News & Notes from Senator Joe Addabbo

STATEMENT FROM NYS SENATOR JOSEPH P. ADDABBO, JR.

ON ANNOUNCEMENT OF ETHICS REFORM AGREEMENT

June 8, 2011

NYS Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr. released the following statement on the agreement reached between Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the NYS Legislature on ethics reform:

"Yesterday's agreement on ethics reform is the right answer to public outcries for immediate action. We have given New Yorkers a reason to once again believe that their government is responsible and is accountable to them."

"Governmental ethics reform has been on my radar since my City Council days starting in 2001, serving on its Government Operations Committee. Aside from pledges and promises, if we are to move this state government in the direction of improved ethics and credibility, then ethics and campaign finance reform are required ingredients to that end.”

"We've got more work to do, but now with stronger disclosure requirements, an independent oversight commission, greater transparency for those doing business with the state by ending 'pay to play', and tougher deterrents for public corruption, such as no pension awards, we've overcome the past blockages in Albany to ensure that the people come first with state government."

ADDABBO CO-SPONSORS BILL INCREASING PENALTIES FOR ANIMAL FIGHTING; VOTES IN FAVOR OF HUMANE ANIMAL BILLS

June 7, 2011

NYS Senator Joseph Addabbo, Jr., (D-Queens) announced the passing of animal rights legislation in the Senate as part of the 1^st annual New York State Animal Advocacy Day on June 1. Among the passed bills were S.946, S.3317 and S.3237, which was co-sponsored by Senator Addabbo. The bill was in relation to increasing the penalties for those convicted of violating the prohibition of animal fighting. Passing this day, with Senator Addabbo’s support, were the inclusion of theft of dogs and cats within the crime of grand larceny in the fourth degree (S.946), along with the establishment of a toll-free hotline where individuals can report instances of animal fighting (S.3317).

Senator Addabbo praised the passing of these three bills, noting animal fighting is a distasteful sport and an unfortunate avenue some seek to capitalize financially in today’s economic climate. “For far too long, animal fighting has been, and remains, a serious problem that affects communities throughout the nation. Today, I proudly stand in support of these bills to eliminate this disturbing sport and to bring peace and comfort to all animals unfairly subjected to this harsh reality,” said Addabbo. “Animals used for animal fighting are specifically bred, conditioned and trained to fight, and have been known to sustain severe injuries often resulting in unfortunate deaths,” explained the Senator.

S.3237 co-sponsored by Senator Addabbo makes it a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for a period up to one year, and a fine of up to $1,000, for the knowing presence as a spectator at a place where an exhibition of animal fighting is being conducted. S.946 classifies stolen pets as a class E felony, and equates such charge to such current conditions as stolen credit cards, or stolen religious materials. S.3317 makes it easier for authorities to receive information on illegal animal fighting activity. “These measures passed by the Senate will allow New York to strengthen our outdated dog-fighting laws,” said Addabbo in relation to his decision to support all measures.

Currently, all three bills await passage in the Assembly before the Governor can act on each measure. “It is my hope and belief that New York will get serious in protecting the interests of our four-legged friends,” concluded Addabbo.

ADDABBO: LET’S MINIMIZE ELDER ABUSE BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE

Bill Passes Senate; Mandates Domestic Violence Prevention Programs in Senior Centers

June 6, 2011

NYS Senator Joseph Addabbo, Jr., (D-Queens) a member of the Senate’s Committee on the Aging, announced a measure that recently passed the Senate with unanimous support. Bill S.4235, if enacted into law, would direct the New York State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence to develop domestic violence prevention programs for utilization by senior centers throughout the state. The bill would amend the executive law to incorporate this new vital requirement for senior citizens.

Senator Addabbo praised the intent of the bill and called on the Assembly to take further action on moving the bill. “It is important to remain both mindful and aware of the occurrences of domestic violence among seniors. A well informed and educated senior versed on prevention methods can save such an older adult’s life and reduce the risk of tragedy.” Addabbo pointed to senior centers as gathering places for many seniors in the community, and felt it was a logical place for domestic violence prevention programs to be offered.

Although domestic violence prevention programs are in existence, few if any meet the needs of our older adults. “Far too often, seniors are reluctant to seek help when it comes to sensitive issues. Establishing and promoting domestic violence prevention programs at senior centers is ideal,” stated Addabbo.

Should the legislation advance and pass the Assembly, the Governor will have 10 days to deliberate if the bill should become law. If the bill is enacted, it takes effect immediately.

Addabbo concluded, “I am hopeful this bill will reduce the growing problem of elder abuse in New York and improve the protection of seniors against domestic violence abusers.”

ADDABBO LEGISLATION WOULD MAKE USING A GOVERNMENTAL AGENCY TO HARASS INDIVIDUALS A CRIME

June 6, 2011

NYS Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr. (D-Queens) announced the bipartisan passage of one of his pieces of legislation in the Senate (S1242), which will define the use of a governmental agency to harass another individual to fall within the crime of aggravated harassment in the second degree.

Addabbo praised his bill’s passing in the Senate, noting that he got the idea for the bill from constituents who complained to him about being harassed, without reason, by their neighbors. The bill passed the Senate unanimously (54-0) and a vote is pending in the Assembly.

“Neighbors and other members of a surrounding community should not have to live with fear of being inundated with unwarranted harassing messages and visits from governmental agencies and inspectors,” said Addabbo. “This legislation reduces the threat of enlisting governmental agencies to seek and rectify false claims by holding those individuals liable who target others with intent to threaten and alarm.” The Senator also mentioned that while both the city and state are facing tough economic times, neither can afford to waste money and resources on false accusations.

Examples of harassment can comprise a neighbor calling a city or state departmental agency on another individual to justify a false claim against that individual, to the placement of false complaints regarding illegal dumping of resources into a neighboring reservoir. A person is found guilty of aggravated harassment in the second degree when that individual harasses, annoys, threatens or alarms another through physical or verbal means. Said Addabbo, 

“Each unfounded claim becomes a waste of taxpayer time and money, for an inspector must invest time and effort to investigate the false claim.”

Addabbo concluded, “Should this bill become law, I plan on working with the appropriate agencies to ensure individuals are no longer subjected to misconceived threats.”

STATEMENT BY NYS SENATOR JOSEPH P. ADDABBO, JR. ON TODAY’S OPENING OF RESORTS WORLD NEW YORK JOB CENTER

June 6, 2011

NYS Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr. (D-Queens), released the following statement on today’s opening of the Resorts World New York Job Center:

I appreciate the professional efforts of Genting New York and the fulfillment of another promise made to the community with the opening of a Job Center at the site of the Aqueduct Racino, Resorts World New York. While I believe that the demand for jobs citywide greatly exceeds the supply of job opportunities, I am grateful for Genting’s emphasis on local hiring. Through the opening of the onsite job center and its Web site, http://www.rwnewyork.com, Genting has provided qualified residents with the means of applying for employment at Resorts World New York. I look forward to meeting with Genting monthly to address various issues in addition to jobs, which include public safety and traffic patterns, and always respect their commitment to adhering to the concerns of my constituents.

Senator Addabbo: "Our Seniors Should Not Be Used As Tools of The City & State Budget Negotiations...

NYS Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr. (D-Queens), a member of the Senate’s Committee on the Aging, today released the following statement on the proposed transfer of Title XX funds from senior centers to children’s programs:

Our growing senior population has enough to worry about these days, and I believe it was wrong for the mayor to release the list of possible senior center closures and use our seniors as tools of the budget negotiations with the state.

Our senior centers do not have to close, regardless of the amount of money the City receives from the state budget. If the City collects the outstanding liens and judgments owed to it and alters its outside contracting practices, it would have more than enough money to keep the senior centers open. By simply utilizing our city workers more efficiently, the realized savings would more than pay for the centers. For example, if the City used its sheriffs more than the outside marshalls, it would witness significant savings.

I also intend to continue my efforts to ensure that the Title XX funding in our state budget is used for the purposes of retaining our senior centers.

We have a growing senior population that should be respected, not used as victims by the City or State during budget negotiations.

Petition Drive Held To Save Queens Senior Centers by: CeFaan Kim- NY1.com

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State budget shortfalls may force more than a hundred senior centers to close in a matter of months, and that has many seniors in Howard Beach angry and frustrated.

Queens Senior Center at Risk: State Budget Cuts Could Close Lifeline by Lisa L. Colangelo - NY Daily News

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Eleanor Errante (left), 89, and two pals socialize at the Woodhaven-Richmond Hill Senior Center

The neighborhoods of Woodhaven and Richmond Hill are so close that their borders often blur.

But when a senior center closed in Woodhaven nearly two years ago and residents were offered the chance to go to a facility in Richmond Hill, many opted to stay home.

Thanks to an unusual partnership, a new senior center opened on Jamaica Ave. in Woodhaven - also providing a steady stream of income for a struggling volunteer ambulance corps.

"This has made my life much happier," said Stella Pyatok, 89, who played cards at the Woodhaven-Richmond Hill Senior Center last week with friends while waiting for lunch. "I'm here practically every day."

The center celebrates its official opening on Friday. It serves more than 70 seniors a day at its renovated space at the Woodhaven-Richmond Hill Volunteer Ambulance Corps site.

The cash-strapped corps gets a monthly rent check.

"I'm just so glad to see they have somewhere to go," said Kathy Sexton-Dalbey, chief operating officer of the ambulance corps. "People don't realize how much these senior centers mean. I see what happens when they live alone and don't get checked on."

Queens Borough President Helen Marshall and other elected officials came up with the funds to renovate the facility so it can be used as a senior center.

Everyone is hoping those efforts weren't for naught. Catholic Charities of Brooklyn and Queens, which operates the facility under a contract with the city, just found out that it is one of 22 centers that could close if vital state funds aren't restored.

Eleanor Errante, 89, who has lived in Woodhaven since 1933, said the center is a safe place for seniors to get a nutritious meal, companionship and mental stimulation.

"Sometimes this is the only hot meal some seniors have for the day," Errante said.

Debbie Hoffer, director of field operations, and site manager Pat Critelli said the center also focuses on senior health with exercise classes, including yoga and t'ai chi.

"The number of people coming grows every day," said Hoffer. "And all we keep hearing is 'wait until the weather gets better' because even more will be here."

Woodhaven-Richmond Hill Senior Center Gets New Sign...

When I attended the last Woodhaven Residents Block Association meeting at the Woodhaven-Richmond Hill Volunteer Ambulance Corp there was a new sign for the newly relocated Woodhaven-Richmond Hill Senior Center hanging outside the building. It's a lovely new sign, one problem though...maybe someone should have proofread the sign before accepting it...the word Neighborhood is spelled wrong..!

The sign might be a moot point if Mayor Bloomberg gets his way since this is one of the many seniors centers on his list to be closed...

Shame on you, Mayor Bloomberg,,!

Assemblyman Mike Miller: Keep Our Senior Centers Open...

It's budget season - which means that, once again, vital services are in jeopardy to our most vulnerable citizens. Over the past several weeks I have heard concerns from worried senior citizens that their centers are going to be closing. These senior centers give our seniors a place to go, eat, and socialize with other members of the community. When money is cut from these programs, these services are put in serious jeopardy and are at risk. 

We needn’t put our seniors in this position every year, and we certainly shouldn’t. There are two sources of funding that can save these services that are not being currently utilized.

First is Title XX funding. Title XX money is a grant given to New York from the federal government. There is mandatory spending ($66 million) on Adult Protective/Domestic Violence Services, and there is discretionary money ($36 million). About $24 million of this discretionary funding is spent on senior centers. In this year’s budget, Governor Cuomo is attempting to take the discretionary Title XX money and use it to cover other state expenditures unrelated to senior programs. This will cost the seniors of New York City around $24 million in cuts. If we were to mandate that the $24 million must be spent on senior services solely, senior centers across the city could remain open and fully operational.

The second source of funding is through member items. Several years ago, each member of the Assembly was allotted a certain amount of money that they could give to the organizations in their communities. This funding allowed civic organizations to operate, services to be provided to the needy, and senior centers to remain open and fully functional. Last year, this funding was completely cut by the Governor. If this funding was restored, every senior center in the City would have multiple sources of revenue and could keep their doors open.

I hope you will join in me in saying enough is enough. It is time to stop playing games with services to our senior citizens. I ask everyone reading this article to reach out to the Governor and ask him to mandate Title XX money for seniors and restore member item funding so we can finally give our seniors the peace of mind they deserve.

SENATOR ADDABBO: LET'S GET TO WORK FOR 2011

With the holiday season over, NYS Senator Joseph Addabbo, Jr. (D-Queens) says it’s time to focus on restoring faith back to the residents that their state government will be responsive to their concerns: “Elected officials have a lot of work to do in making people know that their state legislature can operate in a professional and responsible manner.” The Senator understands that this will not be an easy task, given the general frustration among the public and the previous dysfunction in Albany.

What does Addabbo hope to accomplish in 2011? Well, according to the Senator, among the most common requests from his constituents is to lower property and other taxes, along with a cap in state spending. Addabbo stated that he is hopeful that lower property taxes, a restoration of the STAR rebate, and a reduction in other taxes and fees can be obtained with additional spending cuts and an improved economy. He also intends to continue the legislature’s efforts in attacking Medicaid and insurance fraud, which could result in a savings of approximately $9 billion to the state. Addabbo said he also heard many people request a restoration in library and senior center funding.

Other issues Addabbo wants to address in 2011 are ethics and legislative reform. Addabbo is seeking to introduce a law that would expel a state elected official from office if convicted of a felony or certain misdemeanors. He also wants to start the discussion and process of creating term limits for state elected officials, just as it was overwhelmingly approved by voters for New York City electeds. Addabbo said there should be an independent, nonpartisan redistricting process, so that districts will not be redrawn in a way that is unfair to the residents of any district. He wants to work on creating more transparent election campaigns that see a reduction in large corporate donations that have influenced candidates in the past. Addabbo believes that there must be a change in the way Albany conducts its business on behalf of the people of the state, but that the change will not come easy. “There has to be a different way of thinking and ideology in Albany. I am hopeful other state representatives see it that way, too,” Addabbo stated.

To grow jobs in these tough economic times, Addabbo said he will continue working with small businesses around his district to obtain energy savings through audits of their premises by National Grid and Con Ed, and offering tax credits to small businesses that hire disabled individuals, seniors and unemployed veterans. In addition to the approximately 1,000 construction jobs that the new Resorts World New York will bring to Aqueduct Racetrack, the Senator is working with Genting to ensure that future job opportunities at the site are made available to qualified residents.

“We must have a government people can finally believe will work for them and for their interests. When I go back into legislative session this month, the people I serve can believe that I’ll do just that for them,” Addabbo concluded.

1,200 QUEENS FAMILIES (4,000 TOTAL IN NYC) GET HELP FROM FEED THE CHILDREN CARAVAN

State Senator Addabbo Identifies Queens Recipients and Provides Volunteer Support;

October Is Hunger Awareness Month

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NYS Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr. (D-Howard Beach) and 40 volunteers worked with Feed The Children (FTC) and AVON, during a food distribution for families in need in Queens on Tuesday, October 19, between 1-5 PM. Three (3) semi tractor-trailers full of food and supplies arrived in Forest Park’s George Seuffert Sr. Band Shell Parking Lot on Forest Park Drive to help 1,200 families previously identified as most in need, after the Senator’s staff contacted emergency food programs in his district. Collaborating local food pantries and soup kitchens including the Ridgewood Older Adult Center and Services and Elohim Community Development Center in Richmond Hill then distributed 1,200 vouchers before the distribution on Tuesday.

The distribution was the latest stop on Feed The Children’s Americans Feeding Americans Caravan, which has helped more than 160,000 families across the country in cities that have been affected by the nation’s prolonged economic downturn. Feed The Children’s goal is to help at least 200,000 families with the caravan by the end of 2010.

On Tuesday morning, seven (7) trucks went to 369th Armory at 2366 Fifth Avenue in Harlem where Feed The Children had previously distributed 2,800 vouchers for families in need. The vouchers were divided and distributed among the food pantries and soup kitchens based on a ratio of 1 in 3 families getting a voucher if they needed assistance every week. Families with vouchers picked up 3 boxes from corporate donors AVON, Kraft, Procter & Gamble and many more, containing their products within a 25-pound box of food, a 10-pound box of personal care items, and a box of AVON products including a recruiting tool to empower women to be their own bosses and harness their entrepreneurial spirit through the AVON opportunity. A total of 4,000 New York City families were helped by this event, only the second New York City stop on the caravan since it began in 2009.

At Forest Park, Feed The Children representatives helped Senator Addabbo, Dawn Puricelli, Head of Product Line Control AVON North America, dozens of volunteers including PS 254 students (Richmond Hill) and beloved NY METS mascot Mr. Met, to give out the boxes and greet the families.

Senator Addabbo noted, “We can’t do this alone – there’s a growing need in our borough and in our district – since the harsh recession began, the meals served by food pantries and soup kitchens in Queens rose 106% between 2006 and 2009, an additional 14.3 million meals. ‘Food insecurity’ is a term that was coined to define households that are uncertain of having or acquiring enough food for all those members. Overall, some 87,500 Queens households were either unable to obtain enough food for their families or were uncertain about having enough food. Who are the vulnerable needing such assistance? Children, the working poor, seniors, veterans, whose need for food averages 600 meals a week served to district families in emergency situations. Our local programs help the unemployed and vulnerable persons, who are the face of the steep, prolonged downturn in our economy, which created this unprecedented demand for food. We have to raise awareness of this need and do what we can to help people through this difficult time.”

Tony Sellars, Feed The Children spokesperson, said: “Our trucks and their drivers are on the road, going across our country to deliver food to local partners in the big cities – we rely on local agencies to work as our foot soldiers when we come into their cities. Only with their help can we put resources into the hands of those most in need. Today, FTC Americans Feeding Americans Caravan is feeding 4,000 families in Manhattan and in Queens. The number of children in the state of New York living in poverty could fill Madison Square Garden 44 times. This year, as we’ve traveled to inner cities, we saw that hunger is border to border, coast to coast. So far, we’ve aided 160,000 families but our goal is 200,000 by the end of 2010. We’re heading to Washington, D.C., next in a couple of weeks, offering a helping hand to those who lost a job or found themselves downsized from the middle class into poverty. This is a grassroots effort, and we depend on our local contacts on the ground to get these resources to families in need. We need you to continue to help the unemployed, those in poverty, those suffering from this deep recession. We appreciate AVON, Senator Addabbo, our partner agencies and the volunteers for helping to make yet another Americans Feeding Americans distribution possible for families in need of a hand up.”

Dawn Puricelli of AVON added, “This outreach to the local community doesn’t end today. Sponsors like AVON will continue joining the FTC caravan as it travels to other towns and cities. We gave a box of products to each family and something special for empowering women opening that box, to boost their self esteem. I call it a ‘Mom Box’ because there’s also something inside that will help women to earn income. It’s our way of caring for women. We’re happy to be a sponsor and we’re going to continue this effort.”

Tony Miranda, Director of Elohim Community Development Corporation in Richmond Hill, was “overwhelmed” by this extra donation of items, designed to help a family for up to one week: “Our food pantry has expanded and we’re now helping 1,600 families per week. We were providing over 600 families and individuals a week with free groceries. Each of our food package provides a family with one complete meal per week and supplemental groceries like cereal and fruit. Queens is considered by some of our food providers closer to Manhattan as being ‘way out there,’ but we have 2.3 million population in this county alone. There are 480,000 families at risk of food insecurity in Queens.”

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About Feed The Children

Founded in 1979, Feed The Children is consistently ranked as one of the 10 largest international charities in the U.S., based on private, non-government support. Feed The Children is a Christian, international, nonprofit relief organization with headquarters in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, that delivers food, medicine, clothing and other necessities to individuals, children and families who lack these essentials due to famine, war, poverty or natural disasters. In FY 2009, Feed The Children distributed more than 111 million pounds of food and other essentials to children and their families in all 50 states and internationally. Since its founding, the organization has reached out to help those in need in 119 countries around the globe. For more information, please visit www.feedthechildren.org .

To see the impact of Feed The Children’s Americans Feeding Americans Caravan in your area visit www.AmericansFeedingAmericans.org .

AVON, a valued partner of the Americans Feeding Americans Caravan, has provided more than 250,000 boxes of AVON products to families in need across the United States since the caravan began in 2009. The boxes help to provide hope, self-esteem and self-confidence to empower women to build strong futures for their children and families.

Rep. Towns Announces That “Donut Hole” Checks Are Now On Their Way to Tens of Thousands of Seniors...

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Health Reform Law Will Help About 4 Million Seniors To Receive

$250 Checks Over Next Several Months

Today, Rep. Edolphus " Ed" Towns announced that, starting today, Medicare will begin mailing out to tens of thousands of seniors $250 ‘donut hole’ checks. Under the recently enacted health reform law, seniors who fall in the donut hole coverage gap in 2010 will receive this one-time tax-free $250 rebate check. These checks will continue to be mailed monthly over the next several months as seniors enter the coverage gap.

The checks are just the first benefit from health reform for seniors in the Medicare Prescription Drug program. Beginning in January 2011, seniors in the donut hole will receive a 50% discount on brand name drugs. By 2020, the donut hole will be completely closed.

“Prescription drugs cost many people thousands of dollars a year and this check is a down payment on reducing prescription drug costs for seniors and eventually closing the donut hole altogether,” Rep. Towns said. “This is the first example of how the health care reform bill will strengthen Medicare and help seniors.”

Congressional Republicans created the donut hole – leaving thousands of seniors to choose between buying the prescriptions they need and putting food on the table – and now they refuse to help close it. The ‘donut hole’ coverage gap is the period in the prescription drug benefit (once their prescription drug costs exceed $2,830) in which the beneficiary pays 100 percent of the cost of their drugs until they hit the catastrophic coverage threshold.

Last year, roughly 246,000 Medicare beneficiaries in our state of New York fell in the donut hole and received no extra help to defray the cost of their prescription drugs. Now, under health reform, help is on the way.

Under health care reform, the $250 checks are just the first step in reducing seniors’ prescription drug costs. Beginning next year, there is a 50 percent discount on prescription drugs in the donut hole, and by 2020, the donut hole is completely closed.

Medicare recipients don’t have to do anything to get the $250 check – once their drug costs for the year hit $2,830 the one-time check will be issued automatically. But Rep. Towns warned seniors to be on the lookout for fraud.

Making prescription drugs more affordable for seniors is only one of the many benefits for seniors included in the recently enacted health reform law. Other benefits for seniors include:

• Provides free preventive care services under Medicare, beginning in 2011.

• Strengthens Medicare by extending its solvency by an additional 12 years, from 2017 to 2029.

• Improves seniors’ access to doctors.

• Continues to reduce waste, fraud and abuse.

• Improves care by helping doctors communicate and coordinate.

• Expands home and community-based services to keep seniors in their home, instead of in nursing homes.

“Congressional Republicans calling for health reform repeal oppose this progress for seniors, and would return us to a system of higher drug costs, shrinking benefits, and insecurity for our seniors,” said Rep. Towns. “They would protect insurance company profits at the expense of the care our seniors need and deserve. Democrats in Congress won’t let that happen.”

NYS Senator Addabbo Sets Community Discussion for Maspeth on February 11th...

NYS Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr., will host a Community Discussion on Thursday, February 11, from 7 - 9 PM at the Maspeth Town Hall, 5337 72nd Street, Maspeth. Travel via public transit: Grand Ave.-73^rd Street bus.

The Senator will discuss issues that are important to his constituents: jobs, transportation, education, public safety, sanitation, the new voting machines, the 2010-2011 state budget, the 2010 Census, and programs to benefit our veterans and seniors.

The current legislative session in Albany will also be covered during an anticipated lively exchange with the audience.

WHO: NYS Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr.

WHEN:Thursday, February 11, 2010, 7 PM – 9 PM

WHERE:Maspeth Town Hall, 5337 72^nd Street, Maspeth, NY 11378-1724; 718-335-6049

Queens Thugs Beat Old-Timer by Matthew Nestel - New York Post

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An elderly man was pistol-whipped and robbed yesterday at his Queens home in broad daylight, authorities said.

The 77-year-old victim was accosted by two armed men as he entered his home on Whitelaw Street near Arion Road in Ozone Park shortly before 1:30 p.m., officials said.

The attackers struck him in the head with the butt of a pistol and swiped his cellphone.

The victim was not seriously injured, sources said. No arrests have been made.

Charity Creating Senior Apts.at Fineson Center by Clare Trapasso - NY Daily News

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HELP IS on the way for financially strapped seniors.

The state has tapped Catholic Charities to transform a former Howard Beach hospital into affordable housing for the elderly.

The charity expects to create about 100 studio and one-bedroom apartments at the Bernard Fineson Developmental Disabilities Senior Office site at 155-55 Cross Bay Blvd. The complex - to be called the Howard Beach Apartments - is slated to be ready by summer 2012.

"There is a desperate need here in Brooklyn and Queens for affordable senior housing," said Msgr. Alfred LoPinto, vicar for human services at the Diocese of Brooklyn and Queens. "Many seniors living on limited incomes are struggling between paying their rent, putting food on their tables and their medical expenses. It's very difficult."

A branch of Catholic Charities would create about 80 apartments for seniors 60 and older capable of living on their own. Another 20 units would be set aside for mentally and physically disabled elderly residents.

Seniors with incomes of up to $43,000 a year can apply for the apartments through a lottery, state officials said.

No medical care will be given at the site, but staff will provide services such as dietary advice and help scheduling doctor appointments.

"Senior buildings are meant for people who are able to live independently," LoPinto said. "However, if they are in need of services, we would assist them."

About 40 apartments would be reserved for seniors who live within the boundaries of Community Board 10.

That was music to the ears of board Chairwoman Betty Braton, who said the senior population is growing in her district.

"If you're going to build something in a community, it should certainly serve that community," Braton said. "Many senior citizens live on fixed incomes and cannot afford today's market rents."

The project has generated strong community support. But it has also stirred some concern.

Ike Albala, director of the city-funded Howard Beach Senior Center, is worried about plans to create a new senior center at the complex. "I'm concerned about the possible overlap between the two facilities," Albala said.

But he does support creating housing for seniors.

"We do hear, 'Gee, it's a struggle to maintain my apartment,'" Albala said. "So if there is more affordable housing, that's a plus."

Addabbo Supports Senate Legislation for Senior Safety

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Legislation recently introduced in the state Senate authorizing the Department of Transportation to conduct a statewide survey to locate areas with a high incidence of pedestrian accidents involving senior citizens has earned the support of Sen. Joseph Addabbo Jr.

The legislation requires the DOT commissioner to undertake a comprehensive study of mitigating dangers to senior citizens in areas where action needs to be taken. It also requires the commissioner to report recommendations and findings to the legislature and the governor on or before April 1, 2011.

Addabbo said the purpose of this bill is to help ensure the safety of senior citizens. “I initially thought of the intersection of 84th Street and 157th Avenue in Howard Beach. This intersection and others in my district have been extremely dangerous for seniors.” The senator noted that there are multiple active senior centers in close proximity to each other and that many intersections become nearly impossible for seniors to cross safely.

The bill requires the DOT, in consultation with the State Office for the Aging, the Department of Motor Vehicles, the Governor`s Traffic Safety Committee, local police agencies and other groups to conduct a statewide survey to determine areas of high levels of senior pedestrian traffic and incidents of senior citizen motor vehicle accidents.

Walking as a means of transportation is increasing in popularity. Environmental considerations, health concerns, and increasing leisure hours promote pedestrian activity in New York state and elsewhere. All age groups participate in walking activities, but every year senior citizens have a disproportionately high representation on the list of those killed or injured in pedestrian incidents.

Preventive pedestrian safety measures have been implemented outside New York state, and it is only reasonable and prudent that these measures receive scrutiny and consideration for use here, especially considering the increasing numbers of senior citizens.

Demographic projections indicate a burgeoning senior population as the next century approaches, and a key to senior mobility will be the availability of safe walkways. “This bill will begin the necessary first steps toward achieving this goal,” Addabbo said.

Schumer, Weiner Discuss Provisions in Stimulus Package That Have Not Been Highlighted and Are Not Well Known But Help New Yorkers in a Big Way

Major Aid for Parents with Kids in College, Subway, Rail and Bus Commuters, Help for Small Business and Many Others

President Obama to Sign Stimulus Package in to Law Today

Officials Will Also Release Detailed Report on Economic Boost For NYC

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer and Representative Anthony Weiner today discussed several smaller, not widely noticed, provisions in the economic stimulus package that could end up saving middle class New Yorkers hundreds of dollars every year. Schumer and Weiner will list the top five tax-breaks and other provisions that both officials fought to have as part of the final package, including a $2,500 tax credit on college tuition costs, a doubling of the federal mass transit benefit, and eliminating onerous fees and red tape on government small business loans. The officials also released a new report on the overall economic benefit of the package on the New York City economy but will highlight some of the smaller provisions that will help create jobs and give families much needed financial relief.

“This is a huge package that will be a big help for New York’s economy, but there are also several smaller provisions that will pack a real punch for New York families,” Schumer said. “These smaller tax breaks and benefits will give middle class New York families some much needed relief during these difficult times and, taken together, can save those families thousands of dollars over the next two years. We need to use every tool the federal government has to get these economy going again and this economic stimulus package, from the top to the bottom, does just that.”

“This one package is going to do more to help New York's middle class than any in recent memory. It cuts taxes on our families and it eases the burden on our small businesses. The Big Apple is going to get a major economic boost just when it needs it,” Weiner said.

Tax Break for Middle Class Parents Struggling to Pay High Price of College Tuition

The final economic recovery bill includes a version of Senator Schumer’s new tax credit for families paying college tuition. Senator Schumer was the leading advocate for adding this provision to the package. The new credit of $2,500 is up to 40 percent refundable, making it a significant improvement over the current HOPE credit, which has a maximum benefit of $1,800 and is non-refundable, and greatly increasing the benefit for those families that currently take the deduction for college tuition (which maxes out at a benefit of $600 or $1,000, depending on a family’s tax bracket).

In 2007, more than 550,000 New York families claimed either the HOPE credit or the college tuition deduction. The new tax credit should benefit hundreds of thousands of additional families due to three factors: (1) the benefit can be used for more than one student in the household; (2) the new credit is partially refundable, meaning that the millions of New York families with incomes too low to owe federal income taxes can still claim a partial benefit; and (3) the income limits are slightly higher than in current law, reaching zero at $75,000 for singles and $150,000 for married. In order to be eligible for the new credit, students must be enrolled at least half-time. In the 2008-2008 academic year, there were 826,000 full-time students enrolled in institutions of higher education in New York State, as well as 339,000 part-time students.

Tax Break for Subway, Rail, and Bus Commuters

The final legislation includes a proposal to bring parity to tax-free commuting benefits offered by employers. Until now, employers could offer their workers a tax-free mass-transit benefit of $120 a month, but the maximum benefit for monthly parking costs was $230. The economic recovery act brings the transit benefit up to $230 a month, the same as the parking benefits.

According to the TransitCenter, this legislation will help the 15,000 employers and 650,000 employees in the NYC metro area who utilize the transit benefit save money. Under the provisions of this legislation, employees can save up to $1,000 a year, which is an additional $440 a year over current law if their transit commute exceeds the current monthly cap of $120/month. In total, this provision is expected to save commuters in NYC an additional estimated $37.5 million a year.

Makes It Easier for Small Businesses to Secure Gov’t Loans

The stimulus bill appropriates $730 million to improve existing SBA programs and create new initiatives that will address the current economic crisis. As a result of the financial crisis and the recession, small business lending in the SBA’s flagship loan programs – 7(a) and 504 programs – is in a freefall. The bill allocates $375 million to allow for temporary waivers or reductions in the fees the SBA charges to lenders and borrowers in the 7(a) and 504 loan programs. When determining the amount and structure of the waivers/reductions, the bill requires the SBA to give borrowers and smaller banks priority in receiving fee relief.

Tax Incentives for Small Businesses
*NYC has more than 200,000 companies qualify as small businesses, accounting for 2/3 of the city’s private sector jobs. (Of these, 96% have fewer than 50 employees).
*Temporarily increases the amount that small businesses can write-off for capital expenditures (i.e. to acquire or upgrade equipment, property, or industrial buildings) to $250,000, up from $125,000.
*5-year carryback of net operating losses for small business, up from 2 years. A net operating loss occurs when tax-deductible expenses exceed taxable revenues for a taxable year.
*$730 million to improve existing and create new Small Business Administration (SBA) loan programs.
*$375 million to allow for temporary waivers or reductions in the fees the SBA charges to lenders and borrowers in the existing loan programs.

Funding to Repair Elevators at NYC Public Housing Complexes

Schumer brokered an agreement with Congressional leaders and the Department of Housing and Urban Development that will ensure the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) can use the capital money it is expected to receive from the economic stimulus package to cover the high cost of elevator repairs and upgrades at its public housing complexes. Schumer said the money will go a long way to upgrading antiquated elevator equipment at affordable housing complexes across New York City. Overall, New York City could receive as much as $600 million in federal housing money as part of the final package.

Tax Break for Seniors

The final stimulus includes $250 tax credit to 406,375 New York City SSI Recipients. SSI is designed to help aged, blind, and disabled New Yorkers who have little or no income to provide cash to meet basic needs for food, clothing, and shelter.

New Tax Break on Car Purchases

New Yorkers who buy new cars, light trucks, recreational vehicles and motorcycles will now be able to deduct the state sales and excise taxes from the purchase on their federal returns next year.

Cash Crunch Leaves Senior Center Fighting for Life by BY Clare Trapasso - NY Daily News

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It seemed like a fairy tale ending to a hard-luck case.

A Woodhaven senior citizens center was in danger of closing while its funding was caught in limbo between two city entities.

So Serphin Maltese - the district's state senator at the time - stepped in. He presented the Forest Park Senior Citizens Center with a ceremonial check for $75,000 in October as he smiled for a photo that got widespread play in local weekly newspapers.

The dispute between the city Department for the Aging and the Queens Borough President's Office has been resolved.

But the center has yet to receive any of the approximately $250,000 in state and city money it was promised, including the $75,000 Maltese had so publicly pledged.

The center's longtime director, Donna Caltabiano, said she'll be forced to close within the next few weeks if the center doesn't get a quick cash infusion.

"I just can't believe that after 28 years, it's come down to 'We may have to close the doors to this place,'" she said.

To keep the place running, Caltabiano has borrowed nearly $30,000 - most of it from the 250 or so people who use the center, she said.

In addition, she hasn't cashed any of her paychecks since October.

"I don't know how I'm going to pay these people back," Caltabiano said.

The thought of losing the center terrifies folks like Gary Delancey, 60, a widower from Howard Beach.

He said he comes to the center at 89-02 91st St. three days a week for the dancing, bingo and companionship.

Many of the seniors there have become his second family.

The center is running out of time as it waits for the release of promised funds - including Maltese's emergency award.

"I don't know what's going on," Maltese, a Republican who failed to win reelection in November, told the Daily News.

The state Senate's finance committee assured him in October that the money would be awarded to the center, Maltese said.

Caltabiano said she fears what may happen to the seniors if the center closes.

"Some of them are going to die," Caltabiano said bluntly. "This place keeps them alive."

Pols Back Seniors in Fight to Save Centers by Ben Hogwood - Queens Chronicle

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In a corner of Jaqueline Eradiri’s office sits a 54-inch Sony Bravia flatscreen television, still in a box.

Seniors chat while waiting for lunch at Ridgewood Older Adult Center, in Ridgewood. The center hopes to win a contract with the city to remain in business next year.
(Photo by Ben Hogwood)

The TV will eventually be paired with a Nintendo Wii gaming system and brought out into the Ridgewood Older Adult Center, where seniors will have the opportunity to go virtual bowling, or play virtual tennis or even shoot virtual zombies.

But Eradiri, the executive director of the senior center, sees it all as a little ridiculous. Fewer than half of the seniors who attend the center know what a Wii is and she doesn’t expect it to get heavy use.

Still, she believes the facility needs the system — as well as the boxed Dell computer towers stacked almost to her office ceiling — just to have a shot at surviving the city’s reorganization of the senior services program.

The Department for the Aging is moving ahead with a plan that some estimate could shutter as many as 89 centers. The DFTA says the centers are underutilized, outdated and do not offer the services today’s seniors are looking for.

In fact, the agency claims that some 44 percent of the city’s 329 centers are chronically underutilized. An average of only 2 percent of the 1.3 million seniors in the city eat a meal at a center on any given day.

Now, the DFTA is preparing for the “longevity revolution.” By 2030, seniors will outnumber school-age children, accounting for one-fifth of the population. The city is in the process of awarding new contracts for the centers through a request for proposals process.

The DFTA wants centers to offer services that today’s seniors would be more interested in, such as walking clubs, blood pressure screenings, exercise classes, and other social activities and intellectual classes.

The RFP outlines the need for two different types of centers: senior hubs and neighborhood centers. The hubs each will have a maximum budget of $1 million and serve at least 200 meals a day and offer six daily health and wellness or art activities. The city will contract with between 15 and 25 of them.

Neighborhood centers will have a maximum budget of $500,000 and must serve 75 meals a day. They must offer three health and wellness and art activities daily. The city will contract with between 225 and 310 of them.

However, the plan is widely opposed, from seniors to center workers to politicians.

A Dec. 4 hearing on the topic brought a standing-room-only crowd to City Hall. Prior to the hearing, seniors marched petitions with 14,000 signatures from their peers to Mayor Michael Bloomberg denouncing the changes.

Bobbie Sachman, the director of public policy for the Council of Senior Centers and Services, was ecstatic about the participation from the elderly community. “It was a very empowering day for seniors,” Sachman said. “Given all the opposition ... we believe Mayor Bloomberg should withdraw this RFP.”

Borough President Helen Marshall has been a longtime detractor of the proposal. She gave testimony at the hearing, stating that moving forward with the RFP process would be “totally reckless and irresponsible,” especially during tough economic times, when centers will be heavily relied upon.

The plan, Marshall continued, would eliminate social adult day care programs, elder abuse prevention and many other support services. Also, it wouldn’t fund expenses for building renovations or major long-term equipment purchases, shifting the burden to the nonprofit group operating the centers.

William Thompson Jr., the city’s comptroller, has also attacked the funding plan for the overhaul.

Thompson stated last week that the math doesn’t add up. If centers apply for the maximum amount of money, as is expected, the city would not have enough to contract with more than 239 centers, 89 less than the current 329.

Also, more than $20 million of the $117 million for the contracts reportedly comes from allocations from the council or borough president’s offices, money that may not be available on a consistent basis.

Queens Councilmembers Joe Addabbo Jr. (D-Howard Beach) and Helen Sears (D-Jackson Heights) both issued statements protesting the proposal. “A society’s moral strength is judged in large part by how it treats its most vulnerable members, and in the case of our seniors, they are also some of our most valuable assets,” Sears said. “We must guarantee that any modernization will not result in a reduction of services.”

Eradiri said she plans to submit a proposal for the Ridgewood location to operate as a neighborhood center. To do so, she would need every penny of the $500,000, which is still less than her current budget. “But it keeps you open,” she said.

This is now the third RFP process the DFTA has gone through in the past year. The first was for case management, which helps older adults “age in place” by remaining in their communities.

The second was for the Home Delivered Meals Program, better known as meals on wheels. The city wanted to cut the number of providers from 98 to 20 in order to minimize cost and improve efficiency.

The Ridgewood center lost out on both contracts and as a result lost some funding for staff positions. Eradiri said the restructuring constantly has her spinning. With plans always changing, she finds herself unable to answer staff questions about what will happen in the near future.

“It makes you look so stupid,” she said. “It makes you feel so insignificant and stupid.”

Charles Weber, 80, comes often to the Ridgewood center and has done so since his wife died 17 years ago. He sits on the board of directors for the center and is fully away of the situation. He is a firm believer that the squeakiest wheel gets the grease.

“If we all squeak, maybe we’ll get some grease,” he said.