Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Employers should look at an applicant's character, not their credit score, Lander said.
Should shaky credit history be a basis for denying a job to a qualified candidate? According to Councilman Brad Lander, the answer is a resounding "no." Lander, D-Park Slope, along with Councilman James Sanders, Jr., D-Queens, on Tuesday introduced legislation that would prohibit employers from running credit checks on job applicants, calling it "discrimination." “At a time of continued economic hardship, employers should not deny people jobs based on their credit history,” Lander said. “Whether from catastrophic medical expenses, death of a spouse, or predatory lending, many New Yorkers have poor credit through little or no fault of their own. Recent graduates with spiraling student debt need an equal chance to get a job, if they are …
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
The popular councilman will neither confirm—nor deny—his intention to run for Brooklyn Borough President.
Councilman Brad Lander isn't saying he will run for Brooklyn Borough President—but he's not saying he won't, either. "We'll see," Lander, D-Park Slope, told Patch on Tuesday. "I’m not prepared to say 'No, under no circumstances will I run for Brooklyn Borough President.' But I’m also sure not prepared to say I’m planning to do it, or I’m seriously considering it or looking at it." Lander said that for now, his focus is fixed firmly on serving his district, which includes Borough Park, Kensington, Windsor Terrace, Park Slope and Carroll Gardens. "There’s obviously city-wide legislative and policy priorities that I’m working on, but I’m really excited about so many things going on around the district," he said, citing in particular the …
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Sparring, PowerPoint slides and a CB6 vote of support ensues.
Councilmember Brad Lander kicked off the Community Board 6 Information Meeting regarding Gowanus Canal combined sewer overflows (CSOs) Wednesday night with an open letter asking the DEC, DEP and EPA to coordinate their timelines for an expedited and more efficient cleanup. He then asked that CB6 vote to support his letter. "I think where we are compared to where we were a couple of years ago is so dramatically improved," said Lander. "But the conversation regarding water quality and removal of CSOs has really become accellerated in the neighborhood and it got me thinking that the different processes that we have for cleaning different pieces of the canal... would be a lot better off if they could be coordinated." The NYC Department of …
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Classroom overcrowding is on the rise in the city, with fourth and fifth graders most likely to be in full classrooms.
The number of elementary school students in classes of 30 or more has tripled in the last three years because of budget cuts and lack of teachers, according to a new report released by Council Member Brad Lander, D-Park Slope, says the New York Times’ School Book blog. Lander’s report found that 31,079 students in first through fifth grade were now in large classes, as opposed to only 9,756 in the 2008-9 school year, says the article, also finding that fourth graders and fifth graders are the most likely to be in large classes. School Book says that, according to Lander’s report, about 14 percent of current fourth graders are in classes of 30 or more students, compared with 5.5 percent during the 2008-9 school year. The article add that, …
Friday, March 23, 2012
Believing that the NYPD has withheld information about fatal traffic crashes, Brad Lander and Transportation Alternatives have filed "Friends of the Court" briefs.
A local pol and a cycling advocacy group are calling for more accountability from the NYPD when it comes to investigating fatal traffic crashes, as well as those that result in serious injuries. Transportation Alternatives and Councilmember Brad Lander, D-Park Slope, filed Amici Curiae (“Friends of the Court” briefs) in support of the Lefevre family’s lawsuit against the NYPD for allegedly withholding information about the death of their son, Mathieu Lefevre, who died in October after being hit by a truck while he was riding his bike in Williamsburg. “I was shocked to find out that only 19 detectives citywide, along with a handful of supervisors, are responsible for investigating hundreds of fatal crashes occurring in New York City each …
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Nearly 400 runners amassed in Prospect Park for the first Brooklyn Marathon since 1909.
Update: John Paul Montes, 24, of Carroll Gardens, won the marathon, with a time of 2 hours, 43 minutes, according to NY1. Kelly Gillen, 29, of Manhattan was the female winner, finishing in 3 hours, 14 minutes. In the wee hours of Sunday morning, while much of Brooklyn was still sleeping, the borough's hardcore runners were awake, preparing for a marathon in their territory. "This is my turf!" said first-time marathoner and Park Slope resident Mary Audia. "I run here every weekend." Or, as Paul Nelson of the Prospect Park Alliance put it: "It's Brooklyn! You get to sleep in your own bed!" The inaugural Brooklyn Marathon, held in Prospect Park and organized by Steve Lastoe of NYCruns.com, had nearly 400 runners registered. And though …
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Park officials and local pols toasted major benchmark in construction of park's $74 million Lakeside Center.
About 75 park and area officials drank a non-alcoholic toast to mark a major milestone in construction of Prospect Park’s new skating rink. The benchmark, known as “topping off,” marked completion of the structure for the rink’s canopy, which, at 28 feet, will be the project’s highest point. At the event, officials were invited to sign a beam that will become a permanent part of the structure and to tour the 26-acre building site, which also includes major changes to the lake and the area around it. Read the full story on the event here. Called Lakeside Center, the $74 million mega-project includes two skating rinks in the winter and a roller-skating rink and a “water play” area with sprinklers and a wading/reflecting pool in the summer. …
Monday, October 3, 2011
Here's your chance to put your tax dollars where you want them.
Does that empty lot on the corner get you down? Do you want to see more trash cans on your block? You just might be able to do something about it, if you get involved with the new participatory budgeting initiative. Spearheaded by Councilmembers Brad Lander, D-Brooklyn, Jumaane Williams, D-Brooklyn, Eric Ulrich, R-Queens and Melissa Mark-Viverito, D-Manhattan, the theory is, if you give residents a chance to say how capital funds should be spent in the district, they will participate in, and trust, the governmental process. "This is a time when faith in government is weakened," explained Lander in an interview. "But for those of us who believe democracy is at its best when we work together as a community to solve problems, this is an …
Saturday, September 17, 2011
What happened this week on Park Slope Patch.
It was another week of exciting developments and happenings in Park Slope. Here's our roundup of our biggest neighborhood headlines. On Monday, Clarissa Pharr reported on Matt Ufford, former Marine, and how he is serious about his cause to help veterans in the community and around the world. On Tuesday, Georgia Kral met up with Catherine Zinnel, the new District Director in Councilman Brad Lander's office. Late Tuesday afternoon, BrooklynSpeaks announced that Empire State Development Corp. and Forest City Ratner will fight a court decision made last July that ordered additional environmental review of the Atlantic Yards project. This could extend the project's completion from 10 to 25 years. Check out our full coverage here. On Wednesday…
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Brooklyn's Brad Lander one of four electeds to launch "participatory budget" initiative.
Residents of the 39th City Council District in Brooklyn will get the opportunity to participate in a pilot program that allows everyday citizens to decide how city funds are spent in their neighborhoods. In a press conference Wednesday afternoon at City Hall, Councilman Brad Lander, D-Brooklyn, announced the launch of a "participatory budgeting" initiative that will be rolled out during the 2011-12 fiscal year in four Council Districts across the city. "We are excited to put budgeting power directly in the hands of the people," Lander said. "Not only will next year's budget be more democratic as a result, it will also be more effective because our constituents know best where money needs to go in our community." The process, which will …
Park Sloperstein
11:05 am on Thursday, May 3, 2012
Brad would be a great City Council Speaker but I can't imagine the Queens Democratic machine, Vito Lopez and those clowns up in the Bronx would allow that to happen. So, yeah, maybe BP is a good spot for Brad to launch his inevitable mayoral run. more ›