SENATOR RIVERA & ASSEMBLYMAN BLAKE INTRODUCE THE PUBLIC ASSISTANCE DISCLOSURE ACT

Proposed Legislation Would Identify Companies Who Heavily Rely on Taxpayers to Subsidize Their Business

  Today, Senator Gustavo Rivera and Assemblyman Michael Blake announced the introduction of a bill that would require employers to disclose how many of their employees depend on public assistance in an effort to inform New Yorkers of companies who rely on taxpayers to support their business. The bill would require the Department of Labor to identify and disclose on their website the names of employers with 50 or more employees who work 26 weeks a year or more and ten hours a week or more and who receive public assistance. 

"Hard working New Yorkers should not have to rely on public assistance to cover basic living expenses and New York taxpayers should not have foot the bill for thriving businesses," said State Senator Gustavo Rivera. "At a time when we are fighting to establish a decent minimum wage across New York State, this bill will call attention to how low wages are keeping working families in poverty and leaving taxpayers to pay for companies who are not appropriately compensating their employees."

Cost of living increases and poverty-level wages have left millions of working families across New York State reliant on public assistance to cover their basic necessities. A report by the University of California/Berkeley's Center for Labor Research and Education found that on average 52 percent of what states' spent on Medicaid/Children's Health Insurance Program, Temporary Aid to Needy Families, SNAP and Earned Income Tax Credit went to supporting families with jobs. In New York, $3.3 billion of taxpayer money went to providing public benefits to working New Yorkers. 

"The best way to improve economic equality is through having a quality job with quality wages. But when a hard working New Yorker also needs public assistance to get by in life, it is our job to ensure that everyone knows about who employs our people in need in large number so we don't let up until they have better wages, better opportunities and better services," said Assembly man Michael Blake.

On May 7th, Governor Cuomo directed the labor commissioner of New York State to convene a Wage Board to examine wages in the fast-food industry and make a recommendation on establishing an adequate wage. If passed, the Public Assistance Disclosure Act could help identify other industries in our state that use public assistance at an alarming rate to subsidize the cost of their workforce. 

The Public Assistance Disclosure Act is modeled after a law in California that will be implemented in 2016. California spends $3.7 billion on public assistance to support working families. 

Senator Klein & Assemblywoman Weinstein call on Legislature to pass “zombie properties” act

State Senator Jeff Klein (D-Bronx/Westchester) and Assemblywoman Helene Weinstein (D-Brooklyn) called on their colleagues today to pass the Abandoned Property Neighborhood Relief Act (S.4781/A.6932), which would require bank and mortgage companies to prevent residential properties in foreclosure from falling into disrepair — and would carry penalties for companies that neglect these homes.

The renewed call from Senator Klein and Assemblywoman Weinstein, who sponsor the legislation, comes on the heels of an announcement today by Governor Andrew Cuomo that 11 bank, mortgage and credit unions will voluntarily comply to maintain “zombie properties.”

“While today’s announcement by Governor Cuomo that major mortgage companies have agreed to adopt a set of best practices to combat zombie properties is a step in the right direction to ridding neighborhoods of the blight left by these vacant homes, we must pass legislation that carries real penalties for financial institutions unwilling to comply.  I'll continue to work with my colleagues in the Senate and the Assembly to pass the Abandoned Property Neighborhood Relief Act, which will ensure that banks and financial institutions are held fully accountable under the law, and our communities are completely protected,” said Senator Klein.

“Today’s agreements are a welcome step towards combating the rampant problem of vacant and blighted properties thought New York State. Still, there is much more to be done to help our communities. The Abandoned Property Neighborhood Relief Act would provide the Attorney General and local governments with the necessary statutory authority for enforcement. I look forward to working with the Governor, the Attorney General and my colleagues in the Assembly and the Senate to enact this important legislation,” said Assemblywoman Weinstein.

“Today’s agreements are a welcome step forward in our fight to stop the epidemic of vacant ‘zombie homes,’ which have burdened our communities with maintenance costs, lowered property values, and crime,” said Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman. “I will continue to work with my colleagues in government across the State to pass our Abandoned Property Neighborhood Relief Act, a legislative solution that will codify today’s reforms into law, provide meaningful enforcement, and give municipalities the resources to take back their streets. I applaud Superintendent Lawsky for moving the ball forward on this crucial issue.”

“I applaud Governor Cuomo for taking this important step in combatting Zombie homes.  Now, the State Legislature must pass Attorney General Schneiderman’s plan to create a market-wide solution and provide the critical enforcement tools we need to fight this epidemic,” said Nassau County Executive Edward P. Mangano.

“The New York State Conference of Mayors welcomes today's agreement between the State of New York and the mortgage companies.  It represents an important starting point to address the plague of zombie properties that are blighting New York cities and villages. The next step in halting this scourge on our communities is to adopt Attorney General Schneiderman's Abandoned Property Neighborhood Relief Act of 2015.  The Attorney General's proposed legislation will provide the missing tools that local officials need to address the negative impacts zombie properties are having on our communities.  As a result, NYCOM calls upon the New York State Legislature and the Governor to adopt the Abandoned Property Neighborhood Relief Act of 2015,” said Peter A. Baynes, Executive Director of the New York State Conference of Mayors.

49th Precinct Council Annual “Fellowship Breakfast”.

The 49^th Precinct  Community Council

Council President, Joseph Thompson

Commanding Officer, Captain Timothy McCormack

49^th Precinct CouncilAnnual “Fellowship Breakfast”.

Friday, May 22^nd, 9:00 a.m

Maestro’s Caterers at 1703 Bronxdale Avenue

List of Honorees for the 

49^th Pct. Fellowship Breakfast

1-   *Cop Of The Year:                                             

Police Officer Joshua Marte, Shield # 4923

2-    Police Administrative Aide:                         

S.P.A. Akeisha Neely

3-    Auxiliary Police Officer Of The Year:       

A.P.O. Omar Valencia, Shield # 16914

4-    Explorer Of The Year:                                    

Kerryann Moreno

5-   Tom Twyman Citizen Award:                      

Ostacio Negron

6-   Business Fellowship Award:                       

Maestro’s Caterers

7-   *Citizen Appreciation Award:                     

Detective  Victor DiPierro, Community Affairs

Special Recognition Acknowledgement: P.S. 83, P.S.108,P.S 105, Van Nest Academy, Cub Scouts Pact 162, 49^th Pct. Explorers and The Solano Family for Holiday Food Contributions ($1,200 in food vouchers from a family collection) and Joseph Bombace for Fund Raising Contributions.

We would appreciate if you can confirm that you will or will not attend.

We thank you for your cooperation and look forward to seeing you.

God Bless,

Joseph Thompson

President

49^th Precinct Community Council

2121 Eastchester Road

Bronx, New York 10461

http://www.nyc.gov/html/nypd/html/precincts/precinct_049.shtml

Debbie Bowden Way

   Council Member Andrew Cohen, Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, State Senator jeff Klein, Several Community Board 8 Members, friends and family of Debbie Bowden were on hand for the  co-naming of Independence Avenue between West 235th Street and West 236th Street Debbie Bowden Way. Ms. Bowden was a Bronx Resident and served her community for over 50 years in Council District 11, Community Board 8, and the neighborhoods of Riverdale, Kingsbridge, and Spuyten Duyvil. She passed away on January 30, 2012.

   Debbie Bowden left an enduring and lasting legacy of good acts in many sectors of life: aging, education, environment, public safety, transportation and zoning. She cared passionately about the people (young and old), organizations (schools, houses of worship, governing bodies), and businesses (merchants, stores, cultural institutions).

  As an exemplary citizen of the Bronx, this street co-naming honors Ms. Bowden’s passion for civic engagement and improving her community said Councilman Cohen. 

  The Bowden family is joined by Councilman Andrew Cohen and Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz as Ms. Bowden's sons Brad and Brett hold a duplicate sign Debbie Bowden Way.

Above - State Senator Jeff Klein proclaims this day Debbie Bowden Day in New York.
Below - Debbie Bowden's son and long time friend Sylvia Alexander (who took over as CB 8 Education Chair) start to pull the covering off the street sign.

Above - The new street name is appearing.

Below - The corner of Independence Avenue at West 236th Street is now known as Debbie Bowden Way.

Call it a coincidence, but the very next corner up on Independence Avenue is known as Herb Liebman Way. Mr. Liebman was a fellow Community Board 8 member, and Ms. Bowden fought hard to have the corner renamed for her friend and fellow community board member. 

Bronx Week Parade, Music, and Food Festival Caps Off Bronx Week

  Sunday's Bronx Week Parade, Music, and Food Festival was the perfect ending to the 10 days of Bronx Week. The weather was perfect, and hundreds and hundreds of people marched along Mosholu Parkway in the Bronx Week Parade. After the parade they joined hundreds of others who were enjoying the food and informational tables that were set up along the other side of Mosholu Parkway. The topper to all this was the Music Festival that could be heard blocks away that rocked the streets.

  It appears the city spruced up the island between both sides of Mosholu Parkway with up to 50 newly planted trees, and the day before the parade much gardening was done to the grass. The only thing left to do was to repave the roadway, but maybe that will happen before next years Bronx Week Parade across Mosholu Parkway.

  The FDNY opened the parade, with Bronx Walk of Fame Honorees The daughter of the late businessman and philanthropist, Alfredo Thiebaud, Actor and Activist Malik Yoba; and NBA Legend and Hall of Famer Dolph Schayes arrived next to be escorted to the reviewing stand where parade co-hosts Bronx BP Ruben Diaz Jr., and Dr. Bob Lee were . Actress, Author and Television commentator Stacey Dash missed the parade as she had to catch a flight right after the induction ceremony. The photos below will tell the rest of the story.

Left - The FDNY led the parade in its 150th year of service.

Right - BP Diaz and Dr. Bob Lee were the first to arrive to the reviewing stand. 

Left - Bronx Walk of Fame Honoree Actor Malik Yoba arrives.

Right - Basketball Hall of Famer Dolph Schayes arrives.

Left - The Bronx Democratic County Committee members.

Right - The Junior National Guard Unit passes the reviewing stand. 

Left - Bronx Democratic County Leader Assemblyman Marcos Crespo with his two daughters Raquel and Graciela.

Right - one of the many schools who performed.

Left  and Right - Two more schools perform in front of the reviewing stand.

Left - These Cheerleaders are lifting one girl up.

Right - The Cheerleader is held high above with the school flag.

Left - The Cheerleader jumps down.

Right - Into the waiting arms of her fellow Cheerleaders.

Left - PS 154 asking to keep the lights on for more after school activities.

Right - One of the Success Academy Charter Schools.

Above - The Monroe College Marching Band and Dancers
Below Left - The Band
Below Right - The Dancers.

Above - The Roosevelt High School Cheerleaders

Left- The Roosevelt Cheerleaders perform in front of the Reviewing stands.

Right - Step Dancers. 

Above - The De Witt Clinton High School Cheerleaders finally arrive.

Below - The Cheerleaders ready for a maneuver. 

Above - The Cheerleaders lift up one of their members.

Right - The lift is successful.

Below - The dismount.

Left and Right - The Tanima Dancers.

Above - Bronx High School of Science was in the House.
Below - The United Healthcare Float.

 

Left  and Right - The ever growing Pakistan-American Community.

BJCC Celebrates 6th Annual Breakfast for Champions

   

The Bronx Jewish Community Council (BJCC) is celebrating its 6th Annual Breakfast for Champions on Friday, June 5, 2015 at the Riverdale Jewish Center, located at 3700 Independence Avenue, Bronx, NY 10463.

The Mission of BJCC is to provide enhanced quality of life to the residents of the Bronx, particularly older adults, by offering services, support and coordination of community resources. 

This year's honorees are Lenny Caro, President & CEO of the Bronx Chamber of Commerce (and Bronx Goodwill Ambassador), who will be receiving the Bronx Business Leader Award; Eliezer Rodriguez, Esq., Executive Officer of the Bronx-Manhattan North Association of Realtors, who will be receiving the Bronx Realty Leader Award; Andrew Golub, CPA of Livrieri & Golub, who will be receiving the Guardian of Chesed Award; Judy Uman, BJCC's Director of Social Services, who will be receiving the Lorance Hockert Labor of Love Award; and  Marlene Cintron, President of the Bronx Overall Economic Development, who will be receiving the Public Service Award.

Also being honored is the Riverdale Jewish Center with the Congregational Honor Roll, and Project HOPE Youth Volunteers with the Leaders ofTomorrow Award.

The Breakfast for Champions event is BJCC's largest annual fundraising campaign and vital in allowing the agency to continue providing uninterrupted service to its thousands of clients annually. BJCC provides life-sustaining services including emergency cash assistance, connections to benefits and entitlements, care management, mental health outreach and other essential support services.

For reservations, please visit www.bjcconline.org. For more information and sponsorship opportunities, please contact Jon Henkin at 718-652-5500 x. 206 or at jhenkin@bjcconline.org. 

Audit of ESDC Finds Few Measurable Results for $211 Million State Advertising Contract

  The Empire State Development Corporation (ESDC) spent $211 million on an advertising contract to promote economic development and tourism in New York state with no tangible results, according to an audit released today by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli.

“When government spends hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars to send a message that New York is a place to visit and open for business, it should have clear objectives and show the public actual results,” DiNapoli said. “ESDC’s attempts to measure the results of this advertising campaign were weak at best, leaving real questions about whether the results justify the cost.”

In December 2011, ESDC awarded a contract to BBDO USA LLC, an advertising and marketing agency, for up to $50 million. ESDC amended and increased the contract four times, bringing the total of the contract to $211.5 million. Of this, $36.5 million was targeted to promote tourism and business in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. The remaining $175 million could be spent at the authority’s discretion, which ESDC allocated to promoting Start-Up NY, tourism, Taste NY and Masterbrand.

As required by law, the State Attorney General’s office and the State Comptroller’s office reviewed the contract and amendments and found the state’s procurement and legal process was followed.

The purpose of DiNapoli’s audit, which covered December 2011 to November 2014, was to determine if ESDC received the services it paid for and whether its advertising effort achieved sufficient outcomes. Although auditors found that ESDC got the advertising services it paid for, at a fair price, they found ESDC was not able to effectively quantify and assess tangible outcomes from the initiatives.

ESDC officials told auditors they do not believe that the advertising program should be formally measured against outcome targets established for the various programs, and that the advertising was not intended to directly produce positive economic benefits. Instead officials stressed that the primary expectation for the contract was to improve perception of the state as a good place to visit and to do business.

Auditors repeatedly met with ESDC officials about the objectives of the specific programs supported by the advertising contract. ESDC only provided details about Start-Up NY, a tax free incentive program for businesses affiliated with college campuses that began in October 2013. Between October 2013 and October 2014, auditors found that ESDC spent $45.1 million to advertise the Start-Up NY program to encourage businesses to apply for the program, or 40 percent of the $111.6 million available for advertising during that period.

During this time, ESDC received 18,203 applications, but only about 10 percent of the businesses that applied were eligible for the program and only 41 enrolled in the program during the time period examined by auditors. The 41 businesses plan to create 1,750 jobs over the next five years. Auditors calculated that ESDC spent more than $25,000 on advertising for each of the promised jobs.

Auditors also questioned why ESDC continued to allocate more and more money to advertise Start-Up NY – even as applications fell from a peak of 5,300 in January 2014 to about 500 in June 2014 – without any analysis of specific goals or modification of outreach efforts. Auditors also noted that spending on advertising did not produce the outcome of increasing the number of applications (see charts on page 10 and 11).

Even though ESDC did not set specific quantitative targets or benchmarks, auditors found it did make some effort to evaluate the effectiveness of the actual ads created. The efforts, however, only looked at whether a few focus groups had their perceptions changed after viewing the ads about doing business or visiting New York. When auditors pressed again for goals and results, ESDC noted that attendance increased at the five tourist destinations featured in its marketing campaign, including a 17 percent increase in attendance at the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2014. Auditors noted that the inductees for 2013 had all died prior to 1940 in contrast to the attention generated by well-known induction class of 2014, which included former New York Yankees Manager Joe Torre.

DiNapoli’s office recommended:

• Future strategic and marketing plans include performance measures for monitoring outcomes to determine if the cost generated a return for the investment;
• Set specific targets, goals and benchmarks for evaluating performance outcomes and use these measure to monitor performance; and
• Regularly evaluate the program outcomes associated with the marketing efforts and use this information to periodically review, and if needed, adjust program goals, strategies and resource allocations.

In ESDC’s response to the audit, the authority generally maintained that it does monitor performance and reasserted that the advertising campaign was intended to build a brand and change perceptions, not create jobs or generate economic development. The authority agreed to have its marketing agency report on performance measurements and metrics in future contracts. The authority’s response, along with documents not previously provided to auditors, are included in the audit.

DiNapoli’s office is also currently auditing the Excelsior Jobs program, which replaced the Empire Zone program in 2010.

See ESDC Marketing Service Performance Monitoring or https://www.osc.state.ny.us/audits/allaudits/093015/14s10.pdf

See ESDC contract with BBDO or https://www.osc.state.ny.us/contracts/contractnoC201101.pdf