Democratic Nassau County, NY Legislator Ellen Birnbaum has caught heat from fellow lawmakers after she allegedly said, “This is a bad neighborhood because African-Americans live there. Very few people would want to go there.” Those remarks were in reference to an area near the Yes We Can Community Center in New Cassel, NY.
According to News 12 Long Island, three staffers overheard Birnbaum make the comment, but she has refused to step down despite intense pressure. Even though one resident told Birnbaum “the 12,000 African Americans who live in New Cassel no longer have the trust or confidence in you or any vote you render in this legislature,” at a public meeting, Birnbaum said she “would welcome the chance to rebuild and regain the trust I have lost in people.” Birnbaum has also been kicked out of her party’s caucus and lost her committee assignments.
Unlike Wolfeboro, NH Police Commissioner Charles Copeland remarks Birnbaum’s remarks have yet to capture the attention of the national media.
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