West Flushing Civic Association

Community Board 7 Slams The Door On Civics

By RICHARD JANNACCIO

Community Board 7 District Manager Says Civics Are Not Invited To District Service Cabinet Meetings

At our February West Flushing Civic meeting, we expressed concerns about aircraft pollution, tour bus exhausts, sloppy sanitation pickup, sidewalk obstructions, and downtown filth, to name a few.

Now it just so happens that Community Board 7 meets every month with commissioners from the Police Department, Fire Department, Sanitation, Buildings Department, Environmental Protection, you name it, for the purpose of discussing how city agencies are responding to community needs. (By the way, aren't they doing a wonderful job?)

Business and merchant associations are always invited to these District Service Cabinet Meetings, but civic associations representing Flushing residents are not invited. Because many of our concerns involve poor service from these very agencies, we have an interest in attending these meetings.

Democracy is based on the conviction that we have the ability, as well as the inalienable right, to govern ourselves with reason and justice, Harry Truman once said.

Accordingly, after our civic meeting, I called Community Board 7 to request that we be invited to future District Service Cabinet meetings.

I was told that never before had any civic requested to attend these meetings. I later found out that wasn't true.

In any event, I was told that the district manager, Marilyn Bitterman, was on vacation, and so I'd have to wait for an answer. A few days later, Louise Ognibene of CB 7 called to tell me that Ms. Bitterman had called from Florida and had turned us down. If she were to invite us, I was told, she would have to invite all the civics. Imagine that.

Apparently allowing civic leaders or residents of Flushing to attend these meetings would constitute an overdose of democracy! But clearly the closed, undemocratic meetings have failed miserably. Flushing has become the icon of neglect. And, a reasonable person could argue, that as long as we are shut out from these meetings and our voices are not heard, it's likely to stay that way.

I also was told that if anything in our civic area were to be discussed during a meeting, we would be invited for that meeting. But I've been president for more than four years and we've never been invited. Does that mean that they haven't spent any time addressing problems in our area?

As one walks through Flushing, it sure looks that way, and it sure smells that way.

Keep in mind that that business leaders who cover the same geographical area attend each meeting. Apparently, only issues relevant to the business community are covered at each meeting and the needs of residents are never addressed.

This appears to be yet another clear example of the double standard applied by Ms. Bitterman, accommodating business interests and shunning residents.

Ms. Bitterman has not only failed to invite Flushing residents, she has now actively shut the door in our faces, sending a strong signal that she doesn't care about our concerns.

How do our community board members feel about Ms. Bitterman's policy?

How does our new borough president, Helen Marshall, feel about this outrageous behavior? I've placed a call, and I'm waiting for a response.

Or Councilman John Liu? Or our state and federal officials seeking re-election this year?

In cases such as this, the state and city Open Meetings laws should protect our rights. Who will enforce these laws, or strengthen them if that's what needs to be done?

In the meantime, there's no substitute for grassroots people power. We certainly are entitled to attend those meetings, and we must demand our rights.

If you are a concerned resident or a civic leader who would like to see Flushing get better police protection, ensure prompt response to fires and medical emergencies, enforcement of zoning and building codes, cleaner air, less traffic congestion, less sloppy garbage pickup, etc., this is the first step—gaining access to those who run the agencies.

To help reverse the destruction of Flushing, please join us. Our fight should also be your fight for open and responsible government.

Let us know you care. Thank you.

-By Richard Jannaccio, president

WEST FLUSHING CIVIC ASSOCIATION, INC.
P.O. BOX 7770, FLUSHING, NY 11352
richardjannaccio@yahoo.com