Phil Goldfeder
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Phil Goldfeder (born April 15, 1981) is an American politician and former Democratic
New York State Assembly The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature, with the New York State Senate being the upper house. There are 150 seats in the Assembly. Assembly members serve two-year terms without term limits. The Assem ...
member from the 23rd district in
Queens Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long ...
representing the communities of
Ozone Park Ozone Park is a neighborhood in the southwestern section of the New York City borough of Queens, New York, United States. It is next to the Aqueduct Racetrack in South Ozone Park, a popular spot for Thoroughbred racing and home to the Resorts Wor ...
,
Howard Beach Howard Beach is a neighborhood in the southwestern portion of the New York City borough of Queens. It is bordered to the north by the Belt Parkway and Conduit Avenue in Ozone Park, to the south by Jamaica Bay in Broad Channel, to the east by 1 ...
,
Lindenwood Lindenwood may refer to a place in the United States: *Lindenwood, Illinois *Lindenwood, Queens, New York *Lindenwood Cemetery, Fort Wayne, Indiana In education: * Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Missouri * Lindenwood University – Bellevil ...
, Hamilton Beach,
Broad Channel Broad Channel is a neighborhood in the southern portion of the New York City borough of Queens. It occupies the southern portion of Rulers Bar Hassock (known colloquially as "Broad Channel Island"), the only inhabited island in Jamaica Bay. The ...
and Rockaway. On June 2, 2016, Goldfeder announced that he would not be seeking a fourth term in the November 2016 elections. Goldfeder subsequently announced his resignation effective Election Day 2016 to take a position at
Yeshiva University Yeshiva University is a private Orthodox Jewish university with four campuses in New York City."About YU
on the Yeshiva Universit ...
. In 2017, Goldfeder joined
New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
-based
Cross River Bank Cross River is an American financial services organization that provides technology infrastructure to fintech and technology companies. Based in Fort Lee, New Jersey, Cross River services its clients with embedded payments, cards, lending, and cry ...
, where he currently serves as SVP for Public Affairs.


Early life and career

Goldfeder was born and raised in the
Far Rockaway Far Rockaway is a neighborhood on the eastern part of the Rockaway peninsula in the New York City borough of Queens. It is the easternmost section of the Rockaways. The neighborhood extends from Beach 32nd Street east to the Nassau County line ...
neighborhood of
Queens Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long ...
. His dedication to public service is often attributed to the influence of his father, a local volunteer EMT, as well as a visit by then-Assemblywoman
Audrey Pheffer Audrey I. Pheffer (born August 13, 1941) is an American Democratic Party politician from New York. She is currently serving as Queens County Clerk. Previously, she represented District 23 in the New York State Assembly from 1987–2011, which com ...
to Goldfeder's class when he was in middle school. In 2004, he received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from
Brooklyn College Brooklyn College is a public university in Brooklyn, Brooklyn, New York. It is part of the City University of New York system and enrolls about 15,000 undergraduate and 2,800 graduate students on a 35-acre campus. Being New York City's first publ ...
. During his undergraduate studies, Goldfeder served as President of the college Law Society and was active in the political science club. In his senior year, he was awarded the
CUNY , mottoeng = The education of free people is the hope of Mankind , budget = $3.6 billion , established = , type = Public university system , chancellor = Fél ...
Edward T. Rogowsky Internship in Government and Public Affairs. After college, Goldfeder was hired as a constituent liaison in the
New York City Council The New York City Council is the lawmaking body of New York City. It has 51 members from 51 council districts throughout the five Borough (New York City), boroughs. The council serves as a check against the Mayor of New York City, mayor in a may ...
. In 2005, he worked on Mayor
Michael Bloomberg Michael Rubens Bloomberg (born February 14, 1942) is an American businessman, politician, philanthropist, and author. He is the majority owner, co-founder and CEO of Bloomberg L.P. He was Mayor of New York City from 2002 to 2013, and was a ca ...
's re-election campaign, later joining the Bloomberg administration as the
Queens Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long ...
liaison for the Mayor's Community Affairs Unit. Following his time in
City Hall In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or a municipal building (in the Philippines), is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses ...
, Goldfeder was hired by Senator Schumer in 2009 as his Director of Intergovernmental Affairs.


New York State Assembly


Election

In May 2011,
Audrey Pheffer Audrey I. Pheffer (born August 13, 1941) is an American Democratic Party politician from New York. She is currently serving as Queens County Clerk. Previously, she represented District 23 in the New York State Assembly from 1987–2011, which com ...
announced that she would be stepping down after more than two decades as Assemblywoman to become Queens
County Clerk A clerk is a white-collar worker who conducts general office tasks, or a worker who performs similar sales-related tasks in a retail environment. The responsibilities of clerical workers commonly include record keeping, filing, staffing service ...
. Goldfeder, a favorite to replace Pheffer, announced his candidacy, receiving the support of the Queens Democratic establishment to run in a special election against
Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
candidate Jane Deacy, a former
NYPD The New York City Police Department (NYPD), officially the City of New York Police Department, established on May 23, 1845, is the primary municipal law enforcement agency within the City of New York, the largest and one of the oldest in ...
officer from Breezy Point. During the campaign, Goldfeder ran on a platform focusing on improving transportation in the district, ending the toll on the Cross Bay Bridge, and bringing full casino gaming to
Aqueduct Racetrack Aqueduct Racetrack is a Thoroughbred horse racing facility and casino in the South Ozone Park, Queens, South Ozone Park and Jamaica, Queens, Jamaica neighborhoods of Queens, New York City, United States. Aqueduct is the only racetrack locate ...
. He also touted his years of public service working in city government and for Sen. Schumer. On September 13, 2011, Goldfeder was elected with 53% of the votes cast.


Superstorm Sandy

On October 29, 2012,
Superstorm Sandy Hurricane Sandy (unofficially referred to as ''Superstorm Sandy'') was an extremely destructive and strong Atlantic hurricane, as well as the largest Atlantic hurricane on record as measured by diameter, with tropical-storm-force winds spann ...
struck
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
, causing damage to 85% of households in Goldfeder's district, including his own family home. In the days following the storm, Goldfeder lived out of the
NYPD The New York City Police Department (NYPD), officially the City of New York Police Department, established on May 23, 1845, is the primary municipal law enforcement agency within the City of New York, the largest and one of the oldest in ...
101st Precinct in
Far Rockaway Far Rockaway is a neighborhood on the eastern part of the Rockaway peninsula in the New York City borough of Queens. It is the easternmost section of the Rockaways. The neighborhood extends from Beach 32nd Street east to the Nassau County line ...
while helping to coordinate recovery efforts and assist in delivering aid supplies to affected neighborhoods. As the initial emergency response transitioned into long-term recovery efforts, area residents began to express frustrations over the pace of rebuilding. In response, Goldfeder held multiple town hall meetings to provide residents and business owners with the opportunity to discuss their concerns with a broad range of agencies helping with relief efforts following Sandy.


Transportation


Cross Bay Bridge Toll

Goldfeder fulfilled one of his main campaign promises when, in 2012, he succeeded in having the Cross Bay Bridge rebate for
Broad Channel Broad Channel is a neighborhood in the southern portion of the New York City borough of Queens. It occupies the southern portion of Rulers Bar Hassock (known colloquially as "Broad Channel Island"), the only inhabited island in Jamaica Bay. The ...
and Rockaway re-inserted into Governor
Andrew Cuomo Andrew Mark Cuomo ( ; ; born December 6, 1957) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the 56th governor of New York from 2011 to 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, he was elected to the same position that his father, Mario Cuo ...
's executive budget. The residency rebate, which was instituted in 1997 by then-Mayor
Rudy Giuliani Rudolph William Louis Giuliani (, ; born May 28, 1944) is an American politician and lawyer who served as the 107th Mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001. He previously served as the United States Associate Attorney General from 1981 to 198 ...
, credited residents'
E-ZPass E-ZPass is an electronic toll collection system used on toll roads, toll bridges, and toll tunnels in the Eastern United States, Midwestern United States, and Southern United States. The E-ZPass Interagency Group (IAG) consists of member agencie ...
statements for round-trip tolls. However, the MTA partially rescinded the program in 2010 due to budget constraints. Under the plan secured by Goldfeder, residents of Rockaway and
Broad Channel Broad Channel is a neighborhood in the southern portion of the New York City borough of Queens. It occupies the southern portion of Rulers Bar Hassock (known colloquially as "Broad Channel Island"), the only inhabited island in Jamaica Bay. The ...
are reimbursed for all trips taken over the bridge from funds allocated in the state budget. Each year since assuming office, Goldfeder has reintroduced this legislation to maintain the residency rebate in the Executive Budget. Through 2014, he successfully kept the rebate in the state budget.


Rockaway Beach Rail Line

As a member of the Assembly Committee on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions, which oversees the MTA, transportation has been principle policy issue for Goldfeder. One of his major initiatives is the reactivation of the Rockaway Beach Rail Line. The Rockaway Beach Rail Line was operated by the
Long Island Rail Road The Long Island Rail Road , often abbreviated as the LIRR, is a commuter rail system in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, stretching from Manhattan to the eastern tip of Suffolk County, New York, Suffolk Co ...
until a track fire, route truncation, and decreasing ridership lead to its shuttering in 1962. To show his support for this initiative, Goldfeder gathered more than 2,500 signatures in favor of reactivation and submitted them to the MTA, and Governor
Andrew Cuomo Andrew Mark Cuomo ( ; ; born December 6, 1957) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the 56th governor of New York from 2011 to 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, he was elected to the same position that his father, Mario Cuo ...
. When the MTA convened a Transportation Reinvention Commission in 2014, Goldfeder testified before the MTA commission advocating for the reactivation of the Rockaway Beach Rail Line during a public hearing. When the commission's report was released, it highlighted the need to use existing rights of way, including the Rockaway Beach Rail Line, to expand subway and light rail service across the New York City metropolitan area. Most recently, at Goldfeder's request, Queens College's Department of Urban Studies initiated a study in November 2013 to poll the opinions of local residents on the best use of the abandoned rail line. When the survey was completed, it showed residents’ preference for expanded transportation over a proposed plan to convert the elevated train trestle into a park similar to the
High Line The High Line is a elevated park, elevated linear park, greenway (landscape), greenway and rail trail created on a former New York Central Railroad spur on the West Side (Manhattan), west side of Manhattan in New York City. The High Line's ...
. It also showed that the proposed transportation link would serve up to 500,000 trips per day. One of Goldfeder's principal reasons for supporting the project is its economic impact. According to Goldfeder, reactivation of the Rockaway Beach Rail Line would create jobs, decrease commute times to typically higher paying jobs in
Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
, and bring new discretionary spending from other boroughs into Queens’ businesses. The route would also fill a gap in the city's transportation system, providing the only direct rail link between northern and southern
Queens Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long ...
. Goldfeder has frequently referenced a NYU Wagner Rudin Center study on the relationship between mass transit and economic opportunity which revealed that neighborhoods with limited public transit options such as Belle Harbor, Howard Beach, and South Ozone Park, also limit their residents' access to jobs with social mobility. The proposal garnered strong union support;
Transport Workers Union of America Transport Workers Union of America (TWU) is a United States labor union that was founded in 1934 by subway workers in New York City, then expanded to represent transit employees in other cities, primarily in the eastern U.S. This article disc ...
100 Local President John Samuelson said, "Reactivating the Rockaway Beach Line is the ideal place to start. It is the most sensible and practical solution to transportation inequality in southern Queens. It will not only improve inter-modal connectivity throughout the borough, but it will also multiply benefits for the city in quality union jobs, regional economic development, and fare revenues."


Rockaway Ferry

The extensive damage to A train tracks during
Superstorm Sandy Hurricane Sandy (unofficially referred to as ''Superstorm Sandy'') was an extremely destructive and strong Atlantic hurricane, as well as the largest Atlantic hurricane on record as measured by diameter, with tropical-storm-force winds spann ...
left residents of
Broad Channel Broad Channel is a neighborhood in the southern portion of the New York City borough of Queens. It occupies the southern portion of Rulers Bar Hassock (known colloquially as "Broad Channel Island"), the only inhabited island in Jamaica Bay. The ...
and Rockaway without subway service to Manhattan. As a temporary substitute, Mayor
Michael Bloomberg Michael Rubens Bloomberg (born February 14, 1942) is an American businessman, politician, philanthropist, and author. He is the majority owner, co-founder and CEO of Bloomberg L.P. He was Mayor of New York City from 2002 to 2013, and was a ca ...
put in place a ferry service from Rockaway to Manhattan. In July 2013,
Bloomberg Bloomberg may refer to: People * Daniel J. Bloomberg (1905–1984), audio engineer * Georgina Bloomberg (born 1983), professional equestrian * Michael Bloomberg (born 1942), American businessman and founder of Bloomberg L.P.; politician and ma ...
extended service of the Rockaway ferry through Labor Day. While Goldfeder commended the extension, he maintained the position that his work is not done until the ferry service is made permanent. As A train service resumed and city officials prepared to end the Rockaway ferry, the Assemblyman started a petition to make ferry service to Manhattan a permanent fixture within the Rockaway community. The petition gained support from thousands who signed online and was delivered to City Hall by Goldfeder himself. As a result, ferry service was extended to January 2014. In 2014, Mayor
Bill de Blasio Bill de Blasio (; born Warren Wilhelm Jr., May 8, 1961; later Warren de Blasio-Wilhelm) is an American politician who served as the 109th mayor of New York City from 2014 to 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, he held the office of New Yor ...
granted two extensions in January and June, with service slated to end by October. On August 21, 2014, Assemblyman Goldfeder, Queens Borough President
Melinda Katz Melinda R. Katz (born August 29, 1965) is an American attorney and politician from New York City, serving as District Attorney of Queens since January 1, 2020. A Democrat, she previously served as the Queens Borough President. Katz was also a N ...
, community leaders, and dozens of Rockaway residents gathered outside city hall to call for another extension to the ferry line. Goldfeder said, "removing the ferry would be just another blow to so many people who are still struggling to recover; it would be detrimental not just to one community, but to every Queens neighborhood who relies on the ferry for transportation." Despite 11th hour appeals made by Assemblyman Goldfeder and other elected Rockaway officials during an emergency meeting with Mayor de Blasio, ferry service ended on October 31, 2014. Goldfeder said, "We will continue to do everything we can with City Hall to get the ferry back." In his 2015 State of the City address, Mayor de Blasio announced a plan for a 5 borough ferry service in 2017, that would include a Rockaway ferry, priced the same as the normal metro fare. While he was pleased with the announcement of impending ferry service, Goldfeder said, "It should not take two years to bring it back. Our struggling families deserve equal access to transit just like every other resident in this city and I will not stop fighting until this is a reality."


Flood Insurance

In the wake of Superstorm Sandy, many of Goldfeder's constituents experienced issues in dealing with their flood insurance providers. In an effort to assist families, Goldfeder sponsored Sandy insurance legislation in the Assembly to reform the process of providing insurance coverage, strengthen homeowners’ rights and hold insurance companies to a higher standard of accountability. In response to concerns from families still waiting on their Sandy Insurance payments, Goldfeder called on the five major banks handling insurance payouts to speed up the disbursement of insurance checks to residents in areas afflicted by Sandy. During this time, Goldfeder worked with colleagues in Washington to secure passage of a bill in Congress to delay dramatic increases in flood insurance planned under the 2012 Biggert-Waters Act.


Assembly Insurance Committee

In 2015, Goldfeder was appointed to the
New York State Assembly The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature, with the New York State Senate being the upper house. There are 150 seats in the Assembly. Assembly members serve two-year terms without term limits. The Assem ...
’s Insurance Committee where he promised to use his new role, "to hold insurance companies accountable and make sure our families are treated fairly and with compassion in their time of greatest need." Following his appointment, Goldfeder introduced a bill to establish the New York Flood Insurance Association (NYFIA). The association would be composed of state-approved insurers required to share in premium profits and losses, and operating costs. It would be overseen by the Superintendent of the state Department of Financial Services and a board of thirteen directors. In a 2014 op-ed, Goldfeder explained that his plan was inspired by the New York Property Insurance Underwriting Association, which was created in the late 1960s as a way to provide fire insurance to inner-city property owners unable to purchase coverage because of risks stemming from civil unrest and urban decay. The Assemblyman's legislation was motivated by issues homeowners in his district faced after Sandy, which included protracted fights with policy providers over coverage and recent reports of alleged fraudulent practices by flood insurance companies and the
National Flood Insurance Program The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) is a program created by the Congress of the United States in 1968 through the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 (P.L. 90-448). The NFIP has two purposes: to share the risk of flood losses through floo ...
administered by
FEMA The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS), initially created under President Jimmy Carter by Presidential Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1978 and implemented by two Exec ...
According to Goldfeder, the proposal would help protect homeowners from being overcharged for premiums or dropped from their policies after major storms like Sandy.


Personal life

Goldfeder lives in Far Rockaway with his wife, Esther, and their three children. Goldfeder is an avid runner. He regularly competes in local charity races in his district and in 2014 ran the 15K
Utica Boilermaker The Boilermaker Road Race is a USATF-certified foot race and wheelchair race held annually in Utica, New York, United States. Although local recreational runners are the majority of entrants, the race is highly competitive, with internationa ...
.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Goldfeder, Phil Living people Brooklyn College alumni Democratic Party members of the New York State Assembly People from Far Rockaway, Queens Public officeholders of Rockaway, Queens 21st-century American politicians 1981 births