Chin Vows To Fight Cuts To Senior Related Programs In Lead Up To Executive Budget Hearing
City Council member Margaret Chin (D-Battery Park City, Chinatown) will Chair the Committee on Aging’s hearing on the $92.2 billion Executive Budget.
Earlier this month, Mayor Bill de Blasio presented New York City’s Preliminary Budget for Fiscal Year 2020 (FY20). The mayor’s latest proposal kicks off another round of budget hearings with the City Council. A final budget agreement is due June 30th.
At the hearing, the Council Member will highlight the explosion in New York’s older population and the growing poverty rates for Asian, Latino and female seniors as the reasons to expand—not cut—funding for essential programs for those in desperate need.
City funding for senior programs such as home care and case management services have consistently totaled less than 1% of the overall budget.
The event is slated for 11 a.m., today, May 7, at 250 Broadway, Suite 1762 in Lower Manhattan.
Williams, Rodriguez, Ayala Launches Driver Mental Health and Wellness Program
Public Advocate Jumaane Williams today will join with the Independent Drivers Guild (IDG) at a press conference to announce the launch of a first-of-its-kind mental health and wellness program for New York’s for-hire drivers.
The press conference is In response to an epidemic of for-hire vehicle driver suicides and desperation among drivers across the city. The IDG is launching an innovative with support from The Black Car Fund (BCF). Also joining will be City Council Members Ydanis Rodriguez (D-Washington Heights, Inwood, Marble Hill) and Diana Ayala (D-East Harlem, The Bronx), who chair the City Council’s Transportation and Mental Health, Disabilities and Addictions Committees respectively.
The press conference is slated for 10 a.m., today, May 7 at Vital Transportation, 41-24 38th Street (4 blocks from the 40 St. – Lowery St. 7 Train stop) in Long Island City.
Gillibrand Announces New Legislation To Protect Consumer Against Discrimination In Credit Lending
U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Congressman Jesús “Chuy” García (D-IL-04) yesterday announced a new bill, the Protections in Consumer Lending Act, to help protect people against discrimination when they apply for different types of credit.
Under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA), it is unlawful for any creditor to discriminate against an applicant on the basis of race, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, or age. However, there is no comprehensive database that tracks applicant information, the loan terms offered to the applicant, and whether the application is approved or denied.
The Protections in Consumer Lending Act would require credit lenders to collect information on which applicants have been approved or denied from the following credit transactions: automobile loans, credit card applications, cash checking, small dollar loans, payday lending, and loans with annual percentage rates above 36 percent.
The measure would allow the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to analyze credit-lending patterns, identify if discriminatory practices have occurred, and enforce anti-discrimination laws. Creditors who partake in discriminatory practices would be punished with civil penalties or have their cases referred to the Attorney General of the United States.
“We know that discrimination in credit lending is a problem, but we need more data to understand the scope of it. People depend on credit to be able to buy a car, start a business, and get personal loans. Access to fair credit is essential to establishing financial well-being, but if someone is discriminated against and can only get expensive terms for their loans, it becomes harder for them to get ahead in life,” said Senator Gillibrand.
