BP Adams Honors Local Volunteers As “Heroes of The Month”
Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams will honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by celebrating the spirit of selflessness and sacrifice displayed by ordinary Brooklynites who provided relief to victims of Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria.
Today Adams will honor local volunteers who helped in last year’s Hurricane season as Brooklyn’s “Heroes of the Month,” while speaking about the importance of assisting communities struck by natural disaster. Last year, these storms collectively claimed more than 800 lives, while inflicting nearly $300 billion in damages to affected areas in the Caribbean and the United States.
This month’s honorees will include hip-hop manager Sophia Chang, whose coordination of a boroughwide donation with famed rap artist Joey Bada$$ collected more than 160 boxes of goods for hurricane victims in Houston, Florida, and Puerto Rico, and DC 37 member Eric Gibson, a climber and pruner who regularly works in Brooklyn that traveled to Puerto Rico to assist with hurricane relief.
The event is slated for 12-noon, today, Jan. 16, at Brooklyn Borough Hall in the Rotunda, at 209 Joralemon Street in Downtown Brooklyn.
Lander Decries Cuomo’s Lack Of Statewide Plastic Bag Solution
City Council member Brad Lander (D-Park Slope, Windsor Terrace, Kensington, Gowanus) criticized Governor Andrew Cuomo’s lack of statewide plastic bag legislation in the wake of a new report.
Over the weekend, the NYS Plastic Bag Task Force released a 88-page report called “An Analysis of the Impact of Single-Use Plastic Bags,” in which they outlined several solutions to the plastic bag waste crisis plaguing the state without recommending a clear option.
According to initial reports, the six-member task force led by state Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos narrowed the list of possible solutions to eight options, including stronger enforcement of existing state laws to reduce plastic bag waste, an outright ban on single-use plastic bags found in supermarkets and other stores and requiring manufacturers to fund a program that would collect and recycle plastic bags. Four of the options would impose a fee on plastic bag usage. Last February, Cuomo blocked a law that would have imposed a 5-cent plastic bag fee on single use bags but instead formed a statewide task force to develop a uniform state plan for addressing the plastic bag problem. Over the last year, NYC residents have sent 8 billion plastic bags to landfill.
“With this failure of leadership, every additional ton of plastic bag waste is on his hands. The so-called report of the NYS Plastic Bag Task Force is a total failure of leadership by Governor Cuomo. When the governor nullified NYC’s “Bring Your Own Bag” law last February, he promised to deliver an effective statewide policy to reduce the use of single-use plastic bags. He has failed to deliver even a proposal,” said Lander.
“The report released today continues to acknowledge “the costly and negative impact” of single-use plastic bags. But it completely fails to deliver the promised “statewide solution.” It is merely a long list of options—which could have been complied from Internet research—that includes doing absolutely nothing at all (“Option 8. Continue Existing Policies”),” added Lander.
Persaud Celebrates MLK Jr. Day
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) commemorated Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. day by honoring his legacy over the weekend.
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday commemorates the life and achievements of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., who was assassinated on April 4, 1968. His most well known speech, “I Have A Dream” highlighted the need for equality and justice for all while also spreading a message of lover, tolerance, forgiveness and reconciliation.
“We commemorate the legacy of this hero in many different ways: Acts of service remain a very vital way to ensure we show love for humanity, the unconditional love that Dr. King epitomized. Let us all work to fight for economic justice regardless of the political climate and our personal conviction,” said Persaud.
Deutsch Urges City To Change Parking Policies
City Council member Chaim Deutsch (D-Sheepshead Bay, Manhattan Beach, Brighton Beach, Homecrest) urged the City to change its parking policies for alternate-side parking over the weekend.
Deutsch called on the Department of Finance to dismiss summonses issued on commercial strips last week in the wake of suspended alternate side parking. Brooklyn residents were issued parking tickets from pre-programmed muni-meters over the course of an hour and a half due to pre-programmed regulations in the system over the weekend.
“On commercial strips that have alternate side parking regulations, muni-meters are pre-programmed to not accept payment during that hour and a half time slot. On days like today, when alternate side is suspended, these meters still do not allow a driver to purchase a muni-meter ticket. Motorists are being issued summonses for non-payment of the meter – but the meter is not being paid because it won’t allow them to purchase a ticket,” said Deutsch.
“I’m calling on the Department of Finance to dismiss any summonses that were issued in commercial areas for non-payment of the muni-meter during alternate side regulations. The City must not hold residents responsible for a contradictory situation that was created because of City policies,” added Deutsch.
Hikind Demands Detainment of Ex-Nazi Guard
Assembly member Dov Hikind (D-Borough Park) called on United States Attorney General Jeff Sessions to detain Jakiw Palij, an alleged Nazi War Criminal residing in Queens yesterday.
On Monday, Hikind requested that Palij be immediately taken into custody as an illegal alien and held in detention pending the Justice Department’s ongoing efforts to deport him. Jakiw Palij is a convicted Nazi guard who supported the Nazi regime during the Holocaust and served at the Trawniki training camp, where Nazi troops were trained to carry out the extermination of Polish Jews. Palij came to America claiming that he was a farmer and war refugee, concealing his work as a Nazi guard, and was granted citizenship in 1957. After his past became known, he was stripped of his U.S. citizenship and a deportation order was upheld by the courts in 2004. However to date, Palij remains a resident of Queens while the U.S. government struggles to appeal to the German, Ukraine and Polish governments to accept him. Palij currently lives under the status of an illegal alien.
Hikind’s demand comes just two months after the Justice Department vowed to remove Palij. In a letter from Stephen E. Boyd, the U.S. Assistant Attorney General, to Hikind, the Department promised Palij’s removal last November.
“Placing Palij in a detention center is both practical and proper. Mandatory detention of illegal aliens was officially authorized by President Clinton in 1996 with the enactment of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act. In 2003, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) was created to enforce the United States’ immigration and customs laws, while the Office of Detention and Removal Operations (DRO) oversees the detention and deportation of immigrants taken into custody by ICE. Currently, ICE detains immigrants in fifteen detention centers,” said Hikind.
“The rights and freedoms enjoyed in America should not extend to those who helped facilitate the death of countless innocent people. Palij’s presence here mocks the memory of the millions who perished. While his victims can no longer seek justice, we must, and with this new administration and Attorney General, there’s reason to believe we’ll see that justice. Until then, I’m never giving up,” added Hikind.
New Kings Democrats Hold General Body Meeting
The New Kings Democrats will hold a general body meeting this week.
The meeting will focus on the NKD’s Executive Committee as well as give an opportunity for new members to learn more about the political organization.
The event is slated for 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., Wednesday, Jan 17, at First Unitarian Congregation, at 119-121 Pierrepont Street in Brooklyn Heights.
