Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj - Adopt an ACC Champion

Animal Care Centers of NYC Celebrates Olympic Spirit With  

Fee-Waived Cat Adoptions!

Bring home one of our 300 little champions today!

 

While the nation cheers on team USA in this year's summer Olympics, Animal Care Centers of NYC (ACC) is assembling its own roster of champion cats and offering fee-waived adoptions through August 31on all cats over 6 months.   "Summer months are the best time to adopt a cat because the selection of available furry felines is at its peak!" says Risa Weinstock, ACC's Executive Director. "Whether you are looking for one buddy to join you in celebrating the games, or you are putting a team together of feline friends, chances are likely you will find exactly what you are looking for at ACC."

Potential adopters can meet great cats at ACC's three Care Centers, open for adoptions 12pm-8pm Monday through Friday  10am-6pm Saturday and Sunday · Manhattan - 326 East 110th Street ·Brooklyn - 2336 Linden Boulevard ·Staten Island - 3139 Veterans Road West As part of its push to get cats adopted, ACC is also bringing cats to its Mobile Adoption Center events throughout the month of August:   August 13, 12-4pm: Petco Gateway Mall, 528 Gateway Drive #4, Brooklyn, NY 11239  August 14, 12-4pm: Birch Coffee, 866 Hunts Point Ave, Bronx, NY 10474 · August 20, 12-4pm: Garber Hardware, 710 Greenwich Street, New York, NY 10014 August 20, 12-4pm: Petco Riverdale, 193 W 237th St, Bronx, NY 10463 August 21, 12-4pm: Petco Union Square, 860 Broadway, New York, NY 10003 August 27, 12-4pm: Petco Forest Hills, 9111 Metropolitan Avenue, Forest Hills, NY 11374 August 28, 12-4pm: Zoomies NYC, 434 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014 ACC is also asking for the public's help to keep cats and kittens out of the shelter during the summer months. Here are three things you should know:   1.If you find a litter of kittens that appear to be healthy and are in safe location like a yard or under a tree, leave them alone and monitor them. Mother cats will often leave their babies for short periods of time and then return. 2. If you find a cat that is sick or injured, call 311 to report it or bring it into the Animal Care Center closest to you. Click here for a list of locations. 3. The shelter is in immediate need of kitten fosters. If you would like to foster, sign up here: or email fosters@nycacc.org and help save a kitten or an entire litter.   About Animal Care Centers of NYC Animal Care Centers of NYC (ACC) is one of the largest animal welfare organizations in the country, taking in more than 35,000 animals a year. ACC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that rescues, cares for and finds loving homes for animals throughout the five boroughs. ACC is an open-admissions organization, which means it never turns away any homeless, abandoned, injured or sick animal in need of help, including cats, dogs, rabbits, small mammals, reptiles, birds, farm animals and wildlife. It is the only organization in NYC with this unique responsibility.    Visit www.nycacc.org  for more information

CEO Of Steel Contractor On World Trade Center Site Convicted At Trial Of Fraud In Connection With Program Designed To Encourage Participation Of Minority And Women-Owned Businesses

CEO’s company, DCM Erectors, also found guilty of fraud

Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that LARRY DAVIS, President and Chief Executive Officer of DCM Erectors, Inc. (“DCM”), and DCM itself, were convicted of engaging in a fraudulent scheme to violate the Port Authority’s Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise Program (“M/WBE Program”), which is designed to increase the role of minority and women-owned businesses working on its projects.  DAVIS was convicted after an eight-day jury trial before U.S. District Judge Loretta A. Preska. 

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said: “As the jury found in its guilty verdict today, Larry Davis, the CEO of DCM Erectors, used fraud in connection with nearly a billion dollars of construction contracts on One World Trade Center.  The construction work awarded to Davis came with the obligation to employ minority and women-owned businesses, an obligation that Davis shirked and then lied about.  We cannot allow major public projects – particularly ones on the sacred World Trade Center site – to be built on a foundation of fraud.  By its verdict today, the jury of New Yorkers made clear that it will not.”

According to the Complaint, Indictment and evidence presented at trial:

DCM specialized in steel erection for large construction projects.  Since at least March 1999, DAVIS has owned DCM and served as its President and Chief Executive Officer.  In 2007, DCM was awarded an approximately $256 million contract for work to be performed on One World Trade Center and in 2009, DCM was awarded an approximately $330 million trade contract for work to be performed on the World Trade Center Port Authority Trans-Hudson (PATH) Transportation Hub (collectively, the “World Trade Center Project”).

The work to be performed by DCM for the World Trade Center Project included, but was not limited to, structural steel supply and erection, supply and installation of metal decking, drafting and engineering, and surveying.

The Port Authority’s M/WBE Program is designed to ensure that M/WBEs receive work on its projects and applied to the World Trade Center Project.  Pursuant to the M/WBE Program, all contractors, including contractors such as DCM, were obligated to make good faith efforts to enter into subcontracts with M/WBEs, with a goal of 17 percent of the overall contract amount to be given to M/WBEs (12 percent for MBEs and five percent for WBEs).

In order to satisfy the M/WBE Program, DAVIS engaged in a fraudulent scheme in which he caused DCM to claim that certain work was performed by a minority-owned business, Solera/DCM Joint Venture LLC (“Solera/DCM,” and a woman-owned business, GLS Enterprises, Inc. (“GLS”), when, in truth and in fact, DCM itself performed such work or arranged for such work to be performed by other non-M/WBE contractors.

Solera/DCM was a joint venture between DCM and a minority owned business, Solera Construction, Inc. (“Solera”), which was owned by Johnny Garcia, a qualified minority business owner who previously pled guilty for his role in the fraudulent scheme.  Solera/DCM was purportedly owned 60 percent by Solera and 40 percent by DCM. DCM and DAVIS established Solera/DCM as a joint venture majority owned by Solera with the express purpose of using it to satisfy MBE requirements on public construction projects.

From 2009 through 2012, DAVIS caused DCM to misrepresent to the Port Authority that Solera/DCM performed certain work on the World Trade Center Project when, in truth and in fact, the work, including metal decking and steel procurement, was performed by a non-minority contractor or by DCM itself.  To facilitate the fraud, DAVIS directed Solera/DCM to place laborers who worked for a non-minority contractor performing metal decking on Solera/DCM’s payroll and then invoice DCM for such laborers’ time and also created certain invoices and directed Garcia to sign them to make it appear as if Solera/DCM procured steel, when, in truth and in fact, DCM did so.  DCM claimed MBE credit for work purportedly performed by Solera/DCM on the World Trade Center Project.  As part of the fraudulent scheme, DCM paid Garcia a total of at least $2 million ($150,000 in annual salary and additional monthly payments).

The owner of GLS was Gale D’Aloia, who served as GLS’s President and previously pled guilty for her role in the fraudulent scheme.  D’Aloia had been a long-time employee of DCM performing payroll management services for DCM and DAVIS’s related companies (the “Davis Group”).  In 2004, D’Aloia left DCM and began performing the same payroll management services for DCM and the Davis Group through her company, GLS, which she registered as a WBE with the Port Authority. 

From 2009 through 2012, DAVIS and DCM misrepresented to the Port Authority that GLS performed surveying work, and fraudulently claimed WBE credit for GLS’s purported surveying work, on the World Trade Center Project when, in truth and in fact, the surveying work was performed by DCM itself.  To facilitate the fraud, DAVIS directed D’Aloia to place unionized surveyors on GLS’s payroll who had been on DCM’s payroll and then to certify such payroll and also to invoice DCM for the workers even though DCM continued to actually supervise them.  As compensation for engaging in the fraudulent scheme, DAVIS paid GLS up to 10 percent of each week’s total gross payroll for the surveyors, which totaled hundreds of thousands of dollars.

DAVIS, 65, of Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, was convicted of one count of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.  He is scheduled to be sentenced November 15, 2016.

Mr. Bharara praised the investigative work of the Port Authority’s Office of Inspector General; U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General; IRS-Criminal Investigation; and DOT-OIG.

Alan Tudyk From Firefly Lands at NYCC

Assemblymember Michael Blake - My Brother's Keeper RFPs deadline approaching

The deadlines for the first two My Brother's Keeper Requests for Proposals (RFPs) are coming up soon. New York State's budget has allocated $20 million for My Brother's Keeper programs, and I know the 79th District is brimming with the talent and innovative approaches that the New York State Board of Regents is looking for in applications.  Please check below for additional information about these RFPs. 

 

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The State Education Department (SED) is now accepting applications for $9 million in grants for two New York State My Brother’s Keeper Initiatives: the Teacher Opportunity Corps (TOC) and the Family and Community Engagement Program.  These grant opportunities are available to develop programs and strategies to help boys and young men of color—and all students—realize their full potential.

In 2014, President Barack Obama established the My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) Task Force at the federal level. The Task Force was an interagency effort focused on closing and eliminating the opportunity gaps faced by boys and young men of color so that all young people have the chance to reach their full potential. With the adoption of the 2016–2017 New York State Budget, New York became the first state to accept the President’s challenge and enacted the My Brother’s Keeper initiative into law.  The budget included a $20 million investment in support of the initiative to improve outcomes for boys and young men of color.  Among the programs included in the $20 million investment are TOC and Family and the Family and Community Engagement Program.

Teacher Opportunity Corp (TOC):

The purpose of TOC is to increase the participation rate of historically underrepresented and economically disadvantaged individuals in teaching careers.  SED seeks to invest $3 million in grant programs to bolster the retention of highly qualified individuals who value equity and reflect the diversity inside and outside of our classrooms, particularly in high-need schools with recurrent teacher shortages.

To be eligible, applicants must be a New York State-located public or independent degree-granting postsecondary institution that offers a teacher preparation program approved by the NY State Education Department.

Successful programs will incorporate proven strategies for teacher retention and best practice, such as providing mentors for new teachers and differentiated instructional techniques.  Applications must be received on or before August 22, 2016.  The Request for Proposals (RFP) for the grants is available at: http://www.p12.nysed.gov/compcontracts/16-012-toc/.

Family and Community Engagement Program:

The purpose of the Family and Community Engagement Program is to increase the academic achievement and college and career readiness of boys and young men of color and to develop and sustain effective relationships with families toward the goal of success for all students.  SED will award $6 million in grants for school districts, community-based organizations, and other groups to improve family engagement efforts in local communities.

These efforts could include parent advocacy, incorporating the use of mentors to improve student achievement, or creating outreach material in home languages so families can learn how to enhance school success for their children, beginning at the earliest ages, through high school and beyond.  Applications must be received on or before August 25, 2016.  The RFP for the grants is available at: http://www.p12.nysed.gov/compcontracts/16-013-fcep/.

Details on New York’s MBK Initiative can be found here: http://www.nysed.gov/nysmbk.

Assemblyman Dinowitz and Council Member Cohen Announce Defeat of Proposed Shelter in Wakefield

    Council Member Andrew Cohen and Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz announced today that following their strong opposition, and the fierce advocacy by local community leaders, the plans for a proposed shelter on the northern end of Bronx Boulevard are dead.

       The plans for the proposed shelter, which originally planned to house 90 individuals who are diagnosed with HIV, were proposed by the non-profit organization Comunilife, and faced considerable opposition from members of the community. Assemblyman Dinowitz and Council Member Cohen held several meetings with both community leaders and Comunilife representatives over the last several months, to express their concerns regarding the oversaturation of shelters in the Wakefield community. Just four blocks from the proposed Comunilife shelter already stands the Project Renewal homeless shelter, which houses 100 single men, and around the corner is the site of the proposed Muller Center homeless shelter, which plans to house over 200 single men.

      On June 27^th of this year Assemblyman Dinowitz and Council Member Cohen held a town hall meeting at Community Board 12 where they voiced their strong opposition to Comunilife’s plans, and were unanimously joined by community members and leaders from all over Wakefield. Following the town hall meeting, Mayor de Blasio’s administration determined that the proposed location would not be appropriate. 

“I am thrilled that I was able to help stop this plan for 4747 Bronx Boulevard by working together with Council Member Cohen, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, and Mayor de Blasio’s administration,” said Assemblyman Dinowitz. We stood together with our Wakefield community and listened to their concerns. The local elected officials, Community Board 12, and neighborhood leaders worked together and had a significant impact. I am grateful that Mayor de Blasio and Commissioner Banks heard our voices, and I thank Speaker Heastie for his leadership on this issue. Now we must all work to ensure nothing inappropriate is ever brought to that site.” 

“This news is a win for the Wakefield community. While we need to do more for the homeless, the Wakefield community is already oversaturated with numerous shelters currently operating in the neighborhood,” said Council Member Andrew Cohen.  “I am pleased that the Mayor listened to the local elected officials and community leaders and made the right determination that this facility is not appropriate for the community.” 

Department of Social Services Commissioner Steve Banks said, “After careful consideration, we have determined that 4747 Bronx Boulevard is not a viable location for a temporary residence or shelter facility. We thank Speaker Heastie, Council Member Cohen, Assembly Member Dinowitz, Congress Member Engel and their staffs for working collaboratively with the administration and we look forward to identifying alternative uses that will effectively meet the community’s needs.”

News From Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman

Ending Deceptive Practices At Tanning Salons Across NY

The Attorney General reached a settlement with Total Tan that prohibits the company from making misleading claims about the health risks of indoor tanning. Despite the clear dangers of tanning, the company downplayed the risks, while also asserting that tanning prevents an array of diseases. This agreement is the latest in the Attorney General’s effort to educate the public about the harms associated with indoor tanning, and those who are considering going to their local salon should consult the office’s tips so they can get the facts about the risks.   

Consumer Protections for Synergy Fitness Club Members

If you are a consumer at Synergy Fitness Clubs in New York City or Long Island, you may be in for a refund. The Attorney General announced a settlement with six Synergy clubs for illegal and deceptive practices that included charging New Yorkers fees that were not disclosed in membership contracts, unfairly applying cancellations policies and engaging in improper billing. Those who believe they had been charged services after they cancelling their membership can now apply for restitution. Remember to check out the Attorney General’s tips when a considering a health club so you can avoid being scammed. 

Conviction and Jail Sentence For Doctor Who Sold HIV Meds on Black Market 

The ringleader of a scheme that sold black market HIV medications to patients now faces up to 25 years in prison following a jury trial in Suffolk County. Ira Grass helped perpetrate a scheme that billed Medicaid $274 million for HIV medication illegally obtained from the black market—exposing patients to potentially dangerous drugs. Gross himself profited over $25 million from the fraudulent dealings. 

$100 Million Settlement For New York in Barclays Bank Case

The Attorney General’s office led a multi-state coalition that negotiated a $100 million settlement with Barclays that holds the bank accountable for artificially manipulating interest rates. Government and non-profit entities were defrauded out of millions as a result of Barclays actions, but the settlement provides restitution to those affected. Attorney General Schneiderman believes there must be one set of rules for everyone—not matter how rich or powerful, and that includes big banks and financial institutions.  

Have a question, comment, or complaint? Click here. You can also learn more about the various initiatives of the Attorney General's office by visiting our website atag.ny.gov. You can also call our General Hotline: 800-771-7755.

Sotheby's on Riverdale Avenue Sunday After Car Crashes Into Store Front

   This is what the front of Sotheby's located at 3732 Riverdale Avenue looked like after a car jumped the curb crashing into the storefront.

   In this photo you can see large pieces of glass hanging until Friday when an insurance adjuster came from Connecticut to see the damage. By the way I was told that the insurance adjustor received a parking ticket for not feeding the Muni Meter. 

   Here is what Sotheby's looks like today. The two broken front windows are covered over, and will be replaced sometime next week. It was lucky that the car hit the side wall between Sotheby's and the store next door, or the car could have wound up inside Sotheby's. It was also lucky that it happened in the summer when the crowd of children were not on this sidewalk like they would have been if school had been in session. 

   Was it this piece of broken curb that was the cause of this accident. The street was milled and repaved in March, and the city Department of Transportation was well aware of this and many other sections of the curbs on Riverdale Avenue were broken during the Milling of the street.

COMPTROLLER STRINGER: CITY ECONOMY SLOWS DURING THE SECOND QUARTER OF 2016

City added 13,400 private-sector jobs, the second smallest increase in six years

The City’s economy grew 1.7%, the slowest rate in two years, but still outpaced the national economy

In 2015, average real wages grew 3.3 percent for employees in low-wage industries

   Weak economic indicators such as falling venture capital investment and disappointing job growth contributed to the first tangible signs of a potential slowdown of the City’s economy during the second quarter of 2016 according to a Quarterly Economy Report released today by New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer. The report found that the City’s economy, while continuing to outpace the nation’s, grew an estimated 1.7 percent between April and June of this year – the slowest rate since the end of 2013.

“Our City’s economy is still growing – but in 2016 we’ve gone from a sprint to a jog,” Comptroller Stringer said. “For the first time in a number of years, several important economic indicators are pointing toward weaker growth. While the residential real estate market remains strong and the wage gap has narrowed, this report confirms that our recovery is no longer gaining steam.”

Released every quarter, the Comptroller’s Quarterly Economic Update examines a broad range of indicators that reflect the City’s current conditions in the national economic context.

Findings include:

The City’s overall economic growth slowed, but still outpaced the nation’s

•   Real Gross City Product grew at an estimated annual rate of 1.7 percent in the second quarter of 2016, the slowest pace since the fourth quarter of 2013, but faster than national Gross Domestic Product growth of 1.2 percent.

•   The U.S. economy was dragged down by the third consecutive quarter of contractions in business investment amid global economic uncertainties and decreased demand from businesses in the energy sector. Gross private domestic investment fell 9.7 percent, the biggest drop in seven years.

Private-sector job growth dropped significantly, but wages improved

•   In the second quarter of 2016, the City added 13,400 private-sector jobs, a seasonally adjusted annualized rate of 1.4 percent – a substantial drop from growth of 4.6 percent in the first quarter. Despite recent trends, the vast majority – 85 percent – of these jobs were in medium-wage industries such as hospitals, and arts, entertainment and recreation.

•   Mirroring national increases in consumer spending, local industries like education and health services and leisure and hospitality saw the greatest private-sector job gains.

Wages in low-wage industries improved in 2015

•   Reversing a six-year trend, the gap between low-wage, medium-wage, and high-wage earners shrank last year. In 2015, average wages, adjusted for inflation, grew 3.3 percent for low-wage industries, 3.1 percent for mid-wage industries, and fell 0.9 percent for high-wage industries.

•   However, since the end of recession in 2009 through 2015, the average wage in low-wage industries is still flat in real terms.

Slower growth in personal income

•   Year-over-year, personal income tax revenues fell 5.7 percent in the second quarter of 2016. Personal income taxes withheld from paychecks rose only 0.5 percent during that same time period.

•   Estimated tax payments, which reflect trends in taxpayers’ non-wage income, including interest earned, rental income, and capital gains, fell 16 percent compared to quarterly collections from last year. In June alone, estimated taxes were down about 20 percent.

•   The average hourly earnings of all private New York City employees fell to $33.48 in the second quarter – the first year-over-year decline in nearly seven years. National average hourly earnings, on the other hand, grew 2.8 percent during the same period, the biggest increase in seven years.

•   The slight decline in average city private-sector earnings is in part due to a loss of high-paid jobs. In the second quarter the number of private-sector city jobs in high-wage industries shrank by 4 percent, equal to the loss of 500 jobs. Professional and business services lost 1,400 jobs, and the financial sector lost 1,100 jobs.

Labor force participation declined

•   In the second quarter, unemployment in New York City fell to 5.2 percent, while the U.S. unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4.9 percent.

•   The decline in the City’s unemployment rate was due to a contraction of the City’s labor force by 34,200, the biggest quarterly decline on record. A shrinking labor force may signal that the City’s discouraged job seekers are leaving the labor market. However, the decline follows an unprecedented increase of 32,000 in the first quarter of this year.

Venture capital investment fell year over year

•   Venture capital investment in the New York Metro Area experienced the first second quarter year-over-year decline since 2012. Investment fell to $1.4 billion from $2.4 billion in the second quarter of 2015.
•   During this time period, total venture capital investment in the U.S. fell 12.2 percent as investment in Silicon Valley fell 9.6 percent.

Residential real estate remained strong, while commercial leasing showed signs of cooling

•   Average housing prices continued to rise on a year-over-year basis, growing 8.4 percent in Manhattan to $2 million; 3.6 percent in Brooklyn to nearly $817,000; and 16.5 percent in Queens to $527,000.
•   New commercial leasing in the second quarter of 2016 totaled seven million square feet, 15.6 percent lower than this time last year. The Manhattan office vacancy rate, however, stayed level at 8.8 percent.

“New York City’s economy continues to grow, but has begun to feel the impact of national and global uncertainty,” Stringer said. “My office will keep a close eye on the City and global economies as the year progresses.”