Managing director of Chartwell Strategy Group, and Former minority member of the New York City Council, Joe Borelli, interview

Joe would vote for anyone besides Zohran Mamdani. Zohran's policies could be bad news for the safety of women in NYC. Mamdani wants to legalize sex workers.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Now let's get to Joe Barelli, managing director of Chartwell
Strategy Group and former Minority leader of the New York
City Council. He's with us every Tuesday at this time.

Speaker 2 (00:10):
Good morning, Joe, Good morning Larry. It is an asteris
unless I'm on vacation with the family, so you know,
I don't want to disappoint anyone.

Speaker 1 (00:20):
Hey, listen, every single thing that Zori mam Donnie says
worries me. And his latest idea is to decriminalize sex workers,
as he puts it, but it's legalizing prostitution. Tell us
why that's such a horrible idea.

Speaker 2 (00:37):
Yeah, well, I mean, and first of all, this is
what Eric Adams should be doing right now. He should
be going with a fine toothed comb looking at every
comment that Zowa and Mamdani has made and every bill
that Zowa and Mamdanni has signed up as a co sponsor,
because it would read like the greatest hits album of
the worst rock ever made on planet Earth. This is

(00:59):
a guy who was a part of every single far
left idea, the reason why Carl Hasty, the Assembly leader,
and other legislative leaders and all but they have not
endorsed him yet or formally endorsed him. Is because he's
been so radically far left that he's even too far
left for the state legislature. Just to give you an idea,

(01:21):
And look, there's been an issue on Roosevelt Avenue in
Queens for so long, and you have seen democratic politicians,
people that you know, count themselves bona fide progressives, like
council Member Francisco Moya and some others, and the mayor
going after what has become this this streetwalking, you know,

(01:42):
dragstrip of prostitution, and that's been the correct response by
the city, and the people of that neighborhood have rewarded
those politicians with with their happiness as they've done this work.
It is insane to think that this man Zoa Mamdani,
who represents just the diff strict you know, a couple
of blocks away, is actually in favor of keeping scenarios

(02:05):
like that. This would lead to the ultimate degradation of
New York City. Look, we're we're not proved. We know
these things exist, but to have them legal, to have
this type of behavior legal, to have street walking legal,
will only only only degrade the quality of life, not
just for the women, but for all New Yorkers. And
by the way, about the women. None of these women

(02:27):
are here voluntarily. They didn't sign up for this because
this is this is the best option for them. In
many cases, if the only option, and they've been trafficked.
That's what you're condoning when you agree to this kind
of behavior.

Speaker 1 (02:40):
In many cases, they're forced to do it. In many cases,
there's a john. In many cases there's a sex trafficking
organization behind this. They're profiting as these women are abused.
So and again, he just doesn't understand crime. He has
these ideas all the time, Joe, that don't make any sense.

(03:01):
They're gonna cost money, they're gonna they're gonna hurt lives,
they're gonna they're gonna end up with people getting murdered.
And because when you're out there on the streets, you
used to see it all the time. I was here
in the eighties when when you'd go and you'd go
to the Lincoln Tunnel and the prostitutes would line up
right outside the Lincoln Tunnel. They're all potential victims, Joe.

Speaker 2 (03:23):
It was either the prostitute or the squeegee man, depending
on the that morning, you know, or both, but it's true.
I mean, and look at the op ed that that
police Commissioner Jessica Tish just wrote where she really came
out strong against raised the Age. I mean, and it
wasn't a part of that shooting that you just spoke
about in Brooklyn, but raised the Age has been a

(03:44):
problem associated with many, many, many shootings and violent crimes
in this city. And this is the this is the
law that basically says people under the age of sixteen
are never prosecuted for any circumstance as an adult. And
this is the kind of thing that Zoa and Mamdani
not just supported when it came out, but has seen
the net result. And the net result is that more

(04:06):
young people are picking up weapons, picking up guns and
firing shots at their neighbors. And he's seen those results,
and he still continues to double down. It's bad to
have this idea in the first place. It's worse when
you see the result, and the result are more dead kids,
and you think this is still a good idea to pursue,

(04:26):
still a good thing to keep going forward, and you're
actually committing to continuing it as mayor. It's bizarre. I
don't understand who's voting for it. I have a big
issue with Andrew Cuomo, but let me tell you, I mean,
I'm gonna vote for who's ever in second place at
this point, whether it's Curtis or a Clomo or Eric Adams,
because the alternative is just a bridge too far.

Speaker 1 (04:48):
That's a great point. It's more important to beat him
than vote for the person that you most want. It
has to be the person most likely to defeat him.
That's who you need to go after, and that's who
you need to support. That's a wonderful point. Joe Burrelly,
managing director Chartwell Strategy Group and former City Council Minority leader,
with us every Tuesday at eight oh five. Joe, thanks

(05:11):
for your time.

Speaker 2 (05:12):
Thank you. Erry