Governor’s Veto Is Not the End for RIOC Reform
August 31, 2010
In June, I reported that my legislation to reform the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation (RIOC) had passed the Assembly. I am incredibly disappointed that Governor Paterson has now vetoed this legislation — and I vehemently disagree with the reasons he has given for his veto. By passing the reform bill with overwhelming margins, the legislature clearly communicated its intent that RIOC should be more open and accessible, and that Island residents should have a greater say in the Island’s decision-making process. RIOC’s decisions have a vastly bigger impact on Island residents than on anyone else, and the needs of those who live on the Island should outweigh the abstract concerns expressed by the Governor in his veto message.
By rejecting these common-sense measures, the Governor has set back the cause of open government and public authorities reform. Nonetheless, I will not stop fighting to open up RIOC and make it more accountable to the Island residents it serves. I will bring these reforms back as many times as it takes to make them a reality.
A copy of the Governor’s veto message is below.
Governor’s Veto of RIOC Reform Bill
Discussing Oreo’s Law on DogsinDanger radio show
August 25, 2010
Last Sunday I was interviewed by Alex Aliksanyan and Brenda Bush on the DogsInDanger radio show to discuss my bill, Oreo’s Law. I have blogged extensively about the tragic case of Oreo, an abused dog who was killed despite her rescue by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (APSCA). In response to Oreo’s death, I introduced legislation (A.9449) to close a loophole in our animal protection laws. My bill will allow qualified animal welfare organizations the right to request animals be given to their care when a shelter is planning to euthanize them. Click here to listen to the audio file of the interview, which aired on Sunday, August 22nd on AM970 the Apple NY.
Hailing An Accessible Tomorrow
August 17, 2010
As I have often discussed, I am a strong advocate for making New York City’s taxi fleet 100% accessible to people with disabilities. Now that the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission is deciding which vehicle to choose as the “Taxi of Tomorrow,” we have a great opportunity to ensure that our city’s next generation of taxicabs is accessible to all. Today, the New York Daily News published my op-ed in favor of seizing this chance to make New York the world capital of accessibility. You can read the op-ed below.
‘Taxi of Tomorrow’ needs to be accessible to all
Governor Honors Elle Vandenberghe, Signs Elle’s Law
August 16, 2010
I introduced Elle’s Law in honor of 3-year old Elle Vandenberghe, who was struck by a motorist while she was on her way to school on the Upper East Side in September 2009. After the incident, Elle lay in a coma for two weeks; she suffered a stroke and lost two-thirds of the left side of her brain. The driver who struck Elle was illegally backing through an intersection—against a red light—in search of a parking space. Although the motorist displayed a blatant disregard for pedestrian safety and consequently left Elle permanently disabled, he was issued only a minor traffic infraction, paid a small fine and was free to get back behind the wheel, subject to no further penalty. Elle remains in physical therapy.
Elle’s Law gets dangerous drivers off the road by creating new penalties for drivers who injure pedestrians while violating traffic laws. I am tremendously proud to announce that on Friday, Governor Paterson signed Elle’s Law into law.
What happened to Elle Vandenberghe was both a tragedy and an outrage. It was unbelievable that a reckless driver could do so much harm and yet still be free to get right back behind the wheel with nothing more than a slap on the wrist. Elle’s Law will make irresponsible drivers think twice before doing something dangerous.
Under Elle’s Law, any driver who causes serious physical injury to another person while committing a traffic violation will have his or her license suspended for a period of six months. Drivers who have been involved in any similar incidents within the previous five years will have their licenses suspended for a full year.
According to data from the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, in 2008 nearly 5,000 New Yorkers were injured because of a driver’s violation of the state’s vehicle and traffic laws. Only 2% of these violations resulted in criminal charges, leaving thousands of New Yorkers and families with no legal recourse. Prosecutors are unable to charge drivers who seriously injure innocent pedestrians under the existing Vehicular Assault laws, even when the serious injury was the direct result of the driver’s moving violation, unless it can be proven that the driver was under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Because criminal charges are almost never possible, prior to Elle’s Law no effective sanction existed for drivers who injured pedestrians while violating traffic laws. Elle’s Law closes this loophole by creating a mechanism to punish these reckless drivers—suspending their licenses so that they cannot simply get back on the road.
Sadly, no law can undo what happened to Elle Vandenberghe, but we can ensure that in the future our streets are safer by getting dangerous drivers off the road and stopping thousands of unnecessary tragedies like Elle’s before they happen. By signing Elle’s Law the Governor turned this little girl’s tragedy into a legacy: making it safer for every New Yorker to cross the street.
Bringing the East River Esplanade Back to Life
August 13, 2010
The East River Esplanade should be one of our community’s treasured public spaces, yet currently it is in appalling condition—in fact, the seawall is disintegrating into the river, causing sinkholes and cracks in the asphalt that expose the river below. These hazards are multiplying, making the esplanade an increasingly unsafe and unattractive place for pedestrians.
Clearly it is time for a comprehensive effort to fully revitalize the esplanade, rather than simply putting band-aids on individual problems.
To address the rapidly deteriorating state of the esplanade north of 63rd Street, I along with Council Member Jessica Lappin and Representative Carolyn Maloney recently formed an East River Esplanade Task Force. Last month, we met with the New York City Parks Department to discuss the current conditions of the esplanade, the areas that have the most urgent needs, and what cosmetic repairs can undertaken immediately to improve the area while longer-term structural work is being performed.
By coming together with the Parks Department and other stakeholders, and working to identify available funding at the Federal, State, and City levels, we are taking important steps to bring the esplanade into a state of good repair.
I look forward to working with the task force and the community to bring much needed improvements to the often overlooked Upper East Side waterfront, transforming it at last into the kind of valuable and well-maintained public space that East Siders deserve.
- Via @MicahKellner + @MMViverito NYPD, never sensitive to Trans NYers, but if these allegations true its beyond the pale http://t.co/UGWWI9Tn
11 hours ago from ÜberSocial for BlackBerry
