(This is the latest edition of Island Government, a news round-up about Staten Island politics and civic events.)
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A bill that streamlines relief efforts for victims of natural disasters like Superstorm Sandy was signed into law by President Donald Trump on Tuesday.
Included in the new law are reform provisions from Rep. Daniel Donovan (R-Staten Island/Brooklyn) that overturn prohibitions preventing Staten Islanders from using grants to pay off federal loans made available after Superstorm Sandy.
The disaster relief reforms contained in the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act, which passed the U.S. Senate last week, were included at Donovan’s request.
A provision in the bill reverses a 2011 rule made by the Department of Housing and Urban Development prohibiting Small Business Administration loans from being paid off with grant money. The Federal Emergency Management Agency encouraged storm victims to take advantage of SBA loans after they had exhausted aid from FEMA.
“We can now reform a disaster assistance process that was terribly unfair for Superstorm Sandy victims," said Donovan. He added, “I applaud Congress and President Trump for standing with New Yorkers and other disaster victims so that no one has to face these problems ever again.”
After Superstorm Sandy, thousands of homeowners applied for SBA loans, which provide low-interest disaster recovery loans. Staten Islanders affected by the storm learned that they were ineligible to receive grants from Build it Back, New York City’s disaster recovery program.
Language included in the FAA Reauthorization Act requires an overhaul of the federal government’s post-disaster environmental review regulations.
The bill will also reform the number of times victims will need to provide documentary materials when applying for disaster relief. After Superstorm Sandy, FEMA applicants needed to provide citizenship documents, multiple forms of identification, and documents proving their residency. A provision in the bill will require an analysis of how federal agencies can streamline the process.
“Gathering the necessary documents after losing a home is challenging enough,” Donovan said. “But having to resubmit the same paperwork over and over again added unnecessary red tape and delays to the process.”
MAX ROSE CALLS FOR REFORM WITH END CITIZENS UNITED
Democratic congressional candidate Max Rose joined the president of End Citizens United, Tiffany Muller, in calling on Congress to make a package of campaign finance reform proposals the first legislative agenda item in 2019.
Rose, a St. George resident who last worked as chief-of-staff at a nonprofit healthcare clinic network, led a coalition -- along with 11 other Democratic House challengers -- of over 100 House candidates who wrote a letter to the House of Representatives outlining their intentions.
The bill would seek to increase transparency and accountability in campaign contributions, limit the influence of “mega donors and special interests,” and incentivize smaller campaign donations.
“Without these reforms we will be unable to truly regain the public’s trust or tackle the challenges of our day, like the costs of healthcare and prescription drugs, the opioid epidemic, or building an economy that is strong for working families,” the Democratic candidates wrote. “For those reasons, these reforms must be sweeping, and they must be bold. They must be the very first item Congress addresses. We must not yield on this demand, the American public is counting on us.”
Rose said, “If we are going to change our politics, then we need to clean house when it comes to politicians who take hundreds of thousands of dollars in contributions from federal lobbyists and corporate PACs and then vote their way.”
Rose is challenging Rep. Dan Donovan (R-Staten Island/Brooklyn) in New York’s 11th congressional district, which includes Staten Island and a portion of South Brooklyn. The general election is on Nov. 6.
MALLIOTAKIS TO TALK SENATE REFORM
Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis will join Republican Assembly candidate Steve Saperstein, at a Thursday press conference on the corner of 99th Street and 4th Avenue in Bay Ridge, where they’ll call for action to address “the flawed system that has caused property taxes in lower and middle income parts of Brooklyn to skyrocket,” according to a news release.