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"For communities to thrive we need strong and balanced leadership solving complex problems with thoughtfulness and community participation."
- Leslie Boghosian Murphy
Over 5 million people use our NYC buses and subways daily. We have to capitalize on this chance to restructure our mass transit system with priorities on designated bus lanes, redesigning the outdated bus network and a fossil fuel free fleet. Coupled with a robust bike and micro-mobility network will help transition to a cleaner, more efficient way of getting around the city. 75% of our subway stations are inaccessible to the disabled. We must do better. I will fight to bring transportation equity to our district.
PUBLIC TRANSIT
We must support affordable housing across the board to strengthen a vibrant and healthy community. I support mixed-income housing plans balancing low income and working income units. I also recognize the need to develop affordable multi-bedroom options to allow families to stay in NYC and grow our community. People should be able to work where they live and families should be able to find adequate and affordable housing in our neighborhood.
HOUSING
CHILD CARE
I am extremely proud to serve on the Launch Advisory Committee for New Yorkers United for Child Care to advocate for free child care in NYC. More than half of New York City families are spending more than they can afford on child care. Beyond the economic benefits, free child care increases labor force participation, increases family stability and provides children significant, early social-emotional development. I will work with the Mayor for universal child care free for all New Yorkers.
All residents deserve to live in a safe and clean community. We need to make cleanliness and security a priority returning our neighborhoods to a healthy and vibrant space while at the same time respecting all our neighbors. Serving on our precinct Community Council, I advocate for better community policing and holding those in charge accountable to the community. The livability of our district is paramount as it affects all other social and economic strains we face every day. We are a strong and compassionate community and I will couple with residents and business owners to successfully work towards long-term solutions.
*Read how Leslie is fighting to keep our district safe.
QUALITY OF LIFE
Air quality in our district is one of the worst in the city, directly attributable to two factors: Port Authority and the Manhattan Cruise Terminal. Docked cruise ships emit diesel exhaust equivalent to 34,400 idling tractor trailers a day. I am actively working to bring electric shore power to the west side. Serving on the Port Authority Bus Terminal Advisory Council, I will continue to advocate for a greener redevelopment of the Port Authority. It is widely understood environmental quality and economic inequality are directly linked and I am a strong supporter for helping both with city initiatives of the Green New Deal.
*Read how Leslie is fighting to bring shore power to the Manhattan Cruise Terminal.
ENVIRONMENT
A high-quality public education is a cornerstone of the Democratic Party. I believe in strong support services including a guidance counselor and certified nurse in every school. I will work to close the middle and high school achievement and racial gap. Our city now pays $1.3 billion a year sending special needs kids to private schools. We must have early screening and teaching for special education students. I support specialized educational and vocational programs preparing students for college and career readiness. I also strongly support the New Deal for CUNY, advocating for free, higher public education.
*Read how Leslie brought more teachers to PS33, PS51 & PS111 for remote learning.
EDUCATION
LGBTQ+
We are proud that our neighborhoods reflect the strength and diversity of the LGBTQ+ family better than anywhere in the city. We must continue to lead the way for equality. Right now, we are seeing LGBTQ+ youth, especially of color, experience higher than normal rates of homelessness, incarceration, depression and suicide. I strongly support our GNC community and will extend support for high quality, gender affirming health care and access to safe spaces within our community. I will continue to work with our strong neighborhood partners to further provide programs and quality mental health care to those in need and continue to showcase the strengths of our Queer community.
LGBTQ+ rights are human rights.
Over 20% of our district's population is over the age of 65, many who need home and community based services. Older adults should be supported to age in place with access to care managers for medical visits, transportation assistance and support for family caregivers. Access to care and social connectedness are especially important today coming off COVID-19 isolation. I support more options for intergenerational and enriched housing to give the elderly freedom how they choose to live in their later years.
OLDER ADULTS
Our district is the heart of performance and creativity and where many artists call home. I support continued arts emergency funding with both public monies and grant makers while actively providing updated resource lists for artists as well as the businesses that service them. As a SAG-AFTRA union member, I will keep an eye on contract fairness, combating arts funding cuts and Artificial Intelligence (AI) protections.
*Read how Leslie is advocating for more art installations in parks.
ARTS
As a long-time SAG-AFTRA union member, I believe unions are essential to protecting workers and middle-class families. I will stand with organized labor to defend their right to organize and secure fair contracts and ensure clear labor standards are in place on city-led projects so that workers have safe and stable work environments. I also will include working class and family affordable units in new housing targeting union wage workers.
UNIONS
I am the grandchild of four immigrants who came here with limited resources and had to learn English. That's why I’m committed to keeping our city a place where immigrants can put down roots, build families and live without fear. I will protect access to legal and language services and support bills such as the state New York for All Act limiting local law enforcement and state agency cooperation with federal immigration authorities like ICE.
IMMIGRATION
People with disabilities make up the largest intersectional minority group yet only 1% of NYC housing is fully accessible. Much of this is due to aging infrastructure so we need to rethink and incentivize new plans and retro-builds to include accessibility by design. I also support taking a closer look at employment opportunities and fairness for those with disabilities, an issue, I believe, that has gone long overlooked.
ACCESSIBILITY
Animal welfare should be an area of concentration in our city. I support Ryder's Law to ban horse-drawn carriages leading to the humane retirement of the horses. I also support stronger laws for animal protections including shuttering slaughterhouses, free pet vaccination clinics and protecting the rights of tenants with companion animals.
ANIMAL WELFARE
Residents are the lifeline of our campaign, therefore our office will reflect the constituents we serve. Open communication and transparent decision making is the foundation of our service philosophy and what makes for effective representation. I encourage citizen participation and believe in an accessible and responsive government.
I have been a district resident for over 21 years and will give our community the strong and unifying voice we need. We're in it together!
CONSTITUENT SERVICES
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