 187 00:11:30,040 --> 00:11:32,320 Speaker 1: for the same reasons as whites do. They want to 188 00:11:32,320 --> 00:11:34,960 Speaker 1: have a nice place to live. They choose not to 189 00:11:35,000 --> 00:11:37,160 Speaker 1: live in a city. But that's not the agenda of 190 00:11:37,200 --> 00:11:57,320 Speaker 1: the Democrats today. Do you sense that the level of 191 00:11:57,400 --> 00:12:00,280 Speaker 1: violence we're seeing in New York City is actually needing 192 00:12:00,320 --> 00:12:04,640 Speaker 1: to drive more people on. Definitely, there's no question. As 193 00:12:04,679 --> 00:12:09,640 Speaker 1: I tell people, the violence, the looting, the rioting, the chaos, 194 00:12:09,720 --> 00:12:13,360 Speaker 1: the gunfire, it doesn't stop at the Bronx line. There's 195 00:12:13,360 --> 00:12:17,079 Speaker 1: no force field between the Bronx and Westchester. And it 196 00:12:17,280 --> 00:12:20,720 Speaker 1: already is creeping up from New York City into places 197 00:12:20,760 --> 00:12:24,480 Speaker 1: like Yonkers, which is the fourth largest city in New York. 198 00:12:24,960 --> 00:12:29,080 Speaker 1: It's creeping up all throughout our communities, whether they're more 199 00:12:29,120 --> 00:12:32,360 Speaker 1: affluent or not. You've got property crimes on the rise, 200 00:12:32,440 --> 00:12:35,960 Speaker 1: auto theft which is on the rise. The violence is 201 00:12:36,040 --> 00:12:38,280 Speaker 1: starting to creep up all over the place. I didn't 202 00:12:38,280 --> 00:12:40,640 Speaker 1: even know this. The other day, somebody told me in Albany, 203 00:12:40,679 --> 00:12:43,480 Speaker 1: the state capitol, and in Troy, which is a city 204 00:12:43,559 --> 00:12:46,679 Speaker 1: right across the river from Albany, they've had something like 205 00:12:46,920 --> 00:12:50,040 Speaker 1: ninety shootings in the last couple of months. That is 206 00:12:50,640 --> 00:12:55,120 Speaker 1: beyond ridiculous. I mean, it's never like that, but the 207 00:12:55,200 --> 00:12:59,640 Speaker 1: summer of chaos is continuing. And people up here in 208 00:12:59,679 --> 00:13:02,080 Speaker 1: west Chester, and I'm sure in suburbs all around the 209 00:13:02,160 --> 00:13:05,240 Speaker 1: United States, if they wanted to live in the city 210 00:13:05,320 --> 00:13:08,520 Speaker 1: and have the breakdown of society that's happening in our cities, 211 00:13:08,880 --> 00:13:11,040 Speaker 1: they would stay there. They want to move to the 212 00:13:11,080 --> 00:13:14,000 Speaker 1: suburbs because they want their children to be safe, and 213 00:13:14,040 --> 00:13:16,800 Speaker 1: they expect law and order, and they pay high taxes 214 00:13:16,880 --> 00:13:20,320 Speaker 1: for it, and they don't want the chaos of the 215 00:13:20,360 --> 00:13:23,640 Speaker 1: city to follow them to the suburbs. You had a 216 00:13:23,640 --> 00:13:27,200 Speaker 1: really direct threat in Westchester, so you could get people's 217 00:13:27,200 --> 00:13:31,280 Speaker 1: attention because it was right there. What about two counties away. 218 00:13:31,320 --> 00:13:33,439 Speaker 1: I mean, the people believe all this it is a 219 00:13:33,600 --> 00:13:36,000 Speaker 1: just shrug it off and think they can't really be 220 00:13:36,080 --> 00:13:39,560 Speaker 1: this bad. They don't understand this yet because it isn't 221 00:13:39,600 --> 00:13:43,160 Speaker 1: front and center. They don't expect that to really happen. 222 00:13:43,559 --> 00:13:47,600 Speaker 1: They don't want low income apartment buildings next door to 223 00:13:47,640 --> 00:13:52,280 Speaker 1: them in their neighborhood. They understand that changes the character 224 00:13:52,360 --> 00:13:55,240 Speaker 1: of their neighborhood, it changes the services that are required, 225 00:13:55,400 --> 00:13:59,480 Speaker 1: which means taxes go up. But they don't think it's 226 00:13:59,480 --> 00:14:01,720 Speaker 1: going to happen right now to them, so they can't 227 00:14:01,760 --> 00:14:04,800 Speaker 1: see past tomorrow, let alone five ten years from now. 228 00:14:05,520 --> 00:14:07,600 Speaker 1: But I'll tell you five ten years and now when 229 00:14:07,640 --> 00:14:10,920 Speaker 1: there are apartment buildings in The Washington Post and the 230 00:14:10,960 --> 00:14:14,840 Speaker 1: New York Times actually took photos of what it is 231 00:14:14,880 --> 00:14:18,080 Speaker 1: looking like in places like Minneapolis, where you literally have 232 00:14:18,880 --> 00:14:21,960 Speaker 1: a home on one side and a three story brick 233 00:14:22,000 --> 00:14:26,280 Speaker 1: apartment building in between them, and it looks god ugly. 234 00:14:26,720 --> 00:14:29,160 Speaker 1: And that's probably not what the people expected when they 235 00:14:29,160 --> 00:14:31,160 Speaker 1: purchased those homes. They thought a house was going to 236 00:14:31,240 --> 00:14:33,360 Speaker 1: be next to them with a couple of neighbors in it, 237 00:14:33,520 --> 00:14:37,000 Speaker 1: not an apartment building. I think people have to realize 238 00:14:37,080 --> 00:14:41,560 Speaker 1: that this is what's coming. If they do not understand 239 00:14:41,560 --> 00:14:44,800 Speaker 1: it and take action, and it can become convoluted because 240 00:14:44,800 --> 00:14:47,400 Speaker 1: of course, the first thing that the Democrats play, as 241 00:14:47,400 --> 00:14:50,360 Speaker 1: I said, is race right. It's a dog whistle you 242 00:14:50,400 --> 00:14:54,240 Speaker 1: hate minorities, it's all nonsense. And by the way, I 243 00:14:54,360 --> 00:14:57,080 Speaker 1: had plenty of minorities say to me during this whole 244 00:14:57,120 --> 00:15:00,760 Speaker 1: fight that I had please keep fighting them. This insane 245 00:15:00,840 --> 00:15:03,160 Speaker 1: what they're trying to do. I moved here to get 246 00:15:03,160 --> 00:15:07,280 Speaker 1: out of the city because of those reasons. So again, 247 00:15:07,640 --> 00:15:10,720 Speaker 1: I think the message has to be clear. I do 248 00:15:10,760 --> 00:15:13,560 Speaker 1: think it's an issue that the President, in his debates 249 00:15:13,560 --> 00:15:17,200 Speaker 1: with Biden, can put it right to him, because it's 250 00:15:17,200 --> 00:15:21,160 Speaker 1: in Biden's platform. He has doubled down on the Obama 251 00:15:21,240 --> 00:15:24,680 Speaker 1: rule and said, I'm not only going to take away 252 00:15:24,720 --> 00:15:28,360 Speaker 1: all of your housing money, which, by the way, communities 253 00:15:28,480 --> 00:15:31,280 Speaker 1: use these block rants not just to build housing. They 254 00:15:31,360 --> 00:15:35,320 Speaker 1: use them for sidewalk repairs, for playgrounds, all these other things, 255 00:15:35,840 --> 00:15:37,880 Speaker 1: and they got kind of addicted to them. But in 256 00:15:37,880 --> 00:15:40,880 Speaker 1: the fine print it says, you allow the federal government 257 00:15:41,320 --> 00:15:44,840 Speaker 1: to question and potentially take over some of your zoning 258 00:15:44,840 --> 00:15:47,080 Speaker 1: if you accept this money. So the first thing the 259 00:15:47,080 --> 00:15:49,080 Speaker 1: community should do should not take the money. But if 260 00:15:49,080 --> 00:15:52,080 Speaker 1: they do, they have to understand what's at stake. Now 261 00:15:52,120 --> 00:15:55,640 Speaker 1: the President, thankfully and Ben Carson, the Secretary of HUD 262 00:15:56,120 --> 00:15:59,120 Speaker 1: they've revamped and they did away with the rule which 263 00:15:59,160 --> 00:16:01,520 Speaker 1: just went back to the original nineteen sixty eight Fair 264 00:16:01,560 --> 00:16:05,240 Speaker 1: Housing Act, which is about discrimination. And we understand that, 265 00:16:05,280 --> 00:16:07,680 Speaker 1: and we all agree with the intent of the Fair 266 00:16:07,720 --> 00:16:10,960 Speaker 1: Housing Act of sixty eight, But all this other nonsense 267 00:16:11,040 --> 00:16:14,560 Speaker 1: and definitions and requirements that wasn't part of it. That's 268 00:16:14,600 --> 00:16:17,560 Speaker 1: not fair game. They want to do away with single 269 00:16:17,560 --> 00:16:23,760 Speaker 1: family residential zoning in our suburbs. You're negotiating with people 270 00:16:23,880 --> 00:16:26,120 Speaker 1: from HUD. Did any of the people from HUD live 271 00:16:26,160 --> 00:16:30,200 Speaker 1: in your county? Of course? Not not only that, but 272 00:16:30,480 --> 00:16:32,560 Speaker 1: when I went down to meet at the time with 273 00:16:32,600 --> 00:16:35,120 Speaker 1: Sean Donovan, who was the HUD secretary. I still remember 274 00:16:35,160 --> 00:16:38,520 Speaker 1: this day. We go down to DC in his conference 275 00:16:38,600 --> 00:16:41,720 Speaker 1: room and he and his top staff pull out this 276 00:16:42,080 --> 00:16:46,040 Speaker 1: map of Westchester and he said, I want to know 277 00:16:46,160 --> 00:16:48,680 Speaker 1: why you're not building over here. It was in the 278 00:16:48,720 --> 00:16:51,600 Speaker 1: northern part of Westchester. And I said to him, do 279 00:16:51,640 --> 00:16:54,960 Speaker 1: you mean in all that green and blue area? And 280 00:16:54,960 --> 00:16:57,320 Speaker 1: he said, yeah, why aren't you building here? I said, well, 281 00:16:58,240 --> 00:17:00,920 Speaker 1: you should talk to the EPA or the New York 282 00:17:00,960 --> 00:17:06,359 Speaker 1: City Department of Environmental Protection because that's all environmentally protected area. 283 00:17:06,440 --> 00:17:11,280 Speaker 1: We're not allowed to even step on that. That's watershed property, 284 00:17:11,320 --> 00:17:13,680 Speaker 1: so we don't even have the ability to build there, 285 00:17:13,760 --> 00:17:16,480 Speaker 1: which he didn't understand and didn't accept. And then he 286 00:17:16,480 --> 00:17:18,800 Speaker 1: would say, well, why aren't you building, you know, in 287 00:17:18,840 --> 00:17:21,680 Speaker 1: all these other areas. I said, because do you understand 288 00:17:21,680 --> 00:17:25,800 Speaker 1: what the property values and costs are to build? And 289 00:17:26,200 --> 00:17:29,600 Speaker 1: there's no water or sewer connections there, there's no bus 290 00:17:29,680 --> 00:17:33,560 Speaker 1: routes there. You know what Their answer was, so put 291 00:17:33,560 --> 00:17:37,479 Speaker 1: bus routes there, build sewers, put water there. They had 292 00:17:37,600 --> 00:17:42,080 Speaker 1: zero clue whatsoever on how not only Westchester work, but 293 00:17:42,119 --> 00:17:45,000 Speaker 1: the rest of the country works. And again it's this 294 00:17:45,080 --> 00:17:47,480 Speaker 1: pie in the sky utopia that they want to move 295 00:17:47,520 --> 00:17:50,800 Speaker 1: people around like chess pieces. And I'm sure you're familiar 296 00:17:50,800 --> 00:17:53,120 Speaker 1: with this, and it was a very disappointing Supreme Court 297 00:17:53,160 --> 00:17:57,679 Speaker 1: decision that I think it was twenty fifteen. It was 298 00:17:57,720 --> 00:18:01,840 Speaker 1: the issue of what's called disparate impact. And disparate impact 299 00:18:01,880 --> 00:18:05,240 Speaker 1: was used by the Obama administration in just about every 300 00:18:05,359 --> 00:18:11,360 Speaker 1: department to attack every institution that they wanted to attack. 301 00:18:11,760 --> 00:18:15,760 Speaker 1: And disparate impact basically means you're guilty by statistics. You 302 00:18:15,800 --> 00:18:20,720 Speaker 1: don't even have to prove intent or harm or actual discrimination. 303 00:18:20,800 --> 00:18:23,000 Speaker 1: So they used it in the banking system and the 304 00:18:23,080 --> 00:18:28,320 Speaker 1: auto industry for loans all these different things where by statistics, 305 00:18:28,600 --> 00:18:32,800 Speaker 1: they would say, well, like in Westchester, this community, let's 306 00:18:32,800 --> 00:18:39,600 Speaker 1: say Chappa Quad is disproportionately inhabited by white people, therefore 307 00:18:40,480 --> 00:18:44,679 Speaker 1: it is racially segregated. And we would say no, no, no no, no, no. 308 00:18:44,800 --> 00:18:47,359 Speaker 1: You know what it is. It's called expensive. I can't 309 00:18:47,400 --> 00:18:50,000 Speaker 1: live in Chappa Quad because I personally can't afford a 310 00:18:50,000 --> 00:18:52,880 Speaker 1: two million dollar home, So I live in a community 311 00:18:52,880 --> 00:18:56,440 Speaker 1: where I can afford. And they would take this disparate 312 00:18:56,440 --> 00:19:01,280 Speaker 1: impact guilt by statistics and turn it upside down. So 313 00:19:01,440 --> 00:19:04,720 Speaker 1: if they charge you with this, you're guilty until you 314 00:19:04,760 --> 00:19:07,439 Speaker 1: can prove your innocence, which is completely the opposite of 315 00:19:07,440 --> 00:19:10,840 Speaker 1: how we do things in this country, and so every 316 00:19:10,920 --> 00:19:14,800 Speaker 1: community would be on notice. Originally, the county spent over 317 00:19:14,840 --> 00:19:19,200 Speaker 1: six million dollars in legal fees before they settled. No community, 318 00:19:19,680 --> 00:19:22,280 Speaker 1: generally speaking, is going to be able to spend the 319 00:19:22,440 --> 00:19:25,359 Speaker 1: millions and millions and millions of dollars in legal fees 320 00:19:25,400 --> 00:19:29,480 Speaker 1: trying to defend themselves on something that is basically set 321 00:19:29,520 --> 00:19:32,280 Speaker 1: up where they can't win from the beginning. And obviously 322 00:19:32,320 --> 00:19:36,200 Speaker 1: the Justice Department has endless supplies of money and lawyers 323 00:19:36,720 --> 00:19:40,920 Speaker 1: and the media behind them, so it became very difficult. 324 00:19:41,200 --> 00:19:45,000 Speaker 1: I personally got calls from Rhode Island and Massachusetts and 325 00:19:45,000 --> 00:19:47,240 Speaker 1: other areas where there were communities that were following what 326 00:19:47,359 --> 00:19:50,680 Speaker 1: was happening in Westchester, And I got calls from Texas 327 00:19:50,800 --> 00:19:55,440 Speaker 1: and Colorado and California communities and counties that the HUD 328 00:19:55,560 --> 00:19:57,840 Speaker 1: was starting to march into those communities and make the 329 00:19:57,880 --> 00:20:01,640 Speaker 1: same allegations and pointing towards West Jester, and they were 330 00:20:01,680 --> 00:20:04,399 Speaker 1: asking me how to fight back and everything. So I 331 00:20:04,520 --> 00:20:07,720 Speaker 1: gladly kind of took on the role. And I still 332 00:20:08,040 --> 00:20:13,800 Speaker 1: think it is a very fundamentally important issue of federalism, 333 00:20:14,000 --> 00:20:19,320 Speaker 1: local control, and not this guilt by accusation that the 334 00:20:19,440 --> 00:20:41,159 Speaker 1: liberals love to do these days. If their approach is 335 00:20:41,200 --> 00:20:45,120 Speaker 1: the wrong approach, are things just naturally working their way out, 336 00:20:45,160 --> 00:20:47,960 Speaker 1: or is there anything that we should have as a 337 00:20:48,080 --> 00:20:52,439 Speaker 1: system to make sure that people have the opportunity to 338 00:20:53,359 --> 00:20:56,639 Speaker 1: live in the suburbs. Yeah, I think that's a great point, 339 00:20:56,720 --> 00:21:00,840 Speaker 1: and we already see it's happening naturally, and in the 340 00:21:00,880 --> 00:21:04,680 Speaker 1: communities that were quote targeted or part of the settlement, 341 00:21:04,760 --> 00:21:07,399 Speaker 1: that is, the communities that, according to the census in 342 00:21:07,440 --> 00:21:11,480 Speaker 1: two thousand had less than seven percent Hispanic or three 343 00:21:11,520 --> 00:21:16,919 Speaker 1: percent African American. We saw literally a fifty one percent 344 00:21:17,080 --> 00:21:25,480 Speaker 1: increase in Black and Hispanic new residents by their own choice, 345 00:21:25,760 --> 00:21:30,280 Speaker 1: without any government intervention. Blacks and Hispanics were moving into 346 00:21:30,359 --> 00:21:33,040 Speaker 1: these communities on their own because they chose to and 347 00:21:33,080 --> 00:21:38,000 Speaker 1: they found housing that they wanted. So it really breaks 348 00:21:38,040 --> 00:21:42,840 Speaker 1: the accusation that these crazy progressives are putting out there. 349 00:21:43,359 --> 00:21:49,880 Speaker 1: This is what I find so arrogant, patronizing, demeaning that 350 00:21:49,960 --> 00:21:55,960 Speaker 1: progressives basically say that no minority is capable of owning 351 00:21:56,000 --> 00:21:59,960 Speaker 1: their own home without the assistance of the federal government. 352 00:22:00,320 --> 00:22:03,320 Speaker 1: I think that's deplorable, I really and truly do. And 353 00:22:03,400 --> 00:22:05,840 Speaker 1: yet that's what they push, and they basically want to 354 00:22:05,880 --> 00:22:08,920 Speaker 1: move people around like chess pieces. You know, we got 355 00:22:08,920 --> 00:22:11,200 Speaker 1: to pull x amount from here and move them into 356 00:22:11,240 --> 00:22:13,720 Speaker 1: this community. And this is too white, so we have 357 00:22:13,760 --> 00:22:16,720 Speaker 1: to blend it and all this craziness. And the worst 358 00:22:16,760 --> 00:22:18,199 Speaker 1: part of this, by the way, is when we were 359 00:22:18,240 --> 00:22:21,280 Speaker 1: building this housing as part of the settlement, as part 360 00:22:21,480 --> 00:22:26,520 Speaker 1: of what was dictated, we had to advertise aggressively outside 361 00:22:26,560 --> 00:22:31,520 Speaker 1: of Westchester for people from New York and Bridgeport, Connecticut, 362 00:22:31,640 --> 00:22:35,159 Speaker 1: and New York City. We had to advertise to them. 363 00:22:35,600 --> 00:22:38,480 Speaker 1: People in those areas to come up to Westchester to 364 00:22:38,480 --> 00:22:42,200 Speaker 1: get this housing instead of the people within Westchester who 365 00:22:42,240 --> 00:22:44,639 Speaker 1: needed and wanted this housing, and it became a lottery 366 00:22:44,640 --> 00:22:47,919 Speaker 1: system against our tax dollars using other people to come in. 367 00:22:48,359 --> 00:22:53,160 Speaker 1: It was nonsensical from the beginning when Trump was doing 368 00:22:53,200 --> 00:22:56,199 Speaker 1: really well before the Chinese virus, we had the lowest 369 00:22:56,240 --> 00:23:00,600 Speaker 1: Black unemployment, the lowest Latino unemployment, and we are actually 370 00:23:00,600 --> 00:23:05,199 Speaker 1: seeing a significant larger increase in salaries for people in 371 00:23:05,240 --> 00:23:07,840 Speaker 1: the bottom twenty five percent of the country. And it 372 00:23:07,920 --> 00:23:10,560 Speaker 1: struck me at the time that a lot of these 373 00:23:10,560 --> 00:23:13,960 Speaker 1: problems were going to become self resolved just because people 374 00:23:13,960 --> 00:23:17,359 Speaker 1: would have the money to move to a nice place 375 00:23:17,400 --> 00:23:20,240 Speaker 1: and to have a decent future. That the real key 376 00:23:20,440 --> 00:23:23,600 Speaker 1: was to ensure the level of economic growth we need 377 00:23:24,040 --> 00:23:27,800 Speaker 1: so that everybody has the money to have a decent life. 378 00:23:28,840 --> 00:23:33,160 Speaker 1: Totally true. I mean, humming economy makes it better for everybody. 379 00:23:33,240 --> 00:23:37,560 Speaker 1: A depression or recession makes it worse for everybody. When 380 00:23:37,560 --> 00:23:42,640 Speaker 1: you bring companies or job creators into a community, you 381 00:23:42,800 --> 00:23:46,680 Speaker 1: naturally have people that will flock there and they want 382 00:23:46,680 --> 00:23:48,600 Speaker 1: to live there and they want to help the local 383 00:23:48,640 --> 00:23:52,000 Speaker 1: businesses there. And we focused on that and I was 384 00:23:52,040 --> 00:23:54,600 Speaker 1: proud of the forty four thousand new jobs that were created. 385 00:23:54,800 --> 00:23:59,480 Speaker 1: I tried to set the table for businesses to come 386 00:23:59,480 --> 00:24:02,760 Speaker 1: in and span where the world headquarters of PepsiCo is here, 387 00:24:02,880 --> 00:24:07,960 Speaker 1: IBM is here in Westchester, many many multinational corporations. Regeneron, 388 00:24:08,040 --> 00:24:10,840 Speaker 1: which is one of the top pharmaceutical and research and 389 00:24:10,840 --> 00:24:15,600 Speaker 1: development companies in the world, is here, and they wanted 390 00:24:15,600 --> 00:24:18,960 Speaker 1: to come in, and they expanded, and more people wanted 391 00:24:19,000 --> 00:24:23,400 Speaker 1: to move. And housing was built by communities with developers 392 00:24:23,480 --> 00:24:27,400 Speaker 1: because the market dictated that, and people came and they 393 00:24:27,400 --> 00:24:30,439 Speaker 1: didn't come because the government forced them to. They came 394 00:24:30,520 --> 00:24:32,920 Speaker 1: because they wanted to, because it was a welcoming community. 395 00:24:32,920 --> 00:24:35,679 Speaker 1: And that's what bothered me the most is that the 396 00:24:35,760 --> 00:24:39,640 Speaker 1: Obama Biden administration wagged its finger at Westchester and said, 397 00:24:39,680 --> 00:24:43,040 Speaker 1: you know, you're bad, and it really turned off a 398 00:24:43,040 --> 00:24:45,919 Speaker 1: lot of people, not just Republicans, it turned off a 399 00:24:45,920 --> 00:24:50,159 Speaker 1: lot of Democrats. I remember this is one of my 400 00:24:50,200 --> 00:24:52,840 Speaker 1: most fund days in eight years. I was trying to 401 00:24:52,880 --> 00:24:56,280 Speaker 1: get the help of Hillary Clinton and other Democrats to 402 00:24:56,520 --> 00:25:00,720 Speaker 1: push back on this narrative that the Obama hud and 403 00:25:01,240 --> 00:25:04,640 Speaker 1: Justice Apartment was labeling Westchester. So I had a press 404 00:25:04,680 --> 00:25:08,479 Speaker 1: conference outside Hillary and Bill Clinton's home in Chappaqua, and 405 00:25:08,560 --> 00:25:11,840 Speaker 1: it got a lot of attention, and I basically said, 406 00:25:12,840 --> 00:25:15,560 Speaker 1: the Clintons need to help us, but they need to 407 00:25:15,560 --> 00:25:19,400 Speaker 1: answer this question. Do they think Westchester is a segregated 408 00:25:19,440 --> 00:25:22,280 Speaker 1: and racist place to live? And if they do, then 409 00:25:22,280 --> 00:25:24,679 Speaker 1: why do they choose to live here if that's the case. 410 00:25:25,359 --> 00:25:28,440 Speaker 1: So if they don't think it's segregated and racist, as 411 00:25:28,520 --> 00:25:30,680 Speaker 1: I don't think it is, then they should be helping us. 412 00:25:31,240 --> 00:25:34,960 Speaker 1: And of course they never said a word. They like others, 413 00:25:35,800 --> 00:25:38,040 Speaker 1: I won't name the rest of the cast of characters. 414 00:25:38,040 --> 00:25:40,960 Speaker 1: The elected officials all Democrats. They didn't do a thing, 415 00:25:41,359 --> 00:25:44,040 Speaker 1: and it really bothered me that they wouldn't stick up 416 00:25:44,080 --> 00:25:46,439 Speaker 1: for the place that they know, that they love, that 417 00:25:46,480 --> 00:25:50,560 Speaker 1: they live in. And this progressive problem that was coming 418 00:25:50,560 --> 00:25:53,879 Speaker 1: out of Washington was harmful. I was just not going 419 00:25:53,960 --> 00:25:57,160 Speaker 1: to allow my county when there was not only zero proof, 420 00:25:57,160 --> 00:26:00,240 Speaker 1: but they were one hundred eighty degrees wrong. What do 421 00:26:00,280 --> 00:26:03,919 Speaker 1: you think would have happened if you had proposed putting 422 00:26:03,920 --> 00:26:08,280 Speaker 1: one of those developments into their immediate neighborhood. Trust me, 423 00:26:08,400 --> 00:26:11,159 Speaker 1: I was looking for property. I'm glad you brought that up, 424 00:26:11,200 --> 00:26:14,920 Speaker 1: because you know what look anywhere in suburbia, if you 425 00:26:15,119 --> 00:26:18,520 Speaker 1: try to put a shed up on your property, the 426 00:26:18,640 --> 00:26:21,520 Speaker 1: local zoning board goes crazy. The community goes in saying 427 00:26:21,640 --> 00:26:24,520 Speaker 1: what you try to build on your own property, the 428 00:26:24,600 --> 00:26:27,960 Speaker 1: obstacles you face right let alone housing, You try to 429 00:26:28,000 --> 00:26:30,639 Speaker 1: put up housing developments, and people all of a sudden, 430 00:26:30,680 --> 00:26:34,120 Speaker 1: it's not in my backyard syndrome. So this was fraught 431 00:26:34,160 --> 00:26:38,080 Speaker 1: from the very beginning because we had a time ticking. 432 00:26:39,000 --> 00:26:41,200 Speaker 1: We had the first two years where we had to 433 00:26:41,240 --> 00:26:44,320 Speaker 1: figure out properties and then we had to hit benchmarks, 434 00:26:44,320 --> 00:26:46,000 Speaker 1: and if we didn't hit the benchmarks, we were going 435 00:26:46,040 --> 00:26:49,320 Speaker 1: to get fined, and it was significant fines. Unlike a 436 00:26:49,320 --> 00:26:52,240 Speaker 1: lot of other counties in the country, Westchester does not 437 00:26:52,520 --> 00:26:56,040 Speaker 1: have zoning power. That's up to the local communities. So 438 00:26:56,080 --> 00:26:59,720 Speaker 1: we would identify properties, we would pay for the properties 439 00:27:00,160 --> 00:27:04,000 Speaker 1: with the developers, but the community had ultimate say whether 440 00:27:04,160 --> 00:27:07,400 Speaker 1: or not during the planning process they would accept it, 441 00:27:07,920 --> 00:27:10,120 Speaker 1: which you know, we were kind of being held hostage. 442 00:27:10,119 --> 00:27:12,080 Speaker 1: They all kind of knew we were in this together, 443 00:27:12,119 --> 00:27:14,560 Speaker 1: but ultimately we didn't have the final say, which again 444 00:27:14,680 --> 00:27:18,119 Speaker 1: was inherently wrong. And this settlement was developed and HUD 445 00:27:18,160 --> 00:27:20,480 Speaker 1: wanted us to threaten our own communities that we would 446 00:27:20,520 --> 00:27:22,879 Speaker 1: take them to court and all this other stuff and 447 00:27:23,080 --> 00:27:25,200 Speaker 1: bully them from the beginning. And we said, no, that's 448 00:27:25,200 --> 00:27:26,439 Speaker 1: not the way we're going to do things. We're going 449 00:27:26,480 --> 00:27:28,880 Speaker 1: to work cooperatively with our communities and get this done. 450 00:27:28,920 --> 00:27:31,960 Speaker 1: And we did. And I was even surprised there was 451 00:27:32,000 --> 00:27:36,160 Speaker 1: not a peep from the local community members because they 452 00:27:36,160 --> 00:27:38,639 Speaker 1: didn't understand what we needed to do. We would not 453 00:27:38,760 --> 00:27:42,320 Speaker 1: put these units in the middle of a residential neighborhood. 454 00:27:42,320 --> 00:27:46,680 Speaker 1: We found places that were appropriate, that had services, all 455 00:27:46,720 --> 00:27:48,240 Speaker 1: those kind of things, and they would go into the 456 00:27:48,280 --> 00:27:52,000 Speaker 1: local school district if there were kids there. So the 457 00:27:52,080 --> 00:27:56,560 Speaker 1: one area, ironically, but it says a lot. The one 458 00:27:56,600 --> 00:28:00,840 Speaker 1: community that went ballistic when we had a property that 459 00:28:00,920 --> 00:28:06,000 Speaker 1: we found was Chappaqua, home of the Clintons. They were 460 00:28:06,040 --> 00:28:08,840 Speaker 1: the ones that were giving us the most grief on 461 00:28:08,960 --> 00:28:11,679 Speaker 1: putting up these units. Granted it was not in a 462 00:28:11,680 --> 00:28:14,600 Speaker 1: wonderful spot. It was right near the Sawmill River Parkway, 463 00:28:15,160 --> 00:28:18,760 Speaker 1: it was not near the Metro North railroad tracks. But 464 00:28:19,440 --> 00:28:21,880 Speaker 1: try to find a property in Chappaqua or anywhere else 465 00:28:21,880 --> 00:28:24,560 Speaker 1: that you could afford. I mean literally millions and millions 466 00:28:24,560 --> 00:28:28,400 Speaker 1: of dollars for land acquisition alone, besides getting into construction costs, 467 00:28:29,520 --> 00:28:33,720 Speaker 1: so they went ballistic. I almost had to laugh because 468 00:28:33,800 --> 00:28:37,680 Speaker 1: it was the home of the far left progressives, it 469 00:28:37,760 --> 00:28:40,720 Speaker 1: was the home of the Clintons, and they were the 470 00:28:40,720 --> 00:28:43,400 Speaker 1: ones pushing back the most. One of the things to 471 00:28:43,520 --> 00:28:47,920 Speaker 1: make this real, Senator Corey Booker and James Leibern have 472 00:28:48,080 --> 00:28:52,400 Speaker 1: a bill introduced that would hold twelve billion dollars in 473 00:28:52,560 --> 00:28:56,760 Speaker 1: federal grants to states for highways unless they agreed to 474 00:28:56,840 --> 00:29:00,000 Speaker 1: change their suburbs. And I think Biden has already committed 475 00:29:00,680 --> 00:29:04,240 Speaker 1: that he would support that bill if elected president. And 476 00:29:04,360 --> 00:29:06,960 Speaker 1: so you can see a whole new level of pressure 477 00:29:07,000 --> 00:29:11,640 Speaker 1: being built to make people conformed what Washington wants. Yes, 478 00:29:11,920 --> 00:29:14,800 Speaker 1: and they will, and I guarantee you they'll go further 479 00:29:14,840 --> 00:29:18,240 Speaker 1: than that eventually. This is money that states and communities 480 00:29:18,280 --> 00:29:21,280 Speaker 1: get to pay their highways and roads, and it's an 481 00:29:21,400 --> 00:29:24,240 Speaker 1: enormous amount of money that ultimately the local taxpayers would 482 00:29:24,240 --> 00:29:27,200 Speaker 1: have to fit the bill. So communities take this money 483 00:29:27,280 --> 00:29:29,760 Speaker 1: just like they take the housing money. I don't think 484 00:29:29,760 --> 00:29:32,400 Speaker 1: they'll stop there, though. I think they'll link it to 485 00:29:32,560 --> 00:29:36,640 Speaker 1: a lot of aid in other departments too. Aren't you 486 00:29:36,760 --> 00:29:40,080 Speaker 1: running this year? I am. I'm running for a New 487 00:29:40,160 --> 00:29:44,120 Speaker 1: York States Senate. It's rob Asterino dot com if people 488 00:29:44,120 --> 00:29:46,040 Speaker 1: want to go and check it out. But I thank 489 00:29:46,040 --> 00:29:48,840 Speaker 1: you so much for bringing light to this issue. People 490 00:29:48,880 --> 00:29:52,480 Speaker 1: should understand what will happen to their neighborhoods if a 491 00:29:52,560 --> 00:29:56,640 Speaker 1: Biden administration gets in. If you want a big, five 492 00:29:56,800 --> 00:29:59,760 Speaker 1: ten story apartment building next to you and no zoning laws, 493 00:30:00,440 --> 00:30:03,120 Speaker 1: then vote for Biden. If you want to protect your property, 494 00:30:03,520 --> 00:30:06,680 Speaker 1: your single biggest investment, then you got to vote for Trump. 495 00:30:07,360 --> 00:30:09,280 Speaker 1: It's that simple. As I wish you well on the 496 00:30:09,320 --> 00:30:12,880 Speaker 1: campaign trail. This has been very, very helpful. I really 497 00:30:13,000 --> 00:30:15,840 Speaker 1: admire you, and I admire your leadership, and I think 498 00:30:15,880 --> 00:30:18,640 Speaker 1: you're one of the guys who if New York does recover, 499 00:30:19,160 --> 00:30:21,280 Speaker 1: you'll be right in the middle of the recovery. So 500 00:30:21,800 --> 00:30:24,760 Speaker 1: good luck to save travels on your campaign. Thank you, 501 00:30:24,920 --> 00:30:31,440 Speaker 1: mister Speaker, take care. Thank you to my guest Rob Asterino. 502 00:30:31,640 --> 00:30:33,760 Speaker 1: You can read more about the war and the suburbs 503 00:30:34,120 --> 00:30:37,200 Speaker 1: on our show page at nutsworld dot com. News World 504 00:30:37,320 --> 00:30:41,320 Speaker 1: is produced by Gingwich three sixty and iHeartMedia. Our executive 505 00:30:41,360 --> 00:30:45,240 Speaker 1: producer is Debbie Myers and our producer is Garnsey Slum. 506 00:30:45,280 --> 00:30:48,440 Speaker 1: The artwork for the show was created by Steve Penley. 507 00:30:49,080 --> 00:30:52,200 Speaker 1: Special thanks to the team at Gingwich three sixty. Please 508 00:30:52,280 --> 00:30:55,120 Speaker 1: email me with your questions at Gingwich three sixty dot 509 00:30:55,120 --> 00:31:00,600 Speaker 1: com slash questions. I'll answer them in future episodes. If 510 00:31:00,640 --> 00:31:02,720 Speaker 1: you've been enjoying news World, I hope you'll go to 511 00:31:02,760 --> 00:31:06,000 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts and both rate us with five stars and 512 00:31:06,120 --> 00:31:09,080 Speaker 1: give us a review so others can learn what it's 513 00:31:09,120 --> 00:31:12,560 Speaker 1: all about. I'm new Gingwich. This is news World.