Protecting the Vulnerable
Real Solutions to Help the Homeless. In New York City, homelessness has exploded, rising over 20% in the last five years, with more than 60,000 citizens now left to fend for themselves on the street. The homeless problem is one affecting all New Yorkers and we, as a society, need to understand and correct the issues and illnesses afflicting New York’s homeless population. The City is now routinely putting homeless people in random hotels without adequate services and at a cost of upwards of $600/night. The City is also shuttling the homeless in and out of Emergency Rooms without adequate post-care; these practices perpetuate, rather than fix, the underlying problem. I will advocate for rehabilitative homeless shelters or halfway houses that provide mental health, medical, education, and job training services that will strive to get people on their feet and back to leading productive lives.
Fighting for Immigrants. I will serve as an advocate to protect all of the residents of this City against federal overreach. The United States is a nation of immigrants. Immigrants often take on important jobs other Americans are unwilling to accept. Our new immigrants to New York City are the bedrock of our society and work hard to hold onto low-wage jobs in order to support their families, oftentimes in the face of abuses such as wage theft and workplace harassment.
Reducing Income Inequality. I am a product of the working middle class and had a number of jobs while I was growing up. I know both the struggle and the value of hard work first-hand and will always serve as a tireless advocate for the working and middle class. In addition, I will fight for a living wage and pay equality, to ensure that there is equal pay for equal work.
Protecting Our Seniors and the Disabled. Census data makes clear that our population in New York City is getting older. One of the cardinal responsibilities of our enlightened society is to protect our seniors and the disabled. One of the more recent examples of the City’s neglect of our senior citizens was the fire sale of the Rivington House, a beautiful, historic building that functioned as a nursing home in the Lower East Side. The City sold Rivington House to a private real estate developer, who kicked out the senior citizens living there and sold the building for conversion into luxury condos at a net loss to the city of $72 million. Deals like this that come at the expense of our city’s most vulnerable citizens are inexcusable and must be prevented at all costs in the future.
The Wrongfully Accused. I am an experienced defense attorney and care deeply about equal access to the Courts and that everyone, rich or poor, be given a fair shake by other litigants, our police, and our criminal justice system. Unfortunately, all too often, citizens cannot afford, and are not given, adequate legal representation and thus cannot adequately defend themselves and assert their rights. I will fight tirelessly for more resources to be allocated to this area and will work to inspire my colleagues in government to do the same.