Queens Community House hosts annual gala
BY BILL PARRY
Queens Community House
hosted its Strengthening
Neighborhoods Inspiring
Change Gala for hundreds
of guests recently at the Museum
of the Moving Image in
Astoria.
The event proved successful
raising nearly half a million
dollars with proceeds
supporting QCH’s mission of
providing individuals and families
with the tools to enrich
their lives and build healthy,
inclusive communities.
The Forest Hills-based nonprofit
annually offers 25,000
Queens residents a muchneeded
support system at every
stage of life. This year’s
gala honored Rick Blatstein —
founder and CEO of OTG, the
company that has redesigned
the dining experience at JFK
and LaGuardia airport — and
Jamila Michner, PHD, Professor
of Government at Cornell
University and author of Fragmented
Democracy: Medicaid,
Federalism, and Unequal
Politics.
Tony Vero, the deputy general
manager at JFK Airport,
introduced Blatstein, saying,
“Rick oversees a company that
initially formed with just over
a dozen locations in 1996. In
2018, the New York area airports,
served more than 130
million customers, many of
whom purchased at an OTG
concession. In addition to his
industry leadership and expertise,
Rick is an engaged
and active member of his
community.”
Blatstein expressed gratitude
during his opening
remarks.
“It is an honor to be recognized
by Queens Community
House, an organization rooted
in bettering and building a
community OTG is proud to
be a part of,” he said. “I am
incredibly humbled to be honored
by an organization with a
vision I hold such admiration
for.”Q
CH Associate Executive
Director of Young Adult Services
Ivonne Torres introduced
Michener to the crowd.
“Jamila grew up in Queens
and is the daughter of immigrants,
like so many of our
program participants. In my
role, I see first-hand how much
Hundreds attend Queens Community House annual gala in Astoria
raising nearly a half million for its programs.
it means to our youth to see
people they identify with in positions
of leadership and prestige,”
Torres said. “It means
so much to all of us at Queens
Community House that Jamila
has not only succeeded,
but is conducting important
research on how economically
and racially marginalized
groups engage in the political
process, and the work we all
Photo by Luisa Pineda
need to do to strengthen the
foundations of democracy.”
Michener explained how
Queens Community House’s
mission is the same as hers.
“I have dedicated my life to
understanding how to leverage
policy and power to make
this country a more inclusive
and equitable place, a place
where all kinds of people can
live good lives, regardless of
race or class or difference,”
Michener said. “My life’s work
is about protecting and ensuring
the dignity of people at the
margins of our society. Queens
Community House does that
very work in real communities
every single day.”
QCH Executive Director
Ben Thomases told the crowd
that the organization will be
able to upgrade and modernize
the Forest Hills Community
House over the next several
years. Then, QCH Board
President Michael Stellman
addressed the gathering.
“Without the support of
our two honorees and all those
who donated to and attended
this Gala, we wouldn’t be
able to do all the great things
we love to do,” Stellman said.
“The generosity of others and
the dedication of QCH staff
is what makes Queens Community
House special and
what keeps us providing great
services to all those who call
Queens home.”
Reach reporter Bill Parry by
e-mail at bparry@schnepsmedia.
com or by phone at (718)
260–4538.
Con Ed looking to raise gas delivery rates 40%
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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
BUS INES S , B ROOKLYN S T Y LE
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
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
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.
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.
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