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Dear Neighbor, In so many ways, block associations are the glue that holds neighborhoods together. When residents focus on the common purpose of protecting the aesthetic character of their neighborhood, their quality of life and safety, as well as the value of their homes, is maintained. We all benefit from the good work of our block associations. From bringing neighbors together to plant flowers and clean graffiti or organize against inappropriate development and disruptive businesses, block associations are vital to preserving our neighborhoods. But the vitality of these associations is threatened as many of the very dedicated residents who built them grow older or move away. It is crucial that new residents join their block associations and become active in them. Remember the next time you walk down your street that the beautiful flowers or the decorative street lights you see, and the high-rise buildings or the graffiti you don’t see, result from the hard work of your block association. But the most important reason to be a part of the block association is what you personally get from it. It’s a great way to meet your neighbors, to give something back to your community, which will make you feel wonderful, and to have fun with people in your own neighborhood.
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Assemblymember Glick recently met with advocates to discuss domestic violence issues. Here she is pictured with Rachel Lavine, Senior Director of Government Affairs for Safe Horizon. |
Civil Unions for All he evolution of a civilized society is reflected by the expansion of rights and the movement toward equal treatment under the law. However, same-sex partners have long been treated as second-class citizens. Even though partners have built a life together and taken care of one another, they are denied access to visit each other in the hospital, receive survivor’s benefits and access their partner’s health insurance. There is a clear recognition that same-sex couples and families make up a growing segment of our population, but even if they represented a very small minority, the basic premise of democracy is the protection of rights for all. The majority’s rights will necessarily be preserved, it is the rights of the minority that need additional vigilance. Therefore, same-sex couples must have benefits and rights equal to opposite sex couples. The current debate has gotten bogged down in a discussion of semantics regarding the term “marriage,” a word about which many people have deeply-held religious and personal beliefs. We must not let semantics and strict adherence to this term outweigh the basic goals of justice and equality. Civil marriage is performed by an officer of the state and results in the conferring of hundreds of rights and benefits to the couple. The religious aspect of marriage involves the solemnizing of two people’s relationship by a member of the clergy. Just as the separation of church and state has become increasingly blurred by the Bush administration and needs to become more clearly delineated, so does the separation between civil and religious marriage. Toward this end, I have introduced legislation that draws a very clear line between these two realms, and eliminates the semantic barrier that has been depriving same-sex couples of equal rights. By replacing the term “marriage” with “civil union” in the state’s Domestic Relations Law, the legislation will force the state out of the marriage business, replacing it with civil unions, which would be equally available to all couples, gay or straight. If people wished to pursue a religious ceremony, they could do so consistent with the views of their religious institution. As has historically been the case, no religious institution would be compelled to perform a ceremony for any couple. Only the state would be mandated to confer equal benefits and protections upon all couples, which is the ultimate goal for which so many of us have been fighting. |
Identity Theft any of my constituents and friends have expressed to me the concern that, as we grow more dependent upon technology to conduct our personal business, it has become more difficult to safeguard our personal information and easier for thieves to steal it. Indeed, recent studies have shown that identity theft, the crime by which an individual’s personal information is stolen or misused by a criminal for his own financial or other benefit, has been increasing. In fact, one recent study has shown that 1 in 50 consumers has their identity stolen. Given the frequency with which this crime occurs, it is unfortunate that many people do not know how to protect themselves from or react to it. Below is some information and tips regarding identity theft. I hope that you will use the information about avoiding identity theft. Likewise, I wish that you never have to use the information about what to do in the very unfortunate event that your identity is stolen. |
Protecting Yourself from Identity Theft You can decrease your risk of being the victim of the growing crime of identity theft by taking some simple steps. Below are ways that you may safeguard your personal information both online and off. Online . . .
Offline . . .
Catching Identity Theft In order to catch identity theft as quickly as possible, you need to be vigilant. The following ongoing actions can help you to nip identity theft in the bud:
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What to do if your identity is stolen f you have discovered that your identity has been stolen, you should act quickly to inform the proper authorities. The Federal Trade Commission recommends that you take three actions immediately:
You can also call the Federal Trade Commission’s fraud hotline at (877) FTC- HELP (382-4357) for more information and assistance. The automated system lists information and resources that may be helpful in the event that you believe your identity has been stolen. |
Contact information for the three major credit bureaus is listed below. These numbers may be used to order a copy of your credit report or to make a report when you suspect that your credit has been compromised. |
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Equifax, Inc. P.O. Box 740123 Atlanta, GA 30374-0123 1-800-685-1111 www.equifax.com |
TransUnion P.O. Box 97328 Jackson, MS 39288-7328 1-800-888-4213 www.tuc.com |
Experian 701 Experian Parkway Allen, TX 75013 1-888-397-3742 www.experian.com |
Budget Spotlight Campaign for Fiscal Equity n 1994, the Campaign for Fiscal Equity (CFE) filed a lawsuit against the state charging that the school funding formula was unfair and had been starving the New York City school system for years. The Governor’s attitude throughout this lawsuit has been appalling. Not only did he spend $11 million fighting to defend the use of this inadequate formula, he absurdly asserted in court that an eighth grade education is sufficient for students. Clearly, an eighth grade education is not sufficient and does not adequately prepare students for today’s job market. The state’s highest court resoundingly rejected the Governor’s position.
The vague nature of the Zarb Commission’s report also signals the Governor’s misplaced attention on delaying the implementation of the decision. The report fails to address all of the issues necessary to comply with the court decision. Because the Zarb Commission admitted that its estimates of the additional resources needed to comply were influenced by the state’s “fiscal restraints,” their $2.5 to $5.6 billion figure is the lowest estimate of any of the panels reviewing the cost of an adequate basic education. It would be fiscally irresponsible to wait until after this year’s budget is in place before addressing the costs associated with this court ruling. The funds must be made available in the current budget even if the Governor is unwilling to do so. I will continue to work with my Assembly and Senate colleagues to force Governor Pataki to confront the critical need for dollars for our city’s school children. Today’s students cannot wait another year to receive an adequate education. |
West Side Stadium t is more than unfortunate that Mayor Bloomberg and Governor Pataki intend to press forward with their misguided plan for a massive wave of high-rise development and a football stadium that will disrupt the West Side for years to come. While the expansion of the Javits Convention Center to the north may be a good idea and a necessary improvement, the massive development to the south, along with the centerpiece of their plan - a 75,000 seat football stadium for the Jets- is an outrageous waste of scarce resources. The Mayor and Governor’s plan to pour a minimum of $600 million in public funds to help finance the retractable roof and platform for this stadium signals their belief that hardworking New Yorkers should take a back seat to a wealthy sports team. It is especially egregious that they continue this plan at a time when so many pressing needs exist in the City and State. Our public school classrooms are terribly overcrowded and some schools have crumbling ceilings and nonfunctioning bathrooms. Many senior centers are also in a state of disrepair and several face continued threats of closure due to lack of city resources. In addition, a crisis in affordable housing for low- and middle-income New Yorkers exists and homelessness in New York City has reached its highest levels. Yet, instead of concentrating on addressing this situation, the Mayor and Governor propose to use $350 million excess Battery Park City funds (whose purpose is to create affordable housing) to pay for the stadium. Because part of the goal of the construction of the stadium is to drive the city’s Olympic bid, the Mayor and Governor’s plans demonstrate a greater concern for housing athletes in 2012 than housing hard-working New Yorkers today. The Pataki and Bloomberg administrations must stop focusing their energies and our money on questionable speculative ventures. Public financing of a stadium in the hopes that it will yield significant returns to the economy is not a new concept. It is an old idea that has proven to be a failure. Numerous studies have shown that, while expected economic gains have persuaded many cities to contribute to the construction of new stadiums, projections have been grossly inaccurate and have forced governments to commit ongoing resources to sustain the facilities. This stadium faces additional roadblocks since it is part of a super-sized development proposal which will come on line at the same time as the development of Lower Manhattan, causing the supply of commercial space to overwhelm demand, leaving the public holding the bag. This misguided expenditure will affect all New Yorkers. However, area residents from Lower Manhattan to the Upper West Side will suffer most directly. Large numbers of low- and middle-income residents living in the surrounding neighborhoods may be displaced by higher-income families. Remaining residents will be forced to withstand years of inconvenience during construction of the stadium. Once the stadium is in place, they will continue to be affected by the resulting increase in traffic congestion, pollution and noise. The residents of New York City do not want or need this stadium. I will continue to stand with other elected representatives and residents in opposition to this incredibly misguided proposal. |
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