Dawn Smalls Files Petitions in Race for Public Advocate Capturing Third Placement on the Ballot

First-time candidate, Dawn Smalls filed her petitions with the Board of Elections today, capturing the third placement on the ballot for the position of Public Advocate in the February 26th Special Election to fill the vacancy created by the election of former NYC Public Advocate Letitia James to New York State Attorney General.

“In a race with 20+ candidates, we knew gathering petitions for a citywide position was going to be tough given many of the candidates currently hold elected office and have a solid base to turn to for signatures,” said Ms. Smalls. “As a first-time candidate, I’m excited to be the third candidate to officially turn in my petitions to the board of elections. My sincere thanks go out to all of our volunteers and supporters who hustled in the cold weather to make sure my name will be on the ballot on February 26th.”

Smalls shows she is a serious contender, filing just behind two candidates known to have a built-in campaign infrastructure and significant resources on hand before the race was even called.

Petitioning began January 2nd, just two days ago, when the Mayor officially signed a proclamation officially setting February 26th for the special election for Public Advocate. Candidates have just 12 days to collect 3,750 signatures from NYC registered voters.

MAYOR DE BLASIO AND SPEAKER JOHNSON LAUNCH FAIR FARES PROGRAM FOR LOW-INCOME NEW YORKERS

  Mayor Bill de Blasio and Council Speaker Corey Johnson held a joint appearance Friday afternoon to announce the details of an unprecedented City effort to address poverty through the development of a half-priced MetroCard program for low-income New Yorkers.

During the first phase, the City will provide discounted MetroCards to working New Yorkers at or below the federal poverty level who are receiving cash assistance or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits from the New York City Department of Social Services. The City is committed to expanding the program to as many New Yorkers as possible in future phases and is already developing the infrastructure to make that possible.

The Fair Fares NYC MetroCard will allow participants to purchase unlimited weekly and monthly passes at a 50 percent discount at MTA vending machines. The cards can be used on any New York City subway or non-express bus. The City is working with the MTA to phase in a pay-per-ride option, which it expects to launch in April. 

“New Yorkers shouldn’t have to choose between a ride on the subway or bus and their next meal,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “Our partnership with the Council for fair fares will make our city stronger and fairer for low-income New Yorkers whose lives depend on mass transportation.”

“Fair Fares is a groundbreaking program that will help New Yorkers who need it most. I couldn’t be prouder to stand with Mayor de Blasio, my colleagues in the Council, and advocates to launch its first phase. Fair Fares will open up this city and its promise to people who currently are being shut out because they can’t afford a swipe. It will change lives for the better. I thank the Mayor and his team for their support and members of the Council for prioritizing this program in budget negotiations, but most of all, I want to thank advocates like Community Service Society and the Riders Alliance. Their hard work and dedication made Fair Fares a reality, and we stand united in making it a success and open to every New Yorker living in poverty,” said Council Speaker Corey Johnson.

“The Fair Fares program will greatly help many low income working New Yorkers for whom the cost of a MetroCard is a burden and sometimes infeasible for already tight budgets,” said Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Dr. Herminia Palacio. “We are completely committed to this important program plan, and are working diligently to make sure it is fully implemented as quickly as possible.”

“This program will provide thousands of eligible New Yorkers affordable access to public transportation which will be a lifeline for people living in poverty to achieve their full potential,” said Department of Social Services Commissioner Steven Banks. “We’re making this program a reality and carrying out our commitment to fight poverty and income inequality in our City.”

Last spring, the Mayor and Council announced a plan to fund $106 million for the Fair Fares NYC program in the first year. On Friday morning, the Department of Social Services started contacting 30,000 eligible working New Yorkers who are receiving cash assistance benefits. The notifications, and subsequent telephone calls, will inform this group of their eligibility and invite them to visit the nearest Fair Fares NYC location to receive their half-priced MetroCard. Eligible recipients can also call 311 to assist in receiving their card. In April, an additional estimated 130,000 working New Yorkers who are receiving SNAP benefits will receive notifications about how to access their cards.

"The implementation of Fair Fares starting will enable our most vulnerable populations to be able to access the subway and bus service systems without the worry of affordability. The overall goal is to increase equity in public transportation and decrease the gap of inequality that exists in New York City," said Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez, Chair of the Committee on Transportation. "Two years in the making, the Fair Fares program empowers New Yorkers and eliminates an impediment when commuting to work, school or an appointment. It's a win-win for all."

News From Congressman Eliot Engel

  Engel Elected Chairman of House Committee on Foreign Affairs

  Today, Congressman Eliot L. Engel was unanimously elected the new chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. With his ascension to the chairmanship, Engel now becomes the top Democratic voice on foreign affairs matters in the House of Representatives. He released the following statement:

“I’m honored that my colleagues have unanimously elected me chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee. Congress has an important role to play in foreign policy, and I’m committed to making sure we live up to those responsibilities.

“Diplomacy and development are critical to our national security. These efforts help advance our interests, strengthen friendships and alliances, and stop conflicts before they start. We must do all we can to support the public servants carrying out this work, including making an annual State Department authorization a central part of the Committee’s activity.

“As Chairman, I’ll ensure the Committee places a renewed emphasis on America’s overseas alliances—particularly NATO. We’ll work to underscore the importance of American values—human rights, democracy, and the rule of law—as pillars of our foreign policy. And, we will bring a new focus to issues including climate change and the root causes of migration.

“It’s also well past due for the House to grapple with questions of how, when, and where American armed forces are engaged around the world. Successive administrations have acted as though they have a blank check to send our service members into harm’s way, when in fact that is a matter for Congress to decide.

“Thorough and fair oversight is also an essential part of Congress’s role as a coequal branch of government. In the days ahead, the Committee will push the Administration for answers about the way it has crafted policy dealing with some of the world’s most important hotspots, from Saudi Arabia and Yemen, to Venezuela, to Syria, to Russia, to North Korea. I’m confident the Committee can do this work in a way that puts politics to the side and gets to the facts about matters pivotal to our security.

“In the years I served as the Committee’s ranking member, I was proud of the bipartisan record of accomplishment we built. I’m hopeful we can continue on this course, and I look forward to working with Ranking Member McCaul and all our members to advance our country’s interests and values.”

Dems Introduce H.R. 1 Featuring Key Voting Reform Concepts From Rep. Engel’s Proposed Constitutional Amendment

  Today, Congressman Eliot L. Engel cosponsored H.R. 1, the For the People Act, Democrats’ first legislative priority for the 116^th Congress. The For the People Act is a broad anti-corruption and democracy reform package that will expand Americans’ access to the ballot box, reduce the influence of big money in politics, and strengthen ethics rules at all levels of the government. The bill includes several key concepts from Rep. Engel’s comprehensive Constitutional Amendment to reform our voting and electoral system, which he also reintroduced yesterday (H.J.Res. 9).

“For far too long, our political system has not reflected the needs of all Americans,” Engel said. “We’ve seen gerrymandered districts drawn to favor partisan elected officials, increasing voter suppression, and an unprecedented flood of money from special interests. With Democrats now in the majority in the House, we are committed to restoring transparency, ethics, and accountability to Washington.

“I believe that our democracy can only function when all Americans have a seat at the table. That’s why yesterday, I reintroduced a comprehensive Constitutional Amendment to fix our country’s broken electoral system. I’m pleased that the ‘For the People Act’ includes many concepts from my Constitutional Amendment, including instituting automatic voter registration, making Election Day a federal holiday, prohibiting voter ID requirements, and ensuring that failure to vote is not grounds for removing registered voters. It also bans partisan gerrymandering and reaffirms that Congress should have the authority to regulate money in politics, pushing back on Citizens United.

“Protecting the integrity of our electoral system from special interests and interference is critical and I am pleased the Democratic Caucus has made it an early priority.”

H.R. 1 also strengthens the ethics laws and expands oversight, ensuring integrity from all levels of government. In addition, the bill would extend the current conflict of interest laws to include the President and Vice President, requiring the release of their tax returns, while closing the revolving-door loophole for members of Congress.

Next Croton FMC Meeting Monday January 28th

  The next Croton Filtration Monitoring Committee meeting will be held on January 28th at 6:30pm. Please note the location is same as our last meeting -- Mosholu Montefiore Community Center at 3450 DeKalb Avenue, basement. An Agenda will follow as soon as it is ready.

#1 TRAIN WILL BYPASS 168TH ST. STATION BEGINNING TOMORROW, SATURDAY, JANUARY 5, 2019

  "I want to let constituents and riders of the #1 Train to know that beginning at midnight on Saturday, January 5, the #1 train will bypass 168th St. Station in Washington Heights for approximately one year while four new elevators are constructed. I will be onsite at the 168th St. Station tomorrow, January 5, 2019, at 12:00PM (Noon) to monitor the additional bus service that will be provided to accommodate riders needing to access 157th St. Station to catch the 1 train. I have the commitment of the MTA that they will be actively observing the bus service so that it meets the needs of riders and also will have additional staff available to answer questions from the public.

MTA has stated that they will finish the construction around early 2020. I've requested that this reconstruction project finish on-time, and if possible, reduce the total duration of the project. Additionally, while the new automatic elevators will be able to accommodate a higher volume of subway riders, the elevators will not extend to the subway platform. I've asked the MTA to conduct a feasibility assessment on options to bring the 1-train platform to ADA compliance."

COORDINATION NEEDED AT CITY AND STATE LEVELS TO IMPLEMENT NEW PROPOSAL OF L-TRAIN TUNNEL

  "Brooklyn and Manhattan residents, small businesses, and commuters have been planning and anticipating the L-train shutdown for months. I am glad that the Governor was able to find a group of top engineers to facilitate a less disruptive plan for over 250,000 riders of the L-train. However, further review of the new scope of work is necessary to ensure efficiency, that the project is completed without going over the original budget, that bus routes and ferry service previously included in the project are evaluated, and to figure out what additional resources or public outreach is required to guarantee a well-organized timeline of construction," said Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez, Chair of the Committee on Transportation.

Rep. Adriano Espaillat to Host District Event Honoring Life and Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

 Representative Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) will host his annual open house event honoring the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on Friday, January 18^th from 3:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. EST. The event will take place at Rep. Espaillat’s Harlem district office located at 163 West 125^th Street, Suite 508, New York, NY 10027. Light refreshments will be served.

This event is open to the public and press.

WHO:            Rep. Adriano Espaillat (NY-13)

          

WHAT:          Harlem District Office Open House and Commemoration Event Honoring the Life and Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 

WHEN:          Friday, January 18th at 3:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. EST

                       

WHERE:       Adam Clayton Powell State Office Building

                        163 West 125th Street, Suite 508

                        New York, NY 10027

RSVP:            RSVP.Espaillat@mail.house.gov or by phone at 212-663-3900

MAYOR DE BLASIO ANNOUNCES RICK CHANDLER STEPPING DOWN AS BUILDINGS COMMISSIONER

  Mayor Bill de Blasio announced today that Rick D. Chandler, PE, Commissioner of the New York City Department of Buildings, will be retiring from city service after 31 years with the city, including nearly 20 with the Department, four of which were as Commissioner. Commissioner Chandler led a sweeping modernization effort touching every part of the Buildings Department, including the launch of DOB NOW, which will allow New Yorkers to do all business with DOB online; hiring more than 230 new inspectors and 150 technical staff, resulting in significantly faster permit reviews and inspections of construction sites and 311 complaints; and regulating the city’s real estate and construction industries during the largest building boom in at least 50 years.

Thomas Fariello, RA, the agency’s First Deputy Commissioner, will serve as Acting Buildings Commissioner, effective February 1, 2019.

“When I took office, I called for a fundamental reform of the Buildings Department – and I am grateful to Commissioner Chandler for helping deliver on that promise. As Buildings Commissioner, Rick presided over an unprecedented building boom while at the same time launching an aggressive modernization plan to give the public faster service and greater transparency about DOB’s operations. While I’m sad to see Rick go, I thank him for his decades of service to the city and wish him well in his future endeavors,” said Mayor de Blasio.

“I thank Mayor de Blasio for his confidence in me, and for the major investments he made at DOB. Our modernization plan is delivering quicker plan reviews and improved response times, bringing new clarity and consistency to agency operations, strengthening enforcement, and promoting the highest standards of integrity, both in the construction industry and within DOB. The centerpiece of these reforms is DOB NOW – a platform to bring nearly all the agency’s business online and into the 21st century, with far greater transparency for the public. I wish Tom well as Acting Commissioner,” said DOB Commissioner Chandler.

“It was a privilege to work with Commissioner Chandler to modernize and staff-up the Buildings Department to streamline our services for New Yorkers. As Acting Commissioner, I look forward to continuing to implement the Mayor’s vision for the department and to furthering our essential mission of regulating one of the city’s largest industries and keeping construction sites safe for workers and the public,” said incoming Acting Buildings Commissioner Fariello.

Thomas Fariello is a New York State Registered Architect with more than 30 years of experience in the fields of architecture and construction. Appointed First Deputy Commissioner in 2011, Tom has been an essential part of the Department’s leadership since 2003, when he became Deputy Borough Commissioner in Brooklyn. He later served as Borough Commissioner in Brooklyn and in the Bronx. His experience before joining the Department — as a private-sector architect and plan examiner with the New York City School Construction Authority — cultivated his deep understanding of the laws governing construction, as well as the importance of leading the department to provide professional, efficient public service.

The New York City Department of Buildings regulates and promotes the safe and lawful use of nearly 1.1 million buildings and more than 45,000 active construction sites in New York City.