ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

Corona, East Elmhurst, Jackson Heights, and Woodside are among the hardest hit by the impacts of the outbreak of the Coronavirus. This is not a coincidence. Low-income neighborhoods, especially communities of color and immigrant communities, struggle because of policy decisions and systemic structures that negatively impact our health and well-being.

The failure of the incumbent Assembly Member to protect our community has been exposed by his vote to slash public education budgets, cuts in funding for immigrant programs, and devastating cuts to Medicaid during this pandemic. Our communities have been targeted for decades with inequitable environmental burdens that are a matter of life and death and we need better representation, now more than ever. 

I am running for the New York State Assembly to be a champion for environmental justice. I believe in centering the lives of those most impacted by environmental injustices, which are predominantly people of color and immigrant communities, and ensuring their solutions and  leadership are elevated when advancing policy change.

Environmental justice means recognizing that equity and environmental conditions are inextricably linked. Environmental hazards translate into poor health and diminished quality of life, particularly for communities of color that have historically been burdened with a disproportionate share of environmental risk.

As a society, we must transition away from fossil fuel-burning vehicles, housing, and buildings.  We must confront the climate crisis and guarantee that new policies are centered around racial justice. We can improve air quality, and reduce asthma and other respiratory challenges in vulnerable communities through reduced and diverted motor vehicle traffic. As we build healthy communities, we must ensure that people of color and low-income people participate directly in the creation of sound and fair environmental policies.  

According to the NYC Environmental Justice Alliance, in many low-income communities and communities of color the burden of inadequate and unreliable transportation options is compounded by the uneven distribution of transportation facilities like bus depots, and how the clustering of these and other public works facilities can lead to negative health outcomes like increased asthma rates. 

I have a multi-layered plan to improve the lives of the people of Corona, East Elmhurst, Jackson Heights, and Woodside. 

Invest in Communities of Color and Reduce Pollution 

We must pass the Climate and Community Investment Act, which would charge polluters for harming our communities in order to fund green jobs and infrastructure, direct financial assistance, job training, and community organizations doing the groundwork to fight for climate justice. We must address how a just and holistic urban planning policy—ranging from transportation to open space—is at the heart of climate adaptation and community resilience.

Improve Air Quality with Zero Emissions Vehicles 

As we transition from fossil fuel-burning vehicles to zero-emissions, we must push for  mass transit whenever possible, or minimally electric vehicles. New York State can push to register only electric vehicles moving forward. We can phase out older, gas-guzzling cars and phase-in cleaner vehicles. We must reduce emissions, increase access to sustainable transportation options, improve air quality and support better health, especially in low-income communities and communities of color that have been historically overburdened by inequitable transportation systems and infrastructure.

Fare-Free Transit 

The MTA rightly suspended bus fare collection on local bus routes during the coronavirus pandemic in order to encourage social distancing between drivers and riders. It’s a practice that we should make permanent — and extend to all transit — but the buses are a good place to start. We urgently need to bolster sustainable transportation options as we face the challenges of climate change. We should prioritize much-more-efficient buses, relieving traffic congestion. When you relieve congestion, you drive down carbon emissions and, with them, rates of asthma — an “underlying condition” that plagues our poor communities even in the best of times and that has gained heightened salience in the pandemic. We can make buses a more attractive option for everyone by removing the cost-barrier. In addition, it will create more opportunities for upward mobility by making it easier for low-income communities to get to work and allowing them to have more disposable income. 

Safer Streets and Reduced Pollution by Fully Implementing Green New Northern 

My plan, Green New Northern, would limit traffic along Northern Blvd between 114th Street and Queens Plaza to emergency and delivery vehicles, buses, bicycles, and pedestrians. Not only would this result in safer streets, both the resulting decrease in traffic volume and eliminating cars idling in traffic will greatly improve the air quality of neighborhoods along the Northern Blvd corridor.

Create Jobs with National Movement for a Green New Deal 

Our nation can create millions of good paying jobs by transitioning to 100% renewable energy, stopping fossil fuel infrastructure, public ownership of utilities, and taxing the rich to fund a fair and just future. I signed the Movement for a Green New Deal Candidate Pledge put forth by Sunrise NYC, NYC Democratic Socialists of America, 350 Brooklyn, Food and Water Watch, and New York Communities for Change.