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THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY
OF NEW YORK
OFFICE OF COUNCIL MEMBER
YDANIS RODRIGUEZ
CITY HALL
NEW YORK, NY 10007
(212) 788-7053
Sunday, April 26th, 2020
Contact: Tomas Garita
| (646) 847-6714 | TGarita
@council.nyc.gov
Latinos Must Be Included As A Co-Chair of Any Task Force On The City, State, and Federal Level
"Latinos must be included as a Co-Chair within any Task Force created on the City, State, and Federal level to address the impacts of COVID. The numbers speak for themselves. The majority of individuals dying of COVID-19 are the poorest New Yorkers. Around 75% of patients who have succumbed to this virus come from low-income areas in the City, primarily those with high numbers of Latino, Black, and Asian communities. These are New Yorkers who are essential workers, who do not have the luxury of working from home or self-quarantining if they happen to test positive for the virus.
One of the communities most severely impacted by the novel coronavirus has been the Latino community, comprising almost a quarter of all those infected. This is why I am calling for the City to appoint a Latino to head the Racial Inequality Task Force alongside First Lady, Chirlane McCray. I do not doubt that the First Lady is a fully qualified individual to head the Task Force. However, I believe that the Task Force must represent the community that have been most severely impacted by COVID-19.
Anyone in the City of New York has the capacity to represent any ethnic group, it is a matter of respect to include Latino's within any City, State and Federal Task Force. We need to have adequate representation amidst this pandemic.
In addition, we need to have a Transportation and Anti-Poverty Advisory Council. The impact of the novel coronavirus has deeply changed our entire lives and we need to come back stronger and ready to tackle all of the exacerbated inequalities affecting us now. Transportation will be vital in our reconstruction stage. I was disappointed to find that it was not included among the list of advisory councils in the Mayor's announcement.
We cannot keep repeating the mistakes of the past. A functional, accesible and safe transportation system must be one of our top priorities as a City. Additionally, our anti-poverty efforts must go hand and hand with the Racial Inequalities Task Force. During our reconstruction phase, no one should be left behind. The most vulnerable and severely impacted must be among the first to receive the City's support."
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Ydanis Rodriguez was elected to the New York City Council in 2009, representing the 10th Council District (Washington Heights, Inwood, and Marble Hill). An educator for 13 years, Ydanis co-founded Gregorio Luperon High School and the Washington Heights Health Academy. As a leading voice at the NYC Council, Ydanis has brought changes in transportation, education, economic development, housing, police reform, healthcare, environmental policy, and ensuring low-income families have an equitable path to middle class.
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