News from STATE SENATOR
Liz Krueger
New York State Senate, 26th District

Message from Liz . . .

As our political discourse in recent months has turned increasingly to international concerns, I sometimes feel that there is a real disconnect between that discourse and what I hear on the streets, which is a continued concern about the state of the economy. It is amazing to me how many people approach me who are out of work, and given the failure of either the state or the federal government to extend unemployment benefits a second time, these people are finding themselves in increasingly desperate straights. Even more disturbing are visits to senior centers, where I meet seniors faced with ever-rising housing costs struggling to make ends meet. They are desperate to find jobs to supplement their limited income from social security and pensions, but face serious disadvantages in competition for the limited number of jobs available in our weak economy.

Unemployment in New York City remains extremely high, at 7.6% for August 2002, which was an increase of 1.3% over the course of the last year. New York City has lost over 76,000 jobs in the last year. The impact of 9/11 and the corporate scandals on the financial industry have created a situation where this economic dislocation has crossed class and occupation. People who never believed they would face these kinds of difficulties are suddenly finding their lives turned upside down by the inability to find work, and by the realization that the skills they have are not those currently in demand in the labor market.

It is essential that all levels of government work together to develop a strategy for job creation over both the short- and long-term. Government is not the entire solution to our economic difficulties, but how government responds (or fails to respond) to our current dilemmas will be a central factor in determining the direction of our economy in the months and years ahead. Furthermore, the actions of government are likely to play a crucial role in shaping the breadth of economic recovery – for it is essential that we develop a recovery model that is built on sustainability and does not leave substantial segments of the population behind. Even in the economic boom of the 1990s, there was a disturbing increase in economic inequality between rich and poor. We also need to recognize that the massive rebuilding projects likely to be undertaken in Lower Manhattan are an opportunity to build a New York more capable of sustaining a healthy and diverse labor market. In the Spotlight on Policy section of this month’s newsletter, I will offer what I believe should be essential guiding principles for this strategy.

Murray Hill Town Hall Meeting

Assembly Member Dick Gottfried and I are Co-sponsoring aTown Hall Meeting to address concerns in the Murray Hill neighborhood and surrounding areas.Please join us for a discussion of:· Traffic· Development· Historic Preservation· Quality of Life Issues Date: Thursday, October 17Time: 7-9pm Place: Community Church of New York 40 East 35th Street (between Madison and Park)Call (212) 490-9535 for more information

Free Flu Shots and Health Resources Forum

· Free Flu Shots for Seniors and others at risk for the Flu – By appointment only – call 490-9535 for an appointment

· Resources from Health Providers

· Information on Health Benefits for Seniors

· Discussion with Senator Liz Krueger: Health Care Concerns for Seniors at 11:30am Date: Thursday, October 24thTime: 9:30am-12:30pm Place: Lenox Hill Senior Center at St. Peter’s Church 619 Lexington Avenue at 54th StreetCall (212) 490-9535 to make an appointment for a flu shot

Community Spotlight

Testifying before the Public Service Commission (PSC) Regarding the Draft Generic Environmental Impact Statement for the Con Ed/Waterside Site:

Last month, I testified before the Public Service Commission regarding the disposition of the Con Ed/Waterside site (see attached testimony). I raised a number of concerns regarding the Draft Environmental Impact Statement, which I do not believe adequately addressed the many potential impacts of this project, nor does it provide a realistic exploration of different development scenarios. I strongly believe the PSC should rule that a full Environmental Impact Statement should be done for this site that explores the specific details of the proposed development, the impacts of different development scenarios, and the potential for mitigation of those impacts.

Report from Education Town Hall Meeting:

On September 24th, I held an Education Town Hall Meeting, where education experts, public school representatives and parents engaged in a spirited discussion of issues facing our schools. Among the main topics of interest were school funding issues, models for parental involvement and participation, and School District 2 curriculum issues. Among the participants in the forum was Jacquelyn Kamin, the Manhattan Borough President Appointee to the new Education Policy Panel, which replaced the Board of Education. She is anxious to hear from parents and other interested parties about their concerns about our schools. If you would like to share concerns with her, you can email her at jkamin@manhattanbp.org. Also, based on the discussion at the Town Hall Meeting, my office has prepared a resource list, which includes contact information on participants in the forum as well as useful websites and other sources of information on school governance and school performance. If you would like a copy of that list, please contact Brook Pieri at my office at (212) 490-9535.

Access to Benefits under the Women’s Health And Wellness Act:

I am happy to report that last month Governor Pataki signed the Women’s Health and Wellness Act, which many of you know has been a major legislative goal of mine since before I was in office. The new law will go into effect on January 1st 2003, and I am working with other elected officials and health advocates to ensure that women know about the benefits that will be available to them in the new year. On October 1st, Assemblymember Deborah Glick and I, along with a broad coalition of groups launched a campaign to alert, educate, and inform women about these benefits. Specifically, the law requires New York insurers to pay for annual breast-cancer detecting mammograms beginning at age 40, instead of age 50. The legislation also requires coverage for preventive screening tests, including routine bone density exams to detect osteoporosis and cervical cytology screenings. Prescription drug plans also must include coverage for prescriptive contraceptive drugs and devices. Certain religious organizations are exempt from providing such coverage when the employer’s main activity is religious, and it primarily employs and serves people of that religion. In such cases, employees wishing to access this coverage would be able to purchase it on their own at a lower cost group rate. I am extremely pleased that women in New York State will now have access to these important benefits.

Spotlight on Policy


Economic Rebuilding

As we plan for rebuilding downtown Manhattan, we should also be planning to rebuild our economy –- and doing so in ways that advance economic equality, encourage sustainable development, and diversify the economic base of the city. We must also recognize that the economic effects of September 11th on New York City reverberated throughout the entire weakened economy of the region, and that recovery must focus on restoring the economy throughout the New York City metropolitan area. Below are a few principles that I believe should shape our strategy for rebuilding the New York Economy: · Focus redevelopment resources on infrastructure improvement rather than corporate subsidies. One lesson that New York City and State need to learn is that corporate giveaways are not a good long-term strategy for ensuring economic stability. Instead, resources should be focused on building on New York City’s advantages as an economic and financial capital and world city. That means improving transportation infrastructure, dealing with our severe shortage of affordable housing, and building enough schools to educate New York’s children. · Develop a multi-centered city. While Lower Manhattan should and must be redeveloped, we should not focus all our resources on creating another densely packed hub at the expense of the rest of the city. There is a clear preference among those who now live and work in Lower Manhattan for a more multi-functional neighborhood, with substantial residential and commercial development along with office space. This also make economic sense, since it can allow for investment in development of other centers in other parts of the city, perhaps with different functions. A multi-centered city that takes advantage of lower rents in areas outside of lower and midtown Manhattan could serve to spark the economy while also reducing congestion and overcrowding in our current city centers. · Use Federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) money for job creation, hiring incentives for the private sector, and job retraining. New York City is scheduled to receive a total of $2.7 billion in CDBG funds for recovery efforts, and while significant portions of this money have already been allocated, there is still an opportunity to use this money for economic redevelopment efforts centered around job creation and job retraining. · Refocus job training efforts to meet employer needs. Periods of economic dislocation always highlight the mismatch between employers’ needs and potential employees’ skills. Governmental job training efforts must develop better linkages to the private sector, and involve the private sector in decision-making to increase coordination and ensure that training meets the needs of the economy of the future. Furthermore, job training efforts should not focus simply on training those on the bottom rungs of the economy. While such training remains essential, the fast pace of change in the economy has left many middle and upper-middle class people with outdated skill sets, and few opportunities. Every effort must be made to develop training models that take advantage of their experience and education and help them develops skills that will allow them to enter growth industries without taking a significant step backward in their careers.

Election Reform

Another election has come and gone in New York City, and once again there are numerous reports of problems at the polls. In the aftermath of the 2000 election, there was substantial discussion in New York state about the need to update our electoral equipment and improve training in order to avoid a scandal on the level of Florida, yet little has happened after that initial rush of concern. As voters headed for the polls on Primary Day, many were turned away from polling sites due to new redistricting legislation that put voters in new election districts. The problems were numerous - many voters became discouraged and disenfranchised by antiquated voting systems and polling location problems. They found the 40-year-old machines to lack accessibility, little ballot space for write-ins, and numerous breakdowns. I am committed to getting reform of our election process back on the agenda in Albany.

Ninety-four percent of all votes cast in New York State are done on mechanical lever machines. They have led to unacceptable “undervotes” in New York City, which according to the Citywide Coalition for Voter Participation is, “higher than that experienced by the state of Florida in the 2000 Presidential Election.” These outdated voting machines disenfranchise and discourage voters by their lack of accessibility, write-ins for all offices, need for more ballot space and continual machine breakdowns. Moreover, current voting machines are not readily accessible to voters with disabilities. These machines need to be replaced with a system that is reliable and open to the diverse population of voters in New York.

In February 2001, Governor Pataki along with Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno created a non-partisan Task Force to examine the current methods of voting and administering election in New York State. The Task Force released its report in April 2002 with 64 recommendations for statewide improvements in the election process. Unfortunately, of the 9 proposed Senate bills and of the 24 proposed Assembly bills, few call for major reform and none ever made it to the floor for debate. In the upcoming session, I will be pushing for improvements in New York State’s election process to ensure New York voter’s are heard each and every election day.