NY State Assembly District 79

Overview

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George Alvarez (D)	Michael Blake (D)	Lanita Jones (D)	Marsha Michael (D)	Frederick Ricks (D)	Raul Rodriguez (D)

Alvarez (D)

	George Alvarez (D)
	Campaign Website Facebook Twitter - Campaign

On the Issues

Endorsements

Currently: CEO, Apple Consultants; Member, Coalition for a New Future in the Bronx

Previous Work: Vice-President, Democrats in the Heights; Systems Analyst, Liz Claiborne; IT System Architect, Wyckoff

Education: BA; MA

On the Issues

*Source for George Alvarez's issue stances, unless marked otherwise: Gotham Gazette Questionnaire

Top 5 Legislative Priorities↓

In his own words:
1. Advocate for more affordable housing and uphold te200pxts' rights.
2. Bring more economic relief to my constituents and enhance job creation in our borough.
3. Address the many public safety concerns of my constituents and tackle the high crime rate and violence in the Bronx.
4. Improve and strive to resolve the legal issues afflicting our undocumented constituents who account for a large, important and yet often forgotten portion of our community.
5. Knowing the importance education has had in my life, I will introduce and support legislation which would enable our children to attend and stay in school all the way from pre-school up to their college graduation.
Budget↓

In addressing how to utilize NYS' multibillion dollar surplus, stated: "We should give that money back to the tax payers in the form of services by investing it into our struggling schools, decaying infrastructure, and more housing development."
Civil Rights↓

Would vote yes on the full, ten-point Women's Equality Agenda.
Opposes the strategy of removing the 10th point in the WEA, which deals with abortion access, in order to push for passage of the other 9 points with less controversy.
Economy↓

Supports a statewide minimum wage at $13.
Stated that municipalities such as NYC should be able to set their own minimum wage, "as long as the minimum wages does not go below the state or federal minimum wage."
In addressing developing a NYS jobs program, stated: "I would like to see the creation of an apprenticeship program where we help the unemployed acquire new skills by actually being at the place of work and learning from the people performing such jobs. This way the apprentice will get first hand experience and hands on training, and also we would be providing intensives for employers to participate."
Education↓

Supports implementing Common Core state standards with changes.
Supports raising the cap on charter schools.
Stated that government should pay for location of charter schools in private space.
Supports statewide universal pre-kindergarten.
In addressing how the legislature can ensure that adequate funding is distributed to all school districts to comply with the Campaign for Fiscal Equity decisions, stated: "We should ensure that each schools receives sufficient funds for the school year proportionate to the school's costs of running. We should not have school fail due to lack of funding. If elected I will ensure that enough funds are appropriated for our school."
Environment↓

Opposes hydrofracking in NYS.
Stated that municipalities should not decide, via zoning processes, whether hydrofracking occurs in their jurisdiction.
Good Government↓
Opposes reducing individual campaign contribution limits.
Opposes instituting a public-matching campaign-fi200pxcing system statewide.
Stated that Governor Cuomo should have dissolved the Moreland Commission to Investigate Public Corruption.
Supports implementing the following reform measures to increase voter participation and reduce barriers to voting:
- Same day voter registration,
- Early voting,
- Reforming special elections,
- Instant runoff voting,
- Consolidating state and federal primaries.
In addressing how to properly monitor and enforce ethics laws and appropriate conduct of legislators, stated: "As elected officials, there is a code of conduct they most follow. I believe we have an obligation to our constituents to investigate every legitimate claim of misconduct. Should an investigation find fault then the accused should have legal charges brought on to the offender and he or she should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law."
In addressing legislative oversight of public authorities such as the MTA and Port Authority, stated: "A good way to start would be to oversee who gets appointed to run the these institutions and also ensure to approach their budgets responsibly."
Health↓

In addressing challenges with the NYS Health Exchange rollout and the high cost of Medicare, stated: "The biggest challenge in my opinion is to get more people enrolled, young people in particular. The system is designed in a way that can only succeed if a large number of people composed of a large number of young and healthy people make up for those receiving care. Therefore, the most immediate concern should be finding ways to boost enrollment."
Housing and Development↓

Supports mandatory inclusionary zoning at the 40-30-30 ratio.
Opposes reforming the Scaffold Law from absolute liability to comparative negligence.
Supports reforming the Urstadt Law.
In addressing the affordable housing needs in the state and city, stated: "We could start by boosting housing construction so as to reduce the high demand for housing and possibly slow down rate at which rents are increasing. Another way could be to reduce property taxes in exchange for rent reductions. We could also give more tax intensives to working families that have to spend a high percentage of their income on housing."
In addressing the rising cost of commercial rents and the loss of local retail businesses, stated: "One way to tackle the problem is by lowering property taxes, thus reducing landlords' need to keep on increasing the rent on their te200pxts. Another way would be to give a tax exemption to new businesses for their first year to ensure they prosper."
Immigration↓

Would vote yes on the DREAM Act.
Opposes non-citizen voting.
Supports drivers licenses for undocumented immigrants.
Infrastructure↓

Stated that the biggest infrastructure needs in the district are that: "There are far too many apartment buildings in disrepair in our community. I will strive to introduce legislation to ensure every residential building is inspected and brought to code."
Policing and Criminal Justice↓

Supports broken windows policing.
Supports the legalization of marijuana on;y for medicinal use.
In addressing whether there is a role for state government in overseeing the conduct of municipal police forces, stated: "I believe the state legislature has a constitutional role in these affairs. Should the local government prove inefficient in resolving matters of the sort, then the state legislature have the obligation to step in."
Transportation↓

In addressing road safety, and the appropriate approach to balancing the needs of pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers, stated: "First, we need to ensure that our roads are properly cared for. This means ensuring that in a timely fashion traffic lights are working, potholes fixed and lanes painted. Next would be to enforce traffic laws to discourage traffic violations."