Team AOC - A no-go

 

Alexandria and her progressive colleagues in the House have a plan.

On Friday, Alexandria vowed that she and her colleagues including Reps. Jayapal, Pressley, Tlaib, and Lee would withhold their votes on the bipartisan infrastructure bill unless a budget bill that includes climate measures, child care, and immigration reform passes at the same time.

This is a bold move, but it is what’s required to pass a budget bill that actually meets the level of crisis we’re in. It’s exactly what Alexandria was elected to do and another example why we need her in Congress.

To catch you up: President Biden’s bipartisan infrastructure deal cut out major Democratic priorities, including measures on climate, eldercare, affordable housing, and much more.

But Democrats have an opportunity to use a rule known as ‘reconciliation’ to pass policies cut out of the infrastructure bill with a simple majority. We cannot waste it. That’s why Alexandria is demanding that our priorities make it in the reconciliation bill – or else no infrastructure bill.

Alexandria has been very clear: People across this country elected Democratic majorities in both branches of government and a Democrat to the White House. Republicans are not in charge of dictating what policies we pass and what policies we don’t.

It’s up to Congress to deliver on the priorities that voters elected them to fight for – not the lowest common denominator. That’s what Alexandria is laser-focused on.

Pa’lante,

Team AOC

Congressman Adriano Espaillat - Leads 50+ Colleagues in Letter Urging State Dept. to Reduce Unprecedented Passport Backlog

 

Amid confusion, bad actors creating passport “black market” costing Americans hundreds, keeping families apart  Representatives Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) led 51 of his colleagues in a letter urging Acting Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Consular Affairs Ian G. Brownlee to immediately address the unprecedented passport backlog plaguing Americans around the country because of the COVID-19 pandemic, rendering countless Americans unable to obtain passports with wait times ballooning to upwards of 20 weeks. “During the height of the pandemic, people were deeply concerned about losing jobs, housing and loved ones. After 15 months of isolation, people looked forward to travelling internationally to attend postponed weddings and events, reconnect with family members in other countries, and study abroad. Unfortunately, for many, obtaining a passport has been rendered almost impossible due to staffing issues at State Department Passport Agencies and an overwhelming yet foreseeable spike in demand,” the members stated in their letter. “Given this foreseeable trend, it is unclear why more than a year later there was not more forethought put into the inevitable wave of passport applications as travel restrictions eased and the world opened back up. As a result of this backlog, our district offices have been receiving hundreds of calls and casework requests per week, and they have been told the current processing time is upwards of 20 weeks, nearly five times as long as the usual wait time. Even emergency appointments have been impossible to arrange in some of the most dire circumstances,” the members continued. The constituents that come to our office are desperate, and in many cases, poised to lose hundreds of dollars on unused plane tickets and hotel reservations or miss important family events like weddings and funerals. Because our offices are unable to receive reliable updates, we are unable to assuage our constituents’ concerns,” the members added. “In all this confusion and desperation, bad actors have obtained sought-after passport appointments and are auctioning them off on social media. We have heard of constituents so desperate for appointments that they have paid upward of $200 to obtain one. This shortage is creating a black market and we have heard reports that State Department Passport Agencies are allowing appointments that do not match scheduled names […] We urge you to reexamine your plan to reopen, adequately staff and supply Passport Agencies, and provide a timeline for reducing this outrageous backlog,” the members concluded. A full, signed copy of the letter is available here. The letter was signed by 51 other Members of Congress, including: Representatives Hakeem Jeffries, Rosa DeLauro, Dina Titus, Ayanna Pressley, Rashida Tlaib, Bill Johnson, Jared Huffman, Thomas Suozzi, James McGovern, Jerrold Nadler, Joaquin Castro, Bonnie Watson Coleman, Ed Perlmutter, Bobby Rush, Marie Newman, Ted Lieu, Susan Wild, Jackie Speier, Tim Ryan, Albio Sires, Lucille Roybal-Allard, Joyce Beatty, Grace Meng, Bill Foster, Ritchie Torres, Eric Swalwell, Dwight Evans, John Larson, Lizzie Fletcher, Steven Palazzo, Mike Doyle. James Himes, Jahana Hayes, David Price, John Yarmuth, Eddie Bernice Johnson, Norma Torres, Teresa Fernández, Mark DeSaulnier, Chrissy Houlahan, Charlie Crist, David Cicilline, Tony Cárdenas, Jan Schakowsky, Katherine Clark, Grace Napolitano, Mondaire Jones, Gerald Connolly, Julia Brownley, Jimmy Gomez, and Pramila Jayapal.

NYS Office of the Comptroller DiNAPOLI: CHATHAM POLICE CHIEF SENTENCED FOR PENSION DOUBLE-DIPPING

 

 Former Village of Chatham Chief of Police Peter Volkmann was sentenced to pay $92,829 in restitution and perform 200 hours of community service today for defrauding the New York State pension system by concealing his unlawful post-retirement public income and for stealing from the village through sham requests for reimbursement. His fraud was discovered during a joint investigation by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli, Columbia County District Attorney Paul Czajka, and the New York State Police.

“No one is above law, including Volkmann who, as the chief law enforcement officer of the village, not only defrauded the state retirement system but also stole from his community,” said DiNapoli. “I thank District Attorney Paul Czajka and the New York State Police for their partnership in helping us bring justice to this case.” 

“Mr. Volkmann stole funds from the citizens he was sworn to protect and serve as police chief of the Village of Chatham," District Attorney Paul Czajka said. "In doing so, he undermined much of the good he did in helping and providing assistance to so many suffering from addiction. With his conviction before Judge Koweek, those funds were returned in full to the Village of Chatham and the New York State Retirement System. I thank and commend the New York State Police, Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli and their highly trained and proficient investigators for bringing this complex case to a successful resolution. With the assistance of the Comptroller and the State Police, we continue to investigate the Village’s finances, as well as that of another institution."  

“Our investigation determined that the suspect in this case violated the public trust by circumventing retirement laws and stealing from village funds,” said State Police Superintendent Kevin P. Bruen. “We will continue to aggressively investigate any case that involves public corruption, and I want to commend our members and the Comptroller’s Office and Columbia County District Attorney’s Office for their partnership to ensure that justice was served.”

Columbia Court Judge Richard Koweek also sentenced Volkmann to two years of conditional discharge and ordered that 100 hours of the 200 in community service he was sentenced to be done by July 2022. As part of his plea deal, Volkmann paid a total amount of $92,829 in restitution before his sentencing.

Volkmann pleaded guilty in February to grand larceny in the fourth degree for circumventing New York state’s post-retirement income restrictions and cheating the New York State and Local Retirement System out of $74,222. Volkmann hid public-source income from 19 municipalities and school districts in excess of the statutory limit by funneling the earnings through a private business, PF Volkmann & Associates. He also pled to official misconduct, a misdemeanor, for stealing $18,607 from the Village of Chatham by falsifying mileage vouchers and other reimbursements to increase his income. As part of his plea deal, 

Volkmann, 57, of Stuyvesant, served as a Chief of Police for the town of Stockport until 2016. He was also the Chief of Police for the Village of Chatham since the fall of 2013 and he served as unpaid Commissioner of the Hudson Police Department from January 2020, until this investigation became public.

NYS Inspector General - NJ COUPLE PLEADS GUILTY FOR USING NY ADDRESS AND LYING ABOUT INCOME TO FRAUDULENTLY OBTAIN $39K IN WELFARE BENEFITS

 

 New York State Inspector General Letizia Tagliafierro today announced the guilty pleas of a New Jersey couple who lied about their income and residence to fraudulently obtain more than $39,000 in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid benefits.

Carlos Monsanto, 41 and Angelina Reyes, 39, of Teaneck, NJ, pleaded guilty in Manhattan Criminal Court before Judge Charlotte Davidson. Reyes pleaded guilty to Welfare Fraud in the Fifth Degree (A misdemeanor). Monsanto pleaded guilty to Disorderly Conduct, a violation. As part of the plea, the couple paid full restitution of $39,378.

In January 2019, the Office of the Welfare Inspector General (OWIG) received a complaint alleging that Monsanto and Reyes have resided in New Jersey but failed to disclose their out-of-state residency and significant employment income to the New York City Human Resources Administration when applying for public assistance benefits. 

OWIG’s investigation found that Reyes and Monsanto were married in 2004 and listed a Bronx address as place of residence on their marriage certificate. Reyes and Monsanto divorced in 2008, but Reyes moved to Monsanto's home in Teaneck in 2018. A review of utility payments, a real estate purchase, SNAP purchase locations, vehicle lease addresses and material on Reyes’ Facebook page found that the pair indeed resided in Teaneck full time by August 2018. 

Despite this, between August 2018 to November 2020, Reyes submitted claims for SNAP and Medicaid assistance in New York State, falsely listing an apartment on 175th Street in Manhattan as her place of residence. Additionally, Reyes failed to list their actual income in applications/recertifications for benefits. OWIG’s investigation found that Reyes and Monsanto’s combined income in 2019 was more than $132,000. 

In total, Monsanto and Reyes received $39,378 in welfare benefits to which they were not entitled. 

“SNAP and Medicaid benefits are crucial lifelines for thousands of New Yorkers who are truly in need,” said Inspector General Tagliafierro. “When individuals take advantage of these safety nets for illegal personal gain, it is an affront to us all. I thank our partners at the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office for prosecuting this matter.” 

Inspector General Tagliafierro thanked the Manhattan District Attorney for conducting the arrest and prosecuting the case.

Governor Cuomo Updates New Yorkers on State's Progress During COVID-19 Pandemic

 

22,627 Vaccine Doses Administered Over Last 24 Hours

3 COVID-19 Deaths Statewide Yesterday

 Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today updated New Yorkers on the state's progress combatting COVID-19.

"After over a year of containing the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are now being told that COVID is now mainly a pandemic among the unvaccinated," Governor Cuomo said. "If you haven't already, I encourage you to get your shot to best protect yourself and your loved ones against the variants spreading through the nation."

 

Today's data is summarized briefly below:

·         Test Results Reported - 69,665

·         Total Positive - 823
·         Percent Positive - 1.18%
·         7-Day Average Percent Positive - 1.26%
·         Patient Hospitalization - 378 (+26)
·         Patients Newly Admitted - 71
·         Patients in ICU - 79 (0)
·         Patients in ICU with Intubation - 30 (-2)
·         Total Discharges - 185,906 (+61)
·         Deaths - 3
·         Total Deaths - 43,034

·         Total vaccine doses administered - 21,812,432

·       Total vaccine doses administered over past 24 hours - 22,627

·         Total vaccine doses administered over past 7 days - 235,134

·         Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with at least one vaccine dose - 71.1%

·         Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with completed vaccine series - 65.8%

·         Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) - 73.9%

·         Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with completed vaccine series (CDC) - 67.4%

·         Percent of all New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose - 59.3%

· Percent of all New Yorkers with completed vaccine series - 54.6%

·         Percent of all New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) - 61.7%

·         Percent of all New Yorkers with completed vaccine series (CDC) - 56.0%

Attorney General James Announces Public Comment Period on Affinity Health Plan, Inc. Proposed Sale of its Assets to Molina Healthcare, Inc.

 

 New York Attorney General Letitia James announced today that, as required by New York Law, Affinity Health Plan, Inc. submitted a Petition to the Office of the New York State Attorney General for review and approval of the sale of substantially all of the assets of Affinity to Molina Healthcare, Inc., a for-profit corporation.

Pursuant to New York Law, the Attorney General is permitted, in her discretion, to direct that notice of a petition be provided to any interested person, and Affinity’s Petition acknowledges that the Attorney General will provide such notice. Further notice, an electronic copy of the Petition and instructions for filing comments will be available at ag.ny.gov/Affinity. All public comments will be reviewed before making a final decision on the Petition. Comments to the Petition must be received on or before July 28, 2021.

Governor Cuomo Announces Crackdown on Underage Drinking During Summer Concert Season

Investigators Will Check for Fake IDs, Underage Drinking, and the Sale of Alcohol to Minors 

 Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced today that state investigators will be on patrol at popular summer concert venues to crack down on underage drinking and the use of fake IDs to purchase alcohol. Beginning this week and throughout the summer, Operation Prevent enforcement sweeps will be conducted at CMAC in Canandaigua, Darien Lake Performing Arts Center, the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Jones Beach, and the Lakeview Amphitheater.

"New Yorkers fought hard against COVID-19, and because of their toughness, we can once again enjoy live music at the outstanding venues across this state," Governor Cuomo said. "As we continue to overcome the tragedies of the past year, I urge everyone to celebrate responsibly. Through this enforcement effort, investigators are working together to combat a dangerous problem and keep New Yorkers safe."

Operation Prevent is an ongoing effort to stop and prevent underage drinking, promote healthier choices among young New Yorkers and enhance roadway safety. Operation Prevent is supported by the Governor's Traffic Safety Committee and led by investigators from the Department of Motor Vehicles in cooperation with the State Liquor Authority, State Police, State Parks Police, and local law enforcement.

Mark J.F. Schroeder, DMV Commissioner and Chair of the Governor's Traffic Safety Committee, said, "We can finally get back to enjoying summer concerts—don't spoil the fun by using a fake ID.  Our investigators are experts at detecting fakes, and they use state-of-the-art equipment to verify fraudulent IDs. No matter how good you think yours is, they will spot it and you will be charged. Apart from the legal cost of underage drinking, you also put yourself and others at risk. It is just not worth it."

Those who are under the age of 21 found to be using fake IDs to buy alcohol can be ticketed and their licenses can be revoked for a minimum of 90 days or up to one year. In 2019, DMV investigators carried out enforcement sweeps at 127 locations statewide. A record 918 fake IDs were seized and a record of 1,016 citations were issued to people attempting to buy alcohol while underage.

According to the NYS Office of Addiction Services and Supports, teens who drink are more likely to:

• Be involved in car crashes, experience alcohol poisoning, commit or fall victim to murder or suicide.
• Become victims or perpetrators of physical or sexual assault, compared to peers who do not drink.
• Have run-ins with the law, face trouble in school or take part in other potentially addictive behaviors such as drug use or gambling.

State Liquor Authority Chairman Vincent Bradley said, "Thanks to our remarkable progress in beating back COVID, New Yorkers can once again get out and enjoy summer concerts, but we remind everyone to do so responsibly.  As underage drinking leads to reckless behavior that too often ends with tragic consequences, the SLA remains committed to working with our partners in law enforcement to keep alcohol out of the hands of underage youth."

New York State Police Superintendent Kevin P. Bruen said, "The State Police will continue to work with our partners to prevent underage drinking and prevent the needless injuries and deaths it can cause. I applaud our partners in this effort. Together we are working to discourage, detect and apprehend underage users of alcohol and most importantly, are saving lives."

Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Commissioner Erik Kulleseid said, "We want all music fans to fully enjoy the wonderful concert venues at Jones Beach and Saratoga Spa State Park, but illegal alcohol use in our parks will not be tolerated. I'm grateful for the partnership from our state agency partners to help keep young people safe and ensure a positive experience for all concert-goers." 

New Yorkers struggling with an addiction, or whose loved ones are struggling, can find help and hope by calling the state's toll-free, 24-hour, 7-day-a-week HOPEline at 1-877-8-HOPENY (1-877-846-7369) or by texting HOPENY (Short Code 467369).

168 Days and Counting

 

Twenty-Seven weeks to go with me as your Mayor. One of the things I am going to miss is the grilling by reporters. As best as my office could do to limit the questions and who was called on, The reporters questions at times alerted me to problem that I may not have been aware of.  The city has gone through a pandemic that happened one hundred years ago killing many people. It was a terrible year for people and the economy. As was done then recovery will happen again.

New York City is on the road to recovery, and we have to thank our new leaders in Washington who have turned on the printing presses to give us billions of dollars to use, to make New York City the city it once was.