Adams Announces Austerity Program + Adams Aide Under Scrutiny
No. 349 | Monday, November 20, 2023
The NYC Thorn is a weekly roundup of local political news compiled by members of NYC-DSA.
Eric Adams Scandal News
Winnie Greco, a close aide to Mayor Eric Adams and his director of Asian affairs, is accused of trading jobs and access to the mayor for money and personal favors, including renovations on her home.
A former FDNY chief told FBI investigators that he felt pressured by the Adams administration to approve a new Turkish consulate building despite safety concerns.
Local News
Mayor Adams announced a series of steep cuts to the city budget, totaling 5% across the board and impacting critical services including reduced summer programs for youth, eliminating Sunday library hours for all but one branch, and cuts to universal Pre-K (as part of a $1B cut to the Department of Education).
Brooklyn state Senator Kevin Parker, who has a history of legal troubles including previous assault charges, has been accused of sexually assaulting a woman in 2004, according to a lawsuit filed against him. The lawsuit was filed under the state's Adult Survivors Act, which allows adult victims of sexual abuse to sue their abusers.
Negotiations between the New York City Council and the new Council staffers union, which have been going on since May of 2022, are held up over language regarding whether workers can be fired at-will.
Charges were dropped against Republican City Council Member Inna Vernikov (Brighton Beach), who brought a gun to a pro-Palestine rally at Brooklyn College last month, when the gun was deemed to be inoperable.
A look into the enforcement of New York City's plastic ban bag, first passed in 2020, found only small fines and warnings issued to repeat offenders.
Management at five of New York City's public defender offices have taken steps to punish employees or preemptively stop employees and their unions from making statements expressing solidarity with Palestinians.
After the City Council overrode the Mayor’s veto on a package of legislation designed to expand rental voucher eligibility for New Yorkers facing eviction, the Adams administration has yet to take any action on implementing that legislation.
A group of progressive elected officials – including all members of the NYC-DSA Socialists in Office — sent a letter to Columbia University calling for the reinstatement of Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace, two groups suspended for holding an “unsanctioned” protest demanding a ceasefire in Gaza.
Election News
Assembly Member Juan Ardila (District 37, Western Queens) has filed to run for re-election in 2024, even though he is facing a sexual assault scandal. Ardila will face DSA-endorsed Claire Valdez, and there is speculation that another candidate backed by the Queens County Democratic Party will also emerge.
The NYC Local
We're excited to say that last month, Alex Chan, David Kim, and David Turner revived our chapter's labor newsletter The Local. It arrives every other week with a focus on labor organizing, bargaining, and local legislation that impacts NYC's workers. Give them a follow and thoughts about what you'd like to see from a socialist labor newsletter.
Revolutions Per Minute
Listen to NYC-DSA's weekly radio show Revolutions Per Minute. Check out the show here.
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