New York State 10 Year Redistricting Plan - Where Does Roosevelt Island Fit? Elected Officials Lappin and Kellner Reply To RIRA President Katz
Image of Matt Katz, Jose Serrano, Jessica Lappin & Micah Kellner (front row left to right)
Reported last Friday on testimony Roosevelt Island Residents Association President (RIRA) Matt Katz provided to the NY State Legislative Redistricting Task Force (LATFOR) during public hearings held on September 21. Mr. Katz's statement is here.
Yesterday I received this comment from NYC Council Member Jessica Lappin and NY State Assembly Member Micah Kellner:
We are writing in response to Matthew Katz’s testimony to the state legislative redistricting task force. While Mr. Katz states, “my issues are not with the public servants holding the seat but with the choice of district,” it certainly doesn’t seem that way.Mr. Katz responds:
We’d like to set the record straight.
Mr. Katz claims that Senator Jose Marco Serrano doesn’t participate in Community Board 8 activities. That’s just not accurate. Senator Serrano or his staff frequently attend Community Board 8 Full Board meetings. He is also a regular participant in other community and civic events on the Upper East Side and Roosevelt Island.
Mr. Katz also states that, “we Islanders should be represented, across the board, by Upper East Side public servants who will surely be more accessible and more finely attuned to the unique needs of this planned community.”
It’s hard to imagine a public servant more accessible and responsive than Senator Serrano. He is one of the most open and accessible elected officials in the state legislature. And over the years, he has proven himself to be quite attuned to the issues facing the Island.
Lastly, we’d like to point out that the 28th District doesn’t only serve RI, El Barrio, and the South Bronx. It also overlaps with our districts in Yorkville.
In addition to being inaccurate, we found Mr. Katz’s testimony to be needlessly divisive. There certainly are valid arguments that can be made for changing district lines. We hope future comments and testimony on this issue are restricted to those arguments.
Sincerely, Councilwoman Jessica Lappin and Assemblyman Micah Kellner
I, too, would like to set the record straight. Our federal and state districts are reconsidered once every ten years following the national census. I was asked by Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney’s office to present testimony at the Manhattan redistricting hearings as the 14th CD is in jeopardy when New York State loses two congressional districts. I agreed to do so. Most of the speakers, including former mayor Ed Koch, Senator Liz Krueger, former Parks Commissioner Henry Stern, representatives from Common Cause and the League of Women Voters, spoke to the unfair and politically motivated methods the State Senate has used to reset districts for decades and the reluctance of New York State government to reform the system with an independent commission.UPDATE 9/28 State Senators Jose Serrano and Liz Krueger reply to Mr. Katz:
I did not speak to this question; I was not asked to. My reason for attending was to support Rep. Maloney. However, New York State residents get to chime in only once every ten years. I made it as clear as I knew how that my comments were no reflection upon Sen. Jose Serrano, his predecessor, or any other of our conscientious representatives. To quote from my statement, “We have been represented ably by all our local legislators, including…the incumbent, Senator José Serrano. However, my issues are not with the public servants holding the seat but with the choice of districts.” These sentiments are heartfelt, then and now. The 26th SD IS closer to Roosevelt Island. The 28th SD IS farther away and not contiguous with this community. In a state correctly criticized for gerrymandered districts, my complaint was entirely with the districting process and not with the present seat-holder.
I made one false assumption in my statement: I stated that Sen. Serrano does not participate in Community Board 8, and he does. I don’t attend most of these meetings, having sufficient meetings of my own on Roosevelt Island to occupy my evenings. I assumed that, as CB8’s northern boundary is at 96th Street and that the 28th SD only dips a toe into Yorkville (down to 86th Street) but is primarily located in northern Manhattan and the South Bronx, that Sen. Serrano’s primary community board participation would be in those neighborhoods. I regret the mistake.
When I decided to write a statement and to include my comments on our state senate district, it occurred to me that perhaps I should wait until a less responsive senator occupied that seat. However, given the ten-year hiatus in redistricting, that would have required a wait until the fall of 2021. I have no idea what my role in local politics will be after I turn 75, but there is a likelihood that I will not be responding, or being asked to respond, to the redistricting issues of that future time. Therefore, I made a pitch for a more “common sense” process and conclusion.
I am truly upset that my comments, in which I took exceptional pains to separate the district from its incumbent, were seen as disrespectful to Sen. Serrano. My regard for him is based on his long and consistent labors on our behalf My respect and affection for him, as well as for Councilwoman Lappin and Assemblyman Keller, are second to no one’s. I apologize for giving any other impression.
Matthew M. Katz, President
Roosevelt Island Residents Association
We write to you in response to testimony by Roosevelt Island resident Matthew Katz to the New York State Redistricting Task Force.
Although we both believe in Independent Redistricting, and that partisan politics and legislators should not play any role in drawing district lines, there were various inaccuracies in Mr. Katz’s statement that we would like to address.
Mr. Katz stated that “the 28th Senatorial District serves El Barrio and the South Bronx, with Roosevelt Island thrown in as an afterthought.” He also mentioned that the 26th SD has more issues in common with Roosevelt Island than the 28th SD, and that Senator Serrano does not participate in Community Board 8 activities. The 28th District covers parts of the Bronx, East Harlem, and Roosevelt Island, but also a significant portion of Yorkville on the Upper East Side. Senator Serrano has been extremely active and accessible on Roosevelt Island, and we have both had a strong and consistent presence at its corresponding Community Board 8.
We are two of the most progressive members of the Democratic Conference, and anyone would be hard pressed to find a major issue or vote on which we differ. If one views our voting records, to say that the residents of Roosevelt Island would have drastically different legislative representation from either of us is simply inaccurate.
Mr. Katz declared that “Islanders should be represented, across the board, by Upper East Side public servants who will surely be more accessible and more finely attuned to the unique needs of this planned community.” Only he knows for sure what he meant by these words. The fact that a district includes places like East Harlem— a wonderful and diverse neighborhood once represented by then City Council Member Carolyn Maloney— should not disqualify an elected official from representing an equally diverse community like Roosevelt Island. In fact, Roosevelt Island is significantly more diverse than the 26th Senate District, and more closely mirrors the 28th Senate District in terms of its racial and ethnic makeup.
Mr. Katz’s comments were not only incorrect, but also betray the inclusive spirit that is so much a part of the Island. Senator Serrano has long prided himself in the fact that he represents one of the most diverse Senate districts in the state; and Roosevelt Island continues to grow into a multicultural melting pot, very much in line with New York City as a whole.
We are strong advocates for public participation and encourage residents to make valid arguments in regards to redistricting. Our hope is that a fair and independent redistricting process will move forward— one that takes into account accurate and unbiased rationale for any changes to district lines, and that will not be based on inaccurate statements.
Sincerely, Senator José M. Serrano Senator Liz Krueger
13 comments :
It would behoove RI to change Matt - not Senator Serrano.
I am hereby "drafting" Frank to run for President of RIRA in 2012.
Matt has made at least 4 big mistakes in the past 18 months:
(1) He opposed the 2010 RIOC Board member election because he consistently sides with the in-group represented by MTG/Wire in trying to hog RIOC Board member seats for residents from Wire buildings. The MTG hatched the idea of not holding the election and despite the consequences that flowed from this, Matt continues to insist RIRA was correct in not holding the election.
(2) He attacked and continues to attack and vilify Gov. Cuomo's appointment of Mr. Ferrera to the RIOC Board. This is the lowest of the low since not only is Gov. Cuomo a staunch friend of RI (especially after the numerous years under Gov. Pataki) Mr. Fererra is a worthy, hard-working individual who has added and will continue to add much to RI.
The majority of residents on RI sincerely are pro-Child School and know that Mr. Fererra's efforts on behalf of the children will also benefit RI.
Lately, Matt has hit a new low by suggesting that Mr. Fererra, who has an Italian-American surname, was once "associated" in some way with the Italian Mafia - a slur that is always, and so unjustly, leveled at Italian Americans.
(3) He has endorsed the consequences of Mr. Kramer's formula of $50/sq foot rent henceforth for any commercial spaces to be rented on Main St - thus mercilessly depriving the low-income people of RI any place at all to shop or even to worship - since Cabrini Chapel (a non-profit like the Thrift Shop) will also probably be priced out of existence under Mr. Kramer's rule.
Under Mr. Kramer's rule, we can have no Mom-n-Pop stores like the Deli or Stationery store.
Our "great leader" Matt thinks this is all great - no affordable stores or a single place of worship for Christians (and anyone else who may wish to quietly meditate and pray) on Main St.
(4) In an amazingly tone-deaf move, Matt seeks to join RI to the wrong State Senate district - saying RI is "closer" in spirit to Ms. Krueger's district than to Mr. Serrano's and giving as a reason Mr. Serrano's supposed "neglect" of RI. Not only is Matt absolutely wrong about Mr. Serrano, who has tirelessly advocated for RI, he spoke falsely in saying that Mr. Serrano does not attend CB8 meetings. Moreover, CB meetings are open to the public - yet Matt, who is supposed to represent the RI residents - never bothers to attend. Ask yourself: Is this representation?
Why is Matt doing these things - lying about a sterling elected official, lying about Gov. Cuomo's motives, and lying about Sal Fererra?
Do we again see a whiff of racism and/or elitism in Matt's latest lies?
I don't think Matt has endorsed any particular plan for Main Street - He has just organized a Town Hall meeting where many of these issues can be discussed with the developer.
I think bringing a market based approach to Main Street is the best thing that can happen to the retail strip for all Roosevelt Island residents regardless of income status.
The thrift shop is a dump, has been for a very long time and should be gotten rid of. If there is a need for a thrift shop, bring in somebody who knows how to operate that type of business.
Also, to my knowledge, Matt has never made the type of slur you say he has. You should really check your facts before making such a suggestion particularly when done anonymously.
I don't think Matt has endorsed any particular plan for Main Street - He
has just organized a Town Hall meeting where many of these issues can
be discussed with the developer.
I think bringing a market based
approach to Main Street is the best thing that can happen to the retail
strip for all Roosevelt Island residents regardless of income status.
The
thrift shop is a dump, has been for a very long time and should be
gotten rid of. If there is a need for a thrift shop, bring in somebody
who knows how to operate that type of business.
Also, to my
knowledge, Matt has never made the type of slur you say he has. You
should really check your facts before making such a suggestion
particularly when done anonymously.
You hit the nails right on the head. Matt has no clue what he is doing. He is lead around by Helstein and the MTG/WIRE folks and told what to do. But, we were all wrong in voting him back in as President. We knew what he was like before, but we listened to the cries for change against Frank - and we were wrong. Although I'd like to see a new candidate step up, I'd vote for Frank in a heartbeat if he ran against Matt. Matt has to go!
Shame on you for picking on the Catholic charity thrift. It fulfills a vital function here in providing low-cost and decent apparel, books, appliances and countless other categories of merchandise to all RI residents, and can do so since it is a non-profit, charitable organization. Many of us prefer to donate to and shop at this store as opposed to regular businesses because we know that our money is going to charity. If you or anybody else has a problem with the store, I encourage you to volunteer to help out. For those of us who have shopped and donated there for years, we have no problem whatsoever with the goods, service, congenial community atmosphere, etc.
Shame on you Rick for calling for this wonderful community bulwark to be shut down.
Is this your opinion of the Cabrini Chapel as well?
Is worshiping God not on your market-based agenda for Main St?
Guess what - some of us give thanks to God for what we have not only when we worship at Cabrini Chapel but every time we donate and shop at the Thrift Shop. That's our way of quietly helping others, by helping a charitable non-profit institution help others.
I don't think the Thrift Shop or Cabrini Chapel should be shut down because they don't turn a profit for Mr. Kramer's business. It is time Mr. Kramer learned some humility and accepted that not all businesses on RI are going to turn a profit for him.
Just imagine the community revulsion if Mr. Kramer dares to shuts down Cabrini Chapel and Thrift because they are non-profits. Very bad PR for Hudson-Related and you can be sure the complaints about it will be wide-spread, unending, and most embarrassing for Mr. Kramer from a community-relations point of view.
If Mr. Kramer is set to kick out the Catholic non-profits on Main St, expect picketing/boycotts of Southtown businesses - with all the negative publicity for Mr. Kramer and Hudson that comes with that. There are many rather disaffected unemployed young people on RI and they will have no problem devoting the time and energy to such an effort. Sometimes, we need to actively pray and march on a picket-line for the protection of the poor, and this is what carrying our message into Mr. Kramer's backyard will be.
Shame on you Rick - and I hope you reconsider your shameful attack on our wonderful Main St non-profits - Cabrini Chapel and Thrift!
I am sorry, but the thrift store is a dump. Calling it what it is does not mean that we are against having a vintage aka second hand clothing store. It can be done a lot better than it is now. Unfortunately, our catholic parish is run and managed very badly and the thrift store is a reflection of that.
I still constantly donate use clothing items to the thrift store because it does serve a purpose. I just wish that it would come under new management. I'd love to get a receipt for my donations, for example.
Hey Shaky - Guess what - most thrift shops are "dumps" as you so eloquently put it! They still serve a purpose.
Ever go to the Salvation Army Thrift Shop in "Hipster Heaven High-Price" Williamsburg? It's long been a "dump" and yet it continues as a busy donating/shopping destination for many of the young hipsters of Williamsburg.
The moneys collected go to support the myriad social action efforts of the Salvation Army in the NY area, causes that require the money collected much more than superficial "prettification" of the store.
It's like saying the Police Department should have their precincts decorated by interior decorators at taxpayer expense - nope! The money for the Police Dept goes for needed police services and precincts are always if anything "dumps" - gritty and dirty.
Just as I wouldn't want my tax dollars going to redecorate a police precinct, I would not want the money I spend at a Salvation Army Store or our own Cabrini Thrift Shop to go to "prettying" up these stores -- since it means that by so doing that money will not be going to Church or Salvation Army social service programs.
But if you feel so strongly about it - why not volunteer at one of the many Salvation Army Thrifts in NYC or our own Cabrini Thrift!
Instead of complaining about something that seems to bother you to such an extent you want to see Cabrini Thrift closed (also, by the way, there are many iconic businesses in NYC that are not exactly modern such as Katz' Delicatessen on Houston and Nathan's in Coney Island - and the crowds that go there don't complain about the "ambience") because it's not shiny-new, do something about it! Volunteer!
Cabrini is a volunteer organization - go there and volunteer to help! Or is that "beneath" you?
Although it really won't make much of a difference to the Cabrini patrons, who have never had a problem shopping at the store you characterize as "dumpy" volunteering might make you feel better so that you will no longer need whatever H stands for to control your shakes.
I didn't really read Katz's words that way. I don't think he meant to criticize anybody personally. He was just underlining that the location of Roosevelt Island is a bit too far out to be part of 28th SD. That said... I have a few other complains about what he's saying:
1) "I don’t attend most of these [CB8] meetings, having sufficient meetings of my own on Roosevelt Island to occupy my evenings."
Wouldn't it be a lot more important that he attends CB8 meetings instead of RIRA meetings? Just another argument that the RIRA should be part of CB8 since, as he underlined this a lot in his presentation, Roosevelt Island is part of Manhattan. Put your actions where your mouth is, Mr. Katz, and show that RI indeed belongs to Manhattan more than anywhere else, politically.
2) If Frank is right that Mr. Katz's appearance in front of LATFOR was without general knowledge of the RIRA that would be really bad. This shouldn't have happened. He cannot speak on behalf of RI w/o consulting the RIRA first. After all, as he said, he was elected by 12,500 RI residents. Considering how he f'ed this all up (judged by the reactions by our representatives) he really, really, really should have huddled together to prepare for this meeting.
3) We need a new RIRA.
CheshireKitty,
You need to back away from the keyboard.
Look out your window. See those baggy blobs moving around stick-like things? Those are people. Go talk to them.
Matt Katz dissing Sen. Serrano during Hispanic Heritage Month... hummmm! Stop being led around by the RIRA Secretary and start being an unbiased leader. Oh, that's right... you can't.
@Chris. Wow - what an erudite and on-thread reply! If you want to contribute to the discussion, please do so instead of wasting our time & attention with "cute" comments! :)
YetAnotherRIer - I applaud your thoughtful comments. Frank Farance - At Andy's ISC meeting, Matt mentioned his "initiative" very quickly and more or less in passing to Rick, the C of C rep, and the handful of RIRA council-people there. He stated that we would lose our representation by Carolyn Maloney so it's important he ask for us to be in Ms. Kreuger's SD. The attendees looked at him with glazed eyes - pretty much confused or unable to understand what he just said. The comment associated the loss of representation by Carolyn Maloney with the wish to be represented by Ms. Kreuger. If you do not follow politics continually, you would not have picked up that Rep. Maloney's district has nothing to do with State Senate districts. So the attendees either just stared at Matt or nodded. There was no discussion. This cannot be taken as assent or understanding since the matter was represented incorrectly - probably deliberately so. It appeared Matt was trying to pull a fast one - actually for no good reason since he had already evidently made up his mind to push for inclusion in Sen. Kreuger's SD. Unlikely even if there was an objection from his listeners that it would have made a difference. Frank arrived after Matt mentioned it. It doesn't matter - the issue should have been brought before RIRA, Ms. Heimer's findings thoroughly discussed, and a vote taken as to whether to proceed. This didn't happen. He could even have emailed everybody. This also didn't happen. As a last resort, he could have tried to phone as many RIRA members as possible to get some feedback if not an actual vote. Even this didn't happen. If Matt doesn't follow the procedure all the other RIRA committees/members are supposed to follow, where does that leave RIRA?
matt must go
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