Adams’ Developer-Friendly Housing Plan + Congestion Pricing Light
No. 402 | Monday, November 25, 2024
The NYC Thorn is a weekly roundup of local political news compiled by members of NYC-DSA.
Local News
The last-minute passage of the "City of Yes" housing plan from Mayor Adams and the City Council tinkers at the edges of a system that prioritizes developer profits over the right to safe, affordable housing. The unchecked rise in rents, far outpacing wages, is proof of how squeezed tenants have become.
Proposed City Council housing legislation addressing Airbnb, illegal lockouts, air conditioning, and tenant harassment reflects growing pressure to rein in exploitative practices in the rental market.
Federal approval clears the way for NYC to launch congestion pricing on January 5, charging tolls for vehicles entering Manhattan’s central business district.
Jessica Tisch’s appointment as the NYPD Commissioner signals continuity for a department focused on maintaining the status quo.
NYC’s composting program has struggled in its first year, mainly due to landlord noncompliance, evidence of how voluntary measures will fail to address the environmental crisis.
New York Focus ran an explainer on how New York’s weak ethics enforcement enables the pervasive corruption of a political system beholden to wealthy donors and corporate interests.
The record number of homeless students in NYC schools last year exposes how housing insecurity and education disparities are deeply linked.
Trump’s reelection threatens to deepen inequities in New York’s schools, undermining efforts toward racial and economic justice in the city’s education policy.
Power struggles and backstabbing define the Bronx Democratic Party's efforts to maintain control in the face of growing political diversity and despite the continued use of patronage and backroom deals.
Advocates are pushing for universal child care in New York, aiming to make early education and care more accessible to working families.
The city’s overwhelmed shelter system continues to fail both unhoused New Yorkers and vulnerable migrants.
Trump’s attacks on offshore wind projects serve as a rallying cry for fossil fuel interests and New York conservative elites determined to block a transition to a cleaner energy system.
In a small victory for tenants, New York State will now require landlords to disclose bed bug infestations within 72 hours.
Election News
New Assembly Member–Elect Micah Lasher (District 69, Upper West Side, Morningside Heights) wrote about how New York can fight back against the incoming Trump Administration.
Recent New York State Assembly candidate Dao Yin (District 40, Flushing) is under scrutiny for allegedly using fake donor contributions to secure over $162,000 in matching public campaign funds.
A New York Times interactive analysis shows how voter demographics and geographic divides in New York City influenced the distribution of support between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. Harris lost more support than Trump gained, with her biggest losses compared with Biden in 2020 in neighborhoods with large working-class immigrant populations in Queens, Upper Manhattan, and the Bronx. High-income neighborhoods in Brooklyn showed Harris’s best retention.
Gothamist spoke to Queens voters who supported both Trump and AOC. They expressed shared concerns over public safety and economic challenges.
The NYC Local
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