Op-Ed Letters to the Editor
Investing in workers’ future
CHART COURTESY OF CONGRESSWOMAN CAROLYN MALONEY’S OFFICE
BY CONGRESSWOMAN CAROLYN
MALONEY AND JOSE ORTIZ, JR.
Talent can be found in every town and
city, large and small, across the nation.
In no place is this truer than New York
City. Just take the subway from Coney Island
to Wakefi eld; the city is rich with human capital.
On that same ride, however, you are
exposed to a hard truth—while the city
is experiencing an economic boom, many
are falling behind as they lack work experience
and professional skills.
Many face obstacles such as requirements
for credentials and hands-on experience,
histories with the criminal justice
system, disabilities or lack of access to a
professional network.
DeAsia Zellner, a resident of The
Bronx, was one of these New Yorkers—
struggling to get by and finding herself
living in a domestic violence shelter when
she became pregnant with her son.
Seeking a stable career for a better life,
Ms. Zellner started a job training program
at STRIVE, an organization in East
Harlem that facilitates professional development
and skills training.
After earning a certification in medical
billing and coding, Ms. Zellner started an
entry-level job with a major health care
network in New York.
She later obtained a double master’s degree
and now earns a salary that is around
the median income for a household.
The obstacles that Ms. Zellner faced are
all too common, and are especially true
for people of color, young adults, family
caregivers and the formerly incarcerated.
On a broader level, the growth in
America’s prime-age labor force participation
rate—the share of those who are
25-54 years old and employed or actively
seeking work—has stagnated in recent
decades, underscoring the obstacles to
employment.
Organizations like STRIVE and pre-apprenticeship
programs such as Nontraditional
Employment for Women are effective
at improving the lives of thousands of
people like Ms. Zellner.
They also help our society as a whole
by improving labor force participation,
which supports economic growth.
Workers must develop skills to meet
evolving employer needs. These complex
challenges require investments from government
and businesses to ensure that
more people have career pathways into
these new roles.
As the story of DeAsia shows, we can
equip people with the 21st century skills
needed to thrive.
We must do a better job of helping New
Yorkers and Americans gain the skills
needed to improve their lives and contribute
to the economy.
Nonprofit organizations are leading the
way, and it’s time for more employers and
government agencies to do their part.
Maloney (NY-12) is Vice Chair of the
Joint Economic Committee, Chair of the
House Oversight Committee and a senior
member of the House Financial Services
Committee. Ortiz is the Executive Director
of the New York City Employment and
Training Coalition.
A PEDESTRIAN
FEELS IGNORED
All stores – big or small –
need customers, i.e. people of
all ages who feel safe walking
around the neighborhood.
That is no longer true for
many due to the blatant disregard
of safety on streets and
sidewalks by bicyclists, scooters
and now Amazon’s multiplatform
delivery bikes.
Two-wheelers that go
through red lights, travel the
wrong way into one-way traffi
c, take turns without slowing
down for pedestrians, and
ride on crowded sidewalks are
disturbing threats to walkers.
Bikes without lights or loud
warning bell are menaces, especially
on early winter nights.
All these are issues around
the community and the city
but are particularly disruptive
in residential community featuring
small stores.
I do not hate bikes, but I am
tired of being ignored, cursed
at or terrifi ed by bikers.
Martha Danzinger
PUT TRASH
CANS BACK IN
STATION
Regarding the new trash
cans in Washington Square
Park (Dec. 19): If Washington
Square can get new trash
receptacles, perhaps the 8th
Street station on the R and
W trains can also get them.
There are no trash cans at all
on the platforms. That makes
no sense.
Garbage cans are a wonderful
invention and should be
available to subway riders on
all subway platforms. The 8th
Street station needs them.
George Jochnowitz
MANHATTAN
HOLIDAY
MIRACLE
On Dec. 13, we picked up
our car from 6th Street to head
out of town. We later discovered
that the front license plate
was missing.
We gathered the documents
needed to get a replacement at
the DMV and planned to do
so upon our return. But when
we got home on Dec. 21, we
found the plate in the foyer of
our building.
Thanks to the good Samaritan
who found the plate, researched
the owner, and left
it for us. You gotta love New
York!
Constancia Dinky Romilly
MTA DEAL QUITE
A DOWNER
The devil is in the details
concerning pronouncements
by MTA Chairman Pat Foye
about how great the recent
contract with his employees
really is. It is a repeat of past
history.
Once again, this contract
will result in additional fare
hikes beyond the next two
previously scheduled over the
coming four years. This will
be necessary to pay for the
real costs when the bills come
due.
As usual, Governor Cuomo
and elected offi cials who
depend upon transportation
union endorsements, campaign
contributions, phone
banks and volunteers did not
stand up against their benefactors
and seriously support
MTA management in winning
any signifi cant reforms during
contract renewal negotiations.
Unions once again out negotiated
management as they
have done for decades. Riders
never had the stomach to put
up with potential work slow
downs, service disruptions,
employee sick outs and possible
strikes by unions, who
have no intentions of giving
up what they have.
Promised future productivity
reform and fi nancial savings
just as in the past will
never take place. The status
quo of periodic fare hikes,
construction project cost
overruns and billions more in
MTA long term debt increases
continues.
This is what happens when
you have a government monopoly
in transportation services.
Larry Penner
Schneps Media December 26, 2019 13