Carol Berman
Encyclopedia
Carol Berman is a New York
Democratic Party
politician from Lawrence
, in Nassau County
, New York
, United States
, who served in the New York State Senate
from 1979 to 1984. Berman first achieved attention for her efforts to prevent the landing of Concorde
and other supersonic transport
s at nearby John F. Kennedy International Airport
.
Berman had been part of the leadership of the Emergency Coalition to Stop the SST, which sought to stop Concorde from using Kennedy Airport, whose runway approaches pass over her Lawrence home. Protests led by Berman and other groups opposed to Concorde ran a series of protests at Kennedy Airport starting in May 1977 in which as many as 1,000 cars drove along the main airport roadway at the 6:00 p.m. peak, driving at 5 to 10 miles per hour. Berman announced in August 1978 that her group was seeking to raise $100,000 to be used to help fund a lawsuit against the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
, and encouraged other area residents to sue the Port Authority.
Berman had been a district aide in the offices of Assemblyman Eli Wager and of Representative Herbert Tenzer
. She had been vice chairman of the Nassau County Democratic Committee and was a delegate for Henry M. "Scoop" Jackson
at the 1976 Democratic National Convention
in New York City
.
, who was appointed to fill a seat on the New York State Public Service Commission. The district included portions of southwestern Nassau County, including the Atlantic Ocean
communities of Point Lookout
and Long Beach
, along with the Five Towns
, and then crossed over into southeastern Queens
, including Rosedale
, Springfield Gardens
and South Jamaica
, all of which encircle Kennedy Airport. The district was split evenly between Queens and Nassau and contained roughly equal numbers of African American and White voters, and had a strong Democratic majority. The New York Times
opined in 1979 that "Berman could make a lifetime career in the Senate seat since the district is predominantly Democratic with a large Jewish population in Nassau and a large black population in the Queens portion." In the Senate, she served on the Corporation and Authorities Committee, the Transportation Committee and was the ranking minority member on the Commerce and Economic Development Committee.
In 1982, one-term Republican
New York State Assembly
man Dean Skelos
gave up his seat to challenge Berman. The reapportionment following the 1980 United States Census changed the boundaries of the 9th Senate District, which previously included parts of Queens County. The new district, drawn by Senate Republicans, was now entirely within Nassau County and favored Republicans, after the Queens portion of the district had been removed to satisfy the objective of Federal judges to create a district in southeastern Queens that would elect an African American to the Senate. Skelos was endorsed by the Republican and Conservative parties. Berman, running on the Democratic and Liberal party lines won the race by 6,108 votes (55,504 to 49,396). Matthew Doyle, the Right-to-Life party candidate, received 2,520 votes in the three-way race. Berman's victory over the well-financed Skelos made her the only Democrat elected to fill one of the eight State Senate seats in Nassau and Suffolk
counties. Berman filed a $6 million suit against Skelos in Nassau Supreme Court, citing campaign literature that she claimed mischaracterized her positions on the use of plain language
in insurance policies and on busing children across county lines.
In 1984, Skelos challenged Berman in a rematch. This time, Skelos, who had President Ronald Reagan
visit the district and campaign for him, defeated Berman in a two-way race. Skelos won 50.7% to 49.3% (67,834 to 65,876).
Berman ran for election in 1986, challenging Skelos in their third consecutive state senate contest. Skelos, running on the Republican and Conservative party lines defeated the Democratic-Liberal candidate Berman in a three-way race, winning 53% of the vote (49,761) to 43.7% (41,005), and expanding from a nearly 2,000-vote margin in 1984 to a better than 8,000-vote edge in 1986. Right-to-Life party candidate, Joan McDermott received 3.2% (2,967) of the vote.
train and the platform at the LIRR station in Lawrence, New York
. The following month, after reading about a Minnesota teenager killed in an August 2006 gap fall and a former Rockette paralyzed in a 2004 fall, she filed a $1 million dollar claim against the Long Island Rail Road and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority
. The lawsuit was settled in January 2009 for $150,000.
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
politician from Lawrence
Lawrence, Nassau County, New York
Lawrence is a village in Nassau County, New York in the USA. As of the United States 2010 Census, the village population was 6,483.The Village of Lawrence is in the southwest corner of the Town of Hempstead, adjoining the border with the New York City borough of Queens to the west and near the...
, in Nassau County
Nassau County, New York
Nassau County is a suburban county on Long Island, east of New York City in the U.S. state of New York, within the New York Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,339,532...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, who served in the New York State Senate
New York State Senate
The New York State Senate is one of two houses in the New York State Legislature and has members each elected to two-year terms. There are no limits on the number of terms one may serve...
from 1979 to 1984. Berman first achieved attention for her efforts to prevent the landing of Concorde
Concorde
Aérospatiale-BAC Concorde was a turbojet-powered supersonic passenger airliner, a supersonic transport . It was a product of an Anglo-French government treaty, combining the manufacturing efforts of Aérospatiale and the British Aircraft Corporation...
and other supersonic transport
Supersonic transport
A supersonic transport is a civilian supersonic aircraft designed to transport passengers at speeds greater than the speed of sound. The only SSTs to see regular service to date have been Concorde and the Tupolev Tu-144. The last passenger flight of the Tu-144 was in June 1978 with its last ever...
s at nearby John F. Kennedy International Airport
John F. Kennedy International Airport
John F. Kennedy International Airport is an international airport located in the borough of Queens in New York City, about southeast of Lower Manhattan. It is the busiest international air passenger gateway to the United States, handling more international traffic than any other airport in North...
.
Berman had been part of the leadership of the Emergency Coalition to Stop the SST, which sought to stop Concorde from using Kennedy Airport, whose runway approaches pass over her Lawrence home. Protests led by Berman and other groups opposed to Concorde ran a series of protests at Kennedy Airport starting in May 1977 in which as many as 1,000 cars drove along the main airport roadway at the 6:00 p.m. peak, driving at 5 to 10 miles per hour. Berman announced in August 1978 that her group was seeking to raise $100,000 to be used to help fund a lawsuit against the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is a bi-state port district, established in 1921 through an interstate compact, that runs most of the regional transportation infrastructure, including the bridges, tunnels, airports, and seaports, within the Port of New York and New Jersey...
, and encouraged other area residents to sue the Port Authority.
Berman had been a district aide in the offices of Assemblyman Eli Wager and of Representative Herbert Tenzer
Herbert Tenzer
Herbert Tenzer was an American Democratic Party politician, who served two terms of office in the United States House of Representatives....
. She had been vice chairman of the Nassau County Democratic Committee and was a delegate for Henry M. "Scoop" Jackson
Henry M. Jackson
Henry Martin "Scoop" Jackson was a U.S. Congressman and Senator from the state of Washington from 1941 until his death...
at the 1976 Democratic National Convention
1976 Democratic National Convention
The 1976 Democratic National Convention met at Madison Square Garden in New York City, from July 12 to July 15, 1976. The assembled United States Democratic Party delegates at the convention nominated Governor Jimmy Carter of Georgia for President and Senator Walter Mondale of Minnesota for Vice...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
Election history
Berman was elected in 1978 to fill the vacancy in the 9th Senate District caused by the departure of Karen BursteinKaren Burstein
Karen Burstein is a politician and former judge from New York. She was the unsuccessful Democratic nominee for New York State Attorney General in 1994.-Biography:...
, who was appointed to fill a seat on the New York State Public Service Commission. The district included portions of southwestern Nassau County, including the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
communities of Point Lookout
Point Lookout, New York
Point Lookout is a hamlet located in the town Hempstead in Nassau County, New York. The population was 1,219 at the 2010 census.-Geography:...
and Long Beach
Long Beach, New York
Long Beach is a city in Nassau County, New York. Just south of Long Island, it is located on Long Beach Barrier Island, which is the westernmost of the outer barrier islands off Long Island's South Shore. As of the United States 2010 Census, the city population was 33,275...
, along with the Five Towns
Five Towns
The Five Towns is an informal grouping of villages and hamlets in Nassau County, New York, United States on the South Shore of western Long Island adjoining the border with Queens County in New York City. Despite the name, none of the communities is a town...
, and then crossed over into southeastern Queens
Queens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
, including Rosedale
Rosedale, Queens
Rosedale is a suburban neighborhood in Queens. The neighborhood is on the Nassau County, New York - Queens border and is part of Queens Community Board 13.- History :...
, Springfield Gardens
Springfield Gardens, Queens
Springfield Gardens is a neighborhood in the southeastern area of the New York City borough of Queens, bounded to the north by St. Albans, to the east by Laurelton & Rosedale, to the south by John F. Kennedy International Airport, and to the west by Farmers Boulevard...
and South Jamaica
South Jamaica, Queens
South Jamaica, known colloquially as Southside & Southside Jamaica Queens, is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens, located south of downtown Jamaica, the Long Island Rail Road tracks Jamaica Avenue and Liberty Avenue. The western border is the Van Wyck Expressway, and it...
, all of which encircle Kennedy Airport. The district was split evenly between Queens and Nassau and contained roughly equal numbers of African American and White voters, and had a strong Democratic majority. The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
opined in 1979 that "Berman could make a lifetime career in the Senate seat since the district is predominantly Democratic with a large Jewish population in Nassau and a large black population in the Queens portion." In the Senate, she served on the Corporation and Authorities Committee, the Transportation Committee and was the ranking minority member on the Commerce and Economic Development Committee.
In 1982, one-term Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
New York State Assembly
New York State Assembly
The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature. The Assembly is composed of 150 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 128,652...
man Dean Skelos
Dean Skelos
Dean G. Skelos is an American politician and the Republican Temporary President and Majority Leader of the New York State Senate. Skelos represents District 9 in the State Senate, which comprises the southwest region of Nassau County. He is the second Long Islander to hold the position of Majority...
gave up his seat to challenge Berman. The reapportionment following the 1980 United States Census changed the boundaries of the 9th Senate District, which previously included parts of Queens County. The new district, drawn by Senate Republicans, was now entirely within Nassau County and favored Republicans, after the Queens portion of the district had been removed to satisfy the objective of Federal judges to create a district in southeastern Queens that would elect an African American to the Senate. Skelos was endorsed by the Republican and Conservative parties. Berman, running on the Democratic and Liberal party lines won the race by 6,108 votes (55,504 to 49,396). Matthew Doyle, the Right-to-Life party candidate, received 2,520 votes in the three-way race. Berman's victory over the well-financed Skelos made her the only Democrat elected to fill one of the eight State Senate seats in Nassau and Suffolk
Suffolk County, New York
Suffolk County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York on the eastern portion of Long Island. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,493,350. It was named for the county of Suffolk in England, from which its earliest settlers came...
counties. Berman filed a $6 million suit against Skelos in Nassau Supreme Court, citing campaign literature that she claimed mischaracterized her positions on the use of plain language
Plain language
Plain language is clear, succinct writing designed to ensure the reader understands as quickly and completely as possible.Plain language strives to be easy to read, understand, and use. It avoids verbose, convoluted language and jargon...
in insurance policies and on busing children across county lines.
In 1984, Skelos challenged Berman in a rematch. This time, Skelos, who had President Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
visit the district and campaign for him, defeated Berman in a two-way race. Skelos won 50.7% to 49.3% (67,834 to 65,876).
Berman ran for election in 1986, challenging Skelos in their third consecutive state senate contest. Skelos, running on the Republican and Conservative party lines defeated the Democratic-Liberal candidate Berman in a three-way race, winning 53% of the vote (49,761) to 43.7% (41,005), and expanding from a nearly 2,000-vote margin in 1984 to a better than 8,000-vote edge in 1986. Right-to-Life party candidate, Joan McDermott received 3.2% (2,967) of the vote.
Long Island Rail Road gap accident
In September 2006, Carol Berman made news when she broke her ankle during a fall into a 10 inches (254 mm) gap between a Long Island Rail RoadLong Island Rail Road
The Long Island Rail Road or LIRR is a commuter rail system serving the length of Long Island, New York. It is the busiest commuter railroad in North America, serving about 81.5 million passengers each year. Established in 1834 and having operated continuously since then, it is the oldest US...
train and the platform at the LIRR station in Lawrence, New York
Lawrence, New York
Lawrence, New York may refer to:*Lawrence, Nassau County, New York, a village*Lawrence, St. Lawrence County, New York, a town...
. The following month, after reading about a Minnesota teenager killed in an August 2006 gap fall and a former Rockette paralyzed in a 2004 fall, she filed a $1 million dollar claim against the Long Island Rail Road and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Metropolitan Transportation Authority (New York)
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority of the State of New York is a public benefit corporation responsible for public transportation in the U.S...
. The lawsuit was settled in January 2009 for $150,000.