After 20 years of progress and success under two Republican mayors, New York City fell apart over the last eight year under a radical Democrat named Bill de Blasio — who engendered disgust across the political aisle:
Five minutes after midnight, @Andy tears into @BilldeBlasio. Wow! pic.twitter.com/mYmPc2rBgj
— April Ponnuru (@AprilPonnuru) January 1, 2022
Eric Adams was sworn into the New York mayoral office shortly after the ball dropped in Times Square Saturday morning.
Adams, who previously served as a police captain and borough president, emerged from a field crowded with leftists in the June primary simply by moving to the center. He won the general election in the heavily Democrat city by roughly 40 points.
The new executive specifically promised to be “radically practical” in his inaugural remarks, while rejecting “ideological wars of our recent political past.”
The 61-year-old took a few jabs at his predecessor, saying the nation’s largest city’s dysfunctional government “created its own crisis long before COVID.”
“Now is the time to be radically practical because a better city is not just about doing something new; it’s about doing something right,” Adams said Saturday. “It’s not about showmanship; it is about showing up. That is why the theme of my first 100 days is GSD: Get stuff done.”
The mayor took particular aim at inherited issues like rising crime, soaring COVID-19 cases, and the financial downturn caused by draconian lockdowns.
“Some will continue to say that we must choose between public safety and human rights, but we can have both,” Adams argued. “That is why I am going to put more resources into stopping violent crime. Some will say that there cannot be losers in our economic turnaround without being losers in the same time. I say ‘no’ to that.”
Related: FBI Statistics Show Near-Record Crime in Major Cities
Adams castigated those calling to shut down Gotham again amid the omicron variant, saying the public and businesses can remain safe.
“Some will say that we must choose between shutting down our city and endangering New Yorkers with COVID. I say ‘no’ to that as well,” he continued. “This is 2022, not 2020. With vaccines, testing, and treatments, we have the tools now to live with this virus and stay healthy if we all do our part to keep each other safe.”
Proudly insisting “New York is not closed,” the new mayor urged residents to exhibit “declarations of confidence,” like sending children to school and returning to in-person work.
“The crisis wants to tell us when we can be happy, when we can be sad, when we can work, and how we can enjoy our city. The crisis wants to tell us how to live. But there’s one thing everyone knows about New Yorkers: We don’t like anyone telling us what to do,” he explained.
Adams even hinted at cutting back on the profligate spending of his socialist predecessor. A few days ago he announced the creation of an office to tackle waste, fraud, and abuse in the city’s budget, saying, “Inefficiency leads to inequality.”
Adams also happened to witness crime firsthand already Saturday and took action.
The head of New York City’s Police Benevolent Association, who abhorred de Blasio, sounded cautiously optimistic about Adams.
“We’re optimistic about a new mayor, a new police commissioner, a new department – that we can take this city back, make it better and hopefully healthier for everyone,” Patrick Lynch told Fox News Saturday morning.
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