Kallos, Maloney Among City Electeds Continuing to Seek Donations
Councilmember Ben Kallos (D-Yorkville, Lenox Hill) and U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens) are just a few local politicians continuing to seek donations for their campaigns amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the New York Post reported Saturday.
Despite the financial hardships ordinary New Yorkers face during the crisis, fundraising continues to be an important goal to Kallos, who hopes to succeed Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer (D) as well as Maloney, who faces at least four different primary challengers to her seat.
“For most politicians, raising money is like breathing air. It’s so natural that they don’t know how to stop,” Chris Coffey, a Democratic strategist at Tusk Ventures, told the Post. “This crisis likely means 2021 candidates will have to wait many months before they can start raising again. It won’t be easy to make up the time.”
Johnson Calls for City Funeral Fund
City Council Speaker Corey Johnson (D-Chelsea, Hell’s Kitchen) called for a city fund to help low-income New Yorkers pay for their loved ones’ funerals Sunday, the Daily News reported.
Johnson added that many immigrants struggle to meet their funeral needs due to laws requiring the deceased’s social security number and that of those who apply for their interment.
“Many low-income communities of color have been the hardest hit by this terrible virus, and the cost of burying or cremating a loved one can be out of reach,” said Johnson. “So much about this virus is unfair, including its disproportionate impact on black and brown New Yorkers.”
Brewer, Rivera, Chin, Johnson, Powers Want Fewer Cars on Broadway
As COVID-19 rages on, a number of key figures have called to open a part of Broadway to pedestrian foot traffic to promote social distancing, Curbed NY reported Monday.
In a letter to Mayor Bill De Blasio (D), Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer (D) led Councilmembers Carlina Rivera (D-East Village, Gramercy Park), Margaret Chin (D-Battery Park City, Chinatown), Corey Johnson (D-Chelsea, Hell’s Kitchen) and Keith Powers (D-Upper East Side, Carnegie Hill) in calling on De Blasio to endorse the plan.
“The corridor is well-served—especially between Times Square and Chinatown—by a number of [business improvement districts] that may be able to assist the City in implementing and maintaining closures while ensuring that critical city resources are not diverted,” said the letter. “Moreover, it would also offer residents badly-needed space on a contiguous street that cuts through the heart of several neighborhoods in Manhattan.”
