The Indian Panorama

Tag: Glen Cove

  • The Association of Indians in America National Executive Committee (NEC) for 2024 & 2025 inaugurated

    The Association of Indians in America National Executive Committee (NEC) for 2024 & 2025 inaugurated

    GLEN COVE, NY (TIP): Gobind Munjal, the National President of The Association of Indians in America (AIA), was sworn-in once again for the 2nd term 2024 & 2025 along with his National Executive Committee in an exciting Inauguration ceremony arranged at Metropolitan Caterers in Glen Cove, Long Island on Saturday, March 16th, 2024. Since AIA is a National organization, its out of State Members attended the ceremony via zoom.

    The occasion was graced by the chief guest Honorable Consul General Binaya S. Pradhan. The Inauguration and Oath ceremony was attended by about one hundred attendees. This included AIA founding members, board of Trustees, AIA National Past Presidents, chapter Presidents, community leaders, AIA members, friends, and the media partners.

    Members of Executive are being sworn in

    Chief Guest Hon. Consul General of India in New York, Binaya S. Pradhan, in his opening Remarks, praised AIA for all that it has done for the community during its 56 years of history and commended the organization for its various achievements. He also suggested that if AIA could work on supporting the students coming from India to study here in the United States to get them internships and/or jobs, that will be very helpful. Consul General however pledged to work with AIA for outreach to the community.

    National President Gobind Munjal was sworn-in by Honorable Consul General, Binaya Pradhan ji, who also administered the oath to Vice Presidents; Uma Swaminathan (NJ), Sushma Kotahwala (NY), Dr. Yash Pal Arya (NY), Santosh Pandey (IL), Secretary Gunjan Rastogi (NY) and Treasurer Gobind Bathija (NY). He also administered the oath to the members at large from all the states, namely Anita Thakkar (NY), Aridaman Jain (NJ), Beena Kothari (NY), Indu Gajwani (NY), Jasbir Singh (NY), Manoranjan Mishra (IL), Mohinder Taneja (NY). Neelam Modi (NY), Om Dhirgra (IL), Prem Mehrotra (IL), Rajeev Chaudhary(NY), Ram Tirumala (NJ), Ramola Motwani (FL), Salil Misra (IL), Santosh Khera (CA), Satish Anand (NY), Sharmistha Dutta (FL), Shashi Malik (NY), Sujata Seth (NY), Uma Eniasivam (FL), Usha Bansal (NY), Vijay Sharma (WI).

    Gobind Munjal Addresses

    In his speech, National President Munjal welcomed everyone and shared some of the NEC’s achievements during his first term.
    o Honor Banquet and Celebration of 75th Anniversary of India’s Independence on May 6th, 2023 – attended by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer & NYC Mayor Eric Adams.
    o RESTARTED AIA National Newsletter (“BETWEEN US”) after a gap of about 20 years
    o INITIATED Investment Advisory Committee to invest life membership funds for income and long-term growth,

    Amended Bylaws of National AIA in 2023 after 30 years of gap.
    o Energized young members and made them life members
    o Energized and Improved communications between the chapters

    AIA past presidents and Gobind Munjal with the Consul General

    President also shared his Vision for the 2nd term:
    He reiterated that since the elections are over now, we will all work together as a unified team.
    In pursuing the AIA’s moto of “Indian Heritage and American Commitment”, he emphasized that:
    “We are here to serve the community needs. As we continue to direct our help to the people in India, our homeland, we should equally remain committed to the community right here in the United States, our adopted country. We hope to work towards increasing that commitment.
    As the demographic profile of the Indian American Community has changed in past 5 decades since the founding of AIA, so are their needs. We remain committed to understanding the changing requirements of the community, and then will develop Programs to help both – the Youth and the Elderly. NEC pledges support to all the Chapter Presidents and its members, so they all can build and expand on these programs across the nation. This way together, we can make the next two years most productive.
    President Munjal also shared his initiative of working on the immigration bill to reduce the time delay for Indian citizens to get the green card as well as H1 B visas. He said “AIA (NEC) is joining GOPIO International and rallying some other organizations to join us in this initiative. Today it takes almost 15 to 20 years for an Indian citizen to get a green card, whereas some other nationalities get a green card in 1 year. We all are planning to go to Washington DC sometime in the end of April 2024 to meet the congressional leaders requesting them to support this bill”
    All AIA leadership extended their good wishes and support. The program concluded with a traditional vote of thanks by the secretary.
    The Association of Indians in America (AIA) is the oldest not-for-profit organization of Asian Indians in America founded on August 20, 1967. It is the grassroots national organization of Asian immigrants in United States. With chapters and membership spread across the United States of America, AIA represents the hopes and aspirations of those immigrants who are united by their common bond of Indian Heritage and American Commitment.

    A view of the gathering
  • Suozzi Holds Press Conference Calling Out Pilip’s Outrageous Partisan Stance on Bipartisan Border Bill

    Suozzi Holds Press Conference Calling Out Pilip’s Outrageous Partisan Stance on Bipartisan Border Bill

    GLEN COVE, NY (TIP): Former Congressman Tom Suozzi, today, held a press conference in response to his opponent, Mazi Pilip, taking an outrageous partisan stance and siding with her extreme GOP party bosses in the House and their mission to play politics with people’s lives by coming out against the Senate’s bipartisan border deal. The Senate’s bill is the toughest and fairest set of reforms to secure the border our country has had in decades. It would make our country safer, make our border more secure, and treat people fairly and humanely while preserving legal immigration, consistent with our values as a nation.

    Yet Pilip called this bipartisan legislation: “the legalization of the invasion of our county.” During the press conference, Suozzi underscored that the reason Pilip is opposing the bill is because she’s completely beholden to the national Republicans. And like them, she’s only interested in playing politics with people’s lives instead of actually working to solve problems.

    “It’s incomprehensible to me that a candidate can claim that her number one priority is securing the border yet takes a dead-on-arrival approach on the only compromise border bill that has had a chance of passing our Congress over the past 30 years,” said Suozzi.

    “This isn’t the first time Pilip has proven she’s beholden to the extreme wing of her party. She’s aligned with some of the most dangerous members of the Republican Party, who are all also on board with opposing this bipartisan border deal because they think it will help them politically, even if it’s at the expense of the people. People are sick of these political games that Mazi Pilip and her DC handlers are playing, and I will work with whoever it takes to get people to come together to actually get stuff done and fix our border.”

    This isn’t the first time Pilip has proven she’s beholden to the extreme wing of her party. In a CNN interview over the weekend, in a complete flip-flop from the past two months, Pilip whole-heartedly embraces Trump even if he’s convicted of a crime. She claimed he is innocent of the 91 criminal charges against him. And she dismissed the fact that Trump led the insurrection of our nation’s Capitol on January 6th.

    Meanwhile, Suozzi has built his entire life in public service by working with anyone to get things done for the people, especially on immigration. In 2019, he worked across the aisle with Peter King to put forth bipartisan solutions to fix our border. Suozzi has long called for investments in border security while supporting a pathway to citizenship for people who follow the rules.

    In 2018, not only was he one of 18 Democrats to support funding ICE, but Suozzi was critical of the far-left in his party who wanted to abolish them.

  • Scrutiny Builds Over Mazi Pilip’s Personal Finances

    Scrutiny Builds Over Mazi Pilip’s Personal Finances

    GLEN COVE, NY (TIP): In the special election to replace George Santos, Conservative and Republican candidate Mazi Pilip is continuing to face questions and scrutiny around transparency regarding her personal finances.

    Newsday, on January 24, built on recent reporting from The New York Times and revealed that Pilip disclosed substantial discrepancies between her federal and local financial disclosures, including investments around her husband’s multiple medical start-ups, as well as the salary she made from her husband’s medical practice.

    Suozzi Senior Advisor Kim Devlin released the following statement in response:

    “This raises serious questions about the lack of vetting the Republican Party bosses conduct in naming their candidates. First George Santos and now Mazi Pilip with the murky personal finances. No wonder Mazi Pilip is refusing to meet with voters. The more we learn about her the more questions it raises.”

    “Pilip, in the county filing last May, detailed investments with her husband such as a co-op and medical startups. Her campaign said disclosure of the holdings was not required on the federal report Pilip submitted recently to the Clerk of the House of Representatives, disputing the opinion of an ethics watchdog.

    On both the county and federal disclosures, Pilip also reported income earned from her husband Dr. Adalbert Pilip’s medical practice, New York Comprehensive Medical Care, despite her campaign having said she stopped working there in 2021.

    Pilip initially had reported to the House clerk earnings of $50,000 in each of the last two years from the medical practice, where she said she worked as operations director. Pilip spokesman Brian Devine has said the House disclosure was a draft filed in error. In a revised version filed days later, Pilip reported no income from the practice in 2023 and $13,472 in 2022.

    The federal disclosures said Pilip and her husband owed the Internal Revenue Service between $100,000 and $250,000 in income tax as of April 2023. The campaign has said the debt has been paid.

    The May 2023 county disclosure also listed a debt to the IRS but didn’t specify an amount or date.

    In the Nassau disclosure, Pilip said her husband was an owner or partner in three businesses besides his main medical companies listed on the federal forms. The ventures include Infuse Chi, described in a 2022 news release as “an all-natural electrolyte hydration” powder.

    Devine said in a statement the businesses “have not taken off and have no value. As such, it is not appropriate for these entities to be reported in [the federal] disclosure.”

    The county form also listed Mazi and Adalbert Pilip as owners of a co-op in addition to their home in Great Neck. Devine said Mazi Pilip’s in laws reside at the co-op, it yielded no rental income and that lawyers with knowledge of federal reporting guidelines advised the campaign that it was not subject to disclosure.

    The property was listed on the county form under the investments category, and Kedric Payne, senior director of ethics at the Campaign Legal Center, a nonprofit watchdog in Washington, D.C., said “federal financial disclosure laws require disclosure of investment property even if it did not generate rental income.”

    What is Pilip hiding?

  • Italian American Organizations Condemn Ethnic Slur From Pilip’s Campaign

    Italian American Organizations Condemn Ethnic Slur From Pilip’s Campaign

    GLEN COVE, NY (TIP): The Order of Sons of Italy Commission on Social Justice, the National Italian American Foundation, the Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American Organizations, the Italian American Action Committee, the New York State Italian American PAC, the New York State Order of the Sons of Italy, and the former President of the New York State Sons of Italy have issued a joint statement. In today’s New York Post, Mazi Pilip said, “Tom Suozzi is the godfather of the border crisis.”

    “As Italian Americans and Italian American organizations, we condemn this anti-Italian attack and demand that Legislator Pilip apologize and refrain from issuing any other anti-Italian stereotypes in the future.”

    Bob Ferrito, National President of the Order of Sons of Italy Commission on Social Justice
    John Cavelli, National Italian American Foundation
    Judge Basil Russo, Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American Organizations
    Robert Fonti, Italian American Action Committee
    Jim Lisa, New York State Italian American PAC
    Anthony Naccarato, former President of New York State Sons of Italy
    Bob Ferrito, National President of the Order of Sons of Italy Commission on Social Justice

  • At candidate forum, Suozzi goes solo while Pilip continues to hide

    At candidate forum, Suozzi goes solo while Pilip continues to hide

    GLEN COVE, NY (TIP): Earlier tonight, former Congressman Tom Suozzi participated in the Lakeville Estates Civic Association’s Meet n’ Greet in New Hyde Park. Suozzi was the singular participant in what was originally planned as a candidate forum featuring the two candidates for the NY03 special election on February 13.

    According to the organizer of the forum, Mazi Pilip originally agreed to participate but then abruptly canceled, citing “other appointments.” Suozzi accepted the invitation as soon as it was received and appeared at this evening’s event, fielding and answering questions submitted by the public (read: voters).

    The Lakeville Estates Civic Association represents 18,000 homeowners (read: voters) in communities such as New Hyde Park, Manhasset Hills, Herricks, and Garden City Park. “Mazi Pilip did a huge disservice to the voters who came out tonight to listen to the candidates,” said Suozzi. “Nobody knows who Mazi Pilip is or what she stands for, but instead of meeting with voters and taking their questions, she has stayed hidden.

    “She blew it.”

    During the hour-long forum, Suozzi answered several questions ranging from SALT to Social Security concerns to antisemitism and gun violence prevention. He touted his record of working across the aisle to deliver for Long Island and Queens, as well as talked about his 10-Point Plan that includes proposals for many of the questions posed to him during the event.

    “We have many challenging issues that we face in this country and here in Nassau and Queens,” stated Suozzi. “The only way we will solve the problems is if both Republicans and Democrats work together, find common ground, and start fixing things!”

    Suozzi’s campaign noted that as of today, there have been 14 news outlets or civic organizations that have sent invitations to both candidates to debate or participate in candidate forums. While Suozzi has accepted five debate invites and will likely accept more, Pilip has only accepted a single debate on News 12, exactly five days before the February 13th special election and exactly five days after early voting has begun, and not accessible to the Queens’ part of the Third Congressional District. This evening voters in NY03 witnessed firsthand what Suozzi has been saying all along, “Why is Mazi Pilip hiding?”

  • Suozzi Holds Press Conference Highlighting Environmental Priorities

    Suozzi Holds Press Conference Highlighting Environmental Priorities

    Was joined and endorsed by representatives from prominent conservation and environmental organizations

    GLEN COVE, NY (TIP): Former Congressman Tom Suozzi, on January 11, held a press conference highlighting his lifelong commitment to preserving and protecting our environment and laying out his plan to continue to do so when he returns to Congress after the February 13th special election.

    At the press conference, held at a very cold and windy Sea Cliff Municipal Beach, Suozzi received enthusiastic and wholehearted endorsements from the New York League of Conservation Voters, the NRDC (National Resources Defense Council) Action Fund, and the Sierra Club Long Island Group.
    “I am grateful to the New York League of Conservation Voters Federal Fund, the League of Conservation Voters Action Fund, the NRDC Action Fund, and the Sierra Club Long Island Group for recognizing my three-decades-long commitment to preserve, protect, and clean our air, land, and water,” Suozzi said. “Just a few days ago, we celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act, and on that day, I saw an eagle fly across the sky in my hometown of Glen Cove. The hard work of a lot of dedicated people can produce results!”

    Joining Suozzi and speaking at the press conference were Julie Tighe, President of the New York League of Conservation Voters; Al Fredericks, Chair of the Political Committee of the Sierra Club’s Long Island Group; Kevin Curtis, Executive Director of the NRDC Action Fund; Danielle Fugazy Scagliola, member Glen Cove City Council; and Delia DeRiggi-Whitton, Nassau County Legislator.

    When asked about the environment as a campaign issue, Suozzi emphasized his 30-year public service record of cleaning up pollution, dramatically reducing nitrogen, modernizing sewage treatment plants, remediating groundwater, and restoring shell fishing in our local waters.

    “I’ve been a champion of the environment for my entire career. My opponent, on the other hand, parrots the talking points of the Conservative Party, which rejects the Paris Climate Change Agreement, denying that climate change is even real,” said Suozzi. “Well, I know the people that live in this district very well, and they care about the environment. They want to make sure that we clean up pollution and that we protect our air, protect our land, and protect our water.”

    “Our environment is a big part of my 10-point plan,” said Suozzi, referring to his 10-point plan released in mid-December. “My opponent just put out a 10-point plan, which looks very similar to my 10-point plan, and there is nothing on it about the environment whatsoever.” Suozzi concluded the press conference by reiterating that his opponent is hiding and refusing to debate. “The voters need to know where she stands on the environment and every other issue. She refuses to tell us anything in detail, and she refuses to debate,” furthered Suozzi. “I give detailed policy descriptions and have a record of getting things done.”

  • SUOZZI URGES BIPARTISAN APPROACH TO ADDRESS IMMIGRATION CRISIS

    SUOZZI URGES BIPARTISAN APPROACH TO ADDRESS IMMIGRATION CRISIS

    GLEN COVE, NY (TIP): Former Congressman Tom Suozzi , on January 2, called on President Biden, as well as House Speaker Mike Johnson and House Leader Hakeem Jeffries, to find common ground on border safety and immigration reform and urged the passage of bipartisan legislation to solve the migration crisis at the southern border and reform the immigration process.

    In separate letters to the President and Speaker Johnson and Minority Leader Jefferies, sent this morning, Suozzi urged that they “prioritize immigration issues” and offered up proposals for a “comprehensive, moderate solution that finally secures our border and recognizes the hardships and suffering that have resulted from the federal government’s decades-long failure to address this very real problem.”

    At a Zoom press conference held this morning, Suozzi stated, “The residents of New York’s 3rd Congressional District and the American people are angered by the inaction of their federal government on comprehensive immigration reform and border security.”

    Suozzi continued that “one party, one chamber bills will not bring safe borders and immigration reform.” He stressed that “together, we must find common ground and pass a bipartisan, bicameral bill that will secure our borders and finally address the hardships and suffering caused by decades of inaction.”

    Suozzi also discussed his prior proposal, crafted with former Republican Congressman Peter King in 2019, to bring “common sense solutions to secure our borders,” including better radar technology, improved ports of entry, enhanced physical barriers, more immigration judges, and more border patrol agents.

    During the press conference, Suozzi pointed out that a key component of his 10-Point Plan, released on December 19, 2023, included common-sense measures to address the immigration crisis. Suozzi proposes that Congress provide more border security funding to hire additional border patrol agents, immigration judges, and asylum officers, as well as securing and implementing more smart technology. He also is in favor of enhanced physical barriers and an “Ellis Island” plan to help secure the border and bring order to the current crisis.”

    “We should build a new, comprehensive complex at the border to expedite the processing of migrants. We should hire more immigration judges who would rule on asylum cases without delay,” Suozzi stated in his remarks. “Those migrants who have credible claims for asylum would be more effectively processed. And a clear protocol would be put in place to quickly deny entry to those who do not qualify. A workable plan to deport those applicants denied entry would be implemented.”

    Joining Suozzi at his press conference, the Minority Leader in the Nassau County Legislature, Delia DeRiggi-Whitton expressed her disappointment in Suozzi’s opponent, Mazi Pilip, who has served for the last two years in the legislature with DeRiggi-Whitton.

    “I had hoped that she would be someone who could make a difference in the legislature, someone who would speak up. But I have been so disappointed with her. She has followed the party line on every vote. She is not, in any way, proactive,” DeRiggi-Whitton said.

    The Minority Leader added that “at our recent budget meetings, Pilip never even asked a single question.” “I’ve tried reaching out to her, tried to engage her in conversation, and she’s never tried to even speak with me,” revealed DeRiggi-Whitton. “That’s not the kind of Congressperson this district needs,” she added.

    Pilip’s unwillingness to discuss important issues or policy, as well as her refusal to debate, has been noted in news accounts of her candidacy. Newsday recently reported that, in the county legislature, “a review of two years’ worth of transcripts shows Pilip speaks much less frequently than her colleagues. At many meetings, the only words she said into her microphone were “here” during roll call attendance and “aye” during vote tallies.”

    When asked specifically which of Pilip’s votes troubled her, DeRiggi-Whitton replied,

    “Democrats recently proposed a budget amendment to bolster the Nassau County Police Department by hiring 100 new police officers, and Mazi Pilip voted ‘NO,’ along with every other Republican.” “She had the chance to stand up for the people of Nassau, and instead, she stood down for her party. She had a chance to show her independence, a chance to vote for 100 new cops, and she refused,” DeRiggi-Whitton added later.

    DeRiggi-Whitton concluded her remarks by saying, “We have lost a year of representation in Congress with George Santos. We can’t afford to lose any more time. We can’t wait for Mazi Pilip to ‘catch up.’ She later added, “We need someone in Congress like Tom Suozzi, who knows exactly how things work in Congress, or should I say, don’t work. Tom Suozzi can fix it.”

  • Suozzi agrees to two scheduled Televised debates and welcomes more

    Suozzi agrees to two scheduled Televised debates and welcomes more

    GLEN COVE, NY (TIP): The Suozzi for Congress campaign today announced that Tom Suozzi has accepted two scheduled televised debate invitations…and he welcomes more. A special election will be held on February 13, 2024, to fulfill the remainder of expelled Republican George Santos’ congressional term.
    “Now more than ever, it’s vital that the people of Nassau and Queens understand who they are sending to Congress, what they believe, and how they will approach the big problems facing our country,” stated Suozzi for Congress senior advisor Kim Devlin. “Tom has demonstrated time and again that he is someone who will put aside politics and work with Democrats and Republicans to get things done. He’s looking forward to discussing his record and his plan to restore sanity to Washington, D.C., in at least two televised debates. It is our hope that his opponent will commit to doing the same.”
    Since entering the race for New York’s Third Congressional District, Suozzi’s opponent has refused to answer questions regarding her position on key issues, whether she voted for Donald Trump in the 2020 election or if she supports Trump in the Republican primary for president. Even more alarming, the Republican and Conservative nominee has not given a straight answer about how she will address gun violence prevention or if she supports codifying Roe v. Wade federally.
    “Tom’s opponent’s statements raise more questions than answers. We have seen this before,” continued Devlin. “The people of Nassau and Queens have no idea how she will tackle the serious issues Congress needs to address or if she will vote lockstep with MAGA Republicans.”
    “Voters deserve to know exactly who they are sending to Washington to represent them.”
    Suozzi has accepted debate invitations from WABC and WNBC.

  • SUOZZI: ON THE GROUND IN ISRAEL

    SUOZZI: ON THE GROUND IN ISRAEL

    GLEN COVE, NY (TIP): While most Long Islanders were preparing for the long holiday weekend, Tom Suozzi was on the ground in Israel. “The reason I came here was to very clearly demonstrate my solidarity with Israel and with the Jewish people and learn first-hand, on the ground, of what exactly is happening in Israel,” explained Suozzi. The former Congressman met with his former constituents, Ronen and Orna Neutra, from Plainview, Long Island, whose son, Omer, an IDF tank commander, is being held hostage by Hamas terrorists.

    “I can’t imagine what they are going through, incredible suffering, all the families of the hostages. Coming to Israel was an important way to bring attention to this issue,” Suozzi said.

    Suozzi also met with Lt. Col. (Res.) Jonathan Conricus, the former International Spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces to discuss the geopolitical overview of Israel and was given up-to-the-minute reports on the fighting. Suozzi then toured Kibbutz Kfar Azza, located a few kilometers from the Gaza border (the “Gaza envelope”), where, on the morning of October 7th, 2023, Hamas terrorists carried out a bloody massacre, killing 60 people, including women, children, and infants.

    “It was just devastating to see the carnage, awful, between the bullet holes and the
    bloodstained ground, the markings on the buildings, dots, indicating where the murders had taken place. I will never forget it as long as I live,” Suozzi said. “Barbaric. Words cannot describe the horror of what I heard.”

    “I hear sometimes that Hamas is described as a random, loose coalition of desert fighters. They are not. Hamas is a sophisticated, disciplined terrorist army that is intent on killing Jews everywhere and destroying the state of Israel, burning it to the ground,” Suozzi explained.

    He said he was especially concerned about Hamas using human shields to protect their military assets. Suozzi referred to a bill that he had passed to penalize and sanction the use of these human shields.

    “Hamas has amassed billions of dollars, and instead of building bridges for peace, they dug tunnels for terrorists,” said Suozzi. “It’s a very common practice here, part of the Hamas playbook, building a network of tunnels leading into hospitals and schools and apartment houses, hiding their weapons and bombs…they are the ones putting their people in harm’s way, they are killing their own people.”
    “I’ve been hearing the slogan Free Palestine a lot lately. What we need to do is to ‘Free Palestine from Hamas,’ and figure out a way to bring peace to both sides.”

    “This war is not about revenge or retribution; it is about stopping Hamas just like the world did against Osama and Isis and Al Qaeda.” Suozzi made a point to say that America needs “pro-Israel Democrats” to balance those in the party who are “very loud” opposing Israeli efforts and to work with Republicans who support Israel.

    “One of the keys to the future of Israel is that we maintain a strong, bipartisan support for the state. So, we need strong, outspoken pro-Israel Democrats in Congress,” he added.

    Suozzi traveled to Tel Aviv to visit Hostage Square, outside the Art Museum, where families and others gather to support and promote awareness for returning the hostages.

    And he dined with Amos Harel, one of Israel’s leading media experts on military and defense issues to discuss the broader issues of regional strategy, the relationship of Israel with its neighbors and the future of the Middle East.

    This was Suozzi’s third visit to Israel in recent years. In his first term, Suozzi, then a member of the House Foreign Affairs and Armed Services Committee, visited in August 2017. Several years earlier, in 2002, during the Second Intifada, Suozzi traveled to Israel with the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC).

  • Suozzi Unveils 10-Point Plan to Help Restore Sanity to Washington and Get Things Done

    Suozzi Unveils 10-Point Plan to Help Restore Sanity to Washington and Get Things Done

    GLEN COVE, NEW YORK (TIP): Former Congressman Tom Suozzi, on December 19, unveiled a 10-point plan to help restore sanity to Washington and get things done. The intention of Suozzi rolling out his plan is to demonstrate his belief that Congress needs to move beyond petty, partisan, and performative finger-pointing and focus on working across the aisle to get things done for the people he serves. Suozzi has a long record of working with Democrats and Republicans to tackle the problems that the people of Nassau and Queens face. Suozzi’s 10-Point Plan is in sharp contrast to his opponent Mazi Pilip’s refusing to answer reporter’s questions about her positions on the issues.
    “Throughout my career, I have always prioritized delivering results for the people over petty partisan politics,” said Suozzi. “The growing influence of the far right and far left has led to gridlock in Congress. My 10-point plan is a blueprint to address the real concerns people face and my intention to work with anyone of goodwill who has the same objective of actually addressing challenging problems and working together to come up with a solution.”

    The plan  details Suozzi’s blueprint to:
    1. Lower the Cost of Living, Repeal the SALT Cap, and Further Reduce Prescription Drug Prices
    2. Address the Immigration Crisis by Passing the Tom Suozzi-Peter King Compromise
    3. Protect the Long Island Sound, Provide Clean Drinking Water, and Address Climate Change
    4. Improve Public Safety and Get Guns off the Streets
    5. Stand Up to Extreme Attacks on Reproductive Freedom
    6. Support Israel and Ukraine
    7. Never Forget the Vet
    8. Expand Affordable Health Care and Long-Term Care, and Protect Social Security and Medicare
    9. Defend Democracy
    10. “No Wrong Door”: Comprehensive, Wraparound Social Services for K-12 Students

    The special election is on February 13th, 2024.

  • State Must Revise Affordable Housing Proposal

    State Must Revise Affordable Housing Proposal

    As an elected official and a fellow Democrat, I urge New York State Governor Kathy Hochul and our state representatives not to adopt the housing proposal in its current form as part of the forthcoming state budget.

    One of the most amazing things about New York State is the diverse options of places to live, including rural towns, suburban bedroom communities, bustling metropolitan areas and everything in between. As a result of this diversity, communities across our state are presented with different and unique challenges.

    On Long Island, we face a unique issue of living on top of our drinking water, and the threat of saltwater intrusion caused by overdrawing from our single-source aquifer something we must always be vigilant about preventing. We must also be especially cognizant of traffic problems. Anyone traveling, especially at rush hour, knows how congested our roadways have become – and sometimes, it has taken me 40 minutes to travel from Mineola to Glen Cove. And last but certainly not least, many of our schools face budget concerns and overcrowding and would struggle to take on more students.

    Local governments are very well attuned to the specific needs and challenges facing the communities they serve. Unfortunately, the Governor’s current proposal would undermine local control by establishing minimum benchmarks for affordable housing growth – and creating a mechanism by which developers can do an end-run around local zoning if those benchmarks are not met. To have the state come in and impose a one-size-fits-all mandate is, in my opinion, truly irresponsible and counterproductive.

    Much like bail reform in previous years, the crucial issue of affordable housing is being linked to the Governor’s budget proposal, placing undue duress on state representatives to make an all-or-nothing vote for or against the entire budget. I once again implore our state officials to hear the voices of local community leaders, environmental experts, first responders and their partners in government to oppose the proposal in its current form.

    Let’s instead go back to the drawing board, take away the threats of state mandates, and work more closely with local towns, counties, villages, and cities to identify community-driven opportunities to incentivize revitalization, smart growth, and new transit-oriented development that will carry us all toward a more prosperous future.
    (Delia DeRiggi-Whitton, of Glen Cove, a Nassau County legislator representing the 11th District, is the ranking member of the Legislature’s Committee on Health & Social Services)