The Queens Gazette: Dromm Secures $107,000 For Re-Entry Program

From the Queens Gazette: 

For more than 40 years, the Fortune Society has been developing model programs that help formerly incarcerated men and women successfully re-enter their communities.

This year, Councilmembers Daniel Dromm and Robert Jackson proved to be the Fortune Society’s strongest supporters in the City Council. Dromm sponsored $7,000 in discretionary funding for Fortune Society’s operations and he and Jackson were the primary sponsors of a $100,000 capital funding request.

“The work of the Fortune Society is vitally important because they offer individuals the opportunity to rehabilitate themselves and make positive contributions once they re-enter our society.” Dromm said. “I am proud to continue to support Fortune in their mission to ensure successful re-entry from prison and promote alternative incarceration programs.”

Dromm made the announcement on January 12 after touring the Fortune Society’s Castle Gardens Residence in West Harlem, a building complex that promotes safe and sober socialization for clients who strive to successfully reintegrate into society and for hard-working families with limited income.

The $100,000 in capital funding will make possible the purchase of two vans, a much-needed service enhancement for the building’s residents beyond Fortune’s existing but insufficient transportation options. The vans they currently operate are either overused, in need of repair, or in the shop. Having two additional vehicles, including one specifically designed for wheelchair bound residents, will be extremely helpful for years to come.

“I am always happy to support an organization that gives true meaning to the term second chances,” Jackson said. “Fortune Society continues to serve as a model for helping individuals turn their lives around. They know how to build partnerships, how to inspire others to embrace one another and they have the best track record of promoting hope in their communities.”

The $7,000 in discretionary funds will be used to support the work of the Associate Vice President of Programs in planning, development and oversight of the Fortune Society’s Education and Employment Services programs.

The Fortune Society offers a holistic and integrated “one-stop-shopping” model of service provision. Among the services offered are supportive housing, career development, job retention, substance abuse treatment, alternatives to incarceration, HIV/AIDS services, education, family services and drop-in services as well as ongoing access to aftercare. For more information, visit www.fortunesociety.org.

El Diario: Supermercado es declarado mal vecino en Queens

From El Diario: By Carolina Ledezma

La expansión del área de depósito y carga de un popular supermercado de Jackson Heights, Queens, enfrenta a vecinos y concejales con los propietarios de la cadena Trade Fair. Hoy el concejal de la zona, Daniel Dromm, y un grupo de residentes del área se concentraron a las puertas del local de la avenida 37 y calle 75 para reclamar que Trade Fair cumpla los lineamientos de la Ciudad para este tipo de ampliaciones.

De acuerdo con los manifestantes, el supermercado anexó ilegalmente a su estructura una parte de la acera de unos seis pies, para lo cual cubrió con cemento el área verde que circundaba un árbol cercano. De igual manera, aseguran que la empresa mantiene contenedores de botella de vidrio rotas a la vista de todos y no cumple con las reglas de seguridad que rigen en Nueva York.

Según declaró el concejal Dromm en un comunicado, estas son "violaciones al comercio justo que han creado un ambiente inseguro para la comunidad de Jackson Heights y han arruinado la apariencia del vecindario, en detrimento de los residentes y propietarios de otros negocios".

La cadena de supermercados recibió en agosto pasado una orden para desalojar la extensión ilegal en su depósito de la calle 75. Poco después, nuevamente fue alertada por la Junta de Control Ambiental por el incumplimiento parcial del desalojo.

Mark Jacobson, vocero de Trade Fair, dijo al teléfono que han hecho los cambios indicados en la orden de violación. "Nos hemos encargado de hacer lo que se nos pedían: la activacion de los sistemas de rociadores y asegurarnos de que el área de depósito y carga funcione correctamente", aseguró.

"En febrero habrá una nueva audiencia sobre este caso, pero nuestra posición es que hemos cumplido con lo que se nos exigió". 

Destacó que su empresa es una gran fuente de trabajo en la zona y que nunca ha tenido problemas. "Empleamos a más de 75 personas, de todas las edades, especialmente jóvenes que hoy tienen muchos problemas para conseguir un trabajo".

Trade Fair podría mantener la expansión de su local, si se comprueba que cumple con lo que establece la ley y se compromete al pago anual que requiere la ciudad.

NY1: Residents Protest Jackson Heights Supermarket

From NY1: By Lisa McDivitt

Some Jackson Heights residents and elected officials have declared the Trade Fair store on 37th Avenue a blight on the neighborhood and are rallying for it to clean up its act.

Times Ledger: Boro electeds form ‘Unity Team’ to foster communication

From Times Ledger: By Rebecca Henely

It is common in Queens for elected officials to hold events together, but when the representatives of Jackson Heights, Elmhurst, Corona and East Elmhurst held their holiday party this year, they listed their involvement under the name “Unity Team.”

“We realized that we’re younger, we’re a new group of people — at least in new offices — and we feel that government officers should work together for the benefit of the community,” state Assemblyman Michael DenDekker (D-Jackson Heights) said.

The Unity Team is an informal partnership formed between the state and city officials for the four neighborhoods around early 2010.

It includes state. Sen. Jose Peralta (D-East Elmhurst); Assemblymen DenDekker, Jeffrion Aubry (D-Corona) and Francisco Moya (D-Jackson Heights); and City Council members Julissa Ferreras (D-East Elmhurst) and Daniel Dromm (D-Jackson Heights), as well as the area’s district leaders and state committee members.

The members meet every month and constantly e-mail each other about constituent issues and legislation they are working on.

“I think that’s where the community actually wins, when the community is working together,” Moya said.

The team was formed to fix what the members call the divisive political landscape in the neighborhoods left when Hiram Monserrate was senator. Peralta said that when he ran for senator, he met with the district leaders of the three Assembly districts and found that Monserrate did not communicate with them.

Dromm also said Monserrate’s administration was marked by a lack of transparency and the senator would often promise to support an issue, such as same-sex marriage, then change his mind.

“It was tumultuous,” he said. “And you never knew what you were going to get and what to expect.”

Aubry, who was elected to the Assembly in 1992, said he worked with former Assemblyman Ivan LaFayette, former Councilwoman Helen Sears and Borough President Helen Marshall when she was a councilwoman, but it was not done with this level of coordination.

“We try to approach issues in a united fashion, issues of quality of life as well as legislative issues,” Aubry said.

While the team may represent the officials’ common goals, it also reflects the community’s differences.

Peralta and Ferreras are Dominican Americans, Moya is Ecuadorian American, Aubry is black, Dromm is openly gay and DenDekker is of Dutch origin.

“Having elected officials that look like parts of different parts of the community in the community is important and sometimes hard to achieve,” Dromm said.

NY Daily News: Greenmarket proposes closing Jackson Heights street

From NY Daily News: By Clare Trapasso

The only year-round farmers market in Queens is asking Jackson Heights residents to back a plan to shut down a quiet neighborhood street on Sundays to accommodate the popular market.

A Greenmarket official is to present a proposal on Thursday to Community Board 3’s Transportation Committee to close a portion of 78th St., between 34th Ave. and Northern Blvd.

The board is slated to vote on the plan on Jan. 19.

During the summer, the block is transformed into a car-free community play street next to Travers Park.

“If the street is closed off on Sundays, it creates more space, which allows for a safer market and a much more enjoyable market,” said Michael Hurwitz, director of GrowNYC’s Greenmarket program.

“It just provides more space for kids’ activities, cooking demonstrations,” he said.

The market has no plans at this time to expand, Hurwitz said.

“I’m supportive of their efforts to close down 78th St. on Sundays,” City Councilman Daniel Dromm (D-Jackson Heights) said. “It makes more sense that the Greenmarket be on that street.”

Len Maniace, vice president of the Jackson Heights Beautification Group, said the closure would make the market safer.

“When you’ve got pedestrians crossing the street and people shopping right near traffic, it’s a potential problem,” he said. “When people are shopping, they’re not necessarily thinking about traffic.”

Dudley Stewart, president of Jackson Heights Green Alliance, said the shutdown could also benefit local children.

“If it’s closed the kids could definitely play on it,” he said.

The neighborhood has one of the smallest amounts of park land in the five boroughs.

Community leaders have been pushing the city to turn 78th St. into a permanent pedestrian plaza to connect Travers Park to an open field at the Garden School, an adjacent private school.

The city is in talks to purchase the roughly 29,000-square-foot field from the cash-strapped nursery-through-12th-grade school. The property would be used as park land on evenings and weekends when school is over.

But the discussions have been dragging on for more than a year.

“I’m confident the parties are working out the details,” Dromm said. “Hopefully we’ll have good news in the near future.”

NY1: Queens Library Construction Wins Over Many, Irks Others

From NY1: By Lisa McDivitt 

Elmhurst is set to get a brand new library in 2013, though some residents are still not fully onboard with the changes.

Univision 41: Interrogan a sospechoso

Interrogan a sospechoso de ataques contra la comunidad musulmana.

NY1 Noticias: Denuncian maltrato en centros migratorios de detención

From NY1 Noticias: By Alejandra Soto

Humillación, aislamiento, y hasta actos de violación, experiencias de rutina en muchos de los centros federales de detención de inmigrantes indocumentados. Esto es lo que miles reportan y lo que ahora estudia el Concejo Municipal para evitar que Nueva York sea partícipe, involuntariamente, de estos actos.

"Hasta ahora el gobierno federal no ha dado respuesta alguna. Y tenemos el derecho de cuestionar lo que ocurre en estos centros cuando cientos o miles de neoyorquinos acaban en ellos. La inmigración es un asunto civil no criminal", dijo Daniel Dromm, concejal de Queens.

Pero ser tratados como criminales es lo que más de un detenido afirma, negativas a peticiones de contactar a sus abogados, a sus familias, y mal trato que va desde el no permitirles productos de higiene básicos, hasta golpizas y abuso sexual.

Gran parte de estos centros son operados por empresas privadas que obtienen un contrato y operan con fondos públicos y privados.

Ahora bien, la Ciudad de Nueva York no hospicia a ningún centro privado, por lo tanto, ni miembros del Concejo ni otro funcionario electo municipal tienen jurisdicción sobre este proceso.

Sin embargo, tras esta audiencia, se busca analizar si es que dinero de los contribuyentes o quizás de alguna empresa neoyorquina subvenciona, de alguna forma u otra, esta red de centros de detención.

"El abuso a los inmigrantes parece ser extenso en esta industria. Ninguna compañía debería obtener ganancias del mal trato de los seres humanos", dijo De Blasio, defensor del pueblo.

"En un centro privado su enfoque está en los accionistas e inversionistas, es un negocio. Así que mientras menos provean a los detenidos, mayor la ganancia. Las condiciones en estas instalaciones son absolutamente horrendas", dijo David Williams, The Center.

El Concejo Municipal se une a políticos estatales y federales en busca de cambios que por ahora no se ven venir.

El Diario: Narran horror sobre centros de inmigración

From El Diario: By Annie Correal

Varios inmigrantes compartieron ayer sus historias de sufrimiento y abuso en centros de detención privados, administrados por la compañía GEO, durante una audiencia del Concejo Municipal. La actividad fue convocada por el Defensor Público Bill de Blasio y el concejal Danny Dromm (D-Queens), quien preside el Comité de Inmigración del concejo.

De Blasio –junto con varios congresistas– ha pedido que el Departamento de Justicia investigue los centros de detención privados de GEO, una compañía privada que maneja 7,000 de los 32,000 puestos para detenidos en el país. Estos puestos incluyen uno en el sur de Queens que tiene fama entre los inmigrantes de ser un limbo en que los detenidos aguantan abuso, maltrato y malas condiciones. Como el fiscal federal Eric Holder no respondió al pedido, que se hizo en octubre, De Blasio y otros funcionarios renovaron su llamado para que abra una investigación.

"Estamos aquí para sacar a la luz a una industria que trabaja en las sombras", expresó De Blasio en la audiencia. "El abuso a los inmigrantes parece ser extenso. Nadie debería obtener ganancias con el maltrato de seres humanos", agregó.

Según el concejo, hay cientos de quejas cada año sobre abuso sexual, falta de acceso a representación legal y falta de acceso a cuidado médico adecuado en estos centros. Dromm subrayó que el gobierno tiene un compromiso de asegurar los derechos humanos de los detenidos.

Entre los inmigrantes que hablaron estaba José Quizhpilema, de Ecuador, quien compartió la historia de un inmigrante detenido en un centro privado GEO en Pensilvania. "No le dan suficientes cobijas para mantenerse caliente", contó. "No le dan comida adecuada. Nos dice que los detenidos no tienen atención médica adecuada, que el Tylenol es la solución de todos los problemas médicos", aseguró. La organizacion Make the Road New York conoció el caso por medio de la esposa del detenido, que está fuera del país.

El abuso a los inmigrantes parece ser extenso. Nadie debería obtener ganancias con el maltrato de seres humanos’.

The Queens Courier: Jackson Heights pigeon poop a persistent problem

From The Queens Courier: By Michael Pantelidis

A Jackson Heights politician is fed-up with the foul fowl feces that shroud the face of the neighborhood’s premier subway station.

Councilmember Daniel Dromm says he is perturbed by the pigeon poop problem casting a shadow over the 74th Street station on Roosevelt Avenue, which hosts the No. 7, “E,” “F,” “R” and “M” trains.

“The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has neglected its legal responsibility to clean the pigeon poop,” said the councilmember, who called the MTA’s behavior a disgrace. “We have complained about it and they still haven’t come out to clean it. They promised they would [on] Monday, November 28, but they didn’t. This is a serious case of neglect and abuse of the Jackson Heights community. They have been a bad neighbor. One has to wonder why they continue to ignore Jackson Heights when it is one of the busiest stations in the whole transit system.”

According to an MTA spokesperson, the authority is aware of the problem and examining a variety of different solutions, including placing jagged spikes on the structure, making it less conducive for squatting.

“There is no way for us to place nets above the area, and we are limited in what we can do to solve the pigeon problem, but we do try and clean the area regularly,” said the spokesperson. “We do clean it, but the pigeons come right back. This is one of the difficult situations that we don’t have a solution to. From what I’ve heard it is pretty awful. It is disgusting, but we do have a pigeon problem throughout the city and we try different things in different place. We will just have to keep trying until we find a solution.”

The station receives regular cleaning every other week, including on the night of the December 6, according to the spokesperson.

Dromm claims his constituents have “continuously complained about the lack of maintenance to the 74th Street station,” including the pigeon excrements covering it, garbage left on the sidewalks in front of it and vacant stores surrounding it. The councilmember also plans to test the paint chipping away from the subway tracks above Roosevelt Avenue for dangerous chemicals.

Dromm, who says he has attempted to attain a regular maintenance schedule for years, to no avail, believes the MTA’s negligence has also hurt the community financially.

“The MTA is the biggest impediment to economic development in Jackson Heights, because that station is the entrance to the neighborhood,” he said. “You have vacant stores around a pigeon poop covered, paint peeling and garbage strewn subway station. People come out from the subway, and the first thing they want to do is turn around and go home. [The pigeon poop] makes the entrance to Jackson Heights undesirable.”

During the daily bustle of rush hour, some Jackson Heights residents admit they don’t bother to look up and perceive the problem. “I’ve never even noticed it before,” said one resident as he hurried to work.

Others agree with Dromm and believe the station has become a blight on the community.

“This is the MTA’s property, and they should clean it up,” said David Barrionuevo, who uses the 74th Street station daily. “It shows they don’t care. They probably took a lot of money from the city to build this, so the least they can do is upkeep. The pigeon poop gives the station a gritty look, and if you look at some of the other stations, especially some of the bigger ones, they look nicer than this. This station is relatively new also, which means the MTA hasn’t been taking care of it at all. It looks like there is years’ worth of [feces] here.”

El Diario: Buscan proteger a indocumentados que están encarcelados

From El Diario la Prensa: By Cristina Loboguerrero

El Comité de Inmigración del Concejo Municipal llevará a cabo, el próximo 13 de diciembre, una audiencia para debatir sobre medidas y leyes que protejan a los inmigrantes de ser abusados mientras se encuentran en centros de detención administrados por compañías privadas.

El concejal Daniel Dromm, Distrito 25 (Queens), presidente de dicho comité, dijo que el gobierno federal debe actuar de forma inmediata para investigar las prácticas abusivas del Grupo GEO, consorcio encargado de administrar siete mil de las 32 mil camas existentes en centros de detención a lo largo del país.

La oficina del Defensor Público de la ciudad, había pedido en una carta -del 30 de septiembre pasado- al Departamento de Justicia, una auditoria sobre las denuncias de abuso en contra del mencionado grupo, investigación que las autoridades federales decidieron no adelantar.

El defensor público, Bill de Blasio, dijo que los funcionarios de toda la ciudad están uniendo sus voces a la campaña, para luchar por el principio de que ningún inmigrante –independientemente de su estatus- debe estar en riesgo de abuso.

La congresista Nydia Velázquez, Distrito 12, (Brooklyn-Queens) junto a otros miembros de la delegación congresional, envió una misiva al Departamento de Justicia, pidiendo se conduzca una investigación así como reconsiderar todos los contratos federales con la compañía GEO Group.

"La privatización de los centros de detención reduce la rendición de cuentas mediante la eliminación de controles estatales y establece el escenario para posibles abusos. El Grupo GEO, una empresa con instalaciones en el Bronx, Brooklyn y Queens, es presuntamente responsable de un largo patrón de abusos a detenidos", indica una parte de la misiva.

Varios funcionarios públicos de Nueva York se han unido para pedir una investigación a los centros de detención de personas sin documentos para estar en el país.

NY1: Council Members Approve New Resolution In Push For Juvenile Justice System Reform

From NY1: By Dean Meminger

Sixteen and 17-year-olds are sent to criminal court for minor crimes every day. On Tuesday, the City Council said that's unacceptable.

"Our young people get caught up in a juvenile justice system that treats them as adults and they get lost. They come out worse off than when they went in," said City Council Member Daniel Dromm.

New York and North Carolina are the only states that send 16 and 17-year-olds to adult court for minor offenses.

In a symbolic move, the council approved a resolution that would require anyone under 18 accused of a non-violent misdemeanor to appear in family court.

"You want to make sure that if they do make a mistake, they have the chance to correct it, and that is what will happen in family court. Alternatives to incarceration," said City Council Member Sara Gonzalez.

City Council can't change this law: That's up to state legislators. However, the push to reform the juvenile justice system has a strong advocate in the state's top judge.

"45,000 to 50,000 kids, 16 and 17-year-olds who get into the adult criminal justice system that would not,” said Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman of the New York State Court of Appeals. “It is incredible, and we are taking these kids and mixing them with hardened criminals in adult prisons."

Judge Lippman said studies show that often turns teens into criminals. He said in family court, they have a better chance at changing their lives.

"In family court, you are charged with delinquency, not a crime, and that one word makes all the difference in the world. You don't have a record," said Judge Lippman.

Some who support the reform say the family court system has its own major problems and that it would be difficult to handle the thousands of new cases.

"If you put more cases in family court, you need to put additional resources in the system so that there are more judges, more attorneys, more support staff to process those cases expeditiously and fairly," said Robert Gangi of the Urban Justice Center.

Supporters of the reform hope to get the state to pass a new law next year.

NY1: Jackson Heights Straphangers Sickened By Droppings-Covered Subway Station

From NY1: By Angela Chen

City Councilman Daniel Dromm and Jackson Heights residents have raised a stink for a long time about the pigeon waste that falls down from the beams of the Roosevelt Avenue/Jackson Heights subway station, but Dromm says he has a tough time getting the MTA to regularly clean it.

NY Daily News: Community boards in Queens and Manhattan are first to translate meetings into Spanish

From NY Daily News: By Sam Levin

Two community boards are making their public meetings accessible to a greater audience by offering live translations in Spanish — a move which advocates hope could start a trend citywide.

Community Board 3 in Jackson Heights will start translating meetings next month, making it the first in Queens and the second in the city to offer such a service after Community Board 12 in Washington Heights began using interpreters in April.

“When people can help in the decision-making process, they take ownership of their communities and feel they can have an impact,” said City Councilman Daniel Dromm (D-Jackson Heights), who announced a $4,000 grant last week to bring the equipment — similar to that seen at the United Nations — to Community Board 3.

“We want to encourage the diversity and the tolerance that this community has long been known for,” said Dromm, chairman of the Council’s immigration committee.

An on-site interpreter will translate meetings live, which Spanish speakers can hear through individual headsets.

Jackson Heights nonprofit group New Immigrant Community Empowerment, which pushes for greater access for immigrants in Queens, will run the initiative.

“Immigrants are interested in making their voices heard,” said Valeria Treves, the group’s executive director. “They are here in our community — they should get a say.”

Community Board 12, which covers Washington Heights and Inwood, was the first of the city’s 59 community boards to use this kind of technology — and it’s made a difference, said Ebenezer Smith, district manager.

“Once they know they can come and be informed and voice their opinions ... they will do it,” he said.

Supporters hope these initiatives can serve as a model for boards throughout the city.

Increasing language access is part of a larger push to raise awareness about the community board process, where local residents discuss everything from liquor licenses to zoning, advocates said.

“I’d like to see many more people coming to the meetings and participating in this forum,” said Community Board 3 District Manager Giovanna Reid.

“Community Board 3 is really a microcosm of the world,” added Reid, who said she hopes that eventually the board could present meetings in many languages.

The technology allows for translation in multiple languages, which could be especially useful in a neighborhood like Jackson Heights, which has the most diverse plot of land in the city, according to U.S. Census data.

This service should be offered at every board in the city and at Council public hearings, said Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez (D-Washington Heights), who brought the service to Community Board 12.

“Inviting all our residents and not having language barriers for them to participate is so important,” Rodriguez said.

Jose Reino, 63, from Ecuador, speaking through a translator, said this is an important step in the right direction.

“I am surprised this hasn’t happened before. It’s been lacking in the community,” said Reino, who lives in Jackson Heights and is a member of New Immigrant Community Empowerment. “It opens the doors for us to discuss problems we may be facing.”

NY1: Jackson Heights Residents Take Self-Defense Class

From NY1:

Queens residents recently gathered in Jackson Heights to learn some self-defense.

A self-defense expert showed them how to respond physically and verbally to a possible attack.

City Councilman Daniel Dromm said the event was in response to several incidents in the area.

"We've had a lot of attacks in the neighborhood, particularly among women, sexual assaults, etcetera, but men also. And the event today is going to educate people about what they can do, if they feel that someone's following them, if they feel threatened or if someone in fact actually attacks them."

The class was sponsored by the Center for Anti-Violence Education.

El Diario: Inglés no será problema en Jackson Heights

From El Diario la Prensa: By José Acosta

Cada vez que Julio Henk participa en las reuniones de su distrito en Jackson Heights, Queens, no puede aportar sus ideas en la solución de problemas de su comunidad, ni entender a cabalidad los temas que tratan, porque en la Junta Comunitaria 3 sólo hablan en inglés.

Pero a partir del fin de año eso va a cambiar, ya que la Junta Comunitaria va a contar oficialmente con servicios de interpretación simultánea del inglés al español y viceversa, en las reuniones que realiza el tercer jueves de cada mes, lo que permitirá que tanto Henk como aquellos residentes del Jackson Heights, East Elmhurst y North Corona que sólo hablan español, o tienen un dominio limitado del inglés, puedan no sólo participar como oyentes sino dejar también escuchar sus voces.

"Cada vez que voy a las reuniones me tengo que quedar callado en mi asiento porque como no domino mucho el inglés, no puedo opinar y apenas entiendo los temas que se discuten", dijo Henk, quien también es miembro activo del Proyecto de Participación Ciudadana de Nueva York, NYCPP. "Ahora, con el equipo de interpretación, podré participar e invitar a otras personas que como yo quieren aportar en las soluciones de los problemas que nos afectan", señaló.

En rueda de prensa en su oficina de Queens, el concejal Daniel Dromm presentó un cheque de $4,000 a la organización New Inmmigrant Community Empowerment (NICE), que comprará unos 20 equipos de interpretación simultánea y junto con el NYCPP ofrecerá el servicio de interprete con personal voluntario.

"Queremos abrirles las puertas a las personas que quieren participar en las reuniones de las juntas comunitarias, ya que en éstas se toman muchas decisiones que afectan a nuestras comunidades", dijo Dromm. "Algunas de las decisiones en las Juntas Comunitarias tienen que ver con cierre de calles, uso de la tierra, legalización de licencias, etc., y nuestra comunidad inmigrante debe tener acceso a estos procesos", agregó el concejal.

Arturo Sánchez, miembro del comité de Nuevos Neoyorquinos de la Junta Comunitaria 3, dijo que uno de los problemas que tiene esta junta es la baja participación de personas de la comunidad en las reuniones, y de las 15 personas que suelen asistir "a veces sólo hay una o dos hispanas".

"Y estamos hablando de que la Junta Comunitaria 3 tiene una población que se calcula en 170,000 personas, de las cuales unas 110,000 son latinas", dijo Sánchez.

Andrés García, de NICE, dijo que la idea de incorporar los equipos de interpretación surgió cuando NICE se dio cuenta que la gente que está participando en las reuniones de la Junta Comunitaria 3, "no refleja a la comunidad".

"Cuando uno piensa en Jackson Heights, uno piensa en mexicanos, colombianos, ecuatorianos, y cuando uno va a las reuniones de la Junta Comunitaria no ve la voz de la comunidad inmigrante", dijo García.

García dijo que NICE busca que la comunidad, de mayoría inmigrante, tenga una voz en la Junta Comunitaria 3, y que una vez adquieran los equipos iniciarán una campaña para promover la participación de la comunidad en dichas reuniones.

La Junta Comunitaria 3 es la primera de Queens en proveer interpretación y la segunda en los cinco condados de Nueva York. La Junta Comunitaria 12, del Alto Manhattan, implementó el sistema en marzo pasado, gracias a una campaña iniciada por el NYCPP, y la colaboración de la oficina del concejal Ydanis Rodríguez.

NBC4: Queens Man Charged With Hate Crime in Swastika Spray Paint Spree

From NBC New York:

A Jackson Heights man has been charged with graffiti as a hate crime for allegedly spray painting swastikas on a library, synagogue and church in his Queens neighborhood earlier this month, Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said Monday.

Franco Rodriguez, 40, was arraigned Saturday on a criminal complaint charging him with three counts of fourth-degree criminal mischief as a hate crime and three counts of making graffiti.

Rodriguez, who faces up to four years in prison if convicted, was ordered held on $5,000 bail. He's next due in court Dec. 1. It wasn't immediately clear if he had an attorney.

Brown said that, according to the charges, Rodriguez used black spray paint to draw three swastikas on a window and two glass doors of the Jackson Heights branch of the Queens Public Library at about 5:30 a.m. on Nov. 3.

In the second instance, Rodriguez allegedly drew a swastika with black spray paint on the front door of Congregation Tifereth Israel, a synagogue located on 88th Street in Jackson Heights. That incident happened some time before 8 a.m. on the same day as the first.

The lens of the synagogue’s surveillance camera was also allegedly spray painted, authorities said.

Rodriguez also allegedly painted a swastika in black spray paint on the front of the side door of St. Joan of Arc Church on 35th Avenue some time before noon on Nov. 4.

At the time of his arrest, Rodriguez allegedly told authorities that he spray painted the swastikas on the three buildings and that he did so because Jewish people were harassing him.

"As a civilized society, we will not stand idly by and allow individuals to mar our neighborhoods with such hate graffiti," Brown said in a statement. "When it, regrettably, does occur, those responsible will be brought to justice."

NY1: Queens Students Rally Against Swastika Graffiti

From NY1:

Students rallied Wednesday against the hateful message communicated by five swastikas that were spray-painted in two Queens neighborhoods last week.

NY Daily News: Granting voting rights to all the city’s legal residents is just plain common sense

From NY Daily News: By Albor Ruiz

Is granting legal residents the right to vote in New York City municipal elections an idea whose time has come?

It depends on who you ask, of course.

Talk to the people of the NY Coalition to Expand Voting Rights and not only will they tell you that yes, it is, but will also give you some pretty strong reasons why.

Mayor Bloomberg disagrees and has said: “[Voting is]a privilege of citizenship and I’ve always thought that if you want to vote you should become a citizen.”

Last Monday the coalition held a press conference on the steps of City Hall. Its purpose was “to protest the fact that one out of every five New Yorkers has no voice in the decision-making process that affects their daily lives.”

This means, they said, that 1.3 million New York taxpayers are denied the right to vote in city elections.

The NYC Voting Rights Restoration Act of 2010 was introduced into the City Council on Nov. 2010. The main sponsor, Councilman Daniel Dromm (D-Jackson Heights) chairman of the Committee on Immigration, is optimistic.

“It could happen. We have 21 co-sponsors already, more than double the number for last year. Twenty-six votes are needed for the bill to pass,” Dromm said.

It’s up to Speaker Christine Quinn to decide when and if the bill will be voted on. She hast not taken a position on this issue yet.

Paradoxically Mayor Bloomberg, who prides himself on being pro-immigration, is on record opposing granting noncitizen residents the right to vote and has said that if the bill passes he will veto it.

“Yet these are legal, low-abiding city residents who pay taxes and are not represented,” Dromm said. “Nothing in the U.S. or state constitution precludes the notion of letting residents vote. It should be approved.”

One of the strongest arguments in favor of granting all documented New Yorkers the right to vote has its roots in the founding of the United States. If people pay taxes, they should vote. The American Revolution was all about taxation without representation.

With noncitizen residents contributing an estimated $18.2 billion in New York State income taxes, is hard to justify not allowing them to vote. Instead of asking why give noncitizens the right to vote in city elections, the question then becomes why not.

After all, legal immigrants serve in the military, pay taxes and are a vital part of the life of the city. And they are as mindful of the laws of the land as citizens.

Contrary to popular belief, the concept is not new. Noncitizens with children in the city schools were allowed to vote in community school board elections until they were abolished in 2002. And until 1928, they could vote in national, state and municipal elections in some states.

“But as new and different kinds of immigrants came to America, a nativist backlash led to the elimination of this democratic practice,” said Ron Hayduk, a Queens College professor and author of “Democracy for All: Restoring Immigrant Voting Rights in the United States.”

Most noncitizen immigrants — keep in mind this law would apply only to the documented — are New Yorkers with as solid a commitment to the city’s future as that of citizens. It is only fair they are allowed to participate in the decisions that affect themselves, their families and their communities.

“Documented residents who pay billions in taxes and who can die in unjust wars abroad should have a right to vote,” said coalition coordinator David Andersson. “There should be no taxation without representation.”

FOX5: Hate Crimes At Queens Libraries and Jewish Temple

From FOX5:

Swastikas were found painted on the facades of the Jackson Heights and East Elmhurst branches of the Queens Library and on the door of Congregation Tifereth Israel on Thursday.

The Anti-Defamation League today condemned the anti-Semitic graffiti. The ADL says there were 133 anti-Jewish incidents reported across New York City in 2010.

A nationwide ADL survey released just yesterday found that anti-Semitic attitudes have risen in America.

The ADL survey found that 15 percent of Americans - nearly 35 million adults - hold deeply anti-Semitic views. That's up three percent from 2009.

"The fact that anti-Semitic attitudes have increased significantly over the past two years is troubling and raises questions about the impact of broader trends in America - financial insecurity, social uncertainty, the decline in civility and the growth of polarization - on attitudes toward Jews," said Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director.

19-percent answered "probably true" to the statement "Jews have too much control/influence on Wall Street," an increase from 14-percent in 2009.

Several cases of anti-Semitism have been documented at various Occupy Wall Street across the country.

The survey also found that anti-Semitic views among the African-American population have remained steady, but are consistently higher than the general population.

In 2011, 29-percent of African-Americans expressed strongly anti-Semitic views, according to the survey.

PIX11: Community Outraged After Queens Vandals Spray Paint Swastikas

From PIX11:

Police are looking for vandals who spray-painted several libraries and a synagogue and may have been captured on surveillance footage.

"There was an incident back in July, never reported to police, but on tape. We want police to look at that tape," said Council Member Daniel Dromm at a rally called by dozens of City leaders to crack down on the culprits.

"I don't understand how this could happen right under their noses," said Helen Marshall, the Borough President of Queens, about a police tower just feet away from the Jackson Heights Public Library where one of four swastikas was spray-painted.

Dromm says the vandals struck Wednesday night, and by Friday morning all locations were cleaned up.

"The children are innocent and they should not be exposed to such hatred," said Fanny Vargas, a mother of a student outside the synagogue struck by hate on 88th street. A piece of poster board was placed over the swastika and no one from the synagogue wanted to speak to PIX11 News.

City leaders say they believe the suspects are teenagers. A three thousand dollar reward was gathered by various city leaders for any information that will lead to an arrest in the case. If you have any information you are urged to call Crimestoppers at 1-800-577-tips.

The Queens district Attorney's office says penalties for such hate crimes vary. "Shame shame on you. We will find you," said N.Y.C. Council Member Karen Koslowitz.

NY1: Swastika Graffiti Discovered In Brooklyn As Officials Denounce Similar Queens Incident

From NY1:

A $2,500 reward is being offered for information that leads to an arrest and conviction of whoever has been spray-painting swastikas in Queens.

Investigators say a total of five swastikas were sprayed on the East Elmhurst and Jackson Heights branches of the Queens Library. Another was spray-painted on the door of a synagogue in Jackson Heights.

Investigators believe the incidents are related.

Elected officials say the crime nearly happened right in front of the New York City Police Department.

"Up until this morning, the NYPD had a tower, a lift right over there on that corner, and this hate crime happened under their nose, literally. It’s not but 20 feet from here. Both sides of the street had been cleared of cars so that the police could be over there," said City Councilman Daniel Dromm.

"We have to stand up and send a clear message to whoever is doing this. You will be caught and we will prosecute you to the full extent of the law. This community will not tolerate it,” said State Assembly Candidate Francisco Moya.

Police say their tower was 150 yards away and that the incident is being investigated as a hate crime.

The Hate Crimes Task Force is also investigating another swastika painted on a sidewalk in Brooklyn.

It was sprayed near the corner of Berry and 10th Streets in Williamsburg.

Someone appears to have covered the swastika with white paint.

Anyone with information on the case should contact the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS, or text CRIMES and then enter TIP577, or visit www.nypdcrimestoppers.com.

ABC7: Swastika graffiti angers Queens community

From ABC7:

Police in Queens are investigating the discovery of swastikas painted on three buildings Thursday morning.

Spray painted anti-Semitic hate was discovered on a couple public libraries and the Tefereth Israel Synagogue on 88th Street. Someone spray-painted the lens of a surveillance camera to avoid detection.

Police believe the incidents in three separate locations are related. They are being investigated by the hate crimes taskforce.

The swastikas have since been removed. Community leaders denounced the crime during a news conference on Friday.

Anyone with information on the case should contact the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS, or text CRIMES and then enter TIP577, or visit www.nypdcrimestoppers.com.

NY1: Queens Officials To Stand Against Swastika Graffiti

From NY1: By Zack Fink

Four swastikas showed up on the walls of the Jackson Heights branch of the Queens Library Thursday.

At least one more was painted on the library branch in East Elmhurst, and another was etched on the door of a synagogue on 88th Street.

"That somebody comes now in this day and age and does something like this — and this is a house of worship, and this is a place where we distribute food two mornings every month to the needy — and for somebody to come like this, it's totally unacceptable," said one resident.

"Well, I think it's terrible. I think it's absolutely terrible. This has been going on and it shouldn't,” said another. “It's happened quite a number of times."

Police believe the incidents in three separate locations are related. They are being investigated by the hate crimes taskforce. Local leaders plan to hold a news conference Friday to denounce this kind of hateful vandalism.

"These perpetrators are trying to send a message of fear and intolerance to the community, and that's something that we're not going to accept. Jackson Heights is a wonderful community. It's a tolerant community. It's an accepting community," said Queens City Councilman Daniel Dromm.

The vandalized Jackson Heights temple has been serving the community for 75 years. The rabbi, who did not want to speak on camera to avoid drawing attention to the incident, told NY1 that a swastika was spray-painted on the door at about 5:40 a.m. Thursday.

Whoever did it also spray-painted the lens of the surveillance camera first to avoid detection. The swastika had been covered up, but eventually it was cleaned and removed.

"Yeah, I'm very surprised. It doesn't seem like that kind of a neighborhood to me. Lots of diversity in the neighborhood and everyone seems to get on. So, I'm surprised, yeah," said one resident.

Police were notified about all six swastikas that were discovered this morning. The locations all fall under the jurisdiction of the 115th precinct. Police are investigating but so far have made no arrests.

Anyone with information on the case should contact the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS, or text CRIMES and then enter TIP577, or visit www.nypdcrimestoppers.com.

NY1: Daughter Of Missing Queens Woman Speaks Out Against NYPD

From NY1: By Cefaan Kim

The daughter of Lian Fang Feng, the Queens woman who disappeared from her apartment 10 years ago, said she believes her mother was murdered and that police won't provide her with information on the investigation.

1010 WINS: Daughter Of Missing Queens Woman Urges Police To Reopen Case

From 1010 WINS: By Mona Rivera

The daughter of a Queens woman missing for nearly decade is calling on police to revive the investigation into the cold case.

“We want to know what happened to Lian Fang Feng,” City Council Member Daniel Dromm said Wednesday.

Feng’s daughter, Jena Liang, came home to a horrible scene on July 19, 2002.

“Traces of blood on the floor of our apartment, I noticed that there were stains of blood on the floor,” she said. “It looked like somebody washed it off, cleaned it. There were splashes of blood on a vase, on the ceiling.”

Liang called police after finding the blood stains in the Elmhurst apartment where she lived with her 52-year-old mother and stepfather Roger Hui.

Police records showed strong evidence of foul play but no body was ever found. Feng was never seen or heard from again.

Liang is now pointing the finger at her stepfather and said she has evidence he was after insurance money. Hui apparently moved to have Feng declared dead and to have himself appointed the administrator of her estate.

She is urging police to reopen the case.

“Was she murdered? Is she missing? What happened?” Dromm asked. “If this was your mother, what would you do?”

In a press release, Dromm stated an initial investigation was conducted and police had collected evidence of blood spatters, forensic samples from mop water, and photographs of a car bumper owned by one of the residents of the building.

However, shortly after the investigation began, the original detective assigned to the case retired and Liang said the NYPD gave her almost no information into her mother’s disappearance.

Liang subpoenaed the NYPD for records of the investigation but was later told that all the evidence had been destroyed in a flood at One Police Plaza.

However, police responded to the story Wednesday night, saying the records were not destroyed.

“This is an active ongoing case which is being investigated by Queens Homicide,” police said in a statement.

The Queens Gazette: U.S. Treasurer Meets Unity Team And Latino Leaders

From the Queens Gazette:

Congressmember Joseph Crowley convened a meeting with U.S. Treasurer Rosie Rios (c.) and members of the Queens Unity Team with (l. to r.) State Senator Jose Peralta, Councilmember Daniel Dromm, Councilmember Julissa Ferreras and Assemblymember Francisco Moya. Crowley invited the elected officials and local Latino business leaders to meet with Rios to discuss a series of initiatives that the Obama administration is proposing through its American Jobs Act. The leaders had the opportunity to ask Rios questions about the implementation of this new legislation. Rios’ signature can be found on all paper money minted in the United States.

NY1: Jackson Heights Halloween Parade Thrills Queens Residents

From NY1:

Queens residents and some high profile elected officials turned out for the 22nd annual Jackson Heights Halloween parade Monday.

Times Ledger: Jackson Heights sign spells out historical connections

From Times Ledger: By Ivan Pereira

City Councilman Danny Dromm (D-Jackson Heights) said not too many people know that Jackson Heights was the birthplace of one of the most popular board games in the world, but after last weekend residents and visitors will be getting a fresh reminder about that fact.

The councilman reinstalled the street sign Saturday at 35th Avenue between 81st and 82nd streets that honors the board game Scrabble. The word game’s creator, Alfred Mosher, created and perfected the game in his Jackson Heights apartment and first introduced it to players in the 1930s at the Community United Methodist Church, which is at the corner.

Three years ago, the street sign was mysteriously taken down and Dromm worked to get it back.

“We are putting up a reminder that will tell future generations what happened here,” he said.

The sign, made possible by the city Landmarks Preservation Commission and the city Department of Transportation, was installed in 1995 and spelled out “35th Avenue” with each letter assigned a Scrabble point value.

Giovanna Reid, district manager for Community Board 3, said residents were upset when it disappeared in 2008 and the board unanimously voted to have it replaced.

“The Scrabble sign adds to the wonderful things that are here in the district,” she said.

Mosher had been laid off from his job as an architect in 1938 and during his spare time created Scrabble. After some trial and error efforts with his wife, Mosher took his game to the public with a trial test run at the church.

Players quickly caught on because the word game not only was challenging, but also had a charm that audiences were looking for during the Great Depression, according to Barbaralee Diamonstein-Spielvogel, chairwoman of the Landmarks Preservation Commission.

“He developed a premium game that is not unlike the game of life,” she said. “There is strategy, planning and a little luck.”

Since its inception, the game has been distributed in more than 210 countries and been translated into 29 different languages, according to its manufacturer, Hasbro Toy Co. The company’s vice president of games marketing, Jonathan Berkowitz, sent his regards to Dromm for the event.

“We’re proud to be a part of Scrabble’s rich history and to be continuously expanding the ways fans experience this word game favorite,” he said in a statement.

Dromm, a former public school teacher, noted that the game plays a big role in immigrant communities such as Jackson Heights because it served as an accessible education tool.

“I always had a Scrabble game in my classroom because it was a great way to learn the language,” he said.

The Queens Gazette: Historic Scrabble Sign Makes Triumphant Return To Jackson Heights

From The Queens Gazette:

A beloved street sign that commemorated the birthplace of a popular word game is returning to the Jackson Heights community thanks to efforts of Councilmember Daniel Dromm.

The original sign was installed in 1995 outside of the Community United Methodist Church where an architect named Alfred Mosher Butts first invented and perfected the game, Scrabble.

Mysteriously, the sign was taken down in 2008. Upon being elected in the following year, Dromm vowed to have the sign replaced. After introducing legislation to approve its reinstallation on the southeast corner of 81st Street and 35th Avenue, the Department of Transportation authorized the creation of a street sign that spells out 35th Avenue with each letter assigned a point value as in the game.

“The Scrabble sign was ingenious and added a special historical charm to the neighborhood,” said Dromm. “Scrabble is celebrating its 62nd anniversary this year, and Alfred Butts’s achievement in Jackson Heights should be recognized.”

The sign that was installed in 1995 was made possible through a program created by Barbaralee Diamonstein-Spielvogel, chair of the NYC Landmarks Preservation Center and creator of the city’s historic district street signs, to commemorate Butts’ invention and compliment the nearby Cultural Medallion which details the game’s history.

“This lovely terra cotta sign has taken on new meaning because of the significance with which neighbors and passersby have endowed it,” said Diamonstein-Spielvogel. “The sign has become a neighborhood landmark of its own. The creator of Scrabble and the residents of Jackson Heights share certain traits: they are creative, persistent and unwilling to give up easily.”

In 1938, in the midst of the Great Depression and after being laid off from his job as an architect, Butts set out to create something new. Butts was a resident of Jackson Heights and after meticulous study and trial and error, he invented Scrabble. 

"The Scrabble street sign will again be a point of pride in our community, thanks to the inventive genius of Jackson Heights resident and Community Church congregant Alfred Butts,” said Jackson Heights Historian Daniel Karatzas. “It always brought a smile to those who bothered to look up at the corner of 81 Street and 35 Avenue." 

Scrabble is a word game played on a board marked with a 15-by-15 grid. Each letter of the alphabet is assigned a number point based on the letter’s frequency in the English language. Two to four players score points by forming words from individual lettered tiles placed on the board. The aim of the game is to come up with words with the highest point values based on the points assigned to each letter.

Currently, the game is sold in 121 countries in 29 different languages. 150 million sets have been sold worldwide, and sets can be found in one out of every three American homes. More than 100 million sets of the game have been sold, easily making it the world’s best selling word game.

Queens Chronicle: Dromm: Teach LGBT history in public schools

From Queens Chronicle: By AnnMarie Costella

Councilman Danny Dromm (D-Jackson Heights) this week introduced a resolution calling for city public schools to incorporate the history of the gay rights movement into their curriculum with a press conference Tuesday on the steps of City Hall.

Dromm said the curriculum should begin in kindergarten “as part of a natural discussion” that is not about sex, but rather that demonstrates people of different sexual orientations exist, have accomplished great things and deserve the same rights and respect as everyone else.

The openly gay lawmaker also believes lessons should include the social, political and artistic contributions of notable lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals such as Bayard Rustin, Harvey Milk, Stephen Sondheim, Walt Whitman, Truman Capote, James Baldwin and Gertrude Stein. Dromm added that excluding them is “dishonest and inaccurate.”

“A biography of the life of Harvey Milk should be on the bookshelves of every school,” Dromm said.

“We need to teach kids the truth. The LGBT community has contributed to the history of this nation.”

Milk was the first openly gay person elected to public office. He was later assassinated.

When Dromm came out of the closet in 1973 at the age of 17, he said, it was very difficult. “Back then it was still considered a mental disorder,” he recalled. Dromm credited the support of his mother for helping him cope with the sensitive situation; his father had died some time earlier.

October is LGBT Month and Dromm announced his plan on National Coming Out Day. It is supported by fellow openly gay City Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer (D-Sunnyside) and others.

“Through education, we can create a greater understanding of our diverse city, and make our schools a safer place for all young people including LGBT youth, many of whom endure endless bullying,” Van Bramer said in a prepared statement.

Some 84.6 percent of LGBT students were verbally harassed at school because of their sexual orientation, according to the 2009 National School Climate Survey conducted by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, cited by Dromm. The survey also said that 40.1 percent of students were physically abused at school over the last year because of their sexual orientation and 27.2 percent because of which sex one comes across as, Dromm noted.

“Discrimination hurts,” he said, “and we have to get rid of it wherever we find it.”

The lawmaker said the changing of school history lessons would not cost the Department of Education additional money, because the agency is constantly buying new textbooks that are always being revised as events happen and changes occur.

Dromm, a former public school teacher for 25 years, said history lessons are often taught according to themes, and he believes LGBT history could be explained along with the black civil rights movement and women’s suffrage. It would provide both positive role models for LGBT youth and help prevent the perpetuation of homosexual stereotypes, Dromm said.

A spokeswoman for the DOE said schools’ curriculum already includes discussions of many of the works by Sondheim, Capote, Whitman and Baldwin. She also noted that two city schools are named after gay pioneers — Rustin and Milk. In addition, she said, the DOE has a Respect for All program that aims to help students embrace the differences in each other.

Annette Bradley, a former early childhood education teacher at York College for 16 years, supports Dromm’s proposal, calling it a “healthy” way to integrate the curriculum.

“I think children would benefit from that,” Bradley, who is African-American, said Tuesday. “How long can we keep gay people locked away? It’s akin to the civil rights movement — if we keep at them at the back of the bus, they’re invisible. There are so many horror stories about gay people being attacked.”

Many see the gay and black civil rights movements as similar, while others say discrimination against the LGBT community does not compare to the history of slavery and the Jim Crow era. But both Dromm and Bradley agree — it doesn’t matter who suffered for a longer period of time or who endured worse atrocities, because as Bradley put it “Suffering is suffering.”

City Councilman Leroy Comrie (D-St. Albans) said he supports Dromm’s plan if it is done in a way that educators can agree upon, adding “It is better to learn about different things that exist in the world rather than to be surprised by them.”

Times Ledger: LGBT history should be taught in City’s schools: Dromm

From Times Ledger: By Rebecca Henely

City Councilman Daniel Dromm (D-Jackson Heights) announced Tuesday he was introducing a resolution calling for the city Department of Education to integrate lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender historical figures into the general school curriculum.

“We need to teach the truth and not whitewash history,” Dromm said. “And the fact of the matter is that we haven’t been teaching the truth about LGBT people at all — ever.”

The resolution calls for the department to implement a curriculum and buy text and trade books that would include watershed moments in the history of LGBT people and would acknowledge the sexuality of LGBT historical figures. Dromm, who is openly gay and a former teacher, said this resolution would call for a curriculum similar to the one passed statewide in California this summer and one taught in colleges across the country.

“I think this should be a tremendous help to youth, to all youth when it comes to understanding gay people,” Dromm said.

The councilman said the curriculum would integrate important moments in the LGBT struggle for civil rights.

“The Stonewall Rebellion, for example, that’s never spoken about in classrooms,” Dromm said, referring to the 1969 demonstrations against a police raid at the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village.

When it comes to historical figures, Dromm said this resolution would not highlight LGBT historical figures at the expense of other figures throughout history, but would discuss the sexuality of figures already in the curriculum.

He said when students are currently taught about Leonardo da Vinci, Walt Whitman and Billie Jean King, their homosexuality is never discussed. He said given that the city has schools named after da Vinci and Whitman, and the USTA’s tennis stadium in Flushing Meadows Corona Park is named after King, it is important that students learn the entire truth about them.

“We all know gay people, we all know gay heroes, but we don’t necessarily know that they’re gay,” Dromm said.

To those who would say the sexuality of historical figures does not matter, Dromm compared it to discussing a U.S. president’s First Lady when talking about his life, and said a straight person’s relationship with their partner often reflects how we think about them.

“This should just come as a natural,” Dromm said.

Dromm said with many countries and New York state recently approving same-sex marriage, what we teach children should reflect the changing world.

“We need to acknowledge that reality as well and we need to acknowledge how we’ve gotten to this point,” Dromm said.

NY1: Lawmakers, LGBT Advocates Call For Inclusive Curriculum

From NY1 News:

Advocates rallied on the steps of City Hall Tuesday to call for city schools to teach key moments in LGBT history and portray the contributions of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people in American history.

Queens City Council Member Daniel Dromm, who is openly gay, introduced a resolution asking the Department of Education to implement such a curriculum and acquire the textbooks needed to teach it.

The announcement came on National Coming Out Day, an event held every year since 1988 that encourages gay people to open up about their sexuality.

Proponents said teaching students about the contributions of gay individuals would lead to a greater feeling of safety among all students regardless of sexual orientation.

"It's about time that the New York City Department of Education adopt a curriculum which is true," said Dromm. "All we're asking the Department of Education to do is acknowledge the truth and to stop putting LGBT people in the closet."

DOE officials said they already include the works of many gay artists in class discussions and even have schools named after gay leaders like Bayard Rustin and Harvey Milk.

NY1: Kelly Faces Questioning Over Alleged Spying On Muslims

From NY1: By Michael Herzenberg

City Councilman Daniel Dromm tried to drive home his concerns to Police Commissioner Ray Kelly Thursday at an oversight hearing about published reports and documents that seem to show the New York City Police Department is targeting certain ethnicities.

“I’m asking you a very specific question: do you have one of the Irish community, do you have one of the Greek community? How many communities have you mapped out in the same way that you’ve mapped out the Muslim community?” said Dromm.

“We don't do it ethnically, we do it geographically," said Kelly.

Representatives from the New York Civil Liberties Union asked a federal Judge Monday to force the NYPD to release information on its surveillance of Muslims to see if it's spying and violating the law.

"The NYPD has been spying on entire neighborhoods based solely on who lives there and what their religious beliefs are,” said Udi Ofer of the NYCLU. "We know the NYPD is watching us: the question is, who is watching the NYPD?"

Before the hearing, they joined elected officials, the Brennan Center for Justice and Muslims in asking the City Council to act.

"They're giving the tickets — unfair tickets," said Osman Chowdhury, a cab driver who claims the police keep tabs on him because of his Bangladeshi roots.

Inside the hearing, however, Kelly seemed to dispute that claim.

"We don't racially profile, we follow leads wherever those leads take us," said Kelly.

The commissioner maintains his department goes beyond what the law requires in protecting civil liberties.

He also claims that a class action federal lawsuit called the Handschu Case provides guidelines and procedures and what he calls “independent oversight” with two people: one from inside the department and one from outside the department appointed by the mayor.

The NYCLU is asking the council to find out specifics about possible surveillance of innocent Muslims, and it's also asking a federal judge to dig for answers.

China Daily USA: Anti-Wall Street rally gets support from politicians, unions

From China Daily USA: By Chen Weihua

Despite being called by some United States media organizations as hippies, leftist loonies and a small lone group, the Occupy Wall Street protesters got a major shot in the arm Wednesday afternoon as thousands of union members rallied to show their solidarity.

The movement, which started on Sept 17, began with a small fledgling group who were out to tackle corporate greed and social inequality.

Wednesday's gathering drew thousands representing dozens of unions such as United Auto Workers, Transport Workers Union, National Nurse United, Musicians Local 80 and New York Taxi Workers Alliance. Estimates near Wall Street ranged from 5,000 to 8,000 people, with many more continuing to arrive.

Many people left work and school early, wearing union T-shirts and waving signs, all in high spirits.

Jimmy Shea, a carpenter, said the rich must share as much sacrifice as the middle and working classes.

"It is now very hard for the middle class in America," he said.

Besides union members, local politicians and other organizations, such as Citizen Action of New York and War Resisters League, also participated to show their support for the 19-day-long protest.

Only a few celebrities, such as filmmaker Michael Moore and actress Susan Sarandon, have spoken to the crowds at Liberty Plaza, also known as Zuccotti Park, where hundreds of protesters have camped for the past couple of weeks.

New York City Councilman Daniel Dromm said he came down to lend support.

"They have been struggling for a long time. People are sick of the rich getting away not paying their fair share of taxes . This is the people's movement. The changes are necessary," he said.

New York State Senator Bill Perkins claimed the protesters have already won. "We are at Zuccotti Park and we are at other parks throughout the country. It's all on the same message, a message for change," he said.

In the past weeks, the Occupy Wall Street rally has spread to at least a dozen cities across the country in the past few days. More events are planned across the US, including one in Washington on Thursday.

With the movement spreading, many demonstrators in Zuccotti Park said they feel motivated by the progress.

"It is encouraging to see the protest expand to other cities," said Richard Hirsh, 58, a film and video worker from Brooklyn, who has been involved in the rally since Sept 26.

Hirsch said he is standing up against the takeover of the country by corporations and banks through lobbying. "The 1 percent (of the population) controls the 99 percent," he said.

Although the rallies have been mostly peaceful, the arrest of more than 700 protesters by New York police on the Brooklyn Bridge on Saturday have taken a toll on many who are involved.

Heather Long, 18, was still emotional describing the events four days later.

A biology student at Florida State College at Jacksonville, Long and her friend drove 16 hours to New York City on Saturday to join the protest, only to find themselves being arrested on the Brooklyn Bridge. They were released at 3 am the next day after 11 hours of detention.

Raised in a poverty-stricken family, Long said she and her family knows what it's like to go hungry, not have enough clothes and not have medical insurance.

"We never had cable, Internet and home phone because we couldn't afford to pay the bills," said Long, who was the first in her family to finish high school and attend college.

While voicing her opposition to the widening gap between the rich and poor, Long said she is also upset with the constant bickering between Democrats and Republicans.

"The system the government has set up needs to change," she said.

A recent Washington Post poll shows that nearly eight in 10 Americans are dissatisfied with the way the political system is operating, up dramatically from late 2009.

Long said as soon as she and her friend heard the news in Florida, they felt like they want to be part of the revolution.

"We try to unite Americans and unite 99 percent. We are not high, we are not hippies and we are fighting for the 99 percent. If we all come together, we could make change," she said.

While critics argue the point of the rally lacks a clear goal, there is a unified message among the crowd who are frustrated with the system, the widening gap between the rich and poor and corporate greed and influence.

"I am protesting against the idea that top 1 percent is making far too much money at the expense of the bottom 99 percent," said Jason Ciaccio, a doctorate student at the Graduate Center of City University of New York.

Coming to the plaza to show sympathy and solidarity with the people who are protesting, Ciaccio said he doesn't know if everyone is ready to embrace change, but he believes most people there will be happy if they can just raise awareness of the country's problems.

"I don't know how long the protest is going to last, but I hope it lasts as long as possible," said Ciaccio, sitting in front of his protest sign while reading the book Hegel's Aesthetics.

Susan Olzak, a sociology professor at Stanford University, said these protests are in the very early stages, which makes its effect very difficult to assess.

"In my view, the movement's aims have not been clearly conveyed to the media or to the public-at-large. On the other hand, we have witnessed a large turnout of protesters in New York City and similar protests have spread to other cities across the country."

The protests seem to resonate with surveys of the American population that suggest there is widespread discontent with the economy and with shrinking job opportunities, especially for younger workers entering the job market. However, at this point, it is unclear whether an effective social movement will eventually emerge.

Zuccotti Park has transformed into somewhat of a summer camp. Besides daily rallies, various committees hold regular meetings to compare notes. A buffet table offers food to protesters. Musicians play instrument to drum up morale. Several occupants practice yoga while a line of protesters stand firm, drawing the attention of many passers-by and tourists on a double-decker tour bus.

It is unknown how long the rally will last, but many are planning for the long haul.