Margaret Chin

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While [Chin] has ably served some portions of her district, she has alienated her constituents in large swaths of it, including the Village and Soho, as well as the Lower East Side waterfront area where enormous 'supertall' towers are now beginning to sprout out of control. Chin has repeatedly failed to stand with residents in these neighborhoods on issues that are vitally important to their quality of life. And those times when she has made a show of support, it has always come too late — long after the time for action has passed and when it could have actually meant or done something. (See Niketown in Soho, Met Foods supermarket in Little Italy, etc.…)

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Chin has been both antagonistic and unresponsive to large segments of her community. She has dodged debates with her opponents — ours wasn’t the only one she avoided — and at the only town hall she has held during her time in office, the public’s cherished First Amendment right to express their views and disseminate information was stifled in a manner one would associate with a fascistic dictatorship.

Critics in October 2019 also opposed her lack of clarity before the vote to expand the current jail in her district; [14] more than 1,000 marched to get her attention on the matter. [15]

On 8 November 2021, during the lame-duck period of her final term on the city council, Chin introduced a bill specifically targeting over 1600 housing units in her district designated as JLWQA (joint living-work quarters for artists) for fines and flip-taxes in the hundreds of thousands of dollars per unit. [16] The legislation was introduced one day before a vote on rezoning the SoHo and NoHo neighborhoods in her district and was opposed by her elected successor, Christopher Marte. Chin nevertheless tabled and voted for the bill, [17] triggering years of legal action after her retirement. [18]

Personal life

Chin is married to Alan Tung, a public school teacher, and has retired to San Diego, California. Their son, Kevin, also graduated from the Bronx High School of Science. He completed his studies at Syracuse University, and is now studying photography in Santa Barbara, California.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Suzanne Ma (2009-11-04). "Chinatown's Margaret Chin Makes New York City History". DNAinfo. Archived from the original on 2009-11-07. Retrieved 2009-11-15.
  2. "Who We Are". Asian Americans for Equality. Archived from the original on 2009-08-03. Retrieved 2009-11-04.
  3. "About the NYIC". New York Immigration Coalition. Archived from the original on 2009-02-15. Retrieved 2009-11-04.
  4. "ASSOCIATION FOR NEIGHBORHOOD AND HOUSING DEVELOPMENT". Association for Neighborhood and Housing Development. Archived from the original on May 25, 2009. Retrieved 2009-11-04.
  5. "About Us". Chinatown Partnership Local Development Corporation. Archived from the original on 2009-08-02. Retrieved 2009-11-04.
  6. Carl Glassman and April Koral (September 2009). "Chin Wins City Council Primary". The Tribeca Trib. Archived from the original on 2011-07-17. Retrieved 2009-11-15.
  7. "2009 Election Results". The New York Times . 2009-11-09. Archived from the original on 2009-11-09. Retrieved 2009-11-15.
  8. "Re-Elect Council Member Margaret Chin 2013". Archived from the original on 2014-02-08. Retrieved 2021-11-07.
  9. 1 2 "Christopher Marte for Council in District 1". The Villager. 8 September 2017. Archived from the original on 29 September 2017. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
  10. "New York City Primary Results: City Council". The New York Times . 2013-09-10. Archived from the original on 2017-02-03. Retrieved 2017-03-04.
  11. "Asian Americans fight for council seats in New York City primary". NBC News. September 8, 2017. Retrieved November 28, 2024.
  12. Hernández, Javier C. (November 3, 2010). "Term Limits in New York City Are Approved Again". The New York Times. Retrieved November 28, 2024.
  13. Savitch-Lew., Abigail (November 8, 2017). "In Tightly Competitive District 1 Race, Chin Holds Seat". City Limits. Retrieved November 28, 2024.
  14. Jan Lee (2019-10-09). "Chinatown Advocates Call on Council Member Chin to Make Her Position Clear Ahead of Jails Vote". Gotham Gazette . Archived from the original on 2019-10-29. Retrieved 2019-11-11.
  15. Sydney Franklin (2019-10-23). "Rikers replacement plan moves forward with reduced jail tower heights". Archpaper . Archived from the original on 2019-10-24. Retrieved 2019-11-11.
  16. Allen, Dashiell (2021-12-08). "Why??? C.B. 2 confused, frustrated by Chin's exiting push to boost fines for Soho/Noho nonartists". The Village Sun. Retrieved 2024-01-19.
  17. "The New York City Council - File #: Int 2443-2021". legistar.council.nyc.gov. Retrieved 2024-01-19.
  18. Brenzel, Kathryn (2022-02-11). "Group Sues NYC Over Soho Rezoning, Citing Artist Housing Fee". The Real Deal. Retrieved 2024-01-19.
Margaret S. Chin
陳倩雯
Margaret Chin 2011.jpg
Chin in 2011
Member of the New York City Council
from the 1st district
In office
January 1, 2010 December 31, 2021
Political offices
Preceded by New York City Council, District 1
2010–2022
Incumbent