FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM NOVEMBER 18, 2021 • THE QUEENS COURIER 17
Mayor-elect Adams announces transition team
BY MORGAN C. MULLINGS
editorial@qns.com
@QNS
Before Brooklyn Borough President
Eric Adams is sworn in as mayor on Jan.
1, his new team of executives, labor and
organizational leaders will lead the vital
transition process.
Th e full list of transition team members
Hochul signs consumer protection legislative package into law
BY BILL PARRY
bparry@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
Several Queens lawmakers are lauding
Governor Kath Hochul for signing into
law a legislative package relating to consumer
protection.
State Senator Michael Gianaris and
Assemblywoman Catalina Cruz collaborated
on a bill mandating a consumer advocate
have a voting seat on the New York
State Public Service Commission (PSC).
“Too often, the Public Service
Commission serves the industries it regulates
rather than the public,” Gianaris
said. “A consumer representative on the
PSC will be a powerful step in the right
direction.”
Th e PSC is currently comprised of fi ve
members and regulates telecommunications,
electricity, steam, natural gas and
water service delivery. Currently, there
are no membership requirements. Th e
Gianaris and Cruz legislation would mandate
one member have expertise in utility
consumer advocacy.
“With rising utility costs impacting millions
of New Yorkers on fi xed incomes
and others struggling with low-wage jobs
and unemployment, consumers need
regulators
who represent
their interests, not the interests
of their utility companies,” Cruz said.
“Th is law will ensure there is a voice and
vote for ratepayers at the table.”
All members of the PSC are appointed
by the governor and confi rmed by the
state Senate. Hochul signed the package
of bills known as Th e Consumer Credit
Fairness Act, which will protect consumers
from abusive debt collection, as many
practices relate to old debts being sued on,
debt from credit card issuers being resold
to other creditors, and minimal information
being provided to debt purchasers.
By increasing transparency, minimizing
gaps in state civil procedure
laws, and
prevent ing
extreme
actions such as wage garnishment and
bank account freezing, consumers are
given more time to act on burdensome
debt collection practices. Another provision
prohibits harassment from utility
companies when negotiating a complaint
or unpaid balance.
“When bad actors try and take advantage
of consumers, New York will fi ght
back,” Hochul said. “I’m proud to be
signing legislation that will protect New
Yorkers from unscrupulous practices by
debt collectors and utility companies.
Th ese three new laws will make New
York a better, fairer place for all consumers.”
State Senator Leroy Comrie was also
pleased to see the governor enact Th e
Consumer Credit Fairness Act.
“As our state continues to recover from
the pandemic, protecting consumers
remains a high priority for the Senate
Majority Conference, and this package
of legislation will do just that,” Comrie
said. “My bill provides clarifying language
for the Home Energy Fair Practices
Act (HEFPA), ensuring that when New
Yorkers are in the midst of negotiating
payment arrangements or fi ling a complaint
against an energy provider, they
are not subject to harassment or abuse. I
thank Governor Kathy Hochul for signing
this bill into law, recognizing the need
to strengthen statutes that protect residential
utility consumers and hold municipal
providers and energy service companies
accountable to the public they are meant
to serve.”
hasn’t been released, but Adams’
team announced the co-chairs, such as
Goldman Sachs CFO Stephen Scherr, on
Nov. 10.
Prospective administration employees
and those wanting to get involved in the
transition can do so on Adams transition
website, adamstransition2021.com.
“I am excited to get started and to help
Eric make New York a safer, fairer, more
prosperous city for all New Yorkers,” said
Kyle Bragg, president of 32BJ SEIU and
co-chair of the transition team. Bragg
leads a union of about 35,000 members in
New York City.
Th e team of 10 co-chairs is led by
Sheena Wright, president and CEO of
United Way of New York City. Originally
from the Bronx, Wright is the fi rst woman
to lead United Way of NYC. She is a force
in the nonprofi t sector and will likely be
in charge of reviewing the slew of applications
for Adams’ transition team that will
arrive in the coming weeks. Wright also
began Together we Th rive, a Black business
network that provided technical support
to small businesses in the wake of
COVID-19.
“Over the next seven weeks, we will
task a dozen committees and dozens of
committed experts and advocates with
the essential work of preparing the
Adams administration to deliver for New
Yorkers,” the transition chair said.
Adams’ team did not respond immediately
to requests for comment on what
these committees will be.
Back in 2013, Mayor Bill de Blasio’s
transition team was led by Jennifer Jones
Austin and Carl Weisbro, the latter of
whom had a history in multiple mayoral
administrations before joining de Blasio’s
team. Austin had a similar background
to Adams’ chair — a history in nonprofi t
work with low-income New Yorkers.
Th e other co-chairs of Adams’ transition
team are Rich Maroko, president of
the New York Hotel and Gaming Trades
Council; Sharon Greenberger, president
and CEO of YMCA of Greater New
York; Steven Choi, executive director of
One for Democracy; David Lee, chair of
the League of Asian Americans of New
York; Charles Phillips, Infor CEO; Felix
V. Matos Rodriguez, chancellor of Th e
City University of New York; and Darren
Walker, president of the Ford Foundation.
Together, they cover diverse communities
of residents, the education community,
labor stakeholders and much more.
Photo by Kevin
P. Coughlin
Photo by Morgan C. Mullings
Mayoral candidate Eric Adams at a rally with union members before election day on Nov. 1.
/adamstransition2021.com
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