NEW YORK, N.Y. – Democratic Representative Adriano Espaillat delivered his annual State of the District Address last night, February 3rd, 2022, via a virtual Facebook Livestream.

“Our district has faced great challenges but we are resilient and we continue to move forward, and I can tell you today that district 13 is strong,” said Espaillat., who represents Washington Heights, Harlem, East Harlem and the West Bronx.

At the virtual event, Rep. Espaillat highlighted his legislative accomplishments and presented an overview of his legislative priorities in 2022 for the district.

During the 117th Congress, Rep. Espaillat worked to pass funding for infrastructure projects, stimulus checks for many of his constituents, unemployment assistance, relief to keep small businesses afloat, and funding to help schools reopen safely.

“Expanding the child tax credit was most critical,” said Espaillat. “We delivered 77,000 payments to families across the district, totaling more than $31.4 million and reaching over 123,000 quantified children and keeping families in their home safe.”

Among his legislative priorities, Rep. Espaillat has further included combating climate and environmental injustice, improving foreign affairs, immigration reform, transportation and infrastructure, voting rights and criminal justice, access to affordable housing, and education and childcare.

“During the first session of the 117th congress, I introduced or co-sponsored a total of 531 pieces of legislation,” said Espaillat. “I led 32 of those bills in the house, reintroducing 20 of them and introducing 12 new pieces of legislations.”

Rep. Espaillat has also introduced many resolutions including resolution 28, which addressed the unlawful insurrection on the US capital on January 6th of last year as well as HR 585, the fight against black slavery in the America’s resolution, which recognizes the week of December 26, 2021, as the week of the quincenntanial fight against black slavery in the America’s.

House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, and Senate Majority Leader, Chuck Schumer, also made special appearances, praising Rep. Espaillat for his dedication to the 13th district

“The people of New York’s 13th district are fortunate to have a devoted champion in Congressman Espaillat,” said Pelosi. “Since day one he has been a valued leader on behalf working families and now on the Powerful Appropriations committee.”

Rep. Espaillat is the first Dominican American to serve in the U.S House of Representatives and the first formerly undocumented immigrant to ever serve in Congress.

Rep. Espaillat is an advocate of a fair living wage, immediate and effective investments in affordable housing, meaningful criminal justice reform, infrastructure improvements, expanded youth programs, and better educational opportunities.

“2021 was an unprecedented year, but we are New Yorkers and we are resilient,” said Espaillat as he signed off from the livestream.” “I am truly grateful for your support and remain committed to delivering on the promises that I made to help our community build back from the pandemic.”

While companies such as Apple, Tesla and Amazon have been profiting despite the pandemic, many New York City small businesses have closed due to the lockdowns and lack of business because of COVID-19.

In an effort to prevent the closure of local small businesses, The Citizens Committee for New York City (CitizensNY) is offering grants up to $10,000 to small business owners that are facing scarcity because of COVID-19. CitizensNYC is a non-profit organization whose mission is to “help New Yorkers—especially those in low-income communities—come together and improve the quality of life in their neighborhoods.” It held a virtual information session on Feb. 3 about the grants.

Gina Ramcharan, Neighborhood Business Grants Consultant of CitizensNY, explained that businesses that are owned by women, people of color, immigrants including “undocumented immigrants that were prohibited to apply for PPP” (Paycheck Protection Program) are prioritized for the business grant.

The PPP, a federal program, “provided small businesses with funds to pay up to 8 weeks of payroll costs including benefits. Funds can also be used to pay interest on mortgages, rent, and utilities.” It ran out last May.

Ramcharan gave examples of the kinds of businesses that CitizensNY has already helped. She mentioned Figure 8 Studio, located in South Ozone Park, Queens, a business with a focus on teaching diverse dances from different cultures, was one of the many recipients that benefited from a small business grant.

The studio was forced to close during the peak of the pandemic, but with grant it was able to install HVAC filters, adapt their space to adhere to the city guidelines and purchased additional PPE (personal protective equipment).

Another grant recipient that was facing closure of his business was the owner of Enoch’s Bike Shop, Enoch Cooper, a Panamanian immigrant. Cooper sells to his community highly customizable bike parts for an affordable price.  He was able to change his business infrastructure to “allow proper social distancing. Better ventilation and sanitation. We’re proud to say we put the brakes on closing Enoch’s bicycle shop,” said Ramcharan.

“We also amplify voices across the five boroughs,” she said, explaining that the non-profit also helps the communities by conducting surveys, creating forums for the citizens who want to voice what is affecting them. “[We] bring people across our city together to generate solutions for though problems,” she said.

To be eligible for a grant, the business must have 10 or less employees and located within the five boroughs of New York City. Applicants must provide business records for the years of 2019, 2020 and 2021 and a grant spending plan, along with a snapshot of their current monthly budget.

The requirement that holds the most weight, said Ramcharan, is how their business engages the community where they are located. “How is your business a game changer in your surrounding community?”

He’s not a multimillionaire. He doesn’t drive a luxurious car or own a vacation home overseas. He doesn’t control any major stocks, but yet, he is a part of an influential force that helps keep New York City running.

“You guys want the corporate businesses, but [where] will the small businesses go then?” says Glen Mirchandani, the owner of Devisons Jewelers in Jackson Heights, Queens. “….  You want the big department stores, but what about us?”

In the midst of New York City’s mayoral race, some small business owners say that the city government and the mayoral candidates have forgotten about them. They run the “mom and pop” shops that play an important role in communities: the corner deli where busy college students get a sandwich for breakfast before rushing to school; the furniture stores that are willing to bargain the price with customers.

Small businesses, widely acknowledged as an important incubator for jobs, make up for 99 percent of New York businesses, the New York State Small Business Development Center says. The state defines a small business as an independently owned concern  that employs 100 workers or less.

“None of them haven’t shown anything. I don’t like both of them,” said Mirchandani, referring to what both mayoral candidates Bill de Blasio and Joe Lhota have thus far offered small businesses.

Mirchandani has been involved with several family-oriented small businesses ever since his arrival to the United States in 1983. Today, he is the proud owner of a small jewelry store. He’s of Middle Eastern descent, match supreme prem but having his business in a heavily diverse neighborhood, he has managed to pick up the Spanish language.

“They should come down and talk to us,” Mirchandani said while yelling in Spanish to one of his employees. “They just pass the orders and say this is supposed to be like that. Come on. You see the hardship we have to go through to make it up. To build it up.”

Taxes and Fines Worry Small Business Owners

“We’re getting taxed too much,” said Louie Suljovic, the owner and co-chef of Louie’s Pizzeria in Elmhurst, Queens. Regarding the mayoral candidates: “They haven’t done anything to show for small businesses!” he said.  “Zero! Zero, zero, zero, zero!”

There are a total of more than 2 million small business in New York. These businesses are an important factor in the city’s economy. According to the city’s preliminary budget for fiscal year 2014, 9 percent of the city’s revenue comes from small business taxes.

Taxes, inflation, poor sales, financial and interest rates, costs of labor, government requirements and  competition from large businesses are some of the issues plaguing small businesses.

Lhota, the Republican candidate, proposes lowering  property taxes to make New York City rent more affordable. “New York’s property tax receipts have increased by an astounding 127 percent over the last 12 years,” he said in a statement on his website. “Moreover, landlords often pass property taxes on to commercial tenants, placing crippling tax burdens on small businesses.”

He said that over the past 11 years, the city has used fines and fees to afford overall spending increases, adding to the already high cost of doing business. ”While certain fines are necessary to deter bad behavior and promote a safe business environment, they must not be used to balance budgets,” he said. “This stifles the growth of small businesses.”

“Everything always goes up so it gets harder and harder for small businesses,” said Bruce Tatarian, manager of La Fusta Restaurant Parrillada Steak House on Baxter Avenue, Elmhurst. The La Fusta Restaurant has been open since 1970. It’s a very small place decorated with Halloween ornaments with barely enough room for two people to stand comfortably around the tables. “To tell you the truth, it’ll be nice if we got more support,” Tatarian said while taking care of a customers bill. “A little more sympathy would be nice.”

Both de Blasio and Lhota have visited local small businesses during their campaign. match supreme txt femmes But Tatarian says they still haven’t done enough. “They’re not putting it out there enough,” he said. “You got to  win the people’s hearts by actually seeing the people face to face.”

As public advocate, de Blasio proposed a plan for ”rational enforcement” of city regulations based on public safety rather than as a boost for  city revenue at the expense of small businesses, according to his website.

Part of de Blasio’s campaign message to small businesses is to support and treat them as the key for city’s growth. “New York City spends too many dollars in one-off deals for large, well-connected corporations, while too many industry sectors and small businesses are neglected — especially those in outer-borough neighborhoods,” said a statement on his website.

De Blasio will establish new revolving loan funds to support economic growth in low-income neighborhoods, according to the statement.

The city already has an agency devoted to serving the needs of small businesses. The New York City Small Business Service provides business planning and financing courses, a network of lawyers offering pro-bono services and promotes opportunities for minority and women-owned businesses. However, some small business owners complain that the city is only out to help the big businesses.

“They should go out and know what problems we have instead of just sitting in the offices and passing the law,” said Mirchandani. “Come talk to the small people and see what problems they’re facing. Don’t go for the corporate giant businesses.”

Photo: Devisons Jewelers in Jackson Heights.