Comptroller Stringer Calls on Congress to Invest $50 Billion in Child Care Programs

Underscores urgent need to stabilize child care programs on brink of collapse due to rising costs, decreasing revenues, and limited government funding

Only 18 percent of child care programs nationwide expect to be open in 2021, putting working families, especially frontline workers and women of color, and the economy at risk

Stringer: “A commitment of $50 billion in federal stimulus for child care is an overdue and necessary down payment on the communities who have carried our local economies on their backs for years – and have gotten too little in return.”

  New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi calling for an investment of at least $50 billion in a Child Care Stabilization Fund, as proposed in the Child Care Is Essential Act. Comptroller Stringer underscored the urgent need to stabilize child care programs on the brink of collapse due to sharply rising costs amid the COVID-19 pandemic and plummeting revenues with enrollment down on average by 67 percent.

The Comptroller spotlights that less than a third of child care businesses in New York City received U.S. Department of the Treasury Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, among the lowest rates of receipt of any industry across the five boroughs, and according to a new national survey, an alarming 82 percent, or four in five, of child care programs expect to be closed in 2021.

Comptroller Stringer stressed that permanent closures of this scale would have a devastating impact on New York City as a whole, hurting working families, especially frontline workers and women of color, and any chance for an equitable economic recovery.

The full letter is available below and can be found here.

Dear Leader McConnell and Speaker Pelosi:

I write today to implore you, as leaders of your respective parties and chambers in Congress, to ensure that the next coronavirus stimulus package includes an investment of at least $50 billion for a Child Care Stabilization Fund, as proposed in the Child Care Is Essential Act (S.3874/H.R.7027). As the chief financial officer of New York City, the largest municipal economy in the United States and for months the epicenter of the nation’s fight against COVID-19, I know we will not be able to “restart” our economy or realize an equitable recovery if we do not target more resources toward stabilizing the child care workforce, many of whom have been on the frontlines of this deadly virus – at great cost to themselves and their families. And as a parent of two young boys, I know firsthand how critical a safe, consistent child care arrangement is to our children’s healthy development, especially during these difficult times, and to our ability to work to continue to provide for our children. Any relief package that fails to recognize these foundational needs will do irreparable harm to working families in New York City, and across the country.

For decades, government, at all levels, has largely ignored child care, leaving it to individual families to try to make it work and find an option they can afford from a market starved for resources. The fruits of that disinvestment have long been on display in the forms of gender and racial inequity in the labor market, persistent achievement gaps among children, and low early educator pay, but they are magnified now, with families facing immense financial pressures and a real need for additional income at the same time that the child care sector is on the brink of collapse. To be clear: the math didn’t work without public investment before the pandemic. Now, it’s an impossible equation.

According to a recent national survey of child care programs by the National Association for the Education of Young Children, 86 percent of providers are caring for fewer children than they were pre-COVID, with enrollment down on average 67 percent. Given that most programs rely on private tuition from families to cover expenses, sometimes in addition to limited government subsidies, under-enrollment has resulted in decreasing revenues. Unfortunately, this is happening at the same time that expenses are rising. The vast majority of respondents in that same survey are paying more out of pocket for cleaning supplies and PPE, with child care centers spending upwards of $3,000 more on average each month. This is consistent with what my office is hearing from New York City providers, who are in some cases having to spend many thousands of dollars just in preparation to reopen with the necessary safety precautions in place.

Meanwhile, financial assistance for the sector – and for families in need of care – has to date fallen far short of the need. According to an analysis of U.S. Department of the Treasury Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan data by my office, less than a third of child care businesses in New York City received PPP loans, among the lowest rates of receipt of any industry across our five boroughs. And while I remain appreciative of the $3.5 billion allocated to states to help stabilize the child care sector that was included in the CARES Act, the $164 million distributed to New York in April is nowhere near enough to cover the expenses providers are incurring to meet new health and safety guidelines, let alone to deliver the financial assistance families need in this moment to be able to afford quality care. The Center for Law and Social Policy, National Women’s Law Center, and Aaron Sojourner estimate that $9.6 billion in new federal funding is needed each month just to sustain the existing system.

Child care programs in New York City are committed to providing high-quality and safe care to the children of families who need their services amid this pandemic—indeed, family child care and emergency programs have been open for business across the city throughout the crisis—but they operate on the slimmest of margins in good times and simply do not have the resources to continue operating with these additional costs. It is no surprise to me, then, that only 18 percent of child care programs nationwide expect to be open in a year. Put another way, four in five programs may be closed come 2021.

Permanent closures of this scale would have a devastating impact on New York City’s economy and take away any chance of an equitable recovery. And it will be women, and women of color in particular, who will be disproportionately harmed if we do not act as they comprise the vast majority of the educators at risk of unemployment, as well as the single parents and secondary earners who will be forced to navigate exceedingly complex schedules, reduce their work hours, or leave the workforce altogether to assume additional unpaid care responsibilities. Our businesses and our economy will suffer for it.

A commitment of $50 billion in federal stimulus for child care is an overdue and necessary down payment on the communities who have carried our local economies on their backs for years – and have gotten too little in return. It is one of the best investments we can make, and one that this moment demands. Fortunately, existing legislation, the Child Care Is Essential Act, offers a roadmap for establishing a Child Care Stabilization Fund to distribute these dollars to states. The bill, introduced in the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives by Senator Patty Murray and Representative Rosa DeLauro respectively, would provide grants to child care programs to cover fixed and COVID-related expenses and should be immediately advanced to sustain the sector during the pandemic.

In the longer term, it is critical that Congress significantly increase annual appropriations for care. Prior to the current crisis, my office reported that nearly half of New York City neighborhoods were infant care deserts, having capacity for less than 20 percent of neighborhood children under two, and only seven percent of infants and toddlers were in any publicly-funded care at all. So while we take steps to preserve the supply we do have, we must not forget that we were already failing parents and providers and that there is much more work to do. More federal resources will be needed in the coming months and years if we are to ever realize a system of care that offers truly universal access to quality settings and dignified, living wages for all caregivers, among our most essential workers.

Thank you for your attention to this important issue. My office stands ready to assist in these efforts in any way moving forward.

Sincerely,

Scott M. Stringer

New York City Comptroller

MAYOR DE BLASIO SIGNS NYPD ACCOUNTABILITY PACKAGE AT BLACK LIVES MATTER MURAL

  Mayor Bill de Blasio today signed into law the NYPD Accountability Package, a comprehensive set of police reforms aimed at increasing transparency within the NYPD and strengthening trust between the police department and the community it serves. The sweeping reforms will ban the use of chokeholds across the NYPD, protect the right of citizens to record police activity, require NYPD transparency on the use of surveillance technologies, establish an online NYPD disciplinary matrix, and ensure all NYPD officers have their shield number and rank designations visible at all times while on the job. Together, the legislation will expand accountability within the NYPD and transform policing across the city.

“The Black Lives Matter movement has been at the forefront of change in New York City and across our nation. I’m proud to sign these sweeping reforms into law and honor the work they’ve done,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “I’m confident we can make these reforms work and continue strengthening the bond between police officers and our communities.”

This legislation builds upon the significant reforms Mayor de Blasio delivered earlier this summer. In June, the Mayor announced that the Police Department would expedite the investigation and discipline for incidents involving substantial bodily injury to a member of the public, and provide greater transparency on disciplinary records and decisions. The Mayor also announced that all body worn camera footage and audio must be released within 30 days following an officer’s use of force that results in death or great bodily harm. Earlier this month, the Mayor signed the Fiscal Year 2021 Adopted Budget, and committed to $1 billion in cuts and cost shifts from the NYPD to reinvest in youth programs and communities. Of those savings, $115 million has been reprioritized for summer youth programming, $116 million for education and $134 million for family and social services. The budget also shifts $450 million in NYPD capital funding to the Parks Department and NYCHA for youth and recreation centers.  

The NYPD Accountability Package includes:

Int. 487-A (Gibson) – A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to creating comprehensive reporting and oversight of New York city police department surveillance technologies.

Int. 536-B (Lancman) – A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the City of New York, in relation to chokeholds and other such restraints.

Int. 721-B (Public Advocate) – A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to the right to record police activities.

Int. 760-B (Gibson) – A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to an early intervention system.

Int. 1309-B (Richards) – A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to requiring the police department to develop an internal disciplinary matrix.

Int. 1962-A (Ampry-Samuel) – A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to requiring visible shield numbers and rank designations.

MAYOR DE BLASIO ANNOUNCES CITY PLANNING COMMISSION MEETINGS TO RESUME IN AUGUST

City launches new website for New Yorkers to learn about and participate in remote meetings  

  Mayor Bill de Blasio today announced that the City Planning Commission will start holding remote meetings in August. This will allow developments that create affordable housing, jobs, health facilities, resiliency projects and more to move forward after a safe and inclusive public review. Information about how to participate in public hearings is available at NYC Engage, the newly launched portal to facilitate public engagement in remote hearings.

"This pandemic brought so much to a halt as we worked to save lives," said Mayor de Blasio. "Now, we are taking a safe approach to re-starting this important land use review process."

“With our city beginning to reopen and work underway to help the economy recover, resuming New York City’s public land use review process is vital to creating the affordable homes and job opportunities New Yorkers need in their neighborhoods,” said Deputy Mayor Vicki Been.

“As the CPC returns to its regularly scheduled meetings, the health and safety of the public, the commissioners and the staff of the Department of City Planning remain a top priority. Restarting public review remotely will help us stay safe and advance our goals of making New York a more affordable, equitable, resilient and healthy city for all,” City Planning Commission Chair Marisa Lago said.

The CPC’s resumption of meetings comes alongside the launch of a web portal to connect New Yorkers with remote public meetings held by City agencies. NYC Engage will provide information about upcoming meetings and how anyone can participate online or by phone, as well as general guidance to acclimate New Yorkers to remote public engagement.  Events will be added to NYC Engage in the coming months from the CPC and other agencies. CPC meetings will take place remotely for the foreseeable future.

The CPC August meetings will include actions on development projects that are not subject to the City’s Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) and on ULURP projects that were already in public review prior to March 16. The August meetings will also include discussion and DCP presentations related to development projects that are expected to begin the ULURP public process in the fall. The Mayor’s Executive Order suspending the ULURP clock will not be lifted until September.

This staggered restart is aimed at helping ensure that the City’s 59 community boards, which must adhere to ULURP’s timeline but often do not meet during summer months, are ready to host remote public meetings as soon as the clock restarts. To help community boards be ready in September, the Administration has secured video conferencing licenses for community boards. The Department of City Planning will be working with the boards to assist with training needs.

The first remote CPC meetings will be a Review Session on August 3th, followed by a Public Meeting on August 5th. During Review Sessions, the CPC discusses new applications that are about to commence public review, holds post-CPC-hearing discussions on applications and votes on City Council modifications. For Public Meetings, the CPC typically holds public hearings and votes on applications.

Following normal protocol, the public draft agendas for upcoming CPC meetings will be posted on the Department of City Planning website in the days before the meetings take place. While held remotely, CPC meetings will follow the same rules as they did pre-pandemic with regards to format, the need for a quorum, scheduling, sign-up for members of the public wishing to testify at a public hearing, testimony length and more.

What is the Bronx Board of Elections Hiding - Part 2 - How Many BOE Employees Does it Take to Separate an Absentee Ballot?

What the Bronx Board of Elections is hiding can be seen in this photo taken from behind the media barrier set up to keep secrets at the Bronx Board of Elections. It takes four people to get a ballot in the 84th assembly district ready to be counted. BOE Employee #1 behind the poll watcher who's face has been covered opens the envelope taking out the absentee ballot showing both sides for a second or two only, BOE Employee #2 folds the ballot a certain way, BOE Employee #3 marks something on the ballot, and BOE Employee #4 separates the long ballot at the perforation careful to make sure only the empty back of the ballot is able to be viewed. 

Having received a very short personalized letter of authorization from the NYC Board of Elections, authorizing me by the Commissioners of Elections in the City of New York to observe and film provided no images of voted ballots are recorded, the Canvass/Recanvass of votes cast the June 23, 2020 Primary Election at Board of Elections in the City of New York facilities. The letter is made out to all Central Boards of Inspectors of Elections throughout the city of New York, and is signed by Michael Ryan Executive Director of the NYCBOE. 

What does it mean to observe something? To see, watch, perceive, or notice. Now let's see the meaning of a watcher (as in poll watcher). A person who closely follows or observes someone or something.

So why was I not allowed to be seated with the poll watchers, since an observer is the same as a watcher? It is because the Board of Elections does not want the public to get information such as I intend to find out. I however outflanked the Bronx Board of Elections by getting a poll watchers certificate from a candidate I know who was only to willing to provide me with the piece of paper. I then was able to sit in front of the media barrier in the empty chair in the photo at the top. I was instructed as a poll watcher I could not take any photos, to which I agreed since I had already taken photos from behind the media barrier,

Above - One can not estimate how many thousands and thousands of absentee ballots are still on the racks in the corner of the opening room.

Below - Why is this BOE Employee (if it is a BOE employee) looking through this one group of absentee ballots?

Above - Are those Absentee ballot in the folder the BOE Employee is holding?

Below - Why are ballots being separated in the back of the room as observed in this photo?

The two heads of the Bronx Board of Elections watch/observe the opening of the Absentee ballots.

Governor Cuomo Announces New York and 14 States and D.C. to Ramp Up Electrification of Buses and Trucks

New York Signs Memorandum of Understanding, Pledges to Develop Action Plan to Reduce Toxic Diesel Emissions from Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicles by 2050

Supports New York's Nation-Leading Targets to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions under Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act 

Complements State's Ongoing Efforts to Electrify Transportation Sector, Largest Source of Climate-Altering Emissions in New York 

  Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that New York, along with 14 states and the District of Columbia will develop an action plan to ramp up electrification of buses and trucks. In a joint memorandum of understanding, the State committed to work collaboratively to accelerate the market for electric medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, including large pickup trucks and vans, delivery trucks, box trucks, school and transit buses and long-haul delivery trucks. The goal of the MOU is to ensure that 100 percent of all new medium- and heavy-duty vehicle sales be zero emission vehicles by 2050 with an interim target of 30 percent zero-emission vehicle sales in these categories of vehicles by 2030. The announcement supports the State's nation-leading targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions under the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act.

"With a lack of federal leadership and an outright failure to follow science, it has fallen to the states to address the climate crisis by working together to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions from all sources," Governor Cuomo said. "Reducing pollution from medium- and heavy-duty vehicles will result in cleaner air for New Yorkers, particularly low-income neighborhoods and communities of color that have historically and disproportionately borne the brunt of the worst environmental consequences. As New York continues to implement nation leading climate initiatives, this multi-state agreement furthers the critical leadership roles of the states in combatting climate change and establishes an example for other states to follow." 

  

Signatories of the MOU are: California, Connecticut, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington and the District of Columbia. 

The transportation sector is now the nation's largest source of climate-altering greenhouse gas emissions and contributes to unhealthy levels of ozone and smog in many parts of the U.S. Accelerating the electrification of trucks and buses will help achieve the deep, economy-wide emission reductions needed to avoid the worst consequences of climate change and protect public health. Trucks and buses account for an estimated four percent of vehicles on U.S. roadways, but contribute nearly a quarter of greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector.  

In addition, electrification of trucks and buses is anticipated to reduce the burden of air pollution that results from heavy truck traffic in communities.  Diesel emissions from medium- and heavy-duty trucks contribute to elevated levels of particulate matter and air toxics. These emissions disproportionately impact low-income communities and communities of color, often located near major trucking corridors, ports and distribution hubs. 

Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos said, "New York is setting the bar for state-led action on climate. To achieve the State's nation-leading goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, New York must reduce emissions from the transportation sector, now the largest source of climate pollution. Today's announcement is proof positive that through Governor Cuomo's leadership on climate and the State's sustained clean energy investments and initiatives, New York is leading the nation's efforts to act on climate while protecting our communities and our irreplaceable natural resources."

MOU signatories will work through the existing multi-state ZEV Task Force facilitated by the Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management to develop and implement a ZEV action plan for trucks and buses. 

By promoting and investing in electric trucks and buses and the charging and fueling infrastructure needed to serve these vehicles, the signatory jurisdictions will support job creation, and help to build a resilient and clean economy. Today's announcement complements ongoing efforts to electrify the transportation sector. At the Governor's direction, DEC, in concert with the New York State Energy and Research Development Authority, New York Power Authority, State Department of Transportation, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and others, developed Clean Transportation NY - New York's plan to strategically invest the Volkswagen settlement resources for maximum benefit and to build on New York's national leadership on clean energy and climate change. The funds were secured to mitigate damages from the Volkswagen emissions cheating scandal through the federal settlement with Volkswagen. The state's strategically leveraged investment of settlement funds is anticipated to result in at least $300 million of clean vehicles and infrastructure on New York's roadways. The transportation sector is currently the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in New York, representing approximately 34 percent of the state's total emissions. The current status of New York State's implementation of Clean Transportation NY projects can be found at DEC's website.

In addition, New York is working on a bipartisan basis with other states to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. With 10 state partners, New York is strengthening the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, an effective tool to reduce power sector emissions. When the Trump Administration pulled out of the Paris Climate Agreement, New York co-founded the U.S. Climate Alliance, now 25 states and territories strong with a combined $11.7 trillion economy.  

The Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act requires the State to achieve a carbon free electricity system by 2040 and reduce greenhouse gas emissions 85 percent below 1990 levels by 2050, setting a new standard for states and the nation to expedite the transition to a clean energy economy. The new law will drive investment in clean energy solutions such as wind, solar, energy efficiency and energy storage.

Governor Cuomo Announces Individuals Traveling to New York from Four Additional States Will Be Required to Quarantine for 14 Days

Minnesota, New Mexico, Ohio and Wisconsin Meet Metrics to Qualify for Travel Advisory

1.5 Percent of Yesterday's COVID-19 Tests were Positive

5 COVID-19 Deaths in New York State Yesterday

Confirms 912 Additional Coronavirus Cases in New York State - Bringing Statewide Total to 403,175; New Cases in 51 Counties

  Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that four additional states meet the metrics to qualify for the travel advisory requiring individuals who have traveled to New York from those states, all of which have significant community spread, to quarantine for 14 days. The newly-added states are Minnesota, New Mexico, Ohio and Wisconsin. Delaware has been removed. The quarantine applies to any person arriving from a state with a positive test rate higher than 10 per 100,000 residents over a 7-day rolling average or a state with a 10% or higher positivity rate over a 7-day rolling average. Yesterday, Governor Cuomo announced a travel enforcement operation will commence today at airports across the state to help ensure travelers are following the state's quarantine restrictions and to help contain the rates of COVID-19 transmission in New York State.

The number of new cases, percentage of tests that were positive and many other helpful data points are always available at forward.ny.gov.

"New Yorkers showed incredible courage and resiliency throughout this pandemic, and nowhere is their work more evident than in the numbers we release every day, including in New York City, once a global hotspot," Governor Cuomo said. "However, the success of our efforts depends on citizens' willingness to comply with state guidance, socially distance, wear masks and wash their hands, and rising cases around the country continue to threaten our progress, which is why four new states have been added to New York's travel advisory.

"It's also clear based on contact tracing that many of the new cases in New York are a result of a lack of compliance during the July 4 weekend and illustrate how quickly the virus spreads, with one party, for example, infecting more than a third of attendees," Governor Cuomo continued. "I cannot be more clear: Look at what's happening in the rest of the country — if we are not smart, if we don't wear masks and socially distance, cases will spike. No one wants to go back to the hell we experienced three months ago, so please stay vigilant."

State and local contact tracing efforts found that 35 percent of people who attended a Fourth of July weekend party in Suffolk County - or more than 1/3 of the entire party - became infected with COVID-19, demonstrating how quickly the virus can spread.

The full, updated list of states on the travel advisory is below:

• Alabama
• Arkansas
• Arizona
• California
• Florida
• Georgia
• Iowa
• Idaho
• Kansas
• Louisiana
• Minnesota
• Mississippi
• North Carolina
• New Mexico
• Nevada
• Ohio
• Oklahoma
• South Carolina
• Tennessee
• Texas
• Utah
• Wisconsin

Today's data is summarized briefly below:

• Patient Hospitalization - 820 (+28)
• Patients Newly Admitted - 71 (+11)
• Hospital Counties - 31
• Number ICU - 167 (-8)
• Number ICU with Intubation - 101 (-2)
• Total Discharges - 71,692 (+49)
• Deaths - 5
• Total Deaths - 24,994

MAYOR’S FUND RAISES $54.5 MILLION FOR FRONTLINE WORKERS AND VULNERABLE NEW YORKERS THROUGH COVID-19 EMERGENCY RELIEF FUND

  Mayor Bill de Blasio and First Lady Chirlane McCray today announced that the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City has raised $48.8 million, including more than $5.7 million in in-kind donations, to support equitable relief and recovery efforts for the communities hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“COVID-19 has taken a devastating toll on immigrant communities and people of color,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “As our city continues to the weather this crisis, we will keep finding innovative ways to increase resources and assistance for our most vulnerable neighbors and frontline workers.”

“As our city unites to build a future that is fairer and more equitable, it is essential that New Yorkers in the hardest-hit neighborhoods can access the resources they need to support themselves and their families,” said First Lady Chirlane McCray. “Thank you to our generous partners who have answered the call to provide this critical relief for frontline workers and communities of color during this unprecedented crisis.”

The Mayor’s Fund launched the COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund in early March to support priority areas including: healthcare workers and essential staff; local small businesses; displaced hourly workers, including immigrant workers; and families, youth, and other vulnerable New Yorkers.

The expansive fundraising efforts have included large-scale public-private partnerships, as well as a grassroots campaign that have together garnered 9,500 donors from all around the country.

Support for Frontline Workers

To ensure that New York City’s healthcare professionals and essential workers on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic stay nourished, supported, and protected, the Mayor’s Fund:

• Partnered with the Debra and Leon Black Family, Aramark, Robin Hood, and the American Red Cross to launch NYC Healthcare Heroes. The program is providing more than 400,000 packages of shelf-stable food, fresh produce, and household cleaning and personal care products to staff at hospitals across the five boroughs. These deliveries alleviate the burden on workers who often do not have access to supplies or time to shop after working back-to-back shifts caring for COVID-19 patients in hospitals and facilities across the city.
• Developed and launched Food for Heroes, which will deliver 169,400 nutritious meals to healthcare professionals and EMS, morgue, and sanitation and other essential workers across New York City to fuel them during their shifts.
• Supported NYC Health + Hospitals with a $400,000 donation to purchase critical personal protective equipment. The donation was made possible through Peg’s Cure, an initiative created by Cedar Mills LLC in honor of Peg Broadbent, former CFO of Jeffries Group LLC who died due to complications from COVID-19.

Aid for Restaurants in Hardest-Hit Communities

To support the owners and employees of restaurants in neighborhoods that have suffered disproportionately during the pandemic, the Mayor’s Fund: 

• Collaborated with One Fair Wage, NYC Opportunity, and the Human Resources Administration to launch the Restaurant Revitalization Program. The program is providing short-term payroll support to an initial 100 restaurants committed to paying full minimum wage with tips on top, in addition to providing hardest-hit communities with approximately 53,000 meals over 6-12 weeks.

Services for Immigrant Communities

To support New York City’s immigrant communities, many of whom are disproportionately impacted by COVID-19, the Mayor’s Fund:

• Partnered with the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs and the Open Society Foundations to create the Immigrant Emergency Relief Program. The program works with community-based organizations to provide direct, one-time emergency relief payments to up to 20,000 immigrant New York City families who are hardest hit financially by the crisis, yet excluded from the reach of the federal relief program.
• Launched the Immigrant COVID-19 Burial Assistance Program with funding support from SOMOS Community Care, Trinity Church Wall Street, Amalgamated Bank, and Robin Hood. The program provides up to $1,700 toward burial expenses for immigrant families—regardless of legal status—who are unable to pay for the funeral expenses of relatives who died during the pandemic.

Supporting Youth in Hardest-Hit Communities with Summer Opportunities

To ensure that youth and families are safe and supported, the Mayor’s Fund:

• Raised $6.8 million in philanthropic support for SYEP Summer Bridge 2020, a public-private partnership that leverages an additional $40 million in public dollars to provide constructive engagement and enrichment activities to keep 35,000 New York City youth active and productive this summer.

• Partnered with the Mayor’s Office to Domestic and Gender-Based Violence and Sanctuary for Families to launch a pilot program to deliver micro-grants to survivors. The first-of-its-kind initiative helps mitigate safety, economic, and housing challenges exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Mayor’s Fund continues to pursue additional funds to launch and support programs and initiatives that meet the ever-changing needs of New Yorkers as the city continues to recover from the pandemic. Anyone can contribute at nyc.gov/fund.

“These unprecedented times have required unprecedented actions. One of the most essential has been the generosity and enduring spirit of New Yorkers.  The Mayor’s fund has harnessed that spirit to identify the most pressing needs of those who need the most help and by championing our essential workers,” said Gabrielle Fialkoff, Senior Advisor to the Mayor for COVID-19 Relief.  “It has brought together the philanthropic community, business sector and thousands of New Yorkers in our fight against COVID-19 and its devastating effects. The power of partnership is proven once again and I am grateful for the leadership of our private sector partners.”

“From the start the pandemic, we've tapped into the generosity and ingenuity of the City’s business and philanthropic sectors to aid New York City's response. Working together, we have provided critical support to the most vulnerable New Yorkers and the front line workers caring for them,” said COVID-19 Public-Private Partnership Czar Peter Hatch. “I want to thank our many partners for their generous contributions during this crisis.”

“It has been an inspiration to see how New Yorkers have come together over the past few months to support our essential workers and others directly impacted by COVID-19,” said Rob Speyer, Chair of the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City Board of Advisors. “I am grateful for the work of our community-based partners, who have helped us harness that goodwill on behalf of those families, businesses and organizations most in need.”

“Through the power of partnership, a diverse cross-section of supporters reached into their pockets to support their neighbors, providing whatever they could to help our communities weather one of the most challenging periods this city has seen,” said Toya Williford, Executive Director of the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City. “We are thankful for the generosity not just of the philanthropic and business communities, but of the more than 9,000 individuals who, despite facing a national economic crisis, gave donations ranging from $5 to $5,000. Their support has put vital resources directly into the hands of the New Yorkers who need them most.”

“Covid-19 has revealed for all to see, the great disparities in our society. It has also revealed just how essential undocumented workers are to the functioning of our communities. And yet, the Federal Government chose not to include undocumented workers in federal relief. I commend the City of New York, under the leadership of Mayor Bill de Blasio, for standing by undocumented workers at this moment of extreme crisis. Unfortunately, the funding we have put forward does not come close to matching the need. It can only be described as the tip of the iceberg (a drop in the bucket). Far too many families will not be able to access this funding. We need additional donors to step up, and, ultimately, we need the Federal and State government to join the Mayor of New York in recognizing the essential role undocumented workers play in our communities and in our economies, and include them in Federal and State relief packages,” said Patrick Gaspard, president of the Open Society Foundations.

“The Mayor’s Fund is a necessary response to address the needs of those who have been impacted disproportionately by the pandemic. Ford was happy to contribute funds to ensure community-based organizations and mental health providers are working together on solutions and support for those in need. In this time of crisis, we must make a clear commitment to the mental health of low-income New Yorkers,” said Darren Walker, President of the Ford Foundation.

EDITOR'S NOTE:

Now if we could only find out where the 875 million dollars went.

What Is The Bronx Board of Elections Hiding

  The count of Absentee Ballots in the Bronx began on Monday July 6th. There are eleven Assembly Districts in the Bronx. One week later, only one Assembly District the 83rd has been completed. There were no state primaries for any of the elected or party positions in the 83rd A.D., so only Presidential and the 16th Congressional District ballots had to be counted. The number of Absentee ballots returned in the 83rd A.D. was 3,884, not counting any ballots that may have been ruled void for one reason or another.  

  One has to wonder why the Bronx Board of Elections has not started with the 77th Assembly District, and ending with the 87th Assembly District. The Bronx Board of Elections did the 83rd A.D. first, followed by the 81st, 82nd, 80th, and 84th A.D.'s, which are still being counted. The 85th and 86th A.D.'s have been added for Tuesday July 14th. That leaves the 77th, 78th, 79th, and 87th A.D.'s to be counted, with the 77th, 79th, and 87th being part of the 15th Congressional District. 

There were problems in the 79th and 87th A.D.'s where candidates appeared on the official and absentee ballots when they were ruled off the ballot on an appeal by the Board of Elections of a judges decision to put those candidates back on the ballot after the Board of Elections ruled them initially off the ballot. I was told by a high ranking Board of Elections administrator that the ballots were printed before the final judges decision came down, due to time restraints in the printing of the ballots. I was also told that the Board of Elections printed the ballots, because they felt their appeal would not win. There have been lawsuits filed against the primary election, and more should come since candidates may have been denied votes because names of people who should not have been on the ballot were there. The Bronx is a Voter's Rights Borough, and it is possible that the federal government could step in for a new primary in the Bronx or just some assembly districts.

  

An area in the Bronx Board of Elections where each ballot is shown to poll watchers.