If you happen to learn the Each day Information on-line on Saturday or Sunday, you might have seen an op-ed from me opposing Gov. Hochul’s proposed ban on flavored tobacco merchandise, together with menthol. You might have been stunned by the stance taken in that op-ed. Actually, nobody was extra stunned than I used to be. That’s because I didn’t write a word of it. It appears the pro-tobacco foyer and its public relations corporations have stooped to new lows — who knew that was even potential? — by falsely attributing assist for his or her poisonous insurance policies to the very individuals who most oppose them.
Let me be clear, as president and CEO of Hispanic Federation, I’ve been unequivocal in supporting the governor’s plan to outlaw flavored tobacco merchandise. Simply final month, I joined with dozens of different organizations to name on the state Senate and the Meeting to assist her proposal.
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The stakes couldn’t be greater. As research shows, flavored tobacco merchandise, together with menthol cigarettes, are advertising and marketing instruments designed to hook a brand new technology of people who smoke, particularly communities of shade. The governor understands this, and her proposal is probably the most far-reaching try to cease the trade from getting our younger folks hooked on nicotine in our state’s historical past. Hochul’s anti-tobacco effort is only one piece of her Fiscal Yr 2024 Govt Funds proposal that may assist construct stronger and more healthy Latino communities throughout New York State.
Earlier this month, I led a bunch of Hispanic Federation member businesses to satisfy face-to-face with the governor in order that she may hear instantly from the organizations which might be on the frontlines confronting an important points dealing with Latino communities. She heard concerning the impression of the housing disaster in our communities, together with the fact that far too lots of our households are being priced out of their neighborhoods, pressured to crowd into small residences, and unable to seek out protected, high quality and inexpensive housing.
These challenges are one of many causes we assist the New York Housing Compact, the governor’s plan to construct greater than 800,000 items of housing within the state within the subsequent decade. In a state the place more than half of Latino households are burdened by rent, the governor’s plan would deal with exclusionary zoning housing insurance policies that push Latino households out of the town, permitting members of our group to afford to stay and lift their households the place they grew up. All of this may strengthen communities the place housing prices have been a drag on financial development.
On the similar assembly, Hochul heard from our member businesses about the necessity to make investments extra in psychological well being providers for our youngsters. The disproportionate impression of the COVID-19 pandemic on Latino communities has resulted in greater reports of depression, anxiety, and stress. She spoke with us concerning the rising charges of suicide amongst younger Latinas and listened to the unimaginable work our member businesses have been doing to stem the tide of self-harm. Collectively, we agreed that the $30 million the governor has allotted on this 12 months’s price range to develop psychological well being providers in our faculties can be a lifeline to 1000’s of youngsters struggling proper now.
Lastly, we talked concerning the significance of serving to college students get well from the numerous studying loss that occurred on account of the COVID-19 pandemic. We all know from school-level data that student scores in Math and English Language Arts have dropped considerably and that college students want high quality lecturers within the classroom to assist them get again on monitor. That is very true for the 1000’s of scholars who are usually not native English audio system. For them, having a instructor who’s bilingual and bicultural could make all of the distinction between staying in class and dropping out; between educational success and failure.
Final 12 months, Hochul’s administration launched the Empire State Trainer Residency Program to develop the pipeline of certified multilingual lecturers in our faculties, and this 12 months she has included $30 million in her price range proposal to proceed it. We expect this initiative is among the most necessary instructional tasks within the state and deserves the assist of our leaders in Albany, particularly as we welcome asylum searching for households, our new New Yorkers, into our faculty system.
There are various boundaries our state has but to deal with, however this price range plan provided by the governor incorporates sturdy, progressive insurance policies that may empower numerous Latino households throughout New York. We frequently discuss concerning the significance of an equitable, post-pandemic restoration. This price range strikes us nearer to attaining that purpose and no quantity of soiled tips will stem our unity and ahead progress.
Miranda is the president and CEO of Hispanic Federation.
