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Brooklyn Political Roundup, November 15: Malliotakis has no regrets, Clarke calls for gun control

In Public Service, From The Political Staff Of The Brooklyn Daily Eagle

November 15, 2017 By Paula Katinas & John Alexander Brooklyn Daily Eagle
Assemblymember Nicole Malliotakis. Photo courtesy of Malliotakis campaign
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Malliotakis has no regrets 

Republican Nicole Malliotakis didn’t win, but she has no regrets about running against incumbent Democratic Mayor Bill de Blasio in the Nov. 7 election.

Malliotakis, a member of the New York State Assembly representing a district that runs from Bay Ridge to Staten Island, wrote an email to supporters to thank them for believing in her. 

“We had a lot to overcome in order to be victorious but let there be no doubt that our voices were heard,” Malliotakis wrote. 

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Malliotakis, who lost to de Blasio by a wide margin, wrote in her email that she called the mayor to congratulate him on his victory and to express her desire to work with him on issues they agree on. 

“By keeping the lines of communication open, we can turn a loss into an opportunity. My promise to you is that I will keep fighting for a more responsible government to protect the taxpayers of our city,” she wrote. 

Malliotakis maintained that her candidacy had value because it brought to light important issues that would otherwise have been ignored. “Even though we weren’t able to capture City Hall, we did capture the mayor’s attention. That is a good start,” she told supporters.

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Greenfield bill targets road rage

Councilmember David G. Greenfield (D-Borough Park-Midwood-Bensonhurst) said it’s time to get tough on road rage. He has introduced a bill that would designate road rage as a crime separate and apart from other crimes on the books.

Under Greenfield’s bill, road rage would be classified as a Class B misdemeanor punishable by up to three months in prison.

Greenfield said he has seen road rage firsthand. “I was driving near 55th Street in Brooklyn back in September, stopped at an intersection and these two drivers in front of me were shouting the vilest things at each other. I’ve lived in New York City my whole life, and I haven’t heard anything like this before. Road rage only happens because it’s being tolerated, and that means we in the City Council aren’t doing our job, because threats and violence should never be tolerated in our city,” he said in a statement.

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Clarke calls for gun control

In the wake of the horrific mass shooting in Southern Texas, in which 26 people were killed by a lone gunman in a Baptist church Sunday morning, U.S. Rep. Yvette Clarke called for Congress to enact gun control measures.

“My thoughts and prayers are with the victims and families affected by the mass shooting in Sutherland Springs. As we mourn the victims, we must also take immediate action to prevent acts of gun violence in this country. Congress must act with a sense of urgency. When will enough finally be enough?” Clarke said in a statement.

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Lentol goes after arbitration clauses 

Assemblymember Joe Lentol (D-North Brooklyn) said he will introduce a bill to allow consumers to opt out of arbitration clauses, the type of clauses typically found in financial service company contract that consumers sign. Consumers might not realize it, Lentol said, but they are often signing away their right to sue financial service companies.

Banks, credit card companies and other financial service companies have installed arbitration clauses in contracts to prevent consumers from suing in court and making them instead agree to having disputes settled by an arbitrator. 

“By requiring consumers to arbitrate their complaints against a predatory lender or bank, we are putting them at a severe disadvantage,” Lentol said in a statement. 

“When consumers are required to arbitrate, they cannot bring a lawsuit or even a class action lawsuit with other people who may have been swindled for the same reason or issue,” he continued. “Arbitration clearly favors the financial companies that are taking advantage of consumers and we want to stop that.”

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Golden holds hearing on 9/11-related disability claims

State Sens. Marty Golden (R-C-Bay Ridge-Southwest Brooklyn) and Terrence Murphy (R-C-Westchester) held a hearing on Wednesday in the New York State Senate Hearing Room to investigate New York City Employees Retirement System’s (NYCERS) high rate of accidental disability retirement denials for claimants who have 9/11-related illnesses.

The senators’ discussions included issues surrounding the 9/11-related illnesses accidental disability retirement questions with experts who deal with the current system.

Also attending the hearing were New York City Fire Pension Fund Executive Director Stephen Cassidy, Executive Deputy Comptroller for the New York State and Local Retirement System Colleen Gardner and Vincent Variale, president of the Uniformed EMS Officers Union, FDNY.

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Medgar Evers College hosts Town Hall on immigration

Medgar Evers College’s (MEC) Center for Law and Social Justice hosted a town hall on immigration concerns on Wednesday in the Edison O. Jackson Auditorium at 1638 Bedford Ave.

The communitywide meeting was intended to provide information at a time when many undocumented individuals face the fear of deportation. The forum was free and open to the public.

Thousands of people across the country, including MEC students and central Brooklyn residents, are threatened by changes in a Homeland Security Program.  

The Temporary Protective Status (TPS) program allows people from countries affected by violence, epidemics, environmental disasters or other unusual temporary conditions to live in the U.S. without facing forced removal.  The designation is always temporary but nationals under TPS are eligible for employment and may be granted travel authorizations.   

“The countries currently covered by TPS designations are El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, Nepal, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Syria and Yemen,” said Felicia Lee, MEC’s director of news and information.  

“But the TPS status for Nicaragua nationals was terminated on Nov. 6, 2017 and they have until January 2019 to leave the country. The designation for Haitian nationals was extended only until Jan. 22, 2018. Hondurans have until July 5, 2018,” Lee added.

The New York Times recently reported that the White House attempted to pressure the Homeland Security Department to end the program, which enrolls about 300,000 people.

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Quaglione helps March of Dimes promote ‘Comedy for Babies’

Former City Council candidate John Quaglione has jumped back into community service by helping to promote upcoming events that benefit the March of Dimes organization. Quaglione, the Republican nominee who narrowly lost the City Council race to Justin Brannan, is the co-chairman of the Brooklyn Committee of the March of Dimes.

“Comedy for Babies,” takes place on Thursday night at the Broadway Comedy Club at 318 West 53rd Street in New York. The venue has showcased top comedic talent in the past including comedians featured on “The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon” and “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.” The tickets are $40 and all proceeds go to the March of Dimes.

“For my family and I, the March of Dimes is important to our lives because my first daughter was born eight weeks early,” said Quaglione. “And for my second baby, my wife was treated by medicine developed in the March of Dimes research labs. We are blessed to have two beautiful and healthy daughters, and that is why we have committed ourselves to the fight to end premature births.”

 

 


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