44.2 F
New York
Friday, March 29, 2024
Home Blog Page 2096

Coney Island Pol Tried to Swindle $100K from State Funds for Fake Think Tank

0
Assemblywoman Mathylde Frontus (D-Brooklyn) tried to land $100K from New York State coffers for the Southern Brooklyn Community Think Tank, which she promised to set up days after her November 2018 election to “change the face of politics” in the area. Photo Credit: nyassembly.gov

By: Justin Credible

Assemblywoman Mathylde Frontus (D-Brooklyn) tried to land $100K from New York State coffers for the Southern Brooklyn Community Think Tank, which she promised to set up days after her November 2018 election to “change the face of politics” in the area, Fox News reported.

Mathylde Frontus is a member of the New York State Assembly, representing the 46th district since 2019. The 46th district encompasses portions of southern Brooklyn, including Coney Island and Brighton Beach.

Frontus ironically was voted in her district after the preceding Assemblywoman of the same district 46 resigned over pure corruption.

In 2018, Assembly member Pamela Harris resigned ahead of indictments stemming from stolen Hurricane Sandy funds .

Pamela Harris was indicted in January 2018 following allegations she pocketed $25,000 in federal funds by falsely claiming the storm chased her from her Coney Island home. Authorities said the Brooklyn Democrat committed other frauds, including cheating the New York City Council out of discretionary funds meant for nonprofits, NY 1 reported.

Harris pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud, one count of making false statements to the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA), and one count of witness tampering, NY 1 reported.

She was later was sentenced to six months in jail followed by three years of supervised release, 400 hours of community service, and restitution of $45,600 to the City of New York for the money stolen from Coney Island Generation Gap and $24,800 to the U.S. government for the money stolen from FEMA, Brooklyn Eagle reported.

Frontus won the Democratic primary over Ethan Lustig-Elgrably by only 51 votes. In the general election, Frontus defeated Republican Steven Saperstein with 56% of the vote.

Frontus said she couldn’t understand all the fuss over her failed political-pork request. “It’s not an entity, it’s just a name,” said Frontus, who previously founded two Coney Island-based social services nonprofits. “It’s not something real”, N.Y Post reported.

However, she never filed paperwork with state or federal authorities to establish the group — despite asking Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie for the funding, which he refused, according to Fox News.

“How do you ask for $100,000 in funding for a group that doesn’t exist and think it’s OK?” said one Brooklyn legislator. “This request reeks of corruption and raises many legal and ethical questions.”

“Elected officials should not [try to] direct public money to groups they are affiliated with because it creates an appearance of favoritism,” Alex Camarda, senior policy advisor for the good government group Reinvent Albany told Fox News.

Frontus’ Republican opponent Steve Saperstein wanted to take a page from HBO’s “Game of Thrones” by forcing disgraced lawmakers convicted of corruption to be paraded in handcuffs through their home districts, TJV previously reported

Convicted statewide politicians would be subject to the same walk of shame near the Capitol in Albany, according to Steve Saperstein.

NYers Told Cuomo That AOC Fooled Him in Failed Amazon Deal

0
Hate mail – 2,200 flaming pieces of it — poured into New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo’s office when that $3 billion deal to open a massive Amazon HQ in Queens fell through, even though most agreed the touch of death had been applied by his Democratic colleagues, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Photo Credit: Twitter

By Clark Savage, Jr.

Hate mail – 2,200 flaming pieces of it — poured into New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo’s office when that $3 billion deal to open a massive Amazon HQ in Queens fell through, even though most agreed the touch of death had been applied by his Democratic colleagues, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

And the New York Post got a hold of at least some of them via a Freedom of Information request. The newspaper recently exposed some of those letters, and the anger exploding from them is more than obvious. Here are some examples:

* “You got outsmarted by a bartender … thanks.”

* “What a dysfunctional scenario to unfold under your watch. AOC has played you swiftly. WOW!”

* One voter suggested Cuomo’s Democratic Party “has lost its mind.”

* “Seriously? We lost AMAZON’S headquarters?!! Are you all so afraid of AOC and screaming, stupid protestors who don’t understand Economics 101??? Is she so intimidating that you and [Mayor Bill] De Blasio couldn’t get this done? SHAME ON YOU!!!!”

* Another New Yorker told Cuomo “that little snot nose trashed your big deal,” adding, “I guess we know who wears the pants in New York now. Especially in the Democratic Party.”

* “Bye, Bye. Me and My entire extended family are now on our way out of your state to live in Tennessee. It has nothing to do with the weather!!!!!!!!! It’s all to do with you. Loser!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

* “Your failure to secure Amazon as a new corporation to do business in the state is laughable and a testament to political incompetence.”

* “You and all the other NYS political self-serving hacks are an embarrassment. Looking forward to putting you and NY in my rear view mirror!”

(The full story can be found at https://nypost.com/2019/11/25/nyers-say-cuomo-got-played-by-aoc-in-failed-amazon-deal/)

For her part, when asked about extinguishing a potential 25,000 jobs for New Yorker residents, Ocasio-Cortez alibied that the city was “subsiding those jobs” anyway. “So if we were willing to give away $3 billion for this deal we could invest those $3 billion in our district ourselves if we wanted to. We could hire out more teachers, fix our subways. Additionally, there was no guarantee those jobs were for the New Yorkers that were here. I think we can come absolutely together to create an economic plan that actually invests in New Yorkers and higher wages.”

The governor’s shame is being shared across national borders, as well. In Britain, the DailyMail reported that Cuomo “has been slammed for being ‘outsmarted by bartender’ Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez after his push for an Amazon HQ in Queens collapsed. The 61-year-old faced a torrent of emails ridiculing him over losing the $3billion deal following fierce opposition from the congresswoman and former bartender.”

Nat’l Grid Bows to Cuomo; Lifts Gas Moratorium in Parts of NYC & LI

0
Photo Credit: cbslocal.com

By: Chester McClure

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo has announced an agreement with National Grid to immediately lift the current moratorium on gas service in Long Island, Queens and Brooklyn.

National Grid has identified short-term supply mechanisms that will conservatively meet demand for approximately the next two years, allowing it to restore service to any customers that it had refused and grant all pending applications, according to a release. National Grid will present a long-term options analysis within three months, subject to a public review process. The long-term options will be in place and functioning in Fall 2021.

To compensate customers who were adversely impacted by the moratorium, National Grid will pay a $36 million penalty. The penalty will also support new energy conservation measures and clean energy projects as directed by the Director of the New York State Division of the Budget in consultation with the Public Service Commission, Cuomo’s office noted.

“This agreement is a victory for customers,” Cuomo said. “National Grid will pay a significant penalty for its failure to address the supply issue, its abuse of its customers, and the adverse economic impact they have caused. The Company is also working to address the long-term supply problem and will present options in the coming months to the people of Brooklyn, Queens, and Long Island, letting them choose the best way forward for their communities. Today it was made clear that we will not allow any business–big or small–to extort New Yorkers in order to advance its own interests. I also want to thank Attorney General Tish James, Senator Parker and Assembly Member Cusick for their help in resolving this matter.”

“We have worked hard to identify an innovative series of alternatives to meet growing demand. With this agreement, we will present options for long term supply solutions that ensure our customers have the service they require and desire,” said John Bruckner President of National Grid New York. “With the resumption of service, providing support for those affected by the moratorium and further investments in New York’s long-term clean energy future, we are demonstrating our unwavering commitment to delivering on our top priority of providing safe and reliable service.”

“As winter begins, New Yorkers can rest assured that National Grid’s moratorium is finally over and the thousands of homeowners and businesses denied service will be able to turn their heat on,” said Attorney General Letitia James in the release. “I am grateful that Governor Cuomo pushed National Grid to do the right thing and brought attention to this critical matter. My office launched an investigation after hearing about the profound effect the moratorium has had on individuals, small businesses, and New York’s economy. We have received numerous complaints, which is why we will continue to closely monitor National Grid and service providers across the state to ensure New Yorkers are getting a fair shake.”

After Much Speculation, Bloomberg Officially Enters 2020 Presidential Race

0
On Sunday, former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg officially entered the presidential nomination for 2020. For the first time, the billionaire has actually filed the official paperwork, entering the Presidential primary in Alabama, running as a Democrat. Photo Credit: Twitter

By Ilana Siyance

On Sunday, former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg officially entered the presidential nomination for 2020. For the first time, the billionaire has actually filed the official paperwork, entering the Presidential primary in Alabama, running as a Democrat.

As reported by CBS News, a Bloomberg political advisor disclosed that the new candidate was stirred to enter the race because he felt the Democratic Party needed another strong candidate. The advisor said Bloomberg’s team has already taken polls. Bloomberg will offer a unique fusion of political experience coupled with business know-how, and experience in philanthropy. The 77-year-old CEO of his namesake media empire is the 9th richest person in the U.S. and the 14th richest person in the world, with an estimated $58 billion, as per Forbes.

President Donald J. Trump lost no time commenting on Bloomberg’s entry. “I’ve known Michael Bloomberg a long time. You go back, early on, he said a lot of great things about Trump. But I know Michael, he became just a nothing, he’s really a nothing,” said President Trump. “He’s not going to do well, but I think he’s going to hurt Biden actually, but he doesn’t have the magic to do well. He will not do very well and if he did, I’d be happy. There is nobody I’d rather run against than little Michael, that I can tell you.”

Bloomberg has been going back and forth in his decision to run for presidency more than four times so far, now to have filed ahead of the Alabama primary deadline which is Friday. On the one side, the billionaire will have a difficult time divesting himself of his business, to avoid conflicts of interest. On the other hand, it seems he has a strong aversion for President Trump and wills to personally make sure he is not re-elected. “I’m a New Yorker and I know a con when I see one,” Bloomberg has said. “We cannot afford four more years of President Trump’s reckless and unethical actions. He represents an existential threat to our country and our values,” Bloomberg says on his election website.

The question which remains unanswered is, will Bloomberg have a good chance of winning nomination. His moderate positions, pragmatic sense and ability to finance his own campaign will certainly work for him. Political analyst Hank Sheinkopf says Bloomberg may have a shot, but that his status as a billionaire may impede him. “Some people will attack him because he’s rich, others will say wait a second, I want to be a billionaire too,” said Sheinkopf.

We have already seen that even the other Democratic candidates are making snide comments. Senator Elizabeth Warren took to twitter, saying “welcome to the race” Mike Bloomberg, but she therein attached a link to a calculator for billionaires that summarizes her proposed wealth tax plan. Bernie Sanders also took a stab, tweeting “The billionaire class is scared and they should be scared.”

Landlord-Bashing Anti-Semitic Council Candidate Slapped with Campaign Finance Violations

0
Thomas Lopez-Pierre, who ran unsuccessfully for New York City Council in 2017, is in trouble for his campaign finances. The candidate, who rapidly became known for his anti-Semitic slurs and for disparaging speech about "greedy Jewish landlords", is being fined in connection to a probe by the Campaign Finance Board. Photo Credit: YouTube

By: Hadassa Kalatizadeh

Thomas Lopez-Pierre, who ran unsuccessfully for New York City Council in 2017, is in trouble for his campaign finances. The candidate, who rapidly became known for his anti-Semitic slurs and for disparaging speech about “greedy Jewish landlords”, is being fined in connection to a probe by the Campaign Finance Board.

As reported by Crain’s NY, Lopez-Pierre will have to pay back $54,107 of the $99,180 in matching funds the Campaign Finance Board gave him for his failed bid against City Councilman Mark Levine of Manhattan. Lopez-Pierre has also been assessed $6,182 in fines for assorted forms of malfeasance. The panel charged him with a long list of wrongs including: neglecting to report over $12,000 in contributions; failing to cite over $10,000 in transactions; exceeding the $100 limit on individual cash expenditures; using campaign funds for personal use; and making campaign expenditures after the election was already over.

Lopez-Pierre’s treasurer testified to the board that he had manipulated her, and not kept her fully informed of the financial activities. She further alleged that he had purposely recruited her for the job in spite of her admitted inexperience, specifically so that he could manipulate the system. “In hindsight, I believe the candidate knowingly targeted me to become treasurer to take advantage of the campaign finance process and my lack of knowledge so that he might commit fraud when possible,” Sandra Monperousse told the board. Lopez-Pierre did not appear at the hearing, and he did not respond to requests for comment.

The controversial Democratic candidate was infamous for having said that it is the “greedy Jewish landlords” who force out longtime residents in order to gentrify NYC neighborhoods. He was also known to have made racial slurs to African Americans who showed support for his political opponents. He had also in the past admitted that “he didn’t tell the truth”, when he had said that he was behind a GoFundMe campaign to stop his rants. He admitted he just lied to cause confusion and dissention on the other side and thwart their efforts to hinder him. He has also invited controversy as the former co-owner of a Harlem singles club which set up professional men with young, attractive ladies. In the 2017 city council election, Lopez-Pierre had received only 25.36 percent of the votes while Levine received over 74 percent of the votes as the incumbent.

All this, however, has not discouraged Lopez-Pierre from affirming that he will be running in 2021 for City Council once more for the 7th district in Northern Manhattan, representing Washington Heights, Hamilton Heights, Morningside Heights, West Harlem and a portion of the Upper West Side. Levine is currently in his second and final term and will be vacating his seat.

Officials: NYS to Grapple with $6.1B Budget Shortfall in 2020

0
The dire forecast, courtesy of the state’s Division of Budget in its mid-year budget report, came late – weeks, in fact, after it was required to have been by state law. Photo Credit: Wikipedia

By: Tobias Marcus

Budgetary agita for New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo, as his bean counters are predicting a shortfall of $6.1 billion in 2020 – the largest since he took office in Albany.

The dire forecast, courtesy of the state’s Division of Budget in its mid-year budget report, came late – weeks, in fact, after it was required to have been by state law.

According to state officials, two-thirds of that shortfall, or $4 billion, stems from a precipitous jump in the cost of Medicaid. Some in Albany say they want to cut payments made to hospitals and nursing facilities both this year and next.

“Savings may include across the board reductions in rates paid to providers and health plans, reductions in discretionary payments, and other actions that can be executed administratively in the current fiscal year,” according to the report.

“This is the toughest budget that Cuomo has faced partly because he had bigger gaps when he took office, but he also had more political capital,” Bill Hammond of the Empire Center, told the New York Post. “He kind of owns this crisis because it’s not driven by the economy, it’s driven by the shortcomings of his own management of the Medicaid program in particular.”

The report outlines “increases in the minimum wage, a phase out of added funding by the federal government and an increase in enrollment and costs for managed long-term care and payments to cash-distressed hospitals,” according to spectrumlocalnews.com. It also “indicates the Cuomo administration is developing a savings plan with the Department of Health to avoid piercing the global cap for Medicaid.

“Savings may include across the board reductions in rates paid to providers and health plans, reductions in discretionary payments, and other actions that can be executed administratively in the current fiscal year,” the report reads.

Legislators are already braced for the fallout. “What we expect to be dealing with in the coming fiscal year is on the scale of billions,” Assemblyman Richard Gottfried, a Democrat from Manhattan who chairs the chamber’s health committee, told the Wall Street Journal. “Paying for health care in New York is expensive. So when you talk about a 5 or 10% cut in the program, you really can’t do that without causing serious damage.”

Once he was elected in 2011, Cuomo “established a cap on the allowable growth in the Medicaid program and won legislative approval for the state Department of Health to reduce spending if outlays exceeded the set limit,” the Journal added. “According to Bill Hammond, health-policy director for the fiscally conservative Empire Center for Public Policy, this year’s cost overruns were first disclosed in a May fiscal plan update.”

Giuliani Compares Biden to ‘Kay Corleone’ as Impeachment Drama Unfolds

0

By Andy B. Mayfair

“It’s like a poor imitation of The Godfather,” former New York City mayor and personal attorney for President Donald Trump Rudy Giuliani told Fox News recently.

He was referring to former vice president and current Democratic candidate Joe Biden’s insistence that he knew nothing of his son Hunter’s business dealings in Ukraine.

And the fur is still flying.

“He says, ‘I don’t know my own family’s business’ — some of it sounds like Kay Corleone,” Giuliani continued, a reference to willful ignorance. “He’d have to be a fool.”

For his part, Biden managed to get his foot out of his mouth long enough to tell CNN that he felt “embarrassed” for Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who serves as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and wants to investigate the Bidens. “Lindsey is about to go down in a way that I think he’s going to regret his whole life.”

Like a pebble tossed into a pond, the fracas is inevitably causing ripples. “Scrutiny is increasing on the president’s personal attorney, as his indicted former associate Lev Parnas begins to tease information involving the former New York Mayor,” MSNBC reported yesterday. “Meanwhile, Giuliani is asking Sen. Lindsey Graham to investigate Bill Taylor for declining to give visas to people he says are witnesses to a grand conspiracy he’s uncovered.”

Politics being what it is in 2019, trust is a rare commodity, even between the president and his personal attorney. Speaking to Fox News once again, Giuliani sought to protect himself from even his client. “You can assume that I talk to him early and often,” he stated, adding that the two have a “very, very good relationship.”

Still, the former prosecutor knew enough to protect his back. “I’ve seen things written like (Trump) is going to throw me under the bus. When they say that, I say he isn’t, but I have insurance. This is ridiculous. We are very good friends. He knows what I did was in order to defend him, not to dig up dirt on [former Vice President Joe] Biden.”

Soon after, Giuliani “took to Twitter to elaborate on his statement, claiming the “insurance” comment he made was both “sarcastic” and “relates to the files in my safe about the Biden Family’s 4 decade monetizing of his office,” reported slate.com. “The president’s lawyer added that if he were to “disappear’ then the files “will appear immediately.”

The former mayor elaborated during a conversation on “America’s News HQ” with host Ed Henry, pointing out that the “case has been really simple from the day that Joe Biden confessed to committing bribery in 2018. Although, he said precisely what was attributed to President Trump a year and a half later… Basically, they’ll prove that he committed bribery.”

DeBlasio Angered at Uber & Lyft for Anti-Worker Response to City Wage Rules

0
New York City’s Mayor, Bill de Blasio, is angry at ride-share companies Uber and Lyft. Specifically, he doesn’t care for their decision to slam the brakes on subcontractors when business is slow. Photo Credit: YouTube

By Pat Savage

New York City’s Mayor, Bill de Blasio, is angry at ride-share companies Uber and Lyft. Specifically, he doesn’t care for their decision to slam the brakes on subcontractors when business is slow.

For their part, Uber and Lyft place the blame on a recently implemented minimum-wage requirement by the city.

A radio caller complained to the mayor that he and his colleagues were responsible for his being unable to get work during portions of the day. But de Blasio passed the buck to the ride share firms for keeping too many subcontractors in place in the wake of recent rules limiting those numbers.

“They created a reality where they flooded the market on purpose so that they could get the biggest possible marketshare,” de Blasio told the caller. “They didn’t care how much pollution it caused. They didn’t care how low the wages of their workers were. They didn’t care how many workers, like Al, invested in vehicles and then were left high and dry.”

He added, “Why on earth is the call not for these companies to give fairness to these workers they exploited for so long, and they used to increase their market share and to prepare for their IPOs? They have the money to pay their workers decently. They have the money to create a fair transition for folks in this situation. They don’t have to use these sort of punitive approaches. But these are antiworker companies.”

“Lyft maintained that any negative ramifications for drivers are entirely the fault of de Blasio and his Taxi and Limousine Commission, which has sought to stop drivers from cruising in Manhattan without passengers on board,” noted Crain’s New York Business. “The company urged the mayor and the City Council to reconsider the contentious policies, which have been the subject of multiple lawsuits.”

“Lyft has had no choice but to change the driver experience by not allowing drivers to come online at times of low demand,” a Lyft spokesperson told Crain’s. “We welcome the opportunity to engage with the mayor and council to revisit these rules, which have had negative consequences on so many New Yorkers.”

The tussle didn’t appear to harm Uber in the eyes of investors. Shares of Uber Technologies Inc. “gained ground again Friday, to extend their bounce off last week’s record low, after Stifel Nicolaus analyst Scott Devitt turned bullish on the ride-sharing company, citing “reasonable” valuation and signs that fundamentals are “turning the corner,” noted marketwatch.com. “SunTrust Robinson Humphrey’s Youssef Squali also recommended investors buy, saying valuations and recent disclosures suggest the stock has probably “bottomed out.”

Breitbart: Trump Kids Would Have Good Chance of Winning Peter King’s Seat in NY

0
A new poll conducted for Breitbart News, reveals that Lara Trump would lead by over 30 percent in the elections, if she entered, even though she does not reside in NY. Photo Credit: Wikipedia

By Ilana Siyance

Lara Trump, daughter-in-law of our 45th President, would have a good chance of winning the GOP primary in New York’s 2nd congressional district, should she decide to run. The seat belonging to long-time Republican Representative Peter King of Long Island, NY will be vacant at the end of this term, when he retires after 14 terms. A new poll conducted for Breitbart News, reveals that Lara Trump would lead by over 30 percent in the elections, if she entered, even though she does not reside in NY.

The Club for Growth PAC poll, conducted by WPA Intelligence on Nov. 17 to Nov. 18, showed that she got 53 percent of the poll’s votes, where Rick Lazio a former GOP Rep. in the district who is running for the seat got 19 percent. Another 28 percent of those polled were undecided. The study, which used a sample size of 400 GOP primary voters in New York’s 2nd district, divulged that 60 percent of those polled have a favorable opinion of Lara Trump, only 13 percent have an unfavorable opinion of her, another 18 percent have not heard of her, and a final 9 percent were uncertain.

Among the same Long Island GOP primary voters surveyed, President Trump’s approval rating is sky high at 78 percent, with only 19 percent saying they view him unfavorably, 1 percent have not heard of him, and 2 percent are uncertain.

Lara and her husband Eric Trump have two children. The 37-year-old from Wilmington North Carolina, formerly known as Lara Yunaska, used to work as a CBS producer for Inside Edition. Since the President’s campaign in 2016, she has served as a campaign adviser, leading the Trump–Pence Women’s Empowerment Tour, and has served as online producer, fundraiser and spokesperson for the Real News Update reports by Trump Productions. She is also a senior consultant in Trump’s re-election bid for 2020.

Lara has not announced candidacy for any political position. When questioned about the poll, she said she was flattered but would not be running at this time. “I’m incredibly honored by this showing of support from my fellow New Yorkers,” Lara Trump told Breitbart News. “While I would never close the door on anything in the future, right now I am focused on winning a second term for President Trump.” The fact that she will likely not be running does not dismiss the findings of the report, as it is still a strong signal of support for the Trump family within the Republican party in Nassau and Suffolk county.

The NY Times, similarly named Lara as a potential political candidate for an unspecified position. She “is actively involved in his (President Trump) re-election campaign, is also mentioned as a possible candidate by some close to the family,” wrote reporter Maggie Haberman.

“Lara Trump is well positioned to win the Republican nomination for New York’s Second Congressional District and beat perennial loser Rick Lazio,” said Club for Growth PAC president David McIntosh. “She is a dynamic leader who is uniquely positioned withstand Nancy Pelosi’s socialist assault and hold the seat, and she would beat Lazio in the primary by more than 30 points if she decides to run.”

The congressional seat belonging to Rep. King will be an important strong hold for the GOP, particularly if the party aspires to retake the House majority in 2020’s upcoming congressional elections. To gain a majority, Republicans would need to hold on to this seat and all the seats they currently have, plus take over 19 Democratic seats in the elections next year.

New Team of NYC Bldg Inspectors Hand Out Thousands of Violations at Construction Jobsites

0
A new team of building inspectors in New York City has been conducting surprise inspections at jobsites for major construction projects, a program that has netted the city $15 million in fines since September 2018, according to The New York Times. Photo Credit: Wikipedia

By: Uri Klemkov

A new team of building inspectors in New York City has been conducting surprise inspections at jobsites for major construction projects, a program that has netted the city $15 million in fines since September 2018, according to The New York Times.

A team of 38 inspectors, eventually to number 53, have completed 20,166 surprise inspections of 10,256 city construction sites, approximately 25% of all active sites during the same period of time. The team issued the majority of 11,484 violations this year after the new, dedicated group of inspectors was in full operation, Construction Dive reported.

Prior to the onset of these surprise inspections, the city had typically dispatched building inspectors only for scheduled visits, or in response to accidents and complaints about possible violations.

“It’s a total game-changer,” said Melanie La Rocca, the commissioner of the city’s Buildings Department. “This is the first time that we’ve had a unit dedicated to 100 percent proactive visits to larger construction sites,” The NY Times quoted.

In the first nine months of this year — as dozens of surprise inspections were carried out daily — construction injuries fell by 26 percent to 437 from 590 in the same period the year before, according to city data. The main difference, officials say, has been the surprise inspections, while other factors like major construction activity have remained steady, The N.Y Times reported.

During visits to major construction sites, which are new construction or renovations projects of four stories or higher, the inspectors also issued 2,523 stop-work orders for safety supervision violations and incidents of dangerous working conditions. Despite minor pushback from developers and owners who have complained that the inspections can be disruptive and target minor violations, the city said that the number of accidents in the first nine months of this year fell by 26% compared to the same period last year, Construction Dive reported.

The City has now begun a safety training program for construction sites. last week, the New York City Department of Buildings announced that its inspectors have started visiting 6,000 city construction sites in order to educate workers on the importance of safety before the Dec. 1 training deadline. The inspections started earlier this month, according to Construction Dive.

By Dec. 1, workers at jobsites requiring a construction superintendent, site safety coordinator or site safety manager must have 30 hours of safety training and a total of 40 hours by September 2020. Supervisors must have 62 hours of training by December 1.

The city maintains a database of thousands of construction projects that require site safety training and, on Nov. 6, visited 1,000 of them in order to alert workers to the upcoming training deadline.

The New York Times reported: Jonathan C. Reiter, a lawyer who has represented injured construction workers, said there were limitations to the city’s spot inspections because work conditions change daily and only the developers and contractors who are on site every day can address them.

Controversy Follows Dr. David Samadi in New Job on Long Island

0
Disgraced NY prostate specialist, Dr. David Samadi took a devastating career tumble in the aftermath of the Medicare fraud charges that were attributed to him. He started his medical practice at NYC's prestigious Mt Sinai Hospital, then went to Lenox Hill and is now in a small and inconsequential hospital on Long Island. Photo Credit: Twitter

By: Jim Rickshauer

Controversy continues to swirl around a New York City surgeon involved in what some claim is a Medicare fraud scandal for double-booking operations.

Dr. David Samadi, a prostate cancer specialist and one of the top-earning doctors in the city, “is billed as a men’s health specialist at St. Francis Hospital in Roslyn. He left Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan in June, where he had been paid $2 million a year with an annual bonus of up to $5 million,” reported the New York Post. “Lenox Hill and parent company Northwell Health agreed earlier this month to pay $12.3 million to settle federal claims that it fraudulently billed Medicare for Samadi’s overlapping surgeries and unnecessary procedures.”

Northwell Health of New York has said it will pay $12.3 million to settle “a claim by the federal government and three whistle-blowers that Dr. David Samadi, a former urologist at Manhattan’s Lenox Hill Hospital, allowed trainees to perform surgery without proper supervision while he operated on patients in another room,” according to bostonglobe.com. “The suit charges that Northwell illegally billed Medicare for operations performed by the trainees.”

The allegations, the news site continued, “reflect the “egregious monetization of human maladies, which is all too common in health care delivery today,” said Reuben Guttman, a Washington, D.C.-based lawyer for the whistle-blowers.”

“I think we exposed these medical practices that are not just violations of Medicare laws, they violate patient rights,” said Joseph Lanni, the lawyer representing the whistleblowers, in an interview with the Post’s Melissa Klein. “It puts patient safety at risk.”

Samadi must now deal with another federal Medicare fraud claim, Klein continued, “brought by the same two whistleblowers, one a former patient and the other representing his late father who was a patient. He is also named in eight malpractice suits in state court.” (For the full story, see https://nypost.com/2019/11/23/embattled-surgeon-dr-david-samadi-has-a-new-gig-on-long-island/)

Samadi has long been a high-profile physician. He describes himself on his Robotic Oncology web site as “one of the most successful Urologic Oncology Experts and Robotic Surgeons in New York City. Currently, he acts as Director of Men’s Health at St. Francis Hospital in Roslyn, NY. He is one of the very few urologic surgeons in the United States trained in oncology, open, laparoscopic, and robotic surgery–as such, many regard him as the best prostate surgeon.”

Most recently, he has been reaching out to the public by noting that “November or No shave month recognized annually during November, promotes awareness of health challenges men face yet are rarely talked about. Part of spreading the word of “changing the face” of men’s health is encouraging men to grow a mustache during November.”

UWS Residents Roiled Over Bus Warnings as Community Board Seeks to End to Free Parking

0
“Caution, bus is turning” a robotic voice warns pedestrians whenever NYC Transit vehicles make a left- or right-hand turn, and Upper West Side residents can’t take it anymore!! Photo Credit: Wikipedia

By: Renaldo Kotkin

“Caution, bus is turning” a robotic voice warns pedestrians whenever NYC Transit vehicles make a left- or right-hand turn, and Upper West Side residents can’t take it anymore!!

“It’s noise pollution, and our quality of life is deteriorating because of this,” fumed Jeff Weissman of West 72nd Street, who charges 72nd and West End is “ground zero” for the “24/7” safety messages that are “making life miserable”, the New York Post quoted in a recent article.

NYC Transit first implemented the Pedestrian Turn Warnings in December 2016 as part of a pilot program in support of Mayor Bill de Blasio’s “Vision Zero” initiative, aimed at reducing traffic deaths. Approximately 1,200 of the 5,700 buses are equipped with the new technology, which cost $20 million, according to the N.Y Post.

The annoyed elitist Jeff Weismann plastered “Help us … (or else)” flyers on neighborhood bus shelters and light poles imploring residents to call their community board and City Council member. “We can stop it now before they install it on every bus!” the flyer reads.

The average price of a co-op in the UWS is $1,288,300 according to Zillow. The median list price per square foot in Upper West Side is $1,463, which is higher than the New York average of $673.

The N.Y Post reported: “Sleep and quietude are essential to our well-being,” chimed in Weissman’s neighbor, Alice, a meditation and yoga instructor, who added their building has “a number of new parents” who are already “sleep-deprived.” She suggested the city “explore other solutions.”

According to the Post, who sent out a reporter to the area, he camped out at the Columbus Avenue corner Wednesday afternoon could barely hear the alert, which did not always go off.

Meanwhile the popular blog called “West side rag” reported that community members of the UWS are debating over free parking spaces in the area. The blog reported Community Board 7 Transportation Committee are convinced that allowing people to park at the curb for free is a bad use of public space.

The blog continued: “As a follow up to October’s controversial forum on curbside use, the committee revisited a resolution they passed earlier this year, which called for the city to “discontinue the policy of providing free parking for private cars,” in consideration of “more productive and equitable uses of curbside space”

There seems to be disagreements among the wealthy UWS populous regarding this resolution. The resolution was amended to requests that the city “assess and analyze the policy of providing free parking for private cars,” (as opposed to discontinuing the practice outright), “and consider whether there are more productive and equitable uses of curbside space,” (as opposed to suggesting that all alternative curbside uses are inherently more productive than free parking).

FDNY & MTA Object to DeBlasio’s Rockefeller Center Car Ban for Holiday Season

0
Mayor Bill de Blasio, during a radio interview last Friday, announced that a pedestrian zone would be created around Rockefeller Center and Radio City Music Hall by temporarily closing all or part of several blocks to traffic at certain hours, starting the day after Thanksgiving and ending in January. Photo Credit: Rockefeller Center

By: Justin Credible

Mayor Bill de Blasio, during a radio interview last Friday, announced that a pedestrian zone would be created around Rockefeller Center and Radio City Music Hall by temporarily closing all or part of several blocks to traffic at certain hours, starting the day after Thanksgiving and ending in January, the N.Y Times reported.

Both the Metropolitan Transit Authority and the N.Y Fire Department are objecting to this plan.

Every year millions upon millions of tourists come to this area to see the giant Rockefeller Christmas tree and watch the world-famous Radio City Rockettes.

“The move to increase ‘pedestrian space’ surrounding Rockefeller Center is misguided and makes this city less safe — plain and simple,” said FDNY union president Gerard Fitzgerald in a statement. “As it is, traffic is interfering with our firefighters’ abilities to reach the scene of a fire, but this new plan will have wide-felt repercussions in the form of traffic from river to river.”

Fitzgerald said the closures — scheduled for 49th and 50th streets between Fifth and Sixth avenues from 2 p.m. to midnight Monday through Thursday, 1 p.m. to midnight on Friday and 10 a.m. to midnight on the weekends — will interfere with emergency vehicle traffic and will prohibit smoke eaters and other first responders from reaching emergency scenes, The N.Y Post reported.

“We are disappointed that the plan put forward by the mayor gives no priority to M.T.A. buses and ignores the needs of bus customers,” Andy Byford, who oversees buses for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, told the N.Y times. He added that the “unilateral decision flies in the face of the work that the M.T.A. has done” with city transportation officials to speed up bus times and increase ridership. M.T.A. officials said they were not consulted about the plan, which city officials disputed.

Meanwhile NYC Streets-Blog reported that a mayoral spokesman quickly rebuked Byford’s claim, saying that City Hall had been in weeks-long discussions with MTA bigwigs and their last-minute suggestion to better accommodate the buses would actually have eliminated pedestrian space since it would require carving out room for bus stops on the expanded sidewalk.

The spokesman, William Baskin-Gertwitz added that diverting bus service on those blocks during the holiday season is nothing new since the city has been doing it for years.

“We’ve discussed this plan with them numerous times over the last few weeks and only in the 11th hour did they raise the idea of a dedicated bus lane,” Baskin-Gerwitz told Streetsblog on Friday at 3:34 p.m. “Unfortunately, the MTA’s proposal would have reduced pedestrian space — the exact opposite of our shared goal.”

Fifth Avenue, a one-way street heading south, has four traffic lanes, including two that are dedicated to the 1,300 express and local buses that run every weekday. The city’s plan would close one of those bus lanes, forcing buses into the one remaining lane and slowing down even more buses that already crawl along during the holidays, according to The NY Times.

In addition, parts of 49th and 50th Streets that are used by a crosstown bus route would be closed for the pedestrian zone, requiring dozens of buses to be reroute, the NY Times discovered.

NYPL Bans Cell Phones at JD Salinger Exhibit; Rare Artifacts on Display

0
All cell phones will be banned at this exhibit so nobody can capture any pictures of these rarely seen JD Salinger artifacts. Photo Credit: NYPL

By: Harvey Wassenstein

An exhibit, titled “JD Salinger,” is running through January 19th at the historic Fifth Avenue branch of the New York Public Library in Manhattan. The iconic writer died in 2010 and avoided publicity and media most of his life, A.P reported.

The N.Y Post reported, all cell phones will be banned at this exhibit so nobody can capture any pictures of these rarely seen Salinger artifacts.

Library workers are stationed outside the gallery where more than 200 of Salinger’s artifacts are on display, telling patrons they have to check their coats and bags — and tuck their phones inside.

His literary estate approved new print editions for the first time in decades of the four books he allowed to come out in his lifetime — “The Catcher in the Rye,” “Franny and Zooey,” “Nine Stories” and “Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters and Seymour: An Introduction.” And for the first time ever, the literary estate authorized e-book editions.

Visitors can se an actual manuscript of “Catcher In The Rye”.

Salinger’s estate is overseen in part by his son, Matt Salinger, who has also said that readers will, at some point, see the books his father worked on after he stopped publishing in the 1960s. In announcing the exhibit last week, the younger Salinger cited the public’s lasting curiosity, A.P reported.

“When my father’s longtime publisher, Little, Brown and Co., first approached me with plans for his centennial year, my immediate reaction was that he would not like the attention,” Matt Salinger wrote. “He was a famously private man who shared his work with millions, but his life and nonpublished thoughts with less than a handful of people, including me. But I’ve learned that while he may have only fathered two children there are a great, great many readers out there who have their own rather profound relationships with him, through his work, and who have long wanted an opportunity to get to know him better.”

Salinger published several short stories in Story magazine in the early 1940s before serving in World War II. In 1948, his critically acclaimed story “A Perfect Day for Bananafish” appeared in The New Yorker, which became home to much of his later work.

The Catcher in the Rye was published in 1951 and became an immediate popular success. Salinger’s depiction of adolescent alienation and loss of innocence in the protagonist Holden Caulfield was influential, especially among adolescent readers. The novel was widely read and controversial.

In the 1970s, several U.S. high school teachers who assigned the book were fired or forced to resign. A 1979 study of censorship noted that The Catcher in the Rye “had the dubious distinction of being at once the most frequently censored book across the nation and the second-most frequently taught novel in public high schools” The book remains widely read; in 2004, the novel was selling about 250,000 copies per year, “with total worldwide sales over 10 million copies, Washington Post explained.

Violation of Law Continues as Only 1/3 of NYC’s Old Bldgs Have Fire Sprinklers

0
In the wake of 9/11, New York City passed a law requiring the installation of fire-safety sprinklers in office buildings. It was a good idea – property owners even had 15 years in which to comply. And yet to date, under 30% of buildings have complied. Photo Credit: Wikipedia

By Tom Roberts

In the wake of 9/11, New York City passed a law requiring the installation of fire-safety sprinklers in office buildings. It was a good idea – property owners even had 15 years in which to comply. And yet to date, under 30% of buildings have complied.

City Councilman Barry Grodenchik made it clear at the hearing on Wednesday that this state of affairs is not acceptable. “I think we would all agree that is, to be generous, a disappointment. Tragically, many of the victims of fire fatalities are children,” he noted. “Smoke detectors and even fire alarms are not enough. We need sprinkler systems to save lives.”

The law, which was passed in 2004, “gave owners of commercial buildings 100-feet and taller 15 years to install fire sprinklers. City code has required new office towers include sprinklers systems since 1984, but there are 1,308 buildings in the city built before that point that the law targeted,” Crain’s New York Business reported.

“The deadline for those buildings to comply passed July 1,” the Crain’s piece continued, “but just 368 have certified that they have installed the sprinklers with the Department of Buildings, Commissioner Melanie La Rocca testified to City Council Wednesday. La Rocca said another 198 buildings have submitted proof of sprinkler installation but are not yet certified. Building inspectors have issued 1,088 violations to landlords related to sprinklers since the deadline passed, but have not imposed any fines.”

The pain for landlords is set to commence on the first day of December, when they will be hit in the wallet. Property owners will have 60 days in which to get in line with the law, or face even steeper fines – maxing out at a whopping $50,000 annually.

Grodenchik was flanked at City Hall by, among others, Councilman Robert E. Cornegy Jr., who co-sponsored the bill, he added, “Fires, especially those that break out hundreds or thousands of feet above street level, require more than passive solutions like smoke detectors and fireproof construction. Sprinkler systems represent an active solution to life-endangering fires in large residential buildings. It is time we bring the law up to date to protect New York citizens.”

“Studies have shown that properly installed and maintained fire sprinklers are effective at controlling a fire 96 percent of the time,” Tony Saporito of the New York Fire Sprinkler Council, a division of the Mechanical Contractors Association of New York, told qns.com. “By simply requiring that owners of older multi-family homes install and maintain the same fire sprinkler systems that keep office workers and residents of newer buildings safe today, Intro 1146-A will save lives.”

Returning to the Streets of NYC: Electric Bikes by Citi Bike

0
Electric bikes will be back this winter, says Citi Bike. “We know our riders love pedal-assist electric bikes — and we love them too. You’ve been patiently waiting for their return, and today we want to let you know that will happen this winter,” the company is telling New Yorkers on its web site. Photo Credit: Twitter

By Howard M. Riell

Electric bikes will be back this winter, says Citi Bike.

“We know our riders love pedal-assist electric bikes — and we love them too. You’ve been patiently waiting for their return, and today we want to let you know that will happen this winter,” the company is telling New Yorkers on its web site. “While we hoped to have them back this fall, we are taking extra time to make sure they’re safe and ready for New York City streets.”

Earlier this year, the company removed its ebikes after some riders experienced stronger-than-expected braking force on the front wheel,” said a release. “Several months after that, we also experienced challenges with batteries on our ebikes in the Bay Area. Those issues led us to work with a new battery supplier while we simultaneously redesigned the bike’s brake setup.”

Company officials acknowledged that it has taken longer than anticipated to get all the necessary components for the new bikes and complete safety testing, “but we’re making progress. We expect to initially launch several hundred ebikes this winter and will gradually ramp up to a larger fleet. We’re sorry for the delay and appreciate your patience. While we know you’ve been missing ebikes, you’ve been riding classic bikes more than ever — we’ve had record ridership all summer and fall.”

Even before the braking issue, Citi Bike announced that it planned to implement a $2 charge on every ebike ride to help it keep up with the costs of keeping ebikes powered and available, the firm pointed out. “We heard your feedback. Members told us they did not want to pay a flat charge every time they chose an ebike. We’ve landed on new pricing: a $0.10 per minute charge for annual Citi Bike members, and a $0.15 per minute charge for non-members when choosing an ebike. Now you’ll pay only for the length of time you ride instead of a flat fee no matter how far you’re going.”

Executives have “done the math,” they said in the statement, noting that the majority of riders will pay less for ebike rides with per minute pricing.

“When ebikes were in service, 80% of member ebike rides were under 20 minutes,” according to the release. “Members’ ebike charges will also be capped at $2 for rides 45 minutes or less beginning and/or ending outside Manhattan and we’re removing the two-minute wait period between rides, so riders can quickly swap from an ebike to a classic (and vice versa) during a trip. We know ebikes are great for crossing steep bridges, and we want to help riders farther from Manhattan commute across the East River conveniently and affordably. We’ll also continue to offer a strong equity program, with Reduced Fare Bike Share members paying only $0.05 per minute if they choose an electric bike.”