NYC homeless to be charged rent

In accordance with a 1997 state law, seldom enforced, New York City will begin charging rent to persons in homeless shelters who work. The law enables public shelters to charge up to 50 per cent of one’s total family income in rent. It is much in line with the Federal Section 8 housing agreements, where ‘patrons’ of shelters must pay a fair rate. It also entitles New York City to funding from the state for housing aid, $2.4 million dollars of which the City had to return in 2007 because it did not enforce the law.


In a city with astronomical housing prices and a failing economic and jobs market, is it really fair to hit the working homeless with rent charges? It smacks of negative reinforcement: get a job and we will charge you rent...stay unemployed and live rent free. The working homeless are those who are trying to contribute back to society and are making the necessary strides to begin their lives again. Fifty per cent is well above what most would consider an acceptable percentage of income to pay towards rent (which typically stands at 35 per cent maximum). For a family bringing in $800 a month, $400 in rent is absurd. Add this to other costs just to stay alive, not to mention increasing transit costs due to the incompetence of the MTA, and you have a recipe for disaster. There is no incentive to be homeless and work. Perhaps they should take Mayor Mike up on his offer for that one-way plane ticket back home.

Rape escalating in U.S. prison system

A Department of Justice report highlighting prison rape cases in the United States has been issued. While inmate on inmate rape is not necessarily a new or startling occurrence, the report cites an alarming rise in staff on inmate rape. The top perpetrators of this injustice are Great Meadow correctional facility in Washington, D.C., as well as 5 prisons in the state of Texas. The Estelle Unit in Hunstville, Texas has an alleged rape rate of 15.8 per cent over the past year. Many victims say that they were raped multiple times, including by staff. Compare this to the 4.5 per cent rape rate for the country overall.


The most alarming citation in the report is that of the West Texas State School, a juvenile detention facility. Two top officials at the institution have been charged with sexually exploiting inmates, even though staff knew of the problem and had reported it on several occasions. The institution had recently been awarded commendation for its internal auditing measures.

The Obama administration, and Attorney General Holder, are calling for common sense solutions to what seems to be a culture of violence in the U.S. prison system. They are seeking zero-tolerance policies, as well as mandatory reporting of abuse. Will this be enough to curb what is clearly a human rights issue and will their efforts eliminate those staff who would perpetrate it?

Are cutbacks making for a more dangerous City?

Manhattan was certainly not the safest place to be this weekend.


In two separate, unrelated incidents, random citizens were put in harm’s way by things that the City could have done more to prevent.

On Saturday night, a resting crane slammed into the side of a building downtown on Maiden Lane. While there were no reports of injury, part of the building’s façade fell 23 stories to the ground and at least 5 buildings were evacuated. It has come to light that the operator did not properly secure the machine before leaving for the day, causing it to tilt. The operator of the crane has had his license suspended.

Early Sunday morning, an altercation on the downtown 2 train near 14th Street resulted in the murder of two men, with a third still in the hospital. The men were stabbed multiple times with a knife as the train entered the station. The assailants escaped at Christopher Street and have yet to be apprehended.

Both incidents come at a time of increasing uneasiness in the City. Two major crane collapses in as many years have resulted in several deaths, with a court decision last week to indict crane company owners on fraud and negligence. In the subway, decreased numbers of station attendants due to budget cuts foreshadows a time of increased commuter violence.

The question remains: is the City investing enough in its citizen’s well-being and protection, or is an unstable economy forcing cuts in all the wrong places?

Playground equipment stirs debate

Parents, residents and community organizers are concerned about play ground equipment at a particular Brooklyn housing project. The equipment, in addition to the typical monkey bars, swings and slides, has a section resembling a prison cell with the word “jail” over it. The company that manufactured the equipment has stated that this is the only occurrence of its type, and that this is the first time complaints have been logged since the equipment was built in March 2004. It is likely that the surge in complaints is a result of pictures posted on the website, Black and Brown News.


The New York City Housing Authority has already painted over the signage, and is assuring residents that this is a singular occurrence. Public relations staff for the company that built the set, Landscape Structures, is denying jail themed products. Several other companies that specialize in play ground equipment are echoing this, saying that having specific prison text is unheard of.

While it is possible to pass blame on who produced the equipment, what is undeniable is the tact lacking in the act itself. To place prison themed equipment in a housing project, areas known to have disproportionate levels of incarcerated individuals, certainly sends the wrong message to children. It is interesting, though, to consider that it has taken 6 years for any complaints to arise.

Perhaps the level of apathy, apparent on both sides of the issue, is best summed up by 5 year old Destiny Garcia. She liked the prison sign because it reminded her of her father, currently serving time on gun possession charges.

Violence erupts after critical vote

Violence has erupted after a critical parliamentary vote in a country very close to home. Several legislators have received death threats, verbal abuse via telephone, as well as damage to personal and professional property. One even had propane lines in their home cut by vandals. The website of a popular politician who opposes the result of the vote makes allusion to killing particular legislators, and one influential blogger has called for the assassination of the country’s president.


Any ideas which country this might be? Haiti? Venezuela? Honduras?

Think again. It’s right here in the United States.

Several members of Congress have received death threats to their Capitol Hill and District offices, spurring investigation by both Capitol Hill police and the FBI. In total, more than 10 members of Congress will get beefed up security in the coming days. Democratic offices in Kansas and New York have been vandalized as well. In addition, the brother of a Virginia congressman had the lines to his propane tanks cut when vandals mistook the house to be that of the actual congressman. Sarah Palin’s popular Facebook page shows 17 congressional districts in cross-hairs, with further allusions that we should “take them out”. Popular conservative blogger Solly Forell even tweeted for the assassination of President Obama following the health care vote.

I want to hear reader’s views on this before I put out my own. How are these actions and those of the new tea party movement in general, influencing politics in this country? Regardless of one’s stance on the health care debate, is violence in the bastion of democracy acceptable behavior?

Tanning tax, or saving the future?

Details within the recent Health Care Bill are coming to light, including the 10 per cent tax on tanning services nationwide. This tanning tax acts as a replacement to the original tax in the bill on Botox services, and seeks to generate necessary revenue. Tanning salon owners are crying foul, saying that the tax threatens both their employees and customer base.


In New York City, this equates to approximately $2 extra per tanning session. Many customers are complaining that this extra fee will put a strain on their pocketbooks. In my view, going to a tanning salon and spending $20 for 10 minutes of treatment is a luxury. If people were so concerned about their pocketbooks, they would likely spend the $20 on something more important. Tanning is certainly not an essential service, and a luxury tax on the product is not going to break the bank.

There is also positive impact that this tax will bring about in time. The United States spends $1.8 billion a year on skin cancer treatments. According to CNN Money, 2.3 million teenagers currently use tanning salon beds. A tax on what many consider a leading contributor to the issue can certainly curb future increases in the spread of disease.

NYU's expansion: community involvement or takeover?

New York University unveiled its latest plans at expansion over the next 20 years. These plans call for over 6 million square feet of new space for the University, with half of that space in and around the Washington Square Park area. The remainder of the space, another 3 million square feet, would be primarily on Governor’s Island and in downtown Brooklyn. Overall, the plan equates to building in the next 20 years the same amount that NYU has built in the past 43 years.


For anyone who has lived or worked in New York City, this plans surely gives pause. The University is certainly not known for considering the future of the City in its planning, opting instead for a scorched earth approach. There are myriad examples of historic and preserved buildings being demolished, residents being uprooted and the general aesthetic integrity of the landscape being destroyed at the hands of NYU’s expansion. In fact, NYU is now the number one land owner in the City. The 20 year plan will only solidify the University’s dominance over strategic urbanization.

In publicizing the 20 year plan, NYU hopes to quell its negative reputation. Granted, this is a first step in increasing community involvement and dialogue. But, is it going to be enough? At face value, the plan seems to say to the community, “take it or leave it”. Sure, it gives way to green space and pedestrian malls, but also incorporates mega-dorms that would blot the skyline in the Village. I fail to see where the community’s voice was taken into consideration.