NYC-WTC_000230769

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

THE NEW YORK TIMES, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2001

ones that can work you out of the problem. MR. BLOOMBERG Just don’t go — I mean MR. BLOOMBERG We, in 20 years, have a . They are the ones you really need to have I’ll put it in the private trust.... But short record that I don’t.think you will ever find ' cooperate. And they are the ones we should of that, we don’t do any business to the city. a company can match. j have loyalty to. ... And you put a hiring I don’t know what else I can do. As Mark 0. Not we, I think probably you personally j I freeze in to try to hope that attrition will Green said, he can’t get rid of his brother. Is what this stuff has been bubbling up [ cut it down.... But you know, maybe he’d like to. I mean t you put it in the private trust. We don't do about, isn’t it? ! Q. So you think the teachers and firefight­ MR. BLOOMBERG Well, it’s just before the ! ers and police should also be subject to a business with the city other than it is a ! hiring freeze and salary freeze? taxpayer in the city. There is no' other election, all of a sudden stuff bubbles up. I contact.... I don't see any real conflict any think you’ve got to put in perspective. - . MR. BLOOMBERG... If you don’t apply it to more or less than me as a taxpayer in the Hopefully, the public understands that ’ , them, what are you talking about? ... I city. I mean even if 1 were to sell it. I’m that’s, you know, that’s the same thing that ; think that you have to pay them more, but still going to be a taxpayer in the city. You happened in the runoff. At the last mo- J the savings have got to come through just disclose what you’re doing.,., ment, all of a sudden, things come out, i efficiencies and attrition. Because there What I haven’t quite figured out is why stories are spread, rumors are promoted. | just isn’t any more money. But you have to — I believe that the scrutiny of my cam­ 1 stop the toss of the work force that you Q. Are you saying it’s not true? paign and everything I say has been differ­ ' need. When it comes to teachers, probably ent. You know, if you go back, it used to be Mr. BLOOMBERG Oh no„no, I think that the 1 the most disruptive thing in a classroom is that it was people were encouraged to go case that you’re talking about — The Vil- > ! the loss of the teacher in midyear. It would from private service to public service — lage Voice piece? I be nice to have smaller classroom sizes. Leahman, Harriman, Rockefeller, ft was I I We don’t have enough wherewithal to keep Q. Ves. an obligation to do public service in those i, the existing classroom size. So. you know, days. And some how or other, we’re getting MR. BLOOMBERG The Village Voice piece ' saying you’d like it is great. But you have — trying to turn it around where anybody was plain and simple. One of our employ­ to be realistic about what you can afford. that is willing to go and take tithe out of ees al leged an event had taken place a year ( their lives to do something for others is —. and a half before. Our H.R. department — vilified Isn’t quite the right word — but Is run by a woman who I have an enormous . looked at with suspicion and questioning amount of confidence in, she's as profes­ , 'If you back, it used their motives. I don't know that Harriman sional as you can find — tried to investi­ or Leahman or Rockefeller needed more gate. The complainant would not cooper- ; ' io be that it was people publicity or needed prestige or status. ate. There was a tot of evidence to the That’s not why, they went into public serv­ contrary. She then without ever talking to ■ . were encouraged to go ice. ... And I think more people should do us filed a lawsuit. And the judge dismissed | it. 1 said from Day 1, somebody asked me it with no evidence whatsoever. The story ■ from private service to at the beginning, why did you go into public — 1 haven’t read it, but what was told to me , service? And J said, everybody I’ve ever — the story in the Village Voice is they public service/ met who had worked in public service for a take one line out of a deposition, which if period — whether I thought they werp asked that — I forget exactly how the ■ successful or not — they all, when they question was phrased, but if you’re asked , , And teachers are leaving ... after two, recalled those days, had a gleam in their what is the — do you automatically believe j , three years because the job is very tough. eye that they had done something wonder­ ful. That they were a part of making gov­ any allegation? No, you have to — every- : ; They don't feel they get support, and they body has rights. And you try to do a fair don’t make enough money to live. And a ernment and the system and our civiliza­ tion better. And I said back then, I had investigation. 1 didn’t personally do it, our > young person, in the end, will want to go H.R. department did. And as I said, as far ' and say, "I've done my teaching for a never had that experience. And that’s more than anything what 1 wanted. 1 want­ as 1 remember checking, they did exactly ' while. I’d love to continue, 1 love kids, but 1 what was appropriate, exactly what was can get a job in the commercial sector.’’ ed the chance to go and do it. And I had the And that is also — thdt exact same phe­ ability to do it. Why not go do it? advised by all of the consultants that we [ nomenon is going to devastate the Police Q. But are you saying that you’re being use to ensure that we are a company where j Department unless we do something. The subjected to closer scrutiny? everybody can work safely and happily j police pension system is designed to force together. And the judge thought it was . MR. BLOOMBERG Well, everybody is fixated ridiculous. ■ you out if you have a very good year. And on where my money comes from. Just go the overhead this year — the overtime this take a look at where — whatever candidate But, you know, could 1 have made — if year — is going to create an enormous I happen to be running against — where his you ask what you could dp differently — I incentive for anybody with experience money comes from. I don’t see any stories suppose if I were running for office, I just i ’ that’s been there a long time to go and to about all that. Not any. But there are not a would have paid some money up front even leave at the very same time that the de­ lot about sources of money and potential though we did nothing wrong. But 1 don’t ' mand on the commercial side for police conflicts. You ask about the potential con­ know how I would have lived with myself. , officers is skyrocketing. What’s the one flict with my company... and yet you don’t We did nothing wrong, and we conducted ’ business that everybody wants to hire peo­ focus on conflicts that others have where ourselves honorably. ... I couldn’t be ple? The one part of their operation? Secu- they take funds, refuse to disclose who prouder of the ways that we have conduct­ i rity. What better than hiring an N.Y.P.D.- even works for him,... ' ed ourselves and the environment that we I trained guy with 20 years? So we’re going Q. 1 know this is not exactly iwhal you’re have created for our employees. And the , , to have a very big problem.... talking about when you talk about a closer fact that we have 8,000 people and 100 , Q. Your company is a privately owned scrutiny, but I have to ask you what your offices and have less than 10 percent turn­ I company. You’ve talked about how you reaction is to this women in the workplace over says that it’s a pretty good place to . might distance yourself from that compa­ stuff that has bubbled up. Do you see that work. And what we do is appropriate. I ny once you’re mayor. Could you talk a as an example of what you’re talking don’t know what else you can say to those ' little bit about that? about? And what's your reaction to that? things.

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