Gjonaj’s Panic Bill could prevent another ‘Junior’ tragedy
BY JASON COHEN
Councilman Mark Gjonaj
introduced legislation last
week that would hopefully
prevent further tragedies like
Lesando ‘Junior’ Guzman’s occurring
again.
From Friday, November
13, Gjonaj announced a pilot
program, titled ‘Junior’s Law,’
which would reimburse small
businesses for the cost of purchasing
and installing a panic
button that would notify the
police department in case of
emergency.
In June 2018, 15-year-old
Lesandro ‘Junior’ Guzman-
Feliz was brutally killed outside
of a bodega at the corner of
East 183rd Street and Bathgate
Avenue. He tried to hide in the
store, but gang members ran in
and dragged him outside.
Leandra Feliz, mother of
Lesandro Guzman-Feliz, fully
backed the councilman’s measure.
“My son’s murder was a
senseless act of violence that
should have never happened,”
Feliz said. “To me, it is important
that all of us do whatever
we can to protect innocent people.
I believe that this program
will help to keep people safe by
Did you know that Con Edison
is on the verge of raising the price
you pay for delivery of gas to heat
your home by 40%?
Don’t be surprised if you
haven’t heard; the proposal hasn’t
gotten much notice. But if you’re
outraged, you’re not alone. AARP
is, too, and we’re letting state utility
regulators and Governor Andrew
Cuomo know.
The 40% increase in the cost
of delivering gas used for heating
is just one part of a proposal that
would pull $1.2 billion more out
of Con Edison customers’ pockets
over the next three years, starting
in January.
The deal, proposed by the company
and the staff of the utility-regulating
state Public Service Commission
(PSC) would also raise the
cost of delivering cooking gas by
25% and electricity by 15%.
AARP is urging the PSC and
Governor Cuomo to reject this
unconscionable proposal, which
would add unreasonably high
costs to the overburdened Consolidated
Edison customers in New
York City who already pay among
the highest energy delivery rates
in the nation.
This hike would especially
giving storeowners the ability
to call for help during a dangerous
situation. I think this
could save lives.”
In order for a business to be
eligible for the program it must
operate seven days a week and
24 hours a day, have a store
front entry, employ less than
10 employees and it must be located
in a pilot area.
The hope is this makes
businesses and communities
feel safer.
“First, I want to thank Leandra
for being such a tireless
advocate for victims,” the
councilman remarked. “I believe
that Junior’s Law will go
a long way in helping to keep
members of the community
and business owners safe by
providing an easily accessible
way to alert the authorities
that a dangerous situation is
in progress. This is especially
true for bodegas, which tend to
be cash-based businesses that
are often open throughout the
night with a limited number of
employees.”
Fernando Mateo, spokesman
for the United Bodegas of
America, said the bill would
be a step in the right direction,
but more is needed.
hurt millions of moderate- and
low-income customers who struggle
to pay their utility bills month
in and month out. And Con Ed
doesn’t have a great track record
on that front.
The company’s “escalated complaint
rate” - complaints the utility
can’t resolve with the customer -
was more than double that of any
other major electric and gas utility
company in the state over the last
five years.
There’s nothing in the proposal
requiring Con Edison to bring its
escalated complaint rate down to
the statewide average.
Since 2014, about 300,000 residential
should have a button under the
counter that locks the doors
automatically if the employee
feels there is a dangerous situation
overlooked when it comes to
safety. If they were funded or
treated like Facebook, Amazon
or big companies, things would
be vastly different, he said.
it (the bill),” Mateo told the
Bronx Times. “Small business
owners in the city, most of the
time they pay with their lives.
It’s a nice gesture from the city
and the councilman.”
United Bodegas of America implemented
the NYPD.
that would equip bodegas with
panic buttons, shatterproof
glass and other measures that
could prevent an attack from
continuing and essentially
save an innocent life.
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, N 34 OVEMBER 17-28, 2019 BTR
According to Mateo, bodegas
and small businesses
and there should be surveillance
cameras outside.
He noted that small businesses
and bodegas are often
“We defi nitely support
Since Junior’s killing,
safe bodegas with
It is a multi-step program
Each installation costs between
$3,000 and $4,000.
One feature that the Safe
Con Edison customers
on average have been at least 60
days late paying their utility bills.
That’s about 10% of all customers.
Around 30 percent of low-income
customers – an average of 127,263
– had arrears of more than 60 days
from January 1, 2018, to March
2019, owing an average of $790.
Another 23,501 elderly, blind or
disabled customers were behind
on their bills at least 60 days as
of March 6, 2019. That’s too many
New Yorkers who can’t pay their
utility bills.
What’s more, the proposal
would force Con Edison ratepayers
to cover $39 million for subsidizing
CM Mark Gjonaj with Leandra Feliz, speak about “Junior’s Law,” which
could help prevent further tragedies like Junior Guzman.
Photo Courtesy NYC Council
Haven Bodega Program offers
is that it gives the NYPD the
electric vehicle charging stations –
a cost private companies should
shoulder.
The proposal ignores the PSC’s
obligation to “ensure that utility
rates are just and reasonable.”
The increases in the proposal
far exceed the inflation rate not
only for the previous three years
but projected inflation for the next
three years.
Projected decreases in the
cost of energy itself may mask
these double-digit delivery rate increases.
So the increases in total
bills – which combine the price of
energy and the cost to deliver it to
consumers’ homes – may seem reasonable.
But when energy prices
increase, delivery rates won’t decrease
- and consumers will feel
the pinch in a big way.
All of this points to the need for
better consumer protection in New
York, which is among the minority
of states lacking an independent
utility consumer advocate.
Besides rejecting this unreasonable
Con Ed rate hike, Governor
Cuomo could give New York
utility consumers such an independent
advocate simply by signing
S4399/A1966, a bill that has
already passed both houses of the
state Legislature.
ability to monitor its security
cameras in real time.
The playing field needs leveling;
consumers pay over $10
million annually for Con Ed and
other utilities to hire lawyers,
economists and experts to push for
higher rates. Essentially, ratepayers
are paying their utility company
to raise their own rates.
This bill would give consumers
their own advocate to hire expert
witnesses to counter the deep
pockets of other parties – and challenge
unfair rate hikes in court.
The Con Ed proposal does increase
funding for the utility’s
low-income program and includes
an agreement by the company to
refrain from shutting off customers’
power for non-payment during
extreme heat. But it doesn’t do
enough to achieve just and reasonable
utility costs.
If you don’t want a double-digit
hike in your energy delivery rates,
tell the PSC by calling them tollfree
at 1-844-254-6881 or submitting
a comment on line at action.
aarp.org/NYConEdHike. You can
also urge Governor Cuomo to sign
the independent utility consumer
advocate bill by calling him tollfree
at 1-844-586-9562.
Beth Finkel is AARP New
York State Director and lives
in New York City.
BUS INES S , B ROOKLYN S T Y LE
Con Ed looking to raise gas delivery rates 40%
/NYConEdHike