News From Congressman Eliot Engel,

Engel Statement on Senate Passing Resolution Protecting Net Neutrality

   “I applaud my colleagues in the Senate for passing a resolution to protect net neutrality today. This vote is a huge victory for the American people, the majority of whom overwhelmingly support maintaining net neutrality. A free and open internet is essential to modern democracy and thus must be protected under any circumstance. Now that the Senate has taken this important step, it is up to the GOP controlled House to follow suit. Leadership must allow the House to vote on this critical resolution, which already has 162 cosponsors, myself included.”  

Engel Speaks in Opposition to GOP Cuts to SNAP in Farm Bill

  Congressman Eliot Engel took to the House floor today to speak in opposition to House Republicans’ proposed cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in their Farm Bill.

“SNAP is a lifeline for 40 million low-income Americans and millions of working families,” Engel said. “It is the most effective anti-hunger program in the country.

“And yet, instead of protecting a successful program like SNAP, this cruel GOP bill would take over $23 billion in benefits away from children, seniors, veterans, individuals with disabilities, and working families struggling to make ends meet.”

Video of Congressman Engel’s remarks can be found at this link. Text of the remarks as prepared for delivery can be found below:

Mr. Speaker,

I rise in opposition to the Rule.

SNAP is a lifeline for 40 million low-income Americans and millions of working families.  It is the most effective anti-hunger program in the country.  It is a proven pathway out of poverty for America’s most vulnerable families. 

And yet, instead of protecting a successful program like SNAP, this cruel GOP bill would take over $23 billion in benefits away from children, seniors, veterans, individuals with disabilities, and working families struggling to make ends meet. 

My colleagues on the other side of the aisle argue that the requirements in this Farm Bill would help people find work.  But if they are really interested in promoting jobs that allow people to care for themselves and their families, then I’d invite them to consider legislation to raise the minimum wage, ensure fair work scheduling, provide paid family and medical leave and paid sick days, and address basic living standards.

Instead, we’re considering a callous Farm Bill that cuts benefits from those who need it most in order to pay for massive handouts to corporations and the top one percent.

I urge my colleagues to vote against this rule.

DE BLASIO ADMINISTRATION UNVEILS WOMEN.NYC, NEW PLATFORM DEDICATED TO HELPING WOMEN SUCCEED

New website and marketing campaign will help make NYC fairer for working women

Women across the five boroughs are encouraged to share their experiences, advice and goals with #NYCPowerMove

  First Lady of New York City Chirlane McCray and Deputy Mayor of Housing and Economic Development Alicia Glen today unveiled Women.NYC, a new initiative to  support the advancement of women in their careers and help make New York City fairer for working women. The website and citywide marketing campaign will provide access to key resources and tools that will help advance women in the workplace.

The launch of Women.NYC is in response to known gender disparities in the workplace and seeks to motivate other women to make “power moves” to further their careers and get equal pay for equal work. Campaign ads and videos that will be located throughout the city can be viewed here.

“This Administration has taken bold steps to fight the forces of inequality that are holding society back, and this new initiative will give women the tools they need to succeed in one, easy to access place. I thank the First Lady and Deputy Mayor Glen for spearheading this effort that will help make New York City fairer for women,” saidMayor Bill de Blasio.

"New York City cannot continue as a successful city if women cannot succeed too. And now, for the first time in history, the women of New York City have all the tools they need to succeed in one place with Women.NYC," saidFirst Lady Chirlane McCray, co-chair for the Commission on Gender Equity. "Power means something different for every woman, but we are all better off when every woman can tap into her power."

"Women have waited long enough for equal pay, power and respect. In New York City, we aren’t going to wait any longer. That's why we are launching Women.NYC," said Deputy Mayor for Housing and Economic Development Alicia Glen. "We know women can do it alone. But we don't have to. Women now have concrete tools for concrete success, all in one, easy-to-navigate place. New York City is already the best city in the world for women. Today, we're making it even better."

The Women.NYC website will function as a one-stop-shop that will provide information, resources, and tools on key topics such as finding a job, starting and running a business, getting legal help, accessing health services, raising a child/family, money management and more.

The initiative is backed by a citywide marketing campaign comprised of traditional and digital media that will be located at various, highly trafficked and visible locations throughout the five boroughs and online. The thought-provoking ads are meant to encourage women across the city to share the story of their career journey and inspire other women using the hashtag #NYCPowerMove.

Despite significant progress made under the de Blasio Administration to date, such as establishing Pre-K For All, instituting paid sick and family leave, and banning questions about salary history to prevent pay discrimination, many women continue to face barriers to success due to a number of factors like inflexible family leave policies and societal reinforcement of gender-normative career tracks.

The Stats

In New York City, women earn about 89 cents on the dollar compared to men, and out of the 55 Fortune 500 companies in New York City, only one has a female CEO.

The numbers are staggering for women-owned businesses too. On average, female-owned businesses generate 61 percent less revenue than male-owned businesses. In NYC, there are 360,000 women entrepreneurs, yet men own 1.5 times the number of businesses, have 3.5 times the number of employees, and generate 4.5 times the amount of revenue. Women own 30 percent of small businesses in the country, but only 4.4 percent of small business loans are allocated to women.

What Women.NYC Can Do

The Women.NYC site will function as a unified platform that will foster an online community of change-makers, local leaders and more. Women are encouraged make their voices heard, get engaged, use their agency to create new partnerships, develop programming and introduce policy ideas that support the advancement of women professionally and personally. 

In addition to positioning NYC as the leading city in the world for women, the initiative is specifically calling on the private sector to do their part to close the pay gap by 2028, achieve gender parity on corporate boards and senior leadership teams by 2025, and offer at least six weeks of paid parental leave for new parents. 

Following the initial campaign launch, there will be a series of workshops, forums and new programs designed to help women and promote the initiative. 

New Yorkers can get involved with Women.NYC by following @Women_NYC on Instagram, sharing power move stories using the hashtag #NYCPowerMove, and logging on to Women.NYC to learn how the city can help you and your sisters, friends, mothers, and daughters achieve more.

New Comptroller Stringer Analysis: Legalizing Marijuana Could Lead to Millions in Tax Revenue for City and State

Comptroller report estimates potential $3.1 billion adult-use marijuana market for New York State including $1.1 billion City market

New York City could realize $336 million in tax revenue from legalizing adult-use marijuana, on top of $436 million for the state

  As support for marijuana legalization grows across the nation, New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer today released a new report on the fiscal impact of legalizing adult-use marijuana sales in New York. While New York State continues to study the implications of legalization, the Comptroller’s analysis estimates the potential market for adult-use marijuana in New York State at roughly $3.1 billion, including approximately $1.1 billion in New York City. By applying tax rates in line with other states, New York State could reap as much $436 million annually in new tax revenue from legal marijuana sales, while New York City could garner as much as $335 million – funds that could be used to invest in communities most damaged by decades of criminalizing marijuana usage and possession.

“This is not just about dollars – it’s about justice. Not only is marijuana an untapped revenue source for the City and the State, but the prosecution of marijuana-related crimes has had a devastating and disproportionate impact on Black and Hispanic communities for far too long,” said New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer. “There is simply no reason for New York to be stuck in the dark ages. This new analysis shows just how much New York City and State stand to benefit by moving toward legalization. Legalizing marijuana and reclassifying past convictions would be critical steps towards turning the page on decades of failed policies. This is an opportunity to do what’s right and build up the very communities that criminalization tore down.”

Estimated Size of Adult-Use Marijuana Market in New York

Using data from Washington State and Colorado, which legalized adult-use marijuana sales in 2014 as guides, the Comptroller’s office estimated:

• There are roughly 1.5 million regular marijuana users in New York State, of whom roughly 550,000 reside in New York City.
• Assuming New York marijuana users would spend amounts similar to those in Washington and Colorado (about $2,080 in annual spending per user), the Comptroller’s office estimated a total annual adult-use marijuana market of roughly $3.1 billion in New York State, of which $1.1 billion is attributable to New York City.
• These estimates are conservative, in that they ignore the potential impact of some 970,000 workers who work in New York City but live outside it, many of whom might purchase marijuana in the city if sales are legalized. They also do not account for the impact of foreign and domestic tourism on New York’s potential marijuana market.

Estimating the Size of the Adult-Use Marijuana Market

Potential Tax Revenues from Adult-Use Marijuana Sales 

Jurisdiction	Adult Population	Monthly Adult Use	Estimated Monthly Users	Estimated Annual Sales/User	Market Size ($ millions)
Washington State	5540571	11.42%	632733	$2,055.00	$1,300.00
Colorado	4180931	17.12%	715775	$2,106.00	$1,507.70
New York City	6505088	8.43%	548151	$2,080.00	$1,140.40
NY State	15109013	9.90%	1495792	$2,080.00	$3,112.00

 

When estimating the potential tax revenues from marijuana sales in New York, the Comptroller’s office considered a number of factors, including New York’s existing tax regime for medical marijuana and the established excise taxes on items like cigarettes, beer, and liquor. The report found:

• A 25% retail excise tax in New York City would generate up to $336 million in tax revenue annually (and as much as $570 million in other New York State localities).
• For New York State, tax revenue is estimated at roughly $436 million annually, combining a 10% retail excise tax together with sales tax at the existing rate of 4%.

Estimated Tax Revenues from Adult-Use Marijuana Sales

$$ in millions	Market Size	Excise Tax	Sales Tax	Total
New York State	$3,111.00	$311.20	$124.50	$435.70
New York City	$1,140.00	$285.10	$51.30	$336.40

Social Benefits and Considerations of Legalizing MarijuanaThe combined maximum excise tax rate of 35% would be roughly equivalent to Washington State’s current marijuana retail excise tax.

Along with establishing a new, sustainable stream of revenue, legalizing adult-use marijuana could reduce costs for public safety, help mitigate public health problems related to the opioid crisis, and help drive broader economic and social benefits that will accrue after eliminating a source of harm that has afflicted communities of color for so long.

In 2018, the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act was introduced by Sen. Liz Krueger and Assemblywoman Crystal D. Peoples-Stokes. The bill would legalize adult possession, while also creating a process to reclassify past convictions related to marijuana and to re-sentence individuals currently incarcerated as a result of a prior marijuana-related offense.

Comptroller Stringer Releases Agency Watch List Report on Homeless Services

As spending on homeless services continues to rise, Comptroller Stringer calls for increased transparency to measure results

Agency Watch List report to be released quarterly on City agencies that must deliver better results

  As the New York City Council Committee on Homeless Services holds a hearing today on the Executive Budget for Fiscal Year 2019, Comptroller Stringer released the second “Agency Watch List” report, this time focused on the City’s spending on homeless services. Amid extraordinary increases in City expenditures on programs to address a historically large homeless population, the Comptroller’s report spotlights the lack of data available to measure the effectiveness of City spending.

The analysis found that while total spending on homelessness across agencies is projected in FY 2018 to increase by 149% from FY 2014, including a more than seven-fold increase in spending on prevention and permanent housing, the population in shelter has barely changed. Meanwhile, comprehensive publicly available information allowing for evaluation of the success of the City’s programs is lacking.

“Resolving our city’s unprecedented homelessness crisis requires urgency and funding, no question – but while the rise in City spending on homeless services has been extraordinary, we are concerned with the lack of results for our most vulnerable New Yorkers,” said New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer. “Reducing our homeless population has to be our top priority – and that goal won’t come easy or cheap. But with a cooling economy and uncertainty from Washington, we need to be smarter with our dollars today – and we need to see results. Data-driven policy matters, but without the publicly available data needed to measure results, it’s impossible to evaluate what is working and what is not. We want to see results for the New Yorkers most in need – that’s why we’re shining a spotlight on when and how the City is spending on services to support the homeless.”

The Agency Watch List, first announced in the Comptroller’s Preliminary Budget Presentation, spotlights City agencies – the Department of Correction (DOC), Department of Education (DOE), and Department of Homeless Services (DHS) – that raise the most budgetary concerns due to rapidly increased spending and insufficient measurable results. Reports, to be released on each department quarterly, will review trends and recommend indicators that should be reported and monitored to evaluate the effectiveness of agency spending in achieving the Administration’s stated goals.

New York City’s homeless services expenditures cross five agencies that share responsibilities for supporting, sheltering and permanently housing every eligible person or family that seeks assistance, including the Department of Homeless Services (DHS), as well as the Departments of Social Services, Youth and Community Development, Health and Mental Hygiene, and Veterans Services. Accordingly, the Comptroller has analyzed multi-agency spending on homeless services in his Agency Watch List for FY 2019.

Shelter Population Historically Large

• From FY 2014 to the current year, FY 2018, total citywide spending on homelessness by all agencies rose from $1.2 billion to over $2.9 billion;
• In the last four years, shelter costs have more than doubled, to over $1.9 billion. The City has added $466 million in spending for shelters in 2018 since the budget was adopted last June;
• New York City’s shelter population increased by 17.5 percent between January 2014 and April 2018. The City’s shelter population reached a record high of 61,075 individuals on February 7, 2018; and
• Among the determinants of daily shelter population is the average length of stay in shelter. The Comptroller’s Watch List report found that the number of families with children in shelter for one year or longer increased by 9 percent from June 2014 to February 2018.

Investment in Prevention Services Grows as Shelter Population Remains High

• Spending on programs to prevent homelessness or to provide successful permanent exits from shelter have dramatically expanded from $105 million in FY 2014 to over $700 million in FY 2018 and now constitutes nearly a quarter of total homelessness spending;
• At the same time, the number of single adult shelter entrants has grown while shelter entrances among families with children and adult (childless) families is consistent with, or slightly below, recent levels, contributing to stagnation in the City’s shelter population;
• As the City bolsters its prevention services, including through increased funding for anti-eviction legal services, the number of requests for emergency rent assistance rose 42 percent between FY 2014 and FY 2016, and remains high; and
• Spending on subsidized rental placements through several new initiatives has grown from just $22.9 million in FY 2014, to nearly $287 million in FY 2018 and is budgeted at $369.1 million for FY 2019. Yet, the number of monthly subsidized housing placements for all household types has leveled off since mid-2015 at roughly 800 placements per month.

Use of Cluster Sites and Commercial Hotels Continues as Expenditures Soar

• The City announced in February, 2017 that it would eliminate the use of cluster sites by the end of 2021, and commercial hotel facilities by the end of 2023. However, over the next three years, the City is anticipating nearly $1.1 billion in expenditures for commercial hotel rooms alone;
• On average, the City spent in excess of $1.1 million per month for hotel rooms that were not used during the six month period ending Dec. 31, 2017;
• Last year, the Comptroller’s Office released a report detailing the exorbitant costs and extraordinary increase in City spending on commercial hotels for shelter residents, in which Comptroller Stringer called for greater transparency to ensure the City made progress in eliminating the use of cluster sites and commercial hotels; and
• As part of the Agency Watch List report, Comptroller Stringer is calling once more on the City to provide detailed public data on the number of cluster sites and commercial hotels in use, as well as the size of the population housed in them. Without this data, it is nearly impossible to measure the City’s progress in closing such sites or to monitor the effectiveness of spending.

Over a Dozen Key Indicators Currently Not Reported

A number of key indicators regarding the City’s spending on homeless programs are not currently publicly reported, resulting in a gap between the Administration’s stated goals and the measures available to evaluate their success. These indicators include:

• Applications for shelter by household type, quarterly;
• Reasons for seeking shelter, quarterly;
• Number of cluster sites in use and population housed, monthly;
• Commercial hotel use, utilization rates and expenditures, monthly;
• Subsidized housing placements by type of subsidy, monthly; and
• Preventive services provided, by household type and type of assistance, monthly (partially reported in MMR).

As part of the Agency Watch List report, the Comptroller’s Office is calling on the Administration to immediately make these statistics publicly available, and incorporate them into the Mayor’s Management Report.

Bookkeeper Charged In Manhattan Federal Court With Embezzling Over $3.4 Million From Literary Agency And Its Clients

  Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and William F. Sweeney Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today that DARIN WEBB was arrested this morning on wire fraud charges stemming from his scheme to defraud a Manhattan-based literary agency (the “Agency”) and its clients of more than $3.4 million.  WEBB provided bookkeeping services for the Agency and carried out his scheme by making unauthorized transfers from the Agency’s bank accounts, and then making changes to the Agency’s accounting system to evade detection.  WEBB was arrested this morning in Manhattan, and will be presented today before United States Magistrate Judge Barbara C. Moses.

U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said:  “As alleged, Darin Webb, a bookkeeper for a firm in the book business, cooked the firm’s books to conceal a multimillion-dollar embezzlement.  Now he is in custody and facing prosecution.” 

FBI Assistant Director William F. Sweeney Jr. said:  “As alleged, Darin Webb was responsible for the financial welfare of the agency whose accounts he oversaw, but instead of upholding his fiscal responsibilities, he spent his time swindling more than $3.4 million from his victims.  Cooking the books rarely pays off in the long run, as the defendant has learned today.”

According to the Complaint unsealed today in Manhattan federal court[1]:

From in or about 2001 through in or about March 2018, DARIN WEBB, the defendant, was engaged as a bookkeeper for the Agency.  From at least January 2011 through March 2018, WEBB used his position as the Agency’s bookkeeper to transfer more than $3.4 million of funds, belonging to the Agency and the Agency’s clients, from the Agency’s bank accounts to bank accounts that WEBB controlled.  In order to evade detection of his criminal conduct and carry out his scheme, WEBB made changes to the Agency’s accounting records to disguise the nature of the transfers.

WEBB, 47, of Manhattan, is charged with one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense.  The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant would be determined by the Court.

[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth below constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.

BRONX WEEK BUSINESS LUNCHEON

 Over 100 business leaders from the Bronx attended the Bronx Week Business Luncheon when Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. gave highlights from his 2017 Annual Bronx Development Report. 

The complete 32 page 2017 Annual Development Report by borough and by Community Board can be found here  https://on.nyc.gov/2rHHTn7. 

  Awards were given to eleven businesses and their owners either based in the Bronx or doing business in the Bronx. They were Associated Supermarkets Group (ASG), Citiwide Exterminating Inc., La Flor de Mayo Express inc., La Rosa Del Monte, Nebraskaland, Pen & Pistol, Puerto Salvo, Puerto Rican USA Importers, Salsa Catering, South of France, and Transcon International. Photos of the event are below.

Above - BOEDC President Ms. Marlene Cintron opens the luncheon.

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. goes over jis 2017 Annual Development Report. 

Above - Ms. Maribel Sof owner of the Restaurant 'South of France' located at 1800 Westchester Avenue Bronx receives her award from BP Diaz and Ms. Cintron.

Below - MS. Zulema Wiscovitch of Associated Supermarket Group with stores in the Bronx receives her award from BP Diaz and Ms. Cintron.

Above - Frank Hernandez of La Flor De Mayo Express INC. receives his award from BP Diaz and Ms. Cintron. 

Below - All the awardees with Bronx BP Diaz (middle back row, and Deputy BP McFadden front row (right). 

BP DIAZ RELEASES ‘BRONX ANNUAL DEVELOPMENT REPORT’

The Bronx was home to $2.7 billion, 16.2 thousand sq. ft. of new development in 2017

  Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. released his “Bronx Annual Development Report” this afternoon during the 2018 Bronx Week Business Luncheon at Tosca Marquee in Throggs Neck.

The report finds that The Bronx continues to see incredible interest from all sectors of the development world, be it residential, commercial or institutional. In 2017, The Bronx saw more than $2.7 billion in total development, the second most of any year during Borough President Diaz’s time in office.

The borough also saw 16,263,954 square feet of total development during the same year, 15 percent more than 2016 and the highest of any year of Borough President Diaz’s tenure. In 2017 the borough was also home to 7,379 new residential units of all types, the most of any year since 2009.

“Look at the numbers. We had an amazing 2017. We are continuing to see unprecedented interest in The Bronx from all sectors,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. “Working together with our Bronx businesses, along with our development leaders, our community boards, non-profits and elected officials, we are all—together—making The Bronx an even better place to live, work and raise a family.”

“Our borough continues to attract investors, developers and businesses at breakneck speed. These efforts have resulted in a historical decline in unemployment and a massive improvement in the quality of life of our residents,” said Marlene Cintron, President of the Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation.

In addition to outlining the growth the borough saw in 2017, the “Bronx Annual Development Report” also illustrates the year-to-year investment and construction The Bronx has played host to since 2009, when Borough President Diaz first took office.

Since then, the borough has seen more than $15.4 billion in total development, as well as more than 84.8 million square feet of total development construction. A total of 36,437 residential units have also been constructed in The Bronx since 2009, as well, with 58 percent of those (21,157) having been developed with government subsidies.

“The vast majority of this new housing has been low and moderate income units. We are helping to keep people in The Bronx,” said Borough President Diaz. “We are making sure that new development works for those families who already call The Bronx their home, and that new attention in The Bronx helps everyone thrive.”

The full report can be read at https://on.nyc.gov/2rHHTn7.

CM Levine Launches “Languages for All” Campaign to Expand Bilingual Education in City Schools

  Today, Council Member Mark Levine launched a new Languages for All campaign aimed at creating a robust expansion of foreign language education programs in NYC.

Learning a foreign language early in life can be an invaluable asset to a child growing up in the world’s most global city. However, very few of the DOE’s language learning programs reach students during their most formative years. In addition to the obvious economic benefits associated with knowing a second language, studies have proven that language learning benefits students in countless ways, including: higher levels of academic achievement, improved cognitive ability, enhanced decision-making ability, and even staving off the effects of Alzheimer’s disease.

Council Member Levine is renewing his call for the City to increase the number of elementary students in immersion programs to 20% of all students and to grow the number of languages offered to 20, a goal the City has not yet met despite progress.

The DOE currently offers 245 Dual Language programs across the five boroughs for 11 languages, including: Spanish, Chinese, French, Russian, Polish, Japanese, Arabic, Haitian Creole, Italian, Hebrew, and Korean.

Council Member Levine introduced two pieces of legislation to expand dual languages programs in the City, including:

·     A bill directing the DOE to annually report to the Council on the number and progress of foreign language learning (FLL) programs in the City (Int 762-2018); and

·  A resolution calling on the State to enact A.1154/S. 3641 sponsored by Assembly member Nily Rozic and State Senator Kevin Parker that would establish incentives for college students to become bilingual-certified teachers (Res 273-2018).

“New York is the most multilingual city in the world, and yet, our City’s public schools are falling behind when it comes to foreign language instruction at an early age,” said Council Member Levine. “As the world becomes ever more connected, multilingualism is an increasingly valuable asset in the job market. Language learning-- especially at a young age--also aids cognitive development and promotes academic achievement in other subjects. For young people to succeed in today’s global world, we need to create a language learning system for the 21st Century, focused on immersion at a young age.”