Bonus Report: NYC PBA Leads Coalition of 21 Law Enforcement Unions Condemning Anti-Police Environment
Wednesday, June 10, 2020
NYPD Commissioner Weighs in on Civil Unrest
Bonus Report: NYC PBA Leads Coalition of 21 Law Enforcement Unions Condemning Anti-Police Environment
Officer Who Violently Shoved Protester in Brooklyn is Charged with Assault
The New York Times: The police officer, who was recorded knocking down a young woman who questioned his order, was arrested on Tuesday.
Why Are Billions of Dollars Invested in NY Predator Charter Spectrum/Liberty Media
An Open Letter to NYS/NYC Pension Funds
Dear Comptroller DiNapoli, President Keefe and Comptroller Stringer,
We are deeply concerned over the large stock and bond holdings the NYS Common Retirement Fund, NYS Teachers' Retirement System and NYC Employees Retirement Systems have in Charter Communications/Spectrum, its parent company Liberty Media Corporation and Liberty Media subsidiaries.
Why, we ask, are hundreds of millions of dollars of New York State and New York City retirees' funds still being invested in companies owned and run by John Malone, Greg Maffei and Thomas Rutledge whose policies and actions are seriously undermining the well being of millions of New Yorkers.
By definition, shareholders are the owners of a company. With ownership comes responsibility. As you know, if your child throws a ball through someone's window or your dog bites someone, you as the parent or dog owner are responsible for any damages and to make sure that it doesn't happen again.
Political leaders and trustees of public pension funds have a duty not to invest in companies like Charter Spectrum and its parent Liberty Media whose executives and board members operate in ways that are detrimental to the public interest, discriminate against large sectors of the population and cheat consumers.
The brochure, "Charter Spectrum Greedy Threesome" and www.InternetJustice.net spotlight the reprehensible behavior and record of Charter Spectrum which includes:
1. Thousands of complaints over misleading advertising, price-gouging and providing shoddy service. The Better Business Bureau gives Charter Spectrum an F rating.
2. Messrs. Malone, Maffei and Rutledge exhibiting unconscionable greed by demanding that 1800 members of IBEW Local 3 agree to drastic cuts in their health coverage and the elimination of retirement benefits and job security gained through decades of good faith negotiations. Their draconian labor policies precipitated a strike on March 28, 2017 which continues to this day and is setting a terrible precedent for labor relations in NYC.
3. Failing to provide internet services in many rural areas and low income communities in NYC and other large cities and counties thus placing residents in a dangerous predicament particularly in light of the Coronavirus pandemic. Without easy internet access, the health, well-being, safety, education and work opportunities for millions of children and adults, are increasingly in peril; and
4. Refusing to negotiate in good faith to renew expired cable TV franchise agreements while also trying to renege on past commitments, including support for 70 PEG stations which provide public, educational and government community programming, and "I-Net's" which are institutional networks connecting critical police and fire services throughout New York."
Dozens of our political leaders including Governor Cuomo and Mayor de Blasio and you Comptroller DiNapoli and Comptroller Stringer and members of the boards of trustees of city and state public pension funds have spoken at Local 3 rallies, marched in demonstrations and joined Local 3 picket lines along with thousands of public employees over the past three years. You have have also been interviewed in programs on PEG stations throughout NYC and NYS.
Now hundreds of strikers, organized labor and millions of New Yorkers seeking quality internet for all and expanded noncommercial community programming need your help to bring more meaningful pressure on Charter Spectrum and the Greedy Threesome to clean up their act or face serious consequences including divestment and nonrenewal of franchises.
The latest public pension fund investment reports show the following stock and bond holdings in Charter Communications and its parent company Liberty Media and Liberty subsidiaries:
1. New York State Common Retirement Fund (NYSCRF) investments include Charter Communications stock valued at $150 million and bonds valued at about $180 million for a total investment of $330 million. Investments in Liberty Media and its related companies include about $332 million in stocks and $85 million in bonds for a total of $417 million. So the NYSCRF has about $747 million invested in the Greedy Threesome's companies.
2. New York State Teachers' Retirement System (NYSTRS) investments include Charter Communications stock valued at more than $117 million. Investments in Liberty Media and its related companies include more than $67 million in stocks and more than $12 million in bonds totaling about $80 million. So the NYSTRS has about $197 million invested in the Greedy Threesome's companies.
3. New York City Employees' Retirement System (NYCERS), NYC Police Pension Fund (NYCPPF) and NYC Teachers' Retirement System (TRS) together have investments including Charter Communications stock valued at more than $14 million. Investments in Liberty Media and its related companies include about $55 million in stocks and $44 million in bonds. So NYC's retirement funds have about $113 million in the Greedy Threesome companies.
In the pursuit of justice, we are asking all of you in charge of overseeing and investing NYS and NYC retirement funds to exert your influence and inform the Greedy Threesome that NYS/NYC public pension funds will no longer be invested in their companies' stocks or bonds, stock proxies will be voted against management and eventually divested, and maturing bonds will be cashed in.
Please let us know whether and how you will help hold Liberty Media/Charter Communications accountable.
Sincerely,
Ray Rogers
Director
Corporate Campaign, Inc.
Campaign to Advance Internet/Broadband Justice
Strikers & Campaign Coordinators:
Troy Wolcott
Laura Sprow
Billy Silverglad
Jamal Scott
Daniel Rivera
Ray Reyes
David Pabon
Mario Munoz
Dwayne Morris
Kevin Mayers
Mike Louis
Ron Ince
Dave Fontanez
Manny Felix
Brian DeLoach
Mike Auerbach
Ian Aiken
Source: The Campaign to Advance Internet/Broadband Justice
We are deeply concerned over the large stock and bond holdings the NYS Common Retirement Fund, NYS Teachers' Retirement System and NYC Employees Retirement Systems have in Charter Communications/Spectrum, its parent company Liberty Media Corporation and Liberty Media subsidiaries.
Why, we ask, are hundreds of millions of dollars of New York State and New York City retirees' funds still being invested in companies owned and run by John Malone, Greg Maffei and Thomas Rutledge whose policies and actions are seriously undermining the well being of millions of New Yorkers.
By definition, shareholders are the owners of a company. With ownership comes responsibility. As you know, if your child throws a ball through someone's window or your dog bites someone, you as the parent or dog owner are responsible for any damages and to make sure that it doesn't happen again.
Political leaders and trustees of public pension funds have a duty not to invest in companies like Charter Spectrum and its parent Liberty Media whose executives and board members operate in ways that are detrimental to the public interest, discriminate against large sectors of the population and cheat consumers.
The brochure, "Charter Spectrum Greedy Threesome" and www.InternetJustice.net spotlight the reprehensible behavior and record of Charter Spectrum which includes:
1. Thousands of complaints over misleading advertising, price-gouging and providing shoddy service. The Better Business Bureau gives Charter Spectrum an F rating.
2. Messrs. Malone, Maffei and Rutledge exhibiting unconscionable greed by demanding that 1800 members of IBEW Local 3 agree to drastic cuts in their health coverage and the elimination of retirement benefits and job security gained through decades of good faith negotiations. Their draconian labor policies precipitated a strike on March 28, 2017 which continues to this day and is setting a terrible precedent for labor relations in NYC.
3. Failing to provide internet services in many rural areas and low income communities in NYC and other large cities and counties thus placing residents in a dangerous predicament particularly in light of the Coronavirus pandemic. Without easy internet access, the health, well-being, safety, education and work opportunities for millions of children and adults, are increasingly in peril; and
4. Refusing to negotiate in good faith to renew expired cable TV franchise agreements while also trying to renege on past commitments, including support for 70 PEG stations which provide public, educational and government community programming, and "I-Net's" which are institutional networks connecting critical police and fire services throughout New York."
Dozens of our political leaders including Governor Cuomo and Mayor de Blasio and you Comptroller DiNapoli and Comptroller Stringer and members of the boards of trustees of city and state public pension funds have spoken at Local 3 rallies, marched in demonstrations and joined Local 3 picket lines along with thousands of public employees over the past three years. You have have also been interviewed in programs on PEG stations throughout NYC and NYS.
Now hundreds of strikers, organized labor and millions of New Yorkers seeking quality internet for all and expanded noncommercial community programming need your help to bring more meaningful pressure on Charter Spectrum and the Greedy Threesome to clean up their act or face serious consequences including divestment and nonrenewal of franchises.
The latest public pension fund investment reports show the following stock and bond holdings in Charter Communications and its parent company Liberty Media and Liberty subsidiaries:
1. New York State Common Retirement Fund (NYSCRF) investments include Charter Communications stock valued at $150 million and bonds valued at about $180 million for a total investment of $330 million. Investments in Liberty Media and its related companies include about $332 million in stocks and $85 million in bonds for a total of $417 million. So the NYSCRF has about $747 million invested in the Greedy Threesome's companies.
2. New York State Teachers' Retirement System (NYSTRS) investments include Charter Communications stock valued at more than $117 million. Investments in Liberty Media and its related companies include more than $67 million in stocks and more than $12 million in bonds totaling about $80 million. So the NYSTRS has about $197 million invested in the Greedy Threesome's companies.
3. New York City Employees' Retirement System (NYCERS), NYC Police Pension Fund (NYCPPF) and NYC Teachers' Retirement System (TRS) together have investments including Charter Communications stock valued at more than $14 million. Investments in Liberty Media and its related companies include about $55 million in stocks and $44 million in bonds. So NYC's retirement funds have about $113 million in the Greedy Threesome companies.
In the pursuit of justice, we are asking all of you in charge of overseeing and investing NYS and NYC retirement funds to exert your influence and inform the Greedy Threesome that NYS/NYC public pension funds will no longer be invested in their companies' stocks or bonds, stock proxies will be voted against management and eventually divested, and maturing bonds will be cashed in.
Please let us know whether and how you will help hold Liberty Media/Charter Communications accountable.
Sincerely,
Ray Rogers
Director
Corporate Campaign, Inc.
Campaign to Advance Internet/Broadband Justice
Strikers & Campaign Coordinators:
Troy Wolcott
Laura Sprow
Billy Silverglad
Jamal Scott
Daniel Rivera
Ray Reyes
David Pabon
Mario Munoz
Dwayne Morris
Kevin Mayers
Mike Louis
Ron Ince
Dave Fontanez
Manny Felix
Brian DeLoach
Mike Auerbach
Ian Aiken
Source: The Campaign to Advance Internet/Broadband Justice
Happening in Harlem: The Fannie Lou Hamer Story
Click on the flier to increase its size.
The Special Event Will Be Broadcast on Facebook and Instagram Live
The Fannie Lou Hamer Story is a powerful and uplifting biopic of the civil rights icon's rise
from Jim Crow's Mississippi to the halls of Congress. Hamer played a significant role in the voting rights movement in 1964.
The event, which will celebrate Juneteenth,
will debut on Facebook Live and
Instagram Live on June 19 at 8p.m. It will be broadcast
from the historic Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center in
Sanford, Florida, the home of the Trayvon Martin tragedy.
The play was written and will be performed by
Mzuri Moyo Aimbaye and directed by
Byron C. Saunders.
Click here and here for additional information on the play and the New Heritage Theatre Group.
Source:VozaRivers/New Heritage Theatre Group
Tuesday, June 9, 2020
SWC: The Importance of Bringing People Together
By The Simon Wiesenthal Center
Today, as his family prepares to bury George Floyd, a victim of a heinous murder by someone entrusted by society to protect all its citizens , the Simon Wiesenthal Center shares a teaching from our sages who taught us that peace is the only receptacle that can hold all the blessings that G-d bestows upon us. That receptacle is broken. We all must be part of the effort to repair it.
These words were shared with community and interfaith leaders by the Simon Wiesenthal Center’s associate dean and global social action head, Rabbi Abraham Cooper, at an interfaith press conference and gathering led by Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore.
“You can rely on the Simon Wiesenthal Center and our Museum of Tolerance to continue to do its part in bringing people together, healing and working towards peace,” Cooper told those gathered.
Today, as his family prepares to bury George Floyd, a victim of a heinous murder by someone entrusted by society to protect all its citizens , the Simon Wiesenthal Center shares a teaching from our sages who taught us that peace is the only receptacle that can hold all the blessings that G-d bestows upon us. That receptacle is broken. We all must be part of the effort to repair it.
These words were shared with community and interfaith leaders by the Simon Wiesenthal Center’s associate dean and global social action head, Rabbi Abraham Cooper, at an interfaith press conference and gathering led by Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore.
“You can rely on the Simon Wiesenthal Center and our Museum of Tolerance to continue to do its part in bringing people together, healing and working towards peace,” Cooper told those gathered.
Coronavirus: Peruvians Cry Out for Oxygen as Hospitals Run Out
FRANCE 24 English: Peruvians cry out for oxygen as hospitals run out. Peru is the second worst-hit Latin American country after Brazil. With a population of 33 million, it has almost 180,000 infections and nearly 5,000 deaths.
Hong Kong Protests: Police Fire Pepper Pellets at Protesters Marking 1st Anniversary of Mass
Global News: Hong Kong police fired pepper pellets and pepper spray at protesters on Tuesday after they blocked off roads in the city's central business district to mark last year's 'million-person-march'.
Dozens defied a ban on social gatherings due to the coronavirus pandemic and occupied roads and chanted Hong Kong independence slogans after police cleared an unauthorized march.
Last year, more than one million residents demonstrated against a now-withdrawn extradition bill that evolved into months-long protests.
Governor Cuomo Calls on President Trump to Apologize for Tweet Disparaging Buffalo Protester
Earlier today, Governor Andrew Cuomo called on President Trump to apologize for a tweet this morning claiming Martin Gugino, a protester who was shoved to the ground by the Buffalo police, could be a member of antifa and might have staged the fall.
Source: The Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
JCPA: Urge Congress to Help End Police Violence
Tomorrow, June 10, the House Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on policing practices accountability. Additionally, a bill addressing police violence may be debated and amended as soon as next week. We must act now to ensure that any legislative package passed includes meaningful reform to prevent police violence.
Millions of people around the world are taking to the streets to protest the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and the countless other Black men and women killed or abused by law enforcement. The Jewish community has an important role to play in speaking out for reform. The time is now to pass structural police reform to address the inequities.
ACT NOW!
Send a message to your members of Congress urging them to include in any legislative package eight federal police reform priorities, including on the use of force, police accountability, racial profiling, militarization, data collection, qualified immunity, and training. These priorities have been endorsed by JCPA and over 440 other civil rights organizations.
De Blasio Administration to Rename Street for Black Lives Matter
B.P. Brewer and Council Member Chin Applaud the Decision
NEW YORK – Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer and Council Member Margaret Chin commended the administration for responding to their request in agreeing to name and paint a section of the Civic Center “Black Lives Matter Way.”
"Renaming and repainting a street is a modest testament to the massive challenge ahead of us, said Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer. "But in so doing we will, literally, set down a marker for our current goals and mark this era for future generations. I'm a history buff; as New Yorkers and visitors walk downtown past some of America's most historic landmarks, 'Black Lives Matter Way' will add to that history."
“‘Black Lives Matter.’ We have seen the best of New York City when people come together and take to the streets to affirm these words boldly and courageously, and now we will be able to see this every time we walk downtown to some of the most important buildings and landmarks in our city’s government and history,” said Council Member Margaret Chin. “At a time when monuments to eras of racism all over the country are being taken down, we need to be putting up symbols of racial justice, resistance, and pride that unequivocally affirm the value of Black lives in our city. I am proud to join my colleagues in the New York City Council to pass our long overdue package on police reform, and am committed to fight for a budget that includes meaningful reductions to the NYPD budget and reinvestments in our communities. We must continue the work to turn these words into action and real systemic change.”
“New York City's African American heritage of resistance dates back to the city's origins in the 1620s,” said Graham Hodges, George Dorland Langdon Jr. Professor of History and Africana & Latin American Studies at Colgate University. “Lower Manhattan in particular is a rich site of black American resistance to slavery and Jim Crow. Early on black New Yorkers, their churches, gathering places and work were omnipresent in lower Manhattan. Never accepting of first slavery and then racial discrimination, key activists, churches, groups and community organizations created NYC's powerful history of activism. In this sense, the Black Lives Matter movement has always existed in our city.”
Borough President Brewer is today to the NYC Council Committee on Public Safety in support of Int. 536-A designating the use of chokeholds and other deadly techniques like placing a knee on a person’s neck as a misdemeanor, and Int. 1309, adopting a disciplinary matrix for the police department and requiring that these guidelines be made publicly available.
In addition, Brewer is calling to reduce the NYPD budget and to reallocate those funds for youth programming and social workers, and for the following additional reforms:
- For the Civilian Complaint Review Board to be able to impose
discipline during cases of false representations during ongoing CCRB
investigations.
- Codifying the Memoranda of Understanding that sets forth the duty
of the NYPD to cooperate with the CCRB beyond the investigation stage of
a proceeding.
- And to permanently set the CCRB budget to 1% of the NYPD budget. Currently, the 2019 Ballot Referendum requires that CCRB personnel budget be high enough to support a staff size equal to 0.65% of the budgeted uniformed police officers.
Girls for Gender Equity: Shrink Policing in the Name of Public Health
By Ashley C. Sawyer, Policy Director, Girls for Gender Equity
Community,
Finally, folks around the country are rallying to amplify what we know all too well - the billions of dollars spent on policing swallows up resources that our schools desperately need.
Our latest policy brief shows just how many teachers, nurses, and educational resources the NYPD’s School Safety Division siphons away from classrooms. Defunding the NYPD brings us closer to the vision of #PoliceFreeSchools that other jurisdictions like Minneapolis and Portland are putting into action. Our call is simple - in the midst of a pandemic and global uprising in solidarity with the movement for Black lives, the least that New York City can do is to shrink policing in the name of public health!
Right now, the New York City Council Committee on Public Safety is debating key bills to ensure increased accountability and transparency in policing practices. But we won't win until schools are free of cops.
Today, join us in rallying the New York City Council Progressive Caucus to amplify our demands for #PoliceFreeSchools. Use our digital toolkit here to share our message!
Finally, folks around the country are rallying to amplify what we know all too well - the billions of dollars spent on policing swallows up resources that our schools desperately need.
Our latest policy brief shows just how many teachers, nurses, and educational resources the NYPD’s School Safety Division siphons away from classrooms. Defunding the NYPD brings us closer to the vision of #PoliceFreeSchools that other jurisdictions like Minneapolis and Portland are putting into action. Our call is simple - in the midst of a pandemic and global uprising in solidarity with the movement for Black lives, the least that New York City can do is to shrink policing in the name of public health!
Right now, the New York City Council Committee on Public Safety is debating key bills to ensure increased accountability and transparency in policing practices. But we won't win until schools are free of cops.
Today, join us in rallying the New York City Council Progressive Caucus to amplify our demands for #PoliceFreeSchools. Use our digital toolkit here to share our message!
Monday, June 8, 2020
George Floyd: Tribute to a Hero
Salsa Musician Issues Message to Officers
Charged and Reflects on Victim's Legacy
Charged and Reflects on Victim's Legacy
By Ramón “Ray” Delgado
I have a question for the officers that have been charged in the death of George Floyd. What made you take a job that you clearly didn't know how to do? Did you really think your bias would remain at home when you headed to work? Did you really think you had your demons under control? Did you ever stop to consider how someone's famly and friends would be impacted by your decision to use excessive force, especially when it wasn't necessary? Let me tell you something! You all had an obligation to deal with any issues you may have had regarding race the minute you applied and were hired for the job. You all should have understood that we live in a multicultural society. You didn't have to like it, but you should've respected that fact if you were patrolling communities of color. You all should have been aware of the fact that taking a life solely because of your preconceived notions about people of color would rob a mother, a wife and children of their hero.
We've lived in a divided nation for far too long. Too many decades have passed, and perhaps centuries, and no one has made an attempt to institute real reform when it comes to policing in America. How many George Floyds and Eric Garners will it take before we're able to hold every police officer and department accountable through legislation and/or transparency? There have been too many questionable and unjustified killings of unarmed Black men, and the problem can no longer be ignored.
Without question, a police officer's job is extremely difficult. There are times when decisions have to be made within a matter of seconds. However, police officers also have a responsibility to serve and protect and must do so with dignity, integrity and respect. If successful, they'll be able to take comfort in the fact that they did their job and that they, as well as the suspects, arrived at their destinations without incident.
Police officers must also realize that they're not above the law. When reform comes and the "Blue Wall of Silence" is destroyed, they won’t be able to simply get a slap on the wrist or become a cop in another city or state. Harboring racial animosity will have consequences, and reform will force them to realize they serve various communities, not a community. That said, it's important to remember that not every police officer is bad. The majority of them just want to get through the day, safely, and go home to their families. It's the overzealous, racist or rogue cops that are the problem. Unfortunately, many good cops are afraid to speak out because they may be targeted by the department or officers in their precinct. The case of Frank Serpico is a classic example. A cop may hear their partner telling racists jokes or making racist remarks, but they remain silent because the behavior is regarded as normal or a rite of passage in police culture. In the wake of George Floyd's murder, police officers, particularly those of color, have an opportunity to help change the culture by denouncing and reporting these incidents.
When it comes to policing, my definition of a hero is someone who goes home and displays love for their family and promotes harmony and unity in their neighborhood at the end of their tour. They're admired and respected by many in and outside of their community. Most importantly, heroes focus on savings lives instead of taking them.
I suspect George Floyd was looking forward to going home and being with his little girl on May 25th, but four ruthless men who took an oath to protect and serve denied him that right. The only right he was afforded, was the right to remain silent.....forever. They took his life. They made his family and all of us feel pain. They made his family and all of us angry, but they helped launch a movement that won’t end until sweeping reforms are implemented within America's police departments. George Floyd, to millions in this country and abroad, you are a hero. It is in your honor that we're fighting for justice and legislative reform from Congress to change the way we police this nation.
Descansa en paz, mi hermano.
Ramón "Ray" Delgado is a resident of East Harlem, New York. In the early 1970s, he was a sympathizer of The Young Lords Party, a Puerto Rican activist group that addressed economic, social and political issues in the community. He worked in the substance abuse and human services field for many years and served as a shop steward in the National Organization of Industrial Trades Union-IUJAT. Mr. Delgado is also an accomplished musician who works with local Salsa groups. He is the founder and bandleader of "The Ray Delgado Project".
PBA President Patrick Lynch to Members: 'We Are In Crisis!'
The following letter was submitted by a source within the New York Police Department.
Dear PBA Member,
There has never been a more dangerous time for our profession or our city. Police officers across our country are under attack by extremists who seek to destroy everything we stand for, destroy all the good we do for our communities and — in too many cases — physically attack and injure us.
This is a nationwide assault. But as always, New York City is at the forefront of the lunacy. Nearly 300 of our brothers and sisters have been injured during the recent unrest – but you have heard almost nothing about their sacrifice in the media. Instead, you are hearing the rabid calls to defund law enforcement, strip us of our rights and imprison us for doing what our city’s leaders sent us out to do.
The NYPD’s senior leadership have surrendered. They are still trying to appease radicals who won’t be satisfied with anything short of complete destruction of the NYPD. Mayor de Blasio has lost control, and even the anti-cop City Council is scrambling to catch up to the mob in the street.
Our loudest and most aggressive detractors are now in charge. We are alone and under siege. What do we do?
The PBA is encouraging all members to keep the following points in mind in the current environment:
- Your first responsibility is the safety of your own family and your fellow police officers. No matter what, every one of us must go home safely at the end of tour.
- Your second responsibility is to New Yorkers in distress. If you receive a call for help, render aid. Treat every crime victim the way you would want your own family members treated.
- After you fulfill those two responsibilities, DO NOT DO ANYTHING MORE THAN YOU ARE REQUIRED TO DO BY LAW OR DEPARTMENT REGULATIONS. You are NOT RESPONSIBLE for providing political cover to 1 Police Plaza or City Hall.
- The people of New York City, through their elected leadership, have chosen this approach to public safety. As law enforcement professionals, we might believe they have made a mistake, but we cannot and will not change their minds. They will need to see and experience a decaying, crime-ridden city before they reverse course.
We cannot understate the extent to which you are PERSONALLY AT RISK in this environment.
The risks are far more serious than an anarchist throwing a brick:
You should expect that anti-police activists will be targeting you and possibly your family for harassment…or worse. We recommend deactivating all social media profiles, or at least removing any personal information or information that identifies you as a member of law enforcement.
You should also expect that any use of force will be criminalized, even and especially when you are following the directives of police and elected leaders. Prosecutors here and around the country are refusing to prosecute criminals. Instead, they are directing their attention to prosecuting police officers. Before using any form of force, ask yourself: is it worth getting locked up for this?
These are things you can do as an individual police officer. As an organization, the PBA will remain focused on what has always been our core mission: to protect our members’ safety and most basic rights and to strategically defend every police officer who is wrongfully persecuted.
This is a sad and somber time for police officers across our country. And I will be blunt: it will not get better soon. But we will survive as long as we remain together. Our solidarity is our greatest strength, and the greatest safety measure we have is each other.
Fraternally,
Patrick J. Lynch
President
The risks are far more serious than an anarchist throwing a brick:
You should expect that anti-police activists will be targeting you and possibly your family for harassment…or worse. We recommend deactivating all social media profiles, or at least removing any personal information or information that identifies you as a member of law enforcement.
You should also expect that any use of force will be criminalized, even and especially when you are following the directives of police and elected leaders. Prosecutors here and around the country are refusing to prosecute criminals. Instead, they are directing their attention to prosecuting police officers. Before using any form of force, ask yourself: is it worth getting locked up for this?
These are things you can do as an individual police officer. As an organization, the PBA will remain focused on what has always been our core mission: to protect our members’ safety and most basic rights and to strategically defend every police officer who is wrongfully persecuted.
This is a sad and somber time for police officers across our country. And I will be blunt: it will not get better soon. But we will survive as long as we remain together. Our solidarity is our greatest strength, and the greatest safety measure we have is each other.
Fraternally,
Patrick J. Lynch
President
Fourth Year of the Immigrant Community Navigator Program Launched
In recognition of Immigrant Heritage Month,
the Department of State today announced the launch of the fourth year
of the Immigrant Community Navigator program. This program, managed by
the New York State Office for New Americans (ONA), provides accurate and
reliable information to immigrants and refugees, as well as vital
programming to support these communities with cultural, economic and
social integration throughout the state.
Secretary of State Rossana Rosado said, “New York
stands proud of its immigrant history and the ONA Immigrant Community
Navigator program is a testament to that. As part of ONA’s trusted
network of community-based providers, the ONA Immigrant Community
Navigators are supporting and connecting New York’s immigrant
communities with valuable resources and information during this
uncertain time. During this Immigrant Heritage Awareness month, I am
grateful for the Governor’s leadership and ongoing support for our
immigrant community.”
The ONA Immigrant Community Navigator
program ensures that there is dedicated outreach and community welcoming
efforts to help low-income immigrants gain access to the same
opportunities available to all others in New York State. The
Navigators serve as a trusted source of information for the immigrant
community and they have played an important role in the community during
these uncertain times of COVID-19 by coordinating and conducting
critical outreach in support of available services for new Americans
around the state. Navigators have been working with grassroots
organizations, community leaders, community-based organizations
(including ONA Opportunity Centers and Community Action Agencies),
Regional Economic Development Council’s Opportunity Agenda workgroups,
faith-based organizations and local governments.
The ONA Immigrant Community Navigators will operate in the following regions and counties of the state: Western NY (Chautauqua, Eerie); Finger Lakes (Livingston Monroe); Central NY (Cayuga, Onondaga, Oswego); Mohawk Valley (Oneida, Otsego); North Capital Region (Saratoga, Warren, Washington); Hudson Valley (Dutchess, Orange, Rockland,
ONA Immigrant Community Navigators are operating in line with the New York State guidelines and are currently delivering services virtually. As regional guidelines permit in-person services, ONA Immigrant Community Navigators will be housed in community-based organizations and are tasked with establishing and leading targeted community programs to better inform and serve low-income immigrant and refugee communities across New York State. ONA Immigrant Community Navigators engage in regular outreach to address immigrant integration issues and policy changes. Navigators also lead trainings and workforce development workshops on skills and information relevant to low-income immigrant and refugee communities to increase their knowledge of available resources, while supporting them in integrating into the social, civic, and economic life of their new chosen home.
Since its creation in 2017, the ONA Immigrant Community Navigator program has evolved to become a trusted source of information and resources for communities across New York State. In the first two years of the Immigrant Community Navigator program, ONA has served and impacted over 5,000 low-income immigrants and refugees through Community Conversations, Impact Days, Trainings, Roundtable Meetings, and Workforce Development Workshops.
About the Office for New Americans & the Liberty Defense Project
The New York State Office for New Americans, founded seven years ago, is the nation's first statutorily created immigrant services office. ONA is housed within the New York State Department of State and has Opportunity Centers across the State that are hosted in community-based organizations that deliver a host of services and support, including legal services, to New York's new American communities. These sites are the focal point for communities to embrace immigrants by providing them with the tools necessary to thrive and contribute to our state. In addition, ONA provides mobile English-language learning assistance through Cell-Ed, mental health support to New Americans through the Golden Door program, and assistance to immigrant families and individuals with developmental disabilities through the Ramirez June Developmental Disabilities Navigator initiative.
In 2017, Governor Cuomo launched the Liberty Defense Project – the first-in-the-nation, state-led public-private project – to assist immigrants regardless of status in obtaining access to legal services. The project is administered by ONA and run in partnership with community-based legal service providers who assist immigrants with complex and urgent legal matters including deportation defense.
Any immigrant can connect with ONA’s free services by calling the New Americans Hotline at 1-800-566-7636. All call information is confidential. Assistance is available in 200+ languages.
Source: The Department of State
Highlights from 'Solidarity March' with Dov Hikind and Rev. Kevin McCall
Commuters in Face Masks on the Subway as N.Y.C. Begins Reopening
The New York Times: After months of a devastating outbreak, the city is officially back in
business, with as many as 400,000 people returning to work.
Click here for the report.
'Your Day is Coming TRAITOR': Brooklyn Court Officer Suspended After Posting 'Sickening' Meme Depicting Obama Lynching
The New York Daily News: Sgt. Terri Pinto Napolitano posted the vile meme to her Facebook over
the weekend, showing former president Barack Obama swinging from a
noose, according to screen grabs shared with the Daily News.
Click here for the report.
Happening in Harlem: Lunch Break Talk on Black Joy Matters
Click on the fliers to increase their size.
#UnitedWeDance to Showcase Over 30 Top Deejays
ImageNation: In the midst of the uprising, let's not forget that June is still Black Music Month.
Join us on Facebook Live at 12:30 p.m. (EST) on June 10th for a discussion about the music documentary Thee Debauchery Ball (TDB), with filmmaker David Weathersby; TDB founder Khari B., DJ HK of South Africa's Husky Records, Marko Nobles of Rhythm & Soul Radio, and Erika Jones of TDB.
Join us on Facebook Live at 12:30 p.m. (EST) on June 10th for a discussion about the music documentary Thee Debauchery Ball (TDB), with filmmaker David Weathersby; TDB founder Khari B., DJ HK of South Africa's Husky Records, Marko Nobles of Rhythm & Soul Radio, and Erika Jones of TDB.
The discussion will be moderated by ImageNation founder, Moikgantsi Kgama.
ImageNation
echos the call for the arrest and prosecution of the murderers of
George Floyd, Ahmaud Abery, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade and countless
others that have been killed and terrorized. We thank the protesters and
urge them to please wear masks, because COVID-19 is killing us faster
than the police.
During this fight against hate, let's remember that #BlackJoyMatters. The Debauchery Ball and #BeDebaucherous are a way of escaping the madness, and going to a safe place where Black people can be free, if only for a short while. June 12th thru June 25th, join us and 30+ DJ's around the globe, united to celebrate Black lives, #UnitedWeDance because #BlackJoyMatters.
During this fight against hate, let's remember that #BlackJoyMatters. The Debauchery Ball and #BeDebaucherous are a way of escaping the madness, and going to a safe place where Black people can be free, if only for a short while. June 12th thru June 25th, join us and 30+ DJ's around the globe, united to celebrate Black lives, #UnitedWeDance because #BlackJoyMatters.
Sunday, June 7, 2020
Now Available: COVID-19 & Workers’ Compensation Q&A
The New York State Workers' Compensation Board has published a COVID-19 & Workers’ Compensation Q&A document to answer questions about workers’ compensation benefits to employees who get COVID-19 while on the job. This Q&A is available on the Board’s website and its content is outlined below.
For employees: If you believe you became ill with COVID-19 due to your work, you should tell your employer as soon as possible, file an Employee Claim (Form C-3) with the Board, and see a doctor to obtain a diagnosis. For more details, please see the How Do I File a Claim? section below.
For employers: If a worker reports that they are sick due to a workplace exposure, you must contact your workers’ compensation insurance carrier immediately. The insurance carrier then has 18 days to act on the claim and must begin paying benefits within this time frame if the claim is accepted. Please share this information with your employees.
Source: The New York State Workers' Compensation Board
For employees: If you believe you became ill with COVID-19 due to your work, you should tell your employer as soon as possible, file an Employee Claim (Form C-3) with the Board, and see a doctor to obtain a diagnosis. For more details, please see the How Do I File a Claim? section below.
For employers: If a worker reports that they are sick due to a workplace exposure, you must contact your workers’ compensation insurance carrier immediately. The insurance carrier then has 18 days to act on the claim and must begin paying benefits within this time frame if the claim is accepted. Please share this information with your employees.
Source: The New York State Workers' Compensation Board
Legislation Signed Banning Price Gouging of PPE in New York
On June 6, Governor Andrew Cuomo signed legislation (S.8189/A.10270) banning price gouging of personal protective equipment (PPE). During the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been countless instances of egregious price gouging, particularly of critical medical supplies - such as masks and hand sanitizer - that are desperately needed by our hospitals and other health care facilities. This legislation will help ensure access to these critical supplies for health care workers and the general public.
"From the beginning of this pandemic we've seen too many instances of retailers taking advantage of this dire situation and charging exorbitant prices for critical medical supplies," Governor Cuomo said. "By banning price gouging on personal protective equipment, we are helping to ensure our health care workers - who have been working tirelessly to save lives at great personal danger to themselves - and the public have access to these supplies, while holding these unscrupulous retailers accountable for attempting to capitalize on the fear of others."
New York Attorney General Letitia James said, "New Yorkers can rest assured that our office will fight every day to ensure they are not taken advantage of during the coronavirus pandemic or any other emergency our state may face in the future. Since this pandemic began, we have received over 7,000 price gouging complaints related to COVID-19 and gone after the bad actors behind these unlawful acts, but today's law will vastly expand our efforts to protect New Yorkers' wallets, as well as the bottom lines of small businesses and taxpayer dollars. We are focused on protecting all New Yorkers now and in the future. We applaud Governor Cuomo for signing this bill into law, and Senator Hoylman and Assemblywoman Rozic for their support and partnership in passing this important legislation so that our office can continue its work protecting New Yorkers."
Senator Brad Hoylman said, "Pandemic profiteers need to get the hell out of New York. It's outrageous that these lowlifes have tried to make a quick buck off of our state's valiant efforts to save the lives of COVID-19 patients and protect frontline medical workers from infection, so I'm glad our bill signed into law today will significantly expand New York's price gouging statute to allow Attorney General Tish James to crack down on price gougers. I'm grateful to have worked with Attorney General James, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Assembly Sponsor Nily Rozic to craft this bill. I applaud Governor Cuomo for signing our legislation today, and thank Consumer Reports, AARP and NYPIRG for their support."
Assembly Member Nily Rozic said, "This legislation strengthens and expands the New York State price gouging statute after the COVID-19 pandemic exposed glaring flaws in the law. This new law will ensure that New Yorkers have access to the products and care required without paying excessive and unreasonable prices. As we face new challenges to contain the pandemic, we must protect consumers when they are particularly vulnerable. I thank Governor Cuomo for signing this essential legislation into law and providing the Attorney General the tools to make certain that no one can prey on consumers' fears and cause widespread panic during this health crisis."
Source: The Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
"From the beginning of this pandemic we've seen too many instances of retailers taking advantage of this dire situation and charging exorbitant prices for critical medical supplies," Governor Cuomo said. "By banning price gouging on personal protective equipment, we are helping to ensure our health care workers - who have been working tirelessly to save lives at great personal danger to themselves - and the public have access to these supplies, while holding these unscrupulous retailers accountable for attempting to capitalize on the fear of others."
New York Attorney General Letitia James said, "New Yorkers can rest assured that our office will fight every day to ensure they are not taken advantage of during the coronavirus pandemic or any other emergency our state may face in the future. Since this pandemic began, we have received over 7,000 price gouging complaints related to COVID-19 and gone after the bad actors behind these unlawful acts, but today's law will vastly expand our efforts to protect New Yorkers' wallets, as well as the bottom lines of small businesses and taxpayer dollars. We are focused on protecting all New Yorkers now and in the future. We applaud Governor Cuomo for signing this bill into law, and Senator Hoylman and Assemblywoman Rozic for their support and partnership in passing this important legislation so that our office can continue its work protecting New Yorkers."
Senator Brad Hoylman said, "Pandemic profiteers need to get the hell out of New York. It's outrageous that these lowlifes have tried to make a quick buck off of our state's valiant efforts to save the lives of COVID-19 patients and protect frontline medical workers from infection, so I'm glad our bill signed into law today will significantly expand New York's price gouging statute to allow Attorney General Tish James to crack down on price gougers. I'm grateful to have worked with Attorney General James, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Assembly Sponsor Nily Rozic to craft this bill. I applaud Governor Cuomo for signing our legislation today, and thank Consumer Reports, AARP and NYPIRG for their support."
Assembly Member Nily Rozic said, "This legislation strengthens and expands the New York State price gouging statute after the COVID-19 pandemic exposed glaring flaws in the law. This new law will ensure that New Yorkers have access to the products and care required without paying excessive and unreasonable prices. As we face new challenges to contain the pandemic, we must protect consumers when they are particularly vulnerable. I thank Governor Cuomo for signing this essential legislation into law and providing the Attorney General the tools to make certain that no one can prey on consumers' fears and cause widespread panic during this health crisis."
Source: The Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
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