Rent Law Pact "Terrible Deal," For Tenants, Advocate Says

Local leaders and residents rally on the Bronx Courthouse steps last week 
for stronger rent laws (photo by Jeanmarie Evelly)

Lawmakers are reportedly finalizing a deal on the state's rent laws today, a full week after the Emergency Tenant Protection Act--which sets the guidelines for millions of rent-regulated apartments in the city and across New York--expired on June 15.

Housing advocates and many Bronx elected officials have been pushing to see the laws not only extended, but strengthened in favor of tenants. But the legislature's tentative deal, struck last night, does little to meet most of the goals these groups wanted to see addressed.

"It's a terrible deal," said Michael McKee, of the Tenants Political Action Committee, who has been camped out in Albany since last week.

Bronx News Roundup, June 16

Weather: Warm and sunny today, in the high 70s/low 80s. Chance of rain late tonight and into tomorrow morning.

Story of the Day: Mount Hope Dad Gets a New Kidney
We'll start off today's roundup with a feel-good piece in honor of Father's Day this weekend. New York Daily News' Patrice O'Shaughnessy brings us the story of Bronx dad Jameak Lee, who after a decade of illness, dialysis and disappointment, successfully underwent a kidney transplant this winter. This will be the first Father's Day in his 12-year-old son Justin's life that Lee will feel well enough to celebrate.

Bronx News Roundup, June 14

Morning, Bronxites! Your weather forecast for today calls for some cooler weather, with temperatures hanging around the low 60s, and a chance of rain this afternoon.

Story of the Day: Getting Down to the Wire in Albany
It's the last week of business for our state legislators before this year's session ends on Monday and they adjourn until January--meaning just five more (business) days to tackle a number of high profile issues and turn some bills into law. As we wrote yesterday, a slew of Bronx representatives are pushing to pass stronger state rent laws before the week ends, including Assemblyman Jose Rivera, who was arrested during a lively protest outside Gov. Cuomo's office.

While the rent issue still lingers, the Senate and Assembly quickly passed an ethics reform bill yesterday. The Public Integrity Reform Act of 2011 will supposedly keep a closer eye on lawmakers and lobbyists for signs of corruption and conflicts of interest, establishing an independent ethics commission to keep watch over things, and requiring lawmakers to fully disclose sources of income.

Other items still on the legislative agenda this week: a property tax cap and same-sex marriage. Bronx Sen. Ruben Diaz, Sr., is now the lone Democrat opposing gay marriage. Three other Dems who'd previously been against it, and one Republican, announced yesterday that they now intend to vote yes.

Quick Hits:
Jerome Raguso, owner of Gino's Pastry Shop in Belmont, is taking a delicious stand: he sent City Council members a batch of empty cannoli shells, sans the cream filling, to protest budget cuts to arts and civic groups. The missing cream symbolizes "just how much the city's small businesses need its leading attractions," the Daily News writes.

A 17-year-old boy has been arrested for the weekend shooting of 15-year-old DeWitt Clinton student Yvette Torres.

Residents at a number of NYCHA housing complexes in the South Bronx and Manhattan are demanding that the authority make needed repairs on their apartments.

Giant rats are taking over a neighborhood in Pelham Bay.

The Bronx Re-entry Working Group is trying to help the formerly incarcerated turn their lives around.

A ring of 16 Bronx residents were arraigned yesterday for allegedly scamming car insurance companies out of hundreds of thousands of dollars. 

Grim LeRogue, the man arrested in October for storming the field at Yankee Stadium and writing threatening notes to player Alex Rodriguez (similar to a bizarre letter sent to one of our publications, the Norwood News), was sentenced to community service yesterday.

A potential strike of union workers at retail department chain Macy's could mean a shutdown for the store's Parkchester branch, and three other city locations.

More drama in the Bronx NYPD ticket-fixing scandal.

Police are looking for a man suspected of robbing and sexually assaulting a South Bronx woman; photo at the link.

Jose Rivera, Bill Perkins Arrested at Protest [VIDEO]

As we mentioned in the post below, Bronx Assemblyman Jose Rivera--rarely seen without the red light on his hand-held video camera blinking--and Harlem State Sen. Bill Perkins, were among the dozens of protesters arrested this afternoon during a rally for stronger rent laws.

Here's some video footage of the protest, courtesy of the Albany Times Union.