In the News

Here's the gist of my testimony before the Legislative Task Force on Demographic Research and Reapportionment on February 1, 2012:

The district lines as proposed underscore the reason for the popularity of non-partisan redistricting.  The presently proposed lines DO NOT:

·       reflect effects of a transparent process

·       keep communities together

·       reflect well on the legislature's role in redistricting, underscoring the public's dissatisfaction and belief that the people do not matter.

·       Advance public policy, e.g.:  transparency; 1 person, 1vote; protection for minority rights

The proposed Senate lines are the most obviously egregious, although legitimate similar concerns have been expressed about Assembly lines in other parts of the state.

The proposed lines DO:

·         divide by what looks to be the interests of one party over another,

·         divide communities of interest,

·         pits one incumbent against another for no reason consistent with any public policy (locally, for example, this affects the current Senators from the 18^th and 20^th Senate districts)

The panel had earlier asked a resident of North Brooklyn why the State legislative lines mattered to the future development of affordable housing in New York City. The answer is of course it does, whether for funding or consistency of advocacy, or effectuation of public policy.

Common Cause/NY has set a fine example for redrawing district lines, showing that it can be done fairly and consistent with public policy. 

I urged Governor Cuomo to veto lines and encouraged the Legislative Task Force to put their heads together and resolve the lines in the interest of the public.

Here's the statement I recently submitted to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation:

There can be no question that high-volume hydraulic fracturing ("fracking") poses enormous risks to the approximately 9 million people of New York City and tri-state area who rely on clean water from the Catskills and reservoirs upstate. Citizens of upstate New York and surrounding areas are at risk of property value depreciation due to contaminated land and air. There have also been reports of increased illness, including asthma, headaches, nausea, and allergies. These afflictions however are not just affecting humans--it has been reported that pets and livestock have been getting sick as well. In addition, the jobs fracking creates do not necessarily go to local citizens; two-thirds of those working at various fracking sites are from out-of-state.

There has not been enough research done on hydraulic fracturing to deem it "safe." As we learned recently with the unusual earthquakes in Ohio that were directly tied to fracking, we do not yet fully understand the geology of New York State and how it might be affected by fracking, nor how fracking might affect the many aging water tunnels underground. Because the natural gas industry has secured an exemption from the Clean Water Act (also known as the Halliburton Loophole), it need not, and has not, disclosed the chemicals or chemical mixtures it uses in the fracking process. Therefore, we do not know what chemicals are present in the fluids that would be injected deep into the ground, and we do not know how far they will travel within geological formations, or if they will return to surface aquifers. New York must absolutely ban any toxic and carcinogenic chemicals that could be potentially injected into the ground and reach our water supplies.

While natural gas may burn cleaner than other fossil fuels, air pollution from diesel engines, compressor stations, and flaring negate this, with the unfortunate addition of noise and light pollution. We will see the destruction of  the environment with the construction of roads to fracking sites, as well as on-site storage pools that can potentially leak extremely hazardous chemicals into the ground, for which presently there is no known treatment or safe method of disposal.  These disposal pools are the result of pumping millions of gallons of freshwater and chemicals into the ground to break apart the shale rock, which in the end returns to the surface contaminated and is then considered "hazardous waste." The proposed regulations do not adequately address the many unknowns in a process for which any unknown cannot be countenanced because the dangers are simply too great.

The clean water from upstate that millions of New Yorkers rely on is a special, unique resource that should not be put at risk for any reason. The DEC must protect everyone's water, regardless of where it is. The natural gas trapped in the Marcellus Shale is not going anywhere--the DEC needs to do more in-depth research before making any decisions that put our water - and our lives - at risk.

EDUCATION UPDATE

Not unexpectedly, the Panel for Education Policy approved the co-location - of a new K-4 charter school, Success Academy Cobble Hill, to move into and share the building at 284 Baltic Street which currently houses two schools serving grades 6-12 (School for Global Studies and School for International Studies) and a District 75 program for students with disabilities.  I testified against this co-location for two reasons: (1) I believe the practice of forcing the co-location of charter schools into public schools is bad public policy, undermining public education, and (2) the public school programs at this location have turned themselves around, going from an F to a B in a short time.  I believe school improvements should be nurtured, including the provision of a proper special educational environment for students with disabilities who are routinely left behind in the wake of charter co-locations.  There was nothing about this proposal that demonstrated anything different would occur.

WHEN:   Tuesday, Nov. 29th at 5:30 pm

WHERE:  284 Baltic Street (between Smith and Court Street)

There is an on-line petition you can sign.  Also, a number of parents have set up a facebook page to share information.

Visit them at: http://www.facebook.com/events/268718893180043;
Twitter: #NoSuccess

Click to download:
Proposal for Early Childhood Center K293

As State Committeewoman for the 52nd AD, Jo Anne recently supported several resolutions before the State Democratic Committee. Besides a resolution supporting the rights of Occupy Wall Street to protest, she supported a resolution to ban hydraulic fracturing (hydrofracking) in NYS because there is just no assurance that it is safe to do do, and the extension of the so-called "millionaire's" tax to millionaires.

In addition, the Independent Neighborhood Democrats (IND) also passed a resolution supporting Occupy Wall Street.  You can read them all here:

Click here to download the Hydrofracking Ban resolution:
NYSDC Ban Hyrdrofracking reso Nov 2011.docx

From Brooklyn Speaks

The latest bombshell to drop at the Atlantic Yards project came yesterday with the release of renderings of its first planned residential tower. As reported today by the Wall Street Journal, Mr. Ratner said Thursday that the existing incentives for developments where half the units are priced for middle- and low-income tenants "don't work for a high-rise building that's union built." He added that he had "accepted the fact that we're not going to get more subsidy."

The first part of Bruce Ratner's shocking statement pits union workers against working families, and becomes truly appalling when one considers his project removed 171 units of occupied affordable housing from the Atlantic Yards footprint before beginning construction. It sounds like the families he displaced shouldn't plan on coming back now.

The second part of his statement may set the stage for Forest City Ratner to claim an "Affordable Housing Subsidy Unavailability" under the master development agreement it executed with the Empire State Development Corporation. That's one of the conditions that allow FCR to drag construction of Atlantic Yards out even longer than the 25 years which it renegotiated with the ESDC in 2009 (and which a State Supreme Court judge ruled that ESDC approved illegally).

It's possible that Mr. Ratner is posturing for a negotiation with union officials aimed at reducing wages for labor on his project. But it's also likely that the result will be not only a reduction to union scale, but fewer affordable units than promised, with a longer wait for those units to be delivered, and at a greater cost to the public.
Why do we think so? Let's review the score on the plan that was approved originally:
• First, $200 million of State and City subsidy wasn't enough for Atlantic Yards.
• Next, Frank Gehry's architecture was too expensive for Atlantic Yards.
• Then, the 10-year project schedule was too short for Atlantic Yards.
• Eight acres of open space also didn't work for Atlantic Yards, unless one considers an 1,100-car surface parking lot to be open space.
• And providing unionized jobs for local residents hasn't worked for Atlantic Yards, either.
Now, the 2,250 units of affordable housing are in greater doubt. It may be the only public promise that FCR will be able to keep is that its arena will create a traffic nightmare in central Brooklyn.

At a September 26 meeting with community leaders and local legislators, ESDC CEO Kenneth Adams dismissed the idea that Atlantic Yards, like other large State projects, required dedicated oversight from his agency (as the State Assembly voted to approve in June). "Every project is different," he said.

In a sense, Mr. Adams is right. Atlantic Yards is different practically every month. But that's why his ESDC needs to bring this project under control.

On November 2nd, I testified before the City Council Committee on State and Federal Legislation regarding Residential Permit Parking.  The Committee voted to support a "home rule" message requesting that the state give the City the authority to create residential parking where needed. Legislation to that effect is sponsored by State Senator Daniel Squadron and Assembly Member Joan Millman. This bill, if passed, would allow the City to implement parking permits in neighborhoods that need this help.  I was quoted on Streetsblog and in The Fort Greene Patch, saying: "We want to make sure we are not completely overrun, that our children are not killed crossing the street, and that we can breathe."

Residential Parking Permits (RPPs) are intended to ease parking for residents by reducing parking density and congestion, thereby encouraging the use of mass transit by commuters. This is critical in high-traffic areas, such as the neighborhoods surrounding Downtown Brooklyn, near the AtlanticYards/Barclays Center and Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. Although there is no specific design for a City RPP plan yet, the neighborhoods jointly proposed a pilot several years ago. With advances in technology, we are hopeful that when instituted, RPP will address specific community parking needs in targeted ways. 

Click here to download and read my written testimony.

I recently submitted testimony before the legislative task force empowered to determine the new lines for state and congressional districts.  Among the points I addressed was the need to draw districts that reflect the dynamics and demographics of population trends and needs, and to enforce the recently enacted prison gerrymandering law.

The New York Post - By DAVID SEIFMAN - Posted: 12:58 AM, September 12, 2011

Talk about getting a leg up on the competition.

The campaign manager for Rafael Espinal -- a candidate in tomorrow's special election to replace state Assemblyman Darryl Towns -- got himself named a site monitor for the Board of Elections in the very same Brooklyn district where he is running.

Election officials confirmed Michael Olmeda's amazing double role this week.

Site monitors supervise poll inspectors, and political insiders said they had never heard of such a set-up, where a top official of one campaign was helping oversee an election involving his own candidate.

It would have been a sweet deal, but the Board of Elections got wind of it Friday and pulled Olmeda's credentials.

Espinal works as chief of staff to City Councilman Erik Dilan and is supported by Brooklyn Democratic leader Vito Lopez.

Also in the race are community organizer Jesus Gonzalez and Deidra Towns, the sister of ex-state Assemblyman Darryl Towns.

Olmeda didn't return calls for comment.

Read more here.

The New York Post - By AARON SHORT - Posted: 12:58 AM, September 11, 2011

Read more here.

The 52nd Assembly district needs pollworkers for the upcoming primary on September 13th. Click here to see the pollworker flyer!

You can apply to be a pollworker, interpreter (Chinese, Spanish, Korean), door clerk, or information clerk.

To view all jobs and descriptions, visit the Board of Elections website.

If you have not registered to vote yet, there is still time to register before the September 13th, 2011 primary! Click here.

REGISTRATION: To vote in the primary, the application must be postmarked no later than August 19th, or hand-delivered to the Board of Elections by August 19th to be eligible to vote.

CHANGE OF ADDRESS: Notices of change of address from registered voters must be received by August 24th by a county board of elections.

FAQ - English: Voting Information
FAQ - Spanish: Voting Information

Brooklyn Board of Elections
345 Adams Street
4th Floor 11201
(718) 797-8800

Click here for the Board Of Elections Website!

This decision sends a clear message that no state authority or politically-connected real estate developer can be above the law when the future of our neighborhoods hangs in the balance," said Jo Anne Simon, Democratic Leader of the 52nd District, in a statement. "We expect an investigation into how this was allowed and call on Governor Cuomo to now take decisive action in reforming oversight of Atlantic Yards, ESDC's largest project."

Judge Calls Use of 10 Year Build Date "Not Rational;" Orders New Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement, Reconsideration of Modified Plan; Groups Call for Cuomo Investigation, Action on Reform Oversight

Today, New York State Supreme Court Justice Marcy Friedman ruled that the New York State Empire State Development Corporation (ESDC) acted illegally in 2009 when it approved changes to the Atlantic Yards project that increased from ten years to twenty-five years the amount of time allowed to developer Forest City Ratner Companies (FCRC) to complete the project without first studying the impacts of prolonged construction to the surrounding communities.

In her decision, the Judge lambasted ESDC for its "continuing use of the 10 year build date (that) was not merely inaccurate; it lacked a rational basis given the major change in deadlines reflected in the MTA and Development Agreements."

 

After concluding that the 10 year build date lacked a rational basis, the Judge went on to address ESDC's poor attempt to fill the void with a quickly put together "Technical Analysis: "Notably, the Technical Analysis is silent as to the impacts on neighborhood character and socioeconomic conditions of vacant lots, above ground arena parking and constructing staging, which may persist not merely for a decade, but, as petitioners aptly put it, for a generation."