In Public Service – January 3, 2020

Rose says killing of Iranian military leader raises questions

U.S. Rep. Max Rose, an Army veteran who fought in Afghanistan, issued a statement after President Donald Trump ordered a military strike on Baghdad International Airport that killed Iranian military leader Qasem Soleimani.

“No one should mourn the loss of Qasem Soleimani who was responsible for hundreds of Americans deaths and injuries to thousands more, some of whom I know and served with. We are now faced with incredibly serious questions regarding the intelligence that led to this strike and what the administration’s plan is for what comes next,” said Rose, a Democrat representing Southwest Brooklyn and Staten Island.

“Let me be clear: no president, regardless of party, has the authority to go to war with Iran without Congressional authorization,” Rose added.

Cymbrowitz says Design-Build Act will help Sheepshead Bay

Assemblymember Steven Cymbrowitz said he was pleased when Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed the NYC Design-Build Act into law. The aim of the new law is to expedite the construction of vital public infrastructure such as libraries, bridges, firehouses and schools, Cymbrowitz said.

One local project that will benefit from the NYC Design-Build Act is the upcoming reconstruction of four bridges on the Belt Parkway at Sheepshead Bay Road, Ocean Avenue, Bedford Avenue and Nostrand Avenue, according to Cymbrowitz, who said the new law could save taxpayers more than $9 million on the project.

The new law streamlines the construction process by merging the design and construction phase.

“This act will accelerate roof and boiler repairs for NYCHA residents, expedite the opening of libraries, parks buildings and schools, and reduce traffic by enabling the city to complete road, water and sewer projects faster. It’s a win-win for New Yorkers,” said Cymbrowitz, a Democrat whose district includes Sheepshead Bay.

Menchaca hosts NYLAG lawyers

Councilmember Carlos Menchaca is getting set to welcome lawyers from the New York Legal Assistance Group to his office to help his constituents.

Menchaca, a Democrat representing Sunset Park and Red Hook, announced that the NYLAG Mobile Lawyers van will be parked outside his office at 4417 Fourth Ave. on Jan. 19, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The attorneys will be on hand to provide free legal advice to local residents.

“A NYLAG van will be parked outside my district office with City-trusted lawyers who will offer free legal advice to anyone, regardless of immigration status,” Menchaca wrote in a message to constituents.

For more information, call Nancy Corona in the councilmember’s office at 718-439-9012 or email ncorona@council.nyc.gov.

Adams, Cornegy side with NYPD nursing mothers

Borough President Eric Adams and Councilmember Robert Cornegy were among the elected officials calling for passage of Council legislation to ensure lactation rooms in NYPD buildings are safe and sanitary.

Adams and Cornegy spoke at a press conference last Thursday along with lawyer Eric Sanders and a group of plaintiffs who filed a class action lawsuit charging that nursing mothers on the police force face horrific conditions on the job, including a lack of sanitary facilities and ridicule from fellow officers.

“The disturbing allegations in this lawsuit show that our city is failing working mothers. We cannot claim we are leading on gender equality when women are unable to safely pump breast milk without facing ridicule or dangerous conditions,” Adams said.

Cornegy, a Democrat representing Bedford-Stuyvesant, was one of the first councilmembers to install a lactation room in his office.

“This policy fight, which I and colleagues have been in front of, is not just a fight for the equality of women in our society, and our workforce, but a fight to embrace family values and make our government more family-friendly,” he said.