United States Attorneys Available To Receive Election Complaints

Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Robert L. Capers, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, announced today that special telephone numbers have been set up to receive complaints of possible violations of federal election laws relating to the upcoming primary elections in New York City and other counties in their districts. 

The United States Attorneys said that their Offices will be available to receive complaints at the following numbers on Tuesday, April 19, 2016:

(212) 637-0840                       (For Manhattan, Bronx, Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan and Westchester counties)

(718) 254-6323                       (For Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, Nassau and Suffolk counties)

In addition, complaints of possible violations of federal election laws may be made directly to the Federal Bureau of Investigation at (212) 384-1000.

It is unlawful under federal law to deny or abridge anyone’s right to vote because of race, color, or national origin.  Federal laws also require local election authorities to make voting accessible to disabled and elderly voters.  Voters who require assistance because of blindness, disability, or inability to read and write have the right to receive such assistance from a person of their own choosing.  In counties with substantial numbers of non-English speaking voters, federal laws prohibit the denial or abridgement of a voter’s ability to participate in the election process in certain languages other than English (i.e., Spanish, Chinese, Korean).         

In addition, certain activities designed to subvert the integrity of the election process are federal crimes.  It is a federal crime, for example, to deprive citizens of their right to fair elections or to conspire to do so.  Specific election laws also make it a crime to bribe or intimidate voters, to cause ballots to be cast fraudulently in the names of individuals who did not vote (“ballot stuffing”), to vote more than once, or to alter or falsify the vote count.  It can also be a federal offense to challenge qualified voters without cause and in bad faith or to harass persons seeking to vote for the purpose of discouraging their vote.

The United States Attorneys also noted that the following additional telephone numbers are available on Election Day for citizens to call for routine inquiries, such as where to vote or how late the polls are open, or to register complaints that may concern violations of New York State election laws:

IN NEW YORK CITY

City Board of Elections

Main Office                (212) 487-5300

                                     (212) 868-3692

Bronx                         (718) 299-9017

Brooklyn                    (718) 797-8800

Manhattan                 (212) 886-2100

Queens                      (718) 730-6730

Staten Island              (718) 876-0079

IN COUNTIES OUTSIDE NEW YORK CITY

County Boards of Elections

Dutchess                     (845) 486-2473

Nassau                       (516) 571-2411

Orange                       (845) 291-2444

Putnam                       (845) 278-6970

Rockland                    (845) 638-5172

Suffolk                        (631) 852-4500

Sullivan                       (845) 794-3000

Westchester                (914) 995-5700

Assistant United States Attorney David J. Kennedy is responsible for overseeing the handling of complaints of voting rights abuses and election fraud for the Southern District of New York.

Assistant United States Attorney Catherine Mirabile is responsible for overseeing the handling of complaints of voting rights abuses and election fraud for the Eastern District of New York.

Bronx Democratic County Committee - Spring Gala - Wednesday April 20

Bronx Young Dems' Spring Gala When:   Wed. 4/20/16 from 7 - 10p Where:    Michaelangelo's - 2477 Arthur Avenue, Bronx, NY

The Bronx Young Democrats' request your attendance at their first Spring Gala. Proceeds from this fundraiser will go to the New York State Young Democrats Convention, hosted in the Bronx this May. The Gala will honor the following Bronx Young Dem Elected Officials: Hon. Michael Blake, Hon. Marcos Crespo, Hon. Vanessa Gibson, Hon. Latoya Joyner, Hon. Victor Pichardo, Hon. Rafael Salamanca, Hon. Ritchie Torres, and BYD Alum Marricka R. Scott-McFadden. To purchase tickets to this event please visitthebyd.org.

The Harlem Chamber Players - FREE Concert at Merkin Concert Hall - Thursday at 7:30 PM

Spring Concert Thursday, April 21, 2016 at 7:30 PM Merkin Concert Hall 129 West 67th Street New York, NY 10036 Between Broadway and Amsterdam Click here for directions. Program Stravinsky Concerto in E-flat "Dumbarton Oaks" Bernstein Serenade after Plato's "Symposium"* Jeffrey Scott A Hug for Harlem (World Premiere) Copland Appalachian Spring Featuring David Gilbert, Conductor Terrance McKnight, Host and Orator Ashley Horne, Solo Violinist with members of The Harlem Chamber Players and special guest performers Tickets This concert is FREE and open to the public, and there are only a few tickets left!  RSVP required. Click here for more info and to reserve your free ticket. About the World Premiere The Harlem Chamber Players and ChamberMusicNY commissioned Jeffrey Scott to compose A Hug for Harlem for orator and orchestra especially for this concert. This piece is inspired by the poetry of various prolific writers of the Harlem Renaissance Era -- Countee Cullen, Zora Neale Hurston and Wallace Thurman. Jeffrey Scott writes what he calls "urban classical music." Scott draws from his experience and joy of composing musical "Hugs" to honor personalities or locales. Most recently, he has composed A Hug for Sharon for bassoon and piano and A Hug for Gonzalo, which, like A Hug for Harlem, fuses strings, winds, percussion and spoken word. Also ... This Weekend in NJ (Click on the images for details.) *The performance of the Bernstein is co-sponsored by The Antara Ensemble and dedicated to the late flutist Harold Jones (March 25, 1934 - January 12, 2015), founder of The Antara Ensemble. The Harlem Chamber Players 2015 - 2016 Season is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council; in part by Council Member Inez E. Dickens, 9th Council District, Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito and the New York City Council; in part by a grant from Columbia Community Service; a grant from the West Harlem Development Corporation of Tides Corporation; a grant from the Turrell Fund for educational programs throughout the Newark area; and through the generous donations of our individual supporters. This 2015 - 2016 Season is also made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature, The Lily Auchincloss Foundation (in honor of the legacy of Janet Wolfe), the Puffin Foundation Ltd., and the Manhattan Community Award Program through Manhattan Borough President, Gale A. Brewer's office.

City Council to Consider On-Street Electric Vehicle Charging Station Pilot

   Legislation sponsored by Council Members Rodriguez and Constantinides Would Create Pilot Program to Make Electric Vehicle Ownership in NYC More Feasible 

    As Earth Day approaches, the NYC Council's Transportation Committee will consider legislation to make it easier to own an electric vehicle in New York City. The committee will also vote on a resolution to officially designate Earth Day this year, Car Free Day, based on the initiative started by Council Member Rodriguez.

Vehicles produce nearly a quarter of the total emission output in New York City. As the city works to reduce emissions by 80% by the year 2030, easing New Yorkers' reliance upon fossil fuel burning cars and trucks can go a long way toward achieving this goal. With electric vehicle charging stations tucked away in sparsely located parking garages, ownership of these energy efficient cars can be burdensome, as anxiety over ample charging accessibility can dissuade potential owners.

Intro 1124, sponsored by Council Members Constantinides and Rodriguez, would establish a pilot program for on street charging stations for electric vehicles in each borough. As gas stations are slowly disappearing in New York City, particularly in lower Manhattan, the opportunity to establish new and more sustainable fuel source locations is ripe.

WILLIAMS CHAIRS HEARING ON MODIFIED CONSTRUCTION CODES AND REGULATIONS

  The New York City Council's Committee on Housing and Buildings, chaired by  Council Member Jumaane D. Williams, Deputy Leader, held a hearing to discuss four bills and vote on three others that would modify construction codes and regulations. The Committee heard testimony from representatives of the Department of Buildings (DOB), the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) and other interested members of the public. 

"Modifying codes and regulations to reflect the constantly evolving dynamics of construction and buildings' environments is essential to keeping New Yorkers safe," Council Member Williams said. 

The Committee discussed the following four bills:

• Int. No. 918, sponsored by Council Member Margaret Chin,would prohibit construction documents from being subject to less than full examination, and would also require that final inspections be performed by DOB where more than ten percent of the dwelling units are occupied, or where the owner has previously harassed tenants.

• Int. No. 924, sponsored by Council Member Rafael Espinal, would require vacate orders to include a requirement that the conditions for which the vacate order was issued be corrected in ten days or less.

• Int. No. 934, sponsored by Council Member Mark Levine, would create a real time enforcement unit in DOB to enforce construction codes. The bill would also require DOB to publish an annual report on the effectiveness of such unit. 

• Int. No. 944, sponsored by Council Member Helen Rosenthal, would impose certain additional penalties for performing construction work without a permit and would require posting of information concerning the occupancy status of buildings subject to a permit.

The Committee voted on the following three bills:

• Int. No. 831, sponsored by Council Member Jumaane Williams would alter permit filing fees for certain new building and alteration permit applications filed with DOB. The bill would decrease fees for 1-, 2- and 3- family homes and increase fees for larger buildings. I should note that permit filing fees have not been increased since 1991.

• Int. No. 1118 and Int. No. 1119, sponsored by Council Member Jumaane Williams would move the City expiration date for the J-51 program, a tax exemption and abatement program for renovations of residential buildings and single room occupancy housing units, from June 30, 2015 to June 30, 2019.   

"The goal of today's bills is to ensure that the DOB and HPD work together in updating and implementing construction codes that will create the safest spaces for NYC residents."

NEW YORK’S THERAPEUTIC COMMUNITIES FOR DRUG ADDICTS NEED OUR SUPPORT

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW 
By Senator Rev. Rubén Díaz 
District 32 Bronx County, New York 

   You should know that since the 1960's, Therapeutic Communities have been considered the most effective method of treating people suffering from addiction to opiates. These programs were always long-term, 18 to 24 months in duration, highly structured and mostly funded by state aid grants.

In the late 70's, the criminal justice system began to recognize these programs as secure and effective alternatives to prison.

In traditional Therapeutic Communities, clients are not allowed out unescorted for the first 6 to 12 month of their treatment, thereby safe guarding themselves and the community. The long-term length of stay allowed programs to treat the client in a comprehensive way. With this block of time, medical officials and counselors could address their substance abuse and behavior problems, but also could deal with education, job training and employment issues as well.

For example, in one very successful agency in New York, most clients are 35 to 50 years old, have little or no work experience, educational deficits and long histories of substance abuse. The long-term Therapeutic Communities format worked well, and has long been considered ''best practices'' as it relates to the rehabilitation of long-term drug addicts.

It is very important for you to know that one year in prison costs about $55,000. One year in a Therapeutic Community costs about $25,000.

In early 2001, the state put out a Requisite For Proposal (RFP) for a pilot project that would shorten the stay in a Therapeutic Community to 6 to 9 month. They offered supplement funds, on top of what you already received in the contract, for programs to give it a try.

While at least one agency declined, knowing that the shortened time would be a disaster, a couple of agencies did give it a try. The incidence of deviation and relapse increased, as they attempted to squeeze 24 months of treatment into 9 months of service.

Fast-forward to today, and now there is a new attempt at reinventing the wheel.

All Therapeutic Communities that are funded by the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services are being required to convert to a managed care platform.

This means that ultimately, state aid funds will dry up leaving long-term treatment programs at the beck and call of managed care insurance companies. We all know that insurance companies are businesses designed to make money, which is where the concern comes into play.

The first wave of this initiative is designed so that programs can derive huge surpluses. This was presented so that programs would want to convert, but at least one program did not.

The state offered that for the first 2 years programs could keep their state aid, and bill managed care companies at the same time. All the big agencies knew this was to sweeten the pot so that they would want to convert, but most of them knew better. After there were no takers of this dangling carrot, the state decided to mandate all programs to convert or lose their state funding.

Earlier this month, agencies were informed that they must convert by 2017, or the will not be funded going forward.

While it's true that most well run programs will develop a surplus in the first 2 years, what comes after that should be alarming to all New Yorkers. At the end of 2019 the state will stop babysitting these insurance companies, and the results will be as follows:

     - Drug addicts seeking residential treatment will be asked to first attend an outpatient program, even if they are homeless. This is purely a cost cutting measure and has nothing to do with the well being of our community.

     -Managed care companies will require pre- authorization for drug addicts to attend a residential program, just like you need to get an MRI. This can take days, and in the meantime addicts will have to commit crimes in order to support their habits.

 -These authorizations will have to be renewed every 90 days, and can be denied at any time. Once a resident’s coverage is denied, the program will not be allowed to discharge her/him. Programs will be required to keep them without any reimbursement until housing is secured. This alone could send some small programs into financial devastation.

     -Duration of treatment will be dictated by managed care companies, which will render the trained program staff powerless in terms of length of stay needed.

      -During this process, state aid will dry up, leaving programs completely at the mercy of insurance companies. When this happens, managed care companies will take 90 to 180 days to pay and will reject claims as they see fit.

      -Ultimately, sometime in 2020, managed care companies will be allowed to begin the process of bidding out rates. This means that programs will be pitted against each other without any regard for quality of care.

In the end, the drug addict and the community will suffer the consequences.

We all know that for some people, relapse is part of the recovery process. By 2020, if a person relapses after completing s residential program, insurance companies will have the right to say no to another attempt during the same calendar year.

These addicts, with no treatment options, will be turned loose in our communities. The numbers will increase over the years. They will all have habits to support, and sad to say, many will turn to crime and violence in order to support their habits.

The best-case scenario for these people, is that they end up off the street and in our already overcrowded prisons. The unfortunate but likely outcome is that they will wreak havoc in our communities; robbing, stealing and killing innocent people because they could not get the treatment they need.

Finally, state representatives will assure you that they have it all under control. Please remember that the true answers lie in the motive for this conversion, and most importantly, what happens in 2020.

I am Senator Reverend Rubén Díaz, and this is what you should know.

Williams To Chair Hearing on Modified Construction Codes and Regulations Tomorrow

Tomorrow, the New York City Council's Committee on Housing and Buildings, chaired by  Council Member Jumaane D. Williams, Deputy Leader, will hold a hearing to discuss four bills and vote on three others that would modify construction codes and regulations.  The Committee will hear testimony from representatives of the Department of Buildings (DOB) and the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD).

The Committee will discuss the following four bills:

• Int. No. 918, sponsored by Council Member Margaret Chin,would prohibit construction documents from being subject to less than full examination, and would also require that final inspections be performed by DOB where more than ten percent of the dwelling units are occupied, or where the owner has previously harassed tenants.

• Int. No. 924, sponsored by Council Member Rafael Espinal,would require vacate orders to include a requirement that the conditions for which the vacate order was issued be corrected in ten days or less.

• Int. No. 934, sponsored by Council Member Mark Levine,would create a real time enforcement unit in DOB to enforce construction codes. The bill would also require DOB to publish an annual report on the effectiveness of such unit. 

• Int. No. 944, sponsored by Council Member Helen Rosenthal,would impose certain additional penalties for performing construction work without a permit and would require posting of information concerning the occupancy status of buildings subject to a permit.
   

The Committee will vote on the following three bills:

• Int. No. 831, sponsored by Council Member Jumaane Williams would alter permit filing fees for certain new building and alteration permit applications filed with DOB. The bill would decrease fees for 1-, 2- and 3- family homes and increase fees for larger buildings. I should note that permit filing fees have not been increased since 1991.

• Int. No. 1118 and Int. No. 1119, sponsored byCouncil Member Jumaane Williams would move the City expiration date for the J-51 program, a tax exemption and abatement program for renovations of residential buildings and single room occupancy housing units, from June 30, 2015 to June 30, 2019.   

WHO: The Department of Housing Preservation and Development, the Department of Buildings, Committee on Housing and Buildings.

WHERE: Council Chambers of City Hall

WHEN: Monday, April 18, 2016, 10:00 AM

100 PERCENT Sunday April 17 , 2016

100 PERCENT

By Robert Press

The Bronx Voice

    You may be asking what is the Bronx Voice, and it is the newest newspaper to hit Bronx streets. For those of you who liked the old Bronx News or Parkchester News the former editor of both newspapers has begun his own newspaper the Bronx Voice. You may notice some familiar  items in the Bronx Voice such as this column. The preview edition of the Bronx Voice arrived this past week, and the Bronx Voice will be published weekly starting the first week of May. 

    To see my predictions of the presidential race on both sides, and just why Ted Cruz and John Kasich came to the Bronx you will have to pick up the Bronx Voice. I will go over the results of the New York Presidential Primary later this week here. 

    As for local politics, in the 78th Assembly race two hatchet men of Assemblyman Jose Rivera are trying to end the candidacy this year's primary challenger Ischia Bravo by repeating a New York Post story that says Ms. Bravo is to be questioned about the Bronx Democratic County organization. A certain spy for Assemblyman Jose Rivera has gone one step further than the Post by adding more to the story on his facebook page, and here is my comment since I can not put it on his facebook page.

   I did my own story on the Bronx Democratic County organization last year right after a story by the New York Times did a story of possible wrongdoing by the Bronx Democratic County organization. The Times story focused on the Bronx Democratic County Leader Assemblyman Carl Heastie, but I went further and focused on other parts of the Bronx Democratic County organization. As a matter of fact I was at the Bronx Democratic County organization office one day when former Assemblyman Nelson Castro (while he was wired by the former Bronx DA and U.S. Attorney's office) tried to get information from Ms. Ischia Bravo. We see that either there is incompetence at both judicial departments, or there was nothing to be gotten from Ms. Bravo. I was there, I saw a wired U.S. Attorney agent (former Assemblyman Nelson Castro) try to get information, and there was nothing to be gotten from Ms. Ischia Bravo. 

   By the way it was former Bronx Democratic County Leader Jose Rivera who helped Nelson Castro win in the 86th Assembly district. It was also former Bronx Democratic County Leader Jose Rivera who ran with former State Senator Pedro Espada, and while the condoms given out may have said vote for Pedro Espada the palm cards said vote for Pedro Espada for state senate and Jose Rivera for Assembly. 

    I have many more Jose Rivera stories that could fill a book. In fact one day Assemblyman Jose Rivera said to me "we should write a book about all the things we know about Bronx politics, it would be a best seller". Now that this column is back in print in the Bronx Voice, 'One never knows what may happen next in politics'. My advice to Jose Rivera, enjoy your retirement. 

       If you have any comments about this column or would like to have an event listed in this column or on my blog you can e-mail us at 100percentbronxnews@gmail.com or call 718-644-4199 Mr. Robert Press.