Governor Hochul Announces Demobilization of State Emergency Response Assets and Personnel in Western New York and the North Country Following Historic Winter Storm

State Emergency Operations Center Deactivating Tuesday Evening Following Week-Long Response to Historic Snowfall in Buffalo and Watertown Areas, Where Nearly Seven Feet of Snow Fell over Three Days

New York State Thruway and State Highways Fully Open to Traffic as of Tuesday; Agencies to Continue to Perform Snow Removal Operations and Monitor Potential for Localized Road Flooding This Week Due to Rain and Snow Melt

All Requested Wellness Checks and Structural Assessments Successfully Completed in the Immediate Aftermath of the Storm

 Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the State's Emergency Operations Center, deployed emergency response assets, and agency personnel, have begun demobilizing Tuesday following a record-breaking winter storm that dumped 80 inches of snow in Orchard Park (Erie County), breaking the State's 24-hour snowfall total record. More than six feet of snow was reported in parts of Jefferson and Snow began falling last Thursday evening and overnight into Friday at a rate of six inches per hour in Erie County and five inches per hour in Jefferson County. This historic snowfall event created extremely dangerous conditions across multiple regions, resulting in road closures and travel restrictions to keep the public safe. Governor Hochul commended the State Agency personnel involved in the State's response for their early preparation, communication and coordination with local governments before, during and after the storm.

"The record-breaking snowfall has finally stopped, and now it's time for New York's winter storm response to move to its next phase," Governor Hochul said. "I commend the first responders, local leaders and community members who stepped up to meet the challenges posed by this storm. We will continue monitoring the fallout from this storm, and I urge New Yorkers to remain vigilant as rain and melting snow may still lead to flooding or other dangerous conditions."

On Thursday, November 17, Governor Hochul declared a State of Emergency for 11 counties and directed the State's emergency response assets to be deployed in advance of the storm. The State's Emergency Operations Center officially activated on Thursday evening and facilitating interagency response and operations on the ground in the impacted regions.

On Sunday, November 20, Governor Hochul secured a federal Emergency Declaration from President Joe Biden, which allows federal assistance to supplement state and local efforts in providing emergency protective measures.

The State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services' (DHSES) Disaster Recovery team is working with impacted counties listed in the Emergency Declaration to maximize federal assistance.

DHSES's Office of Emergency Management (OEM) and Office of Fire Prevention and Control (OFPC), the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT), the New York State Police, the Thruway Authority, the Department of Environmental Conservation, the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, and the National Guard were fully engaged and coordinated in supporting local governments before, during and after the snowfall this past weekend.

State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services Commissioner Jackie Bray said, "Over the last week state agencies worked together with local officials to coordinate response efforts and keep New Yorkers safe. I am grateful for everyone's hard work, and critically, for the spirit of cooperation and close coordination all brought to this effort."

During the course of the storm, a multi-agency team of state and local personnel, including Urban Search and Rescue teams, led by OFPC, supported the storm response in Western New York with conducting welfare checks and assisting local fire, EMS, and police with incidents, including removing 152 people from disabled vehicles and conducting 3,424 structural assessments in the most impacted areas of Erie County. Additionally, State Police responded to 108 accidents and 341 disabled vehicles.

At the height of the storm, between NYSDOT and the Thruway Authority, there were nearly 500 plow trucks, close to 100 loaders, and more than 1,000 operators and supervisors deployed in Western New York and the North Country. NYSDOT and the Thruway Authority continue to support clean-up efforts in the cities of Buffalo and Lackawanna, including snow removal operations on local roadways using large dump trucks, heavy duty loaders, and large snowblowers.

NYS Office of the Comptroller DiNapoli: New York's Labor Force Decreased Sharply During the Pandemic and Remains Below Pre-Pandemic Peak

 

North Country and Southern Tier Experienced Double Digit Declines

Over the Last Decade

New York’s labor force is one of the nation’s largest, but it decreased by 1% between 2011 and 2021 while the rest of the nation increased by 5.1%, according to a report released today by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. A rebound took place in the latter half of the last decade before dropping significantly with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. New York continued to lose workers in 2021 when the rest of the nation began to recover. Even as the workforce began growing in 2022, it is still 400,000 workers below the state’s December 2019 peak.

DiNapoli’s report found the long-term decline was due, in part, to population changes and a relatively lower share of workers participating in the workforce. New York’s 10-year average participation rate was 40^th in the nation. In 2021, New York’s participation rate was 59%, almost 3 percentage points lower than the rest of the nation.

“New York’s labor force is the backbone of our state’s economy, and its strength has been its diversity, high levels of education and unionization,” DiNapoli said. “But my report shows troubling long-term trends were exacerbated by the pandemic and may be impeding New York’s recovery. Challenges may lie ahead that could negatively affect economic growth and state and local tax collections. Policymakers must give attention to policies that foster labor participation and encourage workforce development.”

DiNapoli’s report also found:

• Only three of the state’s 10 regional labor markets (Long Island, New York City, and the Hudson Valley) were larger in 2021 than they were in 2011, with the rest of the regions losing workers, including double digit declines in the Southern Tier (-12.6%) and the North Country (-10.2%).
• New York was one of the first states impacted by COVID-19 and had a pandemic recession that lasted longer than the rest of the U.S. Its unemployment rate was 9.9% in 2020, nearly two percentage points higher than the rest of the nation.
• By 2021, the state’s 6.9% unemployment rate was the nation’s third highest, led by high unemployment in New York City. The state also had a greater share of underemployed workers (5.3%) than the rest of the nation (4.2%). Underemployed workers include underutilized, marginally attached and discouraged workers. Underutilized workers are employed part-time but want full-time work and constituted a larger share of the workforce in New York (3.8%) compared to the rest of the nation (3%) in 2021.
• In 2019, New York’s unemployment rate for people with disabilities was at its lowest in over 10 years, but grew in 2020 and remained elevated in 2021, at a rate almost twice that of people without a disability. Labor force participation for this group was 40% in 2020, trailing that for the state as a whole.
• Labor force participation rates were highest for Hispanics, at just over 61% on average over the 10-year period. Participation rates were lowest for Black workers and decreased from 60.3% in 2014 to a low of 55% in 2020 before rebounding in 2021.
• New York’s workforce is more highly educated than the nation, with 50.6% of those 25 and older having at least a bachelor’s degree compared to 43.3% nationwide.
• In New York, 22.2% of employed workers were members of unions in 2021, second highest in the nation. Union members represented 10.3% of all employed workers nationwide in 2021, down from 11.8% in 2011.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics defines the labor force as the portion of the working age population, 16 and over, that is either employed or officially considered unemployed – those who are not employed but have actively looked for work in the previous four-week period. In 2021, there were over 9.4 million New Yorkers in the work force, making up 5.8% of the national labor force and putting the state fourth in the U.S. behind California, Texas, and Florida.

Gender

In New York, women comprised a larger share of the workforce (47.6%) than the rest of the nation (46.9%) in 2021. During the pandemic, men dropped out of the labor force in larger numbers than women. Even as the number of women in the workforce exceeded pre-pandemic levels in 2021, their participation rate (54.1%) remained significantly below that of men (65%) as women remain more likely to be stay-at-home parents and caregivers.

Race/Ethnicity

The state’s workforce has become more diverse in the past decade. The share of white workers has declined from 75.8% in 2011 to 70.9% in 2021. When compared to the rest of the nation, New York has greater shares of workers who are Black (16.3% to 12.5%), Asian (10.3% to 6.3%), and Hispanic (18.6% to 18.2%). Between 2011 and 2021, the number of Asian workers in New York grew 43.2% and the number of Hispanic workers grew 22.4%. In 2021, participation rates increased for Asian, Black and Hispanic workers, but continued to decline for white workers.

Age

For both New York and the nation, the labor force is predominantly aged 25 to 64. From 2011 to 2021, although the state’s working age population increased by 3.5%, its labor force decreased by 1%. Compared to the rest of the U.S., the state has a higher share of its labor force that is aged 65 and over. This group grew significantly (32.8%) over the decade and comprised 22.1% of the population in 2021, nearly five percentage points higher than in 2011. Similarly, the number of workers 65 and over rose 42.6%, increasing from 4.9% of the labor force in 2011 to 7.1% in 2021. Between 2020 and 2021, the sharpest decrease in the participation rate was for the youngest age group (ages 16 to 24), which declined by 3.4%. 

Education

In the past 10 years, New York’s labor force with a bachelor’s degree or higher increased by 26.3%, growing by over 100,000 workers in 2020 alone. These workers were more likely to telecommute: 40.6% of those with bachelor’s degrees and 54.4% of those with advanced degrees nationwide worked from home due to COVID-19. However, New York’s labor force declined across all other education levels during this period. These shares dropped significantly for those with less than a four-year degree or just a high school diploma.

Report

New York’s Labor Force: Assessing 10-Year Trends and Pandemic Setbacks

MAYOR ADAMS APPOINTS NINE NEW COMMISSIONERS, REAPPOINTS 15 COMMISSIONERS TO COMMISSION ON GENDER EQUITY

Commissioners Are Tasked With Advising on Gender Issues to Improve Equity Across NYC

Mayor Reappoints Jacqueline M. Ebanks as Executive Director, Silda Palerm as Chair 

New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced the appointments and reappointments of 24 commissioners to the New York City Commission on Gender Equity (CGE). The commissioners will advise CGE on dismantling institutional and societal discrimination and inequities for girls, women, intersex, transgender, and gender non-conforming and non-binary persons regardless of age, ability, ethnicity/race, faith, gender expression, immigration status, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic status.

 

“The Commission on Gender Equity is transforming lives by educating New Yorkers about economic mobility, safeguarding health and reproductive rights, and ensuring safety in our communities. Today, I’m proud to announce the reappointments of Jacqueline Ebanks as the executive director of the Commission on Gender Equity and Silda Palerm as chair, as well as announce our full slate of commissioners,” said Mayor Adams. “I look forward to the continued collaboration across our agencies to reinforce equity and dismantle institutionalized practices that have been unfair for too long to people across our city.”

 

CGE commissioners are community leaders, advocates, and founders of nonprofits and other organizations that break down gendered barriers across New York City and will be a significant driving force as ambassadors to achieve CGE’s strategic planning goals. These commissioners will also work toward broader gender equity efforts in the Adams administration and for the people of New York City.

 

The nine newly appointed commissioners are:

 

• Damian Ashton, director of communications, Equimundo: Center for Masculinities and Social Justice
• Jennifer Barnes-Balenciaga, director, Crystal La’Beija Organizing Fellowship
• Carol Bullock, executive director, Pride Center of Staten Island
• Callie Chamberlain, director of Social Responsibility, Optum
• Miriam F. Clark, partner, Ritz Clark & Ben-Asher LLP
• Anne Marie Goetz, clinical professor, New York University
• Seher Khawaja, senior attorney for economic empowerment, Legal Momentum, The Women’s Legal Defense and Education Fund
• Emily Miles, executive director, New York City Alliance Against Sexual Assault
• Jason Tan de Bibiana, research and evaluation director, Next Gen Men

 

The 15 reappointed commissioners are:

 

• Shahara Ahmad-Llewellyn, president, Shahara Ahmad-Llewellyn Family Foundation
• Sasha Ahuja, national director of strategic partnerships, Planned Parenthood Federation of America
• Taina Bien-Aimé, executive director, Coalition Against Trafficking in Women
• Beverly Cooper Neufeld, president and founder, PowHer New York
• Andrea Hagelgans, managing director, U.S. social issues engagement, Edelman
• Imara Jones, founder and CEO, TransLash Media
• Sherry Leiwant, co-president and co-founder, A Better Balance
• Robina Niaz, founder and executive director, Turning Point for Women and Families
• Sonia Ossorio, president, National Organization for Women – New York City
• Silda Palerm, partner, Vestry Laight, LLC; and chair, Commission on Gender Equity
• Chanel Porchia-Albert, founder and CEO, Ancient Song Doula Services
• Kiara Saint James, executive director, New York Transgender Advocacy Group
• Celeste Smith, managing director, Mosaic Genius
• Beverly Tillery, executive director, New York City Anti-Violence Project
• Shyama Venkateswar, senior director, Learning at Seramount/EAB

 

CGE continues to make great strides toward gender equity by advancing the Adams administration’s plans to support programming, policy, and budgets that address key issues such as maternal health, abortion rights, child care access, and expanded services for LGBTQ+ New Yorkers. The re-constitution of CGE will help preserve these gains and deepen the city’s commitment to “Getting Stuff Done” for all New Yorkers, regardless of gender identity, gender expression, or background.

 

“The Commission on Gender Equity’s education and engagement across city agencies and the broader public will have a resounding legacy on our city,” said Deputy Mayor of Strategic Initiatives Sheena Wright. “The expertise of the commission’s incoming and returning members will create change across New York City, shifting the scales of justice towards true fairness and equity. I applaud their efforts and dynamism to transform our city for the better.”

 

“Jacqueline Ebanks has been a tireless advocate for the advancement of women, girls, and other marginalized communities, with a deep commitment to social justice. With her leadership, the Commission on Gender Equity will continue tackling gender-based inequities to ensure that gender and gender identity do not limit one’s opportunity, safety, or well-being,” said Mayor’s Office of Equity Commissioner Sideya Sherman. “It is with profound joy that I welcome our new and returning commissioners, and I look forward to the important work ahead.”

 

“I am honored to continue to serve as executive director of the Commission on Gender Equity and delighted to welcome Damian, Jennifer, Carol, Callie, Miriam, Anne Marie, Seher, Emily, and Jason to the commission. I am most appreciative of our returning commissioners and grateful for their leadership over the past five years,” said CGE Executive Director Jacqueline M. Ebanks. “Together, CGE will continue to meet its mandate to make gender equity a top priority across city government so that girls, women, intersex, transgender, gender non-conforming, and non-binary individuals have equitable access, opportunities, and treatment. I welcome the commissioners’ expertise and experience and look forward to presenting our achievements to all New Yorkers. CGE aims to be an equity model not only for the city but also across the nation and the world to show that barriers can be taken down and institutional practices changed.”

 

“It is a privilege to be able to continue to serve New York City and champion the rights of women, girls, and New Yorkers of all gender expressions”, said Silda Palerm, chair, Commission on Gender Equity. “As leaders in the gender equity space, CGE and its commissioners will carry on the work of promoting policies and best practices designed to dismantle institutional barriers and promote opportunities for all as we strive to make New York a better, safer, more equitable city.”

 

The Commission on Gender Equity will continue to meet its mandate by leveraging policy and legislative advocacy, interagency and cross-sector collaborations, research and publications, and community outreach and engagement. CGE will advise and make recommendations for institutional change through an intersectional gender lens in its three areas of focus: economic mobility and opportunity, health and reproductive justice, and safety. CGE will also work across city agencies to develop and implement gender equitable policies and programs for the city’s workforce and residents and will monitor and evaluate progress towards building and maintaining a gender equitable New York City. Biographies for commissioners can be found on the Commission on Gender Equity’s website.

DEC to Hold Community Meetings on Progress of Statewide Air Monitoring Initiative

 

Opportunities to Learn about Work Underway in the Bronx, Buffalo/Niagara Falls/Tonawanda, Capital Region, and Manhattan

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today announced the first slate of meetings to provide progress updates for communities participating in the  2022-23 Statewide Community Air Monitoring Initiative. Mobile air monitoring started in July 2022 in the first four of 10 areas, the Bronx, Buffalo/Niagara Falls/Tonawanda area, Capital Region and Manhattan. The initiative will help DEC identify sources of air pollution and climate-altering greenhouse gas emissions in these communities. During the year-long air monitoring initiative, DEC will work with these communities to help inform strategies to reduce these emissions.

At the meetings, DEC will provide an update on the progress of data collection to date, provide examples of how emission sources can be detected with this technology, as well as how DEC will analyze the data for each of the pollutants. The results of the statewide initiative will be shared once data is validated at the end of the year-long effort. DEC will also discuss a proposal to create community advisory committees in each area to facilitate ongoing engagement throughout the study period. 

DEC is holding quarterly meetings over the next year to update the community on the progress of the air monitoring and provide a forum for local input. Staff from DEC’s Division of Air Resources and the Office of Environmental Justice will be available to answer questions and respond to feedback.

Air monitoring began in September 2022 in six additional communities, and quarterly update meetings in these communities will be held early next year in Brooklyn, Queens, Mount Vernon/Yonkers/New Rochelle, the Hempstead/New Cassel/Roosevelt/Uniondale/Westbury area, Syracuse, and Rochester. 

Visit the DEC website for more information about the year-long community air monitoring initiative https://www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/125320.html.

Manhattan: Dec.6, from 6 to 8 p.m.  

Link to join meeting: https://meetny.webex.com/meetny/j.php?MTID=mfdd7159d8d7dcff0cb30892dc32f0bcc 

Meeting Number: 1615 47 0749 Meeting Password: PZiVJrXj632  

Call In Number to join by phone only: 518-549-0500 

Buffalo/Niagara Falls/Tonawanda: Dec. 7, 6 to 8 p.m. 

Link to join meeting: https://meetny.webex.com/meetny/j.php?MTID=mefd1aa559ba74c12fd319c12834931bf  

Meeting Number: 161 340 1809 Meeting Password: welcome1 

Call In Number to join by phone only: 518-549-0500 

Capital Region: Dec. 8, 6 to 8 p.m. 

Link to join meeting: https://meetny.webex.com/meetny/j.php?MTID=m4307ede6d0eb419f0d16d503df5bfd9d

Meeting Number: 161 819 3464 Meeting Password: NYSDEC2022 

Call In Number to join by phone only: 518-549-0500 

Bronx: Dec. 13, 6 to 8 p.m. 

Link to join meeting: https://meetny.webex.com/meetny/j.php?MTID=m164cb84fdd2b1d2514e9fc6452cb516a  

Meeting Number: 1617 73 2694 Meeting Password: a4cJn5pJhT2  

Call In Number to join by phone only: 518-549-0500 

Interpreter services shall be made available to deaf persons, and translator services shall be made available to persons with limited English proficiency, at no charge for either service, upon written request. Requests should be submitted 10 calendar before each meeting to enable sufficient time to arrange for an interpreter and directed to the DEC Office of Communication Services, either by mail (address: NYSDEC, Office of Communication Services, 625 Broadway, Albany, New York 12233-4500), by telephone (518 402-8044) or by e-mail (language@dec.ny.gov). 

For more information about the Community Air Monitoring Initiative, visit the DEC website at https://www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/125320.html.

Governor Hochul Signs Legislation to Advance New York's Transition to Clean Transportation

 

Legislation (S.8518A /A.6165A) Helps Remove Barriers to the Installation of Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

Drives New York State's Goal of Reaching 850,000 Zero-emission Vehicles by 2025, and Goal for All New Passenger Vehicles To Be Zero-emission by 2035

 Governor Kathy Hochul today signed legislation that will advance clean transportation efforts by removing barriers to the installation of electric vehicle charging stations on private property. The legislation will prevent homeowners' associations from prohibiting homeowners from installing charging stations on their private property while also allowing the associations to provide input on the installation process. By making it easier for New Yorkers to transition to electric vehicles, this legislation will contribute to New York State's goal of reaching 850,000 zero-emission vehicles by 2025, and for all new passenger vehicles to be zero-emission by 2035.

"We are sparking New York's transition to clean transportation by removing barriers to owning and charging an electric vehicle," Governor Hochul said. "It is not enough to encourage New Yorkers to buy electric - we must build green infrastructure that will drive New Yorkers to choose cleaner and greener modes of transportation. My administration will continue to advance our zero-emission transportation goals, and this legislation will benefit our climate and the health of our communities for generations to come."

Legislation (S.8518A /A.6165A) will help remove barriers to the installation of electric vehicle charging stations on private property. Increasing the adoption of electric vehicles is essential for New York to able to meet emissions goals, but without a robust charging station network, New Yorkers may be discouraged from seeing electric vehicles as realistic alternatives to gas powered vehicles. This legislation will prevent homeowners' associations from prohibiting homeowners from installing charging stations on their private property while allowing associations to provide input on the installation process. The new law will require that any denial of a homeowner's application to install an electric vehicle charger to be in writing and contain a detailed description of the reasons for denial. If no written denial is issued to the homeowner within 60 days, the application will be deemed approved unless the delay in approval resulted from the homeowners' association's reasonable request for more information.

This legislation will help advance New York State's goal to reach 850,000 zero-emission vehicles by 2025 and to have all new passenger vehicles to be zero-emission by 2035. New York is rapidly advancing these goals through a range of initiatives including EV Make Ready, EVolve NY, the Drive Clean Rebate, the New York Truck Voucher Incentive Program, and Charge NY. These efforts contributed to a record increase in the number of electric vehicles sold in New York in 2021, bringing the total number of EVs on the road as of September 2022 to more than 114,000, and the number of charging stations in the state to more than 10,000, including Level 2 and fast chargers.

New York State's Nation-Leading Climate Plan

New York State's nation-leading climate agenda is the most aggressive climate and clean energy initiative in the nation, calling for an orderly and just transition to clean energy that creates jobs and continues fostering a green economy as New York State recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic. Enshrined into law through the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, New York is on a path to achieve its mandated goal of a zero-emission electricity sector by 2040, including 70 percent renewable energy generation by 2030, and to reach economy wide carbon neutrality. It builds on New York's unprecedented investments to ramp-up clean energy including over $35 billion in 120 large-scale renewable and transmission projects across the state, $6.8 billion to reduce buildings emissions, $1.8 billion to scale up solar, more than $1 billion for clean transportation initiatives, and over $1.6 billion in NY Green Bank commitments. Combined, these investments are supporting nearly 158,000 jobs in New York's clean energy sector in 2020, a 2,100 percent growth in the distributed solar sector since 2011 and a commitment to develop 9,000 megawatts of offshore wind by 2035. Under the Climate Act, New York will build on this progress and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 85 percent from 1990 levels by 2050, while ensuring that at least 35 percent with a goal of 40 percent of the benefits of clean energy investments are directed to disadvantaged communities, and advance progress towards the state's 2025 energy efficiency target of reducing on-site energy consumption by 185 trillion BTUs of end-use energy savings.

Antisemitic Assailant Pleads Guilty To Conspiracy To Commit Hate Crimes

 

 Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that SAADAH MASOUD pled guilty to one count of participating in a conspiracy to commit hate crime acts in connection with MASOUD’s repeated physical attacks of Jewish victims in New York City between 2021 and 2022.  MASOUD was first arrested in this case on June 14, 2022.  MASOUD pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Denise L. Cote.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Saadah Masoud deliberately targeted three victims because of their religion and nation of origin.  There is no place in this country for this offensive and hateful conduct.  This Office is dedicated to seeking justice for victims of hate crimes and will aggressively prosecute those who spread hate by criminal means.”

According to the Indictment, other public filings, and statements made in court:

From at least in or about May 2021 through at least in or about April 2022, MASOUD and others conspired to commit hate crime acts in the Southern District of New York and elsewhere.  In furtherance of the conspiracy, MASOUD assaulted at least three victims based upon the victims’ actual and perceived religion and national origin.  Specifically, as part of his guilty plea, the defendant admitted to committing the following acts of violence that were motivated by the victims’ Jewish or Israeli identity or perceived identity:

• On or about April 20, 2022, in Manhattan, MASOUD assaulted a victim who was wearing an Israeli flag.
• On or about June 2, 2021, in Brooklyn, MASOUD and a co-conspirator assaulted a victim who was wearing clothing traditionally associated with the Jewish religion, including a yarmulke, while the victim was sitting outside the victim’s own home.
• On or about May 20, 2021, in Manhattan, MASOUD assaulted a victim who was wearing a Star of David necklace.

MASOUD, 29, of Staten Island, New York, pled guilty to one count of participating in a conspiracy to commit hate crime acts, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.

The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.  MASOUD is scheduled to be sentenced on March 3, 2023, by U.S. District Judge Denise Cote.

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the New York City Police Department’s Hate Crime Task Force and the Special Agents of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. 

Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson - Community Resources & Updates

 

Dear Neighbor,

 

Thank you for joining us for another week in review.

On Saturday night, just hours before we commemorated Trans Remembrance Day, there was a mass shooting in Colorado Springs at Club Q that resulted in the death of 5 people with many others sustaining serious injuries. This horrific tragedy highlights the effects of bigotry and poor gun control in our country. We must do more to protect our neighbors from gun violence and protect our LGBTQIA+ community from the pervasive homophobia and transphobia that threatens their existence. Please join me in praying for all of those affected by this tragedy. The Office of the Bronx Borough President will continue to fight for a world where everyone, regardless of their sexuality or gender identity, is welcomed and respected.

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact our office at 718-590-3500 or email us at webmail@bronxbp.nyc.gov.

In partnership,

Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson

IN THE COMMUNITY  

Happy Puerto Rican Heritage Month!!  La noche estuvo brutal! We gathered at Con Sofrito to celebrate the many contributions of our Puerto Rican community here in the Bronx. Thank you our incredible MC Jomil Luna for bringing the high energy! Thank you to Bombazo Dance Co and La Jara for their beautiful performances! Lastly, thank you to Con Sofrito for the delicious food and ambiance! To our honorees who continue to lift up the Puerto Rican community through their work and commitment to their culture and heritage, thank you for all you do.

Thank you to the team at Callen- Lorde for the opportunity to tour your facility and hear about the work your team is doing to provide culturally competent, patient-centered care to our LGBTQIA+ community in the Bronx. We look forward to working with you to enhance LGBTQ services in our Borough. Callen-Lorde, named after queer rights activist Michael Callen and civil rights activist Audre Lorde, is a global leader in LGBTQ healthcare and has been transforming lives through comprehensive care since 1983. Office of The Bronx Borough President  851 Grand Concourse, Ste. 301, Bronx, NY 10451

NYC PUBLIC ADVOCATE RESPONDS TO COURT DECISION IN LAWSUIT OVER EDUCATION BUDGET CUTS

 

"Today’s ruling found that advocates, educators, students, and parents were correct – the administration acted outside of its authority and responsibility in an effort to push through cuts to education funding. Unfortunately, it also helps to make that effort successful, reinstating the FY2023 budget that strips critical resources from our public school students.

"I urge the Council and administration to use the imminent budget modification to restore funding, rather than deepening the damage through further reductions. We have a moral and governing responsibility to strengthen the systems New Yorkers rely on, and shortchanging our schools will only harm students in the immediate moment and lead to further exodus from what should be the best education system in the country."