On the brief side...

Gianaris’ Equal Pay Bill Passes

A bill sponsored by Assemblymember Michael Gianaris to help achieve salary fairness for New Yorkers, especially women, has passed the Assembly.

The measure would end wage discrimination throughout New York State, the lawmaker explained. "Over the course of a woman’s working lifetime, hundreds of thousands of dollars are lost to her due to wage discrimination. An individual’s wage should be blind to race, gender or national origin."

Gianaris cited a study released last November by the Federal General Accounting Office which found that in 2002, American women earned 79.9 cents for every dollar earned by a male worker. He said his legislation would ensure pay equality for all people who perform work of comparable skill, effort and responsibility regardless of race or gender.

Weprin Urges: Donate Blood

Citing a New York Blood Center report that there are significantly fewer blood donations and the blood supply has reached a critically low level, City Councilmember David Weprin urged people to make donations and sponsored a drive at which he gave blood.

The blood drive was sponsored jointly with Holliswood Hospital, where it was held on January 13 for the benefit of the New York Blood Bank.

Weprin chairman of the council Finance Committee, said, "It was great to see so many people respond to such an important situation in the New York City area. We all did our part to make sure there is a sufficient blood supply for those who need it."

Weprin (D–Hollis) said donors must be at least 17, weigh a minimum of 110 pounds and be in good general health. For information, call the New York Blood Center at 1-800-933-BLOOD or visit www.nybloodcenter.org.

Bush’s Space Proposal Flawed, Says Weiner

President George W. Bush’s space proposal "is based on dubious science, an unclear mission, a hobbled agency and a wildly distorted set of priorities," according to Congressmember Anthony Weiner (D–Queens/Brooklyn).

Weiner said the president’s plan to resume manned space flights to the moon and ultimately to land a man on Mars, will cost "breathtaking sums" of money, an estimated $1 trillion, $1 billion.

"That is money that could be much better spent, restoring the $102.7 million in high threat funding that New York City has lost to protect against terrorism, to make good on the promised $1.24 billion that New York City schools haven’t gotten under the No Child Left Behind Act and paying down record budget deficits that are approaching half a trillion dollars," Weiner said.

Gallagher Honors Graffiti Removal Vols

City Councilmember Dennis Gallagher (R–C, Middle Village) recently honored the young men and women of the Liberty Park Homeowners who volunteered to remove graffiti from storefronts, light poles, gates and mailboxes in Glendale.

Gallagher stated, "These young men and women volunteered their time to help clean our neighborhood and help improve our quality of life. For that, we are greatly appreciative."

Avella Gets All-Way Stop After 20 Years

After a 20-year effort, City Councilmember Tony Avella announced, the City Department of Transportation (DOT) has approved an all-way stop for the intersection of 119th Street and 14th Avenue in College Point.

Greeting the good news, Avella explained, "When I first became involved in the College Point community over 20 years ago, this was one of the first civic issues I worked on. This location has been a safety hazard for two decades. It is about time something has finally been done."

Local residents Greta Hruska and Carolyn Jensen Haseney also hailed the announcement as responding to community safety concerns.