COMPTROLLER LIU’S OFFICE NEGOTIATES $93 MILLION DECREASE IN TECHNOLOGY CONTRACTS

 City Comptroller John C. Liu today green-lighted technology contracts after the Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications (DoITT) agreed to a $93 million reduction in
the cost of the contracts. This follows six weeks of negotiations between the Comptroller’s office and DoITT.

“We will continue to closely scrutinize, examine and, wherever possible, apply the budget scalpel to city contracts with expensive outside consultants,” said Comptroller Liu. “The $93 million savings
here can surely be redirected to helping with the significant fiscal challenges we face in the near horizon. We thank DoITT and MOCS for their cooperation and efforts in this negotiation.”

On November 3, 2011, the Mayor’s Office of Contacts (MOCS) approved $290 million in contract extensions for IT services to City agencies. Comptroller Liu had expressed deep concerns about the contracts and said his office would examine them closely once they were submitted. In the weeks since MOCS approval, Comptroller Liu’s office has worked on this issue with DoITT and MOCS, and as a result of these negotiations the agencies agreed to the $93 million cost reduction.

DoITT and MOCS also agreed to shorten the contracts’ time frame to 18 months from their original proposals of two years.

This is the latest example of contract savings Comptroller Liu’s office has been able to realize for the City’s taxpayers. Working with City Hall, the Comptroller’s office successfully put an end to the runaway spending related to, among other items, CityTime and the Emergency Communications Transformation Project (ECTP).

Liu credited Deputy Comptroller Geneith Turnbull and the staff of the Bureau of Contract Administration for securing the cost reductions from MOCS and DoITT.

KOPPELL PRAISES NEW TAXI PLAN

Credits Cuomo with Disability Access  

 

  

    As Chair of the Council Committee that deals with disability services and a longtime advocate for full taxi accessibility, Council Member Oliver Koppell is particularly pleased that the legislation creating changes in NYC taxi service will provide for wheelchair accessibility and has praised Governor Cuomo as being instrumental in making this happen. 

 

In a letter to the governor, Koppell said, “Your leadership with respect to this legislation was crucial in moving the city toward the goal of full accessibility.  Without your insistence that there be greater taxi accessibility for disabled people this would not have happened”. (see attached.).

 

In addition to giving credit to the governor for the success of this historic legislation, Koppell also credited the disabled community and their advocates saying, “A victory of this magnitude does not happen in a vacuum. It can be attributed in large measure to those who have been forcefully calling for “taxis for all” for more than a decade.   As the prime sponsor of a bill in the City Council to make all new yellow cabs in New York City wheelchair accessible, Koppell has been a strong spokesman for equal transportation.

 

The legislation provides for 2,000 more wheelchair accessible yellow cabs, whose medallion auction is expected to raise at least $1 billion for the city. It also creates a new class of livery cabs with metered fares, credit card readers and roof lights.  Of the 18,000 new permits that the Taxi and Limousine Commission is expected to issue for these cabs, one fifth will be wheelchair accessible. The city will also provide up to $54 million in subsidies and loans to encourage livery drivers to buy vehicles that accommodate disabled riders.

 

As part of the deal, within a year, the city must create a long-term plan to convert the entire yellow cab fleet to disability access. The State Department of Transportation, which is overseen by the governor, will have to approve that plan before the city can auction all 2,000 new medallions.

 

Koppell is also gratified that people in northern Manhattan and the outer-boroughs will have vastly expanded access to taxi service, something his constituents have wanted for a long time.

 

Koppell said, “As the representative of an outer-borough district, I am delighted that my Bronx constituents will no longer be disadvantaged with respect to taxi service. I am equally gratified that, after a long fight, members of the disabled community will have equal access to taxi service.” 

 

 

BOROUGH PRESIDENT DIAZ & YANKEES BROADCASTER SUZYN WALDMAN CELEBRATE CHANUKAH IN THE BRONX

 

   On Thursday, December 22, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., together with New York Yankees broadcaster Suzyn Waldman, Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, Deputy BP Greene, and Councilman Fernando Cabrera hosted the borough’s annual Chanukah celebration.

   As hundreds were in attendance Borough president Diaz, Rabbi Israel Greenberg (left), New York Yankees broadcaster Suzyn Waldman (right), lit the menorah to commemorate the Jewish holiday

Also in the photo next to Assemblyman Dinowitz are Mr. Lou Goldstein, and Ms. Marlene Cintron of BOEDC.

The event held at the Bronx County Building’s Veterans Memorial Hall, featured traditional Chanukah foods, such as latkes and jelly donuts. Everyone then went outside to light the huge outdoor menorah.

BP Diaz turns the on the switch to light the menorah. Click on the photo to enlarge it.

 

NYC Parks Dept.: The Grinch Who Stole Christmas

 

   THE HOLIDAY MARATHONS team wanted to make everyone aware that the NYC Parks Dept. has DENIED our permit request to host a run on Christmas in Van Cortlandt Park! For a detailed list of the NYC Parks Dept antics go to, http://www.thechristmasmarathon.com/index.php/nyc-parks-cancels-xmas-2011/
The two articles below help explain how damaging NYC Parks decision was to the community.
Luckily Westchester County has been very cooperative and agreed on short notice to host the Christmas Run in Yonkers, (Tibbetts Brook Park)!
Please pass along the news and let us know if you would like to do a story on this issue.

http://www.thechristmasmarathon.com/Westchester/

http://gothamist.com/2011/12/17/the_christmas_marathon_to_new_york.php

THE HOLIDAY MARATHONS team

theholidaymarathons@gmail.com
www.theholidaymarathons.com

BOROUGH PRESIDENT DIAZ & SUZYN WALDMAN,

YANKEES BROADCASTER, CELEBRATE CHANUKAH IN THE BRONX

 

  

On Thursday, December 22, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., together with New York Yankees broadcaster Suzyn Waldman, will host the borough’s annual Chanukah celebration.

The event will take place at 12 noon in the Bronx County Building, 851 Grand Concourse, in Veterans Memorial Hall. Traditional Chanukah foods, such as latkes and jelly donuts, will be served. The event will also feature a musical performance from world-renowned recording artist Dafka Israel-Potok.

“As borough president, I invite all Bronxites to participate in our annual Chanukah celebration. I am thrilled to have Suzyn Waldman, the voice of our very own Bronx Bombers, join me on this festive occasion,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.

"The celebration of Chanukah reminds us that we can triumph over oppression of all kinds, no matter what the odds.  It is a triumph of a little light over total darkness.  I am thrilled to be partnering with Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. to help celebrate Chanukah and light the Menorah in ‘my second home’...The Bronx!” said Suzyn Waldman, who will serve as MC at the event.

Waldman has spent the greater part of her twenty five year career overcoming all the obstacles that go along with being a female sports broadcaster, and has risen to the top of her profession. She is the only woman doing radio color commentary for a MLB team.  Suzyn Waldman is the first woman to broadcast a World Series and is prominently featured in the Women and Baseball room in Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.

In l987, Waldman became the first female voice heard on WFAN, the first All-Sports Radio station in the country, and was a mainstay on that station for almost 15 years, creating the job of the radio beat reporter, covering both the New York Yankees and New York Knicks. Her news-breaking reports, exclusive interviews and always original and controversial opinions won her countless journalism awards. 

 

2012 Conference on Aging - REGISTER TODAY!

 

2012 CSCS Annual Conference on Aging
&

Vendor Expo

 

Register NOW to ensure your spot at the 2012 Conference on Aging   The Power of Aging: Creating a Future for Older New Yorkers   January 19, 2012 8:30 - 4:00 CUNY Graduate Center 365 Fifth Avenue, NY, NY       Unique workshops on timely issues     Innovative resources for programming     Networking with professionals in the field     Vendor expo offering a variety of services and products    We are excited to announces the 2012 Keynote Speaker: Larry Minnix Nationally-renowned Leader and Speaker President & CEO, Leading Age Use the Conference Webpage:   http://cscs-ny.org/events/conference/2012-pre-conference-material.php     Register Online     Pay by Credit Card     Download the Conference Brochure Learn more about the keynote speaker! For more information please contact Allison Nickerson   by phone: 212-398-6565 x 235 or via email at: anickerson@cscs-ny.org

 

CSCS ~ The Power of Aging

www.cscs-ny.org

 

John Haggerty Sentenced

   John Haggerty one of Mayor Bloombergs political operatives who was found guilty of using money from the 2009 mayoral election for personal uses will spend between 1 1/2 to 4 years behind bars. This was a case where the Mayor Bloomberg gave $1.1 million dollars to the state Independence Party to use on his 2009 re-election campaign for a election day poll watching operation, and $750,000 of it to Haggerty for his part in the operation. 

   Along with the jail time Haggerty was ordered to repay Mayor Bloomberg the $750,000 dollars that he used for personal use. Mayor Bloomberg was a key witness called to testify in the case.

Statement on de Blasio, Quinn & Living Wage

 The following came from the Living Wage NYC Coalition about the latest endorsement to the bill, and the 2013 mayors race. 

 

The Living Wage NYC coalition released the following statement today:

"2013 mayoral politics should not determine the fate of the living wage bill. Bill de Blasio is the latest in a very long line of elected officials, leaders, and organizations around the city to endorse the living wage bill. The final decision on the legislation is not up to him. The City Council will decide what happens next. We thank Speaker Quinn for her willingness to work with us and discuss the legislation from the very first day it was introduced. All along, she has guided a truly deliberative process, holding two hearings and thoughtfully engaging many supporters of the legislation since the spring of 2010. She has devoted a tremendous amount of staff time and personal time to reviewing all the relevant evidence and data. She deserves credit for her commitment to sustaining an open and productive dialogue."

UPDATE

STATEMENT FROM BOROUGH PRESIDENT DIAZ

RE: Public Advocate de Blasio’s Support for the ‘Fair Wages for New Yorkers’ Act

“As a leader in the fight to bring a ‘living wage’ law to New York City, I enthusiastically welcome Public Advocate Bill de Blasio’s support for the ‘Fair Wages for New Yorkers’ Act. Public Advocate de Blasio has displayed a strong record of fighting for the rights of those underserved and often ignored residents of this City, and his support for this historic legislation is another great example of his commitment to justice and fairness for New Yorkers.

“For months, the public advocate met with individuals and organizations on all sides of this legislation as he engaged in a thoughtful, deliberative examination of the merits of this bill. After meeting with me personally last week, I am thrilled that he has joined the majority of our City in support of the ‘Fair Wages for New Yorkers’ Act. This further demonstrates that we are gaining momentum in our efforts to pass this important legislation.

“The ‘Fair Wages for New Yorkers’ Act will ensure that our taxpayer dollars are spent not only to enrich major developers, but also to provide a way forward out of poverty for their employees. Bill de Blasio understands that, and I welcome his support for this bill and look forward to working with him on making it law,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.

Last week, a Quinnipiac Poll new Quinnipiac Poll was released showing that New Yorkers of all political leanings support a “living wage.” Voters polled by the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute said that the “Fair Wages for New Yorkers” Act, which is currently before the New York City Council, is a “good idea” by a wide margin of 74-19 percent. 

The poll also found support strong for the bill across the political spectrum, with support for the bill among Republicans at 56-39 percent, among Democrats at 83-11 percent and among independents at 67-25 percent.

BOROUGH PRESIDENT DIAZ AND THE NEW YORK YANKEES HOST 2011 WINTER WONDERLAND

   On Friday, December 16, 2011, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., together with The New York Yankees hosted the 2011 Winter Wonderland celebration where five thousand kids received free toys. The children enjoyed hot chocolate and cookies and took pictures with Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus at Yankee Stadium.

  The kips bay Boys and Girls club entertained those in attendance, and Ms. Jennifer Steinbrenner was on hand to represent the Yankee organization, along with Neil Friedman President of Toys R Us. Also on hand was Ms. Marlene Cintron of the Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation as well as members of the borough presidents office who helped to put this together, and were on had to see the children as they received their presents. Comments from the children and parents included "it is very nice of the Yankees and Borough President Diaz to do this", "Great", "I hope they do this again next year", and only one child asked where are the players.

   I was able to ask Ms. Steinbrenner if the Yankees would go all the way in 2012, and what new players might be added to the team. Her answer was "Yes we will go all the way next year, but I don't know what new additions to the team there will be as I am the last to know". 

Front row Mr. Neil Friedman (of Toys R US) starts on the left next to Ms. Jennifer Steinbrenner, BP Ruben Diaz Jr., Deputy BP Greene, De Santa Claus partially blocked by Ms. Marlene Cintron of BOEDC. The children of the Kips Bay Boys and Girls Club are in the background. 

 

COMPTROLLER LIU WARNS EUROPEAN CONDITION COULD HURT CITY’S ECONOMY

State of the City’s Economy Report Outlines Risks to Mayor’s Budget Plan

City Comptroller John C. Liu today warned that the City economy faces extreme downside risks from the European debt crisis and has reduced his economic and tax revenue forecasts for Fiscal Year 2012.

The forecasts, part of the annual “State of the City’s Economy and Finances” report, also anticipate continued weakness in the national economy. Given the troubling outlook overall, the Mayor’s Budget Plan may face larger than expected gaps.

“Our office continues to closely monitor and evaluate risks to the City’s finances in these unsteady times.  Fiscal uncertainty will only increase given weaknesses in the national economy and overseas, which makes it more important than ever to be prepared for risks that we can identify ahead of time,” Comptroller Liu said.  “Mounting concern over the Euro zone remains a wildcard and our City’s potential exposure to a European collapse is significant.”

The City’s ties to Europe run deep. European banks have more than $1 trillion in assets in New York City offices, accounting for nearly two-thirds of all foreign bank assets in the City, according to Federal Reserve data. They also have extensive ties to other financial firms in the City, have thousands of employees here, and are active lenders in the City economy. Many of the City’s non-financial firms also have significant business relationships with European firms, and the City attracts millions of European business and leisure travelers each year.

In light of these widespread commercial interactions, adverse effects on the City’s economy from Europe’s debt crisis appear alarming and lend greater urgency to addressing existing budget issues.

JOBS AND HOUSING

While the City economy outperformed the national economy in 2011 – growing at an annualized rate of 1.9 percent in the first three quarters, compared with the national rate of 1.2 percent – both saw growth slow from the previous year.

Job growth also faltered. By October, the number of private payroll jobs in the City was only 20,300 above the level of the previous October.

Until job opportunities become more plentiful, the Comptroller does not expect significant improvement in the housing sector as young people delay establishing their own households and buying homes. New construction will continue to languish, and the nation’s economy will struggle to return to full prosperity. The chart below tracks the link between jobs and housing.

New Home Sales vs Unemployment Rates (Inverted), Seasonally Adjusted
January 1970 – October 2011

 -- Source: Monthly Data from the U.S. Department of Labor and the U.S. Census Bureau.

RISKS TO THE CITY’S BUDGET

The Comptroller has been citing Europe’s sovereign debt problem as a risk to the City since his March 2010 report – and the problem has only intensified since then. It has escalated so severely that it must now be considered a material factor in the City’s economy. The Comptroller’s Office has lowered revenue forecasts on personal income taxes to $8.63 billion from $8.72 billion in July, and business taxes to $5.48 billion from $5.52 billion also in July.

As part of the report, the Comptroller outlined line-item risks to the Mayor’s November Budget Plan that would result in growing budget gaps:

Table 1.  Risks and Offsets to the November 2011 Financial Plan

($ in millions)

	FY 2012	FY 2013	FY 2014	FY 2015
City Stated Gap	$0	($2,041)	($3,828)	($4,877)
Tax Revenues
Property Tax	$0	($39)	($17)	$14
Personal Income Tax	$15	$12	$338	$249
Business Taxes	($241)	($244)	$0	$163
Sales Tax	$0	($65)	$20	$98
Real-Estate-Related-Taxes	$53	$167	$133	$127
Subtotal	($173)	($169)	$474	$651
Expenditures
UFT/CSA Collective Bargaining	($1,698)	($897)	($900)	($900)
Overtime	($42)	($100)	($100)	($100)
Dept. of Education	$0	($50)	($50)	($50)
Proposed Pension Changes	$213	$258	$137	$415
Judgments and Claims	$0	$35	$65	$100
Subtotal	($1,527)	($754)	($848)	($535)
State Budget Impact	$0	($200)	($200)	($200)
Total Risk/Offsets	($1,700)	($1,123)	($574)	($84)
Restated (Gap)/Surplus	($1,700)	($3,164)	($4,402)	($4,961)

As the chart shows, these risks place the potential City deficit at $1.7 billion in Fiscal Year 2012.

Even as revenue forecasts have fallen, budget expenditures have risen since adoption. Overtime for the Police Department, Fire Department and Department of Corrections were underestimated – and the Comptroller’s Office believes they are still being underestimated in the Mayor’s Plan based on spending in previous years.

Another budget risk stems from the unsettled labor contracts for the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) and the Council of School Supervisors and Administrators (CSA). The Comptroller’s Office is concerned that the Mayor’s Plan relies on a collective bargaining strategy that has yet to materialize.

On the upside, record-low interest rates have allowed the City to refinance high interest rate bonds, saving taxpayers money. In Fiscal Year 2011, the Comptroller’s Office working with the City’s Office of Management and Budget executed refinancings that produced over $341 million in total gross savings over the life of the bonds for the City’s major credits.

“My office will continue to identify opportunities to lower the City’s borrowing cost whenever possible,” Liu said.

Comptroller Liu credited Deputy Comptroller for Budget and Accountancy Simcha Felder and his team for presenting the report, which can be viewed at: www.comptroller.nyc.gov

BOROUGH PRESIDENT DIAZ JOINS MAYOR BLOOMBERG TO ANNOUNCE DROP IN CHILDHOOD OBESITY RATES

 

On Thursday, December 15, 2011, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., joined Mayor Bloomberg, Deputy Mayors Linda Gibbs  and Cas Halloway, as well as Health Commissioner Thomas Farley  to announce that obesity rates among New York City public elementary and middle school students have decreased over the past five years across all race and ethnic groups, marking the biggest decline in childhood obesity reported to date by any large city in the country. The  event took place at P.S./I.S. 218 on Gerard Avenue.  

  Yes that's Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. and Mayor Bloomberg in the same photo together. Click on it to enlarge.

Assemblywoman Naomi Rivera Hosts 4th Annual Christmas In The Bronx!

Assemblywoman Naomi Rivera and Santa Claus to give away toys to children in four Bronx locations

On Saturday December 17 Assemblywoman Naomi Rivera will be hosting her 4th Annual Christmas in the Bronx. Starting at 10:30 in the morning the Assemblywoman, accompanied by Santa Claus, will be stopping by Allerton Avenue, Pelham Parkway, Morris Park, and Norwood business districts so that local children have the chance to take a picture with Santa and receive a gift. For the complete schedule please see below: 

  

The Sanz                          Pelham Parkway Vision

815 Allerton Ave              735 Lydig Ave

9:30-10:30 am                 11:30-12:30 pm

                       

900 Park Restaurant        Leroy Pharmacy

900 Morris Park Ave       314 E 204th St

1:30-2:30 pm                   3:30-4:30 pm

Christmas in the Bronx is one of the year’s most popular and well attended events. Not only do local children get to meet Santa, but their parents will receive special deals at nearby Bronx businesses in an effort to promote the local economy. “In light of the difficult economic times we are facing as a nation, I think this year’s fourth annual event is more important than ever. I hope that it will bring joy to many community members and help bolster our small businesses.”

There are no financial obligations for those who wish to participate. This event is family oriented and appropriate for children ages 5-12 as well as adults of all ages.

Tapia Holiday Party

Yudelka Tapia (center in picture) Female District Leader of the 86th A.D. and her political club the Great Alliance Democratic Club held a holiday party last night to collect toys for needy Bronx children. Over 200 people were in attendance including pictured above City Comptroller John Liu, Bronx Democratic County Leader Assemblyman Carl Heastie, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., State Senator Gustavo Rivera, Councilman Fernando Cabrera, and many of the honorees and Great Alliance Democratic Club officers. Assemblywoman Vanessa Gibson (not in picture) also stopped by.

Ms. Tapia in an interview and while addressing the crowd said that she will not be running against 86th assemblyman Nelson Castro next year, or councilman Cabrera in 2013, but will help re-elect them. She said her long range goal is to look to the future, by bringing people together, build an even better club with more young people, and working to improve the community.

Statement on Living Wage poll

This comes to us from www.livingwagenyc.org.

74% of New York voters are in favor of the living wage bill, according to new poll results out today from Quinnipiac University. The Living Wage NYC coalition responded with the following statement:

"Today's Quinnipiac Poll shows that New York City voters across the political spectrum support the living wage bill. Voters are taxpayers, and taxpayers want their money invested in the creation of good jobs. There is strong agreement among New Yorkers that city government should not continue to allow companies and developers that benefit from taxpayer subsidies to create poverty-wage jobs.

The vast majority of New Yorkers think the Fair Wages for New Yorkers Act is fiscally responsible legislation. 74% of those surveyed said it is the city’s responsibility to ensure that workers are paid a living wage. This sentiment reaches across political lines, as a whopping 56% of Republicans and 83% of Democrats agree that the Fair Wages for New Yorkers Act would benefit the city—results consistent with an earlier Baruch College living wage poll."

UPDATE

Today, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. applauds a new Quinnipiac Poll that shows that New Yorkers of all political leanings support a “living wage.”

Voters polled by the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute said that the “Fair Wages for New Yorkers” Act, which is currently before the New York City Council, is a “good idea” by a wide margin of 74-19 percent.

“We know that the ‘Fair Wages for New Yorkers’ Act is a popular bill, and this poll articulates the tremendous magnitude of that support,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. “New York City residents from all walks of life have made their voices heard: when heavy taxpayers subsidies are solicited by major development, those same developers must do better by their employees.”

The “Fair Wages for New Yorkers” Act, which was introduced into the City Council at the behest of Borough President Diaz, would require developers that receive heavy taxpayer subsidies to pay their employees a “living wage,” currently defined by federal law as $10 per hour plus benefits or $11.50 per hour without. The bill, which was introduced by Council Members Annabel Palma and G. Oliver Koppell on behalf of the borough president, currently has 29 City Council co-sponsors.

The poll also found support strong for the bill across the political spectrum, with support for the bill among Republicans at 56-39 percent, among Democrats at 83-11 percent and among independents at 67-25 percent.

Voters polled also said that it is the government's responsibility to make sure workers are paid a decent wage by a margin of 81-17 percent, including 60 - 39 percent among Republicans. Those polled also rejected the idea that the “Fair Wages for New Yorkers” Act would cost New York City jobs by a margin of 56-36 percent. The “living wage” proposal also enjoys the support of voters in all five boroughs, according to the poll.

This is the second time that a poll has shown major support for both the “Fair Wages for New Yorkers” Act and the concept of a “living wage.” In May, a poll by Baruch College Survey Research was released, showing that New Yorkers overwhelmingly support such “living wage” laws. That survey showed that 78 percent of New Yorkers agree with requiring employers that get taxpayer-funded city subsidies to pay $10-an-hour plus benefits, while just 15 percent do not. This includes 83 percent of all Democrats, 74 percent of independents, and 56 percent of Republicans.

“The people of New York City have made it clear, again and again, not only that they support a ‘living wage’ law, but that they reject the arguments put forward by our opponents that this bill will hurt business. The ‘Fair Wages for New Yorkers’ Act makes sense for our City, and it is time for this bill to be made law,” said Borough President Diaz.

A full copy of the Quinnipiac Poll can be found at:

http://www.quinnipiac.edu/x1302.xml?ReleaseID=1680