Resources from Economic Recovery Plan Flow to New York City...

Velázquez Hails $6 million in Funding for NYC Community Health Centers

Just two weeks after President Obama signed the “American Recovery and Reinvestment Act” into law, vital resources already have been allocated to benefit New York City families. Congresswoman Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) today applauded the fast action of the Administration, which has announced nearly $6 million in funds to provide much-needed preventative and primary health care services to New York’s working families.

“Funding from the economic recovery plan has already begun to flow to New York City. The law was designed to help get our nation back on its feet, and the vital resources being allocated will stimulate the economy and improve the quality of life for New Yorkers,” Velázquez said.

The Department of Health and Human Services will disperse $155 million in grants authorized by the economic recovery plan to support community health centers across the country. All told, New York State community health centers will receive $7,068,705. The funds are expected to provide healthcare services for more than 45,000 patients and create 335 jobs in the state. New York City health centers will receive $5.9 million:

• · $1.3 million for the William F. Ryan Community Health Center Network in New York City;
• · $1.3 million for the Beacon Christian Community Health Center in Staten Island;
• · $1.3 million for the Urban Health Plan, Inc. in the Bronx;
• · $697,149 for the Bronx Community Health Network, Inc. in the Bronx; and
• · $1.3 million for the Floating Hospital in Long Island City.

“With more than 2.5 million in our state lacking health insurance, this is an investment that will create new jobs while taking strides to ensure a healthy future for New York City,” Velázquez said.

There are more than 50 community health care centers throughout New York state, providing 1.1 million New Yorkers with high quality, affordable and accessible primary and preventive care. These Centers never turn anyone away – regardless of insurance status or ability to pay. In addition, community health centers in New York support approximately 12,000 jobs, including physicians, nurses, dentists, and other medical professionals.

“It is imperative that we provide quality health care options for all New Yorkers, and the work of our community health centers is unmatched in this effort,” Velázquez said. “From basic care to dental coverage and mental health programs, our neighborhoods benefit from the services provided by community health centers.”

Frank Gulluscio Thank You Letter to Voters of Councilmatic District 32

Click to enlarge image...

Catholic School Crime Spree - Burglars Steal Cash from 7 Sites in 4 Months by Leigh Remizowski - NY Daily News

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THIS CRIME spree started at the Gate of Heaven, but whoever is responsible may be heading straight to hell.

A burglar, or burglars, have ransacked seven Catholic schools in Queens during the past four months, using similar methods to break in and making off mostly with cash, police said.

The unholy spree began at St. Mary Gate of Heaven School in Ozone Park on Nov. 22, when an undetermined amount of cash was looted from the administrative office, police said.

The most recent burglary was on Feb. 10 at Holy Family School in Flushing. The school's safe was carried off.

"The safe had to have weighed three to four hundred pounds," said Principal Mary Scheer. "Needless to say, it was a little shocking."

Because the safe was so hefty, Scheer believes the heist was the work of more than one burglar.

The safe contained $2,000 to $3,000 cash and more than $16,000 in tuition checks, she said. Parents were notified immediately and told to cancel the checks, Scheer said.

Hours earlier, thieves had broken into Our Lady of Lourdes School in Jamaica, but nothing was stolen, police said.

Each time, the burglar or burglars break in through a window or door, police said. All of the heists have occurred during late night or predawn hours.

Our Lady of Grace School in Howard Beach was hit twice, police said. The burglars stole cash from the main office on Dec. 14, said Principal Barbara Kavanagh. The second break-in occurred Jan. 15, but no money was taken.

"The worst part wasn't missing a few hundred dollars," Kavanagh said. "It was the damage that was done and the mess that was left."

Since the burglaries, Our Lady of Grace has installed surveillance cameras.

Sunday Porcelli, a mother of two students there, said she has received memos assuring parents there is no cash kept in the school.

St. Helen School in Howard Beach, Sacred Heart School in Glendale and Our Lady of the Snows in Floral Park also were burglarized.

Porcelli said she hopes this is "a wakeup call to the Diocese" to keep schools secure. But her biggest concern is that the culprits be caught before they disrupt more schools.

"There is a special place in hell for people who rob churches," she said.

Closed Hospitals Lead to Influx of Patients at Others by John Lauinger - NY Daily News

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Emergency room doctors at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center used to notice that patient volume followed a pattern each week - starting with a big uptick on Mondays and Tuesdays.

"And then it would sort of correct itself during the course of the week," said Dr. Geoffrey Doughlin, the hospital's chairman of emergency medicine.

But ever since two neighboring hospitals - Mary Immaculate Hospital in Jamaica and St. John's Queens in Elmhurst - filed for bankruptcy in early February, that pattern has been thrown out of whack.

"The problem is that, in the last couple of weeks, it's not really correcting during the course of the week," Doughlin said.

As Queens residents began seeking new health care options as the bankrupt hospitals prepared to shut down, volume at Jamaica Hospital's ER began "trending upward in a very significant fashion," Doughlin said.

And things may get worse. Mary Immaculate and St. John's Queens were closed Sunday as part of the bankruptcy plan for embattled hospital operator Caritas Health Care.

Mary Immaculate used to have a trauma center. That means Jamaica Hospital, which also has a trauma center, will be forced to pick up much of the slack.

In early January, before the Caritas bankruptcy, Jamaica Hospital's ER averaged no more than about 350 patients a day, but now the number is approaching 400, Doughlin said.

"There is never a minute to relax. There is no down time," he said. "The problem is that everything gets stressed a little bit more. You have to work faster and still try to give every patient the right kind of care, not make mistakes. It stresses every part of the system."

In an attempt to compensate for the 400 beds lost at the Caritas hospitals, the state Health Department recently spread $14.3 million between seven neighboring hospitals to pay for upgrades to inpatient and ER capacity.

Jamaica Hospital and its affiliate, Flushing Hospital Medical Center, got $4.5 million. The former is expanding its ER, adding four intensive care beds and 40 inpatient beds. Flushing Hospital will add 21 inpatient beds.

North Shore-LIJ Health System got $3.5 million for upgrades at Forest Hills Hospital and Franklin Hospital in Valley Stream. At the Forest Hills ER, which has seen patient volume increase by about 50 patients a day, space will be added to treat an additional 12,800 patients annually, said spokesman Terry Lynam.

Both Forest Hills and Jamaica Hospitals are hiring staff to cope with the influx of new patients, but the state aid covers only capital costs to increase capacity, Jamaica Hospital spokesman Ole Pedersen said.

jlauinger@nydailynews.com

New President Means More Beat Cops Coming to NYC - Says Rep Weiner...

Adds Up to 3,500 Cops to City Streets to Fight Crime and Terrorism

“Cops are a Proven Way to Cut Crime, Fight Terrorism,” Weiner Says

The new federal budget provides a big boost to crime fighting in New York City, Representative Anthony Weiner (D – Brooklyn and Queens), a member of the House Judiciary Committee and sponsor of the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program, said today.

The budget released this week provides funding for 50,000 new beat cops nationwide over the next two and a half years, at a total cost of $6.5 billion. The funding provides for up to 3,500 cops to New York City streets.

The funding is part of the COPS program, one of Rep. Weiner's signature issues.

This is a stark change from Bush's plan, which zeroed out the cutting-edge crime-fighting program for eight straight years.

Highlights of New COPS Funding

• § Budgets for an additional 50,000 new beat cops for communities across the country
• § Total cost over two and a half years is an estimated $6.5 billion nationwide
• § Funding could place an estimated 3,500 new cops on city streets
• § New funding for cops comes on top of the $1 billion for new hires included in the federal economic stimulus package. That funding provides an estimated 400 cops to city streets

Created in 1994 by President Clinton, the COPS program provides localities with a 3-year federal grant for the specific purpose of hiring new police officers. Localities are required to pick up 25% of the cost of the new hire each year and to keep the officer on staff for an additional year. Grants have provided localities with $9 billion since 1994 to hire 117,000 police officers nationwide, including nearly 7,000 in New York City.

The program has been enormously successful. Between 1998 and 2000, COPS hiring grants were responsible for reducing crimes by about 200,000 to 225,000 crimes - one third of which were violent, according to a 2005 Government Accountability Office report.

Rep. Weiner is a long-time champion of the COPS program, sponsoring its reauthorization each Congress for the last three years. The Judiciary Committee plans to consider Weiner's COPS bill in the next couple of months.

Rep. Weiner said, “Our safety challenges can't take a backseat to our economic ones. More cops mean less violent crimes and greater vigilance against terrorism. The COPS program is a proven winner, cutting crime and making neighborhoods safe in New York City.”

Rep Weiner Statement on Julius Genachowski as Nominee for Federal Communications Commission Chairman

“A Brilliant Guy and A Brilliant Choice,” Weiner Says

Representative Anthony Weiner (D-Brooklyn and Queens), member of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet, released the following statement on President Obama’s nomination of Julius Genachowski as Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC):

“Julius Genachowski is a brilliant guy and a brilliant choice. The dark and difficult period at the FCC has ended. It is a time of challenge and opportunity at the FCC and we need someone of Genachowski’s intellect and experience.”

Follow-up to: Ed Towns Holds Town Hall Meeting, Answers Questions About Federal Action..

Follow-up to my recent blog posting on Congressman Ed Towns Predatory Lending Town Hall in Brooklyn this past Saturday...

FORECLOSURES FROM PREDATORY LOANS HIT BROOKLYN HARD

On Saturday, Rep. Edolphus “Ed” Towns (NY-10) hosted a town hall meeting in response to the public outcry about the prevalence of predatory lending and its impacts on Brooklyn communities. Adding to the financial crisis, predatory lenders have targeted elderly, minority, and financially inexperienced borrowers, disrupting families and destroying communities all across the country. In Brooklyn, the problem has manifested in many ways, including the high rate of foreclosures and the lack of affordable housing.

At the meeting, residents heard from Rep. Towns, Chairman of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, whose committee is charged with oversight of federal agencies and the stimulus package.

Statement from Council Member Crowley on St Johns Closing and Health Care in Queens

March 2, 2009; Queens, NY – Council Member Elizabeth Crowley released this statement:

"To my great sadness, I was among the crowd of former St. John’s employees at the midnight Vigil on Saturday for the closing of the hospital," said Council Member Elizabeth Crowley.

"I heard their fears and I share their outrage that Governor Paterson and the Department of Health could not allocate the necessary funds to keep this hospital open. The consequences of its closure are devastating: thousands of people are out of work during the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression; local businesses will take a tremendous hit; and access to health care for Queen’s residents has become an even greater challenge. While I continue to support the staff and their families through city agencies, I will pressure Governor Paterson to find a solution that meets the needs of the people of Queens."

Statements from City Councilmember Elizabeth Crowley on Atlas Mall & the Recent DEA Drug Bust in Middle Village...

Statement from Council Member Crowley on DEA drug bust

March 2, 2009; Queens, NY – Council Member Elizabeth Crowley released this statement:

“I want to congratulate the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) for their ongoing efforts to squash the drug trafficking problem in Queens. I am working with the DEA and will continue to provide them with full support from the City Council to ensure that our community and our kids are safe.”

Statement from Council Member Crowley on Atlas Management

March 2, 2009; Queens, NY – Council Member Elizabeth Crowley released this statement:

“I look forward to working with the Mattone Group over the coming weeks to maintain the quality of shops at Atlas Park,” said Council Member Elizabeth Crowley.

"I trust that they will attract and retain stores and restaurants that will help serve as a positive economic engine for our community’s small businesses and local residents.”

Interview with Camille Rivera - Assistant Political Director - Local 32bj SEIU on The Perez Notes on Wednesday March 4th at 6pm...

On Wednesday, March 4th at 6PM, Roberto Perez will be interviewing Camille Rivera who is the Assistant Political Director for local 32BJ SEIU.

To listen to the interview go to www.lagcc.cuny.edu/webradio. THE PEREZ NOTES airs every Wednesday from 6-8PM so spread the news and tell a friend.

Weiner and Queens Pols Rally to Save Q74

Representative Anthony Weiner (D-Brooklyn and Queens), along with other local elected officials and community leaders, rallied on Thursday to save the Q74 line from the chopping block. Standing in front of the Kew Garden bus stop, Rep. Weiner said that both federal stimulus money for MTA and mass transit subsidies in President Obama’s newly released budget should help stave off cutbacks of the Q74.

From L to R: Queens District Leader Mike Simanowitz, Rep. Weiner, State Senator Toby Ann Stavisky, Assemblywoman Nettie Mayersohn, and Patricia Dolan, President of Kew Gardens Hills Civic Association

Assemblymember Mark Weprin to Host Education Town Hall Meeting - March 8th - 11am...

New York State Assemblymember Mark Weprin (D-Little Neck) will host an Education Town Hall Meeting on mayoral control of New York City schools on Sunday, March 8, 2009 at 11 AM at Queens Children’s Center, 74-03 Commonwealth Boulevard, Bellerose, New York 11426. The guest speaker will be former Assemblymember Steve Sanders, author of the law that established mayoral control of New York City schools.


Assemblymember Weprin, a longtime advocate for City schools, has released a Five Point Plan for School Governance in advance of the expiration on June 30, 2009 of the law that authorized mayoral control of New York City’s public school system. Copies of the Five Point Plan are available from Assemblymember Weprin’s district office.

Event Date: Sunday, March 8, 2009
Time: 11 AM
Location: Queens Children’s Center
74-03 Commonwealth Boulevard
Bellerose, New York 11426

Sledding at the Soup Bowl in Forest Park...

Queens received between five and six inches of snow, schools were closed...and the sledders were out in force at Forest Park Golf courses's Soup Bowl today...

Photos by Manny

Reform Needed At The Board Of Elections - Editorial - www.rockawave.com - Wave of Long Island

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The New York City Board of Elections is made up of ten political hacks. That is a fact of life and the real reason why both Frank Gulluscio and Glenn DiResto were knocked off the ballot for this week's special election to fill the vacancy that was created when Joseph Addabbo Jr. left to become a State Senator. The board is made up of ten people (two from each borough) who are selected by the two major political parties, the Democrats and Republicans. The ten are then approved by the City Council, who most often agree that each party can have its five representatives. That is considered a fair deal in our city. To say that the ten are selected by the political parties is to say that they are selected by the political boss of each borough after discussion with the local party leaders - two of whom are Geraldine Chapey and Lew Simon. You'll notice that neither the two Democratic District Leaders nor the Republican District Leader, Eric Ulrich, was thrown off the ballot. In addition, it is those party leaders that choose who will run for the numerous judgeships that become open each year. It is no surprise then, that Chapey, through her surrogates Harold Cornell and Noreen Ellis, was able to get quick action from both the Board of Elections and two judges to get two rivals thrown off the ballot. Chapey may consider that democracy in action, but we do not. There are several advocacy groups looking to change the process, to make it more fair and to ensure that viable candidates do not get thrown off the ballot for minor inconsistencies such as their party name being too close to another party or that the person collecting the petitions did not put Mr. or Mrs. in the proper space. We agree that it's time for a change. The public has the right to make a choice and party hacks such as Chapey should not be able to stop the public from electing " the candidate of its choice

Woman Beaten and Robbed in Ozone Park - NYPD Daily Police Blotter - NY Post

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Cops caught up with a teen thug more than a week after he roughed up and robbed a woman in Ozone Park, cops said.

Diasia Swanson, 17, and an unidentified accomplice attacked three women as they walked along 124th Street near 101st Avenue at 7 p.m. on Feb. 12, sources said.

One of the thugs grabbed a 19-year-old woman by the neck and demanded her cellphone, while the other man rifled her pockets, the sources said.

Frustrated that he was unable to find the phone, Swanson punched her in the stomach, the sources said.

The attackers fled with a purse, cash and a passport.