Mark-Viverito: Trump's 'Racist, Fear-Mongering Proposals' Would Hurt NYC's Economy
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Donald Trump's lightning-rod proposals to deport illegal immigrants and temporarily ban Muslims from entering the United States could cost New York state more than $800 million and New York City more 340,000 jobs, according to an analysis by the New York City Council.
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City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, a Democrat, unveiled the findings in a speech for the Association for a Better New York Business Group at the Grand Hyatt in Manhattan Wednesday, saying that Trump's proposal would "drive New York City's economy into a ditch," 1010 WINS' Glenn Schuck reported.
"Donald Trump's racist, fear-mongering proposals would hurt New York's economy,'' Mark-Viverito said. "And it is proof without a doubt that he is unqualified to be president."
Mark-Viverito, a Hillary Clinton supporter, said Trump's policies could cost the city more jobs than the 2001 and 2008 recessions, result in "mass deportations that would be a Trump-branded reign of terror'' and note that workers in New York City who were born in Muslim-majority countries contribute $14.2 billion annually to the local economy.
"The human and economic costs of these proposals are undeniable and unjustifiable," Mark-Viverito said. "They would kill jobs and lower our economic output."
Trump launched his campaign last summer with a speech that accused some immigrants from Mexico of being rapists and bringing drugs into the country while pledging to fortify the nation's southern border while deporting illegal immigrants.
Following the attacks on San Bernardino in December 2015, Trump vowed to temporarily bar the world's more than 1.5 billion foreign Muslims from entering the U.S. He later backed away from the claim.
"No, it was never meant to be. I mean, that's why it was temporary," Trump told Fox News. "Sure, I'd like to back off on it. I'd like to back off as soon as possible because, frankly, I would like to see something happen, but we have to be vigilant. There is a radical Islamic terrorism problem that our president doesn't want to even talk about."
A Trump campaign spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Mark-Viverito, one of the nation's most prominent politicians of Puerto Rican descent, has become an effective surrogate for Clinton, particularly on immigration issues. Her role for Clinton only grew when her counterpart in New York City government, Mayor Bill de Blasio, initially waffled in supporting the former Secretary of State.
When asked by reporters why city staffers should be working on a study that seemed purely political, Mark-Viverito said no city money was spent on the project, and that research was conducted on their own time.
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