Political newcomer Collin Thompson is challenging incumbent Julie Menin in the June 24, 2025 NYC Council District #5 Democratic Party primary. Mr Thompson was on Roosevelt Island Saturday March 22 talking to residents and I met up with him at the Farmers Market for an interview.
When asked why he was challenging the incumbent Council Member from his own party, Mr Thompson replied:
Like a lot of people I've talked to in District 5 during the petitioning process, I feel very passionate about bringing Public Service back to this office and creating an atmosphere where people can get answers out of their City Council person, where people can contact their City Council person's office and receive quality information and being visible...
.... I don't claim to have all of the answers but what I am passionate about is ensuring that people in District 5 have the opportunity to be heard, be seen and their challenges and issues with our city government at least being heard by the person that's representing them.
I don't think you can lead people you don't listen to. I have nothing personal against my opponent but I don't believe that residents in District 5 have really been represented in that way and and I hear from a lot of people that they call this current city council person's office or share concerns and they just kind of fall on deaf ears. I believe we've got to return back to a time when when public office was working for the public...
On Monday May 8, Congressman
Jerry Nadler met with a
group of Roosevelt Island residents at the apartment of long time resident,
former Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) Board Director and former VP of
the Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) Margie Smith.
Due to recent redistricting and defeating former Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney
in last year's Democratic Party primary election, Jerry Nadler now represents
Roosevelt Island in Congress.
I asked several of the attending residents what they thought of the meeting with Congressman Nadler.
According to Island House Board of Director James
Starance:
The hardest thing for Roosevelt Island residents to handle and accept is the
lack of communication and partnership from the state of New York. It
genuinely feels like taxation without representation and that hits to the
core of what drove us to become a sovereign nation in the first place.
Mr Nadler made the effort to get to know some new constituents and the
meeting was a great beginning for Island residents, informing Mr. Nadler of
our long history of activism and advocacy for our community.
Being Federal representation and not State representation he vowed to assist
in any way he can on the Federal level and this is important for our newer
residents to understand since the State issues are between us and the State
of NY.
All in all it was a great introduction and he seemed genuinely to want to
understand what makes our Island unique.
Also, local activist and former Roosevelt Island Residents Association member Sherie
Helstien reported:
Thanks to Congressman Nadler for meeting with us & listening closely to
our problems with RIOC & the way our community is governmentally
designed. Nadler and his staff were very aware of the governmental likeness
& very important economic differences between us and our “sister”
community in lower Manhattan, Battery Park City.
I appreciated the Congressman’s listening to our comments & asking
cogent questions, and, finally, offering, though it seems minor in the scope
of RI issues, to look into replacing the missing Northtown mid-Main Street
postal box.
Former RIRA President Matt Katz, who helped organize the meeting with
Congressman Nadler added:
I thought we accomplished our purpose for proposing the meeting.
Our new Congressman, Jerry Nadler, did not have much to say; not
surprising given his lack of information regarding the Roosevelt Island
community's politics and issues. The Island activists who came together gave
him a good deal of history on our efforts to democratize the administration
of the Island and he asked good questions on the basis of what we
said.
He noted that most of our issues were on the State level, not federal, which
is quite true, but we mentioned some avenues where his input could be
essential and where his predecessor made a difference.
My hope is that we can build on this first get-together and establish the
first name relationship we've had with all of our elected representatives.
We hope that he and his staff will visit us again to take in the beauty of
the Island and the amenities that distinguish us from the rest of the City.
Congressman Nadler noted:
It was my pleasure to join friends old and new on Roosevelt Island last night
to hear their concerns and discuss my work in Washington to address
them.
I look forward to my continued partnership with RIOC, community leaders, and
residents as we work together to support Roosevelt Islanders.
It was my pleasure to join friends old and new on Roosevelt Island this week
to hear their concerns and discuss my work in Washington to address them.
pic.twitter.com/esWm7lWLMf
While I understand that not everyone who attended is present in this video .
Roosevelt Island is not just an older community. I'm sad to see no younger
folks represented. We bring a lot of passion and life to this community as
well!
If us Roosevelt islanders want younger people and more variety involved? How
do we do that? I would love to be part of the committee!
Why is only one age group representing the community and all white. Was there
an open invitation or where can we get news of next meeting.
There were 3 African American women at the meeting including 1 RIOC Board
member. 2 were speaking during this video. Good point about the age issue. I
don’t think there was anyone under 50. Hopefully, future meetings will have a
greater variety of residents.
I wish I had an easy answer for you. There was no “committee” for the Nadler
meeting. Those invited were either members of local volunteer organizations or
had a history of local political activism. My advice is get involved in a
local organization and meet other residents. In the past, some RI
organizations were very cliquish. But I think that has changed over the last
several years and young people would be welcomed. to their organizations. I
was invited to cover the meeting as local press.
Congressman Nadler also met with RIOC staff and toured several Roosevelt
Island facilities on May 4.
Thank you
@RepJerryNadler
for joining us today for a productive meeting and tour of the island!
We greatly appreciate your support and look forward to
continuing our shared work together to strengthen the Roosevelt Island
community. pic.twitter.com/3Ii0VVbLon
— Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation (@RIOCny)
May 5, 2023
Congressman Nadler is the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee.
Today, Judiciary Republicans' hearing sent a dog whistle to anti-abortion extremists at a time when patients & providers face unrelenting threats to their safety.
Due to NY State Senate re-districting, Liz Kreuger will become the new State Senator for Roosevelt Island starting in January 2023.
Ms Krueger visited Roosevelt Island last Saturday to celebrate Roosevelt Island day and met with many residents
including Roosevelt Island Residents Association President Rossana Ceruzzi, Roosevelt Island Historical Society(RIHS) President Judy Berdy, Joyce Short, Ellen Polivy as well as Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) President Shelton Haynes and Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright.
Ms Krueger also stopped by Gallery RIVAA and was greeted by its new President Sandra Gavelyte and resident Margie Smith.
Due to congressional redistricting, 2 powerful NYC Democrats and House
Committee Chairs are running against each other in the District 12 Democratic
Party Congressional
primary taking place August 13-23.
In a primary election where every single vote could mean the difference
between victory and defeat, both incumbent
Carolyn Maloney
— Carolyn B. Maloney (@CarolynBMaloney)
June 11, 2022
I had a great morning meeting some excited voters in Yorkville and on
Roosevelt Island! So many of the people I spoke to already have plans to
vote on August 23rd—do you?
pic.twitter.com/IpBr1eUs3C
Last Saturday, Senator
Gianaris visited the local Roosevelt Island Farmers market to meet and
talk with Roosevelt Island residents.
According to Senator Gianaris:
... I've crossed this bridge hundreds of times. I've been here for events. I've had friends who've lived here and now I get a chance to be the representative for Roosevelt Island as the Deputy Leader of the Senate.
I'm looking forward to rolling up my sleeves and getting to work on so many of the issues. I've already heard a bunch this morning about RIOC and the problems of administration here on Roosevelt Island so looking forward to working with all the great people. It's a
great community...
In addition to Roosevelt Island, Senator Gianaris' 12 District includes parts of Astoria, Long Island City, Woodside and the Upper East Side including Gracie Mansion, home of NYC Mayor Eric Adams.
More on Senator Michael Gianaris at this prior post and his website.
Democratic dominance in state politics is about to reach a whole new level
as the decennial redistricting process approaches its conclusion.
Albany Democrats are expected to approve new legislative lines for the state
Senate and Assembly that benefit their incumbents while making it harder
than ever for Republicans to regain any of the electoral ground they have
lost in recent years....
How does the proposed NY State legislative redistricting impact Roosevelt
Island representation?
Roosevelt Island's long time Manhattan/Bronx
State Senator Jose Serrano
will no longer represent the neighborhood. Instead, Queens
State Senator Michael Gianaris, Deputy Majority Leader of the State Senate, will represent Roosevelt Island
in the proposed redistricting.
The Boundaries for Senate District 12 have also changed. Occupied by Deputy
Majority Leader
@SenGianaris, it pushes West out of Queens and into Manhattan. So it now includes
Roosevelt Island ( about 12,000 people ) and a portion of the Upper East
Side all the way to 5th Ave.
pic.twitter.com/huG7tWVzQR
NYC Congressional incumbents, like Rep. Carolyn Maloney and Rep. Adriano
Espaillat, got districts that made their reelection more likely.https://t.co/7UBWH1Rcqs
Up first: New York's got a brand new map of legislative districts, courtesy
of Democrats in the State Senate.
@SenGianaris
joins to talk about the state's new electoral geography, and what it means
for NYS politics.
Thank you to former
NYC Council Member Ben Kallos
who served Roosevelt Island and the Upper East Side for the past 8 years and
would have been re-elected had he not been term limited from running again.
Taking this last opportunity to thank you for the opportunity of a lifetime
and send one final report on what we’ve been able to accomplish together
over these past 8 years.
Check out the summary, the list of 140
issues or the full 175-page report:
https://t.co/kIDA2TKo4k
Here's a summary of 8 years service by Mr Kallos for NYC Council District 5 which includes Roosevelt
Island and the Upper East Side.
During his final official visit to Roosevelt Island at the December 10 opening
of
The Girl Puzzle monument honoring journalist Nelly Bly, Mr Kallos remarked:
I am proud to represent Roosevelt Island. There is nothing like Roosevelt
Island anywhere else in New York City let alone the planet...
I believe in term limits, even for me, and support
@GovKathyHochul's proposal for term limits at the state level. 8 years has to be enough to
get things done.
https://t.co/yDptwaqjJS
I asked
@ericadamsfornyc
about the lease expiration of Roosevelt Island
@RIOCny@RiocCeo and
Battery Park City
@bpca_ny with
NY State and if he will seek to extend the lease or favors return of
neighborhoods to NYC. He was not aware of issue but will look into it.
https://t.co/smIfzw7Cvr
I asked Mr Adams about the
expiration
of NYC's lease for Roosevelt Island with NY State in 2069. Mr Adams replied that
he was not familiar with the issue but would have his team look into it and get
back to me.
End of Rioc running Roosevelt Island but plenty of unknown issues
The annual Roosevelt Island Town Hall with our local elected officials takes place 6 PM Thursday, June 13 at Good Shepherd Community Center (543 Main Street)
Today I hosted a forum on how the #GOPTaxScam will affect New Yorkers. We discussed how it will impact our state, seniors, healthcare, and more. https://t.co/tsRILe8bzj
According to this January 13 Press Release from Congresswoman Maloney's office:
Today, Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney (NY-12) hosted a community forum on how the GOP tax law affects New York State. She was joined by a panel of experts including Director of Metro New York Health Care for All Campaign Mark Hannay, Senior Budget & Policy Analyst at the Fiscal Policy Institute Jonas J. Nazimoff Shaende and AARP New York State Director Beth Finkel. The panel used their expertise to help break down the GOP tax law that was rushed through the House and Senate at the end of 2017 despite opposition from every Democrat in both chambers.
“While Americans were celebrating the holidays, President Trump and Congressional Republicans handed millions of hardworking people a big lump of coal with their tax scam, disguised as a tax reform bill,” said Congresswoman Maloney. “This tax scam will be devastating for New York City and raise taxes on over 80 million Americans across this country. The new Republican tax law steals from states like New York and borrows another $2.3 trillion that our children and grandchildren will have to pay back, in order to give massive tax breaks to big corporations and the wealthiest, fortunate few.
“This bill is a disaster for the middle class, for healthcare, and for New York. Our state already pays more than its fair share. We were already sending over $56 billion more to the federal government in taxes than we got back in federal spending. We are a donor state – and proud to do our part, but we’re not fools and can see how badly we’re being taken advantage of.”
Constituents spent over an hour asking questions about the State and Local Tax Deduction cap, the mortgage interest cap, the repeal of the Affordable Care Act individual mandate, the $25 billion cut to Medicare, and the Republicans’ plan to slash funding for Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. A full video of the event can be found here.
Roosevelt Island's NYC Council Member Ben Kallos invites the Roosevelt Island community to a Town Hall meeting with elected representatives tomorrow evening, June 22 at the Good Shepherd Community Center (543 Main Street) Mr. Kallos tweets:
Last year's Roosevelt Island Town Hall with elected officials focused on 911 Emergency response time. What will be the focus of your concerns this year?
A steadily growing number of congressional Democrats are refusing to attend Donald Trump’s inauguration, sending a message of resistance at the outset of Trump’s presidency. It’s less clear, however, what exactly that message is, and whether it will do the Democratic Party much good as it attempts to find its way in the Trump era.
The high-profile protest was galvanized by the president-elect’s rebuke of civil rights icon John Lewis as “all talk” and no action” over the weekend after the Georgia congressman said he does not view Trump “as a legitimate president” and did not plan to attend Trump’s inauguration. At the latest count, more than 60 Democrats in Congress have now announced they will not show up. Painting a bleak picture of what the country now faces, some Democrats warn that the incoming Trump administration could fundamentally erode American democracy....
Carolyn Maloney attending DJT's inauguration. Her reason for attending sounds more like opportunism than of "respect for the office and America's tradition of peaceful transfers of power,"... DJT himself has no respect for American traditions. I will no longer support Ms. Maloney.
Along with President Obama, Secretary Clinton, the entire United States Senate and the Democratic leadership of the House of Representatives, I am attending the inauguration out of respect for our country's peaceful transition of power. However, more than ever, I am resolved to stand up to any attack from Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans on women's rights, the Affordable Care Act, our social safety net, our civil liberties, and more. That is why the day after the inauguration, I will be attending the women's protest march in New York City and I will be there every step of the way going forward to vigorously defend our progressive values.
We the undersigned Representatives from the State of New York, write to you today to convey the disastrous consequences repealing the Affordable Care Act (ACA) would have on your home state. We implore you to consider both the economic and social impacts of repeal on the businesses and families of New York.
There is no doubt that repeal of the ACA would significantly impact the working families in the state, while providing a tax cut to wealthy New Yorkers. Repeal would cause over 2.7 million New Yorkers to lose health insurance coverage, including more than 218,000 in your home borough of Manhattan alone. Beyond people directly covered through the New York state insurance exchange, repeal would have devastating consequences to our entire health care system. Repeal means that all families could once again be subject to annual and lifetime limits and could be denied care for a pre-existing condition. Because repeal would reopen the prescription drug donut hole, seniors across the state would face higher prescription drug costs of $1,195 annually.
Additionally, repeal will cause a $24 billion budget shortfall for hospitals across New York state. Rural hospitals, in particular, would be under enormous financial pressure and could have to close their doors, leaving many in these areas without access to care. From Manhattan to Massena, New Yorkers reject this starkly ideological plan to repeal the ACA that would throw our entire health care system into disarray and not solve the real problems that families face.
While we acknowledge that the Affordable Care Act is not perfect, we will not stand idly by as you inflict a great wound on the people of New York we are sworn to represent and protect. We implore you to stop playing politics with the lives of our constituents and stop efforts to repeal this life-saving law.
Roosevelt Island's elected officials are hosting a Roosevelt Island Town Hall Meeting 6:30 PM, tonight, June 28 at the Good Shepherd Community Center (543 Main Street)
Roosevelt Island's elected officials are hosting a Roosevelt Island Town Hall Meeting 6:30 PM, June 28 at the Good Shepherd Community Center (543 Main Street)
One issue of concern that should be discussed is the 911 emergency response time delay to Roosevelt Island.
Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) Acting President Susan Rosenthal sent this May 23,2016 letter about problems with Roosevelt Island 911 emergency response time to NYPD Chief of Community Affairs Joanne Jaffe:
Chief Jaffe,
As Acting President of the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation (RIOC), I am writing to express my great concern regarding an incident that occurred on March 15, 2016, when a Roosevelt Island resident died of a heart attack while waiting for EMS to respond. When 911 was first contacted on that date, the operator insisted that the caller provide a cross-street, as the dispatch computer located Roosevelt Island in Queens County. The caller expressed that there was no cross street and that Roosevelt Island is located in Manhattan, but to no avail. Approximately fifteen minutes later, when EMS still had not arrived, 911 was contacted again, but by then, it was too late.
As you are aware, Roosevelt Island is situated in the East River of Manhattan, and though technically considered part of Manhattan, it is vehicle accessible by bridge from Long Island City. It also consists of a single roadway, known as Main Street and there are no cross streets on the Island.
The Chief of our Public Safety Department, John McManus, has been in contact with senior management at the Office of Emergency Management regarding this incident and he is coordinating a meeting with OEM, senior leadership of the New York City Police and Fire Departments, and the New York City Emergency Medical Service, to discuss this matter further and to prevent the event described above, from happening in the future.
I am looking forward to working with you and the other entities and am hopeful that our collaboration and continued discussions will resolve and correct any issues that caused this unfortunate incident on March 15, 2016.
Roosevelt Island is a mixed income, racially diverse waterfront community situated in the East River of New York City between Manhattan and Queens and is jurisdictionally part of Manhattan. The Roosevelt Island Tramway, which connects Roosevelt Island to the rest of Manhattan, has become the iconic symbol of Roosevelt Island to its residents.
The Purpose of this Blog is to provide accurate and timely information about Roosevelt Island as well as a forum for residents to express opinions and engage in a dialogue to improve our community.
