Your View is a recurring series of opinion pieces from members of The New Tropic community. To share your ideas, goals, and work about with the community in a Your View piece, please submit it to [email protected].
I am the son of immigrants. Like most immigrant households, our kitchen was the heart of our family. We found closeness in food and wine. Home had aromas like no other. And the constant sounds of dishes clashing were only drowned out by chatter, explosive laughter, and sometimes passionate disagreements, which usually ended in more laughter, and often dancing. Dinners weren’t limited to family – friends, neighbors, and even pets showed up. My family embraced and encouraged all to stay. My heart was defined by these gatherings.
I’ve lived in many places since I left the home I grew up in, but Miami is the only other place that felt like home, and it’s why I’m so committed to bettering this community. It’s vibrant, passionate, and – like no other place in the world – has people that come together from all over to form a true community. One thing is clear to me. People live in Miami because they love it here. And I live in Miami because I love it here. And I know together, with our eclectic, vibrant, energetic residents, we can make this city even better than it already is.
I’m running to represent our district, District 113, in our state house in Tallahassee. District 113 includes Miami Beach, Downtown Miami and Little Havana. I can’t imagine a more diverse area – different ethnicities, cultures, generations, and religions blend together. District 113 has it all. It’s a hub of entrepreneurship, a center of art and culture, and has maybe the most beautiful beaches in the world (in my humble opinion). Our district is hands down the best our country has to offer.
But Miami’s charms weren’t the reason I came here. I was primarily focused on the tropical temperatures. Years ago I moved here to work for a respected federal judge. She showed me the importance of Miami and its influential place in our country. My eyes were opened. And I’ve been inspired to contribute, give back, and help improve our community. Since then I’ve trained young progressive leaders, supported non-profit organizations, and later opened a law firm to help develop the infrastructure that allows tech entrepreneurs to thrive. Now, I’m eager to use what I’ve learned on a larger scale, and to help in a different role, as a State House Representative for the district I love.
Despite all its exceptional qualities, there are many opportunities for improvement. Unfortunately all of the country’s big issues are also here: sea level rise, lack of affordable housing, our need for immigration reform, massive wealth disparity, fair Internet access, decline in education, ineffective transportation systems, proliferation of opioids and gun violence, and the rising cost of healthcare, to name a few. What do we need to fix things? Innovation and modern strategies. With the talent we have here, Miami should be leading, not lagging, with technology. We need to reprioritize, and make sure taxpayer funds are directed at effective and new age solutions to our challenges. We have such a unique opportunity. We should be developing solutions that will not only benefit us, but also the rest of the country, and even the world.
In the coming months, I look forward introducing myself to you, my neighbors. I’m excited to listen to your thoughts on our community’s challenges. My only goal is to improve the lives of everyone in our community. I am thrilled to start this process and I look forward to learning from you and earning your support. And if you invite me to dinner, I may just show up. After all, this is my home.
Editor’s note: Kubs Lalchandani has represented Whereby.Us, the parent company of the New Tropic, in a legal capacity. We are open to running Your Views from any candidate. If you’re interested, hit us up at [email protected].