Monday, April 1, 2019

WILLIAMS TO EXPLORE 2021 MAYORAL RUN - April 1, 2019


  Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams today announced he would explore a run for Mayor in the 2021. Williams assumed office as the Public Advocate for New York City two weeks ago after winning a February 26th special election for the seat. He joins a crowded field of current and former elected officials vying to succeed Mayor Bill de Blasio, who is term limited.

Williams, who ran for Speaker in 2017, Lieutenant Governor in 2018, and Public Advocate in 2019, looks to pursue a robust campaign schedule through 2020 and 2021.

"When I stepped into my new office in the David N. Dinkins Municipal Building, I looked down at City Hall and thought 'I wonder what the view's like from there?'" said Williams in announcing his decision. "I like running, and I've gotten pretty good at it. I'll have my hands full running in this year's Public Advocate primary in June and general election in November, but after that I'm ready to dive in."

Council Member Brad Lander announced his support for Williams' candidacy, saying "He's running for what? Mayor? Sure, count me in."

The role of Public Advocate is seen as a natural stepping stone to becoming Mayor despite that occurring exactly once in history. Williams has sought to change that flawed perception, and believes he can do so by 2021.

Williams is not expected to immediately begin campaign events, first taking a trip to Iowa to discuss the prevalence of corn products in vegan cafes.

Should the Public Advocate ever leave his post to run for Mayor, a special election would be called to fill the position of Public Advocate, the winner of which would then need to run in a primary and general election the following year. If the winner of that race is a current elected official, there would be a special election to replace them, and that victor would then join the Public Advocate on the primary and general ballot, thus ensuring New York City has plenty of opportunity to realize the need for electoral reform.

"I want to be the voice of the people, and despite my constant assertions that I will not be running for Mayor in 2021, the voices of the people continue to ask the question. So I've changed my answer," said Williams. 

He added, "I look forward to continuing to serve as your Public Advocate through 2021 and wish everyone a happy April Fool's Day."

STATEMENT FROM STATE SENATOR GUSTAVO RIVERA ON THE 2019-2020 NEW YORK STATE BUDGET


GOVERNMENT HEADER

2019-2020 BUDGET OVERVIEW

"In our first, on-time budget as the Senate Majority Conference, my colleagues and I worked diligently to deliver a progressive, forward-thinking, and fiscally responsible budget for all New Yorkers. This was not an easy process and the Senate faced steep fiscal challenges and unrelenting opposition from the Executive at every turn. In spite of these obstacles, the final result is a step in the right direction, but our work is certainly not done.

Under the leadership of Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, this $175.5 billion Budget, which holds our state's spending growth at 2 percent, makes historical progress by implementing critical policies that will transform our state into a more just and inclusive state for all New Yorkers regardless of their wealth or immigration status."

HEALTH

"As Chair of the Health Committee, I strongly believe that quality health care is a basic human right that all New Yorkers must have access to. We worked to reflect those values in this budget by protecting essential funds for New Yorkers healthcare needs and our medical care providers. We prevented a $1.1 billion cut in Medicaid funding that could have devastated our state's healthcare system, codified the Affordable Care Act and NY State of Health Marketplace, required insurance providers to cover in-vitro fertilization and fertility preservation, and invested $16 million to enhance safety net hospitals to provide care to those New Yorkers who are under insured and uninsured.

While there were a number of funding challenges in this year's health Budget, the Senate Democratic Conference worked to identify creative solutions to protect critical programs. We pushed to create a work group that will determine the best way forward for our state to restructure the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP), while protecting the population this program serves. The budget also mitigates a $122 million cut to nursing homes by creating a work group to ensure that the rates nursing homes receive accurately reflect their patient's needs.

The Budget also invests in improving public health initiatives, including allocating $4 million for the newly created maternity mortality review board to reduce the alarming rates of maternal deaths during childbirth, and by lowering the threshold for elevated blood lead level from 10 to 5 micrograms to protect children from dangers of lead exposure."

CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM

"For years, the Senate Democratic Conference has fought to reform our state's broken criminal justice system, which has caused countless of New Yorkers to lose their livelihoods, dignity, and tragically their lives, in favor of perpetuating the criminalization of black and brown people. With this Budget, we are taking historical steps to ensure our criminal justice system is just for all New Yorkers by reforming our bail system, ensuring a speedy trial, and updating our discovery laws. Together, these measures will ensure New Yorkers going through our criminal justice system have the ability to adequately defend themselves in court and don't have to wither away in jail waiting for their trial because they are too poor or their court dates is endlessly delayed."

TRANSPORTATION

"This Budget is finally making a real commitment to address the chronic infrastructure issues facing our crumbling public transit system, including the New York City subways, the Long Island Railroad and Metro North. New York will be the first state in the nation to implement congestion pricing to reduce traffic, and protect our environment, all while generating an estimated $15 billion for MTA improvements. We will also increase accountability and transparency of the MTA by requiring it to undergo an independent audit and efficiency review."

EDUCATION

"We fought to increase education aid by over $1 billion, with over 70 percent of the increased funding going to neediest districts. However, this is one of the areas where I strongly believe that we should have done more, including fulfilling our responsibility to comply with the Campaign for Fiscal Equity settlement our state owes to our historically underfunded schools, several of which are located in my district."  

ELECTION AND CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM

"We are finally working to increase voter turnout in New York State, which is why I am glad we are investing $10 million to implement electronic voter registration. However, one of the most disappointing items in this budget was the creation of a bogus "fair election commission". If we are truly serious about getting money out of government, we must pass a clean bill that will implement campaign finance reform once and for all as New Yorkers are vehemently demanding."

BRONX

"I am elated that this Budget secured funding for several initiatives that will have a direct and positive impact in the Bronx. For example, we provided funding for school-based health clinics, like the one at Community School 55. We also secured $24 million for home health care providers, many that serve and are based in the Bronx, that had been left with significant liabilities after the ICS/VNS merger."

EDITOR'S NOTE:

It is a sorry day for the Bronx when a Bronx State Senator leaves the Bronx for last in a statement about the New York State budget that he and his Senate Democratic Conference members have passed.

It is that same thinking that makes Senator Gustavo Rivera and any of his fellow elected officials from the Bronx who voted for Congestion Pricing traitors to the Bronx by allowing drivers from New Jersey to not pay Congestion Pricing should they decide to use the Lincoln or Holland Tunnels, while Bronx residents who use toll bridges that connect the Bronx and Manhattan will have to pay Congestion Pricing.

We only hope that each and every Democratic Bronx elected official who voted for the Congestion Pricing Tax face a primary with only one real challenger. That way the anti Congestion Pricing vote will not get split.

Petitioning begins in February 2020 for State Senate and State Assembly seats.

STATEMENT FROM MAYOR DE BLASIO ON THE FISCAL YEAR 2020 STATE BUDGET


  “This year’s State budget represents very real progress in addressing some of the most pressing needs of New Yorkers.

“Mayoral accountability of our school system has led to record-high graduation rates and record-low dropout rates, the creation of Pre-K and 3-K for All, and the ability to provide all of our 1.1 million school children with access to an excellent education regardless of their zip code. The buck stops with me, and I vow to continue fighting on behalf of our children and to continue working with all of our parents whose voices help improve our school system every day. 

“I endorsed congestion pricing because I knew – 'if done right' – it was our best hope at getting the trains moving and ending the suffering our riders face every day. This budget represents a giant step in the right direction. With a guaranteed lockbox for New York City riders, fairness for the outer boroughs, and exemptions for people experiencing hardships, I am confident this dedicated revenue stream will go a long way toward fixing the MTA's broken subway system.

“For too long too many people have been unnecessarily and unfairly incarcerated based entirely on their ability to buy their freedom. By eliminating cash bail for those charged with most misdemeanors and non-violent felonies, we’re helping more people remain with their families and support networks rather than behind bars. Together with speedy trial and discovery reform, I am confident we are moving toward a future without mass incarceration. However, there’s much more we need to do to meet that reality.

“This budget does something I have long advocated for: banning single-use plastic bags. These bags litter our streets and threaten our planet. It is our job to lead the fight against climate change and fossil fuels so that our kids aren't forced to deal with the irreparable consequences.

“The news from Albany wasn’t all good. Once again, the State is cutting critical funding New Yorkers rely on. This year, we’ll be forced to go without $125 million in State funding that assists low-income families. The State also is cutting $59 million for public health services, such as newborn home visiting services, clinics that treat STDs, HIV and tuberculosis, and public health response services that have been used for legionnaires, West Nile, and Zika. This funding also is critical for helping with the fight against opioids and testing updated vaccines for diseases like Measles and Hepatitis A.

“I want to thank Governor Cuomo, Senate Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins and Assembly Speaker Heastie for their leadership and for prioritizing subway riders, students and their parents, and our environment. I look forward to helping build upon this progress throughout the legislative session.”

MAYOR DE BLASIO & U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS ANNOUNCE BEGINNING OF PROCESS TO DREDGE EAST ROCKAWAY INLET, PAVING THE WAY FOR BEACH RE-NOURISHMENT IN THE ROCKAWAYS


The Corps’ will use all of the dredged sand for beach re-nourishment between Beaches 92nd Street and Beach 103rd Street; goal is to have work completed in time for the beginning of beach season

  The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and Mayor de Blasio today announced that a USACE contractor, Weeks Marine, Cranford, N.J. has begun moving work vessels, pipe, and other equipment to perform maintenance dredging of East Rockaway Inlet to beneficially use dredged sand to re-nourish and restore Rockaway beach between Beach 92nd Street and Beach 103rd Street. The Mayor, Senator Schumer and Congressman Meeks worked with the Army Corps of Engineers to find this solution, which should allow for the reopening of this stretch of beach this coming summer, depending on the severity of spring storms.

“It’s happening! Equipment is on the move, and work is starting that will restore the previously closed stretch of Rockaway Beach in time for summer,” said Mayor de Blasio. “The summer wouldn’t be the same for the community and for families across the city without this work. The Army Corps and our federal partners have been critical to getting this solution in action.”

I am super thrilled to see the mobilization of equipment, which represents the next step in our process to begin executing this vital maintenance dredging contract," said Colonel Thomas Asbery, commander, USACE, New York District. "With hurricane season beginning June 1st, it's extremely important that we take full advantage of the opportunity to beneficially reuse the dredged material to restore portions of Rockaway's heavily eroded shorefront and provide additional coastal storm risk reduction benefits for the residents of the Rockaway community. I would like to thank to our partners at the City and the leaders at the federal, state, and local levels for their enthusiasm and support of this project.

USACE, New York District, recently awarded a contract for $10.7M to Weeks Marine to perform needed maintenance dredging of the East Rockaway Inlet Federal Navigation Channel. The City is contributing $2.7M to pump the sand two and a half miles farther west along Rockaway Beach in order to restore this section of the beaches which were closed last year because of significant erosion.

Tugboats, towing rafts of submergible pipe, have begun arriving in East Rockaway Inlet from Barnegat Inlet, New Jersey, and installation is ongoing. The submersible pipes are being installed in the ocean from East Rockaway Inlet west to Beach 87th Street, where the pipeline will come out of the ocean and onto the beach at Beach 88th Street, east of the most western groin. During the week of April 1st, additional pipe and bulldozers, wheel loaders and work sheds will arrive at the staging area between Beach 109th and 110th Streets.

USACE is expected to begin dredging operations the week of April 8th, 2019, pending the severity of spring storms, with a completion date before June 1, 2019, which is the beginning of Hurricane season. The work will restore and ensure safe passage for both commercial and recreational vessel traffic through East Rockaway Inlet. USACE is expected to remove approximately, 300,000 cubic yards of sand from the inlet and place it between Beach 92nd and Beach 103rd Streets to replace lost sand due to heavy erosion after last March’s back-to-back nor’easters.

In 2013, the USACE placed 3.5 million cubic yards of sand on Rockaway Beach following Superstorm Sandy to rebuild the beach and provide significant storm risk reduction. In addition, the New York District is now in the process of receiving the final approvals from USACE headquarters for the Rockaway & Jamaica Bay Reevaluation Report.  This report will authorize the construction, at 100% Federal cost, of new erosion control features (such as "jetties" or groins), additional beach fill and reinforced dunes, as well as flood risk reduction features on both the Atlantic and bayside shoreline of the Rockaway peninsula.

The plan also calls for increased beach berm with 1.6 m cubic yards of sand for initial placement, the extension of 5 groins already in place and the construction of 13 new groins --all designed to help reduce the risk from future coastal storms and provide additional resiliency for the residents of this community.

Sunday, March 31, 2019

The Battle for NY-15


Finding "The People's Champion" to represent the "poorest congressional district." The Sweet 16 is comprised of candidates who may seek to succeed incumbent Rep. Jose Serrano in the 2020 Democratic primary for NY-15 seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. [The joy of speculating "what if?"] Vote!

Round Two begins at Midnight Tonight.
On Friday, April 5, the top two challengers square-off. The fantasy poll will be open from 6 AM to 9 PM Friday night.


Councilman Andy King Celebrates Senior Birthdays in Council District 12



  Saturday evening it was the 90th birthday party for Maria Roman with Councilman Andy King not only stopping in to wish the birthday girl a Happy Birthday, but Councilman King brought along with him a Proclamation for Ms. Roman



Above - Councilman Andy King presents 90 year old Maria Roman with her Proclamation.
Below - Days before her official 103rd birthday Councilman Andy King brings flowers to Sister Sarah Pauline Turner at the Burke Avenue Baptist Church after Sunday Church services. 




Above - As Councilman King congratulates Sister Sarah Turner on her good life, you can see the birthday girl wave to the camera. 
Below - Councilman King goes around to give Sister Sarah a big hug and kiss.




Above - Local Bronx cable channel News 12 came to help celebrate Sister Sarah Turner's 103rd birthday, and interviewed her for the 6 PM news. Carolyn Turner is seated next to her mother.
Below - Citywide Cable Channel New York One also came to help Sister Sarah Turner celebrate her 103rd birthday, and also interviewed her for airing later in the evening. 




Bronx Chamber of Commerce Women of Distinction Luncheon



   The Bronx Chamber of Commerce held its Annual Women of Distinction Luncheon. Scholarships were given to local high school seniors, . The event was hosted by WCBS TV reporter Mary Calci, Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark was the Keynote Speaker. WNBC TV reporter Darlene Rodriguez and Dr. Ester Henry received Honoree awards. For more about the event click on the link to the Bronx Chronicle.

https://thebronxchronicle.com/2019/03/31/bronx-chamber-of-commerce-women-of-distinction-luncheon-2/

The Easter Bunny Comes to the Bay Plaza Mall


 

   Saturday the Easter Bunny came to the Bay Plaza Mall to meet and greet the children who were enjoying the magic show that Magician Peter Juris was giving. The Magician said the magic words and the Easter Bunny suddenly appeared to the delight os all the children who were waiting for him. 


Above - Mario Rodriguez helps Magician Peter Juris with a trick. All the magic wands the magician gave Mario seemed to bend in half so the Magician gave Mario a Magic Chicken to help do the trick.
Below - Niya Valentin did a bottle in the tube trick, but every time she and the magician lifted the tube off the bottle one was up and the other was down. The magician then turned his bottle over to match Niya, they turned their hands around and when they lifted the tube off the bottles they one was up and the other was down. That went on several times until the magician gave up.