REP. ADRIANO ESPAILLAT ANNOUNCES INCREASE IN FEDERAL PUBLIC HOUSING CAPITAL FUNDING TO BENEFIT NEW YORK’S 13TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT

  Representative Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) released the following statement regarding the increase to federal funding allocated for HUD, New York housing and NYCHA.

“Ensuring affordable housing for New York residents is one of the foremost pillars of my legislative agenda since being sworn into office. As Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Transportation, Housing, Infrastructure Task Force, I convened the first of its kind, national public housing summit, in the nation’s capital. The dire need for an increase in Public Housing Capital funds was a resounding issue expressed by Chairs representing Public Housing Authorities from the largest cities throughout the country. During my latest push in Congress to secure federal funding in the FY2018 Omnibus funding bill, I was glad to see an increase in the Public Housing Capital from $1.942 billion to $2.75 billion,” said Rep. Adriano Espaillat (NY-13).

“New York’s 13^th congressional district has the largest concentration of public housing within the entire state. The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), which serves more than 400,000 families within each of the City’s five boroughs, will receive a significant increase above the FY2017 Capital Fund level of $346,326,398 from this federal funding package to continue its work to provide safe and affordable housing for residents, including an increase to Section 8 housing by 8.5% which will create more than 5,000 vouchers for residents.

“This funding is long overdue. During my affordable housing tours throughout my district, I have noticed several areas in need of repair. This funding will be put to great use, from replacing boilers to sealing roofs. This long overdue federal budget increase will continue to help residents of New York’s 13^th congressional district. I will continue my fight to ensuring and preserving affordable housing for New Yorkers and residents throughout our communities,” He concluded.

“The Omnibus bill is a significant step forward for public housing nationwide. The 46% increase in next year’s capital funding will allow us to more aggressively address critical repair needs. While a move in the right direction, we need Congress to make this the start of a permanent investment in public housing,” said NYCHA Chair and CEO Shola Olatoye. “I am grateful to all of our allies who pushed to make this happen. The 1 in 14 New Yorkers who rely on us for housing deserve consistent and adequate funding so we can achieve our NextGeneration NYCHA goal to provide safe, clean and connected communities.”

The FY2018 Omnibus funding package includes critical funding for priorities that matter most to working families. Investments in child care, infrastructure and housing, medical research and treatment to combat the opioid crisis, veterans’ health services and so much more will have a tremendous impact on the health, stability and wellbeing of individuals and families in communities around the nation.

Click here to view budget allocations for select HUD programs in the FY 2018 Omnibus.

New York State Comptroller DiNAPOLI RELEASES BOND CALENDAR FOR SECOND QUARTER

Tentative Schedule Includes $4.29 Billion of New Money, Refunding and Reoffering Debt Sales

  New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli today announced a tentative schedule for the planned bond sales for the state, New York City and their major public authorities during the second quarter of 2018. 

The planned sales of $4.29 billion include $3.06 billion of new money and $1.23 billion of refundings or reofferings as follows:

· $2.32 billion scheduled for April, of which $1.29 billion is new money and $1.03 billion is refundings or reofferings; 

·  $1.95 billion scheduled for May, of which $1.75 billion is new money and $200 million is refundings; and

·  $25 million scheduled for June, all of which is new money.

The anticipated sales in the second quarter compare to past planned sales of $3.12 billion during the first quarter of 2018, and $4.68 billion during the second quarter of 2018. 

The State Comptroller’s office chairs the Securities Coordinating Committee, which was created by Gubernatorial Executive Order primarily to coordinate the borrowing activities of the state, New York City and their respective public authorities.  All borrowings are scheduled at the request of the issuer and done pursuant to their borrowing programs. 

A new schedule is released every quarter and updated as necessary. The schedule is released by the committee to assist participants in the municipal bond market. It is contingent upon execution of all project approvals required by law. The collection and release of this information by the Office of the State Comptroller is not intended as an endorsement of the proposed issuances it contains, many of which will be subject to approval by the Office of the State Comptroller. 

The prospective second quarter calendar includes anticipated bond sales by the following issuers: the City of New York, the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York, New York City Housing Development Corp., New York City Municipal Water Finance Authority, New York City Transitional Finance Authority, the New York State Housing Finance Agency and the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey.

The detailed forward issuance calendar can be obtained at: www.osc.state.ny.us/pension/scccalendar.pdf

BP Ruben Diaz Jr. Hosts Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Anniversary Event

FORMER OFFICIALS OF CENTRAL UNITED TALMUDIC ACADEMY IN BROOKLYN PLEAD GUILTY TO $3 MILLION FRAUD SCHEME

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

  Elozer Porges and Joel Lowy plead guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud relating to their participation in a multi-million dollar fraud scheme. Porges and Lowy committed this fraud while serving in the administrative offices of Central United Talmudic Academy (“Central UTA”), a school system located in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Porges served as Central UTA’s Executive Director, and Lowy served as Porges’s assistant. The pleas were entered before United States District Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis. 

 Richard P. Donoghue, 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 Bethanne M. Dinkins, Special Agent-in-Charge, United States Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General, announced the guilty pleas. 

 According to the indictment, court filings and facts presented during the guilty plea, from between approximately 2013 and 2015, Porges and Lowy submitted documents to the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) specifically falsely claiming that its school children had received meals which, in fact, had never been served. The defendants fraudulently inflated the number of meals served at various Central UTA schools in order to obtain larger reimbursement payments from the federal government’s Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), a program funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and administered by the NYSDOH that is designed to assist schools and other institutions in providing meals to, among others, at-risk children. In total, Porges and Lowy, fraudulently obtained more than $3 million in reimbursement payments to CUTA.

 At their guilty plea proceedings, Porges and Lowy admitted to submitting the inflated meal counts on behalf of Central UTA. As part of their plea agreements, Porges and Lowy are required to reimburse $3,256,338.68 to the USDA in restitution. Lowy is also required to pay restitution in the amount of $98,407.21 for food stamp and child care benefits he improperly obtained from New York City agencies.

 When sentenced, Porges and Lowy each face a statutory maximum of 20 years’ imprisonment.

The Defendants: 

ELOZER PORGES Age: 43 Brooklyn, NY 

JOEL LOWY Age: 29 Brooklyn, NY 

DOI STATEMENT ON NYPD’S RESPONSE TO OUR FINDINGS ON NYPD’S SPECIAL VICTIMS DIVISION – ADULT SEX CRIMES

The City of New York Department of Investigation 
MARK G. PETERS COMMISSIONER

  DOI’s Report on NYPD’s Special Victims Division (SVD) is evidence based. It relies on the NYPD’s own documents, which are attached to the report, as well as interviews with the most senior person in charge of SVD, Deputy Chief Michael Osgood, Commanding Officer of SVD, who has been running the unit since 2011. In addition, DOI spoke with other SVD supervisors, senior sex crimes prosecutors in all five District Attorney’s offices, numerous recent retirees of SVD and all major victim advocates in New York City. Furthermore, we shared the report with and requested comment from Commissioner O’Neill nearly two weeks ago. 

  NYPD’s statement inaccurately notes two numbers: 

1: In 2017, the average caseload of an SVD investigator was 77 (not 62). The 77 number is based on NYPD’s own documentation. (Homicide detectives average two cases per year). 

2: The number of detectives assigned to actively investigate adult sex crimes is 67 (not 85) and the NYPD did not dispute that number last Friday when we discussed the report with NYPD officials. (NYPD has a total of 3,000 detectives).

The report does not dispute the survivor-centered model or FETI. In fact, we commend these initiatives in our report.

DOI’s report demonstrates this: more needs to be done to properly respond to victims of adult sex crimes. The NYPD’s refusal to recognize this presents additional barriers to sex crimes victims in their pursuit of justice. 

Statement from NYC Comptroller Scott M. Stringer on the City’s Decision to Contribute to MTA Emergency Subway Plan

  Comptroller Scott M. Stringer released the following statement on the City’s announcement that it will contribute to the MTA’s emergency subway plan:

“When Chairman Lhota first introduced his plan last year, we immediately called on the City to fund it. For months and months since, we’ve continuously released alarming reports that have spotlighted the delays underground, the economic ramifications of slowdowns, and the crisis in our transportation systems. Each time, we’ve continued to call for the full funding of the emergency plan. It has always been the right thing to do.

“Today, it appears action is finally happening. We’re glad to see the City taking this step forward. Now, it’s incumbent upon the MTA to deliver results for all New Yorkers.”

NYC EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ISSUES TRAVEL ADVISORY FOR MONDAY, APRIL 2

Winter Weather Advisory in effect from 2a.m. through 2 p.m. Monday

  The New York City Emergency Management Department today issued a travel advisory for Monday, April 2. The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory for New York City in effect from 2 a.m. through 2 p.m. Monday. A cold front is forecast to bring two to four inches of snow to the NYC area on Monday. Snow is expected to accumulate on grassy surfaces, with limited accumulation on roadways. Snow is forecast to transition into a wintry mix late Monday morning.

A Winter Weather Advisory for snow means that periods of snow may cause travel difficulties. New Yorkers should prepare for slippery roads and are asked to use caution when driving, walking, or biking.

Safety Tips

·  Drive slowly. Vehicles take longer to stop on snow and ice than on dry pavement.

·  Four-wheel drive vehicles may make it easier to drive on snow-covered roads, but they do not stop quicker than other vehicles.

·  Use major streets or highways for travel whenever possible.

· Know your vehicle’s braking system. Vehicles with anti-lock brakes require a different braking technique than vehicles without anti-lock brakes in snowy conditions.

·  If you are driving and begin to skid, ease your foot off the gas and steer in the direction that you want the front of the car to go. Straighten the wheel when the car moves in the desired direction. If you have an anti-lock braking system (ABS), apply steady pressure to the brake pedal. Never pump the brakes on an ABS equipped vehicle.

·  Try to keep your vehicle’s gas tank as full as possible.

·  Keep the name and phone number of at least one local towing service in your car in case you break down or become stuck.

·  Exercise caution and avoid slippery surfaces; some ice may not be visible. Wear sturdy boots that provide traction to reduce slipping. Use handrails when using stairs.

·   Seniors should take extra care outdoors to avoid slips and falls.

·   Have heightened awareness of cars, particularly when approaching or crossing intersections.

Statement from Cynthia Nixon on Cuomo's Big Ugly Budget Dealmaking

  Cynthia Nixon, candidate for Governor, released the following statement on the budget process at 8:05 PM:

Under Andrew Cuomo, the state budget process has routinely become known as the “Big Ugly,” and this budget sounds like it will be particularly ugly for everyday New Yorkers. Instead of an open and transparent process with a public debate on the issues, Cuomo’s budget cobbles together a series of backroom deals. When sexual harassment legislation was negotiated, the only woman legislative leader in the state was shut out of the room, but a man being investigated for sexual harassment was part of negotiations. A major policy change on school budgets that would undermine local control and give Governor Cuomo unprecedented power to veto local school budgets is being decided without any input from local voters or parents. And Governor Cuomo is allowing essential reforms like tax hikes on multimillionaires, bail reform, and early voting to drop off the table altogether. Andrew Cuomo promised to clean up the corruption in Albany, but instead he has doubled down on secretive backroom deal-making, in a process driven by whatever soundbite will make the Governor look good, not by the budget that is good for New York families and workers. No wonder it’s called the “Big Ugly.”