Zoie+Forster

Zoie Forster.

** Assessments: **

** (Senator Kirsten E. Gillibrand ) ** Senator Gillibrand began her tenure in January of 2009, filling the seat of the Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton. In November 2010, Gillibrand won election with a whopping 63% of the vote. She had previous experience with legislation by serving in the United States House of Representatives. Gillibrand willingly runs an open government. She makes sure the citizens have full knowledge of her posts and what she is doing for us a people. Her major accomplishments include providing property tax relief to families of lower income, providing health care funding to the 9/11 survivors, and helping to repeal the policy of “Don’t ask, don’t tell”. Some of the interest groups that influence her are Planned Parenthood and NARAL pro choice America. I feel that Senator Gillibrand is in fact representative of my district because she reaches out and supports interest groups that can better us with lower incomes as a people. Also, in my district teen pregnancy and abortion rates are at an all time high as well as in the need for assistance. In the next election I would most likely vote for Gillibrand because she is here to help my family, my community and myself. Her optimism and concern is what got her and will keep her in office, as long as she changes things for the better like she envisions doing. []

**(Senator Charles "Chuck" E. Schumer)** ==== Chuck representd the 9th Congressional District of Brooklyn and Queens for over 18 years. He has definitely established his reputation as a pioneer in the fight against crime and as a consumer advocate. Schumer supports the Omnibus Crime bill which is imperative to have because of the dangerous cities around us. He also sponsors the Violence against Women Act, and aided our city when we needed it most. Does this not make him representative of the district? Personally I have mixed emotions towards him and my vote in the next election because he is not so consistent. When it came to the interest group and issue of abortion Chuck Schumer voted to prohibit federal funding for abortion services. Yet, at the same time Planned Parenthood – which is a federally funded health & abortion service- supports him 100%. That doesn’t add up, which leads me to believe there may be underground work going on. The reason Schumer remains in office is because he works to please everyone, even if it’s done somewhat deceptively. ====

**(Representative Edolphus "Ed" Towns)** November 2, 2010 marked the day voters in Brooklyn’s 10th Congressional District elected Edolphus “Ed” Towns to his 15th term in the United States House of Representatives. He served as Chairman on the Oversight and Government Reform, is actively engaged in advancing healthcare reform, created a platform for more than 600,000 social workers, and has brought millions of dollars to severly needed projects in our district. For this very reason, I feel that he is a good representative. Most likely he would get my vote next election because he has been the champion addresser of issues critical to the quality of life for New Yorkers. He has gained the peoples confidence through leadership and has the ability to deliver for his body of voters that he respresents, and that keeps him strong in office. He reaches out to the neighborhoods of East New York, Canarsie, Brownsville, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Cypress Hills, Clinton Hill, Mill Basin, Midwood, downtown Brooklyn, Boreum Hill, as well as parts of Fort Greene and Williamsburg – all of which are part of the 10th congressional district- and unites the diverse cultures to make us one people. []

**(Senator Velmanette Montgomery)** Senator Montgomery’s effective leadership and steadfast commitment is what keeps her so popular and in office. She is committed to helping young people achieve positive outcomes through reform of the State's juvenile justice, foster care and adoptive care systems. However, as state senator, I don’t feel she is very representative of my actual district. She doesn’t directly address most issues that I or majority of the community face daily. In the next election I would be hesitant in voting for her, unless she improves on passing bills that will affect my community more efficiently. []

**(Assemblyman Hakeem Jefferies)** Hakeem Jeffries began his tenure a member of the New York State Assembly in January 2007. Over the last 4 years he has sponsored more than fifty bills, some of which have strengthened tenant regulations, protected the liberties of law-abiding New Yorkers during police encounters, co-sponsored the 421-a law and even launched Project Reclaim. Jeffries regularly conducts town hall meetings on issues such as mass transportation, public safety and education which are imperative to our district. For this reason he is very representative of us. In the next election Hakeem has got my vote. Every major problem that faces us a community, he seems to combat it. Jeffries actually reaches out to our people in the literal sense. He holds curb-side office by major train stations during critical travel hours just so that he can reach out to everyone in-depth. Even before he was elected he made himself accessible and now that he is in office he hasn’t stopped as some hypocritical politicians commonly do. He presses the flesh, and as a leader will remain in office. []

**(Legislature Albert Vann)** Being a resident of Bedford Stuyvesant from birth, Vann knows what we as a community need. He has been in office since the mid 70’s and since then has worked vigorously to achieve equality for the minority races. Councilman Vann is active in Community Development, which has addressed a variety of issues related to poverty and the effects of the foreclosure crisis on communities. He has also provided resources to reduce the high unemployment rates in Black and Latino communities. In a way he does represent our district. However, I feel that he could improve by reaching out more specifically to us and taking in our opinions on what should be improved. Next election he will get my vote. If he’s been in office all this time, there has to be a reason behind it – he has to be doing something good that I just haven’t seen yet. His consistent advocacy is what has kept him in office numerous decades. []

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