Dear John
First things first, today is the last day to vote for your favorite project on the Participatory Budgeting ballot! Our team has been hard at work throwing events and hosting pop-up voting sites across the district to get out the vote for PB. From our dance class at the Old Stone House to the international PB panel, we love to show how fun direct democracy can be! If you haven’t voted already, cast your ballot online before the portal closes at midnight.
If you were involved with Participatory Budgeting this year or loved it so much you want to get more involved next year, please sign up to be a PB volunteer! Participatory Budgeting can only happen with the hard work of so many incredible community members who volunteer their time to make it come to life. Any skill set or time commitment is welcome so sign up today and we’ll reach out! Before we jump into the news, I want to mention the amazing work of our Participatory Budgeting director Hannah who has been a superstar throughout this entire process. If you voted, attended an event, or were part of PB in any way - it’s all because of Hannah’s dedication to this community. Hannah, I mean it when I say it - we couldn’t have done this without you.
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We ❤️ you Hannah
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Budget Talk
While the budget season doesn’t really start until June in the City, the process is slowly churning along in City Hall. This past week, the Council released its response to the Mayor’s preliminary budget which is essentially our revisions to the Mayor’s first draft. Some notable highlights include…
- The Council fully rejected the Mayor’s Program to Eliminate the Gap cuts which means our Council will not only fight to fully fund every City agency (with the exception of the overfunded Department of Corrections), but we also ensure budget increases to better serve communities in need.
- We committed to ending the cruel encampment sweeps (check out the Progressive Caucus statement on the matter) and instead proposed funding for safe haven shelters, stabilization beds, and affordable housing to meaningfully address the homelessness crisis.
- We’re also fighting for almost $300 million in new healthcare funding to better serve seniors and low-income New Yorkers as well as set up new ambulatory centers in underserved communities.
More to come on the City budget but looking a few hundred miles up north, it’s late budget season up in Albany. For those unfamiliar with the wheelings and dealings of our state capital, the proposed $220 billion budget was due April 1st but negotiations went into overtime this year. While not uncommon in state politics, the nearly seven-day delay is later than most state budgets have been in a few years. While it will take some time to know the full details of the budget, there are many troubling details about Governor Hochul’s first budget.
While we can celebrate the return of to-go drinks and a historic investment in childcare across the state (thanks to the advocacy of State Senators Jessica Ramos and Jabari Brisport), the Governor’s budget is dramatically insufficient. There is no money to address the housing or overdose crisis. The meager investment in solar panels after years of climate inaction and historic storms is shockingly inadequate. What is most concerning however is the proposed bail reform rollbacks which will undoubtedly send more Black and brown people to jail under the guise of “public safety”. Long-term investments in housing, healthcare, and education make us safe - cash bail criminalizes poverty. In 2021, a historic coalition came together to influence the budget, and with their amazing hard work we were able to win one of the most progressive budgets in New York’s history. If we ever needed one, this budget is a call to action that our fight for a just New York is far from over.
COVID-19
Similar to last week, cases are still going up in every age group. The Citywide caseload is primarily being driven by the 25-34 age group and is for the most part concentrated in Manhattan. We’re not seeing an exponential increase in cases and as a City, we’re still at a “low” level of community transmission, but this should be a reminder to everyone to get your booster shot now. Getting a booster is your best form of protection against COVID-19 and less than 40% of the City has been boosted. Even if you’ve had COVID-19 before, getting boosted keeps you and your family safe! Additionally, if you do become sick and you’re in a high-risk category our City now has a whole range of antiviral treatment options. These are no replacement for a vaccine, but they’re another tool we can use to stay healthy during this pandemic.
Finally, I’ve seen concerning reports that some private testing sites have begun charging uninsured patients for COVID-19 testing. If you need a COVID-19 test, you can always go to a free testing site funded by our City or pick up a free at-home test.
Community Bulletin
- Our Office and the Office of Council Member Lincoln Restler are looking for a Gowanus Oversight Task Force facilitator! The facilitator will be a key convener to foster productive engagement between the City, developers, and a range of diverse community stakeholders. Read more about the RFP.
- Our office will be hosting a Community Iftar on Avenue C Plaza in partnership with Arts & Democracy, ArtBuilt, and NOCD-NY on Monday, April 25th. Please RSVP to join us and break our fast with community!
- Business owners! Do you want to help keep NYC healthy, safe, and clean? Then adopt a trash basket! Click here for info from our friends over at the Department of Sanitation.
- Here in the 39th, we take our composting very seriously, which is why I’m excited to share this exciting opportunity to become a Certified NYC Master Composter with the NYC Department of Sanitation’s Compost Project Master Composter Certificate Course! Check out their website for more information and note that this course is open to all NYC residents who are 18 and older.
- 3K applications are due on 4/14. If you have a child who is an NYC resident born in 2019, you can apply for this great resource through MySchools, by phone at 718-935-2009, or through a Family Welcome Center. Sign up for the admissions email list to get updates and key reminders.
- There is a new scam in which thieves are using card-swiping machines to steal personal information from debit and credit cards. Flyers with more information are available online here in multiple languages.
- While 311 is usually your one-stop shop, the DOT portal for traffic issues is a better spot to go for traffic-related problems.
- When I’m asked about my journey in politics, I always come back to my community organizing roots. For those looking to learn more about community organizing, South Asians for America is hosting their first-ever series of virtual trainings on South Asian Community Organizing this month! Check it out!
In Solidarity,
Shahana
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