New York Desk
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
CITYWIDE
FERRER AD CRITICIZING BLOOMBERG FEATURES SHARPTON
The Democratic mayoral nominee, Fernando Ferrer, released a radio advertisement yesterday that features the Reverend Al Sharpton criticizing Mayor Bloomberg for skipping a debate this Thursday at the Apollo Theater in Harlem. In the ad, Rev. Sharpton says, “You have to ask yourself, if Bloomberg wants our votes, why won’t he come to our neighborhood and answer our questions?” Though Messrs. Bloomberg and Ferrer attack each other regularly on the campaign trail, Mr. Ferrer’s is the first negative ad of the election. And, by using a black leader to deliver the message, the Ferrer camp is trying to target black voters, who many analysts say could be crucial in deciding the election. Mr. Sharpton also questions Mr. Bloomberg’s record on reducing unemployment among black men and improving the high school dropout rate. A spokesman for the Bloomberg campaign, Stuart Loeser, said Mr. Ferrer was distorting the facts: “Under Mike Bloomberg, minority unemployment in New York City is going down,” he said. – Staff Reporter of the Sun
MAYOR ADDS ‘PARTNERSHIP STATUS’ TO LIST OF PROTECTED CLASSES
Domestic partners will be eligible for protection under the city’s anti-discrimination laws in a bill Mayor Bloomberg signed into law yesterday. The Local Civil Rights Restoration Act adds “partnership status” to the list of protected classes, which includes age, race, gender, disability, and sexual orientation. The bill’s lead sponsor in the City Council, Gale Brewer, hailed it as a step forward for human rights in the city, despite a lengthy negotiation process with the mayor.
– Special to the Sun
NEW YORK WATERWAY RAISES FARES
New York Waterway, which ferries commuters across the Hudson River, raised one-way fares 25 cents yesterday on certain routes because of rising fuel prices, the company announced. The company, which also offers sightseeing tours, hiked one-way ticket prices on rides to and from the World Financial Center and the Hoboken North terminal, and to and from 38th Street and Port Imperial, Hoboken North, and Lincoln Harbor. Tickets from the World Financial Center to Port Imperial will now cost $7.75. Monthly passes were increased by about $10. – Special to the Sun
COUNCIL SUBCOMMITTEE VOTES TO CRACK DOWN ON SIDEWALK STANDS
Stoop line stands – fruit and vegetable stands that bring goods onto the sidewalk much like street peddlers of old – may soon see a crackdown by city officials who say the stands make it dangerous to walk on the sidewalk. A City Council subcommittee overrode a veto by Mayor Bloomberg and voted yesterday to address the proliferation of stoop line stands in certain neighborhoods.
– Special to the Sun
STATEWIDE
NURSE ADMITS TO STEALING $500,000 FROM MEDICAID
A Long Island nurse pleaded guilty yesterday to stealing more than $500,000 from Medicaid after prosecutors said she charged the state for services she never provided. Jocelyne Louis-Charpentier, 49, a registered nurse in North Woodmere, faces up to two years in prison and hefty fines for grand larceny. The state attorney general, Eliot Spitzer, said Louis-Charpentier was paid nearly $550,000 to provide home nursing care to several children on Medicaid. Mr. Spitzer’s office said he also is pursuing a civil claim against Louis-Charpentier for more than $1.5 million in damages.
– Special to the Sun
MANHATTAN
BUSINESSMAN PLEADS GUILT Y TO FELONY CORRUPTION
A Manhattan businessman pleaded guilty yesterday to felony corruption and faces up to 15 years in jail for allowing his customers to transfer illegally nearly $100 million to Vietnam, the district attorney’s office said. Thinh Tran, 59, was accused of operating four unlicensed money-transferring businesses in Chinatown and Chelsea. Tran had run his network since 1987 and violated federal and state laws by failing to scrutinize his customers’ transactions and by not screening customers against lists of known terrorists and drug traffickers. Tran will be sentenced in January.
– Special to the Sun