New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams attacks Trump ahead of potential mayor bid
New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams’ annual speech is often seen as a blueprint for the agenda of the coming year.
But her speech on Tuesday added more weight.
Ms. Adams formed a campaign committee to run for mayor last week in preparation for a possible late bid, with the Democratic primary in June.
She is expected to make the final decision this week, but signs seem to point to her jump in the game. She is forming a campaign team and attending a screening this weekend to recognize the international union of service workers at the local 32BJ, an influential city alliance.
Even if she didn’t run, her vision for New York City has increased considering the decline in influence of Mayor Eric Adams. Under Ms. Adams, the Council has vetoed the mayor’s veto as a key criminal justice measure.
If she chooses to run, Ms. Adams faces an uphill battle. She will have a compressed period to raise funds and improve her low name recognition. None of the four council spokesmen who had run for mayor were successful, and no women served as mayor. The advancement contest of the poll show was entered on the weekend of former Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, which was the top priority in the contest.
Ms. Adams didn’t mention it in her jazz speech at Lincoln Center, instead focusing on achievements such as programs to enhance affordable housing production, offering discounts to those who work to pay for bus and subway fares, and protecting immigrants and LGBTQ people from Trump’s administration’s policies.
Ms. Adams criticized President Trump throughout the speech, saying he was “against the cruel crusade against immigrant families” and “willing to burn everything in his own way” and that his policies were damaging small businesses.
Mr. Adams, who has nothing to do with a council spokesman, has been criticized for not opposing Trump administration policies that could undermine the city. The mayor was accused of being invisible by Mr. Trump after the Justice Department dismissed his five-term federal corruption prosecution.
The federal prosecutor handling the case resigned instead of dismissing the charges. There is a quirk that the mayor will participate in Trump administration’s immigration enforcement in exchange for dismissing the charges, she said.
“We want to oppose the tyranny that takes root at our federal level, right in our own backyard,” Ms. Adams said.
Mr. Adams was not present. Instead, he traveled to Washington, D.C., where he is expected to testify in Congress on Wednesday that New York’s status as a sanctuary city.
Ms. Adams said in her speech that her agenda reflects her collaborative and community-oriented leadership style, a model that can be “scaled to a greater impact” by those who control the leverage of power.
“During my tenure, I was labeled as ‘moderate’ when people tried to understand who they are. But my focus has always been on public services without political labels,” Ms. Adams said. “How we measure policy solutions should be based on how effective they are in improving New Yorkers’ lives.”
Among the audience, city controller Brad Lander, who ran for the early June elections, and public advocate Jumaane Williams.
“It sounds like she knows how to run a city,” Williams said after the speech.
Mr Rand said Ms. Adams has delivered a strong speech on how to “protect New Yorkers” from Donald Trump and threats to housing affordability, childcare and public safety.
“That’s the conversation New Yorkers want,” Rand said. “New Yorkers don’t want corrupt chaos agent Andrew Cuomo to replace corrupt chaos agent Eric Adams.”
Ms. Adams has a plan to fund families with children under 2 years of age, which will allow those slightly above the limit to qualify for assistance. She also proposed a program to help adults and young people earn degrees from New York City University, offering up to $1,000 to clear unpaid balances so students can re-enroll their courses.
To increase the growth of minority and women-owned businesses, Ms. Adams proposed a “minority business accelerator” that will help businesses obtain contracts from private businesses. Jonathan Bowles, executive director of the Center for Urban Futures, proposed the idea a few years ago, saying the proposal would “build wealth in communities of color and strengthen the city’s economy for everyone.”
Ms. Adams also introduced legislation that would speed up payments to nonprofits that provide important urban services to residents. To help the city’s mental health crisis, Ms. Adams proposed creating a “holistic” model that enables community centers to provide mental health services as well as physical and recreational opportunities.
She also announced a plan to expand library access by resuming seven-day weekly services across the city’s 10 branches. Ms. Adams led a charge to reverse the mayor’s proposal to cut $58.3 million in library funds last year.
Ms. Adams concluded her speech and said, “We need solutions than slogans, services, not saviors and partnerships.” It sounds a lot like a mayor candidate. “In our city, the dignity and trust in government leadership have been lifted and must be restored.”
