Former New York Gov. George Pataki told Fox News on Monday that New York City’s leadership, and particularly Mayor Bill de Blasio, have "failed miserably," and "intentionally" hurt the future of the city.
"Certainly, part of it is the coronavirus has had a huge impact on New York, changed the way people work and that's going to hurt New York and also it is the New York leadership that has failed miserably," Pataki told "America's Newsroom" on Monday.
"What they have done to demonize the police department, to take away the police rights, to allow people to violently assault police and be out on the street the same day is already leading to a spike in crime," he added.
"When you combine that with the shutdowns and the coronavirus and the concerns people had about New York before any of this happened. I'm really really concerned more so than at any point in my life."
Pataki said a crime wave could severely affect the city's businesses and tourism industry, and the "massive regulatory structure" and "high taxes out of Albany" has the city in "dire straits."
He said, "Undo the bad laws that the city of New York just passed. You see pictures of police officers struggling with criminals who resist arrest. If that police officer ends up sitting on the back of a person resisting arrest, that police officer can end up a criminal spending a year in jail under a new law."
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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