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Brooklyn Political Roundup, February 7: Treyger, Reynoso lead City Council’s Brooklyn delegation

In Public Service, From The Political Staff Of The Brooklyn Daily Eagle

February 7, 2018 By Paula Katinas & John Alexander Brooklyn Daily Eagle
Councilmember Mark Treyger. Photo courtesy of Councilmember Mark Treyger’s office
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Treyger, Reynoso Lead City Council’s Brooklyn delegation

The City Council’s Brooklyn delegation has new leaders.

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Councilmembers Mark Treyger (D-Coney Island-Gravesend-Bensonhurst) and Antonio Reynoso (D-Bushwick-parts of Williamsburg) were recently elected by their peers to serve as co-chairs of the Brooklyn delegation.

In a joint statement, Treyger and Reynoso said they will build upon the good work the delegation has already done to improve the lives of Brooklyn residents.

“Our delegation already has a track record of successfully advocating for the needs of our borough’s diverse communities, and we look forward to continuing that legacy. The Brooklyn Delegation has been a leader in advancing signature Council budget initiatives. As co-chairs, we are committed to ensuring that the voices of all Brooklyn members are heard and represented in the priorities of the City Council,” the statement reads. – PK

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Jeffries blasts Trump over treason remark

U.S. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-Canarsie-Sheepshead Bay-Coney Island) was highly critical of President Donald Trump after the president charged in a speech in Ohio on Monday that Democratic members of Congress who did not applaud him during his State of the Union speech last week were treasonous.

White House officials later said Trump was only joking, but Jeffries did not buy that explanation.

“Treason is not a laughing matter. It is a serious crime embedded in the constitution, punishable by death,” he said in a statement aimed at House Republicans. “But since your commander in chief chose to raise it at a political rally, let’s have a discussion about treason. Is it treason for a presidential campaign to meet with a hostile foreign power to sell out our democracy and rig the election? Is it treason for your former national security advisor to be a Russian asset sitting at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue doing the bidding of Vladimir Putin? How dare you lecture us about treason.” – PK

* * *

Donovan voted to release memo

U.S. Rep. Dan Donovan (R-C-Southwest Brooklyn-Staten Island), who was one of many Republicans in the House to vote in favor of releasing the controversial memo involving the Trump-Russia investigation, explained his reasoning. 

“This investigation has been litigated in the media for over a year with constant leaks and the presumption of guilt driven by political motivations clouding what should be an unbiased process. The American people deserve the full truth, and they have the right to evaluate information for themselves, which is in accordance with the law and why I supported releasing this document,” Donovan said in a statement. 

On Feb. 2, following the vote by Congress, President Donald Trump de-classified a memo written by House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes (R-California) and his staff in which he alleged that the Department of Justice did not disclose all of the facts when it sought a warrant from a court under the Federal Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) to conduct surveillance on former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page. 

Donovan, the former Staten Island district attorney, said he is troubled by the memo’s findings. 

“As a former prosecutor, I’m deeply concerned by the contents of this memo. Context is of course important, but the clear conflicts outlined in this document appear to violate the most basic principles of legal fairness. Whether it’s the powers of the FBI, the FISA Court or our elected leaders themselves, our democracy is dependent on the trust of the American people, and getting to the truth is the only way to restore it,” he stated. – PK

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Malliotakis starts property tax petition

Assemblymember Nicole Malliotakis (R-C-Bay Ridge-Staten Island) got to question her former rival, Mayor Bill de Blasio, over the city’s property taxes at a hearing of the Joint Senate and Assembly Finance Committee. 

Malliotakis ran against de Blasio in November but was defeated by the incumbent mayor.

During the hearing, Malliotakis pointed out that de Blasio had promised to change the property tax structure to make it fairer to all New Yorkers. She also noted that the City Council district she resides in on Staten Island has the highest effective property tax rate in the city.

“It’s critical for the families in our community that the mayor make good on his promise of establishing a property tax commission to develop a more equitable system that shares the property tax burden more fairly. In the meantime, he should freeze or, at a minimum, cap the property tax levy,” Malliotakis said in a statement.

Malliotakis has also organized a petition drive to push for the establishment of a commission on property taxes.

The petition can be found at https://nicolemalliotakis.com/property-tax-commission-now/. – PK

* * * 

Savino announces college scholarships 

State Sen. Diane Savino (D-Coney Island-Bensonhurst-Staten Island), leader of the New York Conference of Italian-American State Legislators, announced that the group will award four college scholarships this year.

Two academic scholarships and two athletic scholarships in the amount of $3,000 each will be given to the winning students.

The deadline for submitting applications is April 13. The scholarships will be awarded to the winners at Italian-American Day in Albany on June 4. 

The conference has been awarding scholarships for 15 years. 

“The dream to pursue a higher education should not be marred by the inability to pay, and it is truly my honor to commend such well deserving students from my district,” Savino said in a statement.

For more information, call Savino’s office at 718-727-9406. – PK

* * *

Bay Ridge pols rally for Narrows Senior Center residents facing eviction

On Friday, Feb. 2 state Sen. Marty Golden, Assemblymember Peter Abbate and City Councilmember Justin Brannan joined with fellow elected officials and community leaders to voice their concerns regarding the fate of the, which was housed in the Angel Guardian Home. The home is currently being sold by the Sisters of Mercy to a new mystery buyer who originally told the center that it had to evacuate the building by Feb. 2, months before their lease ends. 

“The Narrows Senior Center should be allowed to stay here at Angel Guardian until their lease, which everybody agreed upon, runs out in June.” Brannan said. “You wanna kick us out to bulldoze this place and build more luxury condos? Knock yourself out. But we will not let you kick our seniors into the cold and whatever happens to this property, the community will be watching.”

Shortly after the rally, the Narrows Senior Center learned that it would be able to stay in the Angel Guardian Home after reaching an agreement with the Sisters of Mercy. 

“Great news,” Golden said. “Residents of the Narrows Senior Center can stay through June 4 as they are entitled to according to their lease. Now let’s make it a permanent stay!” – JA

* * * 

Golden’s office helps answer questions about property values 

State Sen. Marty Golden announced that his office will be offering, for the second year, assistance to homeowners who have questions about their Notice of Property Values (NOPV). 

A volunteer with experience with the New York City Department of Finance (DOF) will be available on Sundays, starting Feb. 18, at Golden’s district office, to answer questions related to NOPV that homeowners receive each year from NYC Finance. These notices determine real estate taxes for the coming year. Taxpayers have until March 15 to challenge the assessed value of their property. 

“I am pleased to offer this assistance to the homeowners of my district who may have a number of questions regarding the recent notice they received, and the method used to calculate it,” Golden said. “Many homeowners do not know that you can appeal these determinations, and this opportunity at my office will offer useful information and guidance.” 

If you have questions about the NOPV you received, call Golden’s district office at (718) 238-6044 to schedule an appointment, which is necessary. – JA

* * *

Assembly passes Carroll’s legislation to change fall primary date 

Robert Carroll (D-Brooklyn) announced on Tuesday that the Assembly passed his bill to require that the 2018 fall primary be held on Thursday, Sept. 13 to ensure that all New Yorkers who choose to are able to participate in the electoral process. 

“New York state law requires that the state primary election be held on the first Tuesday after the second Monday in September,” Carroll said. “This year, that date is Sept. 11, which is also the second day of Rosh Hashanah, marking the Jewish New Year. As was done in previous years, this measure recognizes and respects the significance of the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks and the Jewish holiday.”

Carroll said that Sept. 11 will forever be a day of remembrance and a time to mourn our fellow New Yorkers who lost their lives in the attack. “It is also a day to honor the brave firefighters, EMTs and police officers who showed us the best of America during our darkest hours. Moving the primary election two days allows us to come together to show our respect to those who died and those who came to the rescue,” added Carroll.

Carroll also said that holding both primaries on the same date would make it easier for New Yorkers to vote and increase voter turnout. – JA


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