Issues |
The Environment
Green Policy Planning
I will form an Office of Environmental Justice Policy within the Borough President's office. In order to formulate a comprehensive environmental justice plan for every community throughout the borough, gathering input from stakeholders such as community activists, parents, students, non-profit organizations and educational institutions, together we will endeavor to protect our environment while promoting the health and welfare of our children and families.
Green Development
I plan on bringing together developers and local business and community leaders to ensure that the Bronx is one of the most environmentally friendly counties in America. When new developments are built I will insist that developers adhere to the highest possible standards set forth by the U.S. Green Building Council in its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System.
Although automobile emissions contribute significantly to global warming, buildings are the number one source of pollution throughout the world. In my time in the New York State Assembly, I introduced legislation which would provide a tax abatement for property owners in New York City who install green roofs on their buildings. Green roofs are a great example of what we can do to become more energy efficient and environmentally conscious, and I will continue to encourage their installation.
Green Jobs
Along with green development comes green jobs - the type of jobs that can be kept right here in the Bronx. As Bronx Borough President, I will support training programs that prepare Bronx residents for green careers. With proper training Bronx residents can take advantage of the growing Green Economy. Green jobs can be the solution to lowering the high unemployment rate in the Bronx.
The Bronx Outdoors
My Borough Presidency will focus on providing Bronxites with more access to the outdoors. By expanding activity and recreational open space on our 75 miles of waterfront and creating green space in areas that are currently underutilized, we can greatly improve the quality of life in our borough. More plants will make our air better to breathe and more spaces for outdoor activity will keep our children active and healthy, creating a bright future for the Bronx.
Health
Increasing Access to Health Care & Treatment
I will continue the work of the Borough President’s Office in coordinating efforts with the New York City Office of Health Insurance Access and community-based health organizations and providers to help Bronx residents get the information they need to gain access to quality, affordable health care. I will host community health fairs to help Bronxites learn about health care coverage and healthy lifestyle choices. I will also use City capital funds to help improve Bronx residents’ access to medical and dental care, and I will promote more school-based health care centers to better serve the youth of the Bronx in underserved neighborhoods.
Helping the Bronx Make Healthier Lifestyle Choices
Far too many Bronx residents suffer from chronic health conditions such as obesity, diabetes, asthma, and HIV/AIDS. As Borough President, I will seek to ensure that Bronx residents, and especially students in our schools, are informed about healthy dietary choices, the importance of regular physical activity, maintaining low blood pressure and cholesterol, and smoking cessation and respiratory health, and I will promote educational outreach efforts targeting at-risk communities on ways to avoid sexually transmitted diseases and HIV/AIDS. I also will use the office of Borough President to increase awareness about the dangers of lead paint and to promote lead testing. I will also promote greenmarkets to expand Bronxites’ access to fresh, healthy, regionally grown fruits and vegetables, and fight for more and better physical education in our schools.
Championing Bronx Health Care Institutions
As the industry that is the largest single employer in the Bronx, health care is critical to the economy of the Bronx. I will be a champion for the great health care institutions in the Bronx and as Borough President, I will use my voice to fight short-sighted City, State and Federal budget cuts to hospitals, health clinics, nursing homes, and other health care providers in the Bronx, including potentially devastating cuts to Medicare and Medicaid.
Fighting HIV/AIDS
Persons with AIDS (PWAs) in the Bronx die at higher rates of the disease than do PWAs in the other boroughs. We can and must change this by encouraging more Bronx residents, particularly those at higher risk of contracting HIV, to get tested, and by helping those who test positive to secure the health care treatment they need to fight the infection. I will continue efforts by the Borough President’s Office to increase the routine practice of voluntary HIV testing among Bronx residents, and I will promote important outreach efforts like National Latino AIDS Awareness Day.
Education and Youth
School Overcrowding
As Borough President, I will make it my top priority to address the overcrowding of our public schools in the Bronx. I will form a "War Room" with top officials from the NYC Department of Education and local community and parent leaders to ensure that our children receive their fair share of education resources and aren't forced to try to learn in overcrowded and dilapidated classrooms.
Achievement & Standards
In order to close the achievement gap, I will promote innovation in education through such initiatives as charter schools, "portfolio" schools like Fannie Lou Hamer High School, and specialized high schools like the High School for Law, Government and Justice. I will also develop an initiative to promote programs for gifted and talented students.
Community & Parent Involvement
I will also establish a Task Force on Education and School policy to make sure that the voices of local communities and parents are heard on important decisions affecting our children. The Task Force will report its recommendations to my appointee to the NYC Department of Education's Panel for Educational Policy.
Cultural Institutions, Libraries & Youth Programs
I will devote City capital funds to strengthening our schools, libraries, and youth programs. I will also establish a new Task Force on Domestic Violence to build on the outreach initiatives of the Borough President's office on this important issue. The Bronx is home to famous world-class cultural institutions like the Bronx Zoo, the Bronx Botanical Garden, Wave Hill, and the Bronx Museum, as well as a thriving community of local cultural and arts organizations and institutions.
Higher Education in the Bronx
As the proud graduate of Lehman College of the City University (CUNY), I know how important it is for Bronx residents to gain access to an affordable higher education. I will use the office of Borough President to make sure that prospective college students from the Bronx have the information and access to available resources to help them atttend the college of their choice. Institutions of higher education in the Bronx -- including public colleges like Lehman College, Hostos Community College, Monroe, Boricua as well as private universities and colleges like Fordham University, Manhattan College, and the College of Mt. St. Vincent -- are invaluable resources for the Bronx, and as Borough President I will forge a partnership with them to help provide more effective public service to the entire borough.
Jobs, Economic Development and Land Use
Creating Jobs in the Bronx
Making the Bronx an engine of job creation for Bronx residents will be a top priority when I am Borough President. I will use the resources of the Borough President's office to make the Bronx an even more attractive environment for businesses that will have a positive impact on the Bronx. At the same time, I will secure the commitment of companies launching or expanding operations in the borough to forge enforceable community-benefit agreements.
"Buy Bronx"
As Bronx Borough President I will encourage new and existing businesses in the Bronx to buy from local Bronx companies. The Bronx is full of businesses, large and small, that can provide the goods and services that new job-creating businesses need to grow. When Bronx businesses support each other, everyone wins: our environment, our residents, and our economy.
Public-Private Partnerships
One key to successfully improving the Bronx is through expanding public-private partnerships. As Bronx Borough President I will work closely with City, State and Federal Elected Officials as well as private businesses to secure the necessary funding for sensible green development projects that create job opportunities for Bronx residents. I will also work closely with private businesses and with over two dozen job training programs to set up a comprehensive plan to make Bronx residents more competitive in these tough economic times.
Land Use
As Bronx Borough President I will use my influence on public and private land use projects to ensure that only sensible development projects that are sensitive to community needs advance in the Bronx. As the Bronx continues to grow, it is important to maintain the historic character of all of its dozens of diverse neighborhoods. As Bronx Borough President I will work with each neighborhood so that all Community Boards and residents have an opportunity to participate in the planning process.
Labor
Many Bronx residents are proud union members and as Borough President I will work closely with union leadership and membership to help protect the working families of the Bronx.
Housing
Affordable Housing
Preserving and creating affordable housing in close consultation with local communities will be a major focus of my Borough Presidency. In tough economic times like these, it is vital to the Bronx and all of its great neighborhoods that housing is affordable for our hard-working residents and families. As Borough President, I will regularly host meetings that bring together developers and community leaders so we can work together to keep the Bronx affordable. Through the creation of new affordable and mixed-income housing developments, we can keep our families right here in the Bronx.
Mitchell-Lama Housing
For decades, the Mitchell-Lama housing program has provided affordable, good-quality homes for countless Bronx families. As many residents of the Bronx know, however, the number of apartments available to middle-income families through the Mitchell-Lama program is on the decline. As Borough President, I will be an advocate for tenants and make every effort to preserve these apartments in our great borough.
Public-Private Partnerships
One key to successfully improving the Bronx is through expanding public-private partnerships. As Bronx Borough President I will work closely with City, State and Federal Elected Officials as well as private businesses to secure the necessary funding for sensible green development projects that create job opportunities for Bronx residents. I will also work closely with private businesses and with over two dozen job training programs to set up a comprehensive plan to make Bronx residents more competitive in these tough economic times.
Foreclosures
I will fight to make sure that the wave of foreclosures affecting Bronx homeowners does not engulf our families and our neighborhoods. My Borough Presidency would include the creation of a Bronx Foreclosure Prevention Outreach Program which would educate residents of the Bronx about home ownership as well as assisting those who have fallen behind in their mortgage payments or are on the brink of foreclosure.
Senior Housing
It’s very important that we provide housing for our growing senior community in the Bronx. As Borough President, I will focus on promoting the development of senior housing communities. In addition, I will encourage the creation of buildings and homes that will allow our senior residents to age in place instead of being forced out of their homes by necessity.
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