Troubling News from Albany

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Hi Friend,
* We have officially moved into our new office on the Ground Floor of 197 Bond Street, Brooklyn, NY 11217. To make an appointment, contact our Constituent Services Director Bryan Gross at [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) . Appointments are available from Monday-Thursday 10 AM to 4 PM.
* Congratulations to all of the students graduating this June and to their families and school communities who supported them in reaching this milestone!

Budget Crunch Time

Every year, the City Council and the Mayor negotiate the City’s budget, ([link removed]) which determines how the City’s revenues are divided amongst city agencies and capital projects. The Council, led by Speaker Adrienne Adams, has proposed ([link removed]) a just budget that invests in critical areas. However, Mayor Eric Adams’s most recent proposal ([link removed]) insists on slashing essential services. The budget is due on Friday, June 30th, 2024 but with less than a week before the deadline, many key issues remain unresolved. I am grateful to have heard from many of you about what matters to your families and communities in this budget. Your input has shaped my work throughout this budget cycle and will help inform how I vote on the final budget bill that reaches my desk in the Council Chambers. Here is a non-exhaustive list of items that
constituents have consistently raised to me and I am fighting hard for:
* Early Childhood Education: The Mayor’s proposed budget would abandon ([link removed]) the promise of universal 3-K and Pre-K, resulting in families not getting seats that work for them. Other essential programs like preschool special education and Promise NYC, which provides childcare to previously excluded immigrant families, are also at risk.
* K-12 Schools: Critical school programs ([link removed]) including the mental health continuum, immigrant family communication, and restorative justice would be cut by the Mayor’s proposal. Additionally, individual school budgets would be left vulnerable to cuts in October ([link removed]) if their student population decreases, which could impact staffing and class sizes.
* CUNY: Despite rising enrollment, the Mayor’s budget would slash ([link removed].) campus budgets across the city, resulting in professors and staff being laid off and reduced course offerings for students.
* Libraries: Austerity measures have already resulted in many libraries having to close on Sundays. While New Yorkers have made it clear that we need to restore seven day service, the Mayor’s plan would require many libraries to further reduce hours and close on Saturdays ([link removed]) as well.
* Composting: The Administration’s budget would defund ([link removed]) the community compost drop-off program, including Big Reuse’s Gowanus site, which is a longstanding community institution. It would also significantly kneecap the outreach efforts for the residential organics law, which I passed last year and will soon be in full effect citywide.
* Parks: The Mayor’s proposal would eliminate ([link removed]) hundreds of Parks jobs. This would result in less frequent trash pickup, a lower level of landscape maintenance, and even more limited access to bathrooms.
* Culture: The Mayor is failing to realize how vital our cultural organizations are to the wellbeing of our communities. If adopted, his proposal would cut funding ([link removed]) to both large institutions like museums and concert venues, and local groups that provide classes and performances in our neighborhoods.
* Curb Excessive Police Spending & Stop Cop City: While the Mayor is decimating basic agency functions that keep us safe, he is proposing to expand his NYPD pet projects like the 86-member PR team ([link removed]) and the increasingly violent and unaccountable Strategic Response Group ([link removed]) , which polices protests. The proposed budget also includes nearly a quarter of a billion dollars in capital funding for a training center ([link removed]) where the NYPD would train the enforcement teams of other agencies in their tactics. I oppose these initiatives.
* Homes Now, Homes for Generations: This cycle, the Council’s Progressive Caucus, which I co-chair, has led a campaign ([link removed]) to invest $2.5 billion over the next five years into housing programs that will fund the construction and preservation of permanently affordable homes. These homes would be built using union labor, would be energy-efficient and climate resilient, and would be owned and operated by community-based organizations, rather than private developers and landlords. Negotiations are ongoing on this vital initiative, which would help NYC emerge out of our current housing crisis.

Council Member Hanif rallies with the Progressive Caucus, unions, and clergy in support of the Homes Now, Homes for Generations campaign

Troubling News from Albany

Though the City Council unfortunately does not have jurisdiction over this issue, I want to make it clear to my constituents that I oppose Governor Hochul’s decision to halt ([link removed]) the Congestion Pricing Plan. This decision undermines our goals to reduce climate emissions and our efforts to mitigate traffic and improve street safety. It also leaves a 15 billion dollar gap in the MTA’s capital plan, which we are counting on to address needed subway and bus service improvements in the district. I urge the Governor to reverse course immediately.

I also strongly oppose the Governor’s plan to implement a ban on masks ([link removed]) in the subway system. As a person living with Lupus, I deeply support New Yorkers’ right to choose to wear a mask to protect themselves or their loved ones against COVID-19 and other infectious diseases.

Greenmarkets

The Bartel Pritchard Square, Carroll Gardens, and Grand Army Plaza Greenmarkets are community health hubs, sourcing the best produce the region has to offer to our communities. All Greenmarkets accept SNAP/EBT, WIC, and other nutrition benefits to make farm-fresh, local produce accessible to all community residents. GrowNYC Greenmarkets promote healthy eating, environmental sustainability, and support our local economy, so we’re thrilled to partner with GrowNYC to bring this vital program to District 39! See flyers with details in English and Spanish hyperlinked below:
* Grand Army Plaza Greenmarket (English ([link removed]) , Spanish ([link removed]) )
* Carroll Gardens Greenmarket (English ([link removed]) , Spanish ([link removed]) )
* Bartel Pritchard Square Greenmarket (English ([link removed]) , Spanish ([link removed]) )

Community Bulletin
* Starting June 27th all children (18 years old and younger) will be eligible to receive free breakfast and lunch meals at sites across the City, including schools, parks, and pools, in all five boroughs. No identification or application is required and meals will be available Monday through Friday. Breakfast will be served from 8 AM to 9:15 AM and lunch will be served from 11 AM to 1:15 PM at designated sites. More details here ([link removed]) .
* The NYCDOT has alerted us that Queens-bound BQE nighttime single-lane closures will continue between Atlantic Avenue and Washington Street until approximately June 30th from midnight to 5 AM to allow for the finalization of the roadway surface and additional related work.
* If you’re interested in learning more about NYC Parks’ concession opportunities or would like to be added to Parks’ solicitation mailing lists so that you receive notice of when new opportunities become available, please contact Parks’ Revenue Division by emailing [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) . Alternatively, you can fill out the online form here ([link removed]) .
* Brooklyn Org is currently accepting applications to support nonprofits that are doing impactful work in Brooklyn – learn more and apply here ([link removed]) .
* CAAAV: Organizing Asian Communities is seeking Bangla-speaking organizers in New York for their Astoria Tenants Union. Learn more about the two positions here ([link removed]) .
* Prospect Park Alliance and Heights and Hills are hosting free fitness walks for those ages 60 and above. To learn more and RSVP, see here ([link removed]) .

In Solidarity,

Shahana
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