Liu caves to Cohen's Casino fake park lobby

 

 QNS

A coalition of community groups in Elmhurst, Flushing, Jackson Heights and Corona has criticized State Sen. John Liu for announcing his plans to introduce a parkland alienation bill in the State Senate that brings the $8 billion Metropolitan Park casino project closer to reality.

Liu announced Sunday that he will introduce Senate legislation to reclassify the 50 acres of asphalt parking lot adjacent to Citi Field from public parkland to commercial property—a necessary step for the Metropolitan Park project.

Liu outlined his intention to introduce the parkland alienation legislation after securing commitments from Mets owner Steve Cohen and Hard Rock International for Flushing Skypark, a pedestrian and cycling bridge that would span Flushing Creek and connect Downtown Flushing and Willets Point.

However, several community groups have criticized Liu for facilitating the Metropolitan Park development, describing the move as a “betrayal” of the local community.

The “FED-UP” coalition, which held a protest against the Metropolitan Park project two days before Liu’s announcement, opposes the development for several reasons. The coalition cites the need for “public parks, community spaces, and low-income housing.” The coalition also contends that the development will raise prices in the neighborhood, forcing long-term residents out of their homes.

The group accused Liu of aligning with lobby groups rather than representing his own constituents.

“Liu is aligning himself with Cohen’s 14 lobbying firms rather than with his constituents. Liu has invited in a billionaire to prey on his own constituents while displacing working people in Flushing and across Queens,” the group said in a release Monday.

The FED-UP coalition features various groups from Elmhurst, Jackson Heights, Corona, and Flushing, including Guardians of Flushing Bay, the Western Queens Community Land Trust, Queens Neighbors United, and Jackson Heights Indivisible.

Guardians of Flushing Bay, for example, is calling on all local residents to lobby their state representatives not to support parkland alienation bills that would facilitate the project. 

 

Meanwhile, the coalition has also criticized Liu for introducing the senate legislation despite State Sen. Jessica Ramos, who represents the district covering the 50-acre parking lot, refusing to do so.

Ramos has regularly refused to introduce a parkland alienation bill in the State Senate and outlined her intention to vote against Liu’s legislation.

“My position has not changed. I cannot support a casino in Corona and am a definitive no on any alienation bill that goes against my neighbors’ wishes,” Ramos said in a statement Monday.

Representatives for Liu said the decision to introduce a parkland alienation bill was based on feedback provided by the local community. They stated that far more local residents supported the project than opposed it. Representatives further noted that all relevant community boards passed supporting resolutions of the project during the ULURP process.

 

Caption these congestion pricing tax fauxgressives

 

Noisy hookah nite club gets liquor license revoked

QNS 

Two northeast Queens lawmakers joined several Auburndale residents outside of Kloud Tequila Grill on Saturday, Nov. 20, to announce that the New York State Liquor Authority (SLA) has temporarily suspended the establishment’s liquor license, prohibiting the sale and consumption of alcohol on the premises. 

While community members feel the license suspension is an important step in the right direction, Senator John Liu and Assemblyman Edward Braunstein are calling on the SLA to permanently revoke Kloud Tequila Grill’s license in order to protect the welfare of the community. 

While community members feel the license suspension is an important step in the right direction, Senator John Liu and Assemblyman Edward Braunstein are calling on the SLA to permanently revoke Kloud Tequila Grill’s license in order to protect the welfare of the community. 

The issues involving Kloud Tequila Grill, also known as Silk Hookah Lounge LLC at 192-08 Northern Blvd., extend well beyond unneighborly behavior, Braunstein said. 

“For months, the local community has been raising concerns that the ownership and patrons of this establishment were engaged in activity that severely compromised public health and safety,” Braunstein said. “While the SLA’s ruling to suspend Kloud’s liquor license is a good first start, more needs to be done. I continue to urge the SLA to do the right thing by the Auburndale community and permanently revoke Kloud’s license. Enough is enough.”

Residents and small business owners have reported a host of disturbing issues, including the sale of alcohol to intoxicated patrons, public urination, drag racing, public sex acts, loud music and littering.

 

Senator Liu warns City Hall to be prepared for the Delta school year

 

NY Post 

 The chairman of the state Senate’s New York City education committee warned Wednesday of a troubled start to the school year — and didn’t rule out a delay if ongoing issues aren’t solved in the coming weeks.

State Sen. John Liu told The Post that a lack of clear guidelines from City Hall is fueling uncertainty among parents and staffers.

“All the ingredients are there for another chaotic reopening — and possibly a delayed reopening — based on this administration’s track record,” he said. “There are still so many unanswered questions that don’t make me totally confident.”

Liu cited a raft of concerns ahead of the new term — including confusion over social distancing rules, the lack of a concrete plan for COVID-19-infected students, and stalled vaccination rates among school staffers.

“The mayor is trying to project certainty,” he said. “But unfortunately, people are not confident in the certainty he is trying to project. I hope there’s not going to be any delay. But everyone remembers what happened last year.”

John Liu forgot what 9/11 was like

Seeing the Twin Towers crumble is no longer the most frightening moment of my life.

— John C. Liu (@LiuNewYork) January 6, 2021

Update:

NY Post 

A New York lawmaker from Queens is getting big blowback for tweeting that since Wednesday’s Capitol riots, the 9/11 attack is no longer his most frightening memory.

“Seeing the Twin Towers crumble is no longer the most frightening moment of my life,” tweeted state Sen. John Liu (D-Queens).

The tweet, which Liu sent at 4:26 p.m. Wednesday afternoon, as the Washington, D.C., riot unfolded, is still being blasted as tone-deaf days later.

 Liu told The Post on Saturday that he was just swept up by the emotion of the moment when he hit send on Wednesday’s tweet.

“My tweet was an emotional response that failed to provide a fuller context and was not meant in any disrespect, especially to those who died on 9/11 and their families,” Liu said, adding, “9/11 is by far the most horrific and outrageous thing I’ve witnessed.”

Still, the Capitol attack “evoked emotions of outrage, horror and fear that I haven’t felt since Sept. 11.,” 

“What happened on that day 20 years ago was by far the most horrific thing I saw in my life and can’t be compared, but watching on TV the American people’s house be attacked — not by terrorists but by other Americans — was frightening,” he added.

Liu was a candidate in the primary elections which were canceled by the 9/11 attacks. He went on to win, becoming the first Asian American elected to the City Council. He was elected to the state Senate in 2018.

“On Sept. 11, 2001, after they canceled the primary election that morning, I returned home in time to watch the towers fall, and I remember feeling the horror and the outrage and the fear, which I, nor any of us, will ever forget,” he said.  

 Maybe you should have wrote your belated (and lame) excuse on a thread following your initial faux pas, dummy.You just wanted to see how many likes you were gonna get.

 

 

Idling construction vehicles in the middle of the night in Flushing

Mr. Patel,

Senator Liu's Facebook staff told me to reach out to you regarding idling construction vehicles at 36-23 172 St. Friday, August 9 it began at 5:00 AM and went on for the rest of the day. Today, Monday, August 12 it began at 2:00 AM and has continued since.

At 2:00 this morning 2 dump trucks parked on 172 Street between 39 Ave and Crocheron Ave and idled on and off until 7:00 AM when construction began at the above address. At one point one of the trucks idled for over 60 minutes. 

Attached are video and the license plate of the vehicle that was idling for 60 minutes.

Reports have been filed with 311 for idling vehicle noise and odor from idling vehicle, but these reports do no good when an inspector comes and the problem isn't occurring at that time.

 

 Mr. Patel,

I happened to run into the inspector from the DEP yesterday, and he assisted me with filing idling complaints for these vehicles. 

A Citizens Complaint has been filed for the incident on the morning of 8/12/19, report 2019-4534. As this happened again this morning, reports 2019-4540 and 2019-4534 have also been filed. While the above reports take care of the idling violation, these trucks also block private driveways and park in fire hydrants in addition to being noisy in the middle of the night.

 Mr. Patel,

Unsurprisingly, you never followed up on this complaint. Trucks continue to arrive to this site at all hours of the night: 12:30 AM, 2:00 AM, 4:00 AM. And now I find myself absolutely unable to enjoy my weekend because someone approved a Saturday work permit (permit 421679142). Trucks have been racing up and down 172 Street since 5:30 this morning, beeping, honking horns constantly, grinding their gears. Calls to 311 do nothing because they come days after the problem is gone, only for it to return again during the night.

This is not Manhattan. This is a quiet, residential street in Flushing; there is absolutely no need for approval of a Saturday work permit. None. Stop destroying neighborhoods and communities and do something about this.

Patel is State Senator John Liu's deputy chief of staff.

Sentaor Liu inquires city about ostentatious accounting costs for College Point homeless shelter as residents protest its imminent opening

 


 Queens Chronicle


 
State Sen. John Liu (D-Bayside) isn’t bad with numbers. He majored in mathematical physics, worked for 15 years as an actuary at PricewaterhouseCoopers before entering politics and commanded a small army of accountants as city comptroller.

So when the de Blasio administration testified that its budget for the Department of Homeless Services is $2.1 billion and $1.25 billion of that was spent specifically on housing the undomiciled, Liu did some simple math.

The city’s shelter population fluctuates around 61,000. Which, given the $1.25 billion figure, he calculated is about $20,500 for each of the homeless individuals in the city’s beds.

The senator, joined by City Councilman Paul Vallone (D-Bayside) and Assemblyman Daniel Rosenthal (D-Flushing), spoke to the press last Thursday outside 127-03 20 Ave. in College Point, where the city plans in September to open up a shelter for 200 single men run by Yonkers-based nonprofit Westhab.

A de Blasio administration official had told neighborhood residents at a contentious December town hall meeting that the city’s contract to operate the planned 20th Avenue shelter is roughly $9 million per year to house the 200 men.

“Well, that equates to $45,000 per bed,” said Liu, adding that the cost far exceeds the $20,000 average. “In fact, it’s more than double what the city is paying.”

De Blasio has said his fiscal year 2020 preliminary budget was designed to cut costs, the freshman senator pointed out.

When the 20th Avenue shelter plan was announced last year, hundreds of residents told the city to back off from it at protests. Liu, Rosenthal and Vallone have also been vocal in their opposition, telling the de Blasio administration that the site is extremely inappropriate for a shelter.

And given the city’s estimated cost for the contract, the three lawmakers want answers.







\Queens Chronicle

 
More than 100 people rallied last Saturday in a biting wind on the hilltop at 127-03 20 Ave. in College Point, where the city plans to house 200 homeless men.

The subject of a months-long protest campaign by area residents, the proposal is for a former factory building close to multiple schools. North of 4,200 signatures as of Wednesday had been gathered for a Change.org petition seeking to stop the shelter, which is set to start operating in September.

“Here’s the thing about College Point. It gets dumped on all the time,” said Jennifer Shannon, a neighborhood resident.

Shannon, who was credited by rally attendees for launching community opposition to the shelter, maintains that the shelter is just the latest in a long line of public facilities to be located in what residents see as a family neighborhood. For example, the NYPD Academy, a city Department of Sanitation waste transfer station and a state Department of Motor Vehicles are all sited in College Point.

She is a member of the College Point Civic and Taxpayers Association and A Better College Point, two groups with other members at the rally. Shannon has also raised money for a potential lawsuit that would seek to stop the shelter plan.

Danger and inappropriate siting for the shelter residents are the two themes that were repeatedly reflected in the signs held up at the rally and mentioned by speakers.

“No one asked us,” one placard said. Others read, “Protect Our Families Before They Get Hurt,” “De Blasio doesn’t care about our children’s safety” and “With 3,000 school children in a mile? No way! Not here!”

Cozy relationships may have brought shelter to College Point

From the Times Ledger:

City Councilman Paul Vallone (D-Bayside) confirmed Thursday that a controversial men’s shelter will open in College Point next year.

The Department of Homeless Services (DHS) spoke to Vallone Nov. 14 and notified him that they would be moving forward with the proposed shelter at 127-03 20th Ave.

According to the Vallone, the shelter could come as early as next September.

“Our fears were confirmed that 127-03 20th Avenue has been approved for use as a homeless shelter as early as September 2019,” Vallone said. “David Levitan’s greed sold out all of College Point for profit over the needs of our entire community.”

“This is a site that was deliberately purchased and converted for use as a homeless shelter — a despicable act by one owner who has no regard for the communities he infiltrates. We will continue to fight and stand with College Point,” he added.

Despicable act by one owner?

Yes, it was deliberately purchased and converted for use as a homeless shelter by David Levitan and Steven Berger. So who really sold out College Point since everyone knows what those two are all about? Why, it was none other than Gina Argento of Broadway Stages fame, a close friend of the mayor! Let's not forget that her husband, John Ciafone, has organized at least one fundraiser for Peter Vallone, and has been friends with the Vallone family for decades. Hmmm....

Also note that the sale of the property happened more than a year ago (just before the City Council election), but the transfer didn't happen until well after, in March.

Not to worry, we're sure Vallone and the born-again progressive, John Liu, will be right on top of this one. The voters of northeast Queens are to be applauded for their wise choices at the polls.

Today's the day

Just 20 Seconds on Voting pic.twitter.com/J4r3QT5Fjr

— John C. Liu (@LiuNewYork) October 31, 2018

Johnny's voting. Right after he stuffs this greasy slice into his mouth.

John Liu's awkward political ads

Just 20 Seconds on Unifying People pic.twitter.com/JfBVqccNkv

— John C. Liu (@LiuNewYork) October 29, 2018

From the NY Post:

Liu’s ad was in terrible taste, according to Republican Jewish activist Arthur Schwartz.

“‘Jews like pastrami so this will resonate with them.’ —Moronic New York democrat politician,” Schwartz tweeted Monday.

The campaign said they didn’t intend for the ad to create indigestion.

Just 20 Seconds on the Reproductive Health Act pic.twitter.com/shN9cO2aRQ

— John C. Liu (@LiuNewYork) October 29, 2018

"I'll fight for abortion rights as soon as I finish stuffing my face with lox!"

Just 20 Seconds on the NYS Liberty Act pic.twitter.com/aRbTF67i9F

— John C. Liu (@LiuNewYork) October 29, 2018

Not sure what he's eating here. An empanada? In fact I'm so distracted by trying to figure that out that I forgot the point he was trying to make.

This, on the other hand, is truly nightmare-inducing but it's doubtful that Trump cares.

Avella is all in

From the Wall Street Journal:

State Sen. Tony Avella, a former member of a now-defunct group of breakaway Democrats who lost to John Liu in his district’s Democratic primary in September, announced Monday that he will still run for his seat in the general election.

The Queens senator said in a video that he will run as a candidate for the Independence Party and the Women’s Equality Party.

Mr. Liu, a former New York City comptroller, beat Mr. Avella in the primary after announcing his own last-minute run. However, Mr. Avella said that he will have strong support in the general election from voters who couldn’t vote in the primary.

“Although I was disappointed in the results of the Democratic primary, I have been astounded by the level of support I have received since then from all aspects of our community,” he said.

Like Mr. Liu — who made a last-minute push to get on the Democratic ballot this summer after encouragement from a grass-roots group — Mr. Avella said residents urged him to continue his campaign.

Avella, Peralta defeated in anti-IDC votes

From the Queens Chronicle:

New York State is a different place today. It's littered with the wreckage of what once was the Independent Democratic Conference.

And nowhere was the rubble deeper than in Queens, where a pair of state Senators were ousted in Tuesday's Democratic primaries by challengers who dubbed them traitors to their party.

In District 13, it was four-term state Sen. Jose Peralta (D-East Elmhurst) who lost his re-election bid to former mayoral aide Jessica Ramos — a fierce critic of her "turncoat" opponent's IDC membership.

With 99 percent of precincts reporting, Ramos had won 12,181 vote to Peralta's 10,021 — good for a 10-percentage point margin.

In District 11, fellow four-term incumbent state Sen. Tony Avella (D-Bayside) was defeated by former city Comptroller John Liu in a rematch of 2014's Democratic primary — a race Avella won by a mere 568 votes.

This time around, it was Liu who came out victorious, defeating the incumbent 12,133 ballots to 10,846 — a 6-point margin.

The funny thing is unless there's a flip in the Senate then there won't be any "progressive legislation" getting passed in Albany because Simcha Felder won re-election easily. Basically all that happened is that the greater Bayside area voted for overdevelopment and corruption. Smart move!

A very entertaining debate

From NY1:

Errol Louis moderated a debate between challenger John Liu and incumbent Tony Avella, in a fierce state Senate race for the 11th district in Queens. The candidates debate their fundraising ethics, and discuss if they would support congestion pricing.

Johnny vs. Tony

From City Limits:

The two men agree on most policy issues. They both disagree, for instance, with Mayor de Blasio’s bid to change the entrance process for the city’s specialized high schools. Voters will, of course, decide what the race is about, but if the candidates have anything to say about it, the contest will come down to whether the supposed practical benefits of Avella’s having joined the IDC outweigh the allege damage that did to the chances for a Democratic senate.

Both men appeared on Max & Murphy on WBAI this Wednesday. Below are each of their interviews:

Liu not very adept at fundraising

From the NY Post:

Former City Comptroller John Liu’s state Senate campaign missed the deadline for filing its financial-disclosure statement — and no one there realized it until contacted by The Post Thursday.

The campaign said it resubmitted the documents Thursday and provided The Post with a copy, which showed Liu has just $984.80 in his kitty.

Yet another turd that won't stay flushed

From the NY Post:

Scandal-scarred former New York City Comptroller John Liu is attempting a political comeback — emboldened by the stunning upset pulled off last week by Democratic congressional candidate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, sources said.

Liu and his hard-left supporters from TrueBlueNY are racing to gain 3,000 signatures so he can run against incumbent Sen. Tony Avella of Queens in the Democratic primary Sept. 13.

The deadline to submit the petitions is Thursday at midnight, according to the city’s Board of Elections.

Avella is the last member of the Independent Democratic Conference to be challenged by a Democrat, even after the mainstream party called a truce with the rogue group that aligned itself with the GOP in a power-sharing agreement.

Liu slapped with more campaign finance fines

From NY1:

A former city comptroller was hit Thursday with a hefty fine in connection with his 2013 run for mayor.

The campaign board slapped John Liu with $26,000 in campaign finance fines in connection with a straw donor scandal.

This comes after Liu's campaign treasurer and a campaign fundraiser were convicted of federal fraud charges.

They were accused of concocting a phony donor scheme to get Liu public matching funds.

Liu never received the funds, but the board determined that his campaign should be penalized for fraud.

Johnny's girl is out of the clink

From the Times Ledger:

Jia “Jenny” Hou walked out of a Pennsylvania detention facility a free woman last week after an immigration judge decided not to deport her to China. The treasurer of former City Comptroller John Liu’s 2013 mayoral campaign had been mired in legal problems since she was convicted in federal court of soliciting illegal donations.

The immigration court’s decision, rendered by Judge Kuyomars Golparvar, came at the end of a three-hour hearing in York, Pa. Liu, who was not charged with any wrongdoing in the original case, sat with Hou’s family in the courtroom and spoke with reporters after her release.

Hou was 27 years old in 2013 when she was found in Manhattan federal court guilty of attempted wire fraud, obstructing justice and making false statements to authorities and though she faced up to 45 years in prison, she was sentenced to just 10 months. She filed an appeal midway through her jail time and was released to wait for the results at home.

After losing that appeal, Hou was sent back to prison last March, and when she completed her sentence in December, she was transferred to an immigration detention center to await the court’s decision on whether she would be deported because of her felony conviction.

After the court allowed her to stay in the United States, Hou vowed to use good judgment in her future and thanked the Chinese community in eastern Queens for their support throughout this painful period.

Well that took a while

From the Times Ledger:

Former mayoral candidate John Liu, who began his political career as a city councilman representing northeast Queens, was fined more than $15,000 for violations related to his successful 2009 run for New York City comptroller by the city’s Campaign Finance Board.

Liu’s campaign was fined for accepting 31 over-the-limit contributions, as well as five corporate contributions, eight contributions from unregistered political committees and 16 over-the-limit “Doing Business” contributions. The latter refers to contributions from individuals who have some sort of business with New York City, which the Campaign Finance Board restricts more heavily.

He had received more than $1.3 million in public funds for his 2009 comptroller race, according to the CFB. Liu’s 2009 campaign has a remaining balance of $28,315, according to the CFB’s site.

R.I.P. Historic Wych Elm of Downtown Flushing

Cutting and removal of the historic Wych Elm (Ulmus glabra) on Franklin Ave, downtown Flushing by NYC Parks Forestry in early November was prompted by the continuum of allowed blatant and egregious construction impacts upon an invaluable public tree asset, the absence of effective interventions by those in charge when they had the opportunity to do so (NYC Parks Forestry) as well the use of legal action against the perpetrators of tree abuse when it was occurring (NYC School Construction Authority), despite a community rally with the then City Council Member Liu to ensure tree preservation by those agencies.

It is clear NYC Parks forestry operations are not in the public tree protection and preservation business despite their core mission statement that directs them to do so. No wonder we are loosing many of our most important and invaluable large public trees.

Who then speaks for the trees?

Attached: The last views of this aged rare historic street tree.

Carsten Glaeser