Carol Berman

Carol Berman (September 21, 1923 – October 17, 2023) was an American Democratic Party politician in New York, from Lawrence, in Nassau County. She 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 transports at nearby John F. Kennedy International Airport.[1]

Carol Berman
Member of the New York Senate
from the 9th district
In office
1979–1984
Preceded byKaren Burstein
Succeeded byDean G. Skelos
Personal details
Born(1923-09-21)September 21, 1923
DiedOctober 17, 2023(2023-10-17) (aged 100)
Political partyDemocratic Party
ResidenceLawrence, New York

Berman was part of the leadership of the Emergency Coalition to Stop the SST, which sought to stop Concorde from using Kennedy Airport, whose runway approaches passed over her Lawrence home. Protesters 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.[2] 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.[3]

Berman was a district aide in the offices of Assemblyman Eli Wager and of Representative Herbert Tenzer. She was 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.[4] She died on October 17, 2023, at the age of 100.[5]

Election history

Berman was a member of the New York State Senate from 1979 to 1984, sitting in the 183rd, 184th, and 185th New York State Legislatures. She was first elected in November 1978 in the 9th District which 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, 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.[4]

In 1982, one-term Republican Assemblyman Dean Skelos gave up his seat to challenge Berman. The re-apportionment 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.[6] 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.[7] 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.[8] 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.[9]

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.[10][11] Berman challenged Skelos in their third consecutive state senate contest in 1986. Skelos, running on the Republican and Conservative party lines, defeated the Democratic-Liberal candidate Berman in a three-way race.[12][13]

Long Island Rail Road gap accident

In September 2006 Berman made news when she broke her ankle during a fall into a 10-inch-wide (250 mm) gap between a Long Island Rail Road train and the platform at the LIRR's Lawrence station.[14] 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 claim against the Long Island Rail Road and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.[15] The lawsuit was settled in January 2009 for $150,000.[16]

References
  1. O'Grady, Jim. " NEIGHBORHOOD REPORT: THE ROCKAWAYS; Ears Ringing? It's Cheering Over the Demise Of the Concorde", The New York Times, April 27, 2003. Accessed September 24, 2008.
  2. Kihss, Peter. "Turnout Increases in Car Protest Against Concorde", The New York Times, May 23, 1977. Accessed September 18, 2008.
  3. Staff. "$100,000 Fund Sought in Drive To Sue Port Authority Over SST", The New York Times, August 9, 1978. Accessed September 18, 2008. "Calling the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey 'arrogant in its disregard' for the people in communities near Kennedy International and La Guardia Airports, Carol Berman, leader of the Emergency Coalition to Stop the SST, said she hoped to raise $100,000 to finance the $1.84 million suit that a group of Long Island individuals have brought against the authority."
  4. Lynn, Frank. "POLITICS A Happy Landing In State Senate", The New York Times, February 4, 1979. Accessed September 18, 2008.
  5. "Carol Berman". Dignity Memorial. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
  6. Lynn, Frank. "Key Political Races Are Shaping Up After District Shifts", The New York Times, July 25, 1982
  7. "Voting In New York State For 61 Seats In The Senate", The New York Times on November 4, 1982
  8. Lynn, Frank. "Democrats Make Inroads In G.O.P. Bastion", The New York Times, November 7, 1982
  9. Lynn, Frank. "2 Election Winners Move To Sue Losers", The New York Times, December 5, 1982
  10. Oreskes, Michael. "After The Voting: Looking For Guideposts In The New Political Landscape; Legislature's Alignment Is Unchanged In Albany" by Michael Oreskes, in The New York Times on November 8, 1984
  11. "The Returns Across New York In Campaigns For Seats In State Legislature; The Results Of The Balloting For New York State Senate" in The New York Times on November 8, 1984
  12. Finder, Alan. "Election Leaves The Balance Of Power Unchanged In New York Legislature", The New York Times on November 6, 1986
  13. "The Elections: Facts And Figures; Balloting For State Senate: New York's 61 Districts", The New York Times, November 6, 1986
  14. Maloney, Jennifer (2006-09-26). "A platform plunge: In latest gap mishap, former state senator falls onto rails while getting off Lawrence train, breaking ankle". Newsday. Retrieved 2009-04-13.
  15. Epstein, Reid J. (2006-10-27). "Former state senator files $1M claim". Newsday. Retrieved 2009-04-13.
  16. Chang, Sophia (2009-01-14). "Ex-state senator gets $150G gap settlement from LIRR". Newsday. Archived from the original on 2009-01-14. Retrieved 2009-04-13.
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