Pied-à-terre list? Rising antisemitism? Bruce Blakeman chances? Podcast with Councilman David Carr!

Okay, welcome everyone to the Status Island podcast. Today we have David Carr, the councilman for Staten Island and a small part of Brooklyn. Welcome to the podcast. Let's go right away into the first question. Um the Mamdani um proposed the new tax on the second house. He proposed a new tax. How do you call Pier? How do you >> Peter? >> I think they just called they made it they asked the PR company how to make a new tax sound cool or something. >> It's 100% right. >> So maybe you talk about that what your opinion is and what could be done about it. >> Sure. here and uh today we have a co-host Broady, a co-host. Welcome. And uh we'll let >> Well, first thank you so much for having me on. I I really appreciate this opportunity to talk and and and uh talk to your listeners. So the Pieta tear tax is supposed to be a tax on a second home. If you're a wealthy enough person that you have a second house and you're not using it for family, you're not renting it or leasing it out to a tenant, you're supposed to pay an extra tax, and this is new this year. But what got a lot of folks upset, particularly here in Staten Island and other parts of the city, is they basically released a list of every 1, two, and three family home in the city of New York, as well as every condo in the city of New York, and said, "Hey, these properties might be subject to the new petitare tax." It created all kinds of confusion and anger because people thought this tax, which is really supposed to be for the very, very wealthy, suddenly applied to them. And we've just been working with folks across the district now and other parts of the city to make sure they know that this isn't going to be applying to them. And more importantly, if they get a letter in the mail saying that they are, and it's we've heard from a number of people who have gotten them, there's a process to fight it, and we're here to help with that. >> Now, how do people know how to get the names off? And how do people know where to find the names if they are, if they're not? >> So, if you go to uh the the New York City uh Department of Finance website, there will be a list that I just described. And unfortunately, you may see yourself there. You may see your neighbors and family and friends on it. That doesn't mean you're really subject to the tax. They just threw up everybody's information online in a way that was unprecedented. But if you get a determination letter in the mail or you're afraid that maybe one came and you missed it, you can always contact my office. You could always go online. and there's a form that you can fill out to say, "Hey, I'm not a second home. I live here or my family lives here or I rent this property out. Um, and you should be able to successfully make a rebuttal so that the pietare tax doesn't apply to you." But I think what's been most upsetting about this is that the way the city did the roll out has just created more confusion. Doesn't take everybody. >> Yeah, absolutely. >> So, to clarify, who should be on the list? Only somebody has a secondary home that's worth $5 million, a secondary home, or his primary home. >> Great question. So, it's got to be a secondary home. And if it's a 1, two, or three family home, it has to be worth 5 million or more. If it's a condo or a co-op, it has to be 1 million or more. So, if you have a property tax bill and you don't fit into those financial thresholds, which is most people, >> even if you don't live there, you don't need to worry about it. But if you do live there or you have a tenant or you have a family member living in your property, it's not a pediter. So for everybody out there, it would be a good thing just to look up your your it would be a good thing just to look up your name, your address to find out if you're on the list or you're not on the list to make sure that you're not on the list if you don't belong there. >> Absolutely. >> Okay. Let me ask you um now in general um in the whole world and in New York City as well, there's more anti-semitism lately. What do you think about it and what can be done on a local level to to combat it? So, so anti-semitism is the oldest, unfortunately, most enduring form of hate that we have in in civilization. Um, and to me, it's a it's a stain on any society whenever it rears its ugly head. We have to face it head on, confront it for what it is, and make sure that those folks who have hate in their heart, uh, know that they're not going to get away with perpetrating violent acts or or other criminal acts against people because of that bias. Um, and I think we have a lot to do, not just in terms of making sure the NYPD has the resources they need to confront it, but that's the most important thing, but then also that we're doing our part in schools and in other places to make sure that future generations aren't having that evil strain of thought passed on to them, that we that they realize that we live in a civil society where everyone belongs, people can practice their faith freely, um, and that they should not be trying to harm or persecute people on the basis of the fact that they're they're Jewish. It's totally wrong. >> Exactly what I thought. I thought more besides the security is very important thing but to educate the the younger generation and tell them you're allowed to have disagreements like just like in politics or anybody else. A lot of agreement but uh profile somebody do something about them. Stick to your agreement. Stick to your to your mind. Whatever you think is one thing and when they go then the second phase that's that's a different thing. You know just keep to yourself. You have a mind you think either it's about Israel or it's about your religion. fine. It's good. Everybody agrees. But don't uh start doing other stuff opposing other people. That's if they get educated and they everybody can get along, greet somebody, do a good deed for somebody. I think that's one of the most important things. >> I I agree and I think history is so important. Um and I think you know as we are more and more removed in terms of years from uh the events of the Holocaust, right, it it becomes even more important that education component because there's less living witnesses around to sort of give give testimony to what happened and how that the dangers we're facing today need to be confronted. And so that's why it's so important that we make sure that kids know the history um and they get taught the right values. >> Okay, thank you very much for that. And now let's go to some questions that people sent in more local stat 9 related um things. So first people are asking about funding for buses which it's let's just make it in short because we already spoke about it on a different podcast but with sampolo but he was saying that a lot of things are more city summer city some summer state let's just say all three parts of the question and then um we'll we'll just tackle it uh quickly. So one type of funding for transportation is school bus transportation um where children are going to school in Brooklyn. So that there is funding in the budget for it but we just wanted to know what your opinion of it is if it ever comes across uh your desk that topic. Let me just say all the questions >> and then and the second one is um there is a shuttle a private owned um shuttle that that goes from Staten Island into Bar Park and they they're looking to get some type of funding that they should be able to continue and their price shouldn't have to be so high. And then there is a third topic. Some people want to know if it's possible to get a MTA bus that should go also from Staten Island. this area here, Willowbrook, Manorites, Westerly, Toddel should go from here to to in to Bar Park area because a lot of people work there and they go to school there and they go shopping there, etc. Okay. >> Yeah. So, I'll I'll take it in reverse order. So, we only have two local buses that go from Staten Island to Brooklyn and back. The S53 and the S79, they both terminate uh in on 86th Street in Bay Ridge by the Rain. Um, and I think the 53 actually passes not too far from here. it's over in Westerly. Um, but there's no direct continuous line to Borrow Park. Um, and I think that it's time for the MTA to take another look at that. Um, I think that there's a lot more folks um who have come from Borough Park to Staten Island, but they still work there. They still have kids who go to school there. They still have family and friends there. I think the writership is there to justify um them instituting either a modification of an existing bus line or the creation of a new one to try to do what you're talking about so that the two communities which are both part of New York City have an easier time getting to one another. Um as far as uh the school bus issue, I think that you know we need to make sure that we have folks uh empowered to make school choice. People want to send their kids to where they want to go. Um, and I think that the city and the state should facilitate that with bus service. And I think in particular, if you want to still send your kid to a school in another burrow, you should have that right. There should be school bus service for you and your families. Um, and I think there's plenty of room in the budget for so many things. We can afford to send kids to the schools that their parents want to send them. Um, as far as shuttle service goes, um, I think that in the past there were efforts by the last administration, Mayor Eric Adams administration to fund service from Burough Park to Staten Island, particularly to Willoughbrook and back. Um, I don't know why that never came through on the council end. Uh, the mayor was very supportive. I was supportive of it. Um, and I'd love nothing more to see what we could do to finance a lowcost option um, for folks, particularly if we're asking the MTA to build to a new line. this is a good you know at least bridge to that whole you know that outcome. >> So now in particularly to start a process like to to request a new line for the MTA to connect like one you shouldn't have to make a transfer from let's say South Ganon stops on South Ganon directly to Bor Park like that goes by the numbers over there like let's say 50th Street most of the buses the bus routes go down 50th and they come back on 49th Street. What would be the process to start of the first step to start that off? So we would you know my office we can write a letter to the MTA with the proposed route you know a start and a finish um and say you know we we think that there is now a writership that would make use of this um and that it would grow over time and so we would ask them to undertake an actual formal study to do some counts um and to and to just do additional study points that they could do to try to see you know if they're able to justify that line and then of course everything government does it's dollars and cents right So, we'd have to talk to them about how um this is ultimately going to be something that is going to >> bring in revenue >> bring them revenue. And I think I think that there's a way for us to do that. Um and then we can even start more modestly with the limited service option so they can try to test out, hey, is there is the writership here? >> What what's the most limited system like? Would they provide like twice a day a bus or that's too little for them? >> Um I think that's probably I think that's probably too little, but I could definitely see a peak service like a rush hour service in the morning and in the evening. So that would mean like four buses in the morning, four buses in the afternoon >> approximately. >> Yeah. I mean I think I think it could be every half hour or so and from you know certain point in the morning to certain point midday and then again in the evening hours >> and approximately what kind of ridership would they want to see like every bus a bus takes like what 50 60 seats 50 60 people. >> Yeah. I think I think when they see when they see 50 to 60 people on a given bus I think that says to them that there's demand. >> What's the lowest they would take? Like let's say if you only have 30 people on on a on a on one route. I mean like like let's say the 8:00 bus would have 30 people. The 10:00 bus would have another 30 people. What would make them >> Yeah, I think I think it's probably a sliding scale. So I think the the the more the closer to off peak you get, the less expectation I think there is that the bus is full. Um but I think that's sort of like something they have to tell us. But I ga I would think that it's probably not a consistent metric that they employ because there's definitely bus lines um that I've seen that are not necessarily uh getting the service that maybe they did in the past. So I think there's a lot of inertia here where they have to really do a wholesale reassessment of how they think about people are moving across our communities >> and not be so locked into >> I think I think once once it's running they don't stop it because you know but to get it started I think it's way harder. >> Yes. I think so >> look at a lot of different angles >> and that's why in the past when we did our express bus redesign we asked them to look at all the routes >> that were going to Manhattan and do a wholesale reassessment. They were supposed to do a local bus version of that for Staten Island. They never got around to it. Um, but since they're not, I think we have no choice but to ask them to look line by line and say, "Hey, there's a there's a market here for people who want to come and go from point A to point B. Let's serve them." >> Like, and who's in charge of that? I know the MTA is probably in charge of that, but there's a lot of different divisions in the MTA. Like, who which division would be in charge of that? Uh, >> so buses are run by New York City Transit. Um, so they would be the division of the MTA that would kind of take this request, do the study, and then come back with an answer. Um, and sometimes the initial answer may not be the best one, but you kind of have to arm wrestle with them and get them into a good place. >> Even if they say no, you can go back and forth with them, back and forth. Absolutely. It's probably a process of quite quite quite some time. >> Yeah. I mean, I I would hope that they would at least come back with an initial answer relatively quickly, but you do want them to have the space to do the study because traffic, sorry, commuting is going to be different depending on the time of year, right? Um, and when. So, we wouldn't want them to start a study in August, but we might want them to start a study in September. and getting >> once school year is back and everything's back, everybody's uh >> riding the buses. >> Y definitely. >> Okay, thank you. Let me go to the next topic. The probably one of the most uh requested topic that people sent in to ask about playgrounds and parks. What can be done? Some people sent in some proposed places where they see some empty lots over there on SuffK Avenue was one. Um what can be done to get more playgrounds and parks in the areas where families with a lot of kids are living here? Willowbrook Manor Heights these areas Westerly Dad. >> So I think I think um having these locations is a great starting point because the first most important question for any new park is land, right? And so it's a question of finding the land, deciding or figuring out who the owner is. Um, and then seeing what the the path of lease resistance to a new playground or park is. Um, so we have some sites over um on on Suffach and and Holden, I think that was that was suggested. There is a vacant lot there that is city- owned. It's uh the right of way for a street. Suffach is supposed to continue to be built to to connect. Um, and so it could be the case that we could go to the city and say, "Hey, the the desire for the the buildout of the street is not high. The community would much prefer, the neighborhood would much prefer some kind of a community facility, a playground. Um, what can we do to demAP it, which does require consent from Albany, um, and then transfer it to the parks department so that they can do something with it." So, that's absolutely something we could pursue. Uh we're also continuing to invest in existing playgrounds and parks uh over um by IS-51 in Willowbrook. Uh the northern section of Willowbrook. Uh we have uh playground renovations coming to various parts of Clove Lakes Park. Um we're always looking for new sites uh to invest in. >> So if anybody has any other options, any other ideas that's city owned, he could basically uh come forward and say that this is a city lot and he wants to build a park and we could start a process. So anybody finds any any lot around there that's city owned, we can definitely look into it, see if we can make a play group, which is very uh sourceful for families. >> Absolutely. Yeah. The most important thing is community feedback. That's for sure. >> Um what do you think about the parents who have special needs um um children who they sent a special ed school and they need to take a lawyer and they need to fight a a case for a few years to get paid and meanwhile they have to lay out maybe money for the schools and for the lawyers. What do you think about that? And um let me just see if there was any other questions people sent in. Um yeah, and then maybe you want to discuss the the the the manhole that's open from the sewer. We did a video about it on Status Island. Maybe maybe you want to say if you if you looked into that also. >> Sure. So in the New York State Constitution, every child has a right to an education. Um and that means an education that's tailored to their needs. So, when you have a kid who's a special ed student, and that could mean any number of things, right? It could mean they just need a little extra support in their standard classroom. It could mean that they need to be taken out of the classroom into a different setting. It could mean they need a school that caters to their particular needs. Whatever that need may be, the state and therefore the city has an obligation to meet it. And for years, for years and years, the city has refused to do the right thing by these families and has made them lawyer up and get experts and all of this documentation um to provide services to a kid they know needs the help. Um and so that's why the council even before I got there and to this day continues to fight to make sure that these so-called Carter cases um aren't handled the way they are. Instead of making parents fight for every penny to support their kids' needs, we just want to budget it up front. We want to say we know that there are these kids that need it. Don't fight them for the resources. Give it to them and let's just do the right thing by these families. It's what the law requires. It's also better budgeting. Um because for the city to play the shell game of, oh, we don't really know what we need to pay each year. That's nonsense. They know and they know it's going to happen midway to threequarters of the year for full. So, uh, you know, I'm really asking the city each and every year along with all my colleagues to stop this and just give kids the support they need. Uh, when it comes to, um, the catch basin you were talking about on Queen Street, um, this looks like it's one that really needs some tender loving care. Um, I've never seen one quite like that before. I spoke to D. I went straight to the guys who run the the department or the unit that handles this sort of thing. Um, they were going to be going over to take a look today. So hopefully I'll hear back to them very shortly um and they can you know give us an update about what they can do and what needs to be done. >> Okay. Anything else to add action? >> Um I think we've covered everything basically and I think you got very strong and uh I think people should really give you a chance. I mean really uh it's it's you've done amazing on every question that we asked. I mean either it's parks or it's it's the it's the buses or the bus suit or for the buses for the kids or for the programs for for for parents that need special education, special needs. I mean that's very important top if the parent has a kid that cannot follow the school uh and they have to take them out and get private tutors and stuff like that. They're already having something that they left behind and now they're going to court cuz with the city or the state to fight for the money that they should be able to help the kid with with the the kid with the problems. So, uh, I really thank you for that and, uh, hopefully continue. >> Absolutely. Thank you so much. Yeah, I I look forward to continue work for the community, with the community. Um, and I'm always available to to talk, uh, and to just hear what the needs are, and then do my very best to meet them. >> What's the phone number of your office if somebody wants to contact any issues? >> So, you can contact us at 718-981017. Again, that's 718-981017. And you can email me directly at dcar dc a rrrcounsil.nyc.gov. It's my email. I check it myself. Uh and I my team and I will get back to you. But I'm I'm only an email or a phone call away. >> Uh um is the c is the council also like the assembly that I have here. They're in Albany. No. >> No. So we we're in session all year round. Uh the folks in Albany, they're January to June and then they're in the districts the rest of that time. So we're always in session. Um, but the good thing about it is I only have to go to City Hall in Manhattan. So, I'm always I'm always I'm always back and forth. >> Where's your office located? >> Uh, we're at 900 South Avenue. Um, sweet 403 um over on the west shore near the Gothals. But I'm always happy to do mobile offices. We do them from time to time. So, always happy to come to any neighborhood where, you know, folks feel like they need some additional connections. >> That's a very good idea. That's >> That's actually a very good idea. We could set up something like maybe in a few weeks from now if anybody has any questions or any about any program that he wants to utilize and he doesn't know exactly how to go about it he can we could set up a timing like an hour or two and he can come down and speak to you directly see how to utilize it and you get to know the community too. You get to >> see the friendship that would be great. >> Um when is the next election if people want to remember that they know which candidate now that they that they heard from when is the next election? >> So I'm I just got re-elected last year. Um, so I'm in the I'm half a year into a four-year term. Uh, the next election uh this year is November 3rd. Um, so our state colleagues, the folks in the assembly and the senate, they're up for election. The governor, the attorney general, uh, the New York State controller, those are the offices that >> we had. Sero, the assemblyman we had on last time on the Status Island show. And, um, who do you recommend for to vote for governor? >> Um, I'm supporting Bruce Blakeman this year. Um, I think he's a fantastic candidate. He's done a great job as Nassau County Executive. Um, and I'm supporting him all the way. I think >> What are his chances? What are his chances to win? >> Well, you know what? It's funny. Everybody was writing him off, but the polls show that he's only four points behind, and it's it's that was a that was a July poll, so we're we have a lot of months to go. I think he could pull this one out. >> Okay. >> I was just going to say that actually read that in the news article and I was like, "Wow, I couldn't believe that." that you know a while ago like four or five months ago I said never he's behind the the Democrats are way stronger in the city than even in the state you know but now it's at four points you know that who was running the last election >> um >> Lee Zeldon >> Lee Zeldon and everybody was they say that if all the people said that he doesn't have a chance we go out to vote then he really >> and uh everybody said no he's not making he's not making so they didn't even go out but he came so close and it was like shocking for everybody say he really has a chance >> I I think I I think Lee Lee really showed everyone that winning was possible statewide. And I and I think that's why nobody should count out any Republican nominee, but Bruce in particular, I think he's very strong. He has a great Long Island base. Um I think he's very appealing in places like Staten Island. Uh and I think that at the end of the day, you know, the governor owed her re-election four years ago to the progressives. Um that was very clear. Lee ran great guns. True. And be she had to pivot leftward. So even if you're not necessarily the most conservative voter out there, if you just want some balance, I think Bruce is the candidate for you. >> People are very upset about a lot of crime in the city. A lot of different people afraid to ride the subways and those brings you down. People get even Democrats, they get upset. They get like like they want to be safe. They want the kids to be safe, you know. They want, like you said, a balanced uh they don't want to they don't want to be a Republican, but they want a balanced thing. They want safe streets, safe subways, safe buses. >> And uh I think they really stand a chance. >> Okay. Thank you, David, so much. Um, just um, maybe we didn't say so clearly in the beginning. You're the councilman for which district? >> I'm council member for district 50, which is parts of the mid island of Staten Island and southwest Brooklyn. I also happen to be the minority leader of the New York City Council. >> Just just one more question. People say that let me vote for a Democrat when it comes to the election because the Democrats are in control of New York City anyway. So, let me let let me be friendly with the Democrat candidates even if I don't believe in what they believe. So, I I think that it's it's a mistake to to take that kind of very simplified view. The reality is the council's never operated on such a partisan basis. Maybe other legislative bodies do, the council doesn't. Um, and actually the Republican delegation was crucial in electing Julie Menon as the speaker of the council back in January. So actually I would say that my working relationship with her and her team that helps put together the budget every year that helps make sure laws get passed. My relationship was better with her than most of the Democratic uh conference. So I actually think that um if you have a Republican city council member in the five burrows, you're actually very well served and well positioned right now. So I think the most important thing is build your own relationship with your local elected based on what you want from them and what you can see them deliver. Don't just write them off. Oh, they're a D or they're an R. They can't do for me. That not necessarily the case. So, we're that's why we're here. Let's give us a try. >> Okay. Thank you so much. And for everyone watching, like, share, and subscribe. And um I think I don't know if it's true, but I think that on YouTube they see anybody's a Republican, they keep the views down, don't you? So, make sure you share it. I like it. Subscribe. And thank you so much. Until next time. Thank you for watching. >> Thank you.