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By: Ellen Cans
Political neophyte Rep. Dan Goldman of New York has garnered criticism for his ability to amass a whopping 84 traffic and parking violations in the last six years.
The 46-year-old Democrat joined as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives in January, serving New York’s 10th congressional district– which includes all of Lower Manhattan as well as Brooklyn Heights, DUMBO, Cobble Hill, Red Hook, Gowanus, Prospect Heights, South Slope, Park Slope, and Sunset Park neighborhoods of Brooklyn. As reported by the NY Post, thecongressman and multi-millionaire has been fined a total of $6,515 for violations on his 2019 Lincoln Navigator Reserve and a 2014 Range Rover.
Both of Goldman’s vehicles are registered to him at his home address in Tribeca, according to city Finance Department records. He lives in a $27 million, 6-bedroom condo, with his wife and five children. Goldman is among the wealthiest members of Congress, with an estimated personal net worth of roughly $253 million, as per Bloomberg. The Yale University and Stanford Law School graduate is an heir to the Levi Strauss & Co. fortune.
While being wealthy is not a crime nor a flaw, critics are saying the overwhelming number of orange summonses he amassed, raise questions to his claims for commitment to safer streets. “Ensuring that our streets are safe begins with our city fleet,” Goldman had said in January, touting a pilot program to reduce speeding and other violations by city-owned vehicles by equipping them with intelligent speed-assistance technology. “I look forward … at the federal level to keep New Yorkers safe on the road.”
His personal road infractions, based on the tickets, include double parking, expired registration, parking at fire hydrants and speeding in school zones. His most recent ticket, was an illegal park on the Upper East Side, issued on Jan. 12, 2023. Records in Nassau County show he has another three violations there, which included two violations for running a red light and one for blocking a driveway. Goldman plead guilty to all three violations, per the Post. In Goldman’s defense, most of the tickets are paid—with the exception of one unpaid ticket from last year totaling $125, and one Long Island village of Atlantic Beach ticket for an expired inspection in July 2022, which has since ballooned to $200 after late fees.
“As a baseline we expect everybody to obey traffic laws especially when it comes to speeding and dangerous driving activity, and I think it’s even more imperative that people who are elected to represent us uphold the law and set a positive example for other people by adhering to speed limits and traffic regulations,” said Eric McClure, executive director of StreetsPAC, a political action committee focused on safe streets and sidewalks. “If you have deep pockets, clearly the fines are not high enough to deter you from illegal behavior,” McClure added.
As per the Post, some critics are also pointing to Goldman’s oversized gas guzzling vehicles, saying it flies in the face of his rhetoric as a Green New Deal advocate. “I am proud to join the House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition in the fight for environmental justice and a comprehensive and equitable green energy transition,” Goldman had announced last week. “Climate change is no longer a concern for the future — it is here, wreaking havoc around the country, including in my district in New York City.”
