Mayor Zohran Mamdani: It is lovely to be back here in Morningside Heights. When I moved to New York City at the age of seven in 1999, this is the neighborhood where I grew up. We're just blocks away from what I would argue is the best pizza in New York City at Koronet.
It is lovely to be here with so many of our incredible kids and their incredible teachers and Acty the Snowman, as we're celebrating the fact that we have just a few days left until families can finish their application process for Pre-K and 3-K. And so, for more than 75,000 families that have already applied, we say thank you.
You have until February 27th if you want to join them in applying for free 3-K and Pre-K across our city. You can do so by going to myschools.nyc, and you can find [the] website where you'll find a whole wide variety of options for where you can enroll your children.
It's a free program that takes more than $20,000 a year off the backs of working families. We're so excited to be here at St. John the Divine as we celebrate the programs that we have already, the enrollment we've already seen, and the last few days as we see more and more families join them in that. Thank you so much.
Question: How do you spell Acty?
Mayor Mamdani: Good to see you. A-C-T-Y. I just want to turn it over to the specialist on the naming.
Question: [Inaudible]... The State of The Union, the president says you speak often but doesn't like your politics. How often do you speak? The other question [inaudible]... the NYPD investigates [inaudible].
Mayor Mamdani: I'll go with the first question, then go to the second. I appreciate all the focus on our Emergency Snow Shoveler program. I want to actually say thank you, because part of the result of that is we had more than 1,400 New Yorkers sign up for the first time to join that program just yesterday alone. And what we've seen now is that emergency shovelers have been able to supplement the incredible work of the hardworking men and women of DSNY, where these snow shovelers have been able to clear more than 16,000 crosswalks, about 4,166 hydrants, and close to 7,000 bus stops.
I'll keep the conversation I had with the president private. I will tell you, however, that whenever they do happen, they always focus on how to better our city and this city moving.
And now on the topic of the snowball fight, to first make it very clear, when we're talking about our response: we're talking about emergency snow shovelers, [and] we're talking about DSNY. One of the hearts of our city's response also to the first blizzard we've seen since 2016 - has been the hardworking men and women of the NYPD, and that's not only in just continuing to keep New Yorkers safe, but also leading the NYPD Tow Truck Task Force, which took more than a dozen ambulances being stuck, as well as MTA buses, private vehicles, and were critical to ensure that we could keep this city moving.
Now, what I saw yesterday in these videos was a snowball fight that got out of hand. I believe that our officers, just like any city workers, deserve respect. And, you know, once again, I think these are the views that I've shared both in public as well as in any conversations I've had.
Question: [Inaudible] schizophrenic gentleman in Queens [inaudible] shot officers, should not be charged. [Inaudible] to be fair, they look like kids. Can you make a similar statement saying [inaudible]?
Mayor Mamdani: I've said that what I saw was a snowball fight. It should be treated accordingly. It was one that got out of hand, but that's what it was.
Question: Mr. Mayor, are you willing to revise your statement regarding the snowball fight, given that this was not exactly a friendly back-and-forth snowball fight, that the police that were there were not throwing any snowballs? They were getting pelted themselves. And number two, have you considered or would you consider banning these crowdsourcing events because they can and sometimes do get out of hand.
Mayor Mamdani: I'm not going to be banning snowball fights or organized snowball fights. I've shared my thoughts with New Yorkers, and I continue to believe that what we are seeing in this response, this winter blizzard from the city workers as a whole, and that includes the hardworking men and women of the NYPD, is part of why the city is getting back on its feet. And I'm appreciative of that work.
Question: You mentioned you want to keep the conversations with Trump private, but on the frequency of the conversations, not the content, like how often are you guys talking? And then second question, Julie Menin is holding a hearing today on a package of bills to combat hate. One of those bills proposed a 100-foot buffer zone to keep protesters away from houses of worship. It's been amended. That buffer zone has been removed. What are your thoughts on that bill? Is it something that you will sign?
Mayor Mamdani: So, the latest version of the legislation that you're referring to, it asks the Law Department and the NYPD to respond within 45 days with a plan to both the Speaker and myself on how we can both protect the right to prayer as well as the right to free speech. And this is a distinct shift from the original legislation, which proposed a specific policy that I know our Police Department, as well as a number of legal scholars, had expressed concerns about. So, I look forward to seeing the hearing today and to seeing whatever the final version is of that legislation. And, you know, we have conversations that are always focused on how to keep the city moving forward.
Question: There's a Tax the Rich rally today in Albany. You're not there, obviously, even though taxing the rich has been one of your consistent calls to raise revenue for the city. So, I'm wondering if you could talk a little bit about why you decided not to be there. Were you worried about irking the governor on this issue? And secondly, do you think it disappoints people in this movement that you've called for that, but you're not necessarily at this rally?
Mayor Mamdani: So, I make it clear time and time again that I believe in the importance of taxing the wealthiest New Yorkers that little bit more, as well as the most profitable corporations, and doing so while also ending the drain that has long characterized our city's fiscal relationship with the state. And I've said this both because it's important to create a fairer tax system and also because of the fact that we're facing a $5.4 billion fiscal deficit at this time, the likes of which we haven't seen since the Great Recession.
And my not attending one event does not change in any way the strength with which I believe this, the urgency with which I believe we have to respond to it. And I'm thankful for New Yorkers who continue to make it clear that they, too, want to build a city that everyone who calls it home can afford.
Question: [Inaudible].
Mayor Mamdani: The governor and I are in constant communication, and we are always looking to build a healthier, stronger city. I'm appreciative of her partnership in that, and I know we have a long budget process to go through, and I'm encouraged by the beginnings of it.
Question: Mayor, yesterday the Police Department put out four pictures of people they're looking for- saying that they may have assaulted police officers. I wonder what your reaction to that is, if you think that they should be prosecuted if they're caught, and if you've talked to the police commissioner about that.
Mayor Mamdani: I stay in regular touch with my police commissioner, and I appreciate the work that she's doing. You know, I've said time and time again that I- having seen these videos, to me it was a snowball fight that got out of hand, and it should be treated accordingly.
Question: [Inaudible].
Mayor Mamdani: So, you know, I've said again and again what I think it was.
Question: Just to follow up on Marcia's question, I mean, I think people are wondering why you and the police commissioner don't seem to be on the same page regarding the snowball fight. You know, is there a distance between you and the police commissioner when it comes to this?
Mayor Mamdani: I am- I've said again and again my views on this snowball fight, and I'm appreciative of the work that my police commissioner does, and the work that we are doing to keep New Yorkers safe across this city, and that's the work that I'm looking forward to continuing.
Question: Can I just talk about this dual ID thing with the snow shovelers? Are you surprised by how much that's blown up to the state that's getting mentioned in the State of the Union? I mean, obviously, that's not actually really- that's federal law. Basically, are you surprised by how that is accelerated by social media?
Mayor Mamdani: I can tell you I didn't expect this much attention nationwide on our Emergency Snow Shoveler program. It is a program that has existed for years. It is a program that has been part of responses to storms. It's also, however, been a conversation that's been helpful in sharing the fact that New Yorkers can be a part of this.
I mean, yesterday we saw more than 1,000 New Yorkers enrolled into this program. And that, in and of itself, doubles the size of the snow shoveling program that we first found when coming into office in terms of who was ready to actually pick up a shovel. And I can say that it's been a critical part in getting our city back up on its feet.
And I'm immensely grateful to those who have joined this program, as well as to the 2,600 hardworking men and women of DSNY who have been working 12‑hour shifts. Because what they've done is deal with upwards of 28, 29 - in some parts of New York City, 30 - inches of snow.
And to have gotten through a first pass, a second pass, they are showing just how quickly the city can get back on its feet, while always ensuring that we are asking ourselves what more we can do to ensure that this is a City government meeting the needs of New Yorkers.
Question: [Inaudible].
Mayor Mamdani: I think any conversation about emergency snow shoveling always reminds New Yorkers they can join a program, where they make $30 an hour shoveling snow, and they have to bring two forms of identification, and they can join the ranks of any New Yorkers who have done so. Thank you all so much.
