Please join me at a rally and forum on the future of bus service in our community.
Date: Wednesday, May 19
Time: 7:00 PM
Place: Xaverian High School, 7100 Shore Road
Representatives of the MTA will be in attendance, and they need to hear how these cuts will hurt you and our community:
* Complete elimination of the X37 and X38 (Uptown Express Bus Service).
* Complete weekend elimination of the X27 and X28 Express Bus.
* Complete elimination of the B23 bus.
* Complete elimination of the B37, and rerouting of the B70 to supplement partial service.
* Elimination of overnight service on the B31.
* Elmination of weekend service on the B2.
* Service reductions for weekday/weekend/overnight on the B4, B16 and B654 buses.
Please come to this important rally. The MTA needs to hear from you. Let them know how these cuts will have a devastating effect on you and our community, how you get to and from work, the doctor, and your shopping for food and other essentials.
by Marty on April 30, 2010
I have introduced legislation in the New York State Senate, Bill S. 7514, that will establish a temporary commission to study child abuse prevention and make recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature for the implementation of child abuse prevention programs across New York State. The legislation is co-sponsored by Senators Frank Padavan (R-Queens) and Andrew Lanza (R-Staten Island).
There is no place in our homes, our schools or our society for child abuse, and the unfortunate reality is that it is happening too much here in New York. I have introduced this legislation because it is time we become more pro-active in our approach to child abuse, rather than just reacting to news reports and horror stories. In many cases, intervention and counseling can prevent cases of child abuse and we need to figure out how to reverse the trend that is damaging families.
Child abuse prevention programs address not only child abuse prevention but other aspects of family dynamics that threaten child and family well-being. These threats include preventable health conditions such as low birth weight, infant mortality, drug-addicted babies and more. These programs often provide referrals, education, expertise and most importantly stability for at-risk families. Some of the programs offered also focus on training for new parents.
Currently, these preventive programs have proven to be effective, but are currently only available to a small number of families at risk of abuse and neglect. Home visitations are only available to about 10% to 14% of eligible families. The temporary Commission would study the availability of successful prevention programs and recommend to the Governor and the State Legislature as to the best way to expand their services to more families at risk.
I am hopeful that this Commission will win the legislative support of my colleagues in both the Senate and the Assembly, so that the work can begin to prevent the abuse of children and save families here in New York State.
There are approximately 80,000 children found to be victims of child abuse and maltreated each year in New York State. There are more than 33,000 of these cases annually in New York City.
