Brad Lander for City Council -

Read my testimony from the MTA service cuts hearing

jblumstein — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 18:10:16 -0500

I am adamantly opposed to the service cuts facing our city. The mass transit system is the life blood of our region and is a necessity to millions of households in the region. The cuts to student metro cards and Access-a-Ride are particularly troubling and will only create other problems down the line: truant students in low-income neighborhoods, health problems for Access-a-Ride customers who will miss medical appointments, and a more dangerous system as station workers are cut.

Lander Creates Interactive Website to Track Stalled Development Sites

brad — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 05:56:00 -0500

Councilmember Brad Lander released an interactive map of vacant, stalled or abandoned development sites in his City Council district (Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill, Park Slope, Windsor Terrace, Borough Park, and Kensington). The map is available online at www.stalleddevelopment.com where community members are encouraged to help track the status of the sites. “We need to make these sites into assets for the community,” said Brad. “These developments cause real hazards for their neighbors—fences falling down on sidewalks, loose construction debris that can become deadly in high winds, and unsecured sites that are dangerous for children and an invitation to squatting. We need to get a better handle on these sites, and to take action to convert local blight into community benefit.” Lander outlined a three-point action plan to address the issue, and encouraged residents to use the map to track and take action on specific sites.

Call for Solutions for 2,600 NYers with Cancelled Housing Vouchers

brad — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 07:47:35 -0500

Six weeks after the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) abruptly invalidated their new Section 8 vouchers for this year— leaving 2,600 New Yorkers without alternate housing, elected officials, local legal agencies, and housing advocates came together to call on NYCHA and the Bloomberg administration to provide housing solutions for the impacted low income and formerly homeless families. In December, NYCHA announced they would rescind Section 8 vouchers for 2,600 New Yorkers, in many cases, leaving them facing homelessness. Brad joined a wide range of colleagues, advocates, and families to call for a solution. “After revoking promised vouchers to 2600 families who desperately need a safe place to live, it is outrageous that 6 weeks later the City did not even appear before our committee to discuss possible solutions. I urge the City and State to listen to what was presented today and to take swift action to fix this problem."

F Line Service Update & MTA Action Alert

brad — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 06:50:40 -0500

I wanted to pass along to you some information about a number of weekend suspensions this year to the F and G service between Jay Street and Church Avenue due to the ongoing Culver Viaduct rehabilitation project. During these weekends, shuttle buses will replace F G service between the effected stops. In addition, I hope you'll join me in taking action to protest recent cuts that have been proposed by the MTA that would drastically our reduce bus, subway, and Access-a-Ride service and eliminate student MetroCards.

Brooklyn Braces for Loss of Bus Lines

brad — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 07:25:29 -0500

As part of a desperate attempt to save cash, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority has put two popular area bus lines, the B71 and the B75, on the chopping block. “These buses are the lifeblood of the neighborhood,” says City Councilman Brad Lander. “Carroll Gardens has a lot of seniors, and those seniors can't ride the subway. These buses are also absolutely essential for families.”

Brad Keeps Promise to Reject "Lulu"

brad — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 07:07:06 -0500

Our congratulations to Daniel Garodnick of Manhattan and Brad Lander of Brooklyn for fulfilling commitments against accepting extra stipends, called lulus, from the Council speaker. Garodnick has saved the taxpayers $10,000, and Lander, $4,000.

Hating hate: Pols, religious leaders decry anti-Semitic fliers

brad — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 07:19:06 -0500

Somewhere out there is an unhinged anti-Semite distributing tiny strips of paper reading “Kill Jews.” These menacing missives were left blowing along Sixth Avenue last week, falling in the hands of area residents and children on their way home from school. But, in the end, this flier fiend isn’t getting the message: one cannot drive fear in a community that’s standing together.

That’s the sentiment City Councilmember Brad Lander (D-Park Slope), other elected officials and local religious leaders expressed Monday as they spoke out against the fear-mongering fliers found in Park Slope and other neighborhoods. Their message to whoever’s putting out these hate-filled notes was loud and clear.

“This is a community united in support of each other and there is nothing you can do to stop that,” said Lander as he hosted a press conference at Congregation Beth Elohim on Eighth Avenue and Garfield Place, just a few blocks from where the fliers were found.

Helping my 11-year-old Neighbor Save the Last Horse Stables in Brooklyn

brad — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 06:38:32 -0500

Today I had the honor of testifying together with Sasha Herman, my next-door neighbor, a very poised 11 year old girl who spends many of her free hours taking great care of the horses at the Kensington Stables, the last remaining stables in Brooklyn and a treasure of our neighborhood. Sasha and I both urged the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene not to impose strict new rules that might force Kensington to close. You can read my testimony here ... but hers (about how much she and her friends care for the horses there) was far better!