Tuesday, February 7, 2017

Bronx Democratic Party - Bronx Dems 2017 Winter Networking Reception


Congressman Adriano Espaillat Statement on Betsy DeVos’ Confirmation as the next U.S. Secretary of Education


  U.S. Congressman Adriano Espaillat issued the following statement in response to the confirmation of Betsy DeVos as the next U.S. Secretary of Education.

“I find today’s confirmation of Betsy DeVos to become the next Secretary of Education deeply troubling for a number of reasons,” said Rep. Espaillat.“Secretary DeVos is unqualified to serve in this role as she does not believe in public education nor does she have experience working in public education.  This is completely unacceptable given the Department she has just been confirmed to oversee.

“Her confirmation puts our students at risk.  Without a public education, I would not be where I am today, sitting as a Member of the United States Congress. 

“The Trump Administration is stripping this country and our youth of the opportunities that give them a stronger, brighter future.  Secretary DeVos has demonstrated that she lacks the experience and compassion to run the Department of Education, and putting students’ interests first is not on her agenda.  We need someone who puts students first – not Trump first.  We cannot afford her vision for education and it will take each of our efforts, working together in unity to ensure that Secretary DeVos does not take away critical funding from the children that need it the most.”

News From Congressman Eliot Engel





Engel Calls Out GOP Attempts to Repeal Children's Health Care


  Congressman Eliot L. Engel, a leading member on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, released the following statement on the impact that a Republican repeal of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) would have on America’s children:

“Even though they still have no plan for the aftermath, Republicans are plowing away towards their goal to destroy the health coverage of tens of millions, and drive up costs for millions more. Heartbreakingly, their plans would have particularly harmful effects on America’s children.

“Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) cover 40 percent of New York’s children. In addition, Medicaid financed 51 percent of all births in New York in 2014. Yet the GOP wants to undo the Medicaid expansion and radically restructure this program that is a lifeline to so many.

“Repealing the ACA won’t just endanger the millions of young Americans who gained insurance coverage through the law – it will hurt families’ finances. If the GOP succeeds, New York alone will lose 130,700 jobs just in 2019. Imagine a parent who loses a job on account of repeal, suddenly unable to afford a new health plan for the exact same reason.

“I wish my GOP colleagues would consider the consequences before they set this perverse chain of events in motion.”

Engel Statement on the Confirmation of Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education

  Congressman Eliot L. Engel, a leading member on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following statement on the confirmation of Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education:

“As a former classroom teacher, I know firsthand how vital it is to do everything we can for our students, especially in our public school system. We often hear Republicans echo the mantra ‘Make American Great Again’ – but if we fail to educate our future leaders, we can never truly be great.

“I believe Ms. DeVos is woefully unqualified to run the Department of Education. The Secretary of Education should be committed to every child, not just a select few. To all children who seek knowledge, not just the ones she deems worthy. It is clear that the American people share my concerns: the Vice President needed to break a tie—the first in American history on a cabinet pick—in order to confirm her.


“Despite today’s disappointing results, I will continue to speak out in support of policies and programs that help America’s public school students and the hardworking teachers who serve them.”

You're Invited: March Fundraiser in support of Elvin Garcia for City Council




Dear Friends,

 Please join:

Kevin Jennings, Melissa Sklaz, Carmen Neely, Brendan Fay, Alan Reiff, Juan Rosa
Richard Allman, Michael Brady, Tom Kirdahy & James Felton Keith

for a reception in support of:


Elvin Garcia for
City Council - District 18


Monday, March 6th, 2017
6:30PM - 8:30PM 


The Home of
Kevin Jennings & Jeff Davis 
11 West 20th St #7, New York, NY 10011

__________________________________

Co-Host - $500 | Sponsor - $250
Supporter - $175 | Friend - $100

Please RSVP by email at: RSVP@elvingarcia.nyc 
Contribute online by clicking here

EDITOR'S NOTE:

I did not know that the 18th City Council district in the Bronx included 11 West 20th Street Manhattan.

MAYOR DE BLASIO ANNOUNCES NEW PARTNERSHIP TO BOOST M/WBE CONTRACTING OPPORTUNITIES


The City and its partners will coach M/WBE firms on how to improve their directory profiles to stand out and be most competitive

    Mayor Bill de Blasio and the Office of Minority- and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (M/WBEs) today announced a new community partnership to boost City contracting opportunities for M/WBEs. The City is working with community partners to help M/WBEs get certified or re-certified as an M/WBE contractor, working with them to offer advice on how these firms may best compete for contracts.

All registered M/WBE contractors appear in the NYC Business Directory that City agencies use to select contractors for various services. The City and its partners will coach M/WBE firms on how to improve their directory profiles to stand out and be most competitive. This new program is part of Mayor Bill de Blasio’s historic commitment to M/WBEs that aims to award 30 percent of City contract dollars to M/WBEs by 2021. The partnership also will help keep the City on track to reach its OneNYC goal, which is to award $16 billion dollars to M/WBEs by 2025.

“This new partnership will ensure that all businesses and firms led by diverse individuals have the chance to compete for City contracts,” saidMayor Bill de Blasio. “We know that when all people – regardless of race, gender or ethnicity – have the proper resources to reach their full potential, communities across the five boroughs will reap the benefits of their success.”

“Certification is an important first step towards participating in the City’s procurement process. By drastically increasing the number of certified M/WBEs, ensuring they can access our capacity building services and making it easier for City agencies to identify M/WBEs they can and should be doing business with, we can expand opportunity and award more City contracts to M/WBEs than ever before. This partnership demonstrates that we can make New York a fairer place to do business – a place where everyone can succeed," said Richard Buery, Deputy Mayor for Strategic Policy Initiatives and Citywide M/WBE Director.

“This new partnership will perform mission critical work in helping M/WBEs compete for and win contracts with the City. For some of these businesses, a simple profile reboot can mean the difference between securing a rewarding City contract and missing out on a business opportunity,” said Jonnel Doris, Senior Advisor and Director of the Mayor’s Office of Minority- and Women-Owned Business Enterprises. “By helping us tap into the existing pool of entrepreneurial talent – which we know runs very deep in New York City – these new partners will expand the work of M/WBEs citywide and remove barriers to entry, keeping us on pace to meet the 30 percent contracting goal.”

“City contractors should reflect the diverse talents and skills of all of our people, and that is why Mayor de Blasio has made a historic commitment to expanding contracting opportunities for minority- and women-owned businesses,” said Gregg Bishop, Commissioner of the Department of Small Business Services. “Through this new partnership, we are working with partners in each borough to help M/WBEs highlight their services and best compete for City contracts.”

The City is working with 5 community partners, one per borough, to reach local minority- and women-owned businesses through events, workshops and counseling. The program will help these businesses get certified as a designated M/WBE contractor and help them better compete for City contracts. The initiative will help M/WBE firms improve their NYC Business Directory profiles by honing in on each firm’s strongest areas of expertise. City agencies often seek providers who specialize in specific services instead of those who list a large variety of general services. Through coaching and support, firms will be able to make clear how they can best serve as a City contractor. 

M/WBE businesses seeking assistance with certification, recertification, or building their business profile may contact the community partners listed below:

  • Bronx: SOBRO, 555 Bergen Avenue, Bronx, NY, (718)292-3113
  • Brooklyn: Brooklyn Alliance, 335 Adams Street, Brooklyn, NY (718)856-4078
  • Manhattan: Jean Kristensen Associates, 275 Madison Avenue, New York, NY,(917)397-7242
  • Queens: Queens Economic Development Corporation, 120-55 Queens Blvd, Kew Gardens, NY, (718)263-0546
  • Staten Island: West Brighton LDC, 705 Forest Avenue, Staten Island, NY,(718)816-4775
  • For more information on getting certified as a M/WBE contractor or to receive assistance, please visit www.nyc.gov/sbs.

STATEMENT FROM MAYOR BILL DE BLASIO ON STATE ASSEMBLY PASSAGE OF IMMIGRATION BILLS


    
    Our State Assembly voted today to protect the American Dream. I want to thank Speaker Carl Heastie, prime bill sponsors – Assembly Members Marcos Crespo and Francisco Moya – and all members of the Assembly Democratic Conference who voted to protect New York’s immigrants. New York City will defend our people wherever they come from, whatever their immigration status. Together, we will fight to uphold our values, our laws and our Constitution, and we will win.

Senate and Assembly Pass Resolution Memorializing the Life of Fallen Battalion Chief Michael J. Fahy


   Today, State Senator Gustavo Rivera, and Assembly member Victor M. Pichardo introduced a resolution in the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly paying tribute to the life and service of fallen firefighter Battalion Chief, Michael J. Fahy, who tragically perished in a building explosion in the Kingsbridge section of the Bronx on September 27, 2016. 

This resolution sought to memorialize Battalion Chief Fahy's life of service and sacrifice with the Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY) while further recognizing the innumerable sacrifices made by men and women of the FDNY. This resolution is co-sponsored by State Senator George Latimer in the New York State Senate and Assembly member Shelley Mayer in the New York State Assembly as representatives of the districts that Chief Fahy called home.
"Battalion Chief Michael J. Fahy's remarkable life of service perfectly embodied the values that characterize those who are truly committed to public service. For seventeen years, Chief Fahy, a second generation firefighter, worked tirelessly to provide fire protection and safety to the many communities throughout New York City. He proudly served and performed his responsibilities beyond his call of duty," said State Senator Gustavo Rivera. "I'm profoundly honored to introduce this resolution on the floor of the New York State Senate not only as a token, albeit small, of our State's appreciation and utmost respect to Battalion Chief Fahy, but also as a merited recognition to the courageous and often perilous work performed by our men and women of the FDNY. My thoughts and prayers are with Chief Fahy's widow, Fiona Fahy, and their three children Michael, Cormac and Ann Elisabeth."
"It is important to keep in mind our first responders who face danger every day and the bravery with which they do their job. After 17 years of dedicated service, it is an honor to recognize Battalion Chief Michael J. Fahy, a husband, a father and a valiant member of Battalion 19, Engine Company 75, Ladder Company 33, of the Bronx," said Assembly member Victor Pichardo. "Not only would I like to pay tribute to this courageous man but I would like to honor his memory and thank him and his family for their commitment and faithful service to my neighbors in the West Bronx."
"My heart goes out to Battalion Chief Fahy, his wife and their children. To be a Battalion Chief is not just a commitment of your own, but also a commitment made by those who love you. I so appreciate my colleagues in the State Senate, as well as the Assembly, pausing to honor a great man who so selflessly gave of himself. I deeply admire the work and life of Battalion Chief Michael J. Fahy and thank Senator Rivera and my other colleagues for honoring him," said State Senator George Latimer.
"I am honored to co-sponsor this resolution memorializing Battalion Chief Michael J. Fahy. The resolution is but a small token of what we can do to commemorate his life and his work. We will always be grateful for his bravery and his service, and continue to have his widow, Fiona Fahy, and three children, Michael, Cormac and Ann Elisabeth, in our thoughts and prayers. Chief Fahy put his life on the line for his work, and his family should know just how much of a hero he is in our eyes, too. The men and women of our community who serve as firefighters know the risks their work involves, but they have a deep sense of public service and a love for their work. Chief Fahy embodied these values, and we will continue to remember him in this light," said Assembly member Shelley Mayer.

The resolution honoring Battalion Chief Michael J. Fahy was unanimously adopted by the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly.

Congressman Adriano Espaillat Statement on National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day


18th annual observance of National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NBHAAD)

   Today, U.S. Congressman Adriano Espaillat issued the following statement in recognition of February 7th as National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day.  First recognized in 1999, National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day is an opportunity to reflect on HIV’s impact within the African American community, encourage testing and support of individuals living with the virus, and build awareness of the impact HIV/ AIDS has on African American communities around the nation. 

The 2017 theme of National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day is “I Am My Brother’s and Sister’s Keeper. Fight HIV/AIDS!”

“HIV/ AIDS continues to have a disproportionate impact on African Americans throughout communities around the nation,” said Rep. Espaillat.  “While much progress has been made, there is still much work that remains in our efforts to increase education and build awareness of HIV and AIDS throughout all communities, but particularly throughout the African American community which according to the CDC represents more than one-third (or 40 percent) of all individuals living with HIV and nearly half (or 45 percent) of all newly diagnosed infections.

“Testing is critical in the prevention of the spread of HIV, and treatment is paramount for individuals living with the virus.  Join me in making today a day of service to encourage friends, family, and neighbors to get tested, get educated, get involved to prevent the continued spread of HIV/ AIDS throughout the African American community, and stop the stigma!”