Treyger, Brannan on Reopening Schools/ Businesses in Red Zone
City Council Members Mark Treyger (D-Coney Island, Bensonhurst, Bath Beach, Gravesend), Justin Brannan (D-Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, Bensonhurst, Bath Beach) and Alan Maisel (D-Bergen Beach, Canarsie, Flatlands, Georgetown, Gerritsen Beach, Marine Park, Mill Basin, Mill Island) along with State Sen. Diane Savino (D-Coney Island, Staten Island) other lawmakers released the following joint statement about the City Administration continuing to delay the reopening of schools and nonessential small businesses in the red zone, significantly affecting the livelihoods of their constituencies.
“It has been over a week since Governor Cuomo announced that schools in the red zone can reopen, yet our city’s schools have no information on how to proceed. We are calling upon Mayor de Blasio and Chancellor Carranza to immediately brief school communities in the red zone on where things stand and provide guidance on new protocols set forth by the Governor. The lack of urgency and coordination between the city and state is unacceptable. Many students, families and educators have been greatly impacted, unable to schedule their lives for more than a day, and are scrambling to resolve childcare and access to supportive services such as free meals and social-emotional supports offered at school sites.
“We implore our city to provide communication and transparency. The Mayor should schedule a virtual meeting with senior officials from the Department of Education, Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Small Business Services and City Hall to update parents, schools and small businesses on the next steps to reopen. It is crucial that we also look at the impact this can have on our small businesses as we work to ensure a swift reopening. We urge City Hall to provide a plan to reopen schools and small businesses in the red zone without any further delay,” they said.
Colton Dislikes School Reopening Handling
Assemblyman William Colton (D – Gravesend, Bensonhurst, Bath Beach, Dyker Heights) continued to hammer home his view that the city’s public schools are being mismanaged under the current leadership.
“There is something terribly wrong with the Department of Education policies for NYC public schools under the lack of leadership by Chancellor Carranza. Such mismanagement is hurting the education of all our children. Parents throughout the city are afraid to send their children to school due to the COVID-19 crisis. The tablets have not been provided for remote learning to many students who have no access, as shown in recent inquiries by Council Member Mark Treyger. The Department of Education is depriving special education students of their rights for quality education by failing to meet the requirements of their IEP’s,” Colton stated.
“The NYC DOE Chancellor is violating the law by failing to set a date for the SHSAT. He continues to refuse to expand gifted and talented programs to every district, thereby systematically denying the opportunity for gifted programs in school districts in many communities with large numbers of minority children,” Colton continued.
“Parents must be heard in their concerns. We need to mobilize their voices and demand the policies to meet the legitimate concerns that these parents are raising about education in NYC public schools. If DOE refuses to listen to parents, then maybe we need to consider the repeal of mayoral control of NYC public schools,” Colton added.
Gillibrand Calls for Stopping Strike Down of Affordable Care Act
U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand joined Senate Democrats to urge U.S. Attorney General William Barr to rescind the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) support of the Supreme Court lawsuit that seeks to strike down the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
“Striking down the ACA would have devastating consequences for New Yorkers who rely on the law’s guaranteed access to quality, affordable health care, especially in the midst of a pandemic,” said Gillibrand. “Rather than working to deliver a COVID relief package, Republicans rushed to confirm Judge Barrett with the expectation that she would support their efforts in the Supreme Court to strike down the ACA. It’s unconscionable for the DOJ to pursue this cruel attempt to rip quality affordable health care from tens of millions of Americans. I’m urging the administration to rescind its support immediately and instead focus on delivering economic relief to families in need.”
The Supreme Court will hear arguments in California v. Texas on November 10, 2020. Among critical provisions, the ACA has made it illegal for insurance companies to deny insurance coverage for the 133 million Americans with pre-existing conditions.
Brooklyn Lawmakers Rally in Support of Small Businesses
Brooklyn lawmakers including Borough President Eric Adams, City Councilmembers Chaim Deutsch, Kalman Yeger, Farah Louis and Mathieu Eugene; Assemblymembers Simcha Eichenstein and Helene Weinstein; and State Sen. Simcha Felder will lead a rally tomorrow to fight back what they call draconian measures that target small businesses and refusal to let them open safely amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The lawmakers are inviting the public to stand up and be heard and to bring your mask.
The rally is slated for 6 p.m., tomorrow, Nov. 10 on the corner of Ocean Avenue and Avenue M in Midwood/Flatbush.
