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FASHION CITY
◄ CITY ARTS, P.12
At Comptroller Scott Stringer’s press conference about fines and fees. Photo: Susan Watts/Office of New York City Comptroller
VIEWPOINT Don’t let political gamesmanship interfere with a real opportunity to improve our schools and society
Recent recommendations by the Mayor’s School Diversity Advisory Group to change how we identify and teach the city’s brightest children could have been decided on Bill de Blasio’s first day in office. Commissions like this are number one in politicians’ playbooks to defer decision-making. The group either parrots administration views, giving the policy a semblance of independent support, or provides the appearance of action before being disbanded. Here, the Mayor accomplished both. By its makeup and mission, the SDAG was packed to reduce racial separation in our schools, especially the egregiously low representation of Black and Latino students in selective programs. He thus gets immediate progressive talking points on the presidential campaign trail while dithering on adoption. The Chancellor has been equally evasive, asking for time to engage in “an ongoing conversation.” So you may as well keep tutoring
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19-25 2019 INSIDE
THE GIFTED STUDENT QUANDARY BY DAVID C. BLOOMFIELD
WEEK OF SEPTEMBER
THE COSTS OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE LAW ENFORCEMENT
Comptroller Scott Stringer proposes lessening the financial burdens on former inmates BY EMILY HIGGINBOTHAM
A week after the City Council’s hearing on closing Rikers, Comptroller Scott Stringer added a new element
to the criminal justice debate. As activists and city officials push for a focus on rehabilitation, Stringer is proposing a policy that he says will help break the cycle of re-incarceration - and relieve former inmates of undue financial burdens. In 2017, formerly incarcerated people took on a debt of $20 million in court fees and mandatory surcharges upon leaving lockup, with some doing more time after failing
to pay the fines, according to a report Stringer released last week. The report shows that about 45 percent of state parolees are leaving prison with outstanding court debt. In 2017, the courts issued more than 10,000 civil judgments and 11,000 warrants for failing to pay criminal court debt. Stringer, who is contemplating a run for the mayor’s office in 2021, said these
ALL CHARGED UP FOR A GREENER CITY A surge in electric vehicles has sparked the building charging stations. p. 5
‘A VERY SPECIAL PLACE’ A block party will bring together the parents and children who stay at Ronald McDonald House New York and their UES neighbors. p. 6
FASHION FINALE AT THE ARMORY Marc Jacobs closes NYFW with a “reminder of the joy in dressing up”. p. 9
‘WALKING THE TALK’ IN CENTRAL PARK The World Health Organization and partners will kick-start the United Nations General Assembly with a free walk/run. p. 18
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SPRING ARTS PREVIEW
WEEK OF APRIL
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FOR HIM, SETTLING SMALL CLAIMS IS A BIG DEAL
presided over Arbitration Man has three decades. for informal hearings about it He’s now blogging BY RICHARD KHAVKINE
is the common Arbitration Man their jurist. least folks’ hero. Or at Man has For 30 years, Arbitration court office of the civil few sat in a satellite Centre St. every building at 111 New Yorkers’ weeks and absorbed dry cleaning, burned lost accountings of fender benders, lousy paint jobs, and the like. And security deposits then he’s decided. Arbitration Man, About a year ago, so to not afwho requested anonymity started docuhe fect future proceedings, two dozen of what menting about compelling cases considers his most blog. in an eponymous about it because “I decided to write the stories but in a I was interested about it not from wanted to write from view but rather lawyer’s point of said Arbitration a lay point of view,” lawyer since 1961. Man, a practicing what’s at issue He first writes about post, renders separate a in and then, how he arrived his decision, detailing Visitors to the blog at his conclusion. their opinions. often weigh in with get a rap going. I to “I really want unthey whether really want to know and why I did it,” I did derstood what don’t know how to he said. “Most people ... I’d like my cases the judge thinks. and also my trereflect my personalitythe law.” for mendous respect 80, went into indiArbitration Man, suc in 1985, settling vidual practice
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MANHATTAN'S APARTMENT BOOM, > PROPERTY, P.20
2015
In Brief MORE HELP FOR SMALL BUSINESS
The effort to help small seems to businesses in the city be gathering steam. Two city councilmembers, Robert Margaret Chin and Cornegy, have introduced create legislation that wouldSmall a new “Office of the within Business Advocate” of Small the city’s Department Business Services. Chin The new post, which have up told us she’d like to would and running this year, for serve as an ombudsman city small businesses within them clear government, helping to get through the bureaucracy things done. Perhaps even more also importantly, the ombudsman and number will tally the type small business of complaints by taken in actions the owners, policy response, and somefor ways to recommendations If done well, begin to fix things. report would the ombudsman’s quantitative give us the first with taste of what’s wrong the city, an small businesses in towards important first step problem. the xing fi of deformality for To really make a difference, process is a mere complete their will have to to are the work course, the advocaterising rents, precinct, but chances-- thanks to a velopers looking find a way to tackle business’ is being done legally of after-hours projects quickly. their own hours,” which remain many While Chin “They pick out boom in the number throughout lives on who problem. Angelo, vexing most said Mildred construction permits gauge what Buildings one of the Ruppert said it’s too early tocould have the 19th floor in The Department of the city. number three years, the Houses on 92nd Street between role the advocate She on the Over the past is handing out a record work perThird avenues. permits, there, more information of Second and an ongoing all-hours number of after-hours bad thing. of after-hours work the city’s Dept. problem can’t be a said there’s with the mits granted by nearby where according to new data jumped 30 percent, This step, combinedBorough construction project noise Buildings has data provided in workers constantly make efforts by Manhattan to mediate BY DANIEL FITZSIMMONS according to DOB of Informacement from trucks. President Gale Brewer offer response to a Freedom classifies transferring they want. They knows the the rent renewal process, request. The city They 6 “They do whatever Every New Yorker clang, tion Act tangible signs go as they please. work between early, and some come metal-on-metal can construction any small sound: the or on the weekend, have no respect.” the piercing of progress. For many can’t come p.m. and 7 a.m., the hollow boom, issuance of these business owners, that moving in reverse. as after-hours. The increased beeps of a truck has generto a correspond and you soon enough. variances has led at the alarm clock The surge in permits
SLEEPS, THANKS TO THE CITY THAT NEVER UCTION A BOOM IN LATE-NIGHT CONSTR NEWS
A glance it: it’s the middle can hardly believe yet construction of the night, and carries on full-tilt. your local police or You can call 311
Newscheck
for dollars in fees ated millions of and left some resithe city agency, that the application dents convinced
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