Frontus Secures Funding From State Budget For Local Programs
Assembly member Mathylde Frontus (D-Coney Island, Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, Gravesend) yesterday announced that part of the 2019-2020 NYS Budget that she helped pass included funding for programs in her district-Pathways to Apprenticeship (P2A) and Bay Ridge Senior Center.
Earlier this month, the state legislature passed $175.5 billion Fiscal Year 2020 state budget of which $100,000 was allocated for P2A and $100,000 was allocated for the senior center.
Pathways to Apprenticeship is an organization that seeks to end intergenerational poverty by providing access to building trades apprenticeships that lead to solid and rewarding middle-class careers. The program powers and assists people from low-income communities including the formerly incarcerated, people on public assistance and public housing residents, access to union construction apprenticeships. The state funds secured by Frontus will be utilized to sponsor the inaugural Coney Island class designated for low income residents.
Bay Ridge Senior Center first opened in 1976, and offers programs for adults 60 years of age or older in southwest Brooklyn that promote their well-being, support their independence and encourage their involvement in the community. The center spends about 90% of its revenue directly on services for the 60+ senior population in the district. The center also delivers over 600 meals per day, seven days a week to homebound seniors through their Meals on Wheels program.
“Investing in local organizations allows them to provide key services that contribute to the revitalization of our community. That’s why I fought for a state budget that provides funding for a program that will help low-income residents in my neighborhood have access to careers in the union building trades and improve upon on the quality of life for our elderly residents,” said Frontus.
Malliotakis Demands MTA Increase Police Presence Following Sexual Incident On R Train
Assembly member Nicole Malliotakis (R,C,I,Ref-South Brooklyn, Staten Island) yesterday called on Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) President Andy Byford to increase the presence of New York Police Department (NYPD) officers on the R train following a sexual incident on the R train.
On Wednesday, a Staten Island women encountered a man exposing himself and masturbating on the R train at the 86th Street station in Bay Ridge, according to Malliotakis’ office.
According to NYPD statistics, the subways saw a 3.8 percent increase in total crime in 2018 compared to 2017 — a total increase of 95 reported crimes, or a total of 2,569. According to the NYPD compstat, subway crime in Brooklyn South is up 17.6%, compared to 2018. So far this year 80 transit crimes have been reported compared to 68 in 2018 for the same time period.
“I am writing to express my concerns regarding the safety of my constituents who travel the R train every day and am requesting that a plan be developed between the MTA, MTA police and NYPD transit to ensure that commuters receive the protection they need to feel safe on their way to and from their homes and place of work,” said Malliotakis in a letter to Byford.
“For many, subways are the only viable method to travel around our city and if we want more commuters to use public transit to reduce congestion, we must make them feel safe. I hope you will consider the needs and concerns of our citizens and develop a better plan along with the dedicated men and women of NYPD and MTA Police to provide them with the safety and security they need to be able to ride the subway without fear,” Malliotakis continued in her letter.
Velázquez Announces $27 Million for Head Start Programs, Health Centers
Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez (D-LES, Brooklyn, Queens) yesterday announced that local early education centers within New York’s 7th Congressional District have received federal grants to continue their Head Start and Early Head Start programs.
Velazquez also announced that local health centers have received federal grants to aid in healthcare, mental health and substance abuse services. Both programs are federally funded and provide support services to low-incomes families.
The local Head Start Programs receiving aid include:
- Catholic Charities Neighborhood Services (Brooklyn Heights) : $7,365,022
- Yeshiva Kehilath Yakove (Brooklyn): $2,409,382
- Y M & Y W H A of Williamsburg, Inc.: $2,449,150
“Time and time again reports released from the Department of Health and Human Services underscore the lifetime social benefits of Head Start Programs and their impact on our youth. From testing significantly better in literature and math to showing better social-emotional, language, and cognitive development, the value of Head Start programs are well documented,” said Velazquez.
Local health centers receiving funds include:
- Sunset Park Family Health Center at NYU Langone: $15,133,121
- Diaspora Community Services (Brooklyn): $283,875
- After Hours Project, Inc. (Brooklyn): $524,670
“Health centers are vital to our communities. They integrate access to pharmacy, mental health, substance use disorder, and oral health services in areas where economic, geographic, or cultural barriers limit access to affordable health care services” added Velázquez.
Rose Calls for Counterterrorism Budgets from Social Media Companies
Congressman Max Rose (D-South Brooklyn, Staten Island) and fellow Democrats on the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Intelligence and Counterterrorism, which he chairs, this week announced that they are looking to see if tech companies are prioritizing efforts to combat online terrorist content.
This week Rose requested details on the investments that members of the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism are making to prevent the exploitation of their platforms by terrorists and extremists. The request follows a March 27th briefing in which Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and Microsoft were unable to answer questions about resource allocation dedicated to these efforts.
The Subcommittee, led by Rose, is seeking each company’s annual budget for counterterrorism related programs, the number of personnel working solely on those programs, and the number of staff who specialize in far-right extremism as well as foreign terrorist organizations and other forms of extremism.
Most recently, the attack in Christchurch, New Zealand was live-streamed on Facebook, raising serious questions for elected officials on how and what these companies are doing to combat the spread of terrorism and extremism.
“We’ve seen in graphic detail the extent that terrorist organizations and extremists have used social media to amplify their reach and message in recent years. While social media companies tell us they’re taking this seriously, I want to see the numbers to back that up—and won’t stop until we get answers,” said Rose.
