Brooklyn's Progress
June/July 2006

BY STEPHEN WITT

Between the war on terror, the debate over immigration legislation and national budget proceedings, Brooklyn’s federal lawmakers were exceedingly busy last month. But, they still found time to meet with Members of the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce during the Brooklyn Chamber’s annual two-day lobbying trip to the nation’s capital.  It was there in Washington, D.C. that the borough's lawmakers were presented with the Brooklyn Agenda for Growth 2006 (to see this year's Agenda for Growth click here).

“Despite how busy all of the Brooklyn members were this week with a very busy congressional calendar and large national issues, we had meetings with all of them and they were extensive,” said Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce President Kenneth Adams, who also noted 19 Chamber delegation members made the trip, making it the largest contingent the Chamber has taken to the nation’s capitol to-date.

Among the elected officials Chamber Members met with or heard speak were Senators Charles Schumer and Hillary Clinton, and Congress Members Nydia Velázquez, Vito Fosella, Major Owens, Jerrold Nadler, Anthony Weiner and Edolphus Towns.  

While the Chamber has not yet taken an organizational position on immigration, Mr. Adams said it wound up being one of the themes at many of the meetings with Brooklyn lawmakers. Thirty-eight percent of Brooklynites are foreign born, noted the Brooklyn Chamber president, adding they have always been a significant part of the borough’s workforce.

“It [immigration issues] is also important to business owners because they need a clear system to know who they can employ legally versus who’s in the shadows and can’t be employed,” Mr. Adams said. “Clarity for business owners is very important as there are so many immigrants, both legal and illegal, who are in the workforce,” he added.

The Chamber issues brought to lawmakers’ attention this year came from its 2005 annual Fall survey issued to 1,200 Chamber Members. Input from the Chamber’s Government Affairs Committee and state and local government also informed the 2006 Agenda for Growth.

According to the survey, the number one issue that Brooklyn business owners are concerned with is the rising cost of healthcare. The Chamber delegation reported 70 percent of their Members cited the lack of affordable health insurance as the single biggest obstacle to their growth.

As such, the Chamber told the elected officials it supports the Communities Building Access Act (CBAC). The CBAC would provide grants for locally developed healthcare coverage products for small businesses; as well as assist local primary care safety nets.

The Chamber also pushed for legislative support of medical malpractice insurance reform, noting local hospitals, physicians and nursing homes have been severely impacted as they struggle to keep up with ever increasing premiums. In particular, obstetric services in the borough have been decreased because of these escalating costs.

When broached with the subject of medical malpractice insurance reform, Senator Schumer said he does not support putting caps on legal awards patients get from medical malpractice lawsuits. Meanwhile, Senator Clinton supports and has co-sponsored the National Medical Error Disclosure and Compensation Act (MEDIC).
The legislation acts to bridge the gap between medical liability and patient safety systems for the benefit of both patients and physicians.

“Through better communication, more cooperation and protection from liability within the context of the program, our bill gives doctors and patients an avenue to find solutions outside of the courtroom, which a vast majority of patients say is what they want,” said Senator Clinton.

The delegation urged federal lawmakers to support actions to curb oil industry pricing and to improve reinvestment in alternative energy sources. Additionally, the Chamber supports the lifting of tariffs on imported ethanol and the creation of incentives to spur more local production of ethanol and other alternative energies.

Among issues that Chamber Members repeatedly hammered home to the lawmakers was their support of a rail link between lower-Manhattan and JFK airport with two stops in Brooklyn. Under some current plans, the proposed rail link has a stop planned near the Atlantic Terminal at Vanderbilt Ave.

“We made it clear that if they [federal lawmakers] get that funding we want two stops in Downtown Brooklyn,” said Mr. Adams. Mr. Adams explained the rail link would make for better public transportation infrastructure, and large subway stops help create stable neighborhoods and clusters of businesses.

Other highlights of the trip included Congresswoman Velázquez’s briefing on what is happening with the Small Business Administration and lunch at Monique Greenwood’s Akwaaba, D.C. bed and breakfast.

Ms. Greenwood, a Chamber Member, was born and raised in Washington and lives in Bedford Stuyvesant, where she operates the charter Akwaaba Mansion. Ms. Greenwood owns five inns.

Mr. Adams said he was impressed with the amount of quality time the Chamber spent with each elected official discussing a wide array of issues. “This is about relationship building between the Chamber and its representatives in the business community, and these members of congress,” he said.