NYC : News & Analysis

REPORT : The Feds countenance voter disenfranchisement

2020-07-20T11:02:00.000-04:00

Progress New York - Update

REPORT

As the Board of Elections tosses absentee ballots, a signaling that the Feds may countenance voter disenfranchisement

In the Federal election cycle four years ago, the Board of Elections admitted it unlawfully purged voter rolls. This year, the Board of Elections is accused of the widespread disqualification of absentee ballots.

By Progress New York Staff

July 19, 2020

The New York City Board of Elections is reportedly disqualifying between 20 to 30 per cent. of absentee ballots cast in some election districts in the June 23 Democratic Party primary, according to various news reports, raising the spectre that the embattled Government Agency may again be engaged in voter suppression. During the 2016 Democratic Party primary, it was revealed that the Board of Elections had unilaterally purged voter rolls, including removing over 100,000 voters in Brooklyn alone.

This year, voters in every borough of New York City requested absentee ballots in numbers greater than than in-person votes were respectively cast during the June 23 Democratic Party primary, according to a report published by Gotham Gazette. This was due to the Coronavirus Pandemic. The widespread absentee ballot disqualification in this year's Democratic Party primary, if allowed to stand, may propose to disenfranchise approx. 100,000 voters City-wide, based on the rate of disqualification in Queens, as reported by the New York Times. The widespread practise of absentee vote disqualification has triggered the filing of a Federal lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Manhattan.

In 2016, civil litigation filed in Brooklyn Federal Court over that year's voter purge led the U.S. Attorney's Office in Brooklyn and the Office of the New York State Attorney General to join that lawsuit, triggering a settlement that was going to lead to at least some reforms. However, those reforms were apparently not enough to stop reports of widespread voter disenfranchisement in this year's Democratic Party primary.

The Federal lawsuit filed in Manhattan attempts to downplay any wrongdoing by the Board of Elections.

The apparent, nonstop attempts by the Board of Elections to suppress votes in the 2016 and 2020 Democratic Party primaries has been happening during a time of great upheaval in Democratic politics. Beginning in 2013 and continuing through this year, Democratic Party primary voters across the nation, reportedly the most progressive in the party, have voted out of office entrenched, corporate centrists, such as former New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, former First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, former U.S. Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-NY 14), and U.S. Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY 16). Critics have charged that the actions by the Board of Elections to purge voters and disqualify votes merely represents desperate attempts to protect incumbents.

Although some see hope in the new lawsuit filed in Manhattan, others see it as part of the problem. The Federal lawsuit challenging the disqualification of 2020 absentee ballots characterises the widespread voter disenfranchisement as a "snafu," according to the Complaint and an accompanying Memorandum of Law filed in Federal Court. One of the lawyers, who filed the Manhattan lawsuit, Ali Najmi, was a political supporter of former U.S. Rep. Crowley. If the 2016 lawsuit filed in Brooklyn Federal Court is any indicator, then the U.S. Attorney's Office in Manhattan may reasonably be expected to file motion papers to apply to join the Manhattan lawsuit as an intervenor. If that happens, then all voters should expect would be more promises of reforms, as were made in 2016. As it is, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Manhattan has a pattern or practise of settling cases involving allegations of systemic corruption with nonprosecution agreements that largely allow bad actors to remain participants in the marketplace for corruption.

Besides disqualifying absentee ballots, the Board of Elections has been accused of denying in-person voters the full ballot or informing registered voters that they could not vote in the Democratic Party primary. During the early voting period preceding the June 23 Democratic Party primary, voters were also reportedly hampered by polling places located in disparate locations in some election districts. For this report, the press office supporting Acting U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss never answered a press inquiry.

Cuomo, Board Of Elections Sued For Disenfranchising Thousands of Voters Over Postmark Problems On Absentee Ballots (2020) [Gothamist]

Suraj Patel files lawsuit in 12th District ballot battle with Rep. Carolyn Maloney (2020) [The New York Post]

Over 20 Percent of Absentee Ballots Are Being Invalidated in Some Parts of NYC (2020) [NY1]

City Board of Elections Admits It Broke the Law, Accepts Reforms (2017) [WNYC]

With DOJ proposing to join lawsuit over voting rolls purge in Brooklyn, will Feds probe deeper ? (2017) [Progress Queens]

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REPORT : What 'tensions' exist between SDNY and City Hall ?

2020-06-24T14:13:00.000-04:00

Progress New York - Update

REPORT

After U.S. Attorney General William Barr met with NYPD officials, chaos reigns as U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman was fired amidst 'tensions' with White House and City Hall

The office of U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman was reportedly investigating political operatives with close ties to President Donald Trump.

By Progress New York Staff

June 22, 2020

Two days after the U.S. Attorney for New York's southern district, Geoffrey Berman, was fired by President Donald Trump, reports indicate that Mr. Berman had resisted a request made last Friday to meddle in the de Blasio administration's handling of Coronavirus pandemic restrictions on churches. One report, published by the New York Daily News, cited the limitation on religious gatherings as problematic for the Trump administration over possible First Amendment concerns. Mr. Berman refused the request to meddle over his own concerns that the request was politically-motivated and would result in heightened tensions between the U.S. Attorney's Office and City Hall, according to a report published by the Wall Street Journal.

The row over the U.S. Attorney's Office's refusal to interfere in the de Blasio administration's handling of restrictions on religious gatherings took place on the same day when U.S. Attorney General William Barr met with senior officials at the New York Police Department, as the embattled law enforcement agency has come under fire over its own problems with First Amendment and civil rights violations during the George Floyd-inspired anti-racism and anti-police brutality protests have elevated systemic racism to match public health as the social priorities facing the Government.

It's unknown if the religious row was being used as a smoke-screen for the Trump administration's need to remove Mr. Berman from his post. He is the second U.S. Attorney to be removed during the Trump administration during times of reported investigations of individuals with close ties to President Trump. Recent reports indicate that former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani (R-New York), who now serves as private attorney to President Trump, may be the subject of Federal investigations. In 2017, then U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara was fired amidst reports that he was investigating senior officials in the Trump administration, possibly including Tom Price, according to a report published by ProPublica. Mr. Price later resigned as secretary of the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services following scrutiny over his use of charted flights.

It's not known what 'tensions' exist between the U.S. Attorney's Office and the office of Mayor Bill de Blasio (D-New York). A report published by POLITICO has revealed that the de Blasio administration is in breach of a Settlement Agreement between the New York City Housing Authority, the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development, and the U.S. Dept. of Justice. Since taking office, Mayor de Blasio has also faced near non-stop reports that have questioned his fundraising practises. For this report, the U.S. Attorney's Office said it could no longer speak for Mr. Berman. A subsequent request for comment went unanswered.

The Trump administration is sending mixed signals on First Amendment issues facing New York City.

Attorney General Barr's meeting with NYPD officials last Friday was made to demonstrate "strong support" for law enforcement, according to a read-out issued by the Justice Dept. Such support appeared to overlook reported controversies over the patterns or practices of police-involved homicides of civilians and police brutality by the NYPD. For example, the tussle over First Amendment concerns of religious gatherings has over-shadowed a report, published on Friday by the New York Times, that the number of individuals killed by NYPD activity was "more than twice what has been reported."

For its part, the NYPD refused to answer a request about information about the Attorney General's meeting.

The Trump administration's First Amendment concerns for religious gatherings have appeared to have given short shrift to the Bill of Rights' guarantees of freedom of assembly and freedom of the press. As reported by Progress New York, the NYPD have reportedly made dragnet apprehensions during protests that have led to the arrests of legal observers, usually civil rights and civil liberties attorneys, who monitor political demonstrations for police abuses of power. Such massive law enforcement responses that have led to the arrests of legal observers in the past have been deemed to have been unlawful. Reports have also indicated that journalists have also been battered by the NYPD during the recent spike in anti-racism protests. Other allegations of First Amendment rights violations have included threats by the NYPD to revoke press passes and the suspension of processing press pass applications.

After U.S. Attorney General William Barr met with NYPD officials, chaos reigns as U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman was fired amidst 'tensions' with White House and City Hall

EDITORIAL : To restore faith in Government, U.S. Attorneys must shine a light of transparency on the NYPD [Progress New York]

Top Federal attorney in charge of enforcing First Amendment rights and civil liberties ducks responsibility over deliberate NYPD arrests of legal observers [Progress New York]

Mayor Bill de Blasio ends curfew early after threats of litigation, as U.S. Attorneys remain mum about coördination with NYPD [Progress New York]

Anti-racism protesters reportedly beaten at Cadman Plaza, near the office of Brooklyn U.S. Attorney [Progress New York]

As DOJ ignores racism and police brutality at NYPD, unanswered questions about whether Federal civil rights are subject to discretionary enforcement [Progress New York]

Federal guidelines for the prosecution of activists appear to reconstruct a legal framework lost under the Smith Act [Progress Queens]

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EDITORIAL : Federal role in lack of NYPD transparency

2020-06-17T10:50:00.000-04:00

Progress New York - Update

EDITORIAL

To restore faith in Government, U.S. Attorneys must shine a light of transparency on the NYPD

For one-off cases of NYPD misconduct, the U.S. Attorneys' Offices sometimes come into public view. When the police misconduct complaints are systemic in nature, they go into hiding.

By the Editor

For weeks, New York City has been swept up in a whirlwind of the Coronavirus pandemic, anti-racism protests, and police brutality scandals. More and more, news media have revealed that Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-New York) and Mayor Bill de Blasio (D-New York City) were to blame for the unpreparedness for and mismanagement of the pandemic. As both political leaders have attempted to feign ignorance or to shift blame, they've both been quick to admit that systemic racism, particularly in policing, has been a long-standing problem that they did not create. In the flashpoint of protest and debate over a lack of police oversight and accountability, two Government offices known for their silence have kept resolutely quiet and still : The U.S. Attorneys' Offices in Brooklyn and Manhattan.

The Federal prosecutors' offices have showed up in the public radar before, notably when Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Richard Donoghue announced in 2019 that no charges would be filed against New York Police Department officer Daniel Pantaleo for the chokehold homicide of Eric Garner. The office of Manhattan U.S. Attorney similarly gave a pass in 2016 to a group of NYPD officers in the suspicious shooting death of Ramarley Graham in his own bathroom. For one-off cases, such as these, the U.S. Attorneys' Offices sometimes come into view. But when the complaints about the NYPD are systemic in nature, they go into hiding.

One opaque Law Enforcement Agency has oversight over another opaque Law Enforcement Agency.

The offices of U.S. Attorneys form part of the U.S. Department of Justice, an Agency which believes it can comply with Government transparency laws, including the Freedom of Information Act, at its sole discretion, an unlawful posturing that is unfortunately routinely reinforced during open records litigation by the Federal Courts and by Government lawyers at the U.S. Attorneys' Offices, including those in Brooklyn and Manhattan. That culture of impunity is reflected at the NYPD. New York City Councilmember Mark Treyger (D-Bensonhurst) has complained about the NYPD refusing to comply with a law requiring the police to report on metal detectors and scanners in schools. When Councilmember Treyger suggested that school principals evaluate school safety performance, he encountered resistance and complained that the evaluations never took place.

There is such a failure of accountability at the NYPD that Albany legislators had to repeal a law that was reported to have been deliberately misinterpreted by Mayor de Blasio in a corrupt effort to block disclosure of NYPD officers' disciplinary records. Critics of Mayor de Blasio's misinterpretation of the law blamed him for violating Government transparency laws by withholding the release of records many considered eligible for release under open records laws.

In connection with large-scale public demonstrations or civil protests, the NYPD consult with U.S. Attorneys regarding investigations of Federal crimes or issues of national security, as reported by Progress New York. Given those consultations, U.S. Attorneys are in a position to question the NYPD about allegations of police misconduct and about their violation of Government transparency laws, particularly if those violations are related to the NYPD's actions to squash large-scale public demonstrations or civil protests. But, true to the opaque nature of law enforcement — whether Federal or Municipal — there is no clarity on those consultations, or whether any oversight has been or is exercised by Federal authorities as a result of allegations of Municipal police misconduct.

The public's confidence in Government has collapsed.

Besides one-off consultations between the NYPD and U.S. Attorneys for matters pertaining to Federal crimes or national security, as is required by the Attorney General's Guidelines on Domestic FBI Operations, it is not known what process or procedure the NYPD follow that give their controversial Strategic Response Group authority, either one-off, periodic, or standing, to suppress large-scale protest activities as a Law Enforcement Agency. An anti-terrorism unit that was created by former NYPD Commissioner Willliam Bratton, the SRG unit has been deployed to squash large-scale civil uprisings, including during recent anti-racism protests in New York City. During the recent anti-racism protests, the NYPD have engaged in dragnet arrests that have threatened journalists and swept up legal observers. In the past, such indiscriminate arrests have been deemed unlawful. As reported by the precursor to Progress New York, the Federal Government has appeared to have given itself authority to criminalise civilian activities protected by the First Amendment based on biases against certain political ideologies. For several reports published by Progress New York, the U.S. Attorneys' Offices in Brooklyn and Manhattan have declined to comment.

The Government's heavy-handed use of force to squash civilian uprisings are rooted in the State's interest in self-preservation. But public confidence in New York's Municipal Government has collapsed, because the Government has countenanced systemic racism and corruption, despite laws making such conditions unlawful. The de Blasio administration has been described to be in a state of "implosion" by the New York Daily News. If the Government cared about restoring the public's faith in Government, it would immediately bring transparency to all matters of law enforcement, beginning with the NYPD, its SRG unit, and the U.S. Attorneys' Offices.

EDITORIAL : To restore faith in Government, U.S. Attorneys must shine a light of transparency on the NYPD [Progress New York]

Top Federal attorney in charge of enforcing First Amendment rights and civil liberties ducks responsibility over deliberate NYPD arrests of legal observers [Progress New York]

Mayor Bill de Blasio ends curfew early after threats of litigation, as U.S. Attorneys remain mum about coördination with NYPD [Progress New York]

Anti-racism protesters reportedly beaten at Cadman Plaza, near the office of Brooklyn U.S. Attorney [Progress New York]

As DOJ ignores racism and police brutality at NYPD, unanswered questions about whether Federal civil rights are subject to discretionary enforcement [Progress New York]

Federal guidelines for the prosecution of activists appear to reconstruct a legal framework lost under the Smith Act [Progress Queens]

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TOMORROW : Fight For NYCHA March Against Racism and Austerity

2020-05-29T12:40:00.000-04:00

Fight For NYCHA - Updates

March Against Racism and Austerity

Date : Saturday, May 30, 2020

Time : 1 p.m. starting time

Place : Meet at 9th Ave. and W. 27th St., Manhattan

R.S.V.P. : March Against Racism and Austerity [Facebook]

Austerity leads to racism

There is a convergence in the betrayal of public housing with the Coronavirus pandemic. Hospital closings led to disparities in healthcare outcomes, as we have seen during the Coronavirus outbreak. The refrigerator trucks are a sign that austerity leads to racism. Now, NYCHA residents are being used as guinea pigs for testing and contact tracing in order for politicians to dangerously fast-track the reopening of the economy.

We are targeting some politicians, who claims to experience oppression, but who have done nothing to end racism or austerity. The apartment houses of the specific politicians we will visit are : Christine Quinn, Corey Johnson, Deborah Glick, and Brad Hoylman — each of whom had a role in the closing and luxury condo conversion of the old St. Vincent's Hospital. They thought nothing of taking away a safety net hospital from us, and they have done nothing to fight austerity or racism, as evidenced by how public housing has been neglected on their watch — and in their district.

Stop ''pinkwashing'' austerity

An LGBTQ activist is taking the lead in the planning of this protest march, so this is not an attack on identity, but, rather, criticism on how politicians have used the experience of oppression for personal political gain — only to countenance the oppression of others.

Please be health-responsible

We ask everybody to wear a mask and gloves, and to observe social distancing for everybody's health. This march is about 25 blocks. The route is attached in an image.

Fight For NYCHA is a collective of tenants, activists, artists, and advocates, who are providing technical support to NYCHA tenants to self-determine the future of public houisng in New York City. We oppose Mayor Bill de Blasio's plan to put 1/3 of NYCHA into the hands of private landlords. We reject Mayor de Blasio's proposal, because the money exists to save NYCHA. We just have to change our priorities. Learn more about our People's Budget to fully-fund NYCHA.

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City Council candidate Rick Echevarria exposes price gouging

2020-03-18T20:42:00.000-04:00

Echevarría campaign investigation into Bushwick price-gouging makes the news

Vote on June 23 for Rick Echevarría for City Council

Brooklyn merchants said some suppliers were price-gouging during the coronavirus epidemic

Rick Echevarría visited dozens of Brooklyn stores in recent days, asking owners to sign a pledge promising they wouldn't price-gouge during the coronavirus pandemic. Whilst making the rounds, Echevarría kept hearing similar stories : Suppliers had jacked-up their prices on cleaning supplies being used to disinfect for the coronavirus —- and shop owners were refusing to buy the supplies at the higher prices.

Prices on 19 oz. spray canisters of Lysol disinfectant were raised by as much as 42%, and prices on 16 oz. bottles of Clorox bleach increased by as much as 45%. As a result, shelves have gone bare, and customers have left stores empty-handed as many people across the boroughs scrambled to buy essentials to curb the spread of COVID-19.

Echevarría, a candidate for City Council's District 37 seat, which covers parts of north Brooklyn, including Bushwick, spent several days with a gouge watch crew meeting with local stores.

The findings of his campaign were the subject of an article published by The City. For that report, Echevarría said, "We can't have the owners feeling like they can't afford to restock."

To report price-gouging, you can file an online complaint with the New York State Attorney General's Office.

Store Owners Say Suppliers Fuel Coronavirus Disinfectant Price Gouging [The City]

Support Our Campaign

You are the game-changer in this race. Every donation you make allows us to fight for housing justice in Brooklyn. By making an early donation of $15, you make us a winning campaign.

In service to the community,

Rick Echevarría

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How long do we have to save public housing ? Fight For NYCHA Updates

2020-02-17T08:31:00.000-05:00

Fight For NYCHA - Updates

The Daily News publishes our editorial

Many groups have now jumped on the cause of saving public housing in New York City. But few dare to stand up to Mayor Bill de Blasio, the man primarily responsible for strong-arming tenants into becoming part of Rental Assistance Demonstration (''RAD''), the federal government program that moves public housing into private management. RAD hikes rents and fuels evictions. Find out how U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman let down NYCHA tenants and what a large nonprofit did to prop up a politician guilty of turning his back on NYCHA residents. There is a real danger that Mayor de Blasio will end public housing as we know it. We urge New Yorkers of goodwill to join us to save NYCHA.

EDITORIAL : RAD is a raw deal for NYCHA we must refuse [The New York Daily News]

An updated People's Budget was adopted at the Fight For NYCHA town hall meeting

The guest speakers at our town hall meeting included Lindsey Boylan, Howie Hawkins, and Michael Sussman.

The update to the People's Budget consisted of adding : (i) the conservative estimated cost of developing Sunnyside Yards and (ii) U.S. Rep. Nydia Velazquez's bill (H.R. 4546), the latter which would fund capital repairs at NYCHA, showing that over $440 billion is available for new Government policy on housing, justice, and dignity. The People's Budget is a package of ideas for legislation that will raise taxes on the rich and reallocate funds from gentrification development plans to fully-fund public housing and forge new Government policy based on justice and dignity.

People's Budget, Updated [in English] [Archive (dot) org]

El presupuesto del pueblo, propuesta [In Spanish] [Archive (dot) org]

Media Report

Residents and activists in Chelsea hosted a town hall discussing how to prevent NYCHA properties from being privatized. Chelsea Residents Resist Public Housing Privatization at Town Hall [Washington Square News/NYU News]

Fight For NYCHA need your support

Fight For NYCHA have announced plans to begin direct action, if necessary, to stop Mayor de Blasio's plans to expand RAD to NYCHA. We are looking for immediate fiscal sponsors. If you are able, please consider making a donation to our supplies expense Go Fund Me. Stay tuned for our next announcement of a direct action planning workshop.

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Fight For NYCHA - Town Hall Wednesday Night

2020-02-04T06:20:00.000-05:00

Fight For NYCHA - Town Hall

Three, Special Guest Speakers

Fight For NYCHA holds a very important Town Hall meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 5 at 6:30 at P.S. 33 in Chelsea. We are providing updates regarding :

Our lawsuit ;

The People's Budget ; and

Funding bills and legislation.

R.S.V.P.

Date : Wed., Feb. 5, 2020

Time : 6:30 p.m.

Place : P.S. 33, 281 9th Ave., Chelsea

R.S.V.P. Fight For NYCHA - Town Hall [Facebook]

Guest speakers

We will have special guest speakers !

Michael Sussman, our new counsel and the famed civil rights attorney, who won the legal fight to overturn the Inwood neighborhood rezoning ;

Howie Hawkins, a 2020 Green Party presidential candidate ; and

Lindsey Boylan, a 2020 Democratic Party Congressional candidate running in NY's 10th District.

Fight For NYCHA - Protesting AOC on Saturday !

2019-12-13T07:58:00.000-05:00

Fight For NYCHA - Protest on Saturday !

Demand AOC support NYCHA funding this year !

AOC's green ''New Deal'' plan for Public Housing makes NYCHA tenants wait years for heat.

Join us to demand that AOC issue a statement calling for the full-funding of NYCHA in the next budget cycle.

Date : Saturday, 14 Dec. 2019

Time : 3:30 pm

Place : I.S. 125Q, 46-02 47th Ave, Woodside, Queens

R.S.V.P. Demand AOC support NYCHA funding this year ! [Facebook]

♩ ♪ ♫ ♬ Lots of steam making lots of heat ♩ ♪ ♫ ♬

♩ ♪ ♫ ♬ Warm face, warm hands, warm feet ♩ ♪ ♫ ♬

♩ ♪ ♫ ♬ Oh, wouldn't it be loverly? ♩ ♪ ♫ ♬

Admittedly, it is noble for AOC to focus on climate change. But she, like French President Emmanuel Macron, gave industry and the military a pass on climate destruction. Instead, she has decided to extract climate justice outcomes first from, you guessed it, public housing residents. As a result, she threatens to add to the suffering and misery amongst average people. AOC is blind to how her green ''New Deal'' plan makes NYCHA residents wait years for basic, but emergency, repairs, like upgrades to heating systems. Without emergency upgrades in heating, NYCHA tenants face another winter where up to 90 per cent. of residents will experience heat outages.

Fight For NYCHA is a collective of tenants, activists, artists, and advocates, who are providing technical support to NYCHA tenants to self-determine the future of public houisng in New York City. We oppose Mayor Bill de Blasio's plan to put 1/3 of NYCHA into the hands of private landlords. We reject Mayor de Blasio's proposal, because the money exists to save NYCHA. We just have to change our priorities. Learn more about our People's Budget to fully-fund NYCHA.

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Progress New York : AOC's Green New Deal for Public Housing makes NYCHA tenants wait years for heat

2019-11-29T17:01:00.000-05:00

Progress New York - Update

LETTER FROM NEW YORK

AOC's green New Deal for public housing ignores heat outages, Mayor's plan for demolition and RAD conversion, and makes NYCHA tenants wait years for repairs

Two weeks ago, U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY 14) unveiled a green "New Deal" plan to "invest" up to $180 billion over ten (10) years in America's public housing stock. In recent days, surrogates for U.S. Rep. Ocasio-Cortez have retaliated whenever critics have noted that the green "New Deal" plan ignores the current public health crises facing public housing residents, particularly those which result from a lack of sufficient heat during winter.

The uncertain and conditional time frame of U.S. Rep. Ocasio-Cortez's bill places NYCHA at risk of being gutted by the plan being put forth by Mayor Bill de Blasio (D-New York City), which calls for demolition, rezoning, RAD conversion, and other assets sales.

According to information obtained by Progress New York, community opposition to the Mayor's plan has been obstructed by the Movement School, a project of Organize for Justice, which, in turn, is the 501(c)(4) lobbying arm of the Justice Democrats, the latter being the political action committee of nye demokrater widely-credited with electing U.S. Rep. Ocasio-Cortez to Congress.

If U.S. Rep. Ocasio-Cortez ignores these conflicts, then she risks alienating public housing residents at a critical time in our Nation's governance.

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Promotion : Thanksgiving offer from Buddha Body Yoga and Flatiron Massage

2019-11-10T08:58:00.000-05:00

Giving Thanks -- Special Promotional Offers

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Fallout of Presser, Protest : Greg Russ heckled, tenants locked out of NYCHA Working Group meeting

2019-10-31T15:22:00.000-04:00

FIGHT FOR NYCHA - UPDATES

NYCHA Tenants, Activists Held A Press Conference, Protesting the Lack of Democracy of, and the Exclusion of Many From, Mayor Bill de Blasio's NYCHA Working Group

Tenants and Activists Were Locked Out of Closed-Door, Secret Meeting in Violation of State's Open Meetings Law

In what could be a first in New York City, NYCHA tenants and activists heckled Greg Russ, the public housing authority chair.

NYCHA tenants and activists heckled Greg Russ, the new chair of the New York City Housing Authority, or NYCHA. The confrontation took place outside of PS 33 in Cheslea on Tuesday night after NYCHA tenants and activists from Fight For NYCHA, Holmes-Isaacs Coälition, and Justice For All Coälition had concluded their press conference, denouncing the Mayor Bill de Blasio's NYCHA Working Group.

VIDEO : NYCHA tenants, activists heckle Greg Russ as he tries to sneak into the rigged #WorkingGroup [YouTube]

Activists confront U.S. Rep. Jerry Nadler's corrupt aide, Robert Atterbury, and call for a primary against Assemblymember Dick Gottfried.

NYCHA tenants also renewed calls for Robert Atterbury to be fired by U.S. Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY 10). Activists allege that Atterbury violated New York State's open meetings' law when he told a Fight For NYCHA member to leave the first meeting of Mayor de Blasio's undemocratic NYCHA Working Group. Tenants and activists also jeered Assemblymember Richard Gottfried (D-New York City), when he tried to sneak into the second meeting of Mayor de Blasio's NYCHA Working Group.

VIDEO : NYCHA tenants, activists call for Robert Atterbury to be fired, for primary against Dick Gottfried [YouTube]

NYCHA tenants and activists were denied entry to the secret, closed-door second meeting of the Mayor's NYCHA Working Group.

NYCHA tenants and activists were denied entry to a public building (PS 33 in Cheslea), and, thus, they were not permitted to attend the proceedings of the second meeting of Mayor de Blasio's rigged and stacked NYCHA Working Group.

VIDEO : NYCHA tenants, activists bum rush de Blasio's corrupt NYCHA Working Group at PS33, get locked out [YouTube]

Complete Facebook Live video and Further Reading.

The media and public statements made by NYCHA tenants and activists were broadcast on a Facebook Live stream. Some of the speakers included La Keesha Taylor and Saundrea Coleman from the Holmes-Isaacs Coälition ; Stanely Morse from the Justice For All Coälition ; and Lindsey Boylan, a 2020 Democratic Party primary candidate, who is challenging U.S. Rep. Nadler.

VIDEO : Press Conference and Protest against the second meeting of Mayor Bill de Blasio's NYCHA Working Group [Facebook]

Climate Control is a Year-Round Issue at NYCHA, Especially for Seniors [City Limits News]

Mayor de Blasio launches 'working group' to hash out NYCHA plans in Chelsea [The New York Daily News]

Fight For NYCHA asserts that the NYCHA Working Group has sufficiently been revealed to be undemocratic and in violation of the State's open meetings law, and that its composition unfairly excludes tenants and stakeholders, particularly tenants from public housing developments that face RAD conversion, infill development, MIH rezoning, and air rights sales. What is more, Mayor de Blasio's undemocratic NYCHA Working Group has not publicly addressed questions of legality raised by a member of Fight For NYCHA at its first meeting. With your support, more information about these issues will be released as early as next week.

# # #

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MEDIA ADVISORY : Press Conference and Protest of NYCHA Working Group

2019-10-28T14:34:00.000-04:00

MEDIA ADVISORY

Contact : Marni Halasa, (917) 501-9444, team@mg.fightfornycha.org

NYCHA Tenants, Activists to Hold Press Conference, Raising Criticism of de Blasio's NYCHA Working Group

[NEW YORK, NY, Oct. 28] ---- NYCHA tenants and tenant activists will hold a press conference before the start of the second meeting of Mayor Bill de Blasio's NYCHA Working Group. This Working Group was formed to decide the demolition, RAD conversion, infill development, MIH rezoning, and air rights sale of NYCHA public housing. At least six (6) NYCHA public housing developments face some form of infill development or privatization in the near future, but tenants from only one (1) such housing development -- Fulton Houses -- got selected to this panel. They are joined by some tenants from Chelsea Houses and Elliott Houses. But many more tenants were excluded, including important stakeholders, like Fight For NYCHA. NYCHA faces a City-wide crisis, and Mayor de Blasio's response is to put 1/3 of NYCHA into the hands of private landlords. This is unacceptable. This panel should reflect a City-wide membership. Expected to speak at the press conference are representatives of Holmes-Isaacs Coälition, Justice for All Coälition, and Fight For NYCHA, as well as other NYCHA tenants.

DATE : Tuesday, 29-Oct-2019

TIME : 5:30 pm

PLACE : PS 33, 281 9th Ave. (Btwn. 26 and 27th Aves.), Manhattan

RSVP : Press Conference and Protest of NYCHA Working Group [Facebook]

BACKGROUND ON FIRST NYCHA WORKING GROUP MEETING

In order to get video of Deputy Mayor Vicki Been's presentation about NYCHA's future, a member of Fight For NYCHA had to risk arrest. Before NYPD Inspector Howard Redmond (the top cop, who reportedly covered up a car crash involving the mayor) and other NYPD officers showed up to menace the Fight For NYCHA member, U.S. Rep. Jerrold Nadler's aide, Robert Atterbury, made deceptive statements by materially misrepresenting the proceedings of the NYCHA Working Group as a secret meeting that was closed to the public. In New York State, Government meetings are open meetings. Yet, Mr. Atterbury repeatedly indicated that a meeting that would discuss the disposition of NYCHA public assets and City real property was not a public meeting and that, improbably, the NYCHA Working Group was not a "civic group." Under New York State penal code, obstructing Government administration is a class A misdemeanor in the second degree. See § 195.05.

What is more, Fight For NYCHA has discovered that Mayor de Blasio has instituted a gag rule, demanding that the discussions of the NYCHA Working Group remain secret. This is a violation of Government transparency. It also violates the First Amendment rights of tenants to be able to speak in informed discussions about their own future. The gag rule and the restrictions in attendance also violate the State's open meetings law.

VIDEO : Vicki Been presentation for Demolition, Infill, RAD, MIH, and Air Rights Sale at NYCHA Working Group [YouTube]

VIDEO : NYPD threaten Fight For NYCHA member with arrest at Bill de Blasio's NYCHA Working Group [YouTube]

VIDEO : Fight For NYCHA calls on Jerry Nadler to fire Robert Atterbury for violating democracy, transparency [YouTube]

Please join Fight For NYCHA in demanding that the NYCHA Working Group be opened up to NYCHA tenants and important stakeholders City-wide and that its proceedings be made public.

# # #

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Anybody But CoJo

2019-10-17T10:35:00.000-04:00

Anybody But CoJo

Popular will keeps getting subverted by a political lockstep that passes controversial City Council legislation that is underpinned by racism and austerity

[NEW YORK, NY, Oct. 17] ---- New York City is in a crisis. Tenants of the New York City Housing Authority, or NYCHA, have been living in inhumane conditions. A Federal investigation and numerous Court cases have revealed that NYCHA tenants live in apartments with mold, mildew, water leaks, lead paint, and insect and rodent infestations. News reports have exposed problems with lead in drinking water. It is estimated that NYCHA faces an unfunded capital improvement deficit of $32 billion. Over and over again, Elected Officials claim that the City has no money for NYCHA. That is a lie.

VISIT : Anybody But CoJo [Website]

At the same time when New York City Council Speaker Corey Johnson (D-Chelsea) is claiming that there is no money to fully-fund NYCHA, he has very easily found up to $11 billion to build four new jails. Reports have suggested that Council Speaker Johnson is so hell-bent on continuing the racist era of mass incarceration that he is offering lucrative taxpayer funding to Councilmembers in exchange for their votes. "In January, the state will outlaw cash bail for most people charged with misdemeanors and nonviolent felonies and will require prosecutors to provide evidence to the defense far earlier," according to a report published by the New York Times, arguably precluding the need for any, much less such an expansive, new jail system to replace Rikers Island, once it is scheduled to close.

A convergence of racism and austerity

Some critics of the four new jails plan have demanded that the $11 billion be earmarked, instead, as part of a joint Local and State Government plan to fully-fund NYCHA. But Council Speaker Johnson and others refuse to support any new Government funding proposals, even though new tax ideas are reasonable and not punitive. Some of these tax ideas are even legislation-ready. See, e.g., the People's Budget, as proposed by the group Fight For NYCHA.

When public housing, as we know it today, was being established, it largely excluded people of color until passage of the Fair Housing Act of 1968. Eventually, public housing not only became integrated, but the majority of tenants became people of color, a reflection of the historic and systemic divide in economic opportuniy, income, and wealth based on race. After the majority of public housing tenants became people of color, the Govenrment began a ssytemic divestiment of public housing, melding racism and austerity.

Now comes Council Speaker Johson, expressing a desire to continue the racist era of mass incarceration, while at the same time continuing the racist era of divestment from public housing.

The only outcome that Council Speaker Johnson appears to support is for the private sector to begin to take control of public housing, conditions that have already been exposed to lead to civil rights violations, rent increases, and higher eviction rates. The juxtaposition of Council Speaker Johnson's policiess on incarceration and housing reveals a "CoJo doctrine" of racism and austerity that we must reject. Since becoming leader of the Municipal legislature, Council Speaker Johnson has sought to continue the corporate Democratic Party agenda of neoliberalism in New York City, even in the face of rising calls for a true progressive future based on restorative economic and racial justice. For these and other reasons, to be explored in the near future, Anybody But CoJo announces its intention to oppose Council Speaker Johnson's declared 2021 candidacy in the New York City mayor's race.

# # #

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Help Progress New York Grow

2019-10-10T12:49:00.000-04:00

Progress New York - Update

Special Project Funding Raising Goal : $2,500

Progress New York has commenced discussions to transfer some information and research to a nonprofit news service for a special project. This is an exciting opportunity for Progress New York. Before the transfer can be made, some costs need to be recouped. Unfortunately, the nonprofit news service cannot pay for these costs. As a result, we must find a sponsor or to raise $2,500 before this transfer can be made. Please consider making a donation today toward this cost.

Any single sponsor committing to sponsoring the entire cost can call for more information : (347) 551-2299.

Please make a donation today.

The Donation page will be kept updated with the status of this fundraiser.

These are exciting times ! Thank you for all of your support !

Louis

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Michael Hayes, LMT, has practiced massage for more than 20 years as a licensed massage therapist in New York City.

Progress New York Update -- WBAI Interview About NYCHA

2019-10-05T16:06:00.000-04:00

Progress New York - Update

NYCHA interview with Michael G. Haskins' WBAI show "Living in the City"

Progress New York staff member Louis Flores was interviewed by WBAI 99.5 FM news host Michael G. Haskins for the "Living in the City" news program. The subject of the interview was the situation facing the New York City Housing Authority, or NYCHA.

The interview featured two important revelations.

First, the questioning [at 18:00] whether the controversial handing-over of public housing to private landlords under the Federal program known as Rental Assistance Demonstration, or RAD, should be subjected to the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure, or ULURP process.

Second, when asked by Mr. Haskins to explain [at 21:00] why no official at NYCHA was held accountable for the scandals that have engulf the Municipal public housing authority, the Progress New York staff member replied that U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman, of New York's southern district, appeared to countenance corruption, given his Big Business approach to Government.

A yogi, Michael Hayes offers licensed massage therapy in New York City

2019-10-03T13:12:00.000-04:00

Flatiron Massage | Massage Therapist NYC

Michael Hayes, a licensed massage therapist in New York City, offers targeted massage treatment for specific problems that clients present. A thorough evaluation by a medical massage therapist can identify a treatment plan that can help alleviate current pain and also discover underlying issues that may aggravate pre-existing conditions.

Hayes has studied a variety of different outcome- and evidence-based massage techniques in 20 years of practicing.

Medical Issues

Hayes' approach matches the appropriate massage therapy technique to the client's problem. He work with clients with back issues, pain in the hips/legs/feet, abdominal work to support digestion, neck tightness, Sciatic, Brachialgia, TMJ, fatigue, depression and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

READ MORE : These Plus-Sized Yogis Made Yoga Their Own | Radical Beauty [The Cut]

Hayes offers Swedish massage, Shiatsu, sports massage, Thai foot reflexology, Chi Nei Tsang, and pre- and post-natal massage services out of his studio in the Flatiron neighborhood of Manhattan.

Michael Hayes, LMT
1123 Broadway #910
New York, NY 10010
E-mail : flatironmassage910 [at] gmail [dot] com
Telephone : (917) 553-7710

Delita Hooks, medical office employee who attacked political blogger Suzannah B. Troy, never held accountable

2019-10-03T11:58:00.000-04:00

Dr. Andrew Fagelman

Delita Hooks is a medical office employee of Dr. Andrew Fagelman, who sees patients in the SoHo neighborhood of Manhattan. According to police and Court records, Hooks attacked a patient visiting another doctor. The victim of the attack, Suzannah B. Troy, has been seeking justice for the attack for seven years.

After Troy had filed a police report about the assault, Hooks reportedly filed a cross complaint described as false by Troy. Troy has compared Hook's police report to be as fabricated as the one filed by Jussie Smollett, a network TV drama actor, who falsely reported being the target of an attack.

Read more : Jussie Smollett objects to comparison to girl who lied about dreadlocks being cut [NBC News]

Troy attempted to report the false cross complaint filed by Hooks as a crime, but she was turned away by police in the First Precinct, including NYPD supervisor Sgt. Chen, who she recorded in secret audio and tweeted to or mentioned top NYPD brass, including the NYPD police commissioners from Raymond Kelly to William Bratton to James O'Neill.

For Smollett's part in filing a false police report, prosecutors in Cook County, Illinois, made a decision not to prosecute the filing of a false instrument with police, a decision that later triggered the appointment of a former U.S. Attorney to review prosecutorial handling of the Smollett case. No similar decision to review the Office of Manhattan District Attorney's handling of Hooks' filing of a false instrument with police has been made.

Violence Against Women : Donald Trump fan, Stephen Roth, is Dr. Andrew Fagelman's landlord

2019-10-01T10:49:00.003-04:00

Dr. Andrew Fagelman

When political commentator Suzannah B. Troy sued Dr. Andrew Fagelman for damages from her attack by his employee in his office, she learned that he rented commercial space from Vornado Realty Trust.

Dr. Fagelman later allegedly tried to unbelievably shift liability over the attack to Vornado, because the attack took place in shared commercial space.

Vornado is controlled by Stephen Roth, who is a supporter of President Donald Trump, who has allegedly claimed he grabs women "by the pu$$y."

Roth has been described as a Trump business partner. Roth was an investor in the troubled office building owned by Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner and his father's real estate business, located at 666 Fifth Ave.

Troy has questioned whether Roth and Vornado are accepting or condoning of misogyny and violence against women, including on their own property.

Besides doing business with Trump and his family, Roth called real estate executive Sam Zell a “bald-headed chicken fucker,” according to a report published by The Real Deal.

Seven year anniversary of Dr. Andrew Fagelman employee assaulting patient in SoHo medical office

2019-10-01T10:06:00.001-04:00

Dr. Andrew Fagelman

On Oct. 1, 2012, political commentator Suzannah B. Troy was attacked by an employee of the medical office of Dr. Andrew Fagelman.

The attacker, Delita Hooks, was documented approaching Troy to start the attack in a YouTube video that has been seen over 750,000 times.

No accountability

Hooks was never fired by her employer, nor was she arrested. And Dr. Fagelman has testified in a deposition that he takes Hooks to drug paries. Dr. Fagelman also reportedly has many patients, who are NYPD officers. Dr. Fagelman is allegedly a primary care doctor, and he published in the Journal of Urology an article about the "Efficacy, Safety, and Use of Viagra in Clinical Practice." Yet, Dr. Fagelman does not understand that patient safety. So, how can he be writing about Viagra safety ?

Because Dr. Fagelman has concentrated at least some of his practice on impotent men, could h e be expressing undiagnosed misogyny against women ?

Manhattan D.A.'s Office admitted crimes occurred, but no charges were pressed against Hooks

According to Troy, a senior Manhattan Assistant District Attorney, Joan Illuzi, informed her that the attack constituted or included a second-degree assault, menacing, and a false cross complaint. Troy attempted to report the false cross complaint filed by Hooks as a crime, but she was turned away by police in the First Precinct, including NYPD supervisor Sgt. Chen, who she recorded in secret audio and tweeted to or mentioned top NYPD brass, including the NYPD police commissioners from Raymond Kelly to William Bratton to James O'Neill.

According to Troy's allegations, Andrew Dwyer was the NYPD detective, who represented Hooks in the police investigation. Troy has accused Dwyer of committing crimes in the police investigation. After Det. Andrew Dwyer allegedly committed these crimes, he was promoted to the NYPD FBI Task Force.

Suzannah B. Troy (@suzannahbtroy)

3/4/18, 12:47 PM

⁦‪@NYPDONeill‬⁩ ⁦‪@NYPDChiefofDept‬⁩ ⁦‪@NYPDFIRSTDEP‬⁩ ⁦‪@TheIACP‬⁩⁦‪@NYPDnews‬⁩ ⁦‪@NYPDDetectives‬⁩ ⁦‪@MjrCitiesChiefs‬⁩ ⁦‪@NYPDChiefPatrol‬⁩⁦‪@NYCPBA‬⁩ ⁦‪@MarcSantia4NY‬⁩ ⁦‪@NYPDCT‬⁩ youtu.be/syrc3ncHFTI ask PC O’Neill, Bratton, Ray Kelly, Pulaski, Boyce, Esposito, Banks, Lt Gannon about audio Sgt Chen PO Magori prevent me from reporting Delita Hooks false cross complaint lying I am not from DA or a det. so I am not allowed to report the crime! #NYPD Lies!

NEW BUSINESS LAUNCH : Connaissable : Web Communication Services

2019-09-24T09:28:00.000-04:00

New Business Announcement

I have very exciting news !

On Sept. 16, I launched a consulting services firm, Connaissable. Please check out the firm Web site.

I offer strategy, research, and business intelligence solutions by addressing data analysis, Web site development, and social media and online communication management.

My telephone number is : 1 (929) 279-2292.

If you have great ideas, but need help getting your messages to reach the public, give me a ring. I offer a free 30-minute consultation to give you a sense of the personal, tailored work that I can propose. And I can work within your budget.

Here's to moving the needle !

Thank you,
Louis
louis@mg.connaissable.com
1 (929) 279-2292

Visit : Connaissable

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MEDIA ADVISORY : Wed., Sept. 18 presser 5:30 pm before Fight For NYCHA town hall

2019-09-17T09:24:00.000-04:00

MEDIA ADVISORY

Contact : Marni Halasa, (917) 501-9444, team@mg.fightfornycha.org

NYCHA Tenants, Activists to Hold Press Conference Before Sept. 18 Fight For NYCHA Town Hall

[NEW YORK, NY, Sept. 17] ---- NYCHA tenants, tenant activists, and civic leaders will hold a press conference before the start of the Fight For NYCHA town hall on Wednesday night to make the case that the money exists to preserve and expand public housing in New York City. Speakers will propose a People's Budget to raise the money to fully-fund NYCHA.

DATE : Wednesday, 18-Sept-2019

TIME : 5:30 pm

PLACE : PS 33, 281 9th Ave. (Btwn. 26 and 27th Aves.), Manhattan

RSVP : Town Hall to Fully-Fund NYCHA [Facebook]

DOCUMENT : People's Budget [Archive・org]

Speakers at the press conference will repeat past demands : (i). to stop any demolition of public housing, including at Fulton Houses ; (ii). to stop any RAD conversion of NYCHA, including at Fulton Houses ; (iii). to oppose any sale of air rights ; and (iv). to demand that New York City Government keep public housing public. Immediately following the press conference, organisers will facilitate a town hall meeting to discuss the People's Budget.

PLEASE NOTE : Civil Rights Attorney Norman Siegel has resigned as counsel for Fight For NYCHA. We are looking for a new civil rights attorney.

# # #

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Fight For NYCHA Labor Day Protest : Daniel Dromm : Put NYCHA in the City Budget

2019-08-31T12:29:00.000-04:00

Fight For NYCHA Labor Day Protest : Daniel Dromm : Put NYCHA in the City Budget

Join us a for a Labor Day protest at the District Office of New York City Councilmember Daniel Dromm.

As chair of the City Council Finance Committee, Dromm drafts the New York City Budget. But for the 2020 Fiscal Year budget, Dromm threw NYCHA under the bus, bc, even though NYCHA is in a crisis, facing a $32 billion deficit in its capital improvement budget, Dromm left NYCHA out of the $92.8 billion budget deal reached with Mayor Bill de Blasio and Council Speaker Corey Johnson.

We are protesting Dromm, bc Fulton Houses faces demolition, particularly if Mayor de Blasio and NYCHA issue a Request For Proposal next month.

DATE : Monday, 02-Sept-2019

TIME : 1 - 2 pm

PLACE : 37-32 75th St., Jackson Heights, Queens

RSVP : Daniel Dromm : Put NYCHA in the City Budget [Facebook]

Dromm claims he supports diversity, but he turns his back on POC, who make up 90 per cent. of NYCHA tenants.

Dromm claims he knows oppression, and, as a result, he identifies with people of color. However, Dromm has kept quiet as Mayor de Blasio has proposed to convert public housing under a HUD program known as Rental Assistance Demonstration, or RAD. RAD has been shown to lead to spikes in evictions. Because 90 per cent. of NYCHA tenants are people of color, there is a disparate impact of the negative aspects of RAD conversion on people of color.

Recent media reports

Hundreds of NYCHA Evictions Raise Questions About Process, 14 August 2019 [City Limits]

HUD proposes rule setting higher bar for housing discrimination claims, 16 August 2019 [POLITICO]

Fight For NYCHA is a collective of tenants, activists, artists, and advocates, who are supporting NYCHA to self-determine the future of public houisng in New York City. We oppose Mayor Bill de Blasio's plan to put 1/3 of NYCHA into the hands of private landlords. We reject Mayor de Blasio's proposal, because the money exists to save NYCHA. We just have to change our priorities.

# # #

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Fight For NYCHA Aug. 10 Action-Planning Workshop and Looming Call For Primaries

2019-08-08T09:50:00.000-04:00

Aug. 10 Fight For NYCHA Action-Planning Workshop

Counter each new powerholder strategy

Join us to plan a tenant-led series of actions to defeat the demolition, RAD conversion, and sale of air rights of public housing. Under Mayor Bill de Blasio's planned use of RAD, public housing will be put into the hands of private landlords, will bring overdevelopment to public housing, and will lead to tenant displacement.

DATE : Saturday, Aug. 10, 2019

TIME : 1 pm

PLACE : 419 West 17th Street, Manhattan

RSVP : Fight For NYCHA Action-Planning Workshop [Facebook]

Electeds call for an extension of time ; if NYCHA is not fully-funded, there looms a call for primaries.

Elected officials recently announced a proposal for tenants in Corey Johnson's City Council district to join an advisory board that is set to be empaneled in September, which is when NYCHA was set to ask for Requests for Proposals for the demolition/RAD conversion of Fulton Houses. Now, electeds are saying that they want to push back the start of the RFP timeline to December, to give the advisory board time to meet and to form an alternate funding plan. This kind of arrangement is fraught with risks. First and foremost, using the failed fight to save St. Vincent's Hospital as an example, the one month loan extension given to St. Vincent's was the last nail in its coffin, and it gave electeds an excuse to say that they did all that they could to save St. Vincent's -- which was a lie. Second, no process that electeds offer up to the community is going to be fair or democratic, because every elected with jurisdiction in Chelsea, Hudson Yards, and Hell's Kitchen has a track record of supporting non-stop, community-crushing gentrification. Third, the solution is already known. Fulton Houses needs $168 million. NYCHA, over all, needs an estimated $32 billion. The only acceptable solution is the full-funding of NYCHA.

If electeds don't find the money to fully-fund Fulton Houses without resorting to demolition, RAD conversion, and the sale of air rights, then activists are prepared to make a call that all complicit politicians should be primaried -- or voted out of office, entirely -- beginning with those with jurisdiction over the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan.

Recent media reports

Housing Update: Anti-RAD Organizers are Growing, 06 August 2019 [City Limits]

Meet The Women Behind The 'Occupy NYCHA' Rally At City Hall, 24 July 2019 [Gothamist]

Occupy NYCHA takes root in South Jamaica, 01 August 2019 [Queens Eagle]

NYCHA should delay Fulton Houses demolition decision, politicians say, 31 July 2019 [amNewYork]

NYCHA Crisis Discussion with Senator Salazar in Bushwick, 01 August 2019 [Bushwick Daily]

Chelsea Reform Democratic Club Panel Sees City Reps, Residents, Advocates Discuss Future of Fulton Houses, 10 July 2019 [Chelsea Community News]

# # #

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Protest Corey Johnson Monday Night ; Other Updates From Fight For NYCHA

2019-07-13T13:30:00.000-04:00

Protest Corey Johnson to save Fulton Houses

No #RAD-ification of Fulton Houses !

Join us for a protest on Monday night at the apartment house of New York City Council Speaker Corey Johnson (D-Chelsea). We demand that Council Speaker Johnson allocate $168 million to save Fulton Houses from demolition and to stop the handing over of Fulton Houses to a private landlord.

DATE : Monday, July 15, 2019

TIME : 6:30 pm

PLACE : 220 West 15th Street, Manhattan

RSVP : Protest Corey Johnson to save Fulton Houses [Facebook]

Update on Councilmember Ben Kallos' Forum on Overdevelopment

Councilmember Ban Kallos (D-Sutton Place) was generous to allow Fight For NYCHA to speak at his Forum on Overdevelopment at CUNY Graduate Center on June 27. Councilmmember Kallos noted how his office and the office of Borough President Gale Brewer (D-Manhattan) had opposed any development of NYCHA that circumvented the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure ("ULURP"). Please watch the Occupy Radio video of the brief remarks made about the importance of putting the plan by Mayor Bill de Blasio (D-New York), calling for the demolition and RAD conversion of public housing, on the public agenda.

VIDEO : Fighting Every Step of the Way to Save NYCHA [Occupy Radio via YouTube]

Update on Twitter Suspension

When the @FightForNYCHA Twitter account was restored, we were notified that our account had been flagged as spam. We don't know how Twitter reached that conclusion, but it may be that our opposition were flagging our posts as spam. Whatever the true cause, we have set up a back-up Twitter account. Please take time to follow @FullyFundNYCHA.

Search for 501(c)(3) Sponsor

Fight For NYCHA is searching for a fiscal sponsor to support our commitment to public service. Our core mission is three-fold : to bring relief to public housing tenants, to preserve and expand public housing, and to treat housing as a human right. If your group can act as our 501(c)(3) sponsor, please contact us at : team (at) mg (dot) fightfornycha (dot) org.

# # #

Visit : Fight For NYCHA | Twitter | Facebook

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE : @FightForNYCHA's Twitter account was suspended

2019-06-13T07:12:00.000-04:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact : Louis Flores, (347) 551-2299, team@mg.fightfornycha.org

The @FightForNYCHA Twitter account has been suspended ; do your part to hold elected officials accountable by demanding $32 billion for NYCHA. #KeepPublicHousingPublic

13 June 2019 (New York) - Fight For NYCHA's Twitter account, @FightForNYCHA, was suspended shortly after 5 pm on Wed., June 12, without specific indication for cause. An appeal has been filed to overturn the suspension. The account suspension followed the commencement of a protest campaign to secure $168 million to save the Fulton Houses public housing development in Chelsea from demolition and RAD conversion, which would turn public housing into a for-profit business by putting the Fulton Houses into the hands of private landlords. Fight For NYCHA is working to empower public housing tenants to determine the future of public housing in New York City. The Twitter account suspension also took place just one day after former New York City Councilmember Sal Albanese tweeted that his plan to take money out of politics, called Democracy Vouchers, would politically empower registered voters living in New York City Housing Authority apartments.

Fight For NYCHA respectfully requests that the media and the public hold Mayor Bill de Blasio (D-New York City), New York Council Speaker Corey Johnson (D-Chelsea), and Councilmember Daniel Dromm (D-Jackson Heights) accountable for not fully-funding NYCHA on the municipal level. Other elected officials, including U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY 14), have similarly turned their backs on people with the least. As argued by Fight For NYCHA, the Rental Assistance Demonstration program ("RAD") of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is a pretext for the privatisation of NYCHA, because it is woefully inadequate to fund the preservation and expansion of public housing. In the case of Ocean Bay Apartments in Far Rockaway, for example, NYCHA needed $200 million in FEMA relief money to complete the renovations, money that will not be available at other NYCHA public housing apartment complexes, like at the Fulton Houses in Chelsea.

Fight For NYCHA is a collective of tenants, activists, artists, and advocates, who are protesting Mayor Bill de Blasio's plan to put 1/3 of NYCHA into the hands of private landlords. We reject Mayor de Blasio's proposal because the money exists to save NYCHA. We just have to change our priorities.

# # #

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NYC : News & Analysis

REPORT : The Feds countenance voter disenfranchisement

Progress New York - Update

REPORT

In the Federal election cycle four years ago, the Board of Elections admitted it unlawfully purged voter rolls. This year, the Board of Elections is accused of the widespread disqualification of absentee ballots.

The Federal lawsuit filed in Manhattan attempts to downplay any wrongdoing by the Board of Elections.

Read More

REPORT : What 'tensions' exist between SDNY and City Hall ?

Progress New York - Update

REPORT

The office of U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman was reportedly investigating political operatives with close ties to President Donald Trump.

The Trump administration is sending mixed signals on First Amendment issues facing New York City.

Read More

EDITORIAL : Federal role in lack of NYPD transparency

Progress New York - Update

EDITORIAL

For one-off cases of NYPD misconduct, the U.S. Attorneys' Offices sometimes come into public view. When the police misconduct complaints are systemic in nature, they go into hiding.

One opaque Law Enforcement Agency has oversight over another opaque Law Enforcement Agency.

The public's confidence in Government has collapsed.

Read More

TOMORROW : Fight For NYCHA March Against Racism and Austerity

Fight For NYCHA - Updates

March Against Racism and Austerity

Austerity leads to racism

Stop ''pinkwashing'' austerity

Please be health-responsible

City Council candidate Rick Echevarria exposes price gouging

Echevarría campaign investigation into Bushwick price-gouging makes the news

Vote on June 23 for Rick Echevarría for City Council

Brooklyn merchants said some suppliers were price-gouging during the coronavirus epidemic

Support Our Campaign

How long do we have to save public housing ? Fight For NYCHA Updates

Fight For NYCHA - Updates

The Daily News publishes our editorial

An updated People's Budget was adopted at the Fight For NYCHA town hall meeting

Media Report

Fight For NYCHA need your support

Fight For NYCHA - Town Hall Wednesday Night

Fight For NYCHA - Town Hall

Three, Special Guest Speakers

R.S.V.P.

Guest speakers

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Fight For NYCHA - Protesting AOC on Saturday !

Fight For NYCHA - Protest on Saturday !

Demand AOC support NYCHA funding this year !

AOC's green ''New Deal'' plan for Public Housing makes NYCHA tenants wait years for heat.

Join us to demand that AOC issue a statement calling for the full-funding of NYCHA in the next budget cycle.

♩ ♪ ♫ ♬ Lots of steam making lots of heat ♩ ♪ ♫ ♬

♩ ♪ ♫ ♬ Warm face, warm hands, warm feet ♩ ♪ ♫ ♬

♩ ♪ ♫ ♬ Oh, wouldn't it be loverly? ♩ ♪ ♫ ♬

Progress New York : AOC's Green New Deal for Public Housing makes NYCHA tenants wait years for heat

Progress New York - Update

LETTER FROM NEW YORK

AOC's green New Deal for public housing ignores heat outages, Mayor's plan for demolition and RAD conversion, and makes NYCHA tenants wait years for repairs

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Special Project Funding Raising Goal : $2,500

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Giving Thanks -- Special Promotional Offers

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Fallout of Presser, Protest : Greg Russ heckled, tenants locked out of NYCHA Working Group meeting

FIGHT FOR NYCHA - UPDATES

NYCHA Tenants, Activists Held A Press Conference, Protesting the Lack of Democracy of, and the Exclusion of Many From, Mayor Bill de Blasio's NYCHA Working Group

Tenants and Activists Were Locked Out of Closed-Door, Secret Meeting in Violation of State's Open Meetings Law

In what could be a first in New York City, NYCHA tenants and activists heckled Greg Russ, the public housing authority chair.

Activists confront U.S. Rep. Jerry Nadler's corrupt aide, Robert Atterbury, and call for a primary against Assemblymember Dick Gottfried.

NYCHA tenants and activists were denied entry to the secret, closed-door second meeting of the Mayor's NYCHA Working Group.

Complete Facebook Live video and Further Reading.

MEDIA ADVISORY : Press Conference and Protest of NYCHA Working Group

MEDIA ADVISORY

NYCHA Tenants, Activists to Hold Press Conference, Raising Criticism of de Blasio's NYCHA Working Group

BACKGROUND ON FIRST NYCHA WORKING GROUP MEETING

Anybody But CoJo

Anybody But CoJo

Popular will keeps getting subverted by a political lockstep that passes controversial City Council legislation that is underpinned by racism and austerity

A convergence of racism and austerity