Campaign Platform

Labor

As someone with a working class background, I understand the importance of fighting for the rights of workers. Driving for Uber and Grubhub and waiting tables on the North Shore for years has given me first hand experience in both the dignity of work and the many injustices that occur in the workforce. Workers deserve good pay, benefits, safe work environments, the right to organize and most importantly, respect.

 

Together we will fight to:

• Pass a Living Wage Ordinance to pay our city employees a wage that allows them to live in Salem.

• Fund unions and workers’ organizations to raise awareness of workers’ rights and benefit programs.  ​

• Pass a Labor Peace Agreement Ordinance to make it easier for workers to unionize on city projects.

• Make workers who strike and organize for better conditions feel welcome and supported in Salem.

• Include municipal workers in the state's Paid Family and Medical Leave program.

• ​Continue to build worker power and use that power to leverage a higher standard of living for all.

 

Housing

​As the only renter on the city council, I have a unique understanding of the pain caused by our housing crisis. Salem is becoming increasingly expensive, and we must ensure that the most vulnerable are not priced out of their homes. Since 2010, the average Salem resident’s salary has increased 8% while housing prices have increased 49%. There is no silver bullet that will solve the housing crisis or make Salem affordable overnight but I am committed to working with our city’s leaders to move in the right direction with urgency.

 

Together we will fight for:​

• The legalization of more housing through a revision of restrictive zoning policies. 

• The passage of the Condo Conversion Ordinance to delay and/or prevent displacement when possible and care for those that are displaced.

• An increase to our funds to expand affordable housing through real estate transfer fees.

• Reasonable rent stabilization policies.

• The Right To Counsel for tenants.

• A Just Cause for Evictions Ordinance

• A ban on forced broker's fees.

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Climate

Despite being a global issue, there is a lot that Salem has done and can continue to do to be a leader on the climate crisis. Being an environmental justice community means that ambitious legislation, community engagement and innovation are required of us. We have the opportunity to use climate justice as a framework for economic and racial justice through the creation of green jobs.

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• We must work to create a Salem that is not car dependent through allowing for walkable amenities, creating safe streets and investing in public transportation.

• Salem must continue and deepen its support for sustainable farming and family farming.

• We must work with the state to reduce the percentage of Salem waste that ends up in landfills. ​

• I'm proud to have introduced a ban on gas powered leaf blowers and will work to ensure it's passage

• We must protect our wildlife which is currently endangered by rodenticides. 

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Equality

My life experiences and rich family heritage drove me into a life of activism to fight for the most vulnerable among us. If elected, I will represent every member of our community.  

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• We must ensure that our large immigrant population feels welcomed and safe when seeking services and interacting with law enforcement.

• Our policies around everything from education to housing to transportation must be written and implemented with the goal of racial justice and equity in mind. .

• We must fight back against this national wave of anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment and legislation here in Salem and protect our existing anti-discriminatory polices.

• Salem needs a crisis response team for non-violent situations to reduce the potential for police brutality.

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