Latest news with #Restler
New York Post
3 days ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Lefties' pro-migrant push-back on Tisch's e-bike crackdown is obscene
City Council lefties just proved again that they care a lot more about protecting law-breakers than the safety of law-abiding New Yorkers. Every. Single. Time. The proof? How they used a budget hearing to assail NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch for deciding to issue criminal summonses to law-breaking e-bike riders, instead of mere traffic-court tickets, to discourage reckless road behavior. Their gripe? A lot of e-bike riders are delivery drivers for food apps, and a lot of delivery drivers are illegal immigrants — who might get deported if slapped with a criminal summons. Ergo, the progressives insist, the NYPD should give up on any kind of meaningful consequences for every e-biker caught blasting through a red light, barreling down a sidewalk or otherwise putting other New Yorkers at risk. Yes, really. Queens Councilwoman Tiffany Cabán insisted cops will go out of their way to target minorities, offering this word-salad: 'A person who is more likely to be a person of color may end up in deportation proceedings. It's not just right.' No, what's 'not right' is pretending that basic public-safety enforcement is somehow racist. Meanwhile, Brooklyn's Lincoln Restler, a pro-cycling fanatic, worried about 'more people getting swept up in our criminal justice system who don't need it.' Obscene: He had the gall to oppose increased enforcement just days after a fast-moving e-bike rammed a 3-year-old girl, sending her to the hospital, in his own district. Nobody's getting 'swept up' in the justice system here as long as they simply obey the rules of the road. Tisch held her own against the avalanche of 'questions' that painted the NYPD as racist jackboots, rightly noting: 'This is not a war on e-bikes, this is a response to very real concerns that are widely held across virtually every borough, every New Yorker in this city.' She's spot-on: Most Gothamites have a story of a near-miss (or full-on collision) with an out-of-control cyclist, and it's only grown worse with the rise of e-bikes. Even Restler has admitted that dangerous e-bikes are one of his constituents' top worries; apparently, he just doesn't care. To these so-called progressives, the 'very real concerns' of everyday New Yorkers are irrelevant: Their overriding concern is that illegal migrants be treated as a protected class, able to break the law with impunity because they might — might — face larger consequences if they're held to the same standard as everyone else. And that's so important, they reason, that the NYPD mustn't enforce any law that 'asylum seekers' are supposedly especially likely to break. If a few more toddlers get mowed down because e-bikers get to ignore traffic laws — well, that's acceptable collateral damage. Cabán and Restler insist on ignoring the safety of the people they're supposed to represent to protect hypothetical lawbreakers. Their constituents should remember that come voting time.
New York Post
6 days ago
- Politics
- New York Post
NYC bike lane accident involving 3-year-old girl erupts into explosive campaign issue
A terrifying accident in which an e-biker slammed into a 3-year-old girl in Brooklyn has erupted into an explosive campaign issue — with even Mayor Eric Adams chiming in. Sabrina Gates — who is challenging incumbent City Council member Lincoln Restler in the Democratic primary — slammed him for being on 'the wrong side' of the bike lane issue after shocking video of the Bedford Avenue incident went viral. 'Even before the bike lane, Bedford Avenue was a chaotic street. It's a hazard,' said Gates, ripping the pro-cyclist Restler as not heeding the community's concerns after the tot was injured over the weekend. Advertisement 4 Girl, 3, is mowed down by e-bike rider when she runs into bike lane at Bedford & Park aves in South Williamsburg Sunday evening May 25, 2025. Obtained by the NY Post 'Lincoln Restler has been on the wrong side of this issue,' she said. 'Move the bike lane!' Restler, who reps the 33rd Council district, defended his support of protected bike lanes and said he had pressed city transportation officials for safety improvements on Bedford Avenue to curb accidents in the cycle path there. Advertisement 'Protected bike lanes are proven to make streets safer for pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles,' Restler, the heavy favorite to win re-election, said Tuesday. 'There have been too many crashes on the new Bedford Avenue bicycle lane involving young children,' he added. 'I've been on the record repeatedly urging the Department of Transportation to make significant safety enhancements and expand outreach on Bedford to improve safety for all.' But Mayor Eric Adams, in a rare statement on his X campaign account, disputed Restler's statement. 'Let's be clear: @LincolnRestler never called for modifying or removing the protected bike lane on Bedford Ave,' he posted. Advertisement 4 NYC Mayor Eric Adams announced, on Sunday, July 6 will have a ticker tape parade to give our post 9/11 Veterans the homecoming they deserve. Robert Miller 'But when the people speak, we listen — with or without their councilman's support,' Adams wrote. 'That's why I was in Williamsburg last week, hearing directly from the community.' Restler shot back on X saying, 'Mayor – we all know you aren't paying much attention to governing our City – but I have requested safety enhancements from DOT for months in private meetings and at public budget hearings.' Adams is seeking re-election on an independent party line after a scandal-scarred first term. He and Restler previously sparred over the council's mandate for the closure of the troubled Rikers Island jail complex. Advertisement The footage of the accident, posted on X by Williamsburg 365 News shows the unaware tot, who appeared to have just stepped out of a double-parked car with a man — scurrying into the lane at Bedford and Park avenues around 7:40 p.m. Sunday when the oncoming cyclist struck her. 4 The footage of the accident shows the unaware tot, who appeared to have just stepped out of a double-parked car with a man. Obtained by the NY Post The blow left the youngster with minor injuries to her lower stomach, and she was taken to Bellevue Hospital, cops said. The cyclist, a 22-year-old man seen with a bag hanging on the back of his ride — possibly a delivery rider — stayed at the scene and was not arrested. Many of Williamsburg's Hasidic residents who live on or near Bedford Avenue oppose the 1.5 mile bike lane. New York City has about 1,500 miles of dedicated bike lanes, including 623 miles of protected bicycle lanes, according to the city Department of Transportation. 4 The blow left the youngster with minor injuries to her lower stomach, and she was taken to Bellevue Hospital, cops said. Obtained by the NY Post But merchants and restaurateurs in parts of the city — such as Queens Boulevard in Forest Hills — have complained the bike lane has taken away parking spaces for customers and hurts business. Advertisement The Adams administration has move ahead with the bike lanes as a public health and safety measure to protect bikers and encourage cycling, as did prior mayoral administrations. Gates has served as the Brooklyn Democratic Party's secretary and deputy director, and is backed by Brooklyn Democratic leader Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn in the primary.
New York Post
15-05-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
NYC pol wants Cuomo cut off from taxpayer funds in mayor campaign: ‘Not following the rules'
One City Council member wants ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo cut off from public matching funds in his comeback campaign for mayor. Council member Lincoln Restler (D-Brooklyn) called on the city's Campaign Finance Board (CFB) to reject any taxpayer funds from boosting Cuomo over accusations his campaign illegally coordinated with the Super PAC 'Fix the City.' 'Andrew Cuomo is not following the rules,' Rester said outside City Hall on Thursday, three days after the CFB denied Cuomo $600,000 in matching funds over the alleged violation. Advertisement 'He is breaking the rules at every turn,' said Restler, chair of council's Government Operations Committee. 'There needs to be accountability. 3 Council Member Lincoln Restler (D-33) of Brooklyn, urged the CFB thursday to conduct a thorough investigation into the former Governor. Robert Miller 'Where there's smoke, there's fire,' the council member added. 'We're asking for a pause in the disbursement of matching funds. We're asking to see the CFB to investigate and hold him accountable.' Restler, joined by Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso and election reform groups, called for the CFB to do a 'full and complete' investigation of the Cuomo campaign — even though it wouldn't be completed before the Democratic Party primary next month. Advertisement 'We want to make sure that the elected officials are working for the people and not corporations,' Reynoso said ahead of the CFB's budget hearing. Cuomo, the frontrunner in the crowded primary, was slapped with a CFB complaint by rival mayoral candidate Zellnor Myrie that claimed the ex-governor's campaign of 'Redboxing' — an illegal campaign finance practice in which candidates direct PACs to use specific data points or phrases. 3 Cuomo was denied more than 600K in matching funds while the CFB investigates his campaign for 'redboxing'. AFP via Getty Images Despite the suspicions, Cuomo did net $1.5 million from the CFB on Monday. Advertisement Restler bashed Cuomo for allegedly benefitting from at least three undisclosed lobbyists who were fundraising on his behalf, and has ignored multiple warnings from the board about incorrectly soliciting private donations, as was previously reported by The Post. The CFB dodged specifics on their ongoing investigation when questioned at the budget hearing Thursday. 'I'm not at liberty to discuss any specific candidates with ongoing matters before the board,' CFB executive director Paul Ryan said. Ryan testified that the board is backlogged as far back as 2021 in their auditing processes — with only 43% of audits from that year completed. Advertisement 3 The former New York Governor is currently polling ahead of his democratic opponents at 37%. James Keivom Cuomo spokesman Rich Azzopardi slammed Restler as a 'lackey' of mayoral candidate and current city Comptroller Brad Lander. He said New Yorkers would 'see right through this feeble attempt at election interference.' Our campaign has operated in full compliance with the campaign finance laws and rules, and everything on our website was reviewed and approved by our legal team in advance of publication — as I'm sure [candidates] Scott Stringer, Justin Brannan and others did when they launched similar pages,' he said.
