Latest news with #Citywide
New York Post
03-05-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
NYC parent council elections rife with problems, rule violations: ‘Staggering incompetence'
Voting for New York City's parent education councils has devolved into chaos — with persistent technical issues, ballot errors and apparent violations of campaign rules, The Post has learned. Parents in District 1, which covers the Lower East Side and East Village, received notice Friday that a candidate was missing from the ballot. 'We have cleared the votes of all those that voted prior to the corrected ballot and are asking you to vote again by entering your NYC Schools Account,' an email from the CEC elections team read. Advertisement 4 Since voting opened for Community and Citywide Education Councils, multiple errors and glitches have been reported. Obtained by the New York Post The parent, Rodney Lee, a social worker who served on the advisory council in 2021, was also previously left off the list for the district's candidate forum. 'They're disenfranchising the families of District 1,' Noah Harlan, the council's president, told The Post. Advertisement It comes after voting began last Friday and opened to the system being taken down for 'maintenance' shortly after amid reports of issues. Those who voted before it was paused received calls this week saying they would also have to re-vote before May 13. 4 CEC 1 President Noah Harlan, pictured in Brooklyn last year, is calling for an audit of this year's election. Gabriella Bass Harlan blasted the city Department of Education's Office of Family and Community Engagement (FACE), which administers elections. Advertisement 'FACE has a history of staggering incompetence,' Harlan said. 'Once again, they have truly dropped the ball.' FACE, which is reportedly riddled with dysfunction, spends upwards of $5 million on the biennial elections, sources say, yet only about 2% of public school families voted in recent years. 4 Yiatin Chu, co-president of PLACE NYC, is demanding an investigation into the ballot errors. Harlan and other parents are calling for an audit of the election. Advertisement The group Parent Leaders for Accelerated Curriculum and Education (PLACE NYC), demanded an investigation into the 'cause and scope of the ballot errors' on the first day of voting. 'The integrity of parent representation is at stake,' PLACE co-president Yiatin Chu said in a statement. 4 Candidates received an email Thursday about disparaging flyers that represented an 'erosion' of the election process. Obtained by the New York Post Meanwhile, FACE emailed candidates Thursday about complaints of flyers disparaging candidates that were hung near schools, including District 2, where far-left trans rights activists are trying to unseat conservative opponents. 'These actions represent a serious erosion of the fairness and integrity of the election process,' the email read. The DOE did not immediately respond to an inquiry.
Irish Examiner
25-04-2025
- Health
- Irish Examiner
Community drug projects welcome Government funding of €1.9m for addiction treatment services
Community drug projects have welcomed Government funding of almost €1.9m over a three-year period to assist in the 'essential life-saving' work carried out by local organisations. The monies will be allocated across six health regions and are focused on increasing drug treatment in local areas. Minister for the national drugs strategy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor said the allocation of €1.89m was being made available through the Community Services Enhancement Fund. 'This funding represents another practical step in our efforts to strengthen the health-led response to drug use by enhancing access and delivery of drug services in the community, in line with the national drugs strategy,' she said. 'The six HSE health regions will each receive between €252,000 and €378,000 per year, with allocations based on population needs.' The minister of state at the Department of Health said by making drug treatment available as part of primary care, the State was helping to 'reduce stigma of drug use' and meet the needs of those presenting. Ms Murnane O'Connor said the programme for government committed to increase funding for drug addiction services, including local drug and alcohol taskforces. She said the funding also aligned with the report of the Citizens' Assembly on Drugs Use, which reported in January 2024. HSE clinical lead for addiction services Professor Eamon Keenan welcomed the announcement: 'This funding will enhance the delivery of drug and alcohol community services in the newly established HSE health regions across the country. "This will allow evidence-based interventions to be provided in those areas of most need and these initiatives will be subject to measurements of outcomes, thus ensuring that the identified service need is met.' The funding will be allocated on three-year cycle, with ongoing monitoring and evaluation. The National Drug Treatment Reporting System (NDTRS), published by the Health Research Board, shows there were 13,104 cases in 2023, which is an increase of almost 50% from 8,922 in 2017. Anna Quigley, coordinator of Citywide, a national group representing community drug projects, said: 'Citywide welcomes any additional funding that is made available for the essential life-saving work that is carried out by community drug projects across the country. 'There is very little recognition of the range and extent of the work they do on a daily basis, not only to support people who are using drugs, also their families and the wider community — our communities would be devastated without them.' Ms Quigley added: 'However, we would emphasise the importance for the projects of having secure long-term funding that can be depended on and it is essential that the next national drugs strategy commits to putting this secure funding in place on a muti-annual basis. 'It is not acceptable that so many of our essential local services face into each new year with insecurity around funding levels and the resulting difficulties in planning ahead and recruiting staff.' Read More Opioid addiction three times higher in Dublin than the rest of Ireland, new study finds
