Braunstein Blood Drive Gives Free Met Tickets
Assembly Member Edward BraunsteinAssemblyman Edward C. Braunstein (D-Bayside) will be doling out vouchers to blood donors, at his 7th Annual Summer Blood Drive, for two tickets to see the New York Mets at Citi Field.
Additionally, the first 100 people who donate a pint of blood will receive a certificate for a free pint of soup from Ben’s Kosher Delicatessen Restaurant & Caterers as part of its Pint for a Pint program. Donors will also receive free refreshments courtesy of Stop & Shop of Bay Terrace and Braunstein.
The Assemblyman urged his constituents to donate blood.
“Each blood donation will help save up to three lives,” said Braunstein. “Our hospitals are in need of your assistance, so I hope you will take the time to share this lifesaving gift.”
In order to be eligible donors must provide their donor card or ID with photo or signature, weigh a minimum of 110 pounds, be of 16-75 years of age (if under or over the age limit a parental permission or doctors note will be required, respectively), eat a low fat meal and drink plenty of fluids before donating, and have no tattoos fewer than 12 months old.
The blood drive is slated for between 2:30 – 8:30 p.m., Thursday, August 8, at the Bay Terrace Shopping Center at 26th Avenue and Bell Boulevard in Bayside.
Gillibrand Demands VA Reverses Decision Delaying Benefits to Blue Water Navy Veterans
U.S. Sen. Kirsten GillibrandU.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Steve Daines (R-MT) yesterday urged Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert Wilkie to reverse his recent decision to delay benefits to Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans by another six months.
The delay comes after President Donald Trump signed the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act into law last month, guaranteeing sailors who were exposed to Agent Orange while serving off the Vietnamese Coast would have access to benefits they have already waited years for.
“This is a disheartening and unnecessary action,” the two lawmakers wrote Wilkie. “There is nothing left to do besides processing the claims, and we strongly urge the VA to do so as quickly as possible. Delaying these benefits for another six months without specific and valid cause only adds insult to these veterans, many of whom have been waiting for these benefits for seventeen years.”
Both Gillibrand and Daines have been pushing the Senate to pass the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Ac for years. Gillibrand has long championed the fight to ensure Blue Water veterans get the health and disability benefits they earned, leading the Senate version of the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act, which she first introduced in 2009.
Meng Mourns Héctor Figueroa
U.S. Rep. Grace MengU.S. Rep Grace Meng (D-Bayside, Flushing, Forest Hills, Rego Park, Fresh Meadows, Glendale, Kew Gardens, Maspeth) yesterday mourned the following statement on the passing of 32BJ SEIU President Héctor Figueroa.
Figueroa died unexpectedly last Thursday night. He was 57 years old. Figueroa guided policy positions of the country’s largest building services union with over 175,000 members. Figueroa headed the union since 2012 and is credited with growing its ranks by more than 50,000 members.
“I’m heartbroken to hear of Héctor Figueroa’s passing. In his work with 32BJ, Héctor was a true champion for all working families and touched the lives of thousands by improving working conditions and securing fairer pay for both 32BJ members and working women and men everywhere. I’m proud and honored to have worked alongside him to make New York a safer, better place to work. We have lost an indispensable leader and advocate for working people throughout the country and here in Queens. I know his memory will live on in our continued fight for working families across our city. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and loved ones,” said Meng.
AM Miller Throws First Pitch at 8th Annual American Softball League’s All-Star Game
Assembly Member Mike MillerAssemblyman Mike Miller (D-Woodhaven, Ridgewood, Richmond Hill, Ozone Park, Glendale) threw the first pitch at the 8th Annual American Softball League’s All-Star Game at Vito Locascio Field in Ozone Park last Saturday.
The American Softball League teaches prospective players with developmental challenges to play softball. The players practice three times a week to work on their softball skills.
“American Softball League provides a fun and great learning environment for adults with disabilities to learn the game and I want to thank Randy Novak and all his volunteers for this wonderful program. I look forward throwing the first pitch again and seeing the continued progress the players have made,” said Miller.
Miller was joined by Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato (D-Broad Channel, Hamilton Beach, Howard Beach, Lindenwood, Ozone Park, the Rockaway Peninsula) and Queens Parks Commissioner Michael Dockett.
Nolan holds Mobile Office Hours
Assemblywoman Catherine NolanAssemblywoman Catherine Nolan (D-Sunnyside, Ridgewood, Astoria, Woodside, Long Island City, Maspeth, Queensbridge, Ravenswood, Dutch Kills, Blissville) once again held mobile office hours at the Sunnyside Library.
Just this year, Nolan has hosted mobile district office hours at the Astoria, Court Square/LIC and the 21st Library in Ravenswood/LIC.
“It is important always to meet people in our community, ” said Nolan. “For many years, I have held mobile office hours and state fairs to address issues or concerns.”
Additional mobile office hours are slated for Thursday, July 18 at the Woodside Library and Thursday, August 1 at the Ridgewood Library. No exact hours of were given.
While passing HR299 it is a good thing and it will help many Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans, In is a sad state of affairs when something becomes Political when it shouldn’t. The latest example is the passing of HR299, The Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2019.
Here we have a Bill that is suppose to help Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans who may have been exposed to Agent Orange. Yes it has been signed into law and will take effect on January 1, 2020 and it will help some Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans but it won’t help others that were going to be helped after the Procopio Ruling was handed down.
We have the Leadership of Congress and the large VSO running around patting themselves on their backs for passing of the Bill. However there are some groups missing, both Military Veterans Advocacy and Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Association are missing from all of the Media dealing with HR299. These are two of the groups that have worked the hardest and always stayed on course with the Bill, yet the Leadership in Congress and the large VSOs are ignoring them. Could this be because of the fact that they are the two groups pointing out the major problem with HR299, that will limit the Procopio Ruling just because of the word “Offshore” in HR299.
We are the ones that haven’t changed the way we feel about this issue. In the last session of Congress we were pushing HR299 and the Big VSOs had a problem with the funding, well until it appeared that there was no stopping the Bill. They were fighting against it, if you don’t believe it check last year. They were against the Pay For. They fought it for the longest time until it appeared it was going to pass the House, then they came out for it. Why would they do that? Was it so they could take credit for it, or is it something else?
Then this session of Congress after the Procopio Ruling was announced, the VSOs decides to start supporting HR299 when in fact HR299 was no longer needed. But the VSOs decided that they need to “PROTECT” the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans by putting in the Geographic Points. It doesn’t take a Legal Expert to see that by defining the Geographic Points and calling them “Offshore” will limit the Procopio Ruling. My question is, didn’t they have their Lawyers read the Bill and the Procopio Ruling, I don’t think so. They just wanted to show they are going to “PROTECT” the Blue Water Navy Vietnams and now it is going to hurt those that are covered under the Procopio Ruling. The Procopio Ruling states that “Offshore” is farther out than the Geographical Points known as the Territorial Seas.
Could the actually reasons why they would not change the wording be due to money. Are Congress and the large VSO working together to make sure that the cost of the Bill doesn’t go any higher. Or are the two groups working together for other reasons, like I’ll scratch you back if you scratch mine.
Now it gets even worse. On July 1, 2019 Secretary Wilkie of the VeteransAdministration decided to issue a Stay. In the VA statement, Secretary Wilkie states “VA is dedicated to ensuring that all veterans receive the benefits they have earned,” Wilkie said in a statement. “We are working to ensure that we have the proper resources in place to meet the needs of our Blue Water veteran community and MINIMIZE THE IMPACT ON ALL VETERANS FILING FOR DISABILITY COMPENSATION.” To me he is saying, just so we don’t impact other Veterans we are just going to delay The Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans, AFTER ALL THEY ARE USED TO IT.
My feeling is if it that important for the Leadership of Congress and the Big VSOs to leave Blue Water Navy Association out of everything, then fine, I hope they remember to take the credit when early next year when Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans find out that just because their ship was just outside by a couple of miles the Geographical Points that they are no longer covered but they would of been covered if Procopio Ruling, had S1195 passed or just changed the word “Offshore” in HR299.
If they think we are going to give up they are wrong. We will Continue the fight for veterans rights.
Mike Yates
National Commander
Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Association
commander@bluewaternavy.org
702-769-4973
Continuing the fight for veterans rights