In Public Service – November 19, 2019

Myrie reacts to Cuomo Census funds

State Sen. Zellnor Myrie, who has been pushing Gov. Andrew Cuomo to release millions of dollars in state funding to conduct public outreach for the 2020 Census, said he is pleased the money has been released.

“After long delay and consistent calls from hard-to-count communities, we are pleased to see that the governor’s office has made the Census funding available for our communities and plans to leverage state agencies to conduct Census outreach,” said Myrie, a Democrat representing Crown Heights and parts of Park Slope and Sunset Park

“But, as always, the devil is in the details. It is still unclear to us whether historically under-counted communities, like Brooklyn, will receive a proportion of the funding that is commensurate with their unique need and, whether that funding will be dispersed as expeditiously as possible given how close the Census is,” Myrie said.

Rose introduces bill to ban corporate PACs

U.S. Rep. Max Rose has introduced a bill to ban corporate political action committees, charging that PACs “flood this city with contributions” but do not have the best interests of the average American in mind.

During the 2019 election cycle, 1,732 corporate PACs gave more than $400 million to federal campaigns.

“That’s wrong and at the root of Washington corruption. That’s why we must send a clear, unmistakable message to the American people that we are here to fight for them and only them — not the special interests and corporate PACs,” said Rose, a Democrat representing Southwest Brooklyn and Staten Island.

Rose’s bill, called the Ban Corporate PACs Act, would amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to prohibit for-profit corporations from being allowed to sponsor, operate or fund a separate segregated fund, commonly known as a PAC.

Persaud hosts rent regulation town hall

State Sen. Roxanne Persaud has teamed up with the Legal Aid Society to sponsor a town hall focusing on New York State’s rent regulations.

The Nov. 14 forum took place at P.S. 13 at 557 Pennsylvania Ave.

Residents who attended the session received information on how rent regulations have changed following passage of the New York State Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act of 2019.

“Thank you to the Legal Aid Society for their great help in keeping our community informed, and to everyone who came out to be educated on the new rent regulations in New York State,” said Persaud, a Democrat whose district includes Canarsie, East New York, Brownsville, Mill Basin, Marine Park and Flatlands.

Council passes Treyger’s bills

The City Council unanimously passed two bills sponsored by Councilmember Mark Treyger dealing with housing and education at its meeting on Nov. 14.

One bill would mandate the city’s Housing and Preservation Department to provide a report no later than Sept. 1, 2021, with information on the outcomes of affordable housing lotteries. The law will help inform the public of exactly who qualifies for affordable housing, Treyger said.

“This law will help shed light on the demand for affordable housing units in New York City, and create transparency for residents who apply to the affordable housing lottery,” said Treyger, a Democrat representing Coney Island, Gravesend and parts of Bensonhurst.

Treyger also sponsored a bill to require the Department of Education to report on the demographics of staff in all schools, including teachers, leadership staff, paraprofessionals, social workers, psychologists and counselors.

The idea behind the legislation is to offer a full picture of the public school system, where 13 percent of students are English language learners; 20 percent are students with disabilities; 72 percent are economically disadvantaged; 40 percent are Hispanic and 25 percent are black. He said, “Our school system should reflect the rich diversity of our student populations.”

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.