Flushing candidates speak at BFHA

Above is footage of the Broadway-Flushing Homeowner's Night. Paul Vallone, Paul Graziano and Alison Tan speak on these videos.

In related news, I received this...

A personal message from Paul Graziano:

As a candidate for City Council, I take the election process very seriously. This is why I began my court action against my opponent, Paul Vallone, as I discovered during the petitioning process that his campaign had conducted a program of massive fraud and forgery.

While I have found clear and disturbing evidence over the past few weeks that supports my claims, it is with great reluctance that I ended my court challenge today, due to lack of campaign funds; although I have received the maximum amount of public matching funds - $100,000 - this funding cannot be spent on legal action, particularly related to challenging the validity of an opponent's petitions.

Therefore, I have decided to release all of my detailed findings to the public, as I believe the residents and voters of the 19th Council District deserve to know how Paul Vallone and his campaign have obtained access to the Democratic Party ballot.

Please join my attorney, Martin E. Connor and me for a press conference to be held at 146-24 32nd Avenue on Monday, August 14th at 1pm where we will present our findings and discuss our next steps.

Who:
Paul Graziano, Democratic candidate for 19th Council District
Martin Connor, Esq., election law attorney

What:
Presentation of our findings and discussion of our next steps re: allegations against Vallone campaign

Where:
146-24 32nd Avenue, Flushing

When:
Monday, August 14, 1pm

Stay tuned! Sounds like it's just about to get really interesting.

Trump's first home listed on AirBnB

From the Times Ledger:

The childhood home of President Donald Trump, sold at auction in March to an anonymous individual, is listed on Airbnb for $750 a night and boasts 17 beds.

The Jamaica Estates address cited on the president’s birth certificate appeared on the website in June and uses the property’s history as a selling point for visitors. It also mentions the location’s proximity to the F train.

“POTUS - Donald J. Trump’s childhood home,” the listing said. “Stay in the heart of NYC in the president’s childhood home. Featured in hundreds of news articles, stay in a part of living history.”

State Sen. Tony Avella (D-Bayside), who has led a crusade against the rental website stemming from resident complaints about listings in their neighborhood, laughed Monday about the fact Trump’s home had even fallen victim to what he believes to be an epidemic in suburban Queens neighborhood.

Avella noted that presidential homes are usually made into museums and carry strict historic preservation protections, but that the former home of the controversial leader had been had not drawn this reverential treatment.

The comment came during a news conference on the unveiling of Avella’s bill designed to hinder the unrelenting proliferation of Airbnb in Queens without the requirements designated for hotels.

Koslowitz says she'll stop Key Food's departure

From the Queens Gazette:

The Forest Hills and Rego Park communities near the 112th Precinct have been in an uproar since it was announced that one of the community’s treasured shopping locations would be moving out of the area to be replaced by an 11-story, 170-unit rental apartment building, depriving the area of a supermarket and adding to the traffic and parking problems that already plague the area.

Former Queens County Deputy Borough President and present NYC Councilwoman for the area, Karen Koslowitz, vowed to stop the egress of the long-time food market located at the corner of Yellowstone and Queens Blvds. Her announcement was made during her participation in National Night Out Against Crime on Tuesday evening, August 1, as she spoke to a group of about 200 community residents who gathered together to recognize and honor the members of local law enforcement whose mission is to keep the community safe.

This I gotta see.

Cuomo to introduce modified congestion pricing

From AM-NY:

Congestion pricing was killed the way many policy proposals die in Albany: behind closed doors.

In 2008, Assembly Democrats revolted against the inititive championed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg because it included East River tolls, which critics said would disproptionately affect residents of Brooklyn and Queens.

"It's really, really difficult for people in Brooklyn and Queens at this point to consider something like this. And I think we just need to start from the ground up all over again," Assemblywoman Cathy Nolan of Queens said at the time.

But with the subways in crisis and searching for a dedicated funding source, congestion pricing could be resurrected. Sources say Governor Andrew Cuomo is considering supporting a plan that would charge fees on for-hire vehicles like Uber and Lyft.

But lawmakers outside of Manhattan are still wary.

"Residents in New York want mass transit options. They don't want a financial burden. And they don't want to keep reaching into their pockets," said Assemblywoman Nily Rozic of Queens.

Scientist discovers MacNeil Park sewage problem

From QNS:

At first glance, the bubbling puddle shown on video taken at College Point‘s MacNeil Park this weekend doesn’t look that bad. The smell and the contents of the water, however, told a much more dangerous story.

Dr. James Cervino, a local marine scientist, told QNS that the geyser popped in the park in the last few days. He took a sample of the water for testing which revealed that it contained two different types of bacteria — E.coli and enterococcus — typically found in raw sewage.

At first, no one in the neighborhood knew for certain how or why the wretched geyser formed, according to Cervino. The city’s Parks Department, however, was able to provide an answer on Monday afternoon.

“There was a blockage in the sewer line which caused a backup in MacNeil Park,” a Parks Department spokesperson told QNS on Aug. 7. “Parks plumbers have been on site since 8 a.m. this morning to assess the situation. Parks hired a cesspool company to clear the line, and we are working with DDC (the Department of Design and Construction) to repair the issue.”

While the sewage-laden area was roped off, the rest of MacNeil Park remains open, the Parks Department added.

The Parks Department’s response came after state Senator Tony Avella — whom Cervino alerted about the condition over the weekend — reached out to the city’s Parks Department, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the Department of Health. He then followed up on Aug. 7 with a letter to the commissioners of all three agencies demanding that the problem be fixed, as well as a joint investigation to figure out what happened.

Bishop opposed to safety bill

From the Times Ledger:

A community leader in Astoria is strongly opposing construction safety legislation that is currently enjoying wide support in the City Council.

Intro 1447 is making its way through the legislative process and is already co-sponsored by 47 of the 51 Council members. Bishop Mitchell Taylor, the co-founder and CEO of Urban Upbound, is warning the measure could have an averse effect on minority hiring, however, particularly at the Hallets Point construction site at 26-01 1st St., right next door to the Astoria Houses.

The bill is part of a larger package of legislation called the Construction Safety Act, which critics say would result in the exclusion of non-union workers from employment opportunities.

Urban Upbound is a non-profit organization that serves public housing residents and other low-income New Yorkers in order to break the cycle of poverty by providing residents with the tools and resources they need to achieve economic mobility and self-sufficiency.

“One way we achieve that is by helping residents gain employment on new construction projects,” Taylor wrote in a letter to City Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer (D-Sunnyside). “These jobs are a lifeline that can enable the people we serve to better provide for their families or even avoid becoming homeless.”

Taylor fears Intro 1447, originally called the apprenticeship mandate, would require that all workers on a construction site must complete at least 59 hours of safety training.

Workers currently need just 10 hours of safety training from the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

DeBlasio has tax-the-rich scheme to fix subways

From the NY Times:

Mayor Bill de Blasio plans to push for a tax on wealthy New Yorkers to pay for improvements needed to address the crisis engulfing New York City’s subway, city officials said on Sunday.

The proposal is the latest move in the battle between Mr. de Blasio and Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo over who bears responsibility for repairing the deteriorating transit system. The plan would also pay for half-price MetroCards for low-income riders — part of a national movement that has gained momentum in New York.

Mr. de Blasio will announce a so-called millionaires tax on Monday for wealthy New York City residents to pay for subway and bus upgrades and for reduced fares for more riders, an idea that has been successful in Seattle.

His funding push comes as the subway faces a multitude of problems, and leaders at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which operates the subway, have called on Mr. de Blasio to provide more money for the system.

Gentrification trolley on track

From NY1:

A proposed street car line that would link Queens and Brooklyn is still on schedule, according to Mayor Bill de Blasio.

The mayor said Friday that construction will begin in 2019 or 2020.

"There's been a series of community meetings. There's a lot of folks in the community who want it because a lot of these areas don't have transportation options," de Blasio said on "The Brian Lehrer Show" on WNYC. "There are a lot of folks who are raising real concerns and critiques that we are trying to address."

BDB helped his corrupt friends

From the Daily News:

Mayor de Blasio repeatedly ordered his aides to intervene on behalf of two deep-pocketed donors who sought favors from City Hall before both were arrested in a sweeping corruption probe, newly released emails obtained by the Daily News reveal.

Brooklyn real estate developers Jona Rechnitz and Jeremy Reichberg sent several emails to the mayor personally and to his top aides, often demanding City Hall’s help with real estate problems.

Whenever the mayor was contacted by Rechnitz, in particular, he responded immediately, steering the donor’s requests to the top levels of City Hall.

Both men appear to have benefited from their top-level access.

After meeting with a top City Hall aide to contest citations for operating an illegal hotel at a Manhattan building he owned, Rechnitz paid fines but dodged a vacate order — a tactic the city has used against others.

Reichberg got a discount on what he felt were overcharges to a water bill after reaching out to City Hall.

Rechnitz secretly pleaded guilty to corruption charges last year and cooperated with the Manhattan U.S. attorney's probe of de Blasio's fundraising tactics.

Reichberg faces charges of bribing several top NYPD brass to get favors. He has denied wrongdoing and faces trial.

Rechnitz and Reichberg both sponsored fund-raisers for de Blasio's 2013 campaign. Rechnitz also wrote a $50,000 check to de Blasio's now-defunct nonprofit, Campaign for One New York, on Jan. 28, 2014, and steered another $102,300 to an upstate Democratic committee as part of the mayor's failed 2014 bid to swing the state Senate to the Democrats.

City sold street to unsuspecting woman

From CBS 2:

The map showed a long, skinny piece of property. Sight unseen, Parnell bid $30,000 and won. She figured she’d sell pieces to adjoining homeowners, Aiello reported.

Months later, she learned what the city sold as a “vacant lot” was actually William Court, a 280 foot long street – technically a “privately owned access way.”

Parnell told Aiello she’s willing to sell it back to the city. She said in 2010 the city offered to refund her $30,000, but she declined, because on her tax bill the city lists the property as “vacant land, zoned residential,” valued at $257,000.

“I would like the City of New York to pay me back the value of what the land is worth,” she said. “Not what they sold me for.”

On Friday, a city spokesperson told CBS2 “the city has made numerous attempts to offer her a full refund… she refused.” Even though the city values the property at $257,000, paying Parnell that much “was not an appropriate use of taxpayer money.”

DeBlasio needs matching funds to stay humble

From DNA Info:

Mayor Bill de Blasio stood by his decision to take on more than $2.5 million in matching funds from taxpayers — saying he'd be forced to turn to big donors instead of everyday New Yorkers to fund his reelection, despite having raised millions more than his nearest competitor.

Speaking on WNYC's the Brain Lehrer show Friday morning, de Blasio, who had raised $4.78 million in private funds according to city records, said he didn't take the upcoming 2018 election for granted and said he relied on the city's matching funds program to focus fundraising efforts on small donations.

"You cannot assume the outcome. People who do that are sorely disappointed," he said.

"We focused on house parties and we focused on reaching out to every day New Yorkers," he said. "Now if you had said...you’re not going to have access to a serious amount of matching funds than that would encourage me or any other candidate to go try and find larger donations and that's not the world I think we should be creating."

The city's campaign finance board approved $2,579,427 in public funds to go towards de Blasio's reelection campaign on Thursday.

He'd be forced to turn to big donors? I guess all the developers and unions are small potatoes?

R.I.P. Julia Harrison

From the Queens Chronicle:

Former City Councilwoman Julia Harrison, who served as Flushing's representative in the legislative body from 1986 to 2001, died after battling an undisclosed illness on Thursday.

She was 97.

A self-described outspoken maverick in the legislative body, Harrison proudly told the Chronicle and other media outlets over the years that she refused to simply vote the party line on a number of issues.

For example, she was the only Queens Council member to vote against the AirTrain that runs between Jamaica and Kennedy International Airport, something she called a "disaster."

"Some of my Democratic colleagues would've liked to have gotten rid of me because I did what I thought was right," Harrison said in a 2001 interview with the Chronicle. "They consider me a loose cannon."

Her strong interest in issues such as women's health, the elderly and cleanliness in Flushing made her popular with many in the community, but her 15-year tenure in the Council was not without controversy.

Speaking to a New York Times reporter in 1996 about Flushing's changing demographics, Harrison was quoted as saying the increase in Asian immigrants amounted to "an invasion, not an assimilation" — in addition to a few other questionable remarks.

School violence may not be down as reported

From the NY Post:

Mayor de Blasio claims city schools are the safest they’ve been in two decades — but not everyone believes the miracle.

Along with Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña and NYPD Commissioner James O’Neill, de Blasio said Tuesday that ­major school crimes last year hit their lowest point since 1998 and have tumbled 18 percent since 2015.

Officials said there were a ­total of 503 serious crimes — ­including felony assault and robbery — in city schools last year. That’s down from 532 the previous year and 613 in 2015, according to the NYPD.

But Families for Excellent Schools, a charter-school advocacy group, issued a report Tuesday claiming city officials lowballed serious misconduct in 2015-2016 — and that the latest figures should be viewed skeptically.

That school year, the state recorded roughly 10,000 more school incidents than the NYPD, according to FES. The state’s 2016-2017 figures aren’t yet available for a comparison with the latest NYPD data.

According to FES, the state counted 16,851 overall incidents that year while the NYPD tallied only 6,843. The group said the discrepancy suggests that City Hall is cooking the books.

Rory has an opponent

From the Times Ledger:

Bangladesh-born City Council candidate Mohammed T. Rahman is hoping to make history as the first South Asian Muslim official in the City Council.

Rahman, who worked as a supervisor in the city Department Of Social Services for 21 years before retiring in March, said he was inspired to run amid growing concerns about how the Trump administration’s policies toward Muslims will affect New Yorkers.

Rahman, of Jamaica, is running against Councilman Rory Lancman (D-Hillcrest) in the Sept. 12 Democratic Primary to represent Council District 24, which covers Kew Gardens Hills, Pomonok, Fresh Meadows, Hillcrest, Jamaica Estates, Briarwood and Jamaica.

“New York has one of the largest Muslim communities in the nation, yet there are no elected Muslim officials in the City Council,” Rahman said. “As a result, we see not only a growing distrust of ordinary Muslim citizens, but also a huge disparity in how Council discretionary funds are distributed.”

Rahman said his campaign is part of a growing trend of South Asian-American candidates running for city office, a reflection of the community’s increasing population and influence. The city’s Bengali population has doubled to 100,000 since the 2010 census, Rahman said, and it’s time for new voices to be heard.

“Muslims are slowly being squeezed out of the mainstream by discriminatory practices and attitudes,” he said. “The best way to combat this is to normalize relationships between all of our communities, and integrate Muslims into our system of representative democracy.”

Rahman said he has spent most of his life helping the community as a social worker and he believes he will provide better representation for the community if elected. He said he will be able to better distribute city funding and services and will make certain every community in District 24 gets its fair share.

Northeast Queens set to get cease and desist zone

From the Queens Chronicle:

When, if ever, will northeast Queens receive the two cease-and-desist zones that New York State has proposed to combat aggressive real estate solicitation? It depends on whom you ask.

The office of state Sen. Tony Avella (D-Bayside) — a lawmaker who spearheaded the effort to protect homeowners with cease-and-desist zones — has asked homeowners to submit comments to the state Department of State “supporting the proposed regulations that are slated to go into effect” on the first of September. Comments, however, will be accepted until Sept. 8, the end of the 45-day period for them.

According to maps released by Avella, the DOS has proposed two sections of northeast Queens — Bay Terrace along with portions of Bayside, Whitestone, Flushing and College Point — as cease-and-desist zones. Homeowners who live in the zones could, if they wish, be placed on a registry that prevents real estate agents from soliciting them once the rules take effect.

But according to the DOS, the regulations could not go into effect on Sept. 1.

“Rules cannot be adopted until at least the end of the public comment period (ending Sept. 8), and September 1 falls within that comment period,” an agency spokesperson told the Chronicle in an emailed statement.

How about the timing for implementation of the rule, after the comment period? “We would not know at this time,” the spokesperson said.

Regardless of if or when the cease-and-desist zones will be implemented, the Long Island Board of Realtors, whose region includes Queens, plans to use the public comment period to urge the state not to go through with them.

Legionnaire's disease found at Flushing buildings

From NBC:

Two residents of an apartment building in Flushing were hospitalized after they contracted Legionnaires' disease, and one of them is still being treated as the city tests the building’s water supply, health officials said.

The residents with Legionnaires’ disease were diagnosed 10 months apart over the past year, according to officials, who said one of them has been discharged and the other is recovering at a hospital.

“The Health Department is currently investigating two cases of Legionnaires’ disease at Latimer Gardens that occurred within the same building over a year period,” the New York City Health Department said in a statement Tuesday.

Until results of the building's water tests are available, and out of an abundance of caution, NYCHA is installing a copper silver ionization system to disinfect the water, officials said.

Queens Machine wants to have its cake and eat it too

Great article from Progress Queens:

The reelection campaigns of two incumbent members of the New York City Council from the Queens delegation have been beset with questions about their ballot petition signatures. Candidates wishing to appear on the ballots for political parties are required to collect ballot petition signatures from voters registered for those political parties, and the petition signatures must be verified, according to regulations.

Councilmember Paul Vallone (D-Bayside) has been taken to Court by his Democratic Party primary challenger, Paul Graziano. Mr. Graziano has alleged in a legal filing that the reëlection campaign of Councilmember Vallone collected invalid petition signatures. The civil proceeding, before New York State Supreme Court for Queens County, seeks a determination that would restrain the New York City Board of Elections from printing Councilmember Vallone's name on the Democratic Party primary ballot, amongst other relief being sought. A hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, 8 August at Queens County Civil Courthouse in Jamaica, Queens.

The office of Councilmember Vallone did not answer a request for an interview for this report.

A reporter making an attempt on Wednesday afternoon to inspect at the Queens Borough Office of the Board of Elections the ballot petition signatures collected by Councilmember Vallone's relection committee was turned away and was, instead, referred to an Agency spokesperson. Valerie Vazquez, a spokesperson for the Board of Elections, said that the Agency was reviewing Councilmember Vallone's signatures and would, upon the making of advance request for an appointment, arrange for a reporter to be able to inspect Councilmember's ballot petition signatures. When asked if the Board of Elections could await the outcome of Mr. Graziano's Court proceeding with about six weeks before the date of the Democratic Party primary election, Ms. Vazquez postulated that the Board of Elections could accommodate a Court decision rendered with just one week left before the Democratic Party primary election.

Other advance questions submitted in writing by Progress Queens to the general e-mail account of the Board of Elections were not answered for this report.

Mr. Graziano, who initiated the legal proceedings against the Councilmember Vallone, said that it was important that the public have confidence in campaign committees complying with election system regulations. "We have to make sure that justice is served," Mr. Graziano said.

Mr. Graziano's legal challenge of Councilmember Vallone's ballot petition signatures follows word that the majority of the ballot petition signatures collected for the Independence Party by the reelection committee of another incumbent, Councilmember Elizabeth Crowley (D-Ridgewood), have been invalidated by the Board of Elections, meaning that Councilmember Crowley will not appear on the Independence Party line in the November general election. News of the Board of Elections' determination against Councilmember Crowley was revealed on a Facebook post by Councilmember Crowley's Democratic Party primary challenger, Robert Holden. The office of Councilmember Crowley did not answer a press inquiry for an interview for this report.

Speaking generally of the allegations of misconduct in the ballot petition signature collections of various reëlection campaign committees, Mr. Graziano said, "I see this as a systemic issue. It's not just this candidate," he said, referring to Councilember Vallone.

According to information obtained by Progress Queens, there have been allegations that various campaign committees, including that of Councilmember Vallone, may have engaged in violations of regulations governing ballot petition signature collection four years ago. The allegations of violations have extended to the current election cycle, according to a source.

__________________________________________________

This stupid process of collecting signatures could be changed by the powers that be, but it was set up to discourage non-Machine candidates from running. Therefore, it is the people's duty to hold the Machine's feet to the fire when they fail to abide by the system they set up.

Looking to adopt the Ridgewood cats?

From CBS:

On Tuesday, Animal Control replaced the usual construction crews. CBS2’s cameras were rolling as five cats were rescued.

But when Bauman tried asking the building’s owner why construction went on for so long with so many furry tenants inside, there was no response.

“There was no way they started tearing down this whole building and never saw these close to 40 cats,” O’Neill said.

“At some point, you see them somewhere,” Aguirre said.

Animal Control told CBS2 they will continue to leave traps and safety remove animals until it is clear all the cats are out of the building. And until then, construction is on hold.

The volunteers are still trying to find home for many of the cats. To find out how you can adopt, click here.

Downtown Flushing is more chaotic than ever

From NBC:

Downtown Flushing — already teeming with people and vehicles on sidewalks and streets — has become all the more chaotic amid simultaneous work on sidewalks and a sinkhole.

Two major construction projects are happening in the vicinity of Main Street and Kissena Boulevard. Nearly two dozen bus lines roll through the bustling area.

The city is making emergency sewer repairs to fix the sinkhole. The DEP showed up last week, and with no notice, brought a backhoe and jackhammer to fix the mess. The result: absolute gridlock.

Flushing Councilman Peter Koo said he called the commissioner of the city’s Department of Environmental Protection. That call, and others, convinced the DEP to switch gears within 24 hours. Now the repair work is being done overnight when streets are less busy.

Amid the effort to fix the sinkhole, crews are working on widening the area’s sidewalks. The result has been a dizzying mishmash of bodies, vehicles, signs, detours and construction cones.

Now you can rent a "luxury tent" at Fort Tilden

Just when you thought you'd seen everything, "glamping" at a national park happens.