Thursday, August 2, 2018

STATEMENT FROM MAYOR DE BLASIO ON CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE VOTE TO APPROVE INWOOD NEIGHBORHOOD REZONING


  “Today’s committee vote is the first step to ensure Inwood becomes a fairer and stronger neighborhood. It means security for families who deserve to stay in the neighborhood they love, and new education, employment and community investments that will open opportunities for lifelong residents and new immigrants alike. We’re building and protecting affordable homes at a record pace. Today’s vote means thousands more families in Inwood will have the security of affordable housing, and rent they can afford. We’re adding new resources for tenants across Inwood to fight harassment and evictions. This new plan will bring significant new investments in community enrichment, including two waterfront parks, a new library, and a new Pre-K facility, along with key infrastructure projects. Councilmember Rodriguez has shown true leadership in supporting this proposal and members of the Inwood community will benefit for generations to come. I also thank Speaker Johnson and Land Use Committee Chair Salamanca for joining us in our fight for affordable housing and strong neighborhoods.”

Wednesday, August 1, 2018

Primary Update - Who is on the Ballot?



   There was little suspense at the Board of Elections this morning when the 'Challenge Phase' of getting on the ballot was heard for the Bronx. Almost every candidate who filed petitions was placed on the ballot with enough valid signatures. The few exception were that of a few County Committee candidates, and the challenger to incumbent Assemblyman Jose Rivera. The Board ruled that Jose Padilla Jr. did not have enough valid signatures to be a candidate for the 78th Assembly District. 

  As usual King Stanley Schlein, the Bronx Democratic County organization lawyer for the past up teen years was heard not saying his usual 'We will see them in court', but was heard speaking to another lawyer representing an opposing candidate 'make sure you bill your candidate for all the hours you will be working in the court'.


  In the afternoon at the courthouse (where no photographs were allowed to be taken) the excitement was that the challenge of the Sergeant John Perez petition was dropped. It seemed with all the other claims that the Board of Elections does not reule on Sergeant perez would still have more than enough valid signatures to be on the ballot for the currently vacant 87th Assembly seat. The other eleven court challenges will begin at the Board of Elections tomorrow at 10 AM, winding up next on August 9th. 

DE BLASIO ADMINISTRATION AND NYC COUNCIL ANNOUNCE NEW EFFORT TO CONFRONT TAXI AND FHV SERVICE REFUSALS


New office will address refusals of service by taxis and FHVs that affect people of color and outer borough residents in New York

  Mayor Bill de Blasio and City Council Speaker Corey Johnson announced the creation of a new office within the NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission, the sole purpose of which is to ensure that all passengers receive the service they expect, and to which they are legally entitled. The new Office of Inclusion, originally proposed by Council Members Donovan Richards, will focus on the development and implementation of anti-discrimination training for drivers, and will expand on its public education campaign, encouraging passengers to file complaints with the TLC when denied service, so that their experience may be investigated, and appropriate actions taken.

“Service refusal is real, unacceptable and we’re going to fight it in every way we can,” said Mayor de Blasio. “These new steps will help ensure that anyone considering this unfair and illegal practice knows that it's wrong, it carries severe consequences, and it has no place in this industry.”

“We take a major step forward in ending service refusal once and for all in the taxi and for-hire vehicle industry,” said Council Speaker Corey Johnson. “I congratulate my colleague Council Member Donovan Richards on this vital idea becoming a reality and I look forward to working with the TLC Office of Inclusion to ensure that there is zero tolerance for service refusal in our city.”

"There is nothing more fundamental to what we do than making sure New Yorkers are welcomed and served into our city's yellow cabs," said TLC Chair Meera Joshi. "Service refusal in general, and bias-based refusal in particular, is a terrible experience for its victims -- it is visceral, hurtful, and just wrong."

The bulk of TLC’s service refusal violations are in response to passenger complaints.  TLC’s prosecution unit investigates each complaint thoroughly. Drivers face significant fines if cases are substantiated, and ultimately license revocation if they continue refusing service. Service refusal violations lead to penalties of $500 for the first violation; second violation in 24 months is $1000 and possible 30 day suspension; third violation within 36 months is $1000 and revocation prehearing.

The TLC recognizes the continued challenge many Black, Latino, other communities of color and outer borough residents face when hailing taxis and getting service to their destination in NYC. The TLC has provided outreach and education to drive down service refusal numbers. The proposed TLC Office of Inclusion will be tasked with:

·         Encouraging service refusal complaints (based on a protected class including ethnicity or race or gender, or destination) to be submitted to the TLC;
·         Prosecuting service refusal complaints provided by the public;
·         Increasing and insuring taxi service in outer boroughs;
·    Aggressive outreach to the TLC's regulated driver communities on NYC’s zero tolerance for service refusals, and the significant penalties they face if they make the wrong choices. Refusals include not stopping when hailed, refusing to go to location requested, and not accepting passengers;
·   Outreach to community groups whose members have experienced service refusals, to stress the importance of reporting service refusals;
·   Overseeing production and roll-out of a ride refusal awareness campaign, including a Public Service Announcement that will be distributed citywide to venues outside of taxis to ensure robust exposure to the public. This PSA will also be incorporated into new and existing training for drivers. The awareness campaign will also be shown on local TV, heard on local radio, and transformed into images for digital and printed outreach materials;
·   Develop and provide mandated Continuing Driver Training prior to license renewal. Training includes diversity training and review of zero tolerance rules and penalties;
·    Recruitment efforts focused on encouraging members of underrepresented communities to become drivers;
·   Encourage extensive citywide coverage by TLC drivers in all communities and ensure that the public has data on service levels in their local community by providing metrics on service levels by geography.

RAND CORPORATION STUDY CONFIRMS: NEW YORK HEALTH ACT "COULD EXPAND COVERAGE WHILE REDUCING TOTAL HEALTH SPENDING"


Think tank concludes: New York Health would cover all New Yorkers
with net health care savings
 
Bill sponsors Senator Rivera and Assembly Member Gottfried will continue to push for passage during the next legislative session
 
  State Senator Gustavo Rivera and Assembly Health Committee Chair Richard Gottfried, sponsors of the New York Health Act in the New York State Legislature, welcomed the findings of a study of the bill by the highly-regarded, independent, non-profit RAND Corporation. The study confirms that New York Health would reduce total health care costs, while increasing spending on actual care rather than administration and insurance company profit; provide full health coverage to every New Yorker; save substantial money for almost all New Yorkers; and generate a net increase in employment due to increases in disposable income.
 
In December 2017, the New York State Health Foundation commissioned the RAND Corporation to assess the savings, costs, and feasibility of the New York Health Act. Using conservative estimates, the RAND study establishes that New Yorkers would use more health care services under the new single-payer plan than under the current system, even as total health care spending would be slightly lower in 2022 growing to a savings of $15 billion annually by 2031 due to administrative efficiencies.
 
The study highlights that the majority of New Yorkers would pay less under the New York Health Plan - New Yorkers in the bottom 90% of household incomes would save an average of $2,800 per person annually - thanks to an equitable distribution of taxation based on the ability to pay. In addition, premiums, deductibles, copays, out-of-pocket payments, and out-of-network charges would be eliminated.
 
"This is an important validation of the New York Health Act by one of the most prestigious analytical firms in the country," said Assembly Health Committee Chair Gottfried. "RAND shows we can make sure every New Yorker gets the care they need and does not suffer financially to get it; save billions of dollars a year by cutting administrative costs, insurance company profit, and outrageous drug prices; and pay for it all more fairly. Even though RAND thinks the net savings back in the pockets of New Yorkers will be less than I think we'd actually get, this is still a terrific deal for New York. The study also shows it's feasible to include long term care - home health care and nursing homes - in the bill."
 
"The RAND study makes it clear that the New York Health Act is not only feasible, but the most fiscally responsible option for our State", said State Senator Gustavo Rivera, Ranking Member of State Senate Health Committee. "While we estimate that the benefits to New York State will be greater than those outlined in the study, we all agree that the implementation of the New York Health Act translates into more savings and jobs, while expanding critical health care coverage and access for all New Yorkers regardless of their wealth. I will continue to work with Assembly Member Gottfried and the many advocate organizations that support the bill as we stand up for what is right and work to implement an efficient and universal healthcare system in New York State."
 
The RAND study estimates that New York Health would lead to an estimated 2 percent net increase in employment - approximately 150,000 jobs in 2022 - due to increased disposable income for almost all New Yorkers and lower costs for employers.
 
Senator Rivera and Assembly Member Gottfried concur with RAND that New York Health would have substantial benefits to New York by fostering job creation, increased access to health care, wages, long term care, and overall savings compared to the current system.
 
However, based on consultation with several health economists and policy experts, Senator Rivera and Assembly Member Gottfried believe the benefits of the New York Health Act will be greater than highlighted in the RAND study in certain areas, such as:
  • Greater Administration Savings: RAND estimates an administrative cost of 6 percent for running New York Health, which is much higher than the administrative cost of traditional Medicare. The cost items that RAND says would raise the rate are actually costs Medicaid already incurs, and are highly automated. Two to three percent is a more reasonable estimate. This additional savings would double RAND's savings estimate.
     
  • Greater Pharmaceutical Savings: RAND's model bases pharmaceutical prices on what Medicaid is able to negotiate today on behalf of a fraction of the State's population. The State negotiating for its entire population - three times more consumers - would result in lower drug prices and greater savings.
     
  • Greater Health Care Provider Administrative Savings. RAND's estimates for the administrative costs providers bear for dealing with multiple insurance bureaucracies, and the savings from a single-payer system, are not clearly justified and are much lower than savings projected by other studies.
The findings of the RAND study validate assessments made by Senator Rivera, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Health Committee, and Assembly Member Gottfried, the chair of the Assembly Health Committee, that a universal single-payer health care system under the New York Health Act would benefit the health of New Yorkers and the State's economy.
 
A copy of the report can be found here or at https://tinyurl.com/y8tae83b
 

Cynthia Nixon, Survivors of Sexual Harassment Call for Change to Cuomo’s Albany


Following revelations that sexual harasser James Kiyonaga is still on the Governor’s payroll, women harassed and intimidated by top Cuomo officials and state legislators, come together with other survivors, to call for change

  Today, Democratic candidate for Governor Cynthia Nixon stood with Erica Vladimer of the Sexual Harassment Working Group, and Zenaida Mendez, Former President, National Organization for Women NYS, in Manhattan to call on Governor Cuomo to take real action to combat the sexual harassment that has plagued his administration and permeated in workplaces across the state. They were also joined by other survivors of sexual harassment from workplaces across New York.
Governor Cuomo drafted new sexual harassment legislation this year without a single female legislator in the room and without allowing any public testimony from the survivors. Full video of the presser is available here.

“New Yorkers deserve better than a governor who ignores the survivors and, instead, chooses to shield and even promote those who have been accused,” said Cynthia. “I stand with the Sexual Harassment Working Group to demand public hearings on sexual harassment in Albany. People like Jeff Klein and Jay Kiyonaga have been given a free pass under Andrew Cuomo. He has allowed a culture of harassment, silence, and retaliation to permeate in Albany and across the state.”

While the Governor claims he takes action against sexual harassers in his administration, WCNY reported last week that a senior administration official, Jay Kiyonaga, who the Inspector General found guilty of sexual harassment is still on Cuomo’s payroll.

Zenaida Mendez also spoke at the press conference. When Mendez was President of the New York chapter of the National Organization for Women (NOW), she was pressured by Joe Percoco to endorse Cuomo over Zephyr Teachout in 2014. When the organization did not endorse Cuomo, Percoco orchestrated Mendez's removal from her leadership position.

"The buck stops with Governor Cuomo. He, who is the employer of all state employees, colluded with the other three men in the room earlier this year, to create legislation that protected their own status as men in power to the detriment of women in this state and to the men of this state that they were elected to protect," said Mendez. "We are sick and tired of inaction on this issue."

The Sexual Harassment Working Group was also present at today’s event. The campaign was launched by seven former New York State legislative employees who experienced, witnessed, or reported sexual harassment by former Assembly Members Vito Lopez and Micah Kellner, former Counsel to Speaker Sheldon Silver Michael Boxley, and Senator Jeff Klein.

"Holding public hearings on how best to protect workers all over New York is shear common sense," said Erica Vladimer, a Sexual Harassment Working Group leader. "By listening to victims, our elected officials will be able to strengthen the laws passed in April, and we will be one step closer to a harassment free Albany."

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. - Bronx Summer Concert Series


Is The Karines Reyes Petition is Permeated With Fraud?



  87th Assembly District candidate Sergeant John Perez claims that the petition of one his opponents in the 87th A.D. race Karines Reyes is permeated with enough fraud to have her entire petition thrown out. As you can see in the photo above the date on the first line was 6 - 4, and was changed to 7 - 4 Sergeant Perez claims. He also says that the Reyes petition was placed on line (Facebook by a vice-President of the Bronx Democratic County organization ) one week before the first day to collect signatures down to the State Committeewoman slot as not to show the choice of Amanda Farias over the current State Committeewoman Ms. Barbara Brown who is running with Sergeant Perez. Sergeant Perez claims that there are many other pages where the Subscribing Witness collected signatures before the first day to collect signatures. 

  Ms. Amanda Farias whose signature is on the page above is the candidate for State Committeewoman on the Reyes petition. Ms. Farias also ran last year unsuccessfully against Councilman Ruben Diaz Sr. If the court rules that she collected signatures before the first day to collect signatures she would be thrown off the ballot. Sergeant Perez claims that the Male State Committeeman also collected signatures before June 5th which was the first day to collect signatures. Sergeant Perez claims that Mr. Westbrook has a date of 6 - 1 where an 8 is written over the 1. 

  There are many other claims of fraud which are to numerous to list here, but I took a look at the Reyes petition and saw that staff members of State Senator Luis Sepulveda collected signatures. It is on those pages where some of the fraud is claimed. As an expert petition challenger in my opinion the claim that the Reyes petition contains enough fraud to put it close to two-thirds should be enough to throw out the entire Karines Reyes petition and all the candidates for party positions. 

  State Senator Luis Sepulveda's son Julian challenged the Sergeant Perez Petition and that of a fourth candidate for the assembly seat who was running with Senator Sepulveda's opponent for the state senate. Mr. Westbrook challenged the petition of the third assembly candidate. I spoke to the third candidate in this race who worked for then Assemblyman Luis Sepulveda, and whom was told to collect only 750 signatures (just 250 over the minimum required). It would seem that if candidates Reyes and Perez were to knock each other off the ballot, then the third candidate a former employee of Sepulveda would then walk into the assembly seat. 

  So was it incompetence by State Senator Sepulveda's staffers, fraud by the senators staffers, or sabotage of the Reyes petition by the senator? There are more than enough signatures in the four other assembly districts to keep Senator Sepulveda on the ballot if the Reyes petition is knocked out. 

  If you think the Derek Jeter incident in the 2013 City Council race needed to be investigated, I am sure the U.S. Attorney's office will have a field day with the Karines Reyes petition. Not only does Sergeant Perez have a laundry list of fraud, but all one has to do is just look at the different colors of ink used on many of the pages in how signatures were collected, dates and addresses were placed on the petition sheets, and most of all just who signed the petition sheets?

  Much more to come on this in future postings because, That is what you need to know.


  The page submitted by State Committeeman Westbrook with the first line date containing what appears to be an overlay of an eight over a one.