Vallone Announces 2 Loan Programs For Biz Blackout Victims
BY JOHN TOSCANO

Businesses in Queens still reeling from the Con Ed blackout of late July got some encouraging news from City Councilmember Peter Vallone Jr. yesterday as he announced two low-interest loan programs.

The loans are available from Asian Americans for Equality (AAE) and the Renaissance Economic Development Corporation (REDC), Vallone said, both operating under the Queens Blackout Recovery Initiative.

"This initiative will provide micro loans at low interest rates to affected small businesses throughout Astoria, Long Island City, Hunters Point, Sunnyside and Woodside," Vallone stated.

"These loans will be for up to $30,000 at a 2 percent interest rate over 36 months and will be available until Oct. 31, 2008."

REDC and AAE will also assist affected business owners in completing their Con Edison commercial claim forms and educate them on the various government programs and initiatives that have been created in response to the July 18-27 power outage.

For information on both programs, Vallone said, call AAE at 212-9798381 or Vallone's district office at 718-274-4500.

In another blackout-related development, Assemblymember Ivan Lafayette expressed concern regarding unscrupulous energy company salespersons who promise great savings and discounts and mislead Con Edison customers, especially those affected by the blackout, who sign papers that will consequently change their energy supplier.

Lafayette (D-Jackson Heights) said constituents have come to see him with complaints that they have unsuspectingly been switched to another energy supplier "after signing papers from someone posing as a Con Edison representative who knocked on their door promising them big discounts and refunds."

Lafayette said his assistant, Steven Moyano, had handled several of these complaints and had to explain to constituents that they had been misled. The kilowatt hour rate from Con Ed was lower compared to that of the private energy supplier.

Lafayette explained that private energy companies exist and are permitted to offer to serve a customer's energy needs, but the power still comes to them over Con Ed cables, so the customer will still receive a bill from Con Ed.