Marty appoints Assemblymember Jim Brennan to chair Taskforce on Equity in State and Local Policy

On October 1st, Marty announced the formation of the Borough President’s Taskforce on Equity in State and Local Policy. Assemblymember Jim Brennan will lead a team of public policy experts as they investigate issues of pressing concern to Brooklynites, with particular emphasis on statewide and citywide issues that unfairly impact Brooklyn. Marty has asked them to begin by focusing on three issues: skyrocketing auto insurance rates for Brooklyn drivers, severe school overcrowding in Brooklyn, and chronic under-funding of Brooklyn’s hospitals and other health care providers. “Under Assemblymember Brennan’s leadership, this taskforce will shine a light on systematic inequalities affecting Brooklyn. Put simply, we are getting an unfair share,” Marty said. “We have to take action when we hear that good Brooklyn drivers often pay more than four times the rates paid upstate to insure the same car. We cannot sit silently when promises to relieve dangerous overcrowding at Brooklyn schools, such as Midwood High School, go unfulfilled, and we must not stand by when the health care institutions serving our most vulnerable populations are going under-funded.” Over the next six months, the Borough President’s Taskforce will develop policy solutions to address out of control auto insurance rates and dramatic inequalities in funding for both school construction and health care, through research, investigation, and advocacy. In May 2003, Marty released a detailed analysis highlighting how New York City is shortchanging Brooklyn students, for example, by funding school construction in Brooklyn at less than 16% of what it allocates for Queens ($108 million vs. $704 million). The Taskforce will publish additional research on this topic, as well as releasing similar reports on these and other issues. The Taskforce members include Frederick Arriaga, Senior Staff Attorney at South Brooklyn Legal Services where he heads the Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic; Dr. Ruth Brown, the Executive Director of the Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health; William Casey, Vice President for Education at the After-School Corporation and formerly Chief Executive for Education with the NYC Board of Education; Dr. Rosa Gil, President of Health Industry Resources Enterprises, Inc. and formerly Special Health Policy Advisor to Mayor Giuliani and Chairperson of the Board of Directors, NYC Health and Hospitals Corporation; and Dr. Jerome Krase, Professor of Sociology (Emeritus), Brooklyn College. On Wednesday, November 12th, the Taskforce will hold its first hearing at Borough Hall. This initial hearing will be held in jointly with the State Assembly’s Insurance Committee, chaired by Assemblymember Pete Grannis.

Brooklyn officially welcomes new bishop

On October 3rd, Marty attended the installation of Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio as the seventh bishop of the Diocese of Brooklyn at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Basilica in Bay Ridge. “We welcome Bishop DiMarzio as our newest Brooklynite!” Marty said. Marty, along with the Cathedral Club of Brooklyn, will soon be hosting a Borough Hall reception in honor of Bishop DiMarzio. Spiritual leaders from all faiths throughout Brooklyn will be invited to meet the Bishop.

Sesame Flyers International continues dominating the West Indian Day Carnival!

On October 1st, Marty honored Sesame Flyers International for capturing the Band of the Year five years in a row at the recently held West Indian Day Carnival. A number of Sesame Flyers’ elaborate and beautiful costumes worn at Carnival were also on display throughout Borough Hall. “Sesame Flyers has set a standard of excellence that is almost impossible for anyone to match,” Marty said. “Brooklyn is so proud of all of your accomplishments, but you might have to drop out of Carnival next year to give somebody else a chance! Your incredible costumes have been such a welcomed addition to Borough Hall that we are going to hate to see them leave”.

Marty wins bet as Cyclones trounce Staten Island Yankees

On October 2nd, Marty was treated to a world-class, Brooklyn Italian dinner at the Marco Polo Ristorante courtesy Staten Island Borough President James Molinaro to settle their annual baseball bet. The Brooklyn Cyclones trounced the Staten Island Yankees in their season series, 8-4, returning the Borough President’s Cup back home where it belongs. “Our Cyclones have proven once again that the baseball capital of New York City is right here in Brooklyn,” Marty said. “Since Brooklyn is known throughout the world for our generosity and good manners, we lent Staten Island our Borough President’s Cup last year, but its never going back! I thank Borough President Molinaro for a terrific meal. I made sure to order the most expensive items on the menu so he would leave a little lighter in the wallet. He probably will enjoy Brooklyn so much that he won’t want to go back over the Verrazano”.

Take Your Man to the Doctor!

Take Your Man to the Doctor Week (October 20 – 25) is a borough-wide effort to get the women of Brooklyn to drag the men in their life to the doctor. Sadly, men are often more concerned about their cars than their health. The benefits of going to the doctor are priceless – it will hopefully establish a regular pattern of medical care and develop a long-term relationship with a medical provider, foster prevention and early detection of disease and appropriate treatment of medical issues. We have a week packed full of free screenings and consultations in locations across the borough. It will never be easier to start the most basic habit of good health care - annual doctor visits and routine screenings. “So take it from me guys – make your lives a lot easier and healthier – go see a doctor! Ladies, take your husband, father, brother, son, uncle, friend or significant other to the doctor. We don’t care how you do it. Trick him, bribe him or drag him to any of our free screenings because he’ll live to love you longer!” For a complete schedule of the free screenings, visit www.brooklyn-usa.org or call 718-802-3875.