Dear Residents of Crown Heights,
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 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
Patterson is running against Diane Richardson of the Working Families & Green Parties, Crown Heights store owner Menachem Raitport, the only Jewish candidate in the race, as the Republican and Conservative parties candidate, and Geoffrey Davis of the Love Yourself Party.
she said downstate,it was kings country hospital that the state wanted to close down,this was in the hamodia paper about 2 years ago,so who knows of the untruth? propable not many,m.raitport is a honest man,he knows there is no one but g-d almighty,regardless of all the dishonestly going on around us,l’m voting for him,we all want the redemption
When there is racial tension on our streets (riots over police etc) as is inevitable, who will she “serve and protect”?
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!
Menachem Raitport doesn’t stand a chance, between the other 3 candidates.
GEOFFREY DAVIS is the only one who committed to fight for the Education Investment Tax Credit Bill that will help our yeshivas.
GEOFFREY DAVIS is the only one who was working together with the Jewish community in the past and has a good relationship with the Jewish community for the past decades.
GEOFFREY DAVIS was endorsed by Assemblyman Dov Hikind.
A vote for Menachem Raitport is a waste of a vote, from the other 3 candidates GEOFFREY DAVIS is the best for our community. VOTE GEOFFREY DAVIS!!!
Why We Have a Real Chance of Electing a Lubavitcher (Mendy Raitport) on Tuesday. A bit of background. The black community usually has an estimated of 20,000 voters turning out to vote in midterms elections. The Jewish community has an estimated voter turnout of 5000. This being the case we usually choose to support the Black candidate over the Jewish Candidate. In local politics it’s always better to be on the winning side. This election is different. It’s a special election. In a special election the numbers usually go down about 40%. Meaning the black community will probably have about… Read more »
Ch Resident she will be in for years while raitport even is a miracle happens he is out in a years
For the first time in a very long time EVER SINGLE CH COMMUNITY LEADER, EVERY ROV, EVERY FACTION has come out in SUPPORT OF MENDY RAITPORT. This is historic. Only a few individuals in NO LEADERSHIP POSITIONS have endorsed other candidates as it offers them personal benefits. WE MUST ALL VOTE MENDY RAITPORT.
Very well written and Mrs Patterson definitely has the most experience from between the candidates. That said its understandably that we want our (Raitport) to win. However logic needs to prevail. Raitport simply doesn’t have the votes and his campaign team hasn’t shown a lot of street smarts. Even if Raitport does pull off a miracle and wins what then? in 18 months will be another election which he will most likely lose. The way for our community to have political power and IY’H be able to elect one of our own is to a) Register to vote. b) Show… Read more »
Big talk , big promises, no action.