Evictions Down in NYC + Bronx Democratic Chair Not Running for Re-election
No 155
Tuesday, March 03, 2020
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Local News
- Evictions in NYC decreased by 15% in 2019. Mayor Bill De Blasio is crediting this to the passage of the right to counsel law, which guarantees free lawyers to tenants facing eviction. Evictions decreased by as much as 29% in neighborhoods where the right to counsel law has taken effect.
- Former New York City Transit President Andy Byford has been replaced by MTA board member Sarah Feinberg. Cuomo appointed Feinberg to the MTA board and she is a leading proponent of Cuomo’s calls to add 500 MTA police police officers to the subway.
- Developer Stephen Ross has signed a deal with Amtrak to pursue a low-interest federal loan in order to complete the second half of Hudson Yards.
- Governor Cuomo and Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart Cousins intend to use the opaque budget process this April to force changes to last year’s bail reform through the legislature without public scrutiny.
- Six council members who will not be term limited in 2021 — Alicka Ampry-Samuel, Adrienne Adams, Justin Brannan, Keith Powers, Carlina Rivera, and Rafael Salamanca — are thought to be vying for Council Speaker when Corey Johnson leaves in 2022.
Elections
- Bronx Democratic Chair and Assembly Member Marcos Crespo will not run for re-election in the Assembly.
- The Commercial Observer characterized Council Member Antonio Reynoso (District 34, Williamsburg), Council Member Robert Cornegy (District 36, Bed-Stuy, Crown Heights), and First Lady Chirlane McCray as the three most formidable candidates for Brooklyn Borough President in 2021.
- Assembly Majority Leader Crystal D. Peoples-Stokes (AD-151, Buffalo) and former New York City mayor David Dinkins have endorsed Michael Bloomberg for president. Several other politicians from New York City, including State Senator Julia Salazar (SD-18, Williamsburg, Bushwick, Cypress-Hills), Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, and City Council Member Anotonio Reynoso (CD-34, Bushwick, Ridgewood, Williamsburg), condemned Bloomberg’s mayoral record.
- Mayor Bill de Blasio has leaned into his new role as on-line attack dog for Bernie Sanders, focusing most of his attention on former mayor Mike Bloomberg.