Political arena

Dinowitz, Klein talk to seniors at The Y

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Riverdale’s Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz and state Sen. Jeff Klein made a series of campaign-style appearances at area senior centers to announce a package of bills to help the elderly last week.

Their tour began with a stop before lunch at The Riverdale Y on Feb. 20. Mr. Klein started his speech at the front of a banquet room with dozens of seniors by describing the hardship the retirement years can bring.

 “Unfortunately as years go by, I think everyone here will agree, those good old days are just kind of fond memories,” he said after describing the traditional path from renting an apartment to buying a home.

He went on to detail six proposals aimed at alleviating burdens on seniors’ finances.

Those include the creation of a senior housing development fund, which would provide new assisted living sites and middle-income housing; designating Riverdale a Naturally Occurring Retirement Community, or NORC, with city benefits like health and wellness activities for residents; a tax break, or “circuit breaker,” when utility bills reach a certain portion of residents’ income levels; a measure to make portions of home repairs tax deductible; senior discounts on DMV fees; and the creation of a state-level utility consumer advocate to fight price hikes.

Mr. Dinowitz introduced the Assembly version of the last proposal, in 2013. “One day I hope to become a senior citizen,” he quipped before discussing his bill.

“You may wonder, why are Con Ed rates so high?” he continued. “There’s nobody to fight for us as utility consumers.”

Mr. Dinowitz’s bill passed the Assembly last year, but as with the other progressive proposals he and Mr. Klein touted at The Y, it will be hard to sell the Senate’s Republican majority on them.

The politicians’ presentation seemed to resonate with audience members as they tucked in to their chicken lunches, which cost a voluntary contribution of $2.25.

“Mostly middle-income families, once they retire, they become low-income families,” said John Troche, 71. “You can ask anybody here, they’ll tell you the same thing.”

Jeffrey Dinowitz, Jeff Klein, senior citizens, NORC, housing, circuit breaker, DMV, utilities, The Y, CB 8, discretionary spending, Fernando Cabrera, Andrew Cohen, Ydanis Rodriguez, school toxins, DHS, Eliot Engel, Charles Rangel, Shant Shahrigian
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