BROOKLYN MEDIA GROUP JANUARY 6 - JANUARY 12, 2017 11 TIME TO REFLECT WHILE MOVING BROOKLYN FORWARD BK SNAP S THE VERRAZANO NARROWS BRIDGE. Photo by Anthony Cozzolino Send us your photos of Brooklyn and you could see them online or in our paper. Submit them to us via Instagram, Twitter and Facebook by using the hashtag #HRPix; or email them to [email protected]. GUEST OPED Life in Brooklyn can be challenging. But when we come together, we achieve great things. Our strength and resilience is legendary, and I’m proud to be our voice in Albany. Let’s continue to shine bright as we enter the New Year. By working hand-in-hand, we can build on the progress we fought hard for in 2016. We’re seeing the hard-fought battle to increase the minimum wage pay o . Minimum wage earners are taking home $2 more per hour than they were in 2016. With more money in their pockets, families can better a ord to pay their bills and make ends meet. We have even more to look forward to. At the end of the year, the minimum wage will increase to $13 per hour and next year we will see it reach $15. Everyone who works full time should be able to keep a roof over their head and food on the table. In another big victory for working families, I helped pass a statewide paid family leave policy. Starting in 2018, many employees will have access to eight weeks of paid time o . The length of time, and the amount of the beneit, will increase until 2021 when it’s fully phased in. This is a vital step in helping Brooklyn’s parents and caregivers. No one should have to choose between caring for a loved one and a paycheck. In 2016, I also had my irst piece of legislation signed into law, helping to protect our valuable – and vulnerable – senior community. My bill helps seniors stay in their homes by making it easier for Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities (NORCs) to qualify for state funding (Ch. 245 of 2016). NORCs were previously required to match state funding fully, which was an unreasonable expectation for low and moderate-income senior communities. My bill requires NORCs to provide only a 25 percent match for state funds, making it more affordable for seniors to remain in their homes and the communities they helped build. My goal remains, as always, to serve you. That’s why I opened a second district o ce in Bay Ridge last year to help me respond to the diverse needs of Brooklyn families. The district o ces in Bay Ridge and Coney Island are available for you to obtain benefi ts, navigate state government and get information regarding programs such as HEAP and EPIC. These district o ces are places where you can share your concerns and suggestions on how to improve our community, and my doors are always open. With the New Year arriving, I’m recommitting myself to keeping our streets safe, improving public transportation and making housing more a ordable. I’m grateful to have the opportunity to ight for our community again in 2017. Together, we can keep working to make Brooklyn stronger. As always, if you have any questions about any community issue, please email me at [email protected] or call me at 718-266-0267 or 347-560-6302. Assemblymember Pamela Harris represents the 46th A.D. THE HOT TOPIC BY ASSEMBLYMEMBER PAMELA HARRIS STORY: Bay Ridge brothers spread love and blankets this holiday season SUMMARY: Two brothers from Bay Ridge went on a mission to spread happiness this holiday season with their “Blankets of Hope” campaign. Nick, 24, and Mike Fiorito, 20, passed out almost 100 blankets and jackets to the homeless throughout Manhattan on Sunday, December 18, starting off with Madison Square Park and venturing towards 29th and 30th Streets. REACH: 7,091 people (as of 1/3/16) FOR MORE NEWS, VISIT WWW.BROOKLYNREPORTER.COM
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