Mayor Adams unveils "City of Yes" plans to accelerate New York's economic recovery
NEW YORK -- Mayor Eric Adams has unveiled a wide-ranging plan to accelerate the city's economic recovery in the post-pandemic world.
CBS2 political reporter Marcia Kramer says it focuses on cutting red tape.
Adams took his plan for what he calls the "City of Yes" directly to the city's movers and shakers at an Association for a Better New York breakfast, telling them that the city's heavily bureaucratic way of doing things is out the window as he strives to reinvent the city post-COVID.
"We're tired of the artificial barriers and unnecessary regulations that have stifled expansion and innovation. Going forward, we're going to turn New York into a city of yes. Yes in my backyard, yes on my block, yes in my borough," Adams said.
The mayor said he would push for four key initiatives:
- Removing impediments to business expansion,
- Removing obstacles to creating new housing,
- A zero-carbon initiative that will encourage solar panels on buildings and more charging stations for electric vehicles,
- And a commitment to develop new business hubs to revitalize the economic and create jobs.
New rules supporting sustainable energy, for example, will create more than 61,000 jobs
"We going to build out a pipeline. We're going to go into those communities that have been historically denied. We're going to give them the skills and training because if they have a hammer in their hand, they won't have a gun in their hand," Adams said.
But despite the mayor's upbeat focus on recovery, an audience member wanted to know how New York can compete with places like Florida and Texas, who have lower taxes that attract people and businesses.
"They are stealing our corporations, our people and our ideas. It's time for me to go and steal their corporations, their people and their ideas," Adams said.
No speech would be a truly Eric Adams speech without an appearance from Mayor Swagger.
"This is a hard damn job and not everyone can do it. Not everyone has the stomach to take this dysfunctional city in the right direction. I'm the right person to be the mayor of this city right now," Adams said.
The mayor plans to develop the first business hub in the Bronx, where the MTA is building four new stations.