Brooklyn, NY – NYC Council Member Asks Federal Judges To Save Bob Turner’s Congressional Seat

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    Photo: Shimon GifterNew York – City Councilman David G. Greenfield (D-Brooklyn) yesterday urged a panel of federal judges to keep the large south Brooklyn Orthodox Jewish community politically relevant by saving Congressman Bob Turner’s congressional seat and incorporating all of Midwood, Flatbush, Gravesend and Marine Park into that one district. Greenfield’s gave his testimony at the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York before a panel of three district court judges who are making the determination on the final congressional lines as part of the redistricting process.

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    Congressman Bob Turner’s district was eliminated under the Judges’ initial plans. The new district Greenfield argued for would allow Turner to run again for re-election and would be adjacent to the proposed 10th Congressional District, which includes the heavily Orthodox communities of Kensington, Borough Park and Bensonhurst and has Greenfield’s full support. Under this plan, the approximately 200,000 Orthodox Jews living in these six contiguous neighborhoods would have two strong and bi-partisan voices in Washington.

    As currently proposed, Gravesend, Midwood and Marine Park, which account for nearly half of the Orthodox community in south Brooklyn, are split into three congressional districts, diluting their influence and separating them from other like-minded communities. The Jewish portion of Congressman Turner’s district that Greenfield proposed would run roughly from 18th Avenue south to Avenue Z and from McDonald Avenue east to Flatbush Avenue. Greenfield was mindful of the fact that this district has been eliminated and asked the Judges if they could not adopt his proposal to keep these communities intact by instead attaching them to the proposed 11th Congressional District seat currently occupied by Republican Congressman Mike Grimm.

    “Given the enormous task of redrawing the congressional lines following the inaction of our state legislature, it is understandable that the court may not have known the negative effect it would have on the Orthodox Jewish community. By spreading the residents of several Orthodox Jewish communities of interest into three separate districts, the Orthodox community will lose a lot of power considering that each district has a population of over 700,000 people. In addition, eliminating Mr. Turner’s seat so soon after his victory, in which the Orthodox community played a key role, is clearly ignoring the wishes of Orthodox Jewish voters,” said Greenfield.

    Greenfield stressed that it’s not only important to unite Orthodox Jewish communities because of religion and culture, but also because communities are entitled to have “representation that meshes with their political ideology as well.”

    “These lines will have significant ramifications for the next decade, so it’s imperative we get it right. That’s why I’m urging the court to consider revising the lines so they unite Orthodox Jewish communities of interest and ensure they have adequate representation,” added Greenfield.

    Vice President COJO of flatbush Leon Goldberg and NYC activist Chaskel Bennett in court. Video credit: Shimon Gifter


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    9 Comments
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    12 years ago

    Why people don’t trust politicians.

    I was at the hearing yesterday. I’m shocked to hear that greenfield claims he urged the panel of judges to keep turner’s seat. this is absolutely not true. greenfield defended liberal congressman jerry nadler. I was there. he spoke in favor of jerry nadler. he advocated that the entire boro park should be in jerry nadler’s district.

    I call on vos iz neias to please contact the people that were there. ask michael bennett and leon goldenberg and someone from bobov (i don’t know his name). also someone from jews for morality.

    you can fool some of the people all of the time or all of the people some of the time. but you can’t fool all the people all of the time.

    please post

    DovidZSchwartz
    DovidZSchwartz
    12 years ago

    I argued the merits of the papers and proposed maps we filed under the umbrella group “the Orthodox Alliance for Liberty.” No other Orthodox group actually submitted a plan of maps for the court to consider.
    Councilman Greenfield spoke close to last. I didnt hear it myself but a fellow frum activist who did hear his statement to the court told me that Councilman Greenfield appears to have told the court something different from what he has said to the press.
    The impression my colleague had was that the Court was looking for an excuse to approve the (bad) proposed Plan that splits up the frum neighborhoods, and Councilman Greenfield spoke, at least partially, in favor of that plan.
    In specific, he apparently argued in favor of keeping the district held by Congressman Nadler (which shamelessly tries to mevatel Boro Park by connecting it with Manhattan’s Upper West side and Greenwich Village) It appears that at least one other court observer heard it this way, a liberal blogger: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/03/16/1074945/-NY-redistricting-hearing .

    12 years ago

    I agree with number 1, he wants the job for himself.

    12 years ago

    Something stinks here, Feh!

    boropark1
    boropark1
    12 years ago

    I will try to explain what councilman greenfield said and what he believes ! First of all he is a man of principal and he does not move according to the wind ! so you will always ask is he for or against a super jewish district ?

    The answer is very simple ! His principle is not based on a district or on a candidate ! his stand is that the frum community should have the maximum political power ! and in every situation is different and let’s discus the two issues in front of us now

    We have the state senate seat and the congress seat

    The senate district represents 300,000 people each seat , and congress seat represents 700,000
    seats

    In order to control a seat you need about 40 percent of the district ! In order to be a power you need about 20 percent of the district , in order to be a voice to be heard is enough about 10 percent

    Now keep focused ! If you have more then 40 percents let’s say 45 or 50 or 60 or 90 will not make it better ! Why ? Because any candidate will be able to get 11 percent from other parts of the district if he gets the approval of 40 percent without a fight !

    And you only need 51 percent to win ! If you win 51-49 or 72-28 does not matter you won !

    But from 20 to 40 percent of a district if you only have power the same rule applies , you only have power ! No candidate can win on your support alone even if you have 35 or 37 percent he will count you into his coalition , he will respect your wish but only to a limit he must work with different groups and needs as well

    Now let’s discuss the senate district ! David did not want we should be more the 40 percent of the district he felt if we will be in two district 30 percent today will have power today on 2 senators and in 5 to 8 years when our community grows we will have control of the two districts ! With the new line yes we control one by 70 percent and in the next 10 years we will control it by 90 percent but it will not make any different we will only control one senator so david wanted to split us

    Now to the congress seat ! Since we will never have more then power on a seat we will not control it ! Not today and not in 10 years ! David’s position is consistent with his way ! Keep the bob turner seat as is and don’t brake our influence as we all saw we have ! However since the court already decided that it will not happen and this hearing yesterday was the last input from the public david had to offer two plans ! One plan is what he would like (keep the bob turner seat) and the other plan is the best what he thinks he can get ! Half of the district (flatbush and marine park) for the GOP and the other half (boro park) for the DEMS like this we have rep. On both side of the isle