Colton Helps Local Restaurants
Assemblyman William Colton (D – Gravesend, Bensonhurst, Bath Beach, Dyker Heights) lead a press conference to help local restaurants two days ago with his Community Relations Director Nancy Tong, the Federation of Italian American Organizations of Brooklyn, the Bath Beach, Bensonhurst & Gravesend Alliance, the Chinese American Social Service Center, the United Chinese Association of Brooklyn, and the owners of Mama Rao’s Restaurant, Gargiulo’s Restaurant, Homestretch Pub, La Bella Pizza Express, and many others.
“The public points of view were discussed regarding guidelines for safe indoor dining in NYC to save restaurants. Restaurant owners and community leaders had expressed a number of concerns. Many of them want to know what safe guidelines are and if they can rely on any assistance from the government. Their concern is that 25% of indoor dining capacity is simply not enough to stay in business especially in the winter. Small business owners fear that they will be forced to close the doors for good in the neighborhood. We cannot allow that to happen. They need our support as much as we need our local restaurants to stay in business. Assisting our restaurants to get back on their feet and run as they did in the past, will tremendously boost the economy and this is what our country desperately needs,” said Colton.
“The second event which was also hosted by me in the afternoon at Golden Imperial Palace. The restaurant owners pointed out the lack of help with back rent and relief from property taxes and mortgage payments for building owners as the two most important obstacles of saving neighborhood restaurants.
“The conclusion is that we can’t just sit and wait. Therefore, we are demanding further action from our Governor and Mayor. The elected officials must listen to our neighborhood restaurants to understand what essential assistance is needed to save them. We will continue to fight for our local restaurant owners and workers. We simply can’t allow more people to lose their jobs and go on unemployment as was caused by COVID-19,” Colton added.
Rose Condemns Anti-Asian Sentiments
U.S. Rep. Max Rose (D-Southern Brooklyn, Staten Island) helped pass a resolution condemning all forms of anti-Asian sentiment as related to COVID-19.
“Hate, violence and discrimination against our neighbors in the Asian community is disgusting and wrong,” Rose said. “This shouldn’t be a partisan effort, but unfortunately 164 of my Republican colleagues disagreed and voted against this resolution. My heart breaks every time I hear from a constituent who is afraid to leave their homes or business owners who have been forced to shut down due to violence and discrimination. It has no place in our community and I will continue standing strong in solidarity against it.”
Since the beginning of the crisis, there have been numerous reports of Asian Americans being threatened, harassed, or assaulted. As of June 3, the Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council reported 2,066 incidents of coronavirus-related discrimination. As a result, these communities, in addition to working to combat the coronavirus, are left fighting an additional front—that of hate and injustice.
Schumer Announces Plan to Cancel Student Loan Debt
U. S. Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) yesterday announced a plan to cancel up to $50,000 in debt for federal student loan borrowers.
The resolution outlines how the next president should use existing executive authority under the Higher Education Act to substantially cancel student loan debt for students in New York and across the country, and ensure there is no tax liability for federal student loan borrowers resulting from administrative debt collection.
Schumer said addressing the student loan crisis will be one of the first legislative actions he will prioritize in the new 117th Congress in January, 2021.
“Millions of young New Yorkers and their families have been crushed by student loan debt greatly impeding their ability to begin careers and build the financial resources needed to build their futures,” said Schumer. “For far too long the sunny, American optimism of our young people has been clouded by crippling student debt. Education is supposed to be a ladder up, but studies have shown that student loans hold people back and prevent young college graduates from owning homes or starting small businesses. This holds our entire economy back, which we cannot afford after the financial devastation of COVID. That is why I will prioritize student debt forgiveness in 2021, bringing immediate relief to millions of New Yorkers and boosting our economy.”
Adams Hosts Webinar on Gaming Careers
Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams yesterday hosted a virtual webinar on career paths in gaming and e-sports.
The event, which came amid unprecedented shocks to the economy brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, featured a panel discussion with industry leaders, e-sports players, and gaming commentators that offered valuable insights about the industry for those seeking employment in this burgeoning sector.
