As a councilman in Newark, community and resident engagement has been my hallmark. From monthly West Ward Block Federation meetings to Resident Home Visits to handling constituent complaints 24-7 via e-mail and social media, I have worked to take resident contact to a new level. I will engage the residents of the 10th Congressional District in new and improved ways that will make us a model for congressional governance in the US.
Specifically, I will:
- Conduct regular Town Hall Meetings in all 3 counties. These Town Hall meetings will not just be a question and answer session between your congressman and you. We will have job and job training opportunities and programs on site, local non-profits with program offerings that support community empowerment, and representatives from local government, the towns and cities and your county officials. We will tape and send to local municipal public access channels for rebroadcast.
- Convene quarterly meetings with local and county elected officials in all 3 counties. I will also maintain local and regular contact with the progressive organizations that are within the district including, but not limited to, Newark Anti-Violence Coalition, NAACP, National Urban League, Democracy for America, MoveOn.org, Blue Wave, Jersey City Stonewall, Garden State Equality, People’s Organization for Progress, etc. We call our volunteers that are working to elect me the “Win the 10th” movement. Once elected, our progressive patchwork will become “Govern the 10th” and will assist in educating, empowering and organizing our district to speak as one strong voice for a better tomorrow.
- Employ social media in new ways for the distribution of information, to rally for support on federal initiatives and to organize for canvassing in Republican areas of resistance to change hearts and minds and enlarge our territory with a progressive vision to end resistance in Washington and solve problems that have persisted for far too long in our nation. By using e-mail, Facebook, Twitter, our website and other contact outlets including weekly community newspapers, we will create the most informed electorate in the nation-with your participation.
We have to create a 21st Century model and paradigm of congressional district governance and I will begin this change on Day 1.
