Art Chang - Ballotpedia

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There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

The Issues

We are a city that has risen over and over again by doing what we do best. We create, innovate, produce, cause, invest and forge a better future. With the right leadership, we will do it again -- and in doing so, break the cycles of inequity and injustice. Do we want to emerge as we were pre-Covid? Or do we emerge as a more fair and just city with compassion and possibility?

We all know what needs fixing: housing affordability, safety, policing, small business support, education, healthcare. Go to any candidate’s website, and you’ll see that they care about these things too. But fixing these things takes more than a campaign pledge. It takes a strategy. My strategy is based on a lesson I’ve learned over my years of experience across several sectors:

The systems we need to fix are interconnected. Our policing solutions and housing policies will impact public health. Our education policies will impact the lives of small business owners. This is why city policies have unintended consequences: they are driven by campaign stump speeches rather than by smart implementation. At a time of unprecedented crisis, it is vital that we approach these issues holistically rather than individually.

As Mayor, my main avenues for restoring hope are the following:

Universal Childcare

With the usual strains on working families exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, Universal Childcare is necessary to help our economy recover. Thousands of parents left the workforce -- mostly women -- to care for and educate their children during the shutdown. Over four years as Mayor, I will gradually roll out free childcare centers throughout the city: an essential step in rebuilding our communities post-COVID, and counteracting the impact remote learning has had on parents’ careers and businesses.

Stopping Evictions & Foreclosures, and Investing in Truly Affordable Housing

In addition to prioritizing a massive increase in truly affordable housing, we must extend the eviction moratorium and impose a foreclosure moratorium through March 2022, and cancel all accrued rental debt and interest during this period.

Supporting Small Businesses Retail stores, restaurants, bars, small entertainment venues, and arts and cultural institutions are essential to rebuilding the city we love and have been devastated by COVID-19. We will form and listen to advisory committees in each industry, and create a volunteer “Innovation Corps” of entrepreneurs who are given the freedom to re-think how the government supports the most distressed industries.

Reimagining Policing and Public Safety

There are more effective and affordable ways to keep people safe than more police. We need to redirect police funds, changing our existing emergency response methods to utilize unarmed responders. We will also regain civilian control over New York City’s paramilitary organizations, and create user-friendly, real-time and transparent data services to better direct services to distressed communities.

Preparing for Climate Change & Preventing Future Damage

By 2100, the seas will rise by 10 feet even with the essential reductions in carbon emissions. Now is the time to prepare for this. I will eliminate carbon emissions by 2050 and plan for a 10’ sea rise by 2100, along with the related increases in storm surges and weather violence.

Building a Government that Works

I will swiftly address the dysfunction of the city government by restoring civilian control over broken and rogue organizations, and by re-establishing control over the budget. And with my background in the tech industry, I know how to bring our city’s technological infrastructure into the 21st Century -- making our government work for the people more accessibly and effectively.

A government that works can solve problems that have seemed insurmountable for years, such as poverty & food insecurity.

Protect, Uplift, and Support The Arts

The arts and entertainment industry brings tens of billions of dollars into NYC’s economy each year, yet have been one of the most heavily impacted sectors left behind during the COVID pandemic and recovery. Our city will not fully bounce back until the arts are back.

Education that meets each student where they are

I believe that when a city prioritizes education, many other aspects of city life fall into place on their own. Our education system should be re-framed around the priorities that matter to all of us: students knowing their rights in and responsibilities to our civic society, being capable of making positive contributions to our economy, and taking care of themselves and others.

Equity for all New Yorkers

I believe that all New Yorkers deserve protection, support, safety, and dignity. I know that achieving this means committing to equality for all throughout all departments of City government.[1]

Candidate

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