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Brian Lehrer: Brian Lehrer on WNYC. Happy Friday. Now, we'll begin a series in which we'll invite the various county executives in our area to come on and say how they think the people in their counties are being affected by the Trump revolution. Some county execs in our area are Democrats, some are Republicans. We'll see how they assess the impacts on their residents of Trump policy so far in counties that voted against Trump and counties that voted for him like Nassau and Suffolk and Rockland and Staten Island, also known as Richmond County in case you didn't know.

Of course, we'll invite each guest's constituents to call in as we do. The five boroughs in the city are counties, so the series will include the borough presidents. We begin now with the Bronx borough president, Vanessa Gibson, you might call her the president of the Bronx. County Executive Gibson, thanks for coming on. Welcome back to WNYC.

Vanessa Gibson: Thank you, Brian. Thank you for having me today.

Brian Lehrer: We'll get to some of your own initiatives as we go. I know you gave a State of the Borough Address recently, but first, where would you start to describe the impact of the Trump administration on people in the Bronx so far? I know it's a general question, but who's really feeling it one way or another so far if it's not too early to ask?

Vanessa Gibson: I think the impact on a lot of the Trump administration's executive orders and changes in Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security, US Department of Education is going to be felt the hardest in communities across the Bronx where you have working-class families. You have families with children in college, recipients of grants and other opportunities through the federal government.

Many of our older adults that are in those safety-net programs like Medicaid and Medicare, reliant on insulin and medicine, we're seeing pharmacies close down with a lot of changes in regulations. I think, again, a borough like the Bronx that has historically struggled when it comes to health equity and better health outcomes are always the first when it comes to these types of punitive measures that will have the most negative impact on our health and well-being.

Brian Lehrer: Well, most of the things that you just mentioned are things that are speculative, right? That haven't happened yet. Since you mentioned Medicaid, we did talk about that on the show this week about the prospect of Medicaid cuts. The numbers that I have are that a majority of the people in the Bronx, more than 50% of the residents of the Bronx, get their health care paid for through Medicaid. Is that accurate?

Vanessa Gibson: Yes, that is.

Brian Lehrer: How would you begin to compensate? I know the borough president can't really do it. A lot of it would be on Albany, I think. How would you begin to advocate for how to compensate or just help your residents to the extent that you can in your job if a big cut to Medicaid does happen?

Vanessa Gibson: I have been using my voice as borough president since this administration took over in January to amplify their voices, to work closely with our hospital providers, service providers, FQHCs, our school-based health clinics, and our many of our public schools because we know the impact will be felt the most in places like the Bronx. The state budget right now is still in negotiations.

We have an opportunity working with Governor Hochul, Speaker Heastie, and Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins to try to minimize some of that impact. We've already heard consistently from legislative leaders that they don't have the money to foot the full bill of federal cuts. We essentially don't know what the full magnitude of that will be like you said, right? This is speculative. It's not happening just yet, but we know it's to come.

When you think about many families in the Bronx, Brian, today, they're living with asthma, heart disease, renal failure, kidney failure, high rates of obesity. Many of them are transplant recipients. They're in need of services and they have been getting them consistently. We know Medicaid is a safety-net program. Anytime there's any impact to that on the hospital service provider level, it is going to mean a compromise on the level of services.

I worry as borough president what that means for a resident that has diabetes, that needs insulin, that no longer is able to go to the local pharmacy now has to pay out of pocket. We don't have disposable income to that level where we can make up that difference. It's really disheartening. It's really discouraging. We have to keep up the fight. We have to resist. We have to use all of our power and voices to do everything we can to try to fill the potential gaps that we see.

Brian Lehrer: Yes, and that's a big debate that's going to come within Congress in the coming weeks leading up to the October 1st fiscal year for the federal government. How about anything from you? Even stories of an individual or two in the deportation campaign from the Trump administration. The Bronx, of course, is one of the most diverse counties in the world.

These stories are trickling out individuals who are being picked up, who might even be here legally in the case of some people who the Trump administration doesn't like their speech, their opinions, or some people on very minor infractions who are being picked up, and then they find that they are technically deportable. Do you have any stories of people in the Bronx being affected by this who maybe our listeners haven't even heard yet?

Vanessa Gibson: We have had cases come to our office at Borough Hall, our ombudsman unit, where we've had residents from the Caribbean, West Indian community, from the Latino community that are documented that were contacted by ICE directly, or we've had lots of ICE and law enforcement presence in the ground in the borough at some of our commercial corridors down in the South Bronx, in the North Bronx, major thoroughfares where you have people on the ground and a lot of foot traffic.

What we've tried to do when we first learned about the deportation efforts of this administration, we've done a lot of Know Your Rights forums. We have one this afternoon with the West African community because we need to train and educate folks on what to do when confronted because many of them are documented. They have a working visa. They're here. We need to make sure that they are protected. Most importantly, they know their rights.

Brian Lehrer: Obviously, we're having a little on-and-off with the borough president's line. Go ahead.

Vanessa Gibson: One of the most profound things that we can do as an administration is educate folks. Oh, we've talked about just the ability to get folks lawyers and legal service providers is so important. We're doing that. Anyone that comes to our office, we refer. We also help them to the best extent that we can.

Brian Lehrer: You know what? We're going to try to fix a problem with your phone line. I apologize, listeners. Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson is my guest. Our connection to her has been going in and out a little bit. I'll open up the phone. Listeners, I'll give you the phone number. Listeners in the Bronx, your questions, comments, stories, complaints, anything from you for your borough president, Vanessa Gibson? 212-433-WNYC, 212-433-9692.

It can be on what Trump-revolution effects you or your neighbors are experiencing or anything else you want to say or ask about. 212-433-WNYC, 212-433-9692. Call or text. The borough president's back with us. Hopefully, the line is better. Let's talk about some specific Bronx issues that you've been working on and highlighting. One thing I know you're very interested in and working on is maternal health and disparities in maternal health. What's the news from you on that?

Vanessa Gibson: Let me acknowledge that Black Women's Health Week starts today through the 17th across our city. We are amplifying the voices of Black and Latina women who are facing a higher rate of maternal mortality and morbidity. Black women, nearly 9.2 times of that of Caucasian women. It's a stark contrast that really highlights the need for equitable access to maternity care.

We've been very adamant and intentional about lifting up Bronx mothers, giving them access to prenatal/postnatal care, birth workers, doulas, and midwives. Last month, we released a report that focuses on establishing a Bronx-based birthing center. We were the first in the city to open a birthing center, the Child Bearing Center of Morris Heights, back in 1988. It lasted until 2012 and then it closed.

Now, the state of New York only has two. One in Buffalo, one in Brooklyn. We want to be able to open that in the Bronx. We believe patient-centered care with a holistic approach, wraparound services, a space where women can go, we can directly address their unique needs is something we're deeply committed to. I am going to invest my own capital to really improve maternity care and the access that many of our Bronx mothers need, our women.

It's really important for me, so we're on the way. I can't wait until we have a full announcement of a location. I want to recognize today, we have Maryam Clinic. It's a reproductive clinic in the Norwood community. They are providing doula services, acupuncture. They're doing a lot of group counseling and they're really helping mothers. The one thing we want to be clear on is every mother deserves to deliver a healthy baby and not lose their life at the same time.

Brian Lehrer: Listener writes on another issue, "Shout out to Vanessa Gibson for testifying in front of the New York Attorney General Letitia James on Tuesday in the Bronx to keep Preston High School open." Would you tell everybody the Preston High School story?

Vanessa Gibson: Yes, Preston High School was opened by the Sisters of Divine Compassion back in 1947 with a focus on Catholic education, discipline, and really rooted in the fabric of education. Generations of young ladies go to Preston. We have an incredible alumni association. We want to make sure that the Preston institution continues. It's physically in Throggs Neck in the East Bronx, but it's had a profound impact across the borough and the city of New York.

We learned earlier this year in February by virtue of a letter from the Sisters of Divine Compassion that they wanted to close Preston and they were essentially going to retire. Long-term security for the sisters. We understand that. We, the alumni, elected officials, the current staff, Principal Jennifer Connolly, we want to keep Preston open because there are students there that want to graduate and fulfill the same mission that Preston started with over 50 years ago.

Attorney General Tish James came to the Bronx this week and held a public hearing at Lehman High School to hear from stakeholders, students, alumni, faculty, teachers, support staff, administrators on the impact of what this closure would mean for them. It was very emotional. Brian. We heard stories from parents that said, "My daughter loves this school. I have two daughters there. They are starting their orientation. We've paid the fee. They're ready to graduate. They got their class ring."

They are so excited about staying at Preston and I don't want to shatter their dreams. "We have nowhere else to go. This has been an option for us for years and it should be maintained." We're hoping that AG James and her charity bureau can look closely at this potential sale and see any opportunities where the sale can be denied by the state. There also has been an offer on the table to purchase Preston.

If we believe that the sisters want to retire in dignity as they should and no longer run Preston, then we are able to come in with a not-for-profit that can purchase the building, purchase Preston, and allow the school to operate. That's where we are now. We're just waiting. The hearing just happened this week. We're really hoping that we can keep the dream going for Preston scholars and really maintain this wonderful Catholic education institution in the Bronx.

Brian Lehrer: J.Lo, Jennifer Lopez, among the alum. Some people may be hearing that story and thinking, "Well, wait. Why is this the job of the government? You're talking about a Catholic school. The public schools have enough problems. Why are you getting involved in trying to save a Catholic school? Why isn't that the church's problem?"

Vanessa Gibson: Well, I think for us, the Catholic education is a part of our borough and this is about choice. Parents have the ability to choose where they want their scholars to go. Preston has been around for a very long time. Over my three years as borough president, I've seen far too many Catholic schools closed because of low enrollment, because of financial constraints.

Literally, if I could save them all, All Hallows, St. Lucy's, Sacred Heart, St. Angela Merici, St. Brendan's, I really, really would like to. I think there's been so much momentum around Preston. We've seen businesses, clergy. We've seen so much overwhelming support. I don't go anywhere in this borough without coming across a parent of a Preston scholar or someone saying, "Ms. Gibson, I graduated 20 years ago. Please save Preston."

It is a valuable part. It's the fabric of our borough. It's a community partner. Preston has done a lot for our borough and we really want to support that. I don't look at it from Catholic versus public versus parochial. I look at it as education. I try to be balanced in supporting all of our educational institutions when it comes to saving them and allowing them to operate and provide a valuable education for families.

Brian Lehrer: Is there a connection between the Preston High School situation and the possibility that a casino is going to come to the area? We know that there are various locations in New York State that are vying for these new casinos that have been made legal and not yet built or opened yet or even designated where they're going to go. There's a big fight around Citi Field in Queens among constituents who want one there and constituents who don't want one there. Tell us the casino story with respect to the Bronx and if it has anything to do with the high school.

Vanessa Gibson: Okay, great. One of the offers that has been put on the table is by the Bally's foundation, not corporation, that runs the golf course at Ferry Point. Separate entity. This is a community-based-driven foundation that supports community partnerships and initiatives. They came forth with a dollar figure on the table to the sisters to offer to maintain Preston. It is separate from the casino proposal, although many will conflate it and think that it's a part of the proposal when it's not.

I think Bally's as an entity, when they purchased and took over the license agreement from the old Trump Golf Links with the Parks Department, it was with the understanding that they wanted to come into the borough and be a neighbor and a partner and really create accessible programs so that everyone can have golfing as an experience. They host events. They've been working with the school district, the Business Improvement District on Throgg's Neck on East Tremont. They really tried to be a partner.

Again, the casino proposal is one of many. The state will only award three licenses in the downstate area. The five boroughs, Nassau, Suffolk and Westchester. Bally's is competing with others. There is a lot of conversation around this, but these two issues are not mutually exclusive. We can have a conversation with Bally's foundation as it relates to the purchasing of Preston and keeping that open. Then we can have a separate conversation around the casino proposal and the $625 million that Bally's is offering to invest in the Bronx with the understanding that they would get one of the license agreements from the state.

Brian Lehrer: I guess you're for that casino. There's always so much debate about whether they actually produce jobs or enough jobs to be worth whatever the negative effects are on the community in terms of quality of life in various respects, including increase in people with gambling addiction. How do you weigh that in your case?

Vanessa Gibson: Right, so let me clarify just for the listeners that I have not weighed in officially on the casino proposal. I am a member of the community advisory committee, so I will have to take a vote later this year. I just held a public hearing at Borough Hall on the land use application, the disposition of Parkland, which is what Ferry Point is today. I did that. I'm getting a lot of testimony.

Community Board 10 weighed in. They did disapprove it overwhelmingly, so I get it. There is a lot of opposition. There is support as well. I acknowledge both sides. How do I balance this as a borough president? I listen to everyone and I look at all sides of the conversation. I realize projects of this magnitude are not going to get all the support because of the size, because of the community, because of the noise, the pollution, the traffic.

Everything that people think will happen when you bring a project of this size into a residential neighborhood. I will say that this is the largest potential investment that we've seen in the Bronx. When you talk about good-paying union jobs and really lifting families up and investing in infrastructure, transportation, supporting small businesses, this is something that should be considered, right?

I think people are understanding that the casino is probably the most controversial part of it. People have said to me, "Ms. Gibson, I like the hotel. I like the event venue. I even like the restaurants and the retail, but the casino is a problem because of unintended consequences. We don't want to create something that's going to bring crime and noise and disruption to our everyday lives."

I get that and I understand that. We have a few more weeks as we listen and get more feedback from interested stakeholders, the homeowners, the civic organizations. There's a lot of people weighing in on this, Brian. I want to be very clear that we will make a decision very soon. We will do so with the understanding that, again, our decision will go to the City Planning Commission. It will go to the City Council.

There will be a lot more conversations. We're not done yet. As I said, the state will award three licenses. We don't know if Bally's will get it. At the end of the day, my job is to make sure I support the projects that make sense, that will bring revenue and jobs and stability, and really create modes of economic mobility and pathways to the middle class for all of our residents and families.

Brian Lehrer: Before we run out of time. I'll acknowledge that various points of view are being expressed on the phones and in our text thread about both the high school and the casino. One person writes, "Sorry, but my tax money should not be paying for Catholic schools or any other religious institution. Tax the churches," writes that person. Another one writes, "This seems like theater. The institution offering to buy Preston is Bally's, who's trying to build a casino in the Bronx, which, if it is to happen, would send a cut of the deal to Trump." Is that right about Trump?

Vanessa Gibson: Someone mentioned that to me and I have not confirmed that yet that there's a portion of the proceeds that will go to Trump. I don't know that that is the case, but I have asked my general counsel to look into that to get clarity because I've not heard that. I just heard it recently, but I can't confirm.

Brian Lehrer: One Bronxite writes, "There's so much more disparity among Bronx high schools. It's Bronx Science, American Studies at Lehman, and then a bunch of truly underserved public schools, Catholic schools in the Bronx fill the gap left behind by that disparity." Here's an alum calling in, Carly in Astoria. Hi, Carly. You went to Preston?

Carly: Hi, Brian. Yes, I graduated in 2007. I actually was the one that texted in shouting out Vanessa Gibson for testifying on Tuesday at Lehman High School. We just really appreciated her coming and taking the time to speak on behalf of our school. We packed the auditorium with almost 1,000 people. There were 300 people watching the live stream. It was a really positive hearing. Lots of standing ovations. You can read more about it in The New York Times article, but just wanted to call as an alum, bring attention to the school, the school closure. It means a lot to the community in the Bronx. Just thank you again to Vanessa for advocating for us.

Brian Lehrer: Carly, thank you very much. We've got about a half a minute left, Borough President. I didn't actually look up if you've endorsed in the mayoral race, but what I really want to know is what's the number one thing you would like to hear from the mayoral candidates in terms of serving the Bronx over the next four years?

Vanessa Gibson: Wow. I wish I could just pick one issue, Brian, but I'll just say very quickly that my focus is on jobs and stability for families, additional affordable housing and pathways to home ownership, and really lifting up the Bronx in a real way. We are the unhealthiest county of all, 62 in the state, and we have to do something about that. I need every mayoral candidate to understand that Bronx has been left behind. With any candidate, we want to be lifted up, empowered, and invested in as a priority.

Brian Lehrer: Vanessa Gibson, the president of the Bronx. All right, the borough president of the Bronx. Always good to have you on. Thank you very much.

Vanessa Gibson: Thank you. Thank you so much, Brian. Thank you to your listeners for joining in.

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