Donovan Reacts To Trump’s Decision To End Diversity Visa Program
Congressman Dan Donovan (R-South Brooklyn, Staten Island) applauded the termination of the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program yesterday.
On Wednesday, in the wake of the deadly terror attack in Manhattan, President Donald Trump called for the end of the immigration program. The program, also known as the green card lottery, is a congressionally mandated lottery program for receiving a United States Permanent Resident Card. According to the State Department, the lottery allocates visas through random selection to people from countries with historically low rates of immigration to the US.
According to reports, the alleged culprit in Monday’s terror attack, Sayfullo Saipov, entered the United States in 2010 through the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program.
“Our immigration system is broken beyond repair and requires a complete overhaul. Exhibit A in this mess is the so-called green card lottery. Our country should embrace a merit-based visa program to accept the best and brightest – ambitious and intelligent people who want to create jobs and open new, innovative companies. Instead, we have a crazy lottery system that selects immigrants like a game of Bingo. As a matter of safety, security, and basic common sense, this has to end,” said Donovan.
CM Williams Applauds Passage Of Building Inspector Bill
City Council Member Jumaane D. Williams (D-Flatbush, East Flatbush, Midwood) applauded the passage of his bill which changes the requirements to become a building inspector in order to increase the capacity of the Department of Buildings (DOB).
On Tuesday, the City Council passed Intro. 1307-A, which amends requirements for many categories of inspector while retaining the previous language related to inspectors dealing with medical and natural gas piping systems, backflow prevention, electrical work, and others.
Additionally, the legislation will require all new recruits to complete a 12-week training program in-house with DOB, ensuring that as the breadth of the inspection workforce expands, the quality of the inspectors remains to a high standard.
“Keeping New York City’s buildings safe and up to code is a task as massive as it is imperative. I’m glad to be able to work with the administration in order to ensure that we have the capacity to inspect the ever-growing expanse of buildings in our city. I thank them, along with the Speaker, for working alongside my committee and I on this important effort to make sure all of New York’s buildings are promptly and properly without compromising our high standards for scrutiny and safety,” said Williams.
Cymbrowitz Commends Mayor’s ‘Seniors First’ Affordable Housing Plan
Assembly member Steven Cymbrowitz (D-Brooklyn), Chair of the Assembly’sHousing Committee, joined Mayor de Blasio in announcing the ‘Seniors First’ plan yesterday, an initiative designed to accelerate and expand the construction and protection of senior housing across the city.
The announcement took place at Sons of Italy in Bensonhurst, a seven-story rental building constructed in 1987 that is home to 105 low-income senior households. Under the first part of the three-pronged ‘Seniors First’ strategy, the city’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) will create new affordable senior housing – 4,000 apartments — for seniors through its Senior Affordable Rental Apartments program on a dedicated pipeline of underused land established by NYCHA, as well as on other public and private sites. This is in addition to the existing 10,000 affordable apartments already planned through NYCHA’s NextGen program.
The second component of ‘Seniors First’ will see HPD increase resources and outreach to preserve more of the aging senior affordable housing buildings created through the now defunct federal Section 202 program and other senior housing programs, which are at risk of losing affordability and of physical deterioration. A total of 6,000 apartments will be protected.
The last phase of the plan, will help seniors age in place, HPD will assess and make about 15,000 homes “age-friendly” through improvements such as leveling door handles and shower bars and widening doors to make bathrooms and kitchens wheelchair-accessible. According to state figures, the number of New Yorkers aged 62 and over is projected to grow 40 percent by 2040. Additionally, seniors are the most rent-burdened population, more likely to live on fixed-incomes than any other New York City resident populations.
“I’ve been working with the city and the Mayor on senior housing for the last four years, the most recent in my capacity as Assembly Housing Chair. I’ve been gratified over the past year by the great progress we’ve made in moving our housing agenda forward on both the city and state levels to ensure that seniors in Brooklyn and all throughout our city and state are taken care of,” said Cybrowitz.
Colton Seeks Support For Bill Raising Penalty In Hit & Run Cases
Assemblyman William Colton (D-Bensonhurst, Bath Beach) is seeking support for his bill, A. 6164, to combat the increasing trend of hit-and-runs nationwide and in major cities such as New York City.
Currently, the charges a violator of the Vehicle and Traffic Law faces for leaving the scene of an accident resulting in personal injury to another person without reporting is only a Class A Misdemeanor. Aiming to discourage the growing hit-and-run culture, the bill would increase the charge from a Class A Misdemeanor to a Class E Felony. The felony charge for repeated offenses will also be raised from D to E. The bill passed the State Senate but has faced opposition in the State Assembly. Colton introduced the bill back in 2015.
Additionally, Colton is proposing to raise the charge for hit-and-runs resulting in serious injury from a Class E felony to a Class D felony and to raise the charge for hit-and-runs resulting in death from a Class D felony to a Class C felony.
Earlier this year, there were two fatal hit-and-run incidents that killed 18-year-old Alejandro Tello and 27-year-old Kevin Liang within Colton’s district. In both cases, the hit-and-run driver has yet to be identified or arrested and details to Liang’s accident still remain elusive.
“Not arresting and charging hit-and-run drivers give the impression that these crimes are not taken seriously, when in fact our communities highly condemns these offenses. Civil society depends on its criminal justice system to ensure law and order and to hold criminals accountable. It is also up to civil society to decide which actions need to be regulated, which laws to enforce, and which punishments needs to be implemented. As a legislator, I demand that hit-and-run crimes, as well as other traffic violations compromising public safety, such as DWIs, be prosecuted with higher consequences,” said Colton.
AM Williams Provides Humanitarian Relief To Island Nation Of Dominica
Assembly Member Jaime Williams (D- Canarsie, Mill Basin, Gerritsen Beach, Georgetown) travelled to the Caribbean nation of Dominica recently to provide humanitarian relief to the hurricane stricken island.
In September, the small island was devastated when Category 5 Hurricane Maria hit the island as it ravaged the Caribbean sea. The storm caused major flooding and damage to the small island creating a humanitarian crisis. The storm changed people and in many ways it brought out a desperation in the population that saw many people swept away by flash floods and ocean tidal waves.
On the trip, Williams and her team navigated horrific channels of what were once roads to make it to the village of Roseau. It was there that they saw firsthand the desperate conditions of the once bountiful island. They witnessed how grievous the impact of the storm. The goal of the humanitarian mission was to insure that the effects of the storm was combated with care and love.
“It was just a short five years ago that Super Storm Sandy destroyed so much of the New York area. We stepped up to care and look out for another. At that time I was working as a social worker for Catholic Charities and helped on the ”front lines” of the devastation wrought by Sandy. I witnessed the residents of Canarsie and Coney Island and all over desperate to resume their lives, and in the face of Hurricane Maria; how can I allow such destruction to once again occur without helping,” said Williams.
“The lessons of Super Storm Sandy will remain, and we are always going to be looked to for assistance in helping overcome tragedies as this is a cornerstone of our great nation, our great City and our great State of New York,” added Williams.
Persaud Continues Mobile Office Hours
State Senator Roxanne Persaud (D-Canarsie, East New York, Brownsville, Mill Basin, Sheepshead Bay, Bergen Beach, Marine Park, Flatlands, Mill Island, Georgetown, Ocean Hill, Starrett City) announced yesterday that she will host more Mobile Office hours next week.
The event is part of Persaud’s outreach into the community to provide constituents with ease of access to city services and marks her third event within the last couple of months. Agencies available at the event include: Civil Complaint Review Board, New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), Department of Transportation (DOT), NYC Consumer Affairs
The event is slated for 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Monday, Nov. 6, at the Salvation Army of Greater New York, Brooklyn Brownsville Corps (gymnasium), at 280 Riverdale Avenue, in Brownsville.
Walker Makes Diplomatic Visit To Haiti
Assembly member Latrice Walker (D-Brownsville) alongside a New York State Delegation of Legislators visited one of the largest cities in Haiti, Port-au-Prince last week, as part of a diplomatic visit.
Walker, alongside other state elected officials, were invited by the Haitian Delegation to visit the island and participate in numerous acts of community service, policy discussions, and cultural interactions. The Haitian Government extended an invitation to New York State elected officials in hopes to nurture a direct relationship with the New York State Legislature and the Republic of Haiti.
This trip was an opportunity for the legislators to provide support, resources and dialogue on policy fostered around ethics, infrastructure, and jobs. The Haiti Delegation trip was filled with conversations geared towards helping the country and how NYS legislators can do their part to assist them in the future, economically and governmentally.
“It is such an honor to have an invitation extended visit such an amazing island; I’ve been introduced to their government’s legislation and had the opportunity to experience their culture firsthand. I’ve spoken to various government officials, visited students at their primary school, and learned about the technical, administrative and financial monitoring of projects at L’Unité Technique d’Exécution and I’m extremely grateful,” said Walker.
“I have had many conversations with various government officials, ministry personnel, and civil society members. There are currently 125, 475 Haitian immigrants living in New York alone. Moving forward, I feel confident about our relations with the Haitian government. I trust our relationship with the people of Haiti, neighboring and abroad, will be more productive,” added Walker.
