Sunday, September 11, 2011

Immigrants demand their own voting districts

From the Daily News:

State officials must draw new district lines that give growing Queens immigrant groups a stronger voice, advocates demanded this week during a nearly six-hour public hearing.

A joint Senate-Assembly body that oversees redistricting has held public sessions throughout New York since July - and the meeting Wednesday in Queens drew one of the largest crowds in the state.

"There's a constant need to pay attention to new immigrant enclaves," said state Sen. Michael Gianaris (D-Astoria), who testified at the hearing. "It's our obligation to do what we can to integrate them into society and into government, [and] the best way to do that ... is to unite them as a community of interest."

States across the country are preparing to redraw district lines based on Census 2010 data. At Queens Borough Hall, nearly 100 speakers asked the state to avoid gerrymandering politics and instead use the demographic statistics to draw boundaries.

"The Asian-American community spoke together with one voice," said Jerry Vattamala, a staff attorney with the Asian-American Legal Defense and Education Fund, which is part of a coalition of local Asian groups advocating for fair redistricting. "We suffered for 10 years with current district lines. It would be unbearable to suffer another 10."


Shouldn't district lines be drawn more or less along neighborhood lines instead of making sure you create voting blocks of specific ethnic groups? For services and representation, the shared interest should be community, not ethnicity. What is proposed is exactly the type of gerrymandering we have now.

P.S. Michael Gianaris is a pandering jackass.

32 comments:

Anonymous said...

"A state can survive it's fools, and even the ambitious. But it can not survive treason from within. An enemy at the gate is less formidable, for he is known and carries his banner openly. But the traitor moves amongst those
within the gate freely, his sly whispers rustling through all the alleys, heard in the very halls of government itself." "for the traitor appears not a traitor, he speaks in accents familiar to his victims, and wears their face and their arguments, he appeals to the business that lies deep in the hearts of all men. He rots the soul of a state, he works secretly and unknown in the night to undermine the pillars of the city, he infects the body politic so that it can no longer resist. A murderer is less to fear, the traitor is a plague ".
CICERO (106 BC-43 BC)

Anonymous said...

Although I agree all signs should be in English, I just saw an Asian woman flying down a 1-way street yesterday on the corner of 14th ave and 127th street in College Point where there are multiple "one way" and "do not enter" signs. Unfortunately we need to put "one way" and "do not enter" IN CHINESE before someone gets killed.

My neighborhood is where my family is said...

Shouldn't district lines be drawn more or less along neighborhood lines instead of making sure you create voting blocks of specific ethnic groups? For services and representation, the shared interest should be community, not ethnicity.

Yes - but it depends on how you define neighborhood. You are defining it by mere geographical lines. Others define it as a community of shared interests.

Queens Crapper said...

A community of shared interests is supposed to be within geographic lines. My western Queens neighborhood has nothing in common with Bayside, yet we share the same congressperson.

Anonymous said...

The problem in drawing the lines is that anyone who has to misfortune of living on the fringe of a district is going to be ignored. The pols don't even know who they represent half the time.

Anonymous said...

Although I agree all signs should be in English, I just saw an Asian woman flying down a 1-way street yesterday on the corner of 14th ave and 127th street in College Point where there are multiple "one way" and "do not enter" signs. Unfortunately we need to put "one way" and "do not enter" IN CHINESE before someone gets killed.

Well, I wouldn't say it's just asian woman.. my wife actually does the a similar thing at bayside and she is white (so am I).. Only different is that she is a new driver and she is untrained enough to see the signs! I suspect this asian woman is also a 'new' driver of less than 2 years.. or at least a new driver in this country!

Anonymous said...

There's a constant need to pay attention to new immigrant enclaves," said state Sen. Michael Gianaris (D-Astoria), who testified at the hearing. "It's our obligation to do what we can to integrate them into society and into government, [and] the best way to do that ... is to unite them as a community of interest."

This man is a product of Astoria - and like the typical pol from Astoria will not get far in the real world.

Example:

In office a matter of months and was slamming Con Ed during the blackout (what is on your resume on power generation sonny?)

while remaining quiet that the newbies on the waterfront were getting power from the rates that his community was paying into the system.

Talking about the need for more power while remaining quiet that developers are scheming to build housing to bring thousands into a community with a shot power grid.

Gave speeches on green energy use while around the corner the Greek cafes took down their walls to air condition the sidewalk

Cherokeesista said...

If your wife is Untrained to see the signs Please tell her to take Public Transportation before she kills someone !! Honestly you have got to be kidding !! Wtf ever heard of Drivers Ed ?? And how the Hell did she pass a road test not to mention a written test ?? That's a big load of bullshit my 11yr old can recognise the signs ;-) BTW I'M A HALFBREED ;-)

Spy Vs Spy said...

Myth

Shouldn't district lines be drawn more or less along neighborhood lines instead of making sure you create voting blocks of specific ethnic groups?

REALITY
NO THE LINES ARE DRAWN TO BENEFIT THE TAMMANY HALL MACHINE - HONEST GRAFT AND STAYING IN POWER IS THE ACID TEST

Myth
For services and representation, the shared interest should be community, not ethnicity.

REALITY
DRIVE OUT THE ARCHIES AND EDITHS AND THE PEOPLE THAT EVEN TRY TO EXPRESS AN OPINION THAT IS NOT VETTED BY 'HONEST JOE' - AND LEAVE IN A GREAT POOL OF TRANSIENTS WHO ARE CULTURALLY DISPOSED TO RESPECT AUTHORITY AND A TWEEDER HANDOUT.

Myth
What is proposed is exactly the type of gerrymandering we have now.

REALITY
YES, AND IT IS THE GERRYMANNDERING YOU WILL HAVE TOMORROW BECAUSE THE PEOPLE IN QUEENS ARE SHEEP, STUPID, AND ARE VERY GOOD AT ONE THING: CUTTING OFF AT THE KNEES ANYONE WHO WOULD MAKE IT DIFFERENT.

Anonymous said...

Unfortunately we need to put "one way" and "do not enter" IN CHINESE before someone gets killed.

Don't fret: this type of driving is called the 'O-Factor'.

Anonymous said...

They can create a congressional district an Asian can win without gerrymanding. The problem with the lines from 10 years ago is they were gerrymandered to protect on particular ethnic group that is favored by Sheldon Silver. Areas in eastern Queens that were heavily Asian even then were split up between the Weiner district and the Ackerman district.

Deke DaSilva said...

"There's a constant need to pay attention to new immigrant enclaves,"

Yes, because new immigrants offer so MUCH more to the United States than those of us who were born here, served in the military for our country, and died here!

No need to pay constant attention to “old” neighborhoods!

"It's our obligation to do what we can to integrate them into society and into government, [and] the best way to do that ... is to unite them as a community of interest."

So creating separate voting enclaves for immigrants is going to integrate them into American society? You don’t possibly think it will create a separate ethnic ghetto, ultimately disenfranchising them from the rest of American society?

How’s that experiment working out Lubavitcher Jews? Their quite “integrated” with the rest of us, aren’t they?

And don’t get me started on the moslems!

"The Asian-American community spoke together with one voice,"

Really? The Chinese and the Japanese got together, held hands, and sang “We Are the World”?

These fools don’t realize that ethnic political pandering has very little impact on the lives of the voters – it simply enriches the lives of the ethnic politicians.

I’ll let economist Walter Williams explain it:

Japanese- and Chinese-Americans faced gross discrimination in our country, but when's the last time you heard them worrying about how many mayors and congressmen they have? Are they in a tizzy over the tea party's call for constitutional government, reduced spending and a balanced budget? By the way, Japanese- and Chinese-Americans have median family incomes higher than white Americans despite having no political power, even in areas where they are most numerous.

Source:

http://townhall.com/columnists/walterewilliams/
2011/09/07/blacks_and_politics/page/full/

Anonymous said...

I have a simple question that no one addressed. Do they Vote? as in Can they Vote? not trying insult anyone here just asking if they have the right to vote. It is nice to demand things, the thing is are they legally demanding things?

Anonymous said...

Do you notice they love to cross the street when the hand is red do not walk signal? Rep Koo needs to do some commercials to teach them to look both ways AT THE GREEN to cross.
They also need to investigate the drivers testing. I have no idea how some people got their license.

Joe said...

What Immigrants ?
1/2 of them never immigrated they deserve nothing but a cot inside the wall of an interment camp pending deportation or jail.
How dare they break into this country, spit out jackpot baby's then pound fists demanding representation and rights.
The Chinese have it right, they jail or shoot you on the spot for that.

Redistricting would keep the Democrats in office forever.

Anonymous said...

Illegal immigrants are entitled to a one way ticket back home. How arrogant to demand their own voting districts. It's obvious to me that these illegals are voting fraudulently. Voters should present their passports or valid government ID at the voting booth to prove citizenship. This would weed out all the fraud at the polls. Democrats are counting on their illegal votes.

Anonymous said...

"Unfortunately we need to put "one way" and "do not enter" IN CHINESE before someone gets killed."

No, we need to keep people from driving who don't know the language.

KG2V said...

Actually, I think one of the BIGGEST mistakes ever made in US History had to do with a lack of foresight by the founding fathers - they set a MINIMUM number of people if a Reps district (10K), but never a maximum, and it is now set by how large a room is? WTF, we let the design of a building set the form of out Government?

Because one Congressman represents what, about 800K people today, they have become 1)effectively a title of nobility 2)It is easy for a big interest to influence a relatively small number of congresspeople, 3)The Congressperson doesn't know most of the people he is representing

Let's say we reduced it back to one for every 10K people - yep, they couldn't all get paid massive salaries - in fact, they might have to be part time - they would probably have to teleconference, and with an average houshold size being approximately 4, that would mean your Rep would only be handling 2500 familys (give or take), and there would therefor be a GOOD chance that you'd actually, you know, KNOW him, and he YOU, and would represent YOUR beliefs. You would not have a district that gerrymandered from Western Queens out to Bayside - Heck, you'd have a BUNCH of districts just in Bayside (roughly 8, depending on how you define Bayside) - In fact, NYC would have(roughly) 16 TIMES as many members in the House of Reps than we have Members of the city council

Anonymous said...

Great....
based upon complaints by an extremely well informed, well respected and well respected Chinese college professor....
John Liu has been getting his political campaigns funded from Communist China.

Perhaps now Flushing will seek it's own voting district so the Chi-Coms can have an even greater say locally.

Who do we complain to....Congressman Gary Ackerman....who sits on the Asia Committee and most likely got campaign cash from the Commies too?

Until that bloated crook is gone nothing will change.

His associates like Manes' bag man Michael Nussbaum will continue screwing us all.

There's no "happy ending" to this
message....just a continuing rough "massagee, massagee, masssagee"!

Shanghai Nights anyone?

Anonymous said...

Uh....duh....
aren't you supposed to be able to read ALL OF THE ENGLISH TRAFFIC SIGNS before you're issued a driver's license?

CASE CLOSED!

BTW...
The Chinese are a menace even with rickshaws, bikes, baby strollers and shopping carts!

And Flushing's peasant class Chinese can't even walk on a sidewalk without endangering other pedestrians.

Anonymous said...

A community is one that is held together by several things in common, not just by ethnicity. It's ridiculous that they would even demand a district just for the asians. Whoever lives in a certain location just needs to go out and vote if they can, and then hold your elected official accountable for whatever they are or are not doing for your community. Must we also get them their own currency, their own president, etc..... this is ny, this is america. if you are unhappy with the way we do things here then find somewhere else to live.

Anonymous said...

Gianaris should close his mouth. If they redraw lines around the politicos ethnicity, then THE GREEK will have to sell his bayside house and move back to Astoria where he can represent his Greek voters

Joe said...

THE GREEK will have to sell his bayside house

Not quite, they are all in Manhasset.
I wish they would move back to Astoria.
Very destructive and never quit with the renovations, stone cutting, bowling pins and fucco-cackaa siding.
$60,000 bathrooms with 2 donks, Merceded Benz, annual trips to Greece yet these people water the bushes with the swimming pool water and ring my bell 6:30 AM looking borrow my snowblower on a Sunday morning.

Whats up with that ?

Anonymous said...

Redistricting would keep the Democrats in office forever.

Good.

At least they don't call corporations "people"

Anonymous said...

Gianaris is counting on the Asian vote - but he will not get it.

Just like he's not getting ANYONE'S vote - except for maybe the Connecticut transplant millionaires at Queens West.

Anonymous said...

Why are there local politicians able to "represent" a neighborhood AND NOT LIVE IN IT?

How could they?

Who came up with this?

Anonymous said...

Geinaris wants his own police state, the way Pipandreou just confiscated Basil Benito's libertarian blogging computer, so his festivals can infest our homes with meal moths from his soviet monasteries. The social compact is when you immigrate, you assimilate but Greeks, Hispanics and Chinese instead believe they are here to colonize instead. Moreover the turk soviet dialect now spoken in Greece is so different, they can't understand Plato or the Bible.

Anonymous said...

Why are there local politicians able to "represent" a neighborhood AND NOT LIVE IN IT?

How could they?

Who came up with this?

ASTORIA (surprised?) next question.

Anonymous said...

Maybe Mr.Gianaris can give back all the money he tricked fellow Greeks into giving him when HE thought he had a shot at NYS AG. He somehow got support from other states and had fundraisers out of NYS. Hope he is enjoying being Aravella's puppeteer. Pull those strings Mike. He doesnt even get all the Greek vote. Lets see him run a real race against a real opponent.

Anonymous said...

Redistricting is constitutionally mandated to count everyone, including legal and illegal aliens. When you pad your district with non-voters, you have fewer voters you have to persuade or serve. Creating ethnic "community action" unelected racketeering associations to keep your constituents as unassimilated, non-English-speaking permanent residents is the cheapest way to run your campaigns.

Anonymous said...

Putin puppet Papandreous should pucker up to some Polonium! The chief Greek priests of New York, Atlanta and Boston all reported to Moscow on May 28, 2008 for treason.

Anonymous said...

Anyone revisiting their birthplace should be denaturalized and expatriated! Greek law 3370 B VI 19 strips non Greeks leaving Greece of their citizenship. If they like their birth sewer so much, then why did they need to come here? Let them stay there.