MANH Lawmakers on the Move, Mar. 9, 2020

Maloney Hosts Petitioning Breakfast for Volunteers

Last Saturday, U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens) hosted a petitioning breakfast for her campaign volunteers.

The breakfast took place at Tivoli Café, 283 Third Ave. In attendance were over fifty volunteers, along with State Senator Liz Krueger (D-Upper East Side, Lenox Hill) and Assemblymembers Rebecca Seawright (D-Upper East Side, Yorkville) and Harvey Epstein (D-Lower East Side, East Village).

“Every campaign is built on the hard work of volunteers, who help get a candidate’s message out to the voters,” said Maloney. “I’m fortunate and grateful that so many people are spending their Saturday morning make sure we get on the ballot this year.”

Rivera to Join StreetsPAC Transportation Themed Meet-and-Greet

Council Member Carlina Rivera (D-East Village, Gramercy Park) will be present tonight at a transit safety- themed meet-and-greet, hosted by the political action committee StreetsPAC.

Rivera will be joining several other electeds, including Council Member Brad Lander (D-Brooklyn) and State Senator Jessica Ramos (D-Brooklyn). Together, they’ll be discussing bike lanes, busways and other aspects of city transportation policy.

The event will take place tonight from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Pinks, 242 East 10th St.

Kallos, Maloney Cut Ribbon on $212K Worth of Renovations at Eleanor Roosevelt High School

Last Friday, Council Member Ben Kallos (D-Yorkville, Lenox Hill) and U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens) cut the ribbon at Eleanor Roosevelt High School, to celebrate the completion of renovations and upgrades to the school’s library and resource center.

Kallos facilitated the project with the allocation of $212,000 in funding out of his discretionary budget. The center was provided with new LED lighting, new flooring and new podcasting equipment, among other upgrades.

“High school libraries should be modern and welcoming places where students are comfortable and it is easy to learn,” said Kallos. “Funding education initiatives has been a priority of mine since I got into office. I am proud to have allocated these funds because I know they will have a positive impact on the students that attend Eleanor Roosevelt High School.”

Nadler and Co. Criticize De Blasio for Appealing Court’s 200 Amsterdam Ave. Ruling

Last Thursday, U.S. Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-Manhattan, Brooklyn) wrote a joint statement with several other New York lawmakers regarding the de Blasio Administration’s decision to appeal the State Supreme Court ruling on the near-completed condo building at 200 Amsterdam Ave.

The developers, SJP Properties and Mitsui Fudosan America, had previously received a permit to construct the 668-foot structure. Last month, however, the State Supreme Court revoked the permit and ordered the developers to reduce its height by at least 20 floors, in accordance with the neighborhood’s zoning limit. The Court argued that the developers had circumvented zoning laws by building on a “gerrymandered” 39-sided plot.

Since then, Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) has filed an appeal to challenge the ruling, on the grounds that the developers had received the permit legitimately after an exhaustive review process. However, Nadler and his peers – among them City Comptroller Scott Stringer (D) and Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer (D) – do not agree.

“The de Blasio Administration’s decision to appeal the recent State Supreme Court ruling on 200 Amsterdam is shocking and disappointing,” reads the statement.

“The City’s appeal is not in line with its own actions and statements regarding the question of gerrymandered zoning lots. The New York City Department of Buildings has already acknowledged that they issued permits for 200 Amsterdam in error. And just two days ago, the DOB issued a ‘rule change’ which clarified that ‘a newly formed zoning lot may not consist of parts of tax lots.’ It defies reason for the Administration to fight a court order which affirms its own correction of its initially flawed process.”

Chin, City Agencies to Address Xenophobia Amid COVID-19 Outbreak

Today, Council Member Margaret Chin (D-Battery Park City, Chinatown) will join Chinatown Partnership LDC and Chinatown BID for a forum on the rise of racism and xenophobia amid the COVID-19 outbreak.

Chin and her peers will discuss how to protect yourself from the virus, and what to do when facing racial discrimination or harassment, among other issues.

The event will take place today at 3 p.m. at the Chinatown BID Operation Center, 49 Madison St.