NEW YORK (TIP): New York City Mayor Eric Adams, on January 26, outlined a “Working People’s Agenda” in his second State of the City address, delivered at the Queens Theatre in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park.
Mayor Adams’ agenda is built on four pillars that are essential to building a city that meets the needs of working New Yorkers and represent the focus of his administration’s work in 2023: jobs, safety, housing, and care.
“Without a strong working class, this city cannot survive. That’s why, today, I’ve outlined how we plan to build a city for working people, one that is more affordable, safer, cleaner, and more livable,” said Mayor Adams. “You need good jobs and pathways to get those jobs, and those jobs need to be able to support a home for you and a family. You need to be safer, and you need care – not just in crisis but throughout your lives. These are the things that our administration is working for every day to sustain the workers who make this city possible and build a better city for all.”
When he took office a year ago, Mayor Eric Adams vowed to make New York safe again. Gun violence is down, but other crimes are proving challenging.
There are few things Adams is more passionate about than public safety, but public criticism of cops taking pictures of people for a social media post provoked an unscripted moment of passion.
“Let’s stop starting off hating each other and start embracing each other. This is what we want to do,” Adams said.
The mayor was defending cops against public criticism of their decision to take pictures of people leaving a Drake concert at the Apollo to post on social media, angry that an effort at community involvement was misconstrued.
It was a moment of passion as he talked about new public safety initiatives for year two of his administration, including:
- An expanded focus on preventing shoplifting,
- More violence prevention programs,
- A most wanted list of the 1,700 criminals responsible for a disproportionate amount of violent crime,
- A push in Albany for criminal justice reforms,
- And more neighborhood safety teams to get guns off the street.
“We’re going to use proven methods and intensive community support to keep gun culture from taking root and taking over,” Adams said.
The mayor also vowed to end traffic violence, saying, “2023 is the year we are going to tighten the screws on reckless drivers, holding them accountable for their actions before they harm others.”
The mayor said he would go to Albany to seek a package of six bills called R.O.A.D.S.: Removing Offenders and Aggressive Drivers from our Streets.
It would:
- Increase penalties for serious crashes, running red lights and impaired driving;
- Ensure swift penalties for those who drive with suspended or revoked licenses;
- And revoking the privileges of driving on city streets and suspending the registration of cars that get five or more red light camera violations in a 12-month period.
“We must treat traffic violence the same way we treat other dangerous crimes,” Adams said.
There will also be more tow trucks to ticket and tow abandoned and illegal parked cars, and a new focus on Vision Zero.
“New Yorkers should not have to fear for their lives every time they cross the street or bike to work,” Adams said.
The mayor is also going to create a new city position called “Director of the Public Realm” to create more open spaces in the city. It’s unknown what the salary for that position is, but the new rat czar will get $170,000 a year.