DEC ANNOUNCES FREE LIFEGUARD QUALIFYING PROCEDURES TO BEGIN IN FEBRUARY

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today announced that its free lifeguard qualifying procedures begin Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023.

Individuals 15 and older interested in lifeguarding positions at DEC facilities this summer are eligible to register. Candidates who qualify will be considered for employment. The qualifying procedure consists of two parts: a Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) skills component; and a water skills evaluation. Candidates may attend the qualifying location most convenient to them and the results will be forwarded to their preferred work location.

Seasonal lifeguard positions are available at DEC campgrounds throughout the Adirondack and Catskill parks. The current hourly starting rate for New York State lifeguards is $20 an hour, and most DEC facilities offer free housing or site accommodations.

At the time of employment, all DEC lifeguards must:

• Be at least 15 years old;
• Possess a valid certification in Waterfront Skills, Lifeguarding, First Aid, and CPR for the Professional Rescuer or equivalent;
• Have successfully completed the New York State lifeguard qualifying procedure;
• Submitted a current New York State DEC medical form stating the candidate’s physical ability to perform lifeguard duties;
• Meet the vision requirement of 20/70 uncorrected in both eyes and be correctable to the 20/40 standard. Candidates tested at a vision level below 20/40 in either one or both eyes must correct to a minimum of 20/40 with 20/20 preferred;
• Have completed a personal interview with DEC; and
• Have attended a DEC lifeguard orientation.

Below is a list of the 2023 qualifying dates and locations:

Date	Time	Location	Address	City
Saturday, Feb. 4	9 a.m.	Franklin Academy	42 Huskie Lane	Malone
Friday, Feb. 24	4:30 p.m.	Gloversville Middle School	234 Lincoln Street	Gloversville
Saturday, Feb. 25	9 a.m.	Queensbury Elementary School	431 Aviation Road	Queensbury
Friday, March 3	4 p.m.	Catskill Recreation Center	651 County Hwy 38	Arkville
Monday, April 10	9 a.m.	Gloversville Middle School	234 Lincoln Street	Gloversville
Friday, April 14	4:30 p.m.	Gloversville Middle School	234 Lincoln Street	Gloversville
Saturday, April 29	9 a.m.	Moriah Central School	39 Viking Lane	Port Henry
Friday, May 26	4 p.m.	Catskill Recreation Center	651 County Hwy 38	Arkville
Saturday, June 3	9 a.m.	Gloversville Middle School	234 Lincoln Street	Gloversville
Saturday, June 24	9 a.m.	Moriah Central School	39 Viking Lane	Port Henry

Qualifying procedures will begin on time and late arrivals will not be accepted. Candidates must bring photo identification, current certifications (if available), and their own CPR mask and one-way valve. DEC reserves the right to cancel. DEC is an equal opportunity employer.

For more information, updates, or to pre-register, call 518-457-2500 ext. #1, e-mail DEC at Info.Lifeguard@dec.ny.gov, or visit the Employment Opportunities in Summer Recreation webpage on DEC's website.

United States Obtains Temporary Restraining Order Against Firearm Companies Illegally Selling Machine Guns

 

Civil Action is Part of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York’s Civil Initiative to Reduce Gun Violence

 On January 19, 2023, the United States filed a civil complaint in federal court in Brooklyn against two firearm companies, and two individuals associated with these companies (collectively, “Defendants”), alleging that Defendants have conspired to defraud the United States and consumers, and have engaged in the ongoing commission of mail fraud and wire fraud, by unlawfully selling machine gun conversion devices.  The devices, called FRT-15s, are specifically designed and intended to be used to convert AR-15 type rifles into machineguns and are therefore themselves “machineguns” under federal law.  With limited exceptions not applicable to Defendants’ conduct, the manufacture, sale and possession of machine guns is illegal under the National Firearms Act and the Gun Control Act of 1968.  The Government’s complaint seeks injunctive relief under the Anti-Fraud Injunction Act.  The United States also sought a temporary order immediately halting any sales of the FRT-15 or any forced reset trigger until and unless otherwise ordered by the Court.  On January 25, 2023, United States District Judge Nina R. Morrison entered a temporary restraining order against Defendants.

Merrick B. Garland, United States Attorney General; Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Steven Dettelbach, Director, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF); and John B. DeVito, Special Agent-in-Charge, ATF, New York Field Division, announced the filing of the complaint.

“The Justice Department has filed a complaint against two firearm companies and two individuals who we allege are illegally selling machineguns, conspiring to violate federal firearm laws, and committing mail and wire fraud” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Today, we obtained a temporary restraining order that immediately stops the defendants from illegally selling their machineguns.  The Justice Department will continue to do everything in its power to protect the American people from gun violence and to hold accountable those that flood our communities with illegal guns.”

“The defendants are illegally selling machine guns, plain and simple, with conversion devices that transform AR-15 type rifles into even more lethal weapons suited for battlefields, not our communities,” said United States Attorney Peace.  “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to stop the flow of illegal and deadly weapons onto our streets.  The United States will be relentless in employing every means available, including all civil tools, to end violence in New York and across the nation.”

ATF Director Dettelbach stated: “Decades ago, Congress determined that machine guns are illegal, yet, despite repeated warnings, the defendants in this case are alleged to be flouting the law. Machine guns are unlawful because they pose a threat to the public and they are increasingly a risk to law enforcement. Ensuring that individuals and companies comply with the prohibition on selling machine guns is just one of many steps ATF is taking to address violent crime and protect our communities.”

“These machine gun conversion devices—which are machine guns under federal law—can turn any semi-automatic AR-type firearm into a weapon capable of shooting at a rate of fire similar to or exceeding that of an M16 machine gun manufactured for military use.  Since 1934, machineguns have been subject to strict federal controls, and since 1986, machineguns have been subject to an outright prohibition. These defendants are believed to have earned millions at the expense of the public’s safety and are alleged to have conspired to undermine these very federal laws which are intended to keep the public safe.  I would like to thank the United States Attorney’s Office and ATF personnel for their hard work and commitment in securing the temporary restraining order,” stated ATF Special Agent-in-Charge DeVito.

Defendants are Rare Breed Triggers, LLC and Rare Breed Firearms, LLC (collectively, “RBT”) and their owner/operators Lawrence DeMonico, also known as “Larry R. Lee, Jr.” and Kevin Maxwell.  As alleged in the complaint, Defendants have unlawfully sold thousands of FRT-15s to the general public.  In the process, Defendants have sought to obstruct ATF’s mandate to enforce laws prohibiting the sale of machine guns and ensure public safety.  Defendants have also allegedly misled consumers about the legality of FRT-15s.  

As set forth in the January 25, 2023 temporary restraining order (“TRO”), among other things, the Court found that “[t]here is probable cause to believe that Defendants’ fraudulent conduct is ongoing and imminent,”  that “Defendants failed to register FRT-15s for the purpose of concealing from ATF the sale and transfer of these items,” and that the TRO is necessary to prevent “a continuing and substantial injury to the United States, as well as to past and future purchasers of FRT-15s who have been or may be misled into believing that their possession of FRT-15s is lawful when it is not.”

This action is part of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York’s Civil Initiative to Reduce Gun Violence.  The EDNY’s Civil Initiative to Reduce Gun Violence was created in 2022.  The EDNY’s Civil Initiative to Reduce Gun Violence aims to work with federal, state, and local officials, as well as community stakeholders, to address the root causes of gun-related crime, and supports reform efforts made across the government.  The EDNY’s Civil Initiative to Reduce Gun Violence complements the EDNY Criminal Division’s prosecution of gun-related crimes.  The Office also works collaboratively on the Initiative with the Consumer Protection Branch of the Department of Justice.

Team AOC - Dealing with the Clown Car

 

We’re three weeks into the 118th Congress, and committee assignments have still not been finalized.

At Alexandria’s town hall last week, a concerned constituent asked what Alexandria would do to offset the ‘lunacy’ from Republican-led congressional committees.

This was her response:

“Committee assignments are not official yet… but from what we’ve heard through some of our conversations, it seems as though, on the Republican side, they have appointed Lauren Boebert, Marjorie Taylor Greene, and Paul Gosar to the House Oversight Committee … Usually when you are an incumbent on a committee, you have first preference to decide if you stay on that committee. That's usually how that goes. My intention is to stay on the House Oversight Committee and provide full support to Ranking Member Raskin. And we’re also going to have to manage this clown car that’s going on on the other side.”

She continued:

“I will say that in the past, we have been able to secure certain bipartisan hearings. Now depending on the incoming chair — Congressman [James] Comer — we will see what his appetite is to continue doing that… in the past, we have held bipartisan hearings going after defense contractors and abuse of our public funds by defense contractors.

The DOD is one of the only agencies that has not really been able to pass an audit… I vote against the defense budget every year, and one major reason for that is because of this complete lack of accountability. And we know: if you’ve been a teacher in a school, every single penny that you spend must be accounted for. Every single dollar. In healthcare, in all of this… So in the past, that has been a point of bipartisan hearings, and I've been able, through my questioning, to really go after some of these contractors that have actually resulted in getting funds back from them. But it really depends on what they [Republicans] choose.

Our alternative is to start sending letters directly to the Biden administration on some of these issues. We’ve already started doing that with respect to some issues around immigration, defense, et cetera. Because whether it’s a Democrat or a Republican, Oversight is necessary.”

You can watch Alexandria’s full response here:

In solidarity,

Team AOC

Alexandria has been adamant about holding 

government contractors and corporations accountable 

to taxpayers — and she will continue to do so on the 

House Oversight Committee. But with the addition 

of far-right committee members, holding these 

groups accountable may get harder.

NYPD Announces the Publication of its 2023 Strategic Plan

 

At the annual “State of the NYPD” breakfast hosted by the New York City Police Foundation, New York City Police Commissioner Keechant L. Sewell announced the release of the department’s 2023 Strategic Plan, a detailed guide for charting the brightest possible future for the NYPD and the people it serves.

The plan comes at a pivotal moment for the department as the Police Commissioner, and the newly installed executive leadership team, reflects on the significant achievements of 2022 and positions itself for continued success. The plan, as Commissioner Sewell said, invites all NYPD employees to “Step Forward” with her.

The Strategic Plan reflects the department’s continued mission to fight crime and improve the quality of life of all New Yorkers, while working in partnership with the community. Upon that foundation, four primary goals – considered integral for the department’s continuing evolution – are detailed.

These goals are:

• Strengthening our workforce by seeking diverse talent, promoting wellness and providing effective training.
  
• Transforming policing in New York City through continuous improvement and innovation.
  
• Engaging our community partners to enhance relationships with all members of the public.
  
• Promoting public safety and respect through the evolution of Neighborhood Policing.

Within the plan, each of the four goals is accompanied by focused objectives to accomplish them, and initiatives to provide actionable measures to be taken by the department.

“We must remain open of heart and mind to truly adopt this Step Forward philosophy since, at its core, it requires us to never stop innovating,” said Police Commissioner Sewell. “We can never accept what we have as final and we must always strive to exceed expectations. This is what the NYPD has been built to take on, and through its professionalism, experience, and willingness to meet any challenge, I know that this philosophy will become engrained in the culture of our great organization.”

Susan Birnbaum, the President and CEO of the Police Foundation, an independent nonprofit organization, said the Police Commissioner’s address was a reminder of the decades-long partnership the NYPD and Foundation maintain to ensure a safe city.

“We're proud to support the NYPD and to help advance the strategic vision laid out by Police Commissioner Sewell," said Ms. Birnbaum. "This public-private partnership advances programs to prevent crime and thwart terrorism, build bridges in the community, and pilot new technologies.”

The Strategic Plan is a 33-page report. It is also available in its entirety by clicking the link, below:

NYPD Strategic Plan 2023

Governor Hochul Announces Zinc8 Energy Solutions, a Long-Term Energy Storage Leader, Will Locate its First Commercial Manufacturing Facility and American Headquarters in Ulster County

Company Will Create 500 Jobs Through a 5-year $68 Million Investment Plan in the Mid-Hudson Region and Build Environmentally and Economically Friendly Zinc-air Long Duration Energy Storage Systems

Anchor Tenant in the New $100 Million iPark 87 Business Park Will Transform the Three-Decades-Vacant IBM Site into an Economic Growth Engine

Expansion in New York Complements Governor Hochul's Bold Environmental Agenda for Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Combating Climate Change 

 Governor Kathy Hochul today announced Zinc8 Energy Solutions, USA, a leader in the long-duration energy storage industry, will relocate its $68 million manufacturing facility and U.S. headquarters to Kingston, Ulster County at the former Tech City, IBM Ulster campus, now known as iPark 87 business park. Zinc8 Energy Solutions develops innovative battery technology that uses zinc and air as fuel. Zinc8 has committed to creating up to 500 jobs, complementing New York State's national leadership in growing the green economy, spearheading efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and prioritization of combating climate change. The company's location to Ulster County supports Governor Hochul's newly announced framework for the State to achieve a nation-leading six gigawatts of energy storage by 2030.

"Creating good jobs that will lead to a greener, more sustainable New York for our children and grandchildren is not only beneficial to our economy, it's the right thing to do for our planet," Governor Hochul said. "Zinc8's cutting edge, clean energy storage technology is another tool that will allow us to achieve our bold climate agenda and continue to make New York State a leader in advancing the green economy."

Zinc8 Energy Solutions (Zinc8) has submitted a Letter of Intent to be the anchor tenant and lease approximately 237,000 square feet of warehouse and outdoor space at iPark 87, which is owned by National Resources. Zinc8 will invest approximately $68 million over 5 years to automate and build out the site, making the region Zinc8's U.S. headquarters and a major hub of manufacturing operations, research and development. Empire State Development (ESD) has agreed to provide up to $9 million in performance-based Excelsior Jobs Program tax credits to encourage and support the creation of 500 jobs.

The new $100 million iPark 87 business park will serve as a mixed-use technology campus, transforming the former IBM site and positioning the former TechCity as an innovative center for economic growth after 30 years of stagnation. Part of iPark87's plan is to build a 600-unit net-zero carbon footprint sustainable residential community, powered 100 percent by renewal energy and constructed fully from sustainable building materials. The business park will also include several public amenities like pocket parks, bike and walking trails, and a wellness and arts center. Recognizing the goals of job creation, economic growth and sustainability for the campus and the surrounding region, ESD supported the business park's development with an $8 million grant through the Upstate Revitalization Initiative.

Zinc8 is a leading technology developer and manufacturer of zinc-air long-duration energy storage systems for utilities, commercial and industrial facilities, and remote microgrids. The company aims to accelerate the world's transition to sustainable, secure, and resilient energy sources through environmentally and economically friendly mass storage systems to make clean energy storage cost-effective, reliable, and readily available.

Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight said, "Zinc8 is fully committed to transitioning the world to more sustainable, secure and resilient energy sources and we are thrilled that New York State will play an integral role in this process. ESD is committed to expanding the State's green economy and creating good jobs for all New Yorkers and Zinc8's move to the Mid-Hudson Region is another positive step in the right direction."

Zinc8's technology has been developed around the utilization of zinc as the anode fuel, which is expected to offer advantages over other metals due to its high energy density, abundant availability, low cost, and ease of storage and handling. When the system is delivering power, the zinc particles are combined with oxygen drawn from the surrounding air. When the system is recharging, zinc particles are regenerated, and oxygen is returned to the surrounding air. The regenerative system does not require fuel replacement and offers scalable energy capacity through the simple introduction of additional fuel tanks.

Zinc8 first connected with New York State through the New York Power Authority's Clean Energy Innovation Challenge in 2019 which sought new technologies and business models to solve for the state's energy challenges. Zinc8 won the challenge and embarked upon deployment of the first use of its novel zinc-air energy storage system, the first phase of which will go live this year. As the winner of the Challenge, Zinc8 entered into an agreement with New York Power Authority (NYPA) to install a 100- kilowatt/1 megawatt-hour (kW/MWh) system at SUNY flagship the University at Buffalo, to increase campus resiliency and advance energy storage technology.

Additionally, Zinc8 announced a deployment agreement with Digital Energy Corp., a private sector engineering firm in New York State for a 100-kW/1.5-MWh energy storage system. The project will demonstrate the benefits and economic value of Zinc8's Energy Storage System in an existing behind-the-meter Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plant in New York City. The Project was awarded financial support from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA).

Zinc8 was also named a "Best-in-Class" solution in the Energy Storage Category of the 2022 PropTech Challenge, which focused on sustainable developments and ongoing efforts by the real estate industry to reduce emissions throughout the build environment.

Zinc8's move to the Mid-Hudson Region complements Governor Hochul's 2023 clean energy agenda. Under Governor Hochul's leadership, New York has advanced the nation's most aggressive policies to combat climate change, safeguard clean water and our natural environment, promote environmental justice, and advance the green economy.

In her 2023 State of the State Governor Hochul is proposing critical initiatives that will make a difference in the lives of all New Yorkers. The Cap-and-Invest Program, which was unveiled last week, will create an economywide Cap-and-Invest Program that establishes a declining cap on greenhouse gas emissions, invests in programs that drive emissions reductions in an equitable manner prioritizing disadvantaged communities, limits costs to economically vulnerable households, and maintains the competitiveness of New York industries. In addition, Governor Hochul will propose legislation to create a universal Climate Action Rebate that is expected to drive more than $1 billion in future cap-and-invest proceeds to New Yorkers every year.

Additionally, Governor Hochul outlined a new framework for the State to achieve a nation-leading six gigawatts of energy storage by 2030, which represents at least 20 percent of the peak electricity load of New York State. The roadmap, submitted by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority and the New York State Department of Public Service to the Public Service Commission for consideration, proposes a comprehensive set of recommendations to expand New York's energy storage programs to cost-effectively unlock the rapid growth of renewable energy across the state and bolster grid reliability and customer resilience. If approved, the roadmap will support a buildout of storage deployments estimated to reduce projected future statewide electric system costs by nearly $2 billion, in addition to further benefits in the form of improved public health because of reduced exposure to harmful fossil fuel pollutants. Today's announcement supports the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act goals to generate 70 percent of the state's electricity from renewable sources by 2030 and 100 percent zero-emission electricity by 2040.

In addition to New York's own green investments, the federal Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) provides tremendous opportunities to leverage state and private investments that have already been committed across the state. The IRA will reduce costs to New York to help meet the requirements of the Climate Act by approximately $70 billion through 2050 and is expected to provide unprecedented funding to reduce consumer energy costs, slash carbon emissions and pollution, ensure energy security and resilience, increase energy innovation and domestic manufacturing, and advance environmental justice.

New York State's nation-leading climate agenda is the most aggressive climate and clean energy initiative in the nation, calling for an orderly and just transition to clean energy that creates jobs and continues fostering a green economy as New York State recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic. Enshrined into law through the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (Climate Act), New York is on a path to achieve its mandated goal to reach economy-wide carbon neutrality, including a zero-emission electricity sector by 2040 with 70 percent renewable energy generation by 2030. It builds on New York's unprecedented investments to ramp-up clean energy, including more than $21 billion in 91 large-scale renewable projects across the state, $6.8 billion to reduce buildings emissions, $1.8 billion to scale up solar, more than $1 billion for clean transportation initiatives, and more than $1.2 billion in NY Green Bank commitments.

With the implementation of the Climate Act, a clean energy workforce will be in demand. Results from a 2021 Jobs Study issued by the New York State Climate Action Council's Just Transition Working Group, show that in the 21 growing sub-sectors total employment will increase by more than 60 percent from 2019 to 2030 - adding at least 211,000 new jobs in New York State. Additionally, clean energy jobs in New York State reached a record level of 165,000 workers at the end of 2021, helping to lead New York's COVID-19 economic recovery by recouping the clean energy jobs lost in 2020 and exceeding pre-COVID-19 clean energy employment levels by 1,300 jobs.

Florida Woman Arrested For Defrauding Holocaust Survivor Of $2.8 Million In Connection With Romance Scam

 

 Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Michael J. Driscoll, the Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced the unsealing of an Indictment today charging PEACHES STERGO with engaging in a years-long scheme to defraud an 87-year-old Holocaust survivor of his life savings.  STERGO was arrested today and will be presented in the Middle District of Florida.  The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Edgardo Ramos.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, for years, Stergo deceived an 87-year-old Holocaust survivor, maliciously draining his life savings so she could become a millionaire through fraud.  Stergo forged documents and impersonated a bank employee in exchange for a life of fancy trips, Rolex watches, and luxury purchases.  Today’s arrest reemphasizes this Office’s commitment to seeking justice for victims of financial frauds.”

FBI Assistant Director Michael J. Driscoll said: "Today we allege the defendant callously preyed on a senior citizen simply seeking companionship, defrauding him of his life savings.  The FBI is determined to get justice for victims of fraud and to ensure that scammers face justice for their actions.”

According to the allegations contained in the Indictment, which was unsealed today in Manhattan federal court:[1]

From at least in or about May 2017, up to and including at least October 2021, STERGO engaged in a scheme to defraud an 87-year-old Holocaust survivor (the “Victim”) of over $2.8 million, which was his life savings. 

STERGO met the Victim on a dating website approximately six or seven years ago.  In or about early 2017, STERGO asked the Victim to borrow money to pay her lawyer, who she claimed was refusing to release funds from an injury settlement.  After the Victim gave her the money, STERGO said the settlement funds had been deposited into her TD Bank account.  In reality, bank records show STERGO never received any money from an injury settlement.

Over the next four and a half years, STERGO continued her lies.  She repeatedly demanded that the Victim deposit money into her bank accounts.  She claimed that if he did not, her accounts would be frozen, and he would never be paid back.  In total, the Victim wrote 62 checks — totaling over $2.8 million — that were deposited into one of two of STERGO’s bank accounts.   

In furtherance of the fraud, STERGO created a fake email account, intended to appear as if it belonged to a TD Bank employee.  She also created fake letters from a TD Bank employee and fake invoices.

While the Victim lost his life savings and was forced to give up his apartment, STERGO lived a life of luxury with the millions she received from the fraud: she bought a home in a gated community, a condominium, a boat, and numerous cars, including a Corvette and a Suburban.  During the course of the fraud, STERGO also took expensive trips, staying at places like the Ritz Carlton, and spent many tens of thousands of dollars on expensive meals, gold coins and bars, jewelry, Rolex watches, and designer clothing from stores like Tiffany, Ralph Lauren, Neiman Marcus, Louis Vuitton, and Hermes.

STERGO, 36, of Champions Gate, Florida, is charged with one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI.

The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the Indictment, and the description of the Indictment set forth herein, constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.

VCJC News & Notes 1/27/23

 

Van Cortlandt Jewish Center
News and Notes

Here's this week's edition of the VCJC News and Notes email. We hope you enjoy it and find it useful! Reminders Shabbos Shabbos information is, as always, available on our website, both in the information sidebar and the events calendar. Here are the times you need:   Shabbos Candles Friday 1/27/23 @ 4:49 pm Shabbos morning services at 8:40 am.  Please join the services if you can do so safely.  Shabbos Ends Saturday 1/28/23 @ 5:53 pm   Blood Drive A Blood Drive will take place at the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale on Sunday, January 29th from 9 am to 3 pm   Tu B'Shevat A special kiddush will be offered following Shabbos morning services on Feb. 4.  Van Cortlandt Jewish Center 3880 Sedgwick Ave Bronx, NY 10463

STATEMENT FROM BOROUGH PRESIDENT GIBSON ON MAYOR ADAM’S 2023 STATE OF THE CITY ADDRESS

 

"Mayor Eric Adams today laid out his comprehensive vision for the City, with an emphasis on fairness and equity. His “Working People’s Agenda,” with a focus on jobs, public safety, housing, and healthcare, will be successful in seeing our residents and families rebound from a slow economy caused by COVID-19.”

 

“While we saw the number of jobs increase by 200,000, our hope is that his new Apprenticeship Accelerator will connect 30,000 New Yorkers, from youth to adults, to potential career opportunities with educational institutions, labor unions, and other employers from various sectors. This initiative could potentially create life-changing pathways for our Bronx residents to enter the middle class, generate generational wealth, and invest back into our Borough and City.”

 

“As a Co-Sponsor of the Right to Counsel Legislation in the New York City Council, I was pleased to hear the Mayor is investing $22 million for additional staff to investigate tenant complaints and enforcement against bad landlords. This is essential in ensuring our most vulnerable residents receive the necessary support to remain safely in their homes and that their issues are adequately addressed.”

 

“With Bronx women disproportionately impacted by high rates of Maternal Mortality in the City, I have advocated for a Bronx Birthing Center in our borough to provide expecting moms with the dignity and care they deserve. This is a pressing issue for too many Black and Brown-birthing individuals and I am grateful for Mayor Adams` commitment to women’s health in hosting an all-hands-on-deck summit dedicated to Maternal Mortality. Under the leadership of Mayor Eric Adams, Governor Kathy Hochul, Speaker Adrienne Adams, and the female-led City Council, we will continue to push for policy changes to address this epidemic.”

 

“All traffic violence is preventable and we must do more to create the infrastructure to keep our roads safe for everyone. Mayor Adams is working with the State Legislature to advance a package of 6 bills that will increase penalties for offenders who contribute to traffic fatalities in our State. One traffic fatality is one too many, and highlights the need for all of us to continue to advocate for safe mobility on our city roads.”

 

"This is an exciting time for the Bronx, and New York City, as we look forward to working with Mayor Adams and our other partners in government to ensure the Bronx is not forgotten, and that our residents` voices and issues are heard.”