Assemblywoman Nolan - Reports to the People

Assemblywoman
CATHERINE
NOLAN

Reports to the People

DECEMBER 2003

Dear Neighbor,

The Assembly will resume the Albany legislative session in January. As your representative, I rely on your input on problems, ways to solve them and new ideas to keep our neighborhoods good places to live, work and raise a family. The back page of this newsletter contains a questionnaire that I hope you will take a few minutes to answer and return to my office. Your input is invaluable to me as we begin a new legislative session. I would very much like to know your past experiences and priorities for the coming year.

This newsletter also highlights an important banking/ATM safety bill. It is one of thirteen new laws that I sponsored during the past legislative session. Of the thirteen, six were related to consumer banking issues, as I assumed chairmanship of the Assembly’s Banks Committee.

We once again brought governmental services directly to our community when my office hosted the Department of Motor Vehicles for the day. Area residents were able to renew their driver’s licenses, take the required eye exam and even sit for the learner’s permit test, all without leaving our neighborhood!

I wish you and your family a healthy and happy holiday season and I look forward to working with you in the New Year.

Sincerely,

Catherine Nolan

NOLAN ATM BILL
SIGNED INTO LAW

I am pleased that legislation I sponsored which is designed to protect consumers from Automated Teller Machine (ATM) scams, has been signed into law by the Governor.

The bill, A.8442, would amend the state’s banking law in relation to security measures at ATMs by extending the amount of time that banking institutions must retain ATM surveillance recordings from 30 days to 45 days.

Prior to the signing of this new law, banking institutions were only required to retain ATM surveillance recordings for thirty days. Considering, however, the number of ATM scams designed to steal consumer’s ATM cards and PIN numbers, banking institutions should retain potentially valuable video evidence for a longer time in order to improve consumer’s financial safety.

Consumers generally receive their monthly bank statements eight to ten days following the conclusion of a thirty-day cycle. Consequently, in the case of ATM scams, a consumer may recognize an error in their statement after the thirty-day surveillance video retention period has expired, making it difficult to ascertain when their account was accessed illegally and by whom.

Extending this video retention period will help combat ATM fraud by allowing consumers to account for errors in their bank statements before video evidence of the fraudulent activity is discarded.

As the new Chairwoman of the Assembly’s Banks Committee, I have made enhancing consumer protection a priority. I am happy that this more effective consumer safety measure has become law.

DISTRICT OFFICE INFORMATION
My district offices are here to serve you. If you have a question, problem or idea, please do not hesitate to stop by, write or e-mail and we will do our best to try to assist you. Both offices are open Monday through Friday from 9am until 5pm.
	61-08 Linden Street Ridgewood, NY 11385 (718) 456-9492	45-25 47th Street Woodside, NY 11377 (718) 784-3194
nolanc@assembly.state.ny.us

The Department of Motor Vehicles brought their services directly to our neighborhood. Residents were able to renew their driver’s licenses, take the required eye exam and even sit for the learner’s permit test all without leaving the neighborhood.

Ridgewood resident and Sheetmetal Local 28 member Tom Bornemann lobbies on worker safety issues. Pictured with me from left to right are Richard Knice, recording secretary for Local 28, Charlie Saunders, Queens PAL representative, and Tom Bornemann.

I was so pleased to meet with the children who attended the Ravenswood Library’s "Lights on After School" program. The children were treated to a "scary story" presentation for Halloween. Pictured above with me is Tom Galante, Acting Director of the Queens Library.

***Click here for printable view.***

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

BANKING ISSUES
Do you feel the cost of banking services is too high?
	yes	no

Do you use an ATM card?
	yes	no

If, so how often?
daily	weekly	monthly

If you use an ATM card, do you pay a fee to do so?
	yes	no

Have you ever used a remittance agency to send money to another country?
	yes	no

If yes, have you ever experienced a problem with the service?
	yes	no

Were the fees properly posted and/or explained?
	yes	no

DAY CARE
Do you have a child or children in day care?
	yes	no

If so, what kind?
large group	licensed family	relative/friend

Do you feel that there is enough day care in western Queens?
daily	weekly	monthly

EDUCATION
Are you happy with the newly revamped Board of Education now formerly called the Department of Education?
yes	no	too soon to have an opinion

If yes, why?

If no, why?

NYC HOUSING AUTHORITY RESIDENTS
Does your building have cameras in the lobby?
	yes	no

If yes, do you feel that they are effective?
	yes	no

GRAFFITI
As compared to a year ago, do you see more or less graffiti in our neighborhood?
more	less	about the same

Please rank in order of importance the most important issues in our district (1 being the most important, 10 being the least important as compared to the others) ______ crime ______affordable housing ______day care ______school overcrowding ______transportation ______cost of living/taxes ______unemployment ______closing of Engine 261/firehouses ______price of prescription drugs ______power plants in our neighborhood

Additional comments:

Mail to:
Assemblywoman Catherine Nolan
61-08 Linden Street
Ridgewood, NY 11385-3323

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