301 Days and Counting

 

It's been over a year that COVID-19 has ravished the Bronx, let me now go to Coop-City to open a vaccination site.

Celebrating Women's History Month

 

The week-long national celebration of women's history began in 1981 with the passage of Pub. L. 97-28, which developed, through subsequent resolutions and presidential proclamations, into Women's History Month.

Among the great losses we have collectively suffered this past year is U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Her groundbreaking work honors women and our society at large.

There was still room for celebration of notable achievements by many women. In particular, we can celebrate our new Vice President Kamala Harris, who will no doubt inspire future generations of leaders.

At the local level, I appreciate the many women who volunteer their time for the neighborhoods of District 11--those who serve on our community boards and those who run community organizations that affect positive change.

If elected to City Council, I will fight for equal pay for equal work, support the ACLU's goals of equal access to education, work with the DA's office to fight for justice for battered women and create job interview preparation for women emerging from economic depressions.

Please join our campaign for positive change in the NW Bronx--and vote Daniel Padernacht 1st Choice on March 23rd. Early voting takes place March 13 to 21.

Sincerely, Dan 

Dan Padernacht

Candidate for New York City Council 
11th Council District 
www.voteDanP.com

Bedford Park, Fieldston, Kingsbridge, Marble Hill, Norwood, Riverdale, Spuyten Duyvil, Van Cortlandt Village, Wakefield & Woodlawn 

Governor Cuomo Updates New Yorkers on State's Progress During COVID-19 Pandemic March 5, 2021

 

Hospitalizations Drop to 5,034—Lowest Since December 8

1,030 Patients in the ICU; 700 Intubated

Statewide Positivity Rate is 3.02%

94 COVID-19 Deaths in New York State Yesterday

 Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today updated New Yorkers on the state's progress during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Hospitalizations dropped to 5,034, the lowest since December 8.

"We're fighting COVID-19 every day by getting the vaccination rate up and keeping COVID rates down, but we still have a long way to go in this footrace," Governor Cuomo said. "Our vaccine distribution sites are expanding and Johnson & Johnson's new vaccine is going to help substantially, but the number of eligible residents far exceeds the number of shots we get each week, and challenges like new variants and COVID fatigue continue to pose a threat. That's why it's critical that New Yorkers continue to practice the basic behaviors that help us combat this virus—washing hands, social distancing and masking up—and why we need to look out for one another throughout this crisis. The numbers are a function of our collective actions, and if we all work together, we can defeat COVID and get to the light at the end of the tunnel."

Today's data is summarized briefly below: 

• Test Results Reported - 296,935
• Total Positive - 8,956
• Percent Positive - 3.02%
• 7-Day Average Percent Positive - 3.16%
• Patient Hospitalization - 5,034 (-143)
• Net Change Patient Hospitalization Past Week - -592 
• Patients Newly Admitted - 592 
• Hospital Counties - 55
• Number ICU - 1,030 (-13)
• Number ICU with Intubation - 700 (-12)
• Total Discharges - 148,923 (+568)
• Deaths - 94 
• Total Deaths - 38,891

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Files Civil Injunction Lawsuit To Shut Down Bronx Tax Preparer And His Company

 

 Audrey Strauss, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced the filing of a civil complaint against RAFAEL ALVAREZ and ATAX New York LLC (“ATAX New York”) to prohibit them from, among other things, preparing tax returns for others or engaging in activities that substantially interfere with the administration of federal tax laws. The complaint alleges that ALVAREZ and ATAX NEW YORK have prepared and filed fraudulent tax returns on behalf of their customers in order to reduce their customers’ tax liability and generate refunds to which those customers were not entitled. 

U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said:  “Tax return preparers who regularly cheat the tax system by preparing fraudulent federal income tax returns for their customers should not be permitted to continue in business.  This Office will work with the IRS to shut down return preparers who fleece the Treasury by claiming improper deductions or credits for their customers.”

 As alleged in the Government’s complaint filed in federal district court today:

ATAX NEW YORK is a limited liability company that prepares tax returns for customers in the Bronx.  ALVAREZ is a tax preparer and ATAX NEW YORK’s sole member.  Together, ATAX NEW YORK and ALVAREZ prepared and filed over 36,000 federal income tax returns from 2016 to 2019 for their customers.  In preparing those returns, ATAX NEW YORK and ALVAREZ knowingly prepared and filed false federal income tax returns for their customers by fabricating, among other things, unreimbursed business expenses, charitable contributions, capital loss carryovers, and tuition expenses.  Many tax returns prepared and filed by ATAX NEW YORK and ALVAREZ also falsely claimed “head of household” status for their customers as part of this scheme, even by using social security numbers belonging to deceased individuals in claiming dependents.

The Government is seeking an injunction against ATAX NEW YORK and ALVAREZ that would, among other things, permanently bar them from preparing or filing federal tax returns on behalf of others.  The complaint also asks the court to order the defendants to turn over the ill-gotten net profits they earned because of their fraudulent conduct.

Ms. Strauss thanked the Internal Revenue Service for its assistance with this case.

The case is being handled by the Tax and Bankruptcy Unit in the Office’s Civil Division.

BRONX MAN INDICTED FOR SHOOTING AND LEAVING VICTIM IN A COMA

 

Defendant Was on the Run for Months

 Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark today announced that a Bronx man has been indicted on Attempted Murder, Assault and additional charges for a shooting last November that left a man in a coma and with long-term medical complications. 

 District Attorney Clark said, “The defendant allegedly shot the victim in the thigh, striking his femoral artery. The victim was in a coma and miraculously survived. Although months have passed since the shooting, he remains hospitalized.” 

 District Attorney Clark said the defendant, Edgardo Perez, 29, of 980 Prospect Avenue, was arraigned today on Attempted Murder in the second degree, first-degree Criminal Use of a Firearm, two counts of first-degree Assault, second-degree Criminal Use of a Firearm, Attempted Assault in the first degree, two counts of second-degree Criminal Possession of a Weapon, two counts of second-degree Assault, first-degree Reckless Endangerment, Criminal Possession of a Firearm, third-degree Assault, second-degree Reckless Endangerment, fourth-degree Criminal Possession of a Weapon and second-degree Menacing before Bronx Supreme Court Justice Michael Gross. Bail was set at $150,000 cash/$250,000 insurance Bond/$400,000 partially secured bond at 10 percent. The defendant is due back in court on May 27, 2021.

 According to the investigation, at approximately 6:00 p.m. on November 24, 2020 at 851 East 163rd Street, the victim, Erik Gomez, 31, accused the defendant of stealing and they engaged in a fight. The victim, who is acquainted with the defendant, allegedly punched him once and ran away. Perez allegedly pointed the gun at Gomez’ girlfriend, Yahaira Gonzalez, 42, then chased after Gomez and allegedly shot him in the upper right thigh, severing his femoral artery. Gomez lost a substantial amount of blood and slipped into a coma. He suffered liver and kidney failure and is still in the hospital.

 The defendant, who escaped to Pennsylvania after the shooting, was arrested on January 8, 2021. 

 District Attorney Clark thanked Assistant District Attorney Andrea Ingenito and Trial Preparation Assistant Ryan Trzaskoma, both of Trial Bureau 40, and NYPD Detective Frankie Soler of the 41st Precinct for their assistance in the investigation.

 An indictment is an accusatory instrument and not proof of a defendant’s guilt.

A RECOVERY FOR ALL OF US: MAYOR DE BLASIO OUTLINES NEXT PHASE OF COMPREHENSIVE POLICE REFORM EFFORT

 

Draft plan outlines New York City’s ongoing effort to undo the legacy and harm of racialized policing 

 Mayor Bill de Blasio today announced the next phase of the City’s police reform effort. The New York City Police Reform and Reinvention Collaborative draft plan, released today, builds on the initial proposals set forth in the 2021 State of the City and seven years of consecutive police reform under the de Blasio Administration. Through 36 reforms, the plan—the first step of a three-part process—outlines the next phase of the Administration’s ongoing effort to undo the legacy and harm of racialized policing.

 

“When I took office, I vowed to reform a broken stop and frisk policy—both to protect the dignity and rights of young men of color, and to give our brave police officers the partnership they need to continue their success in driving down crime,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “There were so many who said it couldn’t be done. But we proved them wrong.  Now, we must go further to confront the harmful legacy of racialized policing. These reforms will restore trust and accountability to create a police force that reflects the communities they serve – all while keeping New York City the safest big city in America.”

 

“As I said in a recent speech to community leaders in Harlem, there is a history in this country that goes back hundreds of years involving the enforcement of unjust laws and racist policies of society. Police have been an inexorable part of that history,” says Police Commissioner Dermot Shea in the report. “We have to acknowledge this truth – and I do. And we must acknowledge the NYPD’s historical role in the mistreatment of communities of color. I am sorry. Our challenge today is to ensure that we will not participate in, or tolerate, any further inequality or injustice. We have engaged in years of steady reform and we must continue.”

 

With 36 proposals, the City’s draft plan focuses on five goals. The plan will now move through a public comment period where it will undergo further revision based on the feedback of the public and through a process with the council.

 

1. Transparency and Accountability to the People of New York City

• Hold police officers accountable for misconduct through internal NYPD disciplinary decisions that are transparent, consistent, and fair
• Strengthening the CCRB via the David Dinkins Plan
• Consolidate NYPD oversight by expanding the authority of CCRB to include the powers of the NYPD OIG and the CCPC
• Supporting a change in State law to give CCRB access to sealed PD records for purposes of investigations, especially biased-policing investigations
• Public and comprehensive reporting on key police reform metrics

 

2. Community Representation and Partnership

• Working with communities to implement NYC Joint Force to End Gun Violence
• Incorporate direct community participation in the selection of Precinct Commanders
• Involving the community in training and education by expanding the People’s Police Academy
• Immersing officers in the neighborhoods they serve
• Elevate the feedback of the community through CompStat and Enhanced Neighborhood Policing
• Launching the Neighborhood Policing App and expanding training
• Improving policing of citywide demonstrations
• Expanding the Precinct Commander’s Advisory Councils
• Expanding Pop Up with a Cop
• Supporting and expanding the Citizen’s Police Academy
• Enhancing Youth Leadership Councils
• Expanding the Law Enforcement Explorers Program.
• Transforming public space to improve community safety

 

3. Recognition and Continual Examination of Historical and Modern-Day Racialized Policing in New York City

• Acknowledging the experiences of communities of color in New York City and begin reconciliation. 
• Eliminating the use of unnecessary force by changing culture through policy, training, accountability, and transparency. 
• Augmenting racial bias training for NYPD leadership
• Comprehensive restorative justice training for NYPD leadership and NCOs to repair relationships with communities.
• Train all officers on Active Bystandership in Law Enforcement (ABLE) by the end of this year.
• Enhancing positive reinforcement, formally and informally, to change culture
• Consistently assessing practices and policies through accreditation. 

 

4. The Decriminalization of Poverty

• Developing a health-centered response to mental health crises
• New approaches to safety, outreach and regulation through civilian agencies
• Interrupt violence through expanded community-based interventions
• Expanding the successful Brownsville pilot via the community solutions program
• Consolidating all crime victim services within the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice to support survivors
• Strengthening community partnerships with domestic and gender-based violence providers

 

5. A Diverse, Resilient, and Supportive NYPD

• Recruiting officers who reflect the communities they serve, with a commitment to recruit and retain more people of color and women
• Reform the discretionary promotions process to improve equity and inclusion
• Expanding mental health support for officers
• Supporting professional development through the Commander’s Course and leadership development programs
• Updating the patrol guide so it is more user friendly and less complex for officer and transparent to the public

 

This draft plan is the product of the experiences and insights of hundreds of residents of neighborhoods throughout the five boroughs, in forums of varying size and structure. New Yorkers who shared their insights include community based organizations (CBOs), advocacy groups, clergy, racial justice advocates, cure violence providers, youth groups and youth voices, ethnic and religious organizations, BIDs and small business owners, non-profits, LGBTQI+ community leaders, the deaf and hard-of-hearing community, people with disabilities, tenants’ associations, shelter-based and affordable-housing communities and providers, people involved in the justice system, crime victims, policy experts, prosecutors, oversight bodies, judges, elected officials, academic leaders, and many others. To ensure all voices were heard in this process and to solidify the partnership around reform, meetings were also hosted with uniform and civilian members of the NYPD. These meetings paralleled the community meetings, focusing on members assigned to work in the very same highly affected neighborhoods as the residents who offered testimony.

 

Since Mayor de Blasio took office on January 1, 2014, the de Blasio administration has implemented a sweeping set of wholesale reforms to address over-policing and reduce the overall impact of the criminal justice system, while making the city safer and fairer. The hallmark of the current administration has been a reduced enforcement footprint coupled with a sustained decrease in crime. While many criminal justice systems in the United States continued policies that drive mass incarceration, New York City led an effort to reduce law enforcement focused intervention and incarceration. The results of these efforts have been historic. Comparing 2020 to 2013, the year before the de Blasio Administration took office, there were approximately:

 

• 182,000 fewer stop and frisk incidents, a 95% reduction
• 253,000 fewer arrests, a 64% reduction
• 29,000 fewer marijuana arrests, a 98% reduction
• 5,900 fewer people in jail on average per day, a 52% reduction

 

The New York City Police Reform and Reinvention Collaborative Draft Plan is the continuation of this work. It envisions an NYPD that stays true to its history of bravery in the service to the public, that maintains its stellar record of driving down crime, while continuing to transform itself into an example of just, transparent, and accountable policing, implemented equitably, without regard to race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, or immigration or socioeconomic status.

 

The full report can be read here.

 

Ranked Choice Vote Informational Sessions Tue March 9th, and Thursday March 11th

 

Tuesday March 9 Webex Password bx0309.

Thursday March 11 Webex Password bx0311.

Senator Rivera on Legislature Stripping Governor Cuomo's Emergency Executive Powers

 

"As one of the few legislators who voted against granting Governor Cuomo emergency executive powers last March, I am pleased that today we are finally stripping them away. I firmly believe that the Executive has overstepped its boundaries and refused to work with the Legislature as a co-equal branch of government. We owe it to New Yorkers to address the public health crisis and our recovery process efficiently and transparently, which is what the governing structure in this new law will provide. 

Furthermore, in light of recent events, it is abundantly clear that, at minimum, Governor Cuomo and his administration need increased oversight. They have demonstrated that they are more interested in selling books, taking victory laps and keeping the public in the dark about the impact of the pandemic rather than providing the Legislature with accurate information necessary to crafting policy on behalf of the New Yorkers that rely on us to do so."