Golden Brings City’s Sandy Recovery Boss To Town Hall
Bay Ridge State Senator Martin J. Golden tonight will welcome the Director of the New York City Build It Back Program, Amy Peterson, to a town hall meeting to address continuing issues faced by
residents rebuilding in the wake of Superstorm Sandy.
In addition to the Build It Back Program, representatives from the City’s Department of Buildings, Finance, Design and Construction, Transportation and Environmental Protection will be in attendance. CAMBA Legal Services, The LiRo Group (Program and Construction Management) and Neighborhood Housing Services of New York City will be offering continued assistance to residents as well at the meeting.
This is a continuing series of town hall meetings that Golden has hosted Superstorm Sandy made landfall in October 2012 to give affected residents of his district an opportunity to discuss ongoing recovery efforts with key officials.
The meeting is slated for 7 p.m., Thursday, March 3 at The Brooklyn Blue Feather Elementary School, 2335 Gerritsen Avenue (between Avenue V and Whitney Avenue).
Gentile, Capano Bipartisan Agreement On Small Homeowner Tax Break
Bay Ridge City Council Member Vincent Gentile, and Bob Capano, the Republican strongly considering a run to replace Gentile once he’s term-limited out next year, agreed yesterday that the City should reinstate the $400 tax rebate for small homeowners.
Gentile joined a bipartisan group of City Council Members that sent a letter to City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito and Councilwoman Julissa Ferraras, who heads the budget committee, asking for relief for single to six-family homeowners.
They say the rebates are warranted because the city is projecting a $2.5 billion surplus this year. The city had a property tax rebate program that was discontinued in 2009 after the global economic meltdown.
“The recession is in the rear-view”, said Gentile. “It’s time to help our small homeowners, not short them. The rebate will have a cyclical and positive economic impact for our City. Seniors and those on fixed incomes benefit from this tax relief and as a result are better positioned financially to keep their homes and have more disposable income to support our City’s commerce.”
Capano noted the property tax is the one tax that the City exclusively controls without any Albany approval needed.
“The City Council should pass some common sense legislation for a change, and give hard-working families their $400 property tax rebate back, especially since we are sitting on an over $2 billion surplus,” said Capano. “It would be nice if City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito did something to help hard-working, law abiding residents rather than just focusing on helping criminals.”
McCreight To Brooklyn GOP: Dump Trump
Chris McCreight, candidate for Democratic State Committee in the 46th Assembly District in the Bay Ridge/Coney Island area, called on Republican elected officials who represent Brooklyn to pledge to not support Donald Trump for President if he is the Republican nominee.
McCreight, who lives in Bay Ridge and works in Coney Island, said there is no place in Brooklyn for a candidate who refuses to disavow the KKK. Bay Ridge is represented by three Republican elected officials – the only area of Brooklyn with GOP elected representation.
“It’s been several days since Donald Trump failed to disavow the KKK. After last night’s Super Tuesday victories, it’s time for every elected official, including Republicans, to stand up and say they will not support Donald Trump for President, even if he is the Republican nominee,” said McCreight.
“We may not agree on everything, but surely Democrats and Republicans can agree that the KKK has no place in our politics in Brooklyn. This is one of those times when everybody must put the good of the country above political parties. Donald Trump must be stopped. It’s time for Brooklyn Republicans to dump Trump.”
Harris Condemns Animal Cruelty, Seeks To Strengthen Penalties
Coney Island/Bay Ridge Assembly Member Pam Harris yesterday announced she’s backing a measure (A352) that would move animal cruelty out of the state’s agriculture laws, and into the state’s criminal statutes – cracking down on animal abusers and preventing future acts of animal cruelty.
Harris made the announcement in response to the recent spate of animal killings occurring in the Bay Ridge area, which she called horrifying and must be put to an end.
“The responsible individual for these egregious actions against our community’s animals must be stopped, prosecuted and held accountable. I urge Bay Ridge residents to report any suspicious activity with the local police or my office. We’ve been in touch with the local 68th Precinct and we will continue until this animal abuser is caught. I thank all the community members who’ve already come forward,” said Harris.
Ortiz Measure Gives Funding To School-Based Health Centers
Sunset Park Assemblyman and Assistant Speaker Felix W. Ortiz announced the passage of his bill, A4913-A, yesterday in the Assembly to create a new funding stream for the state’s 231 school-based health centers.
Ortiz said school-based health centers (SBHCs) are often the core of a community, and in his district alone, the Lutheran Family Health Centers has a number of service delivery sites that provide vital comprehensive health care to over 70,000 medically underserved patients. They advocate for continued financial and legislative support to sustain services that support and enrich the lives of many Brooklyn residents, he said.
The measure creates a state income tax check-off box for donations permitting expansion of services and development of new sites to provide these vital health services.
SBHCs provide preventive services for such chronic conditions as epileptic seizures, asthma, diabetes, gastroenteritis, urinary tract infections, nutritional deficiencies, and pelvic inflammatory disease. Mental health services offered at some of these clinics have produced significant declines in depression and improvements in wellness. Eighty percent of the state’s SBHCs are located in metropolitan areas.
“As tax season approaches we are reminded of the value of check-off boxes for donations to important issues like our children’s health. Every dollar counts. A special check-off box for donations to school-based health centers on personal income tax returns will be a financial lifeline to those who need their services. These centers are a family’s best defense against costly hospitalization and a source of vital health services for our children in high need areas,” said Ortiz.
Adams Honors Brooklyn Champions
Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams tonight will host the second annual “A Night Honoring Brooklyn Champions,” an event that celebrates the success of the borough’s recent athletic and scholastic championship teams as well as other outstanding young men and women.
The talented individuals and teams will accept trophies and words of praise from Adams during the ceremony.
Highlighted honorees will include the Engineers girls varsity badminton, girls cross-country, girls varsity volleyball, and boys cross-country teams from Brooklyn Technical High School in Fort Greene, the Young Poets Society Contest winner from IS 240 Andries Hudde in Midwood, a student who contributed voiceover work to “The Peanuts Movie” from IS 239 Mark Twain for the Gifted and Talented in Coney Island, and the debate team from MS 50 El Puente Community School in Williamsburg.
The event is slated for 6 p.m. tonight at Brooklyn Borough Hall, 209 Joralemon Street in Downtown Brooklyn.
