Subject: March 2011 Community Update
From: "Assemblyman Jonathan Bing" <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 16 Mar 2011 14:13:14 -0500 (EST)

In this Issue:
• Renewing and Strengthening Rent Regulations
•
Assemblyman Bing Urges Funding Restoration for Senior Centers
•
Assemblyman Bing's Consumer Protection Legislation Passes the Assembly
•
Assemblyman Bing Celebrates Women's History Month
• Free Forum for
Assistance with Local, State and Federal Programs

************
Renewing and Strengthen Rent Regulations
Beginning in 1943, rent
regulation laws have served to preserve affordable housing options in New
York City and throughout New York State. The housing inventory in New York
City, unlike other areas, has not been able to meet the need for
affordable housing and New York City continues to face an affordable
housing crisis. Rent regulation laws have served to blunt the negative
effects of the housing crisis and maintain affordable rental units.
However, these tenant protections, formally known as the New York
Emergency Tenant Protection Act, are set to expire in June.

As a member
of the Assembly Committee on Housing, I am keenly aware of the negative
consequences which will come from the expiration of rent regulation laws.
I believe that not only renewing but strengthening these laws is
imperative for millions of New Yorkers. Currently, more than one million
rent regulated apartments, serving over 2.5 million New Yorkers, remain
under the jurisdiction of rent regulation laws.

Legislation (A.2674-A),
of which I am a sponsor, has been introduced that would extend and
strengthen the current rent regulation laws. This legislation would, among
other provisions, extend rent regulation laws until June 15, 2015, create
a formula for capital improvement increases for buildings and close
loopholes which currently allow landlords to dramatically increase rents.
Additionally, A.2647-A adopts high-income decontrol reforms that I have
authored which would increase both the household income and monthly rent
thresholds for decontrol, providing significant cost-controls for tenants.
This omnibus legislation represents a major step toward strengthening
tenant protections for the more than 2.5 million New Yorkers who reside in
rent regulated apartments. I recently joined many of my Assembly
Democratic colleagues in signing letters to Speaker Silver and Governor
Cuomo asking for the timetable for renewal of rent regulations be sped up
and potentially included in the State budget that is due on April 1. I
will continue to work with my colleagues in both the Assembly and Senate
to ensure that rent regulations are not only renewed, but strengthened.
While renewal of rent regulation laws is crucial to preserving needed
affordable housing in New York City, other programs help to protect
vulnerable populations from excessive rents as well. I have introduced
three pieces of legislation that would strengthen existing programs that
protect vulnerable populations from losing their homes. A.1231 would
increase eligibility for the Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption
program by exempting Social Security payments from an applicant's
evaluated income. A.1899 would simplify the Disability Rent Increase
Exemption program eligibility requirements and make it easier for tenants
to utilize the program. Further, I have introduced A. 1121 which would
prohibit landlords from discriminating against tenants based on the source
of their income, including income from public assistance programs and
social security.

As the Legislative Session progresses, I will continue
to fight to renew and strengthen New York's affordable housing laws.
************
Assemblyman Bing Urges Funding Restoration for Senior
Centers
The Governor's proposed 2011-12 Executive Budget signidicantly
reduces Title XX funding for senior centers by $25.2 million. For the past
thirty years, Title XX funding has helped support and sustain senior
centers throughout New York. The proposed cuts would have a major impact
on the services many senior centers provide and could result in the
closure of more than 100 centers throughout New York City.

Senior
centers fulfill an important function in our community as they provide
much need services including recreational programs and the provision of
meals for hundreds of East Side seniors. Througout the year, and during
his annual Summer Senior Center tour, Assemblyman Bing visits the senior
facilities in his district to hear about the issues important to older New
Yorkers.  Assemblyman Bing is working alongside his colleagues in
government to save this vital funding that preserves the quality of life
for senior citizens. Recently, Assemblyman Bing signed a letter to
Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver urging that funding for New York City's
senior centers be preserved at its current level, and the Assembly's
budget resolution adopted on March 15 fully restored Title XX funding.
Assemblyman Bing is committed to ensuring that services for seniors on the
East Side are kept intact and that this vulnerable population is not
disproportionately affected due to the unfortunate fiscal climate.
************
Assemblyman Bing's Consumer Protection Legislation Passes
the Assembly
This month, two important pieces of consumer protection
legislation authored by Assemblyman Bing passed the Assembly. These bills
received near unanimous support and now await action in the Senate.

A.
1942 protects the privacy of customers of electronic fare and toll
services, including users of E-ZPass and Metrocard services. This
legislation prohibits the disclosure of individual electronic toll and
fare records when such disclosure does not serve a legitimate law
enforcement purpose. In light of the extensive reliance upon electronic
toll and fare services, it is imperative to develop legislation to protect
the privacy rights of the millions of commuters who use such services.
A. 4980 protects ConEd and other utility customers by requiring utility
companies to provide the Public Service Commission with emergency plans
for review and approval. In the past few years, New Yorkers have suffered
from significant power outages on several occasions such as in December
2006 when Queens' residents were without power for nine days due to an ice
storm. The responses to these power outages revealed deficiencies with the
utilities' implementation of their emergency plans. This legislation
improves state oversight of these emergency plans in order to prevent such
deficiencies from recurring. Requiring utilities to provide comprehensive
and efficient emergency plans will result in more accurate reporting of
the number of people and areas affected by a power outage; proper
notification to the media, public and government officials of the
emergency at hand; and clear communication regarding the steps being taken
to implement a solution.

************
Assemblyman Bing Celebrates
Women's History Month
March is Women's History Month and the theme for
2011 is "Our History is Our Strength". Looking back at New York's history,
it is easy to see the amazing depth of women's contributions which have
played such an important role in shaping the present day. The Seneca Falls
Convention, held in 1848 in upstate New York, was an influential women's
rights convention that laid the groundwork for women's suffrage and equal
rights. The Declaration of Sentiments, which was compiled at Seneca Falls,
was modeled after the Declaration of Independence and used as a rallying
cry to women everywhere to insist that all men and women are created
equal.

In keeping with New York's strong progressive tradition,
Assemblyman Bing has introduced the Equal Rights Amendment (A. 1233) in
the Assembly. This amendment would codify in the New York State
Constitution that no one be denied their civil rights based on their sex.
The Equal Rights Amendment is a vital and necessary addition to our State
Constitution. It is our generation's "thank you" to all the courageous
women that have stood up to discrimination, and is a vindication for all
those women who suffered its undue burden. Assemblyman Bing will continue
to advocate for equal rights and will fight to end discrimination wherever
it may exist.

************
Free Forum for Assistance with Local,
State and Federal Programs
On Thursday, March 24, the New York Federal
Executive Board and the Social Security Administration in cooperation with
the VA Medical Center will host a "Government Working Together" forum.
This event is free and open to the general public. Individuals in need of
the following services should attend:

    * Social Security
Administration (SSA)/Supplemental Security Income
    * Medicare/Medicaid
including Part B premiums
    * Senior Citizens Rent Increase Exemptions
* Elderly Pharmaceutical Insurance
    * Food Stamps
    * NYC
Transit
    * US Internal Revenue Service Programs
    * US Housing &
Urban Development Programs
    * Veterans
Affairs/Rehabilitation/Homelessness Programs
    * US Small Business
Administration Programs

The event will be located at the VA Medical
Center, located at 423 East 23rd Street, in the ground floor conference
room from 11:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. For further information, please call
Carmen Ross at (212) 264-2500.

************

Assemblyman Jonathan
Bing
360 East 57th Street, Mezzanine
New York, NY 10022
(212) 605-0937
(212) 605-9948 (fax)
[email-masked]
www.assembly.state.ny.us
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