Déjà Vu Parker: I hear you've got a lot of things going on right now. Talk to us about what's happening in New York City, especially with the libraries.
Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani: Absolutely. First of all, it is such a pleasure to be back on. And I have to say that, you know, earlier this week, we put forward our executive budget. And in that budget, we made clear that we were investing more than $31 million in permanent funding for our Queens Public Library System, Brooklyn Public Library System and the New York Public Library System.
Déjà Vu: That is what we're talking about. Books are so important. The libraries are so important. Why were they having to actually beg for funding every year anyway? What is that?
Mayor Mamdani: You know, I can't tell you the why. I just can tell you that for the last many years, it's been called a "budget dance," where every year they would be forced to push for things that most New Yorkers want to see in our city, whether it's seventh-day library service or the fact that they would have workshops helping New Yorkers build their resumes. And what we said is that we don't want to have an annual conversation of whether or not they deserve this funding. Let's make this permanent funding and then have a conversation about what it looks like to invest in these libraries. Because I think, like you said, libraries are one of the last places that people can go no matter how much money is in their pocket. Whether they need to use a computer, read a book, just have a place to sit and think, especially in the most expensive city in America.
Déjà Vu: Exactly. I call them my library office. I love to go there. All right. So, what else do we have going on? What else is busy in City Hall this week? What are we getting into?
Mayor Mamdani: Well, you know, we're still really reflecting on this budget we put forward on Tuesday. And in that budget, we made it very clear that even though we were facing a $12 billion fiscal deficit, we managed to balance it, bring that deficit down to zero, and do it without flashing services, without raising property taxes, and by actually investing in working New Yorkers. And so, what that's going to mean, [is] it looks like more than $4 billion investing in housing to make sure that we're actually building housing that's affordable enough, not just to rent, but also for some to be able to buy. And it also means that we're investing in public safety. We're seeing our first ever Office of Community Safety. We're putting in more than $40 million in this fiscal year.
And then when it comes to tackling the history of racism in the city, [we are] investing $2 million in the Task Force for Racial Inclusion and Equity Neighborhood Initiative. And that's something that will actually get the word out about the work that they're doing. And then finally, you know that I talk a lot about the importance of childcare and universal childcare. We've been laying out our investments in making childcare free for not just three-year-olds, but for the first time, for two-year-olds. And what we also announced in this budget is that we were going to invest $40 million more in childcare providers, the incredible childcare educators who actually keep this system running, who've been doing this work for many years, but they've had the same contract since 2021. And their costs have gone up in food, in space, in utilities. This is an investment that actually makes it easier for them to keep doing that work, because you can't have universal childcare if you don't have early childhood educators.
Déjà Vu: Absolutely. Absolutely. Speaking of that, I saw something about you all doing something with more teachers, adding more teachers in the coming season for the next year.
Mayor Mamdani: Absolutely. We are hiring 1,000 additional teachers into the system. And that's part of actually making sure that we can fulfill the class-size mandate that we're very excited to bring to New York City, which will lower the ratio between teachers and students in a classroom so that students can get more attention as they're learning. And the teachers can also have a better work environment when they go to school.
Déjà Vu: Absolutely. All right, so in wrapping this up, I know we said libraries, we said stuff about affordable housing and everything, and even you mentioned with the library, they have resume help. How is it right now for the average New Yorker? What do we have that can help the average New Yorker maintain our employment and just get the basic needs covered? What do we have going on for them?
Mayor Mamdani: You know, what I think we have across the city is a challenge where New Yorkers are being priced out of the place that they've helped to build. And so, what we've done in this budget is look to increase funding for the kinds of institutions that make it easier for New Yorkers to stay. So, whether that's the library or whether that's even just the park system, the cultural institutions, sometimes you also just need a place to wander, to explore, to think, not a place where you're always asking yourself: "How am I going to get a dollar to afford this service"? And then when it comes to jobs and housing and childcare, making the investments to make it easier for New Yorkers to actually be able to find the employment that can keep them in the city.
One of the key generators of a middle-class life in the city is CUNY. And so this budget also has within it a new investment for CUNY, both on the operating side as well as on the capital-building side, so that we can make it easier for New Yorkers to go through this system, which we found - the CUNY system is more effective than many Ivy League institutions in taking a working-class person and giving them a path to the middle class.
Déjà Vu: I love it. Come on, CUNY. All right, Mayor Mamdani. The weekend is here. There are a lot of things happening in the city. What will you be doing this weekend?
Mayor Mamdani: You know, I might just go for a bike ride this weekend. I'm going to be honest with you - you'll see me in the streets, you'll see me outside.
Déjà Vu: That's right, be outside. Make sure you have that helmet on, too.
Mayor Mamdani: Always, Déjà. Thank you so much.
Déjà Vu: Thanks for checking in, Mayor Mamdani. New York City, we are running it. Have a good weekend.
Mayor Mamdani: Same to you. Bye-bye.
