June 19, 2020 By Michael Dorgan Council Member Danny Dromm has condemned the actions of a large group of protesters who demonstrated outside his home Thursday afternoon. Around 100 Democratic Socialists converged outside his apartment building in Jackson Heights and demanded that the NYPD budget be slashed in half, Dromm said. The protesters were yelling… Read more »
June 19, 2020 By Allie Griffin A street safety advocacy group is calling on the mayor to redistribute a portion of the NYPD budget to the Department of Transportation (DOT) and shift traffic enforcement away from police officers. Transportation Alternatives released a report Friday in which its members argue that police enforcement of traffic laws… Read more »
June 18, 2020 By Michael Dorgan An unprecedented number of people are using the waterfront parks in Hunters Point and they are generating lots of trash and making plenty of noise. The good weather and the relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions has seen people flock to Gantry Plaza State Park and Hunters Point South Park this… Read more »
June 18, 2020 By Christian Murray Two resolutions were introduced before the city council Thursday calling for the governor to remove Mayor Bill de Blasio from office. Council Member Eric Ulrich, a Queens Republican, introduced a resolution seeking the mayor’s ouster for allegedly not keeping the city safe during recent protests. Meanwhile, Carlos Menchaca, a… Read more »
June 18, 2020 By Christian Murray New York State faces a $14 billion deficit and more than 100 state legislators—including 18 from Queens—have pledged that they will not approve spending cuts unless taxes are raised on the wealthy. The legislators are upset that Governor Andrew Cuomo does not want to raise taxes on the wealthy… Read more »
June 18, 2020 By Allie Griffin New Yorkers will be able to dine out at their local restaurants Monday, as New York City begins the next phase of reopening. Mayor Bill de Blasio confirmed today that the five boroughs will enter Phase Two of the state’s reopening plan Monday, noting that restaurants will be able… Read more »
June 18, 2020 By Michael Dorgan More than 400 protesters marched through Astoria Wednesday evening demanding that the Christopher Columbus statue on Astoria Boulevard be removed. The protest, led by local group Justice for George Queens, said that the statue is offensive. The organizers said that Columbus exploited the indigenous populations of the Americas and… Read more »
June 17, 2020 By Michael Dorgan Council Member Donovan Richards, a borough president candidate, has called on the city to remove NYPD officers from school security duties. Richards wants the Department of Education to take back the role of school safety following widespread demands for police reform. Donovan, in a joint statement released with Brooklyn… Read more »
June 18, 2020 By Christian Murray Dao Yin, a Bayside businessman and community activist, is running to be the next Queens Borough President. We spoke to Yin earlier this week. The focus of our discussion dealt with police reform, Rikers Island, COVID-19, community boards and jobs. Yin is one of several candidates in the race…. Read more »
June 18, 2020 By Christian Murray The New York City Rent Guidelines Board voted last night for a rent freeze on the nearly one million rent stabilized apartments. The 6-3 vote will see a rent freeze on one-year leases that go into effect after Sept. 30. The board ruled that on two-year leases, the rent… Read more »