Harris Inauguration Draws Top Electeds
U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer swore in newly elected 46th Assembly District Woman Pamela Harris to an overflow auditorium crowd at I. S. 303 Herbert S. Eisenberg yesterday.
Harris, who won a special election over Republican Lucretia Regina-Potter last month, is the first African-American to win in a district with a white majority. The district includes Coney Island, Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights and a sliver of Brighton Beach.
Among the Brooklyn electeds turning out for the inauguration included Congressman Hakeem Jeffries, Public Advocate Letitia James, Assembly Members Bill Colton, Jo Anne Simon and Steven Cymbrowitz, State Sen. Diane Savino and City Council Members Mark Treyger, Vincent Gentile, David Greenfield and Chaim Deutsch.
Also in attendance was Kings County Democratic Party Chair Frank Seddio and Democratic District Leaders Ari Kagan, Dilia Schack, Nancy Tong, Mark Davidovich, Geoffrey Davis and Anthony Jones. KCP apologizes for anybody missed in this list.
Harris, a retired corrections officer and longtime Coney Island community activist said among her goals was to deliver on more than she promises.
Adams Preaches Tolerance At Brooklyn Borough Hall Tree Lighting
Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams tonight will issue an interfaith call for global peace and tolerance, a day after his return from visiting a Syrian refugee camp in Turkey, at the lighting of Brooklyn Borough Hall’s Christmas tree.
Joined by dozens of local clergy members and caring Brooklynites, he will reflect on his overseas experience and the shared responsibility for embracing victims of war, particularly during the holiday season.
Borough President Adams will also offer words of celebration for the season with Brooklyn Parks Commissioner Kevin Jeffrey and members of the Brooklyn Conservatory Chorale, who will perform a selection of holiday songs.
The tree lighting ceremony is slated for 6 p.m., tonight at Brooklyn Borough Hall, 209 Joralemon Street.
Cornegy, Cumbo Call for More Support for Minority- and Women-Owned Businesses
Bedford-Stuyvesant City Councilman Robert E. Cornegy Jr. the Small Business Chair and Fort Greene City Councilwoman Laurie A. Cumbo, the Woman’s Caucus Co-Chair will conduct a joint oversight hearing today on the City’s work to award contracts to Minority- and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (M/WBEs) and on eight bills to expand opportunities for M/WBEs and hold the City and those doing business with the City accountable for reaching M/WBE goals.
Prior to the hearing Cornegy and Cumbo will hold a press conference at noon on the steps of City Hall. The hearing is slated for 1 p.m. in City Hall.
Greenfield Co-Names Borough Park Street For WW II Resistance Fighter
Midwood/Boro Park City Councilman David G. Greenfield yesterday unveiled the street co-naming of 50th Street between 10th Avenue and 20th Avenue to Rabbi Weissmandl Way.
The event was open to the public and was held at the southwest corner of 50th Street and 16th Avenue. Rabbi Weissmandl was a heroic resistance fighter whose efforts saved numerous Jews during World War II. Rabbi Weissmandl was one of the leaders of the underground Working Group who helped thousands of Polish refugees and Slovakian Jews. He dedicated himself to saving Jews and raising awareness of the mass extermination camps including Auschwitz.
“It’s not uncommon for people today to throw around the word hero. Today, anyone can be a hero. We throw around the term very loosely. We also throw around the word moser nefesh. Those aren’t the yardsticks we use when talking about holocaust heroes. R’ Michoel Ber Weissmandl was a hero. He was a Talmud Chacham. He was truly moser nefesh for yisorael. I am proud to rename a stretch of 50th Street between 10th and 20th Avenue, the location of the Nitra shuls, is the least we can do in tribute to this great Rabbi to ensure his legacy and heroism lives on in our community for generations to come,” said Councilman Greenfield.
Schumer, Cuomo Push To Prevent Suspected Terrorists From Purchasing Guns
U.S. Senator Charles Schumer and Governor Andrew M. Cuomo yesterday announced a push to prevent known or suspected terrorists from purchasing guns by asking the federal government to add the U.S. Terror Watch List to the criteria it uses for federal background checks in New York State.
This would prevent known or suspected terrorists from legally purchasing guns and would cross-check the terror watch list with a National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) request, effectively closing the Terror Gap within the state and barring individuals on federal terror watch lists from legally arming themselves.
Schumer noted that the terror watch list is kept private by the federal government. Cuomo said that, if the federal government won’t use the terrorist watch list in conducting background checks, Congress must develop a mechanism to grant states access to the list and allow them to keep their residents safe.
Schumer and Cuomo say there is urgency to stop terror suspects from gaining legal access to weapons of war, something Congress has failed to prevent on the national level.
“We need to move to close the Terror Gap once and for all. We will continue to push again and again at the national level to put into practice this common sense provision that would do so much to protect the American public, but until we do, today’s push with Governor Cuomo will add momentum to this larger effort,” said Schumer. “Railing to close the Terror Gap in New York State will send a message to other states – and Congress – to act. The federal government has always been there for New York when it comes to giving us the tools we need to fight terrorism and I remain hopeful that they’ll work with us on preventing terror suspects from passing gun background checks. The feds should move ASAP on this request and I will fight tooth and nail to see that they meet the mark.”
Cuomo said the fact that known or suspected terrorists continue to legally buy guns is mindboggling and the state cannot allow gridlock, dysfunction and the NRA’s stranglehold on Washington to continue to place the safety of New Yorkers at risk.
“If Congress refuses to act, the federal government needs to step up and either take proactive action to right this wrong once and for all, or allow states to do so. I thank Senator Schumer for his strong and consistent leadership on this critically important issue, and am proud to fight with him to close the Terror Gap,” said Cuomo.
In the aftermath of the terrorist attacks that struck Paris in November, Schumer has led a renewed push in Congress for passage of the “Denying Firearms and Explosives to Dangerous Terrorists Act of 2015,” which would give the Department of Justice authority to prevent a known or suspected terrorist from buying firearms or explosives nationwide.
Cuomo has also been vocal in calling on members of Congress to stand with Senator Schumer and pass this common-sense legislation.
