opinion-editorial
BY DR. LESSIE BRANCH
The 2021 New York City election
outcomes should be ones that produce
the most optimism and hope around
policies and actions that usher in equity,
equality and improvement in
socioeconomic outcomes. An historical
election by all accounts, the 2021
New York City Council, mayoral and
borough president elections resulted
in younger, Black, Indigenous, people
of color (BIPOC) and females being
voted into offi ce that refl ect the racial,
ethnic, socioeconomic and gender diversity
of the beautiful mosaic that is
New York City.
I advance this historic New York
City election was made possible by
the many travesties and tragedies
that brought us to the Overton moment
the nation fi nds itself at. An
Overton moment or window is the political
science concept that refers to a
range of policies that are acceptable
to the mainstream at a given moment,
in the instant moment, given the confl
uence of a pandemic, racial tensions
and a challenging economy.
Politics is the power to decide who
gets what, when and how. Politics is
linked to societal values. Dominant
values or goals are disseminated
through those who possess power to
make decisions. The question all economies
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BRONX TIMES REPORTER, J 12 AN. 14-20, 2022
ask concerning their scarce resources
are what should we produce;
how should we produce it; and who
should we produce it for? The intersection
of politics and the economy
(the political economy) is such that
economic power is leveraged to acquire
political power. Political power
structured as an institutional system
then intentionally and perpetually
privileges those “possessed” of dominant
values and marginalizes others
who are deemed outside of mainstream
values.
In New York City’s current economy,
more people have exited the middle
class and are now considered poor,
even though they may not realize or
admit it. To be sure, austerity and behavioral
policies accompanied by divestment
of resources are what led to
the oppressive socioeconomic inequities
that are the reality and lived
experience for New York City’s marginalized
residents. Punitive, regressive
policies and diverted resources
are what led to socioeconomic marginalization
for these residents. Conversely,
bold, progressive policies and
resources to carry them out need to
be the policy and economic responses
to correct these harms.
Three issues Mayor Adams’ administration,
council members, borough
presidents and other offi cials
should prioritize over the next several
months include economic security in
the form of a jobs guarantee, housing
and health for New York City’s
most marginal and vulnerable, overwhelmingly
BIPOC and female residents.
Economic Security through a
Jobs Guarantee
Chief among these issues is economic
security through a jobs guarantee.
Economic security through a
jobs guarantee should not be viewed
as only an outcome that individuals,
corporations or even governments
strive to attain. Rather, it should also
be viewed as an input that provides
a level of agency and stabilization
for individuals with which to secure
stable housing and health. For corporations
and governments, economic
security through a jobs guarantee is
an input that stabilizes among other
things, business cycles and economic
shocks.
As for swagger, New York City
dominates the economy of New York
state and it rivaled the economy of developed
nations the likes of Spain and
Canada in 2017. When we talk about
GDP and productivity, it is driven
by people. The most valuable and important
resource of any city, state or
country is its people. Want to keep
that swagger going? Go big, go bold
and create policies that put people
fi rst, if the market refuses to supply
what is being demanded.
Public Health System and Housing
that is Actually Affordable
If stable health (health insurance)
and stable housing are tied to a stable
source of income, then it would stand
to reason that the anchor of a guaranteed
job paying non-poverty wages
and health benefi ts should also be
stable. Even in the “robust” pre-pandemic
economy, many of the kinds of
jobs held by the most marginalized
were the kinds of jobs with no fringe
benefi ts and, in many cases, workers
were considered independent contractors
or business owners instead of employees.
The need for stable healthcare
and housing was made abundantly
clear at the onset of COVID-19 in New
York City’s most vulnerable communities.
Now would defi nitely be an excellent
time to invest in a shoring up
of the public health care system in
New York City and stable housing that
is not affordable in name only (AINO).
And while under de Blasio’s administration
521,000 fewer city residents
in 2019 were in poverty or near
poverty as compared to 2013, relative
to poverty rates of Black and Hispanic
residents, 21% and 25%, respectively,
of the 8 million-plus people who call
New York City home, that decline represents
about 6% of the population.
It’s a start, but it doesn’t have swagger.
New York City can do much better
than 6%.
All too often, the rebound after an
economic downturn delivers corporations
like Amazon profi ts of more
than 200% but BIPOC and females
never recover from loss of assets. Instead,
they are pushed further to the
socioeconomic margins of homelessness,
under employment, involuntary
unemployment, chronic illness and
ultimately death.
As supply and demand go, there
is certainly a demand for addressing
the above articulated issues, given the
ever-evolving variants of COVID-19
and the spiking homelessness crises
and the contraction of industries
like retail, hospitality and the service
economy that employ many BIPOC
and females. In a capitalist economy,
if there is no profi t motive, suppliers
will not enter the market to meet the
demand. This market failure is fueling
the disparities we are witnessing.
The Adams administration can demonstrate
that swagger to correct the
market failure.
This is the clarion call for Mayor
Adams, council members, borough
presidents and other elected and appointed
offi cials. The New York City
Chapter of Scholars Strategy Network
is your go-to resource for policy advice
and expertise around the issues
and challenges you have been elected
or appointed to address. We look forward
to being your legislative and
policy partners and as we continue
to create a more equitable New York
City.
Dr. Lessie Branch is the Director for
Programs Community Relations for
the Citizens Committee for New York
City, a member of the NYC Chapter of
the Scholars Strategy Network, and
the founder of the Think Tank at The
Thinkubator.
JAN.BTR
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A DIVISION OF
According to Dr. Lessie Branch, the Adams
administration should focus its efforts on a
jobs guarantee, housing and health for New
York City’s most marginal and vulnerable
residents. Photo | Ben Brachfeld
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