NY1: Man Faces Charges Following Scuffle With Queens Lawmaker

From NY1:

A man is facing several charges including harassment after allegedly attacking and robbing a Queens councilman Wednesday.

Daniel Dromm says it all began when he used his phone to photograph the man who was in a truck blocking traffic outside his Jackson Heights office just after 12 p.m.

"When he got to this corner, he lost it and he went berserk and he started screaming and yelling and charged across the street and he said, 'No photographs, no photographs, no effin photographs.' And he's coming over and he pushes me. He tries to grab the camera out of my hands and when he's trying to grab it, he either comes down and hits me in the face or punches me, and then hits me again in the chest, and pushes me back and he has my phone now in his hands," Dromm said.

John Muriel, 43, is charged with robbery, criminal possession of stolen property, and harassment.

El Diario: Luchan por servicios para inmigrantes

From El Diario: By Rosa Margarita Murphy

Activistas comunitarios y funcionarios electos anunciaron ayer que seguirán luchando, con el fin de garantizar los programas esenciales que ayudan a los inmigrantes a seguir adelante en este país.

Un grupo de directores de organizaciones enfocadas a la educación para adultos, acompañados por los concejales Daniel Dromm y Ruben Wills, se reunieron frente a la sede de la organización South Queens Boys and Girls Club, en Queens, donde hicieron un llamado para que se restauren los fondos de la Iniciativa de Oportunidades para el Inmigrante (IOI), para continuar con programas tales como clases de inglés, de ciudadanía y asesoría legal.

"Queremos asegurarnos que las personas de bajos recursos de nuestras comunidades se beneficien de estos programas", expresó el concejal Dromm.

El concejal Dromm hizo énfasis en que en el año fiscal 2008, el presupuesto fue de $11.25 millones, para el año pasado fue de $4 millones. Sin embargo este año, en el presupuesto ejecutivo 2013 no se incluyeron esos $4 millones.

KC Williams, directora de Educación para Adultos de la organización Queens Community House, en Jackson Heights, donde acuden cientos de inmigrantes que no dominan el inglés en busca de ayuda para aprenderlo, manifestó que muchos usuarios se verán afectados y que en el último año el centro han dejado de prestar los servicios de asesoría legal para asistencia con los documentos de residencia y naturalización.

Joel Ponter, de origen panameño, quien llegó hace cuatro años a Nueva York, dijo que en ese entonces tenía poco conocimiento del idioma inglés.

"Las clases de Inglés como Segundo Idioma (ESL) me abrieron las puertas, no solamente para comunicarme con otras personas, sino también para hacer nuevas amistades, también en el plano laboral y sobre todo puedo ayudar a mi comunidad", aseguró el joven, de 22 años, quien trabajó en el área de limpieza y actualmente labora para Queens Community House.

No se pudo contactar a la oficina de Asuntos del Inmigrante de la alcaldía.

Dromm and 82nd Street Academics Rally for After-school Programs

NY1: Queens Residents Claim Harassment By Building Super

From NY1:

Some residents in a rent-controlled Queens building say the superintendent has been harassing them in an attempt to force them to move out.

Times Ledger: Rivera family, senior center to lead Pride Parade

From Times Ledger: By Rebecca Henely

City Councilman Daniel Dromm (D-Jackson Heights), who announced the marshals of the 2012 Queens Pride Parade Monday, looked back on how far the parade and the state had come since its inception 20 years ago.

“I was a young man when I started it,” Dromm said, “and I can’t believe 20 years have passed and so much has changed.”

The Queens Pride Parade and Multicultural Festival in Jackson Heights — an extravaganza that includes floats, elaborate costumes and LGBT groups from the borough and beyond — will be held Sunday, June 3, at noon.

The parade runs along 37th Avenue beginning at 84th Street and ending at 75th Street, the site of a festival which will run from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Some 40,000 to 60,000 people attend every year.

Dromm, who is openly gay, is one of the co-founders of the parade.

Marshals this year include the newly named Queens Center for Gay Seniors, at 74-09 37th Ave., Suite 409, in Jackson Heights, formerly known as Senior Action in a Gay Environment, and the family of Julio Rivera, whose 1990 murder in Jackson Heights inspired the parade.

Chris Calvert, who co-chairs the parade committee with Hank Krumholz, said this year’s theme is “Generations of Pride” and will feature both the senior LGBT community as well as student organizations, bringing together the past fighting discrimination and the present day. The 2012 parade will be the first held since New York legalized same-sex marriage last year.

“There’s been a lot of accomplishment, but very easily things can go backward,” Calvert cautioned.

John Nagel, president of the senior center, said the organization has been in operation as part of the Queens Community House since 1986. He described it as a place for LGBT seniors to feel safe and supported by members of their community.

“We’re really happy we’re going to be part of the Queens Pride Parade to promote LGBT seniors not only in Jackson Heights but in all of Queens,” Nagel said.

Rita Barakos, Rivera’s stepsister, came to the Monday announcement as a representative for the family.

“I’m very proud and I’m very happy about the parade because it keeps Julio’s memory alive,” she said.

Dromm and U.S. Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-Jackson Heights) both spoke about how Rivera’s tragic death inspired a movement for equality in the neighborhood.

“Even from those dark, ugly moments, rays of sunlight have come through,” Crowley said.

More information about the parade and festival can be found at queenspride.org.

Queens Gazette: Community Forces Trade Fair To Cease Unsafe Practices

From Queens Gazette:

The Jackson Heights community proved that you cannot break the law and get away with it. On April 28, the Trade Fair Supermarket demolished the illegal sidewalk enclosure that was blocking pedestrian access on 75th Street. Many residents had feared that the enclosure was a fire hazard.

“I am glad that Trade Fair has finally complied with the law. I know that many in the community will be relieved that their calls, letters, and emails have been successful in forcing Trade Fair to be a responsible neighbor,” said Councilmember Daniel Dromm. “Sidewalks are public property, and no one person or business can take advantage and just take for their own use what is owned by the people of our community. Let this be a warning to other businesses in the neighborhood who might think they can break the law and get away with it. A new day has come.”

In August of 2011 a partial vacate order was issued by the Department of Buildings (DOB) to Trade Fair for the illegal extension citing dangerous conditions and improper construction. When Trade Fair management failed to comply with DOB order, the Environment Control Board issued a violation.

After scores of complaints from community members, Dromm held a rally with neighborhood residents in January of this year to highlight Trade Fair’s outrageous behavior. The rally was widely covered by the press.

“We have a process for getting a sidewalk enclosure. We have a system of rules and regulations that everyone must follow – including business,” Dromm continued. “I hope that Trade Fair will take this opportunity to start a new relationship with the community – one that is based on respect and cooperation.”

The councilmember said that he will work closely with the DOB to correct other violations in the community.

LIC/Astoria Journal: MLK III joins debate over Stop and Frisk

From LIC/Astoria Journal: 

New York City elected officials joined Martin Luther King III to speak out against the NYPD policy known as "Stop and Frisk" on the steps of City Hall last week.

King spoke of his support for members of the NYPD and the need for better community policing, but said that police need more sensitivity training about issues affecting communities of color. He said his father, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., would hope for the same.

One of the elected officials at the event was Councilman Daniel Dromm. More than 18,000 people were stopped and frisked during the last year in the 115th Precinct in the Queens district that Dromm represents.

"It's hard to believe that there was enough suspicion to stop 18,000 people in my district," Dromm said. "While I am not advocating for the complete removal of the stop and frisk policy, I am saying that we need to be sure peoples' rights are respected."

The event was coordinated by Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, who asked Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly to keep their minds open and to allow for a discussion of the issue.

"We are targeting people based on race and based on a certain profile, that quite frankly is not constitutional and creating a divide in this city," he said.

There were more than 680,000 stop and frisks in NYC last year. Eighty-seven percent of the stop and frisks were of black and Latino men. Nearly nine out of 10 stopped-and-frisked New Yorkers have been completely innocent, according to the NYPD's own reports.

NY1: Jackson Heights BID Delivers On Promise, Merchants Say

From NY1: By Ruschell Boone

The Jackson Heights shopping strip is looking a lot prettier these days with news trees, benches and cleaner streets. It's a far cry from what the 82nd Street business improvement district or BID used to look like. Now it’s got a new look, new leadership and a new name. It's now called the 82nd Street partnership and business owners appear to like it.

Retail businesses are members of the BID and many of the store owners had complained to local leaders that under the old Business Improvement District there wasn’t a lot of improvement.

"It’s something Councilmember Ferreras and I have been working very hard for a long period of time and we are finally beginning to see it realized," said City Councilman Daniel Dromm.

"Our BID was not benefitting from the beautification that BID dollars should be getting and that’s when I reached out to the commissioner and asked him to walk the district," said City Councilwoman Julissa Ferreras.

The BID runs from 37th to Baxter Avenue and after witnessing some of the problems the new group worked with the city on a 100 day plan to improve the area with the BID's $225,000 budget.

"They have picked a new leader and what you see now is a lot more services: A graffiti removal program, a new website that’s coming. They’re talking about special events," said Small Business Service Commissioner Rob Walsh.

"We want to focus on promoting 82nd Street as one of the city’s most diverse authentic and vibrant food and shopping corridors," said 82nd Street Partnership Executive Director Seth Taylor.

The city says if the current plans are successful it would be open to the idea of expanding the BID another 20 blocks to Citi Field.

Streetsblog: Elmhurst Reps Want LIRR Station Reopened and New Revenues to Pay For It

From Streetsblog: By Noah Kazis

Elmhurst’s elected officials voiced support for transit investment at a town hall hosted by Congressman Joe Crowley and Council Member Daniel Dromm last night.

A group of politicians including the two hosts, State Senator Toby Ann Stavisky, and Assembly Members Grace Meng and Francisco Moya called for reopening Elmhurst’s Long Island Railroad Station, shuttered in 1985 due to low ridership. And to help bus and subway riders across the city, Elmhurst’s reps said the state would need to find new, dedicated revenue for transit.

Underlying the entire evening discussion was Elmhurst’s explosive population growth, fed by a vibrant immigrant community. The population of Elmhurst and the surrounding neighborhoods of Corona, East Elmhurst and Jackson Heights grew 40 percent between 1980 and 2010, and many believe recent estimates for the area are too low. “Elmhurst continues to grow and multiply,” said Crowley, “but we have still been limited to the same modes of transportation.”

Residents complained of crowded buses and leaky subway stations, demanding more investment in their neighborhood. Just under half of subway riders interviewed by Transportation Alternatives at a nearby station said they had a one-way commute of 45 minutes or more.

Crowley, who also serves as head of the Queens Democratic Party, said that more and better transit has to be part of the solution for the neighborhood. “It’s about more livable communities, places that provide access to people,” he said. “It’s about finding smarter ways to move people about.”

“You can’t run a city like New York City unless you have a high-quality mass transit system,” agreed Dromm.

Previous transit town halls have taken place in Flushing, Jamaica, and Soundview. Much of the evening’s discussion focused on the effort led by Crowley and Dromm to reopen the neighborhood’s LIRR station, located on Broadway near Whitney Avenue. “The people are here,” said Stavisky. “They’re ready to use the railroad.”

Though reopening the station would cost $30 million, according to the Daily News, and LIRR fares are significantly costlier than the subway, Crowley argued the money would be worth it for many residents headed into Manhattan. “What is the cost of freedom?” he asked. “What is the cost for an extra forty minutes or an hour? What would one pay to have that extra hour with their children?”

A representative for the LIRR expressed enthusiasm for the possibility of reopening the station after the completion of the MTA’s current capital plan in 2014; he said improvements currently being built would be necessary to ensure that trains stopping in Elmhurst weren’t already full once they arrived.

He also said that the station would have elevator access to the platforms, which earned acclaim from the largely older population attending the meeting. “From here to Mid-Manhattan is an hour and twenty minutes at least,” said one Elmhurst resident who currently has to take the bus because she is in a wheelchair. “I do it three times a week.” Added her friend, “If you build it, we will come.”

While the politicians didn’t endorse a specific revenue source to pay for the changes, they knew that Elmhurst won’t get something for nothing. “That’s why finding ways to raise additional funding for the MTA to make improvements, for the Elmhurst station, for any of the subway lines, in reality, is so important,” said Dromm. “Without some source of dedicated funding, we’re going to see more neglect, unfortunately.”

In response to a question about where those revenues could come from, Transportation Alternatives Executive Director Paul Steely White rattled off a number of options, including raising the more than a dozen taxes that already go to the MTA, reinstating the city’s commuter tax and putting that money toward transit, or Sam Schwartz’s plan to rationalize the city’s toll system — lowering tolls on outlying bridges while adding tolls to the currently free bridges into Manhattan.

“The most important part is finding alternative resources so we can invest and reinvest in our mass transit system,” said Crowley. He didn’t endorse a particular revenue stream, but said that White’s list included a number of potential options.

The congressman also noted that in addition to finding new revenues, the MTA needs to hold on to those it has from the federal government. The Republican proposal for a transportation bill, which Crowley fought against, could have cost the MTA up to a billion dollars a year by eliminating the share of gas tax revenues going to transit. “We need to not cut,” he said. “I know that the Senate is working on a two year extender at the current levels, which is not optimum but is better than what they were doing in the House.” Crowley said he was hopeful that Congress would pass a transportation bill this year, but that he wasn’t holding his breath.

Meng, who along with Stavisky also attended the transit town hall in Flushing last summer, spoke passionately about the importance of transit. “For the future and success of the Queens economy, I think mass transit is vital,” she said. She noted that many of her constituents see building more parking as the best way to improve transportation, but investing in transit was a better idea.

Moya pitched transit improvements as a way to improve the ever-worsening congestion on Queens streets. “We need to find a solution to how we can ease a lot of the traffic that we’re seeing throughout the communities. So many people travel by car,” he said, “because of the lack of a train.”

Streetsblog: The Jackson Heights Plaza Is Growing on Some Local Merchants

From Streetsblog: By Noah Kazis

A package of enhancements and adjustments to the new pedestrian plaza on 37th Road in Jackson Heights — the object of a high-profile backlash from a group of local merchants this winter — is winning over some of the skeptics.

DOT has placed new planters and seating to spruce up the plaza and give it more color, while also adding parking and loading spaces and reversing the direction of traffic on a nearby block to improve access to the plaza, allaying some of the merchants’ fears.

The larger package of transportation changes related to the plaza had shown impressive benefits — shaving seven minutes off of local bus trips — and the new public space was already widely used. But recent tweaks have helped build a stronger consensus around the plaza, which proved to be the most controversial element of the plan.

City Council Member Daniel Dromm is a plaza supporter and has used his discretionary funds to pay for its upkeep. ”DOT has stepped up to the plate,” he said of the dozen or so planters that arrived in the plaza last Thursday. “The place is looking much more attractive.”

More street furniture is set to be delivered this Friday, when tables and chairs will be delivered at the request of two local restaurant owners. Those business owners, who had previously aligned with the merchants leading the fight against the plaza, have disassociated from the opposition. “They have grown to see the benefits to their restaurants,” said Dromm.

The tweaks aren’t limited to the new pedestrian space between 73rd and 74th Street. One block to the east, DOT has changed the direction of 37th Road. Now, the street feeds into the plaza rather than away from it, easing merchant fears that the redesign of the neighborhood’s street network had made it harder for customers to access their stores.

On that same block, DOT replaced a bus layover area and striped bike lane with parking; the buses were moved a block away and the bike lane replaced with sharrows. According to Dromm, the addition of these spots is more than enough to offset the removal of parking to make way for the plaza. “There’s actually more parking for the merchants now,” he said, estimating that there’s been a net increase of five parking spaces. Loading zones were also added around the corner for stores fronting the plaza.

Overall, the new traffic pattern appears popular in the neighborhood. At a town hall meeting held last night, ten or so plaza opponents held up signs and protested, but a much larger number cheered and clapped for the changes, reported Len Maniace, a vice president of the Jackson Heights Beautification Group. “There was opposition,” he said, “but there was significantly more support.”

“It was an overwhelming show of support for the plaza,” said Dromm. “It was just great.”

When the transportation plan for the neighborhood was first presented to the local community board last year, including rerouting two bus routes and making the one block of 37th Road car-free, it passed unanimously.

While some merchants are coming to embrace the plaza, the hard core of opposition shows no sign of being mollified by the modifications. “I don’t think they will be totally satisfied until the plaza is gone,” said Dromm, “and that’s not going to happen.”

In addition to speeding bus service, said Dromm, the plaza has had a marked impact on safety. The intersection at one end of the plaza, where 37th Road, 74th Street and Broadway all meet, was the most dangerous in Jackson Heights until last year. “Since the implementation of the traffic study, there hasn’t been one accident on the corner,” said Dromm. “That alone is reason to keep it.”

A more formal DOT evaluation will be ready next month, said Maniace, and will be presented to the community board.

With better weather around the corner, Maniace said he expects the plaza to become only more popular in the coming months among residents and merchants alike. “With the spring and summer coming up, there’s a real opportunity for increased business there,” he said. “They may end up needing even more tables and chairs.”

NY1: Class Size Remains A Heated Issue At Education Budget Hearing

From NY1: By Lindsey Christ

During a preliminary budget hearing Tuesday, Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott said while the Department of Education has endured five years of grueling budget cuts, the worst may now be over.

"Our goal is to have a flat budget and so that way the schools don't have to take cuts," said Walcott.

City Council members said they are still concerned about class size.

"Are we looking at the impact of having so many more kids in classes of 30 or more?" said Brooklyn Councilman Brad Lander.

Although the city has avoided teacher layoffs, thousands who have retired or resigned have not been replaced. While the city had 79,000 teachers in 2009, now the city has only 73,700.

Walcott said he hopes the number will not go down again this year and DOE officials said they believe teacher quality matters more than class size.

"It is preferable from a parent's perspective to have smaller classes, it doesn't necessarily correlate to achievement, though," said DOE Chief Academic Officer Shael Polakow-Suransky.

Walcott said he hopes to eventually award bonuses to teachers with high ratings. City Council members also took issue with that.

"I am willing to bet that teachers in the field right now would rather have small class size than have a $20,000 raise," said Queens Councilman Daniel Dromm.

Another big concern was the $4.5 billion the DOE plans to spend on more than 5,000 different contracts, especially after a few scandals last year involving contractors.

"We need to really investigate these contracts because somebody is getting rich. Somebody is making a lot of money off of education," said Brooklyn Councilman Charles Barron.

"The message from the council is loud and clear. We need the DOE to be a lean, mean, fighting machine when it comes to contracts," said Manhattan Councilman Robert Jackson.

Walcott said most of the contracts provide key services for students, like special education therapies and transportation.

"We are doing things internally to try to draw down the price of contracts," said the chancellor.

The testimony from the teachers' union was no surprise. It agreed with council members that the budget will not be good news until the number of teachers starts going up and class sizes begin going back down.

The Irish Emigrant: Dromm joins Arts Center for book drive

From The Irish Emigrant:

NYC Council Member Daniel Dromm (center) recently joined volunteers from the Irish Arts Center to give away free books by Irish authors in front of the Jackson Heights Post Office on 37th Avenue.

Great works of fiction found their way into the hands and hearts of hundreds of passersby on the second annual Irish Arts Center Book Day, with over 10,000 books distributed across eight different locations throughout the city, including works by Joyce, Wilde and many others.

In addition to the City Council, Irish Arts Center Book Day is supported by the Irish Literature Exchange, the New York State American Irish Legislators Society, and Imagine Ireland, the Culture Ireland arts initiative.

The Queens Courier: Garden school lot to become green space

From The Queens Courier: By Michael Pantelidis

Jackson Heights recently received the best medicine to cure its congestion – open space.

The city announced its long-awaited purchase of the Garden School’s athletic field on March 21, providing the community – which has one of the worst ratios of persons-to-park-space in the five boroughs – with much needed recreational room.

“This is a great deal for both the residents of Jackson Heights and the Garden School,” said Deputy Mayor Howard Wolfson. “All sides worked together to ensure that this land will be preserved as open space that both neighborhood residents and the school can use.”

Combined with Travers Park, located across the street from the Garden School on 78th Street between 34th Avenue and Northern Boulevard, the athletic field will supply Jackson Heights with a sublime duo of adjacent destinations.

“Every New Yorker should have access to adequate parks and recreational opportunities, and Jackson Heights was in dire need of additional park space,” said Councilmember Daniel Dromm, who championed the sale. “The opportunity to preserve this open space and expand Travers Park was simply too great to pass up. The residents of our neighborhood deserve this.”

The lot, which is 25,000-square-feet, was put up for sale over a year ago by the cash-strapped Garden School. Community residents were peeved when the private school rejected an offer from the city last year in favor of holding out for a private developer who could potentially pay more quickly.

The land was ultimately purchased by the city for $6 million – $4 million of which was secured by Dromm, combined with $1 million contributions from both Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Borough President Helen Marshall. Under the terms of the agreement, the Garden School will also receive $800,000 in interest-free bridge loans from the J. M. Kaplan Fund and The Fund for the City of New York until they receive the payment.

“This was a wonderful collaboration between the city, community members and our private school,” said Garden School Headmaster Dr. Richard Marotta. “Everyone wins with this arrangement and it is a perfect example of what can happen when the public and private sectors work together.”

The field will be open to the public on weeknights and weekends, while the school will have exclusive rights to the space from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays. Dromm and community advocates have also received approval from Community Board 3 to permanently close the section of 78th Street slotted between the neighboring fields, creating a public play street for residents.

Park advocates, such as the Jackson Heights Green Alliance, will attempt to secure additional funding to perform renovations on the field. The lot will be opened to the public once the restorations are completed, which will not be for over a year.

“Getting the whole community involved is what made this park expansion a reality. Thousands of Jackson Heights residents banded together to encourage the Garden School to sell this land to the city,” said Will Sweeney of the Jackson Heights Green Alliance. “We are ecstatic to be getting more parkland in our neighborhood. This cherished space will be enjoyed by generations of Jackson Heights residents and families to come.”

Women's Rights: Progress and Challenges

From the Queens Ledger: By Daniel Dromm

As we celebrate International Women's Day and Women's History Month this March, we should reflect on the progress of women in the United States and here in Queens. Many groups and individuals throughout the borough have dedicated themselves to working for women’s rights. One important element of this movement is ensuring that women are free from violence because of their gender.

Over the past generation, this country has made great strides addressing gender-based violence. The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), first passed in 1994, was one groundbreaking step. With the passage of my resolution this past Wednesday, the City Council has joined the chorus of voices across the country calling for the reauthorization of VAWA.

Significantly for Queens, the proposed version that Congress is now debating strengthens protections for immigrants who have survived gender-based violence. Much work remains, and we must continue to address retrogressive practices such as blaming the victim.

Another serious issue facing many immigrant women is sex trafficking in which criminals and their networks illegally trade or sell individuals into commercial sexual exploitation. Traffickers exploit the vulnerability of their victims, such as their youth, gender, or sexual orientation, and benefit from the language and cultural barriers that prevent them from reaching out for help.

In 2007, an anti-trafficking statute was passed by the New York State Legislature. Despite its laudable intent, the current law must be revised and strengthened to ensure that tough measures are in place against traffickers and that survivors have access to the services they need.

I have joined with advocates to introduce a City Council resolution calling on Albany to improve the way New York addresses sex trafficking.

One important way to improve the law is to address the connection and the distinction between the crime of prostitution and the scourge of sex trafficking. Sex trafficking, which is akin to slavery, should not be conflated with prostitution, which encompasses individuals who choose to engage in commercial sex work.

The result of such conflation is that survivors of trafficking are being arrested and prosecuted for prostitution. Treating trafficking survivors as prostitutes is a deplorable practice of police and prosecutors looking for easy, cosmetic salves for a complex problem. Calling for stronger laws to combat prostitution in the name of combating sex trafficking is similarly misguided.

The psychological, physical, and sexual torture endured by these survivors is devastating enough. For our government to arrest, fine, and imprison them is unconscionable.

Effectively combating trafficking requires an approach that targets the traffickers and their criminal networks, no matter how far they reach. Most important, efforts need to be centered on empowering and rehabilitating survivors. As a crucial first step, publicity campaigns should be aimed at reaching those ensnared in trafficking.

Another key component is improving how the police address the issue. The police department needs to draft, with the input of experts in trafficking, and promulgate regulations that officers must follow when they make an arrest for prostitution.

When an arrest for prostitution is made, officers should be required to ask if the person is a victim of sex trafficking. I continue to explore ways to work with the police to ensure sex trafficking survivors are not labeled as criminals.

As invaluable and equal members of our community, women deserve to have their voices heard and their concerns addressed. March gives us time not only to consider the contributions of women to our great country but also to reflect on ways to advance women’s rights.

Daniel Dromm represents the 25th District in the City Council.

NY1: Jackson Heights School Sells Athletic Field To City

From NY1: By CeFaan Kim

After nearly two years of negotiations, city officials have finally reached an agreement with the Garden School to sell their athletic field to the city, to give Jackson Heights new green space.

Deputy Mayor Wolfson, Borough President Marshall, Council Member Dromm, Garden School, and Park Advocates Announce Purchase of Athletic Field in Jackson Heights, Queens

Jackson Heights, NY, March 22, 2012 -- In what is a major success for the neighborhood of Jackson Heights, a deal was reached to preserve the last remaining open space in a congested community which has one of the worst ratios of persons to park space acreage in the City. Seizing a once in a lifetime opportunity to bring more parkland to the area, City officials quickly began negotiations with the Garden School as soon as their athletic field was put up for sale over a year ago. The agreement reached with the City is a win-win for Jackson Heights and the Garden School, who negotiated in good faith to ensure that the lot remained an open space for the area. At 25,000 square feet, the Garden School athletic field is a significant addition to neighboring Travers Park. The lot was purchased for $6 million of which $4 million was secured by Council Member Dromm. The Mayor’s office and the Queens Borough President’s office contributed $1 million each.

"This is a great deal for both the residents of Jackson Heights and the Garden School,” said Deputy Mayor Howard Wolfson. “All sides worked together to ensure that this land will be preserved as open space that both neighborhood residents and the school can use. This is an outstanding example of how government and the community can collaborate to achieve the best possible result."

“Every New Yorker should have access to adequate parks and recreational opportunities and Jackson Heights was in dire need of additional park space,” said Dromm (D-Queens). “The opportunity to preserve this open space and expand Travers Park was simply too great to pass up. I commend Deputy Mayor Wolfson, the Garden School board members and Borough President Marshall for their commitment to the Jackson Heights community and their extraordinary effort in making this deal come to fruition. The residents of our neighborhood deserve this.”

“This was a wonderful collaboration between the City, community members and our private school,” said Garden School Headmaster Dr. Richard Marotta. “Everyone wins with this arrangement and it is a perfect example of what can happen when the public and private sectors work together.” 

“When Councilman Dromm approached me with this proposal I immediately saw the benefit and was happy to provide $1 million in capital funding to help make this project become a reality,” said Queens Borough President Helen Marshall. “This deal will benefit both the Garden School and the public and provide much-needed open space in this community.”

“Today, we’ve set in motion the acquisition of an important addition to the adjacent Travers Park and a vital piece of recreational space.” said NYC Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe. “Jackson Heights needs additional open space, and I want to thank the neighborhood park advocates, local elected and community officials, the Garden School, Mayor Bloomberg and our colleagues in City Hall who all worked together to move the process forward.”

"Getting the whole community involved is what made this park expansion a reality. Thousands of Jackson Heights residents banded together to encourage the Garden School to sell this land to the City. Thank you to Council Member Dromm for his vision and leadership. And thank you to Mayor Bloomberg, Deputy Mayor Wolfson, and all the City employees who worked on this deal, for their dedication and perseverance,” said Will Sweeney of the Jackson Heights Green Alliance. "We are ecstatic to be getting more parkland in our neighborhood. This cherished space will be enjoyed by generations of Jackson Heights residents and families to come."

The environmental consulting firm AKRF provided pro bono services that will help expedite the Uniform Land Use Review Process (ULURP) at a cost savings to the City. The ULURP process is required when the City acquires private land.

“In 1965 my grandfather – Jack Kaplan – teamed with the City of New York to create this town’s first vest-pocket park, on West 128th Street in Harlem. So I’m particularly pleased today to celebrate another public/private partnership to bring open space to neighborhoods that need it most,” said Peter Davidson, Chair, J. M. Kaplan Fund.

“The Fund for the City of New York is delighted to be able to help the Garden School and the New York City Parks Department preserve this important space for the public,” says Mary McCormick, President of the Fund for the City of New York. This is a great example of collaboration and innovation on the part of the City and an important nonprofit.”

Dromm and community advocates, with the approval of Queens Community Board 3, have already secured permission to permanently close the adjacent street (78th Street). When combined with the purchase of the Garden School lot, the existing parkland will almost double in size.

ABC7: Group fights for immigrants' eligibility of financial aid

Art McFarland reports that the clock is ticking for leaders in Albany to consider a bill.

NY1: Transit, Elected Officials Discuss New LIRR Station For Elmhurst

From NY1: By Tina Redwine

Should the Long Island Rail Road build a new station in Elmhurst, Queens? Some residents hope so.

"It's just so much faster than a subway. If you can afford it, it's definitely the way to go," said Elmhurst resident Andrew Ruf.

There was a station in the neighborhood until about 25 years ago, when the LIRR demolished it because few riders used it.

On Thursday, area Congressman Joseph Crowley and City Councilman Daniel Dromm toured the old site with the railroad's president, Helena Williams.

Crowley said the station would allow a shorter commute and more family time for residents.

"It’s not just about getting to and from work. It’s about a better standard of living and a better quality of life," said Crowley.

Census figures show there are 40 percent more people living in Elmhurst than there were when the station closed. Dromm said locals are not happy with the subway service.

"The subway stops are crowded, that often times they have some delays on the subway. they'd like to have another option," said Dromm.

Williams said an Elmhurst station is a possibility.

"We are doing things along the line that gives us the opportunity to add trains, by adding trains it becomes once again feasible to stop trains in the outer boroughs," said Williams.

She said Elmhurst is the only new station the LIRR is considering.

The decision to build the station depends largely on how many riders will use it, so the Metropolitan Transportation Authority is doing a survey to see how many bus, subway and vans riders here would pay more to take the LIRR.

A full-fare ticket from Elmhurst would be $7.25 cents, $5 more than the subway. But the LIRR would get riders into Manhattan 25 minutes faster and eventually all the way to Grand Central Terminal, once the East Side Access project is completed.

"It's worth it because time is money," said an Elmhurst resident.

MTA officials say the new station would cost between $20 million to $30 million.

Times Ledger: The Pot Bust Trick

From Times Ledger:

City Councilman Daniel Dromm is locking horns with the mayor over the NYPD’s handling of marijuana arrests.

According to data that he cited, 50,683 people in the city were arrested for the lowest level of marijuana possession in 2011. More people have been arrested under Bloomberg’s administration than under Mayors Koch, Dinkins and Giuliani combined. More than 86 percent of those arrested were black or Latino.

In 1977, the state classified marijuana possession of 25 grams or less for personal use as a violation. That means the person in possession of the pot does not get a criminal record.

But there is a catch. If the marijuana is in public view, it becomes a misdemeanor. When a police officer orders a suspect to empty his or her pockets, a violation can become a misdemeanor.

There are strong arguments on both sides on the marijuana debate. But Dromm is right: Police should not be using a trick to turn a violation into a misdemeanor.

Queens Chronicle: Dromm touts park deal, 7 train lease

From Queens Chronicle: By Paula Neudorf

In a wide-ranging conversation with the Chronicle’s editorial staff last Friday, Councilman Danny Dromm (D-Jackson Heights) highlighted the expansion of Jackson Heights’ Travers Park, the leasing of an empty commercial space at a nearby 7 Train terminal, and the creation of the 37th Road Plaza — which some Bangladeshi groups have opposed — as highlights of his accomplishments to date.

He also weighed in on a number of issues relating to the city at large, including his ongoing support of the living wage bill, his distaste for some of the NYPD’s practices, and why he strongly supports the removal of churches from the city’s schools.

When asked if he would be running for reelection in 2013, Dromm, who beat out incumbent Councilwoman Helen Sears in September 2009, answered, “Absolutely.”

“It’s the best job I’ve ever had,” he said. Looking back at his administration to date, he said, “the biggest thing we’ve done is to preserve open space.”

This includes his efforts to expand Travers Park, on 34th Avenue between 77th and 78th streets — one of Jackson Heights’ lone green spaces — by acquiring land from the Garden School, a private institution across the street, which Dromm said would nearly double the park’s size.

Negotiations to buy the school’s yard first began in August 2010, he said. The councilman eventually secured $4 million — $1 million from his funds and $3 million from the City Council’s Queens delegation — along with an additional $1 million from Borough President Helen Marshall, to buy the land. And despite a competing bid for the yard from a developer early last year, Dromm said the “signing on the dotted line” for the green space would take place soon.

Turning to the creation of the 37th Road Plaza — the stretch of the road between 73rd and 74th streets was closed to traffic last September — Dromm emphasized he continues to believe the space and related traffic changes are a boon for the community, despite the much-publicized discontent of a group of Bangladeshi businesses located on or near the plaza.

“They’re too late to the table,” he said of the dissenters. “They’re going to have to adjust.”

The process that led to the creation of the plaza took three years, Dromm said. A Department of Transportation study on the area had input from “close to 500 people,” but all six businesses on the particular stretch of 37th Road affected “chose not to participate.”

One of the factors hurting businesses there, Dromm added, was moving a bus route from 73rd Street to 75th Street, something he said has reduced travel time by eight minutes.

Increased congestion as the result of a new grocery store that may open on the plaza, however, has Dromm concerned. A part of the marquee of the old Eagle Theater on the plaza has already come down, even as Dromm continues to hope the owner of the building can be convinced not to allow the store.

“My hope is that the business owners will work with us,” Dromm said. The store would not be a small one, but would sell “50-pound bags of rice” and other goods in large quantities.

“It’s effectively like putting a Costco in the middle of a residential area,” he said.

Turning to development nearby that he was pleased with, Dromm noted that Italian chain restaurant Famous Famiglia will be renting a two-story, 4,000-square-foot space in the 7 train terminal on 75th Street and Roosevelt Avenue, which has been empty for eight years. He said he began looking for people to lease the space as early as December 2009, before he had even taken office, and that the restaurant was a key component of the area’s overall economic development.

But he did not mince words when it came to the MTA.

“They basically are our worst enemies in terms of economic development,” he said, referring not only to the agency’s seeming inability to rent the space in the past, but also to the persistent pigeon poop problem around the 7 train’s Jackson Heights station.

Dromm went on to address citywide concerns, including his ongoing support for the living wage bill, a compromise version of which was recently proposed by Council Speaker Christine Quinn. The bill would raise the wages of workers in developments that have received subsidies to $10 an hour with benefits, or $11.50 without. But with Quinn’s compromise, the raised wages would only apply to building service employees at such projects, and not necessarily the employees of any businesses that rent space from them.

“I believe in paying workers well,” Dromm said simply. “Especially where you’re giving tax abatements, then I think the city should be an advocate” for workers, he added.

Referring to the Queens Center Mall, where some tenants, such as J.C. Penney’s, have nonunionized employees, Dromm said he is for the workers.

“What we’re asking from Macerich [the Mall’s owner] is only neutrality,” he said.

Beyond the living wage bill, citywide issues Dromm addressed included the police practice of stop and frisk and the NYPD’s widespread surveillance of Muslim communities.

“I think Ray Kelly is very popular,” Dromm said, adding he’s “surprised at how teflon [Kelly] is,” referring to the commisioner’s seeming invicibility.

“We’ve seen police corruption all over the place.” Surveilling Muslim civilians is, to Dromm, the beginning of a “slippery slope.”

Rounding up the meeting, Dromm turned to the issue of the separation of church and schools, as churches continue to battle a Department of Education order banning any religious organization from renting space in city schools.

Dromm strongly supports the separation, by and large because of what he characterized as insidious attempts on the parts of churches and other organizations to “evangelize” to public school students.

“They are calling this church planting,” he said. Some of the churches in the city aren’t just in a school “every Sunday,” he said, “but week after week after week.”

Dromm said he had previously supported efforts to remove the Boy Scouts from schools by and large because of the organization’s refusal to accept gay members or leaders.

When asked whether his holding the occasional public meeting in a church or synagogue was at all hypocritical, the councilman answered that he pays full rent for such spaces, while religious organizations get a subsidized rent in the schools they occupy.

At the meeting’s end, Dromm proudly identified himself as one of the City Council’s most “progressive” members, adding that treading the “middle of the road” was not the reason he had taken up office. “I enjoy being a progressive voice on these issues,” he said.

Queens Ledger: Dromm, Mulgrew blast DOE, Mayor at education town hall

From Queens Ledger: By Lisa Fraser


Former public school teacher turned city councilman, Daniel Dromm, lambasted the mayor's actions in handling the Department of Education at a town hall he hosted last Wednesday night in Jackson Heights with United Federation of Teachers (UFT) president Michael Mulgrew.

The town hall was set up to invite parents and teachers to hear what the UFT president and Dromm had to say about the myriad of issues affecting the New York City public school system, ranging from school closures to the teacher evaluation controversy to a reluctance to reduce class size. 

Both Dromm and Mulgrew chided the mayor on what they called failing actions on behalf of the children in the public school system.

“The number one thing that I learned in my 25 years of public school teaching is this: education is not a business,” Dromm said, as a boisterous crowd of parents, teachers and UFT representatives who filled P.S. 69's auditorium cheered and applauded. “Children are not a market.”

“Business is a focus on profit, education is about the public good,” said Dromm. “Business is about corporate ownership, control; education is about community engagement. Business is aimed at competition and education should be about equality.”

Dromm said that in the ongoing debate between the mayor and public school teachers, the mission and goal of public education has been lost. 

“The goal is to prepare students for challenges that they will face for the rest of their lives,” he said. “Corporate forces have now teamed up with billionaires and misguided politicians to privatize education.”

Dromm said the mayor was determined to bring a corporate mindset to the classroom and that 10 years later, he sees little to no evidence that any progress has been made.

“A signature objective of Mayor Bloomberg has been to create corporate policies in city schools,” Dromm said, referring to the huge emphasis on standardized testing.

He called it a corporate policy that doesn't understand the individual needs of children. 

“The focus on testing is madness,” he said. “We need to stop the obsession with testing, it is harmful to children. It will incentivize cheating and narrow curriculum.”

Dromm and Mulgrew pushed the need for smaller class sizes, which was backed with applause from the audience. They also called for expanded curriculum and expanding early childhood education.

Mulgrew said that as he went around to various schools across the city after the mayor released the public grades for teachers, he was overwhelmed by the amount of support from parents.

“Parents have no choice in education anymore,” Mulgrew said. “The communities are very upset and ignored and that's caused a lot of frustration. The school system will never move forward until you solve that fundamental problem where you push the parents out of the educational process.”

He blasted the co-locations and the PEP meetings, saying that the panel never listens to anyone.

“School buildings are owned by the communities that live around them,” Mulgrew said. “And if I were a teacher, I would bring my kids to one of these things and say this is what democracy should never look like.”

P.S. 69 is located in District 30 and is the most overcrowded district in the city. Dromm and Mulgrew blamed the mayor for the rise in class size over the past decade, contributing to the overcrowded Jackson Heights district.

“Why haven't we been constructing the seats that we need,” Mulgrew asked. “It can't work anymore when it's this overcrowded.”

Overall, Mulgrew said he has faith in the system and that the UFT will always be working with community, parents and elected officials. 

“I look forward to seeing where we are four years from now, because I do believe we are going to do great things in this school system,” he said. “I do believe the community will again be the most important part of education in this city.”

Parents Sandra and Felipe Rivera and their daughter Kassandra attended the town hall even though they live in Astoria. Kassandra attends P.S. 234 and came with a message for the mayor: “the effort you put into closing our schools could probably fix our schools.” 

“I'm hoping that the UFT could take control of public education instead of the mayor taking control of all of this,” said Sandra. “The biggest issue is the testing. Anything that the kids are learning is just for whatever is done on that test and my concern is that she's learning for this test now. I don't know if it'll stay with her.”

Kassandra, a fifth-grader, wants the mayor to stop the budget cuts. She said she lost one of her gym classes and teachers at P.S. 234 because of a loss of funding. “We don't have any more gym,” she said. “We can't play all the sports, but luckily I have a teacher that teaches me privately.”

She asked if she as a public school student has a future with this mayor. Mulgrew told her that with the support of her parents and teachers, she does.

El Diario: Trabajan por más espacios públicos

From El Diario: By Gloria Medina

Las familias hispanas de Jackson Heights en Queens tendrán más espacio para actividades recreacionales durante este verano.

Esta es la principal meta de los miembros de la organización Green Alliance de Jackson Heights que presentaron sus proyectos de trabajo anoche, durante la reunión del ayuntamiento que se realizó en el Jewish Center de Jackson Heights.

La organización Green Alliance es conocida por haber establecido "La calle recreativa" en la calle 78, seguida al parque Travers, ubicado entre las calles 77 y 78 y la avenida 34 y la Northern Boulevard. En 2008 obtuvieron el permiso para cerrar la calle al tráfico durante los fines de semana del verano y, desde el 2011, toda la temporada veraniega.

Ahora, con el apoyo del concejal Daniel Dromm, una de las principales metas de Green Alliance es conseguir que la Ciudad amplíe ese espacio para beneficio de los residentes de Jackson Heights.

La calle 78 divide el parque Travers y la escuela privada Garden School. Los dueños de la escuela están vendiendo el patio del plantel y están en negociaciones con la Ciudad para que lo compre y de esta forma unir el espacio del parque, la calle 78 y el patio de la escuela y hacer un gran espacio público.

"No se ha llegado a una conclusión, pero las dos partes están comprometidas a llegar a un acuerdo", dijo el concejal Dromm. "La compra fomentaría la actividad física para los niños y el gran beneficio para la comunidad latina es que al mismo tiempo se combate el amplio porcentaje de obesidad infantil", acentuó el funcionario electo, quien agregó que su prioridad es encontrar maneras creativas de ampliar las zonas verdes del distrito que representa.

De la misma forma, Anthony Ng, miembro de Green Alliance indicó que la comunidad latina sería una de las más beneficiadas, ya que en Jackson Heights hay un gran porcentaje de familias hispanas.

"Muchas familias salen para compartir", dijo Ng. "Cuando se cierra la calle 78 lo que más se ven son niños jugando en la calle, las personas de tercera edad salen a recrearse, grupos salen a hacer ejercicio. Es un beneficio gigante para todos y en general para la comunidad latina", agregó.

Para información más detallada acerca de los otros proyectos, puede visitar la página de Internet www.jhgreen.org.

NY1: Lawmakers Address Fraud Concerns Among Queens Immigrants

From NY1 News:

Officials gathered outside Elmhurst Hospital on Wednesday to address consumer-related issues being reported by immigrants.

Thirteen Op-Ed: Fight Abuses in Private Immigration Detention Centers

From Thirteen:

On Thursday, the Center for New York City Affairs is hosting The Detention Dilemma, a lecture event on the state of privately operated prisons, which are often used to detain undocumented immigrants.City Council Member Daniel Dromm (D-25) is chair of the Committee on Immigration on the New York City Council. Last December, Dromm and New York City Public Advocate Bill de Blasio urged the federal government to probe a privately-operated detention center in Jamaica, Queens, where 175 immigrant detainees held a hunger strike in 2004 to protest what they said were unjust conditions.

As a nation we have accepted the privatization of prisons. Stories of severe prisoner abuse surface and disappear without a ripple because, shamefully, many of us are unconcerned about what happens to prisoners after imprisonment. We think even less about the 31,000 individuals imprisoned in the United States without committing a crime, people who are treated as criminals for doing little more than crossing a border without proper documentation. In the last year there have been stunning allegations that some individuals held in immigration detention centers are being abused both physically and sexually.

Residents of New York City should pay particularly close attention to the allegations of abuse, as our city is home to a detention center run by the GEO Group (formerly Wackenhut), a company in Jamaica, Queens, that the federal government pays to run criminal and immigration detention facilities across the nation. Companies like the GEO Group are rarely held accountable for abusing immigrant detainees because the victims are usually deported before having the opportunity to bring a formal complaint. Making matters worse, detention centers, like the one in Jamaica, Queens, violate both the letter and the spirit of federal law by minimizing detainee access to attorneys.

Lack of attorney access exacerbates the problems immigrant detainees face. Many are likely eligible to remain in the U.S. under existing law. Without access to attorneys, however, they are prevented from fully realizing their right to remain in the country. A large number of people held in detention came to this country seeking asylum. This means that individuals fleeing persecution often arrive in the U.S. only to find themselves locked up and abused.

As chair of the New York City Council’s Immigration Committee, I have introduced two resolutions aimed at sending a message to the federal government that New Yorkers are not happy with the alleged abuse of immigrant detainees in our city.

Resolution 1029 urges Congress to pass the Immigrant Oversight and Fairness Act(H.R. 933). If passed, the resolution would direct the Department of Homeland Security to implement changes in its detention procedures — from creating new care and custody regulations to providing secure alternatives to detention in a privately run facility.

Because many detainees fled their home country due to persecution based on their actual or perceived sexuality or their gender identity, I also introduced a resolution (905) calling on Homeland Security to investigate allegations of abuse of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered individuals in their custody and to take action to ensure the safety of those individuals.

Recently, Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) created a public advocate position as part of an agency wide reform initiative. While I applaud this effort, it is only a first step. New York is, and always has been, an immigrant city. We should stand firm in our resolve to support those who have a legitimate right to remain in the country. To do less is unconscionable.

NY Post: Apple schools go ‘bust’

From New York Post: By Yoav Gonen, Kirstan Conley and Bill Sanderson

Readin’, writin’, robberies.

On the average school day last fall, five city students were arrested and nine hit with summonses, shocking new police data show.

Black and Hispanic students were most likely to leave school in handcuffs — accounting for 93 percent of the 279 arrests at city schools between Oct. 1 and the Christmas break.

More students were arrested in The Bronx than any other borough — with 78 middle- and high-schoolers busted by cops for crimes such as assault, larceny and robbery.

Brooklyn students logged 73 arrests, Manhattan had 55, Queens had 41 and Staten Island had 32.

On average, six of every 10,000 middle- and high-school students were busted last fall, the data show.

Another 19 out of every 10,000 high-school students were issued summonses last fall for minor offenses such as disorderly conduct, marijuana possession and violations of parking and motor-vehicle laws.

In all, cops and school-safety officers issued 532 summonses.

NYPD spokesman Paul Browne said that while arrests are up, the number of felonies has dropped from 1,577 in 2001 to 801 last year.

At a demonstration yesterday outside Police Headquarters in lower Manhattan, City Councilman Daniel Dromm (D-Queens) complained that the police presence in schools is too heavy handed.

“There are twice as many school-safety officers as guidance counselors,” said Dromm, a former teacher. “Are we preparing our students for jail or for college?”

But city schools need cops and school-safety officers to maintain a safe environment, said Councilman Peter Vallone Jr.

“When parents leave their kids in the custody of the Department of Education eight hours a day, their Number 1 concern is that their children are kept safe,” said Vallone (D-Queens).

The data contain a shocker for Staten Islanders — middle- and high-school students were arrested in public schools there at nearly twice the rate of the rest of the city.

Cops and school-safety officers made 32 arrests in Staten Island schools, or 11 busts per 10,000 students.

1010 WINS: Civil Liberties Groups Charge Over-Policing In NYC Schools

From 1010 WINS: By Stan Brooks

Numbers released by the New York Police Department show that about five public school students were arrested every school day during the last three months of 2011.

Civil liberties groups say the 279 student arrests from Oct. 1 to Dec. 31 were excessive. Summonses were issued to another 532 students, largely for disorderly conduct.

Outside 1 Police Plaza, teenage demonstrators chanted slogans and carried signs that read “Dignity For All Students” and “More Books, No Cops” on Wednesday, 1010 WINS’ Stan Brooks reported.

“You have wonder what is the number going to be for the whole school year and we need to ask ourselves ‘Is this school safety? Is this the NYPD showing us that they’re keeping us safe by arresting us and giving us court summons for the most minor things?” one student asked.

Most of those cited and arrested were black and Hispanic. Councilman Daniel Dromm calls the situation shocking.

“This is unacceptable. These numbers figures are totally out of line with what the Department of Education's mission is," he said.

New York Civil Liberties Union Executive Director Donna Lieberman said Wednesday that too many schoolchildren are being treated as criminals. She says many of the infractions should have been handled by the school principals.

The City Council passed a law requiring the NYPD to release the school arrest statistics every three months. This is the second time the department has released the quarterly statistics.

In response to the controversy, NYPD Deputy Commissioner Paul Browne released the following statement:

“The NYCLU talks about arrests in schools but, conveniently, not crimes. There were 801 felonies in the schools last year, compared to 1,577 in 2001 before the current administration took office.“

Brown says the reduction was made “through the good work of dedicated school safety officers and police officers.”

LIC Journal: Dromm Fights to Legalize Medical Marijuana

From LIC Journal: By Liliana Guimaraes

How do marijuana possession arrests affect taxpayers? Why do arrests seem to target minorities, blacks and Latinos? Do laws making the substance illegal really discourage people from using it?

Those were questions addressed at a forum held on Thursday, February 9, by Councilman Daniel Dromm at the Jewish Center of Jackson Heights, 37-06 77th Street, to push for passage of a resolution supporting a bill that would legalize medicinal marijuana.

Dromm hopes to add New York to the list of 17 states where the use of medicinal marijuana is legalized. His resolution passed the Council Committee on Mental Health, Mental Retardation, Alcoholism, Drug Abuse and Disability Services on Monday, February 13. It will be voted on by the rest of the City Council in late February.

Dromm identified himself as a recovered alcoholic, sober for 21 years, and said he thinks of addiction as a matter of one's choice.

“Medical marijuana, and marijuana laws in general, is something that is very important to me, even though I am a person in recovery," he said. "Marijuana arrests should be something that concerns us all.

“I wasn’t an alcoholic because liquor was available, but because I liked to drink too much," Dromm added. "You are an addict or an alcoholic because you choose to [consume], not because of its availability."

But some terminally ill patients have no choice but to rely on medical marijuana to live comfortably, speakers at the meeting said.

“I have a friend who was dying in the 80s, she literally had to stand on the street corner to get the marijuana for her disease,” said Abby Drucker, a Queens resident. “People who want to smoke it for medicinal reasons should be able to do it. Personally I think all drugs should be legalized.

The other issue discussed at the meeting was a reported hike in arrests in the city for small possessions of marijuana. Speakers said excessive arrests negatively affect people's lives and cost taxpayers money.

Marijuana possession arrests, police patrols and stop-and-frisks cost taxpayers $150 million last year, according to the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA).

Police Commissioner Ray Kelly reported recently that police make too many arrests for possession of small amounts. In addition, it is reported that police make false arrests by convincing perpetrators to remove the substance from their pocket, and then arrest them for having it in the public view.

In addition, blacks and Hispanics account for nearly 86 percent of arrests for marijuana possession, while Caucasians account for less than 11 percent, despite the fact that young whites use marijuana at higher rates than young blacks and Hispanics, according to the DPA.

Gabriel Sayegh, director of the DPA, said a bill that will decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana and help eliminate illegal searches and false charges on behalf of the state is needed.

“The problem is that the police are mischarging people," Seyegh said. "They are finding marijuana in a pocket, but they are charging people for having it in public, and what the legislation is considering is a bill that would say it would be the same [charge] in a pocket or in public view.”

Dromm's resolution supports a bill that would standardize penalties for marijuana possession in New York.

NY1: LIRR May Return To Elmhurst

By Cefaan Kim:

For commuters in Elmhurst who may be fed up with their transit options, there's some good news: the LIRR may once again be making a stop in their neighborhood.

Telemundo 47: ¿Nueva York legalizará marihuana?

En este especial una nueva ley promete legalizar la conflictiva planta, pero no todos podrán usarla, mire por qué.

Streetsblog: Unlocking the Potential of the New Jackson Heights Plaza

From Streetsblog: By Ben Fried

Earlier this month you might have noticed a few press accounts about merchants in Jackson Heights who think a new public plaza on one short block of 37th Road is crimping their bottom line. The plaza is actually part of a much broader plan to improve street safety, speed bus trips, and reduce traffic congestion in Jackson Heights, which neighborhood groups and NYC DOT have been working on for years without receiving much media attention. Now that there’s a tinge of conflict, the press is all over it — an innovative and community-driven transportation project has turned into a story about shopkeepers upset over the removal of 20 parking spaces.

The plaza reclaimed the block of 37th Road between 73rd Street and 74th Street. Before the plaza, traffic on that block degraded the neighborhood street network. Drivers turning left onto 37th Road used to cause traffic to back up on 73rd Street and beyond, causing epic fits of horn-honking. Buses routed onto the block more than a decade ago to make way for the construction of the 74th Street transit hub had to make a series of zigzagging turns, slowing down more than 10,000 bus riders every weekday. When the proposal to re-route the buses and take traffic off the block came before the local community board, the vote in favor was unanimous.

“The objective was to get that traffic to move more smoothly and reduce that honking,” said Council Member Daniel Dromm, who has championed the changes and shepherded the project through to completion. NowQ47 and Q49 buses make one turn instead of three, and Dromm says bus drivers have told him they save seven minutes on each trip compared to the old route.

Merchants knew about the changes well in advance and most of the neighborhood’s business groups were supportive, said Dromm. After the plaza installation last fall, complaints began to surface about the loss of parking. But the parking loss — 20 spaces, according to one plaza opponent — is insignificant compared to the foot traffic that could be drawn to a well-run public space. Not only is Jackson Heights compact, walkable, and full of pedestrian traffic, but it has the least amount of park space per capita of any neighborhood in the city. The plaza is also right next to the 74th Street subway station, which sees more than 40,000 boardings on a typical weekday.

Some local merchants apparently don’t see the value of having a public plaza on their doorstep. “Our customers come to do shopping, not to sit,” said Mohammed Pier, president of the Jackson Heights Bangladeshi Business Association.

But it’s clear that the overwhelming majority of people who come to Jackson Heights don’t drive there. According to DOT’s 2010 neighborhood travel survey, 94 percent of interview subjects didn’t drive cars to get to Jackson Heights:

Other merchants believe that the benefits of the plaza outweigh the effects of having less parking. “Right now the business is slow because of the economy,” said Vasantrai Gandhi, who owns a shop called the New York Gold Company and used to chair Community Board 3. “Nobody can judge how much this affects business. One thing is sure. Now there is no accidents, no horn honking, no pollution, no fumes. Some areas benefit and some areas are at a disadvantage, but what’s important is safety.”

I spoke to some residents familiar with the project who think any loss in foot traffic is probably due to the re-routing of buses, not the plaza. They also speculated that the plaza would have received a better welcome if it had opened during the warmer months and started drawing crowds immediately. (Although even in the fall and winter, the space attracts people.)

The missing ingredient, more than great sunny weather, is vision and leadership from the businesses around the plaza, said Afzal Hussein, who opened Espresso77 on nearby 77th Street in 2007. “77th Street never used to have foot traffic,” he said. “Since I opened it people walk here.”

Hussein sees the potential of the plaza to become a destination, and he says he’d be glad to help make it work. “In the summer you can have art exhibits or performance,” he said. “You need a community working together, it’s no one person’s job. They need a leader. It’s a lot of potential there but nobody’s thinking that way.”

Without a merchant group taking ownership of the plaza, Dromm’s office has been coordinating events and maintenance. So far, he said, several community organizations have asked to use the plaza for events, including the Bangladeshi Youth Congress, Queens Community House, and Sindhu USA.

“We’re really working hard to make this successful and I’m calling on the business community to do the same thing,” said Dromm. “We want to help them, but it may require a little different thinking than they’ve had in the past.”