MAYOR DE BLASIO ANNOUNCES JULIE MENIN AS DIRECTOR OF THE CENSUS FOR NYC AND EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT CORPORATION COUNSEL FOR STRATEGIC ADVOCACY

   Mayor Bill de Blasio today appointed Julie Menin as Director of the Census for New York City. She also will serve as Executive Assistant Corporation Counsel for Strategic Advocacy. In her new roles, Menin will organize extensive outreach efforts to encourage every New York City resident to participate in the upcoming 2020 Census. An accurate census count will ensure that New York receives its fair share of education, healthcare, housing and infrastructure funding and its proper electoral representation in Congress.

As Executive Assistant Corporation Counsel for Strategic Advocacy, Menin has been tasked to aggressively pursue innovative strategies to protect New Yorkers who may be hurt by federal actions, including exploring avenues for litigation, legislation and rule-making. In this role, she will collaborate with partners including other cities and advocacy groups to change the legal landscape on a wide range of issues from immigrant rights and citizenship, to voter protections, gerrymandering and critical federal funding grants directed toward the City and our most vulnerable New Yorkers. In addition, she will use her many years of legal experience in consumer protection to advise on affirmative litigation against companies that are preying on New Yorkers.

“Julie Menin has been able to get the job done very effectively in every single role she’s held,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “From her time chairing Community Board 1 to her outstanding work leading two city agencies, Julie has been able to leverage government, legal and the not for profit and private sectors to put low-income New Yorkers, small businesses and marginalized communities first. I’m confident Julie will help protect New York from the Trump Administration’s attacks on a fair census effort and help build confidence among all New York City communities so that every New Yorker participates in the upcoming 2020 Census.” 

“Having an accurate count of the population is vital for a fair share and distribution of resources and equitable political representation, especially under a federal administration consistently attacking immigrants. We must all work together and ensure that every New Yorker is counted in the Census 2020,” said Council Speaker Corey Johnson.

“Nothing is more important for a fair distribution of resources and access to economic opportunities in our democratic society than making sure everyone is counted by the census,” said Deputy Mayor for Strategic Policy Initiatives J. Phillip Thompson. “The de Blasio Administration is working hard to fight any attempts to undercount New Yorkers, and I look forward to working with a leader with extraordinary managerial experience and community savvy like Julie Menin to ensure that historically disenfranchised and marginalized communities in our city won’t be scared into silence.”

“Because of Julie’s experience as a consumer advocate, litigator, regulatory attorney and civic leader, she is uniquely qualified to provide focused executive level oversight of the Law Department’s strategic advocacy initiative and aggressively pursue opportunities to advance the City’s policy objectives through litigation, legislation and rulemaking,” said Corporation Counsel Zachary W. Carter.

“I am thrilled to take on this new dual role as Census Director and Executive Assistant Corporation Counsel for Strategic Advocacy at this critical juncture for our city when it has never been more important to fight the threats to democracy and immigration that our city faces. We will leave no stone unturned to ensure that every New Yorker is counted so our city receives the billions in funding it deserves for public schools, health care, child care, senior centers and infrastructure and that we will use every legal avenue to protect our democratic ideals and make sure justice is served,” said Julie Menin, Director of the Census for New York City and Executive Assistant Corporation Counsel for Strategic Advocacy.

Many federal programs rely on the population figures collected by the census to distribute federal funds among states and local governments. A total of approximately $700 billion is distributed annually to States across the country through approximately 300 different census-guided federal grant and funding programs. These programs support essential services including healthcare, public education, social services and infrastructure development. Inaccurate population counts resulting from the Trump Administration’s decision to add a citizenship question to the 2020 Census could harm cities by depriving them of their fair share of federal funding and removing crucial resources for important government services. New York State alone also stands to lose one congressional seat if the 2020 Census count is inaccurate.

As a result, the de Blasio Administration joined the Attorney General’s Office and other cities in a lawsuit to stop the Trump administration from including the question in the Census. The de Blasio Administration also allocated approximately $4.3 million dollars for its census efforts to build out a citywide public awareness campaign for communities across New York City. In September, the Department of City Planning submitted addresses for more than 122,000 housing units that the Census Bureau did not have on its address list for the 2020 Census. Approximately 300,000 additional New Yorkers could now be counted as a result of this update.

The Mayor also charged Deputy Mayor J. Phillip Thompson to oversee and lead the Administration’s census efforts. Deputy Mayor Thompson also appointed Nisha Agarwal as his Senior Advisor and Jorge Fanjul as his Senior Advisor for DemocracyNYC and Deputy Director of Census Outreach and Organizing. Julie Menin will bring her government and legal expertise and community organizing skills to this team to further expand these outreach efforts and will work closely with the Department of City Planning and the Mayor’s Public Engagement Unit. The City will also work closely with the Census Bureau’s Regional Office on preparations for the 2020 Census to ensure that the special challenges in enumerating New York City’s population are addressed.

About Julie Menin

Julie Menin is an attorney and civic leader who has over two decades of experience in the legal, regulatory and public sectors. Menin also brings years of experience organizing, advocating and securing funding in the non-profit, private and government sectors for a number of initiatives, including her work as a leading force in the redevelopment of Lower Manhattan in the wake of 9/11. In addition, Menin chaired Community Board 1 for seven years in the aftermath of 9/11 and was a strong and vocal advocate for the community. During her time as chair, she spearheaded the approval of the Islamic Cultural Center and Mosque. Menin also served as Commissioner of the Redistricting Commission in 2001 where she led a non-partisan effort to set new City Council district lines.

Menin most recently served as the Commissioner of the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment and launched dozens of new initiatives that promote equality in the media and entertainment industry. Prior to her time at MOME, Menin served as Commissioner of the Department of Consumer Affairs, where she was instrumental in implementing many of the Mayor’s signature projects, including the Paid Sick Leave Law, the Small Business Relief Package to reduce fines on businesses, and the implementation of the Living Wage Executive Order. In addition, she launched the City's first expanded Earned Income Tax initiative, creating an outreach program that resulted in an extraordinary 50 percent increase in New Yorkers using the City's free tax centers and returning $260 million to low-income New Yorkers. As Commissioner of DCA, Menin tackled bureaucratic barriers that stymied economic growth and resulted in a one-third reduction in fines on small businesses and 70 percent increase in consumer restitution. She also launched investigations into not-for-profit colleges, fraudulent auto loans, debt collectors, and other industries preying on New Yorkers.

STATEMENT BY CANDIDATE FOR PUBLIC ADVOCATE, COUNCILMAN ERIC ULRICH ON THE CONVICTION OF DE BLASIO PAL JEREMY REICHBERG

  “Today’s verdict and conviction of Jeremy Reichberg is proof that Bill de Blasio’s administration has been for sale since day one. As Public Advocate, I will hold Mayor de Blasio accountable, and ensure that we strengthen the City’s transparency and conflicts of interest laws to rid our government of this wanton bribery. The evidence presented at the trial highlighted how close Bill de Blasio was to this felon and the government’s key witness, and how much access the Mayor gave to both of them. No amount of word-play and legal maneuvering justifies how much Mayor de Blasio wanted to hide these relationships from the public. Bill de Blasio talks a big game about ridding the city of big money in politics, but since he took office he has been part of the problem, not the solution. He needs to come clean and tell New Yorkers the whole truth about his relationship with Rechnitz and Reichberg, today.”

MAYOR DE BLASIO SIGNS LEGISLATION EXPEDITING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM

  Mayor Bill de Blasio today held a public hearing for and signed Intro. 1288, which makes all elections between now and the 2021 primary, including the upcoming special election, eligible for stronger campaign finance laws and helps the average New Yorker have more of a say in individual campaigns. New Yorkers voted for this reform overwhelmingly in the 2018 General Election, however it would not have gone into effect until 2021. The Mayor also signed a formal proclamation setting the date - February 26, 2019 - for the Special Election for Public Advocate. 

“With the upcoming special election, we’re expediting an important piece of legislation that will strengthen the voices of average New Yorkers by reforming campaign finance laws,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “Originally, these reforms were set to go into effect in 2021, but New Yorkers deserve to have these reforms in place when choosing their new Public Advocate. I want to thank Council Speaker Corey Johnson, Council Member Ben Kallos and the rest of the City Council for passing this piece of legislation.”

Intro. 1288 allows candidates currently running in special elections to choose between two public financing options. Candidates can access the current system, which allows a maximum contribution of $2,550 from each New York City resident. The City will match the first $175 six to one.

Candidates may also have access to a second option that caps donations at $1,000 per New York City resident, but provides an eight-to-one match on the first $250.

Amy Loprest, the Executive Director of the Campaign Finance Board, said, “Increasing access to public matching funds and placing tighter limits on contributions will increase fairness and include more voices in city elections.”

Speaker and Acting Public Advocate of the City of New York

City Council Speaker Corey Johnson assumed the role and office of Acting Public Advocate when the prior Public Advocate, Letitia James, became State Attorney General, on January 1, 2019.

The Public Advocate acts as an ombudsperson for all New Yorkers – a government official who champions the public and ensures government is responsive to their needs.

Pursuant to the City Charter, the Public Advocate, in addition to other duties, shall: monitor the operation of the public information and service complaint programs of city agencies and make proposals to improve such programs; review complaints of systemic problems with city services and programs, and make proposals to improve the city’s response to such complaints; and to take, investigate and otherwise attempt to resolve complaints from individuals concerning city services and other administrative actions of city agencies.

As the Acting Public Advocate, Corey Johnson looks forward to helping New Yorkers with any issues they might be facing and encourages everyone to submit concerns or complaints via this online form or call the Public Advocate’s office at (212) 669-7250 or visit at 1 Centre Street, 15th Floor North, New York, NY 10007.

There will be a special election to determine who will become the next Public Advocate on February 26, 2019. For more information on that election and who is running, please continue to check the Board of Elections website.

Letitia James Sworn In As New York State Attorney General

   ALBANY, NEW YORK -- Just before midnight, Letitia James was officially sworn in as the 67th Attorney General for the State of New York. In a ceremony held at the State Capitol in Albany, Attorney General James took the oath of office and committed to protecting the values and interests of all New Yorkers.

“It is the highest honor to officially begin my time as the Attorney General for the great state of New York. Tonight, I made a commitment to use the rule of law to protect the rights and advance the interests of all New Yorkers, and I will never waver in upholding that promise. New Yorkers in every corner of our state must know that they have a champion fighting for them everyday,” said New York State Attorney General Letitia James.

Following the official swearing in at the Capitol in Albany, Attorney General James will participate in the inauguration ceremony on Ellis Island on January 1st. She will also host several informal meet and greets throughout the State to connect with New Yorkers and introduce them to the office and her priorities.

EDITOR'S NOTE:

  We are happy to see a permanent and very capable replacement in the position of New York State Attorney General in the name of Letitia James. We only hope that the next New York City Public Advocate will continue to do the excellent job which Public Advocate Letitia James did.

MAYOR DE BLASIO MARKS FIRST DAY OF NEW YORK CITY’S STYROFOAM BAN

     Mayor de Blasio, Department of Sanitation Commissioner Kathryn Garcia, and Mayor’s Office of Sustainability Director Mark Chambers announced today that the City’s styrofoam ban is in effect, eliminating a major source of petroleum based waste. Now, food service establishments, stores, and manufacturers may not possess, sell, or offer for use single service Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) foam food service articles or loose fill packaging, such as “packing peanuts.”

"Global warming is threatening our city, and to fight it, we have to change the way we live,” said Mayor de Blasio. “The 60 million pounds of styrofoam New Yorkers throw away each year clog our landfills and fuel the petroleum economy destroying our planet. We’re ending this dirty practice so we can ensure a cleaner, fairer future for our children."

“Foam products cannot be recycled, plain and simple, and they have no place in our daily lives,” said Sanitation Commissioner Kathryn Garcia. “Foam is a source of litter in our neighborhoods, and it clogs our storm drains and pollutes our beaches. We cannot achieve zero waste without addressing the single-use products ubiquitous in modern life. This is our first step. We have fought for four years to ban these products in favor of reusable, recyclable and compostable alternatives. Today, I am proud to say today that we have prevailed and are moving toward a foam-free NYC.”

As a result of the ban, manufacturers and stores may not sell or offer single-use foam items such as cups, plates, trays, or clamshell containers. There is a six month grace period from when the ban goes into effect on January 1, 2019 before fines can be imposed. DSNY, the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, and the Department of Consumer Affairs will continue to conduct outreach and education in multiple languages to businesses throughout all five boroughs. During the six-month warning period, businesses that still use foam products may receive a “warning card” reminding them of the ban and directing them to DSNY outreach resources.

“This long-overdue ban will put an end to Styrofoam littering our streets and clogging our waterways,” said Mark Chambers, Director of the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability. “Now we must build on this progress by cutting out other wasteful, outdated products like single-use plastic bags and plastic straws.”

New Yorkers throw away 60 million pounds of foam products each year. To help educate businesses about the new law, the Department of Sanitation has already contacted over 129,000 retailers and food service establishments. DSNY is also coordinating with elected officials, community boards, business improvement districts, business organizations and other stakeholders to ensure New Yorkers understand how to comply with this law. The Department’s Commercial Outreach team provides free in-person trainings and online webinars to businesses and will be conducting site visits around the city during the six-month warning period. Businesses can request to host a training or sign-up for a scheduled one by visitingnyc.gov/dsnybusinessresources.

Non-profits and small businesses with less than $500,000 in revenue per year may apply for hardship exemptions from the Department of Small Business Services if they can prove that the purchase of alternative products not composed of EPS would create undue financial hardship. Waivers granted will be valid for a one-year period beginning July 1, 2019 and on a rolling basis.

"Small businesses are the backbone of our city's economy - and DCA is committed to helping them thrive," said DCA Commissioner Lorelei Salas. "We are proud to partner with our fellow city agencies and play a role in ensuring zero waste to landfills by 2030 while also making sure businesses are not only aware of, but are operating under the law."

Under the de Blasio administration, New York City has become a global leader on climate change and sustainability. In 2014, Mayor de Blasio committed to reducing New York City’s greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent by 2050. In 2017, the Administration doubled down on its commitment to sustainability by delivering the first-ever city plan to align with the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting warming to the global 1.5° Celsius target. To protect New Yorkers, the City is also moving forward with a $20 billion resiliency program designed to ensure that our neighborhoods, economy, and public services will be ready to withstand and emerge stronger from the impacts of climate change.

The City is also holding polluters to account by suing the five largest investor-owned fossil fuel companies who have contributed the most to climate change and is standing up for future generations and New York City pension holders by being the first major city in the nation to commit to divesting pension funds from fossil fuels. Building on this commitment, Mayor de Blasio, Comptroller Scott Stringer, and City pension trustees recently announced a goal of doubling New York City’s pension fund investments in climate solutions to $4 billion by 2021. In 2018, the City also launched “Bring It,” a sustainability campaign focused on empowering young New Yorkers to reduce waste and create a cleaner, fairer city.

Who is Covered:

* For-profit or not-for-profit: food service establishments, mobile food commissaries, and stores that sell or use foam items; and

* Manufacturers and distributors of polystyrene foam packaging that are located or operate within any of the five boroughs of New York City.

What is Covered:

* Single-service foam items including cups, bowls, plates, takeout containers and trays.

* Foam loose fill packaging, commonly known as “packing peanuts.”

What is Not Covered:

* Foam containers used for prepackaged food that have been filled and sealed prior to receipt by the food service establishment, mobile food commissary, or store.

* Foam containers used to store raw meat, pork, fish, seafood or poultry sold from a butcher case or similar appliance.

* Foam blocks used as protective packaging in shipping.

For more information, visit: nyc.gov/foamban.

About EPS:

* Expanded polystyrene is a plastic resin manufactured into consumer products such as “foam” cups, containers, trays, plates, clamshell cases and egg cartons.

* EPS is a major source of neighborhood litter and hazardous to marine life. EPS foam is a lightweight material that can clog storm drains and can also end up on our beaches and in New York Harbor. EPS containers can break down into smaller pieces, which marine animals may mistake for food. The environmental assessment prepared for the bill found that expanded polystyrene particles can wind up in the harbor, and in the floating gyre of non-biodegradable plastic debris that has been found in the Atlantic Ocean – creating a hazard for marine life such as sea turtles and fish.

* EPS is already banned in cities across the country, including Washington, DC, Minneapolis, San Francisco, Oakland, Portland, Albany, and Seattle. In total, more than seventy cities have banned foam and businesses large and small have shifted to alternative products that are biodegradable or otherwise recyclable.

Mayor de Blasio to Push the Button at 11:59 PM

Mayor de Blasio, First Lady McCray and Executive Director of the Committee to Protect Journalists Joel Simon will push the button at the New Year’s Eve Ball Drop.

Parkchester Kwanzaa Celebration

  It was the 52nd Anniversary of Kwanzaa at St. Helena's Church in Parkchester. Nubia Leader was the Mistress of Ceremony, various holiday entrainment performed, the lighting of the Kwanzaa Candles, Parkchester 87th Assembly District Leader John Perez along with 79th Assemblyman Michael Blake (also a candidate for the vacant Public Advocate office), and lots of vendors made this a wonderful evening. 

Above - The lighting of the Kwanzaa Candles by Ms. Nana Zakia.

Below - Mr. Hilliard Greene on the Bass Fiddle.

Above - Mr. King Lagee and Ms. Sarah Thomas are with event organizer Debra Oguamah.

Below - Parkchester District Leader John Perez speaks with Ms. Ogusmah.

Above - Some more entertainment.

Below - Assemblyman (and candidate for Public Advocate) Michael Blake address the large crowd.