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Education
There is
no faster highway to a successful life than a strong Education. A good
education is an experience of a lifetime and a foundation of knowledge
from which everything else grows.
As a former high school teacher; an adjunct professor
at Queensborough Community College; the director of Aim Academy; a former
school board member; the founder of the Non-Profit Organization Chinese
American Parent Student Council; and as a respected member of QueensBoro
President Helen Marshall’s Community Education Council, I know a thing
or two about education.
For example, I understand that a quality education
is an ongoing process that starts in the classroom, inspired by teachers,
and encouraged by family.
As Councilwoman, I pledge to devote myself towards
improving the quality of education for the children in District 20.
A good education involves not only a well developed curriculum but also
excellent teachers who give personal attention to students in small
and manageable class sizes with adequate resources. It involves an expansive
Pre-K service and more affordable City Universities. It involves a strong
bilingual program that ensures all our children are literate and fluent
in not one but two languages, enhancing their future career opportunities.
1.
Bringing Education Home
Decisions about Education should be made by parents
and local teachers because they’re the ones who know their children
best. Every child is different, and so is every school. Because of these
differences and the general rich diversity in NYC schools, local control
results in greater transparency and higher accountability. Schools can
adapt faster to changing circumstances and mold themselves to the needs
of their particular students.
- Local Community Board made up of Parents and
Teachers
- Real authority over policy and curriculum
2.
Smaller Class Sizes
If personal attention was not an important part
of education, then all we would need is one teacher, a video camera,
and one projector inside of every classroom. Unfortunately, teaching
isn’t that easy. Good teaching requires 1 on 1 interaction. At the moment
my campaign is exploring various options such as flexible hours, restructuring
vacations, and of course new schools to improve the teacher to student
ratio and provide a strong education for all children.
- Decrease class size / higher student to teacher ratio
- Higher emphasis on lower grades and poor performing schools
- Build new public schools
3.
Bilingual Education
New York City is home to many different ethnic
groups. And it is my job as Councilwoman to bring quality bilingual
education to their children. In today’s globalized economy, a strong
bilingual education will give all students an important competitive
edge. A bilingual education must allow children to retain and learn
how to speak and write in their native language, as well as teaching
them to become fluent in English. If successful, a good bilingual education
program will give all students a considerable advantage when they eventually
enter the work force. As Councilwoman I will fight hard for a strong
bilingual program in public schools.
-Activate the Translation and Interpretation Unit to train better
bilingual teachers
- Increase community involvement in bilingual education
Health Care
Emergency
rooms in Queens Hospitals are overburdened. District 20 hospitals have
seen an increase of 150 patients more per week after the closing of
St. John’s and Mary Immaculate hospitals. What policies would you propose
to ensure that patients receive prompt and adequate care?
The number one reason for personal bankruptcy is
medical bills. I know that to build a strong local economy, residents
and workers need to be healthy and not buried beneath a mountain of
medical debt. As City Council Member, I will work to enforce and expand
on the Health Care Security Act, and to find community-based solutions
to health care needs. I will also help businesses pool their funds (and
providing them with tax incentives to do so) giving them the opportunities
to provide adequate health care coverage for all working families.
As for the hospitals, the number one reason for
the unfortunate closings of St. John’s and Mary Immaculate hospitals
is the insufficient government compensation for uninsured patients.
The City of New York contributes $500 million to support providing
uninsured New Yorkers with Medicaid reimbursement. The State
of New York however only contributes $50 million. This is the reason
why our hospitals cannot afford to stay open. As Councilwoman I will
fight for stronger State coverage of the uninsured to keep Queens Hospitals
open.
1.
Health Care Security Act
The Health Care Security Act was originally established
to require certain employers to provide health coverage for employees.
This act was a great success and expanded health coverage to 21,000
employees. As Councilwoman, I will expand upon the Health Care Security
Act, working with the community to create better health care access
for all employees.
- Hold meetings with local community and business
representatives
- Expand health care coverage to more employees
2.
State Reimbursement
The City of New York every year contributes $500
million in Medicaid reimbursement for uninsured New Yorkers. The State
of New York contributes only $50 million. Because of the lack of reimbursements,
many Flushing Hospitals cannot afford to stay open, including St. John’s
and Mary Immaculate. As Councilwoman, I will support a strong resolution
to the State government, asking them to step up to the plate and pay
their share of health costs.
- Issue strong resolution directed at State government
- Lobby state and federal officials to provide
adequate Medicaid reimbursement
Economic Development
Small Businesses are the backbone of New York City
-City Hall
City Hall, stop crushing the back of small businesses
-Small Business Owner
Small businesses are the engine of economic development and job growth. Therefore there is no economic development unless we create a supportive environment. The politicians in City Hall like to talk about the crucial role small businesses play, and then turn around to write cumbersome regulation and heavy taxation. What they do not realize is that over-regulation hurts small businesses, which slows down job growth, and therefore also hurts working families. As Councilwoman, I will confront this hypocrisy and give small businesses the protection and encouragement they need. It is my dream to have an economically prosperous District 20, a bustling downtown Flushing, and a wealth of minority and women owned small businesses.
1. Fair Business Agency
The Fair Business Agency will be a New York City agency made up of investigators and attorneys. It will investigate complaints by small businesses and independent contractors about unfair business practices. It can also either arbitrate disputes or represent small businesses in court.
Small Businesses need the FBA because they simply do not have the time or resources to fight for justice themselves. Most small businesses and independent contractors have to struggle to just stay in the green. The FBA will even out the playing field so small businesses can protect their rights even when faced with large corporations or greedy landlords.
- Establish the Fair Business Agency
- Give it the jurisdiction necessary to even out the playing field
2. Encouraging Women and Minority owned Small Businesses
As a female minority small business owner myself, I know a little bit about how to encourage other females and minorities to enter the small business world. The current City Council program is broken. In a recent investigation by the New York Times, all the funds for this program have been either not spent or misspent thanks to the complex application process and the discretionary spending system.
As Councilwoman I will simplify the application process to make it easier for organizations to help distribute City money for encouraging women and minority small business. I will use the discretionary spending powers to actively promote minority small business involvement.
- Simplify application process
- Open discretionary spending system to public scrutiny
- Actively use reserved city funds on minority and women owned small businesses
3. Cultural Advisory Group
Flushing is a very diverse, multicultural community. We have diversity in ethnicity, in religion, in businesses, and of course in food. But to help Greater Flushing thrive, we also need diversity in our system of laws. As your next Councilwoman, I will create the first Cultural Advisory Group that examines City codes and regulations based on cultural impact.
The Cultural Advisory Group will help discover burdensome regulation that unfairly discriminates against certain ethnic or minority groups, hindering the growth of minority owned small businesses. To create this group, I will draw from a wide array of community leaders with different ethnic and religious backgrounds. I will forward their recommendations so my fellow legislators on City Hall can also learn about the discriminatory impact of their different rules and regulations.
- Establish the Cultural Advisory Group
- Examine "neutral" City regulation for cultural impact
- Issue recommendations for burdensome regulation with disparate cultural impact
Fiscal
Responsibility / Budget Deficit
When the City of New
York suffering from the worst budget deficit in 25 years, which programs will
you make cuts in, to pay for your plans for New York City and why?
City Hall likes to do business its own way. Backdoor dealings, discretionary spending, and difficult to access spending reports. That is not how you create fiscal responsibility. In a time of budget crisis, we cannot afford to let City Hall pretend it is business as usual. If we're going to have to make budget cuts, let's cut out wasteful spending. As Councilwoman, I will push for greater fiscal responsibility.
Pushing for greater fiscal responsibility will help preserve some community programs. However we are in the worst budget crisis since the Beame Administration. Maintaining a continued balanced budget without sacrificing community programs will ultimately require much more. That is why I am proud to push for the Budget Review and Reform Program as part of my comprehensive program to defend the Flushing Community in this time of crisis.
1.
Good Reporting
The key to greater fiscal responsibility is good reporting.
Good reporting has 3 requirements: accessibility, accuracy, and simplicity.
What City Hall needs is good reporting for eminent domain and city-subsidized
development. As Councilwoman, I will fight for Good Reporting standards of City
spending to create greater fiscal responsibility.
- Set up Good Reporting requirements for eminent domain and city-subsidized development
- Require reports to be easily
accessible, accurate, and simple
2.
Budget Review and Reform Program
There's really only one way to balance the budget and protect social programs in a budget crisis. It is what I call the Budget Review and Reform Program. As your Councilwoman, I will bring together into the same room different service agency administrators, local large and small business owners, and community leaders. We will work out a Dollar 4 Dollar matching funds program for key services as well as a recoupment system for volunteer services. I will push for this innovative approach where the City uses community involvement to maintain quality service without breaking the budget.
-Dollar 4 Dollar matching funds program
- Community involvement with City administrators
- Volunteer recoupment
Transportation
If Flushing were a living being, then the roads and highways that connect Flushing to the world are the arteries and veins that bring people, and commerce, in and out. But what happens when arteries are clogged by impenetrable traffic? A heart attack. Protecting Flushing from a heart attack is a top priority.
The transportation system in Flushing is in need of serious repair. The combination of traffic congestion and the impossibility of finding parking are seriously hindering Flushing's economic growth. Unless Flushing can accommodate an increase volume of visitors, there will be no new stores or expansions of existing ones. The stifling congestion also deters the creation of small businesses and the influx of tourism.
As Councilwoman, I pledge to fight for a better system of transportation and increase parking availability. I've already created a Municipal Advisory Group that consisted of many experts including a former Chief Transportation planner for New York City. Together we have arrived at several innovative but easy to accomplish plans that will bring wide-sweeping changes to improve the Flushing traffic flow.
1. Bus Lay-over Hub
According to all the transportation experts Yen has spoken to, one of the biggest headaches in coming to Flushing are the plethora of busses that clog already crowded roads, frustrating both bus passengers and car drivers as they inch down roads wishing they had just walked instead. In fact, Flushing is a decade overdue for a transportation hub, as a lay-over for the public busses. Busses idling on the narrow Flushing streets are one of the major sources of traffic congestion in Flushing. As Councilwoman I will eliminate bus idling by building a Bus Lay-over Hub away from the hustle and bustle of Main Street and Roosevelt..
- Re-examine Flushing bus routes with urban design experts
- Construct a Bus Lay-Over Hub for idling busses
2. Parking Space Clearing
Both commuters and long time residents suffer from the appalling lack of parking spaces in and around the heart of Flushing. And if faster transportation involve suspending street side parking, the situation might become even worse. Creating municipal parking is a somewhat effective but often expensive solution. Instead as Councilwoman, Yen intends bring new ideas into this old subject area.
- Subsidize existing parking lot owners to increase volume but decrease costs
- Encourage expansions to existing municipal parking areas
- Revisit street cleaning regulation to create greater flexibility
3. Smart Parking
Smart Parking is a new system that is gaining popularity across the country. Manhattan is currently experimenting with a PARK Smart program. Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, and Washington DC are also developing their own different versions of Smart Parking.
Now it's Flushing's turn.
Smart parking is based on a system that uses Instant Communication Technology to make parking in Flushing hassle free, and reduce traffic by having fewer cars traveling in circles around the Flushing area. The Smart parking system will either allow residents and frequent commuters to register their vehicle and locations or employ a combination of sensors and parking meters. This information can be made available to drivers via the internet, phone, or GPS.
- Design a Smart Parking system
- Fund a Smart Parking experiment program for Flushing
4. Flushing-Manhattan Alternative
As a Flushing Resident, I am proud of the performance of the (7) train that runs every day from Main Street to Times Square. However, that is not enough. The Main Street Station in Flushing is one of the most crowded subway stations outside of Manhattan. And although it is fast, by MTA standards, it is not fast enough. The Long Island Rail Road regularly travels from Flushing to Pennsylvania Station in 19 minutes, while even the (7) express takes much longer. What Flushing needs is an alternate means of public transportation that can get people to work and back, reliability, quickly, and cheaply.
As Councilwoman, I will implement the Flushing - Manhattan Alternative. This program will establish and support alternate, and faster means of transportation from Flushing to Manhattan. It will include lowering the LIRR ticket fare from Flushing to Penn Station, establishing an Express Bus that crosses the midtown tunnel to ferry passengers from 34th Street and 2nd Avenue to Roosevelt and Prince. I will over time expand on the Flushing-Manhattan Alternative, consulting transportation experts to explore other possibilities.
- Initiate the Flushing-Manhattan Alternative
- Lower LIRR ticket fares
- Establishing an Express Bus that crosses the Midtown Tunnel
- Expand and explore other alternative means of transportation
Local Development
Willets Point. Daylighting the Kissena Corridor. RKO Keith’s Theater. Development has the potential to revitalize. Development has the potential to destroy. What will Flushing look like 20 years from now? Will we be a prosperous and beautiful community? That choice is up to you, the voter.
As Councilwoman, I pledge to fight for a balanced development that brings a heavy influx of jobs and money, an increase in the number and quality of community facilities, affordable housing, and all this without destroying the local culture.
1. Willets Point
Mayor Bloomberg has called Willets Point a “euphemism for blight”. It was this sentiment that has led to the Willets Point redevelopment project. The City already owns 65% of the area, the plan has been approved by the Queens Community Board, and the City Council has already held a public hearing. Although the development itself is in District 21, it will have a strong impact on the surrounding area, e.g. District 20.
The Willets Point Redevelopment Plan currently includes
mixed income residential units, and community facilities, and of course a
massive influx of permanent and temporary jobs that will help stimulate the
local economy. As Councilwoman, I will make sure the Willets Point development
stays on track, and that the influx of money helps the community. If possible,
I will support increasing the ratio of community facilities to private
commercial units, and increase the ratio of affordable, mixed income housing to
market price housing.
- Keep careful track of the Willets Point Re-development
- Promote local hiring
- Increase ratio of affordable, mixed income housing to market price housing
2. Daylighting the Kissena Corridor
Before we jump into a daylight project I want to refer everyone to a case study of Arcadia Creek. Arcadia Creek in Michigan is one of the more successful river restoration projects. What used to be a declining urban area became economically and socially revitalized thanks to a very well planned daylight project. The key to the Arcadia Creek success was involving local community business and investment before the project initiated. First the City secured commitments from several local businesses including local colleges, banks, hospitals, and museums that expressed interest in developing around the restored creek. It was only when they were sure that there were enough interested parties did they begin the redevelopment project. The same thing applies to Kissena Corridor.
As Councilwoman, I will not engage in any “build and they will come” approach. City Planning is a complex process that requires a lot of advanced, and careful planning. I will first work with local and non-local business leaders and secure commitments, lease the surrounding spaces, and only afterwards begin the daylight project with the help of professional urban planners.
- Attract local businesses interested in developing around a restored Kissena Corridor
- Daylight the Kissena Corridor after securing development
3. RKO Keith’s Theater
The RKO Keith’s Theater is a good example of what happens when the community, developers, and the Landmark Preservation Commission refuse to work with each other, for the greater good of the community. The RKO Theater has sat by the center of Flushing for 20 years, a product of unwillingness by all sides to just sit down together to reach an amicable solution. As Councilwoman I will bring developers, civic organizations, and Landmark and Preservation Commission representatives together to hammer out conflicts and promote healthy community development.
- Bring together civic organizations and developers to the same table
- Confer with Landmark and Preservation Commission and other City government organizations