Transcript: Mayor Adams Calls in to 94.7 the Block's 'Jonesy in the Morning'

October 9, 2024

Wayne Mayo: We have the honorable mayor on the line on hold. Are you ready, Jonesy? Are you ready?

Tarsha Jones: I just love him.

Mayo: Pick up the line, please.

Jones: Hey, boo.

Mayor Eric Adams: How are you?

Jones: I'm so good. How are you? Thank you for still calling in the midst of all the turmoil.

Mayor Adams: This is all part of the process. You got to be able to function no matter what turmoil is going on around us.

Jones: That's a strong-ass man.

Mayo: That's my mayor right there.

Jones: That's my boo.

Mayo: That's my mayor.

Jones: That's New York talking right there.

Mayo: You heard?

Jones: Come on, Brooklyn.

Mayor Adams: Well, you know, I tell people all the time, when you think about it, every day people are going through issues. And as I move throughout the city and respond to tragedies in this city, families get up, and they know they have to continue to function. And, you know, what example would I be if I have things going on in my life personally as well as publicly, and then I throw in the towel and don't continue to move the city forward?

I have to, you know, be able to sectionalize the different things that all of us go through, and continue to do the job at hand. If you get a terrible mishap in your life, you're still going to get up, get on the radio show, and continue to do your job as you manage that mishap that you're dealing with. And that's how I see life as well.

Jones: I might burn this bitch down. I'm just feeling 100 with you. But I admire your, is it formidability, formidableness? I admire that because it's like... And I'm not trying... I'm not trying to get it all in your business, because I can imagine you probably can't talk at length, but with people jumping ship, people you looked out for jumping ship, and they talk about tickets to Turkey for free. What do y'all care? He didn't use New York City taxpayer money for it. And wasn't that before you was even mayor? Why are they in our business?

Mayor Adams: Yeah, and, you know, people want to equate that people are jumping ship, and that's not the reality of it. Many people in government... They serve for two years, they serve for three years. It is challenging being in government because you're up all the time, as Chancellor Banks stated. You know, you run out of gas.

Your personal lives are impacted. You know, you're always under scrutiny. It is a very challenging job. And so when you got so much going on, you serve for a certain period of time. I used to say, Eric, I want to do something else with my life. Like the commissioner of FDNY… She said, listen, I want to have a family now. I don't want to do this 24 hours, seven days a week. And, you know, I respect that. But we got a deep bench. You know, any time someone leaves government, there's a list of resumes of people wanting to come in. We're never short of personnel and manpower.

Jones: I know, I see. We're restaffing. We're restaffing. And we got to keep it moving. But I feel like it's mighty convenient she want to have a family now. But it's okay.

Mayor Adams: And that was earlier this year. That wasn't that. That was earlier this year when she decided to move in another direction. But, you know, that's part of the role of government. And, you know, the numbers are successful. The numbers speak for itself. We just continue to move the city in the right direction. And that's what people say to me every day when I go to town hall meetings and I go to other gatherings.

They want to know about affordable housing. They want to know about employment. You know, we decreased Black unemployment by 30 percent, Hispanic unemployment by 30 percent. They want to know how safe our subway systems will continue to be. And so these are the things that people want to know.

As we announced yesterday, nine straight months of decrease in crime in this city and taking guns off the streets, all of those things that are important to the quality of life in New York. That's what they want to know. Are you improving my life in the city? And that's what we're doing.

Jones: Right. No distractions. We're talking to Mayor Eric Adams. We'll be right back with more. I got a voice in the air.

[Music Break.]

Were back with Mayor Eric Adams. Is there any truth to the story from that pop singer Sabrina Carpenter? Are you familiar with that?

Mayor Adams: No.

Jones: So she said at one of her concerts that she might be the reason that all of these, all the troubles for you began because she did a risqué video in the cathedral. And when the diocese saw the video, they got mad at the person that gave her permission. But he claimed that he was friends with you. She's online, like saying, I'm responsible for that.

Mayor Adams: You know, it's amazing how there's a media frenzy and feeding frenzy, I should say. You know, everyone is trying to find an angle to everything. I tell people all the time, take a deep breath, you know, allow the process to go through the process. And if you don't keep your mind on the main thing, you won't be able to do the main thing. And so I don't know her. I don't even know what that is about.

Jones: Yeah, she was about to catch these Jonesy in the morning hands. I just wanted to let you know. In which case, I wouldn't have needed the key to the city. I would have needed the key to the jail cell. But I'm just letting you know, boo. Mike, Sean has a question for you. Go ahead.

Sean Paul: In all seriousness, mayor, how much do you think people are using this as a scapegoat because they just didn't agree with your political policy, but they couldn't fight you there? So now they're using this as a ploy to get you out of the office?

Mayor Adams: Well, you know, if those of you who I've watched, I've been on this show, I've been on this show often. And you've heard just a permanent chorus of critics. Anytime we wanted to get people with severe mental health off our streets, people criticized. We wanted to do housing. We wanted to move guns off our streets. So there's been a constant body of people.

On January 1st, 2022, when I got into office, started yelling and screaming. And they have not gone away. They're very loud. They're very organized. And we're just going to do what we've done. All this time. And just ignore all their noise. Just stay focused. But, you know, there's some real legitimacy to what you say.

Mike Shawn: Well, like I said, man, I call it off air. I've been saying distraction, distractions, distractions to take your eye off of the work that's still being done. I commend you because in the midst of it all, you're still getting things done. I'm telling you right now, I'm going to give you my insight. So I plan on running for mayor in about 27 years.

Jones: Wait, what?

Shawn: 27 years.

Jones: No.

Shawn: I'm going to tell you. I've been examining New York City for 50 years. I guarantee you, if you go on the news, man, and you hold up a dead rat. Am I right? Top 10 things.

Because I've seen you do an interview and you talked about specific rat problems. And you was like, listen, man, it comes down to the sanitation, the different things. When that rat run across your feet, that stay with you the whole day. You remember saying that?

Mayor Adams: That's right.

Jones: Of all the things you remember.

Shawn: That stuck with me. He's right. If the rat run across your foot, it stay with you the whole day. Just your interview saying that, stay with me the whole month. So I commend you for getting a lot more done.

Jones: Just a little bit.

Shawn: In the middle of this distraction. Because this is the biggest distraction that you possibly can have right now.

Paul: I commend you on taking that question, mayor.

Jones: I commend you on calling back every Wednesday.

Shawn: Exactly. And you're with me at this rat fight, right, Mr. Mayor?

Jones: This is a messy show.

Mayor Adams: But you're right. You know, we laugh about it. But those are the quality of life issues that people are concerned about every day. And I like to speak with real New Yorkers about real problems with real solutions.

Jones: That's why we F with you.

Paul: That's why we do it. And, mayor, when you're feeling down, just think to yourself, the glass is always half full. You could be the head coach of the New York Jets.

Shawn: That's a giant fan speaking right there. That's a little blue. That's a little blue. Who's your team?

Jones: Who's your team, mayor? Who's your team?

Mayor Adams: I'm saying let's go Mets, man. I've been a Mets fan for a long time. And they are doing it. They're showing the gutsiness of New York City. We are a resilient place. And we are just, we never surrender. That's who we are.

Jones: That's right. Well, I appreciate you being at the helm. You are the poster child of we're not giving up. Appreciate you.

Mayor Adams: Thank you so much. Take care, folks.

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