On April 26th, Mayor De Blasio introduced the largest budget in NYC history totaling $98.6 billion, the vast majority of which will be kept in Wall Street banks. The same week, our City Council members debated a resolution calling on the state legislature to pass the NY Public Banking Act…

This Op-Ed was originally published in the Gotham Gazette on May 5, 2021. On April 26, Mayor de Blasio presented his executive budget plan for the city’s next fiscal year, FY22, which begins July 1. In it, he included slight increases to the NYPD’s budget. This comes on the heels…

This Op-Ed was originally published in the Forest Hills Post on April 22, 2021. I worry now more than ever about my children growing up on an uninhabitable planet. The science is loud and clear that we need to act urgently. If I were in City Council now, during these…

I have lived in Kew Gardens for nearly two decades. I love it here. All the local store owners know my kids, and few things excite me more than the food in my district. Too often, I walk by a shop feeling heartbroken when they are forced to close. The…

This opinion piece was originally published in the Queens Chronicle on March 22, 2021. Every year during Women’s History Month, I get tired of people paying lip service to women’s rights. Acknowledging gender inequity is important, yet words fall short when they’re not coupled with deep structural changes. …

This Op-Ed was originally published in the Gotham Gazette on March 4, 2021. On February 23, public hearings began for City Council Speaker Corey Johnson’s “Planning Together” legislation, which would institute a process for creating a comprehensive plan for New York City. …

This Op-Ed was published in the Queens Daily Eagle on February 21, 2021. As we celebrate Black History Month, I am struck by the absurd notion that devoting one month to Black History is sufficient. The origin of Black History Month is noble — it was the brainchild of an…

As headlines of nursing home COVID casualties dominate local news, it is clear that we need leaders who partner with, and prioritize, our elders. There are simple, cost-effective, and ethical policy remedies that our campaign is fighting for to ensure our elders can age in their homes with dignity. Our…