Dear John,

I’ve been saying “Happy New Year” a lot this week, but it sure hasn’t been a happy one so far. We’re on the brink of war. Huge parts of Australia are on fire. Anti-Semitic attacks continue. And the President has been impeached for abuse of power, but the GOP Senate Majority Leader has promised a rigged trial to let him off.

So if we want 2020 to be a happy year -- it can be, it has to be -- we’re going to have to work hard.

That’s why I was out this morning marching proudly with thousands of New Yorkers in opposition to anti-Semitism (just as we have before against racism, Islamophobia, homophobia, and attacks on immigrants).

It’s why I plan to be part of organizing campaigns this year to oppose an unconscionable war with Iran, and to stop the money pipeline that’s financing fossil fuel extraction. And of course, why I’ll do everything I possibly can to win back Democratic control of the U.S. Senate ( join us Wednesday night at The Bell House to get started on that [[link removed]] ), and to defeat Donald Trump at the ballot box.

But my first job is to do everything I can to make our city better. At times of broader crisis, local is a good place to start. Through local action, we can win a better democracy, and a safer, more equal, more sustainable city. We can build a model, right here, for the future that we all deserve.

We have some big goals for 2020 in New York City. Will you help make them happen, by supporting my work today? [[link removed]]

Here are my 2020 goals for my work in the City Council:

Pass the Reckless Driver Accountability Act: Last year 219 people were killed by traffic violence in NYC, each one of them a precious life lost and a family torn apart. I am working hard with the administration to finalize our approach to the legal and logistical challenges and design a program -- that we can start this year -- that will intervene with the most reckless drivers, before the next crash.

Protect Workers from Unfair Firing: New York City fast food workers face the ever-present threat of being fired or having their hours reduced for no reason at all, forcing thousands of New York families to live in constant uncertainty and fear. Working with courageous workers, organizing with SEIU 32-BJ, I introduced legislation last year to prevent firings without a good reason. Passing the bill in the City Council this year would protect tens of thousands of workers, and establish a groundbreaking new worker protection with national implications.

Reform NYC’s Capital Projects Management Process: More than half of City projects are over budget and behind schedule. We struggle to keep pace with needed investments in our city’s future, from broadband, to renewable energy, to protection from storms like Hurricane Sandy, to projects you voted for through participatory budgeting. I am working to finalize and pass legislation to reform capital projects management so that we can comprehensively review the conditions of our existing infrastructure, develop a long-term plan to address capital needs, and ensure accountability as projects are implemented.

Make sure the Gowanus Neighborhood Rezoning centers the goals of affordability, equity, and sustainability: Together with neighborhood groups, public housing residents, homeowners, tenants, artists, small businesses, and environmental advocates, I am working every day to guarantee that the rezoning plan meets our shared goals for Gowanus: Truly affordable housing, without any displacement. Significant improvements in the public housing nearby. New schools, parks, and transit. An even stronger and more diverse “Gowanus mix” of light manufacturing, arts, culture, and people. A vibrant and sustainable community, with less pollution in the canal, more renewable energy, and more resilient neighborhoods. It’s a tall order, and I know there’s a lot of distrust of rezonings. But I really believe we can get it right.

Bring that smarter, more equitable, more sustainable approach to growth citywide: I believe we can get it right in Gowanus, because of decades of organizing by community-based organizations, and extensive public engagement in the planning process. But if we are going to meet our city’s collective challenges of rising temperatures and sea levels, growing population, aging infrastructure, displacement pressures, and deeply-rooted inequality, we’re going to need comprehensive planning to balance neighborhood and citywide goals, immediate and long-term needs.

I wanted to lay out my goals for the year, so you have something to judge me by later. It’s the kind of accountability that I believe is critical in public office.

There’s a lot to do, in the fight for a better democracy at the city level and nationwide. But I believe, deep down, that by organizing and working hard together, we can get it done.

Will you help me achieve these goals? [[link removed]] Please support my campaign today to help me take this work to the next level. [[link removed]]

Let’s work together, so that when we look back on 2020, we’ll be able to say, it may not have started out so great, but we made it a happy one.

Brad



Lander for NYC
456 5th Avenue, 3rd Floor, Suite 2
Brooklyn, NY 11215
[email protected]

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