Deutsch Asks Obama For Last Minute Reprieve of Rubashkin
City Councilman Chaim Deutsch (Sheepshead Bay, Manhattan Beach, Brighton Beach) this week sent a letter to President Barack Obama asking to commute or pardon Sholomon Rubashkin, a Brooklyn raised butcher who once owned one of the world’s largest kosher meat packing plant in Postville, Iowa.
In November 2009, Rubashkin was convicted of 86 counts of financial fraud, including bank fraud, mail and wire fraud and money laundering. In June 2010, he was sentenced to 27 years in prison.
Deutsch’s plea for clemency comes on the same week that Obama, in his final week of office, commutated the sentences of 209 individuals and pardoned 64 others.
“I was dismayed to see that Sholom Rubashkin’s name was not among those issued clemency. In response, I prepared a letter with several of my colleagues to the President as a last ditch effort to ask for his compassion for Mr. Rubashkin, a 51-year-old father of ten children who was sentenced to 27 years in prison. Mr. Rubashkin has already served seven years for his non-violent offenses,” wrote Deutsch to Obama.
The letter was also sent to Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, the US Attorney General and Deputy Attorney General, and the White House Counsel to the President. As it is highly unlikely that Obama will commute Rubashkin’s sentence today, published reports state that Deutsch plans on asking incoming President Donal Trump for clemency in the case once he gets acclimated to his new position.
Schumer Praises Wayne Barrett, 1945-2017
U. S. Senator Schumer yesterday praised the life and work of noted muckraking journalist and author Wayne Barrett, 71, of Brooklyn, who died yesterday from lung complications.
Barrett is noted as a longtime investigative Village Voice journalist covering mainly New York State and City politics, who mentored a number of current journalists of renown, and wrote the definitive biography of incoming President Donald Trump, Trump: The Greatest Show on Earth: The Deals, the Downfall, the Reinvention.
Barrett’s work also contributed to Schumer’s initial election to the U. S. Senate in 1998 with his muckraking coverage of defeated three-term Republican incumbent Al D’Amato.
“Wayne Barrett was a brilliant beacon for New York, trying to clean up our politics, enhance the careers of young journalists, and telling the tales of late 20th century New York. If heaven has a flaw, we are going to find out soon. Because Wayne will have a long, detailed and impactful story up on it in a week. He will be greatly missed,” said Schumer.
On a personal note, Barrett personally came into the offices of Our Time Press, while I worked there as an editor/reporter/columnist and praised both my work and Our Time Press for our continued coverage of Bedford-Stuyvesant and Central Brooklyn. It is a memory I cherish as a journalist.
Malliotakis On Cuomo’s Executive Budget
Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis (R – Bay Ridge, Staten Island) this week released a statement in response to the Governor’s 2017-2018 Executive Budget proposal.
The $152.3 billion spending plan comes amid a projected $3.5 billion deficit from what will come into the state through taxes and other resources. However, it is slightly less than last years $155 billion state fiscal year budget.
“Simply put, the Governor’s Executive Budget proposal is an irresponsible and costly proposal that fails to put the fiscal interests of hardworking taxpayers first. In order to pay for his ambitious and costly agenda, the Governor plans to increase taxes on New Yorkers by adding a sales tax on online purchases, increase vapor and cigar taxes, impose an Uber and ridesharing tax, and implement a surcharge on prepaid wireless services and devices,” said Malliotakis.
“Once again he is proposing to inappropriately spend taxpayer dollars to fund the political campaigns of state office holders and provide tuition assistance for illegal immigrants, misguided proposals that I have fought against and will continue to oppose.
“Despite my many concerns with the Governor’s budget proposal, it does take small steps in beginning to address issues that are important to my constituents back home. I was pleased see the Governor’s commitment to the State’s heroin and opioid epidemic continue. Specifically, the Governor’s budget would add eight variations of fentanyl to the New York controlled substance schedule, making them subject to criminal drug penalties. This is a change that our district attorney and police chief have said would be helpful in their efforts to hold drug dealers accountable.
“In addition, the budget also proposes to establish the Offices of Inspector General for the New York Port Authority. Time and time again we’ve seen the Port Authority’s misuse of toll dollars. I look forward to discussing the intended role of the Inspector General in hopes that it will provide the necessary oversight to ensure greater accountability in their operations.”
Dilan Named To Select Committee on Technology and Innovation
Senator Martin Malavé Dilan (D-Bushwick, Williamsburg, Greenpoint, Cypress Hills, City-Line, East New York, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brownsville) this week was named to the new Senate Select Committee on Technology and Innovation.
The 11-member, bi-partisan committee will work to support the growth and development of technology businesses and broaden career opportunities statewide.
“This is an incredibly exciting opportunity for me and the constituents of the 18th Senate District. Brooklyn is well represented in the fields of technology and innovation. I welcome the opportunity to give our start-ups and new technologies a voice in the larger movement to share their ingenuity and experience throughout the state and beyond socio-economic divides,” said Dilan.
Among the committee’s goals is to explore the current and future needs of New York’s technology sector and shape new policy that will both strengthen economic development and create jobs by increasing access to technology programs. The committee will also collaborate with state agencies and outside sponsors to open new opportunities to otherwise marginalized New Yorkers such as, veterans, disabled individuals, minorities and women.
Other Brooklyn and Queens senators on the committee include Jesse Hamilton (D, Brooklyn); Kevin S. Parker (D-WF, Brooklyn); and Toby Ann Stavisky (D, Flushing).
Hamilton Continues Battle For Criminal Justice Reform
State Sen. Jesse Hamilton (Brownsville, Crown Heights, East Flatbush, Gowanus, Park Slope, Prospect Heights, Prospect Lefferts Gardens, South Slope, Sunset Park) has entered the state legislative session with a renewed commitment to criminal justice reform, and in particular to raise the age from 16 to 18 for those charged with crimes between those ages to be tried as adults instead of youthful offenders.
New York continues to be the only state other than North Carolina that prosecutes all youth as adults when they turn 16 years of age. Statistics point out this adversely impacts people of color to a much larger degree than whites.
“Equal justice under law” is emblazoned on our United States Supreme Court Building. We have yet more work to do to bring those words to life. For far too many New Yorkers, when they encounter the justice system they do not receive equal justice,” said Hamilton in his e-newsletter.
“We know that young people are brutalized by uniformly putting them through a justice system designed for adults. We know that adolescent brains are not fully developed. And we know that the life chances of young people put through our justice system are severely impacted by this policy. That’s part of the reason 48 other states have taken a different path than New York. It is time for us to bring our justice system up to the high standard “equal justice under law” demands.
“Time to #RaisetheAge in New York State. I will join my Senate colleagues in efforts to pass legislation to raise the age of criminal responsibility in NY to 18. Our young people deserve better.”
