C RY D E R
P O I N T
FEBRUARY 9
Katz tackles Census, jails and more in State of Borough Address
BY MARK HALLUM
mhallum@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
Borough President Melinda Katz said
she would opt out of responding to the
2020 Census question regarding the documented
WWW.QNS.COM | FEBRUARY 2019 | CRYDER POINT COURIER 9
status of residents and advised the
crowd at Friday’s State of the Borough address
to follow suit in a speech that covered
not only immigration, but also criminal
justice reform.
With up to 68,000 children in Queens
live in mixed status households, according
to Katz, policies out of the White House
administration could impact residents
across the borough, citizen or not.
“For each person in each household unaccounted
for, that’s less federal funding for
our schools, our hospitals, our infrastructure,
even less representation in Congress
and the state Legislature. An undercount
is something we can’t afford,” Katz said
during the address at LaGuardia Community
College in Long Island City. “One way
or the other, I plan to fight this … and if
the citizen question appears on the survey,
I will abstain. I will refuse to answer the
question. You can call it a boycott. I, Melinda
Katz, an American-born citizen, will
boycott the citizenship question. Because
times like these compel courage by those
with the privilege to do so.”
Katz has put in place the Queens Complete
Count Committee, which has over 70
people signed on to go about the borough
and get real numbers on the population,
documented immigrant or not.
The 2020 federal census is still under review
by the House of Representatives oversight
committee and Commerce Secretary
Wilbur Ross will have to testify regarding
his decision to add the controversial question
immigration status.
Katz walked a fine line with some Queens
residents when she announced that she
supports the closing of Rikers Island, on
the grounds that the facility is antiquated
and reforms are needed, but said neighborhood
residents have to be involved in the
decisions regarding the placement of community
jails to ensure a smooth transition.
A new justice system that is safer, more
humane and less costly is something Katz
advocated for on the condition that communities
have their say, something residents
have vocalized the need for in the
past year since Mayor Bill de Blasio announced
an agreement had been struck
with the state in February 2018 to create
borough-based jails.
“The irony, however, of unveiling a citywide
plan for ‘modern community-based
jails’ in the absence of community input
is not lost on the boroughs, certainly not
here in Queens,” Katz said. “Any plan by
the city – especially the siting and design
of any new jails – must include meaningful
community engagement and input. I am
deeply disturbed by the lack of opportunity
thereof for the proposal to erect a 1.9-million
square-foot facility on 82nd Avenue,
and that’s from a supporter of closing Rikers.
” With a projected timeline of a decade
for the closure of Rikers, Katz said there is
still time to include communities and implement
reforms that reduce the jail population.
Katz said the continuation of warrant
forgiveness, which outgoing District Attorney
Richard Brown has implemented, can
prevent small offenses from evolving into
a life of crime for individuals who cannot
afford lawyers fees and are facing low-level
offenses such as loitering.
“And what if you’ve served time and
have proven that you’ve turned your life
around and are making good?” said Katz,
who’s also running for Queens District
Attorney. “One of Governor Cuomo’s
greatest accomplishments, if you ask me,
is legislation he signed into law 15 months
ago that allows people with two or fewer
nonviolent convictions to seal their records
after a decade of staying clean. As
many as 600,000 people across the state
are eligible under the law but only 51 individuals
in Queens had taken advantage
of it as of December.”
As part of Katz’s “Know Your Rights”
week, generally intended for immigrants,
the borough president is now working with
convicted felons to seal their records which
could help pave the way to helping them
find jobs and prevent recidivism.
Katz also highlighted the fact that
schools in Queens are at 106 capacity borough
wide and schools get fewer funds per
student here than in any other part of the
city.
Although the School Construction Authority
is working to site new locations for
facilities, Katz said it will not be enough if
more funds are not added to the $11,359
spent for very student in Queens – a sharp
contrast to the $14,186 spent in the Bronx.
Photo: Mark Hallum/THE COURIER
Queens Borough President Melinda Katz
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