Apr. 11, 2024 By Council Member Robert Holden In 2019, the State Legislature and Governor Andrew Cuomo embarked on a controversial overhaul of New York’s criminal justice system by enacting several laws, including cashless bail and sweeping changes to discovery laws. Simultaneously, the New York City Council passed laws that compounded these challenges, notably the…
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Apr. 8, 2024 By Council Member Shekar Krishnan Four years ago we had to face our darkest days. Our community of Jackson Heights and Elmhurst became the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic. Long food lines, blaring ambulances, and sheer desperation filled our reality. It was at that moment that the workers of the World Central… Read more »
Mar. 21, 2024 By New York State Assemblymember Jessica González-Rojas It could have been anyone, but on January 4th, it was me. One second I was crossing 35th Avenue in Jackson Heights to meet friends for dinner, my feet between two white stripes of the crosswalk, and the next, I was lying on the ground, my arm throbbing and my knees scraped. I’d done everything “right”: waiting until I had the right-of-way, carefully crossing, watching for cars – but in the end it didn’t matter. A driver still hit me, throwing my body to the pavement. The crash left me…
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Jan. 8, 2024 By Martha Stark For decades, it has been an open secret that New York City’s property tax system is inequitable and unfair. This regressive system, rooted in outdated and discriminatory policies, has not only exacerbated the housing crisis but also deepened the economic divide, disproportionately burdening lower-income and minority communities. Next week,…
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Dec. 12, 2023 By Council Member + Parks Chair Shekar Krishnan The New York City Council hit back this week against Mayor Eric Adams’ sweeping slash to New York City’s budget, focusing on his appalling cuts to services for families: library closures; reduced preschool seats; shrinking afterschool and summer programs for public school children. Taken together, these are the most visible signs of an Administration ready to jettison New York City families at the first hint of fiscal headwinds. Rather than a clear vision to guide us through this moment, we are witnessing blind desperation of a distracted Mayor. But…
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Jun. 7, 2023 By Shaun Abreu & Shekar Krishnan
One of our city’s most important and effective tenant protections is in the midst of a funding crisis, and low-income New Yorkers are suffering the consequences.