BRECKER: Why I am running for state Assembly

By Danielle Brecker, candidate for State Assembly
More than 20,000 New Yorkers have died of the novel coronavirus since February. This is an unspeakable tragedy that will spark policy debates for years to come. While it’s easy to look back and criticize the choices made in the heat of the moment — when closures should have occurred, when we should have worn masks sooner — these are not the debates we need. This tragic loss of life was brought about by decades of choices made by our government — and those who lead it — to weaken our healthcare system.

We saw fights between the governor and president over sending in the Army Corps of Engineers to build field hospitals when thousands of beds, right here in our own backyard, had been eliminated in recent decades.

We saw heartbreaking scenes of overcrowding at Elmhurst hospital. Were we helpless to act? Yes. Should we have been? Absolutely not.

Queens once had hundreds more hospital beds, in Elmhurst, Forest Hills and Jamaica. Western Queens was also served by the nearby LICH Brooklyn hospital, but in cost cutting measures, New York State closed them.

That government decision cost lives. Was saving those dollars worth losing thousands of lives? I don’t think so. You probably don’t either.

That’s the responsibility of the government. Life and death choices. The weight of enacting priority amid the conflicting values of a society- while spending limited dollars to secure a better future- is an Herculean task because when our elected leaders get it wrong, people will feel the results.

I am running for state assembly because I am humbled by these choices. I understand the enormous weight of public service and will never take those moments lightly because I know you and your family depend on that.

My opponent in this race has served in office for over three decades. She has made plenty of choices herself. Besides failing to recoup hospital beds for our community, she has distinguished herself by supporting Amazon and it’s gentrification plan. Choosing to stand idly by as money trickles away from our school system — despite her leading the Assembly’s education panel.

I don't know why my opponent has made these choices, but she’s continued to make them for more than three decades while in office. 

She may hold the title of assemblymember, but she cannot call herself a leader. A leader listens, a leader organizes, and, most critically, a leader delivers.

If I earn your votes on June 23 and have the privilege of serving you in the Assembly, I will listen, organize, and deliver for the people of western Queens. 

We should not settle for fewer hospital beds, fewer school seats, and fewer opportunities for everyone to thrive. We need courageous, progressive leadership to make this community healthier, stronger, and more vibrant for years to come.

I hope you will join me in that fight. Vote on June 23rd.