[BwayDems] Opportunity for All

[Reshma Saujani]

Dear Broadway Democrats,

I enjoyed spending time with so many of you last Sunday afternoon, and
getting to know your members throughout this campaign.  In all our
conversations, one thing has been clear: we share the same commitment to
creating opportunity for all New Yorkers.  That's why I'm asking for your
endorsement in the Public Advocate's race.

I believe in the American Dream because I have lived it. Forty years ago,
my parents came to the United States as political refugees from Uganda when
the dictator Idi Amin came to power. They arrived in the dead of winter
wearing shorts and T-shirts because no one had ever told them about snow
before.  We didn't have a lot of money, but my parents were able to work
hard and send my sister and me to great public schools that prepared us for
college and careers.

I am running because I believe that those of us who drink from the well of
American opportunity have an obligation to ensure that it never runs dry.
 As your next Public Advocate I will focus on four key areas that are
critical to ensuring opportunity for all:

·      *Fighting for Women and Families: *As Public Advocate, I will lead
the fight to create opportunities for New York City women and girls,
including advocating for expanded child care tax credits to reduce the
burdens on working parents, combat domestic violence, particularly in our
immigrant communities, fight for pay equity so that women no longer earn
less than men for performing the same job, and expand access to
high-quality day care and early childhood learning centers.

·      *Building a First-Class Education for all New Yorkers: *Our city’s
current education system has frozen out the voices or parents, students and
communities.  I will engage parents and communities to give every student
21st century skills to succeed in the workplace and college. As Public
Advocate, I will build on my track record of closing the gender gap in STEM
classes to improve college and career readiness and provide students with
the high-demand skills that employers need.

·     * Expanding Access to Safe, Affordable Housing: *I understand that
safe, affordable housing is the key to retaining our middle class. I will
build on the important work of the current Public Advocate to hold
landlords and developers accountable for their responsibilities under the
law and will help provide tenants and seniors with the legal resources they
need to stand up to bad landlords.

·  *    Supporting Job Creators and Growing our Economy:* With more and
more families falling into poverty, I will build on my proven track record
of success to create economic opportunities in all five boroughs. I’ll work
to help small business deal with existing city regulations and make sure
they are serving their intended purpose; I will launch programs to help
immigrant, minority and women-owned small businesses access city services;
and I will build partnerships between employers and educators to develop
the work force that can attract new private sector jobs to our city.

Our next Public Advocate can't just be another politician -- we need a
change agent who will take the office a step further, reinvent it as an
office of innovation where we can stand up for every New Yorker.

That's what my life and career have been about.  I am the founder of a
non-profit organization called Girls Who Code, which is teaching teenage
girls from all five boroughs of New York City the skills they need to get
high-paying jobs in technology fields. We launched last summer with backing
from tech companies like Twitter, Google, GE, and eBay because I asked them
to make an investment in New York City's future -- and especially our young
women.

As Public Advocate I will work hard every single day to create
opportunities for young women, for seniors, for immigrants like my parents,
for low wage workers, and for every New Yorker who works hard and plays by
the rules.

I hope to earn your support for my campaign. If you will fight with me, I
promise that I will wake up every single day and fight for you.

Sincerely,

Reshma

www.reshmafornewyork.com
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