Rosenthal, Kallos to Speak at 2019 Government Procurement Conference
Representatives Helen Rosenthal (D-Central Park, Lincoln Square) and Ben Kallos (D-Yorkville, Lenox Hill) will be two of the ten speakers at this year’s Government Procurement Conference.
The Government Procurement Conference is an annual event whose purpose is to foster business partnerships between local governments, prime contractors and small MWBEs. The panelists will provide attendees with an inside look at the government procurement process.
The event will take place on Thursday, Oct. 24 from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. at National Geographic Encounter, 226 West 44th St.
Krueger Presses State Comptroller on Fossil Fuel Divestment
Yesterday, State Senator Liz Krueger (D-Upper East Side, Lenox Hill) and 11 other State Senators sent a letter to State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli (D) urging him to pursue fossil fuel divestment.
Specifically, the letter calls for him to study a fossil fuel divestment scenario as part of his five-yearly asset allocation plan for the Common Retirement Fund.
“The climate crisis is here,” reads the letter. “Fiduciary and moral responsibility require the process of divestment to begin now. The writing on the wall could not be clearer; fossil fuel producers are a bad long-term investment. Divestment will protect workers and retirees from the rapid devaluation these companies will suffer in the coming energy transition.”
Chin Grills Admin to Step Up Oversight of Film Shoots in Residential Neighborhoods
Yesterday, Council Member Margaret Chin took officials from the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME) to task over the lack of City oversight of the film industry.
At a hearing conducted by the Council’s Committees on Technology and Small Business Services, Chin recounted an instance a production staffer joked that they were Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) while filming on the corner of Mott and Pell Streets in Chinatown. In response, MOME was forced to issue a sensitivity training to the individual.
“Lower Manhattan residents are proud when they see their neighborhoods showcased in movies and TV shows, but that does not mean my constituents need to tolerate bullying from production staffers, unsafe streets and unannounced film shoots on their narrow residential blocks,” said Chin. “It is time for MOME to provide stronger oversight of the impacts of film productions and a demonstrated commitment to prioritizing sensitivity and, most importantly, respect for our neighborhoods. We need balance, and more efforts to make this a positive experience for everyone, including pedestrians and small businesses.”
