2022 Bronx Chamber of Commerce Gala Highlights
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Saturday, October 1, 2022
Bronx Chamber of Commerce - Bronx Business News You Can Use
NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR ANNOUNCES NEXT STEPS IN $15 MINIMUM HOURLY WAGE PHASE-IN FOR COUNTIES UPSTATE
Division of the Budget Recommends One-Dollar Minimum Wage Increase to $14.20-Per Hour for Counties Outside New York City, Long Island, and Westchester,
Beginning December 31
DOB Analysis Finds Regional Unemployment Rates Outside of
New York City at Historic Lows
Public Comment Period Begins Today; New Yorkers Invited to Share Feedback
The New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL) today announced next steps in the state’s $15 minimum hourly wage phase-in. Commissioner Roberta Reardon issued an Order calling for the minimum wage rate in counties outside of New York City, Long Island and Westchester to rise by $1 per hour, from $13.20 to $14.20, following a statutorily required economic analysis conducted by the New York State Division of the Budget (DOB). The Division's analysis found evidence of pressure for wages to rise in the midst of a continued pandemic-driven labor shortage. Currently, the minimum wage rate in New York City, Long Island, and Westchester County is $15 per hour, having reached that level following phased-in annual increases pursuant to statute.
The Commissioner's Order will be enacted through rulemaking and is subject to public comment before a final decision is made. NYSDOL announced the start of the public comment period for New Yorkers to weigh in on the recommendation and invited New Yorkers to share feedback by e-mailing regulations@labor.
“By raising the minimum wage incrementally, New York State is helping businesses adjust to the new rate, while giving low-wage workers the ability to better participate in our economy,” said New York State Department of Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon. “Continuing with the multi-year plan to raise the minimum wage is in line with market standards and ensures that no worker is left behind.”
An average of 200,000 New Yorkers in these upstate counties will benefit from this wage increase, 44% of which are full time workers and of those, nearly 25% are supporting children below age 18. In addition, this increase will help to close the gender pay gap, providing an estimated 110,000 women with greater financial stability.
New York’s minimum wage statute requires that DOB review the state’s economy annually to determine whether wage increases should move forward as scheduled. For the minimum wage that will be applicable in 2023, the statute also requires that DOB, in coordination with NYSDOL, evaluate various economic factors, such as consumer prices, and determine the rate of minimum wage increases outside of New York City, Long Island, and Westchester.
In its analysis, DOB considered various measures of inflation; statewide average wages; labor productivity; the pace of the state’s labor market recovery; labor demand and supply; regional unemployment rates and other trends in the low-wage employment sector; the impact of COVID-19 on the minimum wage workforce; and other factors. Key findings from DOB’s minimum wage report include:
- Regional unemployment rates outside of New York City are at historic lows. The 3.1 percent rate for this area for the four months from April through July 2022 is the lowest in the history of the data going back to 1976 and is lower than the national 3.5 percent rate for the same month. These data confirm the unprecedented tightness of the State labor market outside of New York City.
- Low-wage industries are overrepresented among the State’s remaining job losses due to the early impact of the pandemic. Although the minimum wage workers’ share is likely to rise as the low-wage sector recovery proceeds, the size of the minimum wage workforce is likely to continue to be constrained by a rise in entry-level wages as firms compete for workers.
- New York is experiencing a job gap of 351,000 relative to its pre-pandemic peak. Anecdotal evidence combined with alternative data sources argue that labor shortages could account for much of New York’s remaining job gap, particularly Upstate.
- Like the rest of the nation, the New York labor market is expected to continue to slow in the coming months. Because of the importance of financial markets to the State economy, the Federal Reserve’s apparent shift to aggressively battling inflation will have a disproportional impact in New York. As a result, State employment growth is projected to slow from 4.3 percent in 2022 to 0.8 percent in 2023. State employment is not expected to reach its pre-pandemic level until 2026.
GENERAL MINIMUM WAGE RATE SCHEDULE
CONSUMER ALERT: New York State Division of Consumer Protection Offers Tips for Keeping Babies Safe at Home and On the Go During Baby Safety Month
New York State Division of Consumer Protection (DCP) Creates an Important Baby Safety Checklist for Baby Safety Month
Part 2: Provide A Safe Environment for Babies
Secretary of State Robert Rodriguez says, “We can do a lot to avoid common injuries and it’s important to know prevention tips during these first critical months of a child’s life.”
In recognition of Baby Safety Month, the New York State Division of Consumer Protection (DCP) is providing a Baby Safety Checklist to help parents maintain a safe environment for their little ones. In the first alert, DCP called attention to the importance of monitoring product recalls here. In part two of the series, DCP is providing baby-proof safety measures and tips to help parents keep babies out of harm's way from birth through their toddler years.
“The first year of a baby’s life is packed with milestones that are both exciting and sometimes overwhelming,” said New York Secretary of State Robert Rodriguez, who oversees the Division of Consumer Protection. “The Baby Safety Checklist provides an overview of safety tips to help parents maintain a safe environment for babies. As parents, we can do a lot to avoid common injuries and it’s important to know prevention tips during these first critical months of a child’s life.”
The DCP Baby Safety Checklist is packed with tips on how to keep baby safe while sleeping, feeding, on the go or around the house. There are many potential hazards for babies, but parents can keep their child safe by finding out what the risks are, and then preventing or removing them.
The New York State Division of Consumer Protection provides resources and education materials to consumers on product safety, as well as voluntary mediation services between consumers and businesses. The Consumer Assistance Helpline 1-800-697-1220 is available Monday to Friday from 8:30am to 4:30pm, excluding State Holidays, and consumer complaints can be filed at any time at www.dos.ny.gov/consumer-
For more consumer protection tips, follow the Division on social media at Twitter: @NYSConsumer and Facebook: www.facebook.com/nysconsumer.
Community Board 11 Public Hearing on the Just Home Proposal by the NYCHHC
This was a public hearing to listen to what the people of Community Board 11 and others had to say on the proposal of the NYCHHC to house people from Rikers Island at Jacobi Hospital who HHC selects as medically compromised with no concern about what crimes they may have been convicted of doing. People like myself arrived at the site of the public hearing one hour before the meeting because we were told only four-hundred people would be allowed into the six-hundred seat auditorium. A security car drove by to say that the doors would be opened at seven PM, which was when the meeting was to begin. After two calls to the Jacobi Hospital administration, the doors were open to the public at 6:45 PM.
The first speaker was Ms. Jeanette Merrill of the NYCHHC to briefly explain Just Home. Stanley Richards of the Fortune Society was next to give a brief description of the Fortune Society's fifty-five years of service, and very briefly what their goal was for Just Home. The next speaker was the only elected official Assemblywoman Nathalia Fernandez who really didn't say much, just that she had to run somewhere.
I was the first public speaker and I questioned the NO-Bid contract given to the Fortune Society by the NYCHPD who chose the Fortune Society to run this program. (We would find out much more later about the Fortune Society from a landlord who had a Fortune Society recommended tenant ruin his house, make his and his families lives a living hell, and how the Fortune Society uses its muscle with certain elected officials to get what it wants). I requested that HHC send a representative to the monthly Community Board 11 District Service Cabinet meeting for a monthly update on Just Home, and meet quarterly with the Housing Committee or a Working Group set up by CB 11. I made reference to certain items I had read in the seven page handout received only a few hours before the meeting. There would have to be a ULERP process by either HHC or the Fortune Society who was leasing the site from HHC. The part about residents of Just Home may have Mental Health or Substance use needs, only 10% will come from the bronx with no number of how many, if any people will come from CB11, eighty-six percent of the people incarcerated on Rikers Island are pre-trial detainees, the Just Home tenants will be free to roam the community, use mass transit, and have unchecked visitors. The fact that the total budget is not in place, as it states over the next several months Fortune will develop its financial plan and fundraise for the project.
One by one thirty speakers came up, with those against the Just Home project giving various reasons why they are against it. The reasons were safety, Jacobi Hospital is already overburdened, understaffed, the lack of knowledge of what crimes were committed by those in the Just Home program, the fact that the people would be allowed to roam the neighborhood freely looking at the homes around the hospital area, why can't the building be converted to serve the elderly in the community, or other uses were discussed. Of the five people who spoke in favor of the Just Home proposal two said they do not live in CB 11, with one sitting with the Jacobi Hospital people. They and one other in favor seemed to be goading the people against Just Home to bring out the anger in them so Mr. Michael Kaess also in favor of Just Home could film the anger making appear that the crowd was continuously rude and disruptive.
The highlight of the night came when Rodrick Compass spoke. He said he rented out an apartment in his home to a referral from the Fortune Society. Mr. Compas complained to the Fortune Society that the placement of their tenant was not working out, but it fell on deaf ears. The tenant was being abuse, breaking things, and not listening to Mr. Compass on matters concerning the building. He said that the Fortune Society still has not answered him from three years ago, photos were displayed of the damage to his home, he said his wife was sexually abused, his family lived in terror because of the power the Fortune Society has with certain elected officials naming Congressman Gregory Meeks as one, that the Fortune Society is worse than the mob, and needs to be stopped. He mentioned that the Fortune Society sued Macy's and Target receiving four million dollars when the two chains refused to hire Fortune Society referrals, and how could they do such terrible things to a family of four? When I asked Mr. Richards of the Fortune Society if he had anything to answer Mr. Compass's charges, all Mr. Richards would say is 'No Comment'.
Community Board 11 Housing Committee Chair Hazel Mura opens the Public Hearing on Just Home at Jacobi Hospital.
The crowd of over three hundred people. Stanley Richards of the Fortune Society looks at the camera from the front row, with Jeanette Merrill of HHC next to him.
Assemblywoman Nathalia Fernandez didn't even take her coat off as she ran out, or returned when I mentioned that while the public first learned about Just Home at the end of June, Assemblywoman Fernandez received the power point presentation March 1, 2022.
34th State Senate District candidate Samantha Zherka voice her opposition to the Just Home experiment by the HHC at Jacobi Hospital.
While almost all of the speakers were against the Just Home project at Jacobi Hospital, Michael Kaess spoke in favor of putting ex cons at Jacobi Hospital no matter what crimes they may have committed.
Patrick McManus speaks against the Just Home project at Jacobi Hospital. In the background is Michael Kaess filming the entire meeting for anything he could use to bolster his campaign to place criminals in Jacobi Hospital.
Community Board 11 member and candidate for the 80th Assembly District Phyllis 'Tiz' Nastasio reads from a list of reasons why she is opposed to the Just Home experiment at Jacobi Hospital.
Republican Elections Commissioner for: Bronx County, Gino A. Marmorato was very direct in why he was in opposition to the Just home project at Jacobi Hospital.
Ms. Diana Finch looks at Ms. Merrill and Mr. Richards after asking if there were going to be any answers to the questions asked. She waited for thirty seconds before she was told by the board District Manager no, and she then went on to ay she was in favor of the Just Home project.
The highlight of the night came when Rodrick Compass spoke of renting an apartment to a referral from the Fortune Society three years ago. In that time his family was put through a living hell because the Fortune Society refused to answer for the tenant they placed in Mr. Compass's building. Mr. Compass asks Fortune Society Stanley Richards if he has any answers now, but both Richards and Merrill from HHC refused to say anything.
Community Board 11 Vice-Chair Al D'Angelo reads from a list of reasons why he is opposed to the Just Home proposal at Jacobi Hospital.
Jeanette Merrill of HHC seems to be concerned that her photo is being taken after Mr. Richards was confronted by Mr. Compass of what the Fortune Society did to his family and building. Stanley Richards trying to shake off what just transpired with Mr. Compas would leave a few minutes later.
Friday, September 30, 2022
MAYOR ADAMS, TLC, SENATOR SCHUMER, NYTWA, MARBLEGATE ASSET MANAGEMENT ANNOUNCE MORE THAN $225 MILLION IN DEBT RELIEF ALREADY ACHIEVED UNDER HISTORIC TAXI MEDALLION DEBT RELIEF PROGRAM
Following Agreement in August, More Than 1,000 Medallion Owners Have Already Accessed Meaningful Debt Relief
MRP Closing Events Being Held This Week at TLC Offices in Queens
New York City Mayor Eric Adams, New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) Chair and Commissioner David Do, and Senator Charles Schumer today announced that more than 1,000 medallion owners have already achieved more than $225 million in debt relief from the enhanced version of the Medallion Relief Program, MRP+ first announced in August. Following a finalized agreement with Marblegate Asset Management — the largest taxi medallion lender in the city — and the New York Taxi Workers Alliance (NYTWA) on the operational terms of the program last month, renegotiated deals are now being closed, finally providing hundreds of millions of dollars in relief to medallion owners.
“Yellow cabs are New York City icons, right alongside the Empire State Building and the Statue of Liberty, but in recent years, our taxi medallion owners and drivers have been burdened by crippling debt that has crushed people who only wanted to pursue the American Dream,” said Mayor Adams. “I am proud to announce that as of today, more than 1,000 medallion owners have closed on loans, resulting in over $225 million of taxi medallion debt relief and counting. MRP+ puts money back in the pockets of medallion owners and drivers — many of whom are immigrants — working around the clock to keep New Yorkers on the move and put food on their family’s table. This debt relief program means they no longer have to max out their credit cards, lose their homes, or be unable to pay for their children’s college education.”
“Today's achievement signals financial certainty in what has been a critically fragile market for medallion owners and taxi drivers,” said Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi. "Taxi drivers are the backbone for our city and the industry is critical to our transportation network, but for so long our driver owners have faced crippling debt. Today starts a new chapter of repair and rebirth for the industry."
“After striking a deal to get medallion owners the relief they desperately need, we finally have a program in place that is very quickly providing substantial amounts of debt forgiveness,” said TLC Chair and Commissioner Do. “I am incredibly thankful for all of the hard work done by the TLC, our partner agencies, Marblegate, and NYTWA, and I am looking forward to seeing the positive impacts that this program will have on the lives of medallion owners and the health of the taxi industry.”
“I am proud to have worked hand-in-hand with New York Taxi Workers Alliance, Mayors Adams and de Blasio, local elected officials, and a city-wide movement of New Yorkers to broker a deal with City Hall to provide life-saving debt relief for cab drivers,” said U.S. Senator Charles Schumer. “The medallion debt crisis has gone on for years—taking lives and livelihoods. I commend Mayor Adams, NYTWA, TLC, and Marblegate for working assiduously to enact the deal we reached last fall and providing critical debt relief for over 1,000 medallion owners thus far with more to come. Together, we are working to bring this ongoing situation to a just resolution for the cabbies who work every day to serve this city.”
“We are thankful to Mayor Adams, Majority Leader Schumer, Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez, TLC Chair David Do, and thousands of New Yorkers and electeds for standing with NYTWA members in our fight for a life free from crushing debt and poverty,” said Bhairavi Desai, executive director, NYTWA. “Drivers put their bodies on the line to win this victory and we’ve come so far from the despair and shock of drivers dying by suicide when there was no hope for relief from medallion debt. Now, finally, drivers and their families can breathe. $225 million in relief means $225 million toward groceries, rent, healthcare and education. It feels impossible to quantify how much this will mean for drivers' families and the reinvestment into their lives and through them into our city. NYTWA members will keep working around the clock until every owner-driver gets the relief they need and for relief from the tax burden from forgiven debt. We thank Marblegate for partnering with us for a solution and ask all lenders to follow their lead. We also thank Chair Do, TLC staff, TLC driver resource center legal services, and FieldPoint Servicing for a truly herculean effort to close on so many loans over these two weeks. Their labor made these closings possible and the program a reality.”
"Over the past two weeks, we have seen more than a thousand medallion owners take action to restructure their loans through this groundbreaking debt relief program, a significant public-private partnership that has delivered more than $225 million in life-changing debt forgiveness," said Andrew Milgram, managing partner and chief investment officer, Marblegate Asset Management. "I want to thank everyone from the elected officials, the TLC, NYTWA, the Field Point Servicing team, and countless others for their extraordinary work to maximize the number of medallion owners that participated in this program. This is a testament to the important role that private capital can play to lead the way for change and public good, and I am proud to help deliver this incredible win for drivers."
“Taxi drivers have been a reliable part of our transportation system for decades, and the city wouldn’t be the same without them,” said New York City Corporation Counsel Sylvia Hinds-Radix. “They were severely impacted by an economic crisis worsened by a pandemic beyond our control. This historic program provides the financial relief these New Yorkers need to get them back on their feet so they can continue adding to the vibrancy and economic well-being of the city.”
Medallion owners are encouraged to sign up for free legal representation and financial counseling through TLC’s Owner/Driver Resource Center. Other lenders that would like to learn more should also visit the resource center.