Flushing Electeds Should be Careful How Closely They Align With Toby

On May 6, 2012, in Grace Meng, Peter Koo, Toby Stavisky, Uncategorized, by A Concern Democrat

With Toby’s announcement to run for re-election (to a district she doesn’t even live in, btw), those who stand by her side should be concerned about how they portray her support for many of the communities in the new 16th Senate District.

this article (http://www.qchron.com/editions/north/stavisky-announces-bid-in-new-th-sd/article_345f9f8b-7acd-59e9-85ab-3e34fa5bde28.html) shows the danger:

“She also received backing from Assemblywoman Grace Meng (D-Flushing), who is running for Congress in the 6th District, and Councilman Peter Koo (D-Flushing). Koo said Stavisky understands and embraces the vast ethnic diversity in the district.”

“Meng and others said Stavisky has built a reputation as a tireless champion of her constituents, and provides a voice that New York City as a whole needs in the Republican-controlled Senate.”

“Tireless champion” Grace? How could she be a tireless champion when she has even had the respect to hire someone who speaks the language of a MAJORITY of the people who live in this district? That line may be something that can be used against Ms. Meng in the future, as an Asian challenger to her could make the connection that Grace cares more about pleasing the Democratic organization and the Stavisky family then her own constituents.

“Understands and embraces,” Mr. Koo? Again, as someone who came to office as a very independent Republican, you seem to be towing the Democratic organization line as well. Does Peter Koo really believe that Toby Stavisky “embraces” Asians when she floods the very non-Asian, 50 member North Flushing Senior Center with hundreds of thousands of dollars while she throws scraps at the very packed, underfunded senior centers from the Chinese, Korean and Indian communities? Is this “understanding” the district and the people that live in it, Peter? I can’t imagine you think so.

So as the Democrats, new and old, rally around the old-guard, do they do their own constituents a disservice? I think they are coming very close to doing so and may be dragged down with Moby in the end if they keep playing politics instead of fighting for thier own constituents.

Stavisky Perpertrates Fraud Over Asian Community

On April 27, 2012, in Evan Stavisky, Kristen Stavisky, Parkside Group, Toby Stavisky, by A Concern Democrat

What a difference 2 years make…

Toby Stavisky as senator had failed the Asian-American community she is supposed to represent. She never hired a Chinese or Korean speaking staff person. Her discretionary funding was used solely for political purposes, like when she funded the North Flushing Senior Center to the tune of $400,000 all while issuing token amounts of resources if any for Chinese, Korean and Indian Senior programs and services. As a matter of fact she ignored the entire Asian community.

We know why : The primary voters she cared about were not in Flushing and are not Asian.

She could not care less than she has. Now that redistricting has occurred she is trying to pull the wool over the communities eyes and hopes that her past will not be remembered.

Well we remember.

We remember two years ago while on the campaign trail Toby promised many things to the Asian community. As you might suspect she never followed through on them.

Politics as usual it is. Toby Stavisky announces her candidacy for senate in a district she does not even live in. So image how the Asian Community must feel seeing there announce with a banner written in Chinese and Korean.

I hate politicians who only care about self-preservation and that is why I will work to expose Toby Stavisky and her failures and the fraud she continues to perpetrates against the Asian community.

Toby Stavisky To Seek Re-Election?

On April 25, 2012, in Parkside Group, Toby Stavisky, by A Concern Democrat

So I just got word that Senator Toby Stavisky has decided to seek re-election after all. I was starting to think she might opt for retirement since it has taken her so long to actually declare it. I know it was wishful thinking that she would but we can dream right?

So now that she has opted to run the next question is where exactly will she be residing? The majority of the district she hopes to represent is majority asian. Until a few months ago Toby has all but ignored her asian constituents. She hasn’t seemed all that comfortable in Flushing when we’ve seen her doing her appearances every other year.

Anyhow I’m off to the press conference.

Update: Thanks to the brilliant MTA management of track work I apparently missed the press conference because it took 25 minutes to travel the last two stops on the 7 coming in from Manhattan. Anyhow I’m dying to see who showed up to support Toby Ann publicly after her little man has been tweaking County with his not-so-secretive-secretive support of Rory Lancman.

Update II: Turns out the announcement wasn’t today but on Friday…. See ya there

Stavisky Shuns Asian Culture To Push Nanny State Agenda

On April 6, 2012, in Toby Stavisky, by A Concern Democrat

Anyone who has a basic knowledge of Chinese know Chinese men as a group love to smoke. It is culturally acceptable to smoke even where smoking is prohibited. In China it is more common that not if you hop a bus that there will be someone smoking on it, the driver being a likely culprit, even though smoking on them is prohibited. Rarely will you see anyone object to this behavior.

James Estrin/The New York Times

Yet if you believe our state senator all we need to do is brainwash the children a bit better on the dangers of smoking and Chinese men will stop smoking .

From the NYT

“I felt that we have failed in our educational process of teaching adults,” said State Senator Toby Ann Stavisky, whose district encompasses Flushing. The key, she said, is teaching children of immigrants the dangers of smoking, so they take that information back home. “Their parents will pick up from the children,” she said.

The irony of that comment is Asian men in the US smoke at a lower rate than those living in in their native land.

The lower level may have less to do with education but economics. There are studies that have shown Chinese smokers have less price elasticity for cigarette demand than Westerners. Smoking in NYC is costly. I’d wager if the Asian community in NYC had a large income there would be more smokers regardless of what Nanny Stavisky wants.

The Moby fails again!

On April 4, 2012, in Toby Stavisky, by A Concern Democrat

On her senate website She, haphazardly, tries to argue against Cuomo’s budget cuts to higher education, but, of course, she signed the budget in the end, anyway – with these cuts in place. So why did the ”ranking member” of the higher education committee sign the bill with these cuts in place? Cause she’s not a leader, she’s a follower.

So what influence did the “ranking member” fo the higher education committee have on the budget legislation?

NONE!

Year after year the aimless Moby fails to deliver for us in Queens.

This is just another example of her long line failures and just another reason why Toby should just retire already.

It’s Official : Stavisky Can’t Decide

On March 30, 2012, in redistricting, Toby Stavisky, by A Concern Democrat

I’ve never seen someone Toby Stavisky’s age have such a hard time deciding the obvious when it comes to their career. She really must not be ready to retire or she would have announced it when she saw the impossibility of continuing it when new senate lines were released by LATFOR.

Retire already. Set Flush Free!

Anyhow yesterday she was quoted as saying

I am running for re-election to the state Senate. Because of the hyper-partisan, political nature of the redistricting process and the uncertainty surrounding the litigation, I have not decided in which district I will run

What litigation is she referring to? The lawsuit the Democrats filed to prevent the creation of a 63rd senate seat.

Originally in 1894, New York state had 50 seats. The state Constitution laid out a specific formula to determine when a new Senate seat should be added in response to population growth.

But the Constitution was also written before both Queens and Nassau counties and Richmond and Suffolk counties were separated.

To compensate for the extra counties, the lawsuit refers to the two solutions used by the state Legislature — Method A and Method B, calculations that make the current number of counties applicable to the old formula. Typically, the Senate had used Method A to calculate the number of seats until 2002, when Republican lawmakers switched to Method B because it was deemed more “faithful to the constitution,” the suit said.

So looks like Flushing will have to wait a few more days to see if we are finally free of the Moby Stavisky.

Still Waiting….

On March 28, 2012, in Toby Stavisky, by A Concern Democrat

As the days inch closer to the primary those of us long oppressed by our bad representative in the New York State Senate anxiously await to see if Toby Stavisky finally sets us free and retires.

Senator Toby Ann Stavisky aka Moby Stavisky

While there really is no easy path for Toby to stay in the senate she just won’t come out and say what her plans are. If she runs in the district that she resides in she has to primary another Democratic Party state senator who has represented most of the district since his election in 2010 and before that as a city council member. If she run in the newly created district that is more than 40% Asian, where we reside, then she would have to run in a district that won’t not be as welcoming to because despite representing us for year because has no real close association with the community as a whole. Basically it is a rough go either way and it couldn’t happen to a more deserving state senator.

So what is it going to be Toby?

Stavisky Supports Subsidizing The Wealthy

On March 27, 2012, in Toby Stavisky, by A Concern Democrat

In one of the more brilliantly idiotic stunts our ” great” state senator has ever tried to pull off she is advocating the city subsidize the legal bills for the wealthy, living in half-million dollar properties, simply because they don’t want to pay their share of the taxes.

Think I’m kidding? Here is in black and white in the Queen Chronicle.

The impetus for the legislation was last year’s initial, sometimes large, increases in tax assessments for co-ops primarily in the northern Queens area. Some ran as high as 147 percent more than the previous year. After much hue and cry, the city Department of Finance eventually admitted there had been some glitches in the system and capped the increases at 10 percent.

A tax certiorari is the legal proceeding a property owner can use to challenge an assessment. Co-op boards that engage in such a proceeding must pay high legal fees. If the boards are successful, the next assessment will also be subject to a challenge.

Under one of the state bills, a co-op would pay only 75 percent of its legal fees in a successful suit and the city the rest.

Now I don’t see any problem subsidizing the legal fees for middle-class residents unfairly burdened with excessively high property taxes, but to support legislation that helps ALL property owners is just wrong. Where does Moby think the City gets it’s resources from to pay the bills for necessary services to our children and our seniors? Shouldn’t those living in half-million dollar or million dollar apartments in high-rise buildings pay their fair share of our city’s tax bills? And if they feel their taxes are too high, shouldn’t they use some of their massive wealth to pay their own tax bills?

This really appalling. Way to cut out a nice little break for the wealthy Toby.

An Open Letter To Senator Toby Stavitsky

On March 19, 2012, in Evan Stavisky, Toby Stavisky, by A Concern Democrat

Would you be willing to publicly take a lie detector test to state where you son’s primary residence is? Will you be willing to take a lie detector test and say that you have been to a recent family function

Toby Ann Stavisky

at Evans alleged residence in Queens? Can you tell us how many times you have seen your grandchildren in Evans alleged Queens home versus the number of times you have seen them in Rockland County?

Are you willing to stand up for integrity in government and announce that Evan is violating the Spirit of the Law? Or are you willing to turn a blind eye to government integrity so that Evan makes millions of dollars?

Lastly will you provide us with a list of community groups you fund with Capital and Expense money that are also Evans client?

Sadly I know you will ignore this letter as you have ignored your constituency for the past 10 years… you started out good and now have become an Albany Insider who is corrupt Shame on you Senator Stavisky.

Evan Stavisky Is Attempting to Re-District Mitchell Linden. But Why?

On March 9, 2012, in Evan Stavisky, Parkside Group, by A Concern Democrat

So I read on another a blog that Evan Stavisky is lobbying Governor Cuomo to move Mitchell Linden from the 22nd Assembly District into the 26^th Assembly District. I’m not sure what the source of this rumor is but the central question of the rumor, if true, has to be asked.

Should a registered lobbyist be involved in the redistricting process?

Is this just another example of Evan’s self-interest taking precedence over all other needs of the community? That Stavisky is attempting to move this group of buildings from one assembly district to another this late in the process should be questioned by everyone who wants to see an end of partisanship being inserted into re-districting. Does Evan represent someone who desperately needs Mitchell Linden moved?

If the governor is remotely serious about supporting non-partisan redistricting then any of Evan’s shenanigans at this point really has to tarnish his image on this matter. If this move does go through someone really needs to investigate why a district leader, who has essentially no ties to the neighborhood he was elected to represent since he lives in Rockland County, was able to pull that off.

Or is this because Evan doesn’t want to give up being a District Leader?