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As a strong supporter of the trade union
movement, I have been an active member of the
Labor Party since 1994. I joined the Green Party
in 2000 and served as one of the Queens
coordinators of Ralph Nader’s campaign for
President. Along with other Labor Party and Green
Party members, I advocate proposals for universal
healthcare, a free-tuition higher education
system, and labor law reform, as well as reforming
our Community Boards to have their members elected
by the people, rather than appointed.
The three most important issues facing the
residents of
Astoria are:
- lack of outreach to constituents
- affordable housing
- air pollution caused by local power plants.
New York City Council could be doing a lot more
than it’s doing right now. Primarily what is
lacking is outreach to the people who live here.
If elected, I would hold regular public meetings
at different sites around Astoria in order to give
residents a chance to voice their concerns and
tell me what they want and expect from city
government.
The Rent Guidelines Board must be more
representative of all the people. I think rents in
Astoria are high enough, and I oppose any increase
requested by the current Board.
The review process for new power plants needs to
be democratized. At present, only one appointed
official, the commissioner of the state Department
of Environmental Conservation, decides whether a
power plant project is environmentally sound. I
advocate a system with much more community review
and involvement. For that reason I have proposed a
public referendum on the siting of power plants in
the affected communities (and not just those in
Queens, but city-wide).
(Statement reprinted as supplied by the candidate.)
Participating in the NYC Campaign Finance Program.
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