By Bernard Chow

Hello everyone. My name is Bernard Chow, and I am running for New York City Council in District 23. I first arrived in the United States from Hong Kong, China to attend college, and since then I have stayed in New York City where I made it my home. I’ve been working in community outreach for more than 15 years. Because of my work, I am exposed to many diverse communities and the issues they each face.

I am concerned that the governance of New York has less and less to do with common sense. In Asian culture, balance is an important concept that is relevant towards many aspects of lives.  Unfortunately, my belief is that in New York, government lacks a healthy balance.  It favors criminals more than law abiding citizens.  Health policies favor profits more than healing.  Government is more concerned with allocating funding than with solving problems.  Government no longer values or supports people’s achievement, or the sacrifices and self-discipline associated with acquiring knowledge and skills, and with achieving financial independence.

I hold the belief that every individual has the potential to embrace a personal mission.  My mission revolves around bringing balance back to New York City and its government so that people can thrive, be healthy, be productive, contribute, and live without fear of crime, corruption or oppression.

I support public safety, quality education, small business development, wellness, and most importantly, community input.  All these require Freedom of Speech, Freedom of the Press, mutual respect and communication, without censorship.

As a person who has the same common values as the constituents of District 23, I am asking for your vote. I am endorsed by the Conservative, Republican, Medical Freedom, Common Sense, and Parent Party. If you live in Bayside Hills, Bellerose, Douglaston, Floral Park, Fresh Meadows, Glen Oaks, Hollis Hills, Holliswood, Little Neck, New Hyde Park, Oakland Gardens, or Queens Village, please vote for me on Election Day, November 7.  

Public Safety:  Public safety has diminished in New York City after decades of crime reduction that triggered a renaissance of the city.  Relatively recent political decisions have resulted in a shortage of police officers. It has become much more difficult for police officers to safely and effectively perform their functions.  A sense of lawlessness and disorder, along with the sense of helplessness, has increased in New York City.  While this increase has not occurred in all parts of the city at the same rate, it is just a matter of time that an alarming rise in crime will occur in areas where it is less expected.   We need to re-establish respect for property ownership, ranging from real estate property to a bar of soap.  Ethics, civility, as well as respect and understanding for the role of police officers must be re-established, starting in schools.

Quality Education:  I am a product of constant tutoring.  I believe in studying hard, achieving good grades, going to good schools and learning.  “Study” needs discipline, willingness, and sacrifices.  And only a merit education system can give the students the sense of connection between effort and reward.  We need to have more Gifted and Talented programs.  We need to bring up the quality of learning and teaching at all our public schools, and schools need to teach practical skills such as cooking or carpentry that are useful in life.  Every high school should become a specialized high school where students learn to function in the real world. We need to let schools be schools, not migrant shelters, or lures to push children to change their gender without family input.

Small Business Development: delivery guys, car services, mom and pop store owners, even small landlords, we are all small business.  We need to promote small business so more money will stay in our local community. We need to promote the respect of ownership.  We can be generous and giving, but first respect for ownership needs to be established before the notion of “giving” become credible.  We need to provide an infrastructure that promote business, not more taxes.

Community Input: When is the last time that you heard about a roundtable from City Council to let us have a say about Creedmoor property development? Do you know that there’s at least 3 more migrant shelters already in our district?  We the people need to be heard.

Local Law 97: Some of our civics and apartment complexes have just rebuilt their energy infrastructure. These works can last for at least 10-20 years with some maintenance.  With local law 97, even with a postponement, it means all those energy systems will have to be completely removed and replaced.  Who is going to pay for it?  Evolution comes with time. It’s a direction that people need to look and walk towards, but not something that should be hard-wired in to happen immediately.

Managed Immigration:  I and more than 80% of New Yorkers are from immigrant families.  I respect all those who are willing to take a big step to give themselves a chance for the better.  But it is our own government that made the migrants a problem.  The way our government are taking in bus load after bus load of migrants, has created an unsustainable situation for our public facilities to finance.  We hear a lot of officials disagreeing with the current situation.  If all these elected officials are really opposing this migrant policy, then how many of them really came out to get things done for their own constituents?  If all these elected officials are really opposed, then why is New York still carrying this policy? We need a change to common sense and common values! See Website: http://chowforny.com/