Aviva Friedman, ‘14, is the Democratic and Green Party candidate for Binghamton’s 4th district seat on the Binghamton City Council. She is a member of Progressive Leaders of Tomorrow (PLOT), a progressive grassroots organization that aims to empower and liberate marginalized members of society.
In your opinion, what is the most pressing issue in your district and why?
“The most pressing issue in my district is the disparity in wealth distribution. There has been an incredible amount of development that has benefited the Downtown area–luxury housing complexes, new restaurants and businesses cropping up, but the North Side has been relatively stagnant in that regard. At [their] doors, residents have told me that they have been waiting years for a grocery store. Not only is this morally wrong, I believe that it is a major factor contributing to the disconnect and resentment often felt between long-term North Side residents and students.”
How do you envision engaging with the community and addressing the concerns they may have? More specifically, what would you do to engage Binghamton University students in these community issues?
“Politics and government are purposely designed to be bureaucratic to disenfranchise people. Meetings often occur around dinnertime and do not provide food or child care. Notices are confusing and convoluted, and decisions are made behind closed doors. It is my duty as an elected official to ensure that the decisions I make are reflective of what the residents of my district would make if they were in my position. I envision meeting people where they are — coffee house meetings, neighborhood cleanups, office hours at the library or the University Downtown Center, in addition to canvassing the district continuously. Fortunately, student housing complexes are located near a plethora of local businesses and public spaces which makes it easy to bring government to them.”
Do you have any plans to address the housing blight in your district, and the city as a whole? Please explain why or why not.
“Safe, affordable housing is one of the primary tenants of my platform because communities can only thrive when the residents’ basic needs are addressed. I do believe that Mayor [Rich] David has done a good job at addressing blight in the city by knocking down condemned houses that are unfit for human habitation. However, we must have a plan for filling in the missing teeth left by the empty lots. I would love to develop vacant lots into things that benefit the community, such as mini solar farms, orchards, parks, gardens or interactive art installations.”
If you could make changes to the building codes or code enforcement in the city, what would they be? If you would not make any changes, please explain why not.
“I believe that the building codes and code enforcement should exist to protect tenants. I would increase and codify tenant protections so that there cannot be retaliatory action taken against tenants who call code enforcement on their landlords. I also believe in proactive code enforcement, making sure that homes are up to code before they are rented out to tenants. I am excited by the new statewide Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act of 2019 and look forward to ensuring that the provisions are enacted locally.”
What changes, if any, would you make to public transportation in your district and why?
“It is always beneficial to increase the scope and scale of public transportation! Public transit reduces traffic, pollution and parking congestion. Additionally, many people rely on public transit to get to work and school. If it were in my control to do so, I would expand the bus schedule so the buses run later at night, and especially on the weekends.”