Ari Espinal Policy Positions: ● Support School Construction and Reduce Class Size ● Increase Public Safety in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park ● Advocate for Property Tax Relief for Senior Homeowners ● Save Small Businesses on Across the 39th District ● Advocate for Smart Development - End Overdevelopment, Create More Transportation Options, and Prioritize Affordable Housing for Families and Seniors ● Protect rights of LGBTQ New Yorkers ● Improve resources for immigrants ● Strengthen protections for victims of sexual misconduct ● Protect workers’ rights Support School Construction and Reduce Class Size Corona is challenged with some of the worst school overcrowding in New York City. Children need to learn in an environment where they can focus on academics but so many schools are way beyond capacity and struggle to serve everyone. As your next Assemblymember, Ari Espinal will advocate for the necessary funding and resources so that we can build more schools and update existing infrastructure. Espinal is also committed to removing all school trailers so that all children are in permanent classrooms. Increase Public Safety in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park Flushing Meadows-Corona Park is the backyard of our community and it is one of the most important public spaces in New York City. Unfortunately, our park is underserved by law enforcement when there are no sporting events and we need to change that. According to park advocates, in January 2017 there was a 32 percent increase in crime at parks in the city, with Flushing Meadows Corona Park having 68 total incidents during a nine-month period. Ari Espinal supports plans to build a police precinct inside of Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, which help to coordinate and focus efforts on activities in the park throughout the year. Our community deserves to have a safe park. Property Tax Relief for Homeowners, including Seniors The cost of living, especially housing, continues to increase across NYC and our neighborhoods. However, many seniors live on a fixed income and property tax increases can jeopardize our long-time residents with unaffordable tax bills. We must protect the backbone of our community - our seniors - from displacement. As your next Assemblymember, Ari Espinal will work to expand property tax relief for homeowners and she will promote MCI reform. Save Small Businesses Across the 39th District It is getting harder and harder to for small businesses New York City. Retail store leases are often too costly for new small businesses and existing mom-and-pop shops struggle to renew their licenses when landlords seek huge rent increases. Espinal will fight to protect small businesses in our neighborhoods. Advocate for Smart Development - End Overdevelopment, Create More Transportation Options, and Prioritize Affordable Housing for Families and Seniors Families and seniors are struggling with the cost of staying in their own homes in throughout the 39th District. Additionally, many single family houses are being torn down and rebuilt as multi-family buildings, but this has not made housing more affordable. Overdevelopment is a rampant problem across our neighborhoods. Ari Espinal will advocate for smarter development - focusing on affordable housing and improved transportation options. Protect rights for LGBTQ New Yorkers With the bigoted language and legislation coming out of Washington, Ari Espinal will fight to protect the rights of LGBTQ New Yorkers. From ending housing discrimination, to improving access care to healthcare, to creating spaces for LGBTQ youth, Espinal will be an advocate for all New Yorkers, regardless of their gender expression or sexual orientation. Improve Resources for Immigrants As the daughter of immigrants, Ari Espinal understands the challenges of immigrant families in our neighborhoods. She hopes to address the language barrier by creating community English-language-learning programs. Additionally, Espinal will support initiatives that will expand economic opportunities for immigrants. She supports the DREAM Act and will continue to help immigrant communities challenge harmful policies from the Trump administration. Strengthen protections for victims of sexual misconduct The current #MeToo movement is a much-needed and important awakening in American culture. It is critical that our leaders act to prevent such misconduct from continuing. Protect workers’ rights Growing up in a proud union household, Ari Espinal knows the importance of protecting workers’ rights. We need leaders in Albany who will advocate for the middle class and working families. Espinal will work to address wage stagnation and finally pass Carlos’s Law to improve workplace safety. Additionally, Espinal will be an ally for union workers in the Assembly, fighting to protect fair wages and collective bargaining rights while awaiting the Supreme Court’s decision in the Janus case.