oped BTR letters & comments
Commuters to
see benefits
Dear editor,
The January 15, 2020 Metropolitan
Transportation Authority
Public Hearing for
their proposed federal fi scal
year 2019 capital program of
projects confi rms there continues
to be good news from
Washington concerning real
fi nancial support. Bronx com-
BRONX TIMES REPORTER,BTR JANUARY 17-23, 2020 13
University
gentrification
Dear editor,
We have an issue with gentrifi
cation. Gentrifi cation is
about some kind of monopoly
coming in and taking over
an area. We used to think of
it when white people moved
into an area displacing people
of color. In this case, what we
have is the growth of the Fordham
University campus which
is creating a need for more
housing than they can provide
on campus or in dorms.
Case in point, I am a 69-
year-old woman with a disability
who has been living at 2391
Arthur Avenue for approximately
eight years. Recently,
my landlord issued a ‘No intent’
to renew lease which was
dated October 15 2019 ending
on January 31, 2020. I am losing
my apartment so this landlord
can increase her profi ts by
renting to another Fordham
student, although she has not
admitted to that and is instead
making me the culprit. It’s not
that I’m being evicted, but my
lease is not being renewed and
the end result is the same – I
have to move.
I was the one who got my
landlord her fi rst Fordham
University renter, who then
handed it to his brother. That
fi rst rental expanded to three
of the four apartments in the
building being rented to Fordham
students. Presently, my
apartment is only one in her
building not Fordham-student
occupied.
Please don’t get me wrong,
I have nothing against Fordham
University students.
Prior to them, the tenants in
the building were much more
unsavory types (prostitution,
drug dealing). Unfortunately,
these students can pay higher
rents than the average person,
so it is lucrative for landlords
to rent to them.
I thought I had a good
working relationship with
my landlord. She took me out
to breakfast and lunch sometimes.
I adopted and gifted
her a pedigree dog. Sure we
had our disagreements just
like any landlord and tenant,
but I never anticipated
that I would be searching for
a new place to live in the dead
of winter on a fi xed income.
Clearly profi t has trumped
our relationship.
The agency that subsidizes
my housing due to my disability,
has permitted me to fi nd
my own apartment. The barriers
are: 1) timing – who moves
between October and January,?
2) Finding a landlord
who will accept my voucher, 3)
The mental anguish of having
to leave my community that
I’ve lived in for eight years.
The paradox with this particular
type of gentrifi cation
is that on the one hand it looks
so positive – it’s education. We
have students coming in from
all over the world to take advantage
of this amazing university.
On the other hand,
you have vulnerable people
like me being displaced because
landlords want to take
advantage of the opportunity
to make a big profi t from these
student renters.
We need to fi nd a way to
make sure Fordham University
doesn’t take over communities
in a way that negatively
impacts people that have built
their lives there.
Maria Palladino
NYS Bail Reform
Needs a Quick Fix
BY MICHAEL D. SAPRAICONE
While I understand the
noble ambitions of those who
support bail reform, which
took effect in New York State
on January 1, many in the
law enforcement and security
fi elds remain deeply concerned
that we’ve pushed the
criminal justice pendulum
too far in the other direction.
We must continue to address
social problems like
prison overcrowding and
equality in our court system,
but we must restore the discretion
judges have always
been afforded when it comes
to imposing bail. If we require
judges to adhere to strict and
rigid bail guidelines, then we
also run the risk of encouraging
recidivism.
There have already been
some examples of this, and
we’ve barely scratched the
2020 calendar:
• In Brooklyn, a woman
accused of attacking three
Orthodox Jewish women was
set free, only to commit a
similar offense a day later;
• In Westbury, L.I., a 26-
year-old man arrested for a
burglary spree committed
another burglary just hours
after his release;
• In Island Park, L.I., a
woman with a history of a
variety of crimes was released
four times in seven
days, even though her family
pleaded she be remanded because
of her mental issues;
• In the Albany area, a
suspect with a habit of robbing
banks (a federal offense)
was released without bail after—
you guessed it—robbing
a bank;
• On January 9, a habitual
bank robber was set free
from yet another charge because
he used a note instead
of a gun to pull off his latest
deed
Legally, the purpose of
bail is not to punish, but to
ensure that suspects return
for scheduled court proceedings.
But this is exactly
where judges and prosecutors
require discretion. If a
suspect is likely to commit
crimes after being released,
it’s not a stretch to believe he
or she might fl ee and not return
to court to face the original
or subsequent charges.
In recent days, both Governor
Cuomo, Mayor de Blasio,
and the state Senate leadership
(all Democrats), have
begun pushing for changes
in the new law. Supporters
of bail reform say a few highprofi
le cases are being sensationalized
and do not account
for those who will be
responsible and return to
face charges for the crimes
of which they’re accused.
That might be the case, but it
still doesn’t allow judges and
district attorneys to protect
the public from likely recidivists.
They need the ability
to consider numerous factors
in a suspect’s case, including
prior arrest record, risk of
fl ight, and cognitive ability.
Fortunately, returning this
power to judges a priority
among some Democrats.
In its current form, bail
reform in New York state attempts
to swing the criminal
justice pendulum too far, and
it puts the public at risk.
The new rules also affect
victims and witnesses and
their safety.
They also impede law enforcement’s
ability to conduct
proper and often complex investigations
which require
more than 15 days, the time
new law gives them to hand
over evidence.
What’s required is more
measured response to the
social problems we all agree
must be solved.
(Michael D. Sapraicone is
a retired fi rst-grade NYPD detective
and CEO of Squad Security,
Inc., a global protective
services agency based on Long
Island.)
FOR ADVERTISING RATES
AND INFORMATION
CALL (718) 260-4593
muters will see some of the
benefi ts..
The MTA receives over $1.4
billion annually from the Federal
Transit Administration.
These dollars are used to fund
various capital improvement
projects for NYC Transit subway
and bus, Long Island Rail
Road, Metro North Rail Road,
MTA Bus and Capital Construction
Company. Most federal
transportation grants require
a 20 percent hard-cash
local share. FTA accepted toll
credits instead of hard cash
for the local share. This saved
the MTA over $1 billion in the
previous $32 billion 2015-2019
fi ve-year capital program.
The MTA will save $1.6 billion
under the $51 billion 2020-
2024 fi ve-year capital program
when applying for $8 billion in
future FTA funding.
Washington has made
available over $1.4 billion in
2019 FTA formula funding for
the MTA. This helps pay for a
signifi cant portion of its capital
program. This includes
$28 million in Buses and Bus
Facilities; $793 million in Section
5337 State of Good Repair
and $672 million in Section
5307 Urbanized Area federal
funding. There are other opportunities
for up to several
hundred million more in discretionary
competitive federal
grants.
The MTA can also take
advantage of FTA pre-award
authority prior to grant approval.
Use of Pre-award
Authority affords the MTA
an opportunity to start projects
months earlier and incur
costs for reimbursement
at a later date after
grant approval and obligation
of funding. The MTA
currently manages an active
portfolio of federally funded
capital improvement projects
and programs in open
grants worth over $12 billion
in direct FTA financial
assistance.
Larry Penner
as stated
As Stated reports that a
joint statement was released
by assembly members Marcos
Crespo and Maritza Davila
and Borough President Ruben
Diaz, Jr. on the Federal
Government’s release of earthquake
disaster aid funding to
Puerto Rico..... “This morning
(Tuesday, January 14) we
learned that the Trump Administration
has belatedly
agreed to provide some of the
funding that Congress already
authorized to help Puerto Rico
repair the damage caused by
Hurricane Maria.
“This news comes as we
and Governor Cuomo are
wrapping up one of many
trips we have taken together
to the island to call attention
to this emergency and to the
plight of the Puerto Rican
people.
“We didn’t just show. In
partnership with Gov. Cuomo
and the State of New York, we
acted - providing state personnel,
volunteers, blankets and
pillows and other fi rst aid materials.
“We are glad President
Trump noticed our work here
and agreed to provide some of
this long overdue funding.