Transportation

Transportation is access to work and school

As I-81 comes down and Micron comes in, we must ensure working people can actually get to these new jobs. Too many residents turn down job offers because bus routes don’t align with work hours or because walking home at night feels unsafe.

Our elders should not wait 30 minutes in freezing temperatures for a bus. Bus stops should be sheltered and heated. Service should be frequent and reliable. Drivers deserve fair wages for the essential work they do.

We need to rethink how transportation dollars are spent. I support making buses free. Other cities have piloted fare-free transit, and with a $1.6 billion county budget, we can prioritize working families over corporate tax breaks. Public transit is essential to working class families. 

Housing

Housing is health.

After my father lost his job, we moved into unsafe housing that made me sick. Today, my students are living in similar conditions.

As our region grows with projects like the I-81 redevelopment and the proposed expansion connected to the former Syracuse Developmental Center — we need more than new units. We need strong tenant protections.

I support Good Cause eviction protections and believe we must go further with rent stabilization policies. Tenants deserve safe, stable homes.

Growth must be in addition to protections for tenants.

Child Care

We need access to child care! 

Families cannot work if they do not have safe care for their children and students can’t go to school 

I support the New York State Universal Child Care Act, which would guarantee free, year-round, full-day child care and ensure workers earn a living wage. Onondaga County can advocate for and invest in expanding access locally.

When families have stable child care, children succeed in school. Parents stay employed. Communities grow stronger.