Felder Wants Playgrounds Open Now
State Sen. Simcha Felder (D-Borough Park, Midwood, Flatbush, Ditmas Park, Kensington) sent a letter to Mayor Bill de Blasio yesterday, urging him to open up playgrounds.
“Over these four long months, we have asked more of New Yorkers than we ever thought we could. At great personal cost, they rose to the occasion and as a direct result, we did not just flatten the curve, we smashed it. Over this same period, we have all become better educated about the virus and its related risks. I commend the administration’s well-publicized tracking system through which New Yorkers have become accustomed to checking the daily numbers. With current numbers hovering around zero, we can no longer tolerate the excessive restriction of closed playgrounds.
“Play is how children grow physically, intellectually, socially, and emotionally, it is critical to healthy child development. Barring children from play spaces for even one additional, unnecessary minute is unhealthy, dangerous and cruel. Keeping children isolated and cooped up was a necessary evil, ordered only because we were in a state of emergency. It was so intolerable that anyone with an option of escaping to suburban areas did so. The families that stayed and continued raising children in cramped urban living spaces need relief now. Children need to run and play. Parents need to give their children the space to do that. Playgrounds are the only answer.
“If we continue to deny children and teens healthy outlets for their youthful energy, the consequences will be disastrous and we will have only ourselves to blame. I encourage you to continue educating people about best practices, but give them the freedom to use their own best judgment. With everything going on in the world, let’s not make criminals of good parents and small children at play in the park. The Covid -19 pandemic caused many problems that require complex solutions. Mr. Mayor, this problem you can fix easily today,” he wrote.
Rose Pressures SBA to Fix Small Business Relief Programs
U.S. Rep. Max Rose (South Brooklyn, Staten Island) is continuing his pressure on the Small Business Administration (SBA) to make much-needed improvements and fixes to small business relief programs.
“Every single day I’m hearing from more and more small businesses across Staten Island and South Brooklyn who have been doing everything we’ve asked of them and more,” Rose said. “But unfortunately the Administration has been letting far too many small businesses fall through the cracks and has been far too rigid and nonresponsive in making sure the relief programs we passed into law actually work as intended. They have the authority to make this right, it’s past time they use it.”
Rose specifically pushed the SBA on failing to properly administer the Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) program, which provides economic relief to businesses that are currently experiencing a temporary loss of revenue.
Velázquez Leads in Filing Amicus Brief Supporting Amazon Workers
U.S. Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez (D-Northern Brooklyn, Lower Manhattan, Queens) led 15 of her Congressional colleagues in filing an amicus brief in support of New York-based Amazon workers suing the company over dangerous conditions that have resulted in them exposing their community and family members to COVID-19.
“Amazon has made tremendous profits during this terrible pandemic as more people purchase items online,” Velázquez said. “However, it has become tragically clear that this giant corporation is willing to imperil the health and safety of its own workers, their families and the surrounding community to benefit its bottom line. Today, we are imploring the court to intervene and provide relief that protects employees from getting ill and jeopardizing the community through further COVID-19 spread.”
The workers’ suit, filed by Staten Island JFK8 warehouse employees last Wednesday, seeks changes to on-the-job and leave policies they say endanger them by incentivizing symptomatic workers to continue showing up for shifts, not allowing adequate time to wash hands and sanitize workstations, and blocking other precautions. One plaintiff to Wednesday’s suit says she contracted COVID-19 at the State Island facility in March and then spread it to her cousin who later died.
Treyger’s COVID-19 Re-Introduces Funding Tracker Bill
New York City Council Members Mark Treyger and Vanessa L. Gibson introduced legislation in May that will establish a public database to track COVID-19 spending now and in the future.
“As we learned following Superstorm Sandy, transparency of emergency and relief spending is critical. We will be judged by our ability to deliver a fair, just, and equitable response to this pandemic. I’m grateful for the support of the Administration as this bill progresses through the legislative process. I’m proud to work with Councilmember Gibson on this bill, which will bring additional oversight and accountability to COVID-19 related contracts and spending. Coney Island has been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19, and it is absolutely critical that we ensure resources are delivered to the hardest-hit communities. This powerful transparency tool will help the public track whether our response is following our North Star of equity,” said Council Member Mark Treyger (Bensonhurst, Coney Island, Gravesend, Sea Gate).
According to the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, the infection and death rates of COVID-19 have disproportionately affected low-income New Yorkers. This legislation would serve as a powerful accountability and transparency to ensure that resources are reaching the communities most impacted by the pandemic.
Richardson’s Bill to Prevent the Biased Misuse of Emergency Services Passes Assembly
Assemblywoman Diana C. Richardson (D-Crown Heights, Prospect-Lefferts Gardens, Wingate, Flatbush) this week saw her legislation to create a civil penalty for the biased misuse of emergency services when there is no reason to believe a crime or offense is occurring pass h assembly.
The bill (A.1531-B) stipulates that any person who summons a police or peace officer without reason to suspect a violation of the law, criminal conduct, or an imminent threat to a person or property, but is instead motivated by a belief regarding race, color, national origin, ancestry, gender, religion, age, disability or sexual orientation, could be liable in a civil action for injunctive relief, damages or other appropriate remedies.
In recent years, emergency responders have received several 911 calls which report people of color simply for cutting grass, using a swimming pool, or selling water, most recently the case of Amy Cooper who called 911 in Central Park because an African-American birdwatcher asked her to leash her dog in the Ramble, where dogs must be leashed at all times.
“Calling 911 for non-emergencies prevents emergency responders from helping people who are actually in danger and poses an even bigger threat to people of color in the current political climate,” said Richardson. “When officers report to a scene with limited information and that information sounds critical enough, they may respond with tactical force. As we have seen, it takes only a few seconds for a situation to escalate. This legislation sends the message loud and clear that it is not a crime for people of color to exist in public spaces, and it establishes a means of recourse should they encounter such treatment.”
Parker Distributes Groceries in Glenwood Houses
State Sen. Kevin Parker (D-Flatbush, East Flatbush, Midwood, Ditmas Park, Kensington, Windsor Terrace, Park Slope) hs wk held a grocery distribution in Glenwood Houses where 500 boxes of groceries were handed out to residents in need.
The event was in coordination with the Glenwood Houses Residents Association and sponsored by Fresh Direct.
“It’s during times of difficulty such as these that the initiative and generosity of the fine people at Fresh Direct and the Glenwood Houses Residents Association cannot be underappreciated,” said Parker. “While the issue of food insecurity in our district is one we will continue to address, I’m hopeful that events like this will help us more comfortably continue on our path back to normalcy.
“Communities that make it through tough times do so because they are willing to come together. I’m proud and encouraged to see our community has shown that today. I look forward to hosting more giveaways within the next few weeks”.
Clarke, Rose Push for Ft. Hamilton Streets to be Renamed from Confederate Generals
U.S. Reps. Yvette D. Clarke (D-Flatbush, Crown Heights, Park Slope, Prospect Lefferts Gardens, Brownsville, Sheepshead Bay, Gerritsen Beach, Marine Park) and Max Rose (D-Southern Brooklyn, Staten Island), an Army combat veteran, yesterday called for the Secretary of Defense to rename two streets at Fort Hamilton, a U.S. Army base in Bay Ridge, named after Confederate generals: Stonewall Jackson Drive and General Lee Avenue.
Clarke and Rose’s push follows comments this week both by the Secretary of the Army that they are open to renaming bases named for Confederate leaders, as well as President Trump who tweeted his opposition.
“We write to urge you to rename two streets located at Fort Hamilton, Brooklyn that are currently named after generals of the Confederate States of America, Stonewall Jackson Drive and General Lee Avenue,” wrote Rose and Clarke in a letter to Secretary of Defense Mark Esper.
“We swore an oath as public officials to ‘support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic,’ and to ‘bear true faith and allegiance to the same.’ While we were encouraged by news this week that the Army might consider renaming military installations named after Confederate generals, men who violated that oath to our country, we are similarly disturbed by recent social media posts suggesting that these names are part of a ‘Great American Heritage’ and are ‘Hallowed Ground.’ Shiloh, Antietam, and Gettysburg are hallowed ground, places where Americans gave their lives to end the practice of slavery in our country; bases named after men who sought to keep their fellow men and women in bondage are not. We hope that you will act swiftly to rename the streets in Fort Hamilton and all places named after Confederate figures.”
