Op-Ed: Why You Should Vote for Shirley Patterson (ad)

In the upcoming special elections for the 43rd District in the New York State Assembly on May 5th, Shirley Patterson lays out the reasons why she should receive your vote. From the affordable housing, to economic development, education, public safety and immigrant services she lays out the reasons why she should be our next State Assemblywoman.

by Shirley Patterson – Election Advertisement

This coming Tuesday, May 5th, there is a special election to fill our vacant State Assembly seat, and I am asking for you Vote! Many of you already know me and my service to the Jewish community over the past 20 years, but for those of you who don’t, let me give you a little background of the work I did for our community.

I served on District 17 School Board for seven years; I sat on the District 9’s Neighborhood Advisory Board for six, and I am currently the Corresponding Secretary for the Brooklyn Residential Center Advisory Board. Lastly, I have been the Democratic District Leader for the 43rd for the last 14 years. I have worked with legislators, local clergy and concerned residents throughout our district to give our concerns a strong advocate. One of the highest profile issue that I championed for all of us was saving the SUNY Downstate Medical Center. All of this was done out of my love for our community, and on a part-time and volunteer basis.

I was asked by some of our community leaders and elected officials to run for this vacant seat. After I talked it over with my family and friends, I said yes.

There are still many issues and concerns that face our communities. But by electing me as your next Assemblywoman, I will be able to address, and hopefully solve many of them sooner then later.

For example; we must tackle our housing crisis now, not sometime in the distance future. It is unacceptable that are rents are so high, and that we a have family of eight people living in a two bedroom apartment. That’s why I want to work with developers to build low and moderate income housing to meet our community’s needs. That also means we must reduce the paperwork approval process that can take up to three years for a building that is built in one.

We must spur economic opportunity for everyone to gain employment. We must make it easier for entrepreneurs to open businesses so they can employ our people. It is ludicrous that one such entrepreneur who wishes to open a kosher restaurant has been caught up in the bureaucratic nightmare for the last six months with no end in sight. That has been six months without us having those jobs, and the ability to dine at a locally owned establishment. We must work to make it easier for small businesses to open and thrive, because they are the real job creators in this community and country.

Education has always been a major concern for me. We owe it to our children and grandchildren to give them the best education possible. That’s why we must improve our public schools, and put more emphasis on vocational studies so that our kids will be employable right out of high school. Plus we should also make it easier on parents to be able to send their kids to a Yeshiva or Catholic school by making tuition tax-deductible. Every parent has the right to send their kids to the school of their choice.

Another issue near and dear to my heart is the struggle of immigrants. So that’s why I want to create a program that will give free legal services for those in our community who are having trouble obtaining green cards or facing immigration problems with the INS.

Talking about harassment, there was a recent incident where a young mother was sexually assaulted in her own building. This should never happen. People should feel safe in their own community, but especially in their own homes. I want a program that will be a go-between between the police and our people. Sometimes people fill intimidated, or because they are legal immigrants that they will get attract more trouble by reporting crimes and unwanted harassment. This way people feel safe to come to us, and we will reduce the chance of retaliation against the victims.

I know these are just some of the problems that face our community, but that’s why a want to go to Albany to make some real changes. So help me help you, and our community by coming out on May 5th and elect me your next State Assemblywoman. I will work hard just as I have done for the last 20 years to make this a more livable and enjoyable community.

Thank you in advance see you on May 5th.

Shirley Patterson

This post has been paid for by Shirley Patterson for Assembly

11 Comments

    • Awacs

      But at the end of the day, she has her own constitutents to worry about. Wouldn’t you rather have Mendy Raitport win? He won’t forget us, 6 months from now ..

  • Raitport

    Someone that will actually remember who voted him in! It’s high time CH comes together and put in somebody that actually cares!

  • To AWACS

    Who is “us”? Or do you think when the Rebbe told Dinkins that we are ‘one community under one Gd” he was bluffing? I don’t.

    • Ch res

      The Rebbe definitely was not bluffing though Dinkins never made it one community or one city or one neighborhood or one anything .. Do you remember the Korean store story on church ave when he told officers do not listen to the judge who said demonstrators must be at least 50 feet away ?? .. Do you remember when Dinkins paid with city money for a funeral for a Hispanic man to be buried in his home country ?? And the crown heights riots when Dinkins did not let police do anything

  • CH Activist

    Shirley Patterson is bad for the Jewish community! Shirley Patterson was endorsed by the UFT who are working against our yeshivas and private schools, the ONLY candidate who promised to help the yeshivas is Geoffrey Davis who committed himself to fight for the Education Investment Tax Credit for private schools. GO GEOFFREY DAVIS!

  • SEREL MANESS

    l see she talking about downstate hospital,it was actually kings country,it was in the hamodia paper,so we see she’s not honest,can you trust her? l’d rather have m.raiport in ,he’s honest,l’m getting very sick of dishonestly all around us,it’s top to put in a man who knows he stands before g-d almighty,we’ll vote for m.raitport,

  • in reality

    I think we should see who’s got the best chances to win and then back that individuals. It’s no Mitzvah to vote for someone if they have no chance of winning and then god forbid need a favor and the incoming candidate says you guys gave me zero votes.

    • awacs

      I think, with no Democrat running and the Black vote split several ways, that Menachem has a great chance of winning. All he needs, I’d estimate, is 1,500 votes or so.

      Are we so divided in CH that we can’t put together 1,500 Jewish votes? Really?

      All we have to do is pull together tomorrow and we’ll have our first Jewish representative!

  • Yaakov S. Bard

    At this point nobody doubts Mendy’s chances.If anything some are worried about 2016.If we don’t vote for Mendy,there wil,l be no 2016.One race at a time.Worse case scenario he loses in 2016 but Ch flexed some muscle.If needed it will show what Albany once again what CH is made of.The “no chance” argument is getting weaker by the day.