Adams, Treyger Advance College Savings Legislation
Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams and City Council Member Mark Treyger (Coney Island, Bensonhurst) yesterday joined forces to advance bipartisan legislation aimed at helping new parents save for college through greater awareness of New York’s 529 College Savings Program, which helps families invest in their children’s postsecondary education.
The 529 college savings plans take their name from Section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC), which gives tax deductions to parents putting money into a special account for their children’s education.
Should Intro. 1254 become law, the city’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) would be required to develop college savings plan materials for parents and guardians to be delivered at the same time as their child’s certificate of registration of birth. Additionally, the bill would ensure that this information is also distributed to families of pre-kindergarten students and students entering kindergarten, 6th grade, and 9th grade.
“As a former educator, I believe strongly that every child deserves to have every educational avenue available to them, but the costs of higher education today can be prohibitive, even as postsecondary education degrees have never been more integral in the path toward career advancement,” said Treyger. “Parents may not be thinking about their newborn’s college education right away, but saving early is extremely important.”
“College tuition is one of the greatest components of our consumer debt burden, which is why planning must begin at the earliest stage possible,” said dams. “New parents must be prepared to save for college once their child is born so that their future scholar has a solid foundation on which to fund their educational pursuits. With higher education an increasing necessity in our job market, and college debt an increasing weight dragging down our overall economy, it is prudent for government to do what it can to educate families on their savings options as part of our overall focus on raising financial literacy.”
Squadron Lobbies For Brooklyn Bridge Park Pool
State Sen. Daniel Squadron (Northern Brooklyn, Lower Manhattan) along with community members today will urge the city to keep the Brooklyn Bridge Park pop-up pool open until their are concrete plans for a permanent pool.
Squadron and the ad hoc organization “Love Our Pool: Families United For A Pool in Brooklyn Bridge Park” will also announce the results of their petitioning efforts and a report titled Making a Splash: The Pop-Up Pool in Brooklyn Bridge Park.
The pop-up pool is planned to be eliminated after this summer. However hundreds of community members have signed “Love Our Pool’s” petition, and responded to a survey showing broad support for the continued existence of a pool in Brooklyn Bridge Park.
Squadron’s office conducted the survey this summer, which found that the pool serves a broad community, is the only swimming option for many families, and is so popular, swimmers keep coming back.
The rally is slated for 12 noon today at Brooklyn Bridge Park, Pier 2 Uplands, Outside Pop-up Pool (nearby address: 150 Furman Street).
Team Colton Continues To Put Ragusa Front And Center
Charles Ragusa, the male district leader for the 47th Assembly District, has partnered up with the United Progressive Young Dems, as well as Assemblyman William Colton (Bensonhurst, Bath Beach), Councilman Mark Treyger (Coney Island, Bensonhurst), and his co-district leader Nancy Tong to sponsor a neighborhood clean-up event this weekend in response to concerns about cleanliness in the community.
Colton, who normally is the lead in these community clean-ups, has increasingly put Ragusa as the lead for all events. Ragusa, a longtime district leader, is being challenged by political independent Billy Thai in the Sept. 13 primary election.
Volunteers, who are local youth from neighborhood schools and organizations, have signed up to clean a large stretch of 86th Street from 25th Avenue to 16th Avenue, and 18th Avenue from Benson Avenue to 82nd Street, as well as the streets surrounding Bensonhurst Park. In addition to cleaning up, participants will speak to residents and businesses about sanitation rules and guidelines to encourage them to “do their part” and help keep the neighborhood clean.
The Clean-up is slated for between 10 a.m.- 12 noon, Saturday, Aug. 20. The meet up location is at 29 Bay 25th Street (between 86th Street & Benson Avenue).
Adams Calls For Expansion Of Operation Safe Shopper
Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams today will call for the city to fund an expansion of Operation Safe Shopper, a partnership he unveiled last month between local civic organizations and the New York City Police Department (NYPD) in which he has funded the deployment of security cameras in neighborhoods across Brooklyn to assist with the investigation of local crimes.
Within weeks of the initiative’s deployment in Crown Heights, an attempted robbery that took place on Tuesday by the intersection of Albany Avenue and Eastern Parkway was captured by surveillance cameras maintained by the Crown Heights Jewish Community Council. Then, through the collaboration with the NYPD’s 71st Precinct, the footage helped lead to the arrest of the perpetrator.
Adams, along with the Crown Heights Jewish Community Council and the NYPD’s 71st Precinct, will talk about the importance of expanding Operation Safe Shopper to further safety along commercial corridors across Brooklyn. Adams feels the issue is particularly relevant to advance as the Crown Heights community reflects on the 25th anniversary of violent riots that shook the neighborhood.
The event is slated for 1:30 p.m., today on the southwest corner of Albany Avenue and Eastern Parkway in Crown Heights.
City Council Passes Espinal Measure Educating Immigrants
City Council Member Rafael Espinal Jr.(Bushwick, Cypress Hills, Brownsville, East New York) saw the City Council pass his bill this week requiring the Department of Consumer Affairs to establish and implement an outreach and education program on consumer protection issues that affect immigrants.
The outreach and education program would be developed in consultation with the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs and would provide information on consumer protection issues that affect immigrants. Among these issues are risks associated with check cashing and money transfer businesses, immigration assistance services and tax preparers, as well as guidance on local institutions offering preferred products and services to immigrants and immigrant communities, such as community based organizations and credit unions.
“In a city as diverse as ours, we can’t take a one-size-fits-all approach to consumer protection programs. Introduction 1085-A, 1086-A, 1087-A will require the Department of Consumer Affairs to implement outreach and education programs designed specifically for the groups most often targeted by unscrupulous actors: women, seniors, and immigrants.” said Espinal I want to thank the Speaker for her leadership and look forward to working with DCA on this important issue,” said Espinal.
Persaud Presents Family Fun Day
State Senator Roxanne J. Persaud (Canarsie, Mill Basin, Bergen Beach, East New York) today will host her annual Family Fun Day.
The event for families in her district will have refreshments, music, giveaways, games, golf lessons, face painting, clowns, Tropicalfete’s stilt walkers, FDNY’s Smokehouse, NYPD’s rock climbing wall, live entertainment and many more activities.
Partners for the event include Metroplus, the FDNY and NYPD, the West Indian Day Carnival Association, GrowNYC, the Parks Department and Tropicalfete’s Stilting.
The Family Fun Day is slated for between 1-6 p.m. today Canarsie Park (Seaview Avenue and East 88th St. Entrance).
Cymbrowitz Holds Gala Luncheon for Seniors
Assemblyman Steven Cymbrowitz (Sheepshead Bay, Manhattan Beach, Brighton Beach), chair of the Assembly’s Aging Committee, today will host a gala luncheon for 400 Brooklyn seniors.
The event includes music, dancing, and information about programs and services that cater specifically to the older adult community. About 400 seniors from various neighborhood centers are expected to attend.
The gala is slated for 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., today at the Kingsborough Community College Marine Academic Center Rotunda, 2001 Oriental Blvd. in Manhattan Beach.
