350 Days until a new Mayor takes over. He or she can't be any worse.
Bronx Politics and Community events
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Mayoral candidate Eric Adams came to the Bronx Wednesday to pick up the support of the Bronx African/Muslim leaders. Influential Sheikh Musa Drahmmeh one of the leaders in the Bronx African/Muslim community and creator of Peace December pledged his support to Mayoral Candidate Eric Adams. Other African, Muslim, and Hispanic leader were with Sheikh Musa Drahmmeh also pledging their support to the next Mayor of New York City they said.
This endorsement of Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams for Mayor took place on the steps of the Bronx County Courthouse on East 161st Street and the Grand Concourse.
Above - Sheikh Musa Drahmmah gives an overview of why he and his supporters are endorsing Eric Adams for Mayor.
Below - Bishop Rosario speaks why he is endorsing Eric Adams for Mayor.
Toyota Admits Conduct and Accepts Responsibility in Consent Decree; Agrees to Injunctive Relief and $180 Million Penalty
Audrey Strauss, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jeffrey Bossert Clark, the Assistant Attorney General for the Environment and Natural Resources Division (“ENRD”) of the U.S. Department of Justice, and Susan Bodine, Assistant Administrator for Enforcement and Compliance Assurance of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”), announced today that the United States has filed and simultaneously settled a civil lawsuit against TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION, TOYOTA MOTOR NORTH AMERICA, INC., TOYOTA MOTOR SALES, U.S.A., INC., and TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC. (“TOYOTA”) for systematic, longstanding violations of Clean Air Act emission-related defect reporting requirements, which require manufacturers to report potential defects and recalls affecting vehicle components designed to control emissions.
Along with the civil complaint, the United States has filed a consent decree, agreed to by TOYOTA, that resolves the government’s complaint through TOYOTA’s payment of a $180 million civil penalty and the imposition of injunctive relief. The $180 million penalty is the largest civil penalty for violation of EPA’s emission-reporting requirements. The injunctive provisions require TOYOTA to follow compliance and reporting practices designed to ensure timely investigation of emission-related defects and timely reporting to EPA, and include training, communication, and oversight requirements. The consent decree remains subject to a period of public comment and Court approval.
Acting U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said: “For a decade, Toyota systematically violated regulations that provide EPA with a critical compliance tool to ensure that vehicles on the road comply with federal emissions standards. Toyota shut its eyes to the noncompliance, failing to provide proper training, attention, and oversight to its Clean Air Act reporting obligations. Toyota’s actions undermined EPA’s self-disclosure system and likely led to delayed or avoided emission-related recalls, resulting in financial benefit to Toyota and excess emissions of air pollutants. Today, Toyota pays the price for its misconduct with a $180 million civil penalty and agreement to injunctive relief to ensure that its violations will not be repeated.”
Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey Bossert Clark said: “This settlement is yet another important milestone settlement for this Administration, and it continues our unwavering commitment to ensuring that our environmental laws as written, including EPA’s regulations, are rigorously enforced.
EPA Assistant Administrator Susan Bodine stated: “For a decade Toyota failed to report mandatory information about potential defects in their cars to the EPA, keeping the agency in the dark and evading oversight. EPA considers this failure to be a serious violation of the Clean Air Act.”
The complaint filed in Manhattan federal court today alleges that from approximately 2005 until at least late 2015, TOYOTA systematically violated Clean Air Act automobile defect reporting requirements designed to protect public health and the environment from harmful air pollutants.
Clean Air Act regulations require manufacturers to notify EPA by filing an Emissions Defect Information Report (“EDIR”) when 25 or more vehicles or engines in a given model year have the same defect in an emission control part or an element of design installed in order to comply with emission standards and other EPA regulations. The regulations also require vehicle manufacturers to file a Voluntary Emissions Recall Report (“VERR”) with EPA when they perform a recall to correct defects in emission-related parts, and to update EPA on the progress of such recalls through Quarterly Reports. These mandatory reporting requirements are critical to the Clean Air Act’s purpose of protecting human health and the environment from harmful air pollutants: They encourage manufacturers to investigate and voluntarily address defects that may result in excess emissions of harmful air pollutants, and provide EPA with important information about emission-related defects for use in its oversight of manufacturers.
For 10 years, TOYOTA routinely failed to comply with these reporting requirements. During that time, TOYOTA materially delayed filing an estimated 78 EDIRs, filing many only when disclosing non-compliance to EPA in 2015, at which point some were as much as eight years late. These EDIRs related to millions of vehicles with the potential to exhibit emission-related defects. TOYOTA also failed to file 20 VERRs and more than 200 Quarterly Reports.
During the period of noncompliance, TOYOTA managers and staff in Japan knew that TOYOTA was no longer even attempting to determine whether it was aware of 25 instances of the same emission-related defect in a model year – the threshold requirement for filing an EDIR. Rather than follow this legally required standard, TOYOTA unilaterally decided to file EDIRs principally when TOYOTA was required to file distinct reports with California regulators under a less strict standard – a standard that EPA had rejected as too lenient when TOYOTA had previously proposed to rely on it for federal reporting. TOYOTA managers and staff in Japan repeatedly identified the discrepancy between TOYOTA’s procedures and the plain language of the federal requirements, but failed to bring TOYOTA into compliance.
As a result of its conduct, TOYOTA deprived EPA of timely information regarding emission-related defects and recalls, and avoided the early focus on emission defects contemplated by the regulations. TOYOTA’s conduct likely resulted in delayed or avoided recalls, with TOYOTA obtaining a significant economic benefit, pushing costs onto consumers, and lengthening the time that unrepaired vehicles with emission-related defects remained on the road.
In the consent decree lodged with the federal court today, TOYOTA admits, acknowledges, and accepts responsibility for the following:
Representations to EPA
TOYOTA’s Conduct from Approximately 2005 to 2015
Notice of the proposed consent decree will be published in the Federal Register and the public will have the opportunity to submit comments on the consent decree for a period of at least 30 days before it is submitted for the Court’s approval.
Acting U.S. Attorney Strauss thanked the attorneys in EPA’s Air Enforcement Division, the program staff at EPA’s Office of Transportation and Air Quality, and the agents at EPA’s Criminal Investigative Division for their critical work on this case. Acting U.S. Attorney Strauss also thanked the ENRD attorneys who assisted in the matter.
8,823 Patient Hospitalizations Statewide
1,536 Patients in the ICU; 956 Intubated
Statewide Positivity Rate is 6.42%
202 COVID-19 Deaths in New York State Yesterday
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today updated New Yorkers on the state's progress during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
"New York is pushing forward to conduct more tests, add to hospital beds and make it easier to get the COVID-19 vaccine across the state, but we need New Yorkers to stay vigilant and take safe precautions as the virus is still spreading," Governor Cuomo said. "Washing hands, wearing masks and social distancing are vital tools New Yorkers can use to stay safe, and local governments are bound to enforce state public health law. We're moving through a difficult period in our history, and I know COVID fatigue has set in and New Yorkers crave normalcy, but we will get through this together and come out on the other side."
Today's data is summarized briefly below:
Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams released the following statement after Senator Charles Schumer announced that President-elect Biden's administration will deliver New York roughly $2 billion in additional COVID-19 relief through FEMA.
Today, Mayor Bill de Blasio presented New York City’s Preliminary Budget for Fiscal Year 2022 (FY22).
The FY22 Preliminary Budget is $92.28 billion. This budget:
Read the FY22 Preliminary Budget here.
COVID-19’S IMPACT ON THE BUDGET AND PROPERTY TAXES
This budget was crafted in light of the devastating impact COVID-19 has had on our city and economy. The City’s suffered a substantial $10.5 billion drop in its tax revenue over FY20-22; this includes a $1.5 billion decline since November in this fiscal year and the next.
Property tax revenue declined by $2.5 billion dollars in FY22 due to a reduction in assessed property values, however this is partially offset by growth in Business and Personal Income taxes. This is the largest decline in property tax revenue since 1996.
LOCAL AID FROM FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS KEY
The City has had to spend $5.9 billion on COVID-19 related expenses, approximately $1.3 billion of which is not currently covered by federal reimbursement. The incoming Biden Administration recently announced he plans to raise the reimbursement rate to 100 percent, which will provide approximately $1 billion in immediate relief. But the federal government has so far failed to pass a COVID relief package with direct local aid that makes up for our revenue loss. With Democratic majorities in Congress, a federal COVID relief package must be passed to speed up recovery. With direct local aid, New York City can be made whole again.
STATE RISKS
The State of New York has threatened to cut $8 billion from localities, which could mean up to $4 billion in cuts for New York City. In addition to aid from the federal government, the State should raise taxes on the wealthy to avoid devastating cuts that affect working people. The City will fight any cuts that harm New Yorkers, especially those concerning education, healthcare and Medicaid.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has allocated to New York State a total of $4 billion in federal stimulus aid for K-12 schools, and New York City is owed at least half (approximately $2 billion). The State must release this aid without supplantation. This money will go toward reopening costs the City has already incurred, reopening needs for September and closing the COVID achievement gap.
RESPONSIBLE BUDGETING
Facing these challenges, New York City continues to demonstrate fiscal responsibility:
INVESTMENTS FOR CRITICAL NEEDS
The FY22 Preliminary Budget invests in critical needs and COVID-19 related recovery, including: