| | | | |  | | By Joe Anuta, Danielle Muoio Dunn and Zachary Schermele | | | |  Mayor Eric Adams held a town hall in the Bronx on Monday night with more than 100 people. | Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images | New York City Mayor Eric Adams kicked off his second round of town halls Monday night in the Hunts Point neighborhood of the Bronx. And compared to the town halls of his predecessor, it was a far more controlled affair. The evening was billed as a way for the community to speak to the mayor and City Hall decision makers directly. More than 100 people showed up after the mayor’s office put out the word through local community organizations. Anyone could RSVP, according to the administration. And like last year’s public safety-focused town halls, attendees sat at tables with a facilitator from the mayor’s office and drafted a single question per group. That format appeared to attract a more civically involved crowd that included nonprofit leaders, youth groups and even city employees who were studded throughout the audience and asked the majority of questions during the roughly 1.5 hour question-and-answer session. Many queries touched on serious concerns:
- An educator wanted to know what the city was doing about open-air drug use on a bridge used by students. (The local precinct was going to look into it.)
- A public housing resident said that homeless individuals living in her building were harassing workers and stealing from her neighbors. (The mayor promised to go on a tour with her.)
- One woman wanted to know what the city was doing about asylum seekers who commit crimes. (Adams said asylum seekers largely weren’t committing crimes.)
The vibe, however, was far different from the freewheeling town halls hosted by former Mayor Bill de Blasio, who was criticized and even booed during one session in Queens. Those unvarnished interactions extended to de Blasio’s weekly appearances on a call-in show with WNYC’s Brian Lehrer, where he once sparred with a teenage education activist and got into a fiery, on-air tussle with Academy Award-nominated actor Chazz Palminteri. The goal was to reach voters directly by circumventing the City Hall press corps. However, though Adams shares that desire, he seemed to be one step removed Monday night from some of the more tumultuous exchanges with everyday New York City voters. IT’S TUESDAY. WHERE’S KATHY? In Albany, delivering remarks to emergency medical service providers and attending the Legislative Correspondents Association Show. WHERE’S ERIC? In New York City, delivering remarks at the Combat Antisemitism Movement’s roundtable and hosting a fireside chat with Shopify President Harley Finkelstein. Later, he will meet with Hindu faith leaders and Peru’s minister of finance before hosting an Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage reception.
| | | | A message from the Seneca Nation: Safe, affordable housing for all is a priority issue in New York. Using gaming revenues, the Seneca Nation has improved housing stock and programs on its territories. More than 300 Nation-funded mortgages have given Seneca individuals and families the opportunity to live among family, friends, and community. A fair and equitable gaming Compact is critical to continue meeting the Nation’s growing housing needs. Let New York’s leaders know that you #StandWithSeneca. Visit StandWithSeneca.com today. | | | |  | ABOVE THE FOLD | |
New York Dems beg Biden to fast-track migrant work permits, by POLITICO’s Zachary Schermele and Joseph Spector: New York Democrats banded together Monday with a simple message for President Joe Biden: Put asylum-seekers to work. New York City Mayor Adams, Gov. Kathy Hochul, Reps. Dan Goldman and Jerry Nadler joined labor and business leaders at a Brooklyn press conference to ask Biden for special federal work authorization for the tens of thousands of migrants who’ve arrived in the state since last year. The state’s top Democrats called for expedited executive action to alleviate some of the pressure on the city’s social safety net. “Without legislation, we can get this done,” Hochul said.
— “Despite Migrant Arrivals, There’s No Shortage of Hotel Rooms in New York,” by The New York Times’ Matthew Haag | | What City Hall's reading | | “Success Academy Calls 911 on Students in Mental Health Crisis, Writing its Own Rules,” by THE CITY’s Abigail Kramer: “Families say publicly funded, privately run charter schools in New York are allowed to punish and discriminate against students by calling in emergency services.” “NYC moves to avert lifeguard shortage as Memorial Day weekend approaches,” by WNYC’s Giulia Heyward: “As Memorial Day weekend approaches, the city is still struggling to hire enough lifeguards. And it might ruin some New Yorkers’ plans: last year’s lifeguard shortage led to limited swimming hours or reduced capacity at some of its beaches and pools. The city has roughly a third of the lifeguards it needs to run all of its pools and beaches this summer, Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue confirmed on Monday during a budget hearing before the New York City Council’s parks committee.” COMFORTING: “We asked young New Yorkers about their dream futures. Then we calculated exactly how much each would cost,” by Curbed’s Rachel Sugar, Jack Denton, Laura Thompson and Adriane Quinlan: “Sure, it’s always been ludicrously expensive, and the 'what you could get for the same price of this Chelsea studio in Ohio' game is our little way of torturing ourselves. New York is the most expensive city in the world, according to one recent report. Half the households that live here simply cannot afford to, according to another, which says you have to make $100,000 just to reasonably get by — to afford food and transportation to work. A one-pound container of strawberries at Eli’s costs $30.”
| | | | DON’T MISS POLITICO’S HEALTH CARE SUMMIT: The Covid-19 pandemic helped spur innovation in health care, from the wide adoption of telemedicine, health apps and online pharmacies to mRNA vaccines. But what will the next health care innovations look like? Join POLITICO on Wednesday June 7 for our Health Care Summit to explore how tech and innovation are transforming care and the challenges ahead for access and delivery in the United States. REGISTER NOW. | | | | | | | WHAT ALBANY'S READING | |
“Payroll mobility tax hitting workers of color in New York, report finds,” by Spectrum News’ Nick Reisman: “Exempting suburban communities from an increase in the payroll mobility tax to bolster the finances of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority is disproportionately affecting workers of color, a report from the Fiscal Policy Institute released Monday found. The report reviewed the effect of the payroll tax increase as part of the $229 billion budget agreement struck earlier this month, finding non-white New Yorkers will carry a heavier burden as a result.”
“Business groups urge block of NY bill to cap investment fund profits” by Times Union’s Raga Justin: “New York would have the power to force private hedge funds to comply with debt relief deals that the U.S. government brokers with cash-strapped foreign countries through a new bill under consideration by the Legislature this week. The bill — which sponsors and critics alike have said has the unprecedented power to significantly reshape the international financial landscape — has spurred warnings of far-reaching economic consequences from the financial industry, even as it has gained support from numerous religious groups and progressive unions.” “New York Begins Exploring Non-Renewable Energy to Meet Climate Target,” by New York Focus’ Colin Kinniburgh: “New York’s climate law requires the state to produce 100 percent of its energy from 'zero emissions' sources by 2040, but what exactly that means is still up for debate.” #UpstateAmerica: Around 150 elementary schools students traveled to Albany to compete in New York’s first statewide math competition.
| | | | A message from the Seneca Nation:   | | | | | FROM THE DELEGATION | |
“NYC congressional leaders call on city universities to turn their dorms into migrant housing this summer,” by Daily News’ Chris Sommerfeldt: “In a letter to the heads of CUNY, SUNY, NYU and a coalition of local private institutions, Democratic New York Reps. Dan Goldman and Jamaal Bowman said the educational systems should have plenty of ‘available space on your campuses that may be suitable to provide shelter for new arrivals’ during the summer break.”
| | AROUND NEW YORK | |
— The MTA is moving forward with fare and toll increases that would bring the price of a subway fare to $2.90.
— The legislature is expected to vote on a bill in the coming days that would reduce the use of synthetic pesticides. — Housing production continues to move slowly, with applications to build new residential projects coming in below average. — Subway and bus supervisors ratified a contract that gives members a 9.5 percent raise over four years.
| | | | GET READY FOR GLOBAL TECH DAY: Join POLITICO Live as we launch our first Global Tech Day alongside London Tech Week on Thursday, June 15. Register now for continuing updates and to be a part of this momentous and program-packed day! From the blockchain, to AI, and autonomous vehicles, technology is changing how power is exercised around the world, so who will write the rules? REGISTER HERE. | | | | | | | SOCIAL DATA BY DANIEL LIPPMAN | |
HAPPY BIRTHDAY: William Minor of DLA Piper … ABC’s Mary Bruce … NBC’s Danielle Dellorto … BBC News’ Adam Levy … Matt Nussbaum … Anna Gohmann … Jeff Kujan … (was Monday): Peter Walker Kaplan
MAKING MOVES — Thomas J. Malone and David J. Penna have joined Davis Polk as partners. They previously were partners at Latham & Watkins. SPOTTED on Wednesday at the Anthony Shadid Award for Journalism Ethics ceremony in New York: Nada Bakri, Anne Barnard, Sam Freedman, Ron Nixon, Karl Vick and Scott Stein. This year’s ceremony awarded the prize to a team of Associated Press journalists (Mystyslav Chernov, Evgeniy Maloletka, Vasilisa Stepanenko and Lori Hinnant) who covered Mariupol and featured a conversation with David Maraniss moderated by Steve Fainaru (3-min. acceptance speech). WELCOME TO THE WORLD — Abe Sutton, a principal at Rubicon Founders and a Trump White House alumnus, and Leora Sutton, senior software engineer at Ophelia Health, on May 16 welcomed Maya Anne Sutton. Pic
| | | | A message from the Seneca Nation: Safe, affordable housing for all is a priority issue in New York. For generations of Senecas, the dream of owning their own home was kept beyond their reach because banks would not grant traditional mortgages on the Seneca Nation’s sovereign territory. This left most Seneca families virtually no path to buying houses on the lands they call home. The Seneca Nation helped remove this barrier and made the dream of home ownership a reality. Using gaming revenues, the Seneca Nation created a Nation-funded mortgage program. Since 2005, more than 300 mortgages have given Seneca individuals and families the opportunity to live among family, friends, and community. Along with the mortgage program, the Nation has improved housing stock and programs on its territories. A fair and equitable gaming Compact is critical to continue meeting the Nation’s growing housing needs. Let New York’s leaders know that you #StandWithSeneca. Visit StandWithSeneca.com today. | | | | | Real Estate | |
“Do New York’s Affordable Housing Lotteries Fuel Segregation?,” by The New York Times’ Mihir Zaveri: “A federal judge in New York is allowing a civil rights lawsuit against the city to move forward, after the city spent eight years trying to quash it. The lawsuit says that by giving preference to the current residents of each neighborhood, the city’s affordable housing system violates the Fair Housing Act and New York City Human Rights Law.”
“Las Vegas Sands lease gets final approval from Nassau legislators,” by Newsday’s Candice Ferrette: “Nassau County legislators, in a near unanimous vote late Monday, approved a 99-year lease agreement that would allow Las Vegas Sands to develop a $4 billion casino resort on the Coliseum site…. Sands will now need an environmental review, zoning approvals from the Town of Hempstead, support from community panels and advisory boards and a state gambling license for the development to move forward.” “The Flatiron Building is up for auction—again. Here’s what you need to know,” by Crain’s New York’s Eddie Small | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook | Playbook PM | California Playbook | Florida Playbook | Illinois Playbook | Massachusetts Playbook | New Jersey Playbook | New York Playbook | Ottawa Playbook | Brussels Playbook | London Playbook View all our political and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | | |
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