Join Zoom Meeting 6-6:30PM
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Join Zoom Meeting 6:30-7PM
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Can't make it? Email me at thepeople4brookline@gmail.com and we can schedule an altrernate time.
Affordable childcare, affordable housing, workforce development & job skill programs, environmental sustainability, and transparency & accountability are all major issues of equity in Brookline. I have worked to address each of these as a community organizer and have experienced the barriers to community-based solutions when they reach the office of Select Board first hand. Despite the barriers, historic progress has been made. But, no amount of hard work can overcome repeated, ineffective fiscal decisions. I would employ tried and true methods, such as empowering solutions that originate from the communities with lived experience with these issues, rather than virtue signaling efforts that have little to no tangible impact. I would assess the effectiveness of the millions of dollars allocated from the lifeline ARPA funds and use the data to inform where else we should reevaluate.
Brookline has more than adequate funding to accomplish the goals of its constituents. What we lack is efficient and effective allocation of those funds & a truly representative and equitable community feedback process to rank priorities and assess real impact. From witnessing the mishandling and shoddy allocation of millions of dollars of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Funds, to preventable additional expenditures like the hiring of an outside investigator, it is clear that we are throwing away money that could have changed lives. Failure is easy to excuse when you don’t view the people that these wasted funds could have helped as your community.
I intend to make fiscal choices with an emphasis on impact>intent. Virtue signaling and inclusive initiatives are meaningless if they are not effective. In fact, they can be harmful rather than helpful because such initiatives create the image that these problems are solved and that the issue lies in the communities that refuse to take advantage of these solutions. This hinders new and more effective pathways, often from impacted communities, to address the disparities they face. Rather than jumping to deciding what to cut and what to reallocate, I will focus on highlighting the effectiveness (and ineffectiveness) of existing efforts, programs, etc., and actively seek council from residents, particularly those that are impacted by various issues, those that have a history of working to better their communities, and those that have lived in Brookline for decades, to make choices that are in line with the values of: fiscal responsibility, increasing equity, building self-sufficient communities, and truly representative & accessible governance.
Simultaneously, we will need to find more ways to create more revenue for Brookline without increasing taxes year after year. This can be accomplished by supporting the Comprehensive Plan and in particular by facilitating mixed-use economic development, equitable housing development, and fostering environmentally sustainable business growth. From my experience and connections in the aviation in green tech industries, I believe we can foster economic growth that will increase the Town's capacity to meet budgetary needs as well as drastically improve the socioeconomic mobility of Brookline's most marginalized residents (including those low-income, black and brown, elderly, disabled, and otherwise historically marginalized).
A town blessed with so many resources and industry experts cannot continue to ignore the clear disconnect between governance and community. Information, research efforts, feedback options, and much more need to be made more accessible for marginalized residents, and their feedback needs to be utilized and implemented, not just heard. Well-intended efforts do not have the same impact as informed efforts, and efforts can only be informed by those who live these experiences and navigate these hardships daily. Otherwise, these efforts will not successfully bridge the gap between governance and community nor help uplift these communities. It is our duty to support racially and economically marginalized communities in becoming self advocating and self-sufficient.
Brookline has failed to meaningfully engage with Black and Brown and other marginalized residents for decades. From the 84 originally enslaved in Brookline, to the indigenous people that were nearly exterminated, to the socioeconomic status of the Black and Brown community in Brookline today, it is clear that we have failed to learn from our mistakes and have let these communities in particular, remain stagnant, while others prosper and improve yearly. Brookline so desperately wants to be a beacon of equality, inclusion, and progressive values, but no manner of signage, proclamations, etc., will substitute for real, measurable, change. These communities are full of bright, talented, and innovative solutions that we do not even have a chance to hear due to issues of access as well as a lack of effort from many in governance. We need “diverse” representation that not only looks like us, but works to represent our concerns, and create a platform to hear our feedback & our solutions. For a community blessed with resources (both budgetary and structurally), we are behind the curve compared to our neighbors and the nation. A few weeks ago, a mother brought attention to her son repeatedly being called the N word at BHS. I have not seen any substantial efforts by Town Governance, the School Committee, and other Town bodies to address this or other repeated issues of discrimination in the Brookline.
9% of childcare centers and 10% of family care centers closed during pandemic. With low income parents already having to commute about 30-45 minutes to the nearest voucher accepting childcare facility in Boston, these conditions were exacerbated by the Covid-19. These four trips a day to drop off and pick up your child add up to 20 trips a week for the standard 5 day work week. Not only are these already low income families are losing upwards of 20 hours of income, quality time, and rest, they are also bearing the additional cost of transportation (about $140 monthly).
Inaccessible and unaffordable childcare options have resulted in:
I am a first generation, Pakistani-American, Muslim, woman that was raised with the principles of equality, justice, and accountability. I have never run for office, but I have always been a leader in my community. As a community leader I campaigned against oppressive legislation (FL HB1/SB484 circa 2021, among many others), created community gardens, worked on countless community initiatives promoting: civic engagement, transformative justice, emergency housing and assistance, youth crime prevention, youth mentoring, public health, and intercommunity solidarity and cooperation, all with a focus on building self-reliant communities. I firmly believe that an effective public servant is one that makes the need for themselves obsolete and the office of Select Board is no exception.
What doesn’t seem to be working is Brookline governance promoting the idea of diversity rather than actually facilitating and supporting diversity in real life. The word diversity itself is far too broad and not a full descriptor of the benchmark. We need to support equitable diversity rather than identity politics. that takes into account the differences between marginalized populations and highlights solutions that come from communities that experience these problems. What the Town has succeeded at is alienating their constituents across the board as they try to engage, and reducing transparency. I support a governing structure that reflects the will of all Brookline residents, not solely registered voters. All residents may not participate in elections, but all are impacted by Town Wide decisions like this.
Brookline should support the development of affordable, subsidized, income-restricted, market-rate housing, and feasible home ownership options, particularly for middle and low-class residents. Supporting this will allow diverse neighborhoods with a mix of socioeconomic backgrounds and lead to a more inclusive and flourishing community for all. The pathways to accomplish this are numerous, and these goals will require a combination of efforts and community feedback to ensure the most effective implementation and integration. From zoning reforms to support more multifamily housing, encouraging greater participation from underrepresented communities in both outreach and project planning (including CPA), to supporting several other ongoing Town efforts from various entities, we can surely make significant headway in accomplishing these goals in the near future.
Brookline should continue to allow and encourage zoning flexibility for multifamily housing. Zoning restrictions, excessive regulatory hurdles, and other conditions have led to the average renter spending upwards of 30% of their income on rent. UMass Donahue Institute (UMDI) set a target of 320,000 units needed between 2010 and 2025, and Brookline is nowhere near meeting our portion. Creating more affordable multifamily housing will also help slow rent increases, lead to more socioeconomically diverse neighborhoods, foster economic development, and create a more inclusive Brookline.
There are many avenues to achieve this, both in efforts originating from the Select Board, TMM, community programs and organizations, as well as in the private sector. Aside from those methods mentioned in this questionnaire, a plethora of ideas from community members need to be heard by those working for this cause. I will do my due diligence to facilitate open communication and participation between the community and governance (including committees and planning boards) to ensure that we can implement solutions that originate from those who have life experience with the very problems that we are trying to solve.
The lack of affordable housing options directly contributes to negative climate impacts. Similar to how many Brookline residents have to travel to Boston to find an affordable childcare center, many “would be” Brookline residents are forced to drive daily to Boston due to a lack of affordable options in Brookline. This creates more traffic and congestion and increases fossil fuel consumption and emissions. Furthermore, in discussions about environmental sustainability and climate-friendly changes, we mustn’t forget that we are working to protect the planet for people! Future generations (and our current generation) have a right to a clean world, green spaces, accessible & affordable housing, and much more. But oftentimes, we get lost in ideology and lose sight that these values are grounded in equity for all. And many issues of inequality are interconnected. To solve each problem, we must see the entire painting, not just the brushstroke. By increasing access for residents to live near transportation, with green technology innovations in homes, we can support decarbonization and net zero emissions in Brookline by 2040.
Gradually electrifying Brookline’s public transportation vehicles will reduce fossil fuel consumption as well as emissions. Using electric vehicles will bring down operating costs over time and should lead to a reduction in fares therefore making public transport more accessible. Furthermore, many residents that would prefer to travel via Brookline’s sidewalks are restricted during the winter time when walkways can be obstructed for weeks with snow.This particularly impacts our disabled and elderly residents and hinders their freedom of movement and creates dangerous isolation.
We should increase public participation in these discussions by increasing outreach efforts, working with community stakeholders to assess the effectiveness of current systems, determining the more effective courses of action to boost equitable access to public transport, and propose community-driven solutions to issues of accessibility.
I support the preservation and protection of urban forests (indigenous wildlife in
particular) and appreciate the benefits to our communities. Brookline’s trees provide air
filtration, natural canopies/shade, buffering of urban noise, protection from the wind, and
beautify the landscape. The Tree Preservation Bylaw’s goals are ones that I share and I
look forward to helping further these efforts through both preservation as well as
equitably expanding Brookline’s tree canopy.
Absolutely. There is no question that we have the means and the minds to efficiently
allocate the necessary level of funds.
I would support ongoing preservation efforts as well as encourage greater participation
from constituents, particularly those from underrepresented and marginalized
communities that have less access to these valuable community amenities. This would
foster new and creative ideas to both ensure that existing recreational green spaces are
maintained appropriately and efficiently, but also that new efforts are informed by those
that understand issues of accessibility.
I am no stranger to learning from experts and would actively seek counsel from those that
have been doing this work for years. Brookline GreenSpace Alliance has a long history of
advocating for open spaces in a town where one of the first parcels of land in the country
was acquired by a municipality for use as a public playground. My values of
environmental sustainability, fiscal efficiency, and access for all are north stars that will
guide me to advocate and be of service in this cause that we both believe in.
Climate change affects all of us. Whether one wants to look at immediate effects such as negative impacts on indigenous and/or endangered wildlife and recreational green spaces, or long term impacts such as rising sea levels, extreme fluctuations in weather, and the rapid loss of ecological diversity, the situation is urgent. I have been involved in community organizing across the country, including promoting climate sustainability organizations and efforts, promoting renewable energy, implementing green tech, and making these fields more diverse despite the fact that minorities suffer the greatest harm from environmental racism. I am presently working to ensure that Brookline and the state of MA stays on the pulse of new, climate friendly technology that will simultaneously reduce air pollutants, reduce fossil fuel consumption, and increase economic opportunities in green tech for the NE region. Town Meeting should focus on the most effective means of combating climate change and environmental harm.
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