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Op-Ed: Don’t Overlook The Importance of State Government

Johanna Carmona

Johanna Carmona is a candidate running for the 37th Assembly District, which covers Sunnyside, Woodside, Long Island City, Maspeth and Ridgewood (Photo: Carmona for Assembly)

June 18, 2022 Op-Ed By Johanna Carmona Candidate for Assembly District 37

The importance of the New York State government often goes overlooked in our big city.

As someone who worked in Assemblywoman Cathy Nolan’s district office during my college years, before I went on to law school and became an attorney, I want to explain to our community how state government is part of our daily lives.

Connecting with constituents and delivering for you at the State-level are a couple of the reasons I am running for the New York State Assembly in the Democratic Primary on Tuesday, June 28 with early voting starting Saturday, June 18th.

State laws keep our families safe. As a special victims prosecutor in the Brooklyn District Attorney’s office, I was a fierce defender of children and families victimized by serious crimes.

Any efforts to hurt survivors will not have my support. I know that I have the skills to serve in the Assembly on the committees that will re-examine, redraft and pass laws to address the crime crisis. It takes consensus, listening, and leading to make a difference in this area and I know that I will be a full-time Assemblywoman in the criminal justice arena.

My parents have lived in Sunnyside for almost 35 years, immigrants from Colombia. When my mother had a stroke, it was community-based health care, regulated by New York State laws that helped our family. My mother continues to live at home because of good home health care.

I am a lifelong tenant who played in our parks, studied in our public libraries, and took subways and buses to school and work. Housing laws, public transit funding, and funds for health care, parks, libraries, and schools are all part of Albany’s billion-dollar taxpayer-funded budget.

My background in community work and volunteering means I can immediately be an effective advocate for local groups. As the Latina/Hispanic community liaison in Cathy Nolan’s office, I worked with Woodside legend, the late Alice Cardona, an activist who devoted her life to fighting for equality and women’s rights. She taught me to listen to people and use my Spanish language skills to help resolve their problems and provide resources to those in need.

Diane Ballek, chair of the 108th Precinct Community Council, and I helped tenants with their rent stabilization, Section 8 paperwork, and Senior Citizens Rent Increase Exemption programs. I know that our seniors and families need help to stay in their homes. I will go to Albany ready to serve and review health, housing, and other vital laws.

There is a long tradition in our district of women serving in elected office but that is not the case statewide. Women legislators still make up less than 50 percent of the state legislature. As the only woman running and as a lawyer, I pledge to preserve and protect women’s reproductive choices, their health care, and their privacy to make decisions with their doctors and family. I will be a leader in this no matter what men in Washington or Albany do.

My campaign has earned the support of unions like the Laborers, Firefighters, and Law Enforcement unions because they believe I will hit the ground running in Albany, protecting workers’ rights, as I have as an attorney for 9/11 victims, many of whom include first responders.

I have the support of our retiring Assemblywoman in part because I will continue to work on paid family leave for our families, rights for the neglected like farm workers, and rights for communities like my LGBTQIA+ friends and neighbors, whose lives are under attack nationwide.

And I have the support of many in the community in which I grew up. In particular, my neighbors and immigrant groups in our district because I will never forget where I came from, and how hard my parents worked to help me achieve an education and success.

I am running for the Assembly because this is my time to give back to my beloved neighborhood and those that supported me in my journey to do good work for all the people in our district, to fight for families, for a clean and resilient environment, public safety, education, health care, and for our future.

Join me, I will listen to you and all voices, and we will go to Albany together and keep our community strong and our families and local businesses thriving.

Johanna Carmona is a candidate running for the 37th Assembly District, which covers Sunnyside, Woodside, Long Island City, Maspeth and Ridgewood

email the author: [email protected]

17 Comments

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sunnysider

where was she and what was she doing the past 2 plus years when our community was going throught covid 19 and we had no money or food in our community

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Republicans believe in myths fairytales and conspiracy theories

Sunnysider – “No money or food in our community”. You sound delusional.

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Adam M.

This comment sounds like it’s from one of the other candidates running haha.

Not sure if you know, she wasn’t in politics and this is her first time running. Also she has always been a part of the community, she’s from Sunnyside…. Unlike the other candidates who are from different parts and have 2 years to move to our area (district 37) if they win. At least she’s been here with us and knows what’s going on.

She’s always around the neighborhood so you’ll probably see her sooner or later. Really nice person.

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Sunnyside with Woodside

She wasn’t in politics yet, this is her first time running. She goes to community meetings though, I’ve seen her as she was born and raised in Sunnyside and still lives in the area. Better than others that live outside and have no idea what is going on in district 37.

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Smh

“… rights for communities like my LGBTQIA+ friends and neighbors, whose lives are under attack nationwide.”

Over exaggeration?!?! Is it as bad as anti Asian and anti Semetic crime? The real crime is pushing gender affirmation and the surgery on kids.

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Smh

Stop drinking the Kool Aid of misinformation, Barb. The 16 people were killed in a span of 6 years. So basically you are adding to the exaggeration. You want to discuss a real problem, why don’t you address the black on black deaths in the country? Even you can’t fudge those numbers. And the misinformation keeps rolling. You are citing from a liberal news outlet with a biased reporter. But if you want to play that game, why don’t you watch Matt Walsh’s documentary: “What is a woman?”

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David

@smh-OK,murder is fine as long as it’s spaced out and “the right victim”.Hahaha Matt Walsh has labeled himself Catholic and a “theocratic fascist” in a Daily Wire column. Basically someone who is arrogant enough to cram his religious beliefs down other peoples throats and even force them to live under them. I’ll take my chances with sources like Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders published by the American Psychiatric Association (APA)., Jack Turban, a doctor and fellow in child and adolescent psychiatry at Stanford University School of Medicine, Instead, major medical organizations such as the American Academy of Pediatrics and the other sources in the Washington Post Article provided by Barbara. We already know the Catholic history with children.

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Smh

You silly goose. You like to divert attention and put words in my post. My main argument is the frequency of these deaths. Barb made it seem that this is a daily occurrence like black on black deaths. Comments? I didn’t think so.

Mr. Turban is a gay man and shows his bias in his research. It doesn’t matter what your credentials are. If you are an activist first, how you think, practice and teach will reflect it. Look at yourself. Look at the author of the article. Its obvious where her bias is and of course she will use sources that strengthen her argument. But where is the objectivity? Isn’t she a “journalist” for a renown newspaper? She’s an activist first, then a “jorunalist” much like Mr. Turban is an activist first, before he is a doctor. There is another medical organization by the way The American College of Pediatricians refutes Mr. Turban’s claims.

And your simple mind forgets that Medicine is a business. A health system cannot afford to lose business and lose patients directly or indirectly from personal beliefs, so of course more and more organizations will cater to trannies. They might not agree with what they are doing, but they won’t discriminate because it hurts the bottom line.

Smh

Lmao. Self admitted?!? He was being sarcastic. Liberals assume a quote and or a phrase without knowing or understanding the full context and get their panties in a bunch… until they realize that they have a penis there. Silly silly people. To quote my friend the Fox News Famboy: Republicans are gullible… but Liberals sure are dumb!!! And what’s wrong with Catholics, Dave? I’m sure the Irish, the Hispanics, the Polish, the Italians etc of Sunnyside want your insights?

Anonymous

Wow a real person looking to represent every part of the community that she was born and raised in. And she actually said it without saying she has a 5 point plan and referring voters to a website. How refreshing!

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Margret

I like her platform and talking points. Just hoping she is not masking a Moderate Democrat to get those voters to vote for her in her district and and gets elected and turns into a progressive democrat. I mean she is Latina and that’s a plus for Western Queens voters.

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Irish Sunnysider

As someone that has grown up with her and known her for 15 years, she’s a good person with an honest heart and true to their word.

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Lois

Johanna is the right person for the Assembly seat now held by Cathy Nolan. The 37th AD needs her.

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Gardens Watcher

Carmona is clearly the best candidate for the 37th Assembly District. Her Op-Ed lays out many of the reasons why her skill set is perfect for the job, but I would add that she has the right temperament and personable skills to be a very effective legislator in Albany.

I am proud to cast my vote for Johanna Carmona.

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