Councilman, City of New York As Chairperson of the Council's Committee on Transportation, Councilman Liu focuses public policy on the critical role transportation options play in economic development and access to jobs. John demands, and has secured, more accountability from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, a behemoth agency infamous for its lack of responsiveness to the general public. He has enacted legislation improving safety for pedestrians and has initiated public works projects to improve vehicular traffic flow and ease congestion. John has also developed programs bringing yellow taxicabs to areas outside Manhattan. In addition, he vigorously conducts legislative oversight over the Department of Transportation and the Taxi and Limousine Commission. John strongly believes that quality education is key to the future of each of our school kids as well as key to the future of our City as whole. He is a product of twelve and a half years of New York City public school education and is committed to educational reform without sacrificing public schools. As a member of the Council's Committee on Education, John insists on raising standards in our public schools, increasing reliance and trust in teachers to teach our kids and investing City resources in our future generations. He has also provided millions of dollars to fund high-tech upgrades to local schools. John understands that as everyday life increases in complexity, municipal government must do more to protect consumers against fraud, misrepresentations and other dishonest business practices. As a member of the Council's Committee on Consumer Affairs, he has sponsored and helped pass legislation to stop predatory lending by banks and financial institutions and retail price gouging during sensitive periods. John has also closed down car dealerships guilty of cheating customers out of thousands of dollars and proposed legislation to require car dealers to provide honest contracts. Shocking as it may be, John is the first and currently only Asian Pacific American (APA) to be elected to citywide office in New York. Though he wishes Asian Pacific Americans had been elected long ago, John is honored to be the first. As the first, he embraces opportunities to broaden representation and access to government for APAs and for all groups who have lacked a strong voice in government. John is also immensely proud to have been invited to become a member of the City Council's Black and Latino Caucus; the caucus has since been renamed to the Black Latino and Asian Caucus, and he currently serves on its executive board. John was elected and re-elected to the New York City Council by the people of northeast Queens in Auburndale, Flushing, Fresh Meadows, Linden Hill, Queensborough Hill and Whitestone. To this day, it is a mind-boggling honor to him that he has the privilege of representing at City Hall the people of his hometown where he grew up. John and his wife Jenny are the proud parents of a terrific little boy Joseph. They are homeowners in Flushing, living just blocks from the buildings where John lived his childhood. Beginning with Kindergarten at PS 20, John attended local public schools and then went to on to graduate from the Bronx High School of Science and Binghamton University, where he earned a degree in Mathematical Physics. John is committed to making Flushing a "Destination of Choice", for all people from throughout the region. To improve conditions in the downtown area, he has secured additional sanitation and sewer services, created a Business Improvement District to fund supplemental street cleaning and area promotion, and issued guidelines for sensible growth in both housing and commerce. He is also committed to building schools, libraries, senior citizen centers and youth centers while protecting existing residential neighborhoods. John is a long-time community activist and has worked with numerous organizations. When he served as President of the North Flushing Civic Association, Member of Queens Community Board 7, and Vice President of the Queens Civic Congress, John fought for greater community participation in citywide development issues. Prior to serving in the City Council, he worked as a manager at the global consulting firm of PriceWaterhouseCoopers. John draws upon his real world fiscal expertise to root out waste and mismanagement in municipal government. John has dedicated his life to public service. He is a full-time Council Member with a mission to hold City Hall accountable and help restore public trust in our democracy. John's office is made up of a team of talented individuals who, by all measures, are dedicated public servants and community leaders in their own right. He is also a District Leader in the Queens County Democratic Party organization and serves as a Vice Chairperson of the New York State Democratic Party Executive Committee. Thank you.
This page last updated 1/12/2005 jdb |
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