Assemblywoman
Barbara
Clark
Reports to the People
Fall 2011
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Dear Friends:
As most of you know every 10 years the Constitution of the United States requires
that a count be made of the population and that the lines of political districts be redrawn
to conform to that count. Included in this count is a process whereby individual and
household information is gathered. At the federal level this is referred to as reapportioning
of the House of Representatives and at the state level redistricting of legislative districts.
What is little known is that this information is then used to influence both the shape and
direction of government going forward.
In times of plenty the winners in this process are usually those who end up getting more
governmental goods and services and the losers are those who end up getting less. Sadly,
it is generally agreed that this process is now playing itself out in a time of scarcity. Some
are arguing that this scarcity is so extreme that government must be shaped and pointed in
a direction whereby the winners will get precious little from government and the losers all
but nothing.
This argument will in large part be settled by the elections of 2012. With so much hanging in
the balance I wish to caution my constituents in the strongest terms against complacency.
When the political debate has descended into a cry of cut, cut, cut, the complacent will be
cut the deepest.
Most immediately I wish to urge you to pay close attention to the workings of something
called the “Legislative Task Force on Demographic Research and Reapportionment
(LATFOR).
LATFOR is a six person advisory commission that is charged with submitting to the legislature
a map that redraws the lines for every U.S. House of Representatives, New York State Senate
and New York State Assembly seat such they are in accord with Census results. This process
is to be finalized by the 2012 elections. The commission is presently conducting their first of
two rounds of public hearings around the state. By the time this is published the first-round
hearing scheduled for Queens County will have taken place. The schedule for the second round
has yet to be published. A Google search will take you to LATFOR’s web site where the hearing
schedule will be published.
As always, the reapportionment/redistricting process will result in winners and losers. The
difference this time is that, as mentioned, the consequences of losing are dire. So, come out
when the Queens second-round hearing is held and be heard. DON’T BE COMPLACENT!
Remembering Moira Ann Smith
This is to remember NYPD Police Officer, and former Queens Village resident,
Moira Ann Smith, the only female NYPD officer to perish at the World Trade
Center on September 11, 2001. She rushed to the towers to save others leaving
behind a daughter and husband, also an NYPD officer.
Her surviving family, along with the surviving relatives of all others who perished,
will forever be in my prayers.
NEVER FORGET
09.11.2001 - 09.11.2011
The 2010 Census Picture of
the 33rd Assembly District
Now that the Census’ numbers crunchers have crunched their numbers they have given
us their demographic picture of the 33rd Assembly District. They could of course be wrong.
Wrong or right, these findings will guide policy decisions until the next census and therefore
must be noted.
Notably we’ve lost 10% of our population. Though females still outnumber males, we have
3.2% fewer females and 2.3% more males.
Our 45 year-old or under population fell 7% while our 45 and over group increased by 6%.
Here I am happy to report myself to be on the winning side!
We’ve had a 5.4% increase in our foreign born population while at the same time having a
6.1% decrease in our native born population.
Despite the housing market collapse, we only suffered a 1.4% decrease in the number of
homes reportedly occupied by a homeowner. Despite the overall economic downturn we
are told that our percentage of all households earning $50,000 or less fell 5.5% while those
making over $50,000 rose 4.3%.
If nothing else these last two findings indicate a reassuring degree of stability in the midst
of what is unquestionably a period of national economic upheaval.
Assemblywoman Clark Celebrates
Long Island Railroad Queens Village Upgrade
LIRR President Helena Williams and Assemblywoman Barbara Clark display artist
rendering of completed station upgrade.
Accompanied by Long Island Railroad President Helena Williams, Assemblywoman
Barbara Clark was finally able to observe workers begin the initial stages of a multi-million
dollar renovation of the railroad’s Queens Village Station. “This project is the fruit of
discussions I pursued throughout several changes in railroad administration,” said Clark.
“I therefore wish to express my gratitude to Ms. Williams and her administration for finally
finding the means to bring it to the construction stage.”
The renovation will result in upgrades to the platform lighting, waiting areas and staircases.
However the project’s crowning jewels will be the construction of two elevators, greatly
increasing the accessibility to both the east and west-bound platforms.
Project manager Poonam Punj, pointing out aspects of beginning construction to
Assemblywoman Clark and President Williams.
Clark went on to say that initially the impetus for overcoming the funding obstacle for these
elevators was principally based on the need to increase mass transit access for the
wheelchair-bound residents of eastern Queens. Once this problem was resolved the next
challenge was to convince the LIRR that of all its stations serving eastern Queens, Queens
Village was best suited for elevator installation. This, she said, was accomplished by clearly
demonstrating that wheelchair-accessible bus service to the Queens Village station far exceeded
that of any other LIRR station in eastern Queens, making it the hands-down choice.
“We in eastern Queens pay a heavy price for having the city’s poorest commuter rail service,”
said Clark. “Survey after survey has established that those of our workers who commute by rail
have the longest average commutes of any workers in the city. I therefore believe that this upgrade
will create another mass-transit option for not only wheelchair-bound commuters but also for any
others with issues negotiating train platform stairs. Because of this my expectations are that once
completed a transportation option will have been created for a population of commuters far in excess
of the 1,583-daily commuters already using the Queens Village Station.”
Artist rendering of completed project showing new westbound enclosed street level waiting room,
glazed elevator shaft and new enclosed platform level waiting room.
Artist rendering of new eastbound canopied, glass elevator shaft.
Clark Forges a Bridge Between Queensborough Community College and Campus Magnet
High School
On March 5th of 2011 Assemblywoman Clark chaired a meeting of the Campus Magnet Steering
Committee. The list of participants included many of the educators and administrators she had
enlisted in an ongoing effort to forge a partnership between local community colleges and the four
Campus Magnet High Schools.
“The diminishment of vocational programs has always struck me as particularly harmful,” said
Clark. “For a wide variety of reasons many of our kids will not be going to four-year colleges. As
a result they enter the workforce poorly prepared. I have always thought that with a little ingenuity
our community colleges could bring their technical training expertise to bear on this problem. And
while the steering committee has always struck me as the perfect vehicle with which to forge this
partnership finding the resources to get that vehicle on the road has been a challenge.”
For this reason Clark said she was especially overjoyed when two years ago President Obama
made known his plan to increase federal funding for community colleges by a whopping 500%.
With a stated aim of providing an at-risk population the means to “obtain high-quality employment
to support their families,” Clark said this Community College and Career Training Initiative fit
perfectly with her vision.
Still, in a system where the President proposes but Congress disposes, she recognized that the
proposal would likely be whittled down. As a result she immediately began her efforts at weaving
together a partnership between the four small Campus Magnet High Schools and local community
college. This March 5th meeting, she pointed out, was part of this ongoing process.
The importance of this early start had been underscored by President Obama during his April 29th
commencement speech at Miami Dade Community College a week earlier. There he revealed the
funding level congress had ultimately allotted his original proposal. And, indeed, the 500% proposed
increase in community college funding had been whittled down to a 100% increase.
“Even if the original $12 billion proposal had been fully funded,” said Clark, “I knew the competition
for it would be fierce. With the reduction this belief has been magnified ten-fold. So taking early
steps so as to be in a position to hit the ground running when the funding becomes available is
more important than ever.”
Right to Left: Eduardo Marti, first Vice Chancellor, The City University of New York Community
Colleges; Assemblywoman Barbara Clark; Rosemarie Omard, Principal, Humanities & Arts Magnet
School; Jose Cruz, Principal of Math, Science Research and Technology Magnet School; Denise
Ward, Dean, Continuing Education and Workforce Development, Queensborough Community College;
and Seth Bornstein, Executive Director Queens Economic Development Corporation.
Clark Gives Commencement Address
at Campus Magnet High School
Right to Left: Atina Modesto, Assistant Principal, Computer Applications &
Entrepreneurship High School; Herman Guy, Principal Business, Computer
Applications & Entrepreneurship High School; Assemblywoman Barbara M. Clark.
On June 24th Assemblywoman Clark gave the commencement speech to graduating seniors from
Business, Computer Applications & Entrepreneurship High School on the Campus Magnet Complex.
“Though graduations are for me the most uplifting ceremonies, especially those at Campus Magnet,”
said Clark, “the end of session legislative calendar usually prevents me from participating. But after
a particularly dispiriting session I needed a little uplifting.”
In her message Clark stressed the absolute necessity of the graduates going forward in their lives
with the same fortitude that brought them to the milestone of graduation. She cited herself as an
example. “The graduation of each of my four children took place in this auditorium,” said Clark.
“And today here I am the commencement speaker!”
“I wanted these students to know,” said Clark, “that just as fortitude and perseverance brought me
from parent to podium, they too could go from student to podium, to astronaut, to scientist and,
yes, today, even president!”
Our Seniors: A Battle Won But a Warrior Lost
Assemblywoman Clark receiving “Builders In Our Community” Award from former
JSPOA Executive Director Carol Hunt.
Bittersweet is the word I would use to describe my attendance at Jamaica Service Program
for Older Adults’ (JSPOA) Annual Gala in November.
Having recently learned of JSPOA’s then Executive Director Carol Hunt’s impending retirement,
I was at once buoyed by being in the company of so many alongside whom I had fought for so
long to advance the interests of our seniors and saddened that one of our most indefatigable
warriors was leaving the field. Adding to the sense of uncertainty were rumors then circulating
regarding the closing of large numbers of senior centers. These rumors would eventually
crystallize into a threat by the city to close 105 centers because of state-level changes in
Title XX funding.
Since that night Carol has indeed retired but we in the State Legislature were able to forge
a deal restoring the Title XX funding thereby removing the threat to close the 105 centers.
And while this is good news for our seniors, it is good news tempered by the apparent fact
that the state’s budget problems are structural. This means that the battles we fought this
session will most probably need to be re-fought in the next session.
I wish therefore to take this opportunity to encourage our seniors to stay vigilant and most
importantly remain engaged. Older adults constitute the fastest growing demographic in the
American social mix. Their voices therefore have the potential to resonate with a great deal
of force. But they must be heard.
For there is much truth in that old admonition of the squeaky wheel getting the grease.
Clark Joins Fight to Maintain the Character of Cambria Heights
On May 11th Assemblywoman Clark sponsored a bus to take a group of concerned citizens
to a meeting of the City Planning Commission. The purpose of the trip was to register
opposition to a developer’s request that he be allowed to build a structure with commercial
rental space on a block along Linden Blvd. that is currently zoned residential.
Fearful that further development along Linden Blvd. will be disruptive to the residential character
of the surrounding streets, this proposal has generated something of a firestorm of opposition.
Before the May 11th hearing Clark had joined by expressing her opposition to this development
to all concerned parties.
“The residents of this community have every right to be protective of their ability to benefit from the
quiet enjoyment of their homes,” said Clark. “That is, after all, what defines this neighborhood. I
therefore oppose this development on the principle that, in the absence of sweeping community
consensus, no developer should be allowed to build such that a building has the potential to redefine
a neighborhood.”
In her correspondence with the relevant City Agencies, Clark stressed that in 2005 City Planning
completed a rezoning process that allowed for significant community input. She additionally
underlined the fact that in the summary report accompanying the plan’s approval City Planning
explicitly stated that the plan’s goal was to maintain the low-density residential character of the
neighborhood. Moreover she went on to point out that limiting the commercial footprint of the stores
along Linden Blvd. was said to have been a principal means of accomplishing that goal.
“How,” asked Clark, “do you expect for people to keep faith in the democratic process when they
participate in that process only to see someone make an end run around it?”
Cambria Heights residents board bus en masse to register objections at city planning meeting.
