May 9, 2018 – Urban CNY

News

Governor Cuomo Issues Letter to Acting Attorney General Barbara D. Underwood and Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas

by Urban CNY News
May 9, 2018

Acting AG Underwood was sworn in on May 8, 2018 by NY Chief Judge DiFiore. Underwood’s husband Martin Halpern held the Tanach. Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today issued a letter to Acting Attorney General Barbara D. Underwood and Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas. The text of the letter is below: May 8, 2018 Honorable Barbara D. Underwood Acting Attorney General of the State of New York State Capitol Albany, New York 12224 Madeline Singas District Attorney of Nassau County 262 Old Country Road Mineola, NY 11501 Acting Attorney General Underwood and District Attorney Singas: The integrity of our justice system is of paramount importance. News of former Attorney General Eric Schneiderman’s alleged improprieties as the State’s chief legal officer are grossly disturbing and must be fully investigated. The brave women who chose to come forward deserve swift and definitive justice in this matter. Accordingly, pursuant to Executive Law § 63(2), I hereby require that the Nassau District Attorney Madeline Singas be designated Special Prosecutor and Special Deputy Attorney General (hereinafter “Special Prosecutor”) to investigate, and if warranted, prosecute, any and all matters concerning the public allegations against Mr. Schneiderman, as reflected in the New Yorker article dated May 7, 2018 titled “Four Women Accuse New York’s Attorney General of Physical Abuse,” as well as any matters that may arise from this investigation. Ms. Singas is the former head of the Special Victims’ Bureau at the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office and the founding member of the Domestic Violence Bureau at the Queens County District Attorney’s Office, so she has specific and extensive expertise in this area. In addition to investigating the specific allegations outlined against Schneiderman in the article, the Special Prosecutor shall investigate facts in the article suggesting that the Attorney General staff and office resources may have been used to facilitate alleged abusive liaisons referenced in the article. The Special Prosecutor shall have the powers and duties specified in subdivision 2 of section 63 of the Executive Law for purposes of this review, and shall possess and exercise all the prosecutorial powers necessary to investigate, and if warranted, prosecute the alleged incidents. The Special Prosecutor shall work with District Attorney Tim Sini of Suffolk County regarding the incident that reportedly occurred in the Hamptons located in Suffolk County. In addition, the Special Prosecutor shall work with any other District Attorneys who have relevant fact patterns. The Special Prosecutor’s jurisdiction will displace and supersede the jurisdiction of the New York County District Attorney’s Office (“DANY”), as there appears, at a minimum, an appearance of a conflict of interest with the Attorney General’s Office, which is currently investigating the relationship and actions between DANY and the New York Police Department and their handling of alleged illegal acts including sexual harassment and assault, by producer Harvey Weinstein. There can be no suggestion of any possibility of the reality or appearance of any conflict or anything less than a full, complete and unbiased investigation. The victims deserve nothing less. Accordingly, in relation to the matters at hand, the DANY shall have only the powers and duties designated to it by the Special Prosecutor as specified in subdivision 2 of section 63 of the Executive Law. Thank you for your immediate attention in this matter and full cooperation. I request that District Attorney Singas address this as a top priority. Sincerely, Andrew M. Cuomo

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What is Red Day? Keller Williams Realty Syracuse Celebrates Annual RED Day with Corporate Clean-Up of City’s Northside

by Urban CNY News
May 9, 2018

Keller Williams Realty International “Gives Back” on Annual Day of Service Thursday May 10th RED Day, which stands for Renew, Energize and Donate, is our annual day of service. Each year on the second Thursday of May, we celebrate RED Day as a part of our legacy worth leaving. Making a difference in the lives of others and bettering the communities that we serve lies at the heart of the Keller Williams culture. Red Day 2018 is Thursday May 10th 2018; this observance defines who we are and is a natural extension of our commitment to the highest level of professional customer service. Over time, a growing number of our family members and friends continue to participate in this extraordinary event. It embodies the generous spirit and commitment associates have to “giving back” to the cities and towns they live and work in. This year Keller Williams Realty Syracuse is partnering with the Mayor’s office in the city of Syracuse to help “Clean up the Cuse” Neighbors on the city’s north side reached out to the Mayor’s office to ask for some help and have chosen as our Red Day event to help pick up litter and trash on the city’s north side from Spencer Street to Hiawatha Blvd traveling along N State Street, Basin Street and Lodi Street. We do this to give back to our community and Celebrate Mo Anderson the past CEO and President of Keller Williams Realty International. For more on MO- http://www.kw.com/kw/mo-anderson.html Here is a link that might explain a bit more. About RED DAY https://youtu.be/4UPODSWVyX0 We will be meeting at 9 AM at Dunkin Donuts on North Salina Street and Division to begin our work. and teams will move out from there.

News Voices

Hawkins Calls for Expanding Public Housing, Making it Mixed Income

by Urban CNY News
May 9, 2018

Says Public Subsidies for Private Housing Development Are Rife with Pay-To-Play Corruption Syracuse – On May 4th Green gubernatorial candidate Howie Hawkins stood in front of a demolished public housing site in Syracuse to call for a massive expansion of public housing as a way to make housing affordable in New York State. Hawkins also advocates for an expansion of rent control statewide. Hawkins also said that existing public subsidies for private housing development invites pay-to-play corruption, enriching wealthy campaign contributors while doing little to make housing affordable for low- and moderate-income New Yorkers. “Quality, safe public housing puts downward pressure on private rents. It compliments rent regulations in cities that have them. New public housing should be built in the cities and the suburbs as high-quality, mixed-income, humanly-scaled, scatter-site, green-building projects,” Hawkins said. “This new public housing program will be a jobs program, a desegregation program, and a clean energy program as well as an affordable housing program. These high-quality projects will improve the quality of life in every community in which they are built,” Hawkins said. Hawkins said that the old large-scale public housing projects concentrated poverty and segregated minorities. New York’s metropolitan areas are among the nation’s most segregated cities by race and class. Metro Syracuse is the most racially segregated city in the nation with a population between 100,000 and 1 million. Hawkins was joined by former residents at the site of the former 400-unit Kennedy Square low-income public housing on S. Crouse Ave. The site is now a staging area for parking, equipment, and materials for construction workers who were busy as Hawkins spoke building upscale apartments across E. Fayette St. for the Syracuse University community with rents ranging from $1,400 to $2,500 a month. Hawkins criticized Governor Cuomo’s 5-year $20-billion housing investment program announced in 2016 because almost all of the money goes to private developers as grants, tax credits, or low-interest loans instead of going to municipal public housing authorities. “These so-called public/private partnerships are rife with pay-to-play corruption. The poor management, degradation, and finally destruction of Kennedy Square is a case in point. 400 units of affordable housing was destroyed, with no affordable housing built to replace them. Instead, COR Development got the site from the Empire State Development via Upstate Medical University in a no bid, no money down deal,” Hawkins said. COR announced in 2011 that upscale housing and commercial space that catered to Upstate’s needs would be completed by 2016. Nothing has been built to date. All the principals in the Upstate/COR deal at Kennedy Square have been caught up in corruption charges related to this and other deals, including David Smith, former President of Upstate Medical University; Alain Kaloyeros, once head of SUNY Polytechnic Institute and Cuomo’s chief development strategist; Steven Aiello and Joseph Gerardi, partners at COR Development, and Joseph Percoco, formerly Cuomo’s campaign manager and closest aid in office. “Public housing operates at cost for public benefit, not for private profit, and is less susceptible to pay-to-play schemes. It is more efficient than subsidized private housing. Building maintenance expenditures are based long-term maintenance, not short-term investor profits. The staff are union workers with job security, not property managers, whose job security requires keeping costs low and profits high for absentee landlords. It gives security to tenants, who are not subject to landlord whims,” Hawkins said Hawkins said the initial plans of the Syracuse Housing Authority to redevelop its properties near Interstate 81 as a mixed-income, mixed-use community well-served by public transportation is the kind of public housing design he supports. He supports the Community Grid option to replace the I-81 elevated highway and wants to see quality public housing developed there as well when that land becomes available. The New York City Housing Authority needs an investment $25 billion just to bring its projects up to a decent standard by removing mold and lead paint, fix heating and cooling systems, and other repairs. Hawkins said the NYCHA investment should be part of a larger state commitment to improve existing public housing and radically expand the supply of public housing. Hawkins said the housing affordability crisis reaches well into the upper-middle-class in New York’s cities. Over 50% <https://www.osc.state.ny.us/reports/housing/affordable_housing_ny_2014.pdf> of New York renters now pay more than the federal affordability standard of 30% of household income. More than 25% pay more than 50% of their income in rent. In Syracuse, 53% of renters <http://npcnys.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/syracuse_snapshot.pdf> spend 30% or more of their income on housing and 29% spend over 50% on rent. 3,000 people <http://www.syracuse.com/opinion/index.ssf/2016/05/syracuse_housing_crisis_traps_low-income_families_your_letters.html> are on waiting lists in Syracuse for one of the 3,500 public housing units in the city. 6,800 additional people are on the waiting list for section 8 vouchers – now referred to as the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program – which subsidize the renting from private landlords. Hawkins pointed to examples in Europe, where public housing typically provides well over 20% of all rental housing, keeping rents in the whole rental market affordable. In Finland, three-quarters of residents are eligible for public housing. In Vienna, 60% of renters live in municipal and cooperative public housing. In the U.S. public housing accounts for less than 1% of housing units. Hawkins said the projects should be built with green building designs. They should produce more clean energy than they use through solar and wind power and heat pumps for heating and cooling. They should also fight global warming by capturing greenhouse gases through carbon-sequestering building materials and living roofs and walls. To help with housing affordability, Hawkins said he also supports repeal of the Urstadt Law to establish municipal home rule on rent regulations, rent stabilization coverage for all Mitchell-Lama and project-based Section 8 buildings that have left government supervision, and a rent affordability “circuit breaker” through an income-based tax credit to cap rents at 30% of household income. Hawkins would fight housing segregation with stronger enforcement of existing fair housing laws, a state law banning discrimination based on source of income such as Section

Entertainment News

The Great New York State Fair Announces Creation of Latino Village, a Weekend Celebration of Culture

by Urban CNY News
May 9, 2018

Village Seeks Vendors, Exhibitors, and Musicians for 2018 Event The Great New York State Fair will continue to broaden its reach into the communities of New York State with the creation of Latino Village, a weekend celebration of Latino culture, Acting Fair Director Troy Waffner announced. The Village will operate from Friday, August 24 to Sunday, August 26 at the Fair’s New York Experience area on the western end of the Fairgrounds. The event builds on the success of last year’s inaugural La Feria event and is part of the Fair’s ongoing effort to represent the diverse cultures of New York State. The celebration will include Latin-themed food, crafts, music and other entertainment. Latino Village is seeking food and crafts vendors, musicians and others who would like to become part of the weekend event. Interested parties may contact Elisa Morales, event superintendent, at latinovillagenyfair@gmail.com. Exhibitors will pay a $100 fee for the weekend. The inaugural event in 2017 featured Latino bands and musicians from across the state playing several styles of music, as well as vendors offering food and crafts particular to the culture. The New York Experience area is home to several of the Fair’s special events, including Family Fishing Day and Timber Sports and Forestry Day. The area features a large pond and many chairs and picnic tables, where Fairgoers can enjoy a peaceful moment amidst the hustle and bustle of the Fair. The Experience stage offers musical performances beginning in the afternoon. “We are creating a unique cultural experience for people of all ages and colors,” Morales said. “Latino culture is an important part of New York State culture and I invite everyone to come enjoy what we have to offer.” “Latino Village joins the Pan-African Village and Indian Village in representing important cultural groups within our state. We program diverse musical acts on our Chevy Court stage. We seek constantly to diversify our lineup of food and merchandise vendors. We continue to work towards our goal of a Fair that represents the best of all of New York State,” Waffner said. “What a wonderful setting! I really felt I was experiencing the true Latino culture,” said musician Edgar Pagan of the group Grupo Pagan, which performed last year. “Food, music, activities, people — I was especially touched to see such a diverse gathering of people visiting and enjoying the experience together. A beautiful vibe! I danced the night away and ate way too much. Such a joy that left me proud but also very happy for all the others there. I appreciate that the Fair offers themed villages that allow us all to enjoy the beautiful cultures in our world!” Latino Village maintains a Facebook page here. The New York State Fair, operated by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, runs from August 22 to September 3, 2018. The Fair’s mission, reflected in its theme, “FIND YOUR GREAT,” is to showcase the best of New York agriculture while providing top-quality entertainment. The home of the Great New York State Fair is a 375-acre exhibit and entertainment complex that operates all year. A year-round schedule of events is available on the Fair’s website. Find The Great New York State Fair on Facebook, follow @NYSFair on Twitter, on Snapchat at nysfair and enjoy photos from the Fair at Flickr.com/photos/nysfair. Also, New Yorkers are invited to send their ideas for the Great New York State Fair at statefairideas@agriculture.ny.gov.

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