Tuesday, April 10, 2018

News From Congressman Eliot Engel


Engel Marks Equal Pay Day by Calling for Passage of the Paycheck Fairness Act

  Congressman Eliot L. Engel today marked Equal Pay Day by calling for the passage of H.R. 1869, the Paycheck Fairness Act.

Equal Pay Day falls on April 10th, the 100th day of 2018, symbolizing the 100 extra days that the average American woman had to work just to earn what men did in 2017. American women working full-time typically earn 80 cents for every dollar that men earn doing the same work.

This divide grows even wider for women of color. Black women’s Equal Pay Day will not come until August 7th, and Latinas’ Equal Pay Day falls on November 1st – meaning they must work nearly a full extra year to match men’s earnings.

To finally eliminate this pervasive pay gap, Congressman Engel is an original cosponsor of the Paycheck Fairness Act. This bill, introduced by Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro, would create stronger penalties for pay discrimination, allow women to join together in class-action lawsuits in response to sex-based pay discrimination, prohibit employers from punishing employees who share salary information, and take needed steps to ensure discriminatory salaries do not hold women back throughout their careers.

“There is absolutely no reason why any Member of Congress should oppose equal pay for equal work – and yet, only one House Republican has cosponsored the Paycheck Fairness Act,” Congressman Engel said. “This should not be a partisan issue in Washington. Women are not second class citizens and it’s long past time our laws reflected that.

“It is time to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act, and close the pay gap once and for all.”

Engel was an original cosponsor of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which became law in 2009.

Engel: Make Sure You Take Advantage of ConEd’s Storm Reimbursement Program

  Congressman Eliot L. Engel is urging all those affected by last month’s storm outages to take advantage of Con Edison’s reimbursement program.

In a letter to ConEd, Engel demanded the utility company reimburse their customers for the series of outages that affected the area last month. ConEd has since announced that it will reimburse customers for food and prescription medicine spoilage if they lost power for at least three consecutive days. Those reimbursements for eligible residential customers amount to $225 without receipts, or up to $515 with receipts. Business owners are eligible for food spoilage reimbursements up to $10,200 with receipts. Those seeking to file for reimbursements for spoilage can check the company’s website here: http://bit.ly/2FD2mm8.

In addition, If you lost power for 3 days or more during the March 2 and March 7 nor’easters, ConEd will provide you with an adjustment to your bill that will reflect a one-time reduction to your monthly customer delivery charge. Customers will receive this credit on their bill by May 21.

“ConEd dropped the ball for thousands of New Yorkers during last month’s swing of nor’easters and its important they make these adjustments for their customers,” Engel said. I demanded ConEd provide their customers with reimbursement for these outages, and while I am pleased they are working towards this goal, much more needs to be done to ensure another incident like this won’t take place in the future.”

Bronx Israel Independence Day Festival


Sunday, April 8, 2018

Statement From A.G. Schneiderman On Efforts To Weaken State Board Of Elections Independent Enforcement Counsel


“Risa Sugarman has been a critical partner in my office’s fight to root out fraud and abuse in our state’s campaign finance system. By working with a strong, independent Enforcement Counsel at the Board of Elections, we’ve held public officials accountable time and again for breaking the law and cheating New Yorkers.
It is deeply disturbing that the Board of Elections would consider gutting one of the few tools that exist to root out public corruption in New York—or sideline a dedicated professional like Risa Sugarman who is committed to upholding the rule of law.
Any weakening of the Enforcement Counsel’s authority or independence would only encourage more corruption across New York State. The Board of Elections should reject any proposal that does so, without delay.”

Comptroller Stringer Audit: Nearly Three-Quarters of NYCHA Playgrounds in Unsatisfactory or Dangerous Condition, Creating Hazards for Thousands of Children


Stringer audit finds NYCHA filed bogus playground inspection reports while broken equipment endangered children
72 playgrounds in 52 different developments posed imminent danger
NYCHA failed to maintain 549 of its 788 playgrounds citywide, potentially putting thousands of children at risk
Stringer calls for NYCHA to immediately overhaul its inspection protocols and conduct a top-to-bottom review of all NYCHA playgrounds
  The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) has failed to properly maintain hundreds of playgrounds Citywide, potentially putting tens of thousands of children living in its developments at risk, according to an audit released today by New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer. NYCHA’s playgrounds are meant to provide recreation opportunities and shared community space for NYCHA’s 400,000 residents and 100,000 children, but the Comptroller’s audit found that most of NYCHA’s playgrounds were in decrepit condition, with dozens potentially posing imminent danger to children.
In its ninth NYCHA audit since 2014, Comptroller Stringer’s office inspected all 788 NYCHA-maintained playgrounds—across 238 different NYCHA developments—and found that 549, or 70 percent, were plagued by unsatisfactory and often hazardous conditions, such as missing and broken play equipment, some with exposed jagged edges, and loose and damaged safety surfaces. Visibly hazardous conditions, which may have posed imminent danger to children, were found at 72 playgrounds in 52 different NYCHA developments. What’s more, the Comptroller’s Office uncovered that NYCHA’s own inspection reports for 25 sampled developments were either inaccurate, lacked the required supervisory review, or were missing altogether. Among the Comptroller’s Office’s findings:

Dangerous, Deteriorating and Decrepit Playground Conditions

  • Visibly hazardous conditions, which may have posed imminent danger to children, were found at 72 playgrounds across 52 different NYCHA developments;
  • 151 developments had a total of 352 playgrounds with damaged safety surfacing, such as mats and tiles that were loose, missing, warped or otherwise damaged;
  • 97 developments had a total of 164 playgrounds with missing, bent, or broken play equipment;59 developments had a total of 149 playgrounds with broken or deteriorated benches; and
  • 55 developments had a total of 79 playgrounds with clogged or inadequate water drainage.
At 25 NYCHA developments where Comptroller Stringer’s auditors found hazardous playground conditions, they also looked for NYCHA’s required monthly inspection reports covering a 17‑month period and found:
  • 24 NYCHA developments (96 percent) failed to report any hazardous playground conditions in need of repair, despite the clearly visible hazards that the Comptroller’s auditors observed and photographed.
  • 9 NYCHA developments (36 percent) filed more than a dozen inaccurate inspection reports within 2 months of the auditors’ inspections, omitting specific hazards the auditors identified.
  • In one egregious case, one week after the Comptroller’s office informed NYCHA’s senior management of visibly hazardous damage to a bench, a play structure platform, and a spiral slide at the Throggs Neck Houses playground, the development filed an inspection report that inaccurately rated the condition of all three items as “good.” Four days later, the development filed a new inspection report that rated the spiral slide as “unsatisfactory” and stated that it had been removed but continued to rate the two other damaged items as “good.” Ultimately, NYCHA reported that all three damaged items were either removed, blocked off, or slated for repair.
  • 12 NYCHA developments (48 percent) filed no inspection reports whatsoever.
  • Overall, the 25 NYCHA developments filed only 124 (29 percent) of the required 425 monthly inspection reports.
  • Of the 124 playground inspection reports NYCHA maintained on file, more than half had not been signed by a supervisor as required by NYCHA’s own standards.
  • The only NYCHA development that noted any conditions in need of repair reported a single damaged slide on 22 consecutive inspection reports but failed to repair it until after the Comptroller’s auditors reported it and other playground damage to NYCHA’s senior management.
“As a parent, I’m shocked. As Comptroller, I’m outraged. Our kids face lead, mold, and broken heating inside their apartments. But when they walk outside, they have play spaces that should break adults’ hearts, because they put children in jeopardy. Jagged metal edges, broken slides, decrepit structures – this is what government is providing for our kids. All children – whether they live in public housing or in luxury condos – deserve to play in a safe space that encourages their growth. But right now, NYCHA is failing to inspect and repair their playgrounds, which means the Authority is sitting on a catastrophe waiting to happen. While NYCHA has many needs, children in public housing deserve more,” said Comptroller Scott M. Stringer. “When children living in NYCHA buildings are put in danger right in front of their own homes, it’s a terrible message to send. Just when we should be helping kids achieve their dreams, NYCHA is making their play spaces a nightmare. That’s why I’m calling on NYCHA to conduct a top-to-bottom review of each playground it’s required to keep safe for our kids.”
Under NYCHA policy, the agency must maintain each development’s playgrounds and other exterior areas, including lawns, trees, parking spaces, paved areas, and fences.  To ensure compliance with safety regulations, the agency requires inspection results to be entered into NYCHA’s electronic system for tracking maintenance and physical repair work.
Comptroller Stringer’s audit, however, shows NYCHA’s playground-maintenance is at best inconsistent and at worst demonstrates outright neglect of those community spaces that kids and families rely on for recreation.
The unsatisfactory and dangerous conditions Comptroller Stringer’s auditors found include the following:
Riis Houses playground located at 1115-1141 FDR Drive, Manhattan
Broken Spiral Climber with Sharp Edges

The Comptroller’s office notified senior NYCHA officials of the broken spiral climber at Riis Houses on June 23, 2017.  On July 12, 2017, NYCHA informed the Comptroller’s Office that the damaged portion of the equipment had been secured with plywood and caution tape. Subsequently, NYCHA repaired and refurbished the equipment, as shown in the bottom photograph below.





Refurbished Spiral Climber










Broken Metal Slides with Sharp Edges
Jackson Houses playground, 285 East 156th Street, Bx

On July 24, 2017, the Comptroller’s Office notified NYCHA 
officials of the dangerous broken metal slides reflected in 
the photographs below at the Jackson Houses playgrounds.  
On August 17, 2017, NYCHA informed the Comptroller’s 
Office that the damaged equipment was repaired.






Jackson Houses playground, 300 East 158th Street, Bx


Saturday, April 7, 2018

Drug Dealer Charged With Overdose Death Of Public School Teacher In The Bronx


  Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and James P. O’Neill, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced the arrest and unsealing of a Complaint charging KASHAWN LYONS with distributing the fentanyl that resulted in the death of Matthew Azimi, a public school teacher in the Bronx.  The Complaint also alleges that LYONS and a co-defendant, TERRICK WHITAKER, distributed heroin and fentanyl together between February and March 2018 in the Bronx.  LYONS was arrested yesterday by the NYPD, and presented today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Henry B. Pitman in Manhattan federal court.  TERRICK WHITAKER remains at large.

U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said:  “As alleged, Kashawn Lyons and Terrick Whitaker peddled potentially lethal heroin and fentanyl near the grounds of a Bronx public school.  Additionally, Lyons allegedly sold a dose that was in fact lethal and resulted in the overdose death of a teacher at the school.  Working with the NYPD we will continue to combat the epidemic of lethal opioids that is killing people from all walks of life.”
According to the allegations in the Complaint[1]:
On November 30, 2017, Matthew Azimi, a 36-year-old teacher, was found dead inside a faculty bathroom at a special education public school in the Bronx (the “School”) where Mr. Azimi was a teacher.  The NYPD responded to the School and began investigating Azimi’s death.  An autopsy conducted following Mr. Azimi’s death revealed that he died from a lethal dose of fentanyl.  NYPD officers recovered a syringe and a pink glassine bag with no stamp or other distinctive marking next to Mr. Azimi’s body.  The NYPD also recovered Mr. Azimi’s cellphone.
As detailed in the Complaint, the NYPD was able to trace the last three completed calls that Mr. Azimi made before he overdosed on November 30, 2017, to a cellphone used by LYONS.  Through surveillance, the NYPD learned that LYONS continued to sell heroin and fentanyl in the vicinity of the School.  In February 2018, the NYPD made undercover buys of heroin and fentanyl from LYONS and WHITAKER, who was dealing drugs with LYONS, in close proximity to the School.  The heroin and fentanyl purchased from LYONS and WHTIAKER were packaged in the same unique pink glassine bags as the one found next to Mr. Azimi’s body.
LYONS was charged with distribution and possession with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl, and with conspiring to distribute heroin and fentanyl with WHITAKER.  LYONS faces a maximum sentence of life in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in prison based upon his distribution of the fentanyl that killed Mr. Azimi., 31, of the Bronx, 

WHITAKER, 31, of the Bronx, was charged with distribution and possession with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl, and with conspiring to distribute heroin and fentanyl with LYONS, each of which carries a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. 
The statutory maximum and minimum sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for information purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants would be determined by the judge.
Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the NYPD in this case. 
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.

Governor Cuomo Endorses Luis Sepulveda in April 24th Special Election



  It looked like a victory party before the April 24th special election with all the elected officials in the room to watch Governor Andrew Cuomo endorse 32nd State Senate candidate Luis Sepulveda. There was the Bronx Borough President, members of Congress members of the State Senate, State Assembly and City Council. 

  Bronx Democratic County Leader Marcos Crespo opened the endorsement with many kind words for his next door neighbor in the State Assembly, and dispelled the rumor that he and Luis Sepulveda were twins. Crespo introduced Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, who had only words of praise for Assemblyman Sepulveda's job in the State Assembly. Heastie called the State Assembly the Upper House, and wondered why Assemblyman Sepulveda wanted to go to the lower State Senate. 


Above - Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie.
Below - New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.


  Speaker Heastie then introduced Governor Andrew Cuomo, who said "I don't want to get involved in which house is the 'Upper House', because I have to work with both houses of the state legislature. Governor Cuomo praised County Leader Crespo on his dedication to Puerto Rico, and for traveling with him to see the devastation to the island. The governor called Congressman Crowley a rising star in Washington. He went on to blast the National Republican Party and current President for what their policies are doing to New York State economically, and the new tax bill is aimed at the twelve states that are all Democratic. He added that he is one-Hundred percent behind Congressman Crowley in the move to win all congressional districts in New York.

  The Governor said that he did not always agree with former State Senator Diaz, but he respected him. Then came the subject of the State Senate, and the two vacant seats. He said with the reunification of the Senate Democratic Conference and the IDC Democrats need only one more seat to have control of the State Senate, saying that more Progressive Democratic legislation would then be passed. He then made his endorsement of Luis Sepulveda, and introduced the next State Senator from the 32nd District Luis Sepulveda. 

  Soon to be State Senator Luis Sepulveda thanked the governor for his kind words, and said that he did not pick out the orange and blue colors behind him since they are the colors of the Mets, and he is a Yankee fan not a Met fan. He thanked his mentor now Councilman Ruben Diaz Sr., and hoped to see Mayor Ruben Diaz Jr. in 2021. He also praised former Bronx Democratic Leaders Roberto Ramirez, Jose Rivera, and Carl Heastie.

  Sepulveda then went on to say he will be continuing his fight for Justice, better education, that the elderly don't have to decide to pay for medicines or the rent, to make poverty a thing of the past, and fight the assault on labor unions by the federal government. He said that he was glad to see the unification of the State Senate, and thanked Senator Stewart-Cousins and his friend Senator Klein who he called a progressive. He thanked his wife and son, and his father saying that he owes all he is to today to his father.


Above - Candidate for the 32nd State Senate District addresses the audience after receiving the endorsement of Governor Andrew Cuomo.
Below - Elected officials clap as soon to be State Senator Luis Sepulveda thanks Governor Andrew Cuomo for his endorsement. 



Community Safety Meeting PS 105 April 13th


LAWYERS 4 JUMAANE Fundraiser On April 10



ATTORNEYS 4 JUMAANE
FUNDRAISER on Tuesday!
If you would like to attend, 
"IT'S TIME! LET'S GO!