The Streets Where We Live

East and Harlem River Toll Idea Hangs in Limbo

Image of the Broadway Bridge from Bridgeandtunnelclub.com

According to the New York Post today it looks like the proposal to charge a $2 toll to use bridges on Harlem and East River bridges may not come to pass. Apparently, five state senators are digging their heels in the ground and saying no way to the measure, saying that the toll would unfairly effect outer-borough residents who do not have access to major mass transit.

"If it's 1 cent, I'm against it," said state Sen. Kevin Parker (D-Brooklyn). The others who have ruled out tolls are Carl Charger of Brooklyn, and Ruben Diaz Sr., Pedro Espada Jr. and Ruth Hassle-Thompson, all of The Bronx.

They vowed to block any tolls, even if that pushes talks past the MTA's March 25 deadline for fare hikes and services cuts.

Instead, they believe the agency should find other ways to close its projected $1.2 billion budget gap and fund its cash-starved capital plan.

Anti-East and Harlem River Rally Tomorrow, Friday 4 p.m.

I haven't heard of any pro-toll rallies as of yet, but will post those if I hear of them as well.

From Martin Collins.

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Martin F.Collins <collinsm@assembly.state.ny.us> Date: Thu, Mar 5, 2009 at 4:30 PM Subject: Rally Against the Harlem/East River Tolls To: undisclosed-recipients                 ANTI  - EAST/ HARLEM RIVER TOLLS RALLY!!!!!!!!! WHEN: FRIDAY, MARCH 6th,     4:00pm   WHERE: 181ST & AMSTERDAM AVE   <>WHY: The tolls are a regressive tax that will adversely affect the local economy, the poor, and people who regularly commute to work, shop, and visit family in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and Northern Manhattan. Please join elected officials, and community advocates in opposition to the Ravitch Report’s proposal to impose tolls over the Harlem and East River bridges.   ·        The recommendation is dreadful for Washington Heights-Inwood and Marble Hill the cost associated with tolling these bridges will severely hamper our community ability to make ends meet during this economic crisis. ·        The placement of tolls on the Harlem and East River bridges will also impose a heavy burden on a relatively small portion of the population who already has fewer choices and use these bridges as a lifeline between Northern Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, and the Bronx.    ·        The tolling of the Broadway Bridge that spans the Harlem River and connects Inwood to Marble Hill is of particular concern since both communities are part of Manhattan. ·        People in the same borough should not have to pay to cross a few feet of water.   If you have any questions, please contact Office of NYS  Assemblymember Adriano Espaillat at  212-544-2278 __________________________________________________________________________________________________ PROTESTA !!!!!!!!!  CONTRA PEAJES EN LOS PUENTES   DEL RIO ESTE / HARLEM   CUANDO:      VIERNES 6 DE MARZO A LAS 4PM   DONDE:         181st St Y AMSTERDAM   PORQUE:        EL PEAJE ES UN IMPUESTO REGRESIVO QUE AFECTARA LA ECONOMÍA LOCAL, AL POBRE, A LAS PERSONAS QUE GUÍAN A SU TRABAJO, Y A PERSONAS QUE VISITAN A SUS FAMILIAS EN BRONX, QUEENS,  BROOKLYN Y EL ALTO MANHATTAN.   Por favor únase a oficiales electos, y voceros de la comunidad en oposición al reporte Ravitch, que impone peaje en los 14 puentes que cruzan los rios del Este y Harlem (entre ellos Broadway 225th st, 207th & Fordham Road, 181st & Ámsterdam, 145th & Harlem River, 155th Madison and 3rd)   La recomendación es terrible para la comunidad del alto de Manhattan, Inwood and Marble Hill. El costo  asociado con el impuesto de estos peajes afectara la capacidad de nuestra comunidad de hacer equilibrios para vivir durante esta crisis económica.   La Gente en el mismo distrito municipal no debería pagar por cruzar unos pies del agua.   Si tiene alguna pregunta, por favor llame a la oficina del Asambleísta Adriano Espaillat al 212-544-2278

Press Conference Opposing East & Harlem River Tolls on Sunday, March 1

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Martin F.Collins <collinsm@assembly.state.ny.us>
Date: Fri, Feb 27, 2009 at 5:07 PM
Subject: Press Conference Opposing East & Harlem River Tolls
To: undisclosed-recipients

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

***MEDIA ADVISORY***

ESPAILLAT, THOMPSON, COMMUNITY ADVOCATES STAND IN
STRONG OPPOSITION TO EAST AND HARLEM RIVER TOLLS

New York State Assemblyman Adriano Espaillat and New York City Comptroller William C. Thompson, Jr. will join community organizations in opposing the East and Harlem River tolls on Sunday, March 1st at 11:30 AM.

DATE:          Sunday, March 1, 2009 at 11:30am       

PLACE:          181st Street and Amsterdam Avenue

CONTACT:    Laura Rivera (Thompson), lrivera@comptroller.nyc.gov

                     (c) (646) 265-4249  or

                   Aneiry Batista (Espaillat), aneiry.batista@gmail.com

                     (c) (917) 547-1147

  

                                        ####

--
Carla Zanoni
917.846.4546

Public Demo of New Voting Machines -- This is Important Inwood and Washington Heights!

The Board of Elections in the City of New York is set to host public demonstrations in the five boroughs and one public hearing of the two poll site voting systems that are being evaluated for use in Fall 2009. If all goes well, the new system will be used in future elections as well.

The new system is a response to The Help Americans Vote America Act of 2002 (HAVA), an act charged with making voting more accessible to disabled people by upgrading machines from the creaky lever machines of yore, creating a voter database and instating systems to curb voter fraud. The act has been somewhat controversial. Although most admit that the system is in need of some fixing, the issue of overhauling the system is much more complex than just finding shiny new machines for voters to use.

See Martin Collins' email below and visit the Board of Election site for demo locations and information about the public hearing as well. This is the one chance most of us will have to weigh in on how we vote in this state for a long time.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Martin F.Collins <collinsm@assembly.state.ny.us>
Date: Mon, Feb 16, 2009 at 2:47 PM
Subject: New Voting Machines: Your Input Is Needed Now
To: undisclosed-recipients

The NYC Board of Elections will hold public demonstrations of the two poll site voting machines being evaluated for use in fall 2009 and beyond. The Manhattan demonstration takes place at The Associated Blind / Selis Manor Building Auditorium, 135 West 23rd Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenue on Wednesday, February 25th from 6:00-8:30pm. Please see the links below for subway and bus directions to and parking near Selis Manor. The public is invited to try out the machines and provide feedback. The Commissioners are scheduled to make a decision later in March and the machines are targeted to be in place this fall. Please call the Board of Elections at 866-868-3692 or visit www.vote.nyc.ny.us for more information and spread the word. Thank you.

Directions by Subway
Directions by Bus
Parking 

Espaillat on Affordable Housing in Inwood and Washington Heights, well really, all of NYC

Image from jag9889 on Flickr

 ---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Martin F.Collins <collinsm@assembly.state.ny.us>
Date: Wed, Feb 4, 2009 at 8:08 PM
Subject: News from Assemblymember Adriano Espaillat: Now is the time to fix NYC’s rent-regulation laws once and for all
To: undisclosed-recipients

Dear Tenants:

New York City consistently numbers among the country’s most expensive cities, making it hard for working families and middle-income people to live here. Most city residents are renters, making them vulnerable to an unpredictable, out-of-control market. That’s why the Assembly Majority has been fighting for years to fix current rent laws. New York City loses over 10,000 units to deregulation every year – 300,000 since 1997! The unchecked deregulation depletes affordable housing stock and makes it next to impossible for the people who make our city work – like firefighters, police officers, nurses and teachers – to live here.

For over a decade the Assembly Majority has battled landlords who would like nothing less than the total dissolution of New York City’s rent protection laws. But with the effects of the recession ravaging our city and our job market, bureaucratic bickering is no longer enough. Now is the time for action.

The Assembly passed a package of bills to protect tenant rights and ensure that middle- and lower-income people who work here can afford to call New York City home. The bills are designed to promote fairness in renting procedures in rent-regulated communities.

The 10-bill rent regulation package passed by the Assembly includes measures to:

·        Allow New York City to regulate its own rents (A.1688);

·        Repeal vacancy decontrol of apartments renting at $2,000 per month or more, and recapture all formerly rent-regulated apartments that rented for less than $5,000 per
         month in New York City and $3,500 outside of New York City (A.2005);

·        Increase civil penalties on landlords who harass tenants or who violate the state Division of Housing and Community Renewal’s rent-regulation orders (A.2002);

·        Reduce the allowable rent increase after a vacancy from 20 percent to 10 percent and limit the number of increases per year (A.1686);

·        Limit a building owner’s ability to recover a rent-regulated apartment for personal use (A.1685);

·        Increase the rent and income deregulation thresholds (A.860);

·        Require landlords who charge a rent lower than the maximum amount to offer that same base rent as long as the same tenant resides in the apartment (A.465);

·        Permit the declaration of an emergency pursuant to the Emergency Tenant Protection Act for rental housing accommodations located in buildings formerly covered by a  
         project-based assistance contract pursuant to Section 8 of the U.S. Housing Act of 1937 (A.1687);

·        Extend the recovery time for major capital improvement (MCI) expenses and require that rent surcharges authorized for MCIs cease when the expenses have been
         recovered (A.1928); and

·        Protect tenants in Mitchell-Lama developments from rent increases when a project withdraws from the program (A.857).

Without rent regulation, only the rich would be able to afford city living. We need to keep New York City vibrant and diverse. These bills will take some of the pressure off struggling families and keep more affordable housing within reach for our hardworking men and women.

Sincerely,

Adriano Espaillat

Back to the Trees, Mulchfest Great Green Success in NYC

 

Photo care of NBC New York

Funny that this came out today because I was talking about it again with my friend Christopher last night. Just can't get enough. 

The City is reporting that more than 139,000 Christmas trees were recycled this year with Manhattan contributing the most of the five boroughs with 42,798 trees in all. No word on how many came from our neck of the woods.

It's nice to think that our little tree will be helping to make other little trees for years to come. 

Digital Television Turnover Delay Fails the House -- Better Prepare

Looks like the digital television delay I wrote about last night has failed the House. But all hope is not lost, ABC reports that the House Democrats could possibly bring up "the bill again for a regular floor vote, which would only require majority support to pass. Wednesday's vote took place under a special procedure that required two-thirds support for passage."

House Republicans said the switchover delay would have put an undue burden on wireless companies and television stations as well as public safety agencies that are waiting for the signal change. Guess they aren't too worried about the "poor, elderly, and rural consumers" Obama was trying to protect by delaying the switch. 

Santa will Save Us! -- Marble Hill Mobile Alert

Saw this car in Marble Hill yesterday at the corner of W. 228th and Broadway. (Did you ever notice that the C-Town up here also has a Rite Aid attached to it like the one in Inwood on Broadway?)

Love the eccentricity. Note the Santa on the roof. Ben thought it might be Adames, the man who sued Bloomberg with claims that he falsely won the mayorship, but I'm going to go with a no.

First of all it was a lady. Second, I don't think Adames believes in Santa.