Capitol Address
STORY BY STEPHEN
VRATTOS
Photos by Dawn Steinberg Towers on the Green served as
host for a special visit from
New York State Governor
Cuomo’s office Tuesday evening,
January 9, as Queens Regional
Representative Hersh K. Parekh,
stopped by to deliver the salient
points of the Governor’s annual
State-of-the-State Address given
on January 3, 2018. Accompanying
Parekh were Justin Conner
from 3rd District Representative
Tom Suozzi’s office, 23rd District
Council Member Barry Grodenchik
and Queens Community Board 13
District Manager Mark McMillan,
though it was the Governor’s
message which monopolized the
presentation. Such sudden interest
from Albany gives additional credence
to the persistent rumors that
Cuomo intends to run for president
in 2020, as well as showing his
respect for North Shore Towers as
an important voting bloc for anyone
seeking office in New York.
Despite not speaking before the
entire group, both Conner and
Grodenchik promised to keep lines
of communication open between
NST and their respective offices.
Grodenchik went a step further by
offering to coordinate a meeting
with newly-elected City Council
President Corey Johnson, and
has since reported a meeting with
Johnson is “possible, but likely later
in the spring.”
During the Question & Answer
segment, which concluded the
evening’s event, Parekh confirmed
NST Board President Mario Carmiciano; Queens Regional
Representative for NYS Governor's office, Hersh Parekh; and Board
Member and PAC Chair Stanley J. Goldsmith
Creedmoor Psychiatric Center is
controlled by the state, not NYC,
so its ultimate fate lies with Albany,
and Mayor Di Blasio cannot
modify its utilization, despite any
pronouncements to the contrary
Mark McMillan, Queens
Community Board 13 District
Manager stands to the left of PAC
Chair Stanley J. Goldsmith
Steve Redlich asks a question
from Hizzoner’s office. However,
Governor Cuomo has no specific
plan for the property at this time.
Though, part of the Address
dealt with action to be taken to
mitigate the effects of the recently
enacted federal tax law, which guts
the deductibility of state and local
taxes, effectively raising middle
class families’ properties and state
income taxes by 20 to 25 percent,
it did not address the current co-op
and condo tax concern, other than
“alerting” Parekh to the problem.
Governor’s rep delivers State-of-the-State to NST residents
(l. to r.) NST Board Treasurer Steve Redlich, Board President Mario
Carmiciano and former member Maria Termini-Miller speak with
Council Member Grodenchik
Highlights from Governor Cuomo’s State-of-the-State Address
• Advancing the Women’s Agenda with such
measures as combatting sexual harassment
in the workplace and removing firearms from
domestic abusers
• Committing to Clean Energy and battling
Climate Change by reducing emissions
equitably from the highest-polluting power
plants, developing at least 800 offshore wind
projects, and creating the “Zero Cost Solar
for All” program, among others
• Protecting New York elections by
strong, comprehensive regulations of online
political ads, promoting transparency and
guarding against outside influences, such
as cyber-attacks, as well instituting early
voting and automatic and same-day voter
registration
• Building a safer New York by establishing
the strongest counter terrorism program in
the nation, with such measures as expanding
vehicle rental regulations and launching a terrorism
tip line, and developing a school safety
response system to ensure first responders
have real-time access to the blueprints of
every school in New York State
• Building 21st-Century Infrastructure with
broadband internet service for all, expanding
cashless tolling to the entire New York
State Thruway and Port Authority crossings,
investing in state-of-the-art mass
transit, new roads and bridges and build
the long-promised AirTrain to create trainto
plane access to LaGuardia Airport
6 NORTH SHORE TOWERS COURIER ¢ February 2018