Elect Lester Chang for
NYC City Council District # 1

Good day, New Yorkers, my name is Lester Chang and I am running for the NYC City Council District #1. 

Within my family, I’m the first American-born Chinese immigrant parents who came to this country to pursue the American dream. I started my life on Eldridge Street in the Lower East Side and I’m a proud product of public school education, earning my degrees all the way up to my Master’s. 

I have 24 years in the Navy reserve and an Afghanistan war veteran. I have 20 years of management experience in global trade and logistics. I have worked with the Board of Elections as a Poll Site Coordinator for over 30 years, and I have lived in Little Italy for nearly four decades.

In March 2020, I volunteered to be mobilized again on active duty in support COVID Operation, where I originally helped convert Jacob Javits Convention Center into a field hospital (treated over 1,000 COVID patients), now I help support the Javits Center as a mass vaccination center. With everyone's help, we can defeat COVID-19.

First, as a beneficiary of public school education, I support SHSAT testing. 
I would lift or eliminate the Charter School cap.  I will stop the State mandated school curriculum to parochial, private, or yeshiva. 

Second, Crime – recent sky-high rising crime rate, gun violence, anti-racial crimes, subway crimes, the new no bail law that was passed has not been working and has created unintended consequences that allow serialized criminals to be released back into society within hours of being arrested. This law already undermines the hard-working police. I will fight to modify this bail law by having the judge decide the bail amount, create a three-strike rule, and forfeit the no bail option on the third arrest.

Third, I do not support building community jails. We should keep Rikers Island and update/modernize the facilities. In addition, I would build transitional facilities to provide former inmates with job training and other support services in order to best aid them before they are released back into society.

Fourth, Homeless - I will build dormitory-like facilities at Rikers, but pay the homeless to stay there, so we can house them, feed them, train them, treat them, detox them, and importantly build self-esteem and character before we properly introduce them back into society (similar to military recruit). Our current method of an overnight shelter is not working and is wasting city resources.

I also like the concept called “Universal Basic Income”. Universal Basic Income will give a certain cash allowance to every American every month, with no conditions. This will drastically help low-income families by helping them pay rent and utilities, it will stimulate the economy, and it will help keep homeless people off the streets.

These are few examples of the aggressive ideas I’m bringing to battle to help preserve and improve the lives of New Yorkers. I love the City and I will always fight to help the vulnerable and improve our lives. I hope you can support me on Primary Day on          June 22^nd. Thank you.

 

紐約人，你們好，我是Lester Chang鄭永佳，今屆紐約市第一選區市議員共和黨候選人。

我生長在一個移民家庭，父母來到紐約市是為了尋求更好的生活和機會， 我是家中第一個在美國出生的成員，我成長道路始於下東城的Eldridge街，我從小在公立學校接受教育，並獲得了碩士學位。 我加入海軍後備隊已有24年，是一名阿富汗戰爭退伍軍人，同時也在國際運輸物流公司擔任管理層要職超過20年。在過去30年，我也積極參與選舉活動，在華埠選舉投票站擔任協調員。我在小意大利區附近居住已超過30年。

今年3月，我志願以現役第一響應者的身份支持COVID行動，我協助在3週內將Jacob Javits 會議中心轉換成擁有超過2000張床位的方艙醫院。 今天我們生活在一個不同的時代，每天都與隱形敵人COVID-19作戰，所以我們更需要一個積極的解決方案來幫助紐約渡過難關。

1.作為公立學校教育的受益者，我支持SHSAT特殊高中入學試。我會要求解除對特許學校Charter School 的上限；要求停止對宗教學校，私立學校，猶太學校的課程干擾和規限。

2.罪案-近期紐約市的犯罪率和槍支暴力不斷上升。 今年政府實施的”無保釋法”不但沒有減少罪案，反而促使連環犯罪者自動被釋放，讓他們自由地在數小時內返回街頭再次犯案。 這項法律已經傷害努力工作的警察。 我會堅決要求修改保釋法，讓法官決定保釋金數額，並製定3次上限規則，犯罪者如果被逮捕三次，將不能”無保䆁金“地䆁放。

3.我反對在唐人街社區內建立監獄，我支持保留Rikers Island 雷克島監獄，透過現代科技及設備，將舊監獄翻新為與時並進的監獄。我也會建議為前囚犯建立過渡學院，以提供職業培訓及其他支援服務，並在他們過渡期間提供金錢援助，直至重返社會為止。

4.無家露宿者-我會建議在Rikers Island 雷克島興建類似宿舍的設施，但付錢給他們住，這樣就可以集中安置，培訓和支援露宿者，幫助他們建立自尊和個人價值，從新投入社會，類似軍隊新兵招募。我認為，政府目前對露宿者的處理方式是浪費資源，只給予他們暫時的居所，但沒有長遠實際行動幫助他們，這是行不通的。

我喜歡總統前候選人楊安澤（Andrew Yang）的想法，他引入了一個稱為“普遍基本收入Universal Basic Income”的概念。我會推動這個概念，讓所有低至中等收入的紐約人能夠受惠。受惠者可以自由使用這個收入，甚至用作支付房租。 我認為這個方法能幫助解決無家露宿者的問題。

5.意想不到的醫療費用-對於有醫療保險的人，當您到醫院急診室、進行外科手術或因COVID住院治療時，可能會遇到一些駐醫院的獨立醫生不接受您的醫療保險，您會因此而收到昂貴的醫療賬單。 我將推動一項法案，要求所有駐院醫生無條件接受您的醫療保險。

以上只是我為對抗疫情提出的幾個建議。紐約市是我出生和成長的地方，我對這個家有着無限的感情。一如既往，我會盡我所能促進和保護紐約市。希望您能在6月22日的共和黨初選選舉中支持我。謝謝大家。

我的名字是Lester Chang鄭永佳。