Date Printed: 06/11/2009 JTS Box Number: IFES 74 Tab Number: 174 Document Title: Voter Guide -- Queens Document Date: 1991 Document Country: United States -- New York Document Language: English IFES ID: CE02412 11111111 ~~I~II~II~ I~ ~I ~ml ~I~~II ~~ C B F 4 7 49- 1 1 56- B 5 2 1 A C B * Borough of Queens Welcome to the 1991 City Council General Election Voter Guide This is an important election year for all New Yorkers. Recent changes in the City Chaner, approved in 1989 by the voters, have increased the number of City Council districts from 35 to 51. The purpose of the redistricting was to make the City Council more representative of the City's many diverse communities. This means that this year you will he electing a Council member for a different and smalier district. The new Charter, among other things, also gave the City Council greater powers over the City's budget and land use. These changes make it even more important that voters have the chance to make informed choices abollt who their City Council representatives will be. This Voter Guide is intended to cia just that. Il is an 'impartial sOllrce ofinfonnation about the Council candidates, puhlished hy the New York City Campaign Finance Board, an independent, non-partisan New York City agency. This edition of (he Voter Guide is being mailed to voters for the November 5 General Election. The Campaign Finance Board Sent a previous edition to voters for the ~ptcmher 12th primal)' elections. In addition to producing the Voter Guide. the Campaign Finance Board administers New York City's Campaign Finance Progmm. The Prograrn has several important goals: to lessen the influence of big money on local e1e<..1ions; to control campaign spending; to give serious candidates a fair chance to nm for public office; and to provide voters with more' and heuer infonnation about candidates' campaign finances than ever before. You can read more ahout the Program in the "N.Y.C. Campaign Finance Program" section of this Guide. The Voter Guide was first puhlished for New York City's 1989 municipal elections and was widely prJised for giving Voters infonnation they need to choose their elected officials. We at the Campaign Finance Board helieve that the 1991 Voter Guide will help YQu better understand who is seeking your vote and why. Chainnan New York City Campaign Fin;mce Board R ~ .... ""' . .,-; -' "',' t .~ci%'N~= <,.j ~ ~ .~ INTRODUCI10N • QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUI' VOTING • YOUR RIGHTS AS A VOTER • HOW TO USE THE VOTING MACHINE • THE N.Y.C. CAMPAIGN FINANCE PROGRAM • THE CANDIDATES • COUN.cIL DISTRICT MAP The New York City Campaign Finance Board Joseph A. O'Hare, SJ. Chairman ' . James I. Lewis, Joseph Messina, Sonia Sotomayor Nicole A. Gordon Executive Director Carule Campolo I~epllty Executive Director This Voter Guide W:lS prepared hy the COIl1mUniGHions staff of the New York City Campaign Fin=mce Ik>ard: ~lar.l i':cville (Director). Lori Ann DlIgg~1I1 (Deputy Director). Ad~ll11 Cmdeub. Nicole Fluhr, Gavin Smith, and Maura Starkey, :lnd Erin Dozier ~lI1d Timur K~ly~1 YonlUr (interns'). \ The New York Cily Campaign Finance Board 40 Rector Street, 7th Floor l\:ew York, New York 10006 I The i\'ew York City 1991 Voter Guide. Copyright ©l99f by the i\'c\\' York City Clmpa,ign FirlalKc Board. All rights reserved. Cllldiciate Slalclllen!.S comaincd in this Voter Guide do nOI represent thc ~'ie\\"s oflile NYC Cllnpaign Finance Board. Maps provided hy the New York City Districting Commission. ;"lade in ClI1ad~1. Finishing in the United ~tales. G NEW YORK CITY biZ,~ I 'tY CAMPAIGN FINANCE BOARD \\W INTRODUcnON 'nlis Guide gives you infonnation about voting. the candidates, and N'ew York City's historic 1991 City Council elections. '!1le Guide has six sections: 1. "Questions and Answers About Voting" has infornla­ tion about the General Election and answers common questions aholl[ voting. 2. "Your Rights as a Voter" list.., the right... you have as a voter. 3. "How to Usc the Voting Machine" shows how to vote using New York City's voting machines. 4. "The N. v.c. Campaign Finance Program" explains h()\\' New York City's Campaign Finance Progr~lI11 promotes competitive, democratic. local dec.lions. 5. "The Candidates" has a list of the candidates, photo­ graphs. background information, :Ind statements as sup­ plied to the B6:lrd hy City Council candidates. 6. The "Council District Map" shows your borough di­ vided into new Council DistricL~. 7beCouIlcilIJistrict lilies ha(,'e lX!eH cballged this year. Alake sure )Vlt k110W)'01l1' diSl1ict. You call cal/the Board ojHlectiol1sat (212) von~'­ NYC (212-868-3692) for tlpdatexl ill/01'nltltioll ahollf which CoullcillJistricl you live in. General Election Date: Tuesday, November 5, 1991 The polls will be open frolll 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. You l11ust be at your polling site no later (han 9:00 p.m. in order 10 vote. All registered voters arc eligible 10 vote on j\lovcmhcr 5. INTRODUcnON 3 Q'UESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT VOTING WHY ARE NEW YORKERS £lECTING A NEW CITY COUNCIL THIS Y£AR? Two years ago. the United State:-; Supreme Court nded that the \\,~Iy ~'c\V York City's Board of Eslim~lte represented individual ~'t.:w Yorkers violated the principle of "one person, one vote." As a result, [he New York City Charter l{evision Commission proposed a new plan ,for New York City government which was approvcd by New York City voters in 1989. This new plan called for a City Council of 51 memhers instead of the current 3; and gavc mure powcrs and new responsihilities to the City Council. COlillcilmemhers are usually e1eCll'cI [0 -<i-year refillS. The last general election for rhe Council was in 1989. Because of the recent changes in l\'ew York City government. the neW City Ch~lIler requires additional elections this ycar to choose a new, I;irgerCityCollncil. There will be Council elections again in 1993 for the regular 4-year term. WHAT IS THE NEW YORK CITY COUNCIL, AND WHAT DOn IT DO? The City Council is the law-lll~lking or "Iegislativc" br'<Inch of City gm·ernment. Il passes local laws for New York City. E~lch Council member will represent one of the new .:; 1 Council districts. The City Council has new responsibilitics ovcr, for example, land-use decisions, such as when.: to build a ..-choo!, a public playground, ora jail. The Council also h~ls more contf()1 over New York City's multi-billion dollar hudget. Council memhers receive an annllal hase sabl)' of 55':;,000, ami Council leaders or chairs of committees receh'c more money. Council memhers may hold other johs in addition to their Council seats. HOW WERE THE 51 NEW CITY COUNCIL DISTRICTS CREAUD? The new City Charter created a "Dislricting COll1mission" to dr;!w IXllIndaries f()rthe.,1 newCoullcii districts. The Districting Commissimfs job was to draw Council districts that would. :U110ng other things, give mort.: voting power to under-repre­ ~L'llIed groups. "1111.: Cniled States .Justice DqxlI1ment has rC"iewed the Distrkting COlllmbsion's lines to make sure the lines :lre ~Icceplahle under tht: Voting Hights Aer. the federalla\\' which protects minorilies' ,"oting rights. 4 VOTING Q'S-AND-A'S IF THERE ARE NEW COUNCIL OIST1UCTS THIS YEA~, HOW 00·1 KNOW WHICH COUNCIL OISnlCT I LIVE IN? To find out your new Council district, use Ihe Tnap in the middle of this Guide. You can only VOle for ~l <..-andidate running in your dL<;ui<..1. To confinn your Council district, call the Board of Ekx:tion.<; at (212) VOTE-l\'YC (212-8(18-3692). HOW 00 I KNOW WHICH CANOIOATES ARE ~UNNING IN MY OISnICT? Once you know your new Council di"trit.1, match me district numt.1ef with the Tlllml~r on the side of each C"•.mdidate page. For example, if you live in the 51st wundl District, you can vote only for one of the candidates li<;[ed for the "51st Council Disulct." To.sec a lL... ting of :ill the candidates nmning in your dL<;trict, look at "The Candidates at a Glance" pages at the beginning or 'The Capdidates" section. WIL~ ALL CANOIOATES IN THIS GUIOE ALSO APPEA~ ON THE 8ALLOT? Not always. After pn..'"ss til,ne, some candidate:; I1].LlY drop out of the iJee, Of may be knocked off the ballot by coun challenge...... So, it is fXJ........ ible that somc candidate...... Inay he in this Guide but may not ap~lron the final hallot.lt is abo rx)ssible that some C"Jndidatesmay I~ Ibtt...'<:1 on a [Xllitical party line on the Ixlliot that is different from the one shown in the Guide ix.'L':1uSC of court challenges. Check the sample hallot at your polling place before you vote. WILL ALL CANOIOATESON THE 8ALLOT APPEA~ IN THIS GUIOE? Not always. Somc <.:mclid:.ltes Ill:'~y not havc sent in Voter Guide sl.atemenL.... (lr pll( It()S (lr sent them lex) late to be includ<xl. Also, some L':mdidalcs Illay appear 011 the ballot tx...'L';.IUSC of court challenges or cOUll-ordered dcctions, and, as a result, the C"J.ndidates on the ballot may he dilferenl fIllllllhosc shown in this·Guide. The names of the GlIldidatcs known to he. on the hallot at press lime will appear on the "Candid:.Hes at a Glancc"'pages found at the I~ginning of "lllC CandicI:.ItL--s" &<.1ion. AIs< " you n1:.IY I~ voting /()r(llher offices thb year, such as distri<.1 anomeys and judgc....