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Mayor Michael Bloomberg. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times)
NEW YORK—Mayor Michael Bloomberg took to the airways on 710AM Friday morning to discuss the week’s events.
Here are the highlights:
Large Sugary Drink Ban
As he has done all week, Bloomberg defended the large sugary drink ban, which was struck down by a judge Monday.
The mayor said the authority of the Board of Health has been tested before and he believes the city will win on appeal.
[Related: Bloomberg’s Quest for a Healthy City]
“It is not a prohibition,” Bloomberg said. He told listeners it was an educational campaign because it made people think when they had to carry two cups to drink 32 ounces of soda.
“In this day and age, to get the message out, you have to get through the clutter,” he said.
The mayor said he was not frustrated or put off by the decision. “It’s just the process.”
[Related: The Cost of the Soda Ban]
Protests in Flatbush
The mayor commented on the death of 16-year-old Kimani “Kiki” Gray, who was shot and killed by NYPD officers on Saturday night.
“Anytime a teenager is killed, it is a tragedy,” Bloomberg said.
The mayor did not directly defend the officer’s actions, but said evidence points to Gray having a gun.
[Related: A Brooklyn Community Hungry for Change]
Since Monday, the evenings in Flatbush have turned to protests, something the mayor did not condone. “Violence and law breaking is not the way to get answers,” he said.
[Related: Jumaane Williams Urges Calm in Flatbush]
Bloomberg once again defended stop, question, and frisk as a way to get guns off the streets. “If they (criminals) think they will get stopped, they will not carry (a gun),” the mayor said.
Jobless Discrimination Bill
The mayor plans to veto the jobless discrimination bill, which was recently passed by the City Council. The bill is aimed to prevent discrimination against people who have been unemployed.
The mayor said the bill was too risky for companies because it allows people to sue if they are not hired and it would be up to the company to prove employment status was the reason for not hiring—something they mayor said was impossible.
“You cannot put your company at that kind of risk,” Bloomberg said.
UFT Control vs Mayoral Control
The United Federation of Teachers (UFT) challenged mayoral control over the city’s education system this week.
“When the UFT ran the it (school system), it was a disgrace,” Bloomberg said. He cited the improvements made in graduation rates, Charter Schools, and book delivery.
[Related: Mayor Has Too Much Power Over NYC School System, Say Critics]
