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woensdag 7 februari 2024
WORLD WORLDWIDE USA New York NY New York City NYC the city THE CITY News Journal Update - Historic NYCHA bust, Adams in Albany, school lunch
Dear New Yorkers,
In the largest single-day bust in the Justice Department’s history, 70 current and former mid-level NYCHA bureaucrats were charged on Tuesday in a major corruption scheme.
Prosecutors allege that the NYCHA employees pocketed $2 million in bribes while using their positions to award $13 million in no-bid “micro contracts” to favored vendors.
The corrupt micro-contract workaround has been hiding in plain sight for years. A 2019 investigation by THE CITY revealed that NYCHA superintendents across the city had awarded some $250 million in micro contracts to a small number of vendors.
As long as they kept the awards below certain levels — $5,000 was the trigger for many years, upped to $10,000 in 2019 — NYCHA bureaucrats could pick whichever contractor they wanted without soliciting multiple bids.
They wound up doing that with a select few vendors, paying out what amounted to millions of dollars in contracts for everything from plumbing to carpentry to painting. In exchange, the favored vendors kicked back a percentage of the award, usually in increments of $500 to $1,000, prosecutors say.
The sweeping charges mark a turnaround from the small, one-off cases previously brought by prosecutors.
“We were trying to send a message with a 70-person takedown — a message that can’t be missed by anyone out there who thinks that this behavior is acceptable or will be tolerated,” said Manhattan U.S. Attorney Damian Williams. “Right here, right now, they should know that it won’t be.”
Wednesday's Weather Rating: 6/10. Our sunshine era continues. Mostly sunny and warmer, with high temperatures in the mid to upper 40s and a light breeze. Still a bit chilly at times but we can't really complain about this in February. The vibes aren’t bad!
Our Other Top Stories
Mayor Eric Adams traveled up to Albany on Tuesday for “Tin Cup Day” — when he and his team publicly ask the state government for more funds. Specifically, Adams requested the state increase its share of New York City’s asylum seeker costs — from covering just a third of the expenses to half — and also beseeched legislators for the zoning changes required to build more housing, plus an extension of mayoral control of schools. Meanwhile, state lawmakers grilled Adams on everything from migrants to e-bikes to property tax reform.
The effects of New York City’s recent school food budget cuts are already rippling through city cafeterias and beyond — even threatening jobs at the manufacturer of the dumplings pulled from February’s menu, reports Chalkbeat. A $60 million November cut to the education department’s school foods division forced the agency to chop a number of popular items. Now, both students and manufacturers are reeling from the shakeup.
Reporter’s Notebook
Energy Bill Blues
Is your apartment too pricey to heat? You’re not alone. Almost 30% of New Yorkers experienced “energy insecurity,” i.e. the inability to meet their household energy needs.
That’s according to a new study by Columbia’s Mailman School of Public Health and the city Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. The results showed that renters, Black and Latino residents, families with children and recent immigrants experienced higher levels of energy insecurity than others.
The first-of-its-kind survey sampled nearly 2,000 New York City residents in 2022, collecting data on physical and economic impacts as well as coping mechanisms due to trouble paying energy bills. About 30% of respondents indicated they were uncomfortable when their indoor temperatures were too cold, while 28% indicated discomfort when indoor temperatures were too hot.
Being too cold but unable to pay for energy can lead to dangerous or unhealthy choices, such as using a stove or oven for heat, as 21% of respondents said they did. Residents who struggle to afford the energy they need are more likely to experience worse health outcomes.
Friday, Feb. 9: Cartooning for Kids, a place to learn the basic shapes to shore up cartooning skills. Free from 4 to 5 p.m. at the Poe Park Visitor Center in The Bronx.
Saturday, Feb. 10: A St. Valentines event where you can “mingle with other creators and crafters” while creating intricate valentines. There is a suggested $5 donation, and the event runs from 12 to 4 p.m. at the Alice Austen House Museum in Staten Island.
Sunday, Feb. 11: A Lunar New Year celebration to celebrate the Year of the Dragon, featuring folk dances, Peking opera and traditional arts-and-crafts. Free with museum admission from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Queens Museum.
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