Report from State Senator Liz Krueger ( A Pol Who Gets My Approval)

State Senator Liz Krueger Standing Up And Speaking Out New York State Senate – 28th District Community Bulletin – October 2015 Table of Contents Message from Liz Policy Spotlight Women’s Equality Party Community Update Senator Liz Krueger’s Ninth Annual Senior Resource Fair Free Flu Shots Available on October 19th Update on Efforts to Fight the Proposed Marine Transfer Station (MTS) Forum on “The Upper East Side: A Study of Five Neighborhoods” Community Engagement Session on East River Waterfront Redesign  Town Hall with Education Chancellor Carmen Fariña  Fall Parent Conference for Elementary School Parents 10th Annual West Side Tenants’ Conference Senior Resource Day Offers Tech Assistance Legal Advocacy Clinics From Lenox Hill Neighborhood House Monthly Housing Clinics and Workshops Affordable Housing Opportunities in Manhattan  Metrocard Bus and Van Schedule Heat Season Rules   Senator Liz Krueger’s Ninth Annual Senior Resource Fair: My ninth annual Senior Resource Fair will take place Thursday, October 22nd from 2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. at Temple Emanu-El, One East 65th Street (at Fifth Avenue).  Over 500 people attended last year’s event.  This year we will have over 50 exhibitors, from non-profits to city and state agencies, with information for Older Adults. Admission is free.  Light refreshments will be served. NO RSVP NECESSARY. For further information, call (212) 490-9535.   Message from Liz... At long last there’s a little good news on climate change: public opinion is slowly starting to catch up with the consensus held by 99.99% of climate scientists.  An August 2015 poll conducted by three Republican pollsters found that 73% of respondents, including 56% of Republicans, believe that the climate is changing and human activity contributes to that change.  In addition to this bipartisan support in the United States, world leaders from Chinese President Xi Jinping to Pope Francis have been stressing the importance of taking action to address climate change and global warming before it is too late.   Unfortunately, talk is much easier than action, and despite changing public opinion, leaders in both parties in the U.S. have shown a reluctance to take on powerful interests in the energy industry.  That is one reason I introduced the Fossil Fuel Divestment Act, a bill to require the New York State pension fund to stop investing in fossil fuels.  New  York’s public officials need to do more than talk about the need to address climate change and other environmental issues, and as long as the State has a financial stake in the fossil fuel industry, we won’t be able to take the bold actions needed to dramatically cut our greenhouse gas emissions and redirect resources toward clean renewable power and energy efficiency.   The prevalence of rhetoric over action extends to other environmental issues as well. I was deeply disturbed with reports that Governor Cuomo is offering $50 million in economic incentives to General Electric without first requiring them to finish cleaning up the toxic PCBs they dumped in the Hudson River between 1947 and 1977. As a result of GE’s pollution, 200 miles of the Hudson from Glens Falls all the way to the tip of Manhattan is a Federal Superfund site, one of the largest in the country. GE says they are conforming with the letter of the law, based on a deal struck with the federal Environmental Protection Agency in 2002. But this agreement requires GE only to clean up a 40-mile stretch of the upper Hudson, leaving the rest of the river untouched, including the economically vital Champlain Canal, which cannot be dredged to commercial depth until the PCBs are removed. Both the state and the EPA are failing to protect New York’s water by allowing General Electric to claim they have completed this cleanup despite the fact that around 35% of the PCBs they dumped remain in the river.   There are reasons for hope, but they will require turning promises into action.  The recent announcement by China that they are implementing a cap-and-trade program to address pollution is a major step by the world’s biggest emitter of greenhouse gases (just ahead of the United States).  The Obama administration has committed to reducing emissions by a third from 2005 levels by 2030, and other nations are also making commitments to address their contributions to climate change.    A recent analysis  by Climate Interactive found that if countries follow through on existing pledges for climate mitigation, anticipated global warming by the end of the century will be reduced from 8.1 to 6.3 degrees Fahrenheit.  The impacts of even this lower level of warming would still be devastating, and it is far above the 3.6 degrees determined to be the maximum “safe” increase by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.  But there is still time, albeit not much, to bend the curve even further if we are willing to be more aggressive in facing the realities of climate change. The upcoming international conference in Paris this November and December has the chance to finally set us on the right track to a sustainable future, and New York State will have an important part to play in that transition.   Policy Spotlight Women’s Equality Party   In recent weeks there have been a series of court challenges related to the Women’s Equality Party (WEP), which Governor Cuomo set up as part of his 2014 re-election campaign.  The party qualified for future ballots by getting over 50,000 votes in the Governor’s election, but courts have now removed multiple WEP candidates from the ballot, and three separate groups have submitted competing rules for party governance.   I publicly questioned the formation of this party when it was first established by the Governor, and I continue to believe that setting up a separate party that purports to represent women is counterproductive.  As I said at the time, “women are 54% of the voters in this state. When they vote on the Democratic line, Democrats win. I do not wish women to be relegated to some ‘non party.' We have earned the right to be leaders in our party—the Democratic Party.”  As a Democratic woman I have always counted on my party to support women and the issues critical to us, including equal rights under all laws, equal pay, and our right to choice in reproductive health.  The most recent statistics on the Board of Elections website show a total of 12 voters registered in the WEP party, so apparently other women (and men) aren’t exactly rushing to leave the Democratic Party either.   The New York Times recently editorialized on the Women’s Equality Party and the broader issue of the proliferation of party lines on the New York ballot.  There are now 8 parties that have official ballot lines in New York, some with tiny numbers of registered party members.  Fitting all of these parties on ballots, including others who never make the 50,000 vote cut, has resulted in long confusing ballots with type too small to easily read.  Whether the solution to this problem is limiting each candidate to a single line as the Times proposes, or tightening the rules on how parties gain ballot lines, I do believe that a reform of our party endorsement structure is a necessary part of making our elections process less confusing to voters.   Each year as we increase the number of party lines, we have been decreasing the rates of voter participation....that can't be good for our democracy (small d).   The Times editorial is available here: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/01/opinion/too-many-parties-on-the-ballot-in-new-york.html.   PS:  I sometime swing a bit partisan in my messages - I urge Republican women to weigh in on these issues!  Let me hear from you on your concerns about parties and issues for women.  I will be delighted to post your comments (with or without names) on my Facebook page.   Community Spotlight Senator Liz Krueger’s Ninth Annual Senior Resource Fair: My ninth annual Senior Resource Fair will take place Thursday, October 22nd from 2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. at Temple Emanu-El, One East 65th Street (at Fifth Avenue).  Over 500 people attended last year’s event.  This year we will have over 50 exhibitors, from non-profits to city and state agencies, with information for Older Adults. Admission is free.  Light refreshments will be served. NO RSVP NECESSARY. For further information, call (212) 490-9535. Sign-Up Today for the Annual Flu Shot Drive Monday Oct 19th: I am pleased to once again offer free flu vaccines, in partnership with the NewYork-Presbyterian-Ambulatory Care Network/External Relations and River Spring Health, Assemblywoman Rebecca Seawright, and Council Member Dan Garodnick. There are appointments available between 10am and 1pm on Monday, October 19th at Lenox Hill Neighborhood House’s Senior Center at St. Peter’s Church, 619 Lexington Avenue at 54th Street. Contact Susannah Pasquantonio in my office at 212-490-9535 or Spasquan@nysenate.gov to make an appointment. Update on Efforts to Fight the Proposed Marine Transfer Station (MTS): As of October 1, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is still reviewing the comments submitted regarding permits for the East 91st Street Marine Transfer Station. I continue to argue that given the serious issues regarding air quality and the health and safety of surrounding communities, a public hearing should be held before any final decision on permit renewal is made   Forum on “The Upper East Side: A Study of Five Neighborhoods”: In light of development pressures stemming from the incoming Second Avenue Subway, the City Planning Commission's proposed zoning changes, and existing permissible zoning on the avenues, I will be participating in an event organized by Friends of the Upper East Side that will review the findings of a new, detailed neighborhood study, conducted by BFJ Planning and commissioned by Friends, that highlights the parts of our community most at risk.  The discussion will launch an advocacy agenda including specific policy recommendations for the future of our neighborhoods.  The event will take place on Wednesday, October 7th at 6:30 p.m.at Â  Lenox Hill Neighborhood House, 331 East 70th Street. To RSVP, visit: https://www.nycharities.org/Events/EventLevels.aspx?ETID=8500. Community Engagement Session on East River Waterfront Redesign: On Thursday, October 8th the Mayor’s Office of Recovery and Resiliency is hosting a Community Engagement Session to discuss East River waterfront redesign following Hurricane Sandy. The session will focus on East 14th to East 23rd Streets.  This session will be an opportunity for community members to give input on proposed designs for storm protection.  The session will take place at Washington Irving High School, 40 Irving Place. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and presentations begin at 7:00 p.m.  Town Hall with Education Chancellor Carmen Fariña: The Community Education Council District 2 (CECD2) will have a Town Hall meeting with Chancellor Carmen Fariña on Wednesday, October 14th from 6 to 7 pm at MS 260 Clinton School for Writers & Artists – 10 East 15th Street.  Immediately after the Town Hall, CECD2 will have its monthly calendar/working business meeting.  Refreshments, babysitting and interpreters will be available.   Fall Parent Conference for Elementary School Parents: On Saturday, October 17 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. the New York City Department of Education is hosting a Fall Parent Conference for Elementary School Parents at Tweed Courthouse, 52 Chambers Street. This free event was created to support parents and to help them have an impact on their child's education, both in school and at home. There will be free breakfast, free childcare (for kids 4 and older), and plenty of giveaways.    Confirmed Presentations include:   - Building Partnerships with Families: How to help my child against harassment and bullying. - STEM: Parent Connection - Making the Most of Student-Led Parent-Teacher Conferences - Working with the NYC Schools Account   For more information, and to register, visit http://Schools.nyc.gov/2015FallParentConferences. 10th Annual West Side Tenants’ Conference Sponsored by Housing Conservation Coordinators, several tenant advocacy organizations, and local elected officials, the Tenant’s Conference will include multiple organizations tabling and offering information about housing and quality of life issues. Keynote speakers are economist Richard Wolff and Fordham history professor Roberta Gold. There will also be workshops and panels on topics including Housing Benefits for Seniors, NYCHA Policy Changes, Illegal Hotels, and more. The Conference is free, and includes free breakfast, coffee, and lunch for all participants. It will be held on October 31st, from 9:30 AM to 4 PM at Fordham University School of Law, 150 West 62nd St. at Columbus Ave. Please RSVP to 212-716-1659. For more info visitwww.hcc.nyc.org.   Senior Resource Day Offers Tech Assistance: The Church of the Incarnation at 209 Madison Avenue (between 35th and 36th Streets) is hosting a Senior Resource Day on Sunday, November 22, 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM. Friendly and experienced volunteers will be available to provide free one-on-one tech assistance to help you navigate the Internet and email, video chat, Facebook, smartphones, and tablets (such as iPads). All levels are welcome! Computers will be provided, but feel free to bring your own if you wish. Refreshments will be served. Please RSVP by Nov. 13 to 347-886-6532 or to info@churchoftheincarnation.org for this free event.  Legal Advocacy Clinics At Lenox Hill Neighborhood House: The Lenox Hill Neighborhood House Legal Advocacy Center Offers assistance on a number of different issues. Here is a list of their ongoing programs and clinics: SNAP (formerly Food Stamps) Clinics: Wednesdays from 10am to 1pm at Lenox Hill Neighborhood House, 331 East 70th Street. First come, first served. Bring proof of identity, income information, utility bill, proof of housing costs, information on any dependents and if you are 60 or over or on SSI/SSD, information on medical costs.  For more information, call 212-218-0431. SCRIE Clinics: call 212-218-0503 ext. 6 for assistance in applying or recertifying for the Senior Citizens Rent Increase Exemption (SCRIE) program. The SCRIE clinic is open to tenants city-wide. Please note that due to the volume of calls, it sometimes takes up to two weeks for staff to respond to messages. Eviction Prevention: Walk-in clinic, every third Monday of the month, from 10am to 1pm at 331 East 70th Street, for tenants who live, work, or go to school on Manhattan’s East Side above 59th Street and on Roosevelt Island.  Advance Directives: volunteer attorneys may be able to assist you with one-on-one counseling and individualized drafting of Advance Directives including Health Care Proxies, Living Wills, Powers of Attorney, and simple, low-asset Wills. If you are interested in being screened for a possible appointment,  call the intake hotline at 212-218-0503 ext 4. Health Care Access/Medicare/Medicaid: call 212-218-0503 ext 3. Find out about Medicare Savings Programs, Medicaid home care, Medicare Part D, Medicaid Spend-down, EPIC and if you are eligible for Medicaid.  And, just across the Park on the Westside: Monthly Housing Clinics and Workshops: Council Member Helen Rosenthal, Goddard Riverside’s SRO Law Project, and the Urban Justice Center co-sponsor monthly housing clinics and workshops at the Goddard Riverside Community Center, 593 Columbus Avenue (between 88th and 89th Streets). On the first Wednesday of each month, from 6pm – 8pm, the clinic offers a presentation on a variety of topics, followed by a question and answer session. Each evening, at least one staff attorney will meet with individuals who are seeking specific legal advice.    For questions, contact the Office of Council Member Rosenthal at (212) 873-0282 ext. 206 or Helen@helenrosenthal.com. Sign-up sheet starting at 6pm each evening.   November 4, 2015: Finding Affordable Housing, Roommates & Subletting December 2, 2015: HPs, Repairs, Bedbugs & Cockroaches January 6, 2016: Non-primary residence February 3, 2016: Harassment & City-Wide Housing Related Campaigns March 2, 2016: DHCR Overview, including MCIs and IAIs, Preferential Rent, Reduction in Services April 6, 2016: Housing Court 101 May 4, 2016: SCRIE and DRIE June 1, 2016: Succession Rights Affordable Housing Opportunities in Manhattan: My Micro NY is now accepting applications for 14 newly constructed micro studio apartments at 335 East 27th Street in the Kips Bay neighborhood in Manhattan. Rents for these apartments range from $950 to $1492 depending on unit size. To be eligible, applicants must have incomes between $34,526 and $89,830, depending on family size. Preference will be given to Community Board 6 residents for 50% of units, mobility-impaired persons for 5% of units, visual- and/or hearing-impaired persons for 2% of units, and City of New York municipal employees for 5% of units. A full description of the building and application process is available at https://a806-housingconnect.nyc.gov/nyclottery/AdvertisementPdf/189.pdf.   Households may elect to submit an application by one of two methods: EITHER online OR by mail. To submit your application online now, please visit NYC Housing Connect at www.nyc.gov/housingconnect and select “Apply for Housing.” To request an Â application by mail, mail a self-addressed envelope to: LESPMHA MICRO, 228 East 3rd Street, New York, NY 10009.   Completed applications must be submitted online or returned by regular mail only to the post office box that will be listed on the application.Applications must be submitted online or postmarked by November 2, 2015. Applicants who submit more than one application may be disqualified.   535W43 is now accepting applications for 62 affordable studio, 1- and 2-bedroom apartments newly constructed at 535 West 43rd Street in the Clinton neighborhood in Manhattan. Rents for these apartments range from $833 to $1458 depending on income and unit size. To be eligible, applicants must have incomes between $29,932 and $69,050, depending on unit and family size. Preference will be given to Community Board 4 residents for 50% of units, mobility-impaired persons for 5% of units, visual- and/or hearing-impaired persons for 2% of units, and City of New York municipal employees for 5% of units. A full description of the building and application process is available at https://a806-housingconnect.nyc.gov/nyclottery/AdvertisementPdf/193.pdf.   Households may elect to submit an application by one of two methods: EITHER online OR by mail. To submit your application online now, please visit NYC Housing Connect atwww.nyc.gov/housingconnect and select “Apply for Housing.” To request an Â application by mail, mail a self-addressed envelope to: 535W43 c/o Common Ground, PO Box 3620937, New York, NY 10129. Completed applications must be submitted online or returned by regular mail only to the post office box that will be listed on the application.Applications must be submitted online or postmarked by November 10, 2015. Applicants who submit more than one application will be disqualified.   21 West End Avenue Aptsis now accepting applications for 127 affordable studio, 1-, 2- and 3-bedroom apartments newly constructed at 21 West End Avenue in the Lincoln Square neighborhood in Manhattan. Rents for these apartments range from $565 to $1067 depending on income and unit size. To be eligible, applicants must have incomes between $20,743 and $50,100, depending on unit and family size. Preference will be given to Community Board 7 residents for 50% of units, mobility-impaired persons for 5% of units, visual- and/or hearing-impaired persons for 2% of units, and City of New York municipal employees for 5% of units. A full description of the building and application process is available at  https://a806-housingconnect.nyc.gov/nyclottery/AdvertisementPdf/194.pdf   Households may elect to submit an application by one of two methods: EITHER online OR by mail. To submit your application online now, please visit NYC Housing Connect atwww.nyc.gov/housingconnect and select “Apply for Housing.” To request an Â application by mail, mail a self-addressed envelope to: 21 West End Avenue Apts, 243 5th  Avenue, Box 425, New York, NY 10016. Completed applications must be submitted online or returned by regular mail only to the post office box that will be listed on the application.Applications must be submitted online or postmarked by November 12, 2015. Applicants who submit more than one application will be disqualified.   Metrocard Bus and Van Schedule: The MTA offers MetroCard-related services throughout New York City through mobile buses and vans. Buses provide a full range of services, including applying for or refilling a Reduced-Fare MetroCard, buying or refilling a regular MetroCard, or getting answers to a MetroCard-related question. Vans sell Unlimited Ride MetroCards and Pay-Per-Ride MetroCards, and they refill MetroCards and Reduced-Fare MetroCards. Buses and vans will be in my district on the following dates and locations:   October 13, 10:30 am, 92 Street & Lexington Avenue – Bus October 13, 11:00 am - 12:30 pm., 86 Street & Lexington Avenue – Bus October 13, 1:30 - 2:30 pm, 68 Street & Lexington Avenue – Bus October 15, 8:30 - 10:30 am, 47 Street & 2 Avenue – Van October 15, 1:30 - 3:30 pm, 28 Street & 2 Avenue – Van  October 21, 9 - 10:30 am, 79 Street & 3 Avenue – Bus  October 21, 11 am - 1 pm, 79 Street & York Avenue – Bus  October 21, 1:30 - 2:30 pm, 72 Street & York Avenue – Bus October 27, 10:30 am, 92 Street & Lexington Avenue – Bus October 27, 11:00 am - 12:30 pm., 86 Street & Lexington Avenue – Bus October 27, 1:30 - 2:30 pm, 68 Street & Lexington Avenue – Bus November 4, 9 - 10:30 am, 79 Street & 3 Avenue – Bus  November 4, 11 am - 1 pm, 79 Street & York Avenue – Bus  November 4, 1:30 - 2:30 pm, 72 Street & York Avenue – Bus November 5, 7 – 9 am, 90 Street and York Avenue - Van November 5, 8:30 - 10:30 am, 47 Street & 2 Avenue – Van November 5, 1:30 - 3:30 pm, 28 Street & 2 Avenue – Van  November 6, 9 - 10 am, 57 Street and 1 Avenue – Van November 6, 10:30 - 11:30 am, 57 Street and 3 Avenue – Van November 6, 12:30 - 2:30 pm, 68 Street and 1 Avenue – Van The full mobile MetroCard schedule is available at http://mta.info/metrocard/mms.htm. Please note that MetroCard buses and vans do not take credit cards. Heat Season Rules:  The City Housing Maintenance Code and State Multiple Dwelling Law require building owners to provide heat and hot water to all tenants. Building owners are required to provide hot water 365 days a year at a constant minimum temperature of 120 degrees Fahrenheit.  Between October 1st and May 31st, a period designated as “Heat Season,” building owners are also required to provide tenants with heat under the following conditions: Between the hours of 6AM and 10PM, if the outside temperature falls below 55 degrees, the inside temperature is required to be at least 68 degrees Fahrenheit.  Between the hours of 10PM and 6AM, if the temperature outside falls below 40 degrees, the inside temperature is required to be at least 55 degrees Fahrenheit.  Tenants who are cold in their apartments should first attempt to notify the building owner, managing agent or superintendent. If heat is not restored, the tenant should call the City’s Citizen Service Center at 311. For the hearing-impaired, the TTY number is (212) 504-4115. The Center is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Complaints can also be submitted online at http://www1.nyc.gov/nyc-resources/service/1813/heat-or-hot-water-complaint.