Juggling fiscal constraints, an FBI investigation into his personal finances, and a slew of other pressing items concerning the present and future of the city, there was only one goal for Mayor Eric Adams on Wednesday: Convince New Yorkers their city is in solid shape.
Adams delivered his third State of the City address Wednesday, taking a decidedly more upbeat tone as his administration battles fresh budget concerns and the ongoing migrant crisis. Both were among the Democrat's topics he addressed, as were homelessness, driving down crime and driving out rats.
Perhaps most notably from his address was his emphasis on social media, which he blasted as an "environmental toxin." The city's health department declared social media a public health crisis, warning that children under the age of 14 should steer clear. In a subsequent post on social media, Adams said young people in particular were being targeted, adding that he "won't let Big Tech endanger our kids."
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"We need to protect our children from harm online...Companies like Tik Tok, YouTube, Facebook are fueling a mental health crisis by designing their platform with addictive and dangerous features," the mayor said. "We cannot stand by and let Big Tech monetize our children's privacy and jeopardize their mental health.
The mayor announced several new initiatives as well, including a new agency to coordinate and improve protocols for delivery bikes, saying during his speech that the city "cannot have mopeds speeding down our sidewalks and forcing people to jump out of the way."
He also promised plans for 500,000 housing units by 2033, and nearly a million new jobs.
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The annual status update for New York City came as the mayor awaits a showdown with the City Council after back-to-back vetoes on bills that would have respectively increased transparency in NYPD encounters with civilians and banned solitary confinement in city jails. The Council has enough votes to override both vetoes and says it intends to.
There was just one direct reference to the big battle brewing over the bill, as Adams extended an olive branch of sorts to Council Speaker Adrienne Adams.
"My mommy used to say... 'I love you and there's nothing you can do about it,'" the mayor said to Adams, to which she smiled and mouthed in reply, "I love you too."
While New York Public Advocate Jumaane Williams praised the speech as aspirational, he also said the mayor has been spreading falsehoods that the police bill would burden officers with paperwork.
"It's so fascinatingly false," said Williams. "All we're saying is a couple more seconds in what they have to do at the end of their tour. We did say if it's easier to do after your stops, then just do it then."
Adams pulled out slogans from his successful run for mayor in 2022, repeating that when crime goes down, jobs and tourism go up. But as for the unpopular migrant crisis, the city's budget woes or the ongoing federal investigation into his fundraising, Adams made minimal references, only saying that his administration "stayed focused, no distractions, and we grind."
"We are not out of the woods, but I am very proud we were able to cut the budget...the mayor was very focused on the fiscal management," said Anne Williams-Isom, the deputy mayor for Health and Human Services.
Adams did discuss the city's homeless outreach program, the HOPE (Homeless Outreach Population Estimate) Count, to get a more accurate picture of the crisis and disseminate help. Volunteers fan out across the city trying to identify individuals experiencing homelessness, which will include migrants this year.
This year's HOPE Count comes as shelters across the city are being inundated with asylum seekers. Last week, four shelters housing migrants imposed a curfew to mitigate instances of asylum seekers allegedly going door-to-door begging for cash and food.
Regarding the growing crisis, Gov. Kathy Hochul, also a Democrat, committed $2.4 billion to help the state manage the situation.
Adams has said that budget cuts may be averted by April if the city receives enough funding from the state and federal government to manage the humanitarian crisis.
