Letter to the Editor: Queens Center Mall Should Pay Living Wage by David M. Quintana - Leader-Observer

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Dear Editor:

On Saturday May 21^st, I attended a Town Hall meeting at St. Paul the Apostle Church in Corona with hundreds of others to demand that the owner of the highly profitable Queens Center Mall, the Macerich Company, give back to the community by transforming the publicly subsidized mall from a poverty wage center into a responsible development for workers of Queens.

Among those participating in the event were elected officials: NY State Senator Jose Peralta, NY Assembly Member Francisco Moya, NY Assembly Member Jeffrion Aubrey, and New York City Council Members Julissa Ferreras and Daniel Dromm.

The meeting was hosted by Make the Road New York (MRNY), Queens Congregations United for Action (QCUA), the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) and the Retail Action Project (RAP)

In exchange for the more than $100 million in tax breaks Macerich receives, a growing community, labor, clergy coalition is pushing to hold the Queens Center Mall owner accountable to the public by requiring retailers to pay a living wage with benefits, respect workers' rights to organize a union without threats or intimidation, and provide space for community services

The owners of the mall receive tens of millions of dollars in subsidies from our tax dollars and what does the community receive in return? Absolutely nothing.

Retail is one of the areas where the largest number of jobs are being created, and it is past time for retail workers to receive a living wage and be able to unionize without being threatened by their employers. It shouldn’t even be a question for the Queens Center Mall, one of the most profitable malls in the country (profits of $876 per sq foot) to become a living wage center and not a poverty wage one,

Many people who work at the mall barely make the minimum wage. As everyone knows, it’s not possible to live on such a low salary here in Queens, much less support a family.

I feel it's important that when we talk about economic development in our community, we should be talking about jobs that provide economic stability, jobs that can support a family and not part-time jobs with poverty wages and no benefits. Macerich should be made to require union neutrality from its retailers, so employees can decide whether or not to organize a union without fear of threats or retaliation.

A living wage bill is being debated in the NYC Council which would require businesses that receive tax breaks or City subsidies to pay their workers a living wage of $11.50 an hour without benefits or $10 an hour with benefits.

I would urge anyone reading this letter to contact their City Council member and tell them that they should vote to pass a living wage law in New York City. I believe it is a moral imperative that if someone works full-time they should be able to support their family and feed their children. Thank you.

Sincerely,

David M. Quintana

Ozone Park, NY

NY City Council Hearing on the Living Wage Bill - May 12th, 2011

Click here to view these pictures larger

Over 400 people turned out to the high-energy rally. Kimberly Ortiz, a member of the Retail Action Project, testified about working at a concession stand at the Statue of Liberty for $9.00 an hour. "Does that sound like life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness to you?" she asked. Council Member Darlene Mealy, who hosted the hearing as Chair of the Contracts Committee said "Our rents keep going up, food keep[s] going up, gas keep[s] going up, but our salaries don't go up." The rally culminated in a powerful moment of prayer during which the clergy marched across to 250 Broadway and the crowd turned to face the building. We raised up our hands and shouted for the walls of oppression to come tumbling down like the walls of Jericho, while the Shofar sounded seven times.

An extraordinary number both supportive and undecided council members participated in the hearing, a testament to the importance of this issue. For two and a half hours they went toe to toe with Bloomberg's representative Tukombo Shobowale. Citing the bogus million dollar study, he painted a doomsday scenario of tremendous job loss and stalled development in the outer boroughs. Council members did not buy it. Brad Lander called the study a “$1 million whitewash.” Charles Barron said "Wall Street profits, while we suffer. The study is a lie. You can alter a study to say anything." And Robert Jackson asked the Economic Development Corporation to try living on a salary of $20,000 a year.

Our team provided powerful testimony. Linda Archer, a McDonald's worker who was only given a 20 cent raise and a "rising star" t-shirt for her stellar job performance at the fast-food chain told the council they would be "rising stars" if they passed the bill. We also heard from Caitlin Kelly, author of the book "Malled: My Unintentional Career in Retail," Rev. Stephen Phelps of the Riverside Church, Dr. Ray Rivera of the Latino Pastoral Action Center and our excellent team of policy experts, including an expert from LA, testified that this law will help lift people out of poverty without all the negative consequences Bloomberg claims. Scroll down for links to media coverage.

Upcoming Event in Queens:

Town Hall about the Queens Center Mall: 

Mall Workers Speak Out for a Living Wage!

This Saturday May 21st, 3-5pm

St. Paul The Apostle Church

98-16 55th Ave., Corona

M/R train to Woodhaven Blvd

Media Coverage:

NY Daily News: Poll Finds NY Voters Support Living Wage

Bronx BP on Huffington Post: Why New York City Needs a "Living Wage" Law

NY1: Controversy Heats Up Over Living Wage Bill

"Inside City Hall" on NY1: Living Wage Debate

NY Times: Bloomberg Administration is Criticized on Wages

Politicker: Living Wage Fight Comes to City Hall

Crains: 'Living Wage' Backers Storm City Hall

Gotham Gazette: Living Wage Gets its Hearing

Moms Unite to Tell Wal-mart to Stay Out of NYC

Citing Back-to-Back Recalls on Games and Bunk Beds, Higher Prices on Toys, and the Largest Sex Discrimination Case in U.S. History, Moms Say Wal-mart Can’t Be Trusted

Honorable Una Clarke, Councilwoman Julissa Ferreras, Former Working Mother at Wal-mart, and Local Mother & Daughter Come Together on Mother’s Day to Oppose Wal-mart

New York- On Mother’s Day, mothers from across New York came together to say ‘no’ to Wal-mart and to tell the Arkansas based giant that it can’t be trusted, and isn’t welcome in New York City. The mothers said they are unsettled by Wal-mart's track record of putting women and children in harm's way:

· Wal-mart is facing the largest class action lawsuit for sex discrimination in U.S. history

· Hazardous bunk beds sold at Wal-mart were recalled Thursday by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

· Wal-mart raised prices on kids’ toys during the holiday shopping season

· Largest seller of guns in the U.S.

“Having worked at Wal-mart and knowing how they treat moms I can tell you it’s never Mothers Day there,” said Zorylaine Perez, a mother of five and former Wal-mart employee who has joined Make the Road New York to stop Wal-mart from coming to the City. “Wal-mart can spend all the money they want to tell people otherwise but when it comes down to it they don’t value the ability of working moms to support their families as demonstrated by low wages I earned.”

“Mother's Day is a day we set aside to celebrate the sacrifices and contributions our mothers have made in our lives. However there are those who choose to take advantage and misunderstand the sacrifices by paying sub-par wages that are not in line with the cost of living. Wal-mart is a company that takes advantage of our mother's and we cannot allow them to take advantage of NYC's mothers. This Mother’s Day I honor my mother and all the mothers by reminding Wal-mart we will not let you walk all over them in stripping our mothers dignity with subpar wages,” said New York City Councilwoman Julissa Ferreras.

Minister Patricia Malcolm from CUSH said: “As women of faith and great value we are tired of being used, abused, underpaid and underserved. On this day, mother’s day we stand united to protect all that we stand for, recognizing that we are the backbones of our families and community and will no longer put up with those whose intentions are to further take advantage of us, like Wal-mart does.”

Nikeisha Sinclair, a retail worker of 3 years, Retail Action Project member and mother of a 6 year old daughter, “ Wal-mart keeps paying low wages even though the cost of everything is going up these days. New York’s moms deserve better than a retailer who is the biggest corporation in the world yet still cuts corners preventing mothers like me from providing for our families.”

Wal-mart has suffered 7 consecutive quarters of same-store sales declines in the US[1] and last year, Wal-mart Stores lost U.S. market share to its competitors for the first time in a decade.[2] To make up for falling sales, Wal-mart is looking to expand into major cities including New York.

“Wal-mart does not share mothers’ values,” said Former New York City Councilwoman Una Clarke, mother of Congresswoman Yvette Clarke. “Wal-mart raised prices on kids’ toys at Christmas. They sell bunk beds at risk of falling. They’re accused of discriminating against more than a million women- many of whom are mothers. New York’s mothers and grandmothers deserve better.”

"The world's largest retailer - Wal-Mart -- has already handed out its Mother's Day present in the form of unfair wages, and discriminatory promotion practices according to thousands of Californian women who have brought the country's largest class action gender discrimination lawsuit against the company. But this is "business as usual" for the retailer whose unfair labor practices in the past have ranged from such issues as breach of wage and hour laws, paying workers impoverished wages to violations of child labor laws and illegal intimidation of workers who have the right to choose a union to protect them. This abuse of workers offers the public just a small glimpse into this company's standard operating procedures -- a patriarchal culture that profits on the exploitation of vulnerable workers such as working mothers. So, this Mother's Day, in addition to those chocolates and flowers we will invariably send our mothers, wives, sisters, girlfriends, and partners, send a special message from New Yorkers to Wal-Mart -- only fair retailers need apply,” said Fran Moccio Former Director, Institute for Women and Work at Cornell University

“Mothers on the Move is committed to fighting for economic justice for all New Yorkers—that’s why we oppose any Wal-mart stores in our neighborhoods,” said Mothers on the Move. “Wal-mart squeezes out neighborhood stores and the workers they employ. We won’t let that happen here.”

Rep Weiner, CM Ferreras Call on City to Sell Sexist Statue on Craigslist

Today, Rep. Anthony Weiner (D – Queens and Brooklyn), Council Member Julissa Ferreras, Chair of the Women's Issues Committee, and representatives from local women’s organizations called on the City to get rid of the sexist statue near Queens Borough Hall, Triumph of Civic Virtue, which depicts a nude man standing atop two women, and sell it on Craigslist to raise funds.

Sculpted by Frederick MacMonnies, the Civic Virtue statue has been the source of controversy in the Kew Gardens community since 1941, when then-Mayor LaGuardia moved the offensive figure out of City Hall Park to Kew Gardens. The marble statue, which depicts a nude man with standing over the necks of two woman, has been an eyesore on the community ever since.

With the passage of time, the statue has worn down significantly – and considerations are now underway to restore the decaying, misogynistic figure. Potential repairs, according to the Parks Department, would cost tens of thousands of dollars.

Standing in front of the statue, representatives from the Eleanor Roosevelt Legacy and the Queens County Young Democrats Women’s Caucus joined Weiner and Council Member Ferreras in expressing their outrage over the offensive figure and urged the City to place the statue on Craigslist as means of raising revenue – rather than using already scarce funds to restore it.

“Mayor LaGuardia had it right when he banished this offensive statue from City Hall Park. Queens residents don’t want this sitting in our backward any longer,” Weiner said. “This statue is neither civil nor virtuous – and it’s time for it to go.”

"There is nothing NYC about this statue. It depicts women as weak and inferior to men- which is far from the truth- the statue has no place in a public space,” Council Member Ferreras said. “This should not be the first thing women see when getting out of the subway. The statue is located just one block away from the Queens Family Justice Center and sends the wrong message. It belongs in a museum."

Today’s press conference comes in the midst of recent anti-women proposals by the new GOP-led Congress, including the “Protect Life Act,” which would allow hospitals the right to refuse emergency abortions even when a woman’s life at stake, and the “No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act," which would impose tax penalties on Americans with private insurance plans that include abortion coverage.

Today, Rep. Weiner wrote to Edna Wells Handy, Commissioner of Department of Citywide Administrative Services, asking that the offensive Civic Virtue statue be removed and sold.

In the letter, Weiner stated, “Rather than pouring money into restoring the statue, the city should sell it on Craigslist. I am sure the city could come up with some productive uses for the proceeds.”

Full text of Weiner’s letter is below:

February 25, 2011

Ms. Edna Wells Handy

Commissioner

Department of Citywide Administrative Services

City of New York

1 Centre Street, Floor 17

New York, New York 10007-1602

Dear Commissioner Handy:

It’s time to get rid of Civic Virtue. Not the ideal, the statue. It’s sexist. It’s ugly. It’s time for it to go. I am writing to urge you to put the statue, located next to Queens Borough Hall, up for sale and removal.

The statue has been there since 1941, when then Parks Commissioner Robert Moses and Mayor Fiorello La Guardia moved it from City Hall Park in Manhattan. From the time the statue was moved to Queens, many members of the community have objected to the sexist nature of the statue, and I agree with them.

I appreciate the wealth and diversity of arts and humanities displays in the Borough of Queens. We have museums, cultural centers, stadiums and theatres – This statue does not contribute to the mix. It’s an eyesore that depicts a nude man standing triumphantly atop two women at one of the busiest intersection in Queens.

The statue apparently wasn’t appropriate for City Hall in the 1940s, and it’s an insult to think that it is fine for Queens today. What might have at one time been seen as a socially acceptable demonstration of our desire to stamp out vice and corruption is simply not appropriate today. This is particularly true given the assault on the rights of women underway today in Washington

I thank you in advance for your prompt attention and reply to this matter.

Sincerely,

ANTHONY D. WEINER

Member of Congress

Queens Pride House Tries to Stay Afloat by Mark Lord - Queens Chronicle

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Photo Caption: Queens Pride House director, Daniel Castellanos addresses a crowd at Tuesday night’s meeting. Photo by Pauline Park

Queens Pride House, the only community center for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered communities in the borough, is waging a battle to prevent itself from becoming yet another victim of the difficult economy. At an emergency community meeting on Tuesday night, organizers suggested that unless the group’s financial situation improves, and quickly, it may be forced to shut its doors for good next spring.

Nestled between a laundromat and a mini-market, a couple of flights up from a beauty salon, a billboard outside QPH touts the organization as “Working together against injustice, discrimination and violence in all forms.”

“We’re a young organization,” said treasurer Charles Ober, “and we have a huge fiscal challenge.”

QPH opened its first office in Queens Borough Hall in 1997. After years of identifying funding sources and community needs, the organization opened for service in Woodside in 2001.

“We wanted to be who we are here in our own neighborhood,” said Daniel Castellanos, one of the original founding members and current director of the organization.

In 2006, the group outgrew its space and joined two other community-minded organizations to create the Diversity Center of Queens at its current location in Jackson Heights.

QPH provides a variety of health-related programs and services, as well as social and cultural programming, in areas such as substance abuse, immigration, employment, healthcare, legal assistance and youth services. The organization served a total of 4,588 people last year alone.

Now, QPH is calling upon the community it has assisted for over a decade to come to its rescue.

“We came out of a grassroots structure,” explained Ober, “and we still run as one.” The group’s estimated annual operating budget is $300,000.

Originally, all staff members were volunteers.Since the move from Woodside, several individuals have become paid employees.Recently, because of budget issues, five of the organization’s eight paid workers have been laid off.

Like many other funded organizations, QPH seems to have been caught up in a bureaucratic tug of war.

“The governor wanted certain things that the legislature refused to pass, so the governor vetoed what the legislature wanted to pass,” said Ober.

As a result, most of the $83,000 that had been anticipated from the state is, at least temporarily, on hold.

Inequities in city funding have left the organization wanting, as well.

In a financial report distributed by Ober at the meeting, statistics indicate that QPH received only $5,000 from Councilwoman Julissa Ferreras’s (D-Corona) office for the current year, placing it in a distant last place for funding among the five boroughs LGBT centers. Its Manhattan counterpart, by comparison, received $225,000 from the City Council.

Last year, QPH received a total of $12,500 from three council members.

Compounding the group’s woes is the fact that the two other organizations that had been sharing rent expenses have both gone out of business, according to Pauline Park, president of the board of directors of QPH.

“We now have the full burden of the rent,” she said.

If Queens were a city, it would have the ninth largest gay population in the United States. Castellanos said “Our needs cut across many groups. We are an immigrant community; we have many issues of diversity.We don’t want to lose that.”

In an attempt to overcome the current crisis, the organization is considering sharing its office space with other organizations.An Internet fund-raising campaign is in the works and fundraising committees are being formed.Volunteers have been recruited to replace the laid-off staff members, but more are needed.

Despite the severity of the situation, the organization’s leaders remain die- hard optimists.

“I’m thrilled we had over 50 very enthusiastic community members here,” Park said. “I was excited by all the positive energy. By the end of next spring we’ll see if we can keep our doors open.”

“We will stand based on the grass roots in this room,” said Ober, regarding the standing-room-only crowd.“We expect some of our money to be released by the state.”

“It is disappointing that we were moving in the direction of a dream.We don’t want to slow down. We want to make that dream a reality,” said Castellanos.

For further information on Queens Pride House, or to make a donation, visit queenspridehouse.org

Hiram Monserrate Leading Movement Of Allies Running For A Variety Of Positions In Queens by Andrew Hawkins - City Hall News

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Hiram Monserrate is back. And this time, he's brought friends.

In addition to Monserrate’s alleged campaign for José Peralta’s old Assembly seat, a slate of aides, confidants and beneficiaries of the former lawmaker’s are running this year for a variety of positions—Assembly, district leader, state committee.

Local operatives see a vengeful effort orchestrated by Monserrate to claw his way back into power. But Monserrate allies say the number of people associated with him who are running this year is pure coincidence, dismissing claims of conspiracy as distracting from the issues.

“They want people to believe in the boogie man, but there’s no boogie man,” said Anthony Miranda, a former staffer of Monserrate’s who is running a primary campaign against Assembly Member Jeff Aubry in a district adjacent to Peralta’s.

Miranda co-founded the Latino Officers Association with Monserrate when both served on the police force in the ’90s. The two successfully sued the NYPD for discrimination, and later, when Monserrate ran for district leader, Miranda was at his side in support. They planned to take Northwest Queens by storm, running Monserrate for City Council and other candidates for district leader and State Senate, several people familiar with their efforts say. They did succeed in getting Monserrate elected to the City Council, making him the first Latino in elected office from Queens.

Calls to Monserrate, along with several e-mail requests seeking comment, went unanswered.

Miranda is not the only former member of Monserrate’s camp seeking office this year. Jim Galloway, president of the Lefrak City Merchants Association, is running for county committeeman. Monserrate has been a supporter of the small community group, and Galloway has in turn been one of Monserrate’s most vocal supporters.

“If he becomes the State Assembly person for that district, those people will have a jewel,” Galloway said. “It’s unfortunate what happened to him, his girlfriend. You know the rest.”

Terry Lewis—a self-ordained minister, former staffer during Monserrate’s Council and Senate days and all-around gadfly—is said to be running for district leader against James Lisa, whom Monserrate himself ran against over a decade ago. Hayden Horshen, who once worked for both Monserrate and his Council-successor Julissa Ferreras (and was fired by both), is said to be running against District Leader George Dickson.

Neither Horshen nor Lewis could be reached for comment.

On the other side of the coin is Peralta and his self-styled “unity team,” which includes Aubry, Assembly Member Michael DenDekker, Francisco Moya (who would be the candidate running against Monserrate for Peralta’s old Assembly seat), and Council Member Daniel Dromm and Ferreras, who are both seeking district leader positions.

A recent addition to Peralta’s unity team is Jessica Ramos, an organizer at District Council 37, who once worked for Monserrate but had a falling-out with the former senator. Ramos was running for district leader against former Council Member Helen Sears (who nearly became the Republican candidate in the special election to succeed Monserrate in the spring). But she has since been persuaded to abandon that effort and run for an open seat in another district.

Monserrate critics who claim to be familiar with his campaign style said that his efforts usually start out as a team effort, but usually end up with the singular mission geared just to elect Monserrate himself.

“Everyone who’s run with him, it always starts with ‘we,’” said one Queens official, “and it always ends up with ‘I’m the only one with a shot at this.’”

Aubry, who faces Miranda in this year’s primary, said he has never known Monserrate to bow down, even when the odds are clearly staked against him.

“He is a very driven individual,” Aubry said. “Even in the face of reality, he’s driven.”

Five Out Of Five Democrats Agree: Everyone Hates Hiram - Gothamist

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The five Democratic hopefuls for Attorney General will have some sparring ahead in their future endeavors to replace current AG Andrew Cuomo, but at least there is one thing right now that unites them all, beyond party lines and policies: a distinct disdain for one Hiram Monserrate.

Richard Brodsky, Sean Coffey, Eric Dinallo, Kathleen Rice and Eric Schneiderman all have heartily endorsed Democrat Francisco Moya for the 39th Assembly District seat over Monserrate, who recently began his political comeback by screaming outside a church. Moya said of the endorsements, "I'm honored that these 5 statewide leaders recognize my commitment to reform. Their endorsement demonstrates that even while Democrats may disagree on some things, we are ready to come together for the cause of reform and restoring honesty to our state government." And don't forget the cause of keeping Monserrate out of government!

The five pols join several other prominent politicians who have endorsed Moya over Monserrate, including Sen. Jose Peralta, who defeated Monserrate in a March special election; Julissa Ferreras, who holds Monserrate's old City Council seat; and Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, Manhattan BP Scott Stringer and former city Comptroller Bill Thompson.

Daily News political reporter Celeste Katz spoke with all five pols, who offered some serious anti-Monserrate fervor: former Federal Prosecutor Sean Coffey said, "Hiram Monserrate is grossly unqualified to be part of our growing reform movement and should instead focus on reforming himself. His many abuses range from the physically violent to the deep abuse of public trust that came as a result of his abhorrent behavior. Hiram Monserrate is a criminal who is part of the problem, not the solution." And Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice said, "It is also important that the people of this district and the people of New York reject Hiram Monseratte’s campaign. He has been convicted of domestic violence. Crimes like this need to be taken seriously. The people of this district can help be rejecting his candidacy.”

Jackson Heights Neighbors Band Together to Win Car-Free Street Expansion by Noah Kazis - Streetsblog New York City

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Jackson Heights residents and Council Member Daniel Dromm (bottom left) marched to Queens Community Board 3 to call for expanding the car-free 78th Street Play Street. Photo via Jackson Heights Green Alliance

Nearly 200 Jackson Heights residents marched on their community board last Thursday night to support the expansion of car-free public space in their neighborhood. That feat of organizing helped win the approval of Queens Community Board 3 for a summer-long 78th Street Play Street, reversing the stance of the board's transportation committee.

The play street debuted in the summer of 2008, but up until this year, it's only been in effect on Sundays. Now the street will be free from traffic for the entire months of July and August.

The play street occupies the block of 78th between Northern Boulevard and 34th Avenue, functioning as an extension of the heavily-used Travers Playground, which many parents in the neighborhood say is overcrowded during hot summer months. "We've got to find creative ways to increase the green space in the neighborhood," said Dudley Stewart of the Jackson Heights Green Alliance. "We're second to last in city districts as far as green space is concerned." Jackson Heights residents have used the play street for activities from chalk painting and ball games to learning to ride a bike.

Extending the play street to last through the summer was one of the planks in Daniel Dromm's campaign for City Council last fall. "Without him, it would have been almost impossible to have this happen," said Stewart. Since taking office, Dromm has leafletted neighbors and commissioned a traffic study on the play street. The summer-long extension also enjoyed support from City Council Member Julissa Ferreras, Assembly Member Michael DenDekker, Senator Jose Peralta, and U.S. Congressman and Queens Democratic Party Chair Joe Crowley.

Even so, the transportation committee of Community Board 3 voted against extending the duration of the play street, claiming that it would bring crime and noise to the neighborhood after dark, eliminate parking spaces, and block emergency vehicle access.

After that setback, local activists decided that they'd have to make a big push to convince the full board to overturn the committee's recommendation. Stewart told supporters to meet at Travers Park last Thursday before walking over to the board meeting. "I was expecting 30 people, 50 at the most," he said. "When 150 or 200 people arrived, it was just a wonderful spectacle." The crowd marched to the board meeting, chanting and singing the whole way.

It was an unprecedented display of neighborhood activism, said Stewart, who is a community board member himself. "It's never happened," he said. "It's unheard of in this district."

The marchers, many of whom were children, spoke to the board, and their testimony, along with some revisions to the plan to allow emergency vehicle access, helped win a 27-9 vote in favor of the extended play street. The plan now requires a formal go-ahead from NYCDOT, which, along with the health department, has spoken strongly in favor of the plan. FDNY and NYPD have also endorsed the extended play street.

What's next for the livable streets activists of Jackson Heights after this impressive victory? According to Stewart, open space remains the area's greatest need. If the summer-long play street is a success, he said, "We're going to try and work very hard to make it a permanent expansion to the park." Stewart also proposed looking for similar locations elsewhere in the neighborhood where summertime play streets could be put in place.

Council Progressive Caucus: Fat Cats Should Sacrifice Too by Frank Lombardi -The Daily Politics

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Ten of the 12 members of the City Council’s new Progressive Caucus held a tax-the-rich press conference shortly after Mayor Bloomberg gave his private budget briefing this morning to elected officials.

Their theme: Everybody’s being asked to sacrifice -- except the fat cats of Wall Street and well-off New Yorkers. They called for higher tax hikes on Wall Street profits and on New Yorkers earning above $500,000 a year.

Leading the tax-‘em bunch was Brad Lander (D-Brooklyn), who did most of the talking. Others included Margaret Chin (D-Manhattan), Daniel Dromm (D-Queens), Julissa Ferreras (D-Queens), Melissa Mark-Viverito (D-Manhattan) , Annabel Palma (D-Bronx), Diana Reyna (D-Brooklyn) , Ydanis Rodriguez (D-Manhattan), Deborah Rose (D-Staten Island and James Sanders Jr. (D-Queens).

While they downplayed the notion that they’re part of a mini-revolt, it’s unusual to have so large a segment of the Council speak up in unison on a budget this early in the process. The Council doesn’t usually reach a budget agreement with the mayor until mid-June, after prolonged behind-the-scene budget negotiations with Council Speaker Quinn’s finance staff and the councilmembers on the budget negotiating team.

Lander said the speaker was aware of the press conference, but deflected a question on whether she approved: “You’d have to ask her,” he said.

“We have to speak out,” one member of the caucus said of the move to inject the issue of tax increases into the troubled budget picture, indicating that some of them think Quinn has been too closely allied with the mayor on many issues, including the city budget.

Council insiders scoffed at the action by the progressive caucus, nearly half of whom are first-time members elected last year with the help of the Working Families Party. They said there’s not enough support for taxing Wall Street and wealthier residents among the majority of the 51-member Council. “They won’t happen,” said one.

New York City Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, NYC Councilmembers and NY Leaders Call Out Wall Street for Abuses...

New York Leaders Rally for Real Financial Reform, Call out Wall Street for its Abuses and Army of Lobbyists Fighting to Block Needed Protections

Today at New York City Hall, scores of community members joined elected officials and organizational leaders to rally and call on the United States Senate to stand up to Wall Street lobbyists and pass the strong financial reforms that are needed to fix our broken economy and prevent another economic crisis Big banks and Wall Street financial firms have spent more than $500 million, or $1.4 million a day, since the beginning of last year in lobbying and campaign contributions, a distorting influence that will only be worsened by the Supreme Court’s recent Citizens United ruling.

Participants in today’s rally included New York City Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, New York City Council members Jumaane Williams, Julissa Ferreras, Margaret Chin, and James Sanders, and members of the Americans for Financial Reform coalition including Demos, Make the Road NY, NEDAP, New York Communities for Change, NY Jobs with Justice, NYPIRG, and NY Citizen Action.

Public Advocate de Blasio spoke forcefully in favor of the corporate governance reform pieces of the Senate Banking Committee bill that will soon come to a floor vote “Real financial reform is not bad for businesses, it is a solid investment in the future of our economy,” said Public Advocate Bill de Blasio “I understand the critical value Wall Street provides to our City and that is exactly why I believe we need to rein in speculative financing practices. Real financial reform will create more stability in the financial system and will protect investors, government budgets, pension funds and everyday New Yorkers.”

Queens homeowner Jean Andre-Sassine described his two-year ordeal attempting to get his bank to talk with him about modifying his predatory loan “The broker and lender tricked us when we took out this loan, and it has been nothing but trouble for me and my family." said Andre-Sassine "A new Consumer Financial Protection Agency will protect families like mine from financial rip-offs and exploding mortgages If after all this pain and suffering we still cannot pass these basic reforms because of powerful bank lobbyists, I fear for our democracy itself.”

Neighborhood Economic Development Advocacy Project (NEDAP) Co-Director Josh Zinner called on the Senate to stand firm against the lobbying deluge and improve the bill on the Senate floor “The SEC’s recent action against Goldman Sachs is just the tip of the iceberg -- greed and corruption are pervasive and institutionalized in the financial services industry, and now the financial giants are using every tool in their arsenals to gut sensible financial reform,” said Zinner “Enough is enough The Senate must stand strong and resist the industry's efforts to riddle this bill with loopholes Further, the Senate should vote to make consumer protection truly independent and not subject to a veto by the same banking regulators who failed to prevent this crisis.”

Tamara Draut, Vice President of Policy and Programs for Demos, placed the financial reform bill in context of protecting and reviving a strong middle class in America “For decades, American families have been feeling the squeeze on all sides, and this crisis is the ultimate consequence of the deregulatory economic philosophy that championed the rights of predatory lenders over those of economically-strapped families,” said Draut “This financial reform package is critical to the survival of the middle class through its strong provisions that will help restore a level playing field and ending ‘Too Big to Fail’ bailouts.”

The Americans for Financial Reform coalition is specifically calling on the Senate to:

• Reform derivatives so that these complex and risky products are traded on open markets with adequate safeguards and minimum capital requirements.

• End “Too Big to Fail” banks by adopting a strong “Volcker Rule” and provide for an orderly resolution authority to make the industry and not taxpayers pay for failure.

• Create a strong and independent Consumer Financial Protection Agency without carve-out exemptions or a veto by banking interests.

• Pass strong corporate governance reforms to empower shareholders and bring transparency to corporate decisions.

• Regulate the ratings agencies and require brokers to act in the best interests of their investors.

The Senate is expected to take up the bill for debate on financial reform as well.

For more information, visit www.ourfinancialsecurity.org

Central Labor Council Endorses Queens Incumbents Minus Ulrich by Stephen Stirling - Queens Campaigner

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The Central Labor Council endorsed all but one of Queens’ nine City Council incumbents running for re-election, notably leaving off the only borough Republican member of the legislative body, Eric Ulrich (R-Rockaway Beach).

The CLC said it would endorse candidates in the Ulrich’s race and the other six disputed Council races in Queens after its candidate screening process, which will take place July 8. Jack Ahern, president of the 1.3 million member CLC, issued this statement regarding endorsements:

Today’s early endorsements recognize the strong support and positions taken for working people by these City Council Members. Each has shown a keen awareness and understanding of the issues, needs and concerns of working men and women, and have voting records that support the health, safety and well-being of workers in our city.

The candidates endorse by the CLC are listed below:

District 21 - Julissa Ferreras
District 22 - Peter Vallone Jr.
District 24 - James Gennaro
District 25 - Helen Sears
District 27 - Leroy Comrie
District 28 - Tom White
District 30 - Elizabeth Crowley
District 31 - James Sanders

Voters Cast Ballots for 3 New York City Council Seats by Trymaine Lee - NYTimes.com

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Special elections were held on Tuesday for three City Council seats in Queens and on Staten Island to fill vacancies left by candidates who were elected to other offices in November.

Eric A. Ulrich won in the 32nd Council District in Queens and Julissa Ferreras won in the 21st Council District, also in Queens.

With about 10,000 votes cast in the 49th Council District on Staten Island, Kenneth C. Mitchell was leading Deborah L. Rose by 34 votes, but numerous absentee ballots still remained to be counted. Mr. Mitchell or Ms. Rose will fill the seat formerly held by Michael E. McMahon, who was elected to the House of Representatives.

The winners will serve through the end of the year and will then need to run again in primaries and in the general election to keep their seats.

Mr. McMahon won the seat formerly held by Representative Vito J. Fossella, who did not seek re-election after a drunken driving arrest led to revelations that he fathered a child with a mistress.

There were 395 absentee ballots that remained to be counted in the Mitchell-Rose race, said Valerie Vazquez-Rivera, a Board of Elections spokeswoman. The absentee ballots will not likely be counted for another week, Ms. Vazquez-Rivera said.

Early returns showed Ms. Rose leading, but shortly after midnight Mr. Mitchell had moved ahead.

Ballots were cast in the district using paper ballots after a last-minute ruling added a candidate to the ballot.

Mr. Ulrich, a Republican, won the seat formerly held by Joseph P. Addabbo Jr. in the 32nd Council District. Mr. Addabbo was elected to the State Senate.

Mr. Ulrich, the Republican district leader, outspent each of the other candidates vying for the seat. Ms. Ferreras, a Democrat, won election in the 21st Council District in Queens, replacing her former boss, Hiram Monserrate, who was elected to the State Senate.

Ms. Ferreras, who was Mr. Monserrate’s chief of staff, had her candidacy tainted by questions of financial irregularities at a charity she was involved with and the legal problems of her former boss: Mr. Monserrate was charged in December with domestic violence and weapons possession after he was accused of slashing his girlfriend in the face.

Ms. Ferreras is the first Latina to be an elected official in Queens, according to the Working Families Party, which was behind Ms. Ferreras’ campaign.

Ulrich Wins the 32nd Council District Election by John Toscano - www.qgazette.com - Queens Gazette

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The Queens political world has a new Comeback Kid following 24-year-old Republican candidate Eric Ulrich’s smashing victory in Tuesday’s special election, which puts the GOP back on the political map again.

Ulrich, in winning the 32nd Council District election by more than 1,000 votes over second-place finisher Lew Simon, a Democratic leader in the Rockaways, brought the Ozone Park-Howard Beach seat back to the Republicans. Ulrich, the GOP District Leader in that area, becomes the youngest person to become a councilmember and the only Republican in the Queens delegation. According to unofficial and incomplete returns, Ulrich garnered 3,426 votes.

Ulrich replaces Joseph Addabbo Jr., who vacated the seat last November after winning the state senate post previously held by Serphin Maltese.

In other election activity in Queens on Tuesday, Julissa Ferreras won the 21st Council District post previously held by Hiram Monserrate, who had vacated the seat by also winning a state senate seat in November.

Ferreras, a 32-year-old Democrat, easily defeated three opponents and became the first Hispanic woman to hold a council post in the borough. The district covers the Jackson Heights-Corona-Elmhurst-East Elmhurst areas adjacent to LaGuardia Airport.

Ulrich’s victory follows closely upon state Senator Frank Padavan’s re-election in Northeast Queens, retaining him as the only Republican from the borough in the upper house of the state legislature. Besides being the Republican Party District Leader in Ozone Park, Ulrich also heads the Our Neighbor Civic Association of Ozone Park. He ran with the strong backing of the Republican Party county organization chaired by Philip Ragusa.

In a victory statement issued after the votes were in, Ulrich thanked Ragusa for the party’s support and recalled naysayers’ remarks: “They said a Republican can never win. He is just a kid. Well, we proved them wrong.”

Ragusa responded, “[Eric] reaped the fruits of his hard work organizing, party building and serving his community. The voters of this district clearly responded to his energetic and vigorous campaign.” He added, “I’ve said since November that rebuilding the Queens GOP will come in stages. The first block was Senator Padavan’s win. We had hoped Eric would be the second, and now he is. We are in a strong position to make further gains in the city council elections this November.”

Queens GOP Executive Vice Chairman Vince Tabone noted: “[Eric] knows everybody in his district. [He] was an outstanding candidate and will make a terrific city councilman. The county organization’s top priority was Eric’s election, as evidenced by the thousands of phone calls and e-mails we sent out, independent of Eric’s campaign, as well as the volunteers we directed to his race.”

Tabone also noted that Ulrich’s victory was not affected by the presence of a second Republican on the ballot, Mike Ricatto. Ricatto got 652 votes. Another Rockaway Democratic District Leader, Geraldine Chapey, received 891 votes.

Former Councilmember Tom Ognibene was credited with guiding Ulrich’s well-run campaign. Tribute was also paid to fellow Republican District Leaders Jane Deacy, William Johnert, Donna Caltabiano, Joe Kasper and Janice Bar; club leader Bernie Solow; Reagan Club President Rosemary Frissolone; Conservative Party Chairman Tom Long, and prominent Republican activists Tom Lynch and Pete Stubben.

The 32nd Council District, which besides Ozone Park and Howard Beach includes Broad Channel, the Rockaways and parts of Richmond Hill and Woodhaven, was represented by Councilmember Alfonso Stabile before he was succeeded by Addabbo in 2002. Ulrich will serve out Addabbo’s term, which expires at the end of this year.

In the 21st Council District contest, which was also on the ballot on Tuesday, Julissa Ferreras defeated Francisco Moya and George Dixon, both Democratic District leaders, and Jose Eduardo Giraldo. The Queens Democratic organization did not endorse a candidate in the 21st District race because Moya and Dixon, both district leaders, were in the field.

Ferreras, who was endorsed by the Working Families Party, tallied more than 7,000 votes, almost 44 percent of the total, for a very impressive victory. “Without the Working Families Party, I never would have been able to get out my message of uniting our communities. This campaign was about fighting for all of us, and I was proud to have the WFP with me every step of the way,” she said in a post-election statement.

A jubilant Jose Schiffino, a member of the Queens chapter of the Working Families Party, responded: “Julissa Ferreras will be a force for New York’s working families in the city council.”

Working Families Party staff ran the Ferreras effort, and organizer Ted Fertik served as campaign manager. In addition to the WFP’s involvement, Ferreras was endorsed by several municipal labor unions, members of which were also active in her campaign.

Besides working for several years as Monserrate’s chief of staff, Ferreras was also active as an advocate for students and parents at P.S. 19 in Corona, one of the city’s most overcrowded schools. In her job as a top member of Monserrate’s staff, she helped to serve the entire district in constituent matters. She also aided in one of Monserrate’s greatest victories, helping to shape the final development plan for Willets Point. Monserrate had advocated for more jobs for local residents as well as more affordable housing and community benefits than developers first intended to include as part of the plan.

Ferreras will complete Monserrate’s council term, which expires at the end of the year.

Rose and Ulrich Ahead, Ferreras Calls It for Herself by Elizabeth Benjamin - The Daily Politics - NY Daily News (Updated with NY1 Final Tallys)

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The unofficial results so far from the city Board of Elections in today's three City Council special elections are as follows:

32nd CD (Queens, Final 100.00% of eds reporting):

1. Eric Ulrich: 3,316
2. Lew Simon: 2,502
3. Geraldine Chapey: 846
4. Mike Ricatto: 651

Absentee ballots returned: 507

21st CD (Queens, 99 percent of eds reporting):

1. Julissa Ferreras: 2,216
2. Francisco Moya: 1,191
3. George Dixon: 781
4. Jose Eduardo Giraldo: 639

Absentee ballots returned: 328.

49th CD (Staten Island, with 100% of eds reporting):

1. Ken Mitchell: 4,130 *
2. Debi Rose: 4,096 *
   
3. Tony Baker: 849
4. John Tabacco: 558
5. Paul Saryian: 538
6. Donald Pagano: 532

There are still still the absentee ballots * to count...

*Absentee ballots returned: 395

All photos from candidates Facebook pages...except ken mitchell, from candidates web site...

Working Family Party Celebrates Ferreras Victory in 21st City Council District...

The Working Families Party congratulated today the historic victory of Queens City Council candidate Julissa Ferreras in the Special Election for the 21st City Council district.

The grassroots party played a major role in the victory, lending its staff to run Ferreras' bid to become the first Latina elected official in Queens.

“Julissa Ferreras will be a force for New York’s working families in the City Council,” said a jubilant Jose Schiffino, member of the Queens Chapter of the Working Families Party. “We endorsed Ferreras because of her tireless work fighting for responsible development and better schools, and we’re proud to have helped put her over the top.”

Working Families Party staff ran the Ferreras effort, and organizer Ted Fertik served as the campaign manager. The WFP and its affiliates, including ACORN, the Hotel Trades Council, and SEIU locals 1199 and 32BJ, together knocked on over 20,000 doors to help put Ferreras across the finish line.

Julissa Ferreras said: “Without the Working Families Party, I never would have been able to get out my message of uniting our communities. This campaign was about fighting for all of us, and I was proud to have the WFP with me every step of the way.”

The Working Families Party has helped elect dozens of City Councilmembers, including Letitia James, who became the first victorious third party Council candidate in decades in 2003.

In 2008, the Working Families Party received over 210,000 combined votes across New York for its Congressional candidates.

Working Family Party Hopes To Make History In Nonpartisan Council Specials by Elizabeth Benjamin - The Daily Politics - NY Daily News

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The Working Families Party and its labor affiliates are putting their respective GOTV machines to work today on behalf of candidates running in two of the three City Council special elections who will make history if they pull off victories.

In the 49th CD, the WFP, ACORN, SEUI 1199, 32BJ, and the HTC are working on behalf of Debi Rose, a Community Board 1 member and executive director of the Liberty Partnership Program at the College of Staten Island who narrowly lost a primary to the man whose seat she's now seeking, Rep. Mike McMahon, in 2001.

If she wins, Rose be the first African American to represent the borough in elected office.

The 49th CD race is shaping up to be a close one, and is further complicated by the fact that the voting is being done on paper ballots due to a last-minute court decision that returned John Tabacco to the ballot.

Also in the running are McMahon's former chief of staff, Ken Mitchell; the Rev. Dr. Tony Baker, Donald Pagano and Paul Saryian.

In the 21st CD, organized labor is working on behalf of Julissa Ferreras, who is running for the seat her former boss, Hiram Monserrate, vacated when he was elected to the state Senate last November. If elected, she'll be the first Latina from Queens on the Council.

Ferreras is facing off against Francisco Moya, a former aide to Gov. David Paterson (when he was Senate minority leader), who has stayed out of this contest. Moya also counts amond his endorsements Citizens Union, and his former boss Rep. Nydia Velazquez.

Also on the ballot in the 21st are Jose Eduardo Giraldo and George Dixon.

The WFP and its labor allies have knocked on more than 40,000 doors for Rose and Ferreras, according to party spokesman Dan Levitan. The WFP is staffing Ferreras' entire campaign and lent four organizers to Rose's operation.

Neither of the WFP candidates appear on the party's line (Row E) due to the nonpartisan nature of the special elections.

The WFP took a pass on the 32nd CD race, most likely due to the fact that the candidate it would have supported, Frank Gulluscio, was booted from the ballot. Gulluscio is a former aide to Joe Addabbo, who vacated the Council seat when he was elected to the Senate.

Gulluscio's departure was caused by the aggressive challenges to his petitions by allies of his opponent, Geraldine Chapey, who is being represented by former Sen. Marty Connor. His loss was a boon for Eric Ulrich, who Republicans see as their best hope for gaining back a third seat on the Council.

Also in the running are: Lew Simon and Mike Ricatto, whose campaign was dealt a blow when a campaign bus driver struck and killed a 9-year-old boy.

More Trouble For Monserrate, Funds For Ferreras by Elizabeth Benjamin - The Daily Politics - NY Daily News

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Sen. Hiram Monserrate, whose felony assault case is still wending its way through the legal system, was slapped today with an $30,102 fine by the Campaign Finance Board in connection with his 2005 City Council campaign.

According to the CFB, the former Councilman, who won an uncontested race for the state Senate last fall, exceeded the expenditure limit by $15,051 during his last re-election bid almost four years ago.

Monserrate received $82,500 worth of public funds that year and was among the top four Council candidate spenders ($222,308), despite the fact that he had no serious opposition.

(He was speculated to be eyeing a potential congressional challenge to Rep. Joe Crowley at the time. That never materialized and he opted to seek re-election instead, but the threat to Crowley was widely speculated to figure heavily in the Queens Democratic Party's decision to dump former Sen. John Sabini and back Monserrate for Senate in 2008).

This isn't the first time Monserrate has had campaign finance trouble. He missed the state Board of Election's Jan. 15 filing deadline (his first financial report since his swearing-in, which took place under the cloud of his alleged assault of his girlfriend. Karla Giraldo).

When Monserrate's filing arrived at the board, it revealed he had spent $15,000 worth of campaign cash on media advice by DolceGoldin, the consulting firm of former NY1 reporter, Davidson Goldin.

The CFB also distrbuted $75,742 worth of public matching funds to Julissa Ferreras, a former Monserrate staffer who is running in the upcoming Feb. 24 special election for his old Council seat in the 21st CD. (She was left out of the first round of CFB special election payouts).

The board dismissed a complaint made against Frank Gulluscio, who was a candidate in the 49th CD special election until the Board of Elections voted to oust him from the ballot.

One of Gulluscio's opponents, Eric Ulrich, alleged an unreported expenditure by the Gulluscio campaign for an ad in the Queens Chronicle. But the CFB determined this was merely a reporting error and dismissed the complaint once the mistake was rectified.

Citizens Union For Moya, Chapey, Rose by Elizabeth Benjamin - The Daily Politics - NY Daily News

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After interviewing 10 candidates running in the three Feb. 24 City Council special elections, the good government group Citizens Union has announced its endorsements.

Unlike union endorsements, the CU's backing doesn't come with any campaign help with GOTV efforts or phone banks or door knocking. It basically gives candidates bragging rights and the ability to claim the reform mantle.

The CU's choices are:

- Francisco Moya (21st CD). The CU also evaluated Moya's opponents Julissa Ferreras and Jose Eduardo Giraldo, but not George Dixon. The organization called Ferreras "qualified" and praised Giraldo's "business perspective," but ultimately decided on Moya because of his "admirable history of community involvement in the district and his diverse experience at the local, state and federal level."

- Geraldine Chapey (32nd CD). Chapey has been under fire for her aggressive (and successful) efforts to get some of her opponents bounced off the ballot. The CU didn't mention that in its press release, but said it selected Chapey because of her "extensive experience on state and local issues."

Eric Ulrich was also interviewed, and the CU liked his "driven nature, fresh perspective and energetic presence." Two other candidates, Mike Ricatto (who is ON the ballot; it's Glenn DiResto and Sam DiBernardo who are off (fixed)) and Lew Simon were not evaluated.

- Debi Rose (49th CD). After interviewing five candidates, the CU settled on Rose because of her "vibrant presence," ability to serve as an "inspiring advocate" on health care and community issues, knowledge of the district and "strong support" of the organization's reform agenda.

The CU also endorsed Rose's unsuccessful 2001 Council bid.

The other candidates - Rev. Tony Baker, Kenneth Mitchell, Paul Saryian and John Tabacco (now off the ballot) - "also demonstrated a thorough understanding of the needs of the district," the CU stated.

New York Hotel Workers Union Endorses Gulluscio for City Council - Over 600 Members Pledge to Work Hard in Queens Special Election...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Neal Kwatra (917) 337-7661

January 29, 2009

New York Hotel Workers Union Endorses Gulluscio for City Council

Over 600 Members Pledge to Work Hard in Queens Special Election

NEW YORK – The New York Hotel and Motel Trades Council, AFL-CIO (HTC), a 30,000-member union, today announced its endorsement of Frank Gulluscio for New York City Council in the 32^nd District. The union plans an aggressive field program to communicate with its members and recruit volunteers for the campaign.

The special election to fill the vacancy in the 32^nd District has been scheduled for February 24. The district includes Broad Channel, Howard Beach, Ozone Park, Richmond Hill, Woodhaven, and parts of the Rockaways.

“For years, Frank Gulluscio has been a fighter for quality jobs and responsible development in Queens,” said HTC President Peter Ward. “In these perilous times, when thousands of New Yorkers are losing their jobs and facing hardships we haven’t seen since the Great Depression, the 32^nd District needs a leader like Mr. Gulluscio on the City Council. He has the experience and commitment to be a leader in the fight for economic recovery that will lift the bottom up and provide genuine stability for working families,” Ward said.

The union’s decision was based on Gulluscio’s strong record as a community leader and his record as an advocate for issues of concern to its members. Gulluscio’s many years of service as District Manager for Queens Community Board 6 and a Democratic Party leader have given him a deep understanding of how to represent the diverse issues that make a difference to district residents, such as over-development, quality jobs, and affordable housing.

“Families in Queens need to have someone with Frank Gulluscio’s commitment to quality jobs, responsible development, and equitable economic recovery fighting for us on the City Council,” said Doris Gomez, an HTC member and Howard Beach resident who works at the Doubletree Hotel at JFK Airport. “He has worked hard for the people of this community for years,” continued Gomez. “As a union member and Queens resident, I am proud that we are supporting Frank Gulluscio to be our next councilmember.”

“I am so proud to have the support of the Hotel Trades Council and its members,” said council candidate Frank Gulluscio. “With the power of working people behind this campaign, we will truly be able to deliver on our mission of create a voice for working families on the City Council in this period of economic recovery. I am confident that, working with HTC and the members in my district, we can ensure that our community comes out of this economic crisis stronger and more vibrant than it was before,” Mr. Gulluscio said.

HTC has 30,000 members in the metropolitan area, including 12,000 in Queens and 600 in the 32^nd Council District. It is New York State’s second-largest private-sector labor union. A few weeks ago, HTC was the first union to endorse Julissa Ferreras in the 21^st Council District race.