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.  Restaurant workers are victimized by wage theft at higher rates than most types of occupations.  With a booming tourism and restaurant industry here in Salem, it makes this issue particularly critical to address. Workers deserve good pay, benefits, safe work environments, the right to organize and most importantly, respect.

 

Together we will fight to:

• Hold employers and contractors accountable for wage theft and violations to sick leave standards by blocking them from doing business with the city.

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

• Create a wage theft advisory committee similar to the one in Lynn.

• Increase the amount of union jobs with benefits through regulations of - and incentives for employers.

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

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

 

Housing

​As the only renter running for 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 and the Housing Authority Board to move in the right direction with urgency.

 

Together we will fight for:

• Guaranteed, quality housing for our seniors and veterans.

• Inclusionary zoning that increases the number of required affordable units for all new development and redefines the term affordable to match Salem’s needs.

• The legalization of more housing and apartment units through a revision of restrictive policies relating to lot size, mixed use zoning and parking minimums.

• Prioritization of affordability in neighborhoods near public transit to ensure that our low-income residents are not forced to use their limited resources on the costs of cars.

• Zoning that allows for more accessory dwelling units, more affordable units and diversification of our housing market.

• 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.

• Penalties for those that violate tenants’ rights. ​

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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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• 40% of carbon emissions are caused by buildings. We must implement stronger energy efficiency standards for new development and fund the retrofitting of old buildings.

• Our infrastructure is in need of repairs and upgrades to withstand the extreme weather conditions brought on by this crisis.

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

• I was thrilled to see the implementation of the Salem Skipper and would push for additional MBTA stops to be added as well to create a less car-dependent Salem. We must also ensure that all of our roads include safe sidewalks and bike lanes.-It is time to follow in the footsteps of Worcester and Lawrence and introduce fare-free shuttle busses to reduce our carbon footprint, speed up our traffic flow and ensure that Salem residents at every income level have the right to mobility.

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

• I am committed to working with city leaders in their plan to move to 100% renewable energy and finding ways to make the transition smooth and efficient.​

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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.

• The gender pay gap can not be tolerated and employers in Salem must be held accountable.

• We must fight back against this national wave of anti-LGBT 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.

• We need strong community control and democratic accountability of police, prisons and all punitive legal systems through a well financed civilian control board.