By: Jim Locassio

The New York City Council has voted yes to Mayor Bill de Blasio’s proposal to build a flood barrier – potentially as high as 13 feet — along a nearly three-mile length of East River coastline, from Montgomery to East 25th streets. The cost: $1.45 billion

Also going up will be sections of East River Park – possibly as much as eight feet. Additional building will see walls, berms, levees and green space 16 feet above sea level to keep New Yorkers dry.

“Hurricane Sandy dramatically changed the lives of New Yorkers all across this city,” said de Blasio in a statement. “With the rising prevalence of coastal storms in the era of climate change, the passage of the East Side Coastal Resiliency project takes a critical step forward in protecting 110,000 New Yorkers from dangers this city knows all too well. I thank Council Members Chin, Powers, and Rivera for their leadership as we make New York City a more resilient city for all.”

Weeks ago, Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer and Council Member Carlina Rivera announced the publication of the final report by independent consultant Deltares, hired for the review of the East Side Coastal Resiliency Project (ESCR).

In her Uniform Land Use Review Process (ULURP) recommendation, Brewer had requested an independent environmental expert to review the ESCR Project and prepare comments regarding the City’s Preferred Alternative 4 proposal and the other three alternative designs. The independent review by Deltares was led by Dr. Hans Gehrels.

Among the findings in the report, which studied resiliency in the Alternative 3 and Alternative 4 designs, were:

– The need for improving transparency and stakeholder engagement

– Ongoing monitoring for air quality impacts to be made available publicly

– Release of City documents that provide evidence for the analysis underlying the Final Environmental Impact Statement

– Further investigation of Interim Flood Protection Measures (IFPM) during the construction period

– Phased construction for continued use of portions of the park with additional open space mitigation

– Additional clean fill for future flood protection against sea level rise

“We heard the requests of the community for an independent review loud and clear, and we listened,” said Brewer at the time. “Deltares brought their vast experience and expertise to the analysis of this project, and I implore the de Blasio administration to take these suggestions into account before any construction begins.”

“We knew we had to bring in our own climate change and resiliency experts to ensure that ESCR, which will set the tone for all future coastal resiliency projects, is done right,” said Rivera. “I look forward to carefully reviewing this report and the recommendations from Deltares and hope the de Blasio administration will do the same as they work to address our other outstanding demands.”

The mayor’s office said it expects the project to protect as many as 100,000 New Yorkers once it is completed in 2025.

By: Pat Savage

Did Mayor Bill de Blasio and his administration bypass required reviews in cherry picking the location of a new homeless shelter in Queens?

Some local residents say he did, and filed a lawsuit last Tuesday.

Those who want no part of a 200-bed men’s shelter inside a one-time warehouse located at 78-16 Cooper Avenue in Glendale are claiming in a suit filed in Manhattan Supreme Court that city fathers turned a blind eye to legal requirements, and as a result failed to conduct the proper reviews before giving the thumbs up to the plan, according to the.

“The failure to undertake the required reviews … has resulted in the ill-advised decision to place a homeless shelter at this location even though it is near schools,” according to court documents excerpted in a New York Post article.

“The plaintiffs claim that without an environmental review of the project, impacts, like a strain on police and fire protection, weren’t considered before the shelter location was picked,” wrote Priscilla DeGregory and Tamar Lapin of the Post. “And instead of doing their due diligence to find a location for the shelter, the city handed off the duties to not-for-profits, the suit claims.”

“Then, without undertaking any site specific reviews required by law, the Respondents-defendants ‘approve’ locations… and only then begin the reviews,” the filing, which mistakenly refers to mayor “DiBlasio,” states,” the piece continued. “The process is a “flippant way of doing things with a lot of arrogance, and ignoring what the legal responsibility is,” said the plaintiffs’ attorney Christopher Murray. “You would think the city would look for locations and try to understand the impact of how the neighbors might feel and instead they’ve delegated.”

It was several months ago that Councilman Robert Holden said he had been assured by Steven Banks, commissioner for the city’s Human Resources Administration and Department of Social Services, that there is no current city contract associated with the property.

“I’m working with the city on an alternative — smaller shelters run by faith-based organizations in Community Board 5,” Holden told amny.com. “We have churches here with the space willing to work with families and smaller groups.”

Early this month, several hundred protesters, “equipped with signs that depicted the mayor as an evil emperor and “shelter industrialist,” filled both sides of Cooper Avenue at the underpass between 74th and 79th Streets… to the near-constant sound of cars honking their horns,” according to qns.com. “The rally’s ringleaders, Councilman Robert Holden and GMVC advocate Mike Papa, began by continuing to push for a special needs school at the site rather than the proposed shelter for 200 homeless men. But as the event wore on, the two speakers, along with conservative gadfly Curtis Sliwa, escalated their criticism of the mayor’s handling of the project into a government conspiracy.”

By: Elyse Moomaney

Aleksandr Pikus has been found guilty of money laundering, conspiring to steal from the federal government and conspiring to receive healthcare kickback payments.

Prosecutors called Pikus the architect of a vast fraud that took roughly $38 million from Medicare and Medicaid via faked insurance claims.

Specifically, Pikus was convicted of conspiracy to commit money laundering, money laundering, conspiracy to receive and pay health care kickbacks and conspiracy to defraud the United States by obstructing the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), according to a statement from the US Attorney’s office for the Eastern District of New York. The verdict followed a two-week trial before United States District Judge Ann M. Donnelly. When sentenced, Pikus faces a maximum sentence of up to 70 years’ imprisonment.

“Pikus’s health care schemes were a toxic brew of kickbacks and money laundering that streamed millions of dollars into the pockets of the defendant and his co-conspirators at the expense of the Medicare and Medicaid programs,” stated United States Attorney Richard P. Donoghue. “Today’s verdict demonstrates the resolve of this Office and our law enforcement partners to protect taxpayer-funded health care programs upon which our citizens rely.”

“Aleksandr Pikus was the architect of a massive healthcare kickback and money laundering scheme in which he and his co-conspirators stole tens of millions of dollars from the Medicare and Medicaid programs,” noted Assistant Attorney General Benczkowski in the statement. “The jury’s verdict reflects the tireless work of our dedicated prosecutors and law enforcement partners to achieve justice and protect these essential healthcare programs on behalf of American taxpayers.”

“Mr. Pikus brazenly participated in a greed-fueled scheme that stole millions from Medicare and Medicaid,” added HHS-OIG Special Agent-in-Charge Lampert. “Along with our law enforcement partners, HHS-OIG will continue to protect the public and the taxpayer funded health care programs that serve those who need them.”

As proven at trial, Pikus and his co-conspirators operated a series of medical clinics for nearly a decade that employed doctors, physical and occupational therapists and other medical professionals who were enrolled in the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Pikus and his co-conspirators referred individuals to these health care providers who, in turn, submitted nearly $100 million in claims to the Medicare and Medicaid programs. In return for his referrals, Pikus received illegal kickbacks from the medical providers in the form of checks payable to shell companies that he and his co-conspirators controlled. Pikus then laundered a substantial portion of the illegal proceeds of the scheme through check-cashing businesses and failed to report that cash income to the IRS. Pikus used the cash to enrich himself and to pay patient recruiters, including ambulette drivers, who paid beneficiaries to receive treatment at the defendant’s medical clinics.

Pikus is the fifth defendant convicted in this indictment, said the statement. In December 2016, Malvina Yablonskaya pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy and conspiracy to defraud the IRS. In November 2017, Maksim Vernik pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy. In December 2017, Denis Satyr pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy and conspiracy to defraud the IRS. In September 2019, Mark Tsyvin pleaded guilty to conspiracy to receive and pay health care kickbacks and conspiracy to defraud the IRS. The defendants are awaiting sentencing.

By: David Jamison

Those who claim New York State’s Attorney General Letitia James has it in for the city’s Jewish community got more ammunition this week, as she announced she has filed suit against the landmark B&H Photo Video Electronics Store in Manhattan.

The allegation: that the store withheld approximately $7.3 million in tax revenue from New York State over 13 years.

Officially, the suit is for violations of New York’s Tax Law, the New York False Claims Act, and New York’s Executive Law. The suit claims that B&H — the nation’s largest non-chain photo and video equipment retailer — knowingly failed to pay sales tax due on tens of millions of dollars it received from electronics manufacturers to reimburse the company for “instant rebate” manufacturer discounts B&H passed along to its customers.

“B&H proudly claims that it puts principles over profits, but for 13 years, the company actually chose profits over principles by defrauding New York taxpayers out of millions of dollars owed to the state,” said James in a release put out by her office. “B&H deliberately chose not to pay the sales tax it knew was due to New York State in order to gain a competitive edge over companies that chose to follow the rules. No company is above the law, which is why my office filed this lawsuit, and will do so against any company that tries to skirt its responsibilities by illegally trying to tilt the playing field.”

The legal action, filed in New York State Supreme Court, concerns B&H’s failure to pay taxes on “instant rebates,” which are point-of-sale discounts the company offers its customers, for which it receives reimbursement from manufacturers, James’ office said. While these arrangements are subject to New York State sales tax, B&H never paid that tax, despite its repeated and explicit acknowledgements — internally, to outside vendors, and externally, to a competitor — that under New York tax law, it owed sales tax on these reimbursements. The lawsuit alleges B&H violated the state’s Tax Law and the New York False Claims Act. Attorney General James is seeking treble damages, penalties, and interest to redress these violations.

A spokesman for B&H Photo, Jeff Gerstel, said the state’s lawsuit was without merit in a statement. “B&H is not a big box store or a faceless chain; we are a New York institution, having operated here for nearly 50 years with a stellar reputation. The tax department has done countless audits and never once – not a single time – mentioned this widespread industry practice. B&H has done nothing wrong and it is outrageous that the AG has decided to attack a New York company that employs thousands of New Yorkers while leaving the national online and retail behemoths unchallenged.”

The Attorney General’s investigation and subsequent lawsuit arose from a qui tam lawsuit filed under seal by a whistleblower. The New York False Claims Act permits whistleblowers who know of information concerning false or fraudulent conduct that victimizes the state through the failure to pay taxes to bring an action on behalf of the government.

The case is being handled by Assistant Attorney General Laura Jereski of the Taxpayer Protection Bureau, with the support of senior legal support analyst Bianca LaVeglia, the release continued. The Taxpayer Protection Bureau is led by Bureau Chief Thomas Teige Carroll and Deputy Bureau Chief Scott Spiegelman, and is a unit of the Economic Justice Division, supervised by Chief Deputy Attorney General Christopher D’Angelo and First Deputy Attorney General Jennifer Levy.

By: Helmut Schmeitzer

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani knew he was placing a target on his back when he agreed to work as President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer.

That target is getting bigger.

The former prosecutor is reportedly being investigated for potential campaign finance violations and a failure to register as a foreign agent as part of an active investigation into his financial dealings.

“The probe of Giuliani, which one official said could also include possible charges on violating laws against bribing foreign officials or conspiracy, presents a serious threat to Trump’s presidency from a man that former national security adviser John Bolton has called a “hand grenade,” reported Crain’s New York Business.

Opponents of the president in New York City are said to be looking into whether or not Giuliani “stood to profit personally from a Ukrainian natural-gas business pushed by two associates who also aided his efforts there to launch investigations that could benefit President Trump, people familiar with the matter said,” according to the Wall Street Journal.

Giuliani associates Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman “pitched their new company, and plans for a Poland-to-Ukraine pipeline carrying U.S. natural gas, in meetings with Ukrainian officials and energy executives this year, saying the project had the support of the Trump administration, according to people briefed on the meetings,” the Journal added. “In many of the same meetings, the two men also pushed for assistance on investigations into Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and alleged interference by Ukraine in the 2016 U.S. election, some of the people said.”

Thehill.com has reported that an associate of Giuliani’s allegedly told others that he was on a “secret mission” for the president. “After meeting with Trump at the White House in December, Lev Parnas reportedly insinuated to associates that the president had given him a special assignment, like some sort of “James Bond mission,” one of his confidants told CNN.”

For his own part, the former mayor seems relatively unconcerned about the brouhaha. In an interview with The Guardian, he said he is “confident the president will remain loyal to him as an impeachment inquiry unfolds in which the former New York mayor has become a central figure. In a telephone interview with the Guardian, in response to a question about whether he was nervous that Trump might “throw him under a bus” in the impeachment crisis, Giuliani said, with a slight laugh: “I’m not, but I do have very, very good insurance, so if he does, all my hospital bills will be paid.” Giuliani’s lawyer, Robert Costello, who was also on the call, then interjected: “He’s joking.”

By: Leonid Karikov

How much does Michael Bloomberg want to be President of the United States?

Oh, about $100 million worth. And counting.

Reports are saying that former NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who thus far says he is unsure whether or not he wants to join the Democratic field — yes, he used to be a Republican — is spending that much money to attack President Trump. (Despite his “uncertainty,” his people have already submitted the forms necessary to appear on presidential primary ballots in at least two states.

The ads are targeting the battleground states of Arizona, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. One features a photo of the presidential tweet and the words, “A TWEET SHOULDN’T THREATEN OUR COUNTRY’S SECURITY.”

“We’re very clear: A case that we make for Mike is that he is the best candidate to take on Trump, and one of the reasons he is the best candidate is he can take the fight to him immediately and robustly,” said Howard Wolfson, a Bloomberg political adviser, in a statement first provided to the New York Times.

“The ads come as Bloomberg has taken concrete steps toward running for the White House,” reported Fox News. “He filed to place his name on the ballot in Arkansas on Tuesday, hours ahead of that state’s presidential primary filing deadline. A week ago, Bloomberg’s name was placed on the primary ballot in Alabama an hour ahead of that state’s filing deadline.”

A Bloomberg aide told Fox News that “Mike isn’t waiting to take on the president, he’s starting now. This is all hands on deck.”

The money will certainly end up being wasted, as no one gives Bloomberg much of a shot of becoming president. National Review magazine reminded its readers why with this: “Bloomberg is the former pot-smoker who cracked down on marijuana users as mayor, the notoriously unhealthy eater who tried to ban large sodas, and the guy who travels with armed guards who is vehemently opposed to private gun ownership. His proposal to prevent African-American victims of gun violence was declaring police should seize guns from male minorities between ages 15 and 25, telling an audience that police should “throw them up against the wall and frisk them . . . We put all the cops in the minority neighborhoods. Yes, that’s true. Why do you do it? Because that’s where all the crime is.” He is here to turn your rights into privileges, America. If Michael Bloomberg didn’t exist, conservatives and libertarians would have to invent him as their ultimate villain.”

By Benyamin Davidson

A new study has found that evictions in New York City are down. The research, conducted by New York University’s Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy, reveals that the number of eviction proceedings initiated and completed dropped significantly between 2010 and 2017, predominantly in cases where building owners claimed nonpayment of rent. Utilizing state Office of Court Administration records, the study also found that the average amount of rent landlords sought to recover remained constant at two-and-a-half to three months of rent, throughout the years and across the boroughs.

As reported by Crain’s NY, the improvement evident in the study, can by no means be credited to the stricter laws passed this year impeding landlords from rescinding the city’s rent-regulated housing, as the cutoff for the study was well before the law was passed. The credit cannot even rightfully all be attributed to Mayor Bill de Blasio, and his liberal ‘for the people’ policies, such as the 2017 law he enacted to guarantee legal assistance in all housing court cases. The study finds, progress was made even before 2014, when de Blasio came into office.

The research shows that evictions had already began their descent under Mayor Michael Bloomberg, showing improvements in 2012 and more dramatically in 2014. By 2016, a year before de Blasio introduced his “right-to-counsel” initiative for tenants, evictions were already down by 14.4 percent.

There were exceptions to the upbeat news— primarily in the Bronx. Despite housing less than 17 percent of the NYC population, the Bronx borough raked up 39 percent of the overall evictions in 2017. Also, disappointing was that “holdover cases”, or evictions filed for reasons other than nonpayment of rent, such as violation of the terms, actually increased overall during the course of the study. Still the holdovers never accounted for more than 16% of all eviction filings. Further, even as the number of filings and warrants fell, the number of judgments made against renters increased from 2010 levels. These landlord victories were down at 101,953 in 2010, but peaked in 2014 to 112,120, again dropping partially to 102,764 in 2017.

The research admittedly did not account for cases involving co-operative buildings, condominiums or in New York City Housing Authority developments. Also, people who left their apartments voluntarily or under some form of non-legal pressure were not counted in the study. “While this dataset does not capture displacement that occurs outside of the court, eviction filings serve as an important measure of renter instability,” the study says.

By: Uri Barzel

A group of 20 groups representing rider, watchdog and industry groups sent a November 15 letter to the MTA Board urging it to promptly appoint the Traffic Mobility Review Board (TMRB) and ensure that body follows the state Open Meetings Law (OML), according to the Citizens Budget Commission (CBC).

The law establishing the TMRB requires that it make its recommendations on congestion pricing (by law Central Business District or “CBD” tolling) no earlier than one year from today, with the MTA Board ultimately setting the tolling charges,” noted CBC, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization pursuing constructive change in the finances and services of New York City and State, in a release. The TMRB is also charged with “reviewing” the MTA 2020-2024 Capital Program.

Groups signing the letter include Reinvent Albany, Regional Plan Association, Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA (PCAC), Citizens Budget Commission, Riders Alliance, TransitCenter, and others. (See the letter for the full listing.)

“Congestion pricing is expected to yield $15B after bonding to support the MTA’s 2020-2024 Capital Plan; those funds will be placed in a “lockbox” for that purpose only. Drivers will be charged a yet-to-be-determined amount to enter the congestion zone south of 60th Street,” the release noted. “Given the keen public interest, it is particularly important that the TMRB’s critical deliberations −which will affect millions of transit riders and drivers − be held in the open. Therefore, the groups asked that the MTA Board ensure the TMRB follows the Open Meetings Law, which requires that voting and deliberation by a public body be carried out only at a public meeting. The groups noted in the letter that the public interest is best served when the public can understand the reasoning behind government decision-making.”

The letter also pointed out that the Committee on Open Government (COOG) “issued a December 2018 advisory opinion saying an advisory body similar to the TMRB, the MTA Sustainability Advisory Working Group, was subject to the Open Meetings Law after concerns that it was not meeting in public. That opinion is attached for your reference. The Open Meetings Law requires that voting and deliberation by a public body be carried out only at a meeting during which a quorum has physically convened, or during a meeting which is held by videoconference. (The public is required to be able to attend in either case, with advance notice of the time and place of the meeting.)… In sum, we urge you to immediately appoint the TMRB, and ensure that the body follows the Open Meetings Law. The public interest is best served when the public can understand the reasoning behind government decision-making.”

By: Hadassa Kalatizadeh

Research has long ago shown that people who take vacations have lower stress levels, less risk of heart disease, and more motivation to excel at work. In a recent move, upper officials at the NYPD have similarly decided to prioritize vacation time for police officers.

As reported by the NY Post, on Thursday officers were notified via email of the vacation policy revamp, which will eliminate blackout periods, including the summer months and holidays, giving officers the freedom to take off during popular travel times — traditionally a no-no for NY’s finest. “In order to address the mental health and morale, The Police Commissioner’s Office and the Deputy Commissioner of Labor Relations have decided it is best for MOS [members of service] to spend time with their families and be able to take off,” reads an email sent out to the force.

“So basically you’re getting to pick vacation whenever you like, if the pick is available,” a police source said.

Of course, a certain number of police officers must still be on the job at all times, but the precincts have been instructed to be more flexible and accommodating, and even to contact headquarters if they need help scheduling.

The change comes as the NYPD has seen a tragic rise in suicides. This year the NYPD has unfortunately experienced ten heartbreaking suicides of police officers, as per law enforcement sources. The force is also upping efforts trying to destigmatize mental health issues on the force. “The message we want to send is the people in crisis or approaching crisis, people who challenge, people who need help need to come forward,” Police Commissioner James O’Neill said.

The policy change has been long overdue, as per a recent complaint from twelve-year veteran NYPD Officer Jonathan Oliveras. Last month, he told the Post that in August he was publicly stripped of his gun and reassigned the day after revealing to the force that he was on antidepressants and had been through a rough patch. “When they took my gun, the way they did it, they called the desk and they told them they coming in to take my firearm so they need someone to go to my locker … the whole command knew,” the officer recalled. This occurred in the same month as two separate NYPD officers committed suicide, one in Queens and one in Yonkers. “We shouldn’t be promoting a culture where you can self-medicate and get away with that instead of coming forward for mental health treatment,” said Oliveras.

O’Neill called Oliveras’ story an “unfortunate experience”, adding “That’s not what we’re looking for”.

By Andy B. Mayfair

Filmmakers are loving New York City, and are filming here more than they have in a while.

Crain’s New York Business is reporting that the Big Apple has begun standing in for other cities. “The Americans faked Cold War Washington, D.C., was filmed in parts of Brooklyn. Madam Secretary passed off the Ritz Carlton as the White House. And in a true reversal, the CBS show Tommy, which centers around Edie Falco as a Los Angeles police chief, was shot at Kaufman Studios and several Staten Island locations. It premieres in February. The shows provide the latest evidence that generous tax credits and an unending appetite for new content have pushed the city’s entertainment economy to new heights.”

The traditional wisdom had been that taxes were too high in New York, and so producers looked elsewhere for locations.

“That changed in 2003, when the state adopted a tax incentive to help spur growth,” Crain’s noted. “Since then the film tax credit has supported about 43,000 jobs each year and $7.6 billion statewide in spending, according to a report that economic development firm Camoin Associates prepared on behalf of the state.”

But under Michael Bloomberg’s leadership, New York began working harder to attract film shoots, offering everything from no-cost police protection to low-cost and, for a while, even free permits.

Today, the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME) comprises four divisions: the Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting coordinates film and television production throughout the five boroughs. In addition, NYC Media is the largest municipal television and radio broadcasting entity in the country, with a reach of 18 million viewers within a 50-mile radius. The city has also developed workforce and educational initiatives in film, television, theater, music, publishing, advertising and digital content to support the development of its creative industries, which account for over 305,000 jobs, and an economic output of $104 billion.

Other city initiatives include:

* Made in NY Marketing Credit: This program offers qualified film and television productions with free co-branded advertising opportunities in the #1 media market in the country. “Made in NY” productions are projects where at least 75% of the film was produced in New York City.

* NYC Women’s Fund for Media, Music and Theatre. The groundbreaking $5 million program provides funds to complete projects by, for, or about all who identify as women. The New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) is administering the fund.

By: Tirtza Maklewsky

The US Department of Education has said in a letter to Adela Cojab’s lawyers that it intends to investigate “whether, as a result of incidents that occurred at the university, a hostile environment existed for Jewish students on the university campus and, if so, whether the University responded appropriately.”

It was last spring that Cojab, a 22-year-old senior at NYU, submitted a complaint about alleged anti-Semitism on campus. “Her complaint mainly centered around a group called Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), an on-campus pro-Palestinian group,” reported VINnews.com. “According to the complaint, Adela alleges that SJP has created a “hostile atmosphere” for Jewish students, and that NYU has allowed “extreme anti-Semitism” to thrive.”

At first, NYU administrators hoped the situation would simply go away. “It was breaking my heart and I immediately went to the administration from the very time SJP put Zionism in the same equivalent as Nazism,” Adela told Fox News at the time. “I told the administration that SJP was creating an unsafe environment where students felt they were being threatened and targeted. The administration essentially told me that they were supportive of the Jewish community, but no concrete actions would be taken against SJP.”

Adela served as president of an Israel advocacy group at NYU, noted Vos Ia Neias, “as well as a representative for Jewish students in student government. She graduated in May, but filed the complaint with the Department of Education one month before graduating.” “The reason why I filed this complaint is so that no student has to go through what I went through,” Adela said.

The student says she is hopeful that something good can come of her efforts. “I hope this causes not only positive change for NYU but is an example to other universities. Students deserve to be safe on their campus, and they shouldn’t be walking around in fear that their identity and expression of identity will be grounds for physical violence or harassment and discrimination,” Cojab told Newsweek in an interview.

“The breaking point for Cojab was when the university honored SJP with the President’s Service Award, which is given to students or student organizations that have an “extraordinary and positive impact” on NYU’s community,” Newsweek reported. “It was entirely unfair, and it’s something they should answer for,” Cojab said. “It reinforces negative behavior. This award goes to groups that every group should strive to be.”

By: Howard M. Riell

A variety of organizations have voiced unified opposition to the City Council’s proposed commercial rent control legislation, which was previously outlined in the Jewish Voice.

The proposal fails to address the increasing burdens facing small businesses “and will force successful ones to flee the city. NYC’s Department of City Planning and the City Comptroller both recently reported that the issue of retail vacancies is not a citywide problem. In fact, data shows that retail vacancy rates are driven by rising property taxes, longer wait times for government approvals, e-commerce and various other factors,” said James Whelan, President, The Real Estate Board of New York.

“The small businesses we speak to cite many factors that negatively impact their current condition, starting with overburdening government regulations and the added costs of implementing a significantly higher minimum wage and paid sick time”, said Randy Peers, President & CEO, Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce. “Rent increases come up, but it really depends on the type of business affected, and is more pronounced in some commercial districts than others. It seems to me we should be looking at a comprehensive set of reforms in a true effort to save our neighborhood small businesses, rather than pit one industry against another.”

While “well meaning,” the legislation being introduced in the City Council that would implement commercial rent stabilization across New York City would have “unintended consequences that would hurt small businesses throughout the five boroughs. Though designed to benefit mom and pop shops, this legislation actually favors large chain stores over small businesses. It makes it incredibly difficult for successful small businesses to move into larger spaces, hindering their growth. We encourage the City Council to scrap this misguided legislation, and look forward to working with lawmakers to come up with a proposal that helps New York City’s small businesses grow and thrive,” said Thomas J. Grech, President & Chief Executive Officer, Queens Chamber of Commerce.

Jessica Lappin, President of the Alliance for Downtown New York said, “Small locally owned businesses are the backbone of New York City and what make it different from other places around the globe. They employ New Yorkers and give our neighborhoods character. Their importance is hard to overstate. And today, they face a myriad of challenges. The pressure of e-commerce alone is enormous. But beyond that, while rent is a factor, what we hear most from struggling business owners are complaints about bureaucracy and unresponsive city agencies, crippling property tax assessment increases, over regulation, scaffolding that obscures storefronts, traffic, and aggressive enforcement.”

By Hadassa Kalatizadeh

On Friday, the Yankees, Major League Baseball, and Nike announced a new merchandise agreement allowing several Yankees retail stores in the Bronx to stay in business. NY’s MLB team signed a new contract with Nike permitting several mom-and-pop stores near the ball park to continue selling the franchise’s branded merchandise, as per Crain’s NY.

In the old agreement, the Bombers had announced an exclusive deal with Nike for the sale of their official merch. As per News 12, that deal would have gone into effect on January 1st, prohibiting the sale of Yankees-themed apparel by anyone not in the “premium distribution points”. This would have put eight stores on River Avenue out of business, some of which have been in business for three generations. The stores in jeopardy included: Ballpark Sports, D & J Variety, Home Plate, Pinstripe Collectibles, Sammy’s, S & A Sports, Stadium Souvenirs and Stan’s Sports World.

The exclusivity would have left approximately 100 employees out of work. Local leaders and politicians applied public pressure to reverse the deal, and the Yankees went to bat for the store owners to land a new deal. “We are happy to announce today that Nike will restore these businesses within the new contract agreement, as premium distributors,” said Councilwoman Vanessa Gibson, who represents the neighborhood. “Nike demonstrated that they were receptive to our concerns and began negotiations with MLB to restore these businesses to their licensed business development strategy.”

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. and Councilwoman Diana Ayala also praised the revised deal. “I am pleased to learn that the New York Yankees, Nike and Major League Baseball were receptive to public pressure to do the right thing, and have heeded the concerns of our business community in the area surrounding Yankee Stadium”, said Diaz. “As one of the richest sports franchises in the world, it was incumbent on the Yankees to do what was right and protect this small business community that almost exclusively caters to their fan base,” Diaz continued.

“We are pleased that Nike and Major League Baseball expeditiously moved to address this issue,” the Yankees said in a statement. “Constructive dialogue that was initiated by our local council members and partners in the business improvement district led us to urge Nike and Major League Baseball to work together on a solution that recognized the needs of those who live in the neighborhood surrounding Yankee Stadium. We are heartened by the swift resolution that will allow local business owners to continue to sell a wide variety of Yankees merchandise.” Adding, “The South Bronx is our home, and we take pride in being a productive member of our community.”