Steven Kaufman.
Steven Kaufman
President at The Kaufman Organization
How much longer can this go on?
I’d have to use my crystal ball! On a serious note, I would say that it will go until the first quarter of 2022.
What does normal look like?
That’s a hard one. We are hoping to see people return to the office, but we feel that so many are now used to the hybrid work model. It’s hard to say if we’ll ever return to the normalcy we had in 2019.
If you could go back in time to March of 2020, what’s the first thing you would do?
Stay in Mexico! I had a really great March. I was traveling, which is something I love to do. I went from skiing in Utah to vacationing in Mexico. There’s nothing I could’ve done differently in terms of the pandemic.
What do you do now that you never did before 2020?
I used to enjoy traveling quite a bit and taking part in other activities such as going to the movies. I have still been going out to eat but I wear a mask inside. I go out a lot less, that’s mainly what I do.
What’s the biggest threat to the return to normal?
The biggest threat to the return to normal is the spread from people who are not getting vaccinated. There is a lot of falsehood circulating about the vaccines and their effects. Many people are believing unscientific conclusions and thereby not getting vaccinated.
Is now the time to buy or sell?
Time to buy.
Suddenly, there’s a big change to the New York state constitution and you’re now named the 58th governor of the Empire State — what do you do about the eviction moratorium?
I would look it over very closely and possibly end it. It can’t be a blanket moratorium, there have to be exceptions to it.
Lightning round
Eric Adams or Curtis Sliwa?
Eric Adams.
Last time you got on an airplane, what was your destination?
March 9, 2020. Landed in Newark Airport from Cancun.
What vax did you get?
Pfizer.
Your go-to takeout?
Kitaro Sushi.
Where does your patience wear thinnest — evictions or anti-vaxxers?
Anti-vaxxers.
