New Yorkers welcome Joe Biden to the White House with optimism and demands | The State
Finally, and then in the shameful way Donald trump finished his quarter as 45th President of the United States, this January 20 they will change the plate in the White House with the name of the new tenant, after the possession of Joe biden as the president who will govern the destinies of the country until January 2025. And in NY, the arrival of the Democratic government to power has brought winds of hope, positivism and great enthusiasm, among those who predict that things are looking good.
That seems to be the feeling among many inhabitants of the Big Apple, even among some who, declaring little or no confidence in politicians, agree that with Trump out of power, and his entourage of bishops packing suitcases, the horizon looks promising.
Beyond the hope that Biden keep his promise, and under the early days of your Administration, promote immigration reform that brings hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers out of the shadows and helps fully legalize DACA ‘dreamers’, the great wish in the five boroughs is for the city to be reborn. A rebirth, which in many cases, literally comes from the ashes and rubble of businesses, sources of income and the lives of the inhabitants of Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx, Staten Island and Manhattan, after the COVID-19 crisis.
Hope among Hispanics
This is how it manifests Lucero Montoya, mother of two young children, who declared herself confident that Biden “He will finally do what other presidents” have promised and have never done.
“We were seen as rats in Trump’s presidency, and now it is Biden’s obligation to give us the place and the treatment we deserve, not with immigration reform, but with the creation of jobs, protection of housing, access to health and quality education for our children ”Said the Mexican mother.
The Salvadoran Norma Alfaro, who also has young children, shared her hope that life not only for her but for vulnerable and forgotten communities can finally have greater dignity and respect.
“Me I hope the new government does its job well, end discrimination and above all that help essential workers that we have been firm in this pandemic and that we have not been valued as we deserve ”, said the Central American.
Edgar alfaro, who worked in a restaurant that closed due to the COVID crisis, and whoever tries to make a living for now “in the search”, was less excited about the new host in Washington, but he demanded to move from words to deeds.
“What happens is that politicians always speak very beautifully when they ask us for the vote, but when they get up there they forget what they promised. While Biden is undoubtedly better than Trump’s plague, I’m not so sure he’ll get us all out of the hole. I hope I shut up, ”said the Colombian, who warned that undoubtedly a change that will be felt has to do with the brake on hate.
“What I do think is going to diminish is going to be that climate of hatred against immigrants, blacks and the poor, because Biden is a man of law and respect. I think that this is going to be reversed, but it is not enough for us to have a dignified and happy life, “said the former waiter.
Will measures that benefit NY advance?
And about the million dollar question that many ask about whether the Biden’s rise to power will advance measures that benefit New York and that have been stagnant for the past 4 years, such as more funds for the MTA and funds for the LIRR connection tunnel project with Grand Central, as well as more financial aid and stimulus checks for the COVID To save small businesses, stop evictions, health for all, job creation and respect for labor rights, the answer is that everything depends on what the new government’s priorities are. But at least judging by the suitcase brought by the new “tenants”, there may be optimism.
This is how the political analyst warns Carlos Vargas placeholder image, who welcomes the fact that on January 20 a Democratic Administration will be set up with control of that same party in the House and Senate in investment matters. The expert warns that unlike the Republicans, Democrats propose a public policy that favors ordinary people to a greater extent, than the Trump Administration and the public policy of the Republicans, although there the collection of taxes will play a decisive role to promote more programs.
“We have seen how Democrats have projected themselves in the political campaign about their support for aid to cities, due to the impact that COVID has had in cities like New York and measures will be taken to mitigate that impact a bit, on the one hand and the crisis generated “, said Vargas.
“The fact that Biden enters implies that there may also be a series of grants and programs that can have repercussions in the City and State of New York, since the congressional Democrats They have insisted on how important it is to give help to the municipalities, since it has been the workers on the front line who have put the fight against the coronavirus ”.
And concretely about plans to help Hispanics, the analyst stated that the eventual benefits will be indirect.
“It is expected to be an indirect impact on many issues. On topics like NYCHA, I don’t think he will get the large amount of help he needs from federal government. As for the benefit that Hispanics will have, who have been disproportionately affected by this COVID crisis at an economic and health level, being that labor force indispensable, it will be necessary to see what the new Administration will be willing to do, ”said the political scientist.
“There should be and I think there will be help for the economy to rebound in sectors such as hospitality, entertainment, restaurant and tourism, so that there are improvements in the pockets of Latinos. But I think it will not be something direct, it will be indirect, ”insisted Vargas.
They ask for federal funds for education
Hope is also no stranger to activists, and in the field of education, the call is to invest in hiring more teachers and quality of teaching.
“New York City urgently needs federal funding to hire more smaller group teachers and tutors, through an expanded ‘Americorps’ program to give students the individual attention and feedback they need, to compensate for the losses they have suffered during the pandemic, “he said Leonie Haimson, Executive Director of the organization “Class Size Matters“.
“We also need more funding to build more schools to alleviate overcrowding, as last year more than half a million New York City students were crammed into overcrowded buildings, a problem that was highlighted given the need for social distancing. ”Added the activist, highlighting that the Federal Department of Education should give New York State a federal exemption from having to administer annual third through eighth grade tests to students this spring, which “would be very stressful and unfair” given unequal access to learning during the pandemic.
Optimism among New York leaders
And that feeling of optimism He’s not just among ordinary New Yorkers and experts, but also among New York political leaders.
After making public his optimism, that with the Biden Administration New York will have more chances to get ahead, Mayor Bill de Blasio has given its vote of confidence to the new federal mandate, while requesting that Washingotn put your hand in your pocket in disbursements to the Big Apple in different sectors.
“The Biden Administration has a great opportunity with a majority in the House and Senate to make fundamental and transformative change. The first order of business must be a true stimulus package to provide direct local assistance to New York City, as well as the MTA, to drive economic growth and support our schools and help us end COVID once and for all, ”said the De Blasio Administration, confirming that he has already been in talks not only with the incoming government but with the Democratic majority in Congress.
“We have been working with the incoming Biden team and we are confident that Brooklyn Senator Chuck Schumer himself can provide the help we need as the new Senate Majority Leader,” they noted.
And after warning that the past four years of the federal government did a lot of damage and that the COVID-19 crisis revealed the disparities that exist among New Yorkers, where the most vulnerable communities, black and Latino, suffered the most, the president of the State Assembly Carl Heastie expressed his hope for a better future.
“After four long years of a divisive administration in Washington, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. On January 20, basic human decency and courtesy will be restored in the Oval Office. Once again, we will have an administration working for Americans, guided by science and data and a strong moral compass, ”Heastie said. “Under the Biden-Harris Administration, my colleagues and I hope to spend less time fighting attacks on our democracy and the rights of New Yorkers and instead spend more time working to move New York forward and out of this crisis“.
The president of the Assembly took the opportunity to make a call to the new government to shake hands with New York and beyond, a state that seriously felt the attacks of COVID-19, with more than 39,000 deaths.
“Because we are New Yorkers, we will get out of this crisis, but we cannot do it alone (…) The need for more help remains urgent. States and localities simply cannot bear the brunt of a global pandemic. It is the responsibility of the federal government to help the states during this global health crisis, ”said the politician.
“I am hopeful that Biden-Harris Administration, together with President Pelosi and Majority Leader Schumer, obtain the resources we so desperately need to help the State overcome this terrible pandemic ”, added Heastie, warning that support is urgently needed to keep thousands of New Yorkers in their homes, merchants with their businesses, 80% vaccinated, and to prevent hunger.
“We are optimistic that, under this new administration, Americans should finally hope to get the help that is so desperately needed. As President-elect Joe Biden has said, there are no red states or blue states, only the United States, ”the legislator stressed, noting the urgency of promoting employment. “When New Yorkers go back to work, the wheels of our economy will begin to turn again. Small businesses will have buyers. Restaurants will have customers. Public transport will have more passengers. New York will return ”.
City Comptroller Scott Stringer He went along the same lines of hope generated by the arrival of Biden, and assured that although it seems clear from afar, it will be imperative that Washington assume a very active role to lift New York.
“With new leadership in Washington and the launch of vaccines underway, there is finally light at the end of the tunnel. We must fight for a fair recovery and rebuild our economy even stronger than before, ”said the official, who is one of the candidates who hopes to rule the destinies of the Big Apple in 2022.
“The federal government must step up and bring relief to New York, the nation’s economic engine (…) This is long overdue. Our small businesses are suffering and thousands of New Yorkers are out of work as we continue to deal with the economic consequences of COVID-19. ” Stringer declared.
He City Council Speaker Corey Johnson, was even more confident in the support that New York will receive from Biden to move forward.
“I’m sure the incoming Biden administration provide New York with the resources we need and deserve to continue being an economic engine for the entire nation. This should include, among other critical projects, bailing out the cash-strapped MTA, infrastructure projects like the Gateway tunnel, giving us the green light for congestion tolls, financing for NYCHA, and expanding access to healthcare, ”said the head of the legislative body of the Big Apple.
“As well it is vital that the new Administration reform our draconian immigration system, remove the travel ban, and implement a path to citizenship for Dreamers. We are a nation of immigrants and the outgoing administration did not treat them with the respect they deserved, ”warned Johnson.
