A VOICE FOR ASIAN AMERICANS
I am running for New York State Assembly District 49 because I was born and raised in New York City and I care deeply about the people who live there and the issues they face. Asian Americans have a small voice and presence in the City and I am running to be that voice and ensure that problems affecting our community are addressed.
VETERANS REPRESENTATION
There are approximately 250,000 veterans lives in the 5 boroughs, as an Afghan war veteran, I will represent the voice and advocate for our veterans, such as expanding veteran services, preventing homeless, provide drug/alcohol addiction treatment, promote mental health services, expand veteran preference when hiring by city agencies, and promote employer payroll tax credit when hiring disabled veterans.
EDUCATION
I am appalled at how the NYC Department of Education is trying to harm our education system. Growing up as immigrants, we didn’t have much material wealth, but we had good educational opportunities. My family knew education was one way to achieve the status of the middle class. Families raise in this district have these same goals and aspirations for the best opportunities for their children, I will fight to preserved current criteria for enrollment of specialized high schools on merit-based and testing.
The Education Investment Tax Credit will provide more choices to families who are not happy with local public schools, for whatever reason they have. Alleviating the financial burden, so tuition-paying families get credit for some of the taxes they pay, will be my number one priority. Parents need real choices because children learn differently. Getting everyone, including those who can’t afford private school, the best possible educational opportunities, is the best investment we can make in our children.
Merit-based admission to Special High Schools. I will fight to preserve the current admissions criteria and the demanding curricula of our city’s top-tier magnet high schools. Stuyvesant, Bronx Science, and Brooklyn Tech have provided excellent education to generations of academically talented New York teenagers, and especially to the smart children of immigrants. These schools prepared to send gifted and talented children, to highly competitive and selective universities. Merit-based academic tests should NOT be changed.
School Choice—Lifting The Cap On Charter Schools. There was a time when New York City public schools were the best in the nation. That lasted until political changes in the late 1970s, which lowered standards. We are living with the results: many failing schools at all levels. Too many children are stuck in those schools, where little learning goes on. The best way to create and maintain excellent educational institutions is for educators outside of the traditional education establishment’ to build and run them. Some Charter Schools in New York City have demonstrated an ability to truly educate minority children who rarely succeed in public schools. Others provide special types of education that appeal to families and students. There is no reason, except for political control, to prevent the creation of more charter schools. I will call for 50 new ones in the next few years in my first week in Albany.
Education is an important foundation to attain the American Dream.
Quality public school education is the reason I am standing before you today. It is the important foundation needed to attain the American Dream. That's why I believe in lifting the cap on Charter Schools, preserving the criteria of the gifted and talented programs across New York City so more of our children receive the education they will desperately need to face life's challenges.
I believe in meritocracy for school enrollment. Especially for New York City's premier High Schools....schools like Bronx HS of Science, Brooklyn Tech, and Stuyvesant High School. For generations, the high standards of these schools have been shining lights in our public school system. I support school vouchers and parental rights for school choice.
JOBS AND ECONOMIC GROWTH
All New Yorkers need a vibrant, economically growing city, that produces jobs and revenue. The pandemic retards growth and restricts business opportunities. I will support expanding sales-tax-free clothing limits to $250, provide additional forgivable loans to small businesses in targeted communities.
As a businessman, I will fight for fiscal sanity in Albany. Elected officials need to realize that they have a fiduciary responsibility to the taxpayers of our state. I will be speak out against the tax and spend mentality that has ruled Albany for far too long. New Yorkers are amongst the most heavily taxed people in country.
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