Velázquez, Niou to Join Call for Small Business Relief Measures
Today, U.S. Rep. Nydia Velázquez (D-LES, Brooklyn, Queens) and Assemblymember Yuh-Line Niou (D-Financial District, Chinatown) will be joining Democratic District Leaders Jenny Low and Justin Yu to provide relief to small businesses in Chinatown.
For the past few months, restaurants across the City have been adopting outdoor dining as a means of safely reopening. At today’s event, the electeds, along with several Chinatown small business owners, will call on the City to expand the Open Streets program in Chinatown and bring jobs back to the neighborhood.
The event will take place today at 2 p.m. at the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association (CCBA), 62 Mott St.
Maloney Joins Postal Unions in Union Square for “National Day of Action”
Yesterday, U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens) joined Postal Union members in Union Square in support of protecting the U.S. Postal Service (USPS).
This Saturday, the House will vote on Maloney’s “Delivering for America” Act. The act would prevent the Postmaster General from making any further changes to USPS operational procedures until after the pandemic. It would also reverse any changes made since Jan. 1, 2020.
“I can think of no worse time than in the middle of a national health emergency and less than 90 days before an election to implement these changes,” said Maloney. “We’re seeing these delays all across the country, including here in New York. In addition, there have been disturbing reports of mailbox removal – with photos of boxes stacked high on the back of trailers. With experts predicting more mail in voting than ever before, this is voter disenfranchisement, plain and simple. We will, we must stop it.”
Jackson to Rally to Re-Open Allen Psych Unit
Today, State Senator Robert Jackson (D-Washington Heights, Fort George, Inwood) will be joining the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) to demand that the New York-Presbyterian Hospital (NYPH) reopen the Allen Psych Unit.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the NYPC converted the Allen Psych Unit into a COVID-19 treatment facility. However, New York has since flattened the curve, and the NYPH has yet to convert it back. Jackson and the NYSNA believe that the Psych Unit must come back to meet the mental health needs of Washington Heights and Inwood.
The event will take place today at 10 a.m. in front of the Allen Hospital, Broadway and West 128th Street.
Stringer, Espaillat Emphasize the Importance of Clean Streets
Yesterday, City Comptroller Scott Stringer (D) and U.S. Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-Manhattan, Bronx) called on the City to address the City’s growing problem with overflowing litter baskets and rat infestations.
In a letter to New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY) Commissioner Kathryn Garcia and New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) Commissioner Dr. Dave Chokshi, the electeds cited multiple complaints from business owners across the City to prove the urgency of the problem and the need for immediate action. The letter also included several recommendations to address the issue, such as active collaboration with Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) and allowing business owners to add street bins at their own expense.
“Over the last few weeks, our offices have received dozens of complaints from business owners across the city regarding overflowing litter baskets along commercial corridors,” they wrote. “The mounds of garbage are both unsightly and unsanitary, driving away customers at a time when small businesses are struggling to survive, and attracting rats and vermin which spread disease while our City is in the midst of a deadly pandemic.
“New York City’s sanitation workers are heroes. Their commitment to our city’s health and safety was especially essential during the darkest days of the COVID-19 pandemic, and now are an integral part of our recovery efforts. We must ensure that our sanitation workforce has the tools and resources to do this critical work.”
Read the full letter here.
