Former New York Gov. David Paterson said the massive influx of migrants into New York City could trigger similar crime and debt problems that plagued the city in the 1970s.
In an interview Sunday with radio host John Catsimatidis, Paterson said the city could be edging toward a "tipping point."
"Look what happened at the hotels where the hotels were filled up," Paterson said of more than 54,000 asylum seekers from the southern border who have poured into the city.
"The excess migrants, mostly males … chose to sleep on the street rather than go to another facility," Paterson said. "I think it's a tipping point."
Paterson praised New York City Mayor Eric Adams for "bravely" standing up to the White House to demand federal dollars to help ease at least the pressure on the five boroughs.
"Adams bravely has taken on the [Biden] administration and talked to them about the problems of sending all these migrants [to New York] but not sending any significant resources to help house them," Paterson said.
Paterson warned that higher taxes, particularly on the real-estate industry, will drive more residents and businesses out of the city.
"[The real estate industry] really is the backbone of the city. You'll really find out how bad it can be if they do move away," he said. "Or you have situations like you had in the '70s where you had the proliferation of crime and the unaffordability of housing … created a really squalid condition around the city."
Paterson also said there could be a political backlash, noting that Jumaane Williams, public advocate for New York, has echoed that fear.
"He had a press conference warning President Biden that he might not get the votes out of New York that he thinks he would get if he doesn't do something about this migrant crisis," said Paterson, a fellow Democrat.
"Now, I don't think that that would really happen, but it was certainly an element of frustration that the public advocate was fomenting that everyone else feels."
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