COALITION OF ASSEMBLYMEMBERS CALL FOR MTA BUS MASTER PLAN FOR NEW YORK CITY WITHIN SIX MONTHS

Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz and NYC Assembly colleagues call on MTA Chairman Joseph Lhota to support bus service improvements.

  Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, Chairman of the Committee on Corporations, Authorities, and Commissions with oversight of the MTA, circulated a letter among his colleagues calling for bus service to be included in plans to address the transit crisis. The letter was signed by 45 members of the New York State Assembly, and has support from a variety of transit advocacy organizations as well. Included are requests for an accelerated implementation of transit signal priority, the adoption of all-door boarding technology, and a collaborative effort between NYCT, DOT, and respective communities to reexamine bus routes and street-level infrastructure such as dedicated bus lanes and bus islands.

“Two and a half million New Yorkers depend on buses to get around every day, especially those with accessibility concerns and those in outer boroughs with limited transit options. I want to make sure that the concerns of all New Yorkers are heard, even if they don’t get the same amount of media attention,” said Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz. “Transit signal priority and all-door boarding are no brainer changes that could reduce bus travel times by 25% for minimal investment. Let’s not delay any more, and bring our bus system into the 21^st Century.”

NYCT and DOT recently announced they would expand use of transit signal priority to 10 additional bus lines, but not until the year 2020. Average bus speed in New York City is seven miles per hour, even slower in high congestion areas, which lags behind most major cities in the United States. Bus ridership has steadily declined over the past decade despite a record population in New York City, as riders are forced to reckon with buses that are both slow and unreliable. Of notable exception is Select Bus Service, which has seen ridership increases of up to 30% after implementing changes that reduced travel times by over 15%.

"The Summer of Hell has made the dire state of the subway obvious, but that's just one part of the public transit meltdown riders face: buses have been in a state of slow-motion crisis for years," said Nick Sifuentes, Deputy Director of the Riders Alliance. "Fortunately, we know our state and city elected officials can fix bus service for millions of daily riders--and do it quickly and for a fraction of the cost to repair our subway system. We're glad that Assembly Member Dinowitz and his colleagues are prioritizing bus service, because riders need buses to work now more than ever."

“While the MTA recently presented new strategies to revamp citywide bus service, there is no timeline or work plan for implementing them. A top-to-bottom review, similar to what was undertaken for our ailing subway system, that examines operations, routing and technology is necessary to stop the decline in bus ridership,” said Veronica Vanterpool, executive director of the Tri-State Transportation Campaign.

"Buses are an integral part of our transit network, carrying millions of New Yorkers to work, school and appointments every day," said City Council Transportation Chair Ydanis Rodriguez. "After a major drop in ridership over the past decade, we cannot ignore the slow and unreliable service the majority of bus routes provide. Luckily we have the solutions in hand: all-door boarding, transit signal priority and off-board fare payment can speed up commutes and bring New Yorkers back to buses and away from cars and cabs. This can be a big win for the MTA and New York City as a whole."

Bronx Borough President Summer Concert Series

Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz Requests City Comptroller Review and Reject 5731 Broadway Shelter Contract Between DHS and Praxis

  

Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz has asked NYC Comptroller Scott Stringer to review and reject the contract between Department of Homeless Services (DHS) and Praxis Housing Initiatives Inc., the operators of a transitional housing shelter located at 5731 Broadway in Kingsbridge.

The city comptroller is able to object to a city contract’s registration within 30 days of it being filed with the comptroller’s office under certain grounds.

DHS informed Community Board 8 and elected officials that the facility at 5731 Broadway would be made into a homeless shelter less than 30 days before it was scheduled to begin operating by Praxis, whose CEO, Sven Jorgensen, admitted during a CB8 Land Use Committee Meeting that they had been in negotiations for some time to make the facility a shelter and had, in fact, been approached by Adolfo Carrion and Stagg Group, the building developers, months before DHS alerted the community. This allegedly occurred even as representatives of the Stagg group held meetings with CB8 and community committing that the facility would not become a shelter.

Dinowitz asked Comptroller Stringer to reject this contract given business practices by Stagg Group that some believe to be dishonest and questionable. The Stagg Group billed and marketed the building to elected officials and Community Board 8 as market rate housing with affordable housing units even as they allegedly made simultaneous efforts to sell it as a homeless shelter to Praxis and DHS. They applied for a 421-a tax abatement on the premise it was to be market rate housing and operated a website where people could apply to live at the building listed as market rate housing.

The building has instead been designated a transitional housing facility for homeless families. Praxis successfully secured a contract from DHS, with exorbitant prices set by Stagg per room and per apartment. According to the Assemblyman’s letter “Praxis will be paid over $300,000 per apartment by DHS for services to the families, exclusive of rent. DHS will pay much higher rents for each and every apartment compared to what Stagg would have charged, and the taxpayers will be footing the extra bill, plus Stagg will avoid real estate taxes for years. Why is the City getting such a bad deal? Stagg will not only receive a huge windfall, but they will not have to market the building, be concerned with empty apartments or pay to manage the building. They will receive these great benefits in addition to the huge 421-a tax subsidy.”

In Stagg’s most recent 421-a tax exemption application, belatedly amended as of August 14^th, they increased the land costs of claimed 2014 land acquisition by at least a third from the previous application filed in January.

The matter has already been referred to the city Department of Investigations(DOI) by CB8 Land Use committee chair Charles Moerdler given Stagg group’s alleged dishonesty towards the community as well as the Community Board’s status as a chartered city agency and the matter may already be under investigation.

“Regardless of whether you support or oppose a transitional housing for the homeless at this site, I hope we would all agree that there must be honesty and transparency and that the city should make the best possible deal, and not hand a huge windfall to a controversial developer, “ said Assemblyman Dinowitz.

EDITOR'S NOTE:

  Below is from my Riverdale column that will appear in Wednesday's Bronx Voice. It was written August 18th. I guess Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz and I think alike, however read the last paragraph that the good assemblyman may not know.

   Community Board 8  has currently many buildings that were built during the previous building boom, with several having some or many empty apartments. One such new building went up at the corner of West 236th Street and the Henry Hudson Parkway Service Road. A deal was struck with Columbia University to take over the building for staff housing. It was a win for the developer who would have no empty apartments on his hands, and the university who would have the needed housing for its staff.

  Fast forward to this new housing boom of so called market rate housing, because the prices of new coops or condos are out of reach. Add in a developer who puts on a former Bronx Borough President who had appointed many community board members he was to face for 421A tax breaks on market rate housing his developer boss was suppose to build. Throw in a homeless crisis, and you have the perfect recipe for deceit and even more profits. 

  This is what Stagg Developers has done at the 5731 Broadway building site. Eighty-three market rate units for rental. How does one rent all these apartments quickly so another building can be built with the profits. Enter Former Bronx BP Carrion as the CEO of Praxis said to CB 8 was the deal maker for 5731 Broadway. Now something had to be done before the community board could stop this plan. Less than three weeks after the CB 8 Land Use Committee meeting it is announced that there will be a public hearing on this contract between Praxis and the DHS on August 17th. The contract will be effective starting August 15th however for all 83 units for a five year term at a price tag of over $26 million dollars or over $300 thousand dollars per unit. It is not stated just how much Stagg Developers will make on the deal, but at the end of the five year term is another four year option. All this and Stagg Developers will still own the building, and rent out the commercial/community facility space.

 I just happened to see DHS Commissioner Steve Banks at a mayoral event here in the Bronx the day after the contract was signed. I asked him how can you have a public hearing two days after DHS signs the contract. His answer was that the public hearing was a mere formality, and the City Comptroller has to approve the contract now.

  I was able to question a representative of Comptroller Stringers office a few night's later, and was told that unless there is something illegal the comptroller will approve the contract as is done almost 100 Percent of the time.

MAYOR DE BLASIO, AND COMMISSIONER O’NEILL, REMARKS REGARDING NEW SECURITY MEASURES FOR UPCOMING J’OUVERT CELEBRATION

  Mayor Bill de Blasio: Good morning, everybody. We’re here to talk about the J’Ouvert celebration. And I want to start by saying that this city is blessed to have a large and strong community of people whose roots are in the Caribbean – hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers who contribute greatly to this city. And on Labor Day weekend we have the parade, obviously, one of the biggest events in New York City, each year and the J’Ouvert celebration preceding it.

It’s a very important moment for the Caribbean community and we respect that but we are absolutely committed to ensuring that this be an event where everyone is kept safe.

Last year, as everyone knows, we attempted a series of major changes and a tremendous amount more police presence and additional resources, and yet we did not get the result we sought. Lives were lost and that’s unacceptable to all of us.

So, we’re going to have a very different plan for the J’Ouvert celebration this year. There’s going to be even more police presence . There’s going to be a series of changes. In fact, you’re going to see the same kind of measures that we take on New Year’s Eve to create a much more orderly and controlled situation.

Now, you’re going to hear from a variety of people after me including leaders of the community who led the planning process and played a key role in determining which measures made sense that respected a tradition that goes back generations and recognized the fact that people would be gathering either way but ackbolwedged that we had to increasingly add security measures and change the basic dynamics of the event to make it safer for everyone.

So, that’s what we’re going to talk about today. The folks who you’ll hear from, as I said, I want to thank them all because this was a planning process that was community-based, that took a lot of rethinking, a lot of new thinking. And it was a strong collaborative effort over months and months to figure out the right balance. So, you’ll hear from a number of them in a moment.

I also want to thank some other folks who are with us who have played a crucial role in this process and will play a crucial role on the night and the morning of J’Ouvert.

I first want to thank Eric Cumberbatch, the Executive Director of the Office to Prevent Gun Violence in the Mayor’s Office who has done outstanding work working with the Cure Violence movement which will play a very, very important role in the efforts around J’Ouvert.

From the NYPD, I want to acknowledge the leadership roles in this planning process played out by Chief of Patrol Terry Monahan and the Brooklyn South Commanding Officer Chief Steven Powers. Both of them put a huge amount of time and energy into creating this new plan. I want to thank them for that.

I want to thank the Chair of Community Board 9, Musa Moore, for his good efforts and his support. And of course, I want to thank our hosts here today, the Brooklyn Public Library, for all they do for Brooklyn, and for having us here in their wonderful facility

So, here are the basic changes. I think you know about them already but just to summarize – we’ll be starting the parade, the J’ouvert parade at a later start time, 6:00 am, when it will already begin to be light out.

The parade route will be closed to the public the night before. You will see an increased police presence. There will be hundreds more NYPD officers than last year. And last year, again, was an increased presence compared to the past. There will be more light towers along the route – a 30 percent increase from last year.

We believe these efforts will make a big difference and we also believe that the unity that has been exhibited by all of the stakeholders in seeking this plan and spreading the word to the community that this plan is what everyone believes will work best, that that is going to play a crucial role.

And I mentioned the Cure Violence movement, sometimes called Violence Interrupters, also known as the Crisis Management System – these are community leaders who have done outstanding work, individuals who work block-by-block in communities engaging in particular young people, helping to educate them, and move them away from any path that might lead them to violence or danger.

One of the reasons you’ve seen a substantial decrease in shootings particular in this city has been because of the Cure Violence movement. I want to thank them and comment them for the work they do.

They’re going to play a crucial role around the events of J’Ouvert. And look, the NYPD has approached this process through the prism of neighborhood policing which we see month after month continues to make the city safer – high level of engagement with communities, a lot of communication, a lot of one-on-one work between police officers and members of communities. That is what has also led us to this plan – a lot of engagement between the NYPD and members of the community to determine what will make the most sense.

The vast, vast majority of people who come to J’Ouvert come to celebrate peacefully, to honor their traditions and their culture. And that is what we should focus on but we have know in the past, there have been some bad apples and some people have caused real pain and real damage.

Our message today is that this will not be tolerated. No effort to incite violence will be tolerated. Illegal activity will not be tolerated. The NYPD will be out in force with a zero tolerance attitude towards anything that might endanger other people.

And we believe that it’s important to respect all of the communities that make up this great city. We’re obviously in a time in our nation where there’s a huge debate going on and we’ve said very clearly in this city, we respect people of all backgrounds. We respect all faiths. We respect all cultures.

Police Commissioner James P. O’Neill: Thanks, Mr. Mayor. So, every year thousands of people look forward to this celebration of Caribbean culture and life – J’Ouvert. But there’s also many that fear because of the history of the violence that’s associated with. And at the NYPD we know what the problem is. Historically, it hasn’t been the people that come to legitimately celebrate their heritage, their culture. It’s a real small percentage of the population, you know, out-and-out criminals who senselessly carry out violence against others just for the sake of doing so.

So, the day after last year’s J’Ouvert we immediately stopped working every stakeholder and I think that’s the point a lot – everybody needs to take from this. This isn’t the NYPD or the Mayor’s Office doing this by ourselves. This is – we worked with everybody to come up with this plan.

We worked with Eric’s office. We worked with Jumaane, with Laurie Cumbo, with J’Ouvert International, with the communities. So, this is a plan that we all came up with and I think this is the best way to move forward.

So, we should have a successful, enjoyable, and safe event for everyone this year. The time change for start should help us. In fact all of our combined efforts are geared towards deterring acts of violence. In a minute, Chief of Patrol Terry Monahan will detail many of the specifics as far as the NYPD is concerned.

And I really can’t overstate how important Cure Violence is to what we’re doing into the weeks leading up to J’OUvert and to the night of, the morning of.

I can tell you you’ll see even more police presence. We are putting more people on the detail this year. And there’s a lot that you won’t see also. I want to thank all the residents, the community leaders, the organizers at J’ouvert City International, and the elected officials who we’ve been working so closely with. 

Job Fair at Bronx House

  It was the Bronx Chamber of Commerce along with State Senator Jeff Klein and Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj who co-hosted a Bronx H.I.R.E. job fair at Bronx House today. There were dozens of different employers looking for various different people to come work for them including two branches of the Armed Forces. Recruiters from the Army and the Marines were on hand, and yes they said they offer jobs and career training for the future. 

  I spoke to several people who said different answers to me of this event. One woman said she was a secretary, and could not find such a job here. two men said that they had left their resumes with different companies, and are very hopeful of getting jobs with the companies they spoke to. I asked some more people hoping to find someone who was going to join the Army or Marines, but after about twenty minutes gave up on that idea. However I did get one maybe to the Armed Forces. Other employers on hand included Chase Bank, DJ Ambulette, New York Life, Bob Bider Plumbing, and even a table taking names to canvess for the 13th council district. 

Above - The Bronx Chamber of Commerce co-hosted this Bronx H.I.R.E. event.

Below - Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj with the New York Life team. Was he looking for some more insurance?

Above - Plumbing business owner Bob Bider was looking for a counter person, and an outside sales person. The proclamation on the wall was given to Bronx House by Councilman Jimmy Vacca.

Below - A group photo with Senator Jeff Klein, Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj, and some of the people looking to hire new people.

Fair in Westchester Square

The Family of Christ International Ministries Inc. Church (located at nearby 1448 Ferris Place) took over Owen Dolan Park today for a day of food and fun provided by the church.

Above - Hot Dogs, Hamburgers, water, and watermelon was given out to those who came to this event.

Below - Costco which does not have a store in the Bronx attended, and told me they are looking for a Bronx site like some of their competitors have set up shop in the Bronx.

Above - The New York Public Library local Throggs Neck branch was on hand with a lot of information, and limited items to give away. In the background you can see that a mural is being painted by those who wanted to brush up on their artistry. 

Below - You can see that across the street from the park is the campaign office of 13th City Council candidate Marjorie Velazquez. I went over to try to get answers from the Velazquez campaign on campaign worker Rebecca Chant who was also the challenger to two of candidate Velazquez's opponents. A campaign worker came to the door and said that no one was in, but that is another story to be told.

DOI STATEMENT ON CONVICTION OF CITY CORRECTION OFFICER IN COVER UP

  Mark G. Peters, Commissioner of the New York City Department of Investigation (“DOI”), issued the following statement on the conviction of City Correction Officer RODINY CALYPSO on a charge of covering up his use of force on an inmate by filing a false report with the City Department of Correction (“DOC”). DOI conducted the investigation in conjunction with its federal law enforcement partners, and testified at the trial in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. CALYPSO was convicted by a federal jury on Wednesday, August 16, 2017. The use of force against the inmate took place in February 2014 in a shower at Otis Bantum Correctional Center on Rikers Island. Following the incident, CALYPSO filed a Use of Force report with DOC claiming an inmate spit on him, omitting punches he delivered while holding the inmate in a headlock. A video obtained by DOI disputed the assertions CALYPSO made in his report.

  DOI Commissioner Mark G. Peters said, “This Correction Officer betrayed his oath to protect safety and security in the City’s jails when he used force against an inmate and then covered up his conduct by fabricating a story that the inmate was the aggressor. The jury’s conviction in this case stands as a firm reminder that cover ups and lies by our City’s Correction Officers will not be tolerated.”

  The video of the use of force against the inmate can be seen by this link: http://www1.nyc.gov/assets/doi/videos/Rikers.mp4

  CALYPSO, 38, of Springfield Gardens, N.Y., is scheduled to be sentenced on November 30, 2017. He began working at DOC on August 2014 and has been suspended since his arrest. He receives an annual base salary of $76,500.

  To date, DOI’s investigations into DOC have resulted in the arrest of 43 Correction Officers and other DOC staff.

  DOI Commissioner Mark G. Peters thanked Joon H. Kim, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and his staff, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, for their partnership on this investigation.

FORMER OFFICIALS OF CENTRAL UNITED TALMUDIC ACADEMY INDICTED IN $3 MILLION FRAUD SCHEME

Defendants Fraudulently Submitted Reimbursement Claims for School Meals That Were Never Served

  A five-count indictment was unsealed today in United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York charging Elozer Porges and Joel Lowy, the former Executive Director and former Assistant Director, respectively, of the school system known as Central United Talmudic Academy (CUTA) in Brooklyn, New York, with one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and four counts of mail fraud. The defendants are scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Viktor V. Pohorelsky at the Brooklyn federal courthouse. 

  The charges were announced by Bridget M. Rohde, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, William F. Sweeney, Jr., Assistant Director-in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), Mark Peters, Commissioner, New York City Department of Investigation, and Special Agent-in-Charge, Bethanne M. Dinkins, United States Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General.

  As alleged in the indictment, between 2013 and 2015, Porges and Lowy submitted documents to the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) that falsely claimed that school children had received meals which, in fact, they had never been served. The defendants fraudulently inflated the number of meals served at various CUTA schools in order to obtain larger reimbursement payments pursuant to the federal government’s Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). The CACFP is a program designed to assist schools and other institutions in providing meals to, among others, at-risk children. In total, Porges and Lowy, based on their false representations, fraudulently obtained approximately $3 million in reimbursement payments to CUTA

  “Former CUTA Executive Director Porges and Assistant Director Lowy allegedly obtained $3 million from a federal program designed to fund meals for needy children by claiming to have served meals they did not serve, thus undermining a program designed to assist the most vulnerable members of our community,” stated Acting United States Attorney Rohde. “We will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to root out fraudulent schemes that misuse public funds.”

  “The Child and Adult Care Food Program strives to provide for at-risk children, and as school officials, Porges and Lowy should have strived to do the same,” stated Assistant Director-in-Charge Sweeney. “Instead, they allegedly falsified documents to gain approximately $3 million in reimbursement for meals that were never served. To defraud programs designed to help those in need is simply inexcusable, and we will work relentlessly with our law enforcement partners to thoroughly investigate these frauds.”

  “As charged, these defendants stole food from children in need by diverting millions of dollars in public funds intended to pay for their dinners,” stated DOI Commissioner Peters. “Public funds must be spent for public purposes and, when they are not, DOI will expose the fraud and arrest the wrongdoers. DOI thanks our dedicated law enforcement partners on this case: the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Office of the Inspector General for the United States Department of Agriculture.”

  “The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) was created to provide nutrition assistance to children and adults who are truly in need,” stated Special Agent-in-Charge Dinkins. “Those involved in fraud and abuse of USDA feeding programs will be investigated by our office to the fullest extent. In this joint investigation with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New York City Department of Investigation, we worked together to identify and hold accountable those who sought to profit from the CACFP through illegal schemes. The USDA, Office of Inspector General will continue to dedicate investigative resources, working with our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners, to protect the integrity of these programs and bring to justice those who commit fraud.”

  The charges in the indictment are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, the defendants face up to 20 years’ imprisonment on the conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud count, as well as on each of the mail fraud counts.

  The Defendants: 

ELOZER PORGES Age: 43 Brooklyn, NY 

JOEL LOWY Age: 29 Brooklyn, NY 

E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 17-CR-431 (NGG)