Results from a recent constituent survey from State Senator Joseph P. Addabbo Jr. show many Queens residents are in favor of the QueensLink Project and legislation granting impunity to prostitutes for the wrongdoings of pimps and sex traffickers.
The Queens legislator, who represents Senate District 15—which includes Glendale, Middle Village, Forest Hills, Rego Park, Howard Beach, Ozone Park, Richmond Hill and Woodhaven—conducted a poll in May and gathered responses from 523 people across the district.
Voters weighed in on the QueensLink vs. QueensWay proposals, the Medical Aid in Dying Act, the Interactive Gaming Bill and the Sex Trade Survivors Justice and Equality Act.
The NYS Medical Aid in Dying Act would allow a terminally ill patient given less than six months to live the right to request and receive medication to end their life under the supervision of two certified doctors.
A majority of neighborhoods showed support for the proposed bill, including Middle Village (70%), Rego Park (82%), Forest Hills (77%), Glendale (65%), Howard Beach (65.3%), the 11417 zip code of Ozone Park (73%), Richmond Hill (74%), South Richmond Hill (54%) and Woodhaven (74%).
Recorded numbers from Ozone Park (11416) showed only 30% in favor of the bill, with 50% opposed and 20% unsure. Ozone Park is split by the two zip codes (11416 and 11417) in the poll.
Preventative measures in the Medical Aid in Dying Act grant the option for patients only who are acting voluntarily, cognitively of sound mind and can self-administer the medication, the legislation details.
The results of the QueensWay and QueensLink project proposals favored the latter, which would supposedly allow the reactivation of abandoned train tracks connecting Queens north and south.
Neighborhoods across the board showed the most favorable opinion of the QueensLink project over the QueensWay project. The polling numbers show Middle Village at 70%, Rego Park at 69%, Forest Hills at 77%, Glendale at 77%, Howard Beach at 80%, Ozone Park (11416) at 80%, Ozone Park (11417) at 81%, Richmond Hill at 65%, South Richmond Hill at 85% and Woodhaven at 77%.
The QueensWay proposal looked to create walking and bike paths along the abandoned train rails that would mimic that of The High Line in Manhattan.
Addabbo, who chairs the Senate Racing, Gaming and Wagering Committee, also asked constituents about his Interactive Gaming bill.
The bill would authorize interactive online gaming in New York, regulating the online casino gaming market. Support for the legislation varied across most polled neighborhoods, reaching the highest support in Howard Beach at 63.3%.
Middle Village residents polled 50% in favor of iGambling, while 36% opposed it. Forest Hills had 34% supporting it, with 37% opposing it. Meanwhile, Ozone Park (11416) also matched both sides at 40% and Woodhaven residents voted higher as unsure of the bill at 36%.
Ozone Park (11417) held the highest support tally, with 56.8% in favor of the bill. Rego Park (42%), Glendale (41.7%), Richmond Hill (53%) and South Richmond Hill (54%) followed shortly thereafter.
Finally, the poll asked voters to express their opinion on legalized prostitution (S.1352). The bill aims to protect individuals engaged in prostitution from being prosecuted or incarcerated and instead focuses on targeting the sex traffickers, brothels and pimps responsible for the illegal activities.
Howard Beach and Glendale opposed the legislation by over 40%, with the rest of the majority polling unsure about the law.
Middle Village mainly polled opposed to the law, at 39.3%, with 14.3% unsure. Rego Park (71%), Forest Hills (55.7%), the 11416 zip code of Ozone Park (70%), the 11417 zip code of Ozone Park (62.2%), Richmond Hill (63%), South Richmond Hill (62%) and Woodhaven (61%) showed polled participants in favor of the bill.
Overall, the district’s combined percentages showed 72% in support of the Medical Aid in Dying Act, 75% for the QueensLink proposal, 44% for iGaming, and 56% in favor of legalized prostitution reform.
The combined total of polled residents in the neighborhoods does not reflect the general population numbers in the district. However, Addabbo’s polling provides a glimpse into Queens residents’ legislative stances and support in their neighborhoods.
Another poll conducted earlier this year touched on similar topics impacting Addabbo’s district.
