New York mayor: Can everybody just pipe down?

Story Tools

(CNN) -- New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has declared war on noise. He recently announced a new program called Operation Silent Night, which will crack down on loud bars, car alarms and noisy neighbors. Can the mayor successfully silence blaring horns and drunken revelers in the city that never sleeps?

Former New York public advocate Mark Green and nationally syndicated radio talk show host Mike Gallagher debate the issue with "Crossfire" host Paul Begala and guest co-host Terry Jeffrey, editor of "Human Events."

JEFFREY: Mr. Green, isn't the fact that New York City officials are now talking about sending out undercover cops with sound meters to bust people for making a little bit too much noise a testimony to what an outstanding job Republican Mayor Rudy Giuliani did in cleaning up that city of yours?

GREEN: I have no idea how Giuliani got into your question, but your premise is wrong. ... Excessive note, 100-decibel construction work at night or car alarms that go off all night -- keeping the elderly and students up (and) affecting their health -- is a problem in this city.

We're not looking for silence; please, this is New York. But, it's a health problem. It's a quality of life problem and finally, you who believe in the market should be respectful if the market of voters and constituents responding to a hotline said the No. 1 complaint in the city now is noise. I think it's appropriate for the mayor to respond.

BEGALA: Mike Gallagher, you used to work in broadcast out of New York City and even as a Democrat. I agree with Terry Jeffrey that Mayor Giuliani did a good job on crime. He embraced a theory called "broken windows," one that President Clinton had embraced and that helped bring down crime nationally. Here's what Rudy Giuliani said about that theory and I think it applies perfectly to what Mayor Bloomberg is trying to do.

He said, "Small things matter. Respect breeds respect for the law and one another. When a window building is broken and no one repairs it, that sends a subtle message that it's acceptable to destroy property."

Isn't it the same thing with these low-end noise violations?

GALLAGHER: No, of course it's not, because Rudy Giuliani recognized that those broken window examples had to do with imitating squeegee men who wanted to strong-arm people at ATMs. Crime, prostitution, things that really matter.

Mark Green, I am so surprised at you. You're the quintessential New Yorker; I mean you're a limousine-liberal New Yorker, but you are the quintessential New Yorker and you know that this is a city that revels in the explosion of sight, of sound, of taste, of smell.

You can't make New York any quieter than it is already right now. To have the morality police run around and try to get everybody to be quiet, come on, you can't pull that off and you know it.

GREEN: Thank you for calling me a quintessential New Yorker. My wife would like to see the limousine and Mike, send it over.

GALLAGHER: I've seen it.

GREEN: Look, I respect the Libertarian philosophy. I may not share it in every instance -- which is: You should be free to express yourself, but I can't punch you in the nose.

If you're living next to a disorderly disco which is permitting 100-decibel music into 4 a.m., that is not a small violation. It ruins your quality of life. Your numerous examples are self-serving.

GALLAGHER: That goes back to the days of 21 and nightclubs. Come on, Mark. You know the horn-honking and loud nightclubs and sirens and car alarms: that's all part of the fabric that's New York City.

This is an example of more intrusion into our lives. Bloomberg is desperately trying to, I guess, divert attention from the $5 billion budget gap that the city of New York faces. He ought to focus on important things, not how much noise somebody is making down the street at 1:00 a.m. New Yorkers know it's a loud city. They don't care.

GREEN: Mike, you're tempting me.

Obviously, Bloomberg may have a hard case to make when "Crossfire" invites the person who ran against him to defend him.

And I don't disagree -- by the way. I don't disagree that our over-$5 billion deficit, rebuilding after 9/11, are larger issues. Actually, like people in your home city, we can chew and walk and talk at the same time.

And so, obviously you don't live in a city of 364 square miles and 8 million people -- it can't be silent, but excessive noise can be deterred.

Story Tools


Panel: Spy agencies in dark about threats

• White House calls pope inspiration for millions
• Lott delays vote on base closing nominee
• Former Clinton adviser Berger to plead guilty


CNN/Money: Security alert issued for 40 million credit cards

• Bin Laden deputy sends message
• U.S. House votes to keep U.N. dues
• Iran poll to go to run-off