Lawmakers Thoughts State Budget Passage
The ink was barely dry on the $142 billion fiscal year 2015-16 state budget when several lawmakers emailed their remarks to KCP:
Fort Green/Prospect Heights Assemblyman Walter Mosley: “I am proud of the work we have accomplished in the state capital. Adding record setting appropriations to support affordable housing programs, reinvestment into our aging stock of public housing and funding to higher education opportunity programs, we are truly investments in our future.
“However, I am still deeply concerned over the persistent failure to pass the Dream Act within the state budget. This provision is critically needed to help hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers attain a college education and be able to provide better lives for themselves and their families.
“I also take issue with the recent education reform that has been placed into the education appropriation that ties test scores to school funding, teacher rating, and tenure status. The possibility of denying already underfunded public schools access to crucial dollars in an effort to turn around performance is not the answer.
“Additionally, the teacher evaluation system is a clause which I believe to be fully under the purview of collective bargaining rights. Using the state budgetary process to enact changes to the future of the teaching profession possibly opens the door to supersede that profession’s ability to collectively bargain and undermines labor practices going forward.
As we move past the budget negotiations I reaffirm my commitment to the People’s Priority agenda outline by the New York State Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic, and Asian Legislative Caucus which calls for criminal justice reform measures, work force development programs and most importantly not only to renew rent regulations, but to strength the laws. The state budget in conjunction with these progressive legislative initiatives aim to better the lives of the hard working families in our communities and ensure that New York State continues to work for the people.”
Bay Ridge State Sen. Marty Golden:“New Yorkers can be proud that this budget includes significant investments in economic development, job creation, public safety, healthcare, and education. This year’s budget additionally encompasses significant ethics reforms, making New York a leader in the Nation in strengthening the public trust of officials.
“Legislators from Brooklyn to Buffalo have rightly agreed this year to invest $150 million in counter terrorism and disaster preparedness to protect our citizens. Additionally, I was among the leaders in guaranteeing that the State direct nearly $60 million towards the purchase of new and improved equipment to keep our police officers safe.
“Similarly, our commitment to both the 4201 and 4410 funding for early childhood educational programs, and for our students who are blind, deaf and multihandicapped, is among the key accomplishments of this year’s State budget. Furthermore, the continued dedication of resources to increase TAP (Tuition Assistance Program) and fund UPK (Universal Pre-Kindergarten) will continue to support education at many levels.
“I am proud that this year, we have included a new tax credit to support the gaming industry and that the film tax credit, in which I have long championed, has been renewed. These tax credits prove valuable to countless New Yorkers into the future, and lead us toward a period of unprecedented job growth.
“Like many of my colleagues, I share in the disappointment of many of my constituents in the failure to achieve an Education Investment Tax Credit and Verrazano Bridge toll relief. The fight for these important causes goes on because it needs to.”
Sheepshead Bay Assemblyman Steven Cymbrowitz: “The 2015-16 state budget enacted yesterday restores much-needed funding for our schools, funds economic development projects to create more jobs and holds spending growth to less than two percent for the fifth consecutive year.”
The lawmaker voted against the education appropriations bill because it excluded the Education Investment Tax Credit, which would have provided tax credits in return for donations to not-for-profit scholarship-granting organizations as well as public schools.
Among its highlights, the $150.3 billion spending plan secures a $1.6 billion increase in education aid over last year, for a total of $23 billion. To help students attending non-public schools, the final budget adds $5 million in Comprehensive Attendance Policy funding. Total nonpublic aid in the budget is $171.4 million.
Additionally, the budget includes a $30 million increase in pre-K funding for three- and four-year-olds, while protecting last year’s pre-K investment in New York City.
In an effort to ensure the buildings and classrooms students learn in are world-class, the budget provides $605 million in capital funding for SUNY and $181 million in capital funding for CUNY.
In an effort to help the poor and elderly, the final budget restores $78.9 million to Medicaid, and $10.7 million to preserve spousal refusal, which protects couples from losing their life savings in the event that a spouse requires long-term care. Cymbrowitz, who chairs the Aging Committee, noted that in 2013, the median yearly cost of staying in a long-term care facility in New York State was $125,732, costs that can be ruinous for seniors on a fixed income.
Further, the final budget rejects the governor’s proposal to greatly reduce pharmacy reimbursements, which would have resulted in severe consequences for providers that care for the neediest individuals in our state.
“For the sick and elderly, being able to purchase affordable, effective prescription drugs can be a matter of life and death,” Cymbrowitz said. “We worked to keep those costs down so a choice doesn’t need to be made between buying vital prescription drugs and putting food on the table.”
Deutsch Announces Additional Pre-Passover Collections
Southern Brooklyn City Councilman Chaim Deutsch reminds constituents that there will be additional refuse and recycling collection in neighborhoods throughout his district in anticipation of the traditional pre-Passover clean-up. Councilman Deutsch has been in touch with Department of Sanitation officials to ensure that these added garbage pick-up dates are scheduled. They are as follows:
In Community Board 14:
- In areas where garbage is picked up on Tuesday/Friday, or Wednesday/Saturday an additional pick-up will be provided on Thursday, April 2nd.
- In areas where garbage is picked up on Monday/Thursday, an additional pick-up will be provided on Friday, April 3rd.
- The additional Friday recycling collection will take place from 12 midnight to 8 a.m., Friday, April 3rd.
In Community Board 15:
- Additional garbage and recycling pick-ups for all residents will take place Friday, April 3rd.
Residents should continue to separate recycling and regular garbage. All rubbish must be placed curbside the evening before the scheduled garbage and recycling collection in the area.
- “Chametz Dumpsters” will be available at the following locations:
- James Madison High School – Quentin Road (between Bedford Ave. & E. 26th St.)
- Rite Aid Pharmacy – 2577 Nostrand Avenue
- City Park Adjacent to Derech Hatorah – 2810 Nostrand Avenue (bet. Kings Hwy & Avenue P)
- Rabbi Rokeach’s Shul – 3302 Avenue P (on East 33rd Street)
- Marine Park Jewish Center – 3311 Avenue S
“I am grateful to the Department of Sanitation, who made arrangements to accommodate those who celebrate Passover,” said Councilman Deutsch. “The increased garbage and recycling pickups, as well as the chametz dumpsters, have had a significantly positive impact on last minute preparations for Passover. I thank my colleague Assemblywoman Helene Weinstein for working together with me to maintain these vital resources for our community.”
With any further questions about Pre-Passover collections, call Councilman Deutsch’s district office at (718) 368-9176.
Obama Signs Jeffries Bill
President Obama, yesterday, signed into law the Slain Officer Family Support Act of 2015, which Brooklyn Congressman Hakeem Jeffries sponsored along with Long Island Congressman Peter King.
Senator Charles Schumer led the effort to pass the bill in the Senate.
The legislation extends the tax deadline so that individuals making charitable donations to organizations supporting the families of assassinated New York Police Department (NYPD) Detectives Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos can apply such tax deductions to their 2014 tax return.
“The assassination of Detective Ramos and Detective Liu was a national tragedy, and it required a national response,” said Jeffries. “We cannot bring these heroes back, but we must do everything possible to support the families they left behind. The passage of this law is a step forward in the healing process, and provides an immediate tax benefit to those who did the right thing in supporting the families of these slain detectives.”
“Because NYPD Detectives Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos gave their lives in the protection of their fellow citizens, we have a sacred duty to honor their sacrifice and support their suffering families. That is why I am so proud that the Senate and House came together in a bi-partisan fashion to pass this legislation – originally crafted by my friend, Representative Hakeem Jeffries – that appropriately rewards the generous individuals in New York and across the country that made charitable donations to these families. It is the right thing to do,” said Schumer.
Hamilton, Montgomery, Patterson Roll With Senior Mobile Office
State Senators Velmanette Montgomery and Jesse Hamilton, along with Democratic District Leader Shirley Patterson will launch the monthly Senior Mobile Office program at the St. Louis Senior Center today.
The Senior Mobile Office will provide a wide-range of constituent services and will work with local residents and senior community leaders on many issues, including SCRIE, DRIE, EPIC, and HEAP application support, Medicare savings plans, and social services assistance. The aims of the traveling office is to help expedite work with local and state agencies as our offices help to solve issues that matter most to seniors.
The Mobile Unit will roll up at 12:30 p.m., today, April 2. The St. Louis Senior Center is located at 230 Kingston Avenue.
