Addabbo Pushes for MTA Funding
State Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr. (D-Howard Beach, Ozone Park, Woodhaven, Glendale, Middle Village, Maspeth and parts of South Ozone Park, Ridgewood, Woodside and The Rockaways) virtually spoke before the MTA board to state the need for financial assistance in an effort to help the MTA get billions of dollars in federal funding as the authority is facing a multibillion dollar deficit.
According to the Transit Authority, they are losing nearly $200 million per week due to the pandemic, and are projecting an operating deficit of $16 billion by the year 2024.
The MTA is in need of $12 billion in federal funding before the end of 2021 or it will face substantial cuts to the staff and service that would cripple New York and bring the economy to a grinding halt.
“New York City cannot begin to rebound from the effects of the coronavirus without a substantially funded and reliable MTA,” Addabbo said. “Many of my constituents rely on the MTA to get to their jobs and access different parts of the borough, such as those on the geographically isolated Rockaway Peninsula. My concern is that if the MTA does not get the federal funding, it may have to seriously consider raising fares on riders who are already suffering financially from the COVID-19 pandemic with hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers unemployed.”
The senator noted that while the city and state would continue to fund the MTA, the expanding virus-caused deficit dictates that the $12 billion in federal financial assistance is necessary.
Lee Holds Ninth Virtual Jobs Fair
Acting Queens Borough President Sharon Lee is hosting the ninth installment of the “Virtual Queens Jobs Recruitment Fair” on Wednesday, October 7 to connect Queens job seekers to available employment opportunities.
The New York City Fire Department (FDNY) will join the list of more than a dozen featured employers and recruiters at the fair.
“Our borough’s ongoing recovery and rebuild relies deeply on connecting job seekers with available positions in key sectors of our restarting economy,” said Lee. “Queens is pleased to welcome the FDNY to our robust set of partners at our ninth Virtual Queens Jobs Recruitment Fair to answer questions live about a wide variety of jobs hiring now.”
Participants and viewers will hear brief presentations from employers and recruiters seeking to fill hundreds of positions in a variety of service fields including developmental support, transportation, retail, security and more.
The ongoing hiring push comes as Queens’ unemployment rate sits at 16.4 percent as of August, down from a high of 21.6 percent in June but up more than 13 percentage points from February’s 3 percent unemployment rate. According to the New York State Department of Labor, more than 1.84 million New York City residents have filed unemployment claims between March 8 and September 19.
The October 7 Virtual Queens Jobs Recruitment Fair will be held online from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Prospective applicants interested in participating in the live interactive Q&A via Zoom Webinar must RSVP by Tuesday, October 6 at www.queensbp.org/rsvp. The Jobs Recruitment Fair will also be livestreamed at www.queensbp.org/recruitmentfair. American Sign Language (ASL) translation will be provided live by Sorenson Community Interpreting Services.
To view the videos of the previous fairs, visit www.queensbp.org/recruitmentfair.
Constantinides to Check Out Bird Scooters
City Councilmember Costa Constantinides (D-Astoria, East Elmhurst, Jackson Heights, Woodside) will attend Bird scooter’s demonstration at Astoria Boulevard this Thursday.
Bird will allow the community to try out its new Bird Two electric shared scooters. These shared vehicles are likely to provide another fossil fuel-free mode of transportation for New Yorkers.
The demonstration will be held at the corner of Ditmars Boulevard and Shore Boulevard on Thursday, October 1 at noon.
