CRESPO: Budget Good but Not Good Enough!

Assemblyman Marcos A. Crespo’s votes no on budget bill that fails to provide an indexed minimum wage increase and establishes the NYS Dream Act

ALBANY, NEW YORK – (03/28/2013)  ---  Assemblyman Marcos A. Crespo, today, voted no on part of the $136 billion 2013-2014 State Budget because major issues impacting his community where omitted and in other cases are inadequate to addressing the growing rates of poverty in the Bronx and New York State.

According to Assemblyman Marcos A. Crespo, member of the Assembly Standing Committee on Cities, “I want to make it clear that the Assembly, under the leadership of Speaker Sheldon Silver, has managed to turn back attempts to reduce State funding for our hospitals, schools, colleges and vital community services.  Yet Assembly efforts to shape a budget that meets the needs of all New Yorkers was derailed by the Senate Republicans and the Governor.”

“Specifically I am referring to the failure to immediately raise the minimum wage and index it to inflation and the failure to embrace the intellectual capital of undocumented immigrant children by enacting the Dream Act,” declared Crespo.

Crespo added, “I can not vote yes on a budget that places public relations gimmicks over the basic needs of my constituents and their families and children.  Passing an on-time budget with tax refunds for those making up to $300,000 per year while making a single mother wait three years for a $1.75 increase in her hourly wage is unacceptable.”

“There are defining moments in our lives that measure our values. If we can find millions to subsidize the business operations of multi-millionaires, then we can find the courage to secure State support for children and communities that have long been marginalized,” stated Crespo. “This is such a defining moment for me and my vote will reflect my convictions.”

Social Security Information Fair

  On Wednesday March 27th Congressman Charles Rangel held a Social Security Information Fair at Lehman College. Over 200 people participated in the event which had welcoming remarks from Congressman Rangel. The Regional Commissioner of the Social Security New York Region Ms. Beatrice Disman gave a presentation on the Social Security program. Topics included the cutback of 9,000 SSA workers nationwide due to attrition, and the recent budget cutting by congress. There will be longer waits and shorter hours at SSA offices. Ms. Disman emphasized that there are more online services, and that over 1/3 of new applicants now enroll online.

  There was a discussion of direct deposit, and that new applicants must either have their funds direct deposited or on a Visa debit card. Questions were taken from the audience, and there were SSA specialists on hand to handle the many individual problems that came up.

Left - Congressman Rangel and Ms. Disman of the SSA.

Right - There was also sign language provided.

Left - A view of the crowd.

Right - Community Board 8 Aging Committee Chairman & City Council candidate Andrew Cohen is introduced by Congressman Rangel.

Bronx Academy for Software Engineering

   The Department of Education is looking to open a Career and Technical Education high school in the Bronx in the fall, called the “Bronx Academy for Software Engineering. This school’s curriculum will focus on preparing students to enter the field of software engineering. In order to spread the word and garner attention for this school there will be two open houses held for interested parents family, and students.

Thursday April 4^th, from 5pm to 8pm, at Sunshine Bronx (in the Banknote Building in Hunts Point, 890 Garrison Avenue)

Wednesday April 10^th, from 5pm to 8pm, at Facebook’s midtown east office (335 Madison Ave, between 43^rd and 44^th Streets)

Each open house has three sessions which last one hour each. Student and families should RSVP by going through the website at http://bronxsoftware.org/. 

Bronx Academy for Software Engineering (BASE)

Opening fall 2013

Quick facts about BASE

•             Opening with 115 ninth graders in fall of 2013 in the Grace Dodge campus near Fordham University

•             Unscreened intake: any eight grader can apply and get in

•             Students take four years of computer science, including programming, application design and software development

•             Four-year CTE program – graduates will be ready for college or entry into the industry

•             Students build portfolios to show mastery of key skills and content

•             Advisory class lets students get to know each other, teachers and themselves

•             Clubs include 3D printing, art, sports, and manga.

 

 

Gun Violence Presentation at CAB Meeting - April 3rd

PLEASE JOIN US

The Joint Community Advisory Board of Jacobi Medical Center and North Central Bronx Hospital Present

"Gun Violence: An Ongoing crisis"

Wednesday, April 3rd, 5:30 p.m. Refreshments - 6 p.m. Presentation

Jacobi Corporate Conference Center (Building 4, 2nd Floor) Jacobi Medical Center

Featuring Two Presentations:

Gun Violence: A Trauma Surgeon’s Perspective

Sheldon Teperman, M.D.

Associate Professor of Surgery, Director of Trauma and Critical Care Services, Jacobi Medical Center

Board Member of New Yorkers Against Gun Violence.

“Guns Down, Life Up” Including a compelling video

Erik Cliette, Director of Injury Prevention, Harlem Hospital Center

RSVP 718-918-3906

Over 1,057,000 people have been

killed by guns in the U.S.A. since

John Lennon was shot and killed

on December 8, 1980.

John C. Doyle

Associate Director, Department of Marketing, Public and Community Relations

North Bronx Healthcare Network

1400 Pelham Parkway South, Building 4 - Room 7N21, Bronx, NY, 10461

p- 718.918.4055, f-718.918.7217, c-917.553.4642, e- John.Doyle@nbhn.net

Visit us on the web- http://www.nyc.gov/hhc/jacobi/

 

 

Free Mammography Screenings--this Friday, March 29th

 Assemblyman Luis Sepulveda of the 87th A.D. sent this to us.

In Celebration of Women's Health Month, my office has partnered with St. Barnabas Hospital to conduct FREE mammography screenings (first come, first served).

The event will be held in front of my office (1973 Westchester Ave.) This coming Friday March 29th from 9AM to 1:30PM. 

 

We're targeting women over 40 whom are either uninsured or under insured.

Assemblyman Luis Sepulveda-87th District
1973 Westchester Ave
Phone: (718) 931-2620
Bronx, NY 10462

 

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Save the Putnam Trail Song

  The Save the Putnam Trail campaign, based in the Bronx, now has an anthem written for them by the amazingly talented musician/songwriter Patryk Larney and posted on YouTube.  The original lyrics go like this:

Hail, Hail The Putnam Trail!
Don't cover up what's left of the old railroad.
Let her people carry through.
Save the pavement for Madison Avenue.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sk9yXbBxne4&feature=youtu.be

The musician, Patryk Larney, originally hails from New Jersey and is widely appreciated for his lyrical content and congenial storytelling in the tradition of James Taylor, Paul Simon, and Tom Petty.

His discography includes soul-infused rock with his band Naked Underneath and with his younger brother in The Larney Brothers.  "Fifty Miles from Hope," 2004; "Larney Brothers," 2009; "Hello to Farewell," 2010. 

 

Save the Putnam Trail Campaign
www.savetheputnamtrail.com

www.facebook.com/saveputnamtrailnow

 

 

First Drone Legislation Bill in the NYS Assembly

This comes in from Assemblyman Luis Sepulveda 87th A.D. Bronx.

I just had my first piece of drone legislation published (#A06244); it focuses on limiting how law enforcement can utilize the technology to conduct surveillance.

I conducted a survey recently in my district to ascertain how the general public feels about drone activity. Most of the data suggests that the public is not fully aware of the technology and its implications, domestically. Only 18% of those surveyed knew what drones were. Though once they were informed, over 96% had concerns about their use, with a similar percentage feeling that drones could infringe on their privacy. Nearly 97% suggested that there be clear restrictions placed on drones.

This bill is the first of a series of comprehensive pieces of legislation initiated to address the lack of information on drones, and their attendant activities. Succeeding bills will focus on: Banning drones from being armed; clearly defining what constitutes a drone; restricting the use of drones by private citizens; and streamlining the mechanisms to secure permits for responsible drone usage concerning its commercial applications.

I have been at the forefront of pushing for more transparency and regulations concerning this phenomenon; assessing the trends, I feel it's incumbent upon the NYS Legislature to seize this issue before it takes on a life of its own. I don't want the technology to get ahead of the law, and hopefully, the legislation that I am putting forth, will be the catalyst for us as legislators to take hold of this issue.

 

Assemblyman Luis Sepulveda-87th District
1973 Westchester Ave
Phone: (718) 931-2620
Bronx, NY 10462

 

Councilman Koppell Reacts to DOE Decision on Clinton High School

KOPPELL DEPLORES LACK OF COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT IN SELECTION OF SMALL HIGH SCHOOLS AT CLINTON

In speaking to Chancellor Walcott at a meeting of the Education Committee, of which he is a member, on March 21, 2013, Council Member Oliver Koppell deplored the lack of community involvement in the selection of the two new high schools to be co-located at DeWitt Clinton High School.

After DOE decided on the concept of co-location in spite of  community opposition, Koppell said, “It would have behooved the Department to consult with the Community Education Council  parents ,and local community  and educational leaders before deciding on what type of school was appropriate for the area.”

According to Koppell, he had not been apprized of the nature of the new schools nor was there a description of the type of schools to be selected in the Impact Statement or at the public hearing held about Clinton’s fate on February 21, 2013   Marvin Shelton, Chair of the District 10 Community Education Council, said, “We were not consulted or given a description of the new schools prior to their being selected. Everyone was kept in the dark.  I believe that not even the Panel for Educational Policy was aware of the nature of the new schools when they voted on the co-location.” Koppell said, “Our students in the Northwest Bronx would have benefitted from a school similar to the Ellis School on the Kennedy Campus devoted to the needs of newly arrived immigrants. One of the reasons Clinton received an “F” on its Progress Report is that it had a disproportionate number of English Language Learners without the resources necessary to meet their needs.”

Koppell said it was unclear why the description of the two new schools at Clinton was kept such a secret and why our community was excluded from having any input into this important decision.  “However,” he said,   “we probably should not have been surprised since this behavior is in keeping with the “top down” philosophy of the Bloomberg  administration.”