Jo Anne Simon for Brooklyn

President Obama backs Marriage Equality

2012-05-10T22:33:01Z

I join those who were overjoyed to learn that President Barrack Obama has come out in support of marriage equality! In a direct and thoughtful response to a question posed to him in an interview he said "I believe that same-sex couples should be allowed to marry." You can watch the interview here.

Celebrate - Cinco de Mayo!

2012-05-05T19:35:01Z

You're invited

James Crow & Hector Nieves

Joel & Sue Wolfe

Invite you to meet

Jo Anne Simon

And

Celebrate - Cinco de Mayo

Jo Anne Simon is Democratic District Leader for the AD 52^nd and we are helping her re-election campaign and hope you can help her too. Please join us...

At the Wolfe's home

448 Atlantic Avenue

(bet. Bond & Nevins)

4:00 to 6:00 p.m.

Sabado - Saturday

Cinco de Mayo - May 5^th

Margaritas will be served and other libations,

and...Hors.d'oeuvres

About Jo Anne Simon

Jo Anne is the Democratic District Leader and the State Committeewoman for Brooklyn' 52^nd Assembly District. As our Female District Leader, Jo Anne has been a forceful leader in the battle against politics as usual in the Brooklyn Democratic Party. A leader in our community for nearly 20 years, a civil rights lawyer, an advocate against worker and student disability discrimination, a part-time teacher at Fordham Law School, President of Everyone Reading, Inc,, past President of the Boerum Hill Association, former teacher of the deaf, co-founder of BrooklynSpeaks.net, Friends of Douglass/Greene Park: Jo Anne is a force to be reckoned with in fighting for our 'hood and our neighbors. Whether the issue is traffic and parking relief, land use and development, an alternative to the Gowanus Expressway, transparency in government, lesbian and gay rights, Jo Anne is passionate and committed in fighting for us all. This is why we hope you will join us on Cinco de Mayo in showing Jo Anne your support.

Visit Jo Anne's campaign at: www.JoAnneSimonforBrooklyn.com

State Court of Appeals agrees that 2009 Atlantic Yards plan was approved illegally

2012-04-13T16:16:35Z

BrooklynSpeaks sponsors demand Governor and Mayor intervene
to reduce project impacts, deliver promised housing and jobs

Contact: Gib Veconi - 917.881.0401

Jo Anne Simon - 917.685.3747

BROOKLYN, April 12, 2012: In a unanimous decision, the Appellate Division of the New York State Supreme Court today found that Justice Marcy Friedman correctly ruled in July 2011 that the Empire State Development Corporation's (ESDC) 2009 approval of Atlantic Yards' Modified General Project Plan violated State environmental law. Among other changes, the plan renegotiated in 2009 between the State and Forest City Ratner Companies (FCRC) extended Atlantic Yards' construction schedule from 10 to 25 years. Justice Friedman's order that the ESDC conduct additional environmental analyses and revisit the project plan will remain in effect.

"ESDC's decision to appeal was deeply disappointing both to the community and to its elected representatives, who had pressed the agency to comply with the court order," said Jo Anne Simon, 52nd District Democratic Leader. "Now that the Appellate Division has upheld the lower court's decision, we strongly urge Governor Cuomo to act to restore credibility to this process, and direct his agency to conduct a thorough and transparent assessment of the environmental impact of this project on central Brooklyn that involves our communities in a meaningful way."

BrooklynSpeaks sponsors had argued against the appeal, contending that ESDC fast-tracked its approval of the 2009 schedule concessions demanded by Forest City in order to allow FCRC to meet a deadline necessary for its arena bonds to qualify as tax-exempt. "ESDC's actions saved the developer hundreds of millions in interest payments," said Michelle de la Uz, Executive Director of the Fifth Avenue Committee, "but at the cost of thousands of units of affordable housing being delayed for decades. The Appellate Division ruling gives the Governor an opportunity to put the project's public benefits back on the schedule promised."

Read more

Making Green Roofs a Reality: Energy Efficient Rooftop Projects for Commercial Buildings

2012-04-13T16:13:46Z

Event on April 23, 2012

Join Pratt Center for Community Development, Southwest Brooklyn Industrial Development Corp., New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, and Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez on Monday, April 23rd at Pratt Institute to highlight the green roof project at Linda Tool and learn about other energy efficient projects you can do at your facility. Congresswoman Velazquez played an instrumental role in securing funds for the green roof installation at Linda Tool, a high-precision Red Hook manufacturer, and is a champion for small businesses across the country and especially in New York City. Hear how she worked with Southwest Brooklyn Industrial Development Corp and Linda Tool to make this project possible.

In addition to hearing from Congresswoman Velazquez and the president of Linda Tool, join NYSERDA representatives to learn how companies like yours can finance energy efficient projects at your facility including solar electric and solar thermal installations. If you own or operate a commercial or industrial facility with a large roof this is a great opportunity to learn about incentives offered by NYSERDA, utilities, and other sources. See how you can save money and cut your energy costs by investing in a rooftop installation.

This event is sponsored by Southwest Brooklyn Industrial Development Corp., New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, Pratt Center for Community Development, and presented in cooperation with Congresswoman Nydia M. Velázquez.

Conspiracy Theory About Velazquez Race Turns Out To Be True

2012-04-13T15:54:37Z

Written by Chris Bragg on April 6, 2012.

This morning, Room 8 blogger Gatemouth posted an article putting forth an intriguing conspiracy theory about the four-way Congressional race involving Rep. Nydia Velazquez.

And it turns out to actually be true.

Gatemouth posited that the candidacy of Dan O'Connor - a political newcomer who is one of the three people running against Velazquez - was being actively propped up by supporters of another candidate, Councilman Erik Martin Dilan, for Dilan's own political gain.

The theory went like this: read more.

Read the article that started this coverage here

Read the Congressional Redistricting coverage from the New York Times and check out the interactive feature!

2012-04-13T15:24:33Z

New Congressional Lines Imposed by Federal Court

By THOMAS KAPLAN

Published: March 19, 2012

ALBANY -- A panel of federal judges, lamenting what they called an "unwelcome failure of state government," imposed on Monday a court-drawn revision of New York's Congressional districts.

Interactive Feature

The redistricting order, which came after the State Assembly and Senate gave up trying to draw new Congressional lines, reduced the number of districts in New York to 27 from 29, as was required as a result of the 2010 census. Read more

Federal Judge Releases Draft Congressional Maps

2012-03-07T19:20:00Z

EMPIRE.NYC.ORG

March 6, 2012 | 8:13 AM | By Colby Hamilton

Yesterday, federal magistrate judge Roanne Mann held a hearing to review the proposed congressional maps submitted by the state assembly and senate, as well as groups like Common Cause. Much of the hearing was over the scope the parties hoped the judge would take-the legislative houses and others pushed the judge to make the scope narrower, to look at the existing districts as starting points, and to consider incumbency.

Well, Judge Mann worked fast: below are the draft congressional maps released by the court late last night. And as you can see the judge appears to have decided ignored both the state senate and assembly's draft maps for downstate districts.

Some highlights from the city:

The Asian community centered in Flushing would have an Asian-influenced district in Queens.
The seat occupied by Bob Turner would cross into Nassau, and would also take on the entire Rockaway Peninsula-and pair Turner with Meeks (h/t Colin Campbell at Politicker)

Colin and I both stand corrected by Queens' own Evan Stavisky. Via Twitter: "Rep. Meeks' district was NOT combined with Turner. Turner's section of the Rockaways was just added to Rep. Meeks' district."

The Towns district stretches all the way to Coney Island.
Grimm's district would move further into Bay Ridge, picking up some of Sheepshead Bay in the process.
Maloney's district would gobble up the Williamsburg/Greenpoint neighborhoods in North Brooklyn, taking them out of Rep. Nydia Velázquez's district.
Charlie Rangel's district would remain in Manhattan, moving from the upper west to the upper east side of the island, but would continue the trend of being majority Latino.
It looks like the court decided to, more than anyone, blow up both the Turner and Ackerman seats.

Upstate, it looks like Buffalo, Rochester, and Albany all get their own individual seats. I'll update this post as necessary.

You can view the full set of Mann's maps here.

Click here to check out an interactive version of the redistricting map.

Service may end for last five stops on G train

2012-03-07T19:09:17Z

METRO.US./NEWYORK

EMILY ANNE EPSTEIN

NEW YORK

Published: March 06, 2012 3:21 p.m.

Last modified: March 07, 2012 11:54 a.m.

Save the G! That's the rallying cry heard in Brooklyn these days, as hundreds of straphangers are pressuring the MTA to keep service at the last five southbound G train stops in Brooklyn.

The MTA extended the G more than two years ago, in 2009, to the following stops: Fourth Avenue-Ninth Street, Seventh Avenue, Prospect Park-15th Street, Fort Hamilton Parkway and Church Avenue. But the G may no longer run to those last five stops when the MTA completes its ongoing Culver Viaduct rehabilitation project, expected to end next winter.

"The G train is the Brooklyn local -- it links neighborhoods that have been otherwise inaccessible," said Williamsburg District Leader Lincoln Restler, who started a petition to save the service.

So far at least 1,500 people have signed on in support of their subway.

Without the G extension, it would take an extra 40 minutes to make it from Greenpoint to Park Slope, Restler pointed out, because riders would have to transfer to another line.

"I don't know how I'd get to work," researcher Sara M., 29, who lives in Greenpoint and commutes to Park Slope for work, said.

South Slope business owner Damien Gagliano, 34, said it would be devastating to the communities that line the train.

"A lot of people use that train," Gagliano said. "Other than driving, there is no way to get to that side of Brooklyn."

Riders running out of time?

Restler realized the deadline for residents to save the extension was inching closer and closer last week, after the MTA finished repairing the 4th Avenue-9th Street station house, which had been closed for 40 years. With the Culver Viaduct Rehabilitation Project scheduled to be completed next year, Restler put out a call to arms.

But despite outcry, spokesman Charles Seaton said MTA still hasn't made up it's mind.

"No decision has been made," said Seaton. "Closer to the date, we'll do an assessment."

BK prez weighs in

Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz sides with straphangers when it comes to the G train extension.

"The extension of the G train to Church Avenue has given MTA customers," agued Markowitz. "We need more service, not less."

Markowitz said G train service has been essential to the borough's expanding work force, tourism and residential appeal.

"I strongly urge the MTA to consider the impacts on straphangers and businesses from Greenpoint to Kensington if the G train extension were to be discontinued," Markowitz said.

Affected stations

The following five stations would no longer be serviced by the G should the MTA end service next winter:

Fourth Avenue-Ninth Street
Seventh Avenue
Prospect Park-15th Street
Fort Hamilton Parkway
Church Avenue

The MTA estimates that approximately 125,000 straphangers ride the G from Court Square to Smith-9th.

For more local news, follow Emily Anne Epstein on Twitter @EmilyAEpstein.

The issue of the G train is not new but needs to be resolved in favor of continuing this service.
For an earlier article on this issue, please click here (NYT).

COME MEET JO ANNE SIMON, DEMOCRATIC DISTRICT LEADER of the 52ND DISTRICT!

2012-02-27T19:41:27Z

YOU'RE INVITED!

Join Claire & Lewis Okser, Hon. Chris Owens, Hon. Lincoln Restler, Jesse Strauss, Dan Campanelli, Bill Harris, Steve Brounstein, Joni Kletter, Kim Soule

(host committee in formation)

Help kick off her re-election campaign!

AT THE HOME OF:
Claire & Lewis Okser
358 Pacific Street

(Historic Cuyler-Warren Church)

Saturday, March 3, 2012
4:00 - 6:00 PM

Hors d'oeuvres and
Refreshments will be served!

Suggested Minimum Contribution - $52

Please RSVP by March 1, 2012 to:

718 852-3528 / susanc1987@gmail.com

Click here to view the invite in pdf format: Okser Invite.pdf
Click here to view the invite as a Word Document: Okser Invite.doc

Redistricting Testimony given on February 1, 2012

2012-02-16T16:38:09Z

Here's the gist of my testimony before the Legislative Task Force on Demographic Research and Reapportionment on February 1, 2012:

The district lines as proposed underscore the reason for the popularity of non-partisan redistricting. The presently proposed lines DO NOT:

· reflect effects of a transparent process

· keep communities together

· reflect well on the legislature's role in redistricting, underscoring the public's dissatisfaction and belief that the people do not matter.

· Advance public policy, e.g.: transparency; 1 person, 1vote; protection for minority rights

The proposed Senate lines are the most obviously egregious, although legitimate similar concerns have been expressed about Assembly lines in other parts of the state.

The proposed lines DO:

· divide by what looks to be the interests of one party over another,

· divide communities of interest,

· pits one incumbent against another for no reason consistent with any public policy (locally, for example, this affects the current Senators from the 18^th and 20^th Senate districts)

The panel had earlier asked a resident of North Brooklyn why the State legislative lines mattered to the future development of affordable housing in New York City. The answer is of course it does, whether for funding or consistency of advocacy, or effectuation of public policy.

Common Cause/NY has set a fine example for redrawing district lines, showing that it can be done fairly and consistent with public policy.

I urged Governor Cuomo to veto lines and encouraged the Legislative Task Force to put their heads together and resolve the lines in the interest of the public.

Statement on Hydraulic Fracturing in the Marcellus Shale

2012-01-23T17:18:20Z

Here's the statement I recently submitted to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation:

There can be no question that high-volume hydraulic fracturing ("fracking") poses enormous risks to the approximately 9 million people of New York City and tri-state area who rely on clean water from the Catskills and reservoirs upstate. Citizens of upstate New York and surrounding areas are at risk of property value depreciation due to contaminated land and air. There have also been reports of increased illness, including asthma, headaches, nausea, and allergies. These afflictions however are not just affecting humans--it has been reported that pets and livestock have been getting sick as well. In addition, the jobs fracking creates do not necessarily go to local citizens; two-thirds of those working at various fracking sites are from out-of-state.

There has not been enough research done on hydraulic fracturing to deem it "safe." As we learned recently with the unusual earthquakes in Ohio that were directly tied to fracking, we do not yet fully understand the geology of New York State and how it might be affected by fracking, nor how fracking might affect the many aging water tunnels underground. Because the natural gas industry has secured an exemption from the Clean Water Act (also known as the Halliburton Loophole), it need not, and has not, disclosed the chemicals or chemical mixtures it uses in the fracking process. Therefore, we do not know what chemicals are present in the fluids that would be injected deep into the ground, and we do not know how far they will travel within geological formations, or if they will return to surface aquifers. New York must absolutely ban any toxic and carcinogenic chemicals that could be potentially injected into the ground and reach our water supplies.

While natural gas may burn cleaner than other fossil fuels, air pollution from diesel engines, compressor stations, and flaring negate this, with the unfortunate addition of noise and light pollution. We will see the destruction of the environment with the construction of roads to fracking sites, as well as on-site storage pools that can potentially leak extremely hazardous chemicals into the ground, for which presently there is no known treatment or safe method of disposal. These disposal pools are the result of pumping millions of gallons of freshwater and chemicals into the ground to break apart the shale rock, which in the end returns to the surface contaminated and is then considered "hazardous waste." The proposed regulations do not adequately address the many unknowns in a process for which any unknown cannot be countenanced because the dangers are simply too great.

The clean water from upstate that millions of New Yorkers rely on is a special, unique resource that should not be put at risk for any reason. The DEC must protect everyone's water, regardless of where it is. The natural gas trapped in the Marcellus Shale is not going anywhere--the DEC needs to do more in-depth research before making any decisions that put our water - and our lives - at risk.

December News Update

2011-12-29T17:32:41Z

EDUCATION UPDATE

Not unexpectedly, the Panel for Education Policy approved the co-location - of a new K-4 charter school, Success Academy Cobble Hill, to move into and share the building at 284 Baltic Street which currently houses two schools serving grades 6-12 (School for Global Studies and School for International Studies) and a District 75 program for students with disabilities. I testified against this co-location for two reasons: (1) I believe the practice of forcing the co-location of charter schools into public schools is bad public policy, undermining public education, and (2) the public school programs at this location have turned themselves around, going from an F to a B in a short time. I believe school improvements should be nurtured, including the provision of a proper special educational environment for students with disabilities who are routinely left behind in the wake of charter co-locations. There was nothing about this proposal that demonstrated anything different would occur.

NY YOUTH WORKS

On December 9, I was delighted to attend the ceremony where Governor Cuomo signed into law the NY Youth Works bill. The law seeks to attack head-on the disparities in youth employment among those hardest hit - young people of color living in inner city neighborhoods.

NY Youth Works will function in three phases:

Phase 1: For up to six weeks before a youth is placed in employment, youth providers, like not-for-profits and workforce investment boards, will prepare eligible youth with skills such as work readiness, occupational training, and digital literacy.
Phase 2: Businesses will be offered a $3,000 wage subsidy in the form of tax credits to hire disadvantaged youths for six months. Preference will be given to employers in demand industries such as clean energy, healthcare, advanced manufacturing, and conservation. Priority will be given to employers that provide on-site occupational skills training during this period. During Phase 1 and Phase 2, participating youth will be provided with up to three monthly stipends of $300 to cover costs associated with transitioning into the workplace.
Phase 3: An additional $1,000 tax credit will be available to employers that retain the participating youths for an additional six months.

NYU-POLY CENTER FOR APPLIED SCIENCES

On Wednesday, December 21st, I joined Borough President Marty Markowitz, State Senators Daniel Squadron and Velmanette Montgomery, Assemblymember Joan L. Millman, NYC Councilmembers Letitia James and Stephen Levin and local technology business leaders to rally for an applied science campus at 370 Jay Street. NYU-Poly has proposed a Center for Urban Science and Progress there.

For those of us who live and work in and around Downtown Brooklyn, we have yearned for a better use that the empty and forlorn looking 370 Jay Street. For more than a decade, it's been deserted and desolate, falling into disrepair and not giving back to the local economy, much less the pockets of transit riders. Putting 370 Jay to work, creating a center for science and technology, will put New Yorkers to work. As you know, I am a small business owner on Fulton Street, and this would make a big difference - bringing a new vitality and a stronger interconnectedness between Downtown Brooklyn's educational institutions, including City Tech, and the surrounding neighborhoods.

COME FIGHT FOR QUALITY EDUCATION IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD!

2011-11-26T21:22:22Z

Community leaders and educators (including Assemblywoman Joan Millman and former Deputy Chancellor Carmen Farina) are proposing a free public Early Childhood Center in the building that currently houses Brooklyn School for Global Studies and the School for International Studies. The proposed Early Childhood Center would offer pre-K and kindergarten to children in local school zones.

BUT

The Department of Education wants to give the space to former NYC Councilwoman Eva Moskowitz to open a Success Academy Charter School that would serve students in K-4 from all across the district. The DOE's analysis of the available space is dubious, so there is a real concern about its squeezing the schools currently housed there, and harming those schools and the children they serve in the bargain.

Please attend and tell the Department of Education what you think would better serve the needs of neighborhood families.

WHEN: Tuesday, Nov. 29th at 5:30 pm 
WHERE: 284 Baltic Street (between Smith and Court Street)

There is an on-line petition you can sign. Also, a number of parents have set up a facebook page to share information.

Visit them at: http://www.facebook.com/events/268718893180043;
Twitter: #NoSuccess

Click to download:
Proposal for Early Childhood Center K293

Flier for 11.29
Success Academy vs Early Childhood

Hydrofracking, OWS, Milionaire's tax...

2011-11-26T19:26:55Z

As State Committeewoman for the 52nd AD, Jo Anne recently supported several resolutions before the State Democratic Committee. Besides a resolution supporting the rights of Occupy Wall Street to protest, she supported a resolution to ban hydraulic fracturing (hydrofracking) in NYS because there is just no assurance that it is safe to do do, and the extension of the so-called "millionaire's" tax to millionaires.

In addition, the Independent Neighborhood Democrats (IND) also passed a resolution supporting Occupy Wall Street. You can read them all here:

Click here to download the Hydrofracking Ban resolution:
NYSDC Ban Hyrdrofracking reso Nov 2011.docx

Click here to download the Millionaire's Tax Resolution:
Millionaire Surtax Resolution.docx

Click here to download the Independent Neighborhood Democrats' Resolution that supports Occupy Wall Street's right to protest:
IND OWS Resolution.doc

Ratner: Affordable Housing Won't Work For Atlantic Yards

2011-11-18T22:21:40Z

From Brooklyn Speaks

The latest bombshell to drop at the Atlantic Yards project came yesterday with the release of renderings of its first planned residential tower. As reported today by the Wall Street Journal, Mr. Ratner said Thursday that the existing incentives for developments where half the units are priced for middle- and low-income tenants "don't work for a high-rise building that's union built." He added that he had "accepted the fact that we're not going to get more subsidy."

The first part of Bruce Ratner's shocking statement pits union workers against working families, and becomes truly appalling when one considers his project removed 171 units of occupied affordable housing from the Atlantic Yards footprint before beginning construction. It sounds like the families he displaced shouldn't plan on coming back now.

The second part of his statement may set the stage for Forest City Ratner to claim an "Affordable Housing Subsidy Unavailability" under the master development agreement it executed with the Empire State Development Corporation. That's one of the conditions that allow FCR to drag construction of Atlantic Yards out even longer than the 25 years which it renegotiated with the ESDC in 2009 (and which a State Supreme Court judge ruled that ESDC approved illegally).

It's possible that Mr. Ratner is posturing for a negotiation with union officials aimed at reducing wages for labor on his project. But it's also likely that the result will be not only a reduction to union scale, but fewer affordable units than promised, with a longer wait for those units to be delivered, and at a greater cost to the public.
Why do we think so? Let's review the score on the plan that was approved originally:
• First, $200 million of State and City subsidy wasn't enough for Atlantic Yards.
• Next, Frank Gehry's architecture was too expensive for Atlantic Yards.
• Then, the 10-year project schedule was too short for Atlantic Yards.
• Eight acres of open space also didn't work for Atlantic Yards, unless one considers an 1,100-car surface parking lot to be open space.
• And providing unionized jobs for local residents hasn't worked for Atlantic Yards, either.
Now, the 2,250 units of affordable housing are in greater doubt. It may be the only public promise that FCR will be able to keep is that its arena will create a traffic nightmare in central Brooklyn.

At a September 26 meeting with community leaders and local legislators, ESDC CEO Kenneth Adams dismissed the idea that Atlantic Yards, like other large State projects, required dedicated oversight from his agency (as the State Assembly voted to approve in June). "Every project is different," he said.

In a sense, Mr. Adams is right. Atlantic Yards is different practically every month. But that's why his ESDC needs to bring this project under control.