BP Adams Decries Passage of GOP Tax Bill
Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams decried the passage of the Republican Tax Bill yesterday.
On Wednesday, the House approved a massive Republican plan to overhaul the tax code, clearing the bill’s final hurdle in Congress and sending it to President Trump to be signed into law, according to The Washington Post. The measure was approved in an overwhelming vote of 224 to 201 with all Democrats voting against the legislation including 12 GOP members.
The new plan would permanently drop the corporate tax from 35 percent to 21 percent, while also rewriting the individual tax rules to lower rates and restructure deductions. The plan would cut taxes in 2018 for the vast majority of households, with by far the largest benefits going to the wealthy. Many of the tax breaks are set to expire at the end of 2025, leaving a large section of the middle class to pay more in taxes. But Republicans promise a future Congress will intervene to prevent that tax hike from happening.
“The Congressional passage of a $1.5 trillion tax bill will do nothing but add a financial burden onto the backs of children, working- and middle-class families, and seniors in Brooklyn and across America. This plan was written to enrich corporations and the wealthy, while increasing the federal deficit and putting a strain on urban budgets,” said Adams.
“New York City will be hurt by this shameful piece of single-minded legislation as it reduces our capacity to create and preserve affordable housing, improve and expand delivery of medical care in our public hospitals and clinics, as well as implement infrastructure improvements like repairs to our beleaguered subway system. We need a bipartisan solution to our fiscal problems, and everyday New Yorkers need to mobilize in response to the risk this bill poses to our most vulnerable neighbors,” added Adams.
Malliotakis Delivers Toys To The Guild For Exceptional Children
Assembly member Nicole Malliotakis (R-Bay Ridge, Staten Island) will distribute toys to local children in time for the Holiday season today.
Malliotakis collected the toys locally with help from Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Church, the Dimitrios & Georgia Kaloidis Parochial School, and Salam Arabic Lutheran Church.
The Guild for Exceptional Children is a non profit organization that provides assistance to children, adults & seniors with developmental & intellectual disabilities including cerebral palsy, epilepsy, autism and down syndrome. The organization focuses on giving disabled individuals self advocacy and life skills.
The event is slated for 12-noon, today, Dec. 21, at The Guild For Exceptional Children Early Childhood Education Center, at 1273 57th Street in Manhattan.
Espinal Named One of 2017’s New Yorkers of the Year
City Council member Rafael Espinal (D-Bushwick, East New York) was named one of 2017’s New Yorkers of the Year by Time Out Magazine yesterday.
Espinal joined the ranks alongside other memorable New Yorkers of the past 12 months including Desus y Mero, Drag Queen Sasha Velour, Writer Ashley C. Ford and Entertainer Bridget Everett. Espinal was recognized for his work on repealing NYC antiquated Cabaret Law of 1926 which restricted dancing and kept business owners in fear for almost a century.
The new bill, Intro No. 1652-A, was passed earlier this year and is part of Espinal’s larger effort to support the diverse culture nightlife brings to the city and follows the creation of NYC’s first-ever Office of Nightlife and Nightlife Advisory Board. The new government offices will liaise between local residents, city agencies and nightlife establishments. The Office will also address residents’ quality of life concerns, and make policy suggestions on how to support nightlife, including ways to improve its workforce conditions.
“I’m honored to be recognized as a New Yorker of the Year, especially during the first year of Donald Trump’s Presidency. The federal administration has motivated me to work hard on the issues that New Yorkers care about and continue fighting to protect our values. As a born and raised Brooklyn boy, I share this honor with the entire borough and all those who are fighting every day to make New York a better place,” said Espinal.
Cumbo Hosts Multi-Cultural Holiday Celebration
City Council member Laurie Cumbo (D-Clinton Hill, Fort Greene, Crown Heights) will host a Multi-cultural Holiday Celebration for the community today.
Cumbo will host the family-friendly holiday party in conjunction with the local business improvement districts and community stakeholders. The event is to celebrate the culmination of another year of accomplishments and major victories for the 35th Council District.
The celebration will be Winter Wonderland themed and will feature live performances, arts and crafts and a special appearance by Santa Claus.
The event is slated for 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., today, Dec. 21, at University Settlement – Atlantic Terminal Community Center, at 501 Carlton Avenue (corner of Atlantic Avenue) in Clinton Hill.
Treyger Encourages Reading During Holiday Season
City Council member Mark Treyger (D-Coney Island, Bensonhurst, Gravesend) and Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) have teamed up to present the Brooklyn Reads Brooklyn program, creating reading lists for all age groups that highlight books about Brooklyn and books written by Brooklyn-based authors.
Brooklyn Reads Brooklyn was borne out of a shared desire to see both young people and adults dedicate time during the holiday season to reading. A former New Utrecht High School teacher, Treyger frequently lamented that students would lose the momentum built during the first few months of the school year by neglecting to read during the winter holiday break. The Council Member and the BPL team devised the young adult reading list as part of an effort to make sure students stay engaged with the process of learning, even when school is not in session, while discovering more about the borough they call home. Accompanying Brooklyn Reads, Brooklyn reading lists were designed for adults and family reading, so older readers can set a positive example and turn reading into a bonding activity for the entire family.
All three of the lists – including the young adult reading list, the family reading list, and the adult reading list – celebrate the diversity, rich history, and thriving modern excitement of Brooklyn and the borough’s long tradition of authors. Books on the lists reach across all genres, and feature both established classics and more recent hidden gems.
“I love to read, and I have for as long as I can remember. Reading is the pathway to knowledge, and even when I had time off from school, I always found my way to a good book. This holiday vacation, encourage your children to dedicate some of their free time to reading. As Brooklyn grows and thrives, it continues to be an inspiration to creative and innovative minds alike. Put one of these Brooklyn-themed books in the hands of a student during the holiday season, and who knows? They might just be inspired, too,” said Treyger.
CM Williams ‘Housing Not Warehousing’ & Excavation Bills Pass City Council
City Council Member Jumaane D. Williams (D-Flatbush, East Flatbush, Midwood) applauded the passage of two of his housing bills aimed at improving affordable housing and excavation requirements across the city yesterday.
The first measure, Intro 1039-A, will require the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) to report on the vacant buildings or lots under the jurisdiction of HPD, categorized by the potential to be developed or the feasibility of development those buildings or lots as affordable housing. The bill is one of three in a legislative package commonly known as the Housing Not Warehousing Act.
The Housing Not Warehousing Act is seen as a key tool for the preservation and construction of desperately needed affordable housing units in the city. Proponents of the bill argue that the development of the volume of units needed to meaningfully address the need that the city faces in this area requires full knowledge of all resources and tools available.
“For the first time in its history, New York City will be empowered to conduct a census of vacant property. The affordable housing and homelessness crisis we face presents an incredibly complex problem, and this legislation provides us with an essential tools toward creating solutions. As someone who participated in the count that took place on the ground over a decade ago, I know how important this tool will be. Finally, we’ll be able to understand the extent of property warehousing throughout the five boroughs, and craft real policy solutions that create housing for all New Yorkers, especially those who are currently without homes,” said Williams.
The Council also passed a second bill from Williams, Intro 1120-A, which will require that the Department of Environmental Protection be notified whenever excavation or drilling to a depth greater than 50 feet is proposed in the Bronx or north of 135th Street in Manhattan, or greater than 100 feet elsewhere in the City. If the Department determines that such proposed activity is in close proximity to critical infrastructure, proponents would be required to obtain a permit from the Department, in addition to any permits or approvals required by the Department of Buildings.
“As New York continues to grow and develop, as we continue to build and expand, it is important that we take precautions to avoid any unintended consequences I’m happy to have been able to work with the administration to help ensure that excavations do not interfere with any existing infrastructure as we build not just up, but down, added Williams.
Deutsch Applauds Commutation of Rubashkin Sentence
City Council member Chaim Deutsch (D-Sheepshead Bay, Manhattan Beach, Brighton Beach, Homecrest) applauded the commuted prison sentence of Sholom Rubashkin by President Donald Trump yesterday.
Mr. Rubashkin is a 57-year-old father of 10 children and previously ran the Iowa headquarters of a family business that was the country’s largest kosher meat-processing company. In 2009, he was convicted of bank fraud and sentenced thereafter to 27 years in prison, according to initial reports. At the time of yesterday’s decision, Rubashkin had served more than 8 years of that sentence.
However, Wednesday’s action was not a Presidential pardon and does not vacate Mr. Rubashkin’s conviction. The decision will leave in place a term of supervised release and a substantial restitution obligation, which were part of Mr. Rubashkin’s original sentence.
In January of 2017, Deutsch alongside City Council members Andrew Cohen (D-Bronx) and Corey Lancman (D-Queens) sent a letter to then-President Barack Obama pleading for a last minute pardon for Rubashkin, who was denied the Presidential Pardon in the final week of Obama’s presidency.
“I’m thrilled to learn that President Trump has responded to years of pleas from elected officials, current and former members of the Justice Department, law enforcement officials, and the Jewish community. We owe a debt of gratitude to our president for standing up for justice and commuting Sholom Rubashkin’s sentence. I wish him and his family tremendous joy and future success,” said Deutsch.
