Community Leadership
The Problem
In many ways, New Jersey’s 8th Congressional District outpaces much of the state. We are one of the more densely populated, diverse, and industry-rich districts in the state. But NJ-08 also leads in economic disparities and inequality. Our median household income is nearly $14,000 less than the rest of the state, we have more renters than anywhere else in the state, and the percent of residents who lack health insurance is nearly double the state average.
Our current Congress Member has held federal office for 14 years. Despite his tenure, it has been nearly ten years since our Congress Member earmarked any money to return to the district. He is in the top 3 of most-absent New Jersey representatives in Congress and has missed close to 500 votes in his career. When he isn’t in DC, our Congress Member is rarely in the district and has said that he does not believe in town halls. Voters must ask, if our Congress Member isn’t listening to residents or voting for them, who does he represent?
Our Solution
Congressional officeholders have a duty to be a present, attentive, and active leader in the community. Our tax dollars pay for the salaries of our representatives and their staff. Hector already plays an active leadership role in our community and personally understands our district’s challenges and opportunities. To do so in Washington D.C. means actively listening first and foremost. This platform sets forth a plan for how Hector plans to live up to the duty and responsibility to the individual constituent that comes with the office of Congressional Representative.
Personal Accountability
The duties of a US Representative are in the title: to represent. It is very hard to do that when one does not know the priorities and concerns of their constituents.
You should be able to meet your Congress Member, make your voice heard, and know that they are actively listening and using your voice to make laws. As your representative, Hector will use your feedback and opinions to make sure we see changes in our community. That is why he believes it should be as easy as possible to exercise your right to be represented and heard as frequently as possible.
To that end, Hector pledges to host monthly town halls in locations all over the district. Since Hector recognizes that there may be issues that people are not comfortable sharing in public, he also pledges to hold monthly open office hours for any person or group to meet face-to-face with the person they sent to Washington to represent their interests.
Providing Exceptional Constituent Services
Unfortunately, for many politicians, the most frequent response to a question or request from a constituent is “that’s not my responsibility.” While a representative democracy does mean multiple people holding different offices, Hector believes: “If it’s not my responsibility, I’ll hold accountable the person who is.” Constituents place a lot of trust in the people they vote for, and if you ask a question of Hector’s team, you can trust they will get the job done.
That is why Hector commits to:
Being Your One-Stop-Shop for any government-related issues
Providing personalized responses within 24 hrs
Following up with you, even when we refer you to a state or local official
A Congressperson Accessible to All
Everything the office of US Representative gives to its holder is in service of providing the people with the most direct connection to their government. In that sense, local district offices belong to the people and should be as accessible as possible to every person in the 8th district. This means having an office which can be reached easily in every part of the district. Currently, Newark and Belleville constituents have no congressional office nearby, the Elizabeth office is a shared space, and the West New York and Jersey City offices are nowhere near public transportation.
In order to ensure that all constituents can take advantage of the office they give Hector, he pledges to have offices in Essex, Union, and Hudson that are within a 5 minute walk of the PATH, NJ Transit Rail & Bus Service, Hudson-Bergen Light Rail, and Newark City Subway. Hector also pledges to have virtual and by-phone office hours, so you can make yourself heard without having to commute. Multilingual staff and operators will make sure you are always represented, regardless of your native language.
Keeping Your Congressional Office Local
Hector believes in following the example of progressive leaders like Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, who bases her legislative and case-work staff in her district, and created neighborhood service centers to take care of the everyday needs of her constituents. She believes that constituent services should be proactive, not just reactive, to the needs of the community.
To follow Rep. Tlaib’s example, Hector pledges to keep the majority of his legislative staff in the district, and maintain only essential staff in Washington. The legislation crafted by your congressional office should reflect reality in our community; that is impossible to accomplish if the staff is sitting inside the Washington bubble. Such a policy would also make it easier for local young professionals and students to get experience and credentials working for a federal office without having to make an expensive move to Washington DC.
An Intersectional Office
Women, People of Color, and members of the LGBTQIA community have been left out of the conversation for too long, and Hector will change that. Making sure that Hector’s Congressional office reflects the diversity of our district will be a key factor in hiring members of Hector’s staff.
Anti-Patronage Pledge
Too often in our district, political jobs and salaries are traded in exchange for loyalty or influence. This practice thrives in the dark rooms of the halls of power, where bosses make hiring decisions that are impossible to hold to account.
Hector believes that sunshine and public scrutiny are the best disinfectants. While the salaries of public servants are already public, so that you know where your tax dollars are going, you should also know why your tax dollars are being spent. You deserve to be sure that your public servants are qualified for the positions they hold; that they are dedicated to putting your needs first, not following the whims of the party bosses. To that end, Hector pledges to publicly release an Anti-Patronage Report for every hire, which will be made public on his congressional website. Such a report will include:
The hire’s resume (scrubbed of personally identifiable information)
Any recommendations, made either verbally or in writing, advocating for their hiring
Disclosures on the hire’s relationship to any federal, state, or local government or party officials
A summary by the person hiring which includes a brief explanation of why the hire was selected for the position.
