Daily Archives: August 30, 2016

Maloney: Economy better under Dem presidents

Council Member Ben Kallos, State Senator Brad Hoylman, Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney and Assembly Member Dan Quart

Council Member Ben Kallos, State Senator Brad Hoylman, Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney and Assembly Member Dan Quart

By Sabina Mollot

On the heels of Republican criticisms of the economy and President Obama’s handling of it, Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney and a few other elected officials responded with a press conference to argue that the economy has actually done better under Democratic presidents since World War II.

Maloney noted that since the Great Recession, unemployment has been halved from its worst point at 10 percent. Gross domestic product has also grown 1.6 times faster under Democrats on average, she said, with more job growth.

Maloney is a staunch supporter of Hillary Clinton and has served as a campaign trail surrogate.

However, she insisted the announcement, made at Columbus Circle on July 22 wasn’t in response to anything that was said by Donald Trump, who’d just told America during the Republican National Convention that he was the country’s voice.

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Opinion: Time to nix these six

By former Assemblyman Steven Sanders

Before you know it, the 2016 presidential election campaign will be (mercifully) over and then the political focus in New York City will almost immediately shift to the mayoral and other city elections in 2017. Aside from the mayor, there are elections including those for comptroller, public advocate, five borough presidents, district attorneys and all 51 members of the City Council. Each will be elected for four year terms of office. At least six of them are unnecessary.

But first a little recent history: Prior to 1989 this city was governed essentially by a body known as the Board of Estimate. It consisted of the three citywide elected officials: the mayor, the president of the City Council, the comptroller and each borough president.

The citywide officials had two votes on the board and each borough president had one vote.

The City Council was virtually powerless since most of the real decision making occurred at the Board of Estimate, including virtually all fiscal matters. After a lawsuit and changes to the New York City Charter much of that changed. The Board of Estimate was abolished and the City Council was empowered to make all legislative decisions. The office of the president of the City Council was also abolished and instead a speaker of the council was created, elected by the other members of the council.

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Elderly man fatally struck by ambulance at 14th St. and Second Ave.

Accident1 cropped

A man was hit by this ambulance as it turned left onto East 14th Street. (Photo by Sabina Mollot)

By Sabina Mollot

An 81-year-old man died after being hit by an ambulance on Monday afternoon as he crossed the street at the 14th Street and Second Avenue intersection.

According to police, the man, who was later identified as Gen Zhan, a resident of East 29th Street, was crossing as the ambulance was on Second Avenue, making a left turn onto 14th.

Zhan suffered severe body trauma after being hit and was taken to Bellevue, but doctors were unable to save him.

Later at the scene the ambulance’s emergency lights were still flashing although police didn’t have information on whether there had been a patient inside at the time of the accident.

One emergency responder said Zhan had actually gone against the light and hit the side of the ambulance, a blind spot, after it turned. He then fell back and hit his head. A police spokesperson said she didn’t have any information on whether he was going against the light. However, she said he had tried to run across the street, but didn’t make it and was hit while on the crosswalk.

Around two dozen cops and FDNY emergency officials responded to the scene and part of the intersection was closed to traffic for the remainder of the afternoon.

A rep for police said the matter was still under investigation, but no criminality was suspected. The ambulance driver, 22, remained at the scene. The case is being handled by the NYPD’s Collision Investigation Squad.

Zhan was a resident of Renwick Gardens, an apartment complex for seniors in Kips Bay.

Accident scene
Accident scene
Accident scene (Photos by Sabina Mollot)