Small businesses owners, despair!
Last week, we posted about Public Advocate Bill de Blasio’s plans to sue Mayor Michael Bloomberg in order to force him to release information regarding fines distributed to small businesses. De Blasio claims that the city is doling out fines irresponsibly to fill city coffers, and the results are hurting neighborhood commerce.
Now, another local politician, Congressman Bob Turner, is calling out President Barack Obama, saying federal taxes and regulations are fueling local unemployment rates.
Turner held a “Stop the Tax Hike” event on Friday, teaming up with the Brighton Beach Business Improvement District and small business owners to speak about the economy and how tax increases affect their businesses and unemployment.
After speaking with several small business owners in the area, Turner claimed that, for the first time in almost three years, business owners say that taxes – as opposed to poor sales – is the most serious issue they are struggling with today.
But while de Blasio blames the city, and Turner blames the fed, Bensonhurst-Bay Ridge Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis is blaming the state. In April, Malliotakis held an event with Bay Ridge business owners, telling them that, though there were some pro-business accomplishments in Albany this year, the state is still hurting local businesses with excessive regulations and paperwork, taxes hidden in utility bills, and fees devised to pay off the state’s debt.
So which is hurting small business owner the most? Federal government, state government, or city government? Or are small business woes simply the result of the sluggish economy?
The old Nature’s Emporium corner location at 1601 Kings Highway is now a 1/2 Price Outlet store. It’s fair to say that now Kings Highway has more clothing stores than humans. Soon, humans will have more clothing than they need. Wait…
1/2 Price Outlet, welcome to the neighborhood!
Despite being dogged by corruption allegations that ultimately led to his resignation and incarceration, former State Senator Carl Kruger spent his final legislative session in power introducing more bills than any of his colleagues.
The New York Public Interest Research Group’s (NYPIRG) analysis of the 2012 New York legislative session (pdf) revealed that Kruger, former senator of District 27, and Marty Golden, senator of District 22, were the two most active representatives during the 2011-2012 legislative session that wrapped up last month.
Despite his resignation in the end of 2011, during the 2011-2012 session, Kruger introduced a total of 372 bills into the legislature, more bills than any other senator during this term. Of the bills Kruger introduced into the Senate, NYPIRG did not record how many of them actually passed.
In second place statewide, is our other local state senator, Marty Golden. Golden introduced a total of 301 bills during the session. Fifty-five of the veteran Republican legislator’s bills passed in both houses.
“Clearly, Senator Golden has been a productive member of the State Legislature.” stated Jeffery Kraus, Golden’s campaign manager, in a press release. “Introducing the second most bills of any senator in the last two years, Golden is making an impact.”
NYPIRG has provided the numbers proving politician activity, yet they leave it up to you to decide the rest, saying that judging impact and influence of the legislators in their report is more complicated than just evaluating the number of bills introduced or passed.
Manhattan Beach
An 85-year-old woman is in critical condition after being pulled from the water by lifeguards at Manhattan Beach yesterday, reports the New York Post.
Yevgenya Shyknevskaya, 85, was seen floating at 2:20 p.m. yesterday.
“I heard the guard blow the whistle, and I just saw this old lady floating in the water,” witness Asad Butt told the Post.
Lifeguards brought her to shore and administered CPR for approximately half-an-hour. Shyknevskaya was rushed to Coney Island Hospital where she remains in critical condition.
A person writes the German word "Linkshändig" (left-handed) with their left hand. Source: Wikipedia
BETWEEN THE LINES: If you’re a member of a recognized minority — whether it’s African-American, Latino, Asian, Jewish, Muslim, Native American, LGBT and so on — you have more than likely encountered some form of discrimination in your life. From my few encounters, I can tell you, it’s not pleasant to be on the receiving end.
But there’s another minority, which receives scant consideration or empathy and, since I’m a lifelong member, it’s time to put an end to that neglect. After centuries of oppression, this unfounded prejudice, which stems from ancient superstitions with a few connections to devil worship, should finally cease.
Continue Reading »
Photo by Renee Kirsh
Firefighters are at Kings Plaza Shopping Center on Avenue U and Flatbush Avenue, responding to a minor fire at the mall.
We’re told there are five trucks on Avenue U. Some readers have said that the fire is in the ceiling at Macy’s, though another notes that FDNY radio calls indicated it was in a ventilation shaft serving Sbarro’s.
It appears the fire broke out shortly after 9:30 a.m.
The fire has been put out, but the fire trucks remain on the scene, causing significant traffic delays on Avenue U. Authorities are diverting drivers away from Avenue U, with eastbound traffic directed up East 55th Street and westbound traffic going up Flatbush Avenue.
Courtesy of Assemblyman Cymbrowitz' office
Assemblyman Steven Cymbrowitz, together with the New York Blood Center, is sponsoring a blood drive, August 2 from 12:00 to 6:00 p.m. outside his community office, 1800 Sheepshead Bay Road between Shore Parkway and Emmons Avenue.
According to the New York Blood Center, there is always a dire need for blood supplies in area hospitals. Here are some facts from the New York Blood Center’s website, which underscore how important it is to donate the gift of life:
- 4.5 million Americans benefit from life-saving blood transfusions each year.
- 40,000 pints are transfused each day in the United States.
- New York Blood Center alone requires over 2,000 volunteer blood donations each day to meet the transfusion needs of patients in close to 200 New York and New Jersey hospitals.
- 1 out of every 3 people will require a life-saving transfusion sometime during their lifetime.
- Transfusion recipients include cancer patients, accident, burn and trauma victims, newborn babies, transplant patients, mothers delivering babies, surgery patients, chronically transfused patients suffering from sickle cell disease or thalassemia, etc.
- Much of today’s sophisticated medical care (transplants, heart surgeries, etc.) rely on blood transfusions.
- Car accident and trauma victims may need as many as 50 or more red cell transfusions.
- Severe burn victims may need as many as 20 platelet transfusions.
- Bone marrow transplants may require platelets from over 100 donors and red cells from over 20 people.
- Blood products are perishable: Donated red cells last only 42 days; Donated platelets last only 5 days; Plasma can be frozen for a year.
- The need for blood never takes a holiday.
Walk-ins at Cymbrowitz’ office are welcome, but appointments are appreciated. Most people between the ages of 17 and 70 may donate. Call Assemblyman Cymbrowitz’ office at (718) 743-4078 to either make an appointment or for more information.
From the photographer:
Looks pretty neat :) how astroland is glowing
Neat, indeed. It’s all shiny and silvery…
Photo by ShadowLock
Source: Flickr / paulmmay
We got a call late last week from a distressed reader, upset that $9 she had placed on her Metrocard disappeared the very same day. And, when she went to get something done about it, she found agency reps very unhelpful:
On Monday July 23rd @ 9AM I used my debit card to put $9 on a metro card that already had $9 on it. The screen showed a total of $18 and some change. When I got done working at 2PM I went to head home, when I swiped my card there was just over $6 and some change left after 1 use… I figured no big.. I will tell them at the booth, they should be able to help. NO GO… I got to the booth and was told by a very frank attendant, that there was nothing he could do for me, and that I needed to call customer service, and gave me and envelope to mail in my card, but I had to pay to mail it… I told him I knew he didn’t make the policy, but to make people wait a month for their money is a stupid policy. He again just said there is nothing he could do…
Something really needs to be done about this… The MTA is basically stealing from the people…
The reader added over the phone that she fears money disappears from cards like this all the time, and the agency benefits from people unwilling to seek reimbursement through the overwrought process, which includes forms, postage and a 30-day wait.
Like our reader, I know I’ve had money magically disappear from my card at least once. And, another time, when a newly-purchased card with $10 on it refused to work at any turnstile, the agency never responded after I mailed it in with the appropriate form. At the time, I chalked up the first incident to a quirky mechanical error, and the second to “lost in the mail.” But I’ve heard this story from others, too.
So, has money ever disappeared from your Metrocard? Have you ever sought reimbursement from the MTA? Let us know!
There will soon be less trash scattered around Plumb Beach and Gerritsen Beach, as New York City and the Environmental Protection Agency launch the “Clean Streets = Clean Beaches 2012″ program, bringing volunteer cleanups to our shores.
Find out how to get involved, and more about Clean Streets = Clean Beaches.
