Politics
Women to the front A safer, cleaner Bronx
Hi! If we have not
met yet let me introduce
myself. I am
Amanda Farías, your
local City Council
member in District
18. It is my job to introduce
and vote on
legislation, facilitate
land-use decisions,
negotiate the
city’s budget with the
mayor, monitor city
agencies, and represent
the needs of our community at a
citywide level.
As someone who was born and
raised in Soundview, a neighborhood I
now represent, I am always putting our
community fi rst.
March is Women’s History Month.
In honor of this celebration I wanted to
take the time to remember how far our
city has come since the fi rst woman
was elected to the New York City Council
in 1937. Now, less than 100 years
later, women hold 31 of the 51 council
seats making us the majority. As the
co-chair of the Women’s Caucus, which
is now the largest in caucus history,
I am overwhelmed with how many
women are making history in their local
communities this year. In our community,
we have our fi rst Black female
borough president, half of our Bronx
Delegation are women of color, our attorney
general is a Black woman, and
we have our fi rst female governor of
New York state!
To have this many women in leadership
positions means that our government
is starting to have a more exact
portrait of the people it represents,
including having representation that
looks like our communities. As a result,
new priorities have emerged, such
as more focus on policies surrounding
families, paid leave and childcare. The
input from women in elected offi ce has
helped change our public discourse
around topics that were once an afterthought.
In my opinion, having more
women at the table has resulted in better
outcomes for our families and our
communities.
If we want things to be done differently,
we have to be proactive and step
up to start making the difference we all
need to see. Our newly
elected offi cials have
been getting straight
to work to start delivering
on policies and
initiatives that previous
leadership left
stagnant, oftentimes
due to political motivations.
For example, our
new governor quickly
rolled out plans on
transformative new
policies around transit
equity and cannabis; the attorney general
is fi ghting corruption and holding
men in power accountable for their actions;
and our council members wasted
no time in helping their communities
stay healthy by distributing food, PPE
and at-home COVID tests.
Women have not only been leaders
in the traditional sense of winning
elections and holding titles, but they
also are the most participatory voting
bloc. Women, especially women
of color, turned out to vote in recordbreaking
numbers this year. Several
news publications have pointed
out how much more responsibilities
women have had to take on amid COVID
19, including child and elder care,
taking the lead on at-home education,
and leaving the workforce at higher
rates than men. Even with numerous
responsibilities in and outside of the
home, so many women still took the
time to vote. It is because of them that
we were able to have a historical number
of wins this year.
Women are the glue of our families,
our society’s economic success,
and our public health. As one of the
newly elected women leaders, I came
into this role to work hard to ensure
we not only create jobs that are inclusive
to women, but also create careers
that women want and can thrive in.
For Women’s History Month (and honestly
every month), we have to make it
a priority to always support and uplift
the women in our lives and our communities.
Amanda Farías is the council member
for the 18th District, representing
parts of Castle Hill, Clason Point, Harding
Park, Parkchester, Shorehaven and
Soundview.
BRONX TIMES R 14 REPORTER, MAR. 4-10, 2022 BTR
The menacing effects
of climate change
have become increasingly
urgent, and
while climate change
is often thought of
on a global scale, it
is imperative that
we address it locally.
Oceans are warming
and becoming more
acidic, the sea level is
rising, ice sheets are
shrinking, there has
been a rise in global
temperature, environmental
degradation, and an increase
in allergens, and we are seeing an increase
in extreme weather events. All
of these changes have a direct impact
on our lives here in The Bronx.
We’ve seen fi rsthand the devastation
of climate change on our own
communities, most recently when
Hurricane Ida struck our city. We experienced
the fi rst fl ash fl ood emergency
in our city’s history, and the
Major Deegan Expressway was covered
in more than 5 feet of water. Cars
submerged. Homes fl ooded. Lives
lost.
That’s not the only crisis that our
community has endured as a result
of harsh environmental factors. A
longstanding issue facing our Bronx
communities is the increased rates of
asthma. The Bronx has the highest incidence
of asthma in the country as a
result of heavy traffi c, construction,
greenhouse gas emissions and a lack
of greenery. Shockingly, Bronx children
are twice as likely to be hospitalized
for asthma, and are more likely
to die from asthma than children in
other parts of the country.
In the face of these threats, I have
taken action at City Hall. I sponsored
Intro 2317, which will prohibit the
combustion of substances with certain
emissions profi les in buildings within
the city, further reducing our dependence
on fossil fuels and decreasing
our greenhouse gas emissions. I also
sponsored Intro 0455 to require all
school buses in use by Sept. 1, 2035 to
be all-electric, zero emission school
buses. These are just two of the many
bills I have sponsored that lead us to
a greater, more sustainable,
and safer environment
for Bronxites. I
have also advocated for
more investment in environmental
education
in our schools and the
funding that accompanies
that. With all of
this work, we still have
localized needs.
My offi ce has worked
in partnership with outstanding
civic groups,
including The Van Cortlandt
Park Alliance and
the Bronx Council for Environmental
Quality, and I join them in my strong
support for the daylighting Tibbetts
Brook. Everyday, 5 million gallons of
fresh water fl ows into our sewer system.
Daylighting will channel clean
water away from the sewer, and aid in
reducing combined sewage overfl ow
on the Harlem River. This would also
reduce the fl ooding that often happens
in our basements, and help prevent
fl ooding like the kind that submerged
cars on the Major Deegan.
This project would also open up park
space and connect two vital arteries
of a bike path, allowing for alternative
modes of travel within our state, thus
further reducing our dependence on
motorized vehicles. Big projects like
this must be built in conjunction with
other opportunities for green space
like more trees and bioswales, which
I have funded through capital dollars.
The health of my constituents and
all New Yorkers will continue to be
at the forefront of my efforts as your
council member. As a father and former
environmental science teacher,
I deeply understand the threat our
city faces from climate change. Big
changes to our infrastructure like the
daylighting of Tibbetts Brook, concerted
efforts to offset pollution and
emissions, and increasing green space
cannot wait. The time is now.
City Council Member Eric Dinowitz
represents District 11, which covers the
neighborhoods of Bedford Park, Kingsbridge,
Riverdale, Norwood, Van Cortlandt
Village, Wakefi eld and Woodlawn.
Please join us for our next community
Shabbat dinner on Friday,
March 4 at 7 p.m. at the Bronx Jewish
Center, located at 1969 Haight
Ave. The BJC will be welcoming
back the entire Bronx community
-- reconnect with your friends and
neighbors, and meet new ones. All
of your traditional-style dishes
will take centerstage. We look forward
to seeing you. Enjoy a delicious
4-course dinner with your
fellow neighbors. Turn your Friday
night Shabbat into an evening
of spiritual awakening, inspiration,
Jewish songs and culinary
delight. Come join us. All are welcome.
Social distancing will be
strictly enforced; masks are to be
worn. If you do not have one, we
will provide one for you. Please
RSVP at 718-812-1701 to let us know
you are coming. Shabbat dinners
are held the fi rst Friday of every
month.
Bronx Jewish Center hosts
community dinner
To Advertise
Call Us At
718-260-4983