Assemblyman Cymbrowitz is continuing his full calendar of free health screenings and flu shots. Please check the schedule below and call for appointments (718) 743-4078.

Irene L. with Assemblyman Cymbrowitz after he convinced a local bank to make good on the $1,000 that was stolen from her by pickpockets in their branch.

Bank robberies don’t always occur with guns, and the bank is not always the target. Irene L. came into Assemblyman Cymbrowitz’ community office very dejected because $1,000 that she had just withdrawn from her account with a local bank was pickpocketed from her purse. She wanted to know whether there was anything that could be done to get her money back. What makes this crime especially ironic was that not only did it occur on bank property, as she was leaving, but that security cameras caught her encounter with the pickpocket team – one bumped into her from the front while the other did the thievery as she was distracted. Assemblyman Cymbrowitz believed that although banking regulations did not require the bank to reimburse Irene L., they had a moral obligation to right this wrong that happened literally under their eye. Assemblyman Cymbrowitz contacted the bank and, to the financial institution’s credit, they agreed with Assemblyman Cymbrowitz and sent Irene L. a check for $1,000.

Assemblyman Cymbrowitz making a point in the Assembly Chamber during debate on the child tax credit.

Thanks to the hard work of Assemblyman Cymbrowitz and his colleagues in the Legislature, next year’s tax returns will bear a nice gift for New York families. While Assemblyman Cymbrowitz promises to keep fighting for a larger tuition tax credit to help offset the rising cost of private schools, he is proud that the recently adopted Empire State Child Tax Credit will provide relief for hard-working parents in the 2006 tax year. “This is a good first step,” Assemblyman Cymbrowitz commented. The tax credit will provide most families with combined incomes under $110,000 a credit of $330 per child between the ages of 4 and 17. As family income rises above $110,000, the credit is proportionately reduced. The credit is also fully refundable, so families whose tax burden is less than the amount of the credit will receive money back to use toward raising their families. There are no restrictions on what the tax credit money may be used for.

Assemblyman Cymbrowitz Informs
Tenant She’s Paying Too Much Rent

When Assemblyman Cymbrowitz realized that Clara M. was paying her full legal rent even though she had SCRIE (Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption) he immediately told her to reduce her rent payments, explaining that the SCRIE program allows the eligible senior citizen tenant to permanently pay a fixed rent and the program reimburses the landlord for the difference between the fixed rent and actual rent. Clara M.’s landlord was wrongly pocketing the SCRIE monies as well as her full rent. Assemblyman Cymbrowitz made sure that Clara M. was reimbursed for every penny that she overpaid.

Working to Keep Our Shopping Avenues Clean

Less than a week after community leaders complained to Assemblyman Cymbrowitz about the cleanliness of the Kings Highway commercial strip between East 5th Street and McDonald Avenue, Assemblyman Cymbrowitz brought the Sanitation Department’s District Superintendent and local Supervisor to the area. Joined by the concerned citizens, Assemblyman Cymbrowitz and the Sanitation brass went from store to store pointing out what was wrong and what the merchants needed to do to keep their property clean and avoid being summonsed. Assemblyman Cymbrowitz applauded the community’s concern stating, “A few local residents identified a problem, got their neighbors involved and met with me to see how we could solve the problem. My colleague, Councilman Domenic M. Recchia, Jr., was also asked to assist. This is how government should work – the various levels of government working with those who are affected to solve a community problem.”

Assemblyman Cymbrowitz has addressed similar sanitation issues on other shopping streets in our community, including Avenue M, Avenue U and Sheepshead Bay Road. With the Sanitation Department’s help and the assistance of local community groups, Assemblyman Cymbrowitz signed merchants up for the Adopt-A-Basket program, provided printed materials detailing sanitation regulations, in various languages, and presented awards to cooperating merchants.

Assemblyman Cymbrowitz, Sanitation Supervisor John Naimoli and residents Irene Mamiye and Linda Ebani, in front of one of the stores they went into to let the merchants know of the community’s displeasure and that sanitation regulations would be strictly enforced.

Assemblyman Cymbrowitz Stops Rent Increases

When a tenant of an apartment building on Ocean Avenue told Assemblyman Cymbrowitz that he received his new lease with a rent increase, even though a Division of Housing and Community Renewal “decrease in rent for lack of services” was in place, he immediately stepped in. After confirming that the tenant should continue paying the old rent even under the new lease, Assemblyman Cymbrowitz told the tenant and also contacted the other 25 rent stabilized tenants in the building to make sure that they were aware of their rights – not to pay any rent increases until the “decrease in rent for lack of services” was lifted by DHCR. This is just another example of Assemblyman Cymbrowitz assisting either a building or tenants with a landlord/tenant problem.

Avenue Z Resident Saved $115 Fine

Assemblyman Cymbrowitz went to bat for an Avenue Z resident after his car was ticketed for being parked in a temporary construction zone even though he parked his car before the “No Parking” sign was posted. The summons was for $115. The City’s Department of Design and Construction, which was responsible for the sign, sent the motorist a letter as proof of his innocence.

Assembly Helps Reduce Cost of Gasoline

“It is unconscionable that the large oil companies are reaping record breaking profits at the expense of those of us who need or want to use our cars,” Assemblyman Cymbrowitz stated.

As gas prices skyrocketed, Assemblyman Cymbrowitz sought relief for New York’s motorists. The Assembly passed legislation, which became law on June 1st, capping the State sales tax on gasoline purchases at 8 cents a gallon. For example, if a gallon of gas is $3.00, the cap will reduce the tax on gas by 4 cents for each gallon purchased. Service stations are required to pass the savings along to consumers.

Assemblyman Cymbrowitz Wants to be
Sure Everyone is Ready for a Disaster

Theresa Scavo, newly elected Chairperson of Community Board 15, and Assemblyman Cymbrowitz discussing weather-related disaster preparedness in front of the Menorah Home and Hospital for Aged and Infirm in Manhattan Beach, which overlooks the ocean and would be threatened by a strong hurricane. They examined the supplies included in a “Disaster Bag” available from the Red Cross of Greater New York containing the lifesaving essentials an average person would need to survive for three days.

No one wants to think about disasters, but being ready is important in order to stay safe. In addition to the always present threat from terrorists, New York City is due for a major hurricane that could push ocean waters through much of our community. We are about to enter the peak of the hurricane season and The National Hurricane Center predicted that we had an 80 percent chance of above-normal hurricane activity this year. Assemblyman Cymbrowitz, who is Chairman of the Subcommittee on Shoreline Protection, and Assemblyman Richard Brodsky authored a report that found problems with the evacuation plan put together by the City’s Office of Emergency Management. Mayor Bloomberg and OEM Commissioner Joseph F. Bruno, always putting our safety first, agreed to consider the report’s recommendations and implement the required changes to the plan. Assemblyman Cymbrowitz can send you materials that detail the evacuation zones and also list the items everyone should have in their homes and what you should have in a “go bag” that you would take with you if you had to evacuate in a hurry. Just either call (718 743-4078) or email (cymbros@assembly.state.ny.us) Assemblyman Cymbrowitz’ office to receive a free copy.

In addition to making sure that New York City is prepared for a weather or other serious emergency, Assemblyman Cymbrowitz is addressing insurance issues regarding hurricanes. He is a multisponsor of a bill (A.10790) which limits the number of homeowners’ insurance policies an insurance company could drop in an area. One major homeowners’ insurance company has indicated that it will not be renewing tens of thousands of policies, many in our community, because of the threat of hurricanes. Another bill, which Assemblyman Cymbrowitz cosponsored, would make the New York Property Insurance Underwriting Association a permanent operation rather than it having to be reauthorized every year. This association provides property insurance for dwellings and businesses when a conventional insurer won’t provide coverage.