In Public Service – February 24, 2020

Walker marks American Heart Month

Assemblymember Latrice Walker got her blood pressure checked as part of an American Heart Month celebration at BMS Family Health and Wellness Centers on Feb. 20. Walker, a Democrat representing Brownsville, was one of 100 people, including BMS Chief Executive Officer Harvey Lawrence, undergoing blood pressure screenings.

The social media hashtag #HeartHealthyNYC has been developed by the New York City Department of Health and members of the Take the Pressure Off, NYC! Coalition as part of an effort to reduce the number of New Yorkers with high blood pressure by 150,000 by the year 2022.  

“I took my blood pressure at this event in order to help set an example that we need to be more proactive about preventable causes of death and disease such as high blood pressure. This partnership with BMS and other community organizations is a powerful way to take charge of our health,” Walker said.

Gounardes hearing focuses future of civil service

State Sen. Andrew Gounardes, chairperson of the Committee on Civil Service and Pensions, and State Sen. Toby Ann Stavisky, who chairs the Education Committee, held a joint hearing to discuss how to keep the state’s ranks of civil service filled as many workers start to retire.

A significant number of civil servants are approaching the age of retirement, according to Gounardes. And the state has experienced recruitment issues stemming from a decline in the available workforce, he said.

“By building a strong civil service pipeline from New York’s colleges, we will ensure the strength of our civil service programs for years to come and offer a powerful tool of social mobility for students. Nothing is more rewarding than public service, and we want young people to have the knowledge and opportunity to be part of it,” said Gounardes, a Democrat representing Bay Ridge and several Southwest Brooklyn neighborhoods.

Schumer urges TSA to drop TikTok

Citing security concerns, U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer has urged the Transportation Security Administration to stop allowing employees to use the China-owned TikTok app to create social media posts for the agency.

TikTok is a video-sharing app.

On Sunday, TSA officials announced that they would stop agency workers from using TikTok on the job.

Schumer, who noted that the TSA’s parent agency, the Department of Homeland Security, had already has banned TikTok, said the continuing use of the app by the TSA put America’s national security at risk. He pointed out that Chinese laws prohibit companies from refusing to hand over data if the government demands the information.

“Given the widely reported threats, the already-in-place agency bans and the existing national security concerns posed by TikTok, the feds cannot continue to allow the TSA’s use of the platform to fly,” Schumer said in a statement.

Ortiz meets with Maimonides president

Assemblymember Felix Ortiz recently attended a meeting at Maimonides Medical Center, where he discussed ways to improve health care for patients with Maimonides President and CEO Kenneth Gibbs.

“Many of our neighbors visit the medical facility and have informed me about the types of services they need,” said Ortiz, a Democrat who represents Sunset Park and parts of Bay Ridge.

“I asked President Gibbs to help prioritize efforts based on community concerns,” said Ortiz, who added that he found the meeting to be productive.