Queens Op Eds & Opinions - QNS NYC

Penn Station: The Neighborhood That Wouldn’t Die

This week, New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced that she no longer wants to demolish the neighborhood around Penn Station. I heard the news as I was out on the streets, petitioning to get good candidates on
the ballot. I was not far from Penn Station.

It sounded so surreal that I had to play the clip multiple times. “Amtrak was rather insistent that it be this larger 780 Block. And I said, ‘I’m not going to destroy this neighborhood.’ We can do the station itself. Make it something that we are proud of without having to destroy a neighborhood in the process.” is what the Governor said.

I stood still for a long time. My inbox buzzed. The texts rolled in. Allies, advocates, neighbors were exhaling at last. Some called it a win. I called it what it was: the long-overdue burial of a bad idea.

It began on January 6, 2020. A pre-COVID era of bullish ebullience. Then Governor Andrew Cuomo announced his grand plan at a ABNY New Year luncheon. The packed room applauded the guy who prided himself, without
a once of irony, for being the next Robert Moses. The Empire Station Complex, a name suggesting Cuomo suffered from “Emperor Complex”, would bulldoze six city blocks to fund Penn Station reconstruction.

That day, as the governor’s minions gave the community and elected officials a preview, I was scarily lonely in the room questioning the rationale, the fiscal soundness, even the morality of using our blocks as an ATM, and a very uncertain at that, to build not a through-running station like London or Paris or Tokyo. No. A terminal station. A station that leads nowhere. A terminally ill plan. Or the dummest rail idea of the century.

Then, COVID hit. At the end of June, the city was dazed and off-balance. The air had the sharp, empty feeling of a summer without parades. And while we were trying to count our dead, Governor Cuomo quietly kicked off
his plan: demolish six city blocks around Penn Station to make way for ten glass towers that no one asked for, and no one could afford.

As I read the dense document prepared to justify the unjustifiable, I freaked out. That’s the technical term. I remember walking around Penn Station like a woman who had seen a ghost, or maybe an earthquake coming. I
said eminent domain. I said displacement. I said speculative real estate dressed up as transit investment. And everyone said: You’re being dramatic. It’s already a done deal. You can’t stop Albany. You can’t stop Vornado. And you certainly can’t stop Cuomo.

I was served the cyanide-laced platitudes meant to hamper community opposition. Here’s a florilege: It’s a done deal. You can’t say no to everything. We have to pick our battles. If we say Yes, we can make it better. It’s not that bad. Vornado owns the land so they will always get their way.

A bouquet of defeatism, neatly arranged for public consumption. I was also told the less platitudinal stuff: You are a lunatic, you are a monster, you are contrarian, agitator, pretentious, vicious, obnoxious. And to think—I hadn’t even raised my voice yet. Cuomo worked hard to kick me out of the room. But, you know, as they say, the rest is history.

It's now 2025. Cuomo is angling for a comeback (one can only hope he fails), but he's been out of the governor’s office—and out of direct harm’s reach— for three years. And here’s the tab: Senator Leroy Comrie, in a heroic step, dodged the GPP approval, with an assist from State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli. The MSG special permit was
reduced to five years by Council Member Erik Bottcher, who keenly listened to his constituents. The station rebuild has been decoupled from the General Project Plan. Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner, who once sang the praises of
the real estate scheme, has quietly stepped down. Kathy Hochul has bravely said what we’ve been saying for years: the neighborhood should not be razed.

We’re still fighting. The shadow of that plan—its specter—still looms over Midtown. But the terrain has changed. The fight is no longer uphill through quicksand. It’s paved now, a little. The path to victory is wider and smoother
to the feet. And I can say this without irony or sentimentality: when we fight, we win.

Not because we always prevail. Not because justice is inevitable. But because something shifts in the world when we name what’s wrong and refuse to surrender. We make the future harder to bulldoze. We make it harder to lie.
We make it harder to forget that a neighborhood is not a blank slate, or its residents an afterthought. It’s people. It’s lives. It’s Irish pubs (Molly Wee, we see you, and we love you!) and musicians who rehearse their next gig, it’s
a church who feeds the homeless and loft buildings converted decades ago, and the sound of trains day and night.

That’s not nothing. Because it is also the promise of truly enhanced infrastructure that will finally bring the Northeast rail corridor into the 21st century.

Layla Law-Gisiko
Community Activist / Democratic District Leader AD75/A
March 23, 2025
Posted March 28, 2025

Queens Op Eds & Opinions - QNS NYC

AQE Responds to Trump’s Attempt to Close the Department of Education

Public education advocacy group the Alliance for Quality Education issued the following statement in response to the Trump administration’s executive order closing the Department of Education:

“Congress—not the president—determines which agencies remain open or are shut down. This administration’s strategy is to exhaust us with repeated attacks on our values and institutions, and this is just another example,” said Zakiyah Shaakir-Ansari and Marina Marcou-O’Malley, Co-Executive Directors, Alliance for Quality Education.

“The plan was laid out in Project 2025 long before the election; it was clear that this administration had plans to dismantle government agencies, including the Department of Education. Public schools across the country have been subjected to a relentless bombardment designed to roll back the progress made by parents, students, and educators in establishing antiracist, inclusive, truth-based education. This latest Executive Order is just another step in their agenda—unsurprising, but no less dangerous."

“We refuse to remain silent while they attack our children and attempt to divide and destabilize our schools and communities."

“The Department of Education plays a central role, one we need more now than ever before, in enforcing civil rights protections, safeguarding students from discrimination, ensuring affordable higher education, and protecting the rights of families. It also oversees policies and programs that shape our schools nationwide — including funding for K-12 schools, students with disabilities and IEPs, early education, children living in poverty, and addressing the needs of educators. The DOE helps ensure that vulnerable students—especially those in underfunded schools—receive the quality education and resources they need."

“Congress must reject Trump’s executive order to close the Department of Education. New York State has a significant role in safeguarding and supporting our communities. This is not the time for inaction. New York’s leaders must stand strong in protecting our children and our schools.”

Alliance for Quality Education
March 20, 2025
Posted March 22, 2025

Queens Op Eds & Opinions - QNS NYC

WATCH: Disturbing Incident at Elliott-Chelsea Houses Exposes Deceptive Tactics in NYCHA Demolition Push

On Thursday, March 6, at approximately 2:30 PM, a deeply troubling incident unfolded at the Elliott-Chelsea Houses, shedding light on the deceptive tactics being used to manipulate NYCHA tenants into supporting fullscale demolition of their homes.

A group of individuals, claiming various affiliations—including with Council Member Erik Bottcher’s office and HUD—were on NYCHA grounds attempting to pressure tenants into making on-camera statements in favor of “rebuilding”—a euphemism for demolition. When pressed for identification, they initially claimed to have been hired by CM Bottcher’s office. The group later admitted they were private contractors hired by the developers.

One individual even called the police in an apparent attempt to intimidate and silence community members who questioned their presence. No officers responded, but had they arrived, they could have verified the group’s true identities.

Manipulation and Misinformation at NYCHA Developments

Fabricating Tenant Support: A contractor falsely claimed that “over 2,000 tenants” had supported demolition—a direct contradiction of the 2023 survey, which recorded only 550 supporters, and a community-led petition signed by 949 tenants opposing demolition.

False Affiliations & Deception: A woman in the group falsely claimed to work for HUD, a serious misrepresentation that calls into question the legitimacy of these outreach efforts.

Deceptive Identification: The group was actively filming tenants and passersby without properly identifying themselves or explaining their intent.

Watch the Video & Take Action

This incident is part of a larger pattern of deception and manipulation aimed at pushing a demolition agenda that NYCHA tenants overwhelmingly reject. For the past five years, residents of Elliott-Chelsea Houses have been ignored, misled, and pressured to accept a redevelopment plan they do not want.

We urge city officials, community leaders, and the public to watch the video evidence of this encounter and demand accountability. We call on NYCHA and its development partners to immediately halt these misleading PR tactics and engage in a transparent, tenant-driven process.

This community will not be silenced.

COPY & PASTE THIS LINK TO WATCH YOUTUBE VIDEO - https://gmail.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u=7392c510eb8e94f0632f9c22b&id=8b98b45144&e=b4c25826df

FEC Tenants Against Demolition, and Celines Miranda
March 13, 2025
Posted March 22, 2025

Queens Op Eds & Opinions - QNS NYC

NYCHA Residents and Neighbors Testify At NY City Council In Opposition To Demolition Of Public Housing, Demand More Transparency And Resident Consultation

The New York City Council Public Housing Committee held an oversight hearing on Transparency at NYCHA, where residents of the Fulton, Elliott, and Chelsea developments gathered to rally on the steps of City Hall in opposition to NYCHA’s proposal to demolish their homes and hand over the majority of the land to Related Companies for luxury apartment development.

Fulton and Elliott Chelsea (FEC) Tenants Against Demolition member and Elliott Houses resident Celines Miranda called out NYCHA’s misleading engagement tactics, stating: “NYCHA partners with powerful real estate interests—Essence and Related Companies—to misinform residents with a survey that very few participated in. NYCHA claims residents support their proposal to demolish our homes, but they are ignoring a petition signed by almost a thousand residents saying NO to demolition. We’ve been making plenty of noise, and our elected officials refuse to listen. The validity of our petitions is being questioned, yet they have not questioned the validity
of a controversial survey that barely reached 550 participants.”

Joined by allies and NY City Council Public Housing Committee Chair Chris Banks, residents made it clear that they will not be displaced without a fight. Banks stated that “We are demanding transparency. We are saying, NYCHA, step up to the plate, stop disappearing when these conversions are taking place. Yes, we understand Elliott- Chelsea is being attacked—demolition is not the answer. Before we go forth with any more conversions, let's take a pause.”

Jacqueline Lara, who has been fighting this proposal since 2019 when NYCHA first proposed demolishing two buildings at Fulton Houses, emphasized the community’s determination to remain in their homes: “We deserve to live here as well, and we deserve a good apartment. Our buildings aren’t deplorable. If where we are living is deplorable, they wouldn’t be bringing new
residents in. We are here to stop the demolition of our homes. We love our homes and our community. Chelsea is a beautiful neighborhood, and we want to keep it that way.”

Renee Keitt, newly elected Residents Association President of Elliott-Chelsea Houses, emphasized that this fight goes beyond their development: "This isn’t just about Fulton and Elliott-Chelsea Houses—this is about every tenant in public, rent3/ controlled, and rent-stabilized housing. NYCHA leaders have made it clear: this demolition model is coming citywide. Greed knows no limits. If we don’t stop them now, it won’t just be us today—it will be you tomorrow.”

Miranda stated that “The cost to demolish our buildings and rebuild is an increase of the original projected clause. They want to demolish public housing. We demand to review all documents that are relevant to this proposal. We need to see the audit done by Related/Essence that is being used to justify the demolition of are homes.”

NYCHA's Executive Vice President for Real Estate Development Jonathan Gouveia stated that the cost to demolish and build new buildings would be $1.7 billion. However, according to the financial presentation given to Manhattan Community Board 4, the estimated total has now risen to $1.9 billion. This growing price tag raises serious concerns about the feasibility and financial transparency of NYCHA’s demolition plans, further underscoring the need for oversight and accountability.

In a stunning revelation during the hearing, Gouveia admitted that HUD, the federal agency that has oversight over the process, has NOT granted final approval for the demolition of the Fulton, Elliott, and Chelsea (FEC) campuses. This admission directly contradicts NYCHA and Related Companies’ claims that demolition and relocations will begin in just a few months. Instead, Gouveia confirmed that the project is still in the environmental review process and lacks critical federal approval.

When Committee Chair Chris Banks pressed further, asking whether HUD had approved a Section 18 application for the demolition and disposition of the FEC campus, Gouveia’s response was a clear: “No, not yet.”

This bombshell exposes the misinformation NYCHA has fed to residents, as well as the Community Board, creating a false sense of inevitability around the demolition while key approvals are still missing. Residents are demanding accountability, transparency, and an immediate halt to NYCHA’s reckless push for displacement.

NYCHA proved once again that they are indifferent to the very real struggles of their residents Carla Hollingsworth who reported being harassed and retaliated against for their legal and rightful resistance to RAD PACT takeovers of their homes and communities.

“It's an outrage to any and every New Yorker who believes in the right of public housing tenants to determine their own futures." said Lydia Andre of Chelsea Neighbors Coalition.

“Today’s hearing exposes what tenants and advocates have long known—NYCHA has failed to meet even the most basic standard of transparency required of a public agency. Despite repeated requests, it continues to withhold essential information about the Fulton Elliott-Chelsea redevelopment and its contract with Related—a nobid agreement lacking public scrutiny. This process has been marked by secrecy, and omission. New Yorkers deserve better. I applaud Chair Banks for his steadfast commitment to accountability and transparency in today’s hearing. His leadership in demanding answers from NYCHA is critical to ensuring that public housing residents are not sidelined in decisions that affect their homes and communities.” said Layla Law-Gisiko, District Leader AD75/A.

FEC Tenants Against Demolition
Contact: StopFECDemolition@gmail.com
February 28, 2025
Posted 3.9.2025

Queens Op Eds & Opinions - QNS NYC

Statement Against Trump Plans to Cut the Department of Education with an Executive Order

Any minute now, President Trump is expected to sign an executive order to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education (DOE).

The President does not have the power to unilaterally eliminate federal agencies - only Congress has that authority.

But with Congress under Republican control, we need to make sure our elected representatives understand the devastating consequences of dismantling the DOE, and ensure they do everything in their power to prevent it. Only Congress has the authority to eliminate or defund federal agencies, and it’s critical that they stand up for the students who need these programs now more than ever.

The DOE is central to enforcing civil rights protections of students and ensuring that students with disabilities, students with IEPs, children in early education programs, and children living in poverty have access to a quality education and all the resources they need. It protects students from discrimination, ensures schools comply with civil rights laws, expands access to affordable higher education, and safeguards the rights of students and families.

Without the DOE, these protections and supports would disappear, leaving millions of students, families, and educators with fewer resources, where historically disinvested communities are already fighting to access basic educational rights.

Take action now by sending a message to Congress, urging them to protect the DOE and defend the students who rely on it.

Thank you for standing up for the future of our students - and for all of us.

In solidarity,

Marina Marcou-O'Malley + Zakiyah Shaakir-Ansari
Co-Executive Directors, Alliance for Quality Education
March 6, 2025
Posted 3.9.2025

Queens Op Eds & Opinions - QNS NYC

With His Betrayal of New Yorkers, Mayor Adams Must Resign

In repsonse to the U.S. Department of Justice dropping charges its a corruption case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams, public education advocacy organization the Alliance for Quality Education released the following statement:
“For the past six weeks, New Yorkers have lived in fear—children missing school, families avoiding hospitals, businesses closing their doors—all because of the Trump administration’s crackdown, policies and rhetoric. Eric Adams' willingness to fan the flames in exchange for his own personal gain is reprehensible," said Zakiyah Shaakir-Ansari and Marina Marcou-O'Malley, Co-Executive Directors, Alliance for Quality Education.

“New Yorkers have lost whatever trust they had left in their mayor with the Trump administration’s dismissal of Adams’ corruption case. “Instead of demonstrating his innocence, Adams proven beyond all doubt his guilt—that he is willing to conspire with the Trump administration to protect himself, even if it means selling out our neighbors, families, and colleagues. He has chosen to aid and abet policies that terrorize our communities, rather than facing his charges in court.

“This is no longer a question of whether Adams, guilty or innocent of charges, is fit to govern. It is about the undeniable certainty of his betrayal of the people of this city. With no credibility left and no trust from those he was elected to serve, Mayor Adams must resign.”

Zakiyah Shaakir-Ansari and Marina Marcou-
O’Malley, Co-Executive Directors of the Alliance for Quality Education
February 14, 2025

Posted February 16, 2025

Queens Op Eds & Opinions - QNS NYC

Open Letter regarding issues with NYPD Enforcement of Parking Laws particularly as it relates to Illegal Parking in front of Fire Hydrants

Dear Mayor Adams,

The Ozone Park Residents Block Association is writing to bring urgent attention to an ongoing issue that has led to a tragic event in the Brooklyn community. We request an immediate response and action from your office, as well as from the NYC Council.

On the night of Sunday, February 9, 2025, a fire broke out at 501 80th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11209. Over 60 emergency personnel and firefighters were deployed to the scene, where two vehicles were found blocking a nearby fire hydrant. This obstruction significantly delayed the firefighting response, and tragically, a 37-year-old man was found dead at the scene. While the exact cause of death has not yet been determined, it is crucial to acknowledge the possibility that the blocked hydrant contributed to this fatality.

This issue has become an increasingly severe problem in Ozone Park and across the city. Furthermore, it has been observed that the shortage of NYPD officers has led to slower enforcement of parking violations. Officers no longer consistently issue parking summons when they observe offenses while on patrol, and response times for 311 complaints about hydrant obstructions have been alarmingly delayed. In some cases, by the time officers arrive, the offending vehicle has already left, with no consequences for their actions. This is unacceptable, and it has now resulted in the potential loss of life.

We urge you to review the 311 data on fire hydrant complaints in our area and across the city. Our association has filed over 100 complaints regarding hydrant obstructions, yet it is evident that few of these resulted in summonses. Additionally, the time it takes for these complaints to be addressed often exceeds reasonable limits.

We are demanding that blocking a fire hydrant be treated as a more serious offense, rather than just a minor summons. Immediate action is needed to prevent further harm and ensure public safety. It is unacceptable that we must wait for fatalities to take action on something that should be a matter of common sense. The NYPD must address 311 complaints regarding blocked fire hydrants in real-time to help avoid a situation like last night.

We also request that the current 15-foot parking rule be amended. A 15-foot clearance in both directions is excessive and unreasonable. We propose that a 3-foot clearance in either direction is sufficient for the fire department to operate their hoses effectively, and would significantly reduce the likelihood of hydrants being blocked.

Lastly, we suggest the implementation of official markings on the ground, 3 feet from each hydrant, to clearly indicate that parking in this area may result in arrest. These markings would help educate the public and reinforce the seriousness of the offense.

We implore you to act swiftly to address this critical issue before another life is lost. We are counting on your leadership and the support of the NYC Council to prioritize this matter and take the necessary steps to prevent future tragedies.

Sincerely,
Sam Esposito
President, Ozone Park Residents Block Association
February 10, 2025

CC: Governor Kathy Hochul, NYS Senator Joseph Addabbo (15), NYS Senator James Sanders (10), NYS Senate Public Safety Committee, Senator Jesse Arreguin-Chair-(7), Senator Kelly Seyarto-Vice Chair-(32), Senator Anna Caballero (14), Senator Lena Gonzalez (33), Senator Sasha Renee Perez (25), Senator Scott Wiener (11), NYS Assembly Member Stacey Pheffer Amato (23), Queens Borough President Donovan Richards. NYC Council Member Adrienne Adams (28), NYC Council Member Lynn Schulman (29), NYC Council Public Safety Committee, Yusef Salaam (9), Christopher Marte (1), Carlina Rivera (2), Diana Ayala (8), Carmen De La Rosa (10), Althea Stevens (16), Tiffany Caban (22), Robert Holden (30), Joann Ariola (32), Chi Osse (36), Rita Joseph (40), Queens Community Board 9, Queens Community Board 10, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch, FDNY Commissioner Robert S. Tucker, Associated Press for release

Editor's Note. We'll have more on this important topic in the coming months. This problem is afflicting Ozone Park as well as many other neighborhoods in the city. As for shortening the space required in front of the hydrants, I believe the thinking for the current length requirement is to enable the fire truck to move into the open slot by the hydrant so that the fire truck doesn't block traffic on the street.

Posted February 16, 2025

Queens Op Eds & Opinions - QNS NYC

Testimony of Monica Blum, President of the Lincoln Square Business Improvement District, to the New York City Department of Sanitation regarding the proposed new section, 1-12, in Section 1, Chapter 1 of Title 16 in the Rules of the City of New York pertaining to the

"Improper Placement of Refuse and Recycling for Department Collection"

My name is Monica Blum and I am founding president of the Lincoln Square Business Improvement District which has an almost 30-year history of enthusiastically supporting every single DSNY initiative and partnering with DSNY. Almost 40% of our budget is dedicated to sanitation. While I appreciate DSNY’s effort to seek our feedback, I am dismayed and disheartened by the punitive nature of these rules. I can’t believe that DSNY is threatening to fine and punish business improvement districts and other partners for helping DSNY do its job.

As per our District Plan approved by the City Council, and our contract with SBS, we supplement City sanitation services across 84 block faces. The language is clear – we supplement what DSNY does. We don’t replace City services. Our neighborhood includes Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, the Shops at Columbus Circle and has a very large residential population and attracts a huge number of tourists. The fines and the rules are ill advised and make no sense. This is public trash that would otherwise be all over the place.

The former Sanitation Commissioner said that the goal was to bring BIDs in line with other businesses and residential buildings. Herein lies a major flaw in the reasoning behind these proposed rules. We are not retail businesses or residential buildings. We are private non-profit organizations, and we are a critical public-private partnership that helps DSNY keep New York City clean. These rules run counter to the reason business improvement districts were created in the first place and undermine our core missions.

In 2022, we were among the first to apply for DSNY’s Pilot program through the Clean Curbs initiative and installed two 5-module Citibin units with site approval from DOT. At that time, DSNY reimbursed us for the cost of the two Citibins. Our goal was, and remains, totally in sync with the City’s -- getting the piles of bags full of public trash off our corners and sidewalks. We were pleased with our first two Citibins; unfortunately, the program was suspended until last spring when we immediately applied to install additional Citibins. We now have a total of six 5-unit modules which DSNY services daily. We need two more but finding locations is difficult.

I respectfully request that DSNY rethink and rescind these punitive rules, and work with us to come up with a plan that recognizes that business improvement districts are trusted and necessary partners. If the rules are to be implemented, we are recommending that they codify a number of situations/conditions that should not be left to agency discretion as leaders will inevitably change:

1. Eliminate language that fines BIDs. We believe that it is inappropriate and counterproductive to fine business improvement districts for helping DSNY keep the City clean. This sounds like an idea that came from OMB’s revenue side.

2. The rules are silent on extenuating or exigent circumstances and must include language that addresses missed pick-ups (holidays, parades, visiting dignitaries, snow, etc) and allow for the placement of bags in front of containers or cans under those circumstances.

3. The rules should apply to other government agencies (i.e. MTA) and film companies - which leave garbage bags everywhere. We have received complaints about piles of bagged trash at 60th Street & Central Park West (MTA and Transit police).

4. The rules must insure that DOT works with DSNY, BIDs and SBS to find suitable container locations and, where possible, relocate signage to permit placement of containers. The rules must also state that DOT and DSNY are responsible for the relocation of Citibins for expedited roadway resurfacing.

5. The rules should include a funding program that would help cover the costs of containerization for all BIDs, including medium sized BIDs, who wish to apply.

Our businesses and property owners and residents are pleased with the absence of bags on the sidewalks of Lincoln Square. We appreciate the support of Chief Lettera and Superintendent Quinn and his staff at Manhattan District 7. Currently, we have a system in place that addresses missed pick-ups that works for now, but who knows what will happen when new leaders take the helm as inevitably will happen.

We support DSNY’s efforts and are doing our absolute best to comply with this new program. Our mission, and that of all business improvements districts, is to supplement City services, not to replace them. This rule imposes an unfunded mandate that punishes and penalizes business improvement districts for providing supplemental services that help DSNY keep the City clean. This is why BIDs were created. These proposed rules violate the spirit of collaboration and the foundation that supports our public-private partnerships.

Thank you for your consideration and for the opportunity to testify.

Monica Blum
President, Lincoln Square BID
February 10, 2025

Posted February 16, 2025

Queens Op Eds & Opinions - QNS NYC

NYCHA Demolition Project Exposed as Costlier, Lengthier, and Unfair to Chelsea Community

At last night’s Manhattan Community Board 4 Land Use Committee meeting [on December 16, 2024], a stunning revelation emerged regarding NYCHA’s proposed demolition of Chelsea public housing. NYCHA and its partner, Related
Companies, and Essence (Development Partners) have promoted this plan for over a year, claiming it as the most effective path forward. However, M-CB4 member David Holowka underscored cost estimates that cast doubt on this narrative.

Holowka noted that demolition and redevelopment are most recently estimated at $1.98 billion, $836 million higher than Related, Essence and NYCHA’s own 2022 renovation estimate of $1.144 billion which was said to equal the cost of
replacement, triggering the current demolition-based plan.

The discussion also established that demolition would not only be more expensive but would take significantly longer. M-CB4 Housing, Health & Human Services Committee chair Joe Restuccia pressed NYCHA, Related and Essence representatives, confirming that the demolition and mixed-income redevelopment timeline is much lengthier compared to a renovation. This directly contradicts the narrative NYCHA, Related and Essence have pushed to tenants and the public for the past year.

Even more troubling, it was disclosed that revenue generated from land leases may not be needed to build the replacement buildings and furthermore the proposed mixed-income development revenue would not be reinvested into the Chelsea community. At the same time, the Chelsea community would be asked to bear the impact of a large upzoning. NYCHA also revealed that they would have full discretion to allocate the funds anywhere in the city, leaving Chelsea tenants and the neighborhood without direct benefit.

Longtime tenant leader Renee Keitt delivered a powerful statement at the meeting, calling for NYCHA, Related, Essence and M-CB4 to abandon the demolition project. Keitt said “We are people, we are not [real-estate] to be leveraged”. She urged the parties involved to prioritize the needs of current tenants over corporate interests.
The M-CB4 Land Use Committee revelations have brought new urgency to the debate surrounding Chelsea’s public-housing future. Questions about costs, delays, and fairness remain unanswered, and last night’s meeting laid bare a truth that many tenants have suspected all along: the demolition plan prioritizes profit and land acquisition over people and community.

Renee Keitt
FEC (Fulton Elliott Chelsea ) Tenants Against Demolition
December 17, 2024
Email - stopfecdemolition@gmail.com

Posted February 16, 2025

Queens Op Eds & Opinions - QNS NYC

Tri-State Transportation Campaign’s Statement on Governor Hochul’s Overnight Policing Initiative on NYC Transit

Governor Hochul’s decision to deploy police officers on every train from 9 PM to 5 AM is a misguided approach to transit safety. Ensuring safety for all transit riders is critical, but increasing police presence is not the solution our system or communities deserve.

Our transit system needs proactive investments in infrastructure, staff, and social supports—not hundreds of millions of dollars funneled into policing, which cannot resolve the wide range of challenges riders face daily. Safety must come through ensuring fairness for everyone, making the system work for all users, and focusing on preventing problems before they arise, instead of continually relying on police to respond, which isn’t always effective.

Policing has repeatedly proven to be reactive rather than preventive, addressing harm after it occurs– if at all. Just months ago, a tragic subway incident resulted in four people being shot, including an officer, showing the limitations of relying on police enforcement to create more equitable and safe spaces. This approach also risks further criminalizing poverty and vulnerable riders rather than tending to the root causes of crime, such as housing, inadequate mental health, and social services. 

The timing of this decision is also troubling. President Trump’s comments about “giving NYPD their authority back” and his withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accords, again, serve as stark reminders of the dangers of regressive policies that undermine justice and climate progress. New York must lead with solutions rooted in equity, sustainability, and community care, not reactionary measures that perpetuate more harm.

Safe, equitable, and sustainable transit is possible. Governor Hochul’s plan is not the solution.

Laura Waxman
Communications Associate
Tri-State Transportation Campaign
laura@tstc.org, @Tri_State

Posted February 3, 2025

Foundation Aid

“The Governor’s proposed changes to Foundation Aid have mixed impact on different school districts. Shifting the poverty measures to those that more accurately capture students’ realities is one we welcome, though that change cannot be made in a vacuum. If Governor Hochul’s changes are enacted, New York City schools will see their expected Foundation Aid increase cut almost in half, a loss that is unacceptable and is sure to have an impact on students. At the same time, many other high need school districts in other parts of the state would receive a higher-than-expected increase under the Governor’s proposed formula update, a very welcome adjustment. We cannot allow the budget to jeopardize the well being of some students. We must find a way to make changes to the Foundation Aid formula in a way that captures the complex reality of each school district without negatively impacting any district.

Child Care

“Governor Hochul has misread the nature of the child care crisis: solving it simply starts with investments in the workforce to create more access for families. Without investments in the workforce, there will not be enough staff for the centers she wants to build. She will not be able to create a substitute pool without paying our existing educators a living wage. More programs will close and more families will be left out. 

“Until the Governor is ready to seriously transform compensation for child care educators, greater access for families and affordability will continue to be out of reach. The enacted budget must include $1.2 billion investment in raising the wages of child care educators.

Revenues

“Extending the Millionaires Tax without asking the ultra wealthy and corporations — those who have profited tremendously since the pandemic — to pay what they owe, will leave the state vulnerable to the inequitable whims of the federal government. We can and should be raising more revenue for the state budget to invest in programs that benefit our communities.

“Offering tax cuts that will make minimal individual difference when spread across the millions of families that would receive them is not going to have the impact needed. That revenue would do more if we invested it in public schools, child care workers, and other community needs.”

Alliance for Quality Education
January 21, 2025
Posted January 27, 2025

Queens Op Eds & Opinions - QNS NYC

Delivering Fair Pay to New York City’s Delivery Workers

Since day one, our administration has had a clear mission, protect public safety, rebuild our economy, and make our city more livable for hard-working New Yorkers.

Every day, we are delivering on that vision. We’ve recovered all the private-sector jobs lost during the pandemic, one year ahead of schedule; overall crime is down in our city this year; and our city is getting cleaner and greener.

But we know that our economic recovery hasn’t reached everyone, and it has not benefitted everyone equitably. That is why we are doing everything we can to make sure New York City remains a city for working-class people.

Last week, our administration delivered a well-deserved pay raise for our app-based food delivery workers. Delivery workers who work for UberEATS, DoorDash, and Grubhub will now receive at least $19.56 per hour before tips. This is fair pay for a fair day’s work. This means that more than 60,000 of the hardest-working New Yorkers out there will have their wages boosted. 

This puts money back into the pockets of delivery workers, it puts dinner on the table, it helps pay their mortgages, and it supports working families, especially those struggling to get by, across the five boroughs.

Delivery workers are an essential part of our city, but just months ago, they were making an average of just $5.39 per hour before tips.

Our administration knew this was unacceptable, so, in June 2023, we announced the nation’s first minimum pay rate rule for app-based food delivery workers. Since this new pay rate went into effect, delivery workers have already seen a 165 percent increase in their pay per week and they are earning nearly $850 million more annually.

And this minimum pay rate is increased to reflect inflation, because we know that New Yorkers continue to feel the burden of the cost of living. People are working harder and harder to get by. I know the hustle is real. I know what it is like to struggle. I was raised by a working mother who struggled to support my five siblings and me. Thousands of our delivery workers are doing the same to support themselves and their families every day.

But we also know that there is more to be done. We have heard that some delivery apps are making it harder to tip and that some apps are locking out workers from shifts. This is wrong, and we made that very clear last week when we stood with our Deliveristas and delivery workers.

That is why we are pioneering first-of -their-kind hubs where our food delivery workers can take shelter from inclement weather, rest, and recharge their cellphone or e-bike batteries.

And it is why we announced five public e-battery charging locations to test safe, public charging of lithium-ion batteries for 100 delivery workers.

That is also why we plan to create the Department of Sustainable Delivery. This will be a first-in-the-nation entity that regulates new forms of delivery transit and helps keep our workers and our streets safe.

We know that when things get tough, we must invest in our most valued asset: our people.

This is how you build a city where all New Yorkers share in our prosperity, no matter what line of work they are in, or what borough they live in. We are delivering fair pay for working-class New Yorkers.

Mayor Adams
City Hall
April 8, 2024

Queens Op Eds & Opinions - QNS NYC

Jobs NYC: Connecting More New Yorkers to Good-Paying Jobs

Since day one, this administration has had a clear mission: protect public safety, rebuild our economy, and make our city more livable for everyday New Yorkers. Every day, we are delivering on that vision. We have recovered all of the private-sector jobs lost during the pandemic, one year ahead of schedule; overall crime is down across the city this year, as it was last year; and we are improving the quality of life for the 8.3 million New Yorkers who call this city home.

But while our city has recovered from the pandemic, our recovery has not benefitted every New Yorker equitably. Black unemployment still remains far too high in our city and we cannot allow this trend to continue — that is why we are doing everything we can to make sure New York City remains a city for working-class people. 

Last week, we took a big step forward with the launch of Jobs NYC, a whole-of-government approach to bringing job and career training opportunities to communities that have been overlooked for too long. As part of Jobs NYC, we are kicking off a series of hiring halls in neighborhoods facing employment disparities. These events meet New Yorkers where they are, bringing well-paying public- and private-sector job opportunities to New Yorkers across the five boroughs.

We also launched an all-new jobs portal, jobs.nyc.gov. Job seekers can now pick up their phones to visit this brand-new website or go in-person to a hiring hall to find new job opportunities. This is all-hands-on-deck effort to make it easier and more accessible than ever for all New Yorkers to participate in our thriving economy.

Further, Jobs NYC builds on action we took last year to reform our minimal qualification requirements for certain entry level city jobs, including removing college degree requirements for numerous positions. We have thousands of open jobs in city government, from school safety agents to tech roles. In the past, there have been too many historical barriers preventing New Yorkers from becoming employed. These commonsense reforms are making good-paying jobs more accessible than ever because we want more New Yorkers to join Team New York.

We also want people to who work for city government to have access to the many benefits that meet the needs of working-class families. Last month, we made city government more family-friendly for thousands of employees [https://www.nyc.gov/office-of-the-mayor/news/092-24/mayor-adams-takes-steps-help-support-working-families-expands-paid-parental-family-leave-for] by expanding both paid parental and family leave for non-union city workers. Impacting over 10,000 municipal employees and making the city more competitive with municipalities and private employers across the country, we doubled paid parental leave for non-union employees, from six to 12 weeks, and began providing up to 12 weeks of paid family leave for those caring for a seriously ill family member.

I am proud to be a blue-collar mayor who was formerly in a union. That is also why we have worked tirelessly to ensure that the City of New York’s labor sector have updated and improved contracts. In the last 13 months, we have negotiated contracts with unions representing 95 percent of the city’s workforce and 100 percent of the city’s uniformed workforce, securing our hard-working public servants better benefits and higher pay.

Our administration understands that a job is more than what we do in the waking hours of our lives; a job is what enables us to achieve the American Dream. That is why we have made historic investments to connect New Yorkers with the career and training opportunities they need to earn good-paying jobs.

And we are committed to making sure that all New Yorkers, particularly those in Black and Brown communities, share in the prosperity of our city. Jobs NYC will help us recruit the next generation of public servants and leaders who will help us build a more equitable New York City, in which everyone has access to a good job that will help them support a family and build a sense of mission and pride.

Together, let’s keep New York City the best city in the world to live — and work — in.

Mayor Adams
City Hall
April 1, 2024

Queens Op Eds & Opinions - QNS NYC

Giving a Raise for New York City’s Human Services Workers

When I was a child, my family lived on the edge of homelessness. My five siblings and I would go to school with black trash bags full of our clothes in case we were evicted from our apartment. I am mayor of the City of New York today because human services workers were there to support my family when we needed it most. Standing up for these workers as their mayor is not just a professional concern for me; it is personal, too.

But it wasn’t just my family. Human services workers were there for all of us during the pandemic. When so many were in isolation, they were endangering their health as they worked with New Yorkers in need. Today, they are helping our neighbors get mental health care, connecting our homeless brothers and sisters with housing, running community centers across the five boroughs, caring for asylum seekers, and so much more.

This work is 24/7. It can be thankless, and it is often mentally and physically exhausting, but it is absolutely essential. It is no exaggeration to say that these men and women are the hands and hearts of New York City. We owe them everything.

When we came into office two years ago, we had a mission: protect public safety, rebuild our economy, and make this city more livable for everyday New Yorkers. But for too long, the pay of our human services workers has not even kept up with the rising cost of living. Last week, we changed that by once again delivering on our vision to make this city more livable and putting money back into the pockets of these working-class New Yorkers.

We announced that our administration will be investing $741 million to deliver fair wages for the more than 80,000 nonprofit employees working within this city — finally giving our human services workers the pay raise they have earned. This will amount to a 9.27 percent pay increase over the next three years. This was a day one priority of our administration, and it is going to lift up a workforce that is majority women and women of color.

If you dedicate your life to serving New Yorkers, we should make sure that you get paid fairly. Because of this new investment and past wage enhancements we made for the sector, we have now invested $1.4 billion to improve pay for human service workers. This is how we build equity and give workers the support they deserve. And this is what it looks like to help our nonprofit partners attract and retain top talent going forward.

This announcement builds on our administration’s track record of standing with working-class New Yorkers and not only ensuring that they get paid fairly for their hard work, but also finding ways to get more money back in their pockets. In two years, we have negotiated historic contracts with unions representing 95 percent of the city’s workforce and 100 percent of the city's uniformed workforce, and we have hit this milestone faster than any administration in modern history.

We also fulfilled a campaign pledge to work with Albany lawmakers and secure an enhancement of the New York City Earned Income Tax Credit [link - https://www.nyc.gov/office-of-the-mayor/news/212-22/mayor-adams-applauds-earned-income-tax-credit-enhancement-state-budget-fulfilling-pledge-to], benefitting over 800,000 families and strengthening the city’s social safety net. That’s money for families to put towards rent, bills, and groceries. As part of our multi-billion child care blueprint, we reduced the per child co-payment or out-of-pocket cost [link - https://www.nyc.gov/office-of-the-mayor/news/984-23/mayor-adams-continues-get-stuff-done-working-class-new-yorkers-halfway-first-term] of subsidized child care for a family of four earning $55,000 a year from $55 a week in 2022 to $4.80 a week. Now, parents don’t have to decide between their career or child care.

I am proud to be a blue-collar mayor, and by offering fair pay, we are creating a fairer and more equitable city for all. By delivering on our vision for a more livable city, we are ensuring that New York City is not only the greatest city in the world to live, but also one of the greatest places to work, especially for those who sacrifice so much for all of us.

Mayor Adams
City Hall
March 21, 2024

Queens Op Eds & Opinions - QNS NYC

What To Look For in the One House Budget Proposals

Ahead of the release of the legislature's budget proposals, the Fiscal Policy Institute today released a new briefing on What To Look For in the One House Budget Proposals.

Overview

 Following last week’s revenue consensus, the legislature will be able to propose $1.3 billion more in spending than the executive budget. This additional revenue will allow the legislature to restore many of the budget cuts proposed by the executive budget, especially to school aid and home care. The legislature can, however, go beyond restoring the proposed cuts and put forward deeper investments in public services that address New York’s affordability crisis. These investments will require raising additional revenue.

The Fiscal Policy Institute recommends three sets of revenue options necessary to support deeper investments in education and higher education, health care, housing, and climate policy. Further background on each revenue option and policy area can be found in FPI’s fiscal year 2025 budget briefing book.

Tax & Revenue - Policy Recommendations

The legislature can reject proposed spending cuts while deepening investment to make the state more affordable by enacting the following tax policy measures:

• Rationalize the Personal Income Tax Brackets: Reform the top personal income tax brackets by applying the current highest tax rate of 10.9 percent to all millionaire-earners (single filers earning over $1 million and married filers earning over $2 million); increase the tax rates for multi-millionaire-earners;add a new 8.85 percent bracket for top earners below the million-dollar threshold ($500,000 for single filers; $750,000 for joint filers). This change would raise over $4 billion annually.

• Tax Capital Gains: Offset the federal tax benefit for long-term capital gains and qualified dividends by creating a progressive capital gains surtax for high-income filers. This change would create an additional 2 percent capital gains tax for all filers with incomes over $500,000 and an additional 4 percent capital gains tax for filers with incomes over $1 million. This change would raise $3.5 billion annually.

• Reform Corporate & Business Taxes: Raise the corporate tax rate in light of the dramatic 2017 corporate tax break; enact measures to combat multinational corporate tax avoidance, either by including global intangible low-taxed income (GILTI) in the state corporate tax base or by requiring worldwide combined reporting for corporations; tax the profits of high-earning pass-through businesses that are exempt from the corporate tax. These changes would raise $5 to $7 billion annually.

• Enhance the Child Tax Credit: Enact changes (such as those in the “Working Families Tax Credit” proposal) that would improve the State’s current tax credit programs (the Earned Income Tax Credit and the Empire State Child Credit). Sound changes to the program would increase the total credit amount for each child for the neediest families, eliminate phase-ins that prevent the poorest families from receiving any benefit, and make the credit available to immigrants who file based on an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number.

Education & Higher Education - Policy Recommendations

The legislature should reject the proposed change to the school aid funding formula and undertake a study on how to best update the formula. Further, rather than shifting the burden of SUNY deficits to current and future students through reduced academic offerings or tuition hikes, the legislature should appropriate State operating funding to balance campus budgets.

• Maintain the Foundation Aid Formula: Reject the executive budget’s change to the foundation aid formula, increasing school funding growth by $454 million over the executive budget; undertake a study of how to best modernize the formula.

• Invest in a New Deal for High Education: Increase operating support for SUNY and CUNY campuses, balancing their budgets and correcting for a decade of fiscal retrenchment. Further pursue a “new deal for higher education,” including lowering or eliminating tuition, investing in capital repairs, hiring new faculty, and professionalizing adjunct compensation. These actions would require a multibillion-dollar annual investment.

Healthcare - Policy Recommendations

While Medicaid costs have grown sharply in recent years, cutting home care worker wages and restricting access to care is an ill-advised cost saving strategy. A more efficient and equitable approach would be to eliminate Managed Long-Term Care (MLTC) plans — a program that contracts with costly private organizations to coordinate long-term care for Medicaid beneficiaries. Further, rather than allow hospitals serving primarily low-income populations to teeter on the brink of closure and pursue ad-hoc bailouts or mergers, the State should develop a comprehensive plan for ensuring adequate statewide hospital coverage while allocating sufficient resources for safety net hospitals.

• Reject Wage Cuts to Home Care Workers: Reject the executive budget’s proposed cuts of $300 million in fiscal year 2025 and $600 million per year thereafter.

• Fund Financially Distressed Hospitals: Direct $1.5 billion in targeted funding to hospitals serving primarily Medicaid-covered and uninsured patients; invest adequately to prevent the closure of SUNY Downstate Medical Center; raise the Medicaid reimbursement rate.

• Invest in the Healthcare Workforce: Invest in rebuilding the state’s healthcare workforce, which has seen high attrition during and after the Covid pandemic; ensure safe staffing levels at hospitals statewide.

• Expand the Essential Plan: Use $1 billion in surplus federal funding to expand the Essential Plan to cover 150,000 undocumented immigrants (as well as providing ACA marketplace subsidies).

Housing - Policy Recommendations

An ambitious social housing policy that rises to the scale of the state’s housing shortage would 1) increase housing production, 2) protect tenants from displacement, and 3) create units with below-market rents. The first two goals could be accomplished by policies proposed last year that would have loosened local land use regulations and protected tenants from exorbitant rent increases. Enacting these policies, however, would not have ensured a supply of units with below-market rents. This key complementary policy could be achieved with the creation of a social housing authority.

• Reform Land Use: Unlike last year, comprehensive changes to local land use appear unlikely to be enacted in the fiscal year 2025 budget. Nevertheless, proposed legislation to streamline permitting for affordable housing, allow religious institutions to create housing on their land, and require the public reporting of statewide housing data would represent progress toward easing restrictive local land use regulations.

• Invest in Social Housing: Commit up to $5 billion in capital funding to an authority in order create social housing, building on the executive budget’s proposal to build new housing on state-owned land.

• Impose Tenant Protections: Protect tenants of unregulated rental units from unwarranted evictions and excessive rent increases.

Climate - Policy Recommendations

The State should implement an effective cap-and-invest program, as detailed in the FPI Budget Briefing, and commit additional funding beyond that program to ensure the State meets its decarbonization targets. Without public funding for the climate transition, the State’s pursuit of its climate goals will increase energy costs for working New Yorkers.

• Invest in the Renewable Energy Transition: Appropriate $2-3 billion in capital funding to support greater deployment of renewable energy resources, building electrification programs, and investments in transmission infrastructure.

• Adopt the Affordability Requirements of the NY Heat Act: The executive budget includes portions of the NY HEAT Act, including elimination of the “100-foot rule,” which ends the law stating that gas companies must extend new lines to all requesting customers and must spread the cost of the first 100 feet of the new hook-up across all ratepayers. This change will accelerate the transition away from fossil fuel infrastructure. However, the budget excludes provisions that would shelter low-income households from the effects of the transition by capping utility payments at 6 percent of household income. These provisions should be included.

State Workforce - Policy Recommendations

• Improve Public Sector Pensions and Benefits: Improve benefits for public sector employees to increase retention and recruitment in the public sector. 

• Invest in Health and Human Services Workers: Implement policies designed to recruit and retain healthcare staff at hospitals in compliance with the 2021 Safe Staffing law that was intended to ensure safe and decent job conditions. The State can further leverage $694 million in funding for the healthcare workforce as part of the recently approved 1115 Medicaid waiver. Additionally, a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for human services workers is necessary to bolster this workforce in the face of a mental health and substance misuse crisis.

• Invest in State Tax and Labor Enforcement: Increase funding for civil services positions such as tax auditors and labor enforcement staff that protect State revenue and workers’ rights.

Fiscal Policy Institute
Albany, New York
March 6, 2024

https://fiscalpolicy.org

Queens Op Eds & Opinions - QNS NYC

Building a legal, equitable cannabis industry that works for us all.

When we came to office two years ago, we had a clear vision: protect public safety, revitalize the economy, and make this city more livable for hardworking New Yorkers. And building a legal, equitable cannabis industry is part of every part of that vision.

Legal cannabis remains the right choice for New York City. This budding, emerging industry offers a once-in-a-generation chance for those disproportionately impacted by the so-called ‘War on Drugs’ to build wealth, especially in our Black and Brown communities. For too long, these communities faced high rates of drug-related incarceration and were denied economic opportunities. But thanks to the equitable, legal cannabis industry, they have a chance to get in on the industry from the ground up. We know, however, that it’s not enough to just support the opening of new legal cannabis shops — we must have Albany grant local authorities the power to close down the illegal operators that threaten the economic success of legal shops and put the safety of our communities at risk.

Last week, I was proud to celebrate the opening of the first legal dispensary in Brooklyn owned by a Black woman. Matawana Dispensary is an example of how we can build an equitable cannabis industry that rights the wrongs of the past. Leeann Mata, the owner of Matawana Dispensary, was justice-impacted by the previous ‘War on Drugs,’ but turned her pain into purpose. Now, she is a proud small business owner in the borough she calls home.

For many years, people of color in our communities were routinely targeted when it came to cannabis law enforcement. Cannabis criminalization was used to harass, arrest, and prosecute so many of our brothers and sisters. And that’s why New York City is making sure that the New Yorkers who were harmed by the mistakes of the past are first in line for the economic opportunities that legal cannabis offers in the future.

Through the city’s Cannabis NYC initiative, we have supported the opening of 26 legal cannabis shops across the five boroughs, and, every day, we are working to create a more thriving, equitable, and legal cannabis industry.

Our commitment stems from a moral obligation to make sure that the people who were adversely affected by cannabis criminalization get their fair share of this emerging market. But these legitimate businesses are facing stiff competition from shops that are not following the rules.

To support the legal cannabis market, New York City must have the tools necessary to stop the illegal market from growing even further. These illegal shops take money out of the registers of legal businesses, while simultaneously posing both a public safety and a public health concern — selling counterfeit products that are unsafe and often targeted towards kids.

We know that New Yorkers are fed up with illegal storefronts and their unlawful business practices. Legalization is about following the law, not a free pass to sell unregulated cannabis products.

That’s why our administration is working with all our partners in Albany and New York State to get the local authority to shut down illegal smoke shops.

With the limited tools the city has, we have played our part to crack down on these illegal stores. We created the interagency Sheriff’s Joint Compliance Task Force to conduct enforcement against unlicensed establishments. And, since the start of this administration, we have closed 160 illegal businesses, conducted over 46,000 inspections, collected over 18 million dollars in fines, and issued 17,000 summonses.

But, to protect legal dispensaries like Leeann Mata’s, New York City needs the proper authority from Albany lawmakers to proactively inspect and shutdown illegal cannabis shops. Those who flout the cannabis laws and regulations are robbing the very communities that are finally on the cusp of benefiting from a just and equitable system.

We will continue to work with our partners in Albany to give aspiring entrepreneurs, especially those who have been justice-involved, a chance to succeed. Together, we can continue to roll equity into our economy.

Mayor Adams
City Hall
March 6, 2024

Queens Op Eds & Opinions - QNS NYC

Social Media and Youth Mental Health

New York City has always been a hub for technology and innovation. And while technology has helped create jobs, opportunities, and prosperity, it has also the potential to cause new dangers, especially when it comes to social media and the mental health of our children.

 Our administration came into office two years ago with a mission to protect public safety, and protecting our young people’s mental health is very much a part of that agenda. That is why, last week — along with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, New York City Health + Hospitals, and the New York City Department of Education — we filed a lawsuit against the companies that own and operate five social media companies in an effort to hold these companies accountable for role they have played in fueling a mental health crisis among our young people.

Our most recent data found that young people in New York City are experiencing anxiety, hopelessness, and are even attempting suicide at rates we have never seen before. You don’t need to be a parent or caregiver to realize the effects of social media on our children’s lives. Instead of talking to each other over lunch at the cafeteria, our youth are absorbed in their screens. Instead of playing at the park with friends, they are inside on a sunny day clicking and scrolling. And instead of learning confidence and resilience, they are being exposed to content that often leads to insecurity and depression.

New York City teens are spending an average of three hours or more per day in front of screens — not including time spent on schoolwork — much of it focused on the endless stream of social media that has been designed with one goal in mind: keeping users hooked for as long as possible.

Adults find it hard enough to moderate the use of social media, but it's even more difficult for our young people. We know these platforms are designed with addictive and dangerous features that take advantage of a child's natural interest in novelty and play.

Social media can damage self-esteem, promote addiction, and often encourages reckless behavior like subway surfing and car theft challenges. We have also seen a dangerous rise in misinformation, xenophobia, radicalization, and incitement to hateful acts.

Instead of connecting people to one another, as our social media companies initially promised, their platforms too often tear us apart. Internal TikTok documents reveal that more than 20 percent of children are active on the platform between midnight and 5:00 AM when they should be sleeping. In recent years, there was a 40 percent increase in high school students reporting persistent sadness and hopelessness.

Dr. Vasan, our city’s health commissioner, released an advisory last month declaring social media a public health hazard, and New York is the first major American city to call out the danger of social media clearly and directly, just as past surgeons general did with tobacco and guns. We are treating social media like other public health hazards.

Last week, we also released our Social Media Action Plan, which will help us chart a new course forward in several key areas. First, we are advocating for state and federal policymakers to put in place laws that require social media companies to ensure that their platforms are safe for youth mental health. 

Second, we will be providing media literacy and education to support our young people and families. This includes promoting tech-free zones to encourage young people to socialize in person.

And finally, our action plan will study the long-term impacts of social media on our youth to understand how New York City can better address the harms caused by these platforms. 

We know that some have begun working to tackle these issues. While we welcome those efforts, this entire industry must do far more. We must have enforceable and agreed upon standards, not a patchwork of voluntary fixes that ultimately shift the burden back to parents, teachers, and young people.

Our children, our families, and our future are more important than profit. That is why we are taking bold actions on behalf of millions of New Yorkers. This is a crucial step in a larger reckoning that will shape the lives of our young people, our city, and society for years to come.

Mayor Adams
City Hall
February 20, 2024

Queens Op Eds & Opinions - QNS NYC

Op-Ed: What We Need From Albany

New York City is all about what is possible. It’s a place where you can start a business, raise a family, and make a difference. Our administration came into office with the aim of keeping that American Dream alive by protecting public safety, rebuilding our economy, and making our city more livable for everyday New Yorkers. I went to our state capital last week with the goal of furthering that vision.

 We laid out an agenda to advance working-class families by extending mayoral accountability of our public schools for four years, granting the city the authority to shut down illegal smoke shops, and creating more affordable housing. Finally, we outlined the city’s fiscal challenges, including state funding for asylum seekers and increasing New York City’s debt limit.

New York City public schools are leading the way in New York state and across the nation because of mayoral accountability. Thanks to mayoral accountability we were able to launch New York City Reads, a nation-leading curriculum that teaches our kids the fundamentals of reading. This is more than a curriculum change — it is a reading revolution. And Governor Hochul announced that she is following our model and bringing our approach to every school district statewide. We also became the first city in the country to screen every child for dyslexia to make sure no child falls through the cracks, like I almost did as a young undiagnosed dyslexic child.

Mayoral accountability allowed us to deliver on countless wins: gifted and talented programs in every neighborhood, full-time mental health professionals for every school, outpacing the state in reading and math while closing racial disparities, and more. Prior to mayoral accountability, high school graduation rates stagnated at 50 percent — they are now over 80 percent. Again, all of this is possible because of mayoral accountability. If Albany fails to extend mayoral accountability, we risk seeing test scores and graduation rates fall back.

Additionally, New Yorkers should be able to walk down our streets without worrying about illegal smoke shops selling cannabis to our children. Legal cannabis remains the right choice for our city and our state, but New Yorkers are fed up with these illegal storefronts and their unlawful business practices. We asked Albany to grant us the authority to inspect and permanently shut down these shops.

Rebuilding our economy means creating homes that working-class New Yorkers can afford. Our administration is playing our part and becoming a City of Yes — “yes” to building more in our backyards, neighborhoods, and everywhere else. Now, Albany needs to play its part. We are calling for a new affordable housing tax incentive; a pathway to legalize safe, existing basement and cellar apartments; incentives for office conversions; and lifting the cap on density for new construction. These measures will enable us to build more affordable homes that working-class New Yorkers urgently need.

Finally, New York City is proud to uphold our legacy as a city of immigrants. And we are proud that we have demonstrated leadership and compassion, when so many others showed only cruelty. We have helped tens of thousands file Temporary Protected Status, asylum, and work authorization applications, bringing them one step closer to living a more stable life. However, right now, there are more than 66,000 asylum seekers still in the city’s care.

When you add in the over 55,000 longtime New Yorkers in the city’s care, that means we have close to three times the number of people in our shelter system than when we came into office. While we appreciate the commitment the governor made last year to cover one-third of the city’s asylum seeker costs, this was based on the premise that the city, the state, and the federal government would split the costs three ways. We are again asking the state to increase its commitment and cover at least 50 percent of New Yorkers’ costs. Then, to meet ongoing capital needs, we are asking the state to increase the city’s debt capacity. All of these financial investments will allow us to continue to invest in cleaner streets and welcoming public spaces that benefit all New Yorkers.

Our administration looks forward to turning our agenda into a reality and working with our colleagues in Albany to improve the lives of everyday New Yorkers now, and for generations to come.

Mayor Adams
City Hall
February 16, 2024

Queens Op Eds & Opinions - QNS NYC

Balancing Our City’s Budget While Delivering for Working-Class New Yorkers

Our administration came into office with a clear mission: to protect public safety, revitalize our economy, and make all five boroughs more livable for the 8.3 million people who call New York City their home. For the last two years, we have worked every day to make our vision a reality. And the recently released Fiscal Year 2025 Preliminary Budget keeps us on track.

I am proud to report that jobs are up, crime is down, tourists are back, our streets are cleaner, and our children’s test scores are better. We have accomplished all this and delivered a balanced budget for New Yorkers.

It is important for New Yorkers to understand how we achieved this balanced budget that invests in working-class families, despite a perfect storm of COVID-19 stimulus funding drying up, tax revenue growth slowing, labor contracts that went years overdue, and an ongoing national humanitarian crisis that has brought more than 170,000 asylum seekers to our city in less than two years.

Despite a record $7.1 billion gap, we were able to balance and stabilize our budget without laying off a single city worker, raising taxes, and with minimal disruption to services that New Yorkers rely on. This is the result of careful fiscal planning and management.

 We made tough but necessary decisions like implementing a hiring freeze and a Program to Eliminate the Gap (PEG) savings program. These steps, along with an unexpectedly strong economy, and lowering asylum seeker costs helped balance the budget.

And to properly manage the asylum seeker crisis, we helped file over 27,000 applications for asylum, work authorization, and temporary protected status. We also helped more than 60 percent of migrants take the next steps in their journeys.

Our strong fiscal management also helped to make restorations that put dollars back towards public safety, public space, and young people. We restored funding for the April Police Academy Class, which means 600 additional officers out on our streets this fall. Additionally, we restored the fifth firefighter at 20 of the city’s engine companies because more firefighters on the job always helps.

We will maintain 23,000 litter baskets across the five boroughs, and continue to install the award-winning “Litter Basket of the Future,” so we can keep can winning the war against rats. And we will continue to fund our Parks Opportunity Program, which keeps our public spaces clean and green while helping our neighbors find job opportunities.

And to support one of our young people, our administration restored funding for 170 community schools so that students and families can continue to get the support they need, both in and out of the classroom. In addition, for the first time ever, our city will invest new funds into and entirely pay for Summer Rising, a program that impacts 110,000 children, and had originally been funded with temporary federal stimulus dollars.

Finally, libraries across all five boroughs will maintain their current level of funding so they do not have to further reduce the library programs and services that New Yorkers of all ages love. 

All of these wins are possible because of our fiscal planning and discipline that keep our city safe and clean and open the doors of opportunity for everyone.

But we must continue to be cautious.

Experts expect the economy and job markets to slow this year, and asylum seekers will continue to arrive, so we must be vigilant and remain focused on making government more efficient and spending taxpayer dollars carefully. That is why we are proud that our preliminary budget includes a near-record Rainy-Day Fund of $8.2 billion.

Running a city of any size is never easy. And balancing the many competing needs of a city like New York requires us to think ahead and make the best decisions we can for today and tomorrow. Everything we do is about making this city safer and making it work better for working-class New Yorkers. That is what this budget delivers.

Mayor Adams
City Hall
January 22, 2024

Queens Op Eds & Opinions - QNS NYC

Honoring Dr. King’s Legacy by Fighting for Fair Housing

This week, we celebrate the life of one of our greatest American leaders, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. This is a moment to honor his accomplishments, but it’s also an opportunity to reflect on what he fought for and to carry his legacy forward. We must find new strength to continue his work by breaking down barriers and building true equality — here in New York City, and all across this nation.

That means fighting for fair housing and building a city where working people can afford to stay and thrive. This is one of the major issues that Dr. King fought for during his lifetime and it remains urgent in 2024.

Many forget that Dr. King called out discriminatory practices by landlords and realtors who were keeping Black Americans out of certain neighborhoods. He also advocated for the Fair Housing Act to make those discriminatory practices illegal. This landmark legislation was finally passed by Congress the week after Dr. King’s assassination.

Here in New York City, we have much to be proud of about our civil rights record. But there is a dark side to our history that has yet to be reckoned with — a deep legacy of discrimination and segregation that we must dismantle in order to finally build more housing and create an equitable city.

New Yorkers are still living under zoning laws written more than 60 years ago. Many who pushed for these laws aimed to promote racial segregation. As a result of these laws, New Yorkers of color have suffered from a housing crisis for decades. Costs are too high, and too many parts of our city are “off limits” to housing opportunity. This is a direct cause of gentrification and soaring rents, and it’s driving New Yorkers away from family, community, and jobs. These outdated and unfair zoning laws must be changed, and they must be changed now.

That’s why our administration has put forward our “City of Yes for Housing Opportunity” proposal, which will promote new housing in every neighborhood. And it is why we’re calling for action in Albany this session to deliver the housing affordability New Yorkers need.

Our “City of Yes” plan delivers on the promise of the Fair Housing Act. It calls for every neighborhood to carry its fair share of the housing crisis. It will pave the way to converting unused offices into houses; help families add space for parents, children, and caregivers; and give our houses of worship the flexibility to use their property to build homes and generate income.

When we came into office two years ago, we had a mission: protect public safety, revitalize the economy, and make this city more livable for hardworking New Yorkers. Making our city more livable means building more housing for more people, especially people of color.

We delivered on that promise by creating the second-highest number of new affordable homes in one year, and the highest number of homes for formerly homeless New Yorkers. Using CityFHEPS vouchers, we have connected more New Yorkers than ever before to permanent housing, made record investments in improvements at NYCHA developments, and established the NYCHA Trust to unlock billions more for repairs.

For so many New Yorkers, this is personal. I know what feels like to live without the security of housing. I grew up on the edge of homelessness. My siblings and I had to take trash bags full of clothes to school because we didn’t know where we would sleep the next night. That’s no way to live. You cannot plan for the future if you are worried about today.

We cannot say "no" to our neighbors and our fellow New Yorkers. We must be a “City of Yes”: “yes” in my backyard, “yes” on my block, “yes” in my city. We must say “yes” to housing opportunity, and we must continue Dr. King’s legacy through action, not just words.

Together, we can build a fairer, more equitable New York City.

Queens Op Eds & Opinions - QNS NYC

Alternative View of City of Yes by MTOPP a Brooklyn Community Non-Profit

MTOPP is doing a series on the Mayor Adams's City of Yes, "COY" Business/Economic Text Amendments, that will change where, how and what types of businesses will be allowed to exist in the City.

The Business Text Amendments are currently being reviewed by all 59 Community Boards who have up until December 30th 2023, to comment on them, with the City stating they will continue to accept these comments until the New York City Planning Commission votes on these amendments in early February!

After reviewing almost 700 pages of these amendments we found at least 10 major changes that have a serious impact upon the community, and its residents. [Editor's Note - the following points are all separate blog pieces on their website - for details see url below].

1. Allowing Commercial Businesses into all Residential Areas.
2. Allowing “Small Businesses” to exist in people’s apartments and homes.
3. Eliminating restrictive business within Residential buildings.
4. Allowing manufacturing businesses to exist in commercial and residential zones.
5. Allowing all businesses to exist in all commercial zones.
6. Allowing businesses to exists on residential floors and on rooftops.
7. Allowing cabaret/dancing to exist on all commercial zones. and New Text Amendment: Casinos!!!
8. The Scariest Changes!
9. Q & A on COY
10. Removal of Environmental Reviews for Developers. (New Text Amendment, just given to the Community Boards on December 15, 2023]

Alicia Boyd
MTOPP [Movement to Protect the People]
Brooklyn, NY
January 4, 2024

For further reading on City of Yes Text Amendments, see MTOPP blog
https://mtopp.org/index.php/2024/01/02/mtopp-answers-questions-on-the-city-of-yes/

MTOPP has an entire section dedicated to the City of Yes
https://mtopp.org/index.php/category/city-of-yes-text-amendments/

Queens Op Eds & Opinions - QNS NYC

Pathways to Success for Our Young People

Our city’s future depends on being able to help our young people grow, fulfill their potential, and thrive in an ever-changing economy. These days, it’s rare to think about spending decades at the same job, and education is the key to developing the flexibility and resourcefulness that our youth need to succeed. Helping each child find their way and achieve the career of their dreams has been a goal of our administration since day one.

That is why we expanded our Summer Youth Employment Program and Summer Rising to serve a record number of young people and launched FutureReadyNYC with Google and Northwell Health to provide our youth with apprenticeships and opportunities in in-demand sectors, like tech and health care.

And now, we are building on those initiatives with Pathways to an Inclusive Economy: An Action Plan for Young Adult Career Success. This is a more than $600 million, forward-thinking roadmap that will position 250,000 young people to thrive in our city’s economy.

The plan includes notable new investments like $10 million in the CUNY 2x Tech initiative, which offers our young people a pipeline to the tech sector, by bringing the initiative to five new CUNY campuses, including community colleges for the first time ever.

Additionally, we have secured a $130 million grant from the federal government to become the first city to partner with the U.S. Department of Labor Jobs Corps Program. This will allow us to train, place, and provide wraparound support to 2,000 young adults in fast-growing industries — all free of charge.

We also know that all young people don't start at the same place. We must be able to serve our youth where they are. The New York City Department of Youth and Community Development and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority are piloting new electrical pre-apprenticeship programs for 50 out-of-school and out-of-work young adults, thanks to a $1.7 million grant from the Department of Labor.

It is important for New Yorkers to understand what all these programs mean for our young people. Right now, a middle schooler has the opportunity to attend Summer Rising, visit a CUNY college, and realize that college is a possibility. Each of these steps are crucial. Helping them visit a CUNY college expands their horizons and allows them to dream big.

In high school, our young people can get a paid internship at a tech firm through the Summer Youth Employment Program, and perhaps realize they love computers. After that, they can attend that same CUNY college they visited when they were younger, major in computer science, and become an apprentice for a tech company, gaining a mentor and hands-on experience.

Our goal for our young people is to have them graduate with a degree in one hand, and a job offer in the other because government has been creating the right environment for them every step of the way.

Our message is clear. We are telling employers your future talent is right here in New York City. Not only are you going to get young people with technical skills, but you're going to get real New Yorkers — people who are able to handle a variety of situations and bring a diversity of backgrounds and experience to their work.

This plan is for our young people because New York City is still the place where anything is possible.

Mayor Adams
City Hall
December 18, 2023

Queens Op Eds & Opinions - QNS NYC

Community Op-Ed: New York City is Back – With More Jobs Than Ever

Less than two years ago, I was sworn in as the 110th mayor of New York City. Our city was still reeling from the devastation of a global pandemic. Commercial neighborhoods and office buildings were deserted. Headlines questioned the future of New York City.

But I knew then what every New Yorker has always known: this city would be back.

And right now, that comeback is official: We have regained the nearly one million private sector jobs that were lost during COVID-19, and New York City has more total jobs than EVER before in our city’s history, totaling 4,709,400 million jobs. Not just private sector jobs. Total jobs. And more than 280,500 of those jobs were created since the beginning of this administration.

This is more than just a recovery, and I am proud to say we got there ahead of schedule. Before we took office, experts were projecting the city wouldn’t regain pre-pandemic job levels until 2025, but this is the “Get Stuff Done” administration. And we got it done in 22 months.

Our plan was straightforward: Protect public safety, invest in public spaces, and support working people, or as we have been calling it, the “Triangle Offense.”

As I have said for so long, public safety is the prerequisite to prosperity.  It is what I campaigned on, what I was elected to do, and what we have delivered for New Yorkers.

That is why we took immediate action and invested $171 million in our Subway Safety Plan; took action on gun violence, car theft, and retail crime; and boosted enforcement of quality of life and criminal offenses alike.

This simple equation — jobs are up, crime is down, and every day we are delivering for working people — is the foundation of everything else we want to accomplish moving forward.

And the results speak for themselves: Riders are back on our transit system heading back to work, and New Yorkers are safer — and feel safer — and it makes all the difference.

We are embarking on the most ambitious housing effort in generations, investing in sustainability and resiliency projects across the five boroughs, and making transformative changes in how we keep our city clean.

We are also delivering billions into the pockets of working people across the city, but when it comes to lifting up working people, we are going to go even further.

Too many people have been left out Queens Op Eds & Opinions - QNS NYCof this recovery. Black unemployment is too high. Our wealth gap is too wide. Equity remains a serious issue in communities of color across the board.

We must build a fairer, more inclusive economy. And we are going to start with a “Working People’s Tour” of the five boroughs — one that highlights the New Yorkers powering our recovery, introduces new economic solutions, and allows us to hear directly from those who are still lacking access to good jobs. We will create new interventions to help boost growth and build on-ramps to opportunity across the five boroughs because all New Yorkers must share in our city’s prosperity, no matter what line of work they are in or what borough they hail from.

New York City has a history of coming back stronger no matter how tough things get. Going forward, we are going to make sure that every New Yorker can share in our city’s legendary opportunity and prosperity as well.

Mayor Adams
City Hall
October 23, 2023

Queens Op Eds & Opinions - QNS NYC

Investing in clean, green public space for all New Yorkers

So much of New York City’s history was about changing the natural environment – cutting it down, clearing it out, paving it over.

But going forward, we know that the future is about working with nature, building a greener, cleaner, safer city for all. From parks and playgrounds to streets, sidewalks, bike lanes and even beaches, our Administration is committed to investing in the quality and cleanliness of our public spaces all across the five boroughs.

This past week, we announced two major initiatives that will transform what it feels like be outside in New York City: A historic expansion of our greenway network, and an ambitious citywide trash containerization effort that will revolutionize the way we keep our streets clean.

For far too long, New Yorkers in the outer boroughs have not had the same level of access to bike lanes and greenways that people in Manhattan have, and our Administration is determined to change that.

That is why we have announced a historic expansion of New York City’s greenway corridors in our outer boroughs. We will be adding over 60 miles of bikeways and walkways that will connect every corner of our city with new transportation options and transform the ways New Yorkers live, work, and get around.

These greenways will ultimately cover 16 miles of Queens waterfront, connect Coney Island to Highland Park and Randall’s Island Park to SUNY Maritime, as well as linking the Goethals Bridge to the Verrazzano on Staten Island. It will also connect the Spring Creek Park to Brookville Park in Southern Queens and JFK Airport.

This expansion of our existing greenway network will begin with a collaborative, community-driven process – so that every New Yorker can have a say in the future of our city. And it will build on the improvements we are already making in cycling infrastructure all over our city, including double-wide bike lanes on Third and Tenth Avenues in Manhattan, new protected bike infrastructure in the Bronx on Soundview and Lafayette Avenues; the longest-ever protected bike lanes in East New York, and the expansion of our protected bike lane network in Long Island City.

Cycling ridership in New York City has reached an all-time high, with 2 million annual trips taken by bike this year. We want to make sure people who want to ride can get around this city safely and smoothly.

We also want to make sure that our city streets are as clean as possible – and that means changing the way to put out and pick up our trash.

 Earlier this year, we mandated later set out times for residential trash pickup, and beginning in 2024, we will be implementing a citywide containerization program that will get trash bags off the streets and into specially designed wheelie bins. No more piles of black bags that impede sidewalks and attract rats – we are taking our trash directly into the future. This program is modeled after systems that have been successfully implemented in so many global cities – and will now improve life in our city, too.

More bikes, more paths, more parks – and less trash and garbage. That is what we want for our city – and what our administration is working hard to deliver. Working together, we can clear the way to a more equitable, beautiful, and connected city.

Mayor Adams
City Hall
October 16, 2023

Queens Op Eds & Opinions - QNS NYC

Back to School

Later this week, our children will head back to school for the first day of the new school year. School supplies have been gathered, backpacks are being filled, and alarms will soon be set for the early mornings once again. Whether you’re new to New York City public schools or a returning student and family, there’s always going to be some amount of nervousness mixed in with the excitement.

We want to reassure all our students that we have a great year planned ahead. We are making a historic shift in the way we teach our young people reading through NYC Reads — an initiative that brings proven, evidencebased English Language Arts curricula into classrooms. We will teach students how to decode words so that even when the reading level becomes more challenging, they will have the skills and   foundation to be able to sound out new words and understand new material. Reading is a fundamental skill, it is necessary academically, professionally, and personally, and we will make sure that all of our students graduate as confident readers. In the end, this will lead to a brighter future for the entire city.

Being able to read confidently is personal to me. I have dyslexia, and even today, when I enter a classroom as mayor, I remember how I was laughed at and humiliated for not being able to read properly as a student. Not long ago, when a young student heard that I had dyslexia, he came to visit me at City Hall. He has benefitted tremendously from the help he received through our programs, and now he is recommending books to his friends, and his nickname is “College.” We want all our students to benefit the way this young man did. We want college to be a goal for all our children. Our screenings for dyslexia and other learning disabilities will ensure that no young person suffers unnecessarily the way I did, and that all our students receive the support they need to fulfill their potential.

But school is about more than just academics; it also involves learning social and emotional skills. At school, we learn how to make friends, manage our emotions, and grow as human beings. This school year, we will introduce our students to mindful breathing techniques. A few simple breathing exercises can help calm our minds, deal with stressful situations, and improve focus. The techniques that our students will learn can be used anytime, anywhere, and at any age. Mindful breathing is a lifelong lesson: I wish I had been taught it when I was in school, but now I practice it regularly. Just a few minutes a day makes a big difference.

We’re also improving the dining experience for our students, with over 80 enhanced cafeterias that make socializing with friends easier and lunchtime more pleasant. We are offering more plant-based, as well as halal meal options, so all our students can eat healthy and according to their culture and faith. New York City is a city for everyone — and our school cafeterias should reflect that.

These are just some of the initiatives that we have prepared for the upcoming year, and now we have a few requests of you and our students as well. Please attend your child’s Parent-Teacher meeting, or a PTA meeting, ask your child’s teacher or the school’s parent coordinator questions, and try to join your child when they read or do their homework whenever possible.

The more effort you put into learning about your child’s school experience, the more you and they will get out of it. But in the end, the final responsibility for learning and growing lies with our young people themselves.

School is like life — but with constant guidance and guard rails. We want our young people to think critically, to ask questions, to become better human beings and citizens, and, sometimes, even to learn how to fail. School is where you can raise your hand, take risks, and try new things. School prepares our young people for the future. Welcome to the 2023-2024 school year!

For more information see: www.schools.nyc.gov

Mayor Eric Adams
City Hall
September 1, 2023

Queens OpEds & Opinions - QNS NYC

The new leadership keeping New York City Safe

As Mayor of New York, I know just how important public safety is to our city, and how important the right leadership is in achieving it. Over the last 18 months, this Administration has made major progress driving down major crime, and last week I named a new leadership team at the NYPD that will continue to improve safety across our city and keep New York the safest big city in America.

This new team is not just making news – they are making history. Police Commissioner Edward Caban is the first Hispanic Police Commissioner in our city’s history, bringing decades of experience and leadership to this role. Our incoming First Deputy Commissioner, Tania Kinsella, is the first woman of color to serve in this role. Rebecca Weiner, our new Deputy Commissioner for Intelligence and Counterterrorism, is also the first woman to serve in her position.

And when I reflect on my time as being mayor of this great city, the appointment of Edward Caban as the new Police Commissioner will probably be one of the most significant and emotional moments for me. Eddie is blue-collar. He is a working New Yorker. His story is a New York City story. His father was a transit cop when I was a transit cop. And as the head of the Transit Police Hispanic Society, Eddie’s father fought for diversity every day to improve the rank and file of the NYPD. And now his son is the Police Commissioner.

These are the new faces of the NYPD. They are from immigrant families, Hispanic, Black, and female. This is an NYPD that looks like the people they serve. They all bring impressive credentials and a record of success to their roles and will build on the historic work begun by Police Commissioner Sewell.

When we came into office in January 2022, our city was on the brink. Together with Commissioner Sewell’s  leadership, we made major strides and turned the tide on the most violent crimes. Shootings are down. Murders are down. Overall crime is down. We have seized over 10,000 guns from our streets since coming into office, disrupting the iron pipeline. Hate crimes are down. And our subways are getting safer.

We have recovered 99.9% of pre-pandemic private sector jobs, and tourists are filling our Broadway theaters and spending money across the five boroughs. This is progress. And it is clear, New York City is not coming back, we are back. But we still have much to left to do.

This new leadership team will continue to bring crime down, reduce transit crime, reduce car thefts and enhance the NYPD’s focus on quality-of-life issues like retail theft. They are New York's finest and understand the importance of both safety and justice. And they reflect who we are as a city. Diverse and full of hustle. This is an amazing moment for our city. This team has the right leaders for right now.

Mayor Adams
City Hall
July 24, 2023

Queens OpEds & Opinions - QNS NYC

Protecting Our Youth from Flavored Vapes

One of my most sacred obligations as Mayor is keeping our children safe from harm. And one of the leading risks to their health is nicotine-based products, including cigarettes and e-cigarettes, also known as vapes.

We have made great progress, as a city and nation, keeping our youth safe from traditional cigarette smoking—bringing down youth smoking rates from 23% in 2000 to 2.3% in 2021. But with the rise of vaping, nicotine addiction among middle and high school students is once again on the rise. Vapes are packed with nicotine, a toxic and highly addictive chemical that is particularly damaging to adolescent minds and bodies.

Worse still, companies are luring our children by advertising youth friendly vape flavors such as “strawberry milkshake,” “cola,” and “pina colada.” Their product packaging often features colorful, child-friendly cartoon characters designed to catch the eye of young people.

This is illegal. And my administration will not stand by while companies put our children at risk.

Last week, we announced a major, federal lawsuit against four distributors of flavored, disposable e-cigarettes. Our lawsuit names four distributors of flavored vape that are putting profits over people and hurting our young people. We are seeking a court order that will prevent these distributors from further delivering their dangerous flavored products into New York City. And we are asking them to pay for the harm they have already caused our children.

When children see youth-friendly packaging, they may think: ‘This is something I’d like to try. This is something that won’t hurt me.’ Families should be clear: that is 100% false. Nicotine may affect the ability to learn and concentrate and withdrawal symptoms can include irritability, anxiety, and depression, worsening mental health at a time when our young people are already struggling.

In 2021, more than 1 in 10 public high school students across the country reported using e-cigarettes in a 30-day sample period. And flavored e-cigarettes with their colorful packaging and appealing flavors are the gateway to long term e-cigarette use. 81% of first-time users, ages 12-17, started with flavored products. Most have never previously smoked. An overwhelming majority of youth e-cigarette users choose to vape because they were attracted to the flavors.

We will not allow this greedy, harmful, and openly illegal behavior to continue. We will not allow these nicotine-pushers to harm the health of our children, to put our students on the path to addiction, make them customers and users for life, and expose them to unknown long-term health effects.

We will do whatever it takes to keep our children safe, and our lawsuit seeks to stop these four companies dead in their tracks.

Mayor Adams
City Hall
July 17, 2023

Queens OpEds & Opinions - QNS NYC

Risky Business Kills. We Can Stop It.

Last week, our city witnessed two tragedies that could have been prevented: A deadly fire at an e-bike shop and a subway surfing attempt that resulted in the death of a 14-year-old boy and serious injury for another young person.

Our hearts go out to the families of those who were lost or injured in these tragedies. This pain is real, because each of us know – that could have been me. That could havebeen my child. We must turn that pain into purpose and do all we can to keep our city safe – and that means taking action to reduce the risks of these accidents.

Last week, we announced a massive new education and enforcement campaign that will reach out to E-bike shops and riders all over the city. While most of the micro-mobility devices in our city are safe, there are some that do not meet safety standards and contain uncertified lithium-ion batteries. These faulty devices are causing fires and explosions, putting New Yorkers and our first responders in danger.

We need New Yorkers to be aware of how to safely charge the lithium-ion batteries that power these vehicles, and what to do if they observe unsafe conditions in their building or on their block.

First and foremost, purchase only legal, nationally recognized safety certified e-bikes and e-scooters. Never use refurbished batteries. Use only the charger and battery made specifically for your device. Keep batteries away from heat sources like radiators and exit paths and doorways. If a battery is damaged, stop using it. Do not store batteries near the exit of a room or apartment. And never, never leave batteries unattended when charging, especially overnight.

And if you observe unsafe or dangerous conditions at an E-bike shop, your building, or elsewhere in the community, call 311 and report it.

The FDNY is ramping up response time and increasing enforcement. Effective immediately, all 311 calls regarding questionable activity at bike repair shops or any other location where batteries are being charged will get a response from the local fire company within 12 hours, instead of the 72 hours currently required.

Examples of questionable activity include: Large numbers of batteries being charged close together, mazes of extension cords, the sale of batteries that appear to be refurbished, and informal charging centers that do not appear to be properly licensed businesses – including garages or the basement of a restaurant.

Lithium-ion battery fires can start quickly and spread instantly. The FDNY needs every New Yorker to be on the lookout for dangerous conditions and to report them.

The same principle applies to the deadly fad of subway surfing. This is not a game or a sport – subway surfing kills. From 2021 to 2022, there was a 366% increase in people riding outside the subway, and we must push back in every way possible, especially when it comes to social media.

Our young people are spending far too many hours each day on social media and other related platforms, and they are being exposed to dangerous content that encourages illegal activity, crime, and risky behavior. This kind of content includes viral videos that make young people try dangerous things like subway surfing and stealing cars – the consequences of which can be deadly and life-altering.

The NYPD is doing all it can to reverse this dangerous trend. Our precinct Youth Coordination Officers and Neighborhood Coordination officers have focused on visiting the homes of young people who have been known to engage in subway surfing. As of last month, they carried out 69 such visits, speaking with the kids or their parents and guardians in 44 of those instances. Their message is clear: To reinforce the fact that such reckless behavior can have devastating consequences – and inspire copycat behavior that puts other young people at risk.

We are also warning of the dangers of subway surfing through public service announcements. Last month I joined Norma Nazario, a mother who lost her young son Zackery in a subway surfing incident, to record a PSA on this dangerous trend. Zackery was already a talented athlete and music fan, and he was looking to join the Marines. But as a result of a viral social media trend, he lost his life riding on top of a subway. We want to keep other young New Yorkers from taking these risks.

The consequences of social media and other addictive online content are tragic and real, and those who host and financially profit from that content must be held responsible. I am calling on TikTok and other platforms to ban these videos immediately, and I urge parents to discuss the dangers of subway surfing with their children, even if you think they would never engage in such behavior.

Living in a city means looking out for each other and our children and taking steps to keep each other safe. Public safety involves every one of us. The FDNY and the NYPD are doing everything we can to reverse these dangerous trends, and I urge all New Yorkers to do their part to reduce risky behavior that too often leads to tragedy.

Mayor Eric Adams
City Hall
June 26, 2023

Queens OpEds & Opinions - QNS NYC

Summer Streets is Coming to All Five Boroughs

In New York City, our streets aren’t just streets. They are where we walk, eat, play, and come together as one city. As mayor, I am committed to reclaiming our streets for everyone to enjoy safely. New Yorkers shouldn’t have to travel to Europe to experience open summer streets. We have them right here in our own backyard. And this summer we are expanding Summer Streets to all five boroughs.

On five Saturdays in July and August, from 7am to 1pm, select streets will be open to pedestrians citywide. New Yorkers will be able to enjoy outdoor activities with their neighbors, all car free. And now they can enjoy Summer Streets in their own borough for the first time.

Last year, we added two miles, brought the program to East Harlem, and brought back the third Saturday of Summer Streets. This year, we are bringing Summer Streets to all five boroughs and doubling the overall size of the program to 20 miles of streets citywide. And we’re continuing to grow in Manhattan, bringing Summer Streets all the way up to 125th Street in Harlem for the first time.

We are opening major corridors like Eastern Parkway and Grand Concourse even further with this bold approach.

Summer Streets will take place in Queens on July 29th, on Vernon Boulevard between 44 Drive and 30 Drive.

Staten Islanders can also enjoy Summer Streets on July 29th, along Richmond Terrace, between York Avenue and Bard Avenue.

Manhattan will see three weekends of Summer Streets, on August 5th, 12th & 19th, from Brooklyn Bridge to West 125 Street.

In Brooklyn, New Yorkers can enjoy Summer Streets on the 26th of August, along Eastern Parkway between Grand Army Plaza and Buffalo Avenue.

And Summer Streets in the boogie down Bronx will also take place on the 26th of August, along Grand Concourse, between East Tremont Avenue and Mosholu Parkway.

We also want to hear from organizations and performers who may be interested in being featured as part of the program this summer. Organizations can visit  https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/XS957NZ and fill out a survey to be part of Summer Streets.

We are bringing joy back to New York City streets. New Yorkers can also enjoy expanded Open Streets at nearly 160 locations across the city, as well as 400,000 square feet of new, permanent pedestrian space that we have added over the past year. That’s in addition to the new public  spaces we are building every day and in every borough. And we are making history by opening up new street space to pedestrians. In December, we opened 5th Avenue to people for the first time in more than 50 years. And I am proud that we are making history once again by bringing Summer Streets to New Yorkers in every borough.

Summer is a time for everyone — no matter where you live, how old you are, or how much money you make — to come together and relax. On Summer Streets, you can walk, run, play, dance, ride a bike, cool off in mists and sprinklers, paint a picture, get a temporary tattoo, appreciate art, join a dance party, or just take a selfie. It will be lots of fun — and we will be reducing traffic congestion, greenhouse gases and air pollution at the same time.

Happy summer, and I look forward to seeing you on a Summer Street.

Mayor Adams
City Hall
June 16, 2023

Queens OpEds & Opinions - QNS NYC

Elected Officials, Community Board 1, and Community Advocates Oppose State Decision to Proceed with Development at 5 World Trade Center without Securing Greater Affordability

State Senator Brian Kavanagh, Congressman Dan Goldman, Assembly Member Charles Fall, Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, Council Member Christopher Marte, Manhattan Community Board 1 -- all of whom represent the site of 5 World Trade Center -- and the Coalition for a 100% Affordable 5 World Trade Center today voiced unanimous opposition to the announcement by the Empire State Development (ESD), the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation (LMDC), and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey that they will proceed with public approvals for the proposed residential development of the site without securing the additional resources necessary to increase affordability at the site.

The agencies originally proposed developing a building with 1,200 apartments, 300 of which would be affordable and 900 of which would be luxury market-rate housing. Having identified no new funding source that they would dedicate to affordability at the project, they now propose either to proceed with the original proposal or with an alternative that would include 360 income-restricted units, but with much fewer units affordable to lower-income residents.

Over the course of the past two years, elected officials, the Community Board, and community advocates have engaged in numerous  discussions with the agencies and urged them to find a path to providing more affordability in the proposed building, which is located in a community that has lost affordable housing at a particularly high rate for decades. All the elected officials, the Board, and the Coalition have consistently emphasized that additional affordability, with clearly identified sources of funding to support it, is a prerequisite to their support for the project. The decision by the agencies to unilaterally proceed to seek formal public approvals at this time comes as a surprise to those who have been involved in these discussions on behalf of the community and undermines the basis for those discussions.

“It is completely unacceptable that these agencies are attempting to move forward with a public approvals timeline without coming to an agreement on how to maximize affordability at the site,” said State Senator Brian Kavanagh. “It is reasonable to expect that public agencies that control a major development site in a community where affordable housing is so scarce would work to provide significantly greater levels of affordability than we might expect from the sorts of deals that have typically been done on private development sites. I am disappointed that these agencies are now rejecting that premise, and I strongly urge them to reconsider.”

“The current housing crisis in New York City already leaves far too many households unable to pay rent and places huge financial strain on the most vulnerable families,” said Congressman Dan Goldman. “Access to affordable housing is a lifeline, and is sorely needed in the area surrounding the 9/11 site. The lower Manhattan community, including 9/11 survivors and elected officials, have repeatedly stressed the need for maximizing affordability at 5WTC. It is imperative that this project not move forward until there are significant steps to achieving that goal.”

“While 5 World Trade Center is primarily designed to be built as a residential tower, the surrounding community has made its voices heard in making sure there are affordable units. Ensuring real affordable housing for 5 World Trade Center gives us the unique opportunity to give back to the 9/11 responders, survivors and their families who have sacrificed so much. I stand with my colleagues in government and community partners to strongly oppose any agreement that doesn't prioritize actualaffordability for 5 World Trade Center,” said Assembly Member Charles Fall.

"With 5 World Trade, we have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to provide a significant amount of affordable apartments in Lower Manhattan," said Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine. "While I recognize that this project must move forward, I also believe that we cannot undermine this opportunity by imposing a one-year timeframe to maximize affordability. ESD and the development team must hold off on approvals and work with stakeholders to find the funding that will maximize the number of affordable homes in this project. In doing so, they will win the support necessary to have a successful development.”

"It is unacceptable that ESD would seek approvals for 5 World Trade Center when the unanimous call for more affordability on site has not been addressed. There is no reason to move forward now while the State has failed to answer our call to find necessary funds for this essential project. We are not asking for the potential for more affordability, but for a serious commitment from ESD to find the financing we need before entering any approval processes. I am confident that a combination of state and city tools can result in significantly more affordable units at lower income brackets, and I will continue to support the community in their call for a truly affordable 5 World Trade,” said Council Member Christopher Marte.

“CB 1 doesn’t take rain checks for affordable housing,” said Tammy Meltzer, Chairperson of Manhattan Community Board 1. “Punting the conversation to some uncertain date, while moving forward on all the other approvals is tantamount to ESD shrugging its shoulders. We are not ready to give up and we ask the State to match our willingness to find a solution before proceeding.”

“The Coalition for 100% Affordable 5WTC is appalled that the LMDC would put forth a plan that ignores the community's needs. This community has fought for over two decades to build fully, deeply affordable housing that would promote diversity and give 9/11 survivors & first responders a home in the neighborhood they helped rebuild. The proposed plan is unacceptable both in quantity of affordable units as well as the level of affordability. And it is unacceptable that the public agencies effectively wash their hands of any responsibility for the search for and provision of funding for this desperately needed affordable housing,” said The Coalition for a 100% Affordable 5WTC.

May 4, 2023
Brian Kavanagh
NYS Senator
27th Senate District in Manhattan

Queens OpEds & Opinions NYC

Making New York City the Future for Women’s Health

Every New Yorker has strong women in their life. The women who birthed and nurtured them: our mothers, sisters, aunties, and grandmas.

Our teachers, our doctors, nurses, engineers and scientists. The hardworking women who make life in this city possible and inspire us.

We owe so much to women. Yet for generations, women's health has not been prioritized. For decades the health care system has been centered around men.

This is personal for me. I am who I am because of a woman: my mother, Dorothy Adams. I watched my mom and my sister suffer as they navigated the health system. They were ignored, forgotten and struggled to get the care they needed.

Far too many New Yorkers know a woman who has gone through this.

My administration is already hard at work to change this. Last week, we held the first-ever Women’s Health Summit to lay the groundwork to shape what the future of women's health care can be in this city.

We are going to make New York City the national model for supporting health for women and girls, including those in our LGBTQ+ community.

The summit brought together more than 100 experts from a wide variety of sectors to shape New York City’s first “Women’s Health Agenda.”

It focused on four key areas critical to women’s health: chronic disease, birth equity, sexual and reproductive health, and mental health.

Working mothers shouldn’t have to choose between a paycheck or nursing their newborn child. Women shouldn’t have to wait decades for an accurate diagnosis.

Black and Latina women shouldn’t live with inequities that deny them access and care. And women shouldn’t have to fight for their right to choose.

Black women are nine times more likely to die of pregnancy and birth related causes than white women. And maternal mortality among Black women increased during COVID. So, we are going to expand access to high quality maternal health care, including the use of doulas and midwives, to eliminate disparities in maternal mortality and reduce mortality overall.

It’s no secret mental health was impacted during the pandemic. In fact, 14% of women in NYC experience depression. Rates are even higher among LGBTQ+ communities. So, we are going to build a mental health care system designed for women and members of the LGBTQ+ community to best serve their needs.

One in five women experience infertility. For this and many other reasons, we are going to ensure the city’s sexual and reproductive health care system provides comprehensive care to women and girls, including menopause care, infertility, birth control and access to abortion medication.

Many don’t realize this, but heart disease is the leading cause of death for adult women in NYC. And so many folks delayed critical preventive health screening during COVID. So, we are going to work to increase utilization of preventive care and lifestyle medicine approaches to reduce the rates of, and deaths from, chronic diseases.

We are also going to develop women-friendly workplaces – and this includes throughout city government – that promote health and wellness through space accommodations and policy reforms.

Women are diagnosed on average four years later than men across many of the most common health conditions. So, we are going to expand research into women’s health issues and reduce disparities in medical research to reduce this gap in knowledge and outcomes.

This entire administration is committed to building a city that is here for all women and girls.

The result of last week’s summit will provide the basis for the New York City’s Women’s Health Agenda report, which will be released this summer.

We have seen how quickly women’s rights to health care can be taken away, with last year’s Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. Health is wealth, and women need both.

We must make sure the women who have so often taken care of us are getting taken care of when they need it most. Last month was Women’s History Month, and we must rededicate ourselves to the women we owe everything to. Together, we can make New York City the future for women’s health.

Mayor Eric Adams
City Hall
April 7, 2023