Anyone interested can come to Assemblywoman Malliotakis’s district office at 11 Maplewood Place in Grant City, on Monday, May 21, between 5:00 and 7:00 p.m. All he or she needs to bring is valid identification. All forms and requisite notarization will be completed at no charge. Constituents should call Assemblywoman Malliotakis’s office at (718) 987-0197 to register.

“Everyone should have a healthcare proxy so that, in the unfortunate he or she becomes incapacitated, their wishes can be better met. This very important document enables someone to have his or her healthcare decisions made by someone they trust, and helps avoid confusion and conflict among loved ones. He or she can write instructions on the proxy form or simply discuss them with his or her agent, personally,” said Malliotakis. “This is a relatively quick and uncomplicated process that can provide a significant benefit down the road. My staff will be there to assist anyone who is interested.”

Important Facts:
* a person must be 18 years of age or older to file a healthcare proxy
* a person must be 18 years of age or older to be appointed a healthcare agent
* the healthcare agent will be able to make healthcare decisions only while the principal is unable to make such decisions for himself or herself
* an alternate agent can also be appointed to take over if first choice in unable to make such decisions

“As the Assembly representative for both the current I.S. 30 and building K331, it is my firm belief that K331 must be a K-8 facility. The students at I.S. 30 currently attend school in wholly inadequate facilities, housed in a former apartment building that is sorely lacking in space, serving as an unnecessary obstruction to providing our schoolchildren with the optimum learning environment.

The community was very excited to hear that these students would finally be afforded a proper learning space in the new school. We were disheartened, however, to learn that the plan had become unclear. This building must contain the requisite science lab to ensure that the children of this community are no longer at a disadvantage.

I implore that the Department of Education confirm its decision to split-site I.S. 30 at building K331. After so many years of attending school in improper surroundings, the students of I.S. 30 deserve this opportunity.”

“I am so proud to have the support of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, because these are the kind of hardworking New Yorkers that state government needs to support if we’re going to turn our economy around,” said Malliotakis. “For two years, I’ve fought the job-killing taxes and regulations that have sent our families and businesses packing in search of greener pastures. The members of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades show just how much we can achieve if we give hardworking New Yorkers a fair chance to succeed, and I will continue to fight for those opportunities in the State Assembly.”

“In her short time in the Assembly, Nicole has been an extremely active and engaged member. She has shown her commitment to creating a business friendly environment in New York. We see a bright future for Assemblywoman Malliotakis and are proud to stand with her as she seeks reelection,” said Jack Kittle, the union’s Political Director. “Our members in Brooklyn and Staten Island are ready to do what it takes to send her back to Albany to continue the fight for the workers of New York.”

In just two short years, Assemblywoman Malliotakis has been involved in a number of job-creating, business-friendly initiatives to improve New York’s economy, including:

* Repealing the MTA payroll tax for small business owners and schools;
* Eliminating the sales tax on clothing items under $110;
* Committing hundreds of millions of dollars to economic development;
* Supporting job-creating infrastructure projects;
* Fighting DEC overregulation and saving the area’s maritime industry;
* Providing low-cost energy to job creators; and
* Reducing the middle-class tax rate to its lowest point since 1954.

Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis (R,C-Brooklyn/Staten Island) hosted a recognition ceremony in the shadow of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge yesterday for six employees of the Triborough Bridge & Tunnel Authority (TBTA) for heroic rescues made in recent months. Two of the heroes are Staten Island residents.

On the evening of April 4th, Officer Edward Grimm of the agency’s Special Operations Division was on a routine patrol when he noticed a car driving slowly, causing disruption on lower level of the bridge. The car stopped suddenly, the driver jumped out, and ran toward the side of the bridge. Officer Grimm leapt to action and subdued the man before he was able to climb over.

Less than a month later, on the afternoon of May 1st, Bridge & Tunnel Maintainer Giuseppe Bonamico, Sergeant Michael Chiarelli, Officer Joseph Dahl, Lieutenant Cheryl DeSetto, and Officer Jared Reeves came across a car idling on the lower level with no one at the wheel. Upon further investigation, the group found a man hanging by one arm from the side of the bridge. The heroes pulled the man back to safety, rescuing him from death waiting 230 feet below. Sergeant Chiarello is a resident of Oakwood and Lieutenant DeSetto lives in Bay Terrace.

“As the ranking member of the Assembly Governmental Employees Committee, I have developed a strong relationship with our state’s law enforcement agencies and understand the issues they are faced with on a regular basis. I know, first-hand, their hard work and dedication. The officers of the Triborough Bridge & Tunnel Authority are often overlooked and after hearing of the lives they saved, I wanted to recognize them on behalf of our community,” said Malliotakis. “In recent years, the TBTA has seen its role become increasingly important, while increasingly difficult. They combat many different threats including those by drunk and reckless drivers, and even terrorism, on a regular basis. It was an honor for me to recognize not only these six heroes, but the entire Triborough Bridge & Tunnel Authority, for the work it’s members do each and every day.”

Assemblywoman Malliotakis presented the honorees with citations in recognition of their heroism and was joined by Senator Marty Golden (R,C,I-Brooklyn), chairman of the Senate Committee on Civil Service and Pensions, as well as a representative from the office of Congressman Michael Grimm (R,C-Brooklyn, Staten Island). Malliotakis and Grimm each cover the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge in their respective legislative districts.

“Our nurses are some of the most talented, hardworking individuals, and I could never have imagined just how challenging and rewarding their job can be before spending a day as one myself,” said Malliotakis. “Our livelihood depends on the work done by these highly skilled, well-trained professionals, and I now have a deeper appreciation for their commitment and sacrifice, as well as state government’s role in providing the resources they need to continue providing the best healthcare possible for our community.”

Assemblywoman Malliotakis is the co-sponsor of Assembly bill 1977-B, which would improve healthcare by requiring registered nurses to obtain a baccalaureate degree in nursing within ten years of their initial licensure. She is also a supporter of legislation that would increase both patient and nurse safety by limiting the amount of physical patient lifting performed by medical staff.

Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis (R,C-Brooklyn, Staten Island) is co-sponsoring legislation (A10080) with Assemblyman Rafael Espinal (D,C-Brooklyn), which would provide a safe harbor for victims of domestic violence to report abuse without fear of losing custody of their children. Abusive spouses often prevent their victims from reporting violence by threatening that Child Protective Services (CPS) will remove their children from their home. Malliotakis, who served on the board of the Seamen’s Society for Children and Families prior to joining the Legislature, is seeking to give the non-abusive parent the ability to save themselves along with their children from the domestic violence that the abusive spouse has inflicted on their family.

“Victims of domestic violence are often forced to choose between ending the abuse and losing their children. This is a decision no victim should be required to make,” said Malliotakis. “The devastating effects of domestic violence don’t stop with the physical harm incurred by the victim. These crimes can destroy families and rip children out of their homes, away from the loving parent that was courageous enough to take action against the abusive spouse. This legislation won’t just save lives, but entire families, and I commend all involved in bringing this issue to light.”

Melinda is a woman suffering from battered women’s syndrome. Her husband has abused her for over twenty years. The abuse has been physical, verbal, and psychological. She has taken the abuse with the belief that her children need a father. However, the abuse now includes their children. This abuse consists of locking a young teenager in the basement, pushing a five-year old to the ground, and hitting his teenage son with a wooden rod. When Melinda warned her husband that she would call the police, her husband threatened that if she reported him that her children would be taken away from her by CPS. Out of the fear of losing her children to CPS, Melinda has not reported her husband to authorities, and as a result, the abuse has escalated. This bill would allow for abused spouses, like Melinda, the opportunity to keep their children under their guardianship and report their abusive spouses without the threat of losing the children to CPS.

Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis (R,C-Brooklyn, Staten Island) has introduced legislation that would establish a misdemeanor for subjecting a dog, cat, or other companion animal to piercings, tattoos, and certain cosmetic surgery. Cosmetic procedures on companion animals have become increasingly common as people seek to alter the physical appearance of their household pets. Pet owners are resorting to cosmetic procedures, from piercings and tattoos to surgical procedures like devocalization, rhytidectomy (“facelifts”), and abdominoplasty (“tummy-tucks”) to achieve the desired result. Assemblywoman Malliotakis was driven to address this problem after viewing Pet Crazy, a documentary about such behavior on 20/20.

“I was sickened after seeing the images of dogs with tattoos and piercings through their eyebrows and noses. While the psychological effects on these animals is an area of debate, the fact remains that most of these procedures require an application of general anesthesia which poses a health risk in itself,” said Malliotakis. “The animal must then go through the pain of recovery and possible infection, or post-surgery complications. These non-medical cosmetic procedures are not just odd and unnecessary, they amount to animal cruelty.”

This legislation will also cover the sale of companion animals who have been subjected to certain cosmetic procedures. This would remove the impetus for retailers to physically modify an animal in the hopes of increasing its value to prospective buyers.

The bill has garnered support from local animal rights advocates, including Anarchy Animal Rescue of Staten Island and No More Tears Rescue.

“Has our society become so vain that we would submit our beloved companions to unnecessary and possible life-threatening procedures? These are loved ones, not accessories,” said Dr. Michelle Werner, a veterinarian at Animal Kind Veterinary Hospital.

“I myself think that owning a pet is a privilege not a right. My blood boils every time I hear about an animal being abused. Every day an animal suffers at the hands of some lunatic,” said Catherine Gaffney, a former dog groomer at All Pets Animal Hospital. “If you think that cosmetic surgery is not abuse, think again. If you don’t like the way a cat or dog looks then maybe an aquarium would be a better choice.”

Conviction would result in a misdemeanor, punishable by no more than one year imprisonment, a fine of no more than $1,000.00, or both. This penalty would be not unlike similar animal rights violations.

The bill will be carried by Senator Marty Golden (R,C,I – Brooklyn) in the state Senate. The legislators will be garnering support for the bill at the 2nd Annual Animal Advocacy on June 13 in Albany.

Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis (R,C-Brooklyn, Staten Island) and Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) board member Allen Cappelli were pleased to learn that Governor Andrew Cuomo has approved the MTA’s request for a waiver of the “Bond Insurance Charge” (BIC) for debt being refinanced in 2012 and 2013. Under state law, the MTA was forced to pay the state Division of Budget a fee for borrowing money from private investors. These fees have amounted to over $100 million since 2006, as the MTA has resorted to fare hikes, service cuts and further borrowing to fund their operations.

“Waiving the fee for the refinancing of the MTA’s debt is a step in the right direction toward bringing fiscal sanity to New York’s most troubled agency. If we are to hold the MTA accountable for their spending practices, state government must do its part to solve the problem as well. This policy was completely counterproductive as it was bleeding the MTA dry and contributing to the agency’s chronic failure to maintain adequate bus service and keep tolls and fares at a reasonable level,” said Assemblywoman Malliotakis. “Constant service cuts have been extremely painful for our community, which lacks transportation options yet faces the highest bridge toll in the world. Hopefully, by avoiding this fee the MTA can begin to bring service back to Brooklyn and Staten Island at an affordable cost.”

“Governor Cuomo has taken a terrific first step to saving resources for our riders and taxpayers. Hopefully as the economy improves we can get a permanent legislative exemption that covers all of our bonding,” said Cappelli. “Now the MTA needs to look at the additional money from this and increased passenger revenue and invest it in restoring much needed bus and subway restorations as well as some additions to service.”

“I would like to thank Governor Andrew Cuomo for waiving the fees that the MTA is forced to pay the State when issuing new bonds and renewing maturing bonds. In the past six years the MTA paid over $100 million in fees associated with Bond renewal and issuance. This year alone the waiver will save the MTA over $50 million,” said Daniel Cassella, President and Business Agent for Amalgamated Transit Union 726. “I sincerely hope that with these huge savings that the MTA can restore the service cuts that Staten Island endured over the past few years. The cost associated with restoration of the service cuts is a small fraction of the savings from this waiver.”

Assemblywoman Malliotakis has consistently sounded the alarm regarding the MTA’s fiscal irresponsibility and mounting debt. She recently voted against a budget bill that authorized the MTA to increase their debt limit by $7 billion, potentially reaching nearly $42 billion by 2014. The MTA’s current debt load trails only California, New York State, Massachusetts and New York City in size nationwide.

Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis (R,C-Brooklyn, Staten Island) recently sponsored a motion in the state Assembly that would have posted voting records for every Assembly member on their individual websites in an effort to increase transparency in government. The legislation was blocked from coming to the floor for a vote by members of the Assembly Majority.

“Every constituent should have the right to easily access their legislator’s voting record,” said Malliotakis. “I find it shameful that members of the Majority prevented a vote on this bill that would bring transparency to the state legislature. Blocking this legislation is an affront to the concept of open government.”

***Watch Nicole discuss her push for transparency in state government by visiting http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVt5LuYwvWM&feature=youtu.be***