Trains, Transmission, Enfranchise

I hope this email finds you well and enjoying this fine Wednesday. I have a few quick items I want to touch on, and then you'll be free of me until next month.

I hope this email finds you well and enjoying this fine Wednesday. I have a few quick items I want to touch on, and then you'll be free of me until next month. 

First, there was an encouraging drop in COVD-19 testing rates as the latest testing showed positivity of under 1 % instead of the 3.5 we ate that was reported a day earlier. While the good news is nice to hear, it is not yet a cause for celebration or relaxing. If anything, it's a reminder to everyone that we can keep these numbers low if we maintain distance, cover our faces, and follow all safety protocols. It's hardly fun to wear a mask, but I'd wear a mask forever instead of having to live in a shutdown city as we did in the spring or jeopardize another person. 

Speaking of things that were shut down, but aren't now, today Is the first day of indoor dining in NYC since March. There are a lot of safety protocols put into place, including a 25% percent capacity limit. This is only marginally helpful to restaurants; it may be a bridge if ever, our US Senate and President agree to pass necessary funding to help our restaurants. It will also help if Assemblymember Carroll's business interruption bill is signed into law by the Governor. 

I wouldn't necessarily get my hopes up. This is the same Governor who doesn't want to send out corrected absentee ballots to the nearly one hundred thousand voters who received incorrect ballot envelopes right here in Brooklyn. Instead, the Cuomo administration suggests that the Board mail voters just the corrected return envelopes, asking voters to use the ballots they may have already discarded after the first erroneous mailing. I'm naturally cynical, but I hope that not too many people are disenfranchised. 

On that note, I'll suggest that you scroll on down for more information; let me know if you hear of any postal employees selling ballots or throwing them in the Gowanus, and enjoy the rest of your Wednesday.

This is the web archive of a newsletter originally sent by email to Brooklyn Community Board 6 subscribers on Wednesday, September 30, 2020. The email edition may contain additional event listings and links.