1. Where do you stand on the Miami Forever bond program?
I believe that they are trying to push it through quickly and have not provided enough information as to the exact expenditures and breakdown of each category of spending, therefore it should be postponed until all of the pertinent information can be provided and published online for all who live in the City to make an informed decision.
2. The City of Miami has tremendous income disparity. What are your plans for prioritizing inclusive development, particularly expanding the scope of affordable housing?
I am a big proponent of Affordable Housing, but these must include workforce housing and not just more government subsidized options. Private public partnerships is the only way to make it happen so that it works with our City’s existing footprint and the diverse needs of our growing community.
3. Do you think Miami is on the right track for addressing sea level rise? Are we taking drastic enough steps?
I think there is much that can be done but I am not sure that we have all the facts straight yet including the total costs so again let’s do our due diligence before we jump on that train.
4. What can we do to get people out of their cars? Particularly to make the city safer for cyclists and pedestrians?
We can incentivize businesses and residents to do more Ride Sharing /Pooling for starters. We could actually brand our Public Transportation options. We could work more closely with Uber and Lyft for example who already have great programs in other metropolitan cities where they actually give credits to people who utilize our Public Transportation on a daily basis. We could update and add more routes for sure to our Trolleys even if we have to charge something for the rides. I would also add “cool” convenience features like Wifi and Cell Phone Charging station so that young professionals would actually want to use the trolleys (and I wouldn’t call them that). Would require new branding, new name like Atlanta’s MARTA. I mean there are so many options but it needs to be a holistic, citywide approach that benefits all, not just one area or demographic.
5. How do you plan to bring in a diverse range of voices in your decision-making and to take concerns of unheard populations into account?
Because my priority and main platform is to improve the non-existent lines of communications at the City. Everything from our Website and our 311 systems, to our Building and Zoning and Code Enforcement Department needs a complete system overall. We also cannot rely solely on social media and the internet to communicate with all the elderly in our City. We need to improve and maybe implement Robo Calls like the County so successfully does, and/or Text Messaging as well. We even should look into an actual Monthly Newsletter that is mailed because there is simply a complete breakdown in our communications which is why we have areas that feel unheard and completely ignored in our City. We should be more responsive to their needs and really to the needs of all of our residents. And 7 days is NOT acceptable response time by any government with todays advancements and technology.
6. What is one change you want to make that would improve YOUR life in Miami?
First, I would immediately implement a district-wide and holistic plan to calm traffic especially near schools and parks. And I don’t mean those crazy expensive traffic circles that cost us $250k a pop. That is a ridiculous and cost prohibitive approach that is not even very effective since no one actually yields the right of way. Second I would repave once and for all the many streets and sidewalks in my district that are in complete disrepair especially in the neglected areas that have been ignored by politicians for some many years because they are in the less affluent areas of our district. Our elderly should be able to walk safely outside their home on actual sidewalks. Anything less is unacceptable.