BP Adams To Host First-Ever Ghanaian-American Heritage Celebration
Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams will join with Her Excellency Martha Ama A. Pobee, ambassador and permanent representative of Ghana to the United Nations, to host the first-ever Ghanaian-American Heritage Celebration today.
The ceremony will offer a special posthumous tribute to former United Nations (UN) Secretary General Kofi Annan; the Ghanaian diplomat. Annan in 2001 was a co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize humanitarian work and later passed away in August 2018.
According to the 2010 American Community Survey (ACS), more than 30,000 Ghanaian-Americans live in the New York City metropolitan area.
The event is slated for 6:30 p.m., today, Wednesday, March 6, at Brooklyn Borough Hall – Courtroom, at 209 Joralemon Street in Downtown Brooklyn.
Myrie Sponsors Bill To Combat Pay-To-Play Culture and Empower Voters
State Senator Myrie (D-Central Brooklyn) yesterday introduced and the Senate passed legislation to help reform campaign financing and make ballots easier to understand.
The first measure S.3167, will specifically ban campaign contributions from a company seeking state contracts to office holders with authority over procuring entities during a “restricted vendor contribution period.”
The “restricted vendor contribution period” will depend on vendor’s activities, ranging from when an Request For Proposal (RFP) is issued to when a contract is awarded to when a vendor makes a bid. The restricted period will last six months beyond the award of the contract for the winning vendor. The bill would take effect on the 180th day after it is signed into law.
The second measure, S. 3145, will better inform voters as to important ballot questions when a ballot is two sided. This format indicated by the Board of Elections (BOE) would be required to more clearly indicate to voters that there are important ballot questions on the other side of the ballot. It would take effect effect on the next 15th of December after it is signed into law.
“These bills are about cleaning up government and protecting our democracy. Anyone who wants accountability from our public officials should support the effort to protect tax dollars from special interests and make voting easier. New Yorkers want a voting system that’s worthy of their trust and easy to participate in, and that’s exactly what these bills will deliver,” said Myrie.
Deutsch To Host Property Value Forum For Homeowners
City council member Chaim Deutsch (D-Sheepshead Bay, Manhattan Beach, Brighton Beach, Homecrest, Midwood) will host a property value forum alongside the New York City Department of Finance (DOF) and the Tax Commission next week.
The event will give property owners an opportunity to challenge the City’s assessed value of their properties, and teach individuals how to change their property’s description, and file for exemptions.
Every January, the Department of Finance (DOF) mails New York City property owners a “Notice of Property Value” (NOPV). This important notice has information about the property’s market and assessed values. The DOF determines property values every year, according to State law.
The City’s property tax rates are applied to the “assessed value,” to calculate property taxes for the next tax year. Many people only learn of the changes in their property taxes in June, when they get their first tax bill for the year, but by then, it is too late to appeal the assessment. The deadline for appeals was this week but it has been extended.
At a similar event hosted by Deutsch last month, DOF experts were successful in saving thousands of dollars for dozens of homeowners on their property taxes, according to his office. This is the second event in a series to help homeowners with their taxes.
The event is slated for 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., Monday, March 18, at Manhattan Beach Jewish Center, at 60 West End Avenue in Manhattan Beach.
Felder To Host Health Screenings & Essential Services For Free
State Senator Simcha Felder’s (D-Boro Park, Midwood) office will be offering free health screenings and essential services this month.
The no-cost services include:
Unclaimed Funds Events: New York currently has $15 billion in unclaimed funds accounts waiting to be reclaimed by rightful owners. In conjunction with the NYS Comptroller’s office, you can search the unclaimed funds database and file your claim on the spot with no cost to you at all. At our last event, over $200,000 was returned. Lost or unclaimed money gets turned over by organizations required to report dormant accounts to the New York State Office of the State Comptroller. This money includes things like forgotten savings accounts, lost paychecks, and stocks or bonds.
No Cost Mammograms: American –Italian Cancer Foundation provides No Cost mammograms to women aged 40 – 80 in their comfortable and professional mobile center. No insurance necessary.
NYLAG – Free Legal Services: New York Legal Assistance Group provides free legal services on a host of issues including elder care, tenant rights, employment law, consumer protection and benefits.
The Unclaimed Fund events are slated for 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., today, March 6, in Flatbush; and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Wednesday, March 13 in Boro Park.
The mammogram event is slated for 9 a.m. to -12-noon, Wednesday, March 13 in Flatbush.
The legal services events are slated for 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Wednesday, March 12 in Boro Park; and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday, March 27 in Flatbush.
All those interested, please call for appointments, 718-253-2015 or 718-484-3216.
Velázquez Recognized As Top Lawmaker
Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez (D-Brooklyn, Queens, LES) was recognized this week as one of the most effective lawmakers in Congress by The Center for Effective Lawmaking.
This week, the Center released their Legislative Effectiveness Scores for the 115th Congress. Among all 196 House Democrats in the last Congress, Velázquez ranked sixth. The Center assigns every Member of Congress with a Legislative Effectiveness Score (LES), which is based on the combination of fifteen metrics regarding the bills that members of Congress sponsor, how far they move through the lawmaking process, and how meaningful their policy proposals are.
In the 115th Congress, Velázquez authored 60 bills on a wide range of issues touching on housing, helping Puerto Rico, environmental matters and immigration.
“It is an honor to be recognized by the Center,” Velázquez noted. “This is a quantitative analysis of how skilled lawmakers are at advancing legislation and I’m proud to have ranked so highly in the 115th Congress.”
“New York’s 7th Congressional District is one of the most diverse in the nation and we have a wide range of issues affecting our neighborhoods and our quality of life. In the 116th Congress and the new Democratic Majority, I’ll continue pushing bills that help New York’s working families,” added Velazquez.
The full rankings are available on the Center for Effective Lawmaking’s website here: https://thelawmakers.org/
