Senator Ramos: Vote for Kamala Harris and Roosevelt Avenue

By Jessica Ramos, New York State Democratic Senator —

Senator Jessica Ramos for New York City Mayor. Photo by Javier Castaño

November 5th is an important election. We either choose an anti-Latino convicted felon, or a competent former prosecutor who aims to address serious immigration reform and is committed to revitalizing our economy equitably. The outcome of this election will be felt on Roosevelt Avenue.

My neighbors and I have legitimate concerns about this thoroughfare. We have had them for decades, but in recent years the number of street vendors, sex workers, and homeless individuals has increased. New immigrants need work permits to move out of an exploitative economy. Congress had a bipartisan immigration bill, but it was rejected by far-right politicians at Donald Trump’s request.

In the city, incompetence and intolerance persist. Instead of securing federal work permits, Mayor Eric Adams has done nothing. He said immigrants will destroy our city. He pointed fingers, posed for photos, threw tantrums, and ruined his relationships with the White House. Now he is flooding our neighborhood with police, jeopardizing the work that precincts have done for our community.

Mayor Adams has done everything except his job. He had the opportunity to meet with other major city mayors and President Joe Biden’s Chief of Staff but returned because the FBI raided his staff during a corruption investigation. The frustration over his poor management and alleged corruption is unsustainable.

I have spent most of my life around Roosevelt Avenue and am now raising two children in this area. What I see when I step out of our apartment is the result of a lack of laws, systems, and human services. There is no faith in our local government.

In January, I announced a public forum on Roosevelt with city agencies. Mayor Adams announced his own forum in Corona for the same day, forcing us to cancel ours. He promised action and then orchestrated a brothel raid without arresting traffickers or helping sex workers. The brothels reopened the next day without consequence.

My team and I have filed reports with 311, called city agencies, written letters, and attended as many task force meetings as possible to build relationships and give Mayor Adams the opportunity to do his job. We have surveyed street vendors and visited small businesses to offer support. I stay in contact with the 115th Precinct to monitor efforts addressing human trafficking happening right before our eyes.

I have done my job in the State Senate: sending funds from Albany for our schools, public transportation, and hospitals. I have pushed the few state agencies that touch Roosevelt Avenue to pay attention to this neighborhood, secured the MTA’s initiation of upgrades for the 7 train stations, brought in the Labor Commissioner to speak with small business owners and workers, and allocated additional ACE funds to fill the gaps left by the City’s Sanitation Department.

Criticizing a vindictive mayor publicly is difficult because there are always real consequences that hurt constituents. We need a serious mayor to handle this crisis with consistent city resources, not photo sessions. This situation is not new, and we need lasting investments.

We must change this so-called leader. I am running for mayor of Roosevelt Avenue and all neighborhoods. Let’s choose the right partner in the White House to change the game. Vote for Kamala Harris on Election Day.