The Serrano Report, Vol. IX, #12

On Capitol Hill

Serrano Speaks out against 'Stop and Frisk'

On Thursday, Congressman Serrano spoke out against the New York Police Department's 'Stop and Frisk' policy at a press conference with other New York Members of Congress, New York State Senators, New York State Assemblymembers, and New York City Councilmembers.  Serrano, along with the other elected officials present, urged the Department of Justice to investigate and put an end to 'stop and frisk' practices.

"'Stop and Frisk' is a damaging policy of racial profiling that unfairly targets minorities, and it needs to stop," said Serrano.  "This policy is ineffective and I believe that it is unconstitutional.  In February, at an appropriations hearing, I asked Attorney General Holder what the Department of Justice was doing to investigate these policies, and urged the Department to do more on this important issue.  Today, we have all come together to demonstrate the concern over this policy, and to urge the Department of Justice to help put an end to these practices."

'Stop and Frisk' is a controversial practice currently employed by the New York Police Department (NYPD), in which police officers conduct searches of individuals they view as acting suspiciously.  In practice, the policy has turned into little more than racial profiling.  In 2011, 87% of the individuals stopped under this policy were either African-American or Latino, and the overwhelming majority of those stopped (88%) are found to have done nothing wrong.

Serrano speaking against 'stop and frisk'

Serrano Introduces Amendment to Increase Transparency

On Wednesday, during the subcommittee markup of the Financial Services and General Government appropriations bill, Congressman Serrano introduced an amendment to increase the transparency of campaign spending on television advertising. TV stations, because of their use of the public airways, are required by the Federal Communications Commission to collect and make available to the public information about political advertisements. Currently, this information is difficult to access because it is kept in paper records at the individual stations.

In April, the FCC voted to require stations to publish the political information online. However, Republicans inserted language in the fiscal year 2013 appropriations bill that would prohibit the FCC from implementing this change. Serrano offered an amendment to remove this prohibition and allow the move to the web to proceed. "The law already requires that this information be collected and disclosed," said Serrano. "In 2012 making something publicly available means putting it up on a website. It simply does not make sense to continue to keep this information inaccessible by scattering it in file folders around the country."

Serrano's amendment was defeated along a party line vote, and the underlying bill will now move to the full Appropriations Committee for further consideration and amendment.

In the Bronx

Serrano Calls for Consideration of All Options for Sheridan Expressway

This week, Congressman Serrano joined with community groups in asking that the Sheridan-Hunts Point Land Use and Transportation Study (SEHP) continue to include the “full removal” option for the Sheridan Expressway; an option which had been deemed unfeasible by the City Department of Transportation and removed from further study on May 10th. Serrano, who helped secure the TIGER II grant to fund the study and allow for further community engagement, called the decision “premature” and “not in keeping with the aims of a full, realistic study of all the options.”

“I stand with the community in saying that taking any option off the table at this time is premature,” said Congressman Serrano. “When we helped secure the grant for this study, we envisioned a full study of all the options, not one where a challenging option like the removal is quickly discounted. We know that there are difficulties with removing the Sheridan, but we are interested in knowing how that could be accomplished, not hearing that it is too difficult to even continue studying. I urge the City to reconsider and resume studying all options for the Sheridan Expressway.

“This process is about finding creative solutions to potential problems and moving towards a plan that the community and the City and State can agree is in the best interests of all involved. We do need to preserve truck access to Hunts Point even as we work to reduce the numbers of trucks moving through our borough. We must ensure there are not more trucks or traffic on side streets. This may take some difficult problem-solving. It may involve new construction in order to free up the community from the threat of increase truck and vehicle traffic. But our borough deserves a fair shot at reclaiming the land under the Sheridan and we should not have any options taken off the table in these early phases of serious study.

“Our community has spent years dealing with the burden of much of the unwanted activities from other parts of the city. We have begun to reclaim natural spaces and to improve the physical spaces in the Bronx. This study of the Sheridan Expressway is an integral part of that movement towards equity for our borough in our environment. It is not right to remove a potentially life-changing option from this study. I urge the City to put that option back in and work towards solutions and positive outcomes. Our borough deserves no less.”

The Bronx Puerto Rican Day Parade

This past weekend, Congressman Serrano joined other elected officials, community leaders, and residents at the 152nd Street Festival on Saturday and the 25th Annual Bronx Puerto Rican Day Parade on Sunday. The parade and festival in the Bronx begin the week of festivities leading up to the National Puerto Rican Day Parade this coming Sunday. "This is always a wonderful week celebrating Puerto Ricans in New York," said Serrano. "It was great to see the crowds of people out in the Bronx celebrating Puerto Rico and its culture, and I look forward to seeing them and many more on Fifth Avenue on Sunday."

The crowd at the 152nd Street Festival

Grant

Grant to Help Children with Disabilities through the Use of Technology

Deadline: July 19, 2012

The Department of Education's Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services for Individuals with Disabilities, recently announced the availability of grant funding to help students with disabilities by using technology to improve their experiences in the classroom. Successful applicants should have a model for increasing the use and effectiveness of assistive technology for young students and for how to integrate technology into their educational experience. Institutions of higher education, state and local governments, and nonprofit organizations are all encouraged to apply.

For more information about this grant please read the full announcement (PDF).

For more information about other federal grants please visit grants.gov.