Borough President Gale Brewer's no-nonsense solutions for Manhattan
Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer a katz/Shutterstock
Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer is known for telling it like it is. The straight-talking politician sat down with the Slant podcast to give her honest opinion on rezoning in the borough, the lack of women in political offices in New York, and Mayor Bill de Blasio’s new five-point plan to reduce congestion in the city.
“I don’t think any proposal is going to be successful if it doesn’t help the MTA,” Brewer said about de Blasio’s plan. “The real issue is, where is the money for the MTA? You’re not going to get rid of congestion in Manhattan if you don’t have subways that work and buses that work.”
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She also spoke about the role that borough presidents play in the city, and why it’s important for them to provide political muscle in advocating for borough issues.
“We sit down with the entire council and we say, OK, let’s see how we can work together, because they don’t have a borough-wide perspective,” she said.
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Brewer also discussed challenges with rezoning; how term limits in the New York City Council may have made it more difficult for women to be elected; and why she probably won’t run for mayor in 2021.
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