Deal Reached to Avert New York Teacher Layoffs by Fernanda Santos - NYTimes.com

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The threatened layoffs of 4,100 teachers in New York’s public schools were averted under a deal that the Bloomberg administration, the City Council and the teachers’ union reached on Friday night.

Details were still being worked out, but the agreement calls for concessions from the United Federation of Teachers and money from the Council.

Under the deal, the union would agree to suspend teacher sabbaticals for a year and permit teachers without a permanent assignment to be used more regularly as classroom substitutes. In addition, the Bloomberg administration would concede that 2,600 teachers would be lost to attrition, 600 more than estimated, saving additional jobs. On one hand, the resolution spares Mr. Bloomberg from becoming the first mayor in nearly 40 years to impose mass teacher layoffs. On the other hand, though, it threatens to undermine his credibility, given that he has declared for two consecutive years that layoffs were inevitable, only to see them averted in a budget deal.

The budget plan also allows the Council to keep open 20 fire companies that the mayor had ordered closed, and it may be able to restore at least some of the cuts he planned for day care services and librarians.

Still, it appeared that up to 1,000 city workers — many of them in health care jobs — would be laid off.

In a news conference at the Education Department headquarters in Lower Manhattan on Friday night, Mr. Bloomberg said he was disappointed he could not avoid all layoffs. Still, he said, “this is a budget that will keep our city strong, but it is also a budget that faces fiscal reality.”

Asked whether he thought his credibility had been hurt, the mayor defended his approach, saying the city faced extremely bleak and unpredictable economic circumstances.

The City Council speaker, Christine C. Quinn, standing by the mayor’s side, praised the deal. “New Yorkers can rest easy tonight knowing that our children will still have great teachers,” she said.

Mr. Bloomberg had taken an aggressive posture during the negotiations, emboldened over the past days by the victories scored in Albany and Trenton against public-sector unions and becoming more emphatic about his demands. But in the end, he and the teachers’ union, one of his most vociferous opponents, had to reach an agreement, helping to balance a $66 billion budget that had a $4.6 billion gap.

A different rescue proposal fell apart on Thursday, after the city rejected an offer from the Municipal Labor Committee, a group representing roughly 100 municipal unions, for $262 million to be taken from a health care reserve fund they jointly manage. By then, Ms. Quinn and the teachers’ union president, Michael Mulgrew, had been secretly meeting for days.

Once the other deal collapsed, talks between Ms. Quinn and Mr. Mulgrew moved into overdrive.

On Friday morning, officials of the city’s Education Department made their way to the union’s headquarters to determine what would and would not be on the table. By late afternoon, the two sides had come to an agreement.

Ms. Quinn, meanwhile, worked to sell the plan to Mr. Bloomberg, emerging as the crucial figure in the process.

The budget must be approved by the full Council by Thursday.

Javier C. Hernandez contributed reporting

NYC Comptroller John C. Liu Statement on CITYTIME...

In response to questions about today’s additional criminal charges relating to CityTime, New York City Comptroller John C. Liu issued the following statement:

“Today’s announcement unfortunately sheds more light on just how flawed the management of the CityTime project was,” said Comptroller John C. Liu. “According to the indictment ‘virtually the entirety of the more than $600 million that was paid to SAIC was tainted directly or indirectly, by fraud.’ New Yorker’s can hope that this will eventually lead to restitution for the hundreds of millions of dollars paid on an out-of-control project, years overdue and, ten-fold over budget.”

Comptroller John C. Liu’s Record on CityTime

Jan. 1, 2010	Comptroller John C. Liu takes office, and makes the elimination of fraud, waste and abuse his top priority.
Feb. 9, 2010	Rejected additional contract related to CityTime.
Feb. 25, 2010	Initiates audit of CityTime Project Oversight.
Mar. 3, 2010	Liu calls on Mayor to freeze all payments associated with CityTime; appoints new representative from the Comptroller’s Office to OPA.
Sept. 28, 2010	Liu and mayor Bloomberg announce agreement to finish installation of CityTime at no additional cost.

Bloomzilla Shows No Remorse! - nycisnot4sale.com

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News & Notes from NYC Public Advocate Bill de Blasio

Public Advocate Delivers Thousands of Signatures to Mayor from Parents Opposing Child Care Cuts - June 7, 2011

Parents oppose closing 110 daycare centers, eliminating daycare for thousands of kids

At a City Hall rally today, Public Advocate Bill de Blasio delivered 3,773 signatures to Mayor Bloomberg from parents opposing unprecedented cuts to childcare. The petitions were collected by organizers from Public Advocate de Blasio’s office from parents at daycare centers, including some of the 110 centers that will be eliminated by Mayor Bloomberg’s budget. The Mayor’s proposals will slash services for as many as 7,000 children, according to the Citizens’ Committee for Children.

“We need to be committed as a city to preparing our kids to learn on that first day of school. That’s something every parent knows and certainly something an ‘Education Mayor’ should understand,” said Public Advocate Bill de Blasio. “This budget consigns an entire generation of New York City kids to inferior childcare—and in some cases no childcare at all—during those first critical years of their development. The parents of this city cannot let that happen.”

The childcare cuts will eliminate the Priority 5 and 6 programs which provide vouchers for daycare services to working parents and those enrolled in job training. The drastic cuts will require the Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) to provide much more limited childcare services by closing 110 daycare centers across the city and requiring increased co-payments. In many instances childcare services will be shifted to cheaper providers whose programs are shorter in duration and provide less individual attention and instruction due to larger class sizes.

The signatures delivered by Public Advocate de Blasio put the total collected by a broad coalition of childcare advocates to over 30,000. Public Advocate de Blasio gathered the signatures as part of his campaign to make children a priority in this year’s budget. He has also collected over 5,200 petition signatures against the proposed firing of over 4,100 teachers.

Statement on DOI’s Report on Blizzard Response

June 3, 2011

“Way back when the snow was still falling, it was clear that the botched storm response was first and foremost a failure of leadership. I commend the Department of Investigation for putting together this thorough report and for incorporating information from constituent cases provided by my office. Now that allegations of a slowdown have been debunked, our efforts should turn to making sure we are ready in six months when winter returns.”

Statement in Support of TLC’s Five-Borough Taxi and Livery Service Plan

June 2, 2011

”The Five-Borough Yellow Taxi and Livery Service Plan is a winner for all of New York City’s residents. By auctioning new medallions that permit taxis picking up street hails outside of Manhattan, we will improve transportation in the outer boroughs while adding over $1 billion in revenue and thousands of good jobs for New York City. I also believe that the City’s efforts to ensure financing for livery owners seeking outer borough permits are a key piece of making this plan work. I am proud to support this proposal.”

Statement on Governor Cuomo Withdrawing from “Secure Communities” Program - June 1, 2011

“Secure Communities has unfairly targeted immigrants and increased wrongful deportations. Despite its name, the program has made New Yorkers less safe and torn families apart. I applaud Governor Cuomo for pulling us out of the program so we can get back to focusing on the law enforcement priorities that truly keep our communities safe.”

News & Notes from NYC Comptroller John C. Liu

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NYC COMPTROLLER JOHN C. LIU ON CITYTIME

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Comptroller John C. Liu issued the following statement today:

“My office’s review of the CityTime project, which defrauded taxpayers of millions of dollars, has not interfered with the ongoing criminal investigation, nor have we been informed that it has. We applaud the U.S. Attorney for charging seven people and recovering $28 million to date. We are committed to working cooperatively with all law enforcement agencies.”

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COMPTROLLER LIU STATEMENT ON EDC LIVING WAGE STUDY

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City Comptroller John C. Liu stated the following in response to questions about a recently completed study commissioned by the NYCEDC, “The Economic Impacts on New York City of Proposed Living Wage Mandate.”

“The EDC’s claim that a living wage kills jobs shows just how distorted the agency’s operations have become. The proposed living wage would be a requirement on new projects that are heavily subsidized by taxpayers. It may curtail the number of new minimum wage jobs, with the hope that these new jobs would then pay a decent wage. The claim of job losses is rhetoric at its worst.

Momentum Builds in Fight to Restore Child Care Cuts

Parents and Kids Confront Mayor on Cuts and Release Report on Impact of Lack of Child Care Options on Families

Elected Officials Spend Day as Child Care Providers

Less than a week after a super majority of Council members wrote to the Mayor decrying his so-called "solution" to child care in the City, which would leave thousands of kids without care, and days after 30,000 petitions were delivered to City Hall calling on the Council and Mayor to restore the money for child care, dozens of parents and children descended on the Mayor's house to ask "What should we do with our kids if there is no child care?" and Public Advocate Bill de Blasio and Borough President Scott Stringer spent the day as a child care provider to show their support for the issue.

Also, today, the Center for Children’s Initiatives, a nonprofit focusing on early care and learning, issued a report along with Wachs Family Fund of the Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors and Cornell School of Industrial and Labor Relations, with findings on what happens to New York City working families that lose child care.

The report is based on 83 interviews with NYC families eligible for a child care subsidy but unable to obtain one because of capacity cuts over the last 3 years. Strikingly, it finds that several parents reported that 311, NYC’s information line, informed them that the surest route to a child care subsidy was applying for public assistance [Executive Summary and Page 8].

Other report highlights:

• Parents interviewed see care not only as necessary so they can work – but they increasingly cite the educational value of high quality early learning programs. Several cited how unfair it was that only families earning “six figures” have access to excellent care. [Report Executive Summary and Page 9].
• A parent anecdote from Claudette, a home health aide earning $7.75 an hour providing care for elderly clients and the sole supporter for her 15 month old baby. When the center closed that provided care for her 15 month old while she worked full time, she desperately searched for a new caregiver. She couldn’t afford full-time care, so settled for part-time care out of her neighborhood. Claudette now has more than 45 minute commute to her part-time provider. She’s often late for work – threatening her future employment. She knows that going on public assistance would give her higher priority for care - but she’s trying to avoid that. [Report Page 3 - Sidebar]

“Without child care, I don’t know what I’m going to do,” said Kim Sandy, a single mother whose 3-year old son attends The Educational Alliance’s Lillian Wald Day Care Center. “I won’t be able to keep my job and provide for my family. So many parents depend on this care – for the Mayor to continue to cut child care just doesn’t make sense.”

“With the Mayor’s cuts, 7,000 fewer children from low income working families will have access to child care next year,” said David Nocenti, Executive Director of Union Settlement Association. “These children are more than just numbers – they are our city’s future, and they deserve safe, affordable, educational care that will set them on a path to success.”

Also, today, Public Advocate Bill de Blasio and Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer took part in the United Federation of Teachers “Daycare Provider for a Day” program by visiting home daycare sites where providers educate and care for pre-school children.

"Seeing firsthand how childcare providers help our children learn and grow is all the evidence you need that the Mayor's budget has the wrong priorities," said Public Advocate Bill de Blasio. "Today I was proud to spend a morning walking in the shoes of Linnette Ebanks and tomorrow I will continue to fight for her and the thousands of working families that depend on child care."

“New York must never balance its budget on the backs of children and family, but that’s exactly what these cuts to child care and early education accomplish,” said Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer. “Despite the Mayor’s restorations, the child care system at large is still under siege, and next year 7,000 fewer children from low-income families will be able to access care. This administration has worked to gradually dismantle such a critical social safety net; in total, the city has lost 14,000 child care slots in the past four years due to cuts of this nature. New Yorkers deserve more than a half-a-loaf response from City Hall on an issue that impacts our most vulnerable constituents and their children.”

Stop Bloomberg’s Budget Cuts For NYC – nycisnot4sale.com

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Child Care Advocates Respond to Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) Hearing

CALL ON MAYOR AND COUNCIL TO FIND THE MONEY TO REALLY “SAVE” CHILD CARE

DECRY GAME OF “MUSICAL CHAIRS” THE ADMINISTRATION IS PLAYING WITH CHILD CARE FUNDING

As the City Council General Welfare Committee heard testimony from the New York City Administration for Children’s Services (ACS), child care advocates called on Mayor Bloomberg and the City Council to fully restore money to child care in the final budget.

The Executive Budget still makes significant cuts to child care, leaving thousands of low-income children without access to care next year. New York children – many of whom live in communities with high unemployment, high unmet needs for child care, and low achievement on standardized tests – are at risk of losing the care they deserve and that hard-working families rely on.

“The Mayor’s Executive Budget still contains significant cuts to child care. How can child care be “saved” when 119 child care centers around the City are at risk of closing their doors?” said Council Member and Chair of the General Welfare Committee Annabel Palma. “Our children deserve more than a game of musical chairs – they deserve access to safe, affordable, educational child care."

“This budget still means that children around the city will be deprived of care, parents will be forced to choose between child care and going to work, and child care teachers and providers will lose their jobs,” said The Rev. Dr. Emma Jordan-Simpson, Executive Director of the Children’s Defense Fund – New York. “The City Council and the Mayor must ensure that no child loses child care and that we maintain critical early childhood capacity in our most under-resourced communities.”

The Emergency Coalition to Save Child Care, made up of organizations representing thousands of city residents, says it will continue fighting for all children from low-income, working families who are in danger of losing child care. The Coalition, which released a report last month detailing the unequal impacts of the Mayor’s cuts, maintains that the city can’t afford to cut a single child care slot. This care allows working parents to keep their jobs, stay off public assistance, and provide their children with a strong foundation for school success.

“Without child care, I don’t know what I’m going to do,” said Kim Sandy, a single mother whose 3-year old son attends The Educational Alliance’s Lillian Wald Day Care Center. “I won’t be able to keep my job and provide for my family. So many parents depend on this care – for the Mayor to continue to cut child care just doesn’t make sense.”

“As they negotiate the budget, it is imperative that the Mayor and the City Council ensure that child care centers and family day care providers remain fully funded and that capacity remains in place for future generations of children,” said Jennifer March-Joly, Executive Director of Citizens’ Committee for Children.

“The city already has high unemployment, and cutting child care means more people out of work,” said Raglan George Jr., Executive Director of AFSCME District Council 1707. “Parents without a safe place to leave their child while they work would be forced to quit their jobs, and child care professionals would be laid off. The Mayor and the City Council must protect working families by restoring the cuts to child care in the final budget.”

ABOUT CHILD CARE

Despite what some are saying, child care has not yet been saved. The Executive Budget still contains significant cuts to child care. New York’s children deserve more than a game of musical chairs. In this budget, 7,000 fewer children from low income working families will have access to child care next year, estimates the Emergency Coalition to Save Child Care. If these cuts are implemented, there will be 29% less child care and after school slots for working families in this coming Fiscal Year than there were in 2007. These cuts are a dramatic reversal of the City’s promise to expand early learning opportunities for our children.

IMPACT ON CHILDREN

Children will pay the biggest price for this cut in child care services. According to many studies, including The Productivity Argument for Investing In Young Children, early childhood learning opportunities lead to more positive outcomes later in life. Children who attend quality early childhood programs are more likely to graduate from high school, less likely to be involved in crime and less likely to become teen parents.

IMPACT ON WORKING PARENTS

Child care is the single most important factor keeping single mothers in the workforce. Research has shown that child care subsidy programs increase employment rates for single mothers. Federal welfare reform was accompanied by a massive ramp up in support for child care which was a key part in moving more New Yorkers from welfare to work. Many parents, especially single mothers, have reported that they would be unable to work without child care assistance. The costs of child care are prohibitive and for many, without a subsidy, it does not pay to work. Despite all of the rhetoric about helping people become employed and stay self-sufficient, these cuts will lead to many parents leaving the workforce and becoming more reliant on government supports, such as health insurance, food stamps, unemployment or public assistance.

IMPACT ON NEW YORK ECONOMY

Studies have shown that every $1 cut from child care leads to a $1.86 loss in economic activity, and that child care and early learning programs save hundreds of millions of dollars in future costs for remedial education and lowered high school graduation rates.

These cuts will lead to a higher need for other government programs such as health insurance, food stamps, public assistance and unemployment benefits. Many parents determine that the high cost of child care exceeds their income, and they are unable to go to work because they have nowhere safe for their children during the day. More than a thousand early childhood professionals will lose their jobs and the availability of employment in this sector will be drastically reduced.

News From City Council Member Eric Ulrich

NYC Council Member Eric Ulrich Celebrates Opening of Rockaway Beach for Summer

Council Member Eric A. Ulrich (R-Queens) joined Parks Department officials, residents and colleagues in government on the boardwalk at Beach 97^th Street in Rockaway on Friday to celebrate the annual opening of the city’s public beaches. After reminders from Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe to stay safe this summer, the officials and residents sampled some of the food available on the boardwalk this summer and tried their hand at beach tennis.

Ulrich said, “As we all know, Rockaway continues to be one of the city’s best kept secrets. It’s a wonderful place to live, work and raise a family, and to enjoy the beach. There are lots of new and exciting amenities this year, and I encourage everyone in Queens to visit this summer and discover the beauty Rockaway has to offer.”

In all, the City boasts 14 miles of beaches that attracted 19 million visitors last year. New this year will be food concessions run by Rockaway Beach Club, LLC, which will serve tacos, po’ boys, arepas, enchiladas, Italian ices and more at snack bars at Beach 86^th, 97^th and 106^th streets. In addition, a mile of new boardwalk is open this year along stretches between Beach 23^rd and Beach 81^st streets.

NYC Council Member Eric Ulrich: Additional Police Presence Needed at Aqueduct

Council Member Eric A. Ulrich (R-Queens) is asking the NYPD to assign additional police officers to the 106th Precinct in advance of the planned September opening of video lottery terminals at Aqueduct Race Track in Ozone Park.

The new racino is expected to draw more than eight million visitors each year, and local residents and Community Board 10 have already expressed concerns about the current staffing levels at the local precinct.

Ulrich said, “In order to keep our streets safe, we are going to need more cops at the 106^th Precinct. My constituents should not have to worry about any rise in crime that might emanate from Aqueduct. We need to do everything we can to guarantee a good quality of life for the neighborhoods surrounding the track. This request is more than reasonable.”

Ulrich had the opportunity to speak directly with Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly during a recent Public Safety Committee hearing and in a May 18 letter to the department. He requested that the new officers be assigned beginning in the new fiscal year so they will have time to acclimate themselves to the area before the racino opens.

In the letter to Commissioner Kelly, Ulrich wrote, “While the new racino is scheduled to open later this summer, many of my constituents are still concerned about the level of police protection the community will receive from the NYPD. Despite the fact that vehicular and foot traffic will increase, it still remains unclear if and when the local precinct will receive additional police personnel. Undoubtedly, more police officers will be needed to patrol the residential neighborhoods surrounding the facility… I believe this request is warranted given the size and scope of the new venue and the necessary planning that will go into maintaining a good quality of life for area residents.”

NYC Council Member Eric Ulrich Statement on Mayor's Plan to Close Engine 294 and Other Fire Companies

Council Member Eric A. Ulrich (R-Queens) released the following statement on the Mayor's plan to close 20 fire companies around the City, including Engine 294:

“The Mayor’s plan to close Engine 294 and other fire companies around the city is downright dangerous. Response times will go up and lives will be put at risk. Woodhaven and Richmond Hill desperately need adequate fire protection and emergency services, especially since many of the homes there are attached, wood-frame structures. We simply cannot balance the budget by putting people in harm’s way. Mark my words - budget cuts like these can be deadly and I will do everything in my power to fight them.”

NYC Council Member Eric Ulrich Co-Sponsors Bill to Prevent Children from Being Exposed to Pornography in Public Libraries Council Members Eric A. Ulrich (R-Queens) and David G. Greenfield (D-Brooklyn) announced bipartisan legislation on Sunday that will protect children at New York City’s public libraries from exposure to Internet pornography. The legislation would make it a misdemeanor criminal offense for any adult to view pornographic materials within 100 feet of a minor in a public library. Ulrich said, “This is a common sense piece of legislation aimed at protecting our children while they spend time at the library. Kids shouldn’t be exposed to sexually explicit content, and taxpayers shouldn’t have to foot the bill for it either. This is a serious concern for many people who don’t want their children subjected to this form of public indecency.” Greenfield said, “I am a strong supporter of our public libraries and the value and rich experiences that they provide to New Yorkers. Part of that experience, however, should not be traumatizing children by exposing them to sexual predators and debasing pornography. Our bipartisan legislation would send an unmistakable message to sexual predators: expose yourself to children and you will go to jail.” The legislation would make viewing pornography within 100 feet of a child a misdemeanor carrying fines of between $1,000 and $10,000 and the possibility of jail time, as determined by a judge. Because the proposed legislation is narrowly tailored to protect children, it is expected to pass any constitutional challenges.

NYC Council Member Eric Ulrich Statement on Mayor’s Proposed Budget

Council Member Eric A. Ulrich (R-Queens) today released the following statement in response to Mayor Bloomberg’s FY 2012 Executive Budget:

Ulrich said, “This is a very difficult budget. Even though years of prudent fiscal planning helped the city weather the recession better than most, cuts still seem inevitable. I’m especially concerned about the impact potential teacher layoffs will have on class size in our schools, and I’m also worried about the proposed firehouse closings. As an alternative, I am encouraging my colleagues to seriously consider some of the recommendations that have already been made by the Independent Budget Office. Rest assured, before the City Council adopts the budget, I will do everything in my power to protect vital services and persuade the Mayor to find money elsewhere.”

NYC Public Advocate Bill de Blasio Mobilizes Parents Citywide Against Teacher Layoffs

PARENTS HIT THE STREETS TO DEMAND MAYOR BLOOMBERG KEEP TEACHERS IN THE CLASSROOM

Public Advocate Bill de Blasio today mobilized over 100 parent volunteers at 30 locations across the city for the Public Advocate’s “Parent Day of Action” against teacher layoffs. Parents and organizers urged New Yorkers to record audio and videos testimonials which are being uploaded to www.parentsforteachers.com in real time.

In just two hours on Thursday morning the Public Advocate’s parent volunteers and organizers collected over 1000 petition signatures and dozens of audio and video testimonials that have been posted online.

Public Advocate Bill de Blasio said, “Today, New York City parents hit the streets to take action against a budget that jeopardizes their children’s future. As a public school parent, I will not let us get shut out of the budget process, especially when Mayor’s Bloomberg’s proposed teacher layoffs would send class sizes through the roof.  

My office will continue to organize parents across New York until City Hall finally hears our voices.”

Councilmember Margaret Chin said, “The teacher layoffs threatened by Mayor Bloomberg are unacceptable. There are billions of dollars in the DOE budget this year for outside contracts, IT consultants, and even teacher recruitment. How can we legitimately threaten to lay off thousands of teachers while we are spending that kind of money hiring additional central staff, at the cost of increased class sizes? I applaud Public Advocate de Blasio and education advocates for their efforts today in highlighting the impact of these cuts. I and my colleagues in the City Council will be working hard with our Speaker, Christine Quinn, to push back on the Mayor’s proposed education cuts and to find alternative ways to fund the most important item in the DOE budget, our teachers.”

Councilmember Debi Rose said, “Laying-off teachers and cutting day care is unnecessary and wrong! There’s no way that we could lose 4,000 or more teachers and it not have a devastating impact on our youth and our communities. The future of our city depends on a well-educated work force. Less teachers in our schools means more students will be squeezed into classrooms that are already bulging at the seams. This will certainly have a negative effect on the quality of education in our schools. We must tell Mayor Bloomberg that we demand that our teachers and students come first in the budget-making decision.”

State Senator Shirley L. Huntley said, “Education is the key to success and can unlock unlimited doors of opportunity. Yet, to ensure our children attain a proper and sound education and can achieve success, we need teachers to help them along the way. Due to the regressive economic climate the New York City Department of Education is threatening to lay off 4,100 teachers. That is 4,100 less teachers that are children will have to educate them, 4,100 less teachers our children can go to for help and guidance, and 4,100 less teachers to make our schools tolerant, safe, and productive. Parents and community advocates all across the five boroughs must take a stand against any action that threatens our children’s education.”

State Senator Adriano Espaillat said, “We need our teachers in the classroom, not the unemployment line. New York's fiscal challenges should be addressed through common-sense progressive measures like the ‘millionaire's tax’ instead of teacher layoffs that place our children's education in jeopardy.”

Earlier this month, Public Advocate Bill de Blasio launched a series of online forums for parents where they can voice their objections to Mayor Bloomberg’s proposed cuts and also submit written and video testimonials in support of their child’s teachers. The websitewww.parentsforteachers.com contains testimonials from parents in all five boroughs, including dozens of messages from parents recorded today. Video testimonials are designed to be viewed, embedded and distributed online.

NYC Comptroller John C. Liu's Remarks on City Time Scandal

Below are remarks by New York City Comptroller John C. Liu at a news conference on Wednesday, May 25, 4:30 p.m. regarding the CityTime project:

“Earlier this afternoon, my office was provided with a letter written to the Executive Director of the Financial Information Services Agency (FISA) by Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), the prime contractor on the CityTime project. We were informed that SAIC had terminated their senior project manager who led the CityTime project.

“The name of that employee is Gerard Denault.

“SAIC has determined that Mr. Denault violated SAIC’s policies and standards with respect to timekeeping practices while working on CityTime. He routinely billed hours to the CityTime project that he did not in fact work.

“By their own admission, this latest development now implicates, for the first time in this scandal, SAIC. The very company entrusted by our City to build a timekeeping system for NYC employees has grossly mismanaged their own time keeping, and in the process over charged the city for sums of money – still to be determined.

“SAIC now says they will now refund $2,470,522 to the city coffers for the time Mr. Denault billed to hard working NYC taxpayers.

“A few moments ago I sent a letter to the Mayor because I believe we need to work together.

“I am asking him to join me in calling on the Department of Investigation along with all other relevant authorities to conduct a comprehensive review of other possible violations by SAIC, and I am proposing that the City withhold any future payments to SAIC pending the outcome of the investigations.

“This is a sad day for the New York City taxpayer.

“With the proposed budget cuts looming, we at least need to tightly manage expensive outside consultants.

“The public’s trust in government must be bolstered, and I am committed to working with the Mayor to do just that.”

Below is the full text of the letter sent to Mayor Bloomberg on May 25, 2011.

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May 25, 2011

Honorable Michael R. Bloomberg

Mayor

City Hall

New York, NY 10007

Re: Science Application International Corporation (SAIC)

Dear Mayor Bloomberg:

Today, we were informed by SAIC that they have terminated their project manager for CityTime. SAIC cited the project manager’s violation of SAIC’s policies and standards, specifically with regard to his time billed to the City of New York. Because SAIC cannot accurately calculate the amount that should have been billed to the City, SAIC will reimburse the City for this individual’s billed services. This repayment amounts to $2,470,522.

To date, the alleged fraud relating to CityTime has only involved subcontractors. This latest development now implicates the prime contractor and compels a comprehensive review of SAIC’s billings to the City, in particular, SAIC employees whose time was billed to the CityTime project.

I am directing my representative on the OPA board to introduce a resolution on the points below, and ask that your representative support the resolution:

• The Department of Investigation, along with all other relevant authorities, conduct a comprehensive review of other possible timekeeping violations; and
• The City withholds any outstanding payments to SAIC pending the outcome of the investigations.

I believe the above actions are necessary and as always, I am available to discuss any of these issues with you. Thank you.

Sincerely,

John C. Liu

View letter from SAIC to FISA: http://www.comptroller.nyc.gov/press/pdfs/SAIC-FISA-5-2011.pdf

Rep Joe Crowley Applauds Legislation to Lower Electricity Prices for New York Consumers and Businesses

Crowley Praises Governor Cuomo, Mayor Bloomberg for Efforts to Prevent Summer Rate Hikes

Today, Congressman Joe Crowley (D-Queens, the Bronx), a chief deputy whip in the Democratic leadership of the House of Representatives, applauded Governor Cuomo, Mayor Bloomberg, and the New York State Legislature for expediting passage of a tax relief bill that will prevent homes and businesses in Queens and the Bronx from being hit with a spike in electricity bills this summer due to an adverse ruling by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) earlier this year. Last month, Crowley, working closely with Mayor Bloomberg, led a bipartisan City delegation letter to the FERC seeking an appeal of the ruling and a delay in any resulting electricity price increase until all appeals were final.

“Families in Queens and the Bronx are struggling to make ends meet, and a spike in electricity prices on top of rising food, housing and gas prices would have made life even more difficult for them,” said Crowley. “I salute Governor Cuomo and Mayor Bloomberg for their tireless efforts in working with the Legislature to pass this critical electricity relief bill and I am pleased to have been a part of the effort to stop these rate hikes before they were passed on to consumers this summer.”

In January, the FERC ruled that City tax benefits for private electricity generators would no longer be calculated in the expected energy needs of the City. These tax benefits are used by the City to lower the rates paid by consumers for the cost of electricity. This adverse ruling could have led to an increase in electricity prices City-wide by up to $525 million a year, or an increase in electricity rates for every business and resident of New York City by 10-15 percent starting this summer.

The text of the bipartisan letter spearheaded by Crowley is below:

April 1, 2011

The Honorable Jon Wellinghoff
Chairman
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
888 First Street, NE
Washington, D.C. 20426

Dear Chairman Wellinghoff,

We are gravely concerned about the impact of the Commission’s January 28th order (“Order”) on the New York Independent System Operator’s November 30, 2010 demand curve filing (ER11-2224), which will significantly increase the price paid for electricity supply by New York City customers over the next three years. If the Order is not reversed, the electricity rates of our constituents will rise dramatically without any clear justification or benefit.

The Commission’s decision to disregard any of the existing tax abatement opportunities made available by the City of New York, in addition to the other changes contained in its Order, could contribute to a rate increase for New York City electric customers of up to $525 million annually. This would represent up to a 12% increase in summer electric bills for the average residential customer in the first year alone. In its Order, the Commission decided that it would apply no tax abatement in determining the target price for building new generation capacity in New York City, even though the New York City Industrial Development Agency had approved a revised tax policy specifically intended to encourage new, clean and efficient generation in New York City.

Electric reliability is important, and providing adequate economic incentives for new electric generation when needed is also important. But, given the current and expected surplus of generation in New York City, higher capacity payments to generators are neither necessary nor justified and would instead provide windfall profits for the current NYC electric generators.

Furthermore, the existing generators are generally exempt from property taxes. And there are two New York City generators that are under construction and expected to come on line shortly that will also not be paying property taxes, including one project that is physically located in New Jersey (and which is planned to be electrically connected to New York City).

New York City, Con Edison, the NYISO, the State Public Service Commission and Consumer Protection Board and others have accordingly petitioned for rehearing of the Order, and we request that you do take the time to fully reconsider the impact of the Commission’s Order on the customers and citizens of the City of New York. Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Joseph Crowley

Edolphus Towns

Anthony D. Weiner

Eliot L Engel

Charles B. Rangel

Yvette D. Clarke

Jerrold Nadler

José E. Serrano

Gary L. Ackerman

Michael G. Grimm

Carolyn B. Maloney

Gregory W. Meeks

cc: Commissioner Cheryl LaFleur

Commissioner Phillip Moeller

Commissioner John Norris

Commissioner Mark Spitzer