Mosley Demands State, City Crackdown on Scamming Landlords
Assembly Memeber Walter Mosley (Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Prospect Heights, Crown Heights) on Friday demanded the State and City crackdown on landlords receiveing millions of dollars in property tax breaks under the J-51 housing program, in return for registering their buildings as rent stabilized, which many of them have failed to do.
In January 2016, Governor Cuomo called for a crackdown on these landlords in compliance with court rulings that found 50,000 units were illegally deregulated by landlords, however, of the 50,000 units that landlords were suppossed to register as rent stabilized, only 22,519 have since been registered, Mosley said.
“It is unacceptable that our Governor has failed to enforce rent regulations, allowing landlords to continue to illegally benefit from the J-51 housing program. And it is certainly inexcusable that our city officials have not gone far enough to protect our most vulnerable citizens, and their renters’ rights and protections – while costing our state millions in unjustifiable tax incentives,” said Mosley.
Cuomo On MTA Chair Prendergast Retirement
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo yesterday announced that MTA Chairman and CEO Tom Prendergast will retire from public service in early 2017.
Prendergast career with the MTA has spanned more than 25 years. He previously served as president of NYC Transit, president of the Long Island Railroad, and as MTA Chairman and CEO since June of 2013.
“Tom Prendergast has overseen the reimagining and modernization of the MTA and will be remembered for improving the commute, and the lives, of millions of New Yorkers who depend on our mass transit system,” said Cuomo.
“Tom has been an incredibly effective chairman and CEO and among the finest public servants I have had the privilege of working with. I thank him for his hard work and dedication to the people of New York, and wish him and his family the best on this exciting new chapter.”
De Blasio Appluads Cuomo For Veto Of Decriminalizing Gravity Knives Bill
Mayor Bill de Blasio on Saturday applauded Governor Cuomo for vetoing legislation that would have legalized a broad swath of dangerous knives and created significant uncertainty in the law.
“Credit goes as well to those district attorneys of New York City and law enforcement leaders who opposed the decriminalization of these deadly weapons. This sensible decision will help keep our streets safe and aid in the NYPD’s diligent work to stomp out knife assaults while officers continue to drive crime down to record lows,” said de Blasio.
“We must be diligent in ensuring fairness in our criminal justice system. While the answer is not legislation permitting the widespread availability of cutting instruments, it is incumbent upon us to discuss with the various stakeholders how best to ensure fair treatment for New Yorkers who do not intend to perpetrate an illegal act, but rather carry tools to and from work,” he added.
Malliotakis Presses On IDNYC Lawsuit
Republican Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis (Bay Ridge, Staten Island), and attorney Jeffrey Alfano will hold a press conference today to announce that attorney Ravi Batra has joined their efforts to prevent the City of New York from purging government documents acquired through the IDNYC application process.
Under Mayor de Blasio’s IDNYC program undocumented immigrants and other residents of the city can get offical city IDs allowing them to obtain such things as bank accounts, free and reduced prices to city cultual institutions and some city Social services. The program also allows the city to destroy documentaion used to obtain IDNYC.
Malliotakis argues that destroying public records is against the law, and says that it is important for security reasons these documents not be destroyed. De Blasio and other pro-immigrant rights groups worry these documents may be used by the incoming Trump Administration to start mass deportations of immigrants – many of whom have lived in America for yars.
The press conference is slated for 10 a.m. today on the steps of City Hall in Lower Manhattan.
