Dear John,  School isn’t the only thing back in session this September -- Participatory Budgeting (PB) cycle 9 is underway and ideas are already flowing in!  Are you a fan of the Park Slope Library reading garden? Bus countdown clocks? Supporting Spanish-speaking teens to bec…

DearJohn When the booking agent that freelance stylist Angela Ivana contracted with for work on ad campaigns and TV productions told her that he wouldn't put her headshot on the website because he “didn’t want his clients seeing that I was black” she didn’t have an HR department…

Dear John,  The first day of school always brings the thrill of the new, and the anxiety of the unfamiliar. It requires some courage, but it’s got such bright promise. On this first day of school, thousands of 6th graders in our community are embarking on a new and courageous e…

Dear John,  Last week, amidst flooded streets, blackouts, overheated jails, and subway failures, New Yorkers saw some of the consequences that have resulted from a failure to engage in strategic long-term planning for the future of our city. The dangers of failing to invest st…