Scott Budow - Democrat for New York State Assembly District 52

Scott Budow, Democrat for New York State Assembly District 52. Running to represent Brooklyn Heights, Downtown Brooklyn, Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens, Gowanus, Park Slope, Boerum Hill and DUMBO.

Scott Budow - Democrat For New York State Assembly

Born

raised

married

Children

party

Sports Teams

<img src="https://run.imgix.net/932d27ba-c7a1-4f04-a053-47a104c65989/7d3b1fae-f1a1-48cf-b4d7-12b309ab956b/7d3b1fae-f1a1-48cf-b4d7-12b309ab956b.jpeg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&amp;bri=0&amp;con=0&amp;sat=0&amp;high=0&amp;shad=0&amp;usm=0&amp;rect=213%2C725%2C2262%2C2954&amp;w=1500" alt="" title="" caption="" align="right" alignwidth="32" tiltdirection="right" variant="framed"><h2>A New York Native</h2>Scott Budow is a third-generation New Yorker who was born and raised in New York City. He went to college upstate, law school in Manhattan, and he has lived in Brooklyn since 2014. Scott and his wife recently welcomed a new baby girl to the borough in July 2023!<h2>Early Interest in Politics</h2>In college, Scott had an incredible opportunity to intern for Senator Ted Kennedy during the height of the Great Recession, which ignited his interest in public policy and politics. He saw first-hand how government could provide essential support to those who recently lost jobs through no fault of their own.

We need new, ambitious policy changes to make New York fairer and more affordable. I hope you’ll join me in supporting a new vision.

Scott's Vision for New York

<img src="https://run.imgix.net/932d27ba-c7a1-4f04-a053-47a104c65989/0ccd428f-3cf4-45cc-badf-550a67be2d05/0ccd428f-3cf4-45cc-badf-550a67be2d05.jpeg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&amp;bri=0&amp;con=0&amp;sat=0&amp;high=0&amp;shad=0&amp;usm=0&amp;rect=0%2C0%2C2305%2C3456&amp;w=1500" alt="A brick residential building with a fire escape" title="" caption="" align="right" alignwidth="42" tiltdirection="right" variant="framed">The cost of housing is out of control. Half of New York City households <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/25/nyregion/affordable-housing-nyc.html">do not have enough money to hold an apartment, access sufficient food and basic health care, and get around</a>. In Brooklyn, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://gothamist.com/news/rent-in-nyc-just-keeps-going-up">the average monthly rent hit a new high of $4,347</a>, which is up nearly 12% from a year ago (as of August 2023). New York City is the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://cre.moodysanalytics.com/insights/market-insights/q4-2022-housing-affordability-update/">most rent-burdened</a> metro area in the entire United States.&nbsp;While housing can be complicated, the basic problem behind skyrocketing costs is straightforward: lack of supply. In the last decade, New York City grew by nearly<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.nyc.gov/office-of-the-mayor/news/896-22/transcript-mayor-eric-adams-delivers-address-new-york-city-s-affordable-housing-crisis-and"> 800,000 people, but added just 200,000 housing units</a>. Housing production in New York City <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.governor.ny.gov/sites/default/files/2023-03/NY_Housing_Compact_info_deck_March_2023.pdf">lags</a> most major cities. In addition, we need <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/housing/2022/10/07/new-york-city-housing-supply-demand">560,000 new units by 2030</a> to accommodate population growth.Remarkably, in the midst of this housing crisis, our current representative has consistently opposed the development of new housing, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://jimowles.org/news/candidate-answers-to-joldc-joanne-simon-for-us-congress-ny-10-2022">repeatedly</a> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://assembly.state.ny.us/write/upload/member_files/052/pdfs/20200804_0093618.pdf">maintaining</a> that “<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://ny.curbed.com/2018/9/17/17869546/open-new-york-yimby-rezoning-brooklyn-nimby">we can’t build our way out of our housing crisis</a>.” She describes herself as “<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://perma.cc/47SB-9B8H">generally anti-development</a>.” In recent years, she opposed nearly 12,000 new homes in her own backyard, including more than 4,000 new affordable homes.<h4>Gowanus Rezoning</h4>The Gowanus rezoning will ultimately add <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.nyc.gov/site/planning/about/press-releases/pr-20210419.page">nearly 8,500 units of new housing, including approximately 3,000 affordable units</a>. Further, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://council.nyc.gov/land-use/wp-content/uploads/sites/53/2021/08/20210722_Gowanus-Racial-Equity-Report-1.pdf">an independent report</a> commissioned for the New York City Council concluded that the rezoning “is likely to meaningfully reduce segregation” with a “low-risk of displacement” and “the clear potential to be a net positive for racial equity.” Despite this, our current representative <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.brooklynpaper.com/gowanus-rezoning-jo-anne-simon-oped/">repeatedly</a> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://velazquez.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/vel-zquez-simon-join-community-groups-voice-concerns-city-over-gowanus">sought</a> to delay the project, ultimately concluding that an environmental report had to be redone <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://brooklynreporter.com/2021/09/velazquez-simon-call-on-city-to-redo-environmental-study-for-gowanus-rezoning/">before the development of any new housing could move forward</a>. While there are environmental concerns in Gowanus, the city <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.nyc.gov/site/planning/applicants/env-review/gowanus.page">exhaustively considered</a> those issues, and ultimately approved development. During a housing crisis, it makes no sense to oppose thousands of new homes, including thousands of new affordable homes, especially when the new homes will likely reduce racial segregation in “<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://council.nyc.gov/land-use/wp-content/uploads/sites/53/2021/08/20210722_Gowanus-Racial-Equity-Report-1.pdf">one of the most segregated cities in the country."</a><h4>Soho/Noho Rezoning</h4>Our current representative also opposed the Soho/Noho rezoning, arguing that the “<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://assets.nationbuilder.com/didnyc/pages/337/attachments/original/1656456192/Downtown_Ind_Dems-Jo_Anne_Simon.docx.pdf?1656456192">affordability crisis is exacerbated by big rezonings</a>” based on her “<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://assets.nationbuilder.com/didnyc/pages/337/attachments/original/1656456192/Downtown_Ind_Dems-Jo_Anne_Simon.docx.pdf?1656456192">experience [that rezonings] lead to increased rents</a>.” <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://72187189-93c1-48bc-b596-fc36f4606599.filesusr.com/ugd/7fc2bf_2fc84967cfb945a69a4df7baf8a4c387.pdf">Research</a> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/building-more-housing-makes-it-cheaper-really/2023/01/24/8cc69d52-9be1-11ed-93e0-38551e88239c_story.html">directly contradicts</a> this assessment - <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://furmancenter.org/files/Supply_Skepticism_-_Final.pdf">new units do not increase the cost of housing</a>. Nonetheless, by opposing the Soho/Noho Rezoning, our current representative opposed the creation of <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://gothamist.com/news/new-york-city-council-gives-sohonoho-rezoning-thumbs">3,500 new units of housing, as many as 900 of which would be subsidized for low-and middle-income residents</a>.<img src="https://run.imgix.net/932d27ba-c7a1-4f04-a053-47a104c65989/c8432c68-2e64-49e2-a5a3-a48a34b84c24/c8432c68-2e64-49e2-a5a3-a48a34b84c24.jpeg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&amp;bri=0&amp;con=0&amp;sat=0&amp;high=0&amp;shad=0&amp;usm=0&amp;rect=0%2C0%2C3651%2C2738&amp;w=1500" alt="Storefronts and apartments on a street in Brooklyn" title="" caption="" align="left" alignwidth="45" tiltdirection="left" variant="framed"><h4>80 Flatbush</h4>Our current representative also <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/Jo-Anne-Simon/story/82585">opposed</a> the development of new housing at 80 Flatbush Avenue, once again arguing that the environmental impacts outweighed the benefit of new housing. This development will ultimately add <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.brownstoner.com/development/boerum-hill-brooklyn-80-flatbush-avenue-electric-tower-affordable-housing-school-construction-starts-summer/">850 residences, including 200 income-restricted units</a>.<h4>New York Housing Compact</h4>Recently, our current representative <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.thecity.nyc/2023/4/11/23678151/housing-density-cap-far-hochul">opposed</a> Governor Hochul’s proposal to increase housing by lifting the Floor to Area Ratio (“FAR”) cap in New York City. This outdated rule from 1961 arbitrarily limits the creation of new housing and new affordable housing. One <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://d37vpt3xizf75m.cloudfront.net/api/file/seK91Cu3Qr2NBDe1q1yp">estimate</a> concludes that the FAR cap has prevented the construction of 200,000 apartments, which would house 500,000 people. Removing it “<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/ny-oped-nyc-far-housing-cap-needs-to-go-20230323-2goo4zaqqvabbager24ul7smg4-story.html">simply gives New York City the ability to build housing where we decide it’s needed.</a>”&nbsp;Finally, our current representative opposed affordable housing at Elizabeth Street Garden, vowing to save it in <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.elizabethstreetgarden.com/2022candidatessimon">perpetuity</a>. All of the proposed housing units there are for <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/27/nyregion/soho-garden-senior-housing.html">people earning less than $60,000, including reserved units for people who were formerly homeless</a>.&nbsp;I disagree with each of these positions and will work to support new housing, not oppose it. I support local efforts that expand the supply of housing through sensible rezoning. As we've seen in other parts of the country, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/articles/2023/04/17/more-flexible-zoning-helps-contain-rising-rents">more flexible zoning helps contain rising rents</a>. We need to consider many factors when building new housing, but given the housing shortage in New York, we should strongly favor new housing proposals absent a unique and compelling reason. We should also look to <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/17/nyregion/eric-adams-midtown-rezoning-housing.html">convert vacant office buildings to residential use</a>, where <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/27/business/what-would-it-take-to-turn-more-offices-into-housing.html">feasible</a>.<h4>End Exclusionary Zoning</h4>New York also needs more housing in the suburbs to alleviate housing pressures in New York City. Housing is a regional issue, not just an issue for New York City. For <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://furmancenter.org/files/Ending_Exclusionary_Zoning_in_New_York_Citys_Suburbs.pdf">decades</a>, towns and villages have used single family zoning to restrict the supply of housing, in turn increasing racial segregation. New York arguably has “<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://furmancenter.org/research/publication/ending-exclusionary-zoning-in-new-york-city8217s-suburbs">the most exclusionary zoning in the country</a>.” I support <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2023/A5700">A5700/S162</a>, which would dramatically reduce the prevalence of single family zoning. We should have ended exclusionary zoning a long time ago given its <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/cea/written-materials/2021/06/17/exclusionary-zoning-its-effect-on-racial-discrimination-in-the-housing-market/">effect</a> on racial discrimination in housing. But, the exorbitant cost of housing adds yet another reason to support a new vision of housing in New York. <h4>Legalize Accessory Dwelling Units</h4>New York should also legalize accessory dwelling units to increase the supply of housing. Doing so could create nearly <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://rpa.org/latest/lab/new-york-state-adu-legalization-fact-sheets">500,000 additional homes by 2040</a>. I support the New York State Accessory Homes Act (<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2021/S4547">S4547, A4854</a>) which would make this possible statewide.<h4>Public Housing</h4>NYCHA needs <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/12/nyregion/nyc-housing-authority-nycha.html">$78 billion</a> of funding “<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.nyc.gov/site/nycha/about/modernizing-properties.page">due to decades of insufficient funding and deferred maintenance</a>.” Congress has neglected to address this funding disparity for years, leading to atrocious <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://cbcny.org/research/nychas-physical-conditions-remain-worst-city">living conditions</a>. We need to continue to pressure Congress to focus on this issue. But, New York State should also take steps on its own to address the crisis. Creating a <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-hochul-signs-legislation-creating-new-york-city-public-housing-preservation-trust">Public Benefit Corporation</a> to address repairs is an encouraging first step.

With NYC facing extreme rent burdens and a dire need for more affordable housing, it's vital to reform restrictive zoning practices and introduce measures to cap rent increases, ensuring every New Yorker has an affordable place to call home.

Write a short blurb about an issue your campaign is highlighting. Try to keep the text a similar size between the various issue blurbs.

Make Housing More Affordable

With stark disparities in school funding and deeply entrenched segregation, it's essential to overhaul our funding system, ensuring every student, regardless of their district, receives an equal opportunity to thrive.<img src="https://run.imgix.net/932d27ba-c7a1-4f04-a053-47a104c65989/b125d42f-4f23-4338-b44e-ba83f723ab55/b125d42f-4f23-4338-b44e-ba83f723ab55.jpeg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&amp;bri=3&amp;con=6&amp;sat=4&amp;high=0&amp;shad=0&amp;usm=0&amp;rect=0%2C0%2C4256%2C2832&amp;w=1500" alt="Young students drawing in a classroom" title="" caption="" align="left" alignwidth="45" tiltdirection="left" variant="framed"><h4>Primary Education</h4>New York has the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://wallethub.com/edu/e/states-equitable-school-districts/76723">most unequal education system</a> in the country. Average spending per pupil in the poorest schools is approximately <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://perma.cc/MBG8-995B">two-thirds</a> of average per pupil spending in the wealthiest districts. Students from wealthy districts receive <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://perma.cc/MBG8-995B">approximately $10,000</a> more per year in funding than students from poor districts.The reason for this is straightforward - <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://perma.cc/MBG8-995B">nearly 60%</a> of funding comes from local sources (i.e., property taxes). Wealthy localities with more expensive property raise far more money than poorer localities with less expensive property, driving unequal funding. This has a huge impact down the road - funding <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.nber.org/papers/w20118">dramatically affects earnings in employment and the likelihood of adulthood poverty</a>.A half century ago, the Supreme Court <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/411/1/%23tab-opinion-1950219">blessed this system</a> as constitutionally permissible. Constitutional law professors have <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://time.com/4056051/worst-supreme-court-decisions/">described</a> this decision as the worst decision in recent history. Still, just because a state can use local property taxes to disparately fund education does not mean that it must do so. But, for decades since this decision, New York has continued to implement a school funding scheme primarily based on local property taxes that severely disadvantages poor students. We can do far better. However, there is no meaningful effort in Albany to even discuss this issue.We need a new financing system that achieves a straightforward outcome - every student in New York receives an equally funded education. The fairest way to accomplish this would be to replace local property taxes with a statewide property tax, and distribute the same funding for every student (with appropriate increases for special education students, who should still receive equal funding statewide). Nonetheless, I would support other reasonable proposals that achieve the same end - an equally funded education for every student, regardless of zip code.<img src="https://run.imgix.net/932d27ba-c7a1-4f04-a053-47a104c65989/a799db4a-cd00-426e-8980-c3f876862e32/a799db4a-cd00-426e-8980-c3f876862e32.jpeg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&amp;bri=3&amp;con=12&amp;sat=8&amp;high=0&amp;shad=0&amp;usm=0&amp;rect=0%2C0%2C5472%2C3648&amp;w=1500" alt="A black child writing in a notebook" title="" caption="" align="right" alignwidth="45" tiltdirection="right" variant="framed"><h4>Special Education</h4>Approximately <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://perma.cc/KB74-YW6P">one out of every five students</a> in New York City is classified as a student with disabilities. Their families must often navigate a complex system to ensure that the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.nysed.gov/special-education/federal-laws-and-regulations">federal right</a> to a free appropriate public education is a reality.&nbsp;Special education needs a number of reforms to make sure every student gets the services they need:<ol><li>Early Intervention: About <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://perma.cc/6PZ8-T3ZD">one out of every four children</a> eligible for early intervention services do not receive it in New York State. I support the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://perma.cc/6PZ8-T3ZD">Advocates for Children plan</a> to address this issue, which encourages New York state to: (i) increase rates for EI evaluators, services providers, and service coordinators; (ii) fund a cost-study to assess and recommend changes to payment for EI evaluations, service provision, and service coordination; (iii) adopt policies to ensure that commercial health insurance companies pay their fair share to help cover the cost of EI services; and (iv) conduct a statewide analysis of disparities in access to evaluations and services and develop a plan to address such disparities. Further, early intervention is worthwhile because it can provide both <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://perma.cc/EK6T-ZTZJ">significant benefits to children and decrease future government expenditures</a>.</li><li>More Funding For Teachers: New York State has a special education teacher <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/projects/project.asp?projectID=4636&amp;display=1">shortage</a>. We should follow <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.npr.org/2022/04/21/1092343446/special-education-teachers-hawaii">Hawaii’s lead</a> and increase pay for teachers who do this incredibly demanding work.</li><li>Hire More Adjudicators: It shouldn’t take nearly <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://ny.chalkbeat.org/2020/11/23/21612214/special-education-lawsuit-nyc-remote-learning">nine months</a> on average to address special education complaints, especially when federal law mandates that these issues be resolved in <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://ny.chalkbeat.org/2022/3/30/23003697/compensatory-services-lawsuit-nyc-special-education">75 days</a>. New York needs to hire more adjudicators to resolve the huge <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://ny.chalkbeat.org/2019/12/5/21121751/1-713-cases-one-hearing-officer-how-nyc-s-special-ed-complaint-system-has-reached-a-breaking-point">backlog</a> of claims, and should also require that adjudicators hear a minimum number of cases.&nbsp;</li></ol><img src="https://run.imgix.net/932d27ba-c7a1-4f04-a053-47a104c65989/1cf27691-89c7-492a-b524-2bd256992174/1cf27691-89c7-492a-b524-2bd256992174.jpeg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&amp;bri=4&amp;con=6&amp;sat=0&amp;high=0&amp;shad=0&amp;usm=0&amp;rect=0%2C0%2C5472%2C3648&amp;w=1500" alt="A college library with many shelves full of books" title="" caption="" align="left" alignwidth="42" tiltdirection="left" variant="framed"><h4>College</h4>The <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/183995/us-college-enrollment-and-projections-in-public-and-private-institutions/">vast majority</a> of college students go to public colleges. But, in recent years, New York has <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://nystateofpolitics.com/state-of-politics/new-york/politics/2022/03/25/ny-sen--gounardes-wants--new-deal--for-funding-suny--cuny">cut funding for CUNY and SUNY</a>, leading to <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://nystateofpolitics.com/state-of-politics/new-york/politics/2022/03/25/ny-sen--gounardes-wants--new-deal--for-funding-suny--cuny">budget cuts and tuition hikes</a>. Much of the student loan crisis is due to the fact that <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/education/most-americans-dont-realize-state-funding-for-higher-ed-fell-by-billions">states have repeatedly cut funding for public colleges, leading to tuition increases</a>.I support the New Deal For CUNY (<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://legislation.nysenate.gov/pdf/bills/2023/S2146">S2146</a>) and the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.nysenate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2022/luis-r-sepulveda/majority-one-house-budget-resolution-empowering-new">New Deal for SUNY</a>, which would increase funding for each system. Approximately <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://abc7ny.com/cuny-schools-the-city-university-of-new-york-hunger/5220690/">half of CUNY students have gone hungry in the last month, 55% experience housing insecurity, and 14% were homeless in the last year</a>. We need to move towards a tuition-free model.&nbsp;

With stark disparities in school funding and deeply entrenched segregation, it's essential to overhaul our funding system, ensuring every student, regardless of their district, receives an equal opportunity to thrive.

Equal Education

<img src="https://run.imgix.net/932d27ba-c7a1-4f04-a053-47a104c65989/35266632-a0af-4395-88f3-ef6748add271/35266632-a0af-4395-88f3-ef6748add271.jpeg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&amp;bri=0&amp;con=0&amp;sat=0&amp;high=0&amp;shad=0&amp;usm=0&amp;rect=0%2C0%2C5184%2C3456&amp;w=1500" alt="A houseless person sleeping on the street near Bryant Park in Manhattan" title="" caption="" align="right" alignwidth="50" tiltdirection="right" variant="framed">New York is not doing enough to address deeply entrenched poverty. The poverty rate is essentially <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/205495/poverty-rate-in-new-york/">unchanged</a> in the last two decades. For <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.osc.state.ny.us/press/releases/2022/12/dinapoli-nearly-14-percent-of-new-yorkers-live-poverty-surpasses-national-average-eight-straight-years">eight years in a row</a>, New York’s poverty rate has surpassed the national average. Approximately <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.osc.state.ny.us/press/releases/2022/12/dinapoli-nearly-14-percent-of-new-yorkers-live-poverty-surpasses-national-average-eight-straight-years">1 in 7 New Yorkers</a> live in poverty. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.feedingamerica.org/hunger-in-america/new-york">One in nine New Yorkers face hunger (more than 2.2 million people), including 1 in 6 children (more than 600,000).</a> Further, families with children and people of color are at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.cbpp.org/blog/families-with-children-at-increased-risk-of-eviction-with-renters-of-color-facing-greatest">greater risk of eviction</a>.&nbsp;It’s clear that Albany has failed to address this problem. We need a new approach. I believe the best approach to fixing entrenched poverty is monthly cash assistance. When the Biden Administration tried this, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.npr.org/2022/01/27/1075299510/the-expanded-child-tax-credit-briefly-slashed-child-poverty-heres-what-else-it-d">it dramatically reduced child poverty and food insecurity</a>. Unfortunately, Congress failed to extend the program, and the current Congress has no appetite to take any further action.<h4>Monthly Cash Assistance</h4>New York cannot wait for some future Congress to revisit this idea. We should institute our own program to end hunger in New York State while also reducing poverty in other ways. My proposal is: (1) $300 per month per child for every family who is below the poverty limit; and (2) $100 per month for every individual or family who suffers from food insecurity and makes less than two times the poverty limit. Those receiving $100 per month would have to certify that they have been food insecure in the three months prior to applying for funds (and need to reapply annually).I’m open to other arrangements that achieve the same basic goal of ending hunger while dramatically reducing entrenched poverty.<h4>How Much Would This Cost?</h4>The total annual cost for this program would be approximately $4.57 billion. That’s <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.osc.state.ny.us/press/releases/2023/05/dinapoli-releases-analysis-2023-24-enacted-state-budget%23:~:text=The%2520$229%2520billion%2520Enacted%2520Budget,and%2520for%2520emergency%2520rental%2520assistance.">2%</a> of New York’s total budget. <img src="https://run.imgix.net/932d27ba-c7a1-4f04-a053-47a104c65989/9d36c578-c165-45f5-a626-7dca3f5ca0f7/9d36c578-c165-45f5-a626-7dca3f5ca0f7.png?ixlib=js-3.8.0&amp;bri=0&amp;con=0&amp;sat=0&amp;high=0&amp;shad=0&amp;usm=0&amp;rect=0%2C0%2C2000%2C694&amp;w=1500" alt="" title="" caption="" align="center" alignwidth="50" variant="base">Here’s the math: There are approximately <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://datacenter.aecf.org/data/tables/5650-children-in-poverty-by-age-group?loc=34&amp;loct=2%23detailed/2/34/false/2048,1729,37,871,870,573,869,36,868,867/17,18,36/12263,12264">747,000 children</a> in poverty in New York State (as of 2021). Providing $300 per month for each of these children costs just under $2.7 billion annually.Assuming that approximately <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://perma.cc/M48U-MB4A">32.1%</a> of children below the poverty limit are food insecure, the first component of this program would address the needs of 239,787 food insecure children.&nbsp;It will also cover approximately 372,476 food insecure adults who care for these children. Overall, approximately 1.16 million adults will be included in households that receive the $300 per month tax credit above (<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.nyc.gov/assets/planning/download/pdf/data-maps/nyc-population/acs/poverty_family_kids_nyc_boro_2010.pdf">assuming that approximately 55% of families in poverty with a child under 18 are married and live together, and approximately 45% of families in poverty are led by a single family member</a>; the married households account for approximately 826,725 adults and the single households account for approximately 333,637 adults). Of these 1.16 million adults, approximately <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://perma.cc/M48U-MB4A">32.1%</a> are likely to be food insecure, ultimately accounting for approximately 372,476 food insecure adults.&nbsp;Therefore, the first element of the program would cover 612,263 food insecure New Yorkers (239,787 food insecure children and 372,476 food insecure adults). It would also provide much-needed assistance for children and adults who may not be food insecure but live in poverty and have other immediate needs, such as housing and healthcare.&nbsp;Because there are approximately <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.feedingamerica.org/hunger-in-america/new-york">2,265,160</a> food insecure New Yorkers (as of July 2023), that leaves approximately 1,652,896 food insecure New Yorkers. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://perma.cc/M48U-MB4A">Assuming</a> that approximately 95% of food insecure households make less than two times the poverty limit, and would be covered by this program, this program will then cover an additional 1,570,251 people. Further, we could limit funding for this program to not exceed the number of food insecure New Yorkers.&nbsp;In sum, this program would address the needs of more than 96% of food insecure New Yorkers:<img src="https://run.imgix.net/932d27ba-c7a1-4f04-a053-47a104c65989/cd42b616-69a6-4309-93ba-b2cc0c3fab60/cd42b616-69a6-4309-93ba-b2cc0c3fab60.png?ixlib=js-3.8.0&amp;bri=0&amp;con=0&amp;sat=0&amp;high=0&amp;shad=0&amp;usm=0&amp;rect=0%2C0%2C1517%2C694&amp;w=1500" alt="" title="" caption="" align="center" alignwidth="50" variant="base">Would as little as $100 per month make a difference? Absolutely. The average cost of a meal in New York is <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.feedingamerica.org/hunger-in-america/new-york">$3.78</a>. Therefore, this program would provide about one meal per day for those receiving $100 per month, which would dramatically reduce food insecurity.<h4>How to Pay for It</h4>We could pay for practically the entire program by simply eliminating corporate welfare - a/k/a subsidizing private companies - at the state level, which costs New York <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://cbcny.org/research/10-billion-reasons-rethink-economic-development-new-york?mc_cid=5f9b3e3f24&amp;mc_eid=UNIQID&amp;mc_cid=61c4940184&amp;mc_eid=UNIQID">$4.4 billion</a> as of 2018. Corporate welfare is <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://reinventalbany.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/In-a-Healthy-Democracy-Facts-Matter.pdf">atrocious</a> at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/elon-musk-tesla-buffalo-new-york-solar-plant-1b634b9e?mod=wknd_pos1">creating new jobs</a>, which is often the primary justification for retaining these highly questionable subsidies. I believe that money would be better spent by New Yorkers in need.I also support the Stock Transfer Tax, which would raise up to <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/Phil-Steck/story/95642">$14 billion annually</a>, and allow us to pay for other important programs too, such as universal childcare. The stock transfer tax imposes minimal taxes on the sale of stock (for example, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.tax.ny.gov/bus/stock/stktridx.htm">$0.05 per share for each sale of stock at $20 or more per share</a>). However, since 1981, we’ve decided to rebate the tax to Wall Street firms. We should end this rebate.<h4>Baby Bonds</h4>One way to combat intergenerational poverty and wealth inequality is to support baby bonds, which provide newborn children with a deposit that they can access on their 18th birthday for specific uses such as education, purchasing a home, or starting a business. Even a small financial nest egg entering adulthood <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/could-the-government-help-end-intergenerational-poverty-with-3-500-for-each-child-b6845c56?st=ew2oz6l981rdar2&amp;reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink">can mean a great deal</a>, while also starting to counter the racial wealth gap (<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.jec.senate.gov/public/_cache/files/1d07cb0d-6ec2-4f49-9fa7-6ee5c771fbe3/education-and-racial-wealth-gap.pdf">the median White family is worth approximately eight times that of the median Black family</a>).&nbsp;I support <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2021/S4555">S4555/A4065</a>, which would establish the New York baby opportunity fund, providing $1,000 into an account managed by the state comptroller available to eligible children when they reach 18. To be eligible, a child would have to be born into a family earning $125,000 or less. The money could only be used for education costs, the purchase of real estate, or entrepreneurship. It would cost approximately $150 million, which New York could easily afford.

In a state as prosperous as New York, it's unacceptable for so many households to grapple with food insecurity and homelessness; it's time to overhaul our approach, providing monthly cash assistance to those most in need.

End Entrenched Poverty

<img src="https://run.imgix.net/932d27ba-c7a1-4f04-a053-47a104c65989/dba33c31-fc6f-41c0-80d5-678b6711f212/dba33c31-fc6f-41c0-80d5-678b6711f212.jpeg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&amp;bri=3&amp;con=10&amp;sat=8&amp;high=0&amp;shad=0&amp;usm=0&amp;rect=0%2C0%2C5988%2C3972&amp;w=1500" alt="A black man getting a vaccine" title="" caption="" align="right" alignwidth="45" tiltdirection="right" variant="framed">Health care is a human right, not a privilege. Every New Yorker deserves high quality health care, regardless of financial means or employment. To that end, I support the New York Health Act (<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://nyassembly.gov/leg/?bn=A04738&amp;term=2017">A04738/S04840</a>), which would provide a single-payer, Medicare for All style system to New York.&nbsp;How do we pay for it? In short, taxes would replace premiums, deductibles, copays, and out-of-network charges. However, the New York Health Act does not specify the tax increases that would finance such a sweeping change, leading some to justifiably ask how exactly do we pay for it?&nbsp;I support a plan similar to the one the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR2424.html">RAND Corporation</a> assumes would be necessary. Under that plan:<ul><li>The bottom 90% of households – with average household compensation of $105,300 or less – <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR2424.html">would spend $2,800 per person less</a> on healthcare overall.&nbsp;</li><li>Those in the 90-95% range – with average household compensation of $337,800 – would spend approximately <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR2424.html">$1,700 more per person</a>.&nbsp;</li><li>The top 5% of New Yorkers - with average household compensation of $1,255,700 - would spend approximately <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR2424.html">$50,200 more</a> per person.</li></ul>Another way of financing the vast majority of the New York Health Act is to impose a wealth tax on those with a personal net worth greater than $30 million. For example, imposing a 3% wealth tax on assets over $30 million would raise approximately <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://fiscalpolicy.org/inequality-in-new-york-options-for-progressive-tax-reform">$134 billion</a>, which is nearly the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR2424.html">entire cost</a> of the New York Health Act. New York should pass <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2021/S4699">A6257/S4699</a>, which would begin the process of making a wealth tax possible.It’s fair to view these proposals as tax increases on the most successful to help pay for healthcare for the least fortunate. Is that fair? I think so.&nbsp;New York <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://perma.cc/54VJ-C2YE">currently has a regressive tax system</a>, meaning that poor residents pay a higher percentage of their income to taxes than the wealthy. The top 1% actually pay a <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://fiscalpolicy.org/inequality-in-new-york-options-for-progressive-tax-reform%23:~:text=Taken%2520as%2520a%2520whole,%2520New,tax%2520rate%2520as%2520the%2520poor.">slightly lower percentage in state and local taxes</a> than the bottom 40%. New York also has the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://fiscalpolicy.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Inequality-and-Tax-Reform_Final-1.pdf">highest level of income inequality in the entire country</a>.&nbsp;Further, health care just does not work for too many people. Approximately <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.nyc.gov/assets/doh/downloads/pdf/hca/hca-nyc-adults.pdf">1 million New Yorkers</a> lack any health insurance. Still, many more are <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/issue-briefs/2022/sep/state-us-health-insurance-2022-biennial-survey">underinsured</a>, meaning that they technically have insurance, but cannot afford to use it. And, medical debt is the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.nclc.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Medical-Debt-Collection.pdf">leading cause</a> of bankruptcy.Every New Yorker deserves the right and ability to see a doctor when they’re sick without going bankrupt. The New York Health Act would make that principle a reality.<h4>Regulate Hospital Costs (Like Maryland)</h4>Hospitals are the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://perma.cc/7WY8-U2LQ">largest element</a> of personal health care expenses, and they’re way too expensive. Common surgeries <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.cnbc.com/2016/07/19/us-often-pays-much-more-than-other-countries-for-prescription-drugs-surgery.html">cost significantly more here</a> than in other comparable countries.&nbsp;One big reason why is that New York does not regulate hospital costs or hospital spending. One state - Maryland - takes a different approach, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://innovation.cms.gov/innovation-models/maryland-all-payer-model">telling hospitals what they can charge for procedures</a> while giving them a fixed budget. This system has <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://hscrc.maryland.gov/documents/pdr/GeneralInformation/MarylandAll-PayorHospitalSystem.pdf">dramatically reduced costs</a> without <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://downloads.cms.gov/files/md-allpayer-finalevalrpt.pdf">jeopardizing health outcomes</a>, while promoting equitable access to necessary treatment. Further, Maryland’s system avoids unnecessary future hospital visits, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/24/opinion/maryland-medical-bills-lower.html">through improved outpatient efforts to manage chronic illness and by putting doctors in senior housing.</a>Today, medical visits that cost <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/24/opinion/maryland-medical-bills-lower.html">$350-$400 in Maryland (with top neurologists from Johns Hopkins) cost $1,775 in New York</a>. That’s absurd. There’s no reason New Yorkers should continue to tolerate such exorbitant and unjustified expenses. New York should follow Maryland’s lead and regulate what hospitals can charge patients.

New York should enact a single-payer health care system that establishes health care as a right, not a privilege. In addition, New York should get medical costs under control by regulating the exorbitant fees that hospitals charge.

Expand Health Care Access

Climate change poses the “<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://press.un.org/en/2021/sc14445.doc.htm">biggest threat modern humans have ever faced</a>.” It is the “<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2022/10/climate-change-greatest-threat-world-has-ever-faced-un-expert-warns">most pervasive threat to the natural environment and societies the world has ever experienced</a>.” New York needs to do everything in its power to quickly and boldly decarbonize. The time for half-measures <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/speech/half-measures-will-not-halve-emissions">has long since passed</a>.&nbsp;<img src="https://run.imgix.net/932d27ba-c7a1-4f04-a053-47a104c65989/dd8b34b4-6370-4047-880a-c0f8debb0537/dd8b34b4-6370-4047-880a-c0f8debb0537.jpeg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&amp;bri=1&amp;con=4&amp;sat=8&amp;high=0&amp;shad=0&amp;usm=0&amp;rect=0%2C0%2C6000%2C4000&amp;w=1500" alt="Young people at a protest holding a sign that says &quot;There is no Planet B&quot;" title="" caption="" align="left" alignwidth="45" tiltdirection="left" variant="framed">1. Tax Carbon Emissions; Invest in Renewable Energy and Community - Climate and Community Investment Act (<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2021/A6967">A6967/S4264A</a>): The Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act of 2019 aims to end climate pollution in New York, with an important emphasis on justice for disadvantaged communities. Full implementation of the law will result in substantial benefits for New York, but it will require an initial investment. I support the Climate and Community Investment Act (CCIA), which would add a $55 surcharge on every ton of carbon dioxide emissions and direct the funding towards appropriate mitigation. The $15 billion that this surcharge would raise would go towards the following: (1) Community groups impacted by climate change (30%); (2) Renewable Energy Projects (30%); (3) Energy rebates for low and moderate income New Yorkers, nonprofits and small business (33%); and (4) workers and communities impacted by the loss of fossil fuel-related jobs (7%).2. Emitters Should Fund Adaptation – Climate Superfund Act (<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2023/S2129/amendment/A">S02129A/A03351A</a>): Our district is particularly vulnerable to flooding and sea level rise, with areas along the Gowanus Canal and the Brooklyn Waterfront expected to be potential flood zones in future decades. I support the Climate Superfund Act, which would create a fund for infrastructure projects to enhance resiliency to floods and storms, paid for by entities that have contributed significantly to the buildup of greenhouse gases.3. Reduce Pollution from Buildings – New York Heat Act (<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2023/S2016/amendment/A">S2016A/A4592</a>): Buildings are the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://nysfocus.com/2022/03/30/buildings-emissions-retrofits-gas-ban">single largest source</a> of carbon emissions in New York. Pollution from buildings causes <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://nysfocus.com/2022/03/30/buildings-emissions-retrofits-gas-ban">nearly 2,000 premature deaths per year</a> in New York. I support the NY HEAT Act, which begins the process of shifting how we heat our homes and would direct the Public Service Commission to cap utility costs at 6% of household income for low-to-moderate income families.4. Invest in Sustainable Transportation – Green Transit, Green Jobs Bill (<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2023/S6089">S06089/A06414</a>): The transportation sector is one of the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://dec.ny.gov/environmental-protection/climate-change/new-york-response#:~:text=Transportation,electric%20vehicles%20and%20charging%20equipment.">largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions</a>. To change this, I support the Green Transit, Green Jobs bill, which <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://eany.org/memo/green-transit-green-jobs/">requires transit authorities to invest in electric buses and other related vehicles</a> across our state.5. Aim to Reduce Vehicle Miles Travelled (<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2023/S1981">S1981/A4120</a>): New York should also seek to reduce total vehicle miles traveled. I support S1981/A4120, which would establish a goal of reducing the annual total of vehicle miles travelled within the state by 15% by 2050, and focus the Department of Transportation’s efforts on achieving this goal.

New York must take decisive action on climate change. We can do so by enacting the Climate and Community Investment Act and the Build Public Renewables Act, to ensure a sustainable future for all while fostering job creation and community resilience.

Climate Change

<img src="https://run.imgix.net/932d27ba-c7a1-4f04-a053-47a104c65989/07992057-c2b4-4a99-b898-fa0b05372d2d/07992057-c2b4-4a99-b898-fa0b05372d2d.jpeg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&amp;bri=5&amp;con=6&amp;sat=8&amp;high=0&amp;shad=0&amp;usm=0&amp;rect=0%2C0%2C4550%2C3413&amp;w=1500" alt="An older man at a protest holding a sign that says &quot;Stop Gun Violence&quot;" title="" caption="" align="right" alignwidth="50" tiltdirection="right" variant="framed">Gun violence is a national problem that a polarized Congress is unlikely to fix any time soon. New York has already <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://gunsafety.ny.gov/new-concealed-carry-restrictions">taken</a> meaningful action to reduce gun violence, but we can do much more. New York should prohibit corporations and other business entities from selling guns. This would communicate a straightforward message to every store in the State: if you want the benefits of doing business here, you cannot sell guns that kill <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/sosmap/firearm_mortality/firearm.htm">more than 1,000 New Yorkers every year</a>, and <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://health.ucdavis.edu/what-you-can-do/facts.html">injure many more</a>.&nbsp;As <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://harvardlawreview.org/blog/2023/05/how-states-can-limit-gun-violence/">I’ve written</a>, this change would not prohibit all gun sales in New York, and it would almost certainly be challenged in the courts. Nonetheless, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/opinions/2017/10/10/13-17132.pdf">courts</a> have already <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://casetext.com/case/us-v-chafin">concluded</a> that the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms does not include a right to sell guns. New York should therefore enact legislation that prohibits the corporate sale of guns within its borders.For those of us who already have kids, and for others seeking to start a family, it is particularly terrifying to know that <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/29/health/us-children-gun-deaths-dg/index.html">guns are the leading cause of death for children</a>. New York should take every available step to reduce gun violence, and that starts with prohibiting stores from selling guns in the first place.

In a state where guns claim over 1,000 lives annually, it's critical to reevaluate the commercial privileges we grant. New York should be the first state in the country to prohibit corporations and other commercial entities from selling firearms.

Prohibit Stores from Selling Guns

New York should raise the minimum wage, eliminate unnecessary college degree requirements for state jobs, and ensure that gig workers can earn a living by enacting a new standard that appropriately distinguishes an employee from an independent contractor.<img src="https://run.imgix.net/932d27ba-c7a1-4f04-a053-47a104c65989/d42e713f-8247-44bc-8f94-41482879678d/d42e713f-8247-44bc-8f94-41482879678d.jpeg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&amp;bri=0&amp;con=0&amp;sat=4&amp;high=0&amp;shad=0&amp;usm=0&amp;rect=0%2C0%2C3713%2C5569&amp;w=1500" alt="A young person of color working at a restaurant" title="" caption="" align="left" alignwidth="40" tiltdirection="left" variant="framed"><h4>Living Wages</h4>Fewer than <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2023/01/fewer-40-new-yorkers-earn-living-wage">40% of New Yorkers</a> earn a living wage, and the percentages are even lower among people of color and younger workers. In New York City, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://blogs.cornell.edu/livingwage/calculate-probability-of-earning-a-living-wage/">fewer than one in three</a> earn a living wage. That’s unacceptable and unsustainable.&nbsp;One of the most effective ways to address this issue is by raising the minimum wage. I support <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2021/A7503">S3062D/A7503C</a>, which would raise the minimum wage to $21.25 an hour in New York City and suburban Nassau, Westchester, and Suffolk counties by 2026, while raising upstate New York’s minimum wage to $20 an hour by 2026. Passing this law would raise wages for nearly <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.epi.org/blog/proposed-new-york-state-minimum-wage-legislation-would-boost-wages-for-nearly-2-9-million-workers-minimum-wages-would-range-by-region-from-20-to-21-25-per-hour-by-2026/">2.9 million workers</a> - almost one third of the state’s workforce.When New York City raised the minimum wage to $15 per hour, it reduced poverty and reliance on food stamps <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.povertycenter.columbia.edu/publication/2023/nyc-poverty-tracker-minimum-wage-increases">without reducing employment</a> among minimum wage workers. If we want to make New York a place where people can afford to live, we must raise the minimum wage.<h4>End Unnecessary College Degree Requirements</h4>New York should join <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaeltnietzel/2023/04/11/new-jersey-latest-state-to-stop-requiring-college-degrees-for-some-jobs/?sh=c34d9e26cbca">Pennsylvania, Maryland, Colorado, North Carolina, Alaska and Utah</a> and eliminate the college degree requirement for most state government jobs. Six in 10 New York City residents 25 years or older <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/newyorkcitynewyork/EDU685221">do not have a college degree</a>. Black and Hispanic job-seekers are even <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2022/educational-attainment.html">less likely</a> to have a college degree.&nbsp;New York State is among the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.ncsl.org/labor-and-employment/inclusive-employment-practices-in-state-government">largest employers</a> in New York. It should eliminate college degree requirements where they are unnecessary, expanding job opportunities for more New Yorkers regardless of educational background. I support executive and/or legislative action that will make this aspiration a reality.<h4></h4>

By raising the minimum wage, reassessing educational prerequisites for state employment, and defining gig workers' rights, New York can guarantee that every worker has the opportunity to earn a decent living and thrive.

Living Wages For More New Yorkers

<h4>Every New Yorker Should Be Able To Vote</h4>New York currently disenfranchises <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.sentencingproject.org/fact-sheet/new-york-bars-voting-to-people-in-prison/">over 36,000 citizens</a> because they are completing felony sentences in prisons and jails. There’s nothing democratic about preventing people from voting, especially when those prevented from voting are <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.sentencingproject.org/app/uploads/2023/01/New-York-Voting-Rights-for-People-with-Felony-Convictions.pdf">disproportionately people of color</a>.New York should join <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.sentencingproject.org/app/uploads/2023/01/New-York-Voting-Rights-for-People-with-Felony-Convictions.pdf">Maine, Vermont, Puerto Rico and Washington D.C.</a>, and allow all citizens to vote. We simply need to amend the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/ELN/5-106%23:~:text=%25C2%25A7%25205-106.,of%2520voters%3B%2520reasons%2520for%2520exclusion.&amp;text=an%2520election,%2520shall%2520vote%2520at%2520such%2520election.&amp;text=while%2520he%2520or%2520she%2520is%2520incarcerated%2520for%2520such%2520felony.">election law</a> to do so.A half century ago, the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/418/24/">Supreme Court held</a> that states can restrict felon voting rights for felons without violating the 14th Amendment. That decision was wrong then and it’s wrong now. But, even if states can restrict felon voting, that doesn’t mean that they must do so.&nbsp;New York should end this harmful practice. Regardless of how heinous one’s crime may be, citizens should never lose the right to vote.&nbsp;Changing this practice may additionally spur more humane reforms at prisons themselves. It’s hard to believe that New York would continue to tolerate <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://gothamist.com/news/new-yorks-state-prisons-are-brutal-and-deadly-thats-something-we-can-change">repeated</a> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/02/nyregion/nyc-jail-beating-rikers.html">abuses </a>at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/19/nyregion/ny-prison-guards-brutality-fired.html">prisons</a> if those most directly impacted had the right to vote. Further, expanding voting rights is likely to <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.sentencingproject.org/app/uploads/2023/01/New-York-Voting-Rights-for-People-with-Felony-Convictions.pdf">reduce recidivism and improve public safety</a>. It’s long past time to give all New Yorkers the right to vote.<img src="https://run.imgix.net/932d27ba-c7a1-4f04-a053-47a104c65989/b80ae78e-4278-43ff-8ef1-34aace947dc4/b80ae78e-4278-43ff-8ef1-34aace947dc4.jpeg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&amp;bri=0&amp;con=0&amp;sat=0&amp;high=0&amp;shad=0&amp;usm=0&amp;rect=0%2C0%2C6016%2C4016&amp;w=1500" alt="A bunch of stickers on a white table that say &quot;I Voted&quot;" title="" caption="" align="center" alignwidth="40" variant="framed"><h4>Support Public Financing of Campaigns</h4>New York State recently created a campaign financing program that reduces the influence of big money and allows new candidates to compete through public matching funds. However, incumbent politicians - including our current representative - recently voted to&nbsp; “<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/08/opinion/new-york-campaign-finance.html">sabotage</a>” that program by raising the threshold to qualify for matching funds (helping to protect their own seats). As the New York Times Editorial Board noted, “<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/08/opinion/new-york-campaign-finance.html">[t]he changes proposed by lawmakers would protect incumbents and discourage challengers — the opposite of the program’s goal.</a>”&nbsp;Remarkably, our current representative went to the floor of the New York State Assembly to praise the changes before <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?default_fld=%250D%250A&amp;leg_video=&amp;bn=S07564&amp;term=2023&amp;Summary=Y&amp;Floor&amp;nbspVotes=Y">voting for them</a>, describing the bill as “very good” for challengers. That’s absurd. As the Brennan Center for Justice <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/new-york-state-lawmakers-make-changes-public-campaign-finance-law">explained</a> in describing the bill: “politicians in Albany put self-interest before the public interest. The small donor public campaign finance program that they enacted in 2020 is the nation’s strongest response to the toxic influence of big money in our politics. This bill severely undercuts the program’s purpose and promise.”&nbsp;I firmly support public financing on principle. We need competitive elections funded by everyday New Yorkers.<h4>Bring Open Primaries to New York</h4>New York is one of <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.timesunion.com/opinion/article/Open-primaries-long-overdue-in-New-York-15879536.php">nine states</a> that hold taxpayer-funded primaries that only allow Democrats and Republicans to participate. That's too bad because most elections in New York are really decided during primaries, where independent voters are excluded. Let's open up our primaries so that all voters can participate, regardless of partisan affiliation. Let's also follow <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/primary-elections-california">California's lead</a> and permit the top two vote-getters in an open primary to proceed to the general election, regardless of party preference. This will open up our primaries and encourage more voters from all walks of life to participate. It will also reduce extreme partisanship - politicians should have to appeal to their entire electorate, not just the narrow slice that votes in party primaries.

With over 36,000 citizens unjustly barred from voting due to incarceration, it's time New York to expand voting rights to all, regardless of conviction status. We also need to support public campaign financing to dilute the dominance of big money in our elections.

Expand Democracy

<img src="https://run.imgix.net/932d27ba-c7a1-4f04-a053-47a104c65989/401478a3-2bc2-4d73-af14-fa6deb798ab9/401478a3-2bc2-4d73-af14-fa6deb798ab9.jpeg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&amp;bri=0&amp;con=6&amp;sat=0&amp;high=0&amp;shad=0&amp;usm=0&amp;rect=0%2C434%2C3733%2C4746&amp;w=1500" alt="Woman at a protest holding a sign that says &quot;Abortion is Healthcare&quot;" title="" caption="" align="right" alignwidth="40" tiltdirection="right" variant="framed">I support a woman’s right to choose. The decision to terminate a pregnancy is profoundly personal, and one that should be left to a woman to decide. New York <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.ny.gov/programs/abortion-new-york-state-know-your-rights">already protects</a> the right to get an abortion up to 24 weeks of pregnancy, and after 24 weeks if one’s health or pregnancy is at risk. I would never vote to restrict that right.Given the evolving landscape of abortion rights after the Supreme Court’s decision in <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/21pdf/19-1392_6j37.pdf">Dobbs</a>, New York needs to continue doing everything in its power to make abortion available to those who seek it, especially for women in states that restrict access. New York recently enacted a law that <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://reproductiverights.org/maps/abortion-laws-by-state/?state=NY">protects</a> providers who perform abortions for out-of-state residents, and it has <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://perma.cc/DTD7-L3ZN">stockpiled</a> Misoprostol. New York also recently created a <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-hochul-announces-nation-leading-35-million-investment-support-abortion-providers-new">$35 million fund</a> to support abortion providers and make abortion available for low-income women. Finally, New York recently <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://perma.cc/TX99-NA97">enacted</a> a law to protect doctors who prescribe abortion pills to patients in states where the procedure is outlawed. I support all of these decisions, and I will continue to support measures that expand safe and legal access to abortion.&nbsp;

In the face of changing national dynamics around abortion, it's crucial to preserve and expand every woman's right to make personal reproductive choices, ensuring New York remains a beacon for safe and accessible abortion care.

Preserve Abortion Access

<h4>Public Safety</h4>Crime is never acceptable, but many New Yorkers have the mistaken belief that we’re in the midst of a crime wave. That’s <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.npr.org/2023/04/19/1170771921/republicans-new-york-crime-wave-experts-disagree">false</a>. Crime increased during the pandemic, but New York City is <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://perma.cc/7UT9-8HV6">significantly safer</a> than when I grew up here. It’s also a <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2022-06-07/is-new-york-city-more-dangerous-than-rural-america?leadSource=uverify%2520wall">lot safer than many small towns</a>.Nonetheless, to reduce crime, we need to reduce the prevalence of guns. The U.S. has a gun homicide rate that is <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://everytownresearch.org/graph/the-u-s-gun-homicide-rate-is-26-times-that-of-other-high-income-countries/">26 times higher</a> than that of other high-income countries. While New York has a <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/sosmap/firearm_mortality/firearm.htm">lower gun violence rate</a> than many states, we need to be far more ambitious in addressing gun violence. My plan to prohibit corporations in New York from selling guns would make it significantly harder to acquire guns in the first place, which should reduce the prevalence of gun violence.<img src="https://run.imgix.net/932d27ba-c7a1-4f04-a053-47a104c65989/77a0620b-de02-4a73-80b5-838741fa907f/77a0620b-de02-4a73-80b5-838741fa907f.jpeg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&amp;bri=0&amp;con=0&amp;sat=0&amp;high=0&amp;shad=0&amp;usm=0&amp;rect=0%2C0%2C6000%2C4000&amp;w=1500" alt="A police car blocking traffic in Manhattan" title="" caption="" align="right" alignwidth="45" tiltdirection="right" variant="framed">Public safety also includes keeping irresponsible police officers off the streets. Most law enforcement officers do not engage in misconduct, and like many New Yorkers, I’m encouraged by the stronger police presence in the subway system.&nbsp;However, at least <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.usatoday.com/in-depth/news/investigations/2019/04/24/usa-today-revealing-misconduct-records-police-cops/3223984002/">85,000</a> law enforcement officers across the U.S. were investigated or disciplined for misconduct over the previous decade. In New York, misconduct cases regularly go to the Civilian Complaint Review Board (“CCRB”), but their recommendations are not binding, and <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/16/nyregion/nypd-discipline-recommendations.html">often rejected</a> by the NYPD, who has the final say. There is not sufficient accountability, particularly where <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/11/nyregion/nypd-misconduct-george-floyd.html">evidence establishes</a> that officers engaged in egregious misconduct. There should be consequences for misconduct. I support legislation (previously <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2021/S6247">S6247</a>) which would give the CCRB concurrent jurisdiction over disciplining NYPD officers.Police misconduct also contributes to distrust, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3920493">reducing civilian cooperation with law enforcement</a>, and making it harder to solve open crimes. To solve crimes and get criminals off the streets, we need to do everything in our power to establish more trust between police and the communities they serve. Meaningfully addressing misconduct will move us in the right direction.I’m also interested in having <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/04/nyregion/brooklyn-brownsville-no-police.html">neighbors, not police, respond to low-level street crime</a>. Under this system, neighbors would not have arrest powers, but they can attempt to mediate low-level issues, with law enforcement shadowing their actions. While this idea is still being ironed out through more experience, it offers a promising new approach to public safety. Indeed, many of the highest profile police abuses started over <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.npr.org/sections/trial-over-killing-of-george-floyd/2021/03/31/983089623/watch-live-cashier-says-he-offered-to-pay-after-realizing-floyds-20-bill-was-fak">incredibly</a> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.cnn.com/2014/08/01/justice/new-york-choke-hold-death/index.html">minor</a> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://apnews.com/article/shootings-police-us-news-st-louis-michael-brown-9aa32033692547699a3b61da8fd1fc62">issues</a>, which neighbors may have been more successful in addressing without the use of force.&nbsp;<h4>Criminal Justice</h4><img src="https://run.imgix.net/932d27ba-c7a1-4f04-a053-47a104c65989/341dca67-0fc8-4973-9235-a7e0260f2c0a/341dca67-0fc8-4973-9235-a7e0260f2c0a.jpeg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&amp;bri=0&amp;con=0&amp;sat=0&amp;high=0&amp;shad=0&amp;usm=0&amp;rect=843%2C0%2C3445%2C2848&amp;w=1500" alt="A black-and-white photo of prison cells" title="" caption="" align="left" alignwidth="42" tiltdirection="left" variant="framed">New York spends more than <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/policy-solutions/poverty-and-mass-incarceration-new-york-agenda-change">$18 billion</a> on its carceral system, including <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://comptroller.nyc.gov/newsroom/comptroller-stringer-cost-of-incarceration-per-person-in-new-york-city-skyrockets-to-all-time-high-2/">$556,539</a> per person in New York City. Given that staggering sum, and the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2023/04/27/1172320844/when-a-prison-sentence-becomes-a-death-sentence">harmful</a> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.prisonpolicy.org/blog/2021/07/12/family-incarceration/">impact</a> of incarceration, sentences should be proportionate to the gravity of the underlying act. Too often, that’s not the case in New York.We need a criminal justice system that starts with a fair legal fight, eliminates mandatory minimum sentences, permits greater flexibility for older inmates to exit prison, and allows inmates to earn time for good behavior. I support the following measures to achieve that:<ol><li>A Fair Legal Fight: The vast majority of criminal cases - about <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.npr.org/2023/02/22/1158356619/plea-bargains-criminal-cases-justice%23:~:text=In%2520any%2520given%2520year,%252098,from%2520the%2520American%2520Bar%2520Association.">98%</a> - end with a plea bargain. While plea bargains make sense in some cases, they’re deeply troubling when they start with an unfair legal fight between an adequately resourced prosecutor and a poorly resourced indigent defense system, especially given that <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.apa.org/monitor/2014/10/incarceration">most prisoners</a> enter prison as indigents. We need to adequately fund indigent defense to ensure<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/fair-fight"> sustainable workloads for attorneys, eliminate the defender-prosecutor salary disparity, and provide sufficient support staff for defense attorneys</a>. A person’s guilt or innocence and sentence should ultimately be determined by a fair process, which cannot occur without an adequately funded indigent defense system. I oppose efforts that <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/central-ny/politics/2023/02/08/legal-aid-urges-lawmakers-to-balance-the-scales-of-justice--as-well-as-funding">only increase spending on prosecution without commensurate increases for defense</a>.</li><li>Eliminate Mandatory Minimums (<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2023/S6471">A2036/S6471</a>): Judges should have discretion to determine whether individual mitigating circumstances warrant incarceration. Mandatory minimums take that discretion away, in turn driving mass incarceration. We should eliminate mandatory minimum sentences and permit judges greater discretion to determine whether incarceration is the most sensible path forward.</li><li>Second Look Act (<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2023/S321">A531/S321</a>): It’s clear that people <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://www.ussc.gov/sites/default/files/pdf/research-and-publications/research-publications/2017/20171207_Recidivism-Age.pdf">age out of crime</a>. Yet, “<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/04/19/human-rights-watch-urges-support-nys-sentencing-reform">[t]he share of people 50 or over in New York state prisons has more than doubled from 2008 to 2021.</a>” New York judges should be able to reconsider excessive sentences once an individual has served 10 years. Right now, they cannot do so. The Second Look Act would change this practice, permitting judges to consider whether continued incarceration makes sense under a variety of factors.</li><li>Earned Time Act (<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2023/A1128">A1128/S774</a>): Incarcerated people should be able to earn “good time” and “merit time” if they demonstrate good behavior. Conservative states such as <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/04/19/human-rights-watch-urges-support-nys-sentencing-reform">Alabama, Nebraska, and Oklahoma</a> all endorse this practice. New York should follow their lead. Longer prison sentences <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.sentencingproject.org/app/uploads/2022/08/UMKC-Law-Review-Scale-of-Punishment.pdf">do little to deter crime</a>, especially when the offender has already demonstrated good behavior.</li></ol>

In a state that spends an astronomical $18 billion on its carceral system, it's paramount to reevaluate and overhaul sentencing practices, ensuring they are just, equitable, and considerate of individual circumstances.

Public Safety and Criminal Justice

<h4>Child Care/Universal Pre-K</h4>Child care is too expensive and inaccessible. Expensive child care <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/pricey-child-care-is-keeping-many-parents-out-of-the-workforce-1923f4dd">keeps parents out of the workforce</a>, even as <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2021/09/19/childcare-workers-quit/">child care workers leave the workforce due to low pay</a>.<img src="https://run.imgix.net/932d27ba-c7a1-4f04-a053-47a104c65989/3dd31e3b-4a74-407f-a1d1-3498f57f5f69/3dd31e3b-4a74-407f-a1d1-3498f57f5f69.jpeg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&amp;bri=2&amp;con=6&amp;sat=0&amp;high=0&amp;shad=0&amp;usm=0&amp;rect=0%2C0%2C6000%2C4000&amp;w=1500" alt="Young black child plays with race car in daycare" title="" caption="" align="right" alignwidth="40" tiltdirection="right" variant="framed">Universal child care will fix this problem. I support the Universal Child Care Act (<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2021/a8623">A8623/S7595</a>), which would establish a child care system that works for all New Yorkers.&nbsp;The Universal Child Care Act <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.nyclu.org/en/news/now-time-universal-child-care-ny">would</a>: (1) create free child care from birth to age 13; (2) raise workforce wages by paying child care workers the same as public school teachers; (3) increase state aid for child care providers based on actual costs; and (4) create a Department of Early Care and Education to oversee, implement, and maintain this system. Further, the $5 billion per year cost is something we could easily afford with a $14 billion per year financial transactions tax (even assuming we use some of that money to pay for my monthly cash assistance proposal).We also need to make sure that Universal Pre-K and 3-K For All are properly funded, which the Universal Child Care Act would address.&nbsp;<img src="https://run.imgix.net/932d27ba-c7a1-4f04-a053-47a104c65989/e683ed93-d8f9-4011-8879-2ce22337f375/e683ed93-d8f9-4011-8879-2ce22337f375.jpeg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&amp;bri=2&amp;con=4&amp;sat=8&amp;high=0&amp;shad=0&amp;usm=0&amp;rect=174%2C0%2C3570%2C2731&amp;w=1500" alt="Elderly woman washes vegetables at the kitchen sink" title="" caption="" align="left" alignwidth="45" tiltdirection="left" variant="framed"><h4>Long Term Care</h4>New Yorkers suffering from declining abilities stemming from age or medical condition have to navigate an expensive, largely private system for their needs.New York should establish a long term care trust program to address the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/02/17/the-cost-of-long-term-care-is-rising-amid-staffing-shortages.html">increasing costs</a> of long term care. I support <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2021/S9082">S9082</a> which would create this program, and fund it through a small payroll tax. A similar program in Washington State imposes a tax of <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://apnews.com/article/washington-long-term-care-tax-disability-cb54b04b025223dbdba7199db1d254e4">$0.58 per $100</a> in wages.&nbsp;

In a state where child care costs soar and elders face mounting expenses, it's vital to reshape our approach, making Universal Child Care a reality and crafting a trust program for affordable long-term care.

Support for Families

<img src="https://run.imgix.net/932d27ba-c7a1-4f04-a053-47a104c65989/87a333c0-4826-49d9-a383-bf0e04d4862e/87a333c0-4826-49d9-a383-bf0e04d4862e.jpeg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&amp;bri=0&amp;con=0&amp;sat=0&amp;high=0&amp;shad=0&amp;usm=0&amp;rect=0%2C0%2C3998%2C5071&amp;w=1500" alt="A young girl holds a heart-shaped sign that says &quot;No Hate in NYC&quot;" title="" caption="" align="left" alignwidth="37" tiltdirection="left" variant="framed">I’ve been particularly disturbed by the alarming rise of threats against <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/a-year-after-atlanta-and-indianapolis-shootings-targeting-asian-americans-activists-say-we-cant-lose-momentum">Asian Americans</a>, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/23/us/antisemitism-anti-defamation-league-report.html">Jews</a>, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-antisemitic-islamophobic-incidents-surge-with-war-advocates-say-2023-10-25/">Muslims</a>, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/16/us/hate-crimes-black-african-americans.html">African Americans</a>, and the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/threats-lgbtqia-community-intensifying-department-homeland-security/story?id=99338137">LGBTQ</a> community. Hate crimes are <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23706818-supplemental-hate-crime-statistics-2021">on the rise</a>. I will consistently and publicly reject hate that targets any community, and continue to support broad civil rights in housing, education, and employment for every community. While many hate crimes are already addressed by existing law, I’ll support new legislation that may be necessary to counter evolving trends.&nbsp;Prejudice is an ancient evil. We must be vigilant in unequivocally rejecting it in all forms.

In an era where hate crimes surge and prejudices resurface, it's imperative for New York to stand united against discrimination, ensuring protection and equal rights for every community.

Protecting Civil Rights and Rejecting Hate

<img src="https://run.imgix.net/932d27ba-c7a1-4f04-a053-47a104c65989/bbac1bcc-f3e6-42d0-98ad-42c09d3a3031/bbac1bcc-f3e6-42d0-98ad-42c09d3a3031.jpeg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&amp;bri=0&amp;con=0&amp;sat=0&amp;high=0&amp;shad=0&amp;usm=0&amp;rect=0%2C0%2C2624%2C3936&amp;w=1500" alt="A subway train stopped at a station in Brooklyn" title="" caption="" align="right" alignwidth="40" tiltdirection="right" variant="framed"><h4>Fix the MTA</h4>The MTA is a constant source of <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/29/nyregion/mta-nyc-sarah-meyer.html">complaints</a> for New Yorkers. We need subways and buses running consistently, on time, and safely. We also should not be raising fares in the midst of an affordability crisis. As someone who regularly uses public transportation, I support the Fix The MTA <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.fixthemta.org/about">platform</a>, which includes legislation to freeze fares, establish free buses for all New Yorkers, and ensure more reliable, frequent service. The plan costs <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.amny.com/transit/lawmakers-proposal-fix-mta-make-buses-free/">$3.26 billion</a>, which we could pay for with a financial transactions tax and/or a <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2021/S2622">progressive income tax</a> for high income earners (which would raise $12-$18 billion annually).This platform includes reforming the composition of the MTA Board, which I strongly support. Too many MTA Board members <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://nyc.streetsblog.org/2023/03/14/exclu-many-mta-board-members-barely-use-their-free-metrocards">do not use public transportation themselves</a>. The MTA should be governed by individuals who personally experience the same frustrations and concerns as the public, not those who abstractly assess how to fix the MTA while using private means of transportation.Finally, I support <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.ny1.com/nyc/manhattan/transit/2023/06/05/protective-platform-barriers-coming-to-3-subway-stations">platform barriers</a> to protect riders. These barriers can be <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25770476/">highly effective</a> in other cities. We should not have <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/23/nyregion/nyc-subway-barriers.html">hundreds of people</a> getting hit by trains every year. Even more importantly, there’s no reason to tolerate fatalities on public transportation - in 2022, there were <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.thecity.nyc/2023/4/24/23693200/subway-collisions-increase-mta-train-operators">88 deaths</a> on the MTA. With platform barriers, we can reduce that number to as close to 0 as possible.<img src="https://run.imgix.net/932d27ba-c7a1-4f04-a053-47a104c65989/406b965b-1ce1-4cc9-a0c7-1b8800253725/406b965b-1ce1-4cc9-a0c7-1b8800253725.jpeg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&amp;bri=0&amp;con=0&amp;sat=0&amp;high=0&amp;shad=0&amp;usm=0&amp;rect=0%2C0%2C4360%2C2906&amp;w=1500" alt="A cyclist riding in Manhattan" title="" caption="" align="left" alignwidth="42" tiltdirection="left" variant="framed"><h4>Street Safety</h4>Pedestrian deaths are <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/pedestrian-deaths-in-u-s-reach-highest-level-in-40-years">skyrocketing</a> in the U.S. As someone who has been personally impacted by this issue, I know how senseless it seems to lose a life because someone was driving recklessly. I strongly support Sammy’s Law (<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2023/S2422">A7266/S2422A</a>), which would reduce speed limits in New York City. I also support additional measures that will make life safer for pedestrians and cyclists.&nbsp;<h4>Speeding Tickets</h4>New York State should use speeding tickets to deter dangerous driving. We should follow <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/06/in-finland-speeding-tickets-are-linked-to-your-income/">Finland’s lead</a> and link speeding tickets to income, which will not only reduce traffic deaths but also impose fines that do not disproportionately harm the poorest drivers. Flat fines are <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/15/opinion/flat-fines-wealthy-poor.html">neither effective nor equitable</a>. New York State should enact legislation that incorporates progressive fines for speeding (with <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3127949">sensible caps</a>).<h4>BQE</h4>We need to repair the BQE, quickly. One smart way to do that is to impose a $0.25 cent charge on online deliveries in New York City (<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2023/s5895">A6204/S5895</a>) to fund repairs.I also support the Brooklyn Heights Association <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://thebha.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/BQE-Open-Letter_Aug-14_2023_Final.pdf">plan</a> to address the BQE. Specifically, we should: (1) seek to prolong the Triple Cantilever for at least 20 years through waterproofing, and repairing/replacing certain damaged sections; (2) make holistic, corridor-wide transformations to the BQE; (3) implement traffic demand strategies; and (4) secure any federal funding available for improving public transportation.I also support legislation to create a multi-stakeholder, I-278 governing body that has the authority to manage planning moving forward.<h4>Additional Local Issues</h4>If elected, I will continue to focus on additional local issues that arise. However, the failure to address long standing issues beyond Assembly District 52 deeply affects life within Assembly District 52. Housing is so expensive in this district in large part due to the lack of housing in New York City and New York State. Hunger exists in this district because New York State has no comprehensive plan to address it. Gun violence occurs in this district in part because New York State allows businesses here to sell guns. Too often, local leaders pay great attention to local issues without considering how pervasive statewide issues affect life in their own district (most notably by opposing housing in their own backyard while New York is in the midst of a housing crisis). Statewide issues are local issues, and our failure to address them impacts life in this district.&nbsp;

Addressing the multifaceted challenges of New York's transit system, roads, and local issues is crucial to the well-being and mobility of its residents.

Transportation &amp; Local Governance

firstName

lastName

zipOrPostalCode

email

phoneNumber

Get Involved

Both headline and caption can be turned off on the sidebar.

Headline here

Party

You’ve done a lot, and now it’s time to brag.

Scott's Life &amp; Achievements

1988

2006

2010

2011

2013

2016

2017

2021

2022

2023

In our 52nd Assembly District, a staggering difference of up to 15 years in life expectancy exists between affluent and underprivileged communities. This disparity, Scott believes, is fueled by state policies either promoting inequality or overlooking it.

We’re grateful for your donations!

This campaign is as grassroots as you can get. We're going to knock on doors, text, and call Democratic primary voters in this district and simply explain our priorities for making New York fairer and more affordable. We're confident that we can win if we simply reach every relevant voter, which is no easy task. Will you help us? If so, please sign up!

We want to hear from you! You should also feel free to email us at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="mailto:scott@scottbudow.com">scott@scottbudow.com</a>!

textarea

We’ll respond ASAP!

<h2>Professional Experience</h2>Following graduation, Scott served on Congressman Joe Sestak’s campaign for the U.S. Senate and worked as a public sector union organizer. Scott is now an attorney in private practice and former Adjunct Professor of Law at Fordham Law School. He’s written extensively about <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://harvardlawreview.org/blog/2023/05/how-states-can-limit-gun-violence/">many of the issues</a> that motivate this campaign. In particular, he’s <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://via.library.depaul.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1263&amp;context=jsj">analyzed</a> how large disparities in health outcomes between nearby communities are initially dictated by public policy decisions and court decisions.<h2>A Call for Action</h2>Right here in the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://nyassembly.gov/mem/search/">52nd Assembly District</a>, life expectancy can differ by up to <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://nyhealthfoundation.org/resource/life-expectancy-by-census-tract-in-new-york-state/%23life-expectancy-variation-by-census-tract-map">15 years</a> between rich and poor communities. That’s due in large part to state policies that promote inequality or neglect to address it. Scott firmly believes that we can chart a different course for New York, and he’s running to make his contribution to that effort.&nbsp;

Item 1

Item 2

Put a short introduction to your list here

Volunteering Experience

Children

party

education

New York suffers from twin crises: affordability and inequality. We need bold proposals to address these long-standing structural issues. Democrats have had unified control in Albany for the past five years, but housing affordability has worsened, educational disparities persist, hunger continues, and healthcare is too expensive and inaccessible. In other areas vital to Democratic voters, such as curbing gun violence and expanding voting rights, we must do significantly more. It's time for a new approach.

Raised

Married

Education

Header

Donate

Issues

Full Width Media

Short Form

Page Intro

Landing Popup

Scott Budow, Democrat running to represent  Brooklyn Heights, Downtown Brooklyn, Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens, Gowanus, Park Slope, Boerum Hill and DUMBO in Brooklyn

About Scott Budow

A New York Native

Early Interest in Politics

Professional Experience

A Call for Action

Volunteering Experience

a timeline of

Scott's Life & Achievements

We’re grateful for your donations!

sign up to

Get Involved