Today on The Breakfast Club, Michael Blake Discuss Affordability In NYC, Housing Justice Plan, Cuomo's Corruption. Listen For More!
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Wake that ass up in the morning. The Breakfast Club Morning.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
Everybody is DJ Envy Jess Hilarious, Charlamage, the guy we
are the Breakfast Club. Lona Rosa is here as well.
We got a special guest in the building. He's running
for mayor of New York City. Ladies and gentlemen, Michael Blake.
Speaker 1 (00:16):
Welcome, brother, what's good? What's going on y'all?
Speaker 3 (00:18):
How you feeling?
Speaker 1 (00:19):
Oh man, another day above grounds of Blessed Day. We're
rocking right now.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
And that's right.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
For people that don't know who you are in your background,
give them a quick rundown of who Michael Blake is.
Speaker 4 (00:29):
Born and raised in the Bronx, New York Public schools
K through twelve, PS. Seventy nine, one eighteen D with Clinton,
they go step back. Full name is Michael Alexander Blake.
So for the Jamaican massive.
Speaker 3 (00:40):
As soon as you said Alexander, they knew.
Speaker 4 (00:41):
Exaggerated to understandt vibes. They understand what's going on out
here right now. Everybody has a Winston, Larryon or Dexter
and their family right here or Donovan you know, grew
up here, left went to Northwestern study Jerones and my mom.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
You know, blessings to my mom.
Speaker 4 (00:56):
Forty years she worked at a manufacturing plant, raised four boys.
My dad got rest his soul. It was the Janet,
the Saint Barnabas and after Northwestern, you know, life was
changed forever. When I was trained by this man named
Barack Obama. I was one of ten in the Yes
We Can program. They trained us how to run races,
went out to Michigan. We won races in Michigan and
(01:19):
then rocked with them. You know, life was changed from there.
I always joke I was the other black man in
Iowa with him right there, right and then after Iowa,
seven more states, went to the White House with him
for two and a half years, ran all his black outreach,
minority business outreach. And then I came back home because
I wanted to help my people. Quite frank, I wanted
to show these young cats on the block that you
(01:40):
can grow up on the block and still make it.
Go to a White House and come home. Came back home.
Was elected to the Assembly for six years. My brother's
keep a program for boys and young men of color,
prompt pay bill raised the age. Kalleeve Broda was our constituent,
but now I was about, you know, doing more. So
I'm a husband, I'm a bonus father. Just having my
first Father's Day is a bonus dad. So it's been
(02:01):
a blessing right there. Much love to the father's all here.
I'm now for a mason. I'm a reverend. You know,
we decided to hear do something special.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
Now, Now, why'd you putting your head into this this uh,
this New York City race?
Speaker 4 (02:13):
I think I'm the best one prepared right now. The
biggest thing people are facing is affordability. You know, New
York is just is crazy expensive right and at the
end of the got full agreement right now. And if
we want to be serious about changing the game when
it comes to cost of living, then there's specific things
we have to do. We have to have ending credit scores.
(02:35):
Credit scores are being used for housing applications. Doesn't make sense.
Speaker 1 (02:38):
You know.
Speaker 4 (02:39):
We need to increase income limits on these housing applications
as well. We need a local media and income because
area median income is not working. It doesn't make any
sense that you have Westchester, Suffolk and Rocklan count in
the calculation. That doesn't make sense at all. And then
when we think about what's happening. I do believe you
need to have someone who has White House, State House,
and local experience, and I have all three because we're
(03:01):
watching the foolishness of Trump and people are understandably scared
every day, whether it be in New York or LA
or anywhere in between. And so I jumped in because
I want to show people, Yes, you can have the
next generation of black leadership. Yes you can have someone
who was qualified at all the levels. Yes you can
have someone who's actually focused on affordability in a very
real way. And let's be clear, you got to talk
(03:22):
about how you're gonna pay for all this, and I said,
there should be a vacant apartment tax for people that
are not living in New York City. We should, you know,
focus on the NYPD accesses of overtime ye at one
point four billion dollars in that, you know, we can
do things to actually pay the bills and actually make
sure we change the game at the same time. And
that's why I say to folks, you know, if you're
looking for the candid who can do that, you should
be ranking Michael Blake first for mayor.
Speaker 5 (03:43):
How did you feel about how Mayor Eric Adams we're
in New York.
Speaker 4 (03:47):
Well, I mean I wouldn't be running if I thought
he was doing his job. Mean, I mean he spent
more time trying to stay at of jail than actually
helping people.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
Right, But what do you.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
Think he did good? If anything? And what would you
change immediately that you didn't like what he did?
Speaker 4 (04:00):
How much time we have, look, I think how many
things can you change? I mean, you have a scenario
where you had unconstitutional stopping frisk on the rise, You
had a culture of corruption, you had a dynamic where
they were trading dynamics when it comes to ice raids
(04:24):
for him to again stay out of jail. That's not
me saying that's just the reality.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
You have. One out of eight New.
Speaker 4 (04:31):
York City public school students are homeless. Cost of going up,
I mean, like the list goes on on. I think
that you have a scenario where there was great talent
hired in I think sometimes what happens is that the
very select few who made a lot of mistakes cast
a shadow on everything else. You know, but you can't
(04:52):
ignore that when you have a dynamic where people were
getting promotions because of you know, sex deals at a
YPD and people getting paid off. That's nonsense, right, and
real talk. It makes it harder for all of us
that are black, that are trying to do some things
because you're going these conversations like, well, I'm not sure
if the city is ready for the next thing. Oh
it is, we are not him. And if we want
(05:14):
to talk through how do we do this differently? Then
you got to change the game on this.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
I got to ask you what the hell is cross endorsing? Right,
because it came out today that you are cross endorsing
zo Ran mcdonnie, What the hell is that? That's kind
of it feels like, look, we're going to battle together,
but we're gonna be friends while we do it.
Speaker 3 (05:33):
Like what is crossingdors You break it down.
Speaker 1 (05:36):
That's the vibes right there.
Speaker 4 (05:37):
So all right, so eleven of us are Democrats running
in the primer. Eleven of us are Democrats running in
the primery? Correct, because we have ranked choice voting in
which started four years ago?
Speaker 3 (05:48):
What is choice voting? For people that don't know?
Speaker 4 (05:50):
So in New York City you don't have to and
you shouldn't just vote for one person. You should actually
rank five people. So whoever is your first choice when
you go to vote, which if that means if you
vote in absentee or if you're voting an early voting
early voting and goes to the twenty second, or if
you wait till the twenty fourth, your first choice, you
should circle in this is my first choice, your second choice,
(06:13):
second choice, all the way through.
Speaker 1 (06:14):
Because now the.
Speaker 4 (06:17):
Only way someone can win is if you get fifty
percent plus one of votes. So whoever is the lowest
vote getter in the first round gets knocked out. If
Envy says, you know what, Michael Blake is my first choice,
and then you know, Raven Robinson's my second choice, and
hand is my third choice, Michael Blake gets knocked out,
(06:38):
then Raven then gets the vote. So it actually gives
the voter of New York more power because back in
the day, if you only voted for one person and
that person doesn't make it through a runoff, then you're
pretty much get done. So what we're saying right here,
in particular, when it comes to zon ran Zorn and
I talking about affordability the most right we're real clear
(06:58):
on if we're serious about the the number one issue
that New York is talking about is that it is
crazy expensive in the city. So who has the plans
around that? And I've said, you know, I'm making it
clear thinks are on there's gonna be my number two.
You know, I'm ranking him as my number two. You know,
grateful that he is cross endorsing us as well, because
he's also making it clear we got to break from
the corruption of Cuomo and we got to make it
clear that you can address affordability.
Speaker 1 (07:19):
You can do both.
Speaker 4 (07:20):
Right, So we're gonna still figure out who's the rest
of the ballot. You know, I think I'm pretty clear
on the rest of that team, because you have other
great candidates, you know, Adrian Adams, you know zeld Nomyrie
brid Lander do out here, you know, doing their thing.
But I want to make it very clear in New
York City, you should rank Michael Blake first, especially for
all the folks out here are still trying to make
the decisions. But then the cross endorsement is saying, I
(07:43):
want you to know that there are other people on
the team that I also want to make sure on
your ballot.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
Now, question, this is just double the advocate, right, Talk
to me, why wouldn't they rank you number one? And
you tell everybody to rank Eric Adams number two. I
tell you why, if Zoran is your biggest competition, why
would you rank him to and not rank somebody that
is really no competition number two?
Speaker 3 (08:06):
Because it's easy to win.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
It's kind of like you know when you're playing basketball, right,
I wanted the Knicks to play the paces.
Speaker 1 (08:13):
Come on, it's too soon.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
I didn't think the Pacers were gonna rock them. I
don't think nobody did, but soon you would want that
because you feel like that would be an easier win.
Speaker 4 (08:21):
Well, so fair, So the one two is not necessarily
you are trying to battle with that person. It's really
making it clear to your voters that if I don't
keep going, this is who I want you to make
your next person. So like, this is the allegiance that
(08:41):
we want to see happen here. So when people are
thinking through, okay, help me to understand this. And this
happened last few days. You know, first debate we had
everybody Times Post Daily News said that I want the debate.
It was real clear that we handled the debate stage.
Now you have a lot of folks that are coming
through saying okay, I'm now trying to decide who's my five.
So I want everybody in the squad to understand if
(09:04):
you are saying we can do this differently and you
don't want to go back to Cuomo you want something different,
then you should rank me first. You shrank Michael Blake first.
But then I need you to fill out the rest
of the ballot because if you don't, you actually helping
other cats. Gotcha, And that's the key right now and
the reason why we keep drilling this home. I made
a decision on who was most aligned with me on
(09:25):
that issue.
Speaker 3 (09:25):
And why don't you like Cuomo?
Speaker 2 (09:27):
I mean, I've seen you take a shot at Cuomo
in his past and all the things that he did
with what's your major problem with Cuoma?
Speaker 4 (09:32):
I mean, fifteen thousand people died in COVID nursing homes
because the policies that he did for a book deal.
You had thirteen women who credibly said that he sexually
assaulted them and had a toxic environment. You have a
dynamic where he said shucking job in two thousand and
eight and made it seem like it wasn't about Barack Obama.
Barack Obama was the only black candidate that was real
in that scenario. He consistently is laying out all the
(09:54):
bad things about other people, and it's actually not talking
through what is good right here close hospital when it
comes to addressing the mental health crisis. So we don't
need to go back to a name, because because you
recognize the name, it's now time to change the game.
And so I'm saying, the folks, here's the difference you have.
He's saying that when I talk about public safety, I'm
saying there should be a thousand mental health professionals instead
(10:16):
of NYPD, because the NYPD will tell you they weren't
trained on doing that. You want to help these kids,
We should have civics, financial literacy, and mental health for
every student before they graduate. You actually want to help
people with their housing. Let's talk about what's going on
with credit scores and income limits. And at the end
of the day, Andrew Cormo, who real talk wasn't even
living in New York City for a minute, mean pretty
much was in Westchester the whole time. Now is saying
(10:38):
I should come back because he thinks he's the best option. Nah,
And I think people got to really ask themselves. Like
during COVID, his policies were killing people during COVID, I
was with World sun kid feeding people.
Speaker 1 (10:51):
That's right, That's what people got to be asking themselves.
Speaker 3 (10:53):
You're right now.
Speaker 2 (10:54):
You mentioned the police crime in New York City. It
seems like it's on the rise, right if you've.
Speaker 3 (11:00):
Been out and about. I think last week two people
got shot in Times Square.
Speaker 4 (11:03):
Right, I mean that's the I mean, the numbers say otherwise.
But the feeling is, the feeling is feeling.
Speaker 2 (11:07):
It feels, it feels horrible. What would you do for crime?
We had Zoran up here? He says he wouldn't necessarily
defund the police, but he said he would take some
finances from the police and give it to different agencies
and things like that. What would be your take on that?
Speaker 4 (11:21):
Number one thing we have to do anybody that's walking
the block, whether if I'm in the Bronx at third
av of one four nine, if I'm in Harlem at
one two five and lex, the mental health crisis is real, correct,
you know it's it's like a zombie land out here
right now. And those cats need help. They don't need
to be locked up, right, And so what I say
(11:43):
to everyone, my main priority for public safety, we should
have a thousand mental health professionals on subways and streets
to help them immediately, as opposed to the NYPD who
is saying we're not trained on this. I came with
that number because a thousand istually the number for the
National Guard that's been put out there. National Guard and
(12:03):
more police standing there is actually not fixing anything right.
And I want to be clear, I got much respect
for those that serve in uniform. But if someone is
struggling in need help them and they're telling you we're
not trained on this, so you do that, then people
feel safer to get on subways, they feel safer to
go outside. And we got to focus on involuntary commitment.
(12:25):
When you know someone is clearly a threat to themselves,
why would you just let them be there? And so
if you do that, then you can do two different things.
You're gonna have police with body cameras on, so it's
actually accountability on both sides. And simultaneously then you can
have more cops that actually walk in the street and
doing precision policing in neighborhoods that need to help. That's
(12:45):
what folks need right now. And look, I'm that cat
who had I enjoyed police brutality twice right, Once in
high school where a cop said, I want to deal
with Clinton High School. Once where a cops said that
they hurt me yelling at them while driving the other direction.
Speaker 1 (13:03):
I said, okay, so we're just looking to pick a.
Speaker 3 (13:06):
Fight right now, right.
Speaker 4 (13:07):
And then when I was an assemblyman, there was a
fight that was happening. We de escalating the fight. They
grabbed me. They tossed me against the gate, and another
cop comes over and says, get off of him, get
off of him.
Speaker 1 (13:19):
He's the assemblement. And I said, what would happen if
you want to recognize me? Right?
Speaker 4 (13:24):
Even still, I'm saying you need to have police out here,
but it's got to be smarter policing, right. The last
thing that has to happen repeat offenders. Right, there's an
underline current. If we help people make and keep more
money in the front end, then we're not talking about
people shoplifting on the back end. So if you do
those steps, then you have more cops to come back
(13:44):
on the force, actually try and do it the right way.
I don't know any person that doesn't want to get
home cop and community. And if we're serious about the
fundamental issue around public safety. To me, it is underline
around mental health.
Speaker 6 (13:57):
Well, what do you say to people, because sitting here
talking to you, you explain what you mean when you
say defund the police, and we understand that. But on
phase value, someone like a Cuomo, he shoots back at
you guys with the fact that you say defund the
police because the messaging is not interpreted the right way.
How do y'all get around that in this race? Because
people here defund the police and they don't understand what
(14:17):
you just said to.
Speaker 4 (14:18):
Me, and I'll remind them that. In twenty twenty, Andrew
Clomo set out of his mind at a press conference
that defund the police is a legitimate movement. Andrew Cuomo's
hoping folks have amnesia, so I want to help remind
them that Obamacare can help them with that. He gets
real confused about things. So when we talk through it,
there is no one out here saying eliminate the police
(14:39):
department right when they're using the phrase, it's about how
do you change the funding that's happening to focus on
preventative measures, violence interruption work, you know, life camp, save
our streets until freedom with To me, I mean you
got so many dope groups that are doing that work.
That's what people are really trying to say. And at
the end of the day, what we're talking through is
(15:01):
everybody wants to be safe. So we can keep talking
about this random one liner is or how do you
actually fix this?
Speaker 5 (15:09):
You know?
Speaker 2 (15:09):
My thing has always been when we talk about budgets, right, yeah,
and people say defund the police, to take money from
the police, But I always feel like we find money
for so many.
Speaker 1 (15:19):
Different everything that we want.
Speaker 2 (15:20):
If we want to start an agency where we have
more mental health professionals on the street, why don't we
pay for it. I'd just seen somebody spend forty five
to forty eight million dollars on a parade that only.
Speaker 1 (15:30):
Had five people out there.
Speaker 2 (15:31):
So if we can find all that and even with
congestion pricing, right, what are your thoughts on congestion pricing?
Speaker 4 (15:37):
The intent congestion pricing is the right intent because at
the end of the day, it was to reduce traffic
and improve the environment. The implementation was clunky, right, they
didn't do that right. But at the end of the day,
when we think about from a budget perspective, a budget
showed someone's values.
Speaker 1 (15:52):
There's no way.
Speaker 4 (15:53):
We can say at one hundred and fifteen billion dollar budget,
we can't find what we got to pay for. And
so when I'm talking through, yes, you can have that
one point four billion dollars excessive overtime at NYPD and
put that towards the kids. Yes, you can actually reclaim
back to two billion dollars of unclaimed fees and fines
and actually help the community. We can do these things
and the reason why it's not happening is because the
(16:14):
lack of leadership into the early question about Eric Adams.
We've got to ask ourselves for four years, what was
he doing on this? That's why we're all running because
it's not working. And so when I talk through, how
do you make sure that you help nonprofits get funding
up front so they're not waiting for reimbursements on the
back end. What are you doing to make sure that
our immigrants being protected? Because yes, we're gonna stay as
(16:34):
a sanctuary city because that's the right thing to do. Yes,
we're gonna put safe havens on our schools because we're
gonna ban ice from coming on in. You have to
put that kind of money in place to actually help
people because to the underlying piece. You got Trump, and
you gotta worry about Medicaid cuts and Medicare cuts and
all these things that are happening. And that's why when
people are saying to me, all right, Michael Blake, why
(16:55):
you I'm seeing these other names. There's a lot of
people out here why you. You got to ask yourself
January first, next year, who is best prepared to make
sure we can actually battle against Trump, help our city,
but also keep our focus on what we're doing around
afford the billion people of color.
Speaker 2 (17:10):
Now, you talk about congestion price and you said it's
a great idea, right, but executed horribly. My question to
you is, I feel like we go for the money
before we care about people's feelings.
Speaker 1 (17:21):
Right.
Speaker 2 (17:21):
People are scared to take the train, right, They're scared
to take the bus, And you even said that it
seems like sometimes it's wild.
Speaker 3 (17:26):
Wild West out there. Right.
Speaker 2 (17:27):
So you're forcing me to take the train in the
bus when I have to because I can't afford congestion pricing.
Speaker 3 (17:32):
But you're forced.
Speaker 2 (17:33):
Me to get on the trains with sometimes mentally ill
people and fighting for myself. But then also you're forcing
me for a lot of these mom and pop businesses
to close down because people can't afford to drive in
anymore for a nice lunch.
Speaker 3 (17:46):
They can't afford to come in and.
Speaker 2 (17:47):
Conduct business in my spot anymore. So why do we
do the congestion prices where it affects people? It hurts
people before we make sure that the ordinary people are
the ones taking care of When oh, okay, the.
Speaker 4 (18:00):
Train, that might be the only time I can listen
to my music. So sometimes that's like that getaway you
have right there. But like when we talk about what
we have to do here, way too often are not
thinking through the integration of life.
Speaker 1 (18:13):
Right. It goes back to COVID.
Speaker 4 (18:15):
People will say I want for everybody to be able
to figure things out during COVID and have social distancing. Well,
how does someone have social distance and when they have
seven people living in their crib?
Speaker 1 (18:24):
Right, Like, some of these things don't make sense.
Speaker 4 (18:26):
Hey, I want for these kids to be able to
figure out remote learning, but they don't have a tablet
and don't have Wi Fi.
Speaker 1 (18:31):
Right.
Speaker 4 (18:32):
So to that same vibe we talk through around congestion
pricing these other policies, I'm trying to reverse engineer and say,
let's think about how does impact people, Right, how do
we think through that? If I'm making that turn on sixty,
if but there's no real ways to turn off before that,
you're effectively forcing people to go into that zone and
taxing them. That doesn't make sense, That doesn't seem right.
(18:53):
I think there should be an exemption on people that
live in these zones, and I think there should be
an exemption on people that are public servants.
Speaker 1 (18:59):
Right. That just makes sense to me. Right.
Speaker 4 (19:02):
If someone is coming in and they're like, Yo, I'm
driving into the zone because I want to go to
a show, I want to get a meal, then that's.
Speaker 1 (19:08):
Their choice, right.
Speaker 4 (19:08):
But for the casts that are like I'm just trying
to get by, that doesn't make sense at all. And
a lot of the argument has been where we're making
so much money from congestion pricings that that makes it
worthwhile know if people are struggling still, right, And so
to me, I'm reimagining what this city can look like
and trying to show people that you have a different
(19:29):
option out here, and that if you actually want to
show people, yes, we can have an affordable city where
we don't lose who we are as black and brown folk,
then you have an option, and that's me.
Speaker 2 (19:40):
How could you eliminate credit scores for apartments and home ownership?
Speaker 1 (19:43):
Right?
Speaker 2 (19:44):
Sounds amazing, But I think you and I both know
that anytime you go to fill out a loan, whether
it's a housing loan, a bank loan, an apartment loan,
the number one thing they check is credit score. Number
two is probably if you actually have a job and
you're pace.
Speaker 6 (19:58):
Stuff, and sometimes for good reasoning too, just to see
kind of like what your payment history is like and
all of that stuff. Like as a like, I get
did you answer the question first in and out come?
Because I'm thinking about it all.
Speaker 5 (20:08):
Out go ahead.
Speaker 4 (20:10):
Credit scores is a recent thing that started in nineteen
eighty nine. This is not something that was like back
in the day, we had many ways to assess how
someone was able to pay their rent and their mortgage.
The notion that a credit score, which could be impacted
because you missed a phone bill a credit card bill
twenty years ago, is more important than are you paying
(20:31):
your rent consistently?
Speaker 3 (20:32):
Well, I agree with you.
Speaker 1 (20:33):
Doesn't make any one bad month and then.
Speaker 3 (20:37):
Anything one bad month somebody steals your eyes.
Speaker 2 (20:40):
Anything happened one bad month and your credits down in
the drain, and I think that's yes.
Speaker 4 (20:44):
And the reality is I might actually go back to
twenty earlier questions. This is one of the things that
Eric has done well that needs to be expand upon.
We're not assessing these credit scores on some of these
HPD units right now in New York City, So it's
not an argument that we can't do it.
Speaker 1 (21:01):
It's a choice.
Speaker 4 (21:02):
So you know, transparently, I'm on the board of Ready Life,
which is where this is why I learned about it,
cheered by doctor Bertnanese King led by Ashley Bell, where
it was like, okay, let's use some common sense. What
is the best way to determine if you can pay
your rent on mortgage on time? Have you paid your
rent mortgage on time? That's more important than did I
do something? So to me, if we actually want to
(21:24):
help more people have a chance, eliminate that completely across
the board and then assess, okay, how do I help you?
Speaker 1 (21:31):
But then the second pieces you have to do.
Speaker 4 (21:34):
We got to increase the income limits on these housing
applications because what's happening right now is you either have
to be really rich or poor enough to get access
to a home and people getting boxed out. The reason
why so many people are leaving the city because housing
and childcare. So to me, if there's anything that someone's
trying to think through, what is the main policy I
want to make happen and credit card is when it
(21:54):
comes to housing applications.
Speaker 1 (21:56):
Expand that out.
Speaker 4 (21:57):
You do that which we know we can do because
the city is doing it to a limited degree. Increase
the income limits, do that, and then have a local
media income that out the gate changes the game. And
each of those three are happening in other places. The
only reason why we're not doing it right now is
lack of leadership. And if you're asking someone, yo, right now,
(22:19):
I'm struggling to pay these bills. I'm trying to figure
out how to make this all happen. But my life
is going to be impacted by something I forgot to
pay twenty years ago.
Speaker 1 (22:29):
That's crazy.
Speaker 2 (22:30):
Or it could be something as small as hey, my
mother got sick and I had to use my money
for rent to help to help someone catch up next month.
Speaker 3 (22:39):
Happens all the time, all the.
Speaker 4 (22:40):
Time, Like you know what, hey, landlord, yo, I don't
have you on the first I got you a little
bit later because I do X, Y and Z. And
the the other thing about credit score is that people
think through is like you have different agencies creating different numbers.
So again that's just not fair and how this all works.
(23:00):
And I want to show people if we're serious about
having housing, which I do think, we got to build
about six hundred thousand units at least current numbers say
it's about five forty just to hit the current apply demand.
But for you to build the housing, you then got
to make sure people that actually could afford it when
they get there.
Speaker 5 (23:18):
That was gonna be my question to you.
Speaker 6 (23:19):
And that's so I said for sometimes good reason only
because I'm thinking, like, all right, so you say we'll
make it where these people can afford it, we'll give
them better money, better income, right, so they're able to
pay their bills and the credit raises, and then we'll
have better more housing for them. But a lot of
times it feels like politicians will say things like that,
but you can't do everything at once. So maybe you
create more jobs for people with better pay rate, but
(23:40):
then that middle point where they can't get they they're
not making enough money for certain places, but they're not
broken enough to get into or the income isn't low enough.
Speaker 1 (23:48):
To get into stay there.
Speaker 6 (23:50):
Yeah, okay, so you get what I'm saying, Like, you're
in this place where it's like I might be making
more money, but I still don't qualify for these margins
of like three or five times the rent.
Speaker 5 (23:59):
So I'm still struggling.
Speaker 6 (24:00):
So it's kind of like as a landlord, you're looking
at it like, well, I just got to do the
best I can do by determining who I can let
in here. So it's like we always called in this
like circle of things, how do you know for a
fact that you can do both at the same time
if you get an office.
Speaker 4 (24:11):
Well, first, I'm Jamaican, so I'm used to three jobs, right,
so so we regularly make it happen. Second, I'm not
a normal politician. I've actually made things happen. I run
small businesses right now. I helped get Barack Obama elected.
I served in the White House. I saw how to
make these things done, get these things done. And when
I was in the Assembly, every single year and I'm
(24:32):
gonna come back to the housing piece, but I think
context is the point. Every single year we did something
major that they said couldn't get done. My brothers keep
a program knowing the state in the country has that
they're black and brown boys right now going to school
and graduating school that did not have fun.
Speaker 1 (24:47):
That we made that happen.
Speaker 4 (24:49):
Prompt paid bills so that businesses get paid in fifteen days,
stayd of thirty days, bipartisan bill.
Speaker 1 (24:53):
They said they couldn't make that happen. Raise the age leaf.
Speaker 4 (24:57):
Broda was our constituent New York and enough Online our
last two states for sixteen seventeen years. We tried as adults.
We changed that when they say that couldn't happen. So
to the question of how we know right now that
there are easy fixes that would help people be able
to stay in their homes and for all the black folk,
(25:17):
brown folk, low income folk who are leaving New York
City because of housing, fundamentally raising the income limits on
these applications, which would be a huge help for our
seniors as well, huge help for those that are disabled as well,
so that it is actually proportional to your neighborhood, then
you actually give someone a chance. The wilder thing is
(25:41):
actually I'm going back and forth on the Eric good
bad right. We voted on true costs of living, so
we can actually understand what are the costs by your neighborhood.
He hasn't implemented it. The reason why that's important is
that you can understand not just housing costs, but groceries,
you know, transportation, education, because if you know all of that,
then what we put in these applications is proportional to
(26:04):
that number. What's going on in the South Bronx is
not the same as South Short Staten Island. What's going
on in Central Brooklyn, it's not the same as Southeast Queens.
What's going on in East Harlem's not the same thing
on what's going on Upper west Side. And so we
should base it upon that. And to do that you
need someone who's actually talking about it, and I'm the
only one that's talking about that in that very real
way and talking through how you make this happen. These
(26:27):
are policy changes through legislation, this is administration changes through leadership,
and then this is fun the changes in the budget.
Speaker 1 (26:35):
Full stop.
Speaker 3 (26:36):
What's your relationship with President Barack Obama?
Speaker 4 (26:38):
Now still my dude, you know, he's consider man consistently
be un blessed to me.
Speaker 2 (26:45):
What's been in his advice when he knows that you're
running for this because he's faced some of the things
that you face it now that he was far behind
at one time, What is his opinion to you.
Speaker 4 (26:54):
Be very clear about why you're running and giving people
choice in contrast. Right, you know that you can't just
talk through big ideas. You got to make it clear
to folks that there's a difference. Right when we were
in Iowa thinking about this here and we were in Iowa,
(27:14):
there was a point where he was down like thirty.
He flew in, got everybody together and he told this
story about how he was at the Saint Patrig's DA
Parade run for US Senate and he was the last
entry in the parade. And so what that meant was
that everybody was saying Barack husain Osama saying wow things.
And you know they were a little drunk, so people
saying wow things. A year later Saint Parade, he was
(27:37):
the Grand Marshal and he was like, if you put
in that work and you make a clear round choice
and contrast, then people will remember. And I always took
that and he stays with that. It's like when people
voted for him, he said, I'm going to end the war.
I'm gonna get you health care. Make it real clear
on your big ideas, then everyone can rock from that.
(27:58):
And that's why I'm being consistent. Same way when I
talk through credit scores, we talked through a thousand mental
health professionals. We talked through civics, because when you have
so many people in the race, if you don't give
people that clear choice, then the easy thing is just
pick a name you've seen before, right, And he stays
with me. I mean the screensaver that I have is
when we brought him to the Bronx. We launched my
(28:19):
brother's keeping lines in the Bronx, and he would joke
with me. He was trying to get me a shout out.
I was trying to be cool. He said, Yo, the
President says, your name is stand up, get TV time.
He still is in that same zone of follow the vision,
make it clear, but make it clear about choice and contrast.
And he's also shown us and tell him me like,
(28:41):
be that messenger.
Speaker 1 (28:42):
You know.
Speaker 4 (28:43):
I don't know if we brought the signs, but there
was a time when we were in the White House
for a legislative event.
Speaker 1 (28:50):
Wrap him up.
Speaker 4 (28:50):
He's about to walk by and he tells people like,
we would not be here without Michael Blake, and I'm
forever grateful of what he did for me, and I'm
gonna take that kind of energy.
Speaker 5 (29:00):
He's also I mean, everybody likes to criticize Obama too.
Speaker 1 (29:04):
At the same time, who's everybody?
Speaker 6 (29:05):
There are people criticize There's a lot of people that
criticize Obama, but I mean not me personally, But I'm
saying that we hear the criticism. So I'm asking you,
is there things that he says, you know, just as
a mentor almost that I would advise you not like
something he learned, that he would advise you to approach
differently or not to do while on your run.
Speaker 4 (29:24):
I mean, look, at the end of the day, you
have to stay true to the numbers and how you
organize right, And it's it's easy to get distracted by
noise and that could take you off your plan, and
and that kind of to your point, You're gonna hear
(29:45):
a lot of folks who are just like, yo, why
are you doing this right? Why are you doing this?
Two three weeks ago a people saying why why are
you even out here doing these things? And and by
the end of that night and the next day, pretty
much every publication said I.
Speaker 5 (30:04):
Wanted to debate, oh when you came in Cuomo.
Speaker 4 (30:07):
Right, So it's like you gotta stay locked in even
in the midst of the noise.
Speaker 6 (30:13):
A lot of times with politicians, I feel like they
don't speak straight to things, especially like Democrats.
Speaker 5 (30:19):
But so I learned about you or found out who
you were.
Speaker 6 (30:23):
Or I guess maybe you start paying attention more when
the Cuomo thing happened, because I like, even though.
Speaker 5 (30:28):
Not to be messy, but I just like you were.
Speaker 6 (30:31):
You said what you meant you said to him, the
people who don't feel safe are young women, mothers and
grandmothers around Andrew Cuomo, right, and you said that straight shoot,
straight shooter. Do you plan to still be that way
as a mayor because a lot of times once people
are elected, they have to like step back and filter
what they say.
Speaker 4 (30:45):
And nah, I'm this is who I am all day,
every day, right, whether it be in the family, you know,
whether it be on the block. Yeah, you can grow
up on Creston and Burnside and then go back on
these kind of things. And I would say that whether
(31:06):
it be on a debate or if I'm just talking
to people at the restaurant. And I think one of
the reasons why we've been successful in office is that
people see that I'm consistent in what I'm doing. That's
what folks can't stand about politics right now. They feel like,
yo ya, to your point, you just say something, you
just kind of keep it moving, and you're not real
about that. And it is easier to be consistent in
(31:27):
who you are than try to move around and shift
by neighborhood.
Speaker 1 (31:30):
That's just not how I get down.
Speaker 4 (31:32):
And that's why I say to people, give me the
chance right now, tell folks number two in most of
these polls, if it's not Zoron is undecided, right, you
got a lot of times to still make a decision.
And it feels like a lot of people are still
trying to understand, well, who can I rock with in
(31:52):
this moment, And I'm trying to show you you got
a choice.
Speaker 2 (31:55):
Should undocumented immigrants be allowed to vote in local New
York City elections?
Speaker 4 (32:00):
Uh, potentially for municipal ones itself. We've got to figure
out how this all gets incorporated collectively itself, right to
that degree, because there's a it's a fascinating piece, right
because a Green card holder is able to contribute to
campaigns right in New York City. So it's just like
(32:21):
we've got to figure out a way to make an
equal balance across the board.
Speaker 3 (32:24):
Should Right Island be closed?
Speaker 1 (32:27):
Has to be closed? Why?
Speaker 4 (32:29):
It's an inhuman place. It's the second largest mental health
facility in the country, only La County being larger. You've
got to find more ways. And most people there haven't
even been convicted any They just waiting, right, And so
if we actually reduce the population so that more people
can actually be closer to their homes while they're waiting,
(32:49):
and you can actually help the people who have the
mental health concerns, then you can take the real steps
of getting into the space where you can build burrow
based jails, which is what we actually need. Burrow based
jails makes much more sense than just sending people off
to rikers to sit there.
Speaker 2 (33:04):
Okay, well, get out there and vote for the last thing.
Tell people why they should vote for Michael Blake.
Speaker 4 (33:09):
Michael Blake is the only candidate saying the truth around
and then credit scores for housing applications. Michael Blake's the
only one that is out here saying that we need
a thousand mental health professionals instead of NYPD. Michael Blake's
the only one that's saying civic, financial literacy and mental
health for these kids. I'm the only one that was
that truth teller on that stage, not afraid of Trump,
not afraid of Cromo, not afraid of the noise. If
(33:31):
you want someone who has the ability to change the
game at all levels, and you want the handsome Jamaican
who actually comes from the Bronx right now, right, who
can talk about hip hop and talk about housing at
the same time, I want to be your first choice.
And if I'm not your first choice, I want to
be your second choice. But most importantly I want to
be on your ballot. That's why Michael Blake should be
(33:51):
your mayor.
Speaker 3 (33:51):
All Right, well, there you have it, ladies and gentlemen,
Michael Blake. Do your research. And if they want to
donate to your campaign, how can they do that?
Speaker 4 (33:58):
Oh man, much love on that to the website Blake
fo R NYC dot com Blake for NYC dot com.
You can sign up to donate, you can sign up
to volunteer. We have offices all across the city. Our
headquarters in the Bronx at one BRUCKN the boulevard, but
we have satellite offices on five boroughs. And just again
remind and remember everybody, fill out the ballot. Don't just
(34:19):
rank me first. Fill out all five spots of your
five choices. That makes it a point that your candid
is gonna win.
Speaker 5 (34:25):
Tell them don't message your donation money because you'll follow lawsuit.
Speaker 4 (34:28):
Yeah, let me tell you something. I'm man. People play games,
play games, and you know and find out and find.
Speaker 5 (34:37):
Out you have play super games, win superprises that.
Speaker 3 (34:41):
It's Michael Blake. It's the Breakfast Club. Good morning, good luck.
Speaker 1 (34:44):
Wake that ass up in the morning. The Breakfast Club.
Wake that ass up in the morning. The Breakfast Club Morning.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
Everybody is DJ Envy Jess Hilarious, Charlamage, the guy we
are the Breakfast Club. Lona Rosa is here as well.
We got a special guest in the building. He's running
for mayor of New York City. Ladies and gentlemen, Michael Blake.
Speaker 1 (00:16):
Welcome, brother, what's good? What's going on y'all?
Speaker 3 (00:18):
How you feeling?
Speaker 1 (00:19):
Oh man, another day above grounds of Blessed Day. We're
rocking right now.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
And that's right.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
For people that don't know who you are in your background,
give them a quick rundown of who Michael Blake is.
Speaker 4 (00:29):
Born and raised in the Bronx, New York Public schools
K through twelve, PS. Seventy nine, one eighteen D with Clinton,
they go step back. Full name is Michael Alexander Blake.
So for the Jamaican massive.
Speaker 3 (00:40):
As soon as you said Alexander, they knew.
Speaker 4 (00:41):
Exaggerated to understandt vibes. They understand what's going on out
here right now. Everybody has a Winston, Larryon or Dexter
and their family right here or Donovan you know, grew
up here, left went to Northwestern study Jerones and my mom.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
You know, blessings to my mom.
Speaker 4 (00:56):
Forty years she worked at a manufacturing plant, raised four boys.
My dad got rest his soul. It was the Janet,
the Saint Barnabas and after Northwestern, you know, life was
changed forever. When I was trained by this man named
Barack Obama. I was one of ten in the Yes
We Can program. They trained us how to run races,
went out to Michigan. We won races in Michigan and
(01:19):
then rocked with them. You know, life was changed from there.
I always joke I was the other black man in
Iowa with him right there, right and then after Iowa,
seven more states, went to the White House with him
for two and a half years, ran all his black outreach,
minority business outreach. And then I came back home because
I wanted to help my people. Quite frank, I wanted
to show these young cats on the block that you
(01:40):
can grow up on the block and still make it.
Go to a White House and come home. Came back home.
Was elected to the Assembly for six years. My brother's
keep a program for boys and young men of color,
prompt pay bill raised the age. Kalleeve Broda was our constituent,
but now I was about, you know, doing more. So
I'm a husband, I'm a bonus father. Just having my
first Father's Day is a bonus dad. So it's been
(02:01):
a blessing right there. Much love to the father's all here.
I'm now for a mason. I'm a reverend. You know,
we decided to hear do something special.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
Now, Now, why'd you putting your head into this this uh,
this New York City race?
Speaker 4 (02:13):
I think I'm the best one prepared right now. The
biggest thing people are facing is affordability. You know, New
York is just is crazy expensive right and at the
end of the got full agreement right now. And if
we want to be serious about changing the game when
it comes to cost of living, then there's specific things
we have to do. We have to have ending credit scores.
(02:35):
Credit scores are being used for housing applications. Doesn't make sense.
Speaker 1 (02:38):
You know.
Speaker 4 (02:39):
We need to increase income limits on these housing applications
as well. We need a local media and income because
area median income is not working. It doesn't make any
sense that you have Westchester, Suffolk and Rocklan count in
the calculation. That doesn't make sense at all. And then
when we think about what's happening. I do believe you
need to have someone who has White House, State House,
and local experience, and I have all three because we're
(03:01):
watching the foolishness of Trump and people are understandably scared
every day, whether it be in New York or LA
or anywhere in between. And so I jumped in because
I want to show people, Yes, you can have the
next generation of black leadership. Yes you can have someone
who was qualified at all the levels. Yes you can
have someone who's actually focused on affordability in a very
real way. And let's be clear, you got to talk
(03:22):
about how you're gonna pay for all this, and I said,
there should be a vacant apartment tax for people that
are not living in New York City. We should, you know,
focus on the NYPD accesses of overtime ye at one
point four billion dollars in that, you know, we can
do things to actually pay the bills and actually make
sure we change the game at the same time. And
that's why I say to folks, you know, if you're
looking for the candid who can do that, you should
be ranking Michael Blake first for mayor.
Speaker 5 (03:43):
How did you feel about how Mayor Eric Adams we're
in New York.
Speaker 4 (03:47):
Well, I mean I wouldn't be running if I thought
he was doing his job. Mean, I mean he spent
more time trying to stay at of jail than actually
helping people.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
Right, But what do you.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
Think he did good? If anything? And what would you
change immediately that you didn't like what he did?
Speaker 4 (04:00):
How much time we have, look, I think how many
things can you change? I mean, you have a scenario
where you had unconstitutional stopping frisk on the rise, You
had a culture of corruption, you had a dynamic where
they were trading dynamics when it comes to ice raids
(04:24):
for him to again stay out of jail. That's not
me saying that's just the reality.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
You have. One out of eight New.
Speaker 4 (04:31):
York City public school students are homeless. Cost of going up,
I mean, like the list goes on on. I think
that you have a scenario where there was great talent
hired in I think sometimes what happens is that the
very select few who made a lot of mistakes cast
a shadow on everything else. You know, but you can't
(04:52):
ignore that when you have a dynamic where people were
getting promotions because of you know, sex deals at a
YPD and people getting paid off. That's nonsense, right, and
real talk. It makes it harder for all of us
that are black, that are trying to do some things
because you're going these conversations like, well, I'm not sure
if the city is ready for the next thing. Oh
it is, we are not him. And if we want
(05:14):
to talk through how do we do this differently? Then
you got to change the game on this.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
I got to ask you what the hell is cross endorsing? Right,
because it came out today that you are cross endorsing
zo Ran mcdonnie, What the hell is that? That's kind
of it feels like, look, we're going to battle together,
but we're gonna be friends while we do it.
Speaker 3 (05:33):
Like what is crossingdors You break it down.
Speaker 1 (05:36):
That's the vibes right there.
Speaker 4 (05:37):
So all right, so eleven of us are Democrats running
in the primer. Eleven of us are Democrats running in
the primery? Correct, because we have ranked choice voting in
which started four years ago?
Speaker 3 (05:48):
What is choice voting? For people that don't know?
Speaker 4 (05:50):
So in New York City you don't have to and
you shouldn't just vote for one person. You should actually
rank five people. So whoever is your first choice when
you go to vote, which if that means if you
vote in absentee or if you're voting an early voting
early voting and goes to the twenty second, or if
you wait till the twenty fourth, your first choice, you
should circle in this is my first choice, your second choice,
(06:13):
second choice, all the way through.
Speaker 1 (06:14):
Because now the.
Speaker 4 (06:17):
Only way someone can win is if you get fifty
percent plus one of votes. So whoever is the lowest
vote getter in the first round gets knocked out. If
Envy says, you know what, Michael Blake is my first choice,
and then you know, Raven Robinson's my second choice, and
hand is my third choice, Michael Blake gets knocked out,
(06:38):
then Raven then gets the vote. So it actually gives
the voter of New York more power because back in
the day, if you only voted for one person and
that person doesn't make it through a runoff, then you're
pretty much get done. So what we're saying right here,
in particular, when it comes to zon ran Zorn and
I talking about affordability the most right we're real clear
(06:58):
on if we're serious about the the number one issue
that New York is talking about is that it is
crazy expensive in the city. So who has the plans
around that? And I've said, you know, I'm making it
clear thinks are on there's gonna be my number two.
You know, I'm ranking him as my number two. You know,
grateful that he is cross endorsing us as well, because
he's also making it clear we got to break from
the corruption of Cuomo and we got to make it
clear that you can address affordability.
Speaker 1 (07:19):
You can do both.
Speaker 4 (07:20):
Right, So we're gonna still figure out who's the rest
of the ballot. You know, I think I'm pretty clear
on the rest of that team, because you have other
great candidates, you know, Adrian Adams, you know zeld Nomyrie
brid Lander do out here, you know, doing their thing.
But I want to make it very clear in New
York City, you should rank Michael Blake first, especially for
all the folks out here are still trying to make
the decisions. But then the cross endorsement is saying, I
(07:43):
want you to know that there are other people on
the team that I also want to make sure on
your ballot.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
Now, question, this is just double the advocate, right, Talk
to me, why wouldn't they rank you number one? And
you tell everybody to rank Eric Adams number two. I
tell you why, if Zoran is your biggest competition, why
would you rank him to and not rank somebody that
is really no competition number two?
Speaker 3 (08:06):
Because it's easy to win.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
It's kind of like you know when you're playing basketball, right,
I wanted the Knicks to play the paces.
Speaker 1 (08:13):
Come on, it's too soon.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
I didn't think the Pacers were gonna rock them. I
don't think nobody did, but soon you would want that
because you feel like that would be an easier win.
Speaker 4 (08:21):
Well, so fair, So the one two is not necessarily
you are trying to battle with that person. It's really
making it clear to your voters that if I don't
keep going, this is who I want you to make
your next person. So like, this is the allegiance that
(08:41):
we want to see happen here. So when people are
thinking through, okay, help me to understand this. And this
happened last few days. You know, first debate we had
everybody Times Post Daily News said that I want the debate.
It was real clear that we handled the debate stage.
Now you have a lot of folks that are coming
through saying okay, I'm now trying to decide who's my five.
So I want everybody in the squad to understand if
(09:04):
you are saying we can do this differently and you
don't want to go back to Cuomo you want something different,
then you should rank me first. You shrank Michael Blake first.
But then I need you to fill out the rest
of the ballot because if you don't, you actually helping
other cats. Gotcha, And that's the key right now and
the reason why we keep drilling this home. I made
a decision on who was most aligned with me on
(09:25):
that issue.
Speaker 3 (09:25):
And why don't you like Cuomo?
Speaker 2 (09:27):
I mean, I've seen you take a shot at Cuomo
in his past and all the things that he did
with what's your major problem with Cuoma?
Speaker 4 (09:32):
I mean, fifteen thousand people died in COVID nursing homes
because the policies that he did for a book deal.
You had thirteen women who credibly said that he sexually
assaulted them and had a toxic environment. You have a
dynamic where he said shucking job in two thousand and
eight and made it seem like it wasn't about Barack Obama.
Barack Obama was the only black candidate that was real
in that scenario. He consistently is laying out all the
(09:54):
bad things about other people, and it's actually not talking
through what is good right here close hospital when it
comes to addressing the mental health crisis. So we don't
need to go back to a name, because because you
recognize the name, it's now time to change the game.
And so I'm saying, the folks, here's the difference you have.
He's saying that when I talk about public safety, I'm
saying there should be a thousand mental health professionals instead
(10:16):
of NYPD, because the NYPD will tell you they weren't
trained on doing that. You want to help these kids,
We should have civics, financial literacy, and mental health for
every student before they graduate. You actually want to help
people with their housing. Let's talk about what's going on
with credit scores and income limits. And at the end
of the day, Andrew Cormo, who real talk wasn't even
living in New York City for a minute, mean pretty
much was in Westchester the whole time. Now is saying
(10:38):
I should come back because he thinks he's the best option. Nah,
And I think people got to really ask themselves. Like
during COVID, his policies were killing people during COVID, I
was with World sun kid feeding people.
Speaker 1 (10:51):
That's right, That's what people got to be asking themselves.
Speaker 3 (10:53):
You're right now.
Speaker 2 (10:54):
You mentioned the police crime in New York City. It
seems like it's on the rise, right if you've.
Speaker 3 (11:00):
Been out and about. I think last week two people
got shot in Times Square.
Speaker 4 (11:03):
Right, I mean that's the I mean, the numbers say otherwise.
But the feeling is, the feeling is feeling.
Speaker 2 (11:07):
It feels, it feels horrible. What would you do for crime?
We had Zoran up here? He says he wouldn't necessarily
defund the police, but he said he would take some
finances from the police and give it to different agencies
and things like that. What would be your take on that?
Speaker 4 (11:21):
Number one thing we have to do anybody that's walking
the block, whether if I'm in the Bronx at third
av of one four nine, if I'm in Harlem at
one two five and lex, the mental health crisis is real, correct,
you know it's it's like a zombie land out here
right now. And those cats need help. They don't need
to be locked up, right, And so what I say
(11:43):
to everyone, my main priority for public safety, we should
have a thousand mental health professionals on subways and streets
to help them immediately, as opposed to the NYPD who
is saying we're not trained on this. I came with
that number because a thousand istually the number for the
National Guard that's been put out there. National Guard and
(12:03):
more police standing there is actually not fixing anything right.
And I want to be clear, I got much respect
for those that serve in uniform. But if someone is
struggling in need help them and they're telling you we're
not trained on this, so you do that, then people
feel safer to get on subways, they feel safer to
go outside. And we got to focus on involuntary commitment.
(12:25):
When you know someone is clearly a threat to themselves,
why would you just let them be there? And so
if you do that, then you can do two different things.
You're gonna have police with body cameras on, so it's
actually accountability on both sides. And simultaneously then you can
have more cops that actually walk in the street and
doing precision policing in neighborhoods that need to help. That's
(12:45):
what folks need right now. And look, I'm that cat
who had I enjoyed police brutality twice right, Once in
high school where a cop said, I want to deal
with Clinton High School. Once where a cops said that
they hurt me yelling at them while driving the other direction.
Speaker 1 (13:03):
I said, okay, so we're just looking to pick a.
Speaker 3 (13:06):
Fight right now, right.
Speaker 4 (13:07):
And then when I was an assemblyman, there was a
fight that was happening. We de escalating the fight. They
grabbed me. They tossed me against the gate, and another
cop comes over and says, get off of him, get
off of him.
Speaker 1 (13:19):
He's the assemblement. And I said, what would happen if
you want to recognize me? Right?
Speaker 4 (13:24):
Even still, I'm saying you need to have police out here,
but it's got to be smarter policing, right. The last
thing that has to happen repeat offenders. Right, there's an
underline current. If we help people make and keep more
money in the front end, then we're not talking about
people shoplifting on the back end. So if you do
those steps, then you have more cops to come back
(13:44):
on the force, actually try and do it the right way.
I don't know any person that doesn't want to get
home cop and community. And if we're serious about the
fundamental issue around public safety. To me, it is underline
around mental health.
Speaker 6 (13:57):
Well, what do you say to people, because sitting here
talking to you, you explain what you mean when you
say defund the police, and we understand that. But on
phase value, someone like a Cuomo, he shoots back at
you guys with the fact that you say defund the
police because the messaging is not interpreted the right way.
How do y'all get around that in this race? Because
people here defund the police and they don't understand what
(14:17):
you just said to.
Speaker 4 (14:18):
Me, and I'll remind them that. In twenty twenty, Andrew
Clomo set out of his mind at a press conference
that defund the police is a legitimate movement. Andrew Cuomo's
hoping folks have amnesia, so I want to help remind
them that Obamacare can help them with that. He gets
real confused about things. So when we talk through it,
there is no one out here saying eliminate the police
(14:39):
department right when they're using the phrase, it's about how
do you change the funding that's happening to focus on
preventative measures, violence interruption work, you know, life camp, save
our streets until freedom with To me, I mean you
got so many dope groups that are doing that work.
That's what people are really trying to say. And at
the end of the day, what we're talking through is
(15:01):
everybody wants to be safe. So we can keep talking
about this random one liner is or how do you
actually fix this?
Speaker 5 (15:09):
You know?
Speaker 2 (15:09):
My thing has always been when we talk about budgets, right, yeah,
and people say defund the police, to take money from
the police, But I always feel like we find money
for so many.
Speaker 1 (15:19):
Different everything that we want.
Speaker 2 (15:20):
If we want to start an agency where we have
more mental health professionals on the street, why don't we
pay for it. I'd just seen somebody spend forty five
to forty eight million dollars on a parade that only.
Speaker 1 (15:30):
Had five people out there.
Speaker 2 (15:31):
So if we can find all that and even with
congestion pricing, right, what are your thoughts on congestion pricing?
Speaker 4 (15:37):
The intent congestion pricing is the right intent because at
the end of the day, it was to reduce traffic
and improve the environment. The implementation was clunky, right, they
didn't do that right. But at the end of the day,
when we think about from a budget perspective, a budget
showed someone's values.
Speaker 1 (15:52):
There's no way.
Speaker 4 (15:53):
We can say at one hundred and fifteen billion dollar budget,
we can't find what we got to pay for. And
so when I'm talking through, yes, you can have that
one point four billion dollars excessive overtime at NYPD and
put that towards the kids. Yes, you can actually reclaim
back to two billion dollars of unclaimed fees and fines
and actually help the community. We can do these things
and the reason why it's not happening is because the
(16:14):
lack of leadership into the early question about Eric Adams.
We've got to ask ourselves for four years, what was
he doing on this? That's why we're all running because
it's not working. And so when I talk through, how
do you make sure that you help nonprofits get funding
up front so they're not waiting for reimbursements on the
back end. What are you doing to make sure that
our immigrants being protected? Because yes, we're gonna stay as
(16:34):
a sanctuary city because that's the right thing to do. Yes,
we're gonna put safe havens on our schools because we're
gonna ban ice from coming on in. You have to
put that kind of money in place to actually help
people because to the underlying piece. You got Trump, and
you gotta worry about Medicaid cuts and Medicare cuts and
all these things that are happening. And that's why when
people are saying to me, all right, Michael Blake, why
(16:55):
you I'm seeing these other names. There's a lot of
people out here why you. You got to ask yourself
January first, next year, who is best prepared to make
sure we can actually battle against Trump, help our city,
but also keep our focus on what we're doing around
afford the billion people of color.
Speaker 2 (17:10):
Now, you talk about congestion price and you said it's
a great idea, right, but executed horribly. My question to
you is, I feel like we go for the money
before we care about people's feelings.
Speaker 1 (17:21):
Right.
Speaker 2 (17:21):
People are scared to take the train, right, They're scared
to take the bus, And you even said that it
seems like sometimes it's wild.
Speaker 3 (17:26):
Wild West out there. Right.
Speaker 2 (17:27):
So you're forcing me to take the train in the
bus when I have to because I can't afford congestion pricing.
Speaker 3 (17:32):
But you're forced.
Speaker 2 (17:33):
Me to get on the trains with sometimes mentally ill
people and fighting for myself. But then also you're forcing
me for a lot of these mom and pop businesses
to close down because people can't afford to drive in
anymore for a nice lunch.
Speaker 3 (17:46):
They can't afford to come in and.
Speaker 2 (17:47):
Conduct business in my spot anymore. So why do we
do the congestion prices where it affects people? It hurts
people before we make sure that the ordinary people are
the ones taking care of When oh, okay, the.
Speaker 4 (18:00):
Train, that might be the only time I can listen
to my music. So sometimes that's like that getaway you
have right there. But like when we talk about what
we have to do here, way too often are not
thinking through the integration of life.
Speaker 1 (18:13):
Right. It goes back to COVID.
Speaker 4 (18:15):
People will say I want for everybody to be able
to figure things out during COVID and have social distancing. Well,
how does someone have social distance and when they have
seven people living in their crib?
Speaker 1 (18:24):
Right, Like, some of these things don't make sense.
Speaker 4 (18:26):
Hey, I want for these kids to be able to
figure out remote learning, but they don't have a tablet
and don't have Wi Fi.
Speaker 1 (18:31):
Right.
Speaker 4 (18:32):
So to that same vibe we talk through around congestion
pricing these other policies, I'm trying to reverse engineer and say,
let's think about how does impact people, Right, how do
we think through that? If I'm making that turn on sixty,
if but there's no real ways to turn off before that,
you're effectively forcing people to go into that zone and
taxing them. That doesn't make sense, That doesn't seem right.
(18:53):
I think there should be an exemption on people that
live in these zones, and I think there should be
an exemption on people that are public servants.
Speaker 1 (18:59):
Right. That just makes sense to me. Right.
Speaker 4 (19:02):
If someone is coming in and they're like, Yo, I'm
driving into the zone because I want to go to
a show, I want to get a meal, then that's.
Speaker 1 (19:08):
Their choice, right.
Speaker 4 (19:08):
But for the casts that are like I'm just trying
to get by, that doesn't make sense at all. And
a lot of the argument has been where we're making
so much money from congestion pricings that that makes it
worthwhile know if people are struggling still, right, And so
to me, I'm reimagining what this city can look like
and trying to show people that you have a different
(19:29):
option out here, and that if you actually want to
show people, yes, we can have an affordable city where
we don't lose who we are as black and brown folk,
then you have an option, and that's me.
Speaker 2 (19:40):
How could you eliminate credit scores for apartments and home ownership?
Speaker 1 (19:43):
Right?
Speaker 2 (19:44):
Sounds amazing, But I think you and I both know
that anytime you go to fill out a loan, whether
it's a housing loan, a bank loan, an apartment loan,
the number one thing they check is credit score. Number
two is probably if you actually have a job and
you're pace.
Speaker 6 (19:58):
Stuff, and sometimes for good reasoning too, just to see
kind of like what your payment history is like and
all of that stuff. Like as a like, I get
did you answer the question first in and out come?
Because I'm thinking about it all.
Speaker 5 (20:08):
Out go ahead.
Speaker 4 (20:10):
Credit scores is a recent thing that started in nineteen
eighty nine. This is not something that was like back
in the day, we had many ways to assess how
someone was able to pay their rent and their mortgage.
The notion that a credit score, which could be impacted
because you missed a phone bill a credit card bill
twenty years ago, is more important than are you paying
(20:31):
your rent consistently?
Speaker 3 (20:32):
Well, I agree with you.
Speaker 1 (20:33):
Doesn't make any one bad month and then.
Speaker 3 (20:37):
Anything one bad month somebody steals your eyes.
Speaker 2 (20:40):
Anything happened one bad month and your credits down in
the drain, and I think that's yes.
Speaker 4 (20:44):
And the reality is I might actually go back to
twenty earlier questions. This is one of the things that
Eric has done well that needs to be expand upon.
We're not assessing these credit scores on some of these
HPD units right now in New York City, So it's
not an argument that we can't do it.
Speaker 1 (21:01):
It's a choice.
Speaker 4 (21:02):
So you know, transparently, I'm on the board of Ready Life,
which is where this is why I learned about it,
cheered by doctor Bertnanese King led by Ashley Bell, where
it was like, okay, let's use some common sense. What
is the best way to determine if you can pay
your rent on mortgage on time? Have you paid your
rent mortgage on time? That's more important than did I
do something? So to me, if we actually want to
(21:24):
help more people have a chance, eliminate that completely across
the board and then assess, okay, how do I help you?
Speaker 1 (21:31):
But then the second pieces you have to do.
Speaker 4 (21:34):
We got to increase the income limits on these housing
applications because what's happening right now is you either have
to be really rich or poor enough to get access
to a home and people getting boxed out. The reason
why so many people are leaving the city because housing
and childcare. So to me, if there's anything that someone's
trying to think through, what is the main policy I
want to make happen and credit card is when it
(21:54):
comes to housing applications.
Speaker 1 (21:56):
Expand that out.
Speaker 4 (21:57):
You do that which we know we can do because
the city is doing it to a limited degree. Increase
the income limits, do that, and then have a local
media income that out the gate changes the game. And
each of those three are happening in other places. The
only reason why we're not doing it right now is
lack of leadership. And if you're asking someone, yo, right now,
(22:19):
I'm struggling to pay these bills. I'm trying to figure
out how to make this all happen. But my life
is going to be impacted by something I forgot to
pay twenty years ago.
Speaker 1 (22:29):
That's crazy.
Speaker 2 (22:30):
Or it could be something as small as hey, my
mother got sick and I had to use my money
for rent to help to help someone catch up next month.
Speaker 3 (22:39):
Happens all the time, all the.
Speaker 4 (22:40):
Time, Like you know what, hey, landlord, yo, I don't
have you on the first I got you a little
bit later because I do X, Y and Z. And
the the other thing about credit score is that people
think through is like you have different agencies creating different numbers.
So again that's just not fair and how this all works.
(23:00):
And I want to show people if we're serious about
having housing, which I do think, we got to build
about six hundred thousand units at least current numbers say
it's about five forty just to hit the current apply demand.
But for you to build the housing, you then got
to make sure people that actually could afford it when
they get there.
Speaker 5 (23:18):
That was gonna be my question to you.
Speaker 6 (23:19):
And that's so I said for sometimes good reason only
because I'm thinking, like, all right, so you say we'll
make it where these people can afford it, we'll give
them better money, better income, right, so they're able to
pay their bills and the credit raises, and then we'll
have better more housing for them. But a lot of
times it feels like politicians will say things like that,
but you can't do everything at once. So maybe you
create more jobs for people with better pay rate, but
(23:40):
then that middle point where they can't get they they're
not making enough money for certain places, but they're not
broken enough to get into or the income isn't low enough.
Speaker 1 (23:48):
To get into stay there.
Speaker 6 (23:50):
Yeah, okay, so you get what I'm saying, Like, you're
in this place where it's like I might be making
more money, but I still don't qualify for these margins
of like three or five times the rent.
Speaker 5 (23:59):
So I'm still struggling.
Speaker 6 (24:00):
So it's kind of like as a landlord, you're looking
at it like, well, I just got to do the
best I can do by determining who I can let
in here. So it's like we always called in this
like circle of things, how do you know for a
fact that you can do both at the same time
if you get an office.
Speaker 4 (24:11):
Well, first, I'm Jamaican, so I'm used to three jobs, right,
so so we regularly make it happen. Second, I'm not
a normal politician. I've actually made things happen. I run
small businesses right now. I helped get Barack Obama elected.
I served in the White House. I saw how to
make these things done, get these things done. And when
I was in the Assembly, every single year and I'm
(24:32):
gonna come back to the housing piece, but I think
context is the point. Every single year we did something
major that they said couldn't get done. My brothers keep
a program knowing the state in the country has that
they're black and brown boys right now going to school
and graduating school that did not have fun.
Speaker 1 (24:47):
That we made that happen.
Speaker 4 (24:49):
Prompt paid bills so that businesses get paid in fifteen days,
stayd of thirty days, bipartisan bill.
Speaker 1 (24:53):
They said they couldn't make that happen. Raise the age leaf.
Speaker 4 (24:57):
Broda was our constituent New York and enough Online our
last two states for sixteen seventeen years. We tried as adults.
We changed that when they say that couldn't happen. So
to the question of how we know right now that
there are easy fixes that would help people be able
to stay in their homes and for all the black folk,
(25:17):
brown folk, low income folk who are leaving New York
City because of housing, fundamentally raising the income limits on
these applications, which would be a huge help for our
seniors as well, huge help for those that are disabled as well,
so that it is actually proportional to your neighborhood, then
you actually give someone a chance. The wilder thing is
(25:41):
actually I'm going back and forth on the Eric good
bad right. We voted on true costs of living, so
we can actually understand what are the costs by your neighborhood.
He hasn't implemented it. The reason why that's important is
that you can understand not just housing costs, but groceries,
you know, transportation, education, because if you know all of that,
then what we put in these applications is proportional to
(26:04):
that number. What's going on in the South Bronx is
not the same as South Short Staten Island. What's going
on in Central Brooklyn, it's not the same as Southeast Queens.
What's going on in East Harlem's not the same thing
on what's going on Upper west Side. And so we
should base it upon that. And to do that you
need someone who's actually talking about it, and I'm the
only one that's talking about that in that very real
way and talking through how you make this happen. These
(26:27):
are policy changes through legislation, this is administration changes through leadership,
and then this is fun the changes in the budget.
Speaker 1 (26:35):
Full stop.
Speaker 3 (26:36):
What's your relationship with President Barack Obama?
Speaker 4 (26:38):
Now still my dude, you know, he's consider man consistently
be un blessed to me.
Speaker 2 (26:45):
What's been in his advice when he knows that you're
running for this because he's faced some of the things
that you face it now that he was far behind
at one time, What is his opinion to you.
Speaker 4 (26:54):
Be very clear about why you're running and giving people
choice in contrast. Right, you know that you can't just
talk through big ideas. You got to make it clear
to folks that there's a difference. Right when we were
in Iowa thinking about this here and we were in Iowa,
(27:14):
there was a point where he was down like thirty.
He flew in, got everybody together and he told this
story about how he was at the Saint Patrig's DA
Parade run for US Senate and he was the last
entry in the parade. And so what that meant was
that everybody was saying Barack husain Osama saying wow things.
And you know they were a little drunk, so people
saying wow things. A year later Saint Parade, he was
(27:37):
the Grand Marshal and he was like, if you put
in that work and you make a clear round choice
and contrast, then people will remember. And I always took
that and he stays with that. It's like when people
voted for him, he said, I'm going to end the war.
I'm gonna get you health care. Make it real clear
on your big ideas, then everyone can rock from that.
(27:58):
And that's why I'm being consistent. Same way when I
talk through credit scores, we talked through a thousand mental
health professionals. We talked through civics, because when you have
so many people in the race, if you don't give
people that clear choice, then the easy thing is just
pick a name you've seen before, right, And he stays
with me. I mean the screensaver that I have is
when we brought him to the Bronx. We launched my
(28:19):
brother's keeping lines in the Bronx, and he would joke
with me. He was trying to get me a shout out.
I was trying to be cool. He said, Yo, the
President says, your name is stand up, get TV time.
He still is in that same zone of follow the vision,
make it clear, but make it clear about choice and contrast.
And he's also shown us and tell him me like,
(28:41):
be that messenger.
Speaker 1 (28:42):
You know.
Speaker 4 (28:43):
I don't know if we brought the signs, but there
was a time when we were in the White House
for a legislative event.
Speaker 1 (28:50):
Wrap him up.
Speaker 4 (28:50):
He's about to walk by and he tells people like,
we would not be here without Michael Blake, and I'm
forever grateful of what he did for me, and I'm
gonna take that kind of energy.
Speaker 5 (29:00):
He's also I mean, everybody likes to criticize Obama too.
Speaker 1 (29:04):
At the same time, who's everybody?
Speaker 6 (29:05):
There are people criticize There's a lot of people that
criticize Obama, but I mean not me personally, But I'm
saying that we hear the criticism. So I'm asking you,
is there things that he says, you know, just as
a mentor almost that I would advise you not like
something he learned, that he would advise you to approach
differently or not to do while on your run.
Speaker 4 (29:24):
I mean, look, at the end of the day, you
have to stay true to the numbers and how you
organize right, And it's it's easy to get distracted by
noise and that could take you off your plan, and
and that kind of to your point, You're gonna hear
(29:45):
a lot of folks who are just like, yo, why
are you doing this right? Why are you doing this?
Two three weeks ago a people saying why why are
you even out here doing these things? And and by
the end of that night and the next day, pretty
much every publication said I.
Speaker 5 (30:04):
Wanted to debate, oh when you came in Cuomo.
Speaker 4 (30:07):
Right, So it's like you gotta stay locked in even
in the midst of the noise.
Speaker 6 (30:13):
A lot of times with politicians, I feel like they
don't speak straight to things, especially like Democrats.
Speaker 5 (30:19):
But so I learned about you or found out who
you were.
Speaker 6 (30:23):
Or I guess maybe you start paying attention more when
the Cuomo thing happened, because I like, even though.
Speaker 5 (30:28):
Not to be messy, but I just like you were.
Speaker 6 (30:31):
You said what you meant you said to him, the
people who don't feel safe are young women, mothers and
grandmothers around Andrew Cuomo, right, and you said that straight shoot,
straight shooter. Do you plan to still be that way
as a mayor because a lot of times once people
are elected, they have to like step back and filter
what they say.
Speaker 4 (30:45):
And nah, I'm this is who I am all day,
every day, right, whether it be in the family, you know,
whether it be on the block. Yeah, you can grow
up on Creston and Burnside and then go back on
these kind of things. And I would say that whether
(31:06):
it be on a debate or if I'm just talking
to people at the restaurant. And I think one of
the reasons why we've been successful in office is that
people see that I'm consistent in what I'm doing. That's
what folks can't stand about politics right now. They feel like,
yo ya, to your point, you just say something, you
just kind of keep it moving, and you're not real
about that. And it is easier to be consistent in
(31:27):
who you are than try to move around and shift
by neighborhood.
Speaker 1 (31:30):
That's just not how I get down.
Speaker 4 (31:32):
And that's why I say to people, give me the
chance right now, tell folks number two in most of
these polls, if it's not Zoron is undecided, right, you
got a lot of times to still make a decision.
And it feels like a lot of people are still
trying to understand, well, who can I rock with in
(31:52):
this moment, And I'm trying to show you you got
a choice.
Speaker 2 (31:55):
Should undocumented immigrants be allowed to vote in local New
York City elections?
Speaker 4 (32:00):
Uh, potentially for municipal ones itself. We've got to figure
out how this all gets incorporated collectively itself, right to
that degree, because there's a it's a fascinating piece, right
because a Green card holder is able to contribute to
campaigns right in New York City. So it's just like
(32:21):
we've got to figure out a way to make an
equal balance across the board.
Speaker 3 (32:24):
Should Right Island be closed?
Speaker 1 (32:27):
Has to be closed? Why?
Speaker 4 (32:29):
It's an inhuman place. It's the second largest mental health
facility in the country, only La County being larger. You've
got to find more ways. And most people there haven't
even been convicted any They just waiting, right, And so
if we actually reduce the population so that more people
can actually be closer to their homes while they're waiting,
(32:49):
and you can actually help the people who have the
mental health concerns, then you can take the real steps
of getting into the space where you can build burrow
based jails, which is what we actually need. Burrow based
jails makes much more sense than just sending people off
to rikers to sit there.
Speaker 2 (33:04):
Okay, well, get out there and vote for the last thing.
Tell people why they should vote for Michael Blake.
Speaker 4 (33:09):
Michael Blake is the only candidate saying the truth around
and then credit scores for housing applications. Michael Blake's the
only one that is out here saying that we need
a thousand mental health professionals instead of NYPD. Michael Blake's
the only one that's saying civic, financial literacy and mental
health for these kids. I'm the only one that was
that truth teller on that stage, not afraid of Trump,
not afraid of Cromo, not afraid of the noise. If
(33:31):
you want someone who has the ability to change the
game at all levels, and you want the handsome Jamaican
who actually comes from the Bronx right now, right, who
can talk about hip hop and talk about housing at
the same time, I want to be your first choice.
And if I'm not your first choice, I want to
be your second choice. But most importantly I want to
be on your ballot. That's why Michael Blake should be
(33:51):
your mayor.
Speaker 3 (33:51):
All Right, well, there you have it, ladies and gentlemen,
Michael Blake. Do your research. And if they want to
donate to your campaign, how can they do that?
Speaker 4 (33:58):
Oh man, much love on that to the website Blake
fo R NYC dot com Blake for NYC dot com.
You can sign up to donate, you can sign up
to volunteer. We have offices all across the city. Our
headquarters in the Bronx at one BRUCKN the boulevard, but
we have satellite offices on five boroughs. And just again
remind and remember everybody, fill out the ballot. Don't just
(34:19):
rank me first. Fill out all five spots of your
five choices. That makes it a point that your candid
is gonna win.
Speaker 5 (34:25):
Tell them don't message your donation money because you'll follow lawsuit.
Speaker 4 (34:28):
Yeah, let me tell you something. I'm man. People play games,
play games, and you know and find out and find.
Speaker 5 (34:37):
Out you have play super games, win superprises that.
Speaker 3 (34:41):
It's Michael Blake. It's the Breakfast Club. Good morning, good luck.
Speaker 1 (34:44):
Wake that ass up in the morning. The Breakfast Club.
The Breakfast Club News
Hosts And Creators
Charlamagne Tha God
DJ Envy
Jess Hilarious
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