Governor Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio may not agree on much, but they both think the the topless women in Times Square have to go. NY1's Grace Rauh filed the following report.
Governor Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio have had trouble getting along, but they seem to be finding common ground on one issue attracting a lot of attention these days: topless women in Times Square.
"This is a serious issue," Cuomo said.
In a telephone interview with NY1 Wednesday morning, the governor said he believes the photo ops are illegal and must be stopped.
"I was around for the bad old Times Square, and this is starting to remind me of the bad old Times Square," Cuomo said.
The governor said his administration is talking with the city and will take steps to enforce the law and clean up the area.
De Blasio this week also spoke out against the women.
"It's wrong. It's wrong," he said Tuesday.
Unlike the governor, though, the mayor seems to recognize that what these women are doing is not technically illegal. Women have the right to be topless in New York City, and panhandling, as long as it is not aggressive, is also permitted by law.
The mayor said the city will look for appropriate ways to regulate the practice.
"I don't like the situation in Times Square, and we're going to address it in a very aggressive manner," de Blasio said.
The issue did not come up Wednesday, when the mayor was a guest on WNYC Radio. Instead, he talked up his efforts to address inequality by creating universal pre-kindergarten and building more affordable housing.
De Blasio also suggested it's not his fault his long-promised bid to ban horse drawn carriages is stalled in the City Council.
"What I'd say to every advocate is, 'You already have my vote. Go get the votes in the City Council,'" the mayor said.
The leading anti-carriage group said de Blasio is the one who should be the leading the charge. He pledged to end carriages his first day in office, but it doesn't sound like he is willing to whip votes to make good on that promise.