Mr. Q Goes to Washington

Well, maybe not D.C. But I did go up Washington and take a right on Empire, down to the school on the corner of New York Avenue, across from the 71st Precinct. Why on earth would I go to that middle school, 30 years after graduating Junior High, and 10 years before my daughter will probably matriculate at one? Simple. The Q at Parkside was appointed to Community Board 9. I now sit as Chair of the Environmental Protection committee. And now that I'm officially "the Man," I can't just complain about stuff. I've actually got to see what I can do to make sh*t happen.

But I need your help.

You may be asking yourself why a reasonably sane, super-busy "flogger" (that's my new word for father-blogger) would want to dedicate time to such an activity. Well, for one, I'm really curious to meet and work with members of the larger "community" as drawn by district maps - including points north of Empire to Eastern Parkway (Crown Heights) and East of Nostrand to Utica (Wingate? Flatbush? eastern PLG? Pigtown? East Flatbush? Little help here?)

For another, I feel like we of the Southwest, that is the southwest corner of the CB map need better representation at all levels of government. And we have particular problems - rapid changes in demographics, mountains of trash, out-of-control traffic, um, Parkside friggin Avenue, my namesake train station, new buildings and coop conversions - that need to be addressed SOMEWHERE. And frankly, I think we're underserved on the City Council. And I'll leave that at that.

So I'd like to take you along for the ride by writing about stuff I see and hear, and encourage you to show up at Committee meetings (see the CB9 calendar) and Board meetings (last Tuesday of the month) and to email me with stuff you'd like CB9 to address. Not complaints, per se. But the big stuff. Because 311 is there for a reason, and you should always call it before bitching to a flogger. Except that now the flogger is on the Board, which means if you want to contact me offline in that role, please do. timothyjamesthomas@gmail.com. For better or worse, when you want politicians or agencies to hear your voice, I'm your "Man."