If I’m being fully honest, I’m struggling this Thanksgiving. I’m usually pretty good at finding the bright side of things. I love being with Meg and Marek and Rosa, and we have blessings beyond measure. But amidst this lonely holiday, without my parents and sister and nieces and nephews, without our silly traditions, and our serious ones…I’m finding it a lot harder than usual to lean into my gratitude practice.
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“It is a massive failure of leadership to have allowed our schools to close before we got a handle on the virus spreading in indoor restaurants, bars, and gyms, worship and other gatherings. Schools should be the last things to close, not the first.
“The Governor and Mayor’s ego-battles over making decisions about our schools have thrown families and educators into chaos on a daily basis.
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“We must get our priorities straight. Schools are essential spaces for learning, community building, and services for all of our students. They should not be the first thing to close as the second wave of COVID-19 cases rise around our city.
“Prioritizing schools means closing indoor dining, gyms, offices, and even non-essential retail before we close the schools.
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NEW YORK – Following the announcement today from NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio of the restoration of $466 million in cuts to the capital budget for affordable housing, Council Members Brad Lander and Vanessa L. Gibson, chair of the Subcommittee on the Capital Budget, released the following statement:
“We’re glad to hear the good news that the cuts to this year’s affordable housing budget will be restored.
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Assemblymember Carroll, Councilmember Lander, Senator Parker and Congressmember Nadler issue joint statement
(Brooklyn, NY) – We commend Governor Cuomo for taking quick action in an effort to stem the tide of Brooklyn’s current COVID spike. The overall plan is well-intentioned and prudently addresses certain hot-spot areas, but it is not sufficiently targeted and as a consequence will close schools and day cares in areas where there has been no community spread.
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After I wrote yesterday about the school closures in 9 zip codes, the Governor threw the plan into confusion and uncertainty with the announcement of a new plan for targeted closures based on a color-coded map that wasn’t made available until hours later and even still, is difficult to decipher.
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I am voting today to remove Andy King from the New York City Council. This is a serious vote, but it is not a difficult one. Council Member King’s behavior has been egregious, and it shows contempt for City Council staff, for the Council as an institution, for the goal of building a world free of gender-based harassment, and for his responsibilities to his constituents.
At an event Tuesday, Deputy Mayor Vicki Been announced that the City will be restarting the community engagement process around the proposed Gowanus Neighborhood Rezoning, with the goal of certifying the proposal and starting the ULURP clock in January.
“I’m relieved to hear that in-person school re-opening will be delayed by two weeks. Now we need to double-down and use the time to insist on real progress on what needs to happen to make schools safe for learning. Principals, teachers and staff need the time to prepare curriculum and schedules. The City still needs to use the delay to inspect every building, get nurses, PPE and testing in every school, roll out childcare plans, and support schools to implement outdoor learning.
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Citing the coronavirus’ disruptions to NYC schools and the need to advance racial equity, six New York City Council Members, led by Council Member Brad Lander, will introduce a resolution calling on the NYC Department of Education to prohibit the use of screens (usually drawn from 4th graders’ spring semester) for middle school admissions for the 2021-2022 school year.
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