Krueger, Hoylman and Co. Denounce Trump’s Pipeline Deregulation Order
State Senators Liz Krueger (D-Upper East Side, Lenox Hill) and Brad Hoylman (D-Chelsea, Midtown), along with 18 other lawmakers, issued a statement yesterday condemning President Donald Trump (R) for his executive order to limit state input on pipeline permits.
Their primary concern was the planned Williams Pipeline, which would carry fracked gas from Pennsylvania to New York’s Lower Bay. The statement claims that the pipeline would both pose a hazard to public health and increase our dependence on fossil fuels
“It seems that not a day goes by when President Trump isn’t spitting into the wind to try to stop the ongoing transition to a carbon-free future,” reads the statement. “This latest executive order is more of the same – rewarding his fossil fuel cronies by removing the protections that keep Americans safe. This time he has taken aim at the right of New York State to have a say in what happens to our land and water. This is an unacceptable overreach from a federal government that continues to abdicate its responsibility to safeguard our people and our shared environment.”
Ayala, Levine Honored at “Hear Our Voices” Legislative Breakfast
City Council Members Diana Ayala (D-East Harlem, Mott Haven) and Mark Levine (D-Manhattan Valley, Manhattanville) were two of the guests honored at the Shema Kolainu – Hear Our Voices legislative breakfast last Tuesday.
Shema Kolainu – Hear Our Voices is a New York-based school and center for children on the autistic spectrum; Aug. 6 marked the 21st anniversary of its founding. Both Ayala and Levine were selected as honorees for their dedication to Shema Kolainu’s mission.
“I would like to sincerely thank @HearOurVoices for honoring me at yesterday’s legislative breakfast,” Ayala said in a tweet. “I am truly honored and humbled by the recognition. Congratulations on your 20 years of service to children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and other developmental disabilities.”
Johnson to Celebrate Korean Independence Day with Council
City Council Speaker Corey Johnson (D-Chelsea, Hell’s Kitchen) will be hosting a Korean Independence Day celebration next week in the Council Chambers.
The holiday, also known as Victory Over Japan Day, commemorates the day when U.S. and Soviet forces ended the Japanese occupation of the Korean peninsula. At the event, the Council Members will be honoring several Korean-American community organizations for their contributions to the City.
The event will take place on Thursday, Aug. 15 at City Hall.
Hoylman, GLAAD Condemn Stephen Ross
State Senator Brad Hoylman (D-Chelsea, Midtown) and GLAAD Chief Programs Officer Zeke Stokes each released a statement yesterday condemning Related Companies Chairman Stephen Ross for planning a fundraiser fo President Donald Trump (R).
“It seems that almost every day, Donald Trump stokes the flames of white nationalism and violence against immigrants, LGBTQ people, women and people of color,” said Hoylman. “It’s all the more repulsive that Stephen Ross, a New Yorker and real estate developer who received hundreds of millions in state and city subsidies for the construction of Hudson Yards, would turn his back on these New Yorkers by hosting a $100,000 a person fundraiser for Donald Trump at his Hamptons home this weekend. I call on Stephen Ross to cancel this weekend’s fundraiser for Donald Trump and urge concerned New Yorkers to hold his companies accountable if he proceeds, including the Related Companies, Equinox, and SoulCycle.”
Stokes concurred with Hoylman’s sentiment, claiming that the backlash Ross receives should serve as a wakeup call.
“The huge outcry on social media stoked by Stephen Ross should be a sign to other business leaders that hosting a fundraiser to support President Trump is synonymous with hosting a fundraiser to oppose people of color, LGBTQ people, immigrants, women, and other marginalized Americans,” said Stokes. “The Related Companies should take this opportunity to speak out strongly and undeniably in favor of marginalized Americans and against the attacks that President Trump and his Administration have carried out against so many of its customers.”
