A.G. Schneiderman Announces Settlements Totaling $480K With 10 Domino’s Franchise Locations For Violating Workers' Basic Rights

Three Franchisees Who Collectively Own 10 Domino’s Locations Must Pay $480,000 In Restitution To Workers At Stores In New York City, Westchester, Long Island, Fulton County, And Montgomery County 

Attorney General Schneiderman Has Now Secured Agreements With Franchisees Who Collectively Own Half Of New York's Domino's Franchise Locations; Franchisees Have Agreed To Pay Nearly $2 Million In Total Restitution To Workers Statewide

   Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today announced settlements with three Domino's Pizza franchisees, totaling $480,000 in restitution to hundreds of workers subject to wage and labor violations at ten different franchise locations. The Attorney General filed a lawsuit in May 2016 against these three franchisees and their franchisor Domino's Pizza, Inc., Domino's Pizza LLC, and Domino's Pizza Franchising LLC (collectively, "Domino's") seeking restitution from Domino's and its franchisees for a number of alleged violations, including violations against minimum wage, overtime, and other basic labor law protections.

As part of the settlement agreements, the three franchisees will be dismissed from the lawsuit, and only the franchise Domino's remains as a defendant. The Attorney General has now settled investigations into labor law violations at 71 Domino's franchise locations in New York State, owned by fifteen individual franchisees. These locations comprise more than half of the franchise stores and over a third of the total number of Domino's stores in New York.  The Attorney General's office has secured nearly $2 million in total restitution for Domino's workers statewide through these settlements.

"In the past three years, my office's investigations have revealed a consistent and outrageous record of disregard for workers' rights by franchisees, and as we allege, with the full knowledge of Domino’s Pizza,” Attorney General Schneiderman said. "My office will continue with our lawsuit against Domino's Pizza to end the systemic violations of workers' rights that have occurred in franchises across the State. We will not allow businesses to turn a blind eye to blatant violations that are cheating hard working New Yorkers out of a fair day’s pay.”

Eight of the stores involved in the settlements announced today were owned jointly by Shueb Ahmed and Anthony Maestri, with locations in New York, Nassau and Westchester Counties. Two of the stores were owned by Matthew Denman and located in Montgomery County. 

Shueb Ahmed will pay $150,000 in restitution to workers, Matthew Denman will pay $90,000 and Anthony Maestri will pay $240,000.

In the continuing lawsuit against Domino's, the Attorney General has asserted that Domino's was heavily involved in the employment practices of the three franchisees and, as a result, is a joint employer of the workers at the franchisees' stores and is responsible for underpaid wages to these workers. The Attorney General has also alleged that Domino's encouraged franchisees to use payroll reports from the company's computer system (called "PULSE"), even though Domino's knew for years that PULSE under-calculated gross wages. Domino's typically made multiple updates to PULSE each year, but decided not to fix the flaws that caused underpayments to workers or tell franchisees about the flaws, deeming it a "low priority."

A.G. Schneiderman Announces Guilty Pleas Of Two Defendants For Their Roles In Operating Interstate Gun Trafficking Ring

Joint AG-NYPD Investigation Leads To Guilty Pleas For Defendants Donovan Bryant And Shantae Blue; Bryant Will Be Sentenced To 12 Years In Prison And Blue Will Be Sentenced to 4 Years In Prison

Bryant And Blue Participated In Trafficking Ring Which Smuggled Handguns From South Carolina, North Carolina, And Tennessee Into New York Through The Port Authority Bus Terminal

AG Schneiderman Report Found That Nearly Nine Out Of Ten (86%) Of Recovered Handguns -- The Weapon Of Choice For Violent Criminals -- Come From Out-Of-State

Schneiderman: We Won’t Hesitate To Act To Protect Our Communities From Illegal Guns

   Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman announced the pleas of Donovan Bryant and Shantae Blue for their roles in a high-volume gun trafficking ring that funneled firearms from South Carolina, North Carolina, and Tennessee to New York City, often aboard Greyhound buses that ran through the Port Authority Bus Terminal. 

The investigation, led by the Attorney General’s Organized Crime Task Force and the NYPD’s Gang Squad Brooklyn North, relied on undercover work, wiretaps, and other surveillance and resulted in the seizure of 50 illegal handguns smuggled into New York City from out-of-state. 

Bryant, of Charlotte, NC, pled guilty today to criminal sale of a firearm in the first degree, criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree, and conspiracy in the fourth degree. He will be sentenced to 12 years in prison followed by five years of post-release supervision. Blue, of Charlotte, NC, pled guilty today to criminal sale of a firearm in the second degree, criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree, and conspiracy in the fourth degree.  She will be sentenced to four years in prison followed by five years of post-release supervision.

“Even as we work to make our streets safer, we’re undermined by those who illegally traffic guns into New York – and we won’t hesitate to act to protect our communities,” said Attorney General Schneiderman. “Our first-of-its-kind report and interactive tool make clear the importance of cracking down on gun trafficking. We’ll continue to partner with local law enforcement and remain vigilant against those who seek to undermine the safety of our neighborhoods and make us all more vulnerable to violent crimes.”

The investigation, which began in June 2015, led to the arrests of Donovan Bryant, Shantae Blue, Marlon Manswell, and Colby Inabinet for their participation in the illegal gun ring.  Bryant – with the aid of Blue, Manswell, and Inabinet – were charged with transporting dozens of guns to New York City from South Carolina and selling them to an undercover officer between June 18 and October 21, 2015.  Bryant, who uses a wheelchair, brought guns from South Carolina to the Port Authority bus terminal in Manhattan. He then contacted Manswell, an Uber driver, to pick him up and drive him to meet with the undercover officer in Brooklyn’s Williamsburg and East New York neighborhoods.

Inabinet and Manswell previously pled guilty and are scheduled to be sentenced on March 15.  Bryant is scheduled to be sentenced on March 29 and Blue will be sentenced on April 5.

In October 2016, Attorney General Schneiderman released a first-of-its-kind report and interactive tool, which provided ground-breaking data and analysis of tens of thousands of “crime guns” recovered by law enforcement – demonstrating how New York’s strong gun laws are undermined by lax laws in other states, including Iron Pipeline states. The new research shows that 74 percent of all crime guns recovered by law enforcement in New York originated out-of-state. Nearly nine out of ten (86 percent) of recovered handguns came from out-of-state.

BRONX MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO KILLING HIS INFANT

Defendant and His Wife Discarded Baby’s Body in the Dutchess County Woods

  Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark today announced that a 52-year-old Bronx man has pleaded guilty to first-degree Manslaughter for the killing of his infant son. 

  District Attorney Clark said, “The defendant brutally beat his 7-week-old son and didn’t even call 911 or try to help the infant. For ending an innocent life that had barely begun, he will now spend 21 years in prison.” 

  District Attorney Clark said the defendant, Jose Feliciano (AKA Alex Feliciano), 52, of 1849 Bogart Avenue, pleaded guilty today before Bronx Supreme Court Justice Margaret Clancy to first-degree Manslaughter and will be sentenced to 21 years in prison followed by five years post-release supervision.

  According to the investigation, on the morning of December 10, 2015, Feliciano struck his infant son on the head after the baby, Mason Whyte, would not stop crying. Feliciano and his wife, Danielle Whyte, then drove from their Morris Park Avenue apartment to upstate New York and disposed of the body of their son in the woods of Dover, in Dutchess County. 

 The infant’s body was found by police after Whyte revealed to officers what had happened following a suicide attempt. Charges are still pending against Whyte.

Wave Hill Events Mar 24–Mar 31

  A wonderful aspect of programs at Wave Hill, whether indoors or out, is that they connect so closely to the natural setting around us. Surrounded by the ever-transforming spring gardens, enjoy a week of workshops―woodworking with a master carpenter, learning to make remedies with an herbalist and, specifically for families, making big monoprints―or come for the talk Saturday afternoon on the impact our presence has had on beaver, box turtles and bald eagles and more with whom share our Hudson Valley habitat.

SAT, MARCH 25    WOODWORKING: POTTING BENCH WORKSHOP—DAY 1

Calling all urban gardeners—stop repotting plants on your kitchen table! Construct your very own potting bench with master carpenter and Director of Facilities Frank Perrone. This unique bench is designed with folding components for easy transport. No previous carpentry skills required. Space is limited. $95/$75 Wave Hill Member. Registration required, online at wavehill.org or onsite at the Perkins Visitor Center. The second day of this two-day workshop takes place on Sunday, March 26.

MEET AT WAVE HILL HOUSE, 9:30AM–4PM

SAT, MARCH 25    FAMILY ART PROJECT: BIG BUD MONOPRINTS

With spring fast approaching, think about the budding occasion ahead. Have you spotted any tree buds yet? Observe the unusual shapes of tree and flower beginnings. Then, working with large pieces of construction paper, simple templates and contrasting backgrounds, we’ll make simple, bold and brushy large-scaled monoprints! Free, and admission to the grounds is free until noon. 

WAVE HILL HOUSE, 10AM‒1PM

SAT, MARCH 25    GARDEN & CONSERVATORY HIGHLIGHTS WALK

Join us for an hour-long tour of seasonal garden highlights. Free, and admission to the grounds is free until noon.

MEET AT PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 11AM

SAT, MARCH 25    WINTER WORKSPACE SESSION 2 OPEN HOUSE

This winter, Glyndor Gallery is transformed again into studio spaces for artists to develop new work and offer opportunities for public interaction in the context of the garden. Individual artists share their studio practice with the public on this open studio day. This year’s Session 2 artists are Leenda Bonilla, Cecile Chong, Elisabeth Condon, Tommy Nguyen, Alison Owen and Michael Kelly Williams. Free with admission to the grounds.

GLYNDOR GALLERY, NOON–3:30PM

SAT, MARCH 25    NATURE TALK: WILDLIFE HISTORY OF NEW YORK

Over a century of human settlement and development have brought many changes to the Hudson Valley, as well as to the wildlife in the region. Environmental Educator Megan Hoffman from the Hudson Highlands Nature Museum highlights five native animals whose natural histories have been significantly impacted by human activity. A closer look at the sturgeon, beaver, box turtle, coyote and bald eagle illustrates how pollutants, habitat loss and preservation, over-hunting and other human interventions have affected their populations over time. Ages 10 and older welcome with an adult. Free with admission to the grounds.

WAVE HILL HOUSE, 2PM

SUN, MARCH 26    FAMILY ART PROJECT: BIG BUD MONOPRINTS

With spring fast approaching, think about the budding occasion ahead. Have you spotted any tree buds yet? Observe the unusual shapes of tree and flower beginnings. Then, working with large pieces of construction paper, simple templates and contrasting backgrounds, we’ll make simple, bold and brushy large-scaled monoprints! Free with admission to the grounds. 

WAVE HILL HOUSE, 10AM‒1PM

SUN, MARCH 26    WELLNESS WORKSHOP: NATURE’S MEDICINE CABINET

Working with herbalist Tina Triburgo, formulate all-natural remedies to soothe general pains, sleeplessness, allergies and other spring maladies. Go home with custom-made salves, tinctures, medicinal oils and teas, and recipes and resources for creating them on your own. Ages 10 and up welcome with an adult. $55/$45 Wave Hill Member. Registration required, online at wavehill.org or onsite at the Perkins Visitor Center.

WAVE HILL HOUSE, 10:30AM–1PM

SUN, MARCH 26    GARDEN & CONSERVATORY HIGHLIGHTS WALK

Join us for an hour-long tour of seasonal garden highlights. Free with admission to the grounds.

MEET AT PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 2PM

MON, MARCH 27    

Closed to the public.

A 28-acre public garden and cultural center overlooking the Hudson River  and Palisades, Wave Hill’s mission is to celebrate the artistry and legacy of its gardens and landscape, to preserve its magnificent views, and to explore human connections to the natural world through programs in horticulture, education and the arts.

HOURS  Open all year, Tuesday through Sunday and many major holidays: 9AM–5:30PM, starting March 15.  Closes 4:30PM, November 1–March 14.

ADMISSION  $8 adults, $4 students and seniors 65+, $2 children 6–18. Free Saturday and Tuesdaymornings until noon. Free to Wave Hill Members and children under 6.

PROGRAM FEES  Programs are free with admission to the grounds unless otherwise noted.

Visitors to Wave Hill can take advantage of Metro-North’s one-day getaway offer. Purchase a discount round-trip rail far and discount admission to the gardens. More at http://mta.info/mnr/html/getaways/outbound_wavehill.htm

DIRECTIONS – Getting here is easy! Located only 30 minutes from midtown Manhattan, Wave Hill’s free shuttle van transports you to and from our front gate and Metro-North’s Riverdale station, as well as the W. 242nd Street stop on the #1 subway line. Limited onsite parking is available for $8 per vehicle. Free offsite parking is available nearby with continuous, complimentary shuttle service to and from the offsite lot and our front gate. Complete directions and shuttle bus schedule at www.wavehill.org/visit/.

Information at 718.549.3200. On the web at www.wavehill.org.

Engel, Energy & Commerce Dems Fight Through the Night to Defend ACA

  Congressman Eliot L. Engel, a top member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following statement on this week’s marathon Energy and Commerce Committee mark-up of the Republican bill to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act:

“This week, House Republicans unveiled their long-promised bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

“Congressional Republicans have spent seven years demonizing and sabotaging the ACA. They had plenty of opportunities to collaborate with Democrats to modify the parts of the law they didn’t think were working. In fact, most large pieces of legislation need to be tweaked once implemented. But instead, the GOP chose to vote 60+ times to repeal the ACA and destroy the progress it has shepherded for millions.

“Now, after seven years of grandiose promises, they’ve finally unveiled their ‘better way,’ in the form of a bill that would take health care from millions, push new costs onto seniors and the sick, deny women the chance to see the provider of their choice, ration health care for children, overburden hospitals – and the list goes on.

“Their legislation was shared for the first time on Monday night – less than two days before the Energy & Commerce and Ways & Means Committees were set to debate the bill. On top of that, the GOP bill arrived without a readout from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) – an analysis that details how much money a bill would cost to implement and, critically, the number of Americans that would lose their health insurance because of the bill.

“House Republicans may have thought they could pull the wool over Americans’ eyes – but not on our watch.

“Energy and Commerce began to consider this GOP repeal bill at 10:30 on Wednesday morning. For more than 27 hours, I fought alongside my fellow Committee Democrats to debunk Republican myths about the ACA, get answers to important questions about their bill, and defend the progress shepherded by the ACA for our constituents.

“I am pleased to have had this opportunity to speak out on substantial problems within the GOP bill, including:

·  A radical restructuring of Medicaid that will put a huge financial burden on states, forcing them to ration health care

·  A repeal of the Medicaid expansion, which afforded quality coverage to millions of Americans

·   Policies that will harm seniors’ access to long-term supports and services

·   A senseless rescission of funding for Planned Parenthood

“I also offered an amendment that would have required the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to assess whether Medicaid changes within the GOP bill might force hospitals into the red, or to close their doors altogether. According to America's Essential Hospitals, ‘this legislation could place a heavy burden on the safety net…our hospitals could not sustain such reductions without scaling back services or eliminating jobs.’

“I felt that Republicans and Democrats alike ought to have supported my amendment to ensure the GOP bill wouldn’t inhibit hospitals’ ability to care for our constituents. Sadly and predictably, Republicans defeated my amendment on a party-line vote.

“So the Republicans have voted to advance their ill-advised repeal bill – but Democrats aren’t giving up.

“The GOP repeal would ration Americans’ health care and force them to pay more for less. I will continue fighting to defend my constituents against this disastrous bill.” 

Holiday and cultural events at JASA Van Cortlandt Senior Center; March calendar & menu plus new Chinese Arts Class

   ​​​​There are two sides to each of our flyers attached. In case you have difficulty opening these attachments, please see the event descriptions below. 

I. Purim Celebration: On Thurs. March 16^th, dynamic entertainers Hagit Avnon, Zvi Klein and Dvir Avnon Klein will re-enact the Purim story with songs, costumes and puppets at 11:20 AM with our 4-yr old friends from MMCC Early Childhood program. Following a festive lunch at 12:15 PM, they will provide a program of nostalgic songs plus violin music at 1:00 PM. See reverse side for Hagit and Dvir’s biographical information.

Lunch Menu: Honey Lemon Chicken or breaded tilapia, potato pudding, Italian blend vegetables, apple sauce.  Holiday refreshments will be served.   

Recommended senior meal contribution: $3.00 and $2.00 for the event.

·  Contact JASA Van C ortlandt Senior Center office at 718-549-4700 for advance reservations by Mon. March 13th.  

II. Passover Model seder at JASA Van Cortlandt Sr. Center: 

 Join us for a meaningful Model Seder on Wed. April 5th with songs, readings, blessings and appetizers at 11:15 AM.

o   Festive lunch of traditional appetizers, rosemary roast chicken leg or sole fillet, roasted red potatoes, carrots w/pineapple, macaroons and egg matzah served at 12:30 PM.

o   Doug Leblang, keyboard/vocals and Debra Kreisberg, clarinetist, will present a holiday musical program at 1:15 PM. Refreshments will be served. See more biographical info about these performers on reverse side of flyer.

o   Senior meal contribution: $5.00                                                                     

            Non-senior meal fee: $8.00

o   RSVP to the center office 718-549-4700 by Monday, Apr. 3^rd.

III. Chinese Calligraphy Class: 

On Monday, March 6th, Wei Tang, master calligrapher, will launch a new Chinese Arts series at JASA Van Cortlandt Senior Center. This course will be offered every Monday from March through June from 1 – 2:30 PM. Ling Tang will instruct three sessions of Chinese paper-cutting during the series.

Funding is from the NYC Dept. of Cultural Affairs administered by Dancewave. Please find course descriptions and bio on reverse side of flyer.  Calligraphy Class dates:  Mon. March 6, 13, 20 & 27                                          

Mon. April *3, 10 & 24

Mon. May 1, 8, *15 & 22

Mon. June 5, *12, 19 & 26 (12 sessions plus art show on 6/26)

*Paper –cutting class dates:  Apr. 3, May 15 & June 12. (3 sessions)

IV. Chinese Culture & Dance Class: 

On Thursday, March 2nd, Ling Tang, outstanding dancer/educator will launch a new Chinese Culture & Dance series at JASA Van Cortlandt Senior Center. This course will be offered every Thursday from March through June from 1 – 2:30 PM. Funding is from the NYC Dept. of Cultural Affairs administered by Dancewave. Please find Ms. Tang’s bio on reverse side of this flyer.

Class dates: Thurs. March 2, 9, 23 & 30                                               

Thurs. April 6, 13, 20 & 27

Thurs. May 4, 11, 18 & 25

Thurs. June 8, 15, 22 & *29 (Final interactive performance with live music)

Thanks for your interest in our programs and events.    For further information and meal reservations, please contact the senior center office at 718-549-4700.       

            JASA Van Cortlandt Senior Center

            3880 Sedgwick Ave., First Floor 

            Bronx, NY 10463       

         

VISION ZERO: WITH ARRIVAL OF DAYLIGHT SAVINGS, MAYOR DE BLASIO ANNOUNCES DUSK & DARKNESS CAMPAIGN REDUCED TRAFFIC FATALITIES 26 PERCENT

New York City alerts drivers that as spring nears and clocks change this Sunday, pedestrian crash danger shifts from evenings to mornings

   Mayor Bill de Blasio today announced that “Dusk and Darkness,” the fall and winter traffic-safety campaign to reduce the seasonal surge in evening crashes involving pedestrians, had resulted in 23 fewer New Yorkers lost between November and February compared to the previous year, a 26 percent decline. He also alerted drivers to the dangers posed next week by the arrival of daylight savings time. Clocks will move ahead one hour at1:00 AM this Sunday, March 12, and the Mayor noted the lost hour of sleep and reduced morning visibility require everyone to exercise extra care and caution.

“As clocks spring forward this weekend, New Yorkers all know that we lose a precious hour of sleep, but the dangers caused by the clock change are less well known,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “What we know about the spring is that just one lost hour of sleep, combined with newly dark mornings, make for a new reality. The Dusk and Darkness initiative we began last October made a big difference keeping New York pedestrians safe in the fall and winter evening hours. Next week, the mornings will be darker, so drivers need to be alert and make allowances for themselves as well as for their fellow commuters walking to work and for kids making their way to school.”

In October 2016, the Mayor announced a multi-agency Dusk and Darkness campaign, based on a close analysis of year-over-year crash trends, which had showed that the earlier onset of darkness in the fall and winter was highly correlated to an increase in traffic injuries and fatalities (see “heat map”). Prior to 2016, severe crashes involving pedestrians increased by nearly 40 percent in the early evening hours compared to crashes outside the fall and winter. 

In response, DOT, NYPD and other agencies collaborated on a first-ever major education and enforcement campaign. With a new TV ad campaign, drive-time radio announcements and palm cards distributed to over one million drivers, DOT’s “Your Choices Matter” messaging effectively reached more New Yorkers. 

Meanwhile, NYPD stepped up enforcement, especially between 4:00 and 9:00 PM, focusing on those violations with the greatest effect on pedestrian safety. During the Dusk and Darkness campaign, officers wrote 19,056 violations for failure-to-yield, a 17.1 percent increase over the previous year and 57,430 violations for speeding, an 11.4 percent increase. Overall, for all Vision Zero-related offenses (which also include disobeying a sign, improper turns and illegal cell phone use), the NYPD wrote 243,943 violations, an over 10 percent increase from the previous year. The enforcement and education efforts together helped contribute to a dramatic decrease in seasonal fatalities – 66 fatalities between November and March 7 compared to 89 deaths in the same period the previous year, a 26 percent decline.

While the data show that the dangers to pedestrians are far more pronounced in the fall and winter evening hours, the week after clocks spring forward in March also poses safety challenges, particularly during the morning hours. According to DOT crash data over five years (2010-2014), a comparison of the week before the daylight savings change to the week after the change shows a 10 percent increase in fatalities and injuries. In the morning hours (between5 and 10 AM), the week-to-week increase was 30 percent. Sleep scientists and researchers have also shown a clear correlation between semi-annual daylight savings changes and a rise in motor vehicle collisions. A 2001 article in the journal Sleep Medicine, entitled “Fatal Accidents Following Changes in Daylight Saving Time (DST): The American Experience,” Jason Varughese and R.P. Allen studied two decades of collision data and concluded that crashes showed a “significant increase…immediately following the spring shift to DST.”

“We are encouraged by the results of our first-ever Dusk and Darkness campaign, which showed a dramatic decrease in roadway fatalities this winter during DOT's and NYPD's concerted campaign of targeted education and enforcement,” said Commissioner Polly Trottenberg of the Department of Transportation. “We will continue our Dusk and Darkness campaign again next fall. In the meantime, while we welcome the spring, longer days and warmer weather, we want to alert those who drive in morning darkness next week to make smart choices behind the wheel.”

“The collaborative effort in drawing awareness to the decreased visibility associated with Daylight Savings is not over,” said NYPD Chief of Transportation Thomas M. Chan. “We need our drivers to continue to remain conscious of the dangers which coincide with the time change, especially during the morning hours. Motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians must stay alert when navigating thoroughfares and making their way to their early morning responsibilities. It is only through this mindfulness that we will be successful in our Vision Zero goals.”

On social media next week, DOT will offer tips for drivers, including admonitions to drive defensively and to expect the unexpected, especially in mornings, which will be significantly darker than they are this week.

As of March 8, there have been 33 traffic fatalities to date this year in New York City. In 2016, the year with the fewest deaths in New York City’s recorded history, there had been 41 fatalities by the same date.

CUTTING COLLEGE COSTS: THE IDC PLAN TO MAKE HIGHER EDUCATION ATTAINABLE BY ALL

Senator Klein joins college officials to unveil new report,

legislative solutions on rising college costs

Senator Jeff Klein), joined by local college presidents, officials and students, released a report on the economic burden that post-secondary education has on New York families, “Cutting College Costs: The IDC Plan to Make Higher Education Attainable by All.” Klein also announced legislative solutions to ensure all young New Yorkers have the ability to pay for higher education.

The report drew on data from a multiple-choice questionnaire that the Independent Democratic Conference administered to college students in New York. The survey questioned students about their household income, plans to pay for college and their concerns about debt repayment following graduating. Legislative solutions were based off of the survey responses and data from institutions such as the College Board on the difficulty of paying for college.

“A college education is a crucial step to living a comfortable life with a well-paying job. But with the rising costs of a higher education, students and their families increasingly turn to student loans, ending up deeply indebted. College must be made more affordable for New Yorkers, and our students seeking a brighter future shouldn’t be penalized with outrageous loan payments. That’s why today I introduced the IDC’s seven-point proposal to cut college costs and give relief to our college graduates already in debt,” said Senator Klein.

Keys findings from the survey of New York State college students include:

• 67 percent of them and their families did not save any money for their college education.
• 57 percent of students were doubtful of their ability to pay off their student loans within the given loan period.
• 65 percent of the responders felt they wouldn't earn enough money upon graduating to afford their monthly loan payments.
• 64 percent of students have relatives or friends who have student loan debt.

Despite a lack of college savings, and a low confidence in their ability to repay student loan debt, many families must resort to student loans to cover the outrageous college costs.  Because of this, Senator Klein and the Independent Democratic Conference have proposed a legislative package to cut college costs for New Yorkers.

The legislative proposals include:

• Reforming and expanding the TAP program - The IDC proposal includes expanding income eligibility for TAP from $80,000 to $125,000 and raising the minimum award from $500 to $2,000 over a three-year phase in period to provide more support to New York families. The proposal also includes providing TAP accessibility to all New York high school graduates regardless of their immigration status.

As part of these reforms, the IDC proposes restoring Graduate TAP for students in a combined undergraduate graduate program as well as increasing the time allowance of TAP aid from four to six years for disabled students who can demonstrate need.

• Establishing the College STAR Program - The IDC’s College STAR Program would increase the refundable tax credit for allowable tuition expenses for resident taxpayers. Under the program the credit would increase from the current 4% level to 25% up to the maximum allowable amount of $10,000.

• Establishing College Debt Freedom Accounts - This innovative proposal would allow employed residents to set aside part of their pre-tax income into an account to be used for undergraduate loan payments. Employers will be required to contribute a minimum of 50% of the total monthly student loan payment due with a $2,500 annual cap.

• Reinstating the Liberty Scholarship - Initially created in 1988 but never funded, the Liberty Scholarship would cover non-tuition expenses for full-time and part-time students, including room and board, transportation and books.

• Prohibiting consumer credit reports from including information regarding student loans - The negative impact that student loan information may have on a young person’s credit report can prevent them from making purchases such as a car or home. Prohibiting this information will allow protect them from having this negative information affect their lives.

• Establishing a Pre-Paid College Tuition Program - To save families thousands of dollars, the IDC proposes a pre-paid tuition plan that would lock in current tuition rates at participating New York public, private and independent institutions. Funds would be invested in a fund and returns would go to pay the participating institutions at the time the beneficiary attends college.

• Creating a task force to recommend ways lending institutions can offer - The IDC proposes establishing a task force bringing together the Office of the State Comptroller, the Higher Education Service Corporation, the Department of Financial Services, the chairs and ranking members of the Senate and Assembly committees on Higher Education and lending institutions in New York that offer private student loans to analyze ways that graduates can refinance their student loans and provide borrowers with more flexibility and reduce monthly payments.

The passing of these proposals would ensure that all New Yorkers are able to continue their education in an affordable way.