Liberty Democratic Association Awards Dinner

 

Dear Friends,

Liberty Democratic Association Annual Awards Dinner is coming this October 13, 2011. The event is on a Thursday night and it is gearing up to be a great event. We have a fabulous list of honorees.

We at Liberty Democratic Association use some of the proceeds to help needy citizens of the Bronx. Last year we provided 50 turkeys at Thanksgiving to St. Lucy’s church, money went to the food bank of The Jewish Community Council of The Bronx, a donation was made to the Einstein’s children program to provide a party to children, 78% who are on Medicare. We also helped the 49^th Precinct Council with their fellowship breakfast.

The more you help us ; the more we can help our indigent Bronx residents.

Again, I would like to thanks all who have already responded.

To those who plan to attend, but who have not RSVP; we request you to respond before September 29, 2011. We need to set the room and the tables.

Thanks,

Joseph A. McManus

Democratic State Committee

80^th Assembly District, Bronx NY  

Bloomberg Responsible for Poverty Spike

 

 

**Statement On The New NYC Poverty Stats**

One in five New York City residents are living in poverty, according to new data out today from the Census Bureau. The Living Wage NYC coalition, organized and led by the Retail, Wholesale, and Department Store Union (RWDSU), responded with the following statement:

"The new poverty data on New York City released today by the Census Bureau is deeply unsettling but it should not come as a surprise. The Bloomberg administration’s economic policy has prioritized the interests of corporations and developers, and neglected the needs of most New Yorkers. Poverty has increased in so many communities and households because this administration is not investing in living wage jobs. It has given corporations and developers billions of taxpayer dollars and allowed them to create poverty-wage jobs with impunity. That needs to stop. This aristocratic agenda of protecting the rich and ignoring the most vulnerable has clearly failed countless New Yorkers across the city.

 

The same failed policy cannot continue. Morally and economically, the statistics released today are unacceptable. It’s time to focus on real solutions that will address this poverty epidemic. Now is the time to pass the Fair Wages for New Yorkers Act, City Council legislation that would create more living wage jobs, reduce inequality, and rebuild the middle class. The Living Wage NYC coalition calls on the administration to support this legislation and help the City Council move it forward quickly.

 

With nearly 2 million New Yorkers living in poverty, city government has an obligation to do everything it can to create living wage jobs and ensure that taxpayer money is no longer wasted on the wealthy."

About the Living Wage NYC coalition

Living Wage NYC is a diverse coalition representing thousands of New Yorkers including members of the faith community, anti-hunger groups, the LGBTQ organizations, large grassroots groups, and labor organizations. We are calling on the city to ensure that developers and companies receiving taxpayer subsidies create living wage jobs that strengthen communities, neighborhoods, and households. For more information, visit www.livingwagenyc.org.

 

 

Borough President Diaz Announces First-Ever
‘Well Being’ Survey for Bronx Residents

(We put this up before< but the survey is now available in Spanish language).

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz announced that his office will conduct the borough’s first-ever “well being” survey, which will measure the opinions of Bronx residents and those who work in the Bronx on a variety of issues that impact their communities.

The survey, which will be conducted online, asks respondents to rate their communities in a number of areas, from crime and education to fresh food availability and civic activity. The survey will remain open until October 31, 2011. Following the completion of the survey, one individual will be chosen at random to have brunch with Borough President Diaz.

“It is important that Bronxites participate in this survey and let my office hear from them on the specific issues that face our neighborhoods. We are ‘One Bronx,’ and this survey will help us discover what problems are shared by different neighborhoods, so that we may develop common solutions to them. The goal of this survey is to build upon newly-released Census data to perform a comprehensive, inclusive, and thorough assessment of where we are as a borough and where we want to go. I hope that as many Bronxites as possible will take a few minutes to fill out this survey and join us in that effort,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.

The results of this survey will be compiled by the borough president’s office, and a report based on its outcome will be issued by the office at a later date.

Click here to take the survey.

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To download a printable copy of the survey and fill it out manually, click here.

The link to the survey in Spanish is:
http://svy.mk/r1RB9B.

STATEMENT FROM BOROUGH PRESIDENT DIAZ RE: Comptroller Liu's Audit of NYCEDC

 

  “My office is currently examining Comptroller Liu’s audit. We look forward to working with the New York City Economic Development Corporation to ensure that these available funds are used as part of a viable project that will provide positive economic development in the Bronx,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.

EDC KEEPS MILLIONS IDLE

City Comptroller John C. Liu today announced that an audit of the Economic Development Corporation (EDC) determined it has left millions of dollars untouched that were intended for public benefit projects.  The audit identified $9.3 million in so-called Public Purpose Funds, managed by the EDC, in accounts that have seen no activity for years.  The EDC received the money from private developers in exchange for tax breaks or other benefits.

The EDC received $8.9 million as part of a 1992 agreement in exchange for financial breaks for the Riverside South residential development led by Donald Trump.  This Public Purpose Fund, earmarked from the beginning to benefit the Harlem River Rail Yard in the Bronx, was fully funded by 2005.  Despite having 19 years to come up with a plan to use the money, the EDC has not disbursed any of it.  The audit recommends the EDC find a way to use the money to benefit the Bronx and not wait another 19 years to do so.

“It makes little sense that millions intended for economic development remain unused for so long, especially in the Bronx where jobs are greatly needed,” Comptroller Liu said.  “If the EDC can’t figure out how to put the capital to work then at least return the money to the City treasury.”

The EDC has rejected the audit’s recommendation, arguing that Public Purpose Funds cannot be redirected to a new local benefit without violating the agreements that they are based upon.  The EDC, however, also concedes that these agreements can be amended and the money reassigned if it obtains approval from the City Council and City Planning Commission. The audit recommends that the EDC do just that.

The audit also discovered that EDC failed to collect $725,720 from energy company Keyspan, which was supposed to benefit the community near the company’s Long Island City power plant that went online in May 2004.  The company was to hand over the money within five years. Despite disagreeing with this particular finding, the EDC collected $250,000 of this money in July after it was brought to their attention by auditors. A balance of $475,720 remains uncollected by EDC.

“This is not the first time the EDC has denied an audit finding only to recover the money once it has been pointed out to them,” said Deputy Comptroller for Audit Tina Kim.

In addition to the Harlem River Rail Yard, the audit identified three additional aging Public Purpose Funds that have remained unused since 2005:

       $344,659 from a fund created in 1982 to improve Astoria Studios or public areas around the studios
       $64,834 from Bear Stearns set aside in 1991 to fund job training, particularly for low income youth
       $55,081 set aside in 2000 with no restricted purpose during the redevelopment of 75/85 East Broadway in Manhattan

BACKGROUND:

An April 2010 audit of EDC operations identified $125 million it owed the City.  Although it denied the findings, the EDC eventually agreed to return $120 million to the City, including $10.6 million left in a dormant Public Purpose Fund.  Similarly, in November 2010, an audit found the EDC failed to collect more than $300,000 from the Staten Island Yankees owed to the City treasury.  Despite initially disagreeing with the audit findings, the EDC has since sought to recoup the entire amount the team owed to the City.

The audit focused on transactions in Fiscal Year 2009 and Fiscal Year 2010.

Comptroller Liu credited Deputy Comptroller for Audit Tina Kim and the Audit Bureau for presenting the findings.  The full report is available at http://comptroller.nyc.gov/audits.