Council Member Ruben Diaz Sr - My Two (2) Cents

 

IS GOVERNOR KATHY HOCHUL AFRAID OF JUMAANE WILLIAMS?

You should know that the editorial page of the New York Post, published on Monday, October 18, 2021, gave me the impression that Governor Kathy Hochul is afraid of losing the governorship to Public Advocate Jumaane Williams or State Attorney Letitia James both, African Americans.

According to the Post editorial, since Kathy Hochul was appointed governor, she has gone out of her way to appoint people whose politics and ideologies lean toward the socialist and far-left wing of the Democrat party, as if to take the left leaning base away from both of them.

You should know that Governor Hochul's first step when she became governor, was to appoint Senator Brian Benjamin as her Lieutenant Governor, despite Benjamin’s support for defunding the Police. With that appointment, the message she sends is that she favors protecting the criminals more than the victims and the honest hard-working people of New York State.

As if that were not enough, Governor Hochul has signed into law different pieces of legislations that decriminalize those who have violated their parole and orders law enforcement not arrest people who publicly inject or use drugs, in public.

You should know that according to the NY Post editorial Governor Hochul has concentrated her energy on satisfying the communist, socialist wing in her effort to maintain the governorship next year.

As one highly concerned about this, I’m putting my two (2) cents in this matter. I strongly believe that Gov. Kathy Hochul is making a big mistake when she chooses to ignore New York State’s moderate residents and voters who lean more toward conservative principles. By doing so, Gov. Hochul risks losing the support of people of faith, religious groups, and those who oppose defunding the police.  These are people who desire to live in a society where law and order is adhered to. Gov. Hochul should work to ensure that criminals are arrested and held accountable for the crimes they commit. She should not appease the criminals but work to prevent crime and reduce the high rate of violence and criminality that has plagued the City of New York and overall state especially since she took office.

According to the New York Post, Congressman Tom Suozzi of Long Island went to Buffalo (In Hochul’s backyard) to endorse Mayor Byron Brown against the Socialist India Walton. Gov. Hochul has refused to endorse Brown against the Socialist, sending one more message that she doesn't care about law and order and that police officers, not only in the city of New York, but also in Buffalo and across the state will have their hands tied and could face being arrested themselves if they try arrest those who violate our laws.  OMG! What a mess!

I am Councilman Rev. Ruben Diaz and this What You Should Know.

Attorney General James Announces the First Court Appearance of NYPD Officer on Murder Charge

 

Yvonne Wu was Off-Duty When She Allegedly Shot and Killed Jamie Liang, and Shot and Injured Jenny Li

 New York Attorney General Letitia James today announced that Yvonne Wu, 31, of Staten Island, New York, appeared in Brooklyn Criminal Court before Judge Joshua Glick. The Attorney General has filed a criminal complaint against Wu charging her with one count of murder in the second degree and one count of attempted murder in the second degree, in connection with the shooting death of Jamie Liang, 24, and the shooting of Jenny Li, 23. Yvonne Wu is an officer with the New York City Police Department (NYPD).

Through her attorney, Wu requested an examination to determine her capacity to understand the charges against her and to assist in her defense, which the court granted. The court remanded Wu pending the examination and set the next court appearance for November 19, 2021.

Pursuant to New York State Executive Law Section 70-b, OSI assesses every incident reported to it where a police officer or a peace officer, including a corrections officer, may have caused the death of a person, by an act or omission. Under the law, the officer may have been on-duty or off-duty, and the decedent may have been armed or unarmed. Also, the decedent may or may not have been in custody or incarcerated. If OSI’s assessment indicates an officer caused the death, OSI proceeds to conduct a full investigation of the incident.

The charges are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless found guilty.

Governor Hochul Updates New Yorkers on State's Progress Combating COVID-19 - OCTOBER 18, 2021

 

16,320 Vaccine Doses Administered Over Last 24 Hours

28 COVID-19 Deaths Statewide Yesterday

 Governor Kathy Hochul today updated New Yorkers on the state's progress combating COVID-19.

"Many New Yorkers have been vaccinated for COVID-19 and are returning to normal life, but we can't get complacent," Governor Hochul said. "We have to get more New Yorkers vaccinated, end the pandemic and revitalize our economy. Lives still hang in the balance, and I'm urging everyone who hasn't gotten a shot yet to consider their friends, families and loved ones and use the vaccine to help end this pandemic for all of us."

Today's data is summarized briefly below:

• Test Results Reported - 115,785
• Total Positive - 3,003
• Percent Positive - 2.59%
• 7-Day Average Percent Positive - 2.46%
• Patient Hospitalization - 2,144 (+58)
• Patients Newly Admitted - 478
• Patients in ICU - 464 (+14)
• Patients in ICU with Intubation - 256 (+9)
• Total Discharges - 205,329 (+178)
• New deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 28
• Total deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 45,137

The Health Electronic Response Data System is a NYS DOH data source that collects confirmed daily death data as reported by hospitals, nursing homes and adult care facilities only.

• Total deaths reported to and compiled by the CDC - 57,288

This daily COVID-19 provisional death certificate data reported by NYS DOH and NYC to the CDC includes those who died in any location, including hospitals, nursing homes, adult care facilities, at home, in hospice and other settings.

• Total vaccine doses administered - 26,291,069
• Total vaccine doses administered over past 24 hours - 16,320
• Total vaccine doses administered over past 7 days - 362,658
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with at least one vaccine dose - 83.1%
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with completed vaccine series - 75.4%
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) - 86.1%
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with completed vaccine series (CDC) - 77.4%
• Percent of all New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose - 70.4%
• Percent of all New Yorkers with completed vaccine series - 63.7%
• Percent of all New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) - 73.0%
• Percent of all New Yorkers with completed vaccine series (CDC) - 65.5%

Douglaston Development Opens 18,000-Square-Foot Medical Facility At Crossroads Plaza In The South Bronx

Rooftop view of Crossroads Plaza - Photo Courtesy of Douglaston Development

​Douglaston Development recently debuted an 18,000-square-foot medical facility at Crossroads Plaza, a mixed-use affordable housing development in The Bronx. The property is located at 828 East 149th Street in Mott Haven and will be operated by Essen Health Care.

The other two buildings within the Crossroads Plaza complex are located at 501 Southern Boulevard and 535 Union Avenue. With limited urgent-care, medical, and dental facilities in the area, Essen’s new ground-floor space offers a much-needed resource to Crossroads Plaza residents and the surrounding community.

“Essen Health Care’s new facility completes the last phase of the Crossroads Plaza development and we’re thrilled to see this final piece of the project come to fruition,” said Jed Resnick, CEO at Douglaston Development. “Crossroads Plaza not only provides the Bronx community with a broad range of affordable housing options, but simultaneously serves the community with early childhood education, social services, and now healthcare as well.”

The Crossroads Plaza community comprises 425 affordable housing units, all of which are restricted to individuals and households at 40 percent to 130 percent area median income.

Additional components include 60,000 square feet of retail space, a 160-vehicle parking garage, a 20,000-square-foot public plaza, and a children’s playground. The commercial spaces will be occupied by a Universal Pre-Kindergarten program and social service facilities run by The Foundling, which services families with young children.

The complex was completed in collaboration with the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development and the New York City Housing Development Corporation.

Bronx Metro-North Station Area Study - Hunts Point and Co-op City Remote Sessions

 

Don't forget! Join members of the planning team for small-group conversations about the Hunts Point and Co-op City station areas?

Sign up to speak with planning staff about draft recommendations for Co-op City. Participants can reserve small group sessions at the following times: Tuesday: 10:00 AM to 10:30 AM and 5:30 PM to 6:00 PM* Thursday: 10:00 AM to 10:30 AM and 5:30 PM to 6:00 PM*

Co-op City Conversations

* Additional sessions may be added based on demand

Sign up to speak with planning staff about draft recommendations for Hunts Point. Participants can reserve small group sessions at the following times: Tuesday: 10:30 AM to 11:00 AM and 6:00 PM to 6:30 PM*   Thursday: 10:30 AM to 11:00 AM and 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM*

Hunts Point Conversations

* Additional sessions may be added based on demand

Only have a few minutes? Take our Surveys! Be sure to complete the surveys for the Hunts Point and Co-op City station areas. Choose a station below to let us know what your vision is for the neighborhoods around these new planned stations!    Surveys for these station areas will be available until end of Fall 2021!           Hunts Point Station Area Survey           Co-op City Station Area Survey

NYS Office of the Comptroller DiNapoli: ESD Falls Short in Evaluation of Nearly $2 Billion of Economic Development Programs

 

 Empire State Development (ESD), the public authority responsible for administering many of New York state’s economic development programs, has failed to fully evaluate most of its programs to determine if they are boosting the state’s economy and promoting promised job and business growth, according to an audit released today by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli.

ESD spends about $1.8 billion a year in taxpayer money for loans, grants, tax credits and other financial assistance to companies and projects.

“Empire State Development has an important role in helping New York’s economy grow and create jobs, especially now as we work to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the authority has not fully evaluated which programs work and which don’t,” DiNapoli said. “ESD does not use the data it collects to assess the effectiveness of its programs and see if the billions of dollars spent are creating opportunities across the state. The agency must do a better job of analyzing whether these programs are achieving their goals and share this information with the public.”   

ESD administers 57 programs with over 5,000 associated projects. State laws and regulations require ESD to perform certain program evaluations every two or four years.

DiNapoli’s auditors found that, with few exceptions, ESD does not monitor or evaluate its economic assistance programs to determine whether goals are met, identify program successes and failures, or apply successful strategies to other programs. This creates uncertainty about program effectiveness.

For example, ESD officials said they have reviewed data for their Excelsior Jobs Program and START-UP NY Program that showed positive results and led to some changes in those programs. However, when auditors asked for supporting documentation showing how data was analyzed, ESD was unable to provide it.

Auditors also found that while ESD has migrated, or plans to migrate, many of its programs to a central database (Dynamics), others remain tracked elsewhere, and only 37 of its 57 programs were fully tracked in the Dynamics system. Having its programs and all associated projects in a centralized project tracking system would allow for greater efficiencies in compiling and reporting on relevant data.

DiNapoli recommended ESD:

• Conduct and document evaluations of economic assistance programs to assess performance and ensure they are meeting desired outcomes.
• Identify additional economic assistance programs that would benefit from migration to Dynamics.

In response to DiNapoli’s auditors, ESD officials said they use a multi-level process to evaluate their programs. According to ESD officials, they issue more than 50 quarterly and annual reports each year, which are posted on their website. However, most of these reports do not clearly measure program results, track back to project agreements or examine where jobs were or what they paid. ESD disagreed with the auditor’s first recommendation but agreed with the second recommendation. The agency’s full response is included in the audit.

Audit

Empire State Development: Project Tracking Systems and Economic Assistance Program Evaluations

U.S. Attorney Announces Settlement Of Civil Fraud Lawsuit Against Garment Manfacturer And Its Owner For Fraudulently Underreporting Value Of Imported Goods To Evade Customs Duties

 

Garment Manufacturer and Its Owner Admit to Repeatedly Underreporting the Value of Garments They Imported into the United States

 Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Peter C. Fitzhugh, the Special Agent-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), and Frank Russo, Director, Field Operations, New York, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”), announced today that the United States settled a civil fraud lawsuit against QUEEN APPAREL NY, INC. (“QUEEN”), a defunct manufacturer and importer of apparel, and HANK HYUNHO CHOI (“CHOI”), the sole owner of QUEEN, for defrauding the United States by knowingly evading customs duties owed on imported goods.  Specifically, the Government alleges that for years QUEEN, with CHOI’s knowledge, repeatedly falsified customs forms by undervaluing the garments it manufactured overseas and then imported into the United States.  As part of the settlement, approved today in Manhattan federal court by U.S. District Judge George B. Daniels, QUEEN and CHOI made admissions regarding their conduct, agreed to pay $50,000 to the United States, and agreed, among other things, to refrain from acting as the importer of record for the purpose of entering merchandise into the United States.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Queen and its owner engaged in a fraudulent scheme to cheat the Government of customs duties owed on imported garments.  This Office remains committed to combatting customs fraud.  Manufacturers, importers, and their owners will be held responsible when they evade customs duties by lying about the value of the goods they bring into the United States.”

HSI Special Agent in Charge Peter C. Fitzhugh said: “Queen Apparel NY underreported the value of garments imported in the United States for the sole purpose of evading customs duties, resulting in a significant financial loss to the US government.  Import fraud affects the integrity of our economy and trade, so HSI makes a priority to investigate any organization who chooses profits over honesty.  Working closely with our partners at U.S. Customs and Border Protection, together we ensure anything that comes through our borders is in compliance with U.S. law.”

CBP Director of New York Field Operations Frank Russo said: “As global supply chains grow more complex, it is important for American businesses to know their suppliers and be confident of their integrity. The outcome of this case is a testament to the dedication of our partners in the United States Attorney’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, and the men and women of CBP in enforcing our nation’s trade laws and holding accountable those perpetrating this type of fraud.”                    

QUEEN is a defunct New York-based manufacturer and importer of garments.  While in business, QUEEN manufactured and imported garments for third parties who would then sell those garments through department stores and national retail chains in the United States.  CHOI was the sole owner of QUEEN and was involved in the management and operations of the business.

The Complaint previously filed in Manhattan federal court alleges that from 2009 to 2013, QUEEN and CHOI manufactured garments overseas, imported those garments into the United States, and then repeatedly and falsely undervalued those garments on customs forms in order to evade the payment of lawful duties to the United States.

As part of the settlement, QUEEN and CHOI admit, acknowledge, and accept responsibility for the following conduct:

• QUEEN manufactured garments and imported them into the United States for various wholesalers.  CHOI was the sole owner of QUEEN and was involved in the management and operations of QUEEN, including the importing of goods.

• QUEEN was responsible for paying any import duties owed to the United States for garments manufactured abroad and imported into the United States by QUEEN. 

• During the relevant time period, and at CHOI’s direction, QUEEN repeatedly undervalued the garments it imported into the United States by making false statements in entry documents and commercial invoices that it presented to CBP.  As a result of these false valuations, QUEEN underpaid customs duties that were due and owing to the United States.  

On March 26, 2019, the United States settled a related civil fraud lawsuit against Byer California, Inc., a wholesaler that used QUEEN to manufacture and import garments from Vietnam.  The conduct in this matter was first brought to the attention of federal law enforcement by a whistleblower who filed a lawsuit under the False Claims Act. 

Mr. Williams praised the investigative work of HSI on this case.  He also thanked CBP for its assistance.

Governor Hochul Announces $33 Million in Federal Funding to Strengthen Security for Nonprofits Facing High Risks of Terrorism

 

Funding Will Help Nonprofit Organizations Strengthen Facility Security and Overall Preparedness

 Governor Kathy Hochul today announced more than $33 million in federal funding to support the efforts of 198 nonprofit organizations facing an increased risk of terrorism. These funds will allow nonprofits to strengthen the security of their facilities, as well as enhance their overall preparedness. This funding, provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency through its Nonprofit Security Grant Program, is being allocated to New York through two separate awards. Organizations within the New York City Metro Area will receive $27 million, and organizations throughout the rest of the State will receive $6.4 million. The FEMA grants complement the additional $25 million in state funding recently announced by Governor Hochul for New York's nonprofits to bolster security and enhance preparedness against hate crimes and related attacks.

"Hate crimes continue to plague the nonprofit community and these funds will help organizations strengthen their security against individuals and groups who have trouble accepting the fact that our diversity is what makes New York State stronger," Governor Hochul said. "Those who perpetrate hate crimes will never win and they will not divide us. New York is the most diverse state in the nation, one of our best attributes, and we must continue to help these organizations protect themselves so they can flourish and continue to serve their communities."

Nationwide, a total of $180 million is being provided through the Nonprofit Security Grant Program in FY 2021. Of this amount, $90 million in funding was made available to nonprofit organizations located within one of the Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI)-designated high-risk urban areas. The remaining $90 million was reserved for jurisdictions outside of the UASI-designated areas.

Allowable costs include:

• Planning, including security risk management plans, continuity of operations plans, and response plans
• Equipment such as physical security enhancement equipment, and inspection and screening systems
• Training, including active shooter training, and security training for employees, members, or a congregation
• Response exercises
• Contracted Security Personnel

In New York, the state's UASI-designated high-risk urban area is the New York City Metro Area. Specifically, this consists of New York City, and Westchester, Nassau and Suffolk counties. In 2021, New York leads the nation in both total funding and number of awardees in an UASI-designated area. A total of 182 UASI awards were given to 158 separate nonprofit organizations, for a total of $27 million.

The New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services manages these programs in close coordination with local stakeholders. A total of 230 awards were given to 198 organizations since some organizations operate multiple sites.

This federal funding will bolster ongoing efforts led by Governor Hochul to ensure non-public schools and cultural centers, including religious-based institutions, have the resources they need to protect against the threat of hate crimes.

Representative Adriano Espaillat said, "In the 285 days since January 6th, we have learned that we simply cannot take anything for granted - especially when it comes to the security of our most crucial institutions. We are living in a new world, and our communities are facing never-before-seen threats from actors wishing to sow chaos and disrupt the fabric of our neighborhoods. I commend Governor Hochul on today's announcement allocating this vital funding to ensuring our non-profit organizations have the resources they need to strengthen the security of their facilities so they will be able to prepare, react, and rebuild from any crisis and keep our communities safe."

About the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services

The New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services provides leadership, coordination and support for efforts to prevent, protect against, prepare for, respond to, and recover from terrorism and other man-made and natural disasters, threats, fires and other emergencies. For more information, visit the DHSES Facebook page, follow @NYSDHSES on Twitter, or Instagram, or visit dhses.ny.gov.