top of page

            EDUCATION              

Creating a comprehensive support system for students from K through 12 and beyond. (CUNY, Trade School, Career) Education is among the principal functions of democratic government. There are few more strategic, ethical, and effective ways to invest our public funds than directly into learning. Recognizing the centrality of education, we will direct resources to our education system to restore its status as a world leader — and give our people what we deserve. 

 

K-12 and High Education 

​

  • Make higher education free for all New Yorkers at CUNY, SUNY, trade schools, and apprenticeship programs

  • Partner with CUNY advocates and colleagues to fight for the passage of  the CUNY New Deal

  •  Close the Tuition Assistance Program gap

HOUSING

The home should be a source of warmth, comfort, and security — never stress and insecurity. Renters are struggling to pay their rent, homeowners are burdened by mortgages, and many of our neighbors have no stable housing at all. Some will try to pit us against one another, but I know we are on the same side. If a small homeowner-landlord needs rent payments to make the payments on their own home, they are not the enemy of tenants, struggling to make ends meet. Rather, small renters and small homeowners are members of the same class, both of whom must be protected from predatory lending, wage-thefting employers and more. We are neighbors; we are on the same team. 

 

  • Create targeted grants for rental assistance and property tax relief for our most vulnerable residents to support recovery from COVID-19

  • Increase investment and prioritize homeless prevention.

  • Protect existing housing stock to ensure homeowners are not pushed out of the community

COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT

I plan to be a resource of information, collaboration, and partnership for the community. I want to ensure that our district has the educational and empowerment tools to voice their wants, needs, and objections to the policies and practices that directly impact their lives. As an assembly member, I want to make sure that my constituents are active participants in the democratic process.

IMMIGRATION

I am proud to be the son of immigrants. Growing up in their home, and within my heavily immigrant neighborhood, has given me an intimate understanding of this community. The majority of New Yorkers were not born in New York; in a nation of immigrants, our city should be the gold standard for immigrant acceptance. I will continue that fight and support my federal partners in government as they work to finally pass a progressive, humane, and comprehensive immigration reform bill that provides a pathway to citizenship and full self-determination. 

 

  • Work with elected officials on all levels across the State to protect immigrant communities.

  • Support voting rights to Lawful Permanent Residents 

  • Contract immigrant and multilingual community members, as well as non-profits

SUSTAINABLE INFRASTRUCTURE & TRANSPORTATOIN

Transportation infrastructure is one area in which our community has been largely left behind. We have some of the longest commute times in the city and very limited public transit options. Investment in trains and bike-share programs are limited to wealthier, whiter neighborhoods. We rely so heavily on private vehicles and unreliable bus services because of this underinvestment. 2022 presents a unique opportunity to change that. 

 

  • Ensure capital funding for design and construction projects are environmentally sustainable 

  • Invest in greener transportation to reduce harmful emissions. 

  • Expand and improve ADA compliant transportation options

HEALTHCARE

Physical and mental health are prerequisites to lives of joy and dignity. It is the responsibility of good government to ensure that its constituents have access to quality, affordable care. For too long, our representatives have all pointed fingers, insisting they would address the deficiencies in our healthcare system if only they could. Let’s be clear: It is the responsibility of the State. It is within the power of the state. And I’m running to be held accountable in delivering on that responsibility. 

 

  • Join the fight to pass the NYS Health Act to establish affordable healthcare.

  • Provide adequate funding for safety net hospitals 

  • Work hand-in-hand with healthcare professionals and their unions to create greater worker safety protections and protocols, expand frontline worker compensation and improve our healthcare emergency preparedness

ECONOMY

Our economy took a major hit from the Covid-19 pandemic. In many ways, we have recovered strongly. However, many people are still out of work or on reduced incomes while inflation depletes the value of each dollar in our pockets. Small businesses, the lifeblood of our communities, have to be supported and protected. 

 

Workers must be empowered, through legal protections and unionization. I am of union blood, and I will be a union legislator. Through solidarity, we will all rise together. 

 

  • Address disparities and increase access to prime and subcontracting opportunities for MWBE’s, small & local businesses. 

  • Target funding for small businesses with reopening expenses.

FOOD INSECURITY

A society as wealthy as ours should not know hunger. It is a moral offense that so many continue to face food insecurity, especially children. Bringing affordable grocers into our neighborhoods and expanding school meal programs improves health and nutrition in the short term, and in the long term reduces chronic illnesses and even crime.

PUBLIC SAFETY PLAN

Our neighborhoods face an unacceptable level of violent crime. We also have poor relationships between the police and the communities they serve. In the big picture, a school-to-prison pipeline denies children a sound education and feeds crime in the long run. A comprehensive public safety plan tackles all of this head on. We must improve the relationship between the NYPD and the folks they are duty-bound to protect and serve. So too must we abandon our carceral mindset as we recognize the humanity and dignity of all people, and move toward education and rehabilitation. 

​

  • Increase funding for leadership development and mental health support for survivors of violence 

  • Support and provide funding crisis management system operations in hot spots

ART & CULTURE

Arts and culture are the flavor of life. We strive to meet our basic needs so that we can create and experience them. But they are also themselves essential. Music, food, sports, and museums are integral parts of the human experience, and the government has a responsibility to fund and foster cultural hubs and institutions. All of us deserve to live full and enriched lives.

​

  • Expand the state budget to fund arts and culture 

  • Advocate for arts & culture to be a core subject in schools

  • Support CBO’s that provide arts and culture opportunities to low-income communities

bottom of page