PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Penina Gold on Roosevelt Island Governance
2:35:45
·
173 sec
Penina Gold, a resident of Roosevelt Island, testified in support of Resolution 132-2024, which calls for allowing Roosevelt Island residents to vote for members of the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation (RIOC) board. She emphasized the lack of democratic representation in the island's governance and the need for accountability.
- Gold highlighted that Roosevelt Island residents can vote in general NYC elections but have no say in selecting RIOC leadership.
- She stressed that RIOC, which manages most aspects of life on Roosevelt Island, is not accountable to its residents.
- Gold urged all council members to support the resolution and called on state legislators and the governor to pass and sign the proposed law.
Penina Gold
2:35:45
afternoon.
2:35:46
Good afternoon, Council members and community members.
2:35:48
My name is Penina Gold.
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I was born in New York.
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I've been living in New York City for the past 17 years, 4 of which in Roosevelt Island.
2:35:55
I wanna concur with everything my neighbors said.
2:35:57
We just spoke before me, Paul, Margie, and Joyce.
2:36:02
Many of us have heard it to phrase no taxation without representation or taxation without representation nation, but we usually hear it in the context of the revolution war or as Washington, this is slogan.
2:36:12
But not about New York City in 21st century.
2:36:15
In New York City, we tend to take it for granted that we have a local government that is accountable to its constituents at least in theory.
2:36:21
However, those of us who are lucky enough to call Roosevelt Island home do not have that luxury.
2:36:26
We are approximately 12,000 New York City residents who, if we're eligible, get to vote for the mayor, New York, our the councilmen representatives, Manhattan border president, DA, judges, as well as representatives for state and federal government just like any other Manhattanite.
2:36:41
However, we do not have a vote on who runs and maintains the beautiful island we call home.
2:36:46
Wozavothan operating corporation, shortly known as Ryak, is responsible for most aspects of our shared lives and shared resources.
2:36:53
But that agency is not accountable to us, its residents, whom it impacts the most.
2:36:57
The president of Ryak, which we currently don't even have one, That's a different conversation.
2:37:02
He's appointed by the governor, and the and he's barely accountable to to harass him, especially if the appointment was done by a former governor.
2:37:11
Riyadh's president is accountable to the Riyadh Board of directors, which you heard earlier.
2:37:16
They're only appoint they're appointed by the governor or the mayor.
2:37:18
And only thanks to the efforts of residents over the years, were we able to get a tiny concession that some of the React board directors be residents of Ireland as you heard earlier.
2:37:28
So at least we can count on some of them that they that it'll be part of the community.
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But again, like you heard from Mister Short, they have other they're not accountable to us.
2:37:36
And therefore, you know, we can hopefully understand that the that the few residents can understand the action or inaction where they make decisions.
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But at the end of the day, they are not accountable to us.
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Ideally, Roosevelt Island residents should get to vote for both the real president and for the whole real board of directors.
2:37:51
That would be the democratic way to to do things.
2:37:54
I understand that we do not live in an ideal world, so voting for the board of directors would be a good start.
2:37:59
And I applaud our counsel member, Julie Bannon, for bringing this resolution to the table.
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It is important to remember, however, that this is not even a binding resolution.
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It's a resolution that calls upon the state legislature to pass and for the governor to sign a law for us to have some accountability to our very local government agency.
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For the sake of democracy and accountability, I urge all council members to vote for resolution 0132-2024.
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And by extension, I urge all members of the state New York State Assembly, New York State Senate, and the governor to pass and sign this law to let Roosevelt Islanders have a say on the 1 government agency that runs our public life.
2:38:34
To summarize it and forwards, let my people vote.
2:38:37
Thank you.
