Email from NYS Senate   Dear Neighbor, It has taken me a day to gather myself in order to reach out after the election. If, like me, you are one of the 80% of Manhattan voters who voted for Kamala Harris, and particularly if you are one of the thousands who made phone calls or wrote postcards or travelled to swing states to knock on doors, you may be feeling an array of emotions yesterday and today and going forward - grief, anger, fear, numbness, all of the above and more. There is no question that our nation is entering a dangerous and uncertain time. Although today we still have a presidential administration dedicated to democracy, the rule of law, honest government, and the rights of all Americans, after January 20th, 2025 (which, in a particularly cruel twist of fate, falls on Martin Luther King Day), we will enter a new era where no act of governmental malfeasance is off the table. But, while we must soberly face the reality of where we are headed, we must also try not to overwhelm ourselves with catastrophic thinking. There may be a lot of bad things coming our way, as individuals and as a city, a state, and a country, but we do ourselves no favors by running ourselves ragged worrying about them in advance – after all, preparing for the future and worrying about it are two different things. We must take the challenges as they come, when and if they come, and not do his work for him by disempowering ourselves through fear and exhaustion. One reality is that New York State is in a better position than we were in 2016 to protect New Yorkers and model the policies that are necessary to build a better future. When Trump took power last time, the State Senate was in Republican hands. We didn't have the Reproductive Health Act protecting abortion rights, or the CLCPA laying out science-based climate targets, or significant voting rights reforms like Early Voting and no-excuse absentee ballots, or several other policies that the Democratic Majority has passed since 2019. It goes without saying that the next few years will not be easy. We must allow ourselves to feel all the despair that we may feel, as well as all the moments of joy that will also be part of this time. We must continue to care for ourselves and our communities. And, when we can bring ourselves to do so, we must get up and continue the work. In the words of the Pirkei Avot, one of the great texts of Jewish tradition, "Do not be daunted by the enormity of the world's grief. Do justly, now. Love mercy, now. Walk humbly now. You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it." I want to thank the voters of the 28th Senate District for giving me the chance to continue the work in Albany for another term. I commit, as I always have, to representing the needs of my constituents and all New Yorkers to the best of my ability in this critical time. I also want to thank the voters of Manhattan for coming out in overwhelming support of the Equal Rights Amendment, Prop 1, which will now become part of our State Constitution and protect the rights of generations of New Yorkers to come. I will leave you with this message from Rebecca Solnit, the author of Hope in the Dark and many other works: They want you to feel powerless and to surrender and to let them trample everything and you are not going to let them. You are not giving up, and neither am I. The fact that we cannot save everything does not mean we cannot save anything and everything we can save is worth saving. You may need to grieve or scream or take time off, but you have a role no matter what, and right now good friends and good principles are worth gathering in. Remember what you love. Remember what loves you. Remember in this tide of hate what love is. You can be heartbroken or furious or both at once; you can scream in your car or on a cliff; you can also get up tomorrow and water the flowerpots and call someone who's upset and check your equipment for going onward. A lot of us are going to come under direct attack, and a lot of us are going to resist by building solidarity and sanctuary. Gather up your resources, the metaphysical ones that are heart and soul and care, as well as the practical ones. People kept the faith in the dictatorships of South America in the 1970s and 1980s, in the East Bloc countries and the USSR, women are protesting right now in Iran and people there are writing poetry. There is no alternative to persevering, and that does not require you to feel good. You can keep walking whether it's sunny or raining. Take care of yourself and remember that taking care of something else is an important part of taking care of yourself, because you are interwoven with the ten trillion things in this single garment of destiny that has been stained and torn, but is still being woven and mended and washed.  As always, if you have any questions or need assistance, please email or call my office at [email protected] or 212-490-9535.  Best, Liz Krueger State Senator Senator Liz Krueger's Virtual Town Hall Medicare Parts A, B, C and D: Changes You Can Make to Your Coverage Tuesday, November 12th, 2pm - 3:30pm On Tuesday, November 12th from 2pm – 3:30 pm, join Senator Krueger and Eric Hausman from the Department for the Aging’s Health Insurance Information and Counseling Program (HIICAP). Mr. Hausman is the HIICAP Volunteer Outreach Manager, and an expert on all things Medicare. During his presentation, you will hear about changes coming in 2025 to premium rates and deductibles for Medicare Parts A and B, and changes to Part D, your prescription drug coverage. Additionally, you will learn about Medicare Advantage and supplemental (Medigap) plans, and programs that can help defray Medicare costs, including prescription drug costs. The Medicare open enrollment period ends on December 7th; attending this event is a great opportunity to learn about changes you can make to your coverage now. You will have the option of joining the event online through Zoom, a webinar hosting service. You will also have the option to view the event online through Facebook. Please note that you do not need a Facebook account or profile to view the event through Facebook. Finally, you will have the option of calling in to access the audio-only portion of the event. The event will feature a question and answer session with Eric Hausman. If you have questions about changes coming in 2025 to Medicare premiums and deductibles, Medicare Advantage plans, supplemental (Medigap) plans, your Part D prescription drug plan coverage, or how to find out if you are eligible for programs to defray the costs of your health insurance, please join us on November 12th. You will be able to submit questions during the event but are strongly encouraged to submit them in advance. The event will be recorded, and will be available to view afterwards at krueger.nysenate.gov and facebook.com/statesenatorlizkrueger, along with any slides and links that were shared. It will also be emailed to everyone who RSVP'd for the event. After you register, a confirmation email with the Zoom link and the call-in information will be sent at least a week in advance of the event. Please let us know if you plan to attend on November 12th by registering at [link removed]. Click Here to RSVP for the Medicare Virtual Town Hall Senator Liz Krueger's Virtual Town Hall Don't Get Scammed: Learn How to Protect Yourself Thursday, November 14th, 6:30pm - 8pm Scared of being scammed? Get the tools you need to protect yourself. Scams are getting more and more sophisticated. Even the tech savvy among us are falling victim. At this virtual event you will learn about the newest scams, preventive measures to keep your personal information safe, and about available resources and support. You will learn to protect yourself against phone scams, gather tips for searching safely on the internet, and learn how to prevent identity theft. The Virtual Town Hall will feature: Kathleen Benedetti-Fisher, AARP, SCAM Expert Jeanine Launay, Chief of Elder Abuse Unit at the New York County District Attorney’s Office Anthony Nuccio, Detective, 19th Precinct Crime Prevention  You will have the option of joining the event online through Zoom, a webinar hosting service. You will also have the option to view the event online through Facebook. Please note that you do not need a Facebook account or profile to view the event through Facebook. Finally, you will have the option of calling in to access the audio-only portion of the event. The event will feature a question and answer session with Kathleen Benedetti-Fisher, Jeanine Launay, and Detective Nuccio. If you have questions about the newest scams, the best way to protect yourself from common scams, internet safety strategies, and how to prevent identity theft, you should attend the November 14th Town Hall. Attendees will be able to submit questions through Zoom and Facebook during the event but are strongly encouraged to submit them in advance. The event will be recorded, and will be available to view afterwards at krueger.nysenate.gov and facebook.com/statesenatorlizkrueger, along with any slides and links that were shared. It will also be emailed to everyone who RSVP'd for the event. After you register, a confirmation email with the Zoom link and the call-in information will be sent at least a week in advance of the event. Please let us know if you plan to attend on November 14th by registering at [link removed]. Click Here to RSVP for the Scam Prevention Virtual Town Hall Senator Liz Krueger's Virtual Housing Lunch Hour Series My staff and I often hear from constituents about myriad housing issues that affect everyone, from young renters to rent-regulated tenants to co-op and condo owners. In the upcoming weeks, I am hosting a four-part virtual lunch hour series with housing attorney's and advocates on a wide range of housing. At these virtual events, you will learn how to get repairs, steps to take if you are behind on your rent, informative tools for navigating housing court, and resources for co-op and condo owners. Below please find the date, time, and speaker for each webinar along with an individual RSVP link for each event. Session 1: How to Get My Landlord to Make Repairs Tuesday, November 19, 12 pm - 1 pm Michael Grinthal, Take Root Justice Click Here to RSVP for Session 1 Session 2: You've Fallen Behind on Your Rent, Now What? Thursday, November 21, 12 pm - 1 pm Jenny Laurie, Housing Court Answers Click Here to RSVP for Session 2 Session 3: Appearing in Housing Court Without a Lawyer Tuesday, December 3, 12 pm - 1 pm Pablo Zevallos, The Legal Aid Society Click Here to RSVP for Session 3 Session 4: Co-op and Condo Owner Rights and Resources Thursday, December 5, 12 pm - 1 pm Rose Marie Cantanno, NYLAG Click Here to RSVP for Session 4 You will have the option of joining the event online through Zoom or watching it live-streamed on Facebook. You do not need a Facebook account or profile to view the event through Facebook. You will also have the option of calling in to access the audio-only portion of the event. Each event will feature a question-and-answer session with Senator Krueger and the webinar presenter. Attendees can submit questions through Zoom and Facebook during the event but are strongly encouraged to submit them in advance. The event will be recorded and available to view afterward at krueger.nysenate.gov and facebook.com/statesenatorlizkrueger, along with the slides and links that were shared. It will also be emailed to everyone who RSVP'd for the event. After you register, a confirmation email with the Zoom link and the call-in information will be sent immediately and you will receive a reminder email one week before the event. Please let us know if you plan to attend any or all sessions of the Virtual Housing Lunch Hour Series by registering at each RSVP link above. District Office: 211 East 43rd Street, Suite 2000 | New York, NY 10017 | (212) 490-9535 | Fax: (212) 499-2558 Albany Office: Capitol Building, Room 416 | Albany, NY 12247 | (518) 455-2297 | Fax: (518) 426-6874 Email: [email protected] | On the Web: krueger.nysenate.gov   Senator Liz Krueger | 211 E 43rd St #2000 | New York, NY 10017 US Unsubscribe | Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice