Senators Felder and Golden Working on Plan to Revive Housing Program

This story appeared in Hamodia

BORO PARK - State Senators Simcha Felder and Martin Golden are working to re-instate a tax break for developers that they hope will open the door to expanded housing options for New Yorkers, especially in their south Brooklyn districts.

The abetment, known as 421-a, has offered generous tax breaks to developers in the city since the 1970s, originally as a means of correcting what was then a sluggish market of housing starts. As the New York real estate market regained its strength, the program’s focus has been to ensure that developers provide affordable housing and keep city neighborhoods open to different income levels.

Last year, Governor Andrew Cuomo tied 421-a to a push his administration was making to raise wages for construction workers. Negotiations with builders failed and, for the first time in decades, legislation renewing the program went unsigned, allowing it to lapse.

Following an announcement from the governor’s office last month that an agreement on wages had been reached, Senators Felder and Golden were tasked by Senate President John Flanagan to draw up plans to revive 421-a.

Sen. Felder told Hamodia that his goal is to design a plan that will translate into real housing options that could alleviate the housing crisis faced by so many in his constituency and others struggling with the city’s dearth of affordable housing.

“Everybody has their ideas of how to solve the housing crisis. I don’t think that any one plan is going to solve it, but at the same time, giving up is not something that is in our DNA and giving incentives to build is the most basic tool to work with,” he said.

Even before Governor Cuomo’s confrontation with contractors effectively canceled 421-a, the program had begun to face opposition. News reports showed that it had strayed from its stated goal and been used to cut costs of luxury condos in high-income neighborhoods. Reforming the abatement became a central message of Mayor Bill de Blasio during his 2014 campaign.

A round of negotiations between the state, city, the New York State Board of Real Estate, and other stakeholders yielded a compromise, but one that Sen. Felder said did little to help families in search of affordable housing.

“I wasn’t happy because the new proposal was okay for developers, but didn’t do a thing for most homeowners,” he said. “I’m not sure why we haven’t heard any advocacy from the mayor on this point.”

A key objection that Sen. Felder had to the changes made was a clause limiting the tax break only to buildings that were subdivided into six units or more. Previously, those split into four or more were covered. He hopes new proposals to re-instate the program will include larger living spaces designed for families.

“This is not really a new argument. We have been saying for a long time that the change from four to six makes 421-a into a program that only helps people looking for studios and small apartments, but does very little for families and certainly not for large ones,” he said.

Sen. Felder’s Boro Park constituency holds little open space available for new development, but he said the abatement could help push builders to consider options in the few areas that do exist and the scarcity is “even more reason” why 421-a could help the neighborhood.

The governor’s office did not respond to an inquiry from Hamodia on the matter. A member of Sen. Golden’s staff said that he was not available to comment.

The 421-a abatement has always had different standards in different parts of the city. However, the changes made in recent years severely limited its application to the outer boroughs, another issue that the senators hope to address.

“No one has seen the agreement that the governor struck, but some news reports say the only place it covers in Brooklyn is the waterfront. That’s not where the affordable housing issue exists,” Bob Farley, legislative adviser to Sen. Felder, told Hamodia. “This is an important program. We need to make sure that it’s re-instated and that it comes back in a way that it actually does something for families.”

SENATOR FELDER ATTACKED FOR SIDING WITH COMMUNITY OVER PARTY

As a result of his decision to once again caucus with the State Senate Republicans, NY State Senator Simcha Felder continues to be the target for some liberals angered by President-Elect Donald Trump’s victory over Hilary Clinton.

Last month, the State Democrats issued a statement attacking the Senator. “Any Democrat who joins with Donald Trump’s Republican Party enables his continuing assault on immigrants, women, people of color, people of different faiths and our shared American values,” said Mike Murphy, a spokesman for the Senate Democrats.

More recently, a group calling itself “SD17 Jews Against Trump” urged Senator Felder to change his mind and stand with the State Democrats. On Wednesday, December 21, the group showed up at the Senator’s office with a petition signed by about 65 individuals who said they live in the Senator’s district (Senate District 17). A spokesperson for the group said that her group is vehemently against the President Elect and the New York State GOP for a variety of reasons, and that the Senator should not stand with them.

A handful of the petitioners remained outside the Senator’s office on Avenue J where they held up their signs “Jews Against Trump.” This prompted others on the Avenue to admonish the protestors. “This is outrageous,” said one woman. “I’m a Jew who is for Trump, and what you’re doing is disgusting.”

“I have to do what’s best for my constituents,” explained Senator Felder. “While I appreciate that some of my constituents may feel differently, I have also found that the majority of those who have contacted me about who I caucus with are not disappointed by my decision.

“This has nothing to do with President-Elect Trump,” the Senator continued. “For the last four years, I’ve caucused with the Republicans because, irrespective of party affiliation, I never give up on trying to do what’s best for the people I represent. Parties are not a religion. I won’t be intimidated by those who feel differently.”

Diocese of Brooklyn Legislative Breakfast

Senator Felder was happy to attend the Diocese of Brooklyn Legislative Breakfast on December 16. 

The Senator is pictured (L to R) with  Brooklyn Democratic Leader Frank Seddio, Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio, NY State Senator Roxanne Persaud, and NY State Assembly Member Helene Weinstein.

No Right Turns on Ocean Parkway?

"It’s evident that residents in my District are confused and angry about a decision by the Department of Transportation to prohibit right turns on certain parts of Ocean Parkway," says Senator Felder. "We were unaware of these changes until very recently. Consequently, I have asked Governor Andrew Cuomo, Mayor Bill de Blasio, New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Matthew Driscoll, and New York City Department of Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg to put these no-right-turn changes on hold until the local elected officials and community board chairs can meet to discuss these proposed changes, the reasons behind them, and their impact on the district."

That’s Not Protesting. That’s a Riot.

by Senator Simcha Felder

The difference between an objection and an insurrection is at least a thousand miles wide. As Americans, it’s vital that we respect the first and have zero tolerance for its dreadful antithesis.

Unfortunately, following our presidential election, what we’ve seen on the streets of America, and right here in New York City, are quite the opposite of what the framers of our Constitution and Bill of Rights had in mind when they insisted that certain freedoms be guaranteed.

The First Amendment guarantees the right of the people to assemble peaceably. But the right to assemble is not absolute. To prevent chaos, government can impose restrictions on the time, place, and manner of that peaceful assembly. More, the First Amendment does not provide the right to conduct an assembly at which there is a clear and present danger of riot, disorder, or interference with traffic on public streets, or other immediate threat to public safety or order.

The assembly we’ve seen on the streets following the recent election is far from peaceful. What we’ve witnessed is neither a Martin Luther King Jr. nor Ghandi-esque attempt to bring peaceful and respectful attention to a matter that some feel needs redress.

What we’ve seen is chaos.

Like it or not, Donald Trump was elected and uncontested by American due process—a process that we hold sacrosanct in this land. Barring a violation of the law, this man will be president of these United States for the next four years. So if you live here, he is your President.

There have been the “Kill Trump” messages—a public call to assassinate the President-Elect—and, in a new low, unthinkable until it was actualized, signs that call for attacks on the first lady.

Yes, unthinkable. And, frankly, unforgivable.

But thugs will be thugs. The behavior we’ve seen has not been limited to mere words, but has also encompassed assaults and destruction of property; burnings of flags and lootings of stores. The very people who claim to fear that Donald Trump will destroy America seem eager to do that job themselves.

These rioters who are breaking the law must be condemned in the strongest terms, not emboldened by our elected officials. Further, our police must be empowered to protect the vast majority of our citizens. Because that vast majority of law-abiding citizens, regardless of who they voted for, also have rights. We have the right to Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness. And no one that I know is happy about having the streets blocked when they’re trying to get to work. No one is particularly thrilled about seeing our streets turn into carnivals of potential—and sometimes actual—violence because a mixed-message has somehow been received by these protestors; a message that allows them to believe what they are doing when they break the law is somehow appropriate because it is tolerated.

Mid-term elections are only two years away. The older I get, the better I realize how fast two years can go by. And the next presidential election is only two years after that. There’s plenty of time for voices to be heard, for peaceful assemblies, and for the many legal ways that people in this country have to address their grievances.

In the mean time, we need to uphold and enforce the laws of this land which, regardless of who is in power, really define what America is all about.

This article first appeared in The Jewish Press on Nov. 25, 2016

Medicare Rights Seminar

Senator Felder hosted a Medicare Rights Seminar on Tuesday, November 28, for people turning 65 in 2017. A representative from Medicare Rights offered a soup-to-nuts tutorial on Medicare and explained the various choices people have when applying for Medicare. About three dozen people attended the two-hour seminar, which included an extensive question and answer session.

A Welcome Surprise!

I promised my young friend Avraham Baruch at Bonim Lamakom a surprise for his birthday... and the surprise was Country Yossi!

With his trusted guitar, Yossi entertained the birthday boy, and everyone assembled, with five songs, and then everyone shared birthday cake.

My thanks to Rabbi Horowitz at Bonim Lamakom for helping make this special moment happen.

Senator Felder's Creative Thanksgiving

Senator Felder and the State Senate sponsored a "Creative Celebration" contest that inspired children from all over the State to submit essays, poetry and artwork for inclusion in their Thanksgiving Day Showcase. The children from Shema Kolainu, a school for children with autism, were thrilled to participate and sent in some terrific entries that Senator Felder's staff marveled at... and hung up in the Senator's office for all to see.

Visiting FDR High School

Senator Felder visited FDR High School in Brooklyn for a tour of the school's performing arts center and student theater.

Parties Don’t Matter. Issues Matter.

by NY State Senator Simcha Felder

I’ve seen a fair amount of coverage about my recent decision this legislative session to caucus with the Republicans. The news reports have been speculative, sometimes confusing, and often inaccurate. So I’m pleased to have an opportunity to explain things directly to you and clear up any questions with regard to why I’ve chosen this path.

Before I go there, I want to thank you for letting me to serve you again. Allowing me to run unchallenged on all three party lines—Democrat, Republican and Conservative—was a vote of confidence that I will work hard to be worthy of.

Like many of you, I am a registered Democrat with fairly conservative views. If you want any say in New York City—a place where winning a Democratic primary is equivalent to winning office—you must be a Democrat to have a say in City elections. So why join sides with the Republicans?

There’s a debate that conscientious elected officials have with themselves that goes like this: Do I carefully and precisely represent the views and expectations of my constituents, or should I use my experience to do what I believe is best in office? After all, elected officials are expected to have a wider understanding of the Big Picture than the public… But if that’s the case, what about the will of the people?

I have never found the answers to these questions to be in contradiction. Having been born and schooled in the same district that I represent—having raised a family here and maintained a passionate involvement with our community—I believe that my thoughts are, for the most part, the same as yours. The decisions that I make politically are what I think are best for us. Given my position, I believe most of you would make the same decisions. There are exceptions, sure, but caucusing with the Republicans isn’t one of them.

Winston Churchill once said that Democracy is the worst form of government, except for the other ones. Our political arena largely relies on a two-party system where you are either a Democrat or a Republican. But at the same time, political club memberships have been declining for years. It’s a sign that more and more people are recognizing that it’s not about the parties—it’s about the issues.

Which brings me to my decision.

At the end of the day, regardless of which lever people may have pulled for me—Democrat, Republican or Conservative—you don’t want me representing a party. You want me to represent you. And I am in full agreement.

My decision to caucus with the Republicans was based on three things: First, I need to consider what’s best for my constituents. Secondly, I need to consider what’s best for New Yorkers. I believe that every government needs balance; that having a stacked deck with either party controlling all of the centers of power, either on a Federal or State level, is not in the people’s best interests.

Third, I have to rely on my experience. That experience dictates that I stand with the Republicans again. I’ve been with them for the last two legislative sessions—the last four years—and this has served New Yorkers well. We’ve done great things together and seen success with many issues including protecting special needs families, free school transportation (a direct help to parents and their families), protecting the bodies of the deceased, and fighting the City’s Bag Tax, to name a few.

The reason behind my decision was no more complicated than that. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. I stick to the belief that I must represent you as I’d like to be represented.

So once again, thank you for returning me to Albany where I will have only one goal in mind. And that goal is, with Hashem’s help, serving your best interests, regardless of party politics.

(This article originally appeared in The Hamodia).

Keeping Our City Streets Clean

"Nothing expresses pride in our city quite like clean streets," says Senator Felder. The Senator's continued sponsorship of the ACE program results in keeping major avenues in his Senate district much cleaner than they would otherwise be. Recently, the Senator met with some of the ACE workers who were sweeping up the neighborhood near his office. For more information on ACE's clean streets program, call 212-274-0550 or visit their website.

A Visit to Bonim Lamokom

Senator Felder always enjoys visiting Yeshiva Bonim Lamokom, and the students get a big charge out of these visits, too. A typical day at the yeshiva combines a regular learning curriculum with a vocational training program. Senator Felder greeted the students and staff while observing the yeshiva's programming.

NEED HELP WITH HEATING COSTS?

Senator Simcha Felder has announced the opening of this year’s Neighborhood Heating Fund—the HeartShare program—on December 12. The program provides assistance to eligible households who need help with the cost of heating their homes. Grants of up to $200 may be available to those that have an open balance on their National Grid heating account.

“The cold weather means heating costs will be going up,” said Senator Felder. “The good news is that there are programs available to help low-income families and seniors. Last year my office saved our constituents more than $24,000 on their heating bills. I encourage eligible households to apply for HeartShare, which can be done right at my offices. HeartShare is a good resource for those on a fixed income and working families struggling to make ends meet. Just call my office for an appointment to have your application filled out.”

Call 718-253-2015 (Flatbush office) or 718-484-3216 (Boro Park office).

Senator Felder: Change Your Clocks, Change Your Batteries

Senator Simcha Felder joins the FDNY in reminding all New Yorkers to change the batteries and their smoke and carbon monoxide alarms when they change their clocks for the end of Daylight Saving Time.

The Fire Safety Education Unit will be distributing alarm batteries throughout the five boroughs.

Brooklyn locations for the free batteries distribution are as follows:

November 3, 2016 (10 am – 2 pm @ each location)

Avenue M and East 14th Street

13th Avenue and 53rd Street

Lee Avenue and Williamsburg Street West

Avenue J and East 14th Street.

November 4, (4 – 6 pm @ each location), locations are:

Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue Terminal at Stillwell Avenue & Mermaid Avenue

Broadway Junction Complex at Jamaica Avenue & Fulton Street

Crown Heights-Utica Avenue Station at Utica Avenue & Eastern Parkway.

November 5, (12 – 4 pm) the location is:
Target @ 139 Flatbush Ave.

Will the Yellow Bus Strike Impact Your Child?

(This story originally appeared at The Yeshiva World News)

A strike has been threatened by drivers of yellow school buses that may begin as early as tomorrow, but most yeshiva parents are not worrying. Thanks to the free transportation that was put in place by State Senator Simcha Felder, 20,000 children attending yeshivos will not be impacted by the strike.

“Just when we’ve gotten used to thanking Simcha Felder for the free transportation, now we have to start thanking him for taking this strike worry off our minds, too,” said one yeshiva administrator. “Seriously, just as we’re returning to school after the holidays, the last thing we need to worry about, and that parents need to worry about, is how kids are going to get to school every day. Unfortunately, some parents will be effected by this strike, if it happens, but at least the vast majority are protected.”

With two bus driver unions going on strike, close to 600 bus routes serving approximately 12,000 public school students and 2,500 non-public school students attending school in areas of Queens, Brooklyn and Staten Island will be effected. Bus routes in Manhattan and the Bronx will not be effected.

Met Council Coney Island Holocaust Survivor Event

Senator Felder was happy to greet seniors and survivors last night at an event sponsored by the Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty and Holocaust Survivor Program. The event took place at the JASA Senior Center, 2880 West 12th Street, Brooklyn.

Judah Zellermaier, Senator Felder, Aaron Cyperstein and Irina Miagkova

10,000+ Residents Attend Senator Felder, Human Care Services Historical Chol MaMoed Event

Senator Felder and Human Care co-sponsored a free Chol HaMoed Fair on Thursday, October 20, that allowed a record number of community families and their children to enjoy free entertainment, free snacks and free rides all day long.

More than 10,000 Boro Park and neighboring residents attended this safe and wholesome event as the concerts and rides continued throughout the day. Grateful attendees noted that the holidays are expensive and that this completely free event allowed them to give top-quality entertainment to their families for absolutely no cost.

“I’ve been in Brooklyn my entire life and we’ve never had anything like this,” said one resident. “This was such a beautiful event—perfect for all families, including those with special needs children. We’re very grateful for it.” Senator Felder’s staff was on hand throughout the day, distributing thousands of free Health & Fitness and Bicycle Safety activity books for the children. Grandparents, parents, teenagers and children of all ages came together to enjoy the many attractions and friendship. Although it had threatened to rain, even the weather was perfect and everyone wore a smile all day long.

Senator Felder Scores Highest Marks with Conservative Party

By Paula Katinas

Brooklyn Daily Eagle

The Brooklyn lawmaker with the highest rating from the New York State Conservative Party is…a Democrat.

State Sen. Simcha Felder (D-Borough Park-Midwood) and a Republican colleague from Broome County earned the highest rating among senators in the Conservative Party’s annual ratings.

Felder and state Sen. Fred Akshar (R-Broome County) both scored 90 percent, meaning that 90 percent of the time, they voted on bills the Conservative Party had endorsed or voted against legislation the party had fought against.

Assemblymember Dean Murray (R-C-East Patchogue) garnered the highest score among the assemblymembers, 95 percent.

Released on Oct. 11, the ratings reflect the 2016 Legislative Session, which ended in June.

Felder, a former city councilmember, was elected to the state senate in 2012. Despite the fact that he is a Democrat, he caucuses with the Republicans in the state senate. In the upcoming Nov. 8 election, his name will appear on three ballot lines: Democrat, Conservative and Republican.

The Conservative Party, chaired by Mike Long, looked at 20 pieces of legislation passed by the state Legislature and ranked state lawmakers on how they voted on the bills.
Party leaders track legislation throughout the session, issue support and opposition memos, and determine, at an executive committee meeting, which key issues are important to the party’s members, including spending, crime, education and various other topics.

"A review of the 20 bills used in this year's ratings will show voters how some passed bills are specious or costly to taxpayers and where they will help New Yorkers. The ratings give voters a scorecard on how their individual legislator voted on a diverse range of bills considered in the legislative session," Long said in a statement.

The overall Republican-controlled state senate rating is 69.5 percent, up from last year's total of 62 percent.  The Assembly, which is dominated by Democrats, increased its overall average to 41.8 percent.

“We believe that it is necessary to keep the public informed of these key votes and let the taxpayers be aware of how elected officials spend our money. Every bill is considered, and then we choose a reasonable number to give voters a fair assessment of how tax dollars are spent, laws that effect the cost of doing business and the safety of citizens living in New York," Long stated.

The ratings were released with the Nov. 8 election in mind, according to Long.

"Before going to the voting booth in just four weeks, voters should review our ratings and consider how their legislators represented them. Conservative principles work for taxpayers and for businesses, voting for officials committed to conservative principles is the only way New York will be able to stop the hemorrhaging of people and jobs," he said.

Here is a link to the ratings: http://www.cpnys.org/ratings/.

SICK OF TERROR? GIVE POLICE THEIR TOOLS BACK!

Reacting to the recent bombing in New York City, the discovery of pipe bombs in Elizabeth, New Jersey and the subsequent capture of suspects in Brooklyn and New Jersey, Brooklyn's Senator Simcha Felder—a newly appointed member of the NY State Senate Majority Task Force on Counter Terrorism and Public Protection—complimented law enforcement on their work but also had strong words condemning not just the acts of terrorism but also the curtailing of law enforcement that allows terrorists to thrive.

“The elimination of stop-and-frisk; the removal of permission to monitor facilities and gatherings where terrorists are likely to congregate—these were mistakes that should be corrected,” said Senator Felder. “New York will remain a principal target for terrorism; however the practical and psychological beat down of our police is a recipe for disaster. Taking away tools that are proven effective weakens professional law enforcement’s ability to limit crime.”

The New York State Senate Majority Task Force on Counter Terrorism and Public Protection’s mission is to review and report on the counter terrorism / public protection activities that have occurred since September 11, 2001, and to make findings and recommendations—including proposing future legislative and administrative actions—that will promote the improved public safety of all New Yorkers.

BDS: The New Kristallnacht

Nazis boycott Jewish stores in Germany

In less than a month, we’ll commemorate Kristallnacht, that terrible two-day pogrom that saw Jewish homes and schools ransacked, and over 1,000 shuls and 7,000 Jewish businesses burned or destroyed. But it was more than two days of horror. Kristallnacht was immediately followed by economic and political sanctions against European Jews, which in turn were only a prelude to the unthinkable nightmare that would follow in the years ahead.

Today's BDS movement against Israel is nothing less than a political Kristallnacht

Today’s Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel is nothing less than a political Kristallnacht. Those who promote BDS—who try to economically strangle the Jewish people living in Israel—share the same goals as the monsters who took sledgehammers to shuls and set fire to Jewish homes. Anyone fooled by the packaging is grossly naive.

The men and women who make up legislative bodies are many things (not all of them good) but naiveté is uncommon among those clever enough to gather petitions and run for elected office. When these elected officials cast their votes publicly—or abstain from doing so—the
re’s a reason they’ve taken a position, and constituents are best served by knowing how their representatives voted.

Recently, the New York City Council approved a nonbinding resolution (sponsored by NY City Councilman Andy Cohen of the Bronx) to condemn the BDS movement against Israel. The resolution, which condemns “all efforts to delegitimize the State of Israel and the global movement to boycott, divest from, and sanction the people of Israel,” passed in a 40-4 vote with six abstentions.

Good news? Yes, it’s good that 80% of the council, including the Speaker, recognize the BDS movement for what it is. But then there’s the 20% who voted against the resolution, or abstained. Those ten elected officials know exactly what they didn’t support… and what they would allow, if only tacitly.

How did your Council Member vote? You should find out.

More, you should know how other elected officials stand on the BDS movement—a movement that political apologists claim is “non-violent”. Those same non-violent adherents had to be removed twice from the NY City Council’s proceedings because they were incapable of comporting themselves non-violently. They are anything but non-violent when they attack Jewish students and professors on college campuses across the United States.

The good news is there are plenty of men and women of good conscience who are unwilling to stand by the political Kristallnacht of the BDS movement. My colleague Senator Jack Martins and I sponsored anti-BDS legislation that Governor Andrew Cuomo signed into law this past June. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie recently also recently adopted anti-BDS legislation in his state, which passed both the NJ State Senate and Assembly almost unanimously. In late August, the California State Assembly voted 60-0 to send an anti-BDS bill to their governor for approval. Other states to have passed similar laws are Arizona, Illinois, Indiana, Florida, Tennessee and Virginia.

The United States is a great country, where good people certainly outnumber the bad. But let’s not be lulled into a sense of false security because the BDS movement—and those who would leave Jews isolated and starved in Israel (and everywhere else, if they could)—are crouching at the door.

Simcha Felder
Senator, District 17

This article originally appeared in The Jewish Press.

Living the Miracle: A Visit with Club Nissim

Senator Felder met with members of Club Nissim, a creative fellowship of Holocaust survivors named by its members in recognition of their miraculous survival. The occasion was the club's 15th anniversary, which took place at the Boro Park Y. Click here for more information on Club Nissim.

SENATOR FELDER APPOINTED TO NEW YORK STATE SENATE’S COUNTER TERRORISM & PUBLIC PROTECTION TASK FORCE

Senator Simcha Felder (Brooklyn) has been named to the new NY State Senate Majority Task Force on Counter Terrorism and Public Protection. The task force’s mission is to review and report on the counter terrorism / public protection activities that have occurred since September 11, 2001, and to make findings and recommendations—including proposing future legislative and administrative actions—that will promote the improved public safety of all New Yorkers.

“Terrorism wasn’t born on September 11th,” said Senator Felder. “Nevertheless, it took the scope of our national catastrophe to open the eyes of those who didn’t realize how dangerous a time we live in—a time when radical Islamist groups attempt to reshape the world by whatever monstrous means they deem necessary.”

Chaired by Senator Thomas Croci, the task force will perform research, make site visits, conduct interviews, and hold roundtables and meetings. The task force will then issue a preliminary report prior to December 31, 2016, with respect to the issues it will be examining, as well as a final report, prior to December 31, 2018, with respect to its findings, conclusions, and legislative and administrative recommendations.

“New York remains a principal target,” Senator Felder continued. “As such, I fully support the formation of this new task force to improve the counter terrorism and public protection efforts in our City and State.”

Our No-Cost Mammograms Save Lives

Each year, Senator Felder sponsors no-cost mammograms in the heart of Boro Park and Flatbush for women over the age of 40 who have not had a mammogram in the last 12 months. Last year, as a result of these screenings, a woman’s life was literally saved.

Please take advantage of this vital, life-saving, no-cost opportunity on Wednesday, September 21st (in Flatbbush) or on Wednesday, September 28th (in Boro Park). Again, there is no cost to you.

To make an appointment, call us today at 718-253-2015 or 718-484-3216.

ELECTIONS ARE COMING. DO YOU KNOW WHERE TO VOTE?

The Primaries will take place this coming Tuesday, September 13, and general elections are just around the corner. But do you know where to vote?

Senator Simcha Felder (Brooklyn), who is running unopposed this year, says that his office often gets calls from constituents who are confused about where their local polling site is. “Sometimes their polling site has changed,” said the Senator, “and even if they received something in the mail from the Board of Elections telling them where to go, they often can’t find the information when they are ready to go out and vote.

“My offices will be open on Primary Day making it easier for my constituents to call, and  my staff will happily tell them where to vote based on their address,” said Senator Felder, who encourages everyone in his district and throughout the city to vote. You have until October 14 to register to vote in the General Election.

Senator Felder’s Flatbush office can be reached at 718-253-2015; his Boro Park office can be reached at 718-484-3216.

Using the Environment as a Weapon

by Senator Simcha Felder

Assembly Members Mike Simanowitz and Michael Cusick with Senator Felder

In his book Up From Liberalism, William F. Buckley illustrated how the leading liberals of his day, in their speeches and statements and the premises that underlined their words and actions, clearly suffered from obvious social and philosophical prejudices. And that was only the 1950s. Over the last half century, left-leaning progressive liberals have lived down to Mr. Buckley’s expectations.

Part of their game is name calling. Another part is painting their opponents (i.e., anyone who disagrees with them) with a broad brush, putting words in their mouths and, ultimately, using misdirection in an attempt to create a false image of what their opponents stand for.

My recent run-in with these charlatans resulted from my taking a stance on the Bag Tax. As many of you will no doubt recall, the City Council — under the guise of an environmental initiative — attempted to force a nickel tax on every carry-out bag in the city. Why not a dime? Or a quarter? Because they didn’t think they’d get away with it. Yet. So the nickel tax (for now) was acceptable to the mayor and enough members of the council. But it wasn’t acceptable to New Yorkers. And it certainly wasn’t acceptable to my constituents, who made their voices loud and clear. Many of my colleagues, who also represent residents throughout the five boroughs, heard the same objections and joined me in the fight.

Does this mean most members of the Senate and the Assembly want to hurt the environment? No one in their right mind really thinks that. We all care about the planet and want to be good stewards. We simply saw through the ruse that pretended that adding yet another regressive tax to New Yorkers would help the environment. We understood that the Bag Tax was no different than a BIG Soda ban in its pomposity and pretentiousness.

My efforts had several results. The first was an overwhelming victory in the Senate for our anti-Bag Tax legislation, and an anticipated victory in the Assembly that forced the City Council to postpone the tax, which was slated for October, so it could be revisited next year.

The second result was the “Oil Slick Award,” which an environmentalist group has now bestowed upon me with all the public fanfare that the not-for-profit organization could muster. Each year, the Oil Slick Award — an insult of the highest order when hurled by those on the far left — is reserved for the legislator this group hates most. I’m told no one else even came close.

So I am pleased to accept this award. And I do so on behalf of all New Yorkers who care about the environment as much as anyone else, but won’t be fooled by hidden agendas that are, let’s be honest, the farthest thing from Green.

This article appeared in Hamodia on August 31, 2016.

If Memory Serves...

The last time you saw your doctor, he likely told you about your heart, your cholesterol, your blood pressure… but did he mention anything about your mind? Or did you think to ask?

While we may not always listen to prevailing wisdom, the Health Revolution and accessibility of wellness information has made all of us far more conscious about eating right, exercise, and well care than previous generations were. But it only just came to my attention that people have less concern about mind health than they do about body health.

And this is not necessarily a wise thing.

Recently, I was hosted by the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America. Headquartered in Manhattan, the national foundation is headed by my former colleague Senator Charles Fuschillo, Jr., who, along with his staff, presented startling statistics that I was unaware of.

Here are a few:

* More than 5 million Americans may have Alzheimer’s disease.

* It’s estimated that about a half million Americans younger than age 65 have some form of dementia, including Alzheimer’s.

* While Alzheimer’s is not a normal part of aging, the risk of developing the illness increases with age and doubles every five years beyond age 65.

* One to four family members act as caregivers for each individual with Alzheimer’s disease.

Many of us have seen it up close: It’s not just the individual with the disease who is impacted but also any number of close relatives who become de facto caregivers.

The good news is that there are resources available for those suffering from Alzheimer’s, as well as those who help them and their loved ones. The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America is a center for disseminating such information.

Among its many services, the AFA provides free memory screenings, which I plan to offer in my district. No one wants to be the bearer of bad news, but early detection and awareness-raising education is important, and I urge community leaders who are in a position to share information with others to look into these free memory screening and education opportunities.

As I learned yesterday, everyone loses his or her keys. It’s when you find them and don’t remember what they’re for that you have to start worrying. For 5 million Americans learning to cope with the onset of Alzheimer’s – to say nothing of the 10 to 20 million people they will impact with their care needs – this is a serious matter. But a little diligence can make it easier.

State Senator Simcha Felder


(This column originally appeared in The Jewish Press on Sept. 1, 2016)

New York State Bans Use of Unclaimed Dead as Cadavers Without Consent

By NINA BERNSTEINAUG. 19, 2016

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A bill that Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo of New York signed into law this week concerns the dead as much as the living and signals a big change in public attitudes about what one owes the other.

The law bans the use of unclaimed bodies as cadavers without written consent by a spouse or next of kin, or unless the deceased had registered as a body donor. It ends a 162-year-old system that has required city officials to appropriate unclaimed bodies on behalf ofmedical schools that teach anatomical dissection and mortuary schools that train embalmers.

The state’s medical schools recently announced that they were withdrawing their opposition to the measure, saying they would meet any shortfall in cadavers by expanding their programs for private body donations.

But the only mortuary school in New York City, the American Academy McAllister Institute of Funeral Services, had been pressing for a veto from Mr. Cuomo, a Democrat. “They’re extremely disappointed,” the school’s lawyer, Brian S. Sokoloff, said on Friday. “It’s unfortunate that the governor didn’t heed their pleas.”

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Gov. Andrew M. CuomoCreditHiroko Masuike/The New York Times

Unlike medical schools, McAllister has no body donation program. Mr. Sokoloff would not say what steps the school was considering to acquire bodies for embalmment training.

But advocates of families too poor to claim a relative from a morgue suggest that many might consent to having students embalm the bodies in exchange for a free or low-cost funeral or cremation. Others point to California’s university system, where an exhaustive donor-consent form includes a mortuary school as one of the beneficiaries.

“The death of a loved one is a time of unimaginable grief,” Mr. Cuomo said in an email. “It is vital that we take every possible step to respect and follow the wishes of the deceased and their family members regarding the disposal of their loved ones’ remains.”

The city has offered at least 4,000 bodies to medical or mortuary programs in the past decade, records show. Among these, more than 1,877 were selected for use before being buried in mass graves on Hart Island, the potter’s field for the city.

The state bill, which had stalled last year, passed both houses in June despite strong objections from medical schools, a month after an investigation by The New York Times highlighted provisions in the old law that gave families as little as 48 hours to claim a relative’s body before the city must make it available for dissection or embalming.

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Milton Weinstein, seated, with his wife and their children in 1981. He was buried on Hart Island in 2011, two years after his death, having been used as a medical cadaver.

Many cases never came to light because the city declines to publicly identify bodies in the morgue or to name those transferred to medical schools or mortuary classes as cadavers, citing privacy for the dead. But for survivors, the belated discovery that a relative was used for dissection can be devastating.

“That is shameful,” Michael A. Wynston said when he learned from The Times that the corpse of his father, Milton Weinstein, had been swiftly passed from the nursing home where he died to a city morgue and then on to a medical school for dissection in its anatomy lab, all without the knowledge or consent of his widow or his estranged sons.

Mr. Weinstein, a disabled Jewish typographer who died at 67, was not buried for two years.

“Many have been dishonored by the system and families have been lied to,” Barry Gainsburg, Mr. Weinstein’s stepson, wrote in an email from his home in Florida on Friday. “It is now welcomed that such despicable and deplorable policies have been acknowledged and changed by the State of New York. Perhaps, the dishonor has not been in vain.”

The new law was sponsored by State Senator Simcha Felder, a Democrat who represents a Brooklyn district that includes neighborhoods heavily populated by Orthodox Jews or people of Chinese descent, and State Assemblyman Michael Simanowitz, a Democrat from another diverse district in Queens.

“After numerous cases of unclaimed bodies being delivered to medical schools for uses that may have been in stark contrast with the religious or personal wishes of next of kin, this law now makes it illegal to show such disrespect to the deceased,” Mr. Felder said.

“My colleague Assemblyman Simanowitz and I were both aware of heartbreaking cases that pained families, and we feared that these scenarios would repeat,” he added. “Now, these worries come to an end.”

(This article appeared in The New York Times)