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FreshDirect Job Vows: At Odds with Environmental Claims?
The grocery deliverer says it will create thousands of jobs in the South Bronx, but that expansion disappears when the firm analyzes its environmental impact.
New Concerns About Tax Ripoffs for Low-Income Filers
In Bushwick and elsewhere, despite crackdowns and campaigns to increase public awareness, critics say some tax preparers charge high fees that cut into vital tax refunds.
Upstate Cities See New Growth Amid Fiscal Crisis
Dented by population loss and industrial decline, cities like Rochester and Buffalo see a future in higher-ed and high-tech. But fiscal woes could hamstring those hopes.
40 Percent of Sheepshead Firms Still Shut Post-Sandy
And more might be closing as their owners struggle to pay back loans they had to take out to repair damage from the flood.
How Will A Higher Minimum Wage Affect Brooklyn?
President Obama and Democrats in Albany want a higher minimum wage. Among Brooklyn's low-wage workers, who will it help and how much?
At the Corner Deli, a Yemeni Immigrant Saga
Every time you buy a beer or a lottery ticket at a bodega run by Mohamed Mohamed or one of his countrymen, you tap into a story of ethnic succession and a struggle to reconcile one culture with another.
Brooklyn's Income Inequality: Global Causes, Local Effects
Income inequality is rising around the globe, around the country and statewide. And despite its blue-collar rep, Brooklyn is one of the most polarized counties. Why is that? And why does it matter?
Hungry For Customers or Aid, Rockaways Businesses Struggle
By some estimates, two thirds of businesses on the peninsula are still closed after Hurricane Sandy. Some of those that are operating are suffering because their customer base has been displaced.
Protect Immigrant Work Rights—-By Making them Owners
Statistics show immigrant workers frequently suffer wage theft. One solution pioneered by a Brooklyn center is to launch cooperatives where the workers are also owners.
Disappointment with Obama, in Obama Country
The Bronx went solidly for the Democrat in 2008 and likely will back him by a large margin this year. But according to one Democratic pol, that doesn't mean people are satisfied with the president, especially when it comes to his "urban agenda."
Voting for Obama, but Playing Romney
Deep in the Bluest Borough, a Conservative Blogger
William Gensert has a national following as a conservative blogger opposed to President Obama. In his deeply Democratic neighborhood, however, he avoids talking politics.
Bar Push Meets Resistance in Crown Heights
At a new committee created just to review a wave of applications for liquor permits, Crown Heights residents and business owners square off in tense negotiations over closing times.
Food Trucks Give Restaurateurs Indigestion
The proliferation of falafel carts and other sidewalk food stands in Bay Ridge might make for tasty lunch options. But people who own brick-and-mortar restaurants say the mobile eateries represent unfair competition.
Winners and Losers at a Car Auction
A 2000 BMW for $1,900. A 1993 Volvo for $150. When a city marshal auctions off seized autos, buyers take their chances, and the cars' former owners take their lumps.
Payday Loans, Illegal on the Street, Thrive in New York's Cyberspace
Of the 18 states that ban or strictly regulate payday loans, New York's is the toughest. But that hasn't stopped online lenders from finding customers in the Empire State and charging sky-high rates for small loans.
Subprime Plastic: A Tricky Alternative to Payday Loans
Lead Generators Play Key Payday Role
When Delays Dominate, Kids Lose
Chapter two of our Family Court investigation focuses on the courtrooms that handle custody and child support, where many people try to navigate complex legal lingo without a lawyer, and where running out the clock can be a weapon in warfare between parents.
Advocates: '12 Budget Dance Has Heavier Beat
Once again, they're rallying in Brooklyn (and elsewhere) against budget reductions from Washington and City Hall. But after years of austerity, advocates say the annual ritual of protests against proposed cuts has taken on a more urgent tone.
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BLOG ENTRIES
Report Faults How City Spends Ad Dollars - Jarrett Murphy
From recruiting new cops to discouraging soda consumption, the city spends millions on advertising—and chooses whether to support mainstream media or the ethnic and community press with that money.
Report May Clear Up New York City's Jobs Mystery - Jarrett Murphy
For months, federal statistics have shown far more new jobs in the city that there were newly employed residents. The Independent Budget Office finds that the "good news" version is closer to the truth.
City Limits Magazines’ Archive Now All Digital, Accessible - City Limits
With a grant from the New York Community Trust, our 36-year archive is now digital (and fully accessible for free) online.
Rising Poverty Means More Use of the Safety Net - Jarrett Murphy
Census data says the city's poverty rate rose again last year. From the city's welfare offices to its homeless shelters, the rising need is reflected in more New Yorkers getting help.
Poverty Numbers Steady, Income Dips - Jarrett Murphy
The Census Bureau reports that the poverty rate has held steady and the number of Americans without health insurance dropped. But median income also fell and income inequality rose.
The Platforms on Cities, Poverty - Jarrett Murphy
The Republicans call welfare reform "the most successful anti-poverty policy in memory" and the Democrats claim the stimulus saved 7 million people from poverty. What else do the platforms have to say about cities and poverty?
Recovery Equals Long Unemployment, Especially for Women - Jarrett Murphy
Amid New York's post-recession jobs "miracle" are stunning levels of long-term unemployment. Women have been hit hard, and government layoffs might be to blame, says a new report.
Living Wage as Soviet Plot: Da or Nyet? - Jarrett Murphy
We asked Soviet experts what they thought of the comparisons Mayor Bloomberg has been making between communist wage policy and a local living wage proposal.
Food Stamp Shortfall Linked to Homelessness - Jarrett Murphy
More people in New York are getting food stamps, but because the benefits don't cover a realistic family grocery bill, recipients are still choosing between dinner and rent, a report finds.
What’s Not to Like About the Cuomo Budget? - Jarrett Murphy
Amid a sea of praise for Gov. Cuomo's second budget, advocates for low-income New Yorkers raised complaints. That, plus the latest on NYCHA, city job creation and the sick leave bill —all in our policy roundup.
NYC Area Gets a D for Economic Security - Jarrett Murphy
According to a new report on economic security, the New York region's high housing costs and serious mortgage delinquency rate place it 74th among America's 100 biggest metropolitan areas.
Poverty Rose Slower than Thought—Is that Good News? - Neil deMause
Much-anticipated alternative statistics on poverty are out. The good news: The rate is rising more slowly than earlier numbers suggested. The bad news: It's been higher than we thought for a long time.
March to Bring Communities of Color to Occupy Wall Street - Jarrett Murphy
Critics of Occupy Wall Street fault its lack of racial diversity on one hand, and the diversity of its political messages on the other. A march planned for Monday will challenge the first critique. A visit to Zuccotti questions the second.
More Poor People=More Crime? Not Necessarily, Says Report - Jarrett Murphy
A study of the effect of housing vouchers on public safety finds no evidence that the arrival of subsidy recipients leads to increases in crime. Rather, voucher holders tend to move to areas where crime is already high.
15 Years On, Still No Agreement on Welfare Reform's Impact - Neil deMause
The panel was charged with answering the question, "Welfare Reform at 15: Is It Working?"Their answer depended almost entirely on how each member defined "working."
City Hall Reacts to Jump in Poverty Numbers - Jarrett Murphy
After the Census Bureau reported a sharp rise in New York City's poverty rate, the Bloomberg administration put a positive spin on New York's performance relative to the rest of the country.
The Cheerios Index: Do the Poor Pay More for Food? - Kiera Feldman
Poverty is on the rise. What does that mean at the supermarket?
'Recovery' Year Saw Incomes Fall, Poverty Rise - Jarrett Murphy
The hangover from the recession that ended in 2009 was the worst in recent memory, with median household income falling and the poverty rate rising more in 2010 than in any post-recession year since 1970.
NY Pols Tout Bill Targeting Jobless Youth - Kiera Feldman
The Urban Jobs Act would provide $20 million for services to unemployed young people. Amid partisan rancor, will the idea survive Congress? Against record youth unemployment, will it make a difference if it does?
The Lower Unemployment Rate: Getting Jobs, Or Giving Up? - Neil deMause
A closer look at the national labor-market figures released last week suggest that the modest fall in the unemployment rate has more to do with people leaving the labor force than folks finding jobs.
EVENTS
A Place at the Table
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
6:00pm -
Launch Party: PLOT Volume 2
Thursday, May 30, 2013
07:00p - 09:00p
The 2013 AWIB Procurement Opportunities Conference
Thursday, June 06, 2013
8:30a - 3:00p
CONVERSATIONS/OPINONS
What Does the City's Recovery Need? More Libraries
Libraries perform a critical role in workforce development for low-income New Yorkers. But budget cuts have so curtailed service that Detroit's libraries are now open more than New York's.
When Can Employers Check Your Credit?
Congress may make it harder for employers to check the credit scores of potential hires. Until they do, job-seekers need to know their rights.
Hail a Taxi? Yes! Prearrange One? No!
A livery cab owner wants to slam the brakes on a proposal to allow riders to pre-arrange yellow cab pickups with a smartphone app.
Credit Crunch, Part II: Low-income NYC's Plastic Problem
After reining in spending during the recession, low-income New Yorkers are again piling on debt—reflecting, in part, a lack of financial savvy that afflicts most consumers, but hurts the poor more.
Half of Recovery Jobs Offer Low Wages. So Raise Them!
'It hurts the young. It helps too little. It boosts unemployment.' There are plenty of myths about the minimum wage. The reality is, more and more workers are working at a pay rate that puts them in poverty.
MULTIMEDIA
A Brief History of Latino Politics in New York
From the 1930s to the present, a look at the candidates who have tried--and in some cases succeed--to increase Latino representation in the City Council, the state legislature, Congress, borough hall and beyond.
Source of Crime Guns Recovered in New York State
Source of Crime Guns Recovered in New York State. Research assistance for this project was provided by Arielle Concilio.
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CITY LIMITS EVENTS
Defining Brooklyn Launch
City Limits celebrates the launch of its March 2011 issue: Defining Brooklyn.The 35th Anniversary Celebration
City Limits celebrates its 35th Anniversary at BMCC in Tribeca.Brooklyn Bureau Launch
The Brooklyn Bureau launch as part of Social Media Week 2012.Tackling Poverty
The Tackling Poverty Series at Galapagos Art Space in the DUMBO section of Brooklyn.Tackling Poverty (Manhattan)
City Limits & the Institute for Children, Poverty, and Homelessness
