Eugene Kicks Off 2019 Summer Youth Employment Program
City Council Member Mathieu Eugene (D-Prospect Lefferts Garden, Flatbush, East Flatbush) today will lick off the 2019 Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) in his district.
The initiative, made possible through a partnership between Eugene and the Council of Jewish Organizations Flatbush, is an opportunity for local youth ages 14 -24 to gain valuable work site experience in the summer months. Throughout his tenure in city government, Eugene has been a tireless advocate to make sure SYEP get a top priority in city funding.
Eugene will meet with the leadership of COJO Flatbush along with program staff and participants to discuss the important role that summer jobs play in helping NYC students excel in school and reach their full potential.
“This program is so important for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that it provides our young people with valuable job training that will help them excel in school and shape them as individuals. I have first-hand experience with providing opportunities to young people through my work running a non-profit organization, so I understand how crucial these programs are to our students, and to the families who need to place their children in a safe and structured environment when they are out of school,” said Eugene.
“Many of our parents are working multiple jobs while struggling to make ends meet. It is important that we help them by providing a program where their children can engage with other students and have a learning experience. That is the value of SYEP, and why it has been critical to our hardworking families during the summer months. We don’t want our young people being led down a negative path when they are on summer break. SYEP is an important initiative for the City Council to fund, and one that I am proud to support,” he added.
The kickoff is slated for 9 a.m., today, July 8 at Caton Park, 274 Consumer Square on the southeast corner of the Prospect Park Parade Grounds in Flatbush.
Myrie Approves of Public Finance Commission Appointments
State Sen. Zellnor Myrie (D-Brownsville, Crown Heights, East Flatbush, Gowanus, Park Slope, Prospect Heights, Prospect Lefferts Gardens, South Slope, Sunset Park), chair of the Senate Election Committee, last week put his stamp of approval on Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the legislative leaders appointments to a nine-person commission that will make binding recommendations by Dec. 1 about how to implement publicly financed elections in New York.
The commission was a compromise that was part of the 2019 budget agreement. It has the power to implement public campaign financing for legislative and statewide offices – authorizing up to $100 million annually in public funds.
“This last legislative session showed what happens when we elect candidates powered by the grassroots. The Elections Committee’s hearing on public financing hearing made it even clearer that New York is in dire need of strong campaign finance reforms that reduce the influence of special interests and magnifies the voices of everyday New Yorkers,” said Myrie.
“This is why it is critical that we have a public financing commission that has the skills and expertise to do the job. With Ms. Getachew’s experience on good government reforms, Mr. Nonna’s experience serving in local government, and Mr. Berger’s extensive election law expertise, I am confident that the Majority Leader’s appointees will equip the commission to succeed,” he added.
Gournardes Joins U.S. Supreme Court Amicus Brief In Support of LGBTQ
State Sen. Andrew Gournardes (D-Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, Bensonhurst, Bath Beach, Gravesend, Gerritsen Beach, Manhattan Beach, Marine Park) last week joined with the de Blasio Administration in announcing the city along with Los Angeles and a coalition of 66 local governments across the nation in filing an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in support of three LGBTQ employees in their legal fight to remain covered by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, a federal law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in the workplace.
Amici supports plaintiffs in the following cases:
R.G. & G.R. Harris Funeral Homes Inc. v. EEOC & Aimee Stephens – Funeral home director fired after informing owner that she is transgender.
Altitude Express Inc. v. Zarda – Skydiving instructor fired after disclosing that he was gay.
Bostock v. Clayton County – Child welfare services coordinator fired after employer learned he is gay.
The brief argues that government agencies, institutions and communities are strengthened by longstanding local laws prohibiting discrimination based on sex, and that these institutions and individuals would be harmed if the Court eliminates federal discrimination protections for LGBTQ workers.
“We are stronger when LGBTQIA New Yorkers have strong protections from workplace discrimination reinforced at the federal level. Every person, regardless of who they love or what gender they identify as, has the right to contribute to the economy, support themselves and reach their full potential. I urge the court: Don’t take us backwards,” said Gounardes.
Cornegy Holds Press Conference Ahead Of Scheduled TPT Hearing
City Council Member Robert Cornegy Jr (D-Bedford Stuyvesant, Northern Crown Heights) on Wednesday, will host the joint oversight hearing on the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) Third Party Transfer (TPT) program.
The TPT program has been subject to an ongoing Kings County Politics investigative series dealing with how the program has been taking properties of mainly black and brown property owners and giving them to favored non-profits.
Corengy, who chairs the Housing and Buildings Committee, and Council Member Ritchie Torres (D- Bronx), chair of the Committee on Oversight and Investigations and the Committee on Housing and Buildings, will direct the hearing.
Cornegy will host a press conference the day of the hearing at 12 noon, Wednesday, July 10 on the steps of City Hall. The public hearing will begin at 1 p.m. in City Hall, Lower Manhattan.
