Yeshiva World News

Dozens of students, parents and teachers from Catholic and Hebrew schools of Brooklyn’s 42nd State Assembly District held a peaceful and respectful rally Monday outside Assembly Member Rodneyse Bichotte’s office to call on her to support the Education Investment Tax Credit bill, currently up for passage in the Assembly.

The bill, which would benefit children by expanding private K-12 scholarship opportunities and increasing resources for public school programming, has been supported by Governor Cuomo and has already passed the State Senate, but has been blocked in the Assembly. Despite the widespread support of the Education Tax Credit, Assembly Member Bichotte has actively opposed the legislation.

That is why on Monday more than 45 people representing St. Gregory the Great Catholic Academy and Yeshiva Shaare Torah and took the sidewalks in front of her office to urge her to support their schools and their families.
Rudolph Cyrus-Charles, the veteran Principal of St. Gregory the Great Catholic Academy, located on Church Avenue, said: “A great many of our families are working families and our children need scholarships to attend. We serve the children of Brooklyn, who are elite in their desire to learn but not economically. This bill will help them and thousands of children just like them who want a better future but cannot afford it.”

According to a Siena Poll released last week, the Education Tax Credit is a rare issue that has very strong support among African-American/Black voters (55-32), Latinos (53-37), Jews (53-42) and Catholics (52-43).

(YWN Desk – NYC)

On Sunday, May 31, 2015, Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty (Met Council) honored Congress Member Grace Meng, Queens Borough President Melinda Katz, New York City Council Member Mark Levine, New York Council Member Mark Weprin, New York State Assembly Member James Brennan, New York State Assembly Member Phil Goldfeder and New York State Assembly Member Nily Rozic, who champion Met Council’s core mission to aid, sustain and empower vulnerable New Yorkers. More than 250 elected officials, policy makers, Jewish community advocates and leaders gathered to show their support for the tens of thousands of poor New Yorkers served by Met Council each year.

“Met Council’s Legislative Breakfast was a wonderful celebration of the partnership between Met Council and our elected officials,” said Met Council Board of Directors President, Steven Price. “The honorees embody the most important qualities of civil servants: they are fierce defenders of our City’s most vulnerable and creative problem solvers in addressing our community’s most pressing challenges.”

“The honorees are embodiments of Met Council’s mission to tzedakah v’gemilut chasadim, acts of charity and deeds of kindness,” said Met Council CEO and Executive Director Alan Schoor. “In their leadership roles in the halls of government and as champions of our communities, Met Council’s Community Partners Award recipients ensure that vulnerable New Yorkers are clothed, fed, housed, cared for and listened to with respect and dignity.”

While proudly serving all New Yorkers in need, Met Council is a unique provider to the Jewish poor. There are more than 500,000 people in poor and near-poor Jewish households in New York City. Met Council services are a lifeline to these vulnerable populations, providing immediate relief and lasting solutions to the problems they face.

(YWN Desk – NYC)

New York City police say shootings are up so far this year and to combat the spike, 330 officers are being pulled from their usual duties for special patrols.

Chief of Department James O’Neill said Monday the NYPD does not take the rise lightly and is focused on stopping the violence.

The department used similar patrols last summer to combat a rise in shootings and other violence predicted during the hotter months. This year, the patrols will start next week, a month earlier than last year.

So far this year, there have been 439 shootings, up from 403 in 2014, according to departmental figures. There were 2,091 shootings for the same period in 1993 when crime was at a high.

Police say almost all of the 135 homicides so far this year were committed with a gun.

(AP)

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is calling for lawmakers to permanently extend a cap on local property taxes.

The governor and the state’s Democratic Party announced Monday that they will launch what they say is a “robust” media campaign to support the cap, which Cuomo pushed through the legislature in 2011.

The online ads will be paid for by the party, which says the cap has saved property owners $7.6 billion so far.

Republicans in the Senate also want the cap made permanent, but some Assembly Democrats say it should be subject to periodic renewal.

The cap generally restricts school districts and local governments from increasing tax levies by more than 2 pe

(AP)

Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder led a bipartisan group of state Senators and Assembly Members in discussing his proposals to fix flood insurance practices at the New York Insurance Association (NYIA) 2015 Annual Conference. The Assemblyman brought his concerns over insurance industry practices in the wake of Superstorm Sandy, including rising flood insurance premiums and alleged fraudulent practices designed to limit assistance to families.

“It was an honor to be invited by the New York Insurance Association to discuss the flood insurance issues affecting Sandy-devastated communities and the ways we can ensure families are not priced out of the neighborhoods they know and love. Though we may not always see eye-to-eye, it’s important to have an open dialogue with insurance representatives to find ways to improve industry practices and create the best possible system that puts the needs of our families first,” said Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder.

Assemblyman Goldfeder joined fellow legislators on the closing day of the New York Insurance Association 2015 Annual Conference for a panel discussion of issues affecting the insurance industry. Goldfeder was invited to discuss his efforts as the newest member of the Assembly Committee on Insurance and provide details on his proposal to create the New York Flood Insurance Association to help Sandy-devastated families struggling with rising flood insurance premiums. Also on the panel was Senator James Seward (R – Oneonta), Chair of the Senate Insurance Committee, who sponsored the Senate companion to Goldfeder’s Flood Insurance Association Bill. Seward said during the panel discussion that he looked forward to working with Goldfeder and fellow legislators to make the necessary changes to improve existing flood insurance practices.

According to its website, the New York Insurance Association is the oldest state property/casualty insurance trade association in the country, tracing its roots back to 1882. In addition to regular member committee meetings, NYIA holds an annual conference bringing together industry representatives, state agency leaders and elected officials to discuss the main issues affecting the industry. This year’s conference was held from May 27-29th in the upstate town of Saratoga Springs, New York. The panel discussion attended by Goldfeder closed out the three-day event, which saw various lectures and group discussions.

During the open question and answer session, Goldfeder and his flood insurance legislation were the clear favorite topic of discussion. Goldfeder took numerous questions during the hour-plus talk, ranging from the problems with the federal government’s National Flood Insurance Program and the ways insurance companies can collaborate with legislators on best practices and ongoing efforts to combat fraud in the industry. During one extended exchange, Goldfeder responded to questions about the Biggert-Waters Act and the consequences of rising flood insurance premiums for middle class families in the Superstorm Sandy-affected communities.

“That would price us out of the community,” said Goldfeder, referring to the abrupt rise in flood insurance premiums proposed under the 2012 federal act. “The East Coast is one of the most densely-populated areas of the country. To think that people are just going to move inland because they can’t afford living there anymore is just not realistic.”

Throughout the discussion, Goldfeder emphasized the responsibilities legislators and industry leaders both faced in responding to the problems with the current flood insurance system. Goldfeder urged those present to partner with his efforts to create an alternative to the current NFIP system, adding that he looked forward to hearing suggestions on how to improve the legislation. In general, the tone was largely respectful on both sides, though some industry members appeared to bristle at the Assemblyman’s focus on the problem’s facing the industry. When one insurance representative pointed out the various charitable activities championed by the financial services sector, Goldfeder acknowledged that the potential for wrongdoing exists in any large entity.

“There are bad players in every industry. Believe it or not, there are even bad elected officials. We all saw the same 60 Minutes report of fraudulent activities by engineers and adjusters. Thousands of Sandy families were cheated out of money they needed and deserved because of people who were more worried about their bottom line,” said Assemblyman Goldfeder. “We have a responsibility to the people we represent, both as insurance companies and elected officials, to ensure there is a system that is affordable and accountable.”

For his part, Goldfeder ended his participation with a simple reminder to insurance representatives to consider the difficult situations families are in when they are seeking assistance from insurance companies.

“Let’s remember: your employees are seeing our families in their worst possible moments and that’s when they need the most compassion,” concluded Goldfeder.

(YWN Desk – NYC)

Drivers who use the Jackie Robinson Parkway overnight will have to find another route over the next few weeks.

Starting Monday, June 1, the eastbound side of the parkway will be shut down from 11 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. so it can be repaved.

Weekend closures have also been scheduled for the weekends of June 5 and June 12.

The project should take about five weeks, and then the westbound side will be shut down for repaving through mid-August.

(Source: NY1)

Marchers in the Israel Day Parade up Fifth Avenue faced some dissonant spectators: Neturei Karta who don’t believe Israel should exist.

Standing near them at Sunday’s celebration were other Orthodox men heckling Toeiva marchers while hoisting signs that read: “Judaism considers male homosexuality a sin worse than murder.”

But mostly, New York’s annual celebration of Israel was greeted by tens of thousands of spectators devoted to the Jewish state. As usual, security was especially tight for a parade that is a potential terrorist target, as are other prominent Jewish venues in New York City.

(AP)

The former leader of the New York Senate and his son have pleaded not guilty in a federal corruption case.

An indictment levels conspiracy and extortion charges against 67-year-old Dean Skelos and his 32-year-old son, Adam. They were arraigned Monday in Manhattan.

The indictment returned Thursday says a medical malpractice insurer provided Adam Skelos with a no-show job while it lobbied his father on legislative matters.

Authorities allege $300,000 was illegally steered to the son.

Dean Skelos was New York state’s most powerful Republican when he was arrested.

Skelos has said he will fight the charges and that he and his son will be vindicated. His son’s lawyer has said Adam Skelos is not guilty.

(AP)

Assemblyman Dov Hikind (D-Brooklyn) expressed his shock over remarks made by Brooklyn Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte who made divisive, inciting remarks about the Jewish community last night. Appearing on Leon Goldenberg’s “Community Matters” radio program, Bichotte spent several minutes in a combative rant about Jewish pressure being placed on her following her vocal opposition to NYS Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Parental Choice in Education Act, which includes Education Tax Credits.

Bichotte told Goldenberg she won’t support the current proposal that Jewish organizations are currently pushing for because it would only benefit philanthropists and institutions and not poor families. She argued that her predecessor Rhoda Jacobs “who was supported by you guys” did not support Education Tax Credits; that neither did former Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver. “I didn’t want to commit to something that I know my Jewish predecessor and my former Jewish Speaker did not support.” She said she is being targeted by the bill’s supporters because she’s a black woman. “No one pushed them the way you guys are pushing me… And it’s not like the majority of Jews in the district have voted for me or supported me. Okay? Why should I listen to people who are not even going to support me? Why should I listen to people who didn’t put the same standard on a Jewish woman and a Jewish man, and are putting a different standard on a black woman?”

Hikind called Bichotte’s tirade shocking, insensitive, inappropriate and ignorant of the facts. “I was stunned by what my colleague said to Leon Goldenberg,” said Hikind. “The Jewish community, like the Catholic community, like many other segments of the community who support the Governor’s Parental Choice in Education Act, have all been working hard to explain the facts and dispel the misinformation about Education Tax Credits, which benefit families below a certain income threshold. These tax credits do not put one dime in the pockets of the so-called rich. But most importantly, these tax credits have never been a racial issue. The quest for support has never been gender-based. For Bichotte to state that she is being targeted because she is a black woman is so ludicrous it boggles the mind. To refer to the Jewish community as ‘you guys’ and Assemblywoman Jacobs as her ‘Jewish predecessor’ and Speaker Silver as the ‘Jewish Speaker’ displays an insensitivity that’s hard to imagine and is thoroughly inappropriate. What a terrible shame it would be if the vital issue of Education Tax Credits—and equality of education opportunities for all New York State children—were to be cast unfairly and shamefully as a racial issue.”

(YWN Desk – NYC)

[PHOTOS IN EXTENDED ARTICLE]

Rain and high water is disrupting New York City traffic by road, rail and air.

The National Weather Service issued a citywide flash flood warning for the Sunday evening hours, urging motorists not to drive where water covers the roads. Hours later, flooding closed the Long Island Expressway in both directions at Utopia Parkway in Queens and an entrance ramp on the Jackie Robinson Parkway at Union Turnpike.

The high water slowed traffic on the Brooklyn Queens Expressway and suspended or delayed some Staten Island Railway service.

LaGuardia and JFK airports reported air traffic disruptions because of the rains, as did Newark Liberty International Airport.

(AP)

A piece of mechanical equipment being lifted by a crane at a Manhattan office building broke free Sunday morning and fell about 28 stories to the sidewalk below, causing minor injuries to 10 people, officials said.

Police said the call came in around 10:45 a.m. Officers who responded to the high-rise building in Midtown East found that a crane’s payload heading to the top of the building had broken free. It fell to the sidewalk, shearing the side of the building along the way. The building is wider at the base and narrows at the higher floors.

Mayor Bill de Blasio, speaking to reporters on Madison Avenue a block from the accident, called it “obviously, a very serious incident.”

Of the 10 people who were injured, two were construction workers while the others were pedestrians and occupants of a car passing by, de Blasio said. All were struck by debris the falling crane knocked off the building facade as it struck the edges of lower floors that protrude from the tower, in a step-wise manner.

“Thank God, this incident occurred at an hour of the day on a weekend when there were not too many people around,” de Blasio said.

He said a full investigation is underway. Streets were closed in the surrounding area, and officials hoped to have them open again by Monday morning’s rush hour.

(AP)

The following is via Breaking911.com:

Emergency personnel are currently on the scene of a crane collapse on Madison Avenue in Manhattan. The exact address is 261 Madison Avenue and East 39th Street..

NYPD is reporting that the crane struck the 30th floor around 10:40AM, Sunday morning.

There are two minor injuries being reported. According to initial reports, it appears there are offices damaged.

The NYPD Emergency Services Units are advising that the facade is loose on the side of the building.

The NYPD and FDNY both have a heavy response, and the NYPD has requested a Level 1 Mobilization response.

NYC OEM and the Buildings Department are responding.

(Source: Breaking911.com)

There’s a new bird’s eye view of New York City.

The One World Trade Center observatory is officially opening to the public on Friday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Visitors will get a view of the city and its surroundings from above 1,250 feet and stretching 50 miles past the Manhattan skyline and Statue of Liberty to the Atlantic Ocean.

The observatory is on the 100th, 101st and 102nd floors. It opens at 9 a.m..

The building is the nation’s tallest, at 1,776 feet.

Tickets are $32 for adults and $26 for children, ages 6 to 12. Admission is free for relatives of those who died on Sept. 11 and those who worked in the rescue and recovery.

Officials expect about 4 million visitors a year. Tickets are available online.

(AP)

Several pilots say a green laser was pointed at their planes while they were flying over Long Island.

The Federal Aviation Administration says it happened to four planes Thursday between 9:30 p.m. and 10 p.m., about four miles northwest of Farmingdale.

The planes were at about 8,000 feet when the pilots say their planes were illuminated by the laser.

Pointing a laser at a plane is a federal crime.

No injuries were reported and the FAA has alerted New York State Police.

(AP)

Gov. Andrew Cuomo is encouraging New Yorkers to prepare for dangerous storms as hurricane season nears.

Cuomo has proclaimed this week as hurricane preparedness week in New York state.

Division of Homeland Security Commissioner John Melville says Hurricane Irene, Tropical Storm Lee, and Superstorm Sandy have shown everybody there’s not a single area of the state that will never have to think about hurricanes and severe weather.

Officials are urging people to talk to family, neighbors, and community leaders, and have the tools and supplies needed to keep safe.

Residents also are encouraged to sign up for NY-Alert. That’s the state’s free, all-hazards notification system that provides up-to-date, critical, emergency-related information via the web, email, or smartphones.

Hurricane season in the Atlantic starts June 1 and ends November 30th.

(AP)

State traffic safety officials say they’re serious about enforcing laws against passing stopped school busses.

The Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee says police issued 1,186 tickets to drivers for illegally passing a stopped school bus on April 16, the date of an annual safety initiative.

State officials say there are 2.3 million students in New York who ride school buses each day. And they estimate that roughly 50,000 drivers illegally pass stopped school buses in New York every day.

Passing a stopped school bus can cost drivers five points on their licenses. Fines start at $250.

(AP)

Full subway service has been restored on the A and C lines following a massive theft of copper cable from train tracks.

Transit crew worked through the night to repair the damage.

The crime caused delays and overcrowding for hundreds of thousands of commuters Wednesday along the entire length of the two heavily used lines. The A and C carry 775,000 riders a day and traverse Manhattan’s west side.

Officials say 500 feet of cable was stolen from about 12 locations along the tracks.

The theft was discovered late Tuesday when a train lost power north of the Howard Beach station in Queens.

(AP)

Last week, YWN reported that NYC Councilmembers David G. Greenfield and Mark Treyger urged Mayor de Blasio to reconsider changing the speed limit on Ocean Parkway from 30 miles per hour to 25 miles per hour.

In November, Mayor Bill de Blasio signed legislation that lowered the default speed limit citywide from 30 mph to 25 mph. However, the expectation was that major through-routes like Ocean Parkway and the Gowanus Expressway would remain at their previous speed limits since a higher speed is necessary to carry traffic smoothly. The lowering of the default speed limit is a part of Vision Zero – an initiative aimed to reduce traffic fatalities citywide.

On Thursday afternoon, a DOT Spokesperson responded, and gave YWN the following statement:

“Ocean Parkway is the fourth most dangerous roadway for pedestrians in Brooklyn and its history of serious crashes informed DOT’s decision to reduce the speed limit by 5 mph.

Ocean Parkway saw 64 pedestrians killed or severely injured (KSI) between 2009-2013, including eight pedestrian fatalities. The pedestrian KSI rate for Ocean Parkway was 13.2 per mile over that five-year period. By comparison, the more notorious Queens Boulevard, where DOT recently lowered the speed limit to 25 mph, had a pedestrian KSI per mile of 7.3 over the same five-year period.

Ocean Parkway is a challenging roadway. It serves as a major automobile route through Brooklyn but also as a linear park, bike and pedestrian path, used by many local residents, including children and seniors. A pedestrian struck at 25mph is twice as likely as likely to survive a crash as one struck at 30mph. NYCDOT believes that the lower speed limit, paired with consistent enforcement and community engagement, will be an effective approach to ensuring both safety and mobility on this important roadway.”

(Fred Silverstein – YWN)