Daneek Miller facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Daneek Miller
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| Member of the New York City Council from the 27th district |
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| In office January 1, 2014 – December 31, 2021 |
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| Preceded by | Leroy Comrie |
| Succeeded by | Nantasha Williams |
| Personal details | |
| Born | November 6, 1960 Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Alma mater | certificate from New York State School of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University |
| Website | Official website: http://council.nyc.gov/d27/html/members/home.shtml |
Ira Daneek Miller (born November 6, 1960) is an American politician. He served as a Council Member for the 27th district in Queens, New York. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Before becoming a politician, Miller was a bus driver for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) for 19 years. He was also a leader in a workers' union.
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Early Life and Education
Daneek Miller was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1960. He is a Muslim. He earned a certificate from the New York State School of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University.
Career Before Politics
For 19 years, Miller worked as a bus driver for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). The MTA runs public transportation in New York City.
He was also an important leader in workers' unions. He helped lead the MTA Labor Coalition. This group represents 54,000 workers from 29 different unions. He was also the President of Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local No. 1056. This union represents about 2,000 bus drivers and mechanics. They work for the MTA Queens Bus Division.
Serving on the New York City Council
Becoming a Council Member (2013-2017)
In 2013, Daneek Miller was elected to the New York City Council. He represented the 27th district in Queens. This district includes neighborhoods like Cambria Heights, Hollis, Jamaica, and Queens Village. He won the election with a large number of votes. At that time, he was the only Muslim member on the City Council.
As a Council Member, Miller became the head of the Committee on Civil Service and Labor. This committee deals with rules for city workers and jobs. He also joined important groups like the Black, Latino and Asian Caucus. He also joined the Progressive Caucus.
In 2015, Miller suggested a bill about road safety. This bill would have changed a rule for MTA bus drivers. The rule was part of the city's "Vision Zero" program. This program aims to make roads safer and prevent accidents. Miller's idea caused some debate among people who wanted stricter road safety rules.
In 2016, Miller joined a protest with other Council Members. They were protesting for more money for public colleges (CUNY). They also wanted fair contracts for college staff.
Miller worked on several important projects. In 2017, he helped pass new rules for "dollar vans." These are vans that offer rides for a low price. The new rules aimed to make sure these vans followed city laws. He also worked with another Council Member, Donovan Richards. They helped bring over $400 million to expand the city's sewer system. This project started in 2014. After Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico in 2017, Miller traveled there with other Council members. They went to see the damage and offer support.
Second Term and Key Issues (2017-2019)
In September 2017, Miller was re-elected to the City Council. He continued to lead the Committee on Civil Service and Labor. He also became a co-chair of the Black, Latino and Asian Caucus.
Miller spoke out against a plan called "congestion pricing." This plan would charge drivers to enter busy parts of New York City. He wrote an article in 2017 explaining why he thought it was a bad idea.
In 2017, there was a bill about waste transfer stations. These are places where trash is collected before being moved elsewhere. The bill aimed to reduce the amount of trash handled in certain neighborhoods. Miller was one of the first people to support this bill. However, the bill did not pass at that time.
In 2018, Miller worked with Council Speaker Corey Johnson. They announced a plan to help Muslim communities in the city. They set aside money for a "Muslim Empowerment Initiative." This money would help 14 organizations that serve Muslim people in New York City.
Final Years in Office (2020-2021)
In 2020, Miller supported reducing the police budget by a large amount.
In 2021, the City Council had passed a "Waste Equity Law" in 2018. This law aimed to reduce the amount of trash sent to transfer stations in neighborhoods that were already dealing with a lot of waste. Miller later proposed a bill that would change this law for his own district. This bill would allow some trash stations to handle more trash if they planned to ship it out by train. Some people in his district protested this idea. They felt it would bring more garbage trucks and pollution to their neighborhoods. They said it was unfair to their community.
In 2021, Miller looked back at his time in office. He highlighted some of his achievements. These included getting money to prevent home foreclosures. He also helped create new affordable housing in Jamaica, Queens. He worked to get discounted train fares for the Long Island Railroad. He also helped get public money for Roy Wilkins Park.
Miller could not run for re-election in 2021. This was because of term limits. Term limits mean a politician can only serve a certain number of terms.
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Daneek Miller
