Adams, Cornegy Demand Combination of Resources to Confront Illegal Fireworks
Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams and City Council Member Robert Cornegy (D-Bedford-Stuyvesant, Northern Crown Heights) yesterday joined Community Board 3 to demand that the City allocate more resources toward addressing the drastic rise in complaints about illegal fireworks around Brooklyn.According to recent reports, 311 complaints about illegal fireworks have surged in recent weeks, with 1,737 recorded in the first half of June – more than 80 times the amount in and Cityy the same time period last year. Over the past two months, 311 logged 4,862 complaints of fireworks throughout the city. Brooklyn has led the five boroughs in the number of complaints that came in to 311, with 2,233.
Complaints have been concentrated in areas of Central Brooklyn such as Crown Heights, Bedford-Stuyvesant, and Flatbush. Adams and Cornegy called on the city to deploy Cure Violence groups to respond on the ground to fireworks complaints while having law enforcement groups track the source of the fireworks and how they’re flowing into the city.
“Illegal fireworks aren’t just nuisances; they’re dangerous. We need solutions that don’t just think outside the box, they destroy the box – engaging community groups to meet people where they are and speak their language. As we re-evaluate the role of law enforcement in upholding quality of life concerns, we must re-envision our frontline response to these kinds of nonviolent acts, using Cure Violence groups and fraternal organizations such as the Vulcan Society and the Guardians Association to communicate with people about the dangers of fireworks,” said Adams.
“This is a moment for rethinking and reimagining how we address issues like illegal fireworks. We have the benefit of guidance from Cure Violence and violence interrupter models that prioritize community education and community engagement. These times demand that we stop disproportionately leaning on policing and law enforcement. Instead, we must conscientiously pursue alternatives. I am proud to stand with Borough President Adams, advocates, and community in pursuit of a more thoughtful approach on illegal fireworks and similar quality of life issues in our communities,” said Council Member Robert E. Cornegy, Jr.
Bichotte Lauds U.S. Supreme Court Rulings on DACA and LGBTQ Rights
Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte (D-Flatbush, Ditmas Park) on Friday applauded two U.S. Supreme Court rulings issued last week in back-to-back landmark decisions.
The court ruled last Monday that LGBTQ Americans cannot be discriminated against for their sexual orientation or gender identity in the workplace. Then on Thursday, the court ruled that immigrants brought to the country as children, known as “Dreamers,” will not be deported.
“The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program was created under President Obama to shield people who were brought to the United States as children, from deportation. The xenophobic president and his administration have repeatedly tried to shutter the program, threatening the legal status of those who have resided here for almost their entire lives. In a 5-4 decision, the conservative-leaning Supreme Court defied expectations and ruled that the government failed to give an adequate justification for ending the federal program,” said Bichotte.
“The next step is for Congress to pass legislation that would finally make DACA – which is supported by a majority of Americans – permanent. This is an important ruling for the 42nd District, which is home to many immigrants and “Dreamers”. Once the legislation is permanent, we will have won, but this step is worth celebrating,” she added.
Bichotte said the ruling protecting LGBTQ sexual orientation and gender identity from employment discrimination ensures that these citizens finally have equal protection under the law.
“It is a major victory that, at long last, will put an end to discrimination, in the workplace and elsewhere, that too many citizens have faced for too many years. Fittingly, this ruling was handed down during Pride Month, a time to celebrate LGBTQ people and their contributions to our nation and recommit ourselves to combating hate and discrimination,” she said.
Rose Urges Adoption of Pooled Sampling for COVID-19
U.S. Rep. Max Rose (South Brooklyn, Staten Island) is urging broad adaptation of pooled sampling as a tool to drastically expand continued and ongoing testing to help safely reopen the economy.
“Until we have a coronavirus vaccine, testing on a massive scale is critical to safely reopening,” Rose said. “Regular and ongoing testing is essential to keeping workers safe and businesses open. I believe the most efficient and effective way to do so is through pooled sampling, especially when positive test rates are as low as they currently are,” he said.
Pooled sampling, which has been touted by experts as a very accurate and efficient innovation in coronavirus testing, combines anywhere from two to twenty test samples from individuals to test all at once. If and when a pooled sample tests positive, each person would be re-tested individually. Currently, positive test rates range between one to six percent, and with hundreds of thousands of tests being conducted every day, pooled sampling would help preserve critical testing supplies.
Williams to Board of Elections: Address Voting Irregularities
Public Advocate Jumaane Williams last week wrote a letter to the Board of Elections (BOE) to take immediate actions by addressing voting irregularities and information gaps with prospective voters.
In a letter to BOE Executive Director Michael Ryan on Thursday, the Public Advocate highlights several deficiencies that have been reported to his office this election cycle, including failure to respond to applications for absentee ballots, delayed receipt of ballots, and ballots delivered with incorrect names. Amid the COVID-19 crisis, he argues, as many voters look to cast their ballot without appearing in person, it is critical to uphold the operation of absentee voting.
He also notes several points of confusion or lack of voter information, including by what date ballots should have been received by voters, how poll site locations and other voting systems have adapted amid the pandemic, and what provisions are in place for the timely processing of ballots.
Jeffries Unveils Report Highlighting Importance of Complete Census Count
U.S. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brownsville, Canarsie, East New York, East Flatbush, Bergen Beach, Gerritsen Beach, Beach, Marine Park, Mill Basin, Brighton Beach, Coney Island) will join U.S. Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney (D-Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn), Chairwoman of the Committee on Oversight and Reform, today to unveil a new staff report highlighting the potential costs of a Census undercount for New York City.
Data collected by the Census is used to determine how much funding communities receive for critical services like education, medical care, foster care, roads, public transit and job programs.
Census data also helps local governments enhance public safety and prepare for emergencies.
Eugene Issues Statement in Celebration of Juneteenth
Council Member Mathieu Eugene(D-Prospect Lefferts Gardens, Flatbush, East Flatbush) issued the following statement on Friday in celebration of Juneteenth, the holiday that recognizes the date of June 19th, 1865, when the last remaining enslaved African-Americans were declared free in Texas, two years after the signing of The Emancipation Proclamation.
“Today, we honor the date of June 19th, 1865, which commemorates the reading of federal orders to free the last remaining enslaved African-Americans in The Confederacy as declared by the Emancipation Proclamation. This historic moment signifies when slaves were awarded their freedom and were no longer subjected to the inhumanity and immorality of slavery. While we celebrate the importance of this date in the journey of the African-American community towards equality, we must also recognize the pain and suffering that has been endured by generations of minorities due to this cruel and immoral practice.
“As a society, we are seeing that while progress has been made towards acceptance and respect for all people, there is still much work to be done. It is up to each of us as individuals to empower and uplift one another until we can truly achieve equal rights on a global scale,” he said.
