Fighting for Every Neighborhood on the North
Shore
For me, the North Shore is the vibrant heart of Staten
Island. I wouldn’t live any other place. We have spectacular views, rich
history, amazing old homes and architecture, and the most interesting people.
Native Islanders like myself have learned to welcome and appreciate the
newcomers, from Liberia, from Mexico, from the Mid-West, from other boroughs
and all over. We can see the contributions people make as they works hard and
raise their families.
However, when I look around the North Shore of Staten Island
today, I realize how much work needs to be done to make our communities more
livable. There is work to be done for all of us now and in the future, so that
every neighborhood will be a place where our children will want to settle when
they become adults and have children of their own. We face serious challenges
with the schools, traffic, housing construction, health services, and
recreation facilities on the North Shore. We need both economic and humane
growth. We need creative solutions for our neighborhoods not quick fixes or
short term profits taken at the expense of our future. We need to imagine the
North Shore the way we want it to be -- for ourselves, for our children, and
for our children’s children.
I imagine a North Shore with excellent public schools at all
levels from which our children will graduate well-prepared for college and the
job market. I imagine communities with challenging job opportunities. I imagine
a city with libraries, parks, playgrounds, senior programs and cultural
institutions that welcome residents with open arms. I imagine a North shore as
an economic hub for technology. I imagine the North shore as an entertainment
center and cultural zone. I imagine neighborhoods with the old housing stock
well-preserved and any new housing designed thoughtfully and built to last,
where people are excited to invest their money and energies. I imagine a
well-managed public transportation system, including light rail, that gets
people out of their cars and onto quick and efficient public transportation. I
imagine an affordable, responsive health care system that works for every man,
woman, and child in my district, regardless of income. Finally, I imagine our
remaining open green spaces and wetlands preserved and protected and recreation
and waterfront areas within ready reach of the people who use them.
As a City Councilperson with a fighting spirit and an
independent will, I believe that I can help make changes that will help realize
this vision of livable, vibrant North Shore neighborhoods. |
