Hi Friend,
Saturday volunteers needed: help distribute free produce, including fresh, seasonal fruits and vegetables to public housing residents at Gowanus Houses, Wyckoff Gardens, and Warren Street Houses. We need volunteers to unload, bag, and distribute produce every other Saturday morning starting May 4th. Sign up here for a shift. More questions? Email [email protected].
CHiPS volunteers needed: we need your help with our CHiPS food distribution on May 3rd at Kensington Plaza – sign up here.
We’ve signed a lease for our new office and will be available for visits soon! In the meantime, we are unable to offer in-person appointments with extremely limited exceptions. If you need help, call us at (718) 499-1090 or send us an email at [email protected].
Executive Budget Hearings Preview
In April, Mayor Eric Adams released his Executive Budget for FY25 and with hearings starting this week, I wanted to give you a recap of what’s in his vision for the city and what it’s lacking. Essentially, the Executive Budget is the Mayor’s “last draft” of the yearly budget that gets presented before the Council and the public to evaluate. The idea is that it provides a chance for the City Council to give feedback and ultimately get to a better final budget by the time we get to a vote at the end of June. While the Mayor has backtracked on some of his previously proposed cuts, there are still significant gaps between what he’s suggesting and the needs still remaining for integral, life-saving programs.
There are still proposed cuts to libraries that would keep them closed on Sundays while adding Saturday closures, as well as delaying reopenings of branches under renovation. While Mayor Adams’ budget restores some of the cuts made to 3-K and Pre-K programs, they would still be seriously underfunded. Additional cuts to CUNY, community composting, immigration and mental health services, among other important programs are simply unacceptable.
While the Mayor’s office has approached this budget season with a troubling lack of transparency, I want to bring clarity about this process to my constituents. I encourage those who can to follow along, as all budget hearings will be livestreamed. These hearings are an opportunity for the Council to pick apart what is and isn’t included in the budget. Additionally, it gives us the chance to ask the Administration tough questions on the implications of these cuts. We will learn a lot about the Administration's financial plans for the city in the coming days and I will do my best to provide you with comprehensive updates during that time. As a reminder, I sit on the Committees for Mental Health, Disabilities, and Addiction, Criminal Justice, Cultural Affairs, Libraries, and International Intergroup Relations, Education, Governmental Operations, State & Federal Legislation, and Immigration. I also plan to attend the budget hearings for Public Housing as I want to understand how the Mayor’s office is investing in our public housing residents and building infrastructure.
There are also opportunities for the public to join us at City Hall to ask questions and give testimony on the budget during these hearings. Learn more here.
A Few Budget Priorities From My Office:
Comprehensive Cradle to Tassel funding: dollars for child care, 3-K/Pre-K, K-12, and CUNY to ensure young people have what they need to learn and thrive.
Allocate $2B for the Progressive Caucus’ Homes Now, Homes for Generation campaign that would put money towards critical housing programs and address the housing crisis facing working and middle-class New Yorkers.
Reverse cuts to our libraries to ensure that they can operate 7 days a week
Full funding for immigration legal services for asylum seekers to expedite work authorization and reduce their dependence on the shelter system.
Restore the full $7.1 million in funding for NYC’s Community Composting program which Mayor Adams cut to zero.
Comprehensive public safety reforms that do not over rely on punitive and carceral solutions.
May is Lupus Awareness Month
Last year, I passed Resolution 550 which enshrined May as Lupus Awareness Month in NYC. I had the privilege of speaking at a Lupus Day of Action at NYU Medical Center and heard from Lupus experts who are invested in finding treatments that make living with Lupus easier. It was also inspiring meeting so many patients who have been on the same journey as me. Lupus warriors are powerful!
As many of you know, at the age of 17, my life took a different path when Lupus became a part of it. From maneuvering our City's nebulous healthcare system uninsured to standing up for change and equity in the Council, I have led with resilience and an unwavering determination. Lupus Awareness Month is pivotal to elevating the voices of Lupus survivors, driving forward research efforts for a cure, and fighting for policies that make NYC more accessible and just.
