Cuomo unveils plan to fix NYC's mental health crisis — and it looks a lot like Adams' agenda
Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday released his sprawling plan to fix the Big Apple's mental health crisis — ticking off many of the issues rival Mayor Eric Adams has already been pushing for.
Cuomo, who is vying to unseat Adams as New York City's mayor, unveiled more than a dozen proposals to help get people with severe mental illness off the streets, including expanding involuntary hospitalizations and increasing psychiatric beds.
But many of the key elements bear striking similarities to ones already rattled off by Hizzoner during his current stint in City Hall.
Advertisement
'Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery,' an Adams' administration source told The Post after Cuomo's plan dropped.
'Especially when it comes to cleaning up situations created by the imitator.'
One of Cuomo's main focuses would be removing those who are a danger to themselves from the streets, according to his 36-page proposal.
Advertisement
As part of the plan, Cuomo has vowed to expand the use of court orders under Kendra's Law — mainly by requiring 'universal screening' when people are discharged from public hospitals and from Rikers Island jail.
Adams, for his part, has long called for the state law to be strengthened so the city can commit people suffering from severe mental illness for longer.
Cuomo has also called for adding between 100 to 200 new inpatient psychiatric beds within the city's Health and Hospitals system in a bid to keep mentally ill perps out of Rikers.
The additional inpatient beds are up from the 100-odd new beds Hizzoner touted during his State of the City speech earlier this year to tackle the crisis.
Advertisement
The former governor, too, floated boosting supportive housing units from 500 to 1,600 per year — up from the 900 'Safe Haven' beds promised by Adams to house the homeless and transition them to permanent housing.
Cuomo also highlighted how the city needs to tap into involuntarily removing homeless people from the streets who can't meet their basic needs — a policy expansion that was put in place nearly three years ago under the Adams admin following a spate of horrifying subway attacks.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
The best and worst ways to commute to lower your risk of dementia
Turns out your daily commute can affect more than just your road rage — it could also influence how your brain ages. New research published today suggests that how you get from point A to point B can significantly impact your risk of dementia. 'We have about 55 million people living with dementia, and that number is expected to almost triple by 2050,' Dr. Liron Sinvani, a geriatrician and researcher with Northwell Health who was not involved with the study, told The Post. 3 New research explores whether cycling, walking, driving or using public transportation is best for your longterm cognitive health. Getty Images/iStockphoto 'We know that both genetic and environmental factors contribute to dementia, which leads us to: What are modifiable risk factors or things that we can change in our life to reduce our risk of dementia? And physical activity is one of the main factors that that has been raised over and over.' That's why it may not be altogether shocking that a new study indicates cycling is the gold standard for commuting when it comes to staving off cognitive decline. 'One of the hypotheses they raised was that cycling is a moderate- to high-intensity workout, and also requires balance,' Sinvani said of the study. 'It requires more complex brain function than walking, which is why maybe it was a better reducer of dementia risk.' If cycling to work sounds a bit too Danish to you, walking is still a worthwhile second — but you might want to steer clear of subways, buses or, yes, even Ubers. 3 If cycling to work sounds a bit too Danish to you, walking is still a worthwhile second — but you might want to steer clear of subways, buses or, yes, even Ubers. Nexa – 'Another interesting thing they found was that even when using inactive travel like car or public transportation, it seemed like driving had a little bit better impact [on brain health] than public transportation,' she said. That could possibly be due to the fact that driving requires more attention, coordination and decision-making skills, giving your brain more of a workout than zoning out on the train. Ultimately, though, it's all about making lifestyle choices that are realistic but also give your brain a boost. 'We know that not being socially isolated is important. So getting out and being active is super important,' she said. 3 The study indicates that cycling is the gold standard for commuting when it comes to staving off cognitive decline. nuttawutnuy – To her, the study is 'not about just doing exercise and making that part of your routine, but thinking about the way you live your life. So, instead of having to drive somewhere, taking that bike and using active travel modes to get around as part of your lifestyle becomes very important.' Whenever people ask her what they can do to stave off dementia, her biggest piece of advice is 'whatever gets you outside doing stuff.' 'I think we see that it's not just the physical activity, but it's also in the balance, and it really engages different parts of your brain,' she said. If the choice is between walking and taking a bike, she would suggest going with the bike — but if it's between walking and staying home? 'I would say definitely walk,' she said. The latest study aligns with previous findings that say two of the most modifiable factors for reducing the risk of dementia are exercise and socializing. So, if you're really strapped for time, cycling to work with a friend is probably one of the best things you can do for your brain.
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
Long-shot NYC mayoral candidate sues to get onto final debate stage, claims donors ‘illegally' rejected
Mayoral long-shot candidate Michael Blake is suing the city's powerful campaign finance agency in a last-ditch bid to be allowed onto the Democratic primary debate stage later this week. Blake — arguably the breakout star of last week's first debate — claims the Campaign Finance Board nixed hundreds of valid donations that would have made him eligible for the forum hosted by Spectrum on Thursday night. 'The CFB has acted arbitrarily, capriciously, illegally, and unconstitutionally in doing so,' claims Blake's Manhattan Supreme Court suit. The CFB's 'antiquated' database wrongly rejected nearly 200 donations to Blake's campaign, including one by Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, according to the lawsuit, filed Sunday. The contributions would have made Blake eligible for the city's generous eight-to-one public matching funds program, a threshold for entry into the second and final debate, the suit states. 5 Michael Blake is suing after he said he was 'illegally' booted from the second debate. Pool/ABACA/Shutterstock The former Bronx Assemblyman, during last Wednesday's NBC 4 New York-Politico debate, referenced the fact that he'd been barred from participating in the next forum when asked about his biggest political regret. 'The campaign finance board did not want to meet with us, they said go to court and that's what we are doing,' Blake, an associate pastor at a South Bronx church and former Obama White House aide, told The Post on Monday. 'It is the CFB who made the error and they still have time to fix it. All we are asking for is we deserve to be on the stage Thursday night, we deserve to get matching funds.' The Blake donors were 'arbitrarily' disqualified due to address verification issues, including Williams — himself a candidate currently participating in the CFB matching funds program, the suit alleges. Williams' $250 donation was rejected in the audit 'solely because his apartment was not included,' a field not required by the Campaign Finance Law, the suit claims. 5 Blake, considered a 'breakout' star at last week's debate, says the Campaign Finance Board messed up, and he has actually met the threshold to be on stage at the second and final mayoral debate. AP 5 Public Advocate Jumaane Williams's $250 donation to Blake was nixed by the CFB because it claimed he entered 'a non-residental address.' Stephen Yang 'This audit arbitrarily preliminarily disqualified numerous contributions,' the suit reads, adding that the 'vast majority of such failures are due to the inflexibility of CFB's database fields.' 'The sole reason given by the CFB in denying Michael Blake participation is their conclusory and inaccurate contention that the Blake Campaign did not meet their eligibility threshold based upon matchable dollars raised to date,' the suit claims. 5 'It's surreal,' Blake told The Post on Monday. 'The egregiousness of these errors and the ramifications. Christopher Sadowski Blake, who is polling at 1.5%, is asking for a judge to force the CFB to include him in the debate. The board is required to host primary debates for citywide office elections, under the Campaign Finance Act, but is given broad discretion over who will be on the dais. Candidates either need to raise and spend nearly $2.4 million or pull in more than $250,000 in public matching funds to participate in the second debate. The threshold for the first debate was lower, with only $200,000 needed to be raised and spent to get on Blake sent in his May 19 contribution disclosure, the board at first seemed primed to give out matching funds, even asking for updated bank information. 5 Michael Blake was a former Obama aide and Bronx Assemblyman. James Messerschmidt But the CFB later sent the 'audit letter' claiming he was 78 donors short and included two conflicting contribution dollar totals, according to the suit. The suit also says the CFB was using an arbitrary deadline for when the contribution threshold could be met. 'They are just making up a rule,' Blake said. 'It's surreal. The egregiousness of these errors and the ramifications.'
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Official leaving Mayor Brandon Johnson's administration for Obama Foundation
Mayor Brandon Johnson's chief operating officer, John Roberson, is leaving the administration, ending weeks of speculation — and pushback — over his potential appointment to lead the CTA. Roberson is exiting the mayor's office to join the Obama Foundation, according to two sources with knowledge of his plans. A member of the administration since the freshman mayor assumed office, Roberson is the last official within Johnson's inner circle with previous City Hall experience. A source close to the mayor said Roberson is also no longer being considered to lead to the CTA. Roberson, as well as a spokesperson for the Obama Foundation, did not immediately respond to requests for comment Monday. Roberson's transition into the nonprofit sector comes after wearing multiple hats over the course of his government career, including commissioner of the Aviation, Buildings and Sewers departments under Mayor Richard M. Daley. He stepped down from city government in 2005 after he was named as a cooperating witness in a federal investigation into fraud in city hiring and promotions, though he denied that his role in the probe was behind his decision. Afterward, Roberson served as a top aide under Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and Ald. David Moore, 17th, before returning to City Hall to join the Johnson administration in May 2023. As COO, his main task has been overseeing the nuts and bolts of city operations and ensuring that government services run smoothly. The most visible role Roberson took on in that respect was managing the behind-the-scenes preparations for the Democratic National Convention's arrival in Chicago last August, when the mayor was thrust into the national spotlight and concluded the made-for-TV week of events with relatively high marks for how the city was portrayed on the national stage. For the last several weeks, Roberson has been the subject of opposition from transit advocates who feared that the Johnson administration was angling to install him as the next president of the CTA, which has been left without a permanent leader since late January, when embattled president Dorval Carter retired. Those activists sought a thorough search process for the agency's new head, whom they hoped would have previous experience leading a mass transit system. A former organizer with the Chicago Teachers Union, Johnson took office after running as a firebrand progressive and had appointed Rich Guidice and Roberson as the two City Hall veterans among his top deputies. Their hires were seen as reassurance to the business community who worried the new mayor would shake up city government too much by only bringing in allies from his activist grassroots coalition. Guidice left as Johnson's chief of staff in April 2024 after less than a year on the job and was replaced by Cristina Pacione-Zayas, who rose up among the Northwest Side progressives and served as a state senator before joining the Johnson administration in 2023.
