Eugene Hails Formation of Youth Employment Task Force
City Councilman Mathieu Eugene (Flatbush, East Flatbush), Chair of the Committee on Youth Services, yesterday hailed Mayor Bill de Blasio and City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito announcement of the formation of a Youth Employment Task Force to inform future investments and assess the best areas for growth and improvement in youth workforce programming.
Members include senior Administration officials and City Council members, as well as stakeholders from philanthropy, business, academia, advocacy and youth development.
This year, an unprecedented 60,000 young people participated in the City’s Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) – the nation’s largest summer youth jobs initiative – and the City and Council supported SYEP with a record $72.4 million in funding.
The Youth Employment Task Force will convene four times before the end of the year with the goal of developing recommendations for the City’s youth workforce programs and assess areas of potential investment and growth. Specifically, the task force is charged with:
- Defining the role of the Summer Youth Employment Program and Work Learn Grow in preparing NYC youth for success in school and career.
- Developing recommendations for improving both the Summer Youth Employment Program and Work Learn Grow program models.
- Highlighting the system-building efforts necessary to implement these changes and sustain successful programs.
“It is imperative that we continue to find ways to improve youth workforce programming in New York City. While there are more young people participating in the Summer Youth Employment Program than ever before, we must remain resolute in our efforts to build upon recent successes and develop even more strategies to maximize our youth’s ability to thrive academically and in the job market following graduation,” said Eugene.
“I commend Mayor Bill de Blasio and Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito for creating the Youth Employment Task Force and look forward to working with them to further strengthen programs that create jobs for young people in our great city,” he added.
Schumer Hails FCC For Modernizing Emergency Alert System
U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer yesterday announced that, after his push, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved an order to finally modernize the Wireless Emergency Alert System (WEA).
Following the Chelsea explosion, WEA notifications were sent to millions of New Yorkers to help aid in the search for the suspect while he was on the run. Last week, Schumer lamented that the information provided to New Yorkers in the notification was limited because of a 90-character restriction on WEAs that also does not allow for multimedia images or links. Yesterday’s announcement means that wireless notifications will now be allowed to include embedded URLs, which will lead directly to photos of suspects. Moreover, the FCC has increased the maximum length of messages from 90 to 360 characters, and it has put into place rules for better geographic targeting of notices, so that the right people will see them.
“The FCC is doing the right thing by quickly improving its wireless emergency notification system to match today’s technological capacities,” said Schumer. “This new revamp means our Wireless Emergency Alert system will finally be as smart as our phones, as it will be able to deliver multimedia messages that may contain information that can save lives. The Chelsea terror threat highlighted a major weakness in our Wireless Emergency Alert system when millions of New Yorkers were left with no other option but to ‘google’ for more information.”
Cymbrowitz Disappointed With Assault Conviction
Assemblyman Steven Cymbrowitz (Sheepshead Bay, Manhattan Beach, Brighton Beach) yesterday expressed disappointment with the conviction this week in Kings County Supreme Court of Shawn Schraeder in the assault of Kings Bay Y executive director Leonard Petlakh outside Barclay’s Center in 2014.
Schraeder was acquitted of hate crime charges but found guilty of one count of assault in the third degree and two counts of menacing and endangering.
“I am disappointed that a case with such blatant anti-Jewish elements did not end in a hate crime conviction. Finding the suspect guilty of assault, but not guilty of the vile behavior that contributed to the assault, weakens the victory and sends a dangerous message that those who perpetrate hate-motivated violence can go unpunished for this aspect of the crime,” said Cymbrowitz.
“I am hopeful that the judge will give Leonard Petlakh’s assailant the full penalty that the law allows, which is a year in jail. We need to keep speaking out against hate crimes whenever and wherever they occur in our neighborhoods and pushing for severe penalties for criminals who use anti-Semitism and any other form of bigotry as an excuse to commit violence.”
Colton Helps COJO Giveaway
Assemblyman Bill Colton (Bensonhurst, Bath Beach) this week helped the Bensonhurst COJO (Council of Jewish Organizations) food giveaway to impoverished Jews to help them celebrate the coming Jewish New Year.
“I would like to thank the Bensonhurst COJO group for being so generous and organizing this food giveaway. I would also like to extend greetings to the families celebrating the Jewish Holy Days of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur,” said Colton.
The local Bensonhurst Democratic District Leaders Charles Ragusa and Nancy Tong also thanked the Bensonhurst COJO for their display of kindness towards all the families. “We hope everyone has a safe, happy, and healthy holiday,” they said in a joint statement.
Williams Gets Support For Free Speech
City Council Member Council Member Jumaane D. Williams (Flatbush, East Flatbush, Midwood) yesterday received strong support from Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, several other of his colleagues in government, veterans, and anti-gun violence advocates, as he publicly announced his intention to continue his protest that he began two weeks ago, and push back on the notion that protesting is un-American.
On September 14, Williams protested during the national anthem at the City Council Stated Meeting, to push the conversation of violence as a social justice issue and addressing the underlying causes of police-involved shootings and overall gun violence in the same communities. He also went public with his private protest in solidarity with San Francisco 49ers Quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who sat during the Pledge of Allegiance to protest against police brutality.
Since the protest he has received several pieces of hate and threatening mail. Whether one agrees or not with Williams, the issue of free speech in America to protest and address grievances before government is a fundamental constitutional right.
“Council Member Williams and I are on the same side of the fight for justice, even as I stand for the Pledge of Allegiance and he exercises his right to sit,” said Brooklyn Borough President Adams. “We have different tactics, but the same message. We must protect and preserve the right to protest, and we must be responsive to those righteously and peacefully voicing calls for societal change that is generations overdue.”
“I proudly support my colleague, Council Member Jumaane Williams in his fight for justice,” said City Council Member Rafael Espinal (Bushwick, East New York, Brownsville). “Whether in the chambers of City Hall, on the streets of Brooklyn, or in peaceful protests across this country, we must always call out unjust behavior and strive for a world where all Americans are safe, respected, and equal under the law.”
