Civil Conversations

Civil Conversations is back after a long hiatus! In this episode, titled "Raids, Resignations, & Indictments, Oh My!", I sit down with a former colleague to discuss the recent indictment of Mayor Eric Adams and the wave of resignations that have shaken the NYC government. We reflect on the potential impacts this upheaval could have on city agencies and propose some philosophical changes needed to prevent such disruptions linked to shifts in leadership.

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Resources Mentioned in the Episode:

Podcasts:

Additional Resource:

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In this episode, I host a discussion with a civil servant working for the New York City Police Department, the largest and oldest police department in the country. He shares his story, experiences, and perspectives on a series of topics based on his encounters working in this field for nearly 20 years. This is one of many discussions we’ll have around policing, as is it a deep, complex issue– but this is meant to set a foundation of insight and appreciation for what the job entails, things officers face, what we expect of them, and what we may need to do or advocate for to reach the goal of a safe, prosperous, and harmonious city. 

A huge thank you to my guest, who is one of the awesome people in my network who helped inspire this concept of sharing the very important perspectives of civil servants, the people making things happen in the city every day. 

As always, I’d love to hear from you and your thoughts on the podcast. If you work for the city, or have in the past, I’d also love to connect to hear about your experience. If you’d like to chat, be a guest, or have someone you think would be great for our community to hear from, please let me know! You can reach me at [email protected]. 

Links:

Also, I wanted to give a shout-out and note of appreciation to Host Three of ‘The Personal Details Podcast’. She has been a major supporter of me, in helping coach me on getting a podcast up and running, and in helping promote this show on hers. She’s a fellow creative, so show her some love and check out her podcast. 

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLaK_6SY7ixVRhenprOg-3PowHSAU5dKIE

In this episode, I chat with a colleague, who is a child of immigrants and a first-generation New Yorker, that has worked in public service over the last decade, supporting Dreamers, working in education, and in immigrant services, about the migrant crisis here in New York City. We explore what it's like to be an immigrant (it's not an experience that we all know intimately or firsthand), and discuss the unique state that we are in with receiving and supporting the transition of the latest waves of immigrants arriving into our internationally known melting pot. We touch on some history, with the hopes of understanding how a place like New York City, which has been an entry point and foundation for immigrant communities for centuries, has come to be in a state of crisis and unable to welcome, accommodate, or integrate those who are now arriving.

Take a listen and reach out with your ideas and feedback...

As promised during the episode, here are some links to articles and resources that I came across in case you would like to take a read or listen to do more advocacy around this issue.

Learn more about the history of immigrants in NYC, thanks to this amazing CUNY site:

https://apnews.com/article/immigration-biden-border-title-42-mexico-asylum-be4e0b15b27adb9bede87b9bbefb798d

Here are some other articles I came across in my research that speak to the experience here, and along the border.

⁠NYC’s Migrant Crisis Reaches Breaking Point in Midtown Manhattan - Bloomberg⁠

⁠How Gov. Greg Abbott Texas-Sized a Crisis for NYC Mayor Eric Adams - THE CITY⁠

⁠Operation Lone Star Repels Illegal Immigrants From Crossing Border | Office of the Texas Governor | Greg Abbott⁠

⁠New York needs pro-immigrant policies to bolster its economy - Fwd.us⁠

⁠Migrant Crisis⁠

⁠What to Know About Migrants Coming to NYC From the Border - The New York Times⁠

⁠NYC migrant crisis: Number of asylum seekers in city shelters reaches milestone – NBC New York⁠

⁠Hostility against migrants is rising upstate where NYC is sending asylum seekers : NPR⁠

⁠As Politicians Cry ‘Crisis,’ Some Migrants Are Finding Their Way - The New York Times⁠

⁠https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/01/nyregion/nyc-migrants-homelessness.html⁠

⁠https://nypost.com/2023/07/24/nycs-migrant-crisis-causing-chaos-in-the-streets-hurting-local-businesses-enough-is-enough/⁠

In this episode, I preview something that we’ll be exploring with guests during upcoming conversations, and that’s analyzing the side effects of mayoral transitions, and the detriment they can play on long term success of initiatives, and positive outcomes for our communities and city overall. Listen in to hear my argument as to why the current leadership structure and practices may not be serving us well, and why it’s important for us to explore this further.

Check out a current example of this, cited in Bloomberg News, where we see how Universal PreK, once considered a model public early childhood initiative, is now deteriorating as a result of a change in administrations. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2023-05-15/eric-adams-starves-nyc-s-universal-pre-k-program?utm_source=website&utm_medium=share&utm_campaign=copy I am honored to have been granted the opportunity to share my experience and to contribute to this story.