Local Republican Leader Slams Plan For Asian Majority District
The Republican District Leader for the 49th Assembly District released a statement sharply criticizing a plan that would create a new 51% Asian district by combining portions of Sunset Park and Bensonhurst.
In a statement sent to Bensonhurst Bean by the Fiorello LaGuardia Republican Club, Lucretia Regina-Potter called the newly drawn district borders “arbitrary, capricious and politically motivated.” Regina-Potter blamed Republicans as well as Democrats for the gerrymandering, claiming both parties had done so merely to “preserve their political position.”
In a letter to Governor Cuomo – who has vowed to veto the current Assembly and Senate redistricting plans – Regina-Potter also accused political operatives of attempting to personally remove her from the position of District Leader and destroy the base of her constituency, “thus eliminating any possible future challenges as candidate for public office.”
Here’s the full statement, as well as an open letter to Governor Andrew Cuomo:
Statement on the Proposed Reapportionment of the 49th Assembly District
by Lucretia Regina-Potter
As the Female Republican District Leader of the 49th Assembly District, I vehemently oppose the latest proposed reapportionment of the 49th AD by the NYS Legislative Task Force on Demographic Research and Reapportionment (LAFTOR). The lines that have been drawn are arbitrary, capricious, and politically motivated attempts by the legislators of BOTH parties whose only preoccupation is to preserve their political position.
In my opinion, their actions of self-preservation go even further in the 49th Assembly District. I strongly believe these actions show a clear conspiracy and the outright and prevailing intent to eliminate my position as the duly elected Female Republican District Leader of the 49th AD. This is in fact evident when we look at the map of the new district as suggested by LAFTOR. http://www.latfor.state.ny.us/maps/prop2012a/pa049.pdf
The camouflage becomes more evident when LAFTOR claims that their intent is to create an Asian-American district out of the 49th AD, which has historically been an Italian –American district: a falsis principiis proficisci or a false starting premise. At this point, the question can be raised: Why is an Asian-American district better than an Italian-American district? Why the change? A change of a district lines based only on ethnic reasons is outright wrong, divisive, and even against the law. When we consider that affinity and community interests should be an integral part of the make up of any district we discover that these factors are conspicuously missing.
To cut me out of the 49th AD and place me into the 46th AD serves only to get rid of a viable opponent and possible challenger through a candidacy for office to the powers that be, regardless of political affiliation. It is for these reasons that I strongly support Governor Cuomo’s determination to veto all the proposed redistricting plans. To that effect, I have sent the following letter to only person who has the power to stop this farce and bring positive changes to the actions of those people who make up what has been described as the most “dysfunctional legislature in the United States.”
No one has crossed the Rubicon yet! I strongly urge all people who love good and fair government “of the people, by the people, for the people” to do something. Step up and be counted!“Ante alea iacta est” or before the die is cast.
Lucretia Regina-Potter is the Female Republican District Leader of the 49th Assembly District in Brooklyn, N.Y. She can be reached at contact@LucretiaRegina-Potter.comwww.LucretiaRegina-Potter.com
Letter to Governor Cuomo:_________________________________________________________________________________January 30, 2012Dear Governor Cuomo:
As the Female Republican District Leader of the 49 Assembly District, I would like to add my opposition to the proposed reapportionment of the NYS Assembly Districts and in particular, of the 49th AD in Brooklyn. The politicians of both parties camouflage the issue under the appearance of creating districts that better represent their ethnic composition. However, they are disenfranchising thousands of people, mostly of the same background who have lived in the same community for generations. The proposed reapportionment of the 49thAD also denies these people of their constitutional right to live in an area of their choice. Many the reasons that affect their choice include affinity, as well as shared geographic and community interests.
My Italian-American ancestors, just like your ancestors, decided to live and raise their family in an area of their choice. I have lived and raised my children in Bensonhurst, one of the most Italian-American communities in the State of New York. This community has always welcomed immigrants of many ethnic groups, and today we can proudly say that our community is one of the best examples of people living together and working hard regardless of their ethnic background. I believe to express the opinion of the greatest majority of the people of Dyker Heights, Bath Beach, Bensonhurst, and Bay Ridge when I say that reapportionments based only on ethnic reason, and disregarding the natural geographical locations and affinity denomination of the population of a community, is not the intended objective of the law.
One example of the political manipulation and distortion of the intent of the law is the 46thAssembly District, where a part of the district is connected to the rest of the district only by virtue of miles of unpopulated highway. This is not only absurd, but also against any practical reason for the establishment of the disparity of such a district.
In my modest opinion, the only reason why the 49th AD is being “sliced and diced” appears to be a direct and blatant attempt to eliminate and remove me from my strong position of District Leader and the destruction of the base of my constituency, thus eliminating any possible future challenges as candidate for public office.
I support your stand on this issue and I sincerely hope that you will veto such a blatant disregard of the rights of the people and reckless actions of members of the legislature of both parties.Sincerely, Lucretia Regina-PotterRepublican District Leader 49AD___________________________________________________________________________________________Proposed Map of 49th AD-LAFTOR