NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- In her first week as governor, Kathy Hochul has already done so much. She’s issued a statewide mask mandate for schools, she’s called for an internal investigation into the MTA’s massive power outage over the weekend, and she’s even already selected her Lieutenant Governor: New York State Senator Brian Benjamin, who hails from Harlem.
While much of the public eye still remains on Hochul, many are excited to see what Benjamin will bring to the table. Speaking in an exclusive interview with 1010 WINS’ very own Juliet Papa, the senator did not hold back from discussing his day one duties or what he hopes to achieve in the role.
Because of the years of affordable housing, economic development, and criminal justice reform under his belt, Benjamin told WINS Hochul wants him to play an "active role" in NYCHA. He explained, "She wants me to lead a task force because I have some of the most NYCHA [experience] than any other Senator in the state.”
Despite all the experience though - and every intention to fix the city’s current housing crisis - he believes there’s another, more urgent issue at hand.
“I think the number one priority is getting COVID under control," he said. "You know, when I hear Dr. Fauci say, ‘We can get COVID under control by Spring 2022 if we do the right things,’ that’s what I want to be a part of.”
He added, “So much is impacted by COVID...the MTA, the fact that we have less ridership, the fact that we have small businesses, people who work [that] are out of work. We’re not commuting; we’re not traveling. We have to get that under control. And [dealing with it] will help us with everything else.”
He also said that gun violence was something the state needs to get “under control.”
When asked about his general stance on crime and bail reform, he insisted, “everything should be left on the table.” Not only does he hope to change the laws, he wants to regularly revisit them to make sure that they remain fair for all New Yorkers.
“We need to make sure that we’re holding the entire system of government accountable,” he added. And when he refers to the entire system, he also means those who enforce the law.
“You can have public safety and accountability and transparency at the same time and justice,” he asserted, “In terms of the police department, every dollar should be driven towards public safety - full stop.”
Now, despite being days away from officially inheriting the Lieutenant Governorship, Benjamin still aims to make the most of his time as a Senator. He mentioned to Papa that dealing with both the state’s eviction moratorium and marijuana legislation were priorities to him, especially because of their respective connections to the pandemic and crime.
He said, “The real concept here is fairness. Fairness should be the driving principle by which we make [all] decisions.”
“[That] is what you’re going to see from Governor Hochul,” he added, “The way she is going to move the ball down the road is smart, judicious, thoughtful, pragmatic. That’s the kind of leadership New Yorkers want.”