Showing posts with label Nydia Velazquez. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nydia Velazquez. Show all posts

Saturday, April 12, 2014

Pols call for a change in plans for condos-in-park scheme

From the NY Times:

Brooklyn Bridge Park, which stretches 1.3 miles along the East River waterfront, was a creation of the administration of Michael R. Bloomberg, with a novel — and contentious — financing mechanism in the form of luxury housing in the park.

But now that City Hall is under new leadership, a group of elected officials is calling on Mayor Bill de Blasio to scale back some of that housing, intended to help pay for the costly upkeep of the park, which is buffeted by tides. In particular, they want the mayor to halt plans for two residential towers at Pier 6, one of several recreational piers in the park.

In a letter to Mr. de Blasio, dated April 7, a group of city, state and federal lawmakers expressed their dismay at the “breakneck speed” with which the administration was pursuing the housing at Pier 6 and urged the new administration to “work collaboratively on alternative park financing, rather than moving forward with the Bloomberg plan.”

The letter was signed by State Senator Daniel L. Squadron, State Assemblywoman Joan Millman, United States Representative Nydia M. Velázquez, and City Councilmen Stephen T. Levin and Brad Lander.

Maintenance of the waterfront park, whose piers are adversely affected by marine organisms, as well as winds and tides, is unusually expensive, estimated to cost about $16 million a year. But the housing, some of which is already built, was controversial from the start, with a number of community leaders and lawmakers arguing that it set a dangerous precedent for public parkland.

Monday, October 28, 2013

Big increase for flood insurance

From CBS New York:

U.S. Reps. Carolyn Maloney and Nydia Velazquez (D-N.Y.) warned Sunday a dramatic increase that could soon be facing New Yorkers.

The lawmakers joined property and small business owners, co-op residents and other community members Sunday at 200 East End Ave., a co-op building on the Upper East Side that recouped $4 million in damage after Superstorm Sandy, but now reportedly could be hit with astronomical insurance premiums as a result of the Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012.

Maloney said in a news release that the rising flood insurance premiums are not affordable, and could deter people from buying insurance at all. Maloney asked for a delay in the rate increases, which she said could raise New Yorkers’ premiums by $5,000 to $10,000.

Maloney said the National Flood Insurance Program is crucial, but it cannot be built on the backs of hardworking New Yorkers.

A recent City of New York study indicated that New Yorkers could see their rates jump by as much as $10,000, from current levels as low as $430, as a result of the Flood Insurance Reform Act and upcoming Federal Emergency Management Agency Maps, Maloney’s office said.

Her office said New Yorkers from the Upper East Side to Red Hook, Brooklyn and the Rockaways could be affected.

Monday, October 1, 2012

Nydia calls for investigation of Vito's charity

From the NY Post:

Rivals of embattled Brooklyn Assemblyman Vito Lopez — who is enmeshed in a sex-harassment scandal and is on the ropes politically — are now taking aim at the $120 million social-services empire that has served as his power base.

Rep. Nydia Velazquez told The Post that it’s time for a “comprehensive investigation” of operations at the Ridgewood Bushwick Senior Citizens Council, founded by Lopez in 1973 and funded by government grants he and his allies have helped secure ever since.

“You know, there are too many arms within the organization,” said Velasquez, a longtime Lopez critic who beat back his vigorous attempt to unseat her last June.

“I do believe that the services they provide are important. But the whole government structure, as well as the different arms — that should be evaluated by the city officials.”

Ridgewood Bushwick is one of the city’s largest social-service agencies, with programs from home care to senior centers to job training.

After the Department of Investigation reported in 2010 that its board was a rubber stamp with little idea what it was doing, city officials forced a reorganization at the top.

Four months ago, before the harassment charges against Lopez were made public, three Brooklyn City Council members close to him allocated $873,589 of their “member item” funds to the group. Leading the pack was Erik Dilan, who challenged Velasquez with Lopez’s backing.

Last year, the state delivered $845,806 in three discretionary grants.

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Velazquez mailer raises question


How does the post office deliver mail when it's addressed like this?

Monday, August 15, 2011

Justifying their salaries

From the Daily News:

Congress is on vacation, but with some lawmakers it's hard to tell the difference.

Twenty-year Brooklyn incumbent Rep. Nydia Velazquez has not sponsored one bill, amendment or resolution this year.

Between her $174,000 salary and a staff that earned $898,211 last year, that's a stiff price for inactivity, congressional watchers said.

"In the words of another famous New Yorker, 'They got some 'splaining to do,'" said Norman Ornstein, a resident with the American Enterprise Institute, a nonprofit research center.

A Daily News survey found that Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-Manhattan) ranks first among New York's 28 representatives for activity with 36 proposed bills, resolutions and amendments.

Maloney and Rep. Jerrold Nadler co-wrote last year's 9/11 Health and Compensation Act. Nadler (D-Manhattan) tied for third in the entire delegation with 21 proposals.

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Electeds call for repair of Navy Yard structure

From HDC Blog:

February 28, 2011

The Honorable John McHugh
Secretary of the Army
1400 Defense Pentagon
Washington, DC 20301-1400

Dear Secretary McHugh:

We are concerned about the historic structures of national significance on the Admirals Row site at the Army’s former Brooklyn Navy Yard in New York. Admirals Row is a six-acre section of the property which was vacated in the mid-1970’s but has remained in federal control. We ask that you ensure quick action to allow emergency stabilization of the Timber Shed and Building B in advance of the planned property transfer, while also completing the transfer expeditiously. These historic structures are severely deteriorated and in need of emergency repairs and stabilization if they are to be saved.

The National Guard Bureau (NGB) has identified these two buildings on the site to save. However, due to agency constraints is unable to perform the needed work on the Timber shed. The potential and likely purchaser, the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation (BNYDC), which controls the remainder of the Yard, has communicated their willingness to undertake that work, but has been unable to obtain the necessary agreement from the Army Corps of Engineers and the NGB. The BNYDC has successfully executed other building preservation efforts at the yard, and is the designated agent of the City of New York to which the property is slated for transfer, by an act of Congress.

It is disappointing to see these historic structures further deteriorate while their preservation is held up by administrative processes. The 1853 Timber Shed is the last remaining of its type in the country and Building B would be the only one of the row buildings preserved. Understanding that the Department of the Army takes its responsibilities for historic preservation seriously, the current delays are surely the result of well-intentioned actors. However, the urgency of the situation needs to be addressed. We understand that two million dollars of federal funding has been identified for preservation of this property. We applaud that level of commitment by the Department of the Army, and ask that while the transfer paperwork is being completed, all efforts be made to hasten the site access by BNYDC to perform the urgent stabilization work on these two historic structures.

Sincerely,

Charles E. Schumer, United States Senator
Kirsten E. Gillibrand, United States Senator
Edolphus “Ed” Towns, United States Representative
Nydia Velázquez, United States Representative

Sunday, May 2, 2010

Congressmembers pushing statehood for Puerto Rico

From the Daily News:

The House on Thursday approved a bill that could move Puerto Rico to statehood - exposing a rare and bitter rift between New York members from the island territory.

Bronx Democratic Rep. Jose Serrano backed the measure, calling it a vital step to ending colonial rule, even as his usual ally, Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-Brooklyn) blasted it as a "disgrace," "shameful" and "appalling."

The measure offers Puerto Rico - a U.S. territory for 112 years - a two-step vote.

The first would ask whether Puerto Ricans - including those living in the States - like the current territorial commonwealth status or if they want change.

If the vote is for change, a second vote would ask what change they want.
Velazquez and Harlem Rep. Charlie Rangel, whose father was Puerto Rican, said the measure was a backdoor move to a statehood vote on the island that has failed three times in the past.

"It is baffling that the statehood option, which lost in 1967, in 1993 and again in 1998, is now allowed to scheme its way to victory," Velazquez said.

Before the debate, the bill had offered three options for change: statehood, independence or an independent "free association" like three other former U.S. territories.

Velazquez argued that if keeping the current status was no longer on the ballot, statehood - always the second choice in the past - would win by default.

She favors a Puerto Rican constitutional convention.

Velazquez managed to win an amendment to add keeping the status quo to the choices.


Wow, was this one of the most pressing issues that Americans faced when choosing their leaders last November? No.

But it would bring in more electoral votes for Democrats. Notice how there are 2 referendums on this planned for the island but none for Americans.

Tweeding on the national level.

Saturday, December 26, 2009

Queens pols want amnesty for illegals

From the Queens Campaigner:

Queens members of Congress helped to lead the push for national immigration reform last week, co-sponsoring legislation to legalize millions of undocumented individuals that has drawn praise from Mayor Michael Bloomberg, foreign workers and immigrant rights activists in the borough.

U.S. Reps. Anthony Weiner (D-Forest Hills), Nydia Velazquez (D-Ridgewood), Joseph Crowley (D-Jackson Heights) and Gregory Meeks (D-Jamaica) were four of the more than 87 co-sponsors of the Comprehensive Immigration Reform for America’s Security and Prosperity Act introduced by U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.) Dec. 15.

“We believe part of our effort to pull the country out of the economic doldrums has to include immigration reform,” Weiner said. “We need to make sure we encourage this work force to come out of the shadows.”

The bill, which has come under fire from some Republican lawmakers, seeks to legalize undocumented individuals by requiring them to prove they have been working, register with the government, learn English, undergo a criminal background check and pay a $500 fine, among other steps.

Should an individual meet all the requirements, he or she would be able to receive a six-year visa and then a green card. The recipient also would be able to travel throughout and outside the country.

The act would funnel more funds into training and equipment for border guards and require the U.S. Homeland Security Department to improve immigration jails.


Questions:

How about public assistance, Medicaid, etc? When will they be eligible for those? Why would we invite an entire class of people to help themselves to handouts?

How will they prove they have been working when most are paid cash and off the books?

Won't they be subject to minimum wage standards and compete with Americans for jobs once they are granted amnesty, which defeats the purpose of looking the other way and reaping the benefits of having them be "guests" here?

What about the ones that don't qualify? Will we still be embracing our sanctuary city policies so they can stay?

Photo from the Daily News

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Reyna wins, party boss loses in the 34th Council District

From the Village Voice:

"How can you explain being the party boss, the chair of the democratic party, and not supporting the democrat in this election?" said Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez as she stumped for Reyna in the 34th. "That's outrageous"...

Velazquez called [Vito] Lopez a "bully" whom she'd been "standing up to" for years, " and attributed his lack of support for Reyna to his need to control money, politics and power.

Reyna started in politics by working for Lopez. Eventually she became his chief of staff. And in her first two, successful city council campaigns, she had Lopez's support.

But then, earlier this year, Reyna set herself against Lopez by coming out against the controversial rezoning of the Broadway Triangle, a project Lopez wanted passed in the city council. Velazquez said that's when Reyna "became her own person."

In September, Lopez held a large rally where he introduced Davila as a candidate for the 34th district and described her as a "team player".

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Hey Bloomberg: There are ditches in Queens, too

From Brownstoner:

The Columbia Waterfront Association mentioned last week that a primary concern for the land use committee this fall will be the fate of the one-mile stretch of the BQE, known as The Ditch, that separates the Columbia Waterfront from Cobble Hill and Carroll Gardens. The Brooklyn Paper reported in 2008 that Representative Nydia Velazquez (D–Gowanus) had obtained $300,000 in public funds for a study to explore possible solutions. Ideas being thrown around at the time included the mayor's call for housing decks above the highway, or parks and pedestrian bridges. The Paper reported again last June that the Economic Development Corporation had much less ambitious concepts for The Ditch: planted buffers, new street furniture, sidewalk repairs, and other primarily aesthetic improvements. What would you like to see?

I'd like to see the ditches of Queens get as much love as those in Brooklyn. LIE, anyone?

Sunday, August 16, 2009

Congress bailing out slumlords

From the NY Post:

A bill winding its way through Congress proposes to prop up deteriorating apartment complexes by injecting $2 billion from the Troubled Asset Relief Program into an effort to stabilize multifamily properties in default or foreclosure.

The bill, which is called the TARP for Main Street Act and was sponsored by House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank (D-Mass.) and Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-Brooklyn and Manhattan), would use TARP funds that have been returned by banks and plow it into programs that, according to the bill, would create "sustainable financing" for the complexes as well as provide funding for property rehabilitation.

The House is considering the measure, which focuses on apartment buildings with units that are either rent stabilized or receive government subsidies.

Many developers during the housing boom bought rent-regulated apartments by borrowing against the properties themselves and betting they could make hefty returns by converting them into market-rate buildings.

However, thanks to the recession and the collapse of the real estate market, many developers are now struggling to make mortgage payments, let alone finance repairs and upkeep of the properties they own.


From the Daily News:

Some of the city's worst landlords are sharing in $81 million in federal stimulus money - even though their buildings are riddled with housing code violations.

Since March, millions of dollars have been doled out to buildings where tenants have repeatedly complained of rats, roaches, faulty elevators, lack of heat and flaking lead paint.

Millions more will follow.

The problem is that the Recovery Act distribution makes no distinction between good landlords and bad ones.

As a result, landlords - regardless of the number of serious housing code violations they've racked up - are allowed to pocket stimulus money without being forced to make repairs.

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Maspeth wants fewer trucks and more parks


This past Saturday, Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley, Councilman Tony Avella, representatives of Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez and State Senator Joe Addabbo, 3 Assembly candidates, local residents and civic groups gathered at the Clinton Diner in Maspeth to protest Waste Management's plan to truck garbage to the neighborhood instead of loading it directly onto the rail next to their property for shipment out of state.

They also called on Mayor Bloomberg to acquire the former site of St. Saviour's Church as a public park. Interestingly, the site is listed on PlaNYC's website as an ideal potential site for a park as identified by respondents to surveys.

The Assembly candidates suggested using eminent domain to acquire the park and filing an environmental lawsuit to stop the WM plan.

Although WM has been stating publicly that 50 sanitation trucks a day would enter their transfer station on Review Avenue and 65 a day would truck garbage to the Maspeth Railyard, the EIS for the project mentions 81 and 144 respectively.



The cockamamie WM plan is no surprise as members of the Vallone family, including Peter Sr. and Paul, have thus far accepted $1M from Waste Management to lobby the city for the project. Here's a sample lobbying report from 2005; they have represented the company from 2002 until now.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Bloomberg's Gowanus plan is full of crap

From the Brooklyn Downtown Star:

The city is relying on paying for a large part of its proposed Gowanus Canal cleanup with Congressional funding that the Star has learned is not available now or in the foreseeable future.

As an alternative to an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Superfund cleanup, the Bloomberg Administration has proposed a cleanup plan to be carried out by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that would be partly funded by a Congressional appropriation awarded through the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA).

City officials have said their plan would rely on up to, or potentially more than, $100 million in WRDA funding, and would only work if Congress appropriates the funds for the canal.

But an investigation into WRDA guidelines, and interviews with Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez - whose district includes the canal and who has led efforts to plan for its cleaning since 2002 - and with the Army Corps (USACE), shows that a cleanup of the Gowanus Canal has not been authorized for any Congressional funding and is not likely to receive any for the next several years, if not longer.

If this is true, it puts into question the legitimacy of a city plan that Velazquez criticized as infeasible.

Saturday, June 20, 2009

Curious about congressional mailing

"How the hell was this delivered by mail considering the way it is addressed?" - anonymous

Friday, October 31, 2008

Nydia: "Land Grabs Like This Give Eminent Domain A Bad Name."


This lady just makes too much sense. Watch the Tweeders' faces as she testifies.

This is a commercial that WPIRA will be putting on the air:

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Willets Point not as toxic as they say

WILLETS POINT SUBCOMMITTEE MEETING REVEALS ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION AT WILLETS POINT NOT AS DIRE AS CITY CLAIMS

At the Willets Point Land Use Subcommittee Planning, Dispositions and Concessions hearing yesterday, Council Members grilled officials from the Deputy Mayor Robert Leiber and Seth Pinsky, President of the NYC Economic Development Corporation on topics including the use of eminent domain to seize land and raised serious questions about the City's claim that the site is a toxic wasteland and all businesses need to be removed in order to remediate the area.

"The city's own studies have failed to detect the terrible contamination they claim is present in Willets Point. There are official federal and state processes for identifying the most contaminated sites and those processes have never shown that Willets Point is contaminated at even a fraction of the levels that would warrant designation," said Michael Gerrard, noted environmental attorney. "The only times the government tears down communities because of contamination is when there is a horrible chemical legacy such as at Love Canal. The key point here is that of if Willets Point had that kind of legacy, the city would never want to take title to it because of the liability it would be assuming."

The EDC today announced 3 additional deals to relocate businesses in Willets Point, bringing the total number of deals to 8 out of the total 260 businesses in the area. Based on this low number of negotiated deals, the City's plan currently appears to rely significantly on the use of eminent domain to take private property for its development plan, raising question from several Council Members. Council Member John Liu stated, "Seizing 90% of the land would be wrong and inexcusable, and we cannot, in good conscience, support a plan that amounts to that."

Council Member Vicent Ignizio stated his belief that the use of eminent domain to take people's land to give to a private developer was "fundamentally wrong."

Council Members also questioned the spending of billions of dollars of taxpayer money at a time that the city is looking to cut spending for education, public safety and environmental protection, while raising property taxes and personal income taxes.

Also at issue was the fact that 1,700 above-average wage jobs would be lost during an economic recession if the city council were to vote in favor of the redevelopment plan.

Congresswoman Nydia Velasquez said, "Shame on the City of New York! The plan just doesn't make sense. Don't we need to protect manufacturing jobs and blue collar jobs?"

Friday, October 3, 2008

Nydia is very upset with Bloomberg

“It is totally wrong. It is totally un-American. It is totally undemocratic to overturn the people’s will that has been expressed clearly in two different referendums,” Ms. Velázquez said in an interview outside of Brooklyn Borough Hall this morning. “I reject the notion that, because of the fiscal crisis, we should use this as an opportunity to overturn the people’s will.”

Term Limit Plan Called ‘Totally Un-American’

She continued: “New York City is one of the most resilient cities in the nation. It was shown after 9/11, when Giuliani wanted to use the attack as an argument to turn back the people’s will. This would be wrong. It’s morally wrong. And I will pose the question: Is it legal?”

More specifically, Ms. Velázquez said that any changes enacted by the City Council after the two referendums would have to be approved by the United States Department of Justice’s civil rights division, since three of New York’s boroughs — Manhattan, Brooklyn and the Bronx — are protected under the federal Voting Rights Act.

“I would certainly call into question the validly of any changes that may occur by the City Council without the approval of the Department of Justice,” Ms. Velázquez said. “A change like that would certainly lead me to call into question the potential of the disenfranchisement of minority voters in New York City. And we will be looking into that.”

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Velazquez & Towns tour Ridgewood Reservoir

On Tuesday morning 8/12, Congressmembers Nydia Velazquez and Edolphus Towns toured the Ridgewood Reservoir with reporters, community members and park advocates.
A group of them descended down into basin #3, which is said to have the most diversity in bird species. This is the basin that Parks would like to see developed.
A great description of what is happening here is found on Save Ridgewood Reservoir's site. After observing the varied habitat, they climbed back up and reassembled the group in the parking lot where the elected officials made closing remarks.

Sounds like Nydia's in favor of preservation.

Rep. Anthony Weiner was invited to come but instead opted to have a "pen-and-paper sitdown" with reporters.

Photos by Rob Jett.

Monday, July 14, 2008

Cleaning up the Creek


Lawmakers want feds to declare Newtown Creek a Superfund site
By Helen Kennedy
Daily News Staff Writer

New York lawmakers asked the feds Sunday to help clean up Newtown Creek, the estuary that runs between Queens and Brooklyn, by declaring it a Superfund site.

The waterway, long a dumping ground for industrial and domestic waste, is one of America's most polluted places.

As many as 30million gallons of oil have been spilled there over the years.

Democratic Reps. Anthony Weiner and Nydia Velazquez, whose districts encompass the filthy creek, said a Superfund designation would start the slow flow of up to $15 million in federal cleanup funds.

They want the Environmental Protection Agency to start testing the waters immediately.

A Superfund designation would start a cleanup process that would take a decade, the lawmakers said.

"The contamination of Newtown Creek is nothing short of a human tragedy," Velazquez said. "The time to act is now."

Video from Miss Heather.

Monday, June 2, 2008

Making the case for Ober

Charles Ober’s Signature is a Record of Accomplishments not Just Election Time Puffing

As the special election in the 30th Council District enters the home stretch, each candidate has had an opportunity to market themselves with glossy handouts, appearances at senior centers, at so called debates, including the NY1 Dominic Carter Show “Inside City Hall”, a resume` that includes their education and civic accomplishments and their background. Although I am not a blogger myself, I have read many of the comments posted on blogs by anonymous writers, many who are more venomous than accurate. However, the competent bloggers often link you to newspaper stories or court records to substantiate their claims or accusations. After perusing what the candidates have put in print and listing to what they say and how they say it, I have come to the conclusion that the most sincere and honest candidate is Charles Ober. Charles is not a party candidate and he is the only one that does not have a questionable political past. He is the only one with an outstanding civic record, Incidentally, civics are made up of Volunteers; they are not paid for a no-show job nor are they like past elected officials who only operated with the taxpayers' money.

Take the time this weekend to read and re-read all that the candidates have mailed out and you will agree with me that Charles Ober has the fortitude, the sincerity, the past accomplishments, and the devotion to our community to be elected to represent us in the NYC Council District 30. Charles Ober was endorsed by the very Honorable Councilman Tony Avella and named by Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez as a delegate to The Democratic National Convention. Now! Do your part, get out and vote for Charles Ober on June 3rd.

Edward Kampermann
Middle Village, NY

P.S. Dan Jacoby feels the same way.

So does Pauline Park.