WWW.QNS.COM RIDGEWOOD TIMES AUGUST 19, 2021 11
NYC’s #1 Source for Political & Election News
Hochul promises ‘a whole new era’
BY JOE PANTORNO
EDITORIAL@QNS.COM
@QNS
New York Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul,
who will become the next governor of the
state upon Andrew Cuomo’s resignation,
promised “a whole new era” for diversity in Albany
upon her arrival in offi ce.
Cuomo resigned on Tuesday aft er New York Attorney
General Letitia James revealed that he sexually
harassed 11 women in a workplace that was deemed
toxic.
Hochul told CBS’s “Face The Nation” on Sunday
morning that she will decide the best action to take
when it comes to communicating with the victims
when she takes over later this month while ensuring
that her administration will speak to “all women.”
“I want them to know that they feel welcome to stay
in the administration when they’re here. The culture
will be changed 1,000 percent,” Hochul said. “I want
all women … to realize that this is a place where
they’ll have a role. We need their voices. We need
their diversity.
“I want by the end of my administration for every
woman to say there are no barriers, there is no
longer a ceiling.”
When asked whether or not she has spoken with
Cuomo, Hochul said that she has been in contact
with his team, but the soon-to-be-former governor
is being viewed as nothing more than a distraction.
“My goal is to have a smooth transition and hit the
ground running literally in a matter of days … we’re
going to stay focused,” Hochul said. “I will have no
distractions in my administration. We’re focused
on what’s doing the best for the people of this state.”
That includes tackling concerning COVID-19
numbers that continue to rise across New York City
as a new school year is right around the corner.
Hochul told CNN’s “State of the Union” earlier on
Sunday morning that a mask mandate for schoolchildren
is “something that I believe has to occur.”
A decision on that along with addressing vaccination
rates will come collaboratively with Mayor Bill
de Blasio and the incoming mayor, which is expected
to be Eric Adams.
“You have smart people, I have smart people,” Hochul
told CNN. “How about doing it together and not
in competition?”
Hochul is set to put plenty of stock in New York
City, disclosing that her lieutenant governor will
come from the Big Apple to ensure she always has
ears to the ground while she’s in Albany.
“I want someone who lives there,” Hochul told
CBS. “Someone who understands the challenges
fi rst-hand.”
The incoming governor also stressed the distribution
of a surplus of money that could help out those
in New York City most impacted by the pandemic.
“I want to get the money out to the people,” she
said. “There are too many landlords and renters
who are suff ering. I also want to get the money out
to the excluded worker program where people who
are immigrants aren’t getting any money because
they’re not documented. That money is sitting there
unspent.”
BY ROBERT POZARYCKI
RPOZARYCKI@SCHNEPSMEDIA.COM
@ROBBPOZ
Some shameless people will go to great lengths
to avoid getting a COVID-19 vaccine — including
spending money to buy fake vaccination
cards on the internet, according to Senate Majority
Leader Chuck Schumer.
Counterfeit card-makers both at home and overseas
are producing and selling the fake vaccination
documents, undermining the national eff ort to vaccinate
people against the deadly COVID-19 virus.
Schumer said on Sunday that the illegal enterprisers
are profi ting at the expense of public health,
and the time had come for the federal government
to step up and take action.
During an Aug. 15 press conference at his Manhattan
offi ce, Schumer urged U.S. Customs and Border
Protection (CBP), the FBI and the Department of
Health and Human Services to unite on a national
crackdown against the vaccine card counterfeiters.
He also called for the federal government to
embark on a national campaign reminding Americans
that the counterfeit operation is not only
dangerous, but illegal.
Creating or using falsifi ed vaccination cards is
a violation of Title 18, U.S. Code, Section 1017 and
other applicable laws, punishable by a fi ne and up
to fi ve years behind bars.
“Fake vaccination cards have been advertised
on social media, blogs and more, and now, new
signs point to a ramp-up production of fake cards
with government logos overseas via countries
like China,” Schumer said. “That’s why we need a
federal crackdown and an educational campaign to
make clear this is illegal, and that there is an even
easier solution for those who are looking to buy or
sell fake vaccine cards — and it is to get the vaccine.”
Some of the counterfeiters have been seen peddling
laminated vaccination cards for $25 apiece;
others are using apps like Telegram to sell the
phony documents, or “COVID-19 Vaccine Cards
Certifi cate,” for as much as $200.
On Saturday, the CBP inspected a suspicious
package that arrived at the Port of Memphis, Tennessee.
It contained 51 fake COVID-19 vaccination
cards with blank spaces for the recipient’s name
and birthdate, the vaccine maker, lot number, dates
and places where the shots were administered, and
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
logo.
“Fake vaccine cards are now a very real problem,
but we can also get it under control if we hit all
these fronts and keep working to fi ght misinformation
and vaccine hesitation,” Schumer said.
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer
(D-NY) takes questions as he discusses the
Senate passage of the bipartisan infrastructure
bill and the budget resolution during a press
conference at the U.S. Capitol in Washington,
D.C., on Aug. 11, 2021. REUTERS/Gabrielle Crockett
New York Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul
REUTERS/Cindy Schultz
Schumer wants action to stop dealers of fake vaccination cards
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