BEGIN:VCALENDAR PRODID:-//github.com/rianjs/ical.net//NONSGML ical.net 4.0//EN VERSION:2.0 BEGIN:VEVENT DESCRIPTION:CELEBRATE: Greek Independence - Mar 16 Greek Independence Day Our Friday Mar 16th luncheon meeting is going to be a celebration of Gre ek Independence. The featured speaker will be NY State Senator Michael Gi anaris. RSVP - with prepayment only! Rotarians $50 - Guests $75/ only a few seats left! About our respected guest speaker: Senator Michael Gianaris was born in Astoria\, Queens. He is a graduate of the New York C ity public school system\, having attended Public School 84\, Junior High School 141 and Long Island City High School. He then attended Fordham Un iversity\, where he graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelors Degree in Economics and Political Science and went on to receive his law degree fro m Harvard Law School. Senator Gianaris was elected to the State Senate in 2010 with over 81% of the vote after a decade of dedicated public servic e in the State Assembly. He is the first Greek-American to be elected to office from New York City and has served his community and state with uni que effectiveness. His career in public service began as an aid to Congre ssman Thomas Manton\, and he later became Governor Mario Cuomo’s Queens C ounty Regional Representative. Until his election to the Assembly in 2000 \, he served as a Counsel to the Speaker of the Assembly. He also practic ed law as a litigator in private practice for several years. In his commu nity\, Senator Gianaris served as a member of Community Board # 1\, Legal Counsel to the United Community Civic Association and as a Board member of the Eastern Orthodox Lawyers Association. Among his many triumphs in t he Legislature\, Senator Gianaris authored important public safety measur es\, including the state’s first major anti-terror law after the Septembe r 11th attacks. His Energy Security Act\, which has become a national mod el\, strengthens security at New York’s power plants and transmission cen ters. He is a staunch advocate for consumers\, authoring the first-in-the -nation Airline Passenger Bill of Rights law which inspired federal rules that now ensure travelers are treated with respect and dignity while on commercial airplanes. He was instrumental in establishing the state’s fil m tax credit\, which has brought thousands of new jobs to western Queens. Senator Gianaris is also an advocate for enhanced environmental protecti ons and the need to reshape New York’s energy policy. He wrote the Clean Energy Law\, which encouraged the private sector to utilize modern techn ologies to dramatically reduce pollution while increasing productivity. H is clean energy efforts led to the closure of the Poletti Power Plant in Astoria\, which was New York’s biggest polluter. He also held Con Edison accountable for the serious\, lengthy blackouts that took place throughou t western Queens in 2006\, which damaged local businesses and community m embers’ homes. Thanks to Senator Gianaris’s efforts\, Con Ed was forced t o pay restitution to all those hurt by the blackouts. Since joining the S enate in 2011\, Senator Gianaris has continued his efforts to make state government better serve the people of New York\, pushing for the passage of a Fair Pay Act to ensure women are not discriminated against in the wo rkplace\, increasing the minimum wage so workers can afford to provide fo r their families and making our streets safer by advocating more sensible gun laws. He also continues to be a leading advocate for clean and renew able energy to improve western Queens’ air quality and rid it of poisonou s toxins emitted from outdated power plants. Senator Gianaris has maintai ned his reputation as a leading reformer in the effort to combat dysfunct ion in state government. He led the charge for redistricting reform\, whi ch the New York Times called “the real key to reform” in Albany\, by intr oducing legislation in 2006 creating an independent commission to redraw legislative and congressional district lines. Senate Republicans\, howeve r\, failed to pass this important initiative. He also continues to advoca te for campaign finance reform to reduce the possibility of corruption an d ensure that elected officials act in the best interest of their constit uents rather than those with the deepest pockets. DTEND:20180316T170000Z DTSTAMP:20240329T011527Z DTSTART:20180316T160000Z LOCATION:The Union League Club of NYC SEQUENCE:1 SUMMARY:Wkly Mtg: Mar 16 UID:b9604e62-9911-4873-a1c1-988eda023bbe X-ALT-DESC:
Senator Michael Gianari s was born in Astoria\, Queens. He is a graduate of the New York City public school system\, having attended Public School 84\, Junior Hi gh School 141 and Long Island City High School. He then attended Fordham University\, where he graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelors Degree i n Economics and Political Science and went on to receive his law degree f rom Harvard Law School.
\n\nSenator Gianaris was elected to the Sta te Senate in 2010 with over 81% of the vote after a decade of dedicated p ublic service in the State Assembly. He is the first Greek-American to be elected to office from New York City and has served his community and st ate with unique effectiveness. His career in public service began as an a id to Congressman Thomas Manton\, and he later became Governor Mario Cuom o&rsquo\;s Queens County Regional Representative. Until his election to t he Assembly in 2000\, he served as a Counsel to the Speaker of the Assemb ly. He also practiced law as a litigator in private practice for several years. In his community\, Senator Gianaris served as a member of Communit y Board # 1\, Legal Counsel to the United Community Civic Association and as a Board member of the Eastern Orthodox Lawyers Association.
\n\nAmong his many triumphs in the Legislature\, Senator Gianaris authored i mportant public safety measures\, including the state&rsquo\;s first majo r anti-terror law after the September 11th \;at tacks. His Energy Security Act\, which has become a national model\, stre ngthens security at New York&rsquo\;s power plants and transmission cente rs. He is a staunch advocate for consumers\, authoring the first-in-the-n ation Airline Passenger Bill of Rights law which inspired federal rules t hat now ensure travelers are treated with respect and dignity while on co mmercial airplanes. He was instrumental in establishing the state&rsquo\; s film tax credit\, which has brought thousands of new jobs to western Qu eens.
\n\nSenator Gianaris is also an advocate for enhanced environ mental protections and the need to reshape New York&rsquo\;s energy polic y. \; He wrote the Clean Energy Law\, which encouraged the private se ctor to utilize modern technologies to dramatically reduce pollution whil e increasing productivity. His clean energy efforts led to the closure of the Poletti Power Plant in Astoria\, which was New York&rsquo\;s biggest polluter. He also held Con Edison accountable for the serious\, lengthy blackouts that took place throughout western Queens in 2006\, which damag ed local businesses and community members&rsquo\; homes. Thanks to Senato r Gianaris&rsquo\;s efforts\, Con Ed was forced to pay restitution to all those hurt by the blackouts.
\n\nSince joining the Senate in 2011\ , Senator Gianaris has continued his efforts to make state government bet ter serve the people of New York\, pushing for the passage of a Fair Pay Act to ensure women are not discriminated against in the workplace\, incr easing the minimum wage so workers can afford to provide for their famili es and making our streets safer by advocating more sensible gun laws. He also continues to be a leading advocate for clean and renewable energy to improve western Queens&rsquo\; air quality and rid it of poisonous toxin s emitted from outdated power plants.
\n\nSenator Gianaris has main tained his reputation as a leading reformer in the effort to combat dysfu nction in state government. He led the charge for redistricting reform\, which the New York Times called &ldquo\;the real key to reform&rdquo\; in Albany\, by introducing legislation in 2006 creating an independent comm ission to redraw legislative and congressional district lines. Senate Rep ublicans\, however\, failed to pass this important initiative. He also co ntinues to advocate for campaign finance reform to reduce the possibility of corruption and ensure that elected officials act in the best interest of their constituents rather than those with the deepest pockets.
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