Alessandra Biaggi - Why I voted no on parts of the state budget

 

Friend, it’s Alessandra.

Last week, I voted against two of the seven bills in Governor Kathy Hochul’s first budget. I’m reaching out because I want you to hear directly from me why I voted this way.

The truth is that the 2022-2023 budget offers kickbacks to corporations and billionaires while leaving working families in our state behind.

The budget simply does not allocate enough funding to fight the climate crisis, support CUNY and SUNY, pay home care workers a living wage, fund healthcare, and support affordable housing development in our state.

It denies undocumented New Yorkers the ability to access childcare and rolls back key criminal justice reform legislation, and provides a kickback of $600 million to the Buffalo Bills for their new stadium, a provision that I voted against.

Additionally, Gov. Hochul made a promise to clean up corruption in our state after the lack of transparency that marked the Cuomo administration. As Chair of the Senate Ethics committee, this was a promise I cared deeply about. Her budget this year allocated funding for a new ethics body to replace the Joint Committee on Public Ethics (JCOPE), the board in charge of setting standards for ethics in state government. But the newly proposed body doesn’t have the tools to solve the persistent integrity problems that plagued JCOPE.

There are aspects of this budget that are worthy of praise, which I was proud to vote in favor for. More New Yorkers than ever will now have access to childcare, and childcare providers will get the support they deserve from the state.

And the budget provides funding to pay for absentee ballot postage and allows poll sites to be opened on college campuses so that every eligible New Yorker can vote easily and quickly.

I’m looking forward to seeing how these policies positively impact New Yorkers’ lives, but I also recognize that Governor Hochul’s budget does not do nearly enough to uplift working New Yorkers.

I will continue to do all I can to fight for policies that improve the lives of New Yorkers of all ages, races, genders, and socioeconomic backgrounds. That’s my promise to you.

Thank you for reading,

Alessandra

EDITOR'S NOTE:

This is letter is about State Senator Biaggi's vote in the State Senate, and we feel that it should say State Senate District #34, and not Biaggi for Congress. We also wonder if Senator Biaggi has sought the Working Families Party Line like many of her allies have.

Senator Biaggi's Week in Review: 4/11/22-4/15/22

 

Dear Community,

A week ago, the New York State Legislature and Executive approved the 2022-2023 State Budget. Although the Budget ultimately passed, I voted no on the Education, Labor and Family Assistance, and Capital Budget bills because I believe that New Yorkers deserved more. This year’s budget provided ample opportunity for our government to prioritize struggling New Yorkers and fully invest in our communities. Yet, instead of utilizing this crucial moment with much needed investments in housing, child care, education, healthcare, climate justice and more, our Governor insisted on handing out corporate welfare to billionaires and prioritizing her personal interests. 

This budget also failed to transform and overhaul our system of ethics and oversight. In the wake of one of the state's largest ethical crises, we had the opportunity to establish a new and truly independent ethics body that can finally turn the page on endemic corruption in government. Instead, the new ethics entity created – the Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government– fails to correct the structural shortcomings of the Joint Commission on Public Ethics (JCOPE) by allowing political leaders to directly appoint members to the commission tasked with overseeing them. Our system of ethics remains weak, and we will only continue to encounter the same issues that we faced with JCOPE until these flaws are addressed. 

The state budget consists of the people’s money, and as elected officials, it is our responsibility to utilize public funds in a manner that is beneficial to the greatest number of New Yorkers. Unfortunately, this budget falls short in providing meaningful investments in addressing our climate crisis, fails to provide transformative investment needed for SUNY and CUNY, shortchanges home health care workers, and yet again fails to establish the Housing Voucher Access Program. The budget also excludes undocumented New Yorkers from vital child care programs and falls short of guaranteeing health coverage for all. Instead, Governor Hochul introduced harmful criminal justice rollbacks during the eleventh hour of the budget process, without giving the Legislature adequate time for deliberation and instead insisted on handing out corporate welfare to the 5th highest paid owner in the NFL. The purpose of the State Budget is to invest in the future of our state — not to introduce policy or advance political agendas rooted in misinformation and fear mongering. The best way to guarantee safety and wellness in our communities is by investing in them. Unfortunately, we missed several opportunities in this budget to make those investments. 

I do want to acknowledge that despite the shortcomings, we have made progress with this budget. We are making historic investments to expand access to child care and provide needed support to child care providers. We are improving access to the polls by instituting polling sites on college campuses and providing paid postage absentee ballots. While I am extremely proud of these gains to our state, I know that we can and should do more. Some of the most notable victories within the budget include:

• EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (ERAP): $800 million in state funds to support low and moderate-income households at risk of housing instability.
• HOME CARE WORKERS: Increase in home care worker wages, securing an increase of $3 per hour over two years. Although our home healthcare aides deserve more, this is a great start in securing a livable wage for these essential workers. 
• CLIMATE: $1.2 billion for the landmark Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act, bringing the total investment to $4.2 billion. 
• ALCOHOL TO-GO: Restaurants and bars will be allowed to sell alcoholic beverages for take-out or delivery with the purchase of food. 
• CHILD CARE: An investment of $7 billion over 4 years in child care services. The Budget also increases the income eligibility threshold for child care subsidies to 300 percent of the federal poverty level ($83,250 for a family of four) and expands access to high quality child care by increasing the child care market rate to include 80 percent of providers.
• DISTRESSED HOSPITALS: $1.1 billion for hospitals still experiencing financial distress from the COVID-19 pandemic.
• GUN VIOLENCE: $227 million to fund bold initiatives that will strengthen the gun violence prevention efforts of law enforcement and community-based organizations. 
• SCHOOL AID: $31.5 billion in total School Aid for School Year 2023, the highest level of State aid ever. 
• GAS TAX HOLIDAY: Suspension of the state sales tax imposed on fuel from June through December 2022. 
• PUBLIC PROTECTION: $110 million to public protection agencies to support the following programs; gun violence prevention, legal aid services, pretrial services, alternatives to incarceration, and discovery reform.
• TAP-INCARCERATED: $5 million in TAP funding for incarcerated individuals.
• HOUSING: $250 million to eliminate COVID-era residential utility arrears and $125 million in homeowner and landlord assistance.

While this budget represents missed opportunities and prioritized interests, we have until the end of session to invest in our communities and live up to our values. I am committed to continuing to fight to provide New Yorkers with the long-term investments they deserve. 

For a detailed breakdown of what is included in the 2022-2023 New York State Budget, click here. If you have any questions regarding the budget and how it may impact you or your community, please reach out to our office. You can reach us at biaggi@nysenate.gov or by calling the office at 718-822-2049.

With Gratitude,

State Senator Alessandra Biaggi

MAYOR ADAMS LAUNCHES NEW MULTIAGENCY INITIATIVE TO BRING CITY SERVICES DIRECTLY TO UNDERSERVED NEW YORKERS

 

Mobile Unit Will Visit All Boroughs Providing Financial Empowerment, Benefits Enrollment, Small Business Support, Career Services, and More to New Yorkers 

 

Program Delivers on Key Plank of Mayor Adams’ Economic Blueprint, Aimed at Building Equitable Recovery for All 

 New York City Mayor Eric Adams today announced the launch of a new initiative that will span across all city agencies to deliver municipal services directly to New Yorkers in underserved communities. Today, the New York City Department of Small Business Services (SBS), the New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP), and the New York City Mayor’s Public Engagement Unit (PEU) will kick off the joint effort to deliver services — including financial empowerment resources, benefits screenings, tenant support, health insurance education, and more — through a mobile unit parked in front of Coffee Uplifts People (CUP), a local coffee shop owned by entrepreneur Angela Yee, host of ‘The Breakfast Club’ on iHeart Media's Power 105.1 FM. Yee opened CUP during the COVID-19 pandemic and partnered with SBS on the outreach event to spread the word about services and resources offered by the agency. 

 

Additionally, New Yorkers will also be able to learn about career opportunities with local employers like Citi Bike, First Quality Maintenance, Allied Universal, Time Warner Entertainment, and Levy Restaurants. Mobile unit visitors will also be able to get help with their resumes, interview skills, and career advisement.  

 

“In order to give New Yorkers the services they need, the city can’t just wait for them to come to us — we need to go to them and deliver services right into local communities,” said Mayor Adams. “With the launch of this mobile unit, we will be able to provide critical support through several city agencies to New Yorkers who need it most and continue building an equitable recovery.” 

 

The new unit delivers on a key plank of Mayor Adams’ “Rebuild, Renew, Reinvent: A Blueprint for New York City’s Economic Recovery” plan, which offers a roadmap to building an economic recovery for all New Yorkers. By bringing critical city services to New Yorkers who otherwise would not be able to access them, the administration aims to promote equitable and inclusive growth throughout the five boroughs. Over the next month, the mobile unit will be present in all five boroughs offering services and kicking off National Small Business Week. For more information on where the SBS Mobile Unit will be providing services, New Yorkers can follow @NYC_SBS on Twitter.   

 

“Supporting New Yorkers who face barriers to accessing needed city services starts with meeting them where they are,” said Deputy Mayor for Economic and Workforce Development Maria Torres-Springer. “Our new mobile unit will help ensure communities throughout the five boroughs have easy access to tangible and meaningful support.” 

 

“We need an economic recovery that lifts up small businesses and working people in every corner of our city — and that's why SBS is laser-focused on bringing our services deep into the communities that need them most,” said SBS Commissioner Kevin D. Kim. “We know that access to career services and training and support for small business owners can make all the difference in our city’s rebound, and we are proud to partner with business owners like Angela Yee and our colleagues in city government.”

 

“NYC Free Tax Prep and free one-on-one professional financial counseling at the NYC Financial Empowerment Centers are available across the city and virtually. but now, with the new mobile outreach unit, we look forward to working with our partners to bring these services to targeted communities,” said DCWP Commissioner Vilda Vera Mayuga. “It’s by making city services like those offered through the unit readily available in new and dynamic ways — in communities where they are needed most — that our city can achieve equitable recovery.”

 

“PEU is excited to be scaling its proactive outreach under the new administration, with a focus on bringing critical benefits to New Yorkers,” said PEU Executive Director Adrienne Lever. “This inter-agency mobile unit project, in tandem with PEU’s door-to-door canvassing and targeted phone outreach, is working to fulfill the mayor’s commitment to improve access to resources by bringing the city to the communities we serve.”

 

“I have personally utilized the services offered by the SBS and have since been spreading the word for more people to take advantage of the support they offer for small business owners, aspiring entrepreneurs, and people seeking employment,” said Angela Yee, founder, CUP.

 

STATEMENT FROM BOROUGH PRESIDENT GIBSON ON RECENT SURGE IN GUN VIOLENCE AND LEGISLATION TO COMBAT GHOST GUNS

 

 “The recent incidents of gun violence across our borough have been heartbreaking. When our residents are being senselessly gunned down in the street, then we know that we are in a state of emergency. This is a call to action for all of us to join together as a community to combat this gun violence epidemic.

I want to thank my friend and colleague Congressman Torres for his leadership in introducing legislation to combat the distribution of ghost guns in our neighborhoods that has claimed the lives of many of our residents. We need our partners at the federal level because this epidemic is an issue that needs to be addressed at all levels of government. I also want to thank our law enforcement, first-responders, cure violence organizations, and advocates that have been on the frontlines keeping all of us safe. These are difficult times, but I know as a borough, we will get through this together.”

SEC Denies Amazon’s Attempt to Block a Vote on NYC Retirement Systems’ Shareholder Proposal on Health and Safety Disparities

 

Vote will take place at May 25th Meeting of Amazon Shareholders.

 New York City Comptroller Brad Lander announced that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has determined that Amazon, Inc. must allow shareholders to vote on a proposal submitted by the New York City Retirement Systems to require the company to report detailed data on the company’s health and safety practices.

The New York City Employees’ Retirement System (NYCERS), the New York City Teachers’ Retirement System (TRS), and the New York City Board of Education Retirement System (BERS) filed a shareholder proposal in December 2021 that calls on Amazon to assess whether its health and safety practices are leading to racial and gender disparities in workplace injury rates among its warehouse workers.  The company sought to toss out the shareholder proposal, but the SEC ruled that shareholders should be allowed to vote on it at the company’s May 25th annual meeting.

Lander organized a letter to Amazon directors, along with New York State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, and the State Treasurers of Illinois, Oregon, and Vermont to discuss the company’s human capital management practices with institutional investors. Amazon declined the request to meet.

“The high rates of injury to Amazon workers raise serious concerns about how health and safety practices impact the company’s racially and ethnically diverse workforce, practices that may impact the company’s bottom line. Calls from workers for companies to strengthen workplace safety protections have continued to grow, and Amazon’s leadership owes investors answers to how they are addressing these risks. I am grateful to the SEC for denying Amazon’s attempt to disenfranchise shareholders from voting to have Amazon disclose critical information about how it is addressing serious health and safety concerns,” said New York City Comptroller Brad Lander.

Amazon is the second largest employer in the United States, and its health and safety issues have a significant impact on its more than 1.3 million diverse workers. Nationally and across industries, studies have shown Black and Hispanic workers were more likely to experience work-related disabilities compared to white workers, and research also found that Black workers’ occupational fatality rate was 1.3 to 1.5 times higher. Amazon has been cited for significantly higher injury rates at its warehouses before and during the pandemic. Since 2017, according to one analysis of government data, Amazon reported a higher rate of serious injury incidents leading to missed work or light-duty shifts than at other retailers’ warehouses. Data also show Amazon’s serious injury rates were nearly double those of their peers.

Amazon has announced that it is making large investments in safety and health initiatives, yet details are scant, and investors lack transparency into how Amazon analyzes adverse impacts of the company’s health and safety practices on its workers, especially warehouse workers of color.

The shareholder proposal also requests that the company assess the impact of any such disparities on the long-term earnings and career advancement potential of female and minority warehouse workers. It would mandate Amazon’s board of directors to release the report and include lost time injury rates for all warehouse workers, broken down by race, gender and ethnicity.

Comptroller Lander is the custodian and a trustee of the New York City Employees’ Retirement System, the New York City Teachers’ Retirement System, and custodian of the New York City Board of Education Retirement System. The three New York City Retirement Systems own over 465 thousand shares of stock at Amazon, Inc., valued at approximately $1.4 billion as of February 28th.

The full SEC decision letter and shareholder proposal can be read here.

Trustees of the pension fund board bringing this resolution are:

New York City Employees’ Retirement System (NYCERS): New York City Comptroller Brad Lander; Mayor Eric Adams’ Representative Preston Niblack, Chair; New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams; Borough Presidents: Mark Levine (Manhattan), Donovan Richards (Queens), Antonio Reynoso (Brooklyn), Vito Fossella (Staten Island), and Vanessa L. Gibson (Bronx); Henry Garrido, Executive Director, District Council 37, AFSCME; Tony Utano, President Transport Workers Union Local 100; and Gregory Floyd, President, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Local 237.

Teachers’ Retirement System (TRS): New York City Comptroller Brad Lander; Mayor Eric Adams’ Appointee Philip Dukes; Chancellor’s Representative, Lindsey Oates, New York City Department of Education; and Debra Penny (Chair), Thomas Brown and David Kazansky, all of the United Federation of Teachers.

Board of Education Retirement System (BERS): Schools Chancellor David C. Banks, Represented by Lindsey Oates; Mayoral: Tom Allon, Vasthi Acosta, Gregory Faulkner, Dr. Angela Green, Anthony Lopez, Alan Ong, Gladys Ward, Karina Tavera; Thomas Sheppard (CEC); Geneal Chacon (Bronx), Tazin Azad (Brooklyn), Kaliris Salas-Ramirez (Manhattan), Jaclyn Tacoronte (Staten Island), and Deborah Dillingham (Queens); and employee members John Maderich of the IUOE Local 891 and Donald Nesbit of District Council 37, Local 372.

Dark Web User Known As “The Bull” Admits Guilt And Is Sentenced In Insider Trading Scheme

 

Apostolos Trovias, a/k/a “The Bull,” Used the Dark Web and Encrypted Messaging Services that Catered to Aspiring Insider Traders

 Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that APOSTOLOS TROVIAS, a/k/a “The Bull,” pled guilty and was sentenced to time served, following approximately eleven months in custody, in connection with his scheme to solicit and sell confidential, pre-release earnings, deal, and other information regarding public companies.

According to the allegations in the Indictment, Complaint, statements made in court, and court filings:

Since at least in or about December 2016, APOSTOLOS TROVIAS, who identified himself by the pseudonym “The Bull,” had used websites on the Dark Web and encrypted messaging services to solicit and sell confidential, non-public information about publicly traded companies (“Inside Information”) to enrich himself. TROVIAS’s scheme consisted of multiple related efforts to obtain and monetize confidential nonpublic business information, including the sale of pre-release earnings reports and deal information misappropriated from publicly traded companies.

Further, in or about 2020, TROVIAS took steps to design and build a website to facilitate the purchase and sale of material, non-public information for use in stock trading (the “Inside Information Auction Site”). TROVIAS planned to use the Inside Information Auction Site to enrich himself by charging membership fees and commissions from individuals using the Inside Information Auction Site to engage in the unlawful trade of Inside Information.

TROVIAS, 30, of Athens, Greece, had been arrested in the Republic of Peru in May 2021 and arrived in the United States by extradition on March 25, 2021. TROVIAS was ordered to pay forfeiture in the amount of $6,700.

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the FBI. Mr. Williams further thanked the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the Internal Revenue Service for their cooperation and assistance in this investigation.

Permits Reveal Ground-Up Residential Building At 2838-2840 Webb Avenue In Kingsbridge, The Bronx

 

The New York City Department of Buildings is now reviewing permits to complete a new 16-unit multifamily rental property in the Kingsbridge section of The Bronx. The development represents an assemblage of two neighboring lots at 2838 and 2840 Webb Avenue, which will debut as a pair of two interconnected four-story buildings.

Designed by Badaly & Badaly Architecture and Engineering, each building will comprise 6,960 square feet of residential area. The mix of units will include studios and one- and two-bedroom apartments. The façade will comprise a mix of brick masonry, a standard punched window system with PTAC units underneath, and stuck-enclosed bulkheads at the roof of the building.

The buildings will replace a three-family low-rise home constructed around 1920. The developer, which was not specified, has also filed permits to demolish and excavate the existing property at 2832 and 2840 Webb Avenue. No word yet on when the building might debut.

MAYOR ADAMS APPLAUDS EARNED INCOME TAX CREDIT ENHANCEMENT IN STATE BUDGET, FULFILLING PLEDGE TO BOLSTER SOCIAL SAFETY NET FOR WORKING FAMILIES

Over 800,000 New York City Families to Benefit From Enhancement

 

City to Invest $250 Million Annually and Receive One-Time State Payment Estimated at $100 Million

New York City Mayor Eric Adams today was joined by elected officials and community leaders to celebrate the enhancement of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) in the state budget. The EITC enhancement was part of a campaign pledge from the administration to bolster the social safety net and expand services for working families in New York City. At today’s event, Mayor Adams announced over 800,000 families will benefit from the enhancement. Additionally, the city committed to investing $250 million annually to EITC and will receive a one-time state payment estimated at $100 million. 

“Earlier this year, I told New Yorkers I would fight for them by expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit. Today, we say to New Yorkers: promises made and promises kept,” said Mayor Adams. “The additional $250 million annually in EITC reaches 800,000 New Yorkers — putting money back in their pockets for food, bills, and rent. Too many working families suffered because of COVID-19, losing wages and falling through our social safety net. With this critical expansion, we are making sure no one falls through the gaps again.”

 

“The Earned Income Tax Credit enhancement is this administration’s continued commitment to work on behalf of working families,” said Deputy Mayor for Strategic Initiatives Sheena Wright. “We will continue to fight for New York City families to have access to the social services needed to thrive and survive — from EITC to child care. We thank our colleagues in Albany for their partnership and commitment to rebuilding our social safety net.”

 

“For our city to move forward with an equitable recovery, we must invest in our working families and, thanks to Mayor Adams’ leadership and partnership with lawmakers in Albany, New York City is doing just that,” said Department of Consumer and Worker Protection Commissioner Vilda Vera Mayuga. “By increasing the amount of the Earned Income Tax Credit to be in line with the reality of today’s cost of living, we are putting money in the pockets of hardworking New Yorkers. Each year, NYC Free Tax Prep helps families file for the EITC, and we see the relief this credit brings to families as they pay bills, find childcare, and buy groceries. I thank Mayor Adams for being a champion of this effort!”

 

The state and city match to EITC had not previously been increased in almost 20 years. Under the city’s expansion of the EITC, a single parent with one child with an income of $14,750 will see their benefit increase from $181 to $905 — a 400 percent increase. A married couple with two children and an income of $25,000 will see their New York City benefit increase from $299 to $897 under the city payment — a 200 percent increase. The expansion of EITC will help the 800,000 New Yorkers who qualify to better afford essential items like food, rent, and utilities, and will supercharge New York City’s economic recovery.