News: POLITICO New York Playbook: Excluded worker fund rules criticized — Adams blasts DSA

Wednesday, July 28, 2021

POLITICO New York Playbook: Excluded worker fund rules criticized — Adams blasts DSA — New York reviews mask guidance

Jul 28, 2021

By Erin Durkin, Anna Gronewold and Téa Kvetenadze

New York was all set to throw a few billion dollars at a few of its biggest problems under the blockbuster state budget passed this spring . There was a first-of-its-kind $2.1 billion fund to provide aid — up to $15,600 a pop — to workers walloped by pandemic losses but ineligible for federal aid, usually because they are undocumented immigrants. Another $2.3 billion fund covered by the feds would go to paying off rent that went unpaid during the crisis.

The solution, in both cases, amounted to putting cash in the pockets of people who needed it. Only, that has proved to be trickier than expected, and pols and advocates are pointing fingers at the Cuomo administration.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo didn't love a lot of what was in the budget this year, but, weakened by multiple scandals, he pretty much rolled over. Yet his administration remains firmly in charge of actually getting checks out the door.

Under a new set of regulations issued for the excluded workers fund, the state Department of Labor lays out rules that a worker must have lost 50 percent of their income and includes documentation requirements that backers of the fund say are too onerous.

"Governor Cuomo and his administration are restricting the Fund's accessibility to effectively exclude the workers the program is designed to help," state Sen. Gustavo Rivera said. "It is time for the Governor to stop playing absurd and obscene games with the livelihoods of New Yorkers." The coalition that campaigned for the fund said the regulations will "shut out excluded workers from relief." Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, state legislators and affected residents plan to rally outside Cuomo's Manhattan office today.

The rent fund has sparked a similar debate over bureaucratic hurdles, with fears rising that money won't be given out before a moratorium on evictions lifts. After coming under criticism, including from Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Cuomo said he will overhaul the program to relax documentation standards.

IT'S WEDNESDAY. Got tips, suggestions or thoughts? Let us know ... By email: EDurkin@politico.com and agronewold@politico.com, or on Twitter: @erinmdurkin and @annagronewold

WHERE'S ANDREW? In Albany with no public events scheduled.

WHERE'S BILL? Holding a media availability.

JOIN TODAY – A WOMEN RULE CONVERSATION WITH THE WOMEN POWERING SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT: Covid-19 took a massive toll on the entertainment and sports industries over the past year and a half. As the summer movie season kicks into full gear, concerts make their way back and crowds fill sports stadiums, we look to the women powering these industries to return in full force. Join POLITICO Women Rule editor Elizabeth Ralph for a conversation with Kamala Avila-Salmon, head of Inclusive Content for Films at Lionsgate; Monica Dixon, president, External Affairs & chief administrative officer Monumental Sports; and Sandy Lighterman, Film & Entertainment commissioner, Miami Dade County Office of Film and Entertainment on lessons learned from the pandemic upheaval to these industries and what it means for the long haul. REGISTER HERE.

WHAT CITY HALL'S READING

Reopening concerts to require proof of vaccination as Delta concerns rise, by POLITICO's Erin Durkin: New York City's marquee reopening concert in Central Park will require proof of vaccination to attend, Mayor Bill de Blasio said Tuesday. The homecoming bash and four concerts leading up to it in the boroughs outside Manhattan will be open only to those who have received at least one Covid-19 vaccine dose, the mayor said as he revealed the lineup for the main event — a show in Central Park. It's the latest step the city has taken to compel people to get vaccinated, as the highly contagious Delta variant drives an uptick in coronavirus cases. On Monday, de Blasio announced that all city workers must get vaccinated or submit to weekly virus testing by September. "We will come back, and come back strong as a city. The only thing we need is more vaccinations. We're not going to cower. We're not going to step back," de Blasio said.

"N.Y.C. Union Leaders Say Mayor's Covid Mandate Took Them by Surprise," by The New York Times' Emma G. Fitzsimmons and Ashley Wong: "Mayor Bill de Blasio's declaration on Monday that more than 300,000 municipal workers in New York City must get vaccinated against the coronavirus or agree to weekly testing was an unwelcome surprise to many of the city's municipal unions. Unions representing a diverse city work force of firefighters and paramedics have come out against the mayor's mandate. Some unions have made demands: Exemptions for workers who have antibodies after recovering from Covid-19; workplace testing paid for by the city; overtime for workers who get tested outside work. And just about every major union has argued that the mayor cannot unilaterally impose the mandate without first negotiating with labor leaders."

— "COVID vaccination rate for NYC municipal workforce lags behind city's total as thousands scoff at shots," by New York Daily News' Chis Sommerfeldt and Clayton Guse: "Roughly 60% of municipal employees have received at least one shot — compared to 71% of the city's entire adult population, according to data released by the mayor's office Tuesday. Only eight of New York City's municipal agencies have staff vaccination rates higher than 70%, the data show. About 47% of the NYPD's 50,000 employees have received at least one shot. The rate is slightly higher, 54%, among the FDNY's workforce … The Department of Corrections recorded the lowest rate of vaccinations among city agencies, with just 33% of its 10,000 employees having received at least one shot, the data show. City officials said the data shared Tuesday may not account for vaccines that were administered outside the five boroughs."

— "Will City Worker Vaccination Policy Ease Parents' Concerns About Return to Classrooms?" by WNYC's Jessica Gould

— "All NYC Counties Fall Under CDC's New Recommendation For Universal Indoor Masking ," by Gothamist's Jen Chung and Nsikan Akpan: "As of July 27th, all five New York City counties have community transmission considered substantial or high by the CDC. Staten Island leads the way with 100 cases per 100,000. Queens and Manhattan land closer to 50 cases per 100,000."

"'Running against a movement': Eric Adams declares war on AOC's socialists," by New York Post's Carl Campanile and Bruce Golding: "Democratic mayoral candidate Eric Adams declared his opposition to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's socialist 'movement' — which includes defunding the police and shuttering prisons — during a fundraiser co-hosted by a Republican member of the City Council, The Post has learned. A video recording of Adams' speech shows him telling supporters that the battle he faced wasn't with his political rivals in the Nov. 2 election, but with the Democratic Socialists of America. 'I'm no longer running against candidates. I'm running against a movement. All across the country, the DSA socialists are mobilizing to stop Eric Adams,' he said."

De Blasio defends Adams' overtures to the wealthy, by POLITICO's Erin Durkin: Mayor Bill de Blasio defended Democratic mayoral nominee Eric Adams' overtures to the city's wealthy, saying it will not diminish his likely successor's commitment to the working class. "He ran a campaign that was all about working class values and his own experience as someone who came from humble origins. There is no question in my mind he's going to be focused on working people," de Blasio said at a press briefing Tuesday. As POLITICO reported, Adams has signaled that his door is open to members of the city's business sector who have been in a cold war with de Blasio since he took office eight years ago. "Of course you've got to work with business leaders too, and we want the business community to thrive," de Blasio said when asked about the contrast. "I think you can do both."

— "Kathryn Garcia's Wide-Open Future," by New York Magazine's Clare Malone

" NYPD cops fired for alleged 'shocking professional and sexual misconduct' with teen," by New York Post's Craig McCarthy: "Two NYPD cops had sex with a vulnerable teen member of the police youth program, taking advantage of the underage girl to 'satisfy their depraved interests,' an internal department judge has ruled. The officers' 'shocking professional and sexual misconduct' included behavior from one of them that 'would cause any responsible adult, let alone a parent, to recoil in horror,' the NYPD judge wrote in a scathing ruling made public last week. Then-Officers Sanad Musallam and Yaser Shohatee 'targeted' the girl, who was 15 at the time and a member of the NYPD's Explorers program, according to the disciplinary documents."

WHAT ALBANY'S READING

"CDC recommends masking indoors for some. Will New York follow suit?" by Democrat and Chronicle's Sarah Taddeo and David Robinson: "New York will have to decide whether to adopt new mask-wearing guidelines after the federal government reversed its position Tuesday, recommending that even vaccinated people wear them indoors, including in schools, in areas of high COVID-19 transmission. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced the change as the spread of the delta variant, a particularly transmissible strain of COVID-19, picked up speed across the nation. Now, it will be up to Gov. Andrew Cuomo's administration — or perhaps local governments — to decide whether to adopt the federal guidance in New York. ... In a statement Tuesday night, Cuomo said New Yorkers will continue to stay smart and follow the science 'during this next phase of the pandemic,' though he stopped short of backing the CDC recommendations. 'We are reviewing the CDC's new recommendations closely in consultation with federal and state health experts,' Cuomo said."

"Federal judge gives preliminary OK to Hoosick Falls settlement," by Times Union's Brendan J. Lyons: "A federal judge on Tuesday granted preliminary approval to a proposed $65 million settlement in a class-action lawsuit involving three companies blamed for polluting public and private water supplies in and around the village of Hoosick Falls. The settlement would secure cash payments and long-term medical monitoring for thousands of property owners and residents, including those who were found to have elevated levels of a toxic manufacturing substance in their bloodstream."

" Former Broome DA pleads not guilty to corruption, larceny charges stemming from time in office," by Spectrum's Vince Briga and Tim Robertson: "Former Broome County District Attorney Steve Cornwell pleaded not guilty Tuesday morning to a slew of charges, including corruption and larceny. Current District Attorney Mike Korchak laid out the indictments, alleging that his predecessor filed vouchers to county government that intentionally included false information in order to receive money. Korchak said the money was government cash that was misappropriated. While Korchak didn't specify an amount, other than to say it exceeds $3,000, which led to a third-degree grand larceny charge.The long-term investigation into Broome County government started in early 2020, Korchak said, and involved all of county government. Along with Cornwell, his former spokesperson, James Worhach, faces similar charges."

#UpstateAmerica: Rochester's Peels on Wheels now has a brick-and-mortar location. Welcome to the Pizza Garage.

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FROM THE DELEGATION

"Eric Adams to meet with New York's Democratic congressional reps in DC," by New York Post's Steven Nelson and Julia Marsh: "Mayoral hopeful Eric Adams is heading to Washington, DC, Wednesday to meet with New York's Democratic lawmakers to discuss federal help for the Big Apple. 'I'm looking forward to meeting with our City's Congressional delegation tomorrow to discuss what Washington can do for New Yorkers,' Adams tweeted Tuesday. Adams is attending in his capacity as Brooklyn borough president. Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-Manhattan-Brooklyn) is hosting the meeting at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee headquarters 'to discuss the city's needs and New Yorkers' priorities for the federal government,' the congressman tweeted."

Biden and the Boroughs

Biden expected to visit NYC's 9/11 memorial site for 20th anniversary of attacks, by POLITICO's Daniel Lippman and Chris Cadelago: President Joe Biden is expected to attend the 9/11 memorial in New York City to mark the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks, four sources with knowledge of his plans told POLITICO. The White House recently indicated to officials in New York that Biden plans to travel for the commemoration, two of the sources said. Officials are also looking at possible stops at other locations attacked that day: the Pentagon and the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Pa.

TRUMP'S NEW YORK

"How a Respected N.Y.P.D. Officer Became the Accused Capitol Riot #EyeGouger," by The New York Times' Michael Wilson: "The F.B.I. agents showed Thomas Webster a wanted flier with a picture taken during the Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol. In the photograph, a middle-aged man is shouting angrily across a metal barricade with a pole in his raised right hand. 'That's a picture of you, right, Mr. Webster?' an agent asked, according to a transcript of the interview. He was a former New York City police officer, a decorated member of the force who once worked as an instructor at the firing range and with a detail that protected the mayor at public appearances and at Gracie Mansion. But on this afternoon in February, sitting across from two agents in an interrogation room in Lower Manhattan, he found himself on the other side of the law."

AROUND NEW YORK

— The Brooklyn district attorney has asked a judge to throw out more than 3,500 outstanding marijuana-related cases.

— The World Trade Center Health Program warned law firms representing survivors about possible violations ahead of a deadline to sign up for compensation.

— A one-of-a-kind album recorded by the Wu-Tang Clan was sold at auction to an anonymous buyer for an undisclosed sum of money to help cover Martin Shkreli's debts.

— De Blasio blasted Cuomo for delays in the process of legalizing marijuana.

— 72 city schools will receive $18 million in extra cash to lower class sizes.

— More than 425 New Yorkers have gone to emergency rooms for heat-related ailments since May.

— Republican mayoral nominee Curtis Sliwa is campaigning on opposition to "critical race theory" in city schools, citing racial diversity initiatives and anti-bias training for teachers (which is not critical race theory).

— A 50-year veteran bellhop for the storied Waldorf Astoria hotel, Jimmy Elidrissi, has passed.

— A Queens man survived a freak blast from a sidewalk grate.

SOCIAL DATA BY DANIEL LIPPMAN

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Council on Foreign Relations' Richard Haass is 7-0 … Scott Pelley … CNN's Kate Bolduan … NBC's Courtney Kube … Huma Abedin … POLITICO's Ruby Cramer … former A.G. Michael Mukasey is 8-0 … Laura Nahmias … Jay Zeidman of Altitude Ventures … George Cook … Kristen McGaughey … Colin Hart of FleishmanHillard

WELCOME TO THE WORLD — Jen Friedman, managing director and deputy head of public affairs at Blackstone and an Obama WH alum, and Chris Weideman, general counsel of Apollo Global Management and an Obama Treasury alum, recently welcomed Ellavie (Ella) Max Weideman.

MEDIAWATCH — Per NYT's Edmund Lee: "Louise Story, who oversaw digital strategy and technology at The Wall Street Journal, has decided to leave the paper after less than three years. Her departure was announced on Tuesday by Matt Murray, the editor in chief, in an email to the staff that was obtained by The New York Times."

— New York Focus, the nonprofit news outlet that launched in October, is expanding and hiring for several positions: a managing editor, a development and operations manager, and part-time contributing reporters.

— Lachlan Cartwright (@LachCartwright): "Some personal news, as they say — after 3 years as senior reporter at @thedailybeast I'm stepping into the role of editor-at-large succeeding the legendary @thelloydgrove who is retiring after more than four decades in journalism. Excited for this next chapter at The Beast!"

MAKING MOVES — Joan Vollero is departing the Manhattan DA's Office after 11 years. She has joined financial communications consultancy Prosek Partners as VP Vollero served as Manhattan DA Cyrus Vance's senior advisor for external affairs and former communications director. Since 2019, she has also served as the national co-organizer for Prosecutors Against Gun Violence, a 50-person coalition of prosecuting attorneys around the US.

REAL ESTATE

"Manhattan Community Board Votes to Reject SoHo-NoHo Rezoning," by City Limits' David Brand: "A Manhattan community board overwhelmingly rejected Mayor Bill de Blasio's plan to upzone a swath of SoHo and NoHo on Monday, asserting that the city's land use proposal would permanently alter the character of the neighborhoods while failing to add much affordable housing. Community Board 2 voted 37 to 1 to adopt an advisory resolution condemning the plan to add more than 3,000 apartments, including up to 900 considered affordable under the city's Mandatory Inclusionary Housing rules, to a 56-block chunk of the famous Lower Manhattan neighborhoods, following hours of in-person testimony and months of debate. The board's resolution — which amounts only to a recommendation under the city's land use review process — was crafted by an eight-member committee known as the SoHo NoHo Working Group, and rejected the rezoning proposal outright, rather than submit suggestions for an improved plan."

"NYC Locks Out Many Homeless Applicants From New Federal Rent Assistance, Advocates Say," by City Limits' David Brand: "New York City officials are preparing to distribute nearly 8,000 new federal housing vouchers to homeless residents, but advocates warn that thousands of income-eligible people could be locked out because of their supposed mental health needs. The agencies overseeing the newly released rental subsidies have informed providers that adults approved for supportive housing—permanent apartments with on-site services, typically reserved for people with mental health diagnoses—will be precluded from applying for the vouchers. Attorneys and advocates for homeless New Yorkers say that policy cuts off a path to housing for thousands of shelter residents and functions as a proxy for mental health disability discrimination."

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