Mayor Bloomberg Speaks Out

In an exclusive interview with The Queens Courier, Mayor Michael Bloomberg sat down with publisher Victoria Schneps, and gave her the lowdown on a few key issues bilingual education, diversity and keeping the streets clean and safe vital to his re-election. He also congratulated Schneps on El Correo, the newly launched Spanish sister publication to The Queens Courier.
The Mayor On…
Diversity: Switching from their traditional pattern of voting Democrat, a large number of Hispanic New Yorkers endorsed Mayor Michael Bloomberg in the 2001 election. Heres what the mayor had to say about this voting block which, according to the latest census, is the largest minority in New York, at 25% of the population, and the United States:
"The Latino community keeps growing. Its a very diverse community…Their Spanish is very different, yet each of these communities comes to New York and each of them adds to the city."
Education: Since fall of 2002, the mayor has undertaken the largest overhaul of the citys school system. As of July 1, 2003, the start of the new fiscal year, the board of education was dismantled. Mayor Bloomberg and Schools Chancellor Joel Klein also divided city schools into 10 regions, each under the stewardship of an instructional supervisor. The mayors motto for his system is "No child left behind."
"As for bilingual education, its a balance. You want to make sure people speak English, so they can get a good job, but you dont want them to forget the culture that their ancestors brought to their country."
On the subject of whether improvements are actually occurring, Mayor Bloomberg cited and undeniable example, "I gave the graduating speech at JFK high school. That school was taken from one of the most dangerous, to a top school in six months. With leadership, it can be done. Theyre not going to have every kid ready for Harvard, Yale and Princeton, but theyll have books."
Housing: The economy has been floundering due to the World Trade Center attacks and the recession for the past year. May numbers show New York Citys unemployment rate at 8.1%. What are some of the other initiatives?
"The administration has committed to rehabilitating 65,000 units of affordable housing over the next five years. If we do that, it will create jobs…"
The preservation of housing is part of Mayor Bloombergs New Housing Marketplace: Creating Houses for the Next Generation plan which will dedicate $3 billion in funds over the next five years.
Revitalizing Lower Manhattan post September 11, is also an issue that Bloomberg is tackling.
The Lower Manhattan Development Corporation plans to allocate $50 million in Housing and Urban Development funding for an affording housing initiative, backed by Bloomberg and Governor George Pataki. The grant will fund around 300 affordable dwellings for moderate to middle-income families in the income range of approximately $50,000 to $85,000.
The 2012 Olympics: Led by Daniel Doctoroff, the deputy mayor for economic development and rebuilding, New York is competing in a pool of international cities to host the 2012 Summer Olympics. Being home to the international athletic event will mean a major rehabilitation and development project for all the boroughs. What will this mean for the city?
"People in Queens have an enormous interest in tourism. Extension of the No. 7 line and a new convention center are essential. If we dont win the Olympics, well still do itthose things need to get done regardless of the Olympics. People say oh I dont want a stadium or a convention center, but we all need it desperately."
Entrepreneurship:
According to the Queens County Overall Economic Development Corporation, the fastest growing sector in the nations economy and in Queens is small businesses and minority businesses. They are growing at a rate of 15% to 25% compared to 6% for businesses in general.
"Half the people in New York work in companies of ten people or less. The city has to make sure the streets are safe and clean. You cant have businesses without safe and clean streets."
Safety On Queens Boulevard: Queens has suffered from a recent string of motor-vehicle tragedies. Two weeks ago, two female pedestrians lost their lives when an SUV struck by a car that ran a red light tumbled onto a Queens Boulevard median and crushed them. This past weekend an infant and a motorcyclist lost their lives on Springfield Boulevard. Can the city try and prevent these accidents?
"Car accidents may not have been prevented by traffic light cameras, but how dare Albany prevent us from doing what we have to do to ensure the safety of both drivers and pedestrians."