Will the Queens special election be a 2013 replay?
When supporters of ranked-choice voting make their case for why the new voting system is good for Black and Latino New Yorkers, they’ll often point to a specific race: the February 2013 special election in City Council District 31 in Queens. There, a white, Orthodox Jewish candidate named Pesach Osina came within 79 votes – less than 1 percentage point – of winning a Southeast Queens district that – as of the 2010 census – was 68% Black, 16% Hispanic and just 11% white. Besides Osina, the other seven candidates on the ballot, including the winner Donovan Richards, were Black. The numbers showed that the Black vote was split among several candidates, while the parts of the district with a large Orthodox Jewish population voted overwhelmingly for Osina.
How a Potterâs Field Became a Civil Rights Leaderâs Resting Place
Relatives of Scott Green are among the hundreds of families who have buried their loved ones on New York Cityâs Hart Island.
Ernest Green, a member of the Little Rock Nine, said burying his brother on Hart Island was the best option during the pandemic. âWe couldnât even get a time for a cremation,â he said.Credit.Nate Palmer for The New York Times
Jan. 28, 2021
In more normal times, Scott Green , a lifelong civil rights activist, may have had a ceremonious funeral followed by a burial in a military cemetery in Little Rock, Ark.
Photo by Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images
The New York City Council voted Thursday to approve Intro. 1116-B, the legislation that will create 4,000 new permits for street vendors in the city over the next decade, and will create a separate law enforcement unit to oversee the street vending community.
Thirty-four members voted in favor of the bill and 13 members voting against, seemingly pitting the street vending community against the restaurant industry with many in opposition to the bill saying saying the increased permits would drive away business from restaurants. Still, the bill garnered a significant amount of support among Council members, restaurants owners, and some business improvement districts as well, ensuring its passage.
+1.72%, Postmates or one of the other big-name delivery apps? Depending on where you live and whether the restaurant is an independent or a chain, it could be 20%, 30% or even 40% â and thatâs not including the nice tip you tacked on for the delivery person. Despite efforts by some cities to rein in the most brutal of these third-party delivery charges, struggling restaurants are still being choked just when they can afford it least.
âIf you order a $10 cheeseburger, youâre probably paying $15 for that cheeseburger,â Rustan Lundstrum, who owns the Coach Meeting House in Oyster Bay, Long Island, told an interviewer this week. âWeâre getting $7â to cover food costs, rent, employees, insurance and everything else it takes to run a restaurant. âIf a delivery fee is 30%, do basic math! Itâs hard to make any money.â
Berkovitz said the electoral endorsements are the first for the group, which is fundraising to hire an executive director. The Council determines rezonings, which substantial residential projects routinely seek in New York City.
On Wednesday, City Council Speaker Corey Johnson released a comprehensive plan to overhaul the city’s approach to land use decisions. The 10-year plan sets long-term goals for housing, transportation and public space, and adds opportunities for the public to weigh in.
Two of Open New York’s candidates are challenging Democratic incumbents. Juan Ardila, a Legal Aid Society employee, is taking on Council member Robert Holden, who has opposed homeless shelters in his Queens district. It is also backing Marjorie Velázquez, a Bronx community board member who is running against Mark Gjonaj, another conservative-leaning Council Democrat. Both insurgents have also been endorsed by the Working Families Party.