J.C. Polanco is an attorney, a proud member of the Department of Ethnic and Race Studies, and is celebrating his 23rd year in education. Polanco has taught Latino Studies, History, Economics, and Business Law at the Borough of Manhattan Community College of the City University. While serving the students here at BMCC, Polanco served as an executive for the NYS legislature for two decades and is a former Bronx Commissioner and President of the NYC Board of Elections. Today, Polanco also serves as President & CEO of the Council on Legal Education Opportunity, Inc., the country’s most influential law school pipeline. J.C. is a Bronx kid all the way; not only was he a New York Yankee batboy for the 1994 and 1995 seasons, and he’s dedicated his career to the people of the Bronx. After growing up in the Fordham section of the Bronx and attending Fordham Prep, Polanco left briefly to study politics and history at the University at Albany. J.C. quickly returned to the Bronx and became a Social Studies teacher at Truman High School in Co-op City. While teaching at Truman and Boricua College, J.C. attended Fordham Law School and the Fordham Graduate School of Business as a night student to complete a law degree and MBA. J.C. has served as a policy commentator for MetroFocus on PBS, Tiempo De Debate on Univision 41, and NY1 Inside City Hall, Consultant’s Corner. Polanco has also appeared on NY1 Pura Politica, NPR’s the Brian Lehrer Show, Fox News, CNN, and many other critical media outlets to discuss politics, election law, and administration. In 2017, J.C. became the first American of Dominican descent to run for citywide office in New York City on a major party ticket.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is a podcast from wor Now. More of the
wr Saturday Morning Show and Larry Mantee welcome back. The
voter turnout was record setting, the outcome expected. Democratic Socialist
Zora and mom. Donnie is the mayor elect of New
York City and political analyst J. C. Polanco is not
(00:22):
happy about it. So, Jc, have you decided where you're
going to move to yet?
Speaker 2 (00:26):
You know what, I'm not leaving. I'm not leaving. I'm
gonna stay right here and we're going to keep our
eyes on the new administration. And like many of your
your listeners, we're gonna stay right here. We're gonna fight
it out. And the truth is that the people that
could move out, the one percent that pay the fifty
one percent of all of the income taxes in New
York City, are they may leave very that is very different, Larry. Right,
(00:52):
these folks are paying the overwhelming majority of the taxes
for our social services, and I think they have the
most options when it comes to where they go if
taxes are raised on businesses and people that are successful
and people that we need to stay in New York City.
So let's hope they don't leave, because we desperately need them. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
We talked to somebody a couple of weeks ago from
a corporate location services company, and he said that he
was getting phone calls months before the election. They were
already they were already planning on moving not just individuals, corporations.
We're talking about moving out of the city. So I
think that they're just getting prepared in case the worst
happens and they can quickly get out of the city.
(01:35):
That would just if that happens JC, If if the
top one percent of earners and corporations move out of
the city, it'll cripple the city.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
Oh, there's there's no question about it. You know, I
understand that, you know, we all matter, We're all very important.
That's true. But you have to remember that our city
is very expensive to run, and we have a city
where we're spending more money for people than any where
else on the planet. The tax consequence here in New
York City is very, very high, and that is being
(02:07):
paid majority by the top one and two percent. So
if they were to leave, it leads the rest of
us with the bill to pay, and that's when it's
going to be very tough having to increase taxes on
middle class New Yorkers, and I hope that doesn't happen,
but let's be positive. I just don't see how you
can tell folks that you're going to increase their rent
(02:27):
and they're going to stay when they can go somewhere else.
Let's hope there's a change of tone. I didn't hear
it last night during the victory speech, Larry. But let's
hope there's a change of tone in some moderation and
reality hits that you need these people here. We need
to ensure that they stay as part of the New
York City family so that you know, we can pay
for schools and for our roads and for our police
and everything else that we need to pay for.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
Now, explain what you just meant when you said I
didn't hear that last night in the victory speech. What
did you hear?
Speaker 2 (02:53):
Well, Look, yesterday I heard an assemblement, Mom, Donnie, and
congratulations to the assemblement for winning. It's a big deal.
It's a huge learning curve. I never thought this would happen,
and you know we can analyze that, so how and
why that happened. But it wasn't a magnanimous speech. It
wasn't a speech of you know, let me tell the
half of New York that didn't vote for me that
(03:14):
everything was going to be okay, and you know, we
are going to be pragmatic in our approach. I didn't
hear that there were you know, it was almost like
a very well scripted victory speech where every single ethnic
group and immigrant group got a shout out. And you know,
if you close your eyes, you would think that the
assemblyman was a son of poor immigrants, like I am right.
(03:34):
You would think that his dad drove a cab and
that his mom was a home attendant somewhere in the city.
You wouldn't realize that the man is a multi millionaire
who comes from a very successful family. And I think
that was very very well done, that script, because it
put your mind in somewhere else and you would never
think those things. And I think that the way he
talked about Andrew Comell, let's revisit that part where he says,
(03:56):
I wish him best in private life, and I hope
to never utter his name. Former Governor Cmo what he said,
I congratulate the assemblyment on winning. People booed, and former
Governor Clmo said, no, no, no, that's not how we
do because that's not who we are. And I thought
that was indicative of, you know, how the mindset was
at the end of the night. I did like to
hear that kind of tone. But there were a lot
(04:17):
of great things that came out of last night's results.
And last night's results showed that half of New York
opposes socialism. Half of New York said no to higher taxes,
no to bad moudling our police, no to not globalizing
the INTAFADAO. Half of New Yorkers are going to be
very upset today that you know, their candidate didn't win.
So it wasn't as if he won with a huge mandate.
(04:39):
In Lasty Larry, seven of every ten voters in New
York City is Democrat. In order for you to lose
a Democratic primary in New York City with such large margins,
it would take a miracle. Having said that, it's incredibly
clear to me that the assemblement underperformed yesterday, considering that
he won barely fifty percent. So keep that in mind
(05:00):
that seventy percent of New York City voters are Democrats.
They vote, many of them voted against their own party's candidate,
So he underperformed compared to Eric Adams compared to Bill
de Blasio, and I think that when you take a
look at Mikey Cheryl and other Democrats, more centrist Democrats
did much better last night than socialists did.
Speaker 1 (05:18):
Yeah, I want to get back to what you said,
because I thought the same thing. I thought we saw
a side of zorin Mamdanni that he never showed to
us during the campaign, and especially when he said exactly
what you brought up a moment ago. I never want
to utter his name again. There was a disdain in that,
and we didn't see any disdain in him. He hid
(05:41):
all of that. He was always smiling, he was always positive,
and I always thought this guy was a trojan horse.
If this is already starting to change, if we're going
to start seeing the reels or in Mam Donnie, and
that speech was as calculated as you and I know
Natalie believes it was, then we might be in trouble
over the next couple of years because we might not
(06:03):
have gotten the guy we voted for.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
Well, you know, I hope that's not the case. But
from last night's speech, it didn't sound like there was
any moderation. I mean, some of the people that he
gave shout outs to were some of the most ardent
socialists in American history, right if you listen to his
speech very carefully. So I don't know whether or not
there's going to be any moderation. He had to show
some moderation during the campaign because those videos of what
(06:26):
he used to say just a couple of months ago
were awful. They were awful regarding some of the positions
he had taken on Israel, and when you think about
his idea of seizing the means of production, when you
take just a perusal of his tweets in the past,
they're pretty shocking and very extremist. So when you see that,
(06:47):
you had no other option but to sound like a moderate,
pragmatic democrat, which is what I think he tried to
do for the last three months. He was able to
do so successfully by winning yesterday. And let's keep in mind,
you know two thirds of Jewish New Yorkers didn't vote
for Smivimihamdani, So that does mean that you had a
third of Jewish voters who heard those things and still said,
you know what, I'm going to put my hope in
(07:08):
a semi Mimimamdani. He may not have a long record.
He may not have any experience in managing the staff
of over five but I think he can manage the
staff of three hundred and fifty thousand people and a
budget of one hundred and twenty billion. That's what they
thought yesterday. So there's something must have connected during the
last three months with moderation that we did not see
last night. So you're right, Larry, that's very interesting.
Speaker 1 (07:28):
He's a great actor. He's a tremendous actor. But I
think this was an entire act. I think you saw
the act slip a little bit in that speech last night.
And I think we're in for a pretty scary four
years because I think, where do you see who he hires?
Why do you see who he puts on his staff?
I think that's going to be extremely telling. Jac always
tremendous to talk to you. That was extremely valuable. I
(07:50):
appreciate your insight all the time.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
Ohways, Larry, thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (07:54):
JC Polanco, political analyst and University of Mount Saint Vincent
assistant professor and a two journey. This has been a
podcast from wo R
This is a podcast from wor Now. More of the
wr Saturday Morning Show and Larry Mantee welcome back. The
voter turnout was record setting, the outcome expected. Democratic Socialist
Zora and mom. Donnie is the mayor elect of New
York City and political analyst J. C. Polanco is not
(00:22):
happy about it. So, Jc, have you decided where you're
going to move to yet?
Speaker 2 (00:26):
You know what, I'm not leaving. I'm not leaving. I'm
gonna stay right here and we're going to keep our
eyes on the new administration. And like many of your
your listeners, we're gonna stay right here. We're gonna fight
it out. And the truth is that the people that
could move out, the one percent that pay the fifty
one percent of all of the income taxes in New
York City, are they may leave very that is very different, Larry. Right,
(00:52):
these folks are paying the overwhelming majority of the taxes
for our social services, and I think they have the
most options when it comes to where they go if
taxes are raised on businesses and people that are successful
and people that we need to stay in New York City.
So let's hope they don't leave, because we desperately need them. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
We talked to somebody a couple of weeks ago from
a corporate location services company, and he said that he
was getting phone calls months before the election. They were
already they were already planning on moving not just individuals, corporations.
We're talking about moving out of the city. So I
think that they're just getting prepared in case the worst
happens and they can quickly get out of the city.
(01:35):
That would just if that happens JC, If if the
top one percent of earners and corporations move out of
the city, it'll cripple the city.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
Oh, there's there's no question about it. You know, I
understand that, you know, we all matter, We're all very important.
That's true. But you have to remember that our city
is very expensive to run, and we have a city
where we're spending more money for people than any where
else on the planet. The tax consequence here in New
York City is very, very high, and that is being
(02:07):
paid majority by the top one and two percent. So
if they were to leave, it leads the rest of
us with the bill to pay, and that's when it's
going to be very tough having to increase taxes on
middle class New Yorkers, and I hope that doesn't happen,
but let's be positive. I just don't see how you
can tell folks that you're going to increase their rent
(02:27):
and they're going to stay when they can go somewhere else.
Let's hope there's a change of tone. I didn't hear
it last night during the victory speech, Larry. But let's
hope there's a change of tone in some moderation and
reality hits that you need these people here. We need
to ensure that they stay as part of the New
York City family so that you know, we can pay
for schools and for our roads and for our police
and everything else that we need to pay for.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
Now, explain what you just meant when you said I
didn't hear that last night in the victory speech. What
did you hear?
Speaker 2 (02:53):
Well, Look, yesterday I heard an assemblement, Mom, Donnie, and
congratulations to the assemblement for winning. It's a big deal.
It's a huge learning curve. I never thought this would happen,
and you know we can analyze that, so how and
why that happened. But it wasn't a magnanimous speech. It
wasn't a speech of you know, let me tell the
half of New York that didn't vote for me that
(03:14):
everything was going to be okay, and you know, we
are going to be pragmatic in our approach. I didn't
hear that there were you know, it was almost like
a very well scripted victory speech where every single ethnic
group and immigrant group got a shout out. And you know,
if you close your eyes, you would think that the
assemblyman was a son of poor immigrants, like I am right.
(03:34):
You would think that his dad drove a cab and
that his mom was a home attendant somewhere in the city.
You wouldn't realize that the man is a multi millionaire
who comes from a very successful family. And I think
that was very very well done, that script, because it
put your mind in somewhere else and you would never
think those things. And I think that the way he
talked about Andrew Comell, let's revisit that part where he says,
(03:56):
I wish him best in private life, and I hope
to never utter his name. Former Governor Cmo what he said,
I congratulate the assemblyment on winning. People booed, and former
Governor Clmo said, no, no, no, that's not how we
do because that's not who we are. And I thought
that was indicative of, you know, how the mindset was
at the end of the night. I did like to
hear that kind of tone. But there were a lot
(04:17):
of great things that came out of last night's results.
And last night's results showed that half of New York
opposes socialism. Half of New York said no to higher taxes,
no to bad moudling our police, no to not globalizing
the INTAFADAO. Half of New Yorkers are going to be
very upset today that you know, their candidate didn't win.
So it wasn't as if he won with a huge mandate.
(04:39):
In Lasty Larry, seven of every ten voters in New
York City is Democrat. In order for you to lose
a Democratic primary in New York City with such large margins,
it would take a miracle. Having said that, it's incredibly
clear to me that the assemblement underperformed yesterday, considering that
he won barely fifty percent. So keep that in mind
(05:00):
that seventy percent of New York City voters are Democrats.
They vote, many of them voted against their own party's candidate,
So he underperformed compared to Eric Adams compared to Bill
de Blasio, and I think that when you take a
look at Mikey Cheryl and other Democrats, more centrist Democrats
did much better last night than socialists did.
Speaker 1 (05:18):
Yeah, I want to get back to what you said,
because I thought the same thing. I thought we saw
a side of zorin Mamdanni that he never showed to
us during the campaign, and especially when he said exactly
what you brought up a moment ago. I never want
to utter his name again. There was a disdain in that,
and we didn't see any disdain in him. He hid
(05:41):
all of that. He was always smiling, he was always positive,
and I always thought this guy was a trojan horse.
If this is already starting to change, if we're going
to start seeing the reels or in Mam Donnie, and
that speech was as calculated as you and I know
Natalie believes it was, then we might be in trouble
over the next couple of years because we might not
(06:03):
have gotten the guy we voted for.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
Well, you know, I hope that's not the case. But
from last night's speech, it didn't sound like there was
any moderation. I mean, some of the people that he
gave shout outs to were some of the most ardent
socialists in American history, right if you listen to his
speech very carefully. So I don't know whether or not
there's going to be any moderation. He had to show
some moderation during the campaign because those videos of what
(06:26):
he used to say just a couple of months ago
were awful. They were awful regarding some of the positions
he had taken on Israel, and when you think about
his idea of seizing the means of production, when you
take just a perusal of his tweets in the past,
they're pretty shocking and very extremist. So when you see that,
(06:47):
you had no other option but to sound like a moderate,
pragmatic democrat, which is what I think he tried to
do for the last three months. He was able to
do so successfully by winning yesterday. And let's keep in mind,
you know two thirds of Jewish New Yorkers didn't vote
for Smivimihamdani, So that does mean that you had a
third of Jewish voters who heard those things and still said,
you know what, I'm going to put my hope in
(07:08):
a semi Mimimamdani. He may not have a long record.
He may not have any experience in managing the staff
of over five but I think he can manage the
staff of three hundred and fifty thousand people and a
budget of one hundred and twenty billion. That's what they
thought yesterday. So there's something must have connected during the
last three months with moderation that we did not see
last night. So you're right, Larry, that's very interesting.
Speaker 1 (07:28):
He's a great actor. He's a tremendous actor. But I
think this was an entire act. I think you saw
the act slip a little bit in that speech last night.
And I think we're in for a pretty scary four
years because I think, where do you see who he hires?
Why do you see who he puts on his staff?
I think that's going to be extremely telling. Jac always
tremendous to talk to you. That was extremely valuable. I
(07:50):
appreciate your insight all the time.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
Ohways, Larry, thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (07:54):
JC Polanco, political analyst and University of Mount Saint Vincent
assistant professor and a two journey. This has been a
podcast from wo R
Popular Podcasts
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Are You A Charlotte?
In 1997, actress Kristin Davis’ life was forever changed when she took on the role of Charlotte York in Sex and the City. As we watched Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte navigate relationships in NYC, the show helped push once unacceptable conversation topics out of the shadows and altered the narrative around women and sex. We all saw ourselves in them as they searched for fulfillment in life, sex and friendships. Now, Kristin Davis wants to connect with you, the fans, and share untold stories and all the behind the scenes. Together, with Kristin and special guests, what will begin with Sex and the City will evolve into talks about themes that are still so relevant today. "Are you a Charlotte?" is much more than just rewatching this beloved show, it brings the past and the present together as we talk with heart, humor and of course some optimism.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.