Ambulance Company Bill
Mr. S. received an exorbitant bill from an ambulance company which had shuttled his father to the hospital shortly before his death. They had ruled the ride to be non-emergency and the bill was submitted to the executor of the estate instead of the insurance company. After Assemblywoman Weinstein’s office reached out to the ambulance company, clarifying that the father died during the hospital stay they provided transportation to, they agreed to send the bill to the insurance company for payment.

Medicare Savings Program
Ms. C, a senior, was having a hard time paying her monthly expenses and asked if any help was available. After Weinstein’s office reviewed her income sources, she was found to be eligible for the Medicare Savings Program and for an additional $161 in Social Security bringing her total income to $800.

Health Insurance
Ms. G paid a hospital bill for services provided to her husband that were covered by and had already been paid for by his health insurance company. After Weinstein’s office intervened, the hospital issued her a refund of overpayment in the amount $740.

Philip Howard Senior Association

At a recent meeting with members of the Philip Howard Senior Association, Assemblywoman Weinstein discussed the latest news affecting seniors throughout the city.

Helps a Homebound Senior

Assemblywoman Weinstein responded to a call from a distressed homebound senior who had little food for Passover. With the help of the wonderful staff at the Bnai Rafael Food Pantry she was able to personally deliver a last-minute package on the eve of the holiday.

Self-Checkout Kiosks

Assemblywoman Helene Weinstein watches as Ninel Razran, manager at the Brooklyn Public Library Kings Bay branch, demonstrates use of the new self-checkout kiosks to a library patron. The Assemblywoman was instrumental in securing $2 million dollars in funding technology to help library customers check out easier and faster.

• Traffic light/controls on Avenue Y at East 26th Street and East 29th Street

• Traffic light/controls on Avenue J at East 32nd Street, a private school bus stop and the scene of a horrific accident earlier this year

• Pending – traffic study of Utica Avenue and Avenue D to improve pedestrian safety

• Pending – Stuart St and Avenue V stop signs and traffic-calming measures

• Pending – left turn signals on Nostrand Avenue for vehicles turning onto Kings Highway

• Pending – Burnett Street between Avenues U and X traffic signal request

• Pending – Four-in-One Block Association’s application for implementation of the New York City DOT’s Slow Zone program

Types of conditions we can help with include:

• Daylighting – the removal of parking spaces at street corners to enhance and improve visibility at intersections

• Traffic signal and stop sign installations

• Street light installation and repair

• Pothole and street repair

You can report hazardous conditions by contacting Assemblywoman Weinstein’s community office.

The Haitian Family Reunification Parole Program resolution introduced by Assemblywoman Helene Weinstein passed the New York State Assembly overwhelmingly. It calls upon the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to create a parole program that would benefit and improve the lives of Haitians recovering from the January 12, 2010 earthquake, by allowing Haitians with approved family-sponsored immigrant visa petitions to wait in the United States, rather than in Haiti, for the visa priority dates to become current.

“New York State is home to one of the largest Haitian populations in the nation and I am happy to announce the passage of this important resolution which I hope will encourage the DHS to establish a Haitian Family Reunification Parole Program, similar to the DHS’s Cuban Family Reunification Parole Program. At present, thousands of Haitian American US citizens have immediate family members (siblings, parents, children and spouses) who have already been approved by USCIS living in Haiti,” said Assemblywoman Helene Weinstein.

Broad support exists for the creation of a Haitian Family Reunification Parole Program. Assemblywoman Helene Weinstein personally raised the need for this program with Department of Homeland Secretary Janet Napolitano.

Assemblywoman Weinstein testified at a public hearing held by the NYC Water Board in protest of a proposed 7% increase in water and sewer charges. In her statement, she proposed a stay, or severe limits, on increases, and urged support for two bills pending in Albany that she is sponsoring to protect middle class homeowners from the water board’s often unjust rate hikes.

Bill A.3725a recently passed in the Assembly and is awaiting action by the State Senate. It requires changes to the composition of the water board, which now consists entirely of Mayoral appointees. Moving ahead, the board would be more diverse with three of its members appointed by the City Council Speaker, Public Advocate and Comptroller respectively.

Foreclosure Prevention Programs

Assemblywoman Weinstein spoke in support of restoring funding for foreclosure prevention programs at a Capitol rally. Providing mortgage foreclosure prevention services is essential to keeping people in their homes and ensuring stability in the communities that they live in. The 2012 budget included substantial funds to protect neighborhoods from negative impacts of foreclosed homes.

This legislation would criminalize robo-signing and make it a crime to authorize, prepare, execute or offer to file false documents in a residential foreclosure action. Employees who engage in, or employers who tolerate, multiple acts of foreclosure fraud would be guilty of a Felony.

“We will hold criminals accountable for their abusive foreclosure practices and deter them from unlawfully removing New Yorkers from their homes,” said Weinstein. “This measure puts in place new criminal sanctions against lenders and their agents who intentionally submit fraudulent documents in foreclosure actions. It sends a clear message: going forward, fraud will no longer be tolerated in foreclosure actions in New York.”

One of the most frustrating situations that homeowners and businesses are confronted with is receiving a sanitation summons. These tickets are hard to fight successfully, as it comes down to their word against the ticketing agent’s. In fiscal year 2011, the New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY) issued 262,426 tickets for premises violations.

Assemblywoman Helene Weinstein co-sponsored legislation that passed the Assembly requiring Department of Sanitation agents to photograph and document the condition of a property at the time the ticket is issued. Agents would be provided with a mobile device that would date and time stamp the photos and upload them to a central database. This legislation would protect home and business owners in cases of unjustified tickets and reduce paperwork and the cost of adjudication proceedings.

“With photographic evidence there can be no dispute as to the guilt or innocence of a property owner. It’s a win-win for the City and for its residents,” Assemblywoman Weinstein said.

The bill was approved overwhelmingly on June 19th but the Senate ended regular session without taking the bill up for a vote.

Assemblywoman Helene Weinstein is very concerned about the aggressive issuance of summonses to small businesses by the NYC Consumer Affairs and Sanitation Departments. “Mom and pop stores are the backbone of our community and provide jobs and help our local economy,” she said.

This year, when the NYC Consumer Affairs Commissioner came to Albany seeking support for new legislation that would provide them with the authority to automatically turn unresponded summonses issued by their agency into judgments against the businesses, Assemblywoman Weinstein blocked it.