More equitable districts sought

Bob Friedrich, the organizer of EQU and president of the Glen Oaks Village Co-op, said the goal is a unique one.

“We don’t believe in separating and segregating people,” Friedrich said. “Rather than seeking lines that carve out specific ethnic enclaves, we want to unite our ethnically rich communities.”

In many cases across the United States, political districts are drawn into convoluted shapes to curry favor for specific parties and ethnic and religious demographics in a process known as gerrymandering. In some cases, it is used to protect the right of minority communities to be represented, but Friedrich believes, in the case of Eastern Queens, that it’s more harmful than helpful.

“Voters should choose their representatives, politicians should not choose their voters,” Friedrich said. “Politicians have a lot vested in the current lines. [A united eastern Queens] means they’re going to have to work a little harder to get their votes.”

Sunny Hahn, a Korean activist from Flushing, said that although this redistricting issue won’t impact her particular neighborhood, she came to show solidarity on what she sees as a very important issue.

“It’s the principle,” Hahn said. “It’s killing the country, it’s killing the state. We’ve got to stop race politics and ethnic politics.”

John Stiller, a past president and trustee of the Queens Village Civic Association, pointed out what he sees as the absurdity of how district boundaries are now drawn.

“My assemblywoman is in the same district as I am but also in a different district than my councilman’s district,” Stiller said. “This makes no sense.”

The neighborhoods in northeastern Queens are represented by a single state Senate district and a single City Council district, but are split into three state Assembly districts—24, 26 and 33, represented by David Weprin, Ed Braunstein and Barbara Clark, respectively.

Weprin (D-Little Neck) said he had not been consulted on the draft lines and that he had expressed displeasure after what he saw at an initial meeting.

“I fully support trying to keep all of these communities together, united,” Weprin said. “I would love to see all of these communities in my Assembly district as they were in my council district.”

Weprin’s remarks were well received until Friedrich asked him if he would testify before LATFOR, the state’s Legislative Task Force on Demographic Research and Reapportionment, and “vote no on any proposal that continues to divide us.”

“I can’t commit on voting no because there are a lot of possibilities,” Weprin responded. “I’m not going to make an outright pledge to vote no.”

Weprin’s remark drew boos from the crowd. He stopped and looked genuinely bewildered as he shrugged and continued.

Weprin’s brother, City Councilman Mark Weprin (D-Oakland Gardens), echoed the call for unity in northeastern Queens and explained why an independent redistricting commission is essential.

“Independent redistricting is important, especially today, because people don’t trust politicians,” Mark Weprin said. “If we want people to have faith in their government, the way to maximize that is to have an independent redistricting commission. Time is running out and it’s starting to look like we are not getting an independent redistricting committee this year.”

“I’d like to see lines drawn that make sense to people,” he added, “when you look at them they should look like some form of geometric shape — not a Rorschach test.”

State Sen. Tony Avella (D-Bayside) said he was in total agreement with EQU’s mission.

“You need to stay together and I am in full support of that,” Avella said. Before Friedrich could even ask, he added that he would vote no on any district lines that divide the community.

Avella also said that although demonstrating and speaking out are important ways of achieving their ends, they may largely fall on deaf ears.

“The LATFOR hearings are a joke. They’re a farce,” he said. “No matter what is going on in Albany — it’s still three people in a room, head of the Senate, speaker of the Assembly and the governor.”

David Weprin, Mark Weprin and Avella were three of five elected officials Friedrich said he invited to the EQU meeting. Assembly members Braunstein (D-Bayside) and Clark (D-Queens Village) were also invited. Friedrich said Braunstein had a prior engagement and that he had received no response from Clark.