BY DONNA KLEIN, nyarm
C. Virginia Fields, Manhattan Borough President was the special guest speaker at the monthly membership meeting held at Frank’s on Wednesday, October 27th. The dinner meeting was well attended by NYARM members and friends.
Ms. Fields began her remarks by remembering her last visit to a NYARM meeting. It was during her successful campaign to become Manhattan Borough President and she was anxious to report on all the work that she has accomplished in the relatively short time she has served the citizens of New York City. She thanked NYARM and those individuals who helped make her election possible.
Ms. Fields reported that New York City
is closing out the century and entering the new millennium in great shape.
"Employment is up, business is booming and city and state governments
are enjoying a surplus," she cheered. But, she cautioned, there are
communities and neighborhoods that are not booming even in the midst of
these good economic times.
Her focus and strategy is to have "one Manhattan." One borough
where opportunities exist irrespective of where one lives, works or spends
time. According to Ms. Fields, "Our schools, housing, health care,
economical development and senior issues are suffering at a time when
indeed all of this should be a part of the very positive growth and development
that we’re seeing in so many other areas." She has pledged her
office’s human and monetary resources to these five priority areas.
EDUCATION
There are five community school districts in Manhattan. District 5 has the lowest math and reading scores in the borough and the lowest math scores in the city. "That is unacceptable," stated Ms. Fields. "This is Manhattan where so much good stuff happens and resources abound. So we are looking to certainly support and sustain those districts where we are seeing growth and positive things happen but we are making a special effort to focus on Community School District 5 with a strategy of increasing literacy and reading time."
AFFORDABLE HOUSING
"Clearly there is a shortage of decent, affordable housing and that is not on the agenda of the current administration in City Hall or in Albany," stated Ms. Fields. Without a strategic plan for the growth and development of affordable housing it will be near impossible to attract and keep a working class population in the City. Currently, there is a growing exodus of people that cannot find affordable living space in the borough.
SENIOR CITIZEN HOUSING
The Borough President stated that she has organized a task force to look into the development of senior housing in Manhattan. With so many Mitchell-Lama projects looking to "buy out" of the program her group is attempting to work out equitable situations for the residents, many of which are well into their 60s and 70s. Her task force is exploring ways by which more assisted living for seniors can be developed. Residential, support services, medical if needed senior housing is going forward in Manhattan but it is "terribly expensive" and limited to those people with means. Therefore she is investigating how the not-for-profit sector along with developers and the City can work together to create senior assisted living facilities.
Ms. Fields invited those members of NYARM with expertise in this area to join her task force and lend their ideas and energy to this effort.
HEALTH CARE
According to Ms. Fields there has been a tremendous increase in the number of uninsured. Four out of five New Yorkers fall into this category. This is caused, in part, by people working at low paying jobs whose companies are not providing health benefits and the workers cannot afford insurance on their own. Again, Ms. Fields looked to the membership for their input for ways in which to address this issue.
SECOND AVENUE SUBWAY
"I hope you have been following the very important public transportation issue that is critically important to this city and certainly to Manhattan. That is the building of the Second Avenue subway. " This project will create hundreds of thousands of job opportunities said Ms. Fields. The Second Avenue subway project has been on the drawing boards for too long and is much needed at this time of record high ridership and the lack of adequate subway service along the east and especially lower east side of Manhattan.
At a cost of $8 billion, the Second Avenue Subway project is a bargain. Says Ms. Fields, "The life of a subway line and the impact or the advantage that it provides not only for Manhattan but for the rest of the reason, I say, no I ask, can we afford not to do it?"
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| Standing: Wayne Reed and Ted Yates, Associate Board Members; Stephen Elbaz, Secretary; Vince Callagy, Treasurer; Ben Jacobson, Associate Board Member and Donna Klein, Executive Director. Seated: Joan Saberito, Manager Board Member; Tom Maniuszko, Total Service Ltd; C. Virginia Fields and Len Jones, President.ah Morrell, Vice President. |
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| Jay Cohen, A Michael Tyler; Ted Yates, Cointech Industries; Len Jones; Barbara Payne and Joanne Roberts, Rupert House; Wayne Reed, Northeast Plumbing Specialties and Ben Jacobson, Jacobson Painting. |
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| Jim Lanfranchi, Fleet Bank; Chuck Holden and Mary Sweeting, Esplanade Gardens; Scott Lucas, William R. Lucas Management and Abe Bruce, EFM Realty. |
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| Barbara Sullivan Lefrak Organization; Barbara Lipari, Hollis Court; Joan Saberito, Richter Properties; Lori Saberito, Meadowlark Gardens; Barbara Glover, Queensview; Patricia Ruggeria, Richter Properties and Donna Klein, NYARM Executive Director. |
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| John Neos and Tito Mardirossian, Academy Mailbox; Mindy Krause, Taranto & Associates; Arthur Kahane, NYS DHCR and Gina Goldenberg, Walter & Samuels. Standing: Steve Stanley and Vince Callagy, Knickerbocker Village; Shamus Sweeney, Superstructures; Greg Galbornetti, Nortronics and Jay Cohen. |
