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Friday, May 13, 2022
Nos Quedamos - 'WE ARE MELROSE Street Fair' - SAVE THE DATE: Saturday, June 11, 2022
CITING STRONG FISCAL MANAGEMENT UNDER MAYOR ADAMS, FITCH RATINGS RAISES NEW YORK CITY'S GENERAL OBLIGATION BOND CREDIT OUTLOOK
Upward Revision to Positive Outlook Affirms New York City’s Historic Level of Budget Reserves
New York City Mayor Eric Adams today hailed Fitch Ratings’ (Fitch) announcement of a revised New York City’s outlook upgrade from stable to positive for the first time in more than a decade and affirmed the AA- rating assigned to New York City’s General Obligation (GO) bonds. Fitch supported the revision by pointing to increased levels of budget reserves under the Adams administration and improved revenue performance as the city recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic. The positive outlook positions the city for further rating upgrades should trends continue. This ratings action was taken several weeks after Mayor Adams released his Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23) Executive Budget, which increased budget reserves to $6.3 billion — the highest level in the city’s history.
In affirming the city’s AA- GO Bond rating, Fitch credited the city’s “exceptionally strong” budget monitoring and control, which are demonstrated by consistent budget balancing and outyear gap management. The strong rating is also driven by Fitch’s assessment that city revenue growth will exceed inflation, and acknowledgment that its diverse revenue base and budget flexibility will protect against the impact of economic volatility.
“I made a commitment to New Yorkers that strong, responsible fiscal stewardship would be a hallmark of our administration — and this outlook upgrade shows that our approach is already bearing fruit,” said Mayor Adams. “From increasing our budget reserves to the highest level in city history to achieving billions of dollars in savings and making upstream investments to ensure the city is a better place to live, work, and raise healthy children and families, we are well-positioned to continue building an equitable recovery while preparing for the future.”
The outlook revision to positive and affirmation of the strong AA- rating validate the Adams administration’s financial strategy and strong fiscal management. In April, Mayor Adams released New York City’s $99.7 billion Executive Budget for FY23. The Executive Budget reflects more than $400 million in savings over FY22 and FY23 — bringing total savings achieved by this administration to more than $2.4 billion in those years — and nearly $4.0 billion in FYs23-26, the financial plan outyears. The administration also added $200 million to the Rainy Day Fund, bringing budget reserves to a historic level of $6.3 billion. By carefully managing resources in the FY23 Preliminary and Executive Budgets, the administration was able to make critical investments that support recovery, increase public safety, elevate youth and working families, and improve public spaces, which will make New York City a better place to live, work, do business, visit, and raise a family.
Fitch’s May 12, 2022 rating report can be found online.
Thursday, May 12, 2022
Bronx Dems - Join Us for Assemblywoman Nathalia Fernandez's Birthday!
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High-Ranking Member Of MS-13 Sentenced To 13 Years In Prison
Prior to His Indictment, Amilcar Romero, a/k/a “Soldado,” was the Highest Ranking, Incarcerated Member of the “L.A. Program” of MS-13 in the United States
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that AMILCAR ROMERO, a/k/a “Soldado,” a high-ranking member of Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Vernon S. Broderick to 13 years in prison. ROMERO previously pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Judge Broderick ordered ROMERO’s sentence in this case to run consecutively to a prior sentence for attempted murder imposed in California state court in 1997 and another prior sentence for conspiring to participate in the affairs of a racketeering enterprise, namely MS-13, imposed in the District of New Jersey in 2016.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Amilcar Romero, a senior leader of the L.A. Program of MS-13, helped plan a cross-border methamphetamine distribution network. He did this by communicating with other members of the gang through a contraband cellphone in state prison while serving a lengthy sentence for a violent crime. With our law enforcement partners, we will continue to hold accountable those like Romero who threaten the safety and well-being of our communities, even if they do so from prison.”
According to the Indictment, other filings in this case, and statements during court proceedings:
ROMERO is a member of MS-13, a transnational racketeering enterprise which operates throughout North and Central America, including in El Salvador, Mexico, New York, California, Texas, Virginia, Tennessee, and North Carolina. To enrich the enterprise, protect and expand its criminal operations, enforce discipline among its members, and retaliate against members of rival gangs, members and associates of MS-13 committed, conspired, attempted, and threatened to commit acts of violence; distributed and possessed with intent to distribute narcotics, including methamphetamine; and obtained, possessed, and used firearms.
MS-13 is organized into chapters called “cliques.” Groups of cliques, in turn, are aligned as “programs.” Each program is governed by a group of senior gang leaders known as the “table.”
ROMERO is a high-ranking member of the table of the “L.A. Program” of MS-13. In 2019, ROMERO participated in the transnational and nationwide affairs of MS-13 through a contraband prison cellphone while he was incarcerated in Calipatria State Prison in California, including by communicating with and relaying orders to other members of MS-13 throughout the United States and in El Salvador.
In the summer and fall of 2019, ROMERO helped plan, with other high-ranking members of MS-13, for the establishment of a methamphetamine distribution network that started in Mexico and operated throughout the United States, including North Carolina, New York, Virginia, and Tennessee.
In addition, in September 2019, ROMERO and other senior members of MS-13 conspired to extort another gang member, who was told that he either had to repay money or be “green lit” (i.e., killed) for introducing a “bad connection” who supplied poor quality narcotics to the gang.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Broderick sentenced ROMERO, 52, to three years of supervised release.
Mr. Williams praised the investigative work of Homeland Security Investigations and the New York City Police Department.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF..
MAYOR ADAMS ANNOUNCES INTERAGENCY TASK FORCE TO BRING FULL RESOURCES AND EXPERTISE OF CITY GOVERNMENT TO REMEDY RIKERS ISLAND CRISIS
Task Force Will Bring Together City Hall, Eight City Agencies to Urgently Address and Implement Reforms
New York City Mayor Eric Adams today signed Executive Order 16, creating an interagency task force that formalizes the whole-of-government approach the Adams administration has already been applying to the crisis plaguing Rikers Island. With the full support of City Hall, the task force will coordinate and implement the multi-agency solutions needed to support the New York City Department of Correction (DOC), surge resources where needed, and provide Mayor Adams with real-time information regarding the city’s efforts. The goal is clear: to implement the recommended reforms as swiftly and efficiently as possible to keep those in custody and correctional officers safe, and to build a functional, safe, and humane jail system. The task force will be chaired by Chief Counsel Brendan McGuire and Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Phillip Banks.
“Rikers Island has been mired in dysfunction and plagued by parallel crises for decades. We cannot — and will not — allow that to continue,” said Mayor Adams. “Since taking office, and working with the monitoring team, we have seen reductions in use of force and assaults on staff, increased searches for weapons and contraband, and fewer officers out on sick leave, but we must go further. This interagency task force puts the full weight of city government behind fully and immediately addressing these challenges. To the people in our care and those officers and non-uniformed personnel working there: I have your back. The city will not rest until this dysfunction is rooted out, these reforms are implemented, and the people in our care and working on the island are safe.”
“To adequately address the parallel crises facing Rikers, we must coordinate a swift and immediate response from across city government,” said Chief Counsel McGuire. “We cannot allow the same legal and bureaucratic hurdles that have prevented meaningful change for decades to stand in our way any longer. This task force will be laser-focused on cutting through red tape and overcoming those hurdles to deliver safer jails for all.”
“Dysfunctional government and agencies operating within silos is an unacceptable excuse for the dangerous conditions that have persisted on Rikers for years,” said Deputy Mayor Banks. “This task force, bolstered by the full backing of City Hall, will enhance communications among agencies that have historically hindered past attempts at progress. We will reform Rikers, we will build safer jails, and, together, we will build a safer city for all New Yorkers.”
“This vital support from City Hall finally gives this agency the help it needs to bring safety and security to our jail system and fulfill the requirements of the consent judgment in both spirit and letter,” said DOC Commissioner Louis A. Molina. “I am looking forward to working with the dedicated and talented partners at our sister agencies. Together, we are going to transform our jail system into model of safety and humanity.”
In addition to the co-chairs, the task force will include representatives from the DOC, the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice, the New York City Law Department, the New York City Office of Labor Relations, the New York City Office of Management and Budget, the Mayor’s Office of Contract Services, the New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services, and the New York City Department of Design and Construction. Additional agencies will be added as needed.
The task force will meet weekly to take direct, concrete, and immediate action to resolve the issues identified by the Nunez monitoring team and to accomplish the objectives of the implementation plan in a timely, efficient, and effective manner. The task force will seek to quickly and fully address any and all issues related to the implementation plan and the concerns of the court, the monitoring team, the U.S. Attorney’s office, and the Nunez plaintiffs. And, finally, this task force will ensure that every relevant city agency prioritizes all Rikers-related matters brought to their attention and cooperates fully.
Governor Hochul Updates New Yorkers on State's Progress Combating COVID-19 - MAY 12, 2022
Governor Encourages New Yorkers to Keep Using the Tools to Protect Against and Treat COVID-19: Vaccines, Boosters, Testing, and Treatment
18 Statewide Deaths Reported Yesterday
Governor Kathy Hochul today updated New Yorkers on the state's progress combating COVID-19.
"Being fully vaccinated and keeping up to date with booster doses is still the most effective way to combat this virus," Governor Hochul said. "As we mark the unthinkable milestone of one million American lives lost to COVID, let's remain vigilant and continue using the tools we have available to us - get vaccinated, get boosted, test often, and if you test positive talk to your doctor about available treatments. This is how we move forward safely through the pandemic."
Today's data is summarized briefly below:
- Cases Per 100k - 69.06
- 7-Day Average Cases Per 100k - 51.03
- Test Results Reported - 171,125
- Total Positive - 13,495
- Percent Positive - 7.45%**
- 7-Day Average Percent Positive - 7.19%**
- Patient Hospitalization - 2,331 (-27)
- Patients Newly Admitted - 428
- Patients in ICU - 225 (+3)
- Patients in ICU with Intubation - 101 (+7)
- Total Discharges - 300,358 (+414)
- New deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 18
- Total deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 55,690
** Due to the test reporting policy change by the federal Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and several other factors, the most reliable metric to measure virus impact on a community is the case per 100,000 data -- not percent positivity.
The Health Electronic Response Data System is a NYS DOH data source that collects confirmed daily death data as reported by hospitals, nursing homes and adult care facilities only.
Important Note: Effective Monday, April 4, the federal Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is no longer requiring testing facilities that use COVID-19 rapid antigen tests to report negative results. As a result, New York State's percent positive metric will be computed using only lab-reported PCR results. Positive antigen tests will still be reported to New York State and reporting of new daily cases and cases per 100k will continue to include both PCR and antigen tests. Due to this change and other factors, including changes in testing practices, the most reliable metric to measure virus impact on a community is the case per 100,000 data -- not percent positivity.
- Total deaths reported to and compiled by the CDC - 71,103
This daily COVID-19 provisional death certificate data reported by NYS DOH and NYC to the CDC includes those who died in any location, including hospitals, nursing homes, adult care facilities, at home, in hospice and other settings.
- Total vaccine doses administered - 38,588,363
- Total vaccine doses administered over past 24 hours - 24,869
- Total vaccine doses administered over past 7 days - 148,189
- Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with at least one vaccine dose - 92.5%
- Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with completed vaccine series - 83.8%
- Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) - 95.0%
- Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with completed vaccine series (CDC) - 87.1%
- Percent of New Yorkers ages 12-17 with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) - 83.3%
- Percent of New Yorkers ages 12-17 with completed vaccine series (CDC) - 73.3%
- Percent of all New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose - 82.0%
- Percent of all New Yorkers with completed vaccine series - 74.3%
- Percent of all New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) - 90.3%
- Percent of all New Yorkers with completed vaccine series (CDC) - 77.1%
Each New York City borough's 7-day average percentage of positive test results reported over the last three days is as follows **:
Borough | Monday, May 9, 2022 | Tuesday, May 10, 2022 | Wednesday, May 11, 2022 |
Bronx | 3.62% | 3.75% | 3.77% |
Kings | 3.66% | 3.86% | 4.17% |
New York | 6.62% | 6.56% | 6.40% |
Queens | 5.08% | 5.16% | 5.13% |
Richmond | 5.28% | 5.35% | 5.91% |