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Community News & Politics - Soho

Political artist Suzannah B. Troy video blogs about "Teflon" Mike Bloomberg and a citizen who wants to make a database of landlords who have Dept. of Buildings violations to give to banks so to prevent curropt landlords from recieving loans.  Says Troy: "Good luck."

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Ghostbusters!!!  No really.  In an attempt to publicize the New York Public Library's looming budget crisis, Improv Everywhere, in cahoots with Library officials, subjected readers in the Rose Reading Room to a nostalgic treat. Reenacting the epic opening scene of Ghostbusters (1984) the pop-up improv troupe, in cahoots with Library officials, flooded the main room with sheet-clad ghosts looking for trouble. Guests were aghast— well most with laughter. And just when things were starting to look ghastly— Who you gonna call?

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The Chinatown Working Group is “a democratic and open community-based planning initiative on the future of Chinatown. [Their] goal is to support the community’s residents, workers, businesses and visitors.”  The neighborhood has many challenges to face including: affordability, culture & historic preservation, economic development, education & schools, immigrant affairs & social services, parks, traffic & transportation, and zoning.  Thus these meetings are important and could change the fabric of the community.

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“The first job of the District Attorney is to ensure safety in our streets,” said District Attorney Vance. “Intentionally firing a gun into a crowd was a dangerous and deplorable act, with potentially fatal consequences. Although the overall crime rate in the city remains low, any outburst of violence will be handled seriously.”

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NYU now comes before the Village community with its 25-year plan promising to give full consideration to Village traditions, building appropriateness, and local concern. The University’s drive to be the absolute center of intellectual life in a city of conspicuous intellect has alerted many. Thus Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer reminds the school’s leadership, "It's showtime!” and the City and community now demand "the full story."

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Comptroller Liu: “First and foremost, our audit exposed $125 million owed to the City by the [New York City Economic Development Corporation]. The EDC was charged with collecting this money for the City; they are not entitled to keep it. Anything short of the EDC repaying the amount in full to the City is unacceptable and indefensible, especially as subways, firehouses and hospitals are threatened with closures due to deep budget deficits. The EDC has accumulated enormous control over City assets and funds in recent years. There are plenty of questions and even concern about what exactly the EDC does, as it deals with substantial amounts of City funds and publicly subsidized economic development. This episode only accentuates the need to reign in the EDC."

 

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Tomorrow, Tuesday, April 27th is Tenant Lobby Day and GOLES has a free bus that will take you to Albany where you can show your support for stronger tenant protection laws. And they are needed! Push the State Senate pass bill S.2237-A that would repeal vacancy decontrol and put the pressure on to re-regulate decontrolled apartments. Fight for rent & eviction protections for Mitchell-Lama and Section 8 Tenants. Get the state to renew rent and coop protection laws a year early and tell harassing landlords to shove it!! 

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"While the Mayor is proposing to close fire companies, 200 people are in need of emergency shelter after being displaced by the massive fire that struck Chinatown last week," said City Council Fire & Criminal Justice Chair Elizabeth Crowley. "If Engine 4 had been closed that night, as it was proposed to close in last year’s budget, the Chinatown community would have lost more homes, businesses and probably lives. It is simply irresponsible to eliminate fire companies when our fire services are responding to more emergencies than ever before." 

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"We wanted to provide an update on the now-deadly fire on Grand Street. First and foremost, our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and those injured, and especially with the family of Sing Ho, who died in the fire. We are currently working with City agencies and local community organizations, including Asian Americans for Equality, the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association, University Settlement - Project Home, the Chinese-American Planning Council, and the Chinatown Partnership, to secure housing for those displaced and help affected small businesses recover from this tragedy.

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“With the 40th anniversary of Earth Day less than two weeks away, this is the perfect time to be looking at ways to make our city even greener,” said Speaker Christine C. Quinn. “We’re incredibly excited to be introducing a package of bills that will dramatically expand and overhaul the way we recycle here in New York City. Our legislation will divert over 8,000 tons of plastic every year away from landfills and incinerators. That’s equal to the amount of trash produced by nearly 10,000 people each year.”

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