Assemblywoman

Catherine
NOLAN

Reports to the Community

Spring 2009

Assemblywoman Catherine Nolan and fellow Queens Assemblywoman Audrey Pheffer with local Queens parents and advocates at the first hearing on School Governance which was held in Queens.

The 2009-2010 state budget continues the Assembly’s commitment to providing a quality education for New York State’s children despite tough economic times. The budget stabilizes aid to schools and reduces the burden on taxpayers by restoring $1.1 billion to school districts.

We continued our commitment to universal pre-kindergarten by maintaining funding at $376 million. The budget also restores $30 million in funding for non-public schools and $10.6 million in funding for libraries.

The budget provides for vital funding to protect the state’s most vulnerable patients and to ensure working families have access to quality health care by restoring $1.3 billion to health care. In addition, the 2009-2010 budget begins permanent health care reimbursement reforms and investments that will lead to $1.6 billion in savings this year and billions more in future years.

The budget restores $49.9 million to the Elderly Pharmaceutical Insurance Coverage (EPIC) program, which is designed to lower prescription drug costs for seniors with fixed incomes. It also restores $2.8 million to the Medicaid program to restore coverage for drugs denied by Medicare Part D. This “wrap around” coverage is essential in ensuring that EPIC beneficiaries do not leave the pharmacy without their needed drugs.

Much funding is needed to fight foreclosures and create more affordable housing. Additional provisions commit $25 million for foreclosure-prevention services to assist New Yorkers victimized by aggressive and deceptive lending practices. The final budget rejects the executive’s proposed cuts to the Neighborhood Preservation and Rural Preservation programs, which provide support to citizen-led, not-for-profit housing and community-based organizations that create and preserve affordable housing opportunities in urban, suburban and rural areas throughout the state.

The final budget accepts the executive’s appropriation of $170 million to help retire New York City’s debt by paying for the prior refinancing of the Municipal Assistance Corporation (MAC) bonds. These funds are paid through the Local Governments Assistance Corporation.

This session, many groups from the district have made the trip up to Albany to come share their concerns on the budget, legislation, and other issues that they face.

Assemblywoman Catherine Nolan presented Queens Museum Executive Director Tom Finkelpearl and David Strauss a citation for the Museum’s dedication to providing art-enrichment programs to the children of Queens.

Parents and students from city charter schools, including Voice Charter school which is located in Queens, stopped by to meet with Assemblywoman Nolan.

Queens Assemblymembers Nolan and Gianaris meet with LaGaugira High School students who were in Albany to participate in the All-State Choir and Strings program.

New York State Libraries Association met with Assemblywoman Nolan on the issue of funding libraries.

Students from a Queens elementary school visited with Assemblywoman Nolan to stress the importance in funding after school programs.

Assemblywoman Catherine Nolan met with teachers from the Queens area during their lobby in Albany.

Local Queens residents with the Pipe Trade Association visited with Assemblywoman Catherine Nolan during their annual Lobby Day.

Ridgewood Theater

In late March I sent a letter to Landmark Preservation Commission Chairman Robert Tierney in support of making Ridgewood Theater a landmark. “For generations this movie theater has been a magnet that brought people together and fosters community growth and pride. I support making Ridgewood Theatre a landmark because its structural presence is part of the history of this city,” said Nolan.

State Fair

At the end of March we held a town hall style state fair at the Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Covenant in Ridgewood. City and state agencies were on hand to give out information and answer questions about services available to community members. Representatives from Attorney General Andrew Cuomo’s office and Comptroller Tom DiNapoli were present. Staff members from the Queens Child Care Facilitated Enrollment Project were also available to help residents of Ridgewood with any questions or concerns that they may have had about child care enrollment.

Assemblywoman Catherine Nolan pictured with groups that participated in the state fair.

Senior Centers and Homebound Meal Delivery

I have received numerous complaints about the changes to the meals-on-wheels delivery program since the visiting nurses service started to deliver the meals. There have been complaints on the type of food, delivery times, and lack of diet specific meals. I have sent a letter and met with Department for the Aging Commissioner Lilliam Barrios-Paoli while she visited Albany, and expressed the dissatisfaction in the meals and handling of the meals that has been expressed to me.

During the 2002 and 2003 Legislative sessions, the Legislature approved the most comprehensive governance changes to the New York City School District. The mayor was provided control of the management of the City’s schools through the ability to appoint the Chancellor of the City District and a majority of the members of the City Board of Education. This translates into power affecting city-wide education policies including standards, curriculum requirements and mandatory educational objectives; the development of a master facilities plan; administrative functions; public employer responsibilities and management over budgetary process. As the law is set to sunset on June 30th of this year, the committee is interested in hearing about the impact of mayoral control on the City’s school system and how modifications to the law can address concerns and help to improve the current structure. Hearings were held in all five boroughs.

The committee heard from over 250 witnesses and had over 45 hours of testimony. We heard from Department of Education Chancellor Joel Klein, Public Advocate Betsey Gotbaum, Comptroller Billy Thompson, Congressman Anthony Wiener, City Council Members, union representatives, education advocates, teachers, parents, and students. For those of you who were unable to attend the hearings, transcripts of the hearings can be found on my web page.

Assemblywoman Catherine Nolan and fellow Queens Assemblymembers listening to testimony during the first hearing on Mayoral Control at Queensborough Hall.

Assemblywoman Catherine Nolan with NAACP President Hazel Dukes and NAACP member and Queens resident Marion Jefferies.