Economic Justice

  • Support and advocate for increasing taxes on the city’s richest 1% (or even in some cases 0.1%!) of residents, using the funds to address income disparities and to eliminate poverty and homelessness.
  • Implement a Land Value Tax on all purchases of land based on the value of the land sought to be developed. Since it is the community itself that creates “market value”, developers should pay a tax for benefiting from what the community creates, and thus, the community should be able to collect “land rent” from developers. Instead invest that money into programs for the public good, including affordable housing.
  • Propose to fine landlords for keeping their storefronts empty. I also aim to help Harlem entrepreneurs and artists to flourish by creating tax incentives for commercial landlords to lease spaces to local businesses and nonprofits at lower rents.
  • Pass the Small Business Jobs Survival Act (SBJSA) which legislates to give commercial tenants a right to a lease renewal, including a 10-year term for those in good standing, to demand arbitration if a rent hike is too high and to extend protections to all commercial businesses, including restaurants.
  • Increase the number of permits and licenses, increase space for vending, and bring justice to NYC vendors. End the policing that happens with vendors and allow them to participate in the economy without fear or retaliation.
  • Expand programs providing financial assistance particularly to family members who are caring for a disabled, dependent and/or elderly family member.
  • Support and advocate for universal basic income or guaranteed income to alleviate poverty, create a step towards true equity and a pathway towards equal access. I intend to implement a pilot supplemental income program that will assist poor and working-class families in the district with food insecurity, rent, credit card debt and other everyday emergencies.
  • Allow free entry/pay as you can to cultural institutions for all EBT cardholders and disabled patrons + one caregiver.