Klein Legislation to Protect Domestic Violence Victims Passes Senate

Important legislation by Senator Jeffrey D. Klein, (D-Bronx/ Westchester), that would protect victims of domestic violence from their abusers passed unanimously today in the State Senate.

The measure, (S.1031B), requires insurance companies to give domestic violence victims the option of registering an alternative address, phone number, or any other contact information needed to receive bills and claims. In many cases, when a victim seeks medical attention, their insurance policy is under their abuser’s name.

“Divulging details of a domestic violence victim’s whereabouts and sending it straight to their abuser’s mailbox is an unacceptable and avoidable recipe for tragedy,” Senator Klein said. “My legislation closes this dangerous loophole and helps these victims escape the cycle of abuse.”

Senator Klein’s bill would prevent claims and bills from being mailed to an abuser's address and instead be mailed directly to the victim. The bill would allow victims to provide an address where they feel safe such as a family member or friend’s home, a post office box or shelter.

The bill is pending in the Assembly. 

HDC, HPD & NYCHA JOIN MACQUESTEN DEVELOPMENT AND PARTNERS TO CELEBRATE REV. DR. FLETCHER C. CRAWFORD APARTMENTS

An 84-unit Multi-family Development Opens in the Crotona Park East Neighborhood of the Bronx 

 

 The NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), The NYC Housing Development Corporation (HDC), The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), and NYS Department of Homes & Community Renewal (DHCR) were recently joined by MacQuesten Development and the Union Grove Baptist Church to celebrate the grand opening of the Reverend Dr. Fletcher C. Crawford Apartments, an 84-unit low-income development in the Crotona Park East neighborhood of The Bronx, located at 1468 Hoe Avenue.

The completion of this development is a positive step for quality permanent rental housing for working families in the Bronx," said Rella Fogliano, President of MacQuesten Development, LLC. "During this project, we provided much needed construction jobs and vital skill development to local residents for future employment opportunities.

  

The Rev. Dr. Fletcher C. Crawford Apartments were created under the Bloomberg Administration’s New Housing Marketplace Plan.  The plan, launched by Mayor Bloomberg in 2003, is a multibillion dollar initiative to finance 165,000 units of affordable housing for half a million New Yorkers by the close of the 2014 fiscal year.

The development is an 82,891 square-foot, eight-story masonry elevator building, constructed on formerly City-owned land that was conveyed by NYCHA to the developer. The building includes seven studio units, 29 one-bedroom units, 40 two-bedroom units, seven three-bedroom units and one superintendent unit.  Seven of the apartments have been set aside for people with impaired mobility, hearing and vision. Additionally, 20% of the units were set aside for formerly homeless households.  Another 25% of the units have been reserved for households referred to by the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) from its waitlist.  The 84 units are affordable to tenants who earn less than 60% of Area Median Income (AMI) or what is equivalent to not more than$46,080 (for a family of four).

You can call Cornell Pace at 914-380-8220 for more information.

This came to us from from MacQuesten Development.

 

What You Should Know by Senator Ruben Diaz
32nd Senatorial District Bronx County, New York

 

The government is cutting social services for the poor, to the elderly they are reducing their meals and closing their senior centers, they are cutting our children’s education and turning their backs on the needy… all of this to balance the state’s budget.

My dear reader, you should know that all these aberrations are happening to the poor in our communities and the governor continues to cut their services. At the same time there are certain institutions that receive billions of dollars at the expense of the suffering poor.

Our hospitals and medical centers receive billions of dollars of public funds through Medicaid and Medicare in order to improve the health of the poor and the needy throughout the State. They pay the CEOs of these hospitals an exorbitant amount of money, while at the same time they cut important programs and offer terrible services to the poor.

You, dear reader, should take a little walk around the emergency room, that is if you have not done so already, and you should ask the patients the following questions: how long have you been waiting here? Do you think the hospital is clean? What do you think about the services that are being provided? And above all else, you have to ask them about the treatment they receive from the staff.

Meanwhile these abuses get worse each day and medical centers are more abusive towards the poor population. Medicaid funds, as well as public funds, are paying administrative salaries, in order to supposedly alleviate patients’ pain and suffering. Instead, what they are doing is inflicting pain by providing poor services.

You should know that according to the New York Times, Bronx Lebanon Hospital paid the chief executive an annual salary of 4.8 million dollars in 2007 and 3.6 million in 2008. At New York Presbyterian Hospital, the chief executive was paid 9.8 million dollars in 2007 and 2.8 million dollars in 2008.  Mount Sinai Hospital paid its chief executive 2.7 million in 2008 and North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System paid its chief executive 2.4 million dollars in 2008.

These hospitals serve the State’s poor communities and they receive billions of dollars to take care of them. How is it possible to cut service and criticize our people for receiving Medicaid and Medicare, while at the same time they are paying the chief executives these exorbitant salaries?

For example, Bronx Lebanon Hospital mainly serves Hispanics and  African-Americans of the South Bronx, who stand in lines and wait all day to be treated; meanwhile the CEOs have tremendous offices with air conditioners, secretaries, and limousine services at their disposal.

My advice for these hospitals and medical centers is that instead of paying huge salaries to these CEOs, they should use the money to hire more nurses, personal care assistants, primary care doctors, and janitors in order to help the patients. Then the patients won’t have to wait so long to be
served and their waiting rooms would look and smell more decent.

I am Senator Reverend Rubén Díaz and this is what you should know.  

Do Our State Legislators Know The State Boundaries?
Or: When Did  Secaucus New Jersey Become Part Of New York State?

   Here is a resolution to be voted on Tuesday February 7th in both houses of the state legislature. Please note that the state legislators have the name the state of the football team named the Giants who play their home games in the state of New Jersey as a New York team. Is it any wonder why our school children get answers wrong when their elected officials don't even know their own state boundaries.
   New York City School Children must think That the mayor of New York City is Corey Booker, who just happens to be the mayor of Newark, which is in the same state as the Giants. New York State School children must think that the governor of New York is then Chris Christie. I wonder how many school children even know the names of their state assembly member or state senator?
   It was a great win for the New Jersey Giants!

Heastie Holds Closed Door Public Meeting
Re: Ramarley Graham Shooting

 On Saturday February 4^th local elected officials and the Bronx District Attorney Robert Johnson held a closed public meeting at Community Board 12 on White Plains Road one block from the shooting of Ramarley Graham in his home. The meeting was open to the public, but members of the press were bared from the meeting in what Assemblyman Carl Heastie would say later that he did not want to create a media circus. I was able to get in for a brief while to see Assemblyman Heastie, Bronx DA Johnson, and the Bronx Borough Police Commander on the stage set up, with other local elected officials in the front row. Once I was recognized by Assemblyman Heastie, he said that he would end the meeting unless I left. Since I left the meeting willingly I can not tell you what went on inside, only what I was told afterward by Assemblyman Heastie. 

  After the meeting Assemblyman Heastie came outside to take questions from the reporters that were assembled. I was able to ask DA Johnson how his office is going to handle the case, but he answered that he would not comment about the case leaving after my question. Assemblyman Heastie answered questions by saying that the police were forthcoming with their answers to the questions from the people, there is an investigation by the DA and police Department, and Heastie added that maybe more sensitivity training is needed not going into any details on what the police department might do. Heastie added that there are many concerns by residents that this could happen again in the community.

  

  Assemblyman Carl Heastie with Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz who is in front of Councilman Larry Seabrook and State Senator Ruth Hassal-Thompson speaking to reporters after the meeting that was held inside of Community Board 12. Also in the picture is Father Richard Gorman, Chairman of Community Board #12 with other Community Board 12 members. 

 

BOROUGH PRESIDENT RUBEN DIAZ INVITES YOU....

"State of the Borough Address".

 

The Honorable Ruben Diaz Jr. President, Borough of the Bronx

cordially invites you to

The State of the Borough Address

Thursday, February 23, 2012

11:30 a.m.

Harry S. Truman High School Auditorium

750 Baychester Avenue

The Bronx 

RSVP

sotb@bronxbp.nyc.gov or 718-590-3547

 NORTHEAST COMMUNITY BANK

Customer Appreciation Day Feb. 14

 

NorthEast Community Bank’s Arthur Avenue Branch at 590East 187^th Street (@ Arthur Avenue) will hold its annual customer appreciation day this February 14, Valentine’s Day.

Light refreshments will be served from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m.  Everyone is welcome to come in, have a snack, and chat with their local bankers. 

“We’ll have hot drinks and eats for our customers and look forward to speaking with them individually. This gives us a chance to say thank you to our customers and ask what more we can be doing to serve their needs,” said Betty Giordani, Branch Manager.

The website for NorthEast Community Bank which include branch hours is www.necommunitybank.com