Is the Board of Elections going to Certify Alleged Election Fraud in the 78th and 87th Assembly Districts

  Baring a hurricane that floods the Board of Elections in lower Manhattan below is the agenda for Tuesday's 1:30 PM commissioners meeting to certify the June 23, 2020 Primary Election. What Item #3 is about is a mystery. There are rumors it will involve how to eliminate votes for certain candidates in the 79th and 87th Assembly Districts who were on the ballot while the Board of Elections Appealed a judge's ruling that put those candidates back on. We hope that the BOE also explains how they did not check the residency of one candidate in the 79th Assembly race who did not meet the New York State constitution requirements for residency.

 

BOARD OF ELECTIONS

THE CITY OF NEW YORK 

DRAFT AGENDA 

COMMISSIONERS MEETING 

TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2020 AT 1:30 P.M.

1. Meeting of the Board of Canvassers in the City of New York to Certify the June 23, 2020 Democratic Presidential Primary Election and the June 23, 2020 Primary Election for Public Offices and Party positions within the City of New York

2. Michael J. Ryan a. Appointment of Commissioners’ Cover Sheet Review Committees for Week #2 – Independent Nominating Petitions for the November 2020 General Election

3. Executive Session 

MAYOR DE BLASIO ANNOUNCES OPEN RESTAURANTS WILL RETURN NEXT SUMMER

Popular program has saved an estimated 80K jobs

  Mayor de Blasio today announced the City’s popular Open Restaurants program, which allows restaurants to serve diners in sidewalks and curb lanes, will return next summer. Over 9,000 restaurants have signed up for the program, which has helped save nearly 80,000 New York City jobs since June.

 

Outdoor dining will return to the city by June 1, 2021 and run through October 31^st. The City will also bring back a popular initiative that combines Open Restaurants with Open Streets. On weekends, restaurants on participating corridors will go farther away from the curb than other Open Restaurants participants, and the rest of the streets will be open to pedestrian traffic.

 

“It’s time to start a new New York City tradition,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “New Yorkers deserve the chance to enjoy their meals outside next summer, and restaurants deserve the chance to continue building their businesses back. I’m proud to expand such a popular program, and I look forward to participating myself next year.”

 

"Open Restaurants has been an overwhelming success, providing a small sense of normalcy for New Yorkers who have endured so much this year, but also providing thousands of jobs across the City and helping restaurants stay in business," said Deputy Mayor Laura Anglin. "Bringing this program back next year makes perfect sense and allows restaurants more time to plan and continue to find creative ways to serve New Yorkers."

 

"In just two months, Open Restaurants has helped re-imagine our public spaces — bringing New Yorkers together to safely enjoy outdoor dining and helping to rescue a critical industry at the same time,” said DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg. “We are thrilled that the Mayor has announced that this hugely successful team effort will return next year. We look forward to further collaboration with our partner agencies, community groups and restaurateurs who have already worked so hard to put this vision into place.”

 

“We are thrilled to see the expansion of the Open Restaurant Program,” said Jonnel Doris, Commissioner of the NYC Department of Small Business Services. “This has been a tremendous benefit to the restaurant industry during these trying months and the continuation of the program to next summer will allow for increased participation in the future.”

 

The hours of operation for Open Restaurants are Monday to Saturday, 8:00 AM – 11:00 PM, and Sunday 10:00 AM – 11:00 PM. A searchable citywide map of existing Open Restaurants can be found here. For more information on the program, including regulations, guidelines, and the application, click here.

 

Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) Clock to Restart on September 14

CPC meetings will be held remotely for the foreseeable future, with new portal, NYC Engage, for New Yorkers to easily participate

  As the City Planning Commission (CPC) begins remote public meetings today, CPC Chair Marisa Lago announced that the City’s Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) is set to resume on Monday, Sept. 14.

“As New York works to recover and rebuild from this pandemic, it is more crucial than ever that, together, we get back to the business of creating new affordable housing and good jobs. I think that I speak for the entire Commission in saying that we are excited to return to the important work of helping craft a more equitable, healthier, sustainable and livable city, one that bounces back stronger than ever,” CPC Chair Marisa Lago said.

The ULURP process was suspended by Mayoral Emergency Executive Order on March 16 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, the CPC began work on land use applications that are not subject to ULURP, on ULURP applications that were already in public review prior to March 16 and on applications that will enter ULURP review in the future.

The portion of the Mayor’s Emergency Executive Order that suspended ULURP will end on Sept. 14, at which point the CPC will again begin advancing new ULURP applications. Not until then will ULURP applications adhere to ULURP time frames for public review.

This staggered restart of the public review process will help 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 ULURP clock restarts.

Public draft agendas for upcoming CPC meetings will be posted on the Department of City Planning (DCP) website in the days before the meetings take place. Due to the pandemic, CPC meetings will be held remotely for the foreseeable future.

To provide the public with information about upcoming meetings and how anyone can participate online or by phone, the City recently launched a new web portal, NYC Engage. Events will be added to NYC Engage in the coming months from the CPC and other agencies. Additional information on NYC Engage is available at the above link and in this earlier press release.

Department of City Planning

The Department of City Planning (DCP) plans for the strategic growth and development of the City through ground-up planning with communities, the development of land use policies and zoning regulations applicable citywide, and its contribution to the preparation of the City’s 10-year Capital Strategy. DCP promotes housing production and affordability, fosters economic development and coordinated investments in infrastructure and services, and supports resilient, sustainable communities across the five boroughs for a more equitable New York City.

In addition, DCP supports the City Planning Commission in its annual review of approximately 450 land use applications for a variety of discretionary approvals. The Department also assists both government agencies and the public by advising on strategic and capital planning and providing policy analysis, technical assistance and data relating to housing, transportation, community facilities, demography, zoning, urban design, waterfront areas and public open space.

Bronx Board of Election Part 4 - 'REMAKE'

June 23,2020 was Primary day in New York City. We have entered the month of August 2020 without the official results of the June 23, 2020 primary.

On Monday August 3, 2020 the 'Manual Canvass of the Democratic Party County Committee ED 85/AD 87 of the Bronx is to be done. That appears to be the last race to be counted, as the Board of Elections website says that the other four boroughs have been completed. 

While there are several probable lawsuits the results of the 79th A.D. from member of the Assembly to all party positions are in question. That also goes for the Male District Leader position of the 87th A.D. where names of candidates were put on the ballot as the Board of Elections appealed a judges decision to put those candidates back on the ballot. I was told by BOE spokesperson Valerie Vazquez-Diaz that the ballots had to be printed up before the decision of the appeal by the BOE was handed down. She added that the BOE was not sure that they would win the appeal, so the names of the candidates were placed on the ballots. 

Also in the 79th A.D. the Board of Elections did not do its job to make sure that all the candidates met the residency requirement of five years of residency in the state to run for any assembly position. One candidate Mr. Elvis Santana had only three years of residency in New York State, and should have been knocked off the ballot by the BOE. 

In watching the opening of the Absentee and Affidavit ballots one word came up often, that word being REMAKE. The word remake has two meanings. One as a noun in the film industry is 'one that is remade'. The other as a verb i 'to make anew or a different form. At the Board of Elections the word REMAKE meant that a representative of both parties had to come to the A.D. table where the opening of ballots was going on to take the ballot in question to an area in the back of the room. Then a blank ballot would be taken from the rack of blank ballots that matched the A.D. and E.D. so the BOE workers could fill in the ballot and it could be returned to the counting table.

There were several reason as to why a ballot had to be remade. The ballot was torn in the opening process which would mean it could not go through the ballot scanning machine. Only one of the two ballots was in the envelope, and a blank second ballot had to be made, because the ballot scanning machine registered both paper ballots during the scanning process. The BOE worker found something wrong with the ballot where the vote may not get counted. 

In watching the 79th A.D. ballot opening when remakes were made they appeared to be honest as during the viewing session I was a watcher for one of the candidates, and checked where the marks were on the ballots. I can say there was no pattern of placing marks for only one candidate during the remake process of hundreds of ballots. 

 

Above - The area where all the blank ballots were kept, as you see a BOE worker looking for a certain AD/ED ballot.

Below - The area where the REMAKE ballots were done.

BOE workers returning the remade ballot to the counting table.

  

Newly Appointed Chief of Community Affairs Jeffrey B. Maddrey

Appointed by the police commissioner, and given a mandate to reimagine the critically important Community Affairs Bureau, Chief Jeffrey B. Maddrey has spent his first days listening to what his colleagues and residents of the new neighborhoods he will serve want and need.

He’s visited precinct station houses, held virtual meetings with community and elected leaders, listened at houses of worship and walked the streets over the holiday weekend to hear people’s vision for fair and effective policing in the 21st Century.

Chief Maddrey takes over this bureau at a watershed moment in police-community relations.

Assuming command of Community Affairs culminates the arc of Chief Maddrey’s experiences perfectly, as a child of New York, a product of its schools and as a public servant with three decades of distinction, including extensive grassroots community involvement during his five recent years as borough commander in Brooklyn North. He rose as a leader within the NYPD as the agency rebuked years of aggressive policing tactics that disparately targeted Black and Hispanic New Yorkers. And he has been a leading voice for reinforcing policing’s basic mission of keeping people safe while adopting the kind of sweeping reforms that have been a beacon for the profession, nationally, over the past six-and-a-half years.

“We in the NYPD reaffirm our promise to earn and strengthen the community’s support to help put an end to the crime and violence that victimizes innocent New Yorkers,” said Chief Maddrey. “But mostly, we pledge anew to listen carefully to all voices so that your police become the police you need and desire and want in the pursuit of your productive lives.”

Under Chief Maddrey, the Community Affairs Bureau is being reinvigorated to seek out voices in all of New York City’s neighborhoods.

The answers received will inform the work of the Community Affairs Bureau and the goal of the agency to work with community members in the shared mission of public safety.

Chief Maddrey has a great understanding of the violence that, even in an era of low crime, has afflicted neighborhoods where he has served. Now, he is committed to using all of the resources and tools of the Community Affairs Bureau to help to reduce that kind of violence – working with the Patrol and Detective bureaus and others in the NYPD in that shared mission.

Chief Maddrey joined the New York City Police Department in April 1991, and began his career on patrol in the 110 Precinct. He has also served in the 60, 67, 70, 72, 73, 75 and 77 Precincts, the Brooklyn South Task Force, Patrol Borough Brooklyn South, and Patrol Borough Brooklyn North. He was promoted to Sergeant in February 1998; Lieutenant in March 2001; Captain in May 2003; Deputy Inspector in December 2006; Inspector in November 2008; Deputy Chief in December 2011; and Assistant Chief in March 2015.

Chief Maddrey most recently served as Commanding Officer of Patrol Borough Brooklyn North. He also commanded Housing Borough Brooklyn, the Brooklyn South Task Force, and the 73 and 75 Precincts. He served as Executive Officer of Patrol Borough Brooklyn South, the 60, 70 and 72 Precincts.

Chief Maddrey holds a Master of Science degree in Human Services Leadership from St. Joseph’s College, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminology from John Jay College. He is also a 2007 graduate of the Police Management Institute at Columbia University.

Governor Cuomo Announces Highest Number of Tests Ever Conducted in the State

82,737 Tests Conducted Yesterday, 0.91 Percent Were Positive

SLA and State Police Task Force Found New Violations of State Requirements at 41 Establishments

4 COVID-19 Deaths in New York State Yesterday

Confirms 753 Additional Coronavirus Cases in New York State - Bringing Statewide Total to 415,767; New Cases in 46 Counties

Governor Cuomo: "Today we hit a record number of tests done on a single day, 82,737. That is the most tests every conducted in a single day in this state. Of those 82,000 tests, .91 positive, 753 tests, great news."

Cuomo: "This state has a task force that's been working. New York State Police and the SLA. Last night there were 41 establishments that were given violations, 2 in the Bronx, 1 in Brooklyn, 5 in Queens, 1 in Staten Island, 3 in Nassau, 2 in Suffolk, 27 in Manhattan. Twenty-seven in Manhattan. We need the NYPD to step up and do enforcement. The SLA did 7 more suspensions yesterday, 3 in Manhattan, 3 in Queens, 1 in Staten Island." 

AUGUST 1st we hit a record number of tests done on a single day, 82,737. That is the most tests every conducted in a single day in this state. Of those 82,000 tests, .91 positive, 753 tests, great news. Four New Yorkers passed away yesterday. They are in our thoughts and prayers but compared to where we were relatively it's great news. 581 New Yorkers hospitalized. That's good news. 147 ICU patients, 72 intubations. That's all great news.

We're in the stage where we are protecting our progress to threats, quarantine, which continues from other states with high infection rates and compliance in New York, especially young people, especially bars and restaurants. Once again local governments have to step up. Some are doing better than others.

This state has a task force that's been working. New York State Police and the SLA. Last night there were 41 establishments that were given violations, 2 in the Bronx, 1 in Brooklyn, 5 in Queens, 1 in Staten Island, 3 in Nassau, 2 in Suffolk, 27 in Manhattan. Twenty-seven in Manhattan. We need the NYPD to step up and do enforcement. The SLA did 7 more suspensions yesterday, 3 in Manhattan, 3 in Queens, 1 in Staten Island.

There was an alarming development in Georgia that we just want to bring to your attention. A sleepaway camp for children - 76 percent of the campers and the staffers at the camp tested positive for COVID. That was about half the camp, less than two weeks after the camp opened. So, we made a decision here about camps, we said there was a great risk, I feel good about that. But we're talking about reopening schools and young people, and the possibility of infection. So, these are real circumstances that have to be considered.

The point I want to make on schools, the school districts were supposed to put in their plans yesterday on alternatives or how they would reopen. We're going to watch the overall infection before we make a decision. We're going to make a decision this week, an initial decision. If at this point, schools should plan on reopening and then we'll watch to see what happens with the infection rate. But one of the big variables here is going to be the parents' comfort level. You know, the discussion basically assumes if the schools opened all the parents will send their children back to school; that is not the case. I am talking to parents all across the state. I'm getting deluged with phone calls from parents who are concerned, and they should be concerned. You hear about the Georgia camp, you get concerned. You hear about the Kawasaki-like syndrome, you get concerned. You hear scientists and health officials who say they don't know the long-term consequences for a child who has antibodies, you get concerned.

So, it's not flicking a switch; it's like all of these decisions, it's more complicated than we often think. You can say, "Okay, school reopens." If the parents are not comfortable, the children will not be sent. You have some school districts in parts of this state that are seeing record numbers of enrollees. Some of the school districts, on the east side of Long Island, are seeing an exponential number of enrollees. Parents are taking this decision very seriously, and the reason we need the school districts to put in their plans is because the parents need to review the plan, understand the plan, and they have to have confidence in the plan. If they don't have confidence in the plan, I don't care what the school district says. They are not sending their kids back. Now, there will be some parents who don't have a choice but to send their child back because they don't have alternative childcare, et cetera, but there are going to be many parents who if they think their child might be subjected to failure they are just not going to do it. That was the point of this pre-opening period. The school district puts in their plan, the parents get to the review it, the parents ask questions, the parents get to provoke the discussion. The parents then feel comfortable. Okay, now you can reopen. This is not a dictatorial decision by the school district. This is a cooperative decision where it is the parents' choice. It is not the school district's choice. It is the parents' choice to send their child. So, this is supposed to be more of a dialogue that we are having now and that is why these plans are important. I am disappointed that New York City didn't have their plan on time because that is one of the main districts where there is a lot of discussion and dialogue, and until there is a plan people are not going to feel that there is an informed dialogue. And to have that whole process, have that discussion, get it done in two weeks is going to be hard, and if parents are not comfortable and confident I am telling you they are not going to send their child. So you will open a school, you will have partial attendance which will serve no one.

My two cents on the plans, the concepts are not enough. I understand the concept of remote learning. We have a lot of experience with the concept of the remote learning and the experience that we went through. Remote learning, if not done well, can be a vehicle of division. Remote learning tends to work better in the wealthier school districts and tends to work less well in the poorer school districts. It tends to work better in wealthier homes and less well in poorer homes. The measures to correct that are vital to any reopening plan, and it is not just understanding the question - it is having a complete answer. I have had a number of conversations with school districts. Yes, we understand remote learning. Yes, we understand the challenges. Yes, but how are you going to meet them specifically? Where is the personnel? Where is the equipment? How are you going to do this?

All through this COVID crisis there are no conceptual discussions anymore. The conceptual discussions would have caused problems all across this country. Conceptually, we understand reopening. We'll have to do testing and tracing. Yeah, but if you didn't actually know how to do testing and tracing and you didn't operationally implement it, now you have Florida and Texas and Arizona, et cetera. If you didn't know how to do an emergency response legislation, then you wound up with this hodge podge approach that some states have now. The devil is in the details and parents are going to want to hear the details.

The second place, besides remote learning, is on testing. How are you going to test the students? How many are you going to test per day? How long will it take to turn around the tests? Where are you going to get that testing capacity? That has to all be in addition to what they are doing today. If a locality today is doing 20,000 tests, okay, how many are you going to do on the first day of school? Oh, we're going to do 10,000 in the schools. Oh, so you will have an additional 10,000 tests in capacity? Yes. How? And if you have an additional 10,000 capacity, why aren't you using it now? What will the turn arounds be on those tests? We know the turnaround times are going up with these national labs.

Those are the vital questions and those are the questions the parents are going to ask. These are very informed parents. I made it my business to inform the people of this state with exhaustive briefings every day. They know the questions. They're going to ask the questions and if we don't have answers for them, then they're going to conclude that we haven't thought through the plan and they're not going to send a child.

Remote learning is more of a policy, societal issue for me. The testing question is going to be the question that every parent asks. So let's ask it today before we get further down the road and find out we don't have the answer. Then it's too late to fix and we lost the confidence of the parents and then we're going to have a real problem. With that, Rob, Melissa, do you have anything else to add?

Attorney General James Announces $10 Million to Protect Homeowners During COVID-19 Pandemic Crisis

Homeowner Protection Program (HOPP) to Provide

Support to New York Homeowners At-risk for Foreclosure 

  Attorney General Letitia James today announced $10 million in grant funding as part of a total $20 million allocation to support New York homeowners struggling with foreclosure. The Homeowner Protection Program (HOPP) connects homeowners to free, qualified mortgage-assistance relief services across New York.

According to FHFA’s 2020 first-quarter report on foreclosure prevention actions, just over 170,000 homeowners asked for a forbearance on their payments, compared to around 7,000 that were filed in the last quarter of 2019. As mortgage payment deferrals due to COVID-19 begin to expire, New Yorkers, more than ever, need this support to ensure they can remain in their homes. The funding supports a network of more than 80 housing counselors and legal service organizations that have helped more than 100,000 families avoid foreclosure and remain in their homes.

“Owning a home is a staple of the American Dream,” said Attorney General James. “During these uncertain times, the need for assistance and guidance to get homeowners back on track is evident and urgent. My office is committed to protecting homeownership and ensuring that all New Yorkers have a safe and decent home.”

“Throughout the pandemic, New Yorkers have proven that they are smart, tough and resilient, but these are the most challenging times we have faced in generations and we have an obligation to do all we can to prevent foreclosures from plaguing communities,” Governor Andrew Cuomo said. “The Homeowner Protection Program championed by Attorney General James will provide homeowners across the state with much-needed security during this incredibly difficult time.”

The Attorney General’s Office is partnering with the Center for NYC Neighborhoods and the Empire Justice Center to help manage and coordinate the program.

“We are thrilled to see HOPP entering its ninth year under the direction of the New York State Office of the Attorney General,” said Kirsten Keefe, Program Director for HOPP Anchor Partner Program. “HOPP’s network of housing counseling and legal services programs available to homeowners in every county of the state, will be more critical than ever given the unprecedented number of homeowners who have fallen behind on their mortgages as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. We thank Governor Cuomo, the state legislature, and Attorney General Letitia James for their strong commitment to the program.” 

The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) established the program in 2012 in response to rising foreclosures stemming from the financial crisis. However, even a decade beyond the “housing crisis,” communities across New York state continue to face many challenges related to homeowner stability, such as continued foreclosures, predatory mortgage lending, deed theft, and other scams.

Until now, the funding for HOPP came from bank settlements secured by the OAG. Funding will also continue to support educational and referral services. Now the program is state funded, and the New York state legislature has allocated a total of $20 million to support the program through a ninth year.

“As millions of New Yorkers struggle to make ends meet during this coronavirus pandemic and economic crisis, government has a responsibility to step up and help,” said New York State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins. “I applaud Attorney General Letitia James for allocating funds to help homeowners avoid foreclosure. This effort, as well as the steps taken by the Senate Majority to help tenants and homeowners, will mean more of our neighbors can stay in their homes and communities. I look forward to continuing to work with the Attorney General and my colleagues in state government to help all New Yorkers during these difficult times.”

“The Homeownership Protection Program is essential to homeowners in ordinary circumstances, but in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting economic crisis, it is an absolutely critical resource to New Yorkers,” said New York State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie. “Homeownership is the foundation of the American Dream, and this program helps assure that New Yorkers never lose their homes because they do not have access to a lawyer or qualified housing counselor. The Assembly Majority has fought for years to ensure the program is adequately funded because we know how important stable housing is for families. I applaud Attorney General Letitia James for her commitment to protecting vulnerable homeowners when they need it most.”

Attorney General James is committed to protecting vulnerable homeowners and encourages those who have been scammed to report complaints by calling the office (800) 771-7755 or by filling out a complaint form. The OAG cannot assist with mortgage payments; however, homeowners throughout New York state who are behind on their mortgage or other charges can get free help in their community by calling HOPP hotline at (855) HOME-456 or (855) 466-3456. Any identifying information provided to the OAG will be protected in a manner consistent with state law and policies on the safeguarding of identifying information.

12th City Council District Community Engagement Day

 The day began with a march across Gun Hill Road to Councilman King's office. Normally the street around the corner would be closed with family activities set up, but that was not the plan this Pandemic Year. 

As the marchers stepped off from Boston Road at every corner to Councilman King's office the marchers stopped to say a prayer for those who passed away during the Pandemic.

Upon arriving at Councilman King's office there were a few speeches by Councilman King, Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams (one of the marchers), New Chief of Community Affairs for the NYPD Chief Maddrey, and Ms. Aaliyah Sheppard of the Bronx YEP. 

Brooklyn Borough President (and mayoral candidate) Adams said that from July 4th over one hundred and fifty Black people have been shot by Black people. Councilman King said that he voted against budget cuts to the Police Department, but that he wanted more accountability by riding the force of the few bad officers. Bottles of hand sanitizer, face masks, and boxes of food were then handed out to the people who came to the 12th City Council District Community Engagement Day. A concert was held later in the evening.

Above - As the marchers near Councilman King's office on Gun Hill Road, they stop at this corner for a prayer.

Below - Councilman Andy King thanks those who marched, and explains why there are no activities this year due to the Pandemic.

Above - Brooklyn Borough President (and mayoral candidate) Eric Adams speaks with New NYPD Chief of Community Affairs Maddrey standing next to him.

Below - Chief Maddrey spoke of bringing the police department and community closer.

Above - People line up to receive bottles of hand sanitizer, face masks, and boxes of food.

Below - The boxes of food waiting to be handed out.