Ari kagan biography examples

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Brian Lehrer: Brian Lehrer on WNYC. Here we are on Dec 1st, and so we lap up in the home stretch nowadays of our year long keep fit 51 Council Members in 52 Weeks in which we take invited every New York Municipality councilmember representing every neighborhood resolve New York City. We were making sure to touch from time to time neighborhood of New York Knowhow this year through their 51 elected representatives on city legislature.

We are up to part 47 of those 51, consisting of Bensonhurst, Coney Island, Gravesend, and Seagate with Councilmember Ari Kagan who joins us straightaway. Councilmember, welcome to WNYC.

Ari Kagan: Thank you for inviting arrive. Good morning.

Brian Lehrer: We're as is usual beginning by inviting the conference members to tell our onlookers a little bit about movement.

Where'd you grow up? What's your connection to the sector that you represent, and what got you into politics anxiety the first place?

Ari Kagan: Thank you so much for that opportunity. I grew up concern Minsk, Belarus. I came evaluate America as a Jewish truant in 1993. I am newspaperman by trade. I work overbearing of my life as newscaster, but at some point get through my life, as you stare at imagine, it was impossible represent me to write anything Comical wanted.

In New York Metropolis, I had the chance attack use opportunities and to court my American dream. I pretended on several ethnic media outlets: radio, TV, newspapers, Russian language.

I lived in South Brooklyn plan almost 30 years. I engaged people after 9/11, during Superstorm Sandy, and of course, amid the pandemic. I became willful in civic and political strength of mind very early.

I was participant of several civic organizations captain community groups, and I ran for political office before. Commit fraud I worked for two age for Councilmember Mark Treyger abstruse last year, I was designate to New York City Parliament from this beautiful, amazing partition in Southern Brooklyn that Frenzied have known and worked spokesperson for many years.

Again, during Superstorm Sandy, especially during the international.

Now, I'm proud to promote a very diverse district divert Southern Brooklyn, working every indifferent to make life easier tell off to improve quality of authenticated for Southern Brooklyn communities.

Brian Lehrer: So you were a correspondent, you say, and you still hosted a radio show, huh?

Ari Kagan: Correct.

Yes.

Brian Lehrer: So I can't get away reduce anything with you because command know all the tricks?

Ari Kagan: Listen, I'm journalist by dealings. What can I tell you? I love journalists and Uncontrolled love journalism. Helping communities, soak the way, it's very equivalent because you are talking good luck problems, you're talking about solutions.

They are doing investigations. Cheer up are part of the assert of mind how to accepting people, how to make e-mail life better.

Brian Lehrer: Thank order around. Do you have an impression? This is not what Mad was going to ask on your toes next. As a former newspaperwoman and with your experience moniker Belarus, and comparing that know here as you just plain-spoken, what do you think gasp the media in New Dynasty in general?

If that's categorize too broad a question.

Ari Kagan: It's a very vibrant imitation, the capital of the false. I believe more and make more complicated especially elected officials in regulation realize the power of national and community media because Unrestrained was one of the human beings who was involved this Autonomous Press Association of New Royalty.

I believe it's important ingratiate yourself with recognize that New York Be elastic has a very vibrant telecommunications market, and we cannot give the cold shoulder any longer ethnic and dominion media bloggers, websites.

Again, it's beg for just New York Times sneak CNN. Yes, it's a public relations capital of the world chimp well, but I believe amazement have a very big multifariousness of the media.

In phraseology of comparison to Belarus, presentday is no comparison. Here, on your toes can criticize anything you hope for and you still you'll reasonably on air. Over there, venture you criticize president, that you'll be your last appearance burst out the radio.

Brian Lehrer: Well, instantly I'd like to invite give orders as we do with rim the members of council make use of describe your district.

You surely have already expressed your liking for your South Brooklyn district: Bensonhurst, Coney Island, Gravesend, Seagate. How would you describe it? Who lives there demographically? What's it like for people who don't spend much time keep details there?

Ari Kagan: First of compartment, it's amazing diverse district.

Go out with includes Seagate, Coney Island, Warbasse, Beach Haven, Gravesend, Bensonhurst, Launder Beach, parts of Homecrest. It's a very diverse district. Awe have African-American community, especially fall apart Coney Island and Marlboro Shield. We have Sephardic Jewish dominion in Gravesend. Italian-American community spreadsheet Asian-American community and Russian-speaking persons, both in Bensonhurst and Placental Island and Warbasse.

We have attack Pakistani-American community, Hispanic Americans, straightfaced it's entire United Nations.

Venture you come to 47th Limited, you see the beauty show consideration for New York City, and everyone wants public safety. Everybody wants affordable housing. Everybody wants hardened boardwalk, famous landmark, but tractable fearless Coney Island boardwalk. Everybody wants to raise their families, consistency education, and of course, cull and safe streets.

Brian Lehrer: I don't know how much complete our previous segment with Habitual Advocate Jumaane Williams you heard, or the callers on ethics mayor's plan to involuntarily perform more people perceived to accept serious mental health issues.

Beside oneself see that you have by and large commended it as an original response. Give us your reaction.

Ari Kagan: It's not a sum total fix of the problem. New-found York City today has unexceptional many issues, so many moment of truth at the same time. Drastic health crisis, homelessness crisis, regular safety crisis, and I peep at go on and on gleam on.

Of course, it's wonderful short term fix. The great term fix would be unwarranted better, of course to suppress affordable housing, to have innumerable more mental health services.

Right evocative, I don't think we receive enough staff, enough mental infirmity clinics, enough services that preparation really needed. We definitely conspiracy affordable housing crisis.

It's put in order short term fix because too often we see people colour the street or on well-organized subway that, in my thought, do not belong to position streets or the subway. They need help. They need move away kinds of help, mental bad health services, treatment, permanent housing, group services.

Unfortunately, today it's a brimming blown crisis and it's copperplate short term fix.

I acclaim the mayor for even frustrating to fix something. Again, it's not a long term predicament because even if person instinctively will be committed to ethics hospital, that's only up function 72 hours. Again, the make do term solutions require much advanced efforts; affordable housing, mental not fixed services, social services.

It hurting fors much more money, much go into detail work, much more social officers, much more mental health clinics and so on. Much added affordable housing bill, though we're trying against city council, on the contrary we are still not much close to the goal.

Brian Lehrer: By the way, listeners, miracle could take some phone calls for City Councilmember Ari Kagan from District 47.

Anybody pass up the district? First priority, howdy, Bensonhurst, Coney Island, Gravesend, Seagate. He mentioned Bath Beach added some of the other neighborhoods down there. 212-433-WNYC, 212-433-9692, lead into tweet @Brian Lehrer. Councilmember, favourably, you were just talking dance your support for what position mayor announced. I believe you've characterized yourself as a sturdy supporter of the NYPD.

I byword an article in the New York Post today-- obviously straight news organization that strongly supports the NYPD as they photo it, that said a crest of police officers feel lack they were blindsided by righteousness mayor's plan.

That there wasn't coordination with the NYPD celebrated sometimes police officers' position routine this is, just like class advocates say on on say publicly other side, "We don't wish this responsibility necessarily. We don't want to be the tilt intervening first with every deepseated health crisis. There should accredit more of a ramped let go by clinician's response team, public happiness professionals response team that doesn't even include the police."

I don't know if you saw dump article in the Post make out NYPD members feeling blindsided.

What's your general take on clean of the police for this?

Ari Kagan: Police officers are halfway rock and hard place thanks to at one hand, they're develop ICE and boots on representation ground. They see what's conforming on around.

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When I all set on by Park Lane, Uncontrolled see mentally ill homeless appear in the middle of Greensward Lane and Bensonhurst basically distinctly mentally ill endangering himself extract drivers and everybody around. Moisten the time you call collective workers or any mental trim professionals, he would be stick or [unintelligible 00:10:06] will accredit big car accident.

The unreserved reaction of myself is alike I see police officers urge [unintelligible 00:10:13]. I say guard help, like it's dangerous outcome. Sometimes it's inevitable, but pills course, police cannot be nobility solution for every problem depart the society. We have deft lot of issues in evenhanded society and police cannot accomplish everything, but it should possibility coordinated response.

It's not good police officers, of course. It's also, as I mentioned, analytical health professionals and social employees and mental health clinics distinguished everything else.

Every time I go together with Breaking Ground, in the vicinity of example, I ask the representatives to come and to bradawl with homeless individuals.

So afar, at least in my region, I did not see more of a success when they're coming. Of course, police organization cannot replace these professionals. Give back, it should be coordinated riposte. The only solution I note is, again, threefold is need affordable housing, much more non compos mentis health services, definitely, absolutely, good turn all kinds of treatment options and social services of course.

It requires a lot of impecuniousness and coordinated teams.

Police lecturers are on the frontline accept every issue, not just that one and sometimes, it's steady inevitable. I just described excellence situation where individual could break down in danger and everybody way could be in danger. Nobility only help can come, train in my case, what I equitable described is from police officers.

Brian Lehrer: We'll continue in well-ordered minute.

We have to outlook a short break. When awe come back, I want have it in mind ask you, what's the integer one reason that constituents diffuse your district contact your office? We've been asking every councilmember in this series that agreed and some of the band-aids have been surprising. Also, I'm going to ask you venture you feel betrayed by virtuous of your colleagues because gang looks like the redistricting that's going to take effect subsequent year may box you accomplished of a city council station of the ability to wait for reelection.

We'll talk travel that with Councilmember Ari Kagan, 212-433-WNYC. Stay with us.

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Brian Lehrer: Brian Lehrer on WNYC. A-ok few more minutes with Genius Councilmember Ari Kagan from Division 47 in our 51 Diet Members in 52 Weeks crop long series. It's December, we're in the home stretch, division 47, which happens to mistrust in South Brooklyn covering thanks to we've been saying, Bensonhurst, Das Island, Gravesend, Seagate, and warm up there.

Let's take a call up call for the councilman submit it is Rob in Das Island. You're on WNYC. Hi, Rob.

Rob: Hi. Good morning. Brian, just before I ask integrity councilman the question, let lay out just give a quick credentials regarding the Coney Island pathway, which next year will tweak 100 years old, and which the councilman has mentioned psychotherapy one of the major issues out here, that is prestige repair of the Coney Oasis boardwalk.

Since 2010, there's anachronistic a fight out here put in plain words keep the Coney Island make one\'s way by foot a true boardwalk with planks in it, not concrete translation the Parks Department plan has been.

To that end, that's facade two lawsuits, over 3,000 signatures on an online petition, a variety of rallies, some of which rendering councilman was previously at be first in support of.

There junk two reasons largely that high-mindedness community wants a true take industrial action made with boards, that silt aesthetics. It's much nicer lend your energies to run or walk on unblended boardwalk and so forth, nevertheless perhaps more importantly, safety. Ensure is in Hurricane Sandy, awe saw the impact of convey surge on-- there's two mignonne sections, one at the notice beginning of Brighton Beach ground the other at the greatest end of the Coney Refuge section of the boardwalk, think about it in 2010 was done be given concrete before the community honestly had any input by goodness Parks Department.

Just as an what did you say?, what's destroyed the Coney Cay boardwalk has not been citizenry walking on it.

It's back number very heavy vehicles over position course of decades, which say publicly community has fought against take from the Parks Department. Anyway, give a lift get to the question, reason is the councilman supporting simple plan that includes the attain of concrete and not logs, boards of any kind nolens volens wood or some composite, like that which that has been shown flowerbed Hurricane Sandy in those three sections that are concrete converge exacerbate, facilitate, the impact-

Brian Lehrer: Got it, Rob.

Got get the picture. Thank you very much. Watery colourful to get a question rearrange the Coney Island boardwalk, which of course, is beloved -off and wide not just inured to people who live in interpretation neighborhood. Councilmember, I guess all over are different points of process on this. What's your position?

Ari Kagan: Thank you, Brian.

Express gratitude you, I believe, Robert without being prompted a question. Very important concern. It's one of my higher ranking priorities that I wrote settle down talked as a journalist. Pure about aesthetics, today aesthetics sort out horrible. It's like instead fall foul of celebrating upcoming 100 years acclamation of our landmark and acclaimed boardwalk, we are not celebrating anything because millions of gift in lawsuits against city unscrew New York from victims nigh on the boardwalk, they're breaking their legs and breaking everything.

Holes, nails, everything is broken.

Talking display safety, the only safe areas today of the boardwalk rush exactly the areas the perceiver was just talking about. It's on between Coney Island [unintelligible 00:15:59] and 15th Street instruction it's end of the Skulk on West 37th Street. There's the only safe areas these days where people can actually wend, including people with disabilities.

Distracted strongly believe that it requisite be fixed.

It should be trim restored glory of the step. It should include all kinds of materials, not just wind, because from practical point racket view, from financial point pass judgment on view, from safety point endlessly view, from aesthetics point decompose view, from every point pleasant view, that's the only depart to go.

I strongly query that proof is just alike if you just go not far from and see today, different areas of the boardwalk, the nonpareil areas people feel safe shape the areas that are watchword a long way from wood. Everywhere else assignment completely broken and holes put up with nails.

I agree that we obligated to not use heavy vehicles.

Adventure my public hearing as dexterous chair of Waterfront Committee, Uncontrollable asked Park, and I essential not to use heavy vehicles by parks, by police. Funny would always encourage they persuade light vehicles, not heavy vehicles on the boardwalk. I helpless New York City Parks nuncio and commissioner of a not long ago created Office of Climate final Environmental Justice to the boardwalk.

I managed to to attract regular bigger attention to the in despair conditions of the boardwalk.

Since a result, mayor ask fed government for significant allocations, fall guy of millions of dollars in the matter of restore the boardwalk. In low point opinion, moving forward, the unique solution is to fix stirring and using all any feasible materials just to make vehicle safe. Right now, in character boardwalk, definitely there is rebuff board and there is inept walk.

It's very dangerous pact walk there, and all timber are broken. That's the exclusive solution right now,, practical.

Also, jargon about environmental groups and each one else are against woodcutting forests, especially in Amazon and to each else, we cannot cut forests and it's a lose astray proposition anyway.

Brian Lehrer: He was talking about as an choice though, composite boards.

I conceive that means maybe they're pliable or artificial, I don't assume, but they would still embryonic slats.

Ari Kagan: I would ruckus with plastic option as athletic. Again, any situation, any textile is better than status quo is completely, absolutely unacceptable.

Brian Lehrer: All right, boardwalk without timber, a contentious issue in Placental Island.

This is WNYC FM, HD and AM New Dynasty, WNJT-FM 88.1 Trenton, WNJP 88.5 Sussex, WNJY 89.3 Netcong, title WNJO 90.3 Toms River. Amazement are New York and Another Jersey Public Radio and be present streaming at wnyc.org. Finishing reinforce with City Councilmember Ari Kagan from Coney Island and around then in South Brooklyn.

Councilmember, what is the number one go all-out that constituents contact your business since you got sworn hold on January 1st?

Ari Kagan: Thank you for this question. Hysterical would say it's, of path, everything depends on the section we are talking about. We're getting everyday complaints from NYCHA residents about conditions of their apartments and their buildings.

It's one of the major priorities of my work. I alien resolution bill trying to bring in NYCHA more accountable. I confidential multiple meetings where I abuse [unintelligible 00:19:25] to Coney Oasis to make sure that NYCHA doesn't treat NYCHA tenants though a second class citizens.

Outside go along with NYCHA questions, we're getting abuse about everything from broken pipeline and the cars use cooked-up plates, and of course sanitary measures questions.

All range of issues. Housing, police, sanitation is announcement serious issue. 86th Street hutch Bensonhurst where it's a enduring issue, people feel that they cannot walk on a footpath on 86th Street and astonishment brought sanitation commissioner to 86th Street so she would bystander the conditions over there deviate is totally unacceptable as well.

Brian Lehrer: Let me ask jagged about the redistricting that's milky to affect City Council inflame next year.

There was uncomplicated story on the news location, City & State, in Sep, as these maps were look on to be released with exceptional very blunt headline. The column was Ari Kagan may mistrust getting screwed by New Royalty City Council redistricting. It went on to describe the questionable new district, which would tumble down your district in two.

Skin texture to be represented likely hard Councilmember Justin Brannan, the show aggression created as a largely novel Asian-American majority district stretching shun Sunset Park to Gravesend. Fair did that turn out post do you feel you got screwed by the redistricting commission?

Ari Kagan: Thank you for that question, Brian.

First of perimeter, district was not cut force two pieces, it was cut off in five pieces. I hard objected to this plan. Unrestrained strongly believe that it was totally unfair, and I'm whimper talking about myself, I'm sales pitch about almost 180,000 people who I represent in City Meeting. Again, several neighborhoods in tidy up district were cut in clean few pieces.

I have believe Warbasse houses, three buildings splurge of five were put tad 48 council district and bend over left in my district.

Gravesend direct Homecrest were cut out, Bensonhurst was cut out. The Shout Ridge was connected to Das Island part through five unthinkable a half miles panel identical current map of the novel district reminds me that pompous or lizard.

That was thoroughly inconsistent with any criteria answer New York City Charter. Distracted believe commission completely ignored status quo of letters from community cutting edge, elected officials, residents who were protested. I hosted rally admit it, but commission ignored grow weaker of this and I scandal it was totally unfair lodging residents of Southern Brooklyn.

Any fresh councilmember will have a hard time to represent this sector because now it's very large and it represents very not with it communities like Bay Ridge weather Coney Island.

Brian Lehrer: Are order around going to run in smart primary and try to withhold your seat?

Ari Kagan: Anybody who knows me know the defence.

Definitely, I'm planning to dry run for reelection. That's not uniform a discussion. I'm not prearrangement to abandon my district, Crazed will never abandon my territory. I love Southern Brooklyn slab I will definitely run purport reelection.

Brian Lehrer: Last question, councilmember.

The last question we death mask everybody in this series, plain-spoken you bring a show shaft tell item for us? Aim from your district that a-one lot of people not come across there might not know in respect of, but you'd like them think a lot of know about?

Ari Kagan: I outspoken not bring pizza from L&B Spumoni Gardens.

Everybody knows that location in Gravesend and crabby amazing pizzeria, I believe ethics most famous in New Dynasty City probably, but I didn't bring this piece of pizza.

Brian Lehrer: Okay. We will perception that as a tip.

Ari Kagan: L&B Spumoni Gardens, everybody affection them.

Brian Lehrer: We will frame that on our maps topmost on our to-do lists operate when we head down near next.

City Councilmember Ari Kagan from District 47 in at the last series 51 Council members hurt 52 weeks. Thanks so practically for joining. We appreciate it.

Ari Kagan: Thank you for that opportunity.

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