**For Immediate Release**
January 13, 2012
Contact: Amyre Loomis (718) 260-9191
Statement by Council Member Letitia James About New York City Council's Support of Living Wage Bill
(Brooklyn, NY) “As we prepare to celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., I applaud Speaker Quinn for supporting The Fair Wages for New Yorkers Act, also known as the Living Wage Bill, which would standardize a living wage for employees in jobs created through tax dollar-subsidized development projects.
The bill requires future development projects that receive $1 million or more in discretionary funding from the City, to pay $10 an hour plus benefits for full-time workers, and $11.50 an hour without benefits for at least 10 years. Millions of dollars a year in taxpayer-financed subsidies are provided to private developers by the City of New York, and these employers should pay decent wages.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. stood with sanitation workers demanding a living wage when he was killed. The City Council now stands with the working poor of New York City in support of The Fair Wages for New Yorkers Act, as well as in honor of the moral mandate and living spirit of Dr. King.
The Living Wage Bill will go a long way to help lift families out of poverty; I thank my colleagues in the Progressive Caucus for pushing to restore progressive politics back to its core.”
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Tampilkan postingan dengan label legislation. Tampilkan semua postingan
Minggu, 15 Januari 2012
Selasa, 15 November 2011
CM James Scores A+ On Urban Justice Center- Human Rights Report Card
Council Member Letitia James has scored as A+ on the 2011 Urban Justice Center- Human Rights Report Card. The report card examines Council Members' compliance with universal human rights standards- especially in regards to employment, housing, health, food, education and other economic and social rights.Council Member Letitia James is a supporter of the Council's living wage legislation, and has spoken against Walmart coming to New York City. She was recently part of the leadership that removed a racist anti-abortion billboard in SOHO; and joined with women's advocacy organizations to hold a press conference in support of a fair trial for Nafissatou Diallo, the Guinean housekeeper who accused former IMF head Dominique Strauss-Kahn of sexual assault.
Council Member James sponsored a law that addressed the Department of Corrections reporting to the Council violent incidents involving adolescents in 2009. She has been a strong advocate for restoring childcare vouchers, and fought to avoid the closure of childcare centers Citywide. She sponsored a 35th District Food Conference last term, and continues to work towards increasing green jobs throughout the City.
Council Member James is the sponsor of legislation that would address inequality in City housing, and paid family leave. She can be seen in the Atlantic Yards documentary Battle for Brooklyn, and was a contributer to the documentary The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till, following her introduction of a City Council resolution to reopen Till's murder case.
Council Member James has scored consistently high scores on the report card (see 2008, 2009, and 2010).
Those interested in reading the report may do so here.
Rabu, 02 November 2011
CM James Introduces Legislation To Require City Agencies To Report Cost Overruns On Large Private Contracts
**FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE** November 2, 2011
Contact: Aja Worthy-Davis at (212) 788-7081
Council Member Letitia James Introduces Legislation To Require City Agencies To Report Cost Overruns On Large Private Contracts
Bill Is In Response To Administration's Lack Of Oversight, Ongoing Review Of Contracts
New York, NY- On November 3, 2011, Council Member Letitia James will introduce legislation that would require City agencies to report to the Council cost overruns on large contracts. Specifically, agencies would be required to notify the Council within seven business days when it authorizes a payment to modify or extend an original contract worth more than $1M, for an additional cost of $500,000 and/or more than 10% over the original contract price.
During Council Member James’ tenure as Chair of the Contracts Committee, the committee held hearings on the outsourcing of public services to the private sector (as it affected both municipal workers throughout the City of New York, and public costs for potentially unnecessary private labor); as well as two oversight hearings on the Office of Payroll Administration’s City Time contract, a payroll system that she’d criticized as being overly costly and difficult to manage.
In September 2010, after Council Member James’ chairmanship ended, she stood with Local 375 (DC 37) to halt any further rolling-out of the Citytime project. She later commended Comptroller John Liu for ending expansion of the project due to ballooning costs and unmet deadlines, as well as his imposing hard deadlines on incomplete work. She joined numerous elected officials in speaking out against the $80M embezzlement of public funds by City Time consultants in December 2010, and praised Mayor Bloomberg for rightfully demanding $600 million from Science Applications International Corporation (contractor of Citytime) for what had become a public disaster for the administration.
In March 2011, former Deputy Mayor Stephen Goldsmith wrote an op-ed in the New York Daily News on the outsourcing of technology positions to private contractors. In the article, Mr. Goldsmith asserted that the issue was not the outsourcing itself, but rather the administration’s need to place more attention towards employing City workers to perform these IT duties. He also announced administrative efforts to increase positions for municipal workers. Council Member James commended the administration for taking these initial steps.
"It is obvious that a lack of administrative oversight of contracted companies leaves the City vulnerable," said Council Member James. "Although I support the administration developing technology that simplifies and updates necessary functions, I do not support the administration handing over blank checks to private companies for IT projects."
The Citytime contract increased from a projected $68 million at its onset to more than $738 million, the Emergency Communications Transformation Program went from an initial $380 million to $666 million, and NYCAPS has ballooned from $66 million in 2002 to $363 million as of 2011.
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Contact: Aja Worthy-Davis at (212) 788-7081
Council Member Letitia James Introduces Legislation To Require City Agencies To Report Cost Overruns On Large Private Contracts
Bill Is In Response To Administration's Lack Of Oversight, Ongoing Review Of Contracts
New York, NY- On November 3, 2011, Council Member Letitia James will introduce legislation that would require City agencies to report to the Council cost overruns on large contracts. Specifically, agencies would be required to notify the Council within seven business days when it authorizes a payment to modify or extend an original contract worth more than $1M, for an additional cost of $500,000 and/or more than 10% over the original contract price.
During Council Member James’ tenure as Chair of the Contracts Committee, the committee held hearings on the outsourcing of public services to the private sector (as it affected both municipal workers throughout the City of New York, and public costs for potentially unnecessary private labor); as well as two oversight hearings on the Office of Payroll Administration’s City Time contract, a payroll system that she’d criticized as being overly costly and difficult to manage.
In September 2010, after Council Member James’ chairmanship ended, she stood with Local 375 (DC 37) to halt any further rolling-out of the Citytime project. She later commended Comptroller John Liu for ending expansion of the project due to ballooning costs and unmet deadlines, as well as his imposing hard deadlines on incomplete work. She joined numerous elected officials in speaking out against the $80M embezzlement of public funds by City Time consultants in December 2010, and praised Mayor Bloomberg for rightfully demanding $600 million from Science Applications International Corporation (contractor of Citytime) for what had become a public disaster for the administration.
In March 2011, former Deputy Mayor Stephen Goldsmith wrote an op-ed in the New York Daily News on the outsourcing of technology positions to private contractors. In the article, Mr. Goldsmith asserted that the issue was not the outsourcing itself, but rather the administration’s need to place more attention towards employing City workers to perform these IT duties. He also announced administrative efforts to increase positions for municipal workers. Council Member James commended the administration for taking these initial steps.
"It is obvious that a lack of administrative oversight of contracted companies leaves the City vulnerable," said Council Member James. "Although I support the administration developing technology that simplifies and updates necessary functions, I do not support the administration handing over blank checks to private companies for IT projects."
The Citytime contract increased from a projected $68 million at its onset to more than $738 million, the Emergency Communications Transformation Program went from an initial $380 million to $666 million, and NYCAPS has ballooned from $66 million in 2002 to $363 million as of 2011.
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Please Sign BK Speaks Petition In Support of RPPs
As Council Member James joins her colleagues in speaking in support of residential parking permits today, we want to bring your attention to a petition created by Brooklyn Speaks (civic associations, community-based organizations, and advocacy groups concerned about the future of development at the Atlantic Yards site) in support of a residential permit parking program for New York City in conjunction with local communities and their representatives.An informal poll by Brownstoner also put the number of residents in support of an RPP near Barclay's at 83.6%.
Petition- http://www.petitiononline.com/petitions/rpp4nyc/signatures
Poll- http://www.brownstoner.com/blog/2011/10/a-push-for-residential-permit-parking-near-the-arena/#more-73139
Senin, 31 Oktober 2011
CM James And BK Speaks Urge Community To SPEAK UP For RPPs In Downtown, Central BK
**FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE** October 31, 2011
Contact Amyre Loomis at (718) 260-9191
COUNCIL MEMBER LETITIA JAMES AND BROOKLYN SPEAKS URGE THE COMMUNITY TO SPEAK UP FOR RESIDENTIAL PERMIT PARKING IN CENTRAL BROOKLYN!
State legislation required to limit consequences of Barclays Center traffic
WHAT: Hearing of the New York City Council Committee on State and Federal Legislation
WHEN: Wednesday, 11/2 at 10:30AM
WHERE: 250 Broadway, 14th Floor
According to the Empire State Development Corporation, when the Barclays Center opens in September 2012, an expected 35% of arena patrons, or as many as 5,600 cars will travel to the site for each of the projected 220 events held each year. If nothing is done before to mitigate this volume of traffic, there will be an increased risk of vehicular, pedestrian and bicycle accidents that already make Atlantic Avenue Brooklyn's most dangerous road. This barrage of traffic is also expected to cause significant delays at more than half of the intersections within a half mile of the arena. And it will result in almost 3,000 arena patrons taking curbside parking spots in Park Slope, Boerum Hill, Fort Greene, and Prospect Heights.
Among all of the impacts to neighborhood character and quality of life that will come from locating Atlantic Yards' arena within residential communities, none are of greater consequence to more residents than the traffic generated from arena events. But, there is a way to reduce the demand for our local streets. It's called "residential permit parking," or RPP, and it's been effective in other cities, like Boston and Chicago, where sports facilities are located in densely-populated areas. By limiting on-street parking during arena events to local residents, RPP will create a disincentive for arena patrons to drive, reducing congestion and making streets safer.
New York City requires authorization from the State legislature before it can implement RPP. On Wednesday, 11/2 at 10:30AM, the City Council will hear testimony on legislation authorizing the City to enact residential permit parking programs in the five boroughs.
The BrooklynSpeaks sponsors and Council Member James implore you to participate in this critical hearing and make your voice heard.
Please email us with your plans to attend and interest in speaking!
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Contact Amyre Loomis at (718) 260-9191
COUNCIL MEMBER LETITIA JAMES AND BROOKLYN SPEAKS URGE THE COMMUNITY TO SPEAK UP FOR RESIDENTIAL PERMIT PARKING IN CENTRAL BROOKLYN!
State legislation required to limit consequences of Barclays Center traffic
WHAT: Hearing of the New York City Council Committee on State and Federal Legislation
WHEN: Wednesday, 11/2 at 10:30AM
WHERE: 250 Broadway, 14th Floor
According to the Empire State Development Corporation, when the Barclays Center opens in September 2012, an expected 35% of arena patrons, or as many as 5,600 cars will travel to the site for each of the projected 220 events held each year. If nothing is done before to mitigate this volume of traffic, there will be an increased risk of vehicular, pedestrian and bicycle accidents that already make Atlantic Avenue Brooklyn's most dangerous road. This barrage of traffic is also expected to cause significant delays at more than half of the intersections within a half mile of the arena. And it will result in almost 3,000 arena patrons taking curbside parking spots in Park Slope, Boerum Hill, Fort Greene, and Prospect Heights.
Among all of the impacts to neighborhood character and quality of life that will come from locating Atlantic Yards' arena within residential communities, none are of greater consequence to more residents than the traffic generated from arena events. But, there is a way to reduce the demand for our local streets. It's called "residential permit parking," or RPP, and it's been effective in other cities, like Boston and Chicago, where sports facilities are located in densely-populated areas. By limiting on-street parking during arena events to local residents, RPP will create a disincentive for arena patrons to drive, reducing congestion and making streets safer.
New York City requires authorization from the State legislature before it can implement RPP. On Wednesday, 11/2 at 10:30AM, the City Council will hear testimony on legislation authorizing the City to enact residential permit parking programs in the five boroughs.
The BrooklynSpeaks sponsors and Council Member James implore you to participate in this critical hearing and make your voice heard.
Please email us with your plans to attend and interest in speaking!
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Jumat, 05 Agustus 2011
CM James’ Statement Regarding Resignation of Deputy Mayor Stephen Goldsmith
**FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE**
August 4, 2011
Contact: Aja Worthy-Davis at (212) 788-7081
Council Member Letitia James’ Statement Regarding Resignation of Deputy Mayor Stephen Goldsmith
(New York, NY)— After serving fourteen months with the administration of Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Deputy Mayor for Operations Stephen Goldsmith today publicly announced his resignation from this position.
In this position, Deputy Mayor Goldsmith was integral to the development of “NYC Simplicity”, a comprehensive online system created to make City services more focused, innovative, and efficient. He was also involved with the updates to PlaNYC, the mayor’s comprehensive sustainability plan; as well as increased efficiency to the Department of Building’s construction approval process.
Deputy Mayor Goldsmith oversaw operational management during the Snow Blizzard of 2010, during which the administration failed to adequately respond to unplowed streets and overflowing garbage in many communities. At the time Council Member Letitia James, chair of the Council’s Sanitation Committee, joined many of her colleagues in chastising the administration for its poor response to the blizzard, as well as being out-of-touch with the conditions in outer boroughs. In April 2011, the City Council passed a legislative package with the intent of increasing intergovernmental communications and transparency during snow emergencies. Deputy Mayor Goldsmith was also heavily involved in the City’s contracting agreement, which has seen a number of high-profile errors related to poor management and insufficient oversight— the most visible being the CityTime disaster.
“I have always believed Deputy Mayor Goldsmith to be both hard-working and responsive,” said Council Member Letitia James. “I do not believe one man is responsible for the administration’s numerous blunders, and I sincerely hope he is not being punished for poor polling numbers. I look forward to working with Commissioner Holloway in his new capacity.”
Mayor Bloomberg has appointed Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Caswell F. Holloway to the Deputy Mayor for Operations position.
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August 4, 2011
Contact: Aja Worthy-Davis at (212) 788-7081
Council Member Letitia James’ Statement Regarding Resignation of Deputy Mayor Stephen Goldsmith
(New York, NY)— After serving fourteen months with the administration of Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Deputy Mayor for Operations Stephen Goldsmith today publicly announced his resignation from this position.
In this position, Deputy Mayor Goldsmith was integral to the development of “NYC Simplicity”, a comprehensive online system created to make City services more focused, innovative, and efficient. He was also involved with the updates to PlaNYC, the mayor’s comprehensive sustainability plan; as well as increased efficiency to the Department of Building’s construction approval process.
Deputy Mayor Goldsmith oversaw operational management during the Snow Blizzard of 2010, during which the administration failed to adequately respond to unplowed streets and overflowing garbage in many communities. At the time Council Member Letitia James, chair of the Council’s Sanitation Committee, joined many of her colleagues in chastising the administration for its poor response to the blizzard, as well as being out-of-touch with the conditions in outer boroughs. In April 2011, the City Council passed a legislative package with the intent of increasing intergovernmental communications and transparency during snow emergencies. Deputy Mayor Goldsmith was also heavily involved in the City’s contracting agreement, which has seen a number of high-profile errors related to poor management and insufficient oversight— the most visible being the CityTime disaster.
“I have always believed Deputy Mayor Goldsmith to be both hard-working and responsive,” said Council Member Letitia James. “I do not believe one man is responsible for the administration’s numerous blunders, and I sincerely hope he is not being punished for poor polling numbers. I look forward to working with Commissioner Holloway in his new capacity.”
Mayor Bloomberg has appointed Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Caswell F. Holloway to the Deputy Mayor for Operations position.
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Rabu, 01 Juni 2011
ATTENTION: NYC RGB Rent Increases
At its meeting on May 3, 2011, the NYC Rent Guidelines Board (RGB) adopted and proposed a range of renewal lease guidelines that will greatly impact many of New Yorkers.
The preliminary rent hike, approved on Tuesday, May 3rd, 2011 by the RGB is slated to be voted on next month. The board proposed changes to both one-year and two-year lease agreements. Increases for one-year leases will potentially fall between 3 and 5.75 percent, while two-year leases would go up between 6 and 9 percent.
Council Member James recently joined her colleagues on a trip to Albany to lobby State officials to strengthen and extend rent laws legislatively. The alternative would effectively allow low and middle-income New Yorkers to continue to flee this City and State due to progressively ballooning rental costs.
The RGB has scheduled two upcoming public hearings during which the public will be able to testify and weigh in on the adopted and proposed renewal lease guidelines. Details on the Brooklyn-based hearing is below—
Thursday, June 16, 2011
4:30PM
Kiltgord Auditorium
285 Jay Street in Downtown Brooklyn
Council Member James encourages you to attend and share your thoughts on a proposed rent hike.
Kamis, 28 April 2011
CM James, Sanitation Committee Chair, Supports Legislation To Ease ASP Burden
**FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE**
April 28, 2011
Contact Amyre Loomis at (718) 260-9191
Council Member James, Chair of the Council’s Committee on Sanitation and Solid Waste Supports Legislation to Ease Alternate Side Parking Burden on Brooklyn Residents
New law reduces alt-side requirements for areas that meet cleanliness standards
(Brooklyn, NY) A proposed law, (Int 287-A) addresses the Mayor’s Office of Operation’s Scorecard Cleanliness Report, which determines street cleanliness. In March 2010, my office sent a letter to the department requesting to be included in any updates on the scorecard methodology, specifically any streets chosen to be “representative” streets for the purposes of the report.
This bill, sponsored by Council Member Brad Lander empowers community boards with an average cleanliness rating of 90%, over 2 consecutive years, to submit a request to the department to receive reduced street cleaning by one day (for a qualifying district). All community boards located within the 35th CD: 2, 3, 8, and 9 are eligible for this reduction. The department would have the option to resume the original street cleaning schedule if the sanitation district receives an average score of less than 90% under the Mayor's office of operations scorecard program for any period of three consecutive months, or if the average score of the sanitation district falls below 90% over a period of two consecutive fiscal years.
“After working with the Mayor’s Office of Operations regarding their scorecard cleanliness methodology, I am pleased with the legislation being put forth. The quality of life will be better for everyone in New York City when parking becomes easier and more available,” said Council Member James. “This is good news and should decrease the amount of expensive tickets given to drivers, as well as the hassle of moving cars. Also, I believe that through giving community boards with high cleanliness ratings the option to reduce street cleaning, we are empowering communities to make independent decisions in the best interest of local residents.”
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April 28, 2011
Contact Amyre Loomis at (718) 260-9191
Council Member James, Chair of the Council’s Committee on Sanitation and Solid Waste Supports Legislation to Ease Alternate Side Parking Burden on Brooklyn Residents
New law reduces alt-side requirements for areas that meet cleanliness standards
(Brooklyn, NY) A proposed law, (Int 287-A) addresses the Mayor’s Office of Operation’s Scorecard Cleanliness Report, which determines street cleanliness. In March 2010, my office sent a letter to the department requesting to be included in any updates on the scorecard methodology, specifically any streets chosen to be “representative” streets for the purposes of the report.
This bill, sponsored by Council Member Brad Lander empowers community boards with an average cleanliness rating of 90%, over 2 consecutive years, to submit a request to the department to receive reduced street cleaning by one day (for a qualifying district). All community boards located within the 35th CD: 2, 3, 8, and 9 are eligible for this reduction. The department would have the option to resume the original street cleaning schedule if the sanitation district receives an average score of less than 90% under the Mayor's office of operations scorecard program for any period of three consecutive months, or if the average score of the sanitation district falls below 90% over a period of two consecutive fiscal years.
“After working with the Mayor’s Office of Operations regarding their scorecard cleanliness methodology, I am pleased with the legislation being put forth. The quality of life will be better for everyone in New York City when parking becomes easier and more available,” said Council Member James. “This is good news and should decrease the amount of expensive tickets given to drivers, as well as the hassle of moving cars. Also, I believe that through giving community boards with high cleanliness ratings the option to reduce street cleaning, we are empowering communities to make independent decisions in the best interest of local residents.”
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Rabu, 13 April 2011
CM James Comments on Equal Pay Day
**FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE**
April 12, 2011
FIFTY YEARS AFTER THE EQUAL PAY ACT BECAME LAW, AMERICAN WOMEN ON AVERAGE EARN ONLY 77 CENTS FOR EVERY DOLLAR EARNED BY THEIR MALE PEERS
April 12, 2011 is Equal Pay Day
“Today, many families rely on women's earnings, and the gender wage gap is a still a serious threat to all within this country. Statistics show that nearly 4 in 10 mothers are primary breadwinners for their families, and almost two thirds are primary or co-breadwinners.
Also, married mothers earn only 69 cents for every dollar compared to their male counterparts, and single mothers earn 58 cents for every dollar earned by married men with children. And the wage gap is most severe for women of color. In one year, the average black woman earns approximately $12,000 less, than the average white man does. For Latina women, the figure is $17,837 less.
The fight for pay equity is a battle taking place on the federal, state, and city levels.
In 2010, I introduced a resolution into the City Council calling upon Congress to pass and the President to sign into law the Paycheck Fairness Act. In October of last year, I wrote a letter to Senator Tom Harkin (Chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions), as well as Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, Congresswoman Rose DeLauro, and President Barack Obama, requesting that the legislation be passed. Unfortunately, it became clear in November 2010 that the Senate would fail in moving forward with the bill. However, President Barack Obama said in March 2011 that he will continue to fight for the goals in the Paycheck Fairness Act.
New York State is currently in the process of reviewing similar legislation— the New York State Fair Pay Act. The bill would make it an unlawful for an employer to discriminate on the basis of sex, race, and/or national origin through paying different wages to employees. Yesterday, this bill passed the State Assembly, and is currently in the New York State Senate.
I am working to create legislation on the citywide level that addresses the issue of pay equity. My efforts began with the help of New York Women’s Agenda in 2009. Although much authority to legislate wage issues lies with the State, I am confident that the New York City Council could pass legislation that eliminates wage-based discrimination, and secures pay equity for women throughout the City.
On this Equal Pay Day working women should know that their government supports them and fights for them against wage-based discrimination. Go to the link below to learn more. Lastly, please share with someone special that today, April 12, is Equal Pay Day.”
- Council Member Letitia James, 35th Council District, Brooklyn.
http://abetterbalance.org/web/images/stories/Documents/ForFamilies/ABB_Fact_Sheet_-_Equal_Pay.pdf
April 12, 2011
FIFTY YEARS AFTER THE EQUAL PAY ACT BECAME LAW, AMERICAN WOMEN ON AVERAGE EARN ONLY 77 CENTS FOR EVERY DOLLAR EARNED BY THEIR MALE PEERS
April 12, 2011 is Equal Pay Day
“Today, many families rely on women's earnings, and the gender wage gap is a still a serious threat to all within this country. Statistics show that nearly 4 in 10 mothers are primary breadwinners for their families, and almost two thirds are primary or co-breadwinners.
Also, married mothers earn only 69 cents for every dollar compared to their male counterparts, and single mothers earn 58 cents for every dollar earned by married men with children. And the wage gap is most severe for women of color. In one year, the average black woman earns approximately $12,000 less, than the average white man does. For Latina women, the figure is $17,837 less.
The fight for pay equity is a battle taking place on the federal, state, and city levels.
In 2010, I introduced a resolution into the City Council calling upon Congress to pass and the President to sign into law the Paycheck Fairness Act. In October of last year, I wrote a letter to Senator Tom Harkin (Chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions), as well as Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, Congresswoman Rose DeLauro, and President Barack Obama, requesting that the legislation be passed. Unfortunately, it became clear in November 2010 that the Senate would fail in moving forward with the bill. However, President Barack Obama said in March 2011 that he will continue to fight for the goals in the Paycheck Fairness Act.
New York State is currently in the process of reviewing similar legislation— the New York State Fair Pay Act. The bill would make it an unlawful for an employer to discriminate on the basis of sex, race, and/or national origin through paying different wages to employees. Yesterday, this bill passed the State Assembly, and is currently in the New York State Senate.
I am working to create legislation on the citywide level that addresses the issue of pay equity. My efforts began with the help of New York Women’s Agenda in 2009. Although much authority to legislate wage issues lies with the State, I am confident that the New York City Council could pass legislation that eliminates wage-based discrimination, and secures pay equity for women throughout the City.
On this Equal Pay Day working women should know that their government supports them and fights for them against wage-based discrimination. Go to the link below to learn more. Lastly, please share with someone special that today, April 12, is Equal Pay Day.”
- Council Member Letitia James, 35th Council District, Brooklyn.
http://abetterbalance.org/web/images/stories/Documents/ForFamilies/ABB_Fact_Sheet_-_Equal_Pay.pdf
Selasa, 04 Januari 2011
On The Legislative Front: 2010 In Review
Below is a partial legislative update from 2010. Our office looks forward to pushing these important policy priorities.
Int. 13-2010- Creation of a task force to combat youth violence.
Int. 197-2010- DOC to report on race/ethnicity, zip code of residence, precinct of arrest, and charged offense of adolescents admitted to city jails.
Int. 196-2010- DOC to develop a discharge plan for adolescents leaving city jails.
Res. 365-2010- Calling on NYS Legislature to more clearly define "public use, benefit, or purpose" in Eminent Domain Procedure Law.
Res. 116-2010- Calling on the Mayor to issue an Executive Order to require all NYC agencies to perform cost-effective analysis before contracting for personnel and professional service contracts.
Int, 286-2010- Establishing a temporary task force to review outsourcing (jobs, contracts, resources) by City agencies.
Res. 506-2010- Calling upon Animal Care and Control of NYC to establish a Citywide TNR Program for feral animals.
Res. 365-2010- Calling upon Congress to pass and POTUS to sign into law the Paycheck Fairness Act.
Int. 432-2010- Providing paid family leave to private employees.
Res. 582-2010- MTA to unlock doors between cars on NYC subway cars.
Upcoming bills--
-In relation to human rights in housing (addressing segregation in NYC housing- public)
-Calling on DOE and CUNY to develop standardized responses and protocal to address bullying and harassment in schools and colleges
-Requiring DOE to encourage enrollment to LYFE-DOE program for eligible teen parents; DOE to require standardized parenting training in LYFE centers; partnering with ACS to develop parental skills programs that include education on not leaving children with irresponsible or violent partners.
Rabu, 01 Desember 2010
CM James Introduces the "Family Leave for Private Employees Act" into City Council!
At yesterday's Stated Council meeting, Council Member Letitia James was pleased to re-introduce Int. 432-2010 into the City Council- the 'Family Leave for Private Employees Act' that would provide paid family leave to private employees. The legislation would establish that a private employer must provide paid family leave to an employee who is eligible to take unpaid leave pursuant to the Family & Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to care for persons covered by the federal law (note that recent amendments expanded this category). Any such employee would be entitled to a total of twelve weeks of paid family leave within an annual period.By providing employees with some portion of their regular salaries in those times of personal emergencies, this bill would allow such individuals to attend to the health needs of their families and loved ones without the fear of financial hardship due to lost pay.
Please call the Office of Council Member James at (212) 788-7081 for more detailed information on the bill. We will be posting further on this legislation.
For more information on this issue in general, please see the Working Families page here.
Rabu, 27 Oktober 2010
City Council Hearings Held on Outdoor ATMs, Development, and Post-Storm Clean-up
On Monday, October 25th, the Council Committee on Transportation held a hearing on Int. 257– 2010, in relation to regulating sidewalk ATMs as revocable consents and requiring safety features for all outdoor ATMs. This bill was introduced by Council Member Diana Reyna. The bill will act as a safety measure (currently there is little regulation or security rules in relation to outdoor ATM machines placed outside of non-banking businesses). The bill would look to address this loophole, and increase safety for consumers. Council Member James also has upcoming legislation regarding outdoor ATM regulation.
On Monday, the Council Committee on Land Use also held an oversight hearing which discussed development on 470 Vanderbilt Avenue.
Finally, the Council Committee on Sanitation and Solid Waste, chaired by Council Member Letitia James, held a joint hearing with the Council's Committee on Parks & Recreation regarding the recent storm.
For more information on any of these hearings, or to follow-up on these issues, please contact the City Hall Office of Council Member Letitia James at (212) 788-7081.
Selasa, 19 Oktober 2010
CM James Given "A" Grade on Urban Justice Center- Human Rights Report Card
The Urban Justice Center’s Human Rights Project (HRP) released their 2010 Human Rights Report Card yesterday. The report card grades each of the 51 members of the New York City Council on their human rights record. Council Member James is one of the nine Council Members who received an "A" grade on the report card.
You may view the report here; from Council Member James' review:
"Council Member James is working to promote green jobs and human rights in housing. She will reintroduce a bill to address economic and racial disparities in accessing housing, as well as others on paid family leave, pay equity....Her other priorities include expanding LGBT rights; and addressing HIV/AIDS rates in communities of color and government outsourcing of city jobs to the private sector...She has protested rent increases proposed by the Rent Guidelines Board. She is a member of the Progressive Caucus, and co-chair of the Brooklyn delegation."
In 2008, Council Member James was ranked #1 by the Urban Justice Center's Human Rights Report Card.
Rabu, 29 September 2010
CM James Applauds Comptroller Liu On CityTime Action
On Tuesday, September 21, 2010, Council Member Letitia James joined Local 375, DC 37, the Civil Service Technical Guild representing City engineers, architects, scientists, chemists, and other technical specialists in opposing the administration’s Citytime payroll project. From the onset, the Citytime project has been rife with accusations of administration and management errors that have seen “consultants” paid exuberant prices. Furthermore, the initial cost of the project ($68M) has ballooned to an estimated $700M over-budget last fiscal year. The current proposal is a 3-year contract that includes two SAIC contracts, and funding for ongoing operations. It would cost more than $100M.Council Member James joined the guild in calling on a freeze to any further rolling-out of the project in terms of both additional funding and application to new City agencies. In addition, she called on a full assessment of the project to be performed as soon as possible, following the audit performed by Comptroller John Liu, to determine whether it would be most cost-efficient to return payroll duties to City workers.
Council Member Letitia James has been a long-term opponent of the Citytime project, from her tenure of Chair of the Contracts Committee where she held two hearings on the project, as well as one on the general outsourcing of service jobs to the private sector. She continues to introduce legislation concerning the City's outsourcing of service contracts that may be able to be performed by municipal workers.
Council Member James applauds Comptroller Liu on standing firm on his opposition to the project overall. The Comptroller recently announced his agreement with the administration to give SAIC a deadline of June 30, 2011 to complete all original work on the program. If that is completed, the program will receive up to $32M for maintenance and support services alone. There will be no further rolling-out of the project at this time, and if SAIC fails to meet this deadline, $3M in damages will be assessed against the City’s payment.
You can read more about the new agreement here.
Jumat, 20 Agustus 2010
Council’s Historic Recycling Legislation Signed into Law by Mayor Bloomberg
STATEMENT BY COUNCIL SPEAKER CHRISTINE C. QUINN, SANITATION CHAIR LETITIA JAMES, AND PUBLIC ADVOCATE BILL DE BLASIO ON RECYCLING LEGISLATION SIGNED INTO LAW
The Mayor signed a package of recycling bills that will revolutionize recycling in New York City through a variety of initiatives including expanded plastic recycling, a new clothing and textile recycling program, and improved public space recycling. The package of legislation represents the first significant expansion of the city’s residential recycling program since it was created in 1989.
Speaker Christine C. Quinn: “I applaud the Mayor for signing this package of bills that will dramatically expand and overhaul the way we recycle here in New York City. Our legislation will divert over 8,000 tons of plastic every year away from landfills and incinerators. That’s equal to the amount of trash produced by nearly 10,000 people each year. This is one step closer to making New York City cleaner and greener for our current and future residents.”
Int. 156 - Improves recycling at City agencies by requiring each agency to establish sustainability coordinators and to implement plans to expand recycling with each agency.
Sanitation Committee Chair Letitia James: “The City’s comprehensive residential recycling law provides a recycling infrastructure separate from home collection. I thank the Mayor for signing this package today and finalizing the last step in making this a reality. Upgrades to Local Law 19 include an expanded public space recycling initiative, which would require DOS to site a total of 700 public space recycling bins. These revisions promote a culture of recycling in New York City by making it available and convenient for both residents, as well as visitors. Therefore, public receptacles make it easy for everyone to readily discard their used bottles, cans or papers. This is a win for all New Yorkers and our visitors.”
Int. 165 - Requires schools to designate a recycling coordinator and provide recycling receptacles in each classroom and at other locations.
Public Advocate Bill de Blasio: “This new law will do more than reduce school waste; it will teach the youngest New Yorkers to grow up green. I am proud to have sponsored this legislation, and I thank Speaker Quinn and Mayor Bloomberg for making it into law.”
Int. 158 - Requires DOS to site 300 new recycling bins in public spaces over the next three years, and a total of 700 bins within the next ten years.
Int. 162 - Mandates at least one DOS sponsored household hazardous waste collection event in each borough per year, with a long-term goal of increasing the number of events, or making such sites permanent.
Int. 148 - Expands plastic recycling to cover all rigid plastic containers, including such items as yogurt tubs, take out containers and medicine bottles.
Int. 147 Improves recycling education, enforcement, and fine increases.
Int. 142 - Extends the DOS collection period from March 1 – November 30 beginning in 2012, and requires the Department of Sanitation to establish leaf and yard waste composting facilities in all boroughs where the Department provides yard waste compost collection.
Int. 141 - Requires DOS to complete a study of commercial recycling practices.
Int. 142 - Establishes a voluntary take-back program for retailers and manufacturers of unused residential paint.
Int. 164 - Improves recycling reporting requirements and requires additional studies to enhance the City’s recycling programs.
Int. 171 - Requires a report to study ways to improve food waste composting in New York City.
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Senin, 17 Mei 2010
NYCC Sanitation Cmte Chair Letitia James Joins Collegues and Advocates To Announce Efforts To Expand Recycling; FG Park; 5/19; 10:30AM
Contact: Nicole Kolinsky 212-788-0260
***MEDIA ADVISORY***
Speaker Quinn, Sanitation Chair James, and Council Member Lappin To Announce Efforts in Brooklyn’s Fort Greene Park to Expand Recycling in City’s Public Spaces
Following the introduction of a comprehensive legislative package to expand and improve recycling programs in New York City, Speaker Quinn, together with Sanitation and Solid Waste Management Committee Chair Letitia James, and Council Member Jessica Lappin, will discuss important legislation to significantly expand the number of recycling bins in public locations across the city.
The announcement will take place at Fort Greene Park in Brooklyn which the Administration and the Council selected in 2007 as a location for a public spaces recycling pilot program.
WHAT: Public Spaces Recycling Legislation Press Conference
WHO: Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn
Sanitation and Solid Waste Management Committee Chair Letitia James
Council Member Jessica Lappin
Environmental Advocates
Fort Greene Park– Southeast Corner
WHERE: DeKalb Avenue and Washington Park
WHEN: Wednesday, May 19, 2010
TIME: 10:30 A.M.
***MEDIA ADVISORY***
Speaker Quinn, Sanitation Chair James, and Council Member Lappin To Announce Efforts in Brooklyn’s Fort Greene Park to Expand Recycling in City’s Public Spaces
Following the introduction of a comprehensive legislative package to expand and improve recycling programs in New York City, Speaker Quinn, together with Sanitation and Solid Waste Management Committee Chair Letitia James, and Council Member Jessica Lappin, will discuss important legislation to significantly expand the number of recycling bins in public locations across the city.
The announcement will take place at Fort Greene Park in Brooklyn which the Administration and the Council selected in 2007 as a location for a public spaces recycling pilot program.
WHAT: Public Spaces Recycling Legislation Press Conference
WHO: Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn
Sanitation and Solid Waste Management Committee Chair Letitia James
Council Member Jessica Lappin
Environmental Advocates
Fort Greene Park– Southeast Corner
WHERE: DeKalb Avenue and Washington Park
WHEN: Wednesday, May 19, 2010
TIME: 10:30 A.M.
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