332 Days and Counting

 

332 days or less than 11 months of the Bill de Blasio administration is left.

Mayor de Blasio Updates New Yorkers on the Snowstorm and COVID-19 Indicators.

 

 Mayor Bill de Blasio: Well, good morning, everyone. And here’s my message to all New Yorkers today – thank you, thank you, thank you. Amazing – folks really heeded the call yesterday, stayed off the streets, helped our friends at the Sanitation Department to do their job. And, I want to tell you, the Sanitation Department did an amazing job. To all the men and women of the Sanitation Department, thank you to you as well – extraordinary job, made a huge, huge difference. Now, we've got more to do, this ball game ain't over. But I really, really appreciate the effort that was put in both by every-day New Yorkers, helping each other out, staying off the streets, and, of course, by Sanitation Department.   

So, here's what we know so far, and there's still some snow coming, a small amount, but, right now, the measure in Central Park for this storm is 17.2 inches of snow. Again, a little bit more in the course of the day today. It will certainly end up being one of the bigger snowstorms we've had recently, but, thank God, the vast majority is over now. Everyone, I went around the city yesterday and wanted to see firsthand what was going on, wanted to check on how people were doing, see how Sanitation was doing. I saw really great stuff. I was out in Staten Island, along Hylan Boulevard and other parts of Staten Island. I was out in Brooklyn, Fort Greene neighborhood, The Hub in the South Bronx. Obviously, I was around Manhattan and out in Queens at the garage in Maspeth – the Sanitation garage. And I an opportunity there to thank some of the extraordinary folks at Sanitation for the job they did. And I stayed in touch with people around the city in the course of the day and heard the same thing, that they had seen multiple passes by the Sanitation plows. And even though there’s more work to do for sure, folks felt that the effort was really good and they could see that we'd be back and running quickly.  

 

So, that's what I saw with my own eyes, and it was an example of the dedication of the men and women of the Sanitation Department. Now, let me give you a few other updates, because obviously we had the local state of emergency in place until 6:00 AM this morning. That's now been lifted. But, obviously, we want to keep saying to folks, if you don't need to be driving on the roads, please don't. If you can stay home, it's still best while the cleanup is continuing. The good news is more and more mass transit coming back to normal schedules above ground. Subway service has resumed and life has coming back a little more to normal quickly. There are still issues, of course, some delays – most flights at LaGuardia and Kennedy still suspended. There's no bus service at Port Authority. But we are also, of course, mindful that while the cleanup is happening, we want to make sure people have one less thing to worry about, so reiterating that alternate side parking is canceled through Saturday. Update on the Staten Island Ferry, operating now on a 30-minute schedule – every 30 minutes. And on the other ferry, SeaStreak Ferry suspended today, but New York City Ferry has resumed service as of this morning. So, you know, a lot of good things, especially thanks to all of you who really heard what needed to be done and you did it. Thank you to all New Yorkers.  

 

And now, want to say with great appreciation to our Sanitation Commissioner Ed Gayson, thank you for what you and your team did over these last couple of days. And Commissioner, why don't you give us all an update? 

 

Commissioner Edward Grayson, Department of Sanitation: Thank you, mayor. Yes. I'm very proud of the work of the department. The men and women of Sanitation did a great job. All of our frontline field personnel who responded to the storm and the mechanics who keep the trucks rolling for us. So, they did a great job and I really couldn't be prouder.  

 

We were out there all through the night and we'll be out there all day today. The fights still on, there's still plenty of work to be done, and we're coming into all those – readdressing all those residential streets. That's where we're focused on today. We did a great job. We have a lot of the main access roads – you know, you’re seeing blacktop today. And we're going to do our best to get blacktop roads into the residential sectors of the city and continue to make progress. There's a lot of work still to be done. Also, today from 8 AM onward, we did employ our first shift of the emergency snow labor program. And for people who want to get more information about that, you can go to nyc.gov/snow. And, today, they will be focusing on trying to get some of the shoveling done at the pedestrian crosswalks and do some of the catch basins in the hydrants.  

 

A little note to everybody about shoveling today. Remember, at some point we will see the cessation of all snowfall, there’s just a little bit still lingering around. But as you get out there, definitely take some time while you're shoveling. Definitely take breaks, because it's a heavy snowfall. But also, be mindful, and we encourage all property owners and people managing properties – remember the people who have mobility concerns. Let's make a nice wide path for people to be able to walk through, definitely try to treat the sidewalk. But I also need to stress, I need you to pay attention to where you're putting that snow, okay, because we have a lot of the curb lines that also do – some of the bike lanes that we have. So, if you could try to not pile that snow that you're shoveling from your – from the walkway into the bike lane, that would help us out, because that's another thing we're going to be focusing on today with the snow removal program, we try to get it to the bike lanes and continue focusing on the pedestrian streets. 

 

Cannot stress it enough – this was a major snowfall event, a lot of snow citywide. We, the Department, are very aware that we have a lot of work yet to be done. And some of the folks that are watching out today and just looking out as you observed the town, you're going to say, wow, I could really use a plow. Yes, you can. We are coming. We're on all snow. We have not taken our foot off the gas and we'll be continuing to do that all through today and into the overnight shift.  

 

Onto refuse and recycling collection, we are definitely delayed. We did not pick up the garbage yesterday and we are not on pace to be picking up your Tuesday frequency service today. We do everything we can to get back on schedule, but, again, we are focused on the snow removal today, continuing on with our plowing. The laborers are doing the manual shoveling and definitely trying to get salt everywhere. And tomorrow, we'll be on snow yet again. So, we have service delays, but we'll keep the messaging out there and try to let you know when we're going to get back on schedule. And I just want to say, again, the Mayor put it out there – ASP is suspended the whole week. So, if you don't have to be on the roads today, please don't. It'll help us make even further to the progress. And again, to the men and women of the Department of Sanitation, they did a great job. But to all the residents who listened to and to everybody who stayed off the road yesterday, thank you for doing your part as well. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. 

 

Mayor: Thank you very much, Commissioner. Commissioner, job well done. I know you got a lot more to do, but job well done.  

 

All right. Let's talk about some other updates related to the storm. So, of course, in-person learning is not happening today. Remote learning is happening for all kids, but back tomorrow. Our schools will be back in person tomorrow, strong. Everything's looking great for that for tomorrow. Other updates, Open Restaurants will resume today at 3:00 PM. So, for all the folks who own restaurants, all the folks who work in restaurants, all the people that love to patronize our restaurants, they will be back 3:00 PM today. Open Streets initiative resumes tomorrow. Now, I want to remind everyone, people who love our restaurants, please get out there help them out. Restaurant Week To Go is still going on. Amazing deals, amazing opportunity to try new restaurants and help out the people who take good care of us and feed us all over New York City. And everything we do to help our small businesses – and we're going to be talking about this a lot in the coming weeks – is part of creating a recovery for all of us, and we're going to be having constant updates and recovery effort recoveryforall.nyc.gov. But crucial to the recovery in New York City this year is to bring back small businesses strong, and we're going to be talking a lot about the direct support we're going to provide to small businesses, the ways we're going to cut red tape, make their lives easier. But, in the meantime, let's go out there and spend some money when you can. If you can, go out and take advantage of Restaurant Week To Go.  

 

Okay. Now, let me go to the number-one issue of the day – vaccine. So, obviously, everything we're going to do to recover as a city depends on the vaccine effort. We need supply badly. We'll keep talking about that, but let me give you an update on today and tomorrow how we're handling vaccination. So, overall, we said, today, we would not be having vaccination at most of our sites, because of concerns about the weather. And thankfully the storm ended up being a little less than expected, but, you know, when you make decisions like this, you have to be very, very careful about health and safety. We made a cautious choice. So, most sites are not open today. They'll be back strong tomorrow and we'll be able to catch up on appointments quickly. I wish we had so much supply that we would have to say, wow, we have so much to do. But unfortunately, in this case, because supply is limited, we'll be able to up on those appointments very quickly and then, once again, we will not have supply.  

 

Health + Hospitals, sites are open for vaccination today. They have been in touch with the folks who were scheduled. Obviously, hospitals and clinics are staying open all the time, no matter what. So, they're able to continue vaccination today, which is great. The latest number of vaccinations for the City of New York since we started the vaccination effort, 823,670. So, a great number, but a number that could be so much bigger if we had sufficient supply. I'm going to keep sounding the alarm here and keep saying we need a truly national effort. All of the companies in America that could be helping with the direction of federal government, truly national effort to radically increase the amount of vaccine supply in this country. It can be done. It was not done previously when we had a better chance last year, it can be done this year, and that's what I'm going to fight for. And if we can get that kind of true national mobilization, it will make a world of difference. We can be doing half-a-million in vaccinations per week – per week in the month of February, if we had the supply. Now, that being said, I really want to thank everyone out there. Who's running these vaccine sites, working at these vaccine sites, really doing an outstanding job to keep this process moving, even with the supply problem.  

 

So, this week, we have an update on our Department of Health vaccination hubs. And this is so important because what the Department of Health has done – just like Health + Hospitals – where are these hubs? They're in our communities. They're at the grassroots. They're where the people are and they’re where the people are who have the greatest need, including a lot of folks who have felt the disparities of this crisis the most. We believe in a grassroots approach to vaccination, decentralized down to the neighborhoods, down to the grassroots. What are we seeing? We're seeing amazing results. I was out at Hillcrest High School in Queens, a few weeks back, saw a great operation there. Those Department of Health hubs now at the grassroots have provided over 100,000 doses to New Yorkers. And that effort will grow intensely once we have the supply to go with it. That is how we get vaccine to the people that need it, we build trust, we fight disparity – is getting the vaccine to the grassroots. Congratulations to the Department of Health for really impressive numbers so far.  

 

Okay. Everyone, before we go to today's indicators want to give you an update – important update. We have a special election today. We've had a lot of special elections lately, some more coming up. Special election today in Council District 24 in Queens for City Council, and this is the enablers of Briarwood, Cunningham Park, Flushing, Fresh Meadows, Jamaica, Kew Gardens, Hollis, and more – pieces of all those neighborhoods are part of a District 24. Polls are open, they will be open till 9:00 PM tonight. If you need help finding your polling place, go to voting.nyc. And the Sanitation Department – thank you again to Sanitation, they made a special effort to plow the streets in the areas of the poll sites to make it a little bit easier. Sanitation is clearing the path for democracy and we thank you, Commissioner, and all the men and women of Sanitation for helping out folks in that district in Queens.  

 

Okay. Indicators today – number one, daily number of people admitted to New York City hospitals for suspected COVID-19 – today's report, 206 patients. This is a good report today. Now, again, I'm going to pause here for a moment and say, the daily reports are crucial, the big trends are more crucial. This is a good number. I'm happy to see this number, going in the right direction. I'm extremely concerned about the variants that we're seeing, the UK variant, Brazilian variants, South African variant. These are big open questions of what's coming next at us, but still very happy today. We see a better number – 206 patients, almost down to our threshold. Still a high level of confirmed positivity among those patients, 63.89 percent. In terms of hospitalization rate, 5.09 percent – I’m sorry, 5.09 per 100,000. Number two, new reported cases on a seven-day average, that number today, 4,585. And number three, the percent of people testing positive citywide for COVID-19 – today's number 8.2 percent.  

Assemblymember Pichardo: ‘Walking While Trans’ repeal will make New York safer for all

 

 “It’s absolutely inexcusable that, in the year 2021, people are still being unfairly profiled for the way they look – be it for their race, gender or even clothing. However, section 240.37 of New York’s penal law allows law enforcement officers to do exactly that when dealing with an individual they believe to be engaging in prostitution. This archaic law has led to a disproportionate number of Black women and women of color, and particularly trans women, being targeted, harassed and falsely accused.

"i'm proud to have co-sponsered and help pass this legislation because this statue has done far more harm than good for marginalized communities. This bill represents another step in ridding New York of regressive policies and ensuring every single resident of our state is treated equally and fairly under the law."

  

Governor Cuomo Updates New Yorkers on State's Progress During COVID-19 Pandemic - FEBRUARY 2, 2021

 

8,067 Patient Hospitalizations Statewide

1,503 Patients in the ICU; 1,004 Intubated

Statewide Positivity Rate is 5.47% - 7-Day Average Positivity 4.95%, Below 5% for First Time Since December 6  

146 COVID-19 Deaths in New York State Yesterday

 Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today updated New Yorkers on the state's progress during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. 

"New Yorker's hard work and commitment to defeating this virus is reflected in the numbers more and more every day," Governor Cuomo said. "While we are not out of the woods yet, we are on a promising trajectory and we need to maintain that progress. Remember - this is a footrace we are in and winning it means we have to continue driving down the infection rate, while vaccinating as many people as possible. New York has already established a wide-reaching distribution network that is getting thousands of shots in arms every day and with another increase in supply from the federal government on its way, we will be able to do even more. We just need to continue this momentum on all fronts, so we can put this beast to rest once and for all." 

Today's data is summarized briefly below:

• Test Results Reported - 150,199
• Total Positive - 8,215
• Percent Positive - 5.47%
• 7-Day Average Positivity - 4.95% (lowest since 12/6) 
• Patient Hospitalization - 8,067 (+64)
• Net Change Patient Hospitalization Past Week - -764 
• Patients Newly Admitted - 748 
• Hospital Counties - 57
• Number ICU - 1,503 (+3)
• Number ICU with Intubation - 1,004 (+17)
• Total Discharges - 128,889 (+535)
• Deaths - 146
• Total Deaths - 35,466

NEW YORK CITY KICKS OFF BLACK HISTORY MONTH WITH OFFICIAL LANDMARKING OF TRUESDELL HOUSE AT 227 DUFFIELD STREET

 

Landmarks Preservation Commission designates downtown Brooklyn home of 19^th-century abolitionists; home to become a permanent part of City’s Black historical record

 Mayor Bill de Blasio and First Lady Chirlane McCray joined community advocates and the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) to celebrate the designation of the Harriet and Thomas Truesdell House at 227 Duffield Street in Brooklyn as an individual landmark. This Greek-Revival style former row house is a rare surviving 19th-century abolitionists’ home in Downtown Brooklyn.

 

“The battle for justice in this country always has been – and always will be – fought in the heart of New York City,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “Black History Month in this city means more than just words. It means honoring the legacy of the Black New Yorkers who came before us. I’m grateful to every advocate and community leader who made this day possible, and this city will continue to stand with you in the future.”

 

"We may not know the names of the African souls that traveled in secrecy and desperation through downtown Brooklyn in search of a better life, but we do know this is one of the many sites that served as a temporary haven as they sought freedom,” said First Lady Chirlane McCray. “We also know that the residents of 227 Duffield Street risked losing power, respect and even their lives by helping those who were fleeing enslavement. These stories of our history need to be celebrated, not erased. It is an honor to highlight these sacred passages of our ancestors.”

 

“The Landmarks Preservation Commission is committed to telling the story of New York City’s African-American heritage and experience and is prioritizing designations like the Harriet and Thomas Truesdell House as part of its equity framework,” said Landmarks Preservation Commission Chair Sarah Carroll. “The Harriet and Thomas Truesdell House represents the important role the city played in the efforts to abolish slavery. The Truesdells were active abolitionists during a decisive period of resistance and their legacy of commitment is representative of the many abolitionists who supported total emancipation as part of the local and national movement.”

 

For more than a decade prior to the Civil War, 227 Duffield Street was the home of Thomas and Harriett Truesdell, who had been active in abolitionist work in Rhode Island before continuing to support the movement in Brooklyn. Brooklyn was a hub for abolitionist activity in the early 19th century due to its active waterfront and large population of free African Americans. The Truesdells lived at 227 Duffield from 1851 until 1863, a time marked by more clandestine abolitionist activity due to the harsh penalties on those who broke the 1850 Fugitive Slave Law, which required that all escaped slaves be returned and that officials and citizens of free states had to cooperate.

 

In 2007, the City worked with advocates and community leaders to create Abolitionist Place, an official street renaming on Duffield Street between Willoughby Avenue and Fulton Street in Brooklyn.

 

Local groups including Friends of Abolitionist Place, Equality for Flatbush, FUREE (Families United for Racial and Economic Equity) and Joy “Mama Joy” Chatel raised awareness about the home’s history and fought for permanent recognition. Mama Joy passed in 2014, after 16 years of tireless and fearless advocacy.

 

The Brooklyn waterfront was the entry point for many freedom seekers who stowed away on ships to escape slavery in the south; many of them were sheltered by local abolitionists and either stayed in Brooklyn or traveled north to Upstate New York, New England; or Canada.

 

The property remained in the Truesdell family until 1921. While a two-story commercial extension was added in 1933, the house retains its 19^th-century form and historic fabric above it, and its significant association with the Truesdells and the history of the abolition movement in Brooklyn prior to the Civil War is still legible.

 

“Few New Yorkers know that a small rowhouse in Downtown Brooklyn was a critical site in our nation's history - a place where abolitionist thought flourished, and a safe harbor for slaves on their long sojourn to freedom. That's why months ago, we joined a campaign to preserve the historical integrity of 227 Duffield Street - to show that the Black lives of freedom-seekers mattered, and still matter to this day. At a time when our nation continues to face a reckoning over the long and painful legacy of racial injustice, remembering and permanently enshrining these pieces of our history has never been more urgent. We thank the Mayor and the LPC for recognizing the significance of this site, and the need to preserve it for future generations,” said Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams.

 

Governor Cuomo Announces Federal Vaccine Supply to Increase to 20 Percent for the Next Three Weeks

 

Total of 2 Million Vaccines Administered To Date  

Private Pharmacies Will Receive an Additional 10% Directly from the Federal Government to Supplement the Doses Allocated to Them by the State 

As of Noon today, New York's Health Care Distribution Sites Have Administered 91% of First Doses Received from Federal Government  

Vaccine Dashboard Will Update Daily to Provide Updates on the State's Vaccine Program; Go to ny.gov/vaccinetracker 

 Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today updated New Yorkers on the state's vaccination program. As of noon today, New York's health care distribution sites have received 1,554,450 first doses and already administered 91 percent or 1,414,241 first dose vaccinations and 76 percent of first and second doses. Delivery of the week 8 allocation from the federal government begins mid-week.  

Following a call with the White House, Governor Cuomo who chairs the National Governors Association, announced that the federal supply to the states will increase to 20 percent for the next three weeks, up from the initial 16 percent bump. Private pharmacies in the state who are charged with prioritizing the 65-plus population will now receive an additional 10 percent, or about 30,000 doses, directly from the federal government to supplement the doses allocated to them by the State. Given the overall increase to the State's supply, the Governor is granting localities the flexibility to add restaurant workers, taxi drivers, and developmentally disabled facilities to the 1B vaccine prioritization group. 

"We're in a footrace to vaccinate the entire eligible population while continuing to keep the infection rate low," Governor Cuomo said. "We're moving heaven and earth to administer as many doses as possible, but on a global level we are experiencing high demand and scarce amounts of the vaccine. We have much more distribution in place than we have supply, and as soon as we have more doses from the federal government we can get those shots in the arms of New Yorkers as quickly and fairly, while continuing to make sure the communities hardest hit have access to and trust in the vaccine. In the meantime, I urge New Yorkers to be smart and take measures we know work to keep the infection rate low - wear a mask, wash your hands and socially distance." 

State demographic data of hospital workers in the 1A eligibility group who were offered and accepted the vaccine provides insight into the vaccine hesitancy/acceptance rate among New Yorkers. The demographic breakdown of the eligible 1A population is 70 percent white; 17 percent African American; 8 percent Hispanic or Latino; and 11 percent Asian hospital workers. Of the total 1A eligible population, 63 percent of vaccine recipients were white, 10 percent of vaccine recipients were African American; 10 percent of vaccine recipients were Hispanic or Latino, and 16 percent of vaccine recipients were Asian. 

Approximately 7.1 million New Yorkers are currently eligible to receive the vaccine. The federal government has increased the weekly supply by 20 percent over the next three weeks, but New York's vast distribution network and large population of eligible individuals still far exceed the supply coming from the federal government. Due to limited supply, New Yorkers are encouraged to remain patient and are advised not to show up at vaccination sites without an appointment.  

Vaccination program numbers are for doses distributed and delivered to New York for the state's vaccination program, and do not include those reserved for the federal government's Long Term Care Facility program. A breakdown of the data based on numbers reported to New York State as of 12:00 PM today is as follows: 

STATEWIDE BREAKDOWN

• First Doses Received - 1,554,450
• First Doses Administered - 1,414,241, 91%
• Second Doses Received - 725,050
• Second Doses Administered - 321,204

MAYOR DE BLASIO CALLS FOR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO GRANT FREEDOM TO MANUFACTURE VACCINE ACROSS AMERICA

 

“We need wartime mass production here in America”

 Mayor Bill de Blasio today released the following statement calling for the United States of America to compel Pfizer and Moderna to license their vaccine to pharmaceutical companies and jumpstart mass production.

“The United States of America should not care more about patents than we care about people. Now that the Defense Production Act is finally in place, it is time to directly compel Pfizer or Moderna to license their vaccine to any pharmaceutical company that can help produce doses.

 

“They are already doing this in Europe. Now, we need wartime mass production here in America. Every lab should have the freedom to manufacture the COVID-19 vaccine. New York City has the infrastructure in place to vaccinate millions in the next few months. We just need the supply!”

The statement follows Mayor de Blasio’s comments on vaccine patents yesterday on MSNBC and his morning press conference. Last week, the Mayor first published a column calling for the government to grant more companies the freedom to vaccinate. The Mayor has identified multiple pharmaceutical companies and laboratories that could assist in the production of vaccine doses.

Mayor Bill de Blasio – President Biden’s Executive Order lets companies overcome patents to mass-produce vaccines. We need them to do so, now.

We are almost one year removed from the first reported case of Covid-19 in New York City. And even as we see signs of hope, thanks to the efforts of so many health care heroes and everyday Americans, we are far from out of the woods. On any given day, we're losing over 4,000 Americans to this virus. Cities across the country are still shuttered in so many ways. Lives are still on the line.

Vaccines are the shots of hope we’ve been waiting for — to protect our most vulnerable, contain the spread of this virus and get our economy going again. Cities nationwide are doing everything possible to get shots into the arms of our people. But we face the same challenge we’ve faced since the beginning of this crisis: supply. We simply don’t have enough doses from the federal government. As of Friday morning, we’ve administered over 742,000 total vaccine doses to New Yorkers. We have less than 37,000 first doses left to administer … in a city of 8.6 million people.

President Joe Biden is already improving on the paltry efforts of the previous administration. On Jan. 21, he issued an executive order to use the Defense Production Act to its maximum extent. The act has been used by presidents throughout history — but typically during wars — to mobilize private companies in difficult times. Taking advantage of it now makes perfect sense: We are still at war against this virus, with a massive shortage of ammunition.

Which leads to the most crucial piece of Biden’s order: It gives any pharmaceutical company, manufacturer or lab the right to violate normal patent laws and create vaccines, using the successful recipes of others. Think about what that means: The highly effective doses produced by Moderna, Pfizer and BioNTech could be mass-produced by more companies, right now, using the same methods we know work. To its credit, Moderna has already “stood down” — pledging that it won’t enforce its patents if others try to make its vaccine.

But so far, this isn’t happening. And it is costing us lives. We need two things to happen immediately. First, every company involved in Covid-19 vaccine production should follow Moderna’s lead and stand down on its patents. In a global pandemic, “intellectual property” should not matter. Human lives should. Second, every company that can produce vaccines should be doing so at this very moment. If these businesses need to hire more workers, purchase more supplies, commandeer whatever resources are needed — the federal government should immediately draw up the contracts.

But companies themselves also have to step up. This isn’t the moment to let the free market or shareholder value dictate what you do. It is a moment to save lives. Every day we go without the doses we need, we put more people at risk.

We are ready for millions more vaccine doses here in New York City. We’ve set up large-scale vaccination sites in some of our hardest-hit neighborhoods. We have thousands of health care workers ready to administer the shots. And we’ve launched a massive public awareness campaign to try to build trust — to make sure that New Yorkers, especially in our communities of color, know these vaccines are safe and effective.

Business as usual is the enemy. Biden has recognized this and freed companies from our peace-time rules. We are still at war. It is time for every pharma company, manufacturer and lab to step up, without delay, and do their part. We must be producing vaccines anywhere and everywhere we possibly can. Businesses can act boldly and be on the right side of history. They can play a vital role in getting our cities running again. And they can save so many lives.

But until they stop business as usual, we will continue to lose lives that could have been saved.

EDITOR'S NOTE:

Mayor de Blasio has been fighting with Governor Cuomo for a while, and it did not take him long to start with President Biden.

Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz - Tax the Superwealthy, Snow Dig Out, & More

 

EDITOR'S NOTE:

Assemblyman Dinowitz stood with Congress members Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Jamaal Bowman, State Senators Alessandria Biaggi and Gustavo Rivera, and fellow Bronx assembly members on Thursday January 28th calling for a tax on the Wealthy. We do not know how this became a for a Superwealthy tax all of a sudden.

What's Happening in the 81st Assembly District?



• Bronxites Support Taxing the Superwealthy
• Assembly Passes Small Business Relief Bills
• NYS AG Looking Into Robinhood Crackdown on Retail Investors
• Bronx-Only Vaccine Site Coming to Yankee Stadium
• State and Local Officials from 43 States Push for 30% Land, Water, and Ocean Conservation by 2030
• Indoor Dining to Reopen at 25% on 2/14
• Local Update: Cleanup Begins After Snowfall
• Albany Update: Legislators Ask NYSDOH to Issue Guidance to Nursing Homes About Eviction Moratorium
• Black History Month Begins
• Updates from Government & Community Partners

• Bronxites Support Taxing the Superwealthy

  I was pleased to join a cavalcade of Bronx legislators at a press conference to highlight the urgent need for a massive influx of recurring and equitably sourced state revenue to support social services and other essential programs for Bronxites. The press conference was held outside of Met Council's JCC of Pelham Parkway food pantry, and I was joined by four colleagues in the Bronx Assembly Delegation (Assemblymembers Nathalia Fernandez, Karines Reyes, Kenny Burgos, Amanda Septimo) as well as Congressmembers Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Jamaal Bowman, and State Senators Gustavo Rivera and Alessandra Biaggi.  We need the federal government to step up and provide the magnitude of disaster relief we need to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. We also need to ensure that the wealthiest among us are paying their fare share, instead of placing the largest burden on poor people who can least afford it. This means raising taxes in a way that will not impact the vast majority of working people, but will specifically target the superwealthy who have continued to get richer while most of us are lucky if we just kept our jobs. Among others, I believe these proposals are good ideas that should be incorporated into the state budget this year: Create additional tax brackets for high income earners – currently a New Yorker who makes $100 million per year pays the same tax rate as someone who makes $1.5 million per year, who pays marginally more than someone who makes only $150,000 per year. Raise taxes on capital gains – it is ridiculous that wage labor is taxed at higher overall rates than stock sales. Enact a tax on inherited wealth above a certain level – most working people can scrimp and save their entire lives but never accumulate the millions and billions of dollars that the superwealthy are often born into. Enact a wealth tax – if property owners have to pay annual property taxes, then stock portfolio owners should have to pay annual taxes on that too. Restore taxes on corporate profits – if Congress doesn't repeal the horrible Republican tax plan that was enacted federally in 2017, then New York state should do it for them. Enact a pied-â-terre tax – most working-class New Yorkers are lucky to own one home, let alone two homes that are worth millions of dollars. We are in a housing crisis and it is reasonable to ask those superwealthy homeowners to pay a little extra for the privilege of storing vacant an otherwise usable home. There are a number of other ideas being discussed as well, and I believe that all options should be on the table for discussion. There are other motivations for it, but the legalization of cannabis would also presumably generate revenue that can help address urgent needs in some of the communities that need help the most. I expect that the legalization of sports betting will also be up for discussion, and although I have a healthy skepticism of gambling revenue both morally and fiscally – I think it is worth having a realistic conversation about how much revenue that would generate. Bronx-Only Vaccine Site Coming to Yankee Stadium The Governor announced that Yankee Stadium will be used as a dedicated vaccine distribution site for Bronx residents. The details have not been finalized yet but the site would be reserved for Bronx residents only. The Governor's initial announcement can be found here. I am continuing to advocate for dedicated vaccine distribution sites throughout the Bronx so that every neighborhood has convenient access to these life-saving vaccines. We are currently restricted by the supply of vaccines, but there are several locations that are already operating relatively close to our community. Please be aware that the following mass vaccination sites have been established in our community so far: • North Central Bronx Hospital (3424 Kossuth Avenue, at East 210th Street) – website here • Walton High School Campus (2780 Reservoir Avenue, between West 195 and 197th Streets) – website here Please also check the following websites for additional locations: • New York City: vaccinefinder.nyc.gov or 877-VAX-4NYC (877-829-4692) • New York State: am-i-eligible.covid19vaccine.health.ny.gov or 1-833-NYS-4-VAX (1-833-697-4829) • VaccineTogetherNY: vaccinetogetherny.org or 646-697-VACC • Your physician or local pharmacy may also have information on scheduling vaccine appointments NOTE ON AVAILABILITY: There are new distribution sites opening and additional vaccine doses arriving every day. Please be patient and continue to monitor these appointment links frequently if you are trying to get a vaccine. Please be aware that my office cannot book an appointment on anybody's behalf. If you are contacting us because the above websites and phone numbers are not able to provide you an appointment, unfortunately, please keep trying. Indoor Dining to Reopen in NYC at 25% on 2/14 Although I absolutely want to help restaurant owners remain in business after the pandemic, I must say I am disappointed to hear that the Governor intends to reopen indoor dining in New York City as soon as February 14. I believe we should actually be going the other direction, especially with a federal government that is getting closer to a new aid package that would include money for small businesses, and restrict indoor dining statewide so that we can instead prioritize getting children back into classrooms as safely as possible. We are slowly but surely getting people vaccinated, and with stable leadership in the White House I think we are on a good trajectory to beat the COVID-19 pandemic once and for all. The goal should be to minimize loss of life until we reach that point, and frankly I do not understand how forcing restaurant workers back inside to serve customers who are already more cavalier about transmitting the virus than those who are satisfied with outdoor dining or getting takeout makes anybody safer. I would much rather see universal access to funds like the Paycheck Protection Program and rental assistance, at least until we have the opportunity to get these workers vaccinated.