Latest news with #Campion
New York Post
24-05-2025
- Business
- New York Post
Tax lien sales by NYC threaten to worsen the affordable housing crisis
Alarm bells are only just starting to ring about a huge threat to the city's housing stock: the growing crisis of older rent-regulated apartment buildings, especially the smaller ones largely owned by 'mom and pop' landlords. Pre-1974 rent-stabilized units, mainly in the outer boroughs, now house about 1.7 million New Yorkers, but many of theses buildings are in deep financial distress water: The rental income doesn't cover their ongoing expenses, or soon won't if the Rent Guidelines Board keeps holding increases to below the rate that those expenses are rising. A good number of landlords have only made ends meet by delaying payments on property taxes and/or water and sewer bills, and city Department of Finance efforts to collect on that debt stand poised to trigger a wave of foreclosures likely to spark a disastrous downward spiral. After putting tax-lien sales on hold early in the pandemic, the department was set to hold the first one in years on May 20, only to postpone it to June 3 as it began to realize how bad things may be. In these sales, the city gets cash upfront while the lien purchasers gain rights to collect on the debt; they can start charging high interest rates plus penalties. Owners struggling to pay that, along with all their other bills, wind up deferring even vital building maintenance; some eventually just walk away, abandoning the property and all its debts; others lose the building to foreclosure. Tenants suffer as everything falls into disrepair, and can suffer more if the building winds up owned by unscrupulous and predatory speculators. Meanwhile, the entire structure can deteriorate so badly that full repairs start to cost more than replacing the whole building. As Sean Campion of the Citizens Budget Commission noted in testimony to the Rent Guidelines Board last week, market prices for these pre-'74 buildings are now falling as the net income (rents minus expenses) collapses. This crisis is exacerbated by destructive city and state housing actions — costly climate-change and sanitation mandates, rents never collected after the COVID 'eviction moratorium,' units the landlord has to stop renting because the 2019 state Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act makes it impossible to finance renovations after a longterm tenant finally leaves . . . Plus, Housing Court is so clogged that even open-and-shut eviction cases take forever. None of this gets mentioned as Democratic mayoral wannabes debate the city's housing crisis; these landlords, many of them minority and/or immigrants, just don't carry the political heft of the professional 'tenant advocates.' The CBC's Campion warned the RGB that continues to OK below-inflation rent increases will only accelerate the crisis; other reasonable moves pushed by a landlords group, the Small Property Owners of New York, include: Fix Housing Court so deadbeat tenants aren't living rent-free for years while awaiting eviction hearings. Amend state housing laws that limit owners' ability to upgrade apartments. Expand existing and create new targeted emergency-rental-assistance programs. Cap property taxes and other costs equivalent to the caps that the Rent Guidelines Board puts on rent increases for stabilized apartments. The Finance Department would also be wise to put off any lien sales for months at least, not just two weeks, because it's now guaranteed to trigger a slow apocalypse for this vital housing stock. If something doesn't break soon, New York is on track to lose a huge chunk of its affordable apartments.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Watchdog warns of rent-stabilized 'maintenance death spiral'
The nonprofit watchdog Citizens Budget Commission has joined the rising chorus of industry observers — and now independent researchers — calling on the city to step in and address the growing distress afflicting rent-stabilized housing. Unlike NYU's Furman Center, which sent up flares last month but did not propose specific solutions, CBC singled out the entity that needs to act — the Rent Guidelines Board — and steps it could take to avoid a 'maintenance 'death spiral'' in which the expense of repairs exceeds what it would cost to build a whole new building. The 2019 rent law effectively capped revenues, rendering it impossible to recoup the expense of building-wide or apartment-level renovations. The change has driven deferred maintenance. The expiration of J-51 in 2022 then cut another key tool to fund improvements — the program lowered property taxes for owners who made repairs. (The program was revived late last year, though for some owners, the timeline to apply is tight.) Combined, owners working with insufficient revenue have had few routes to fund building maintenance. CBC's Sean Campion proposed the RGB shift operations in two ways. First, the board could increase rents to at least keep pace with inflation, Campion, the nonprofit's housing and economic development director, testified at the RGB's sixth meeting of 2025. Adjustments have historically lagged the annual rise in expenses the board tracks. The RGB does not factor in debt service or big renovations, meaning the deficiency is likely greater than what the numbers show. The preliminary range the board approved last month, which heavily informs the final vote, would increase rents on one-year leases by 4.75 percent at maximum. The board's data found a 6.3 percent hike was needed to match inflation. Second, the board could report on the physical and financial health of regulated buildings. Currently, neither the state nor city is legally required to report on building quality, CBC said, and it's tricky and time-consuming to connect data on a property's violations, unpaid fines or income changes, for example, to its stabilized makeup, age and location. A new report could accomplish that, providing a more granular read on how revenue deficiencies are playing out on the ground, as well as how the level of deterioration varies between stabilization rates and in different areas of the city. As it stands, the board bases its adjustments on the annual change in median net operating income across all rent-regulated buildings — which include newer stock, some stabilized at market rates. It then considers the shift in NOI alongside the consumer price index to spit out a recommended rent adjustment. Property owners and trade groups claim the data fails to isolate the older, entirely rent-stabilized stock, whose owners have struggled to maintain buildings or cover loan payments since the rent law passed. The only route to raise rents is through the RGB's inflation-lagging annual adjustments. By the numbers, a 2025 RGB report found the median income of 100 percent regulated properties built before 1974 citywide was $1,343 per unit; in the Bronx, it was even lower: $1,212. Meanwhile, the cost of running a rent-stabilized building well was about $1,250 a unit, an analysis by nonprofit lender the Community Preservation Corporation found So, if owners do have a cushion — it's about $100. CBC also echoed The Furman Center's warning that neither city programs nor its budget will be able to bear the weight of distress. They can't be scaled to meet the growing need, Campion argued. For example, Third Party Transfer and Neighborhood Pillars, programs that pay nonprofits to rehab buildings, cost the city two-to-four times the value of those buildings, a CBC data analysis found Article XI, which cuts or eliminates property taxes for owners who fix up their properties, helps landlords but eats away at city revenue. The combined cost of Article XI or 420-c — a similar program run by the state — has surged 80 percent since the rent law passed to nearly $900 million, or a little less than 20 percent of the $5.3 billion in tax revenue rental buildings generated during the last fiscal year. As the Furman Center's Mark Willis put it during his testimony in April, 'Unless we vastly increase the amount of budget for subsidized housing, almost all of it is going to have to go to rescuing these buildings.' 'They're pushing the eject button': Related unloads monster rent-stabilized portfolio for $192M — another loss Rent-stabilized shortfalls may grow "exponentially," new data shows Rent board eyes up to 4.75% hike as landlords, tenants despair This article originally appeared on The Real Deal. Click here to read the full story.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Actor George Wendt dies at 76; Norm on 'Cheers' went to high school in Wisconsin
George Wendt, the beloved "Cheers" actor who died May 20 at age 76, went to a Jesuit prep school in Wisconsin before finding his calling in comedy. Publicist Melissa Nathan, a representative for Wendt, confirmed in a statement for USA TODAY that Wendt died in his sleep early on May 20 — the 32nd anniversary of the final "Cheers" episode that aired on May 20, 1993. "George was a doting family man, a well-loved friend and confidant to all of those lucky enough to have known him," the statement read, asking for privacy for Wendt's family. "He will be missed forever." Born in Chicago, Wendt was the second-oldest of seven children in a well-off family. According to a 1984 interview with The Milwaukee Journal, his family sent him to Campion High School in Prairie du Chien when he was 13 "to be groomed for success." (Campion closed in 1975.) "I didn't particularly want to go," he told The Journal, "but our neighbors all sent their kids there and they went on to become doctors." The experience saved him later "when I screwed up in college," he added. According to his Second City page, Wendt had a 0.0 grade point average at the University of Notre Dame. "The admissions director from Campion had moved on to take the same job at Rockhurst College when I applied there," Wendt said. "I'm sure he broke every rule in the book to get me in." After college, Wendt returned to Chicago and, in 1975, joined Second City, the legendary improvisational comedy troupe that has been the launching pad for scores of comedians and actors. Wendt left Second City in 1980 and, in 1983, was cast in the role of Norm Peterson, the witticism-spouting barfly on "Cheers," which ran for 11 seasons. Among his other memorable roles was as Bob Swerski, one of a group of Chicago Bears superfans in a recurring sketch on "Saturday Night Live," usually including "SNL" cast member and Madison native Chris Farley among the diehard fans of "Da Bears." His scores of other credits include appearances on TV shows ranging from "The Twilight Zone" to "M*A*S*H" to "Fresh Off the Boat," and in movies including "Fletch" and "Spice World." But it was as Norm that Wendt was most remembered. He reprised the character in cameos on several other sitcoms, including "Cheers" spinoffs "Frasier" and "The Tortellis," and voiced animated versions of Norm on shows like "Family Guy" and "The Simpsons." According to Variety, Wendt is survived by his wife and three children. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: George Wendt, 'Cheers' star who went to school in Wisconsin, dies
Forbes
17-05-2025
- General
- Forbes
In 1932, Australia Declared ‘War' On This Speedy Land Animal – A Biologist Reveals Who Won
The IUCN, the organization that tracks endangered species, reports 824 confirmed extinct animals dating back to 1500 A.D. – many of which were caused by humans. 824 is the number of confirmed extinct animal species, but the true total is certainly much higher. Some animal groups have been harder hit than others. Birds, for instance, have more confirmed extinctions than any other animal group except gastropods (snails and slugs). Digging deeper, flightless birds have been especially hard hit, with one study estimating that 160+ species of flightless birds have perished since humans came into existence. Island-dwelling ratites, like the elephant bird and giant moa, are among the most striking casualties. So, when I tell you that the Australian government waged all-out war on the emu, a flightless bird endemic to the Australian continent, and lost, you might wonder how – especially when humans have been so effective at ridding the planet of just about every other flightless bird known to exist. Here's the story of Australia's failed attempt to eradicate the emu in the early 1930s. The Emu War began in Western Australia, not long after World War I. In the aftermath of the war, many veterans were granted land in the Campion district as part of a government-backed agricultural settlement scheme. These men, many of whom had little farming experience, worked to convert the land into productive wheat fields. Just as the crops began to mature, a foe appeared: thousands upon thousands of emus. Driven inland by the seasonal migration and attracted by the abundant water and food of the farms, as many as 20,000 emus descended on the wheat fields. The large birds trampled fences, damaged infrastructure, and devoured crops. For already struggling farmers, it was a disaster. Desperate, the farmers appealed to the federal government for help. The request was unusual but somehow approved: they asked for military assistance to deal with the emus. In November 1932, the Australian Army deployed soldiers armed with Lewis machine guns – relics of the Great War – and nearly 10,000 rounds of ammunition. The operation was led by Major G.P.W. Meredith of the Royal Australian Artillery. It sounded simple: locate emus, shoot emus, problem solved. But it wasn't simple. Despite being flightless, emus are fast, agile, and extremely difficult to herd. The birds often scattered into small groups that proved hard to target efficiently. The soldiers struggled to get close enough for effective shooting, and the emus' speed (up to 40 miles per hour) allowed them to outrun many attacks. In one instance, the military mounted a gun on a truck, only for the terrain to be so bumpy that it rendered the gun useless while chasing birds. Over several days, the operation turned into an exercise in futility. By early December, the mission was called off. Official estimates suggest that out of the 2,500 rounds fired, only about 1,000 emus were killed – a far cry from the complete eradication farmers had hoped for. Worse, the emus had simply adapted. They split into smaller, more evasive groups and seemed to learn to avoid danger zones. One ornithologist later quipped that the emus had 'won every round' of the campaign. The press, meanwhile, had a field day. Newspapers dubbed it the "Emu War" and criticized the government's absurd militarized solution to what was essentially a pest problem. The whole thing became a national embarrassment – and eventually, a global curiosity. In the end, the government withdrew the troops and opted for a bounty system instead. Farmers could earn money for every emu they killed, and over time, the population was somewhat controlled, but never eliminated. By every reasonable metric, the emus won. The military was forced to retreat, the emus returned to their stomping grounds, and to this day, they roam freely across much of Australia. The Great Emu War stands as an example of a conflict in history where animals outmaneuvered an army. Does thinking about the possible extinction of a species change your mood? Take the Connectedness to Nature Scale to see where you stand on this unique personality dimension.
Irish Daily Mirror
09-05-2025
- Irish Daily Mirror
Army officer fined €5,000 for "degrading treatment" of recruits in mock trial
An army officer who was involved in staging a mock trial that subjected a number of trainee soldiers to 'degrading treatment' at a military camp in Cork has appeared before a real-life military court over the incident. The officer, who holds the rank of lieutenant, was fined a total of 34 days' pay – equivalent to a sum of just under €5,000 – after pleading guilty at a general court martial to six breaches of military law while acting as a training officer for a First Brigade NCO course at a number of military locations in Cork two years ago. A military judge said the incident in relation to the mock trial demonstrated 'a culture that is not aligned' with the values of the Defence Forces and was the result of 'an unacceptable group dynamic' that had existed before the officer became involved in the training course. The identity of the accused is not being published at the request of the judge, Colonel Michael Campion, made during a sentencing hearing at the Military Justice Centre in McKee Barracks in Dublin. The officer admitted committing six offences of conduct prejudicial to good order and discipline, contrary to Section 168 of the Defence Act. They included a charge that he participated in a mock trial which resulted in the unlawful detention of three trainees at Lynch Camp, Kilworth, Co Cork on May 18, 2023. He also admitted consuming alcohol while on duty on the same date and location. Colonel Campion observed that the three trainees had been subjected to 'degrading treatment' by being placed in a mock prisoner-of-war cage, although he accepted that the accused was not the 'prime mover' in the incident. Separately, the officer pleaded guilty to conducting unauthorised drills with students at the Naval Base in Haulbowline, Co Cork on June 14, 2023 as well as consuming alcohol while on exercise. He also pleaded guilty to permitting subordinate instructors to consume alcohol and failing to prevent them from conducting manoeuvres after consuming alcohol at Fort Davis, Whitegate, Co Cork on June 15, 2023. The judge said the unauthorised drills had no legitimate training purpose and it appeared the students participating in them had been chosen because they were struggling with aspects of the course. Colonel Campion remarked that such trainees deserved the support of the officer 'instead of treatment of that kind'. He said such behaviour seriously undermined morale, negatively impacted on the reputation of the Defence Forces and created difficulties with the recruitment and retention of staff. The judge said the defendant's actions were not 'one-off' as they involved three separate incidents over the space of about a month. Addressing the accused, Colonel Campion said he had considered dismissal from the Defence Forces as a punishment for conduct he described as 'utterly unacceptable'. However, the judge acknowledged that the officer had entered an early guilty plea and had cooperated with a military investigation, as well as apologising for his actions and showing insight and remorse. Colonel Campion noted that he had no previous record of indiscipline and said he was impressed by character references and support offered by his senior officers. The judge also observed that the accused had missed out on promotion to the rank of captain because of the court martial as well as not being selected for overseas trips, which also had financial consequences for him. Colonel Campion said the charges were not criminal offences but the Defence Forces was different from civilian life and disciplinary breaches were far more serious when they were committed in a military environment. He observed that the maintenance of discipline was 'of the essence in a military force' and the Defence Forces was dependent on its members behaving for its 'effectiveness, integrity and reputation'. The judge claimed aggravating factors in the case were the accused's rank and experience and his knowledge of the standards expected of someone who had served three years as an officer. Colonel Campion observed that the lieutenant had set 'an appalling bad example' to his subordinates and his conduct was prejudicial to good order and discipline 'in a very real way'. He said the officer had failed to demonstrate the standard of leadership expected as well as a duty of care and showing trainees dignity and respect even in a robust training environment. However, the judge said he believed it was a case of appalling bad judgement on the part of the accused rather than anything more malign. Noting that the accused came from a family with a long military history, Colonel Campion said such a background would 'accentuate your sense of shame'. The judge allowed the defendant to pay the fine in monthly instalments of €286.66 over a 17-month period.
