“In a major victory for tenants across the city, Justice Eileen A. Rakower of the New York State Supreme Court has upheld the Safe Housing Act against legal challenge by a landlord. Under the Safe Housing Act, the City identifies buildings with the worst housing code violations and targets them for aggressive inspection and comprehensive repairs. If building owners do not make the necessary repairs and correct the underlying conditions, HPD steps in to fix the violations and charges owners for the cost of the work.

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“With the signing of the Ryan White CARE Act today, President Obama has provided renewed hope for more than 100,000 New Yorkers who will continue to have access to vital medications and health programs. The Ryan White program is critical to ensuring that all New Yorkers and all Americans living with HIV and AIDS have proper access to the care they so desperately need.

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Law Will Require Distressed Property Consultants to Disclose Regulations in Advertisements

City Hall, October 28, 2009 – In response to a proliferation of unscrupulous foreclosed property consultants in New York City, the members of the City Council will vote on legislation requiring these businesses to disclose recently enacted state regulations on any printed advertisements. With increasing rates of foreclosures and loan defaults, the State passed regulatory laws in August 2008 prohibiting distressed property consultants from collecting any payment prior to the completion of services as well as prohibiting them from performing services without a written contract with the property owner.

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“Today’s signing defines the Obama administration as one that stands solidly in support of full equality for all Americans.

“This civil rights victory sends the clear message that hate is hate and it is wrong, regardless of who the target is; our nation will not tolerate acts of violence against anyone based solely on who they are or are perceived to be.

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Mammogram Wait Times Better Than Expected, Nadler Bill to Will Require Insurers to Cover Screening Mammography and MRI

City Hall, October 25th, 2009 – As part of the continued effort in fighting the battle against breast cancer, City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn, together with Congressman Jerrold Nadler, Chairperson of the Women’s Committee, Helen Sears, Chairperson of the Health Committee, Joel Rivera and Council Members today unveiled a citywide comprehensive report ‘Access to Mammography in New York City’: Facility Wait Times, Locations and Proximity to Transportation’ which details New York City’s women’s access to screening mammograms.

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Statement from Speaker Christine C. Quinn:

While I appreciate the economic opportunity that natural gas extraction presents for the State of New York, I believe the risk to a watershed that provides clean drinking water to over 8 million New Yorkers is simply too great. And if we compromise that watershed, we risk billions of dollars in potential costs from large scale filtration, which might not fully reverse the damage done.

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“For too many families across our City, gun violence is an unrelenting fact of life. It’s time for that to change. Each of us has to make a commitment as New Yorkers that we will do everything we can to stop the violence that is poisoning our communities. The death of Sadie Mitchell this week reminds us that this vile act is still happening in on our streets.

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“I applaud the United States Senate’s passage of Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. This victory for civil rights in the United States sends a message that our nation will not tolerate acts of violence against anyone based solely on a person’s gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability. And it broadens the federal definition of a hate crime to recognize such violence regardless of when or where it is carried out.

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“New Yorkers from every borough and every income level depend on their local post office for a number of key services. The potential closure of as many as fourteen post office locations in New York City would be problematic for many communities. But it would be especially damaging to seniors, working New Yorkers, and other groups that have been hardest hit by the current recession.

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Rally on the steps of City Hall in support of public sector workers facing layoffs

New York City – The painful consequences of the Puerto Rican Government’s move to fire tens of thousands of public sector workers are felt deeply many miles away here in New York City. We are most troubled by reports of the government’s intent to end union contracts and the fair, good faith labor agreements that accompany them.

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