Gotham Gazette

The Place for New York Policy and politics

State

State

The Week Ahead in New York Politics, June 13


New York City Hall

New York City Hall


What to watch for this week in New York politics:

New York, the United States, and the world are focused on Orlando, Florida as the week begins after a gunman there killed at least 50 people and injured at least 53 more. In the late night hours of Saturday into Sunday, Omar Mateen opened fire at The Pulse nightclub, known to be a centerpiece of the city’s LGBT community. At this point the attack is being investigated as an act of terrorism and as motivated by hate toward the LGBT community - the shooter, who was killed by law enforcement during the attack, declared allegiance to ISIS and was said, by his father, to have held anti-gay anger. Read the latest from the New York Times here.

In New York City, elected officials, LGBT and Muslim community leaders held a Sunday evening vigil at Diversity Plaza in Queens to honor the victims of the Orlando attack. The Mayor’s Clergy Advisory Council held an interfaith vigil outside Judson Memorial Church and at sunset, the City lit City Hall in rainbow colors to represent LGBT pride.

Mayor Bill de Blasio and NYPD officials updated the media on Sunday afternoon after the mayor marched in the Puerto Rican Day parade, explaining heightened security measures at LGBT landmarks across the city. City Council Member Corey Johnson announced plans for a Monday evening vigil outside the Stonewall Inn at 6 p.m. Mayor de Blasio and Governor Andrew Cuomo, among many others, will participate at about 7:30 p.m.

In terms of the week ahead in New York politics, many eyes are on Albany, where there are just three scheduled legislative session days left, set for Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday this week. Mayoral control of New York City schools must be dealt with - it is due to expire at the end of June. There are a variety of other high-profile issues that may see legislation, but lawmakers might do a minimum and get out of town. All 213 seats in the Assembly (150) and Senate (63) are up for election this fall and legislators may be eager to devote their full-time attention to their home districts, campaign fund-raising, and re-election efforts.

Gov. Cuomo and the leaders of each legislative house’s majority announced a deal this weekend on expanding access to breast cancer screenings, a major priority for the governor. As the final days of session are upon us, we’re watching for possible agreement on several issues like the governor’s new campaign finance reform proposal; for-hire vehicle legislation to legalize and regulate services like Uber; and much more, including mayoral control of New York City schools.

In the city itself, the Mayor and the City Council agreed this past week on the outline of a city budget for fiscal year 2017, which begins on July 1 and the Council is expected to officially vote through the budget on Tuesday of this week.

As always, there's a great deal happening all over the city, with many events to be aware of - see our day-by-day rundown below.

***Do you have events or topics for us to include in an upcoming Week Ahead in New York Politics?
e-mail Gotham Gazette editor Ben Max: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.***

The run of the week in detail:

Monday
At On Monday morning, Mayor de Blasio will appear live on 1010WINS at 8:15 and WCBS Newsradio 880 at 8:25 to discuss the Orlando shootings. At 4 p.m. the Mayor "will hold a public hearing for and sign the Criminal Justice Reform Act (CJRA). CJRA is comprised of eight bills – Intro. 639-B, in relation to requiring the NYPD to submit quarterly reports relating to the issuance of summonses; Intro. 662-A, in relation to requiring the NYPD to submit quarterly reports relating to the issuance of desk appearance tickets; Intro. 1056-A, in relation to penalties for violating park rules; Intro. 1057-A, in relation to the enforcement of criminal and civil offenses; Intro. 1058-A, in relation to the penalties for excessive noise; Intro. 1059-A, in relation to OATH procedures for certain quality of life offenses; Intro. 1067-A, in relation to the penalties for possessing an open container of alcohol; and Intro. 1070-A, in relation to the penalties for littering." City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, who spearheaded the Criminal Justice Reform Act, will give remarks at the bill-signing.

At 9 a.m. Monday in Queens, City Council Members Dromm, Ferreras-Copeland and Koo will host an Anti-Discrimination Clinic sponsored by Project Reach and Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito. The Clinic will focus on leadership training regarding race, class, and gender and address different aspects of discrimination in the community.

At 10 a.m. Monday at 250 Broadway, the state Assembly will hold a public hearing on “Devising a Smart Supportive Housing Strategy for Ex-Offenders upon Reentry. The hearing, led by Assembly Correction Committee Chair Daniel J. O’Donnell and Transitional Services Subcommittee Chair Luis Sepulveda, is “to examine solutions to overcome the barriers faced by ex-offenders in need of affordable housing, a proven cost-effective vehicle for preventing the cycle of homelessness and recidivism among individuals who were formerly incarcerated.”

On Monday starting at 11 a.m., “activists and a broad and diverse coalition of community, labor, good-government and advocacy organizations will demand statewide election reforms outside the offices of the Board of Elections, Glenwood Management and hedge-fund backed Families for Excellent Schools. The demonstrations are part of a statewide Demand Democracy Day of Action that aims to raise awareness about the corrupting influence of big money in Albany and the urgent need for voting rights, campaign finance and ethics reforms.” The series of demonstrations will be led by “Activists and representatives from: Citizen Action of New York, NY Working Families, Make the Road New York, New York Communities for Change, Strong Economy for All Coalition, and other organizations.”

On Monday at 12:30 p.m. schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña “will visit John Jay College of Criminal Justice with 60 middle school students to make a college access announcement.”

Also at 12:30 p.m. Monday, in Albany legislators and advocates will call for Senate passage of Hoosick Falls legislation, which would "extend statute of limitations to recover from polluters." The press conference will be led by Assemblymember John McDonald, Senator Kathy Marchione, Michele Baker, mom and Hoosick Falls resident, Environmental Advocates of New York.

At 1 p.m. Monday at City Hall, City Council Members Stephen Levin, Laurie Cumbo, and Helen Rosenthal, and advocates will hold a rally "to call on Governor Cuomo and New York State Legislature to help New Yorkers who lack stable housing by signing the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) this week to fully fund FEPS and pass legislation sponsored by Assemblyman Andrew Hevesi that will expand FEPS eligibility."

At 5:30 p.m. Monday, candidates in New York’s 13th Congressional District will debate at Riverside Church in a forum sponsored by AARP NY and several other organizations. Nine candidates are vying for the position, which is open for the first time since 1944. The debate will focus on issues regarding the needs and concerns of the older and diverse populations in the district, such as strengthening Social Security, supporting family caregivers, increasing pedestrian safety, ensuring retirement security, protecting against age discrimination, and increasing affordable housing.

At 6 p.m. Monday at the Stonewall Inn, there will be a vigil in honor of the victims of the Orlando shooting. Mayor Bill de Blasio and Governor Andrew Cuomo are among those who will participate, around 7:30 p.m.

Also Monday at 6 p.m. at Pregones Theater in the Bronx, a community forum will discuss “improved relations between the NYPD and the mental health community.” Specifically, the event, being led by Community Access and focus on the NYPD having begun “training officers in a new way to approach those in mental health crisis, known as Crisis Intervention Team training (CIT)...With the help of community partners including Community Access, the NYPD launched a CIT training program in June 2015. To date, more than 2,200 officers have been trained.”

At 7 p.m. Monday, the Regional Plan Association is hosting “Reimagining 14th Street” at the TransitCenter, 1 Whitehall Street. Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer is among those who will speak.

Tuesday
Both houses of the state Legislature are in session on Tuesday afternoon in Albany.

At 12 p.m. Tuesday in Albany, The Center for an Urban Future and NYATEP will host a policy forum on “how New York can strengthen connections between its signature economic development initiative and job training programs.” Featured speakers include Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul and Winston Fisher, Co-Chair of the NYC Regional Economic Development Council (REDC).

At the City Council on Tuesday:

  • At 9:30 a.m., the Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises will meet.
  • At 11 a.m., the Subcommittee on Landmarks, Public Siting and Maritime Uses will meet concerning the designation of the East New York Savings Bank, Parkway Branch Building as an historic landmark.
  • At 11 a.m., the Committee on Finance will meet to vote through the fiscal year 2017 budget.
  • The Council will hold a full-body Stated Meeting on Tuesday to vote through the fiscal year 2017 budget.

At 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, City & State NY will recognize its 2016 Class of Albany Rising Stars. The annual award reception will honor 40 of the state’s “brightest young professionals in politics, advocacy and business”.

Wednesday
Both houses of the state Legislature are in session on Wednesday in Albany.

At 9 a.m. Wednesday in Long Island City, the New York City Commission on Human Rights (CCHR) and Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) will host their annual Fair Housing Symposium and Tenant Resource Fair. Co-sponsored by the CUNY School of Law, the event will feature discussions on “combatting tenant harassment and source of income discrimination.” Legal and social service providers will also be present to assist attendees with their individual housing concerns.

At the City Council on Wednesday:

  • At 10:30 a.m., the Subcommittee on Planning, Dispositions and Concessions will meet.
  • At 11 a.m., the Committee on Land Use will meet to consider all items reported out of previous Subcommittee meetings.
  • At 1 p.m., the Committee on Juvenile Justice will meet.

Thursday
Both houses of the state Legislature are in session on Thursday in Albany.

At 8:30 a.m. Thursday, New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) Chair and CEO Shola Olatoye will discuss NYCHA plans and challenges at a Crain’s New York Business breakfast forum. After Olatoye gives remarks, she will answer questions from moderators Erik Engquist of Crain’s and Ben Max of Gotham Gazette.

At 6 p.m. Thursday, the city Department of City Planning will hold its second open house to gather input from local business owners and residents on the progress of the North Brooklyn Industry and Innovation Plan.

At the City Council on Thursday:

  • At 10 a.m., the Committee on General Welfare will hold a previously deferred oversight hearing on foster care and consider eight newly-introduced bills that would require the city to more closely monitor the welfare of children in foster care, among other things.
  • Also at 10 a.m., the Committee on Consumer Affairs will meet to discuss three bills that would require the Department of Consumer Affairs to provide seniors, women, and immigrants with outreach and education regarding consumer protection issues.
  • At 1 p.m., the Committee on Higher Education will meet to review a bill that would establish a task force that would analyze ways to eliminate tuition at the City University of New York and develop proposals on the role the City can play in working toward that goal.

On Thursday at 7 p.m. the Queens County Young Democrats Celebrate Pride 2016 with special guests City Council Member Danny Dromm and Council Majority Leader Jimmy Van Bramer - Club Evolution, Jackson Heights.

Friday and the weekend
At the City Council on Friday: at 10 a.m., the Committee on Technology will hold a previously deferred hearing on two bills; one that would require all businesses to allow customers to dial 911 and another that would require the Commissioner of Information Technology to report on misrouted 911 calls near the geographic boundaries of the city.

***
Have events or topics for us to include in an upcoming Week Ahead in New York Politics? E-mail Gotham Gazette executive editor Ben Max any time: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (please use "For Week Ahead" as email subject).

***
by Amanda Sherwin and Ben Max
@GothamGazette

Fate of $2 Billion in State Housing Funds Unclear as Session Nears End


cuomo heastie flanagan

Heastie, Cuomo, Flanagan (l-r) (photo: Kevin P. Coughlin, The Governor's Office)


Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the state Legislature allocated $2 billion to spend on 100,000 units of affordable and supportive housing in this year’s budget, which was agreed to on April 1. But they failed to include specifics -- details of how that money would be spent -- kicking those decisions down the road. Now, two months later, they have yet to sort out the details and many stakeholders are worried no deal is in sight as the major negotiating parties face off over incongruous priorities.

Cuomo, a Democrat, Republican Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan, and Democratic Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie must sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) outlining how the housing money will be spent, and according to housing and homeless advocates, failure to do so by the quickly-approaching end of legislative session will mean the money remains in state coffers without benefitting homeless, low- and moderate-income New Yorkers.

“The money that is supposed to provide relief for the homeless would just sit there. It wouldn't go anywhere, it wouldn't materialize,” said Assemblymember Andrew Hevesi, a Queens Democrat who said that advocates are right to be concerned that it won’t be sorted out before the end of session. “There is a deadline for this. Make no mistake. It has to happen before June 16.”

With only three session days left - Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of this coming week - and leaders insistent they will leave town Thursday, advocates fear there may not be enough motivation and time for lawmakers to deal with the MOU and all the issues they’ve attached to it.

Four legislative sources tell Gotham Gazette that each house has tied the MOU to a number of thorny issues. They say Senate Republicans have connected the allocation of housing money to the renewal of 421-a. That controversial, lapsed property tax credit meant to spur affordable housing development has been the focus of a number of failed negotiations this year, and it appears getting to a deal on the credit remains a heavy lift. A spokesperson for Senate Republicans did not respond to a request for comment.

Meanwhile, Assembly Democrats insist that some of the cash go to the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), something that sources say rankles Cuomo as he sees it as directly benefiting Mayor Bill de Blasio, his erstwhile feuding partner. The city’s public housing stock has $17 billion in capital needs and city officials have said the state continues to under-fund NYCHA, even failing to release some previously promised money. Neither Heastie’s nor Cuomo’s office returned requests for comment.

Assembly Housing Chair Keith Wright, a Manhattan Democrat, recently wrote in an op-ed that appeared in AM New York that he wants $100 million of housing funds to go to NYCHA for serious repairs. Rachel Fee, director of the New York Housing Conference, also called for that commitment in a NY Slant op-ed.

Sources say Cuomo has not appeared to be in a rush to hammer out the MOU. The governor made affordable housing and fighting homelessness major policy points during his January State of the State speech, around that time criticizing de Blasio’s handling of rising homelessness in the city.

“Everything in housing is tied together: 421-a, NYCHA and [the MOU],” said Shelly Nortz, executive director of policy for Coalition for the Homeless. “I know there is no hope whatsoever it will get done after June 16,” she added referring to the notion that once legislators leave Albany they are unlikely to come to any policy decisions.

A coalition called The Campaign for NY/NY Housing, which fights for supportive housing - homelessness relief with social services built in - and counts over 100 interested groups in its ranks, has recently turned up pressure on Cuomo and legislative leaders with a major lobbying campaign designed to get them to act.

“We are very concerned,” said Laura Masuch, executive director of The Supportive Housing Network of New York. “We have 80,000 homeless in the state of New York and supportive housing is critical - especially for families with special needs. It takes a lot of time to open these units, so every day we wait is a day we don’t get a family off the street.”

Fee said that she is concerned the funds may be tied up for the long term if legislators fail to act this year.

“It’s not clear why lawmakers feel no urgency to spend $2 billion in housing funds,” said Fee. "My biggest fear is it will not get done this session and will get pushed to the end of the budget year [March]. This didn’t have to happen in session at all. It could have been negotiated during any of the days that passed since the budget was enacted. We need affordable and supportive housing right now.”

There is precedent for such a holdup. Cuomo and the Legislature drafted an MOU committing to spend bank settlement funds from JP Morgan Chase on housing in 2014, but it wasn’t until the following year’s budget that they actually detailed how the money would be spent. “History doesn't bode well for post-session MOUs getting done,” said Masuch.

Budget watchdogs have long decried the use of MOUs in budgeting because they lack transparency. Good government groups have campaigned to end the process, especially after pots of unitemized allocations played roles in the convictions of former Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos. Assembly Republicans have called for a system that tracks spending of large amounts of cash created in the budget, but Cuomo and legislative leaders have scoffed at the idea. Now another drawback of failing to allocate budgeted cash appears clear: the principals may never get around to figuring out how to spend it.

Nortz, Coalition for the Homeless, said that she sees the project as belonging to Cuomo. It’s a feeling shared by many advocates who campaigned to get Cuomo to invest in supportive housing last year. Cuomo also dedicated significant time in his January State of the State address to the housing money he was proposing.

A variety of rank-and-file legislators also put the onus on Cuomo because they feel that the specifics of the $2 billion plan wasn’t given priority in budget negotiations and was left to an MOU only because budget negotiations basically collapsed.

Nortz said that if the MOU isn’t signed before the end of session it will “raise real questions” about Cuomo’s commitment to the homeless and to affordable housing. “If he wants it done it will get done. This is the governor who managed to get the Senate to pass marriage equality; this is the governor who got a $15 minimum wage when he didn’t even believe in it a year before. We know what he can do when he wants to,” said Nortz.

Masuch, of The Supportive Housing Network, said she was heartened to see Cuomo take ownership of homelessness as an issue in his State of the State address. “We were very pleased, he talked lots about homelessness and housing. That was great, and now we need him to push leadership to bring it home and make sure it is their priority.”

Hevesi declined to place blame for the stalled negotiations. But he said he is more than disappointed to see the funding caught up in Albany’s routine “Big Ugly” end-of-session negotiations, where legislators wait until the last minute to hash out a mishmash of interconnected deals.

“Every year 19,000 more people become homeless in New York than stop being homeless,” said Hevesi. “We can't sustain that level of homelessness and we shouldn’t be waiting for help while thousands of more families are being destroyed.”

***
by David King, Albany editor, Gotham Gazette
     

Read more by this writer.

Espaillat Unveils Plan to Address Child Care Costs


Espaillat news conference

Sen. Espaillat (photo: @EspaillatNY)


To address the city’s escalating affordability crisis, state Sen. Adriano Espaillat, Democratic candidate in the 13th Congressional District, is unveiling a proposal to increase the federal Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit.

The announcement comes as the heated Congressional primary enters its final weeks. Espaillat’s campaign is announcing a series of policy papers in an attempt to separate itself in a race that has focused on political allegiances, polls, and fundraising. Other candidates vying to replace retiring Rep. Charles Rangel include Assemblymember Keith Wright, former Assemblymember Adam Clayton Powell, Assemblymemeber Guillermo Linares, and Clyde Williams, former political director of the Democratic National Committee. Espaillat unsuccessfully challenged Rangel in 2012 and 2014. This year’s primary is set for June 28.

“I think there is a growing affordability crisis in the city and the state that has been framed around rent and the minimum wage, but not that fine-tuned to address issues young families face as far child care,” Espaillat told Gotham Gazette. “There are big costs these families face to live in the city while trying to raise kids. Some parents won’t go to work if they aren’t sure their children are receiving proper care.”

Espaillat cites a study by Democratic New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand’s office that shows child care costs for city residents rising $1,612 per family each year. The study further shows that the average New York City family spends up to $16,250 per year on child care for an infant, $11,648 for a toddler and $9,620 for a school-age child. Gillibrand, like Rangel, has endorsed Wright in the congressional race. Espaillat said he had not spoken to the senator about his plan.

Espaillat’s plan would increase the CDCTC for families with children under four, allow families to claim 50 percent of child care costs up to $6,000 per child, and increase the maximum credit for families receiving federal, state, and city credits by 43 percent per child, making the maximum credit $8,775 per child.

Only families making under $30,000 a year with children under four years of age are eligible for the city tax credit. Families of all income levels with children up to the age of 13 are eligible for the state and federal credits, but the credits shrink depending on income. The state and city CDCTC are calculated as a percentage of the federal credit, so an increase to the federal plan would in turn boost state and local aid.

Espaillat’s policy paper estimates that “A family receiving the maximum federal, state, and city credits would receive $6,143-just over one-third the average price of child care for an infant in New York City. But a family earning $50,000 with a three-year-old child would only receive $2,400. This is a massive burden on New York City’s working- and middle-class families.”

Espaillat said he believes his proposal is one that could attract bipartisan support and gain traction in Congress because people across the country struggle to pay for child care. “This cuts across state and party lines,” Espaillat told Gotham Gazette. “This is like student loans; it has universal appeal whether you are a Democrat, Republican, or independent.”

***
by David King, Albany editor, Gotham Gazette
     

Read more by this writer.



Print Friendly and PDF

Editor's Choice


Gotham Gazette: New York Voters Approve $4.2 Billion Environmental Bond Act
New York Voters Approve $4.2 Billion Environmental Bond Act
Gotham Gazette: 
New York City Voters Approve Racial Justice Ballot Measures
New York City Voters Approve Racial Justice Ballot Measures
Gotham Gazette: 
Housing Development in New York City Slows to a Crawl as Officials Debate Tax Incentives
Housing Development in New York City Slows to a Crawl as Officials Debate Tax Incentives
Gotham Gazette: 
City Council Examines Low Voter Turnout, Moving Local Elections to Even Years City Council Examines Low Voter Turnout, Moving Local Elections to Even Years