Create Jobs with Smart Economic Investment
As we move towards the 2012 Congressional primary, creating jobs in our communities is the single most important issue. As such, Vincent Morgan recognizes the severity of the employment crisis facing our communities, and is committed to working closer with local officials and business leaders in bringing new jobs to our district. Instead of fighting controversial development as being ‘not enough’, Morgan is open to development that creates jobs for Upper Manhattan residents. ”I will make sure that smart development creates opportunities for people to live and work in their own communities.” In these trying and challenging economic times, “I will not turn away from any opportunity to create jobs for the people of Upper Manhattan.”
Morgan supports raising the federal minimum wage but has serious concerns about current local efforts to legislate a universal living wage, adding undue additional economic and political pressures to potential employers who are enthusiastic about coming to our communities and creating jobs in construction, retail, health care and manufacturing. “We must create the momentum and provide the resources so people can progress into higher paying careers, not create additional burdens for our small businesses and not-for-profit organizations.”
Protect our Stable Communities
By partnering with the development community and leveraging state and federal resources, we can begin to offset the startling trend of new development contributing to the uptick in prices in rentals. Morgan supports working with affordable housing developers to continue to bring new affordable units online, while maintaining a healthy equilibrium for new families looking to buy condos and co-ops. He also supports some creative reforms proposed by affordable housing advocates and the Housing Preservation Development Corporation to allow for innovative financing structures and acquisitions policies to allow new developments to go forward. He also supports raising the income limits on some subsidy programs to make more working New Yorkers eligible for City and State homeownership programs. “I am a community development banker and understand the complexities of financing affordable housing but more importantly I understand what it takes to get it built.”
Education Reform
A community’s most sustainable resource is its children, and we must provide them with the best educational opportunities possible, from pre-kindergarten through high school. The goal is to see more of our children enter college each year, not less. In addition, we need more options for affordable childcare and daycare. Morgan supports new funding for programs that keep class sizes reasonable, help teachers improve their performance, while improving comprehension, in addition to test scores for reading and math. Most importantly he understands the urgency addressing the alarming drop-out rate among our African American and Latino students. Morgan supports charter schools, but they should operate in the context of a functioning public system, not robbing students in the overall system of resources, while being an effective alternative where possible.
The “High Cost of Dropping Out” a Visual Guide CLICK HERE
Educating the “Workforce of the Future” CLICK HERE
Ensure Small Business Prosperity
Local small business has bore the brunt of the impact of the recent downturn. As the local real estate bubble burst, hundreds of neighborhood merchants have been scrambling to adjust and keep some segment of a market increasingly being lost to unemployment pressures and the advent of big box retailers. Smart development insures as residential property is built the new residents require local services that create opportunity and a market for entrepreneurs. The Morgan Plan will connect local development with local business so we do not miss any more opportunities to help our small businesses thrive.
Ethics & Integrity
A public servant’s most important responsibilities are to serve the public, uphold the law of the land and protect the fiduciary trust given by the people who elected him. For far too long, it has been OK to fudge the rules, or openly break the law. As your representative in Congress, Morgan understands the same rules apply to him and he will serve and represent the 15th district with honor and integrity. And, Vincent will always put the interests of the people first.
LGBT Equality
With the recent passage of a Right to Marriage Act in New York State, it’s long overdue for same sex couples to have their relationships recognized legally in every state and be afforded the same rights, privileges and respect of any married couple. Discrimination in any form should not be tolerated and the legal recognition of same sex couples is the most important civil rights issue of our time.
Fair Immigration Policy
Morgan supports enforcing compassionate and fair immigration laws and creating a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants and their families. This country is a nation of immigrants and we must continue to be open to those who seek legal paths to residency and citizenship. NY-15 is a district in which immigrants make up the rich foundation of the neighborhoods and as your next representative Morgan will prioritize this important issue for America.
Affordable Healthcare
Vince Morgan is supportive of the president’s leadership to reform America’s healthcare provision system. He shares the president’s commitment to providing quality health care to everyone at an affordable cost.
Living in the country that we live in, and in the best city in the world, Morgan also believes that healthcare is a right, and that every American should have access to quality, affordable healthcare. As the president demonstrated in assembling the most far reaching health care reforms in a generation, working with the health insurance industry, doctors and other industry stakeholders can result in real reforms to the health care bottom line. Our challenge in New York City is to continue to find a way for our system to provide care for those still uninsured, and to get them covered as soon as possible.
Cultural Development
Cultural development is our most under-utilized resource and a great asset for Upper Manhattan. In Congress, Morgan will continue to fight for community and cultural affairs to support programs and projects that create jobs and attract private, government and non-profit investment resources to all of the communities of the district. NYC boast $56 billion in tourism dollars spent annually and Upper Manhattan receives less than one percent. We have the assets to create a more robust tourism industry uptown and increase our share of the tourism dollars spent in New York which will create jobs for our residents.
Equitable Commercial Development
The industry of Upper Manhattan is our culture. Vince supports new projects with a cultural focus, the potential to create jobs and sponsors who are willing to work with the community. Development will continue to change the landscape of Upper Manhattan but it does not have to be at odds with community building. We can all benefit from development if we have a plan that follows specific guidelines and enforces specific hiring and inclusion requirements.
Expand Senior Services
With the growing number of seniors in the district Vince is fully committed to expanding services for our elders to help them lead comfortable and healthy lives. Seniors are one of the fastest growing segments in our district so we must plan ahead to provide housing, food, healthcare and activities for our elders.
Youth Programs & Engagement
We must motivate young people to get involved in their communities and inspire a new generation of leaders. Too many of our young people are choosing to drop out of school and we must fund programs that keeps them in school, helps them earn a GED and gets them active and involved. As a high school drop out himself, Vince knows how hard it is to turn it around but with support he was able to do it and he wants to give that same help to others.
Reproductive Rights
Vince Morgan unequivocally supports a woman’s right to choose and will vigorously fight to ensure that any threat to those rights are defeated. He has been consistent in his position that he will never support the notion that a woman cannot make decisions about her body or her life without interference from those who seek to limit her legal rights and distort the Constitution of the United States.
Campaign Finance Reform/Term Limits
Vince supports comprehensive changes to our system of electing members of the House of Representatives. There is far too much emphasis placed on money and too little on relevant issues and work. This promotes unfair influence for lobbyists and others who manipulate the system. He also supports reasonable limits to the number of terms representatives can remain in office. Our country needs a Congress that promotes work over seniority.
PLEASE share your thoughts directly with Vince on the issues that are most important to you!
E-mail: vincemorgan@Morgan4Congress.com
