Latest news with #Hizzoner
New York Post
4 days ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Zohran Mamdani's plan to undo mayoral control of NYC schools would be ‘terrible mistake,' experts warn
The educational priorities of socialist Big Apple mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani could undermine progress in the nation's largest school system, veteran education experts warn. The Democratic Party candidate was the only hopeful who said he wants to gut mayoral control of the city school system — a set-up that has been in place since 2002 and supported by former Mayors Mike Bloomberg and Bill de Blasio and current Hizzoner Eric Adams. 'Zohran supports an end to mayoral control and envisions a system instead in which parents, students, educators and administrators work together to create the school environments in which students and families will best thrive—strengthening co-governance,' his campaign platform says. Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani accepting the endorsement of the United Federation of Teachers at its Manhattan headquarters on July 9, 2025. Matthew McDermott Mamdani repeated during a NY1 interview last week that he wanted to go beyond a mayor having an 'automatic majority' of appointments to the Panel for Educational Policy. The socialist Democrat, who was endorsed by the United Federation of Teachers after he overwhelmingly won the Dem primary last month, said he is on the same wavelength as the union, which has long fought to reduce the mayor's authority over the school system. 'I've seen this as something the union was also advocating for in the past … a changing of the composition of the board,' Mamdani said. Education experts questioned Mamdani's approach. 'It would be a terrible mistake to take away the mayor's majority on the Panel for Education Policy,' said Ray Damonico, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute and a veteran researcher who previously worked in the city public school system. Mamdani said he agrees with the UFT's view on mayoral control. Matthew McDermott The biggest advancements in New York City education systems were during the first 12 years of mayoral control under Bloomberg, when low-performing schools were closed and replaced with charter schools and other smaller, experimental schools, Damonico said. Mamdani also is out of touch with the working class and low-income parents he claims to represent who enroll their kids in charter schools, he argued. 'Mamdani is not a fan of charter schools. He's a fan of the teachers' union,' Damonico said. Hunter College urban affairs professor Joseph Viteritti, who served as senior adviser to Schools Chancellor Frank Macchiorola, opposed diluting the mayor's authority over the school system, too. 'You need to focus on accountability and responsibility somewhere. It gives the mayor a direct stake in the process,' Viteritti said. He said proper checks can be put in place on the PEP without diluting City Hall's responsibility for schools. CUNY Graduate Center education Professor David Bloomfield said Mamdani 'doesn't seem to have a thought-through policy' on schools, as he does in other areas. He said mayoral control is better than 'education by committee.' But Mamdani, if he's elected, could be more inclusive in his decision-making by having an open search to select the next schools chancellor, instead of making a unilateral choice, Bloomfield said. Mamdani has said the mayor should still appoint the schools chancellor, as is the case now, and that ultimately the mayor is responsible for educating students. The leading candidate insisted he didn't want to return to the much-maligned city Board of Education, when the mayor had two of seven appointments. He also insisted his goal was to get more parents and educators engaged in school policy through various advisory boards, such as community education councils. The state law on New York City school governance is up for renewal next June. During a private meeting with tech executives last week, an attendee who is a charter-school parent asked Mamdani about his position on the popular alternative to public schools. Mamdani said he is 'skeptical' of charter schools, citing 'equity' issues and higher suspension rates for their students — though many charter-school students are poor or working class. 'I agree with your assessment that public education, for the most part, is not working as it should be,' he told the parent. He told the tech executives that he's interested in 'efficiency' and curbing costly consultant contracts awarded by the city Department of Education. A rep for Mayor Eric Adams called Mamdani's proposed to undo mayoral control of schools 'reckless and irresponsible. 'It would take us back to a time when New York City's school system was mired in dysfunction, with no clear accountability and no one in charge,' Adams campaign spokesman Todd Shapiro said. 'While Mamdani talks about pulling power from the mayor, Mayor Adams is focused on keeping our kids learning, safe, and supported. He fought to extend mayoral control because he believes one person should be responsible — and that person is the mayor New Yorkers elect.' In general, education has gotten short shrift during the mayoral campaign with little talk about a drop in enrollment, high absenteeism and stagnant test scores, the school watchdogs said.
New York Post
11-07-2025
- Business
- New York Post
Mayor Adams must implement controversial, costly housing voucher plan, court rules
Mayor Eric Adams was handed a blow Thursday when a state court ordered his administration to comply with the city council's controversial plan to expand the Big Apple's housing voucher program — which Hizzoner has warned would saddle the city with an eye-popping $17 billion price tag over five years. The Adams Admin was dealt its second major blow by the courts system in two weeks Thursday. Paul Martinka The Adams admin and the council have been locked in a years-long bitter feud over reforms that would amend eligibility for services under the City Fighting Homelessness and Eviction Prevention Supplement, known as CityFHEPS. Advertisement 'The City Council, as the legislative branch of city government, has the right to pass local laws crafting putative shelter supplements,' the court's decision read. The council's reforms put New Yorkers facing eviction on the fast track to get housing vouchers without first having to spend three months in the city shelter system, would bar landlords from deducting costs of utility bills from a voucher, would increase the income level of cutoff to qualify for aid and would remove work requirements. Hizzoner has argued that the expansion would cost taxpayers $17 billion over five years — and would make it harder for people to leave homeless shelters. Advertisement 'Adding more vouchers will only make it harder for people to leave homeless shelters. The affordable-housing crisis won't be solved by making people compete for nonexistent housing; it will be solved by building more housing — which the Adams administration has done at record levels — and actually connecting people who already have vouchers to homes,' Adams admin spokesperson, Liz Garcia, said in a statement. Garcia also insisted that the Adams administration has already helped an 'unprecedented number' of New Yorkers find housing. 'The Adams administration has utilized CityFHEPS more than any prior administration — helping an unprecedented number of New Yorkers obtain permanent housing last year, including nearly 8,000 New Yorkers we helped avoid shelter using CityFHEPS vouchers, in addition to thousands more we helped leave shelter,' she said. 'We accomplished this in the midst of a housing crisis with a 1.4% vacancy rate. But 13,000 households are still trying to use their CityFHEPS vouchers to find permanent housing, and we must focus on them.' Advertisement City council speaker Adrienne Adams (pictured) led the council's fight for the CityFHEPs reforms. William Farrington The city council, meanwhile, maintains that City Hall has overshot the cost of the reforms by $7 billion. 'It is unfortunate that for two years Mayor Adams' administration stood in the way of removing barriers to housing vouchers that keep New Yorkers in their homes and move them from shelters to permanent homes,' said Rendy Desamours, a spokesperson for the city council. The state court ruling is the Adams admin's second notable blow in the last few weeks. Advertisement In a separate case, a Manhattan judge ruled on June 30 that the mayor 'violated' the law when he blocked a council ban on solitary confinement using his emergency powers, rather than appealing to a federally appointed monitor. However, a federal court judge granted City Hall a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) preventing the complete implementation of the solitary confinement ban, local law 42, without approval from the monitor. 'As Mayor Adams has repeatedly said, enforcement of Local Law 42 as written would harm the safety of people in our custody, our correctional staff, court staff, and the public, and we are grateful that Judge Swain has paused its implementation,' spokesperson for the Mayor, Liz Garcia, said of the TRO.
New York Post
01-07-2025
- Business
- New York Post
NYC's Rent Guidelines Board approves hike for rent-stabilized apartments by up to 4.5%
New York City's Rent Guidelines Board approved a rent hike of up to 4.5% for New Yorkers living in the Big Apple's nearly 1 million rent-stabilized apartments. In a narrow 5-4 vote Monday night, the board approved a rent increase of 3% for 1-year leases and 4.5% for 2-year leases that start on or after Oct. 1. The final increase is notably higher than what Mayor Eric Adams — who appointed all nine board members, including two tenant representatives and two landlord representatives — had pleaded for ahead of the final vote. Advertisement 'While the board exercised their independent judgment, and made an adjustment based on elements such as inflation, I am disappointed that they approved increases higher than what I called for,' he said in a statement. Earlier in the day, Hizzoner had urged board members to approve the minimum increases it had set at 1.75% and 3.75% hikes on 1-year and 2-year leases, respectively. Before Monday's final vote, the board had voted in early May to increase the rent of tenants in rent-stabilized apartments by at least 4.75% for new two-year leases — but it was scaled back to a minimum of 3.75% in a rare reversal less than a month later. The board had set the maximum possible hike it'd be voting on to 7.75%. Advertisement 'This board, mandated to be independent under any mayor who comes down the road, cannot continue to operate in a bubble. These [rent-stabilized] buildings are systematically defunded term after term, and it's on the watch of elected officials,' board member Christina Smith said during the Monday meeting. 4 The Rent Guidelines Board approved a hike for rent-stabilized apartments by 3% and 4.5% depending on the lease length. AFP via Getty Images 'Sadly, anything that happens tonight will not solve the serious housing crisis that faces the not-for-profit housing providers, the supportive housing providers, the public housing providers, nor the private owners who the activists love to vilify. It's on you, elected New York City. This crisis is on you.' In the weeks leading up to the consequential vote, the board held five public hearings and received more than 200 video testimonies. Advertisement On the day of, the tense meeting was interrupted by community members chanting, 'Freeze the rent!' and blowing whistles during the board members' discussion. The cries hark back to Democratic nominee for mayor, socialist Zohran Mamdani, who has promised to freeze the rent for the millions of tenants in stabilized apartments if elected. 4 People at the vote chanted 'Freeze the tent!' and shouted over the board members during the meeting. X/Brad Lander In his statement following the final vote, Adams — who is running for reelection as an Independent — knocked Mamdani's key campaign promise in a not-so-subtle call-out. Advertisement 'Rent may be on the rise, but so are deteriorating housing conditions — including inadequate heat and heating breakdowns, mice and rat problems, mold, and leaks — especially for New Yorkers in rent-stabilized housing,' Adams said. 'Demands to 'freeze the rent' would exacerbate these harmful health and safety issues inside the homes of more than 1 million New Yorkers by depriving owners of the resources needed to make repairs — a cruel and dangerous proposal. While freezing the rent may sound like a catchy slogan, it is bad policy, short-sighted, and only puts tenants in harm's way.' 4 The hike will affect nearly 1 million rent-stabilized apartments. Christopher Sadowski The Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY) praised the rent increases — but said they weren't enough for the increasing costs landlords face to maintain their units. 'These adjustments by RGB, while less than the increase in costs imposed on owners, are a necessary step toward preserving the long-term health of our housing stock,' REBNY President James Whelan said following the vote. Some New Yorkers didn't think the board went far enough, as their adjustment still kept rent below estimated inflation levels. 4 Many officials specifically noted that freezing rent is not the solution to NYC's housing crisis after it was highlighted by Zohran Mamdani. Hans Lucas/AFP via Getty Images 'They didn't follow the math, and now these rent adjustments will further plunge small rent-stabilized buildings into distress and foreclosure. Capping rent increases when operating costs are rising is unsustainable,' Ann Korchak, board president of the landlord advocacy group Small Property Owners of New York, said. Advertisement Others praised the board for not bending to the will of advocates calling for the rent freeze, bolstered by Mamdani throughout his mayoral campaign. 'While we are disappointed that the RGB once again adjusted rents below inflation, we appreciate that they stood up to political pressure calling for rent freezes that would accelerate the financial and physical deterioration of thousands of older rent-stabilized buildings,' New York Apartment Association CEO Kenny Burgos said. Last year, the Rent Guidelines Board's approval for a rent increase sparked protests outside Manhattan's Hunter College, where the vote was held. Six protesters among the crowd that called for a rent freeze were arrested. That hike was 2.75% for one-year leases and 5.25% for two-year leases.
New York Post
14-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Eric Adams hops onto Instagram wagon, posts video with contradictory clocks
Time stopped at Gracie Mansion on Monday. We all know Mayor Eric Adams isn't above hopping onto the latest Instagram trend, as he proved once again this week by posting his 'morning routine' for his 126,000 followers. The already-ebbing trend involves filming yourself while preparing for the day ahead. The footage is then spliced together and edited, and corresponding timestamps added. 4 Mayor Adams isn't above making his own smoothies. Instagram/ericadamsfornyc In Adams' post, we get to see Hizzoner shaving, ironing his dress shirt, and making a smoothie for himself. He also filmed himself eating fresh fruit for breakfast, and leaving Gracie Mansion for the Chevrolet Suburban High Country that ferries him around the city. But a standard black-and-white wall clock visible in part of Adams' video appears to show the mayor started his day two hours later than claimed. 4 Mayor Adams 'starts his day very early,' a city hall spokesperson explained. Instagram/ericadamsfornyc As the Mayor is seen preparing his smoothie, for instance, the clock in his expansive kitchen reads 11 a.m., while timestamps on the clip claim the footage was filmed at 9 a.m. A City Hall spokesperson accounted for the apparent time discrepancy, claiming the wall clock's batteries had died shortly before Hizzoner chose to film his daily routine 4 Some of his followers wondered if he had better things to do that morning. Paul Martinka Adams 'starts his day very early,' and the footage 'caught [the clock] at a weird time,' a spokesperson told The Post. 4 Mayor Adams with the ill-timed clock behind him. Instagram/ericadamsfornyc Many Instagram users also spotted the clock disparity, and had to comment. 'Your clocks all say it's around 12 p.m.,' reflected another of Hizzoner's followers. 'Did you mean to say this is your morning routine Turkish time?'
New York Post
12-06-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
Mayor Adams warns anti-ICE NYC protesters: ‘We will not allow you to destroy our city'
Mayor Eric Adams warned Antifa agitators that he won't allow them to 'destroy our city' as violent anti-ICE protests spiraled out of control across the country. 'We know that there are those who travel our country and embed themselves into issues like Antifa and others,' Hizzoner told Newsmax Wednesday night. 'And they have one goal in mind, and that is to provoke and to create disruption and disorder, particularly with our law enforcement community.' Advertisement 4 NYC Mayor Eric Adams appears on Newsmax, warning protesters against destroying the city on June 11, 2025. NewsMax 'We identify them immediately, remove them from the crowds and take proper police practice when they cross the line,' he added. The NYPD nabbed 10 people in the Big Apple Wednesday as anti-ICE protestor took to the streets, law enforcement sources said. Advertisement It was down dramatically from the more than 80 taken into custody when a massive protest in Lower Manhattan descended into chaos on Tuesday. Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch has already insisted the NYPD would stand its ground and not let protests get out of control as the violence only escalated in Los Angeles and other major cities. 'Commissioner Tisch gave a very loud and clear message. We will allow peaceful protests, but we will not allow you to destroy our city or harm innocent people,' Adams said. 4 Police detain a protester during a riot in the streets near 26 Federal Plaza in NYC on June 11, 2025. Stephen Yang Advertisement 'And we will take action whenever that takes place.' Elsewhere, Hizzoner blamed the unrest on 'outside agitators' — likening them to those who flooded Columbia University last year to 'radicalize' students amid the wave of anti-Israel demonstrations. 'If you recall during the Columbia protest, I talked about the outside agitators, professional agitators that want to come on our college campuses and radicalize our students,' he said. 'Some of the leaflets and pamphlets that were handed out talk about hating America, hating Israel, hating Jewish people. Just real mean and nasty things.' Advertisement 4 Hundreds of protesters march at Foley Square protesting ICE immigration enforcement arrests across the US. Stephen Yang 4 An NYPD officers drag a protester away from the crowd during unrest in the streets of Manhattan on June 10, 2025. Aristide Economopoulos 'And we went in and took appropriate action when they broke into a dorm room… we found that there were those who were professionals, that they came from other parts of the country and actually agitated and pushed to participate in the taking over of Hamilton Hall,' he continued. 'We're seeing that here as well. These are professional people who believe in disruption and destruction of property.' Additional reporting by Larry Celona
