'Chosen in secret': New Yorkers slam Gov. Cuomo for latest COVID-related mess



It seems that New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) knows only how to rankle — or kill — people when it comes to dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.

His policies led to the deaths of thousands of people in long-term care facilities in New York.

His attempt to cover up the scandal led to investigation and open ridicule and disdain from state officials — including members of his own party.

His effort to capitalize on the pandemic by writing a book touting his leadership during the crisis earned him mockery from coast to coast.

Now, as he tries to honor the efforts of essential workers over the last year and a half, New Yorkers are ripping him for snatching up rare and valuable green space in lower Manhattan, the New York Post reported Tuesday.

The "Circle of Heroes" monument in NYC will open this Labor Day, honoring the essential workers who carried us thro… https://t.co/b92vMvOxpl

— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) 1624471696.0

What's happening?

Cuomo announced a plan recently to grab green space from the local Rockefeller Park in Battery Park City to create a concrete "Circle of Heroes" monument to honor essential workers — but he announced the plan without input from the local community, the Post said.

And now community members are fighting back.

One resident, Adrian Mak, told the Post that the memorial will require bulldozing a local park's grass and trees, which will be replaced with concrete and some sort of "eternal flame."

"The memorial site was chosen in secret without any public hearings, public meetings, or community input," Mak said.

Critics of Cuomo's memorial plan claim the governor "appointed a task force consisting exclusively of union leaders to recommend a site and excluded any members of the Battery Park City community," according to the Post.

Opponents of the land grab started a Change.org petition calling for the monument to be moved, which currently has more than 5,200 signatures.

And now they've got elected officials on their side.

City Councilwoman Margaret Chin, who represents Battery Park City, was not pleased and sent a terse letter to Cuomo about his plan, pointing out that this is the third time Cuomo has done this to her community.

"I am writing to urge you to halt current plans to erect a memorial in Battery Park City's Rockefeller Park," Chin wrote, the Post reported. "The announcement on June 23rd about the monument's siting and expedited construction timeline came as a shock to my office and the local Battery Park City community."

"The project is on course to create serious quality of life issues for local residents, who have relied on this open green space throughout the pandemic," she added. "I strongly encourage you to order construction to stop until there has been a proper process of community engagement with local residents and elected officials."

U.S. Rep. Jerry Nadler (D) asked the governor to "pause the saws."

"New York's essential workers deserve our honor and respect—and we can commemorate them with a memorial," he tweeted. "But bulldozing vital open space in lower Manhattan isn't the way to do it. @NYGovCuomo needs to #PauseTheSaws and consult with the community on location and design."

New York’s essential workers deserve our honor and respect—and we can commemorate them with a memorial. But bulldoz… https://t.co/Mnd5ja4y6N

— Rep. Nadler (@RepJerryNadler) 1624907600.0

State Assemblywoman Yuh-Line Niou — who famously went after the governor's lies when he attempted to cover up the COVID-19 nursing home deaths – criticized Cuomo for not seeking community input.

Governor, everyone wants to honor our essential workers that kept us safe during this pandemic. This could be in ha… https://t.co/KbWPByZy8C

— Yuh-Line Niou (@yuhline) 1624893763.0

The Manhattan Community Board accused the governor of refusing to work with his nemesis, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, and ripped him for not consulting locals.

"Governor Cuomo announced he was taking away park space last week and the earth moving equipment showed up before the weekend was up," the group said. "All this because he refuses to work with the Mayor to jointly honor Essential Workers. This is where the children play. #politicsoverparks."

"What is the rush? Which of our representatives will speak truth to power?" they continued. "Is this the best way to honor the Essential Workers? Who knows!? We have no idea who was consulted or contributed to the design!"

@NY4P What is the rush? Which of our representatives will speak truth to power? Is this the best way to honor the… https://t.co/pWM9xk4MlI

— Manhattan Community Board 1 (@CommunityBoard1) 1624890314.0

Following the blowback, the Post said, Cuomo's office announced that the monument, which will take up 2% of the park's acreage, would be moved from the center of the park to a corner area.

Homeless man charged with hate crime over attack on Asian woman. Police say he was arrested 8 times in the last year.



A suspect caught in a disturbing surveillance video randomly attacking a 55-year-old Asian woman in New York City's Chinatown has been charged with a hate crime and police say he had been arrested 8 times in the last year.

Video of the heinous unprovoked attack was sent to a New York state lawmaker who represents the area and she posted IT to her Twitter account on Monday.

(CAUTION: Graphic video)

This was just sent to me from my constituent. This just happened in my district in Chinatown. He has been arrested… https://t.co/gryhwNFkhQ

— Yuh-Line Niou (@yuhline) 1622502485.0

"This was just sent to me from my constituent," tweeted New York Assemblymember Yuh-Line Niou. "This just happened in my district in Chinatown. He has been arrested and our precinct is investigating."

The video shows the man viciously punching the woman in the face as she walked by him near the Kong Sihk Tong café.

"The woman hit the ground, her butt hit the ground, she fell back, the back of her head hit the outdoor dining structure. And her eyes just shut out, blacked out," said Jin Zhen, who witnessed the attack, to WLNY-TV.

Police arrested 48-year-old Alexander Wright for the crime and charged him with one count of assault as a hate crime. He was also charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance after police said they found K2, a synthetic marijuana drug, during his arrest.

Police Commissioner Dermot Shea expressed outrage that Wright had such an extensive criminal background and yet was allowed to be back on the streets.

"Lives in a shelter, arrested eight times in the last year, randomly assaulting people, setting fires," said Shea. "The guy that was arrested on Friday setting fires. What are we doing in society, we're releasing these people right back onto the street?"

Police said Wright would undergo a psychiatric analysis.

One study said that crimes against Asians had risen 169% from the first quarter of 2021 compared to that of 2020 across 15 major cities.

Here's a local news report about the hate crime charge:

Chinatown attack: Man facing hate crime charges after Asian woman sucker punchedwww.youtube.com

Disturbing video captures vicious unprovoked attack on Asian woman in NYC



A vicious unprovoked attack on an Asian American woman was caught on surveillance video Monday and posted to social media by a state lawmaker from New York.

The disturbing video was posted by New York Assemblymember Yuh-Line Niou on her Twitter account.

(CAUTION: Graphic video)

This was just sent to me from my constituent. This just happened in my district in Chinatown. He has been arrested… https://t.co/gryhwNFkhQ
— Yuh-Line Niou (@yuhline) 1622502485.0

"This was just sent to me from my constituent," Niou tweeted. "This just happened in my district in Chinatown. He has been arrested and our precinct is investigating."

The video shows a scene outside the Kong Sihk Tong café where an Asian woman was walking before she is viciously punched in the face by a man who appears to be African American.

The woman falls backward onto the ground and stops moving while bystanders rush to attend to her.

"What are you looking at me for?" says the attacker bizarrely. "What do you mean?"

The victim is a 55-year-old woman according to the New York Post. Police said she was taken to the NewYork-Presbyterian Lower Manhattan Hospital and was in stable condition.

The suspect was reportedly taken to Bellevue Hospital for a psychiatric evaluation and charges against him are pending.

Niou said in a later tweet that the victim was "conscious and cognizant and alert." She added that the hate crimes unit was investigating the matter.

This latest attack on an Asian American is just one of many that have recently received more media attention. One report said that while overall hate crimes have declined, attacks against Asians increased by 150% in 2020, mostly in Los Angeles, California, and New York City.

Many Asian Americans rushed to buy guns in March of last year as threats against them increased over the coronavirus pandemic.

Here's more about Asian Americans:

How Asian-Americans are DISMISSED by progressives at the 'ALTAR OF EQUITY'www.youtube.com