Op Ed: Letter from our new congressman Dan Goldman

Happy New Year to the readers of the Red Hook Star-Revue and my neighbors in the 10th Congressional District!

I wanted to take a moment to extend my warmest wishes to you and your loved ones in the hope that this past holiday season brought you peace and happiness. I also want to introduce myself to those of you I have not yet met as your next representative in Congress.

As I reflect on this past year and prepare to get sworn in on January 3, I am overwhelmed with appreciation and humility to represent New York’s 10th District in the 118th Congress.

This is not an obligation I take lightly. The future of our district, our city and our country is at stake, and I approach this awesome responsibility with the same hard work and determination I have relied on throughout my career standing up to corruption and injustice.

Over the past few months, I have already hit the ground running, traveling to every corner of the district to understand the community’s concerns and needs so that I can deliver results and solutions. From working with my colleagues in the State Legislature and City Council to reimagine the BQE and ensure that redevelopment puts a premium on equity and climate change mitigation, to meeting with tenant association leadership at the Red Hook Houses and hearing their vision for the future of public housing in our City, I will continue to pursue results in partnership with people from every corner of our community.

As we see in the scathing report of the January 6 Select Committee, we still have a lot of work to do to preserve and protect our democracy. But that work is essential so that we can make sure everyone in our community has equal access to the opportunity to pursue the American Dream upon which this nation was founded.

That’s what I hope to do in D.C. My pledge to you is to bring a creative, new approach to legislating in our nation’s capital in order to protect our families, our freedoms, and our future.

Extreme right-wing Republicans, corporate bad actors, and powerful special interests are undermining our democracy and standing in the way of progress. My job is to stop them, to uplift the most vulnerable New Yorkers, and to level the playing field.

A broken political system and predatory special interests have created a cycle of  income inequality that makes it impossible for too many New Yorkers to live a life of dignity, raise a family, and pursue the American dream. That’s why a central focus of mine will be to make affordable housing more accessible and available because housing is the first step to lifting up vulnerable members of our communities.

But we must also focus on our future, especially the existential threats of climate change and environmental injustice. That’s why I will be laser focused on new technologies to protect our environment and fighting for environmental justice to ensure a livable and equitable planet for future generations.

In order to accomplish these goals, I will need your help and input. Unlike most members of Congress, I have chosen to allocate the majority of my staff and budget to the district to make sure we are ever-present on the ground. I am incredibly excited about the staff we have assembled, and I know you will be too.

If I have not met you yet, I hope to do so soon. Your voice matters to me, and I cannot wait to engage with you on the critical issues we must face together. Please reach out to me at [email protected].

Happy New Year, NY-10. Let’s get to work!