Brooklyn Today December 10: Everyone Wants a Piece of New York’s Marijuana Tax Revenue

The Lede

Happy Monday! Everyone wants a piece of New York’s marijuana tax revenue, pols back small businesses slammed by sign violations, and Councilmember Mark Treyger wins support for poll site translators. Plus, the NYPD officer involved in the Eric Garner chokehold death will face trial in May, Battersby in Cobble Hill is set to close, and NYCHA problems persist. Finally, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka says he doesn’t want his city to be “another Brooklyn,” and we recommend the best classic restaurants in New York City.

Imprint

Actress Jennifer Aniston graces the latest cover of Elle.

The Rundown

EVERYONE WANTS A PIECE OF NEW YORK’S MARIJUANA TAX REVENUE

Rival groups are putting in their bids now to get a chunk of an expected windfall in marijuana tax revenue, as New York moves closer to legalizing cannabis for adult use. Some Brooklyn officials are pushing for a “cannabis equity program” to benefit communities of color who have suffered from past disparities in marijuana enforcement. Another group is eyeing this revenue to help fix the subway system, which the MTA estimates will need roughly $40 billion over the next ten years. The pot tax could bring in roughly $336 million annually for New York City and $436 for the state. (via Brooklyn Eagle)

POLS BACK SMALL BUSINESSES SLAMMED BY SIGN BUSTS

No fines for our signs. That was the message at an “emergency rally” held last week on the steps of City Hall in defense of small businesses that have been blindsided by the DOB for sign and awning violations that they claim haven’t been enforced at this volume in years. According to city building codes, signs larger than six square feet require a special installation permit. However, local officials say small mom-and-pop shops are suddenly getting slammed by surprise fines. (via Brooklyn Eagle)

TREYGER WINS ADVOCATES’ SUPPORT FOR POLL SITE TRANSLATORS

Councilmember Mark Treyger is looking for change. Immigration advocates from across the city came out to rally in support of legislation sponsored by the council member that would put more interpreters in polling stations. Treyger held a rally outside City Hall on Wednesday to call attention to his bill, which would provide interpreters for the 10 most commonly spoken languages in New York City. The translator would be on duty at polling sites where needed. (via Brooklyn Eagle)

NYPD OFFICER FACES MAY TRIAL IN ERIC GARNER CHOKEHOLD DEATH

An NYPD officer accused in the chokehold death of an unarmed black man will face an NYPD disciplinary trial next May — nearly five years after the man’s pleas of “I can’t breathe” became a rallying cry against police brutality. The judge rejected demands from Daniel Pantaleo’s lawyer to delay the officer’s department trial in the death of Eric Garner until July, when time runs out for federal prosecutors to file civil rights charges against him. The NYPD trial will start May 13 and could take about two weeks. (AP via Brooklyn Eagle)

COBBLE HILL’S BATTERSBY TO CLOSE

Another one bites the dust. Cobble Hill tasting restaurant Battersby, which made Bon Appetit’s “10 Best New Restaurants in America” list within a year after it opened in 2011, plans to close for good on Dec. 31. Chef-owners Walker Stern and Joe Ogrodnek blamed an expiring lease and a slowdown in business for their decision. A final dinner on New Year’s Eve will serve as a goodbye. Among Battersby’s unusual offerings are bomba rice with duck confit and octopus, lobster bisque made with sherry, and chicken liver mousse with sweet and sour shallots. (Eater via Brooklyn Eagle)

COLLAPSED NYCHA CEILING STILL UNREPAIRED AFTER 2 WEEKS

A couple’s living room ceiling at a NYCHA project in Brownsville fell down two weeks ago, and no one has come to fix it yet. Kisha Hobgood said the city offered to send a repair crew on Christmas Eve. However, she says this is unacceptable because their two children are smelling the mold and possibly breathing in debris. After Hobgood called PIX11, NYCHA workers repaired a gaping hole in the ceiling and removed some water-saturated insulation. However, they said they couldn’t make permanent repairs immediately because of heavy water penetration. (PIX11 via Brooklyn Eagle)

NEWARK MAYOR DOESN’T WANT HIS CITY TO BE ‘ANOTHER BROOKLYN’

Although high-rise, upscale developments are being constructed and new stores are occupying long-vacant storefronts, “Newark must not become another Brooklyn,” its mayor vowed. Newark Mayor Ras Baraka announced a 15-member commission to oversee the city’s development and prevent the displacement of its 280,000 residents. “We have to have a place to sit down and eat, we have to have housing in our community, we have to have wealth in our neighborhoods, we have to have the same things that other communities have,” Baraka added. (NJ.com via Brooklyn Eagle)