BP Adams Signs Landmark Int’l Agreement; Celebrates Deputy Reyna
Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams will sign a landmark agreement between the Borough of Brooklyn and the Coalition of Latin American Consuls in New York (CLAC-NY) today.
The memorandum of understanding (MOU) will be signed beside a line of international flags will launch a commitment to collaborate on business, cultural, and economic matters, as well as expanded community outreach to a population of more than 500,000 Brooklynites of Latino origin, according to data from the US Census Bureau. Borough President Adams and Carlos Castillo, consul general of the Dominican Republic in New York, will speak about the new partnership and the importance of Brooklyn’s growing Latino community.
The CLAC-NY is an association of local consulates representing 18 nations from the Caribbean, Central America, and South America; CLAC-NY’s membership includes consuls general from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela.
Adams will then celebrate Deputy Brooklyn Borough President Diana Reyna’s historic tenure as New York’s first Dominican-American elected official at community celebration event.
In January, Reyna, who was born and raised in Williamsburg’s Southside and who in 2001 became the first woman of Dominican descent to be elected to office in New York State, serving for 12 years as council member for the 34th District, will help launch Athena Consulting Group, an all-female startup firm focused on business development, community engagement, government relations, public relations, as well as minority- and women-owned business enterprise (M/WBE) certification.
Adams and others will thank Reyna for her commitment to proactively improving service delivery across the borough, spearheading the development of Adams’s “pipeline” approach to education, as well as connecting and preserving community pathways to economic development.
The agreement event is slated for 2 p.m., today, Dec. 19, at Brooklyn Borough Hall (Courtroom), at 209 Joralemon Street in Downtown Brooklyn.
The celebration event is slated for 7 p.m., today, Dec. 19, at Brooklyn Borough Hall (Courtroom), at 209 Joralemon Street in Downtown Brooklyn.
Donovan Applauds Trump’s “America First” Strategy
Congressman Dan Donovan (R-South Brooklyn, Staten Island) applauded President Donald Trump’s “America First” strategy to national security yesterday.
On Monday, Trump unveiled a new national security strategy aimed at delivering on the “America First” theme of his campaign and correcting what he sees as the mistakes of past presidents that damaged the United States’s standing in the world, according to initial reports. The 55-page document, drafted over the course of a year, places the United States in competition with “revisionist” powers like Russia and China that want to realign the world in their interests while eroding American security and prosperity.
The policy also outlined key concepts of the President’s foreign policy strategy including strengthening U.S. borders, fighting against “radical Islamic terrorism”, withdrawing from the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact and the paris climate accords.
“President Trump’s doctrine of principled realism presents a refreshing and sober-minded strategy to advance American interests and defend the homeland. The geopolitical arena is competitive and cutthroat – we cannot expect other sovereign nations to just sing Kumbaya and support our goals. Power is what moves nations, and it’s about time our country started projecting ours. When we draw a line in the sand, the world should know that it matters,” said Donovan.
“I especially support the President’s focus on confronting international terror threats. We’re winning on the battlefield, but we have to constantly stay vigilant at home. That means tighter vetting and continuous improvements to securing our critical infrastructure, including the cyber realm,” added Donovan.
CM Williams To Honor ‘African Voices’, Reel Sisters Film Festival Founder
New York City Council Member Jumaane D. Williams (D-Flatbush, East Flatbush, Midwood) will present an official proclamation to Ms. Carolyn Butts, Founder of the cultural arts organization African Voices and the Reel Sisters Film Festival today.
Butts will be awarded the proclamation in recognition of and gratitude for her decades as a fierce advocate for and amplifier of women’s voices in the arts, especially women of color. City Council Speakers Melissa Mark-Viverito and the members of the Women’s Caucus will also be at the event.
African Voices is now in it’s 25th year and the Reel Sisters of the Diaspora Film Festival is now celebrating its 20th Anniversary. African Voices was founded in 1992 by a small group of writers and visual artists, the organization strives for artistic and literary excellence while showcasing the unique and diverse stories within the African Diaspora. The organization publishes a national quarterly literary magazine and presents community arts programs.
The event is slated for 1 p.m., today, Tuesday, Dec. 19, at City Hall (Council Chambers) in Lower Manhattan.
Cumbo Applauds Passage of Bill Creating MWBE Resource Guide
City Council member Laurie Cumbo (D-Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Crown Heights) applauded the passage of her bill Intro 1615-A, to create a subcontractor resource guide yesterday.
On Monday, the bill passed the Council Committee on Economic Development and would require the Department of Small Business Services, in consultation with the City Chief Procurement Officer, to develop and make available to all contracting agencies a subcontractor resource guide that would provide subcontractors with information about their rights with respect to payment by the contractor and available city services. It would also require the resource guide to be published on the City’s website.
The new legislation comes a year off the heels of Cumbo’s work getting her legislation Intro’s 923 and 981 passed. Intro 923 establishes an M/WBE advisory board to address specific issues and promote certification while Intro 981 requires the Department of Small Business to submit an annual report regarding the satisfaction of minority and women-owned business enterprises goals by recipients of economic development benefits. The City Council in conjunction with Mayor Bill de Blasio‘s Administration has set a goal of 30 percent M/WBE contractors being awarded city contracts by 2021.
“Small businesses are pivotal to our city’s economic growth, yet minority and women-owned business enterprises (M/WBEs) with City contracts are too often left in the red after incurring debt or filing for bankruptcy due to nonpayment.The passage of Intro 1615-A would ‘level the paying field’ by connecting subcontractors with existing City resources and services to protect the viability of every small business that invests in the revitalization of neighborhoods throughout the five boroughs,” said Cumbo.
“This legislation will help ensure transparency and accountability by increasing access to critical information about legal rights while instituting protections for subcontractors who deserve to be paid what they are owed. After overcoming several challenges to put forth a winning bid, M/WBEs should not have to undergo extreme financial hardship before they are ever able to recoup labor and supply costs,” added Cumbo.
The full Council body is expected to vote on Intro 1615-A during the Stated Meeting slated for 1:30 p.m., today, Tuesday, Dec. 19, at City Hall in Lower Manhattan.
Deutsch, Mayor Send Condolences To Family Of Fatal House Fire
City Council member Chaim Deutsch (D-Sheepshead Bay, Manhattan Beach, Brighton Beach, Homecrest) alongside Mayor Bill de Blasio sent their condolences to a Sheepshead Bay family who were the victims of a tragic house fire yesterday.
On Monday, a family observing the sixth night of Hanukkah was thrown into tragedy when their home, at East 14th Street in Sheepshead Bay caught fire due to a lit menorah. The blaze quickly took over the Azan home engulfing the family, killing three young children and their mother in the process, according to initial reports. The blaze killed Aliza, 39, Henrietta, 3, Moshe, 11, and Yitzchak, 7, and left Yosef, 45, daughter Shalit, 16, and son Daniel, 15 in critical condition. Another son 13-year-old Avraham and a cousin made it out of the house unharmed running out of a side door on the first floor home after being awoken by the fire alarm.
“Tragedy struck our district this morning with the news of the loss of a mother and three young children in a house fire. My heart goes out to all those affected, and I ask you to join me in praying for the recovery of the family members still in critical condition. It is extremely important to ensure extra vigilance during the holiday season. During this time, many of us light candles in the home or have decorative lights – it is absolutely critical to ensure that these are never left unattended. Before you go to sleep each night, ensure that tree lights are unplugged and candles are extinguished,” said Deutsch.
“Additionally, talk to your family about a fire safety plan. Discuss how each person can protect themselves, teach children how to call 911 in case of an emergency, do a practice fire drill, and determine an escape route in the event of a fire. All year round, you should make sure that you have working smoke alarms on every floor of your home, and only use UL certified appliances,” added Deutsch.
“Our city is mourning the loss of three children and their mother in a fire early this morning in Sheepshead Bay. As a parent, it’s impossible for me to imagine what this family is going through right now. Over the last couple days, several other major fires have caused many injuries – some very serious – and displaced others from their homes. During the holiday season, we all need to be cautious with decorations, electric lights, candles, space heaters and other items. We will continue working with FDNY to promote fire safety, especially during the winter months when there’s an increased risk of fires,” said de Blasio.
Hamilton Lauds Cuomo’s Commitment To Improve Wages In Car wash Industry
State Senator Jesse Hamilton (D-Central Brooklyn) applauded New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo for directing the Department of Labor to examine the wages in the car wash industry yesterday.
On Monday, Cumo unveiled his 5th proposal of his State of the State 2018 address in which he examined eliminating the minimum wage tip credit to strengthen economic justice across the state. Cuomo went on to direct the Commissioner of Labor to schedule public hearings to examine industries and evaluate the possibility of ending minimum wage tip credits. In certain workplaces, such as car washes and restaurants, where wages and tips are both generally low, workers’ income can rely entirely upon tips. These tips, meant as a reward for good service, instead serve as a critical wage subsidy that brings workers’ wages just up to the legally mandated minimum wage.
Earlier this year, Hamilton alongside Assembly Member Francisco Moya (D-Queens) introduced legislation requiring that every car wash worker (“Carwasheros”) in New York City be paid the minimum wage.
Car wash workers currently receive less than the minimum wage due to their designation under the New York State Miscellaneous Industry Wage Order Law as tipped workers. This bill entitles car-wash bosses to claim a tip credit to get out of paying their workers the legal minimum.
“So often, we drive our vehicles to the car wash never realizing that the person scrubbing, waxing and drying them are depending solely on our gratuity to make a living. These ‘carwasheros’ as they are known work hard, but earn little especially when customers don’t tip. Most car owners don’t realize carwasheros are not even earning a minimum wage,” said Hamilton.
