THIS IS ‘METROFOCUS’ WITH RAFAEL PI ROMAN, JACK FORD AND JENNA FLANAGAN.

‘METROFOCUS’ IS MADE POSSIBLE BY —

> GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME TO ‘METROFOCUS.’

ANTI ASIAN HATE CRIMES HAVE SKYROCKETED.

PRESIDENT BIDEN IS TURNING TO A NEW YORKER FOR HELP COMBATING THE CRISIS.

THIS MONTH, THE WHITE HOUSE CONVENED A 25-MEMBER COMMISSION ON ASIAN AMERICANS, NATIVE HAWAIIANS AND PACIFIC ISLANDERS TO ADDRESS THE SURGE WHICH LED TO ANTI ASIAN INCIDENTS MORE THAN TRIPLING IN NEW YORK JUST LAST YEAR ALONE.

KEVIN TKIM IS THE FIRST KOREAN AMERICAN TO LEAD A COMMISSION IN NEW YORK.

HE IS SPEARHEADING THE PANDEMIC RECOVERY WHILE WORKING TO FIGHT RACISM AND ADVANCE EQUITY.

FOR A CLOSER LOOK AT THE NEW COMMISSION AND THE ONGOING EFFORT TO RESCUE THE SMALL BUSINESS COMMUNITY, TONIGHT IT’S PLEASURE TO WELCOME COMMISSIONER KIM.

HE JOINS US AS PART OF OUR ONGOING EXPLORING HATE INITIATIVE ON THE INTERSECTION OF ANTI-SEMITISM, RACISM AND EXTREMISM IN AMERICA.

COMMISSIONER KIM, THANKS FOR JOINING US.

THANK YOU, JACK, FOR HAVING ME HERE TONIGHT.

LET’S START OFF WITH THE COMMISSION IF WE COULD.

GIVE US A SENSE OF WHAT ITS MISSION STATEMENT IS.

THE COMMISSION IS A HISTORIC MOVE BY THE PRESIDENT TO BRING TOGETHER 25 ASIAN AMERICAN LEADERS IN VARIOUS INDUSTRIES FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY REPRESENTING DIFFERENT ETHNIC GROUPS.

I THINK ONE OF THE STEREOTYPES FOR SOME FOLKS IN THIS COUNTRY IS THAT THE ASIAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY IS MONOLITHIC.

AND IT’S DEFINITELY NOT.

IT’S DEMONSTRATED BY THE REPRESENTATION ON THIS PARTICULAR COMMISSION.

THE COMMISSION IS CHARGED WITH VARIOUS KIND OF EXPLORATORY AND ANALYTICAL TYPES OF TASKS.

IN PARTICULAR, WE HAD OUR FIRST MEETING IN FEBRUARY, LAST WEEK.

WHAT WE CAME UP WITH WERE SIX SUBCOMMITTEES THAT WILL EXPLORE DIFFERENT ANGLES AND DIFFERENT TOPICS TO THE COMMUNITY.

FOR EXAMPLE, WE WILL HAVE A BELONGING, INCLUSION AND ANTI ASIAN HATE RACISM SUBCOMMITTEE.

WE WILL HAVE A DATA DISAGGREGATION SUBCOMMITTEE, ECONOMIC EQUITY, HEALTH EQUITY, IMMIGRATION AND CITIZENSHIP STATUS AND LANGUAGE ACCESS.

THESE ARE ALL ISSUES THAT ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO OUR COMMUNITY.

AND SOME OF THE OTHER ISSUES OVERLAP WITH OTHER IMMIGRANT AND MINORITY COMMUNITIES AS WELL.

I SUSPECT THAT THERE ARE FOLKS WHO MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT SKEPTICAL WHEN THEY HEAR ANYTHING ABOUT A GOVERNMENT COMMISSION.

MAYBESAYING, GREAT, ANOTHER COMMISSION.

GIVE US A SENSE WHAT YOU ARE HOPEFUL AND THE OTHER MEMBERS ARE HOPEFUL CAN COME FROM THIS?

WE ARE IN THE BEGINNING STAGES OF THIS COMMISSION.

IT’S A TWO-YEAR TERM.

WHAT WE HAVE BEEN ASKED TO DO IS TO REALLY TAKE A CLOSE LOOK AND A DEEP DIVE INTO EACH OF THE SUBCOMMITTEE ISSUES I LAID OUT.

IT’S A ROLLING RECOMMENDATION COMMISSION.

IT’S NOT AS IF WE’RE GOING TO FOCUS ON JUST ONE BIG WHITE PAPER AT THE END OF THIS PROCESS.

I THINK THAT’S IMPORTANT, BECAUSE SOMETIMES THE ISSUES THAT WE ARE FACING WILL EVOLVE AND CHANGE.

AT THE SAME TIME, I THINK GIVING THIS KIND OF ATTENTION TO THE ISSUES THAT REALLY IMPACT THE EVERYDAY LIVES OF THE COMMUNITY IS SO IMPORTANT FROM A FEDERAL LEVEL.

WE ARE GOING TO LOOK AT HOW FEDERAL AGENCIES INTERACT WITH THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES.

THE BEAUTY IS THE DIVERSITY OF THIS COMMISSION MEMBERS.

THEY HAIL FROM GUAM AND HAWAII AND ALL THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES.

WE ARE REALLY EXCITED TO EMBARK ON THIS PROJECT.

LET ME GO BACK TO SOMETHING YOU MENTIONED A FEW MOMENTS AGO.

YOU TALKED ABOUT THE IDEA THAT SOME FOLKS LOOK AT THE ASIAN COMMUNITY AS A MONOLITHIC ENTITY.

ESSENTIALLY, EVERYBODY IS THE SAME AND HAS THE SAME INTERESTS AND THE SAME PROBLEMS AND THE SAME ISSUES.

WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT — ESPECIALLY THROUGH THE LENS, IF YOU WILL, OF THIS COMMISSION, WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT THAT PEOPLE REALIZE THAT THAT JUST IS NOT TRUE?

WELL, I THINK WHAT ENDS UP HAPPENING IS WHEN WE DON’T HAVE ACCURATE DATA ON ANY TOPIC, BUT IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE A LOT OF FUNDING DECISIONS, A LOT OF POLICY DECISIONS ARE BASED ON DATA.

WHEN PEOPLE LOOKED AT THIS AS ONE MONOLITHIC GROUP, I THINK IT HURTS THE DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES AROUND THE COUNTRY THAT DON’T NECESSARILY REPRESENT WHAT SOME OF THE DATA MIGHT SHOW OTHERWISE.

FOR EXAMPLE, I THINK WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE AVERAGE INCOME FOR A SOUTH ASIAN IN THIS COUNTRY, IT’S GOING TO BE RELATIVELY HIGHER — MUCH HIGHER THAN SOMEBODY WHO COMES FROM VIETNAM AND IS A MORE RECENT VIETNAMESE IMMIGRANT.

I THINK IT’S JUST TRYING TO HONE IN ON HOW TO BE ABLE TO BEST HELP THE DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE COUNTRY THAT REQUIRE DIFFERENT TYPES OF SUPPORT.

DATA IS USED IN SO MANY POWERFUL WAYS THAT WE FEEL IT’S TIME THAT WE TAKE A VERY CLOSE LOOK AT THIS FOR THE COMMUNITY.

I KNOW YOU HAVE JUST GOTTEN STARTED.

YOUR FIRST ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING TOOK PLACE RECENTLY.

ARE YOU OPTIMISTIC?

EVEN AT THIS EARLY JUNCTURE.

THAT THIS WILL NOT END UP BEING JUST, AGAIN, IN THE VIEW OF THE CYNICAL, JUST ANOTHER COMMISSION, THAT, INDEED, THERE’S THE POLITICAL WILL AND THE RESOURCES FOR SOMETHING POSITIVE TO FLOW FROM THIS COMMISSION?

THAT’S A GREAT QUESTION, JACK.

BECAUSE I KNOW THERE’S A LOT OF CYNICISM ABOUT GOVERNMENT THESE DAYS.

BUT THIS PARTICULAR COMMISSION COMES STRAIGHT FROM PRESIDENT BIDEN.

AND I THINK THE SIGNAL ALREADY HAS BEEN THERE THAT IT’S BEEN HOUSED WITH THE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, ONE OF THE LARGEST DEPARTMENTS IN THE FEDERAL AGENCY GROUP, LED BY SECRETARYC AMBASSADOR KATHERINE THAI.

NAMING THE TWO SIGNALS TO EVERYBODY THAT THIS IS A REAL SERIOUS COMMISSION THAT’S GOING TO TAKE — AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS GOING TO TAKE THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THIS COMMISSION VERY SERIOUSLY.

PRESIDENT BIDEN HAS POINTED OUT THAT MANY IN THESE COMMUNITIES HAVE BEEN, IN HIS WORDS, DISPROPORTIONALLY BURDENED BY THE COVID-19 PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS.

NOT JUST FROM A HEALTH PERSPECTIVE BUT ALSO FROM AN ECONOMIC PERSPECTIVE.

WHY DO YOU THINK THAT IS?

WELL, AS YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THE IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES IN THIS COUNTRY AND IN PARTICULAR ASIAN AMERICAN COMMUNITIES, THEY RELY ON SMALL BUSINESSES.

THIS PANDEMIC HAS DEVASTATED SMALL BUSINESSES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY.

HERE IN NEW YORK CITY, LET’S JUST TALK ABOUT THE RESTAURANT INDUSTRY, FOR EXAMPLE, WHERE CERTAIN NEIGHBORHOODS LIKE CHINATOWN OR SUNSET PARK WHERE THEY MAY HAVE PREDOMINANT NUMBER OF ASIAN AMERICAN OWNED RESTAURANTS, THEY HAVE BEEN DEVASTATED.

THE CONTROLLER CAME OUT WITH A REPORT LAST MONTH THAT POINTED OUT 5,000 RESTAURANTS HAVE CLOSED.

THAT EQUATES INTO OVER 75,000 JOBS.

I THINK THAT THE TYPE OF BUSINESSES THAT THE COMMUNITY PREDOMINANTLY IS IN AND MANY OTHER IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES ARE IN HAS BEEN IMPACTED VERY HARD BY THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.

I’M GOING TO GET IN A MOMENT TO WHAT YOU ARE DOING IN YOUR POSITION AS COMMISSIONER TO COMBAT SOME OF THESE SCENARIOS THAT YOU DESCRIBE FOR US.

BUT, AGAIN, LET’S FOCUS A LITTLE BIT ON THE IMPACT THESE HAVE HAD BEFORE WE GET TO THE SOLUTION.

WHAT IMPACT DO YOU THINK THE SURGE IN HATE CRIMES HAS HAD ON NEW YORK’S ASIAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY, JUST IN TERMS OF THEIR ABILITY TO ENGAGE IN THEIR DAY TO DAY ACTIVITIES?

IT’S BEEN DEVASTATING.

STATISTICS ARE ONE THING.

YOU READ ABOUT THE INCREASE, HUNDREDS OF PERCENT.

I THINK IT WAS 300% INCREASE IN ASIAN HATE CRIMES THAT HAVE BEEN OCCURRING.

YOU KNOW, PEOPLE DON’T REALIZE THAT WHAT ENDS UP HAPPENING WITH JUST SEEING NUMBERS LIKE THAT IS THAT PEOPLE ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS ARE AFRAID TO LEAVE THEIR HOMES.

WHEN THE ELDERLY AND WHEN YOU ARE AFRAID YOUR CHILDREN WON’T BE ABLE TO TAKE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION SOMETIMES IN THE CITY, IT IMPACTS — IT HAS A RIPPLING AFFECT ON EVERYTHING THAT WE DO.

WE TRY TO DO EVEN AS A CITY.

SMALL BUSINESSES THAT AREN’T FREQUENTED ANYMORE BECAUSE PEOPLE AREN’T LEAVING THEIR HOMES.

SO, YOU KNOW, THE FEAR IS REAL.

THE BUSINESSOWNERS WHO WERE FIRST HIT ECONOMICALLY BY THE PANDEMIC ARE GETTING A DOUBLE WHAMMY WHEN THEY ARE FINDING THAT THEY ARE AFRAID TO GO TO WORK IN THE FIRST PLACE BECAUSE OF THE ANTI ASIAN HATE CRIME SURGE THAT’S OCCURRED NOT ONLY IN NEW YORK CITY BUT THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY.

WHAT DO YOU SAY THEN IF YOU ARE GOING — LET’S TALK ABOUT THE ELDER COMMUNITY THAT YOU MENTIONED.

WHO ARE ESSENTIALLY AFRAID TO LEAVE THEIR HOMES, AFRAID TO WALK OUT AND GO TO THE GROCERY STORES, WON’T GET NEAR THE SUBWAYS AT ALL BECAUSE OF THIS REAL FEAR.

HOW DO YOU ASSUAGE THAT?

HOW DO YOU CONVINCE THEM OR WHAT SORT OF SERVICES DO YOU PROVIDE FOR THEM THAT ALLOW THEM TO GET PAST THAT FEAR AND TO RE-ENGAGE WITH THEIR DAILY LIVES?

I REALLY HAVE TO GIVE A LOT OF CREDIT TO THE COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS.

IN CHINATOWN THEY HAD VOLUNTEERS GATHER TOGETHER TO VOLUNTEER TO GO AND WALK THE ELDERS TO THEIR DAILY ROUTINES, TO GO TO THE STORE, GO TO THE DOCTOR’S APPOINTMENT.

IT’S CHALLENGING FOR PEOPLE TO HAVE DONE THAT DURING A PANDEMIC.

I THINK THAT AS A GOVERNMENTAL ENTITY, NEW YORK CITY HAS BEEN TRYING TO FIND WAYS SIMILAR TO THAT TO HELP THE ELDERLY COMMUNITY FEEL SAFER.

I THINK UNDER THIS NEW ADMINISTRATION, PUBLIC SAFETY AND ECONOMIC RECOVERY ARE THE TOP TWO PRIORITIES.

I THINK WITH THE EMPHASIS ON PUBLIC SAFETY, WE’RE HOPING THAT MORE PEOPLE, INCLUDING MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY, FEEL COMFORTABLE VENTURING OUT AGAIN.

YOU TOUCHED ON THIS A LITTLE BIT.

LET ME ASK YOU TO ELABORATE.

HOW CAN DRIVING DOWN THE LEVEL OF ACTUAL HATE CRIMES AND THE FEAR OF HATE CRIMES, WHETHER IT’S ACTUAL OR NOT — HOW CAN THAT IMPACT, THEN, THE BUSINESS RECOVERY THAT YOU ARE SO INVOLVED IN?

OBVIOUSLY, YOUR SMALL BUSINESS SERVICES ARE LOOKING INTO THAT.

HOW CAN THE TWO GO HAND IN HAND?

AS MAYOR ADAMS SAID, PUBLIC SAFETY IS THE PREREQUISITE TO PROSPERITY.

AGAIN, WHAT I JUST TALKED ABOUT, IF PEOPLE AREN’T LEAVING THEIR HOMES AND SMALL BUSINESSES IN YOUR LOCAL NEIGHBORHOOD OR IN MIDTOWN MANHATTAN WHERE OFFICE TOWERS ARE AND THE SMALL DELI OWNERS, THEY JUST CAN’T SURVIVE WITHOUT THE FOOT TRAFFIC.

WHEN TOURISTS READ ABOUT STORIES HERE IN NEW YORK FROM EAST ASIA, YOU HAVE A HUGE POPULATION OF TOURISTS EVERY YEAR WHO COME TO NEW YORK CITY TO VISIT FAMILY, TO SHOP IN THE STORES, TO JUST EXPERIENCE THE MAGIC OF NEW YORK CITY, WHEN THEY’RE NOT COMING BECAUSE OF THE PERCEPTION OF FEAR, THAT SUBWAYS CAN’T BE RIDDEN WITHOUT BEING PUSHED BECAUSE YOU ARE ASIAN AMERICAN, THOSE KINDS OF FEARS, REAL OR P PERCEIVED, WILL IMPEDE RECOVERY FOR SMALL BUSINESSES AND FOR OUR CITY IN GENERAL.

LET’S TALK ABOUT REMEDIES, SOLUTIONS, STEPS FORWARD.

YOU ARE PUT IN THIS POSITION AS THE COMMISSIONER AT A TIME OF JUST EXTREME DIFFICULTY.

THAT’S PROBABLY AN UNDERSTATEMENT.

AS YOU WALK AROUND THE CITY — I WAS IN CITY LAST WEEK FOR SOMETHING.

I WAS ABLE TO GO TO A BROADWAY SHOW FOR THE FIRST TIME.

BUT I WAS JUST STUNNED BY HOW MANY EMPTY STOREFRONTS THERE ARE, SMALL BUSINESSES THAT I REMEMBERED USED TO EXIST, SMALL DELIS, BARBER SHOPS, SMALL RETAIL STORES.

FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE HERE, THE WORK YOU ARE DOING FOR THE CITY, TAKE US THROUGH SOME OF THE STEPS THAT YOU ARE HOPING TO TAKE THAT WILL — LET’S LOOK AT TWO DIFFERENT CATEGORIES.

ONCE, PERHAPS BRING BACK THE PEOPLE WHO HAD TO SHUTTER THEIR BUSINESSES.

THE SECOND IS, THOSE ONES THAT ARE STILL IN BUSINESS BUT ARE HANGING ON, LITERALLY BY THEIR FINGERTIPS, LET’S START WITH THE BRINGING BACK — BETTER QUESTION, LET’S START WITH THE ONES HANGING ON.

WHAT CAN THE CITY BE DOING FOR THEM?

SO, IT’S EXACTLY WHAT YOU SAID.

AS YOU WALK THROUGH THE STREETS OF NEW YORK CITY AND YOU SEE EMPTY RETAIL STORES, THAT, AGAIN, GOES BACK TO WHAT WE WERE DISCUSSING ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY.

WHEN YOU HAVE FILLED STORES AND WHEN YOU HAVE FOOT TRAFFIC AND THE TOURISTS, HAVING CROWDS PROMOTES PUBLIC SAFETY.

A LOT OF WHAT WE’RE TRYING TO DO HERE AT SMALL BUSINESS SERVICES IS TO REALLY TRY TO FOCUS ON THIS IDEA OF PUBLIC SAFETY THROUGH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

SO BY FILLING THE STORES, HELPING TO LAUNCH NEW BUSINESSES EVEN.

IT IS HEARTENING TO SEE — I DID A CORRIDOR WALK IN JAMAICA QUEENS WITH A COUPLE OF COUNCIL MEMBERS OUT THERE.

THE THREE OF THE BUSINESSES WE HAD VISITED HAD OPENED IN THE PAST YEAR AND A HALF.

IMMIGRANT OWNED BUSINESSES, ONE OF THE BEST HAITIAN BAKERY SHOPS IN THE CITY, AFTER A YEAR AND A HALF, THE REPUTATION.

SEEING THAT HOPE AND SEEING THAT PEOPLE ARE STILL WILLING TO TAKE THE RISK IN THE CITY TO FOLLOW THEIR AMERICAN DREAM, IT WAS HEARTENING.

BUT WE NEED TO DO SO MUCH MORE AS A CITY AND AS OUR AGENCY.

WE FOCUS ON TRYING TO BRING BACK AN EQUITABLE RECOVERY AS WELL.

WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT WHEN YOU SAY BRING BACK AN EQUITABLE RECOVERY?

WELL, SO, I THINK OUR — EVEN THOUGH OUR AGENCY IS CALLED SMALL BUSINESS SERVICES, IT’S A LITTLE BIT OF A MISNOMER.

WE OPERATE 18 WORKFORCE ONE CENTERS.

WE PARTNER WITH THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK TO HAVE CENTERS WHERE WE HELP JOB SEEKERS FIND GOOD JOBS, TRAIN THEM TO BE READY FOR THOSE GOOD JOBS.

AS WE FOCUS ON A RECOVERY, WE FIND THAT WHILE IT’S CHALLENGING, THERE’S REALLY AN OPPORTUNITY AS WELL TO REIMAGINE HOW WE CAN HELP THE WORKFORCE IN LOW AND MODERATE INCOME COMMUNITIES TO FIND OPPORTUNITIES TO GET JOBS THAT WILL NOT ONLY BE THE MINIMUM WAGE PAYING JOBS BUT TO TRAIN THEM FOR THE EMERGING INDUSTRIES, TO HELP FIND THEM CAREERS.

WE FEEL LIKE THE FOCUS TO BRING BACK AN EQUITABLE RECOVERY IS REALLY A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY AT THIS TIME.

I WAS STRUCK BY THAT WHEN I WAS LOOKING AT SOME OF THE INFORMATION IN ANTICIPATION OF MY CONVERSATION WITH YOU ABOUT THE OTHER SERVICES THAT YOUR ORGANIZATION PROVIDES.

MY QUESTION THEN IS, DO PEOPLE KNOW THAT THOSE SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE?

AS YOU KNOW, SO OFTEN A CITY SUCH AS NEW YORK CITY MIGHT HAVE THIS ENTIRE PANTHEON OF SERVICES AND FOLKS DON’T KNOW THEY ARE THERE.

THEY MIGHT AS WELL NOT EXIST.

WHAT CAN BE DONE HERE?

YOU ARE RIGHT, JACK.

WHICH IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY I WANTED TO COME ON YOUR SHOW WITH YOUR LARGE AUDIENCE AND FOLLOWERS.

I WANTED TO COME OUT AND JUST SAY, WE ARE HERE TO HELP YOU.

WE ARE HERE TO HELP THE BACKBONE OF THIS ECONOMY, WHICH ARE THE SMALL BUSINESSES.

AS YOU MENTIONED, WE NOT ONLY HELP BUSINESSES LAUNCH, WE ALSO HELP PEOPLE FIND JOBS MATCHING THEM TO THE BUSINESSES THAT WE ARE HELPING TO LAUNCH.

THEN WE ALSO DO THE MINORITY WOMEN BUSINESS ENTERPRISE CERTIFICATION PROGRAM.

SO THAT’S ANOTHER BIG PART OF WHAT WE DO THAT ISN’T NECESSARILY REFLECTED IN THE NAME, SMALL BUSINESS SERVICES.

BUT I WILL GIVE YOU ONE EXAMPLE.

FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAVE A PROGRAM CALLED NEW YORK CITY QUICK START.

THERE WAS A NEW BUSINESS TRYING TO OPEN IN UNION SQUARE CALLED PLANT BURGERS, VEGAN, KOSHER, PLANT-BASED BURGER PLACE.

THEY CALLED US DECEMBER 14th.

BY JANUARY 21, WE WERE AT THEIR GRAND OPENING.

SOME OF WHAT HAPPENS FOR SMALL BUSINESSES IN GENERAL, BUT ESPECIALLY DURING THE PANDEMIC, IT WAS HARD FOR THEM TO NAVIGATE THROUGH THE BUREAUCRACY OF SOMETIMES WHAT NEW YORK CITY IS.

WHEN YOU NEED TO GO TO THE FDNY, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, DEPARTMENT OF BUILDINGS, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, YOU CAN SEE HOW DAUNTING OF AN EXPERIENCE IT CAN BE FOR SMALL BUSINESSOWNERS, ESPECIALLY PEOPLE WHO AREN’T USED TO NAVIGATING CITY BUREAUCRACY.

THAT KIND OF A PROGRAM IS SOMETHING THAT WE ARE VERY PROUD OF.

WE TRY TO GET THE WORD OUT.

WE HAVE PEOPLE HERE WHO ARE SMALL BUSINESS ADVOCATES.

WE HAVE PEOPLE TRAINED AS COMPLIANCE ADVISORS WHO WILL GO INTO THE STORES AND GIVE YOU A PREVIEW OF WHAT THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH OR THE DEPARTMENT OF BUILDINGS MIGHT BE LOOKING FOR IN TERMS OF VIOLATIONS.

THAT’S SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE NEED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF.

AS YOU SAID, IF THEY DON’T KNOW ABOUT IT, THEN WE ARE SPINNING OUR WHEELS FOR NO REASON.

WE ARE TRYING TO GET THE WORD OUT.

I THANK YOU FOR HAVING US HERE TODAY TO BE ABLE TO SHARE THAT.

WE’RE GLAD WE CAN DO THIS.

PART OF WHAT WE LIKE TO THINK WE DO IN THE CITY HERE.

YOU TOUCHED ON SOMETHING I WAS GOING TO ASK YOU ABOUT, THAT IS THE PERCEPTION OF NEW YORK’S OVERBURDENING BUREAUCRACY.

I DON’T KNOW IF IT’S A PERCEPTION OR IT MAY BE A REALITY.

YOU KNOW PERCEPTION BECOMES REALITY IN THE POLITICAL WORLD.

I KNOW MAYOR ADAMS SAID IT’S A CONCERN OF HIS.

THIS MIGHT BE THE CYNIC ASKING THAT QUESTION OR THE SKEPTIC ASKING THAT QUESTION, BUT IS THERE EVEN A BUREAUCRACY YOU HAVE TO FIGHT TO CHANGE THE BUREAUCRACY?

OR IS THIS THE KIND OF THING THAT, IF THERE’S A POLITICAL WILL, THAT CAN BE DONE MAYBE MORE QUICKLY TO STREAMLINE PROCESSES?

YOU OUTLINED FOR US SOME OF THE THINGS YOU HAVE TO DO, IT’S ASTONISHING.

DO YOU THINK THERE IS POLITICAL WILL AND THE ABILITY TO STREAMLINE THIS — THE EXISTING BUREAUCRACY?

I THINK THAT ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS WHY I CAME TO WORK IN CITY GOVERNMENT FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR WAS BECAUSE OF THAT POSSIBILITY.

I BELIEVE THAT THE POLITICAL WILL IS DEFINITELY THERE.

THIS ADMINISTRATION UNDER MAYOR ADAMS, WE ARE COMMITTED TO LOOKING AT EVERY POSSIBLE WAY WE CAN TO LET EVERYONE KNOW THAT THE CITY IS BACK.

WE ARE BACK.

SMALL BUSINESSES IS SOMETHING WE WILL SUPPORT IN ANY WAY WE CAN.

NOT JUST WITH THE PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE.

WE’RE TRYING TO LONG ON A LONGER TERM SCALE OF HOW TO USE TECHNOLOGY AND LEVERAGE THAT BETTER TO COORDINATE THE AGENCIES AND FOR MAYOR ADAMS, HE ANNOUNCED THIS EXECUTIVE ORDER NAMING DEPUTY MAYOR MARIA TORES SPRINGER AND MYSELF AS CO-CHAIRS OF THIS INTERAGENCY WORKING GROUP.

WE WILL CONVENE A NUMBER OF THE REGULATORY — ALL OF THE REGULATORY AGENCIES BASICALLY AND PUT THEM ON THE ASK FOR ALL THE TOP VIOLATIONS THEY HAVE BEEN ISSUING TO SMALL BUSINESSES.

WE’RE GOING TO TAKE A CLOSE LOOK AT WHAT ARE SOME OF THE FINES THAT WE CAN REDUCE, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE FINES WE CAN GET RID OF AND GET RID OF IT FROM THE CODES THEMSELVES COMPLETELY, AND WHAT ARE SOME OF THE FINES THAT WE CAN CREATE CURE PERIODS SO PEOPLE CAN TAKE IT AS AN EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE?

A LOT OF SMALL BUSINESSOWNERS, ESPECIALLY IMMIGRANT OWNED, THEY DON’T HAVE EXPERIENCE OPENING A BUSINESS.

WHEN SOMEBODY COMES IN AND FINES THEM $300, THAT COULD BE THEIR DAY’S EARNINGS.

TO TRY TO EDUCATE THEM, BECAUSE MOST OF THEM AREN’T DOING THIS INTENTIONALLY OR VIOLATING SOME OF THE LAWS IN THE BOOKS INTENTIONALLY.

THAT’S THE GOAL OF WHAT WE’RE TRYING TO DO.

THEN THE SECOND PART OF IT THAT WE HEAR A LOT FROM SMALL BUSINESSES IS CONCERN ABOUT INCONSISTENT TRAINING OF INSPECTORS.

INSPECTOR JOHN COULD GO OUT MONDAY AND SAY, EVERYTHING IS GOOD.

THEN INSPECTOR TED CAN SHOW UP THURSDAY AND SAY, I NOTICED THIS AND THIS.

THE INCONSISTENT TRAINING FRUSTRATES SMALL BUSINESSOWNERS.

WE’RE LOOKING AT THAT AS PART OF THE EXECUTIVE ORDER.

I’M REALLY EXCITED TO BE CO-CHAIRING THIS COMMITTEE, BECAUSE THIS IS SOMETHING THAT SMALL BUSINESSES HAVE BEEN ASKING FOR OVER AND OVER AGAIN.

MAYOR ADAMS IS COMMITTED TO DOING SOMETHING ABOUT THIS.

YOU ARE OPTIMISTIC.

NEW ADMINISTRATIONS ANYWHERE COME CLOAKED IN GREAT PROMISE.

THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT NEWNESS THAT PROVIDES OPTIMISM HERE.

THEN SOMETIMES THEY RUN UP INTO THE REALITY.

HARD HIT.

NEW YORK CITY IS A TOUGH CITY TO GOVERN.

YOU ARE CONFIDENT THAT THIS IS GOING TO BE MORE THAN A PROMISE, THAT WE WILL CHANGE THINGS FOR SMALL BUSINESSES?

AS YOU KNOW, I AM ALWAYS GOING TO BE CAREFUL WHAT I SAY.

I WILL SAY THAT THE COMMITMENT IS REAL, THE TIME WE’RE PUTTING INTO IT IS REAL.

IT IS CHALLENGING.

IT’S NOT EASY FIX.

YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT OVER 20 AGENCIES.

YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT A TECHNOLOGY SYSTEM THAT ISN’T UP TO DATE, NECESSARILY, TO ALLOW FOR GREAT COORDINATION BETWEEN THE AGENCIES.

BUT ON THE OTHER HAND, MAYOR ADAMS HAS PUT ALL THE TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENTS UNDER ONE CTO.

WE ARE REALLY EXCITED TO HAVE MATT FRAZIER LEADING THE TEAM NOW.

HE IS WORKING CLOSELY WITH US AS WELL AS MAYOR ADAMS ALSO PUTTING IN THE FIRST CHIEF EFFICIENCY CZAR.

I THINK OUR OFFICIAL TITLE IS CHIEF EFFICIENCY OFFICER.

EFFICIENCY CZAR SOUNDS BETTER.

I TELL HER, THERE ARE A LOT OF COMMISSIONERS BUT THERE’S ONLY ONE CZAR.

SHE IS ALSO INVOLVED IN THIS FROM THE VERY ONSET.

PUTTING TOGETHER THE RIGHT PEOPLE, I THINK THAT SHOWS POLITICAL WILL, FOR SURE.

BUT THE CHALLENGES ARE REAL.

IT WON’T HAPPEN OVERNIGHT.

BUT WE ARE COMMITTED TO TRYING TO DO WHATEVER WE CAN TO MAKE LIFE EASIER FOR SMALL BUSINESSES WHO WANT TO LAUNCH, OPERATE AND TO HELP THEM THRIVE.

A MINUTE LEFT.

I WANT TO ASK YOU A PERSONAL QUESTION.

I MENTIONED, YOU ARE THE FIRST KOREAN AMERICAN TO HEAD A NEW YORK CITY AGENCY.

WHAT DO YOU THINK THE MESSAGE OF YOU IN THAT POSITION IS TO OTHERS?

I THINK REPRESENTATION IS SO IMPORTANT.

MY PARENTS CAME HERE AS IMMIGRANTS IN 1975.

THEY ACTUALLY OPENED UP A SMALL BUSINESS THEMSELVES FROM SCRATCH.

MY MOTHER WAS AN ARTIFICIAL FLOWER DESIGNER.

MY FATHER WOULD TAKE HER DESIGNS AND GO KNOCKING ON DOORS IN THE GARMENT DISTRICT UNTIL THEY WERE ABLE TO CREATE A BUSINESS.

I THINK THE MESSAGE HERE IS THAT, YOU KNOW, IN ONE GENERATION, A SUCCESSFUL SMALL BUSINESS IN THIS COUNTRY CAN TRANSFORM A FAMILY.

THE EDUCATIONAL AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES.

I THINK THAT IT REALLY JUST SHOWS THAT YOU CAN COME FROM ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD AND IN ONE GENERATION WITH LUCK, YOU CAN FIND OPPORTUNITIES THAT YOUR PARENTS NEVER COULD HAVE HAD.

‘METROFOCUS’ IS MADE POSSIBLE BY —