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By Arkadiy Fridman and Ilya Galak, Citizens Magazine Photo: By Ilya Galak C.M: I’ll start with a question about your background…Please tell us a little bit about your life story. J.M: My name is Janine Materna and I’m a 3rd generation Staten Islander with deep roots in the Staten Island community. I am the proud product of public school education by attending: P.S.3, I.S.34, and Tottenville High School. After high school, I attended, and graduated from, Columbia University holding a Bachelors of Arts degree in Political Science and Environmental Science. Currently, I’m a Management Consultant, working for the past 10 years in the financial services industry consulting Fortune 500 companies both domestically and globally on ways to become more productive and efficient in the workplace. While practicing my profession, I continued my education by earning a certificate from the Women’s Campaign School at Yale University. I also attended St. John’s University to attain a Master’s in Education with a dual certification in Childhood Education and Teaching Students with Disabilities. Currently, I am entering my third year of law school at New York Law School, where I am involved in the evening program. I’m involved in a variety of organizations and proudly serve as the President of the largest Civic Association on the South Shore of Staten Island, the Pleasant Plains, Prince’s Bay, Richmond Valley Civic Association where I’ve had many speakers educate the community on the issues we face. The Civic Association has also implemented traditions for generations to come. Some of these traditions include: Meet the Candidates Forum, We Care Community Clean-Ups, The Annual Christmas Tree and Menorah Lighting Ceremony, and the Great American Barbecue, demonstrating patriotic pride. I have also worked tirelessly on educating the community on drug addiction, mental illness, domestic violence, transportation issues, organ donation, autism, etc. Along with leading the Civic, I’ve been active with the Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York Junior Board, Women’s National Republican Club, Co-Chair the Alumni Representative Committee for Columbia University, New York Junior League, Staten Island Women’s Political Caucus and the Women’s Auxiliary of the Staten Island Historical Society at Historic Richmond Town.  Being a strong believer in giving back, I serve on a variety of fundraising committees for the Jewish Community Center (JCC), American Cancer Society, March of Dimes and serve as a member of Governor Cuomo’s NY Rising Committee as well as volunteer at God’s Love We Deliver and the Bowery Mission, where I orchestrate groups to help feed homeless and hungry New Yorkers. Coming from a family of veterans, I have demonstrated a strong commitment in making sure that our members of the armed forces are respected and continuously recognized for their sacrifices. I have fought for many years to provide better quality roads for the people of Staten Island by starting the Facebook group: Staten Islanders for Pothole Free Roads. I have been a very big advocate of introducing a sustainable product known as asphalt rubber to New York City. Recently, I have been featured as a Republican Strategist on a number of different news networks, including but not limited to: NY1, NBC, NBC Latino and on the Kelly File, hosted by Megan Kelly. Some honors and awards I have received include: Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition in Recognition of Outstanding and Invaluable Service to the Community, New York City Public High School Distinguished Graduate from Mayor Giuliani at Gracie Mansion, New York State Assembly Certificate of Merit & New York City Council Citation. I have decided to run for New York State Assembly representing my hometown the 62nd Assembly district to give voters of the district a choice on who they want representing them. I will be facing a Republican primary on Tuesday, September 13th. C.M: The influences of your family background on your life? J.M: My Italian, Russian, and Polish roots have instilled in me a work ethic that is unmatched. Growing up I learned the value of a dollar and never took anything for granted. I learned that our freedom is something that does not have a dollar value and to be grateful for living in this great country of endless opportunities.  C.M: What are the three accomplishments are you most proud of? J.M:
I have lived in this very District my entire life and been involved in the issues we face for over a decade. My opponent recently moving into the district, he has become close with party bosses through personal relationships with some of the other party insiders, who then selected him for this Assembly seat back in April. When running, he remained on the ballot utterly unopposed, which is unfair and contrary to this nation’s democratic process. This, among many, is one of the reasons why I am challenging both him, and the current local political system on Staten Island.  C.M: What specific plans do you have to help Staten Island’s economy? Small businesses? Construction businesses? J.M: I plan on hosting town halls and forums to understand what issues are most important to small businesses in our community. I pledge to fight to make Staten Island and New York State, in general, a place that is more business friendly by lowering taxes and cutting the red tape. C.M: From Staten Island Advance (Rachel Shapiro): “Those who spent part of their lives in the former Soviet Union remember what it was like to live under a repressive socialist regime, and on Staten Island, some of them are hoping Donald Trump becomes the next American president”. In your opinion, why most of Russian – Speaking immigrants on Staten Island support Trump? J.M: The Russian Speaking population on the island understands and fears the consequences of life under a socialist regime; equal wages regardless of occupation or profession, decimation of ambition in the workplace, lack of foreign resources, rationing, and corruption in every facet of life and the absence of personal freedoms. Their arrival in America marked a drastic change in their lives, it was liberating - to say the least - to live in a country where hard work was rewarded and corruption was curtailed. However, with the last few years, the America that Russian immigrants longed for was no longer the same America that they immigrated to. With years of fiscally liberal spending and egregious foreign policy decisions, Russians have begun to see what many other Americans fail to; a turn towards socialism, which frankly should be everyone’s biggest fear. Russians value this great nation and all the opportunities it gave them, all of which they would be bereft of in the Soviet Union. Trump supports all of the views that America once stood for, and all the values that Russians came to America for, which is exactly why Russians want to make America great again.
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By Arkadiy Fridman Citizens Magazine, President "Most economic fallacies derive from the tendency to assume that there is a fixed pie, which one party can gain only at the expense of another." Milton Friedman "We have a system that increasingly taxes work and subsidizes non-work." Milton Friedman "The world runs on individuals pursuing their self interests. The great achievements of civilization have not come from government bureaus. Einstein didn’t construct his theory under order from a bureaucrat. Henry Ford didn’t revolutionize the automobile industry that way." Milton Friedman The economic prosperity of a country and its citizens’ standard of living are very dependent on industrial and high tech power. America, Germany, Japan and South Korea all have basically sound economies and a high standard of living because they have advanced industries with companies that include Boeing, IBM, Apple, Ford, General Motors, Chrysler, Mercedes Benz, BMW, Krups, Sony, Toyota, Toshiba, Honda, Samsung, LG, and many more. These nations have excellent banking and insurance systems as well as stable political systems. They all compete with one another, but face serious competition from China, India and Brazil which have populations that provide cheap labor. Given these realities, what must America do to remain the greatest country in the world?  First, must begin by electing public officials who are truly advocates of the free market system. We need this fundamental economic principle at every level of government and the voters must make sure that their elected officials stay true to their campaign promises of creating a pro-free market environment with a business friendly tax system.
Second, we must address the shortcomings of this nation’s education system. Our colleges and universities are dangerously unbalanced with an abundance of progressive economists. Since these are the institutions that produce our future economic leaders, we must see to it that students are exposed to a balance of economic theories and philosophies by increasing the number of conservative economists in our institutions of higher education. Our young people, the next generation of leaders, must understand how a free market works. They must know that much of America’s greatness comes from the strength of its middle class. It is the same corporations labeled as evil by many that provide the jobs enabling Americans to enjoy a middle class lifestyle. Government jobs are not the answer. Ironically, the more “evil” corporations we have, the more Americans will be employed in positions that support a middle class lifestyle. Of course, corporations don’t have a monopoly on job creation. Collectively America’s small businesses (typically under1,500 employees, but including the local dry cleaners with seven employees and corner fruit and vegetable store with three employees) are America’s largest employer. While these smaller businesses do provide some middle class jobs, many of their positions pay sub-middle class wages. However, they are an important part of a free market − providing much needed goods and services − and function as an entry point for workers who will advance as they obtain experience and become part of the middle class. Third, government unions must realize that it is to their members’ advantage to have a country with a balanced budget. Their demands must be rational and consistent with economic reality. Deficit spending will lead to the devaluation of our dollar and propel our great nation in the direction of becoming a third world county. Private unions need to understand that the businesses employing their members must be fiscally healthy for all their members to keep their jobs. Small businesses and corporations can only function so long with red ink on their balance sheet before payroll size is negatively impacted. Bail outs might appear to provide a quick fix, but they are the wrong way to go. Taking money from one group of people (hard workers) and giving it to another group does not address the fundamental problem and creates a scenario that cannot be supported by this nation. It will bring about the collapse of both our economic and political systems. If we follow these principles the question of how to motivate companies to return to America will be moot. Our economic environment will be sufficiently fertile that they will want to be here to grow their businesses, and as their businesses grow so do the number of middle class jobs. By ARKADIY FRIDMAN and ILYA GALAK
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — In the end, the vote was overwhelming. “For far too long, dozens of thousands of the Russian-American senior citizens of New York have been shut out of the voting process unfairly because of the language barrier,” pontificated State Sen. Carl Kruger when he introduced the legislation. Passed by the New York state Senate 48 to14 on May 28, the bill, known as S. 552 - An act to amend the election law in relation to providing Russian-language voting materials” passed the state Assembly with only 23 members dissenting out of 132 votes cast. Russian was thereby added to the list of existing alternate languages in which election material must be printed, the others being Spanish, Chinese and Korean. Those who argued for the passage of the law — and New York’s City Hall was not among them because of the tremendous expense complying with the law would entail — pointed to the 1 to 1.5 million Russian-speaking residents of the New York metropolitan area; part of a community in which 320,000 were born in Russia or other countries of the Soviet Union. Some districts boasted Russian-speaking populations of more than 20 percent, who the politicians felt were being disenfranchised by the lack of Russian language voting materials. Those officials felt that they weren’t being given an opportunity to represent ALL citizens in their district, because those who could not read English could not register to vote. The act purported to enfranchise “another of [New York’s] culturally diverse immigrant populations, like many that have come before it.” A CLOSER LOOK Questions arise, however, about whether the bill was justifiable in these tough economic times — or even necessary. Those who are even more skeptical will point to such a bill and call it a bribe, buying the votes of a growing and powerful minority. What other reason could there be to spend money on such a bill, when unemployment hovers around 10 percent and deficits stretch as far as the eye can see? There are other reasons to oppose this bill. Political writer and founder of the Eagle Forum, Phyllis Schlafly, reminds us that to become a citizen our laws require that you demonstrate “an understanding of the English language, including an ability to read, write and speak ... simple words and phrases ... in ordinary usage in the English language.” When discussing the wisdom of translating election material, Schlafly issued a stern warning: “Printing ballots in foreign languages is fundamentally anti-democratic because fair elections depend on public debate on the issues and candidates. People who don’t understand the public debate are subject to manipulation by political-action groups that can mislead them in language translations and then tell them how to vote.” The underlying theme here is to accept or reject the value of assimilation; the willingness of a minority population to cast off the culture of his or her birth and embrace the culture of their newly-chosen country. One could argue that the America that was the great “Melting Pot” produced the strongest and greatest country in the world, as diverse populations and ethnicities melded to form a people with a strong, blue-collar work ethic, a belief in the importance of education and advancement, a love of democracy that would keep Europe free through two world wars, and a willingness to create a military that would be the liberators of millions. RIGHT TO THE POINT Perhaps no one has ever said it more elegantly, and more directly, than President Theodore Roosevelt. He wrote these words in a letter to the president of the American Defense Society on January 3, 1919, just three days before he died: “In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person’s becoming in every facet an American and nothing but an American. ... There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn’t an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag. ... We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language. ... and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people.” As Teddy Roosevelt grew older, he increasingly seized on the theme of “Americanization.” He warned of the dangers of “hyphenated-Americans” and predicted disaster for the United State if it were to become a “tangle of squabbling nationalities” He wanted the English language to become compulsory learning. “Every immigrant who comes here,” he said, “should be required within five years to learn English or to leave the country.” In a statement to the Kansas City Star in 1918 he said, “English should be the only language taught or used in the public schools.” He also insisted, on more than one occasion, that America has no room for what he called “fifty-fifty allegiance.” In a speech made in 1917 he said, “It is our boast that we admit the immigrant to full fellowship and equality with the native-born. In return we demand that he shall share our undivided allegiance to the one flag which floats over all of us.” AN INFORMAL SURVEY In an effort to gauge the feelings of the Russian community, I engaged people on the streets of Brighton Beach in Brooklyn, one of the oldest Russian enclaves in New York, and still as vibrant and thriving as ever. I followed a simple methodology: I went out on the street, introduced myself as a journalist and began to ask elderly people, for whom this law was passed, what they felt about the bill. Admittedly, I did not act by all the rules of statistical science, but it didn’t take long for the attitude of those I interviewed to become clear. The first thing I realized was that pride was a factor in those who applauded the measure — perhaps even more so than necessity. The passage of the bill was a sign of “respect” to some of those I interviewed, a manifestation of political clout, recognition that the Russian community was a force to be reckoned with — or at least paid attention to. But many saw the bill as disrespectful and hypocritical. When asked if the law was necessary, a common answer was, simply, “No.” After all they speak English — and they are the OVERWHELMING majority. Doctors, lawyers, programmers, engineers, government employees, skilled workers, policemen — why do they need any of this? More than that, I feel bad for our children. With the instatement of this law, in a way, they become second class citizens. I doubt that those people born in the U.S. will treat them better after this. On the contrary, the society presently is very politicized and all are watching how government money is appropriated. And by so much noise being made out of something like this, then by passing this law, our children are being thrown under the bus. Even the elderly, who have a difficult time learning a new language, have outlets from which they get their news and current events: We have the privately owned Russian-speaking Davidson radio, oriented especially toward those people who speak English poorly. This radio copes perfectly with those functions, which the politicians want to take upon themselves. This radio, at the cost of its owners, informs us regarding all local political news. Here politicians present their pre-election speeches, accounting for the work they have done. That is where everything is explained to us, I would even say — everything relative to an election is broken down to its smallest components. A SIMPLE CONCLUSION In conclusion, we don’t really have a need for these translations. I don’t know who is going to be reading them, when all this can be heard on the radio in a form that is a lot more interesting and less officious. Other than that, I have never had any problems at the voting polls. Respectful Russian–speaking volunteers showed and explained everything. It appears that the motivation behind this bill was painfully transparent — it was a dishonest and disrespectful misjudging of the Russian community by the politicians. “In my humble opinion, I just don’t understand real purpose of this bill,” immigrant Boris Borovoy states flatly. “The majority of politically active Russian-Americans are fluent in English and have no need for a Russian translation; to me it’s another pork barrel, another waste of taxpayers’ money for a mostly symbolic purpose. And for hard-working, middle-class Russian-Americans it’s real slap in a face. “Want to make some important political decisions? Learn English, comrade. That’s as simple as it gets”. Lucy Gunderson translated an article title “Voluntary Segregation” by Yevgeny Novitsky, published in the newspaper Russian Bazaar. In the article, Novitsky analyzes the bill and laments that “lack of English completely cuts people off from the real America. They are forced to communicate with people who have a very limited range of interests.” Novitsky’s analysis cuts like a knife to the heart of the matter, expressing his pity at those who would consider the bill to be an historic event. And in a final declaration of the independent American people of Russian descent, he cries: “I would be far happier if one fine day New York officials were to announce that the Russian-speaking community no longer existed. Then Gov. Paterson would say something like, ‘Russian-speaking immigrants have melded so seamlessly into American life that it is no longer possible to separate them into a distinct ethnic enclave. We can now proudly call them Americans of Russian descent.’ “Then the group of loud enthusiasts who call themselves ‘community leaders’ would stop speaking on behalf of the entire Russian-language community. Redundant associations and coalitions that exist mostly because of the language barrier would disappear. And to the proposals by officials to translate materials into Russian, every one of ‘our’ U.S. citizens would answer indignantly but proudly, “Who do you take me for? I AM AN AMERICAN.” Arkadiy Fridman , a former Soviet Army officer who came to the United States in 1992, heads the not-for-profit Staten Island Community Center in Dongan Hills and is the president of Citizens magazine. Ilya Galak, an electrical engineer, has been in the United States since 1989 and is on the staff of Citizens magazine. By Arkadiy Fridman
Despite the risk, in a very tough and uncertain economy, we started this magazine as a voice of working Americans of all backgrounds, cultural, political, ethnic and religious. We seek to raise our voices and be heard by those in positions of power: Politicians, officials, media providers, etc. Through this magazine, we intend to express our concerns as well as yours, to move beyond the dichotomy of conservatives versus liberals, to find the best answers to our concerns as citizens. The American Dream is a fundamental promise to each and every citizen that they have the opportunity to advance beyond their current condition to better lives, rich with opportunity. The American dream has drawn immigrants to our soil for more than 400 years, who have in turn contributed to building the economic, religious, political and cultural institutions that define our nation. Because so many immigrants have brought skills and ideas from other areas of the world, America has always been part of wider global networks. New York City in particular, including the outer-boroughs, has long been enriched by immigrants and international connections. Citizens magazine seeks to recognize the accomplishments, talents, culture and opinions of outstanding citizens in the New York region. Each issue will showcase leaders in politics, business and the arts, as well as the poetry, fiction, fashion and music within their diverse cultures. We will not shy away from controversial, «hot» issues, but will attempt to explore them from many new angles. We believe that only by learning from the strengths of each other’s cultures and opinions, can we realize our potential.  By Staten Island Advance
CLOSE TO OWN VISION Businessman Arkadiy Fridman, a former Soviet Army officer who came to the United States in 1992. "United States close to our political and business vision." In the wake of the national GOP's big wins this year, when the party took back control of the House, Republicans everywhere are more confident that their bedrock message of smaller government and lower taxes will resonate with American voters. Fridman said that the Democrats "are going in an absolutely different direction," focusing on "income redistribution" and rich-versus-poor "class war." "It's too socialistic," said Fridman, head of the non-profit Staten Island Community Center and president of Citizens Magazine, a public affairs publication. "It's very painful for us to see." The Democrats' national losses were seen as a rejection of President Barack Obama's health care reform law and other initiatives that opponents say went too far in pushing government control on Americans. BAD REMINDERS The Big Brother approach reminds Fridman too much of what he left behind in the former Soviet Union. "It's the same rule like it was there," said Fridman, who estimates there are around 55,000 Russian immigrants here. Michael Petrov of the Digital Edge data management firm in Bloomfield, said that he objects to the "micro-managing of the economy" he's seen from city as well as federal officials. "Government is affecting small business more and more," said Petrov, who came to the United States in 1994. "It's the same as what's happening in Russia." The Citizens Club, formed earlier this month, looks to support and grow local businesses here; introduce Russian firms to the borough's existing business and political communities, and promote Russian community representatives to serve in elected office. MRC president Robert Scamardella has actively been courting members of the Russian community this year. "One of the main initiatives I have pursued has been to expand the base of the party by reaching out to diverse potential constituencies and securing their support and involvement," said Scamardella, an attorney. "This decision by leaders of the local Russian community illustrates the effectiveness of this approach. We will continue to reach out to other communities and seek their association with the Republican Party." Former Borough President Guy Molinari, the MRC's namesake, said he'd noticed over the years that Russian immigrants here tended to register Republican. Molinari called the affiliation with MRC "a natural marriage." "They want to be involved, be part of the community," Molinari said. "They come from a country where they weren't able to express themselves, didn't have the right to organize or vote. They appreciate it more than some of us who were born here." Brooklyn attorney David Storobin said that the fact that the MRC is made up of business professionals "who are successful in their own right," also made the match an attractive one. He said that he and other Russian immigrants are also drawn to the GOP's traditional veneration of flag and country. GRATEFUL FOR FREEDOMS Reflecting the American Dream ideal that has drawn immigrants here since the county's founding, Storobin said that many Russians are "grateful" for the religious, business and travel freedoms the United States provide, and want to show it. "We do feel patriotic," Storobin said. Yevgeniy Lvovskiy, of the ZHL Group development firm, said that many Russians here also are looking to break ethnic stereotypes that paint Russia as being all about "Siberia, beer and vodka." "We are looking for an opportunity to prove ourselves," said Lvovskiy, who came to the United States in 1999. "If you work hard, and do the right thing, you get rewarded. We want to show people we are normal." It's that self-starting stance, he said, that makes Russians here more in line with GOP orthodoxy. State Sen. Diane Savino (D-North Shore/Brooklyn) said she understands the Russian aversion to anything that looks like big government, but thinks the criticism of the Democratic Party is off-base. "You can't ignore the fact that the Russian population here came of age during the Soviet era," said Ms. Savino, who counts many Russians among her Brooklyn constituents. "They have different thoughts on what communism and socialism mean. They are a little more sensitive to it. "But, that being said," she added, "you can't compare the policies of the Democratic Party with communism. It's absurd." |
