HEALTHCARE
Since the pandemic, our health system has been reeling – emergency departments are overflowing, specialty appointments take months to obtain, and accessing a primary care physician? Just way too hard.
As I go door to door, I hear your healthcare stories, and what I am hearing isn’t pretty. Here in Massachusetts, in theory we have access to the best doctors and the most advanced treatments, but too often, people can’t get them because of the costs of high deductible insurance plans, bureaucratic barriers set up by insurance carriers, and more. Most recently, the impending meltdown of Steward Health Care has put many essential health services at risk of closure. And a report last year found that Massachusetts has the third highest healthcare costs in the country.
CLIMATE MITIGATION
Climate change is an existential threat to all of humanity. We have seen its impacts up close and personal right here in Newton and Brookline. As a father I have seen the fear and worry in my children and their friends, wondering if they will be able to have a safe and secure future.
Our State Legislature plays a leading role setting energy policy, including speeding our transition away from fossil fuels, and smoothing the barriers to clean energy in the form of solar, offshore wind, and the cleanest form of energy there is, energy efficiency!
Newton and Brookline have been leaders in Massachusetts in terms of their climate policies, but the state can do much more to “green up” our electric grid, help our schools switch to electric buses, help our residents and businesses switch to super-efficient heat pumps, and much more.
And as a physician, I can tell you an amazing co-benefit of acting on climate is … better health! Cleaner air, cleaner water, and better mental health from access to nature.
CLIMATE RESILIENCE
It is also vital that we do more to protect our residents and properties from the impacts of climate change we are already experiencing: flooding, drought, extreme heat. Intense rainstorms cause flooding in our basements, streets, and parking lots.
This issue will only get worse over time, and it is too big a problem for the cities of Newton and Brookline to address on their own – it is vital that the state be a partner to our cities and towns in identifying solutions and providing the necessary funding to implement them.
The Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) Program is a good start, but there is too little funding for the demand from cities and towns across the Commonwealth.
I look forward to bringing my unique voice as a doctor to this urgent debate because our climate emergency is also a public health emergency.
TRANSPORTATION
Newton and Brookline are fortunate to have access to subway lines, commuter rail stops, and bus lines. But our services leave much to be desired in terms of safety, reliability, frequency, and accessibility.
I will be a leading voice for investing in the MBTA so our residents have true alternatives to vehicle travel.
Our residents who rely on public transportation are harmed when the MBTA reduces service, as they did recently with too many of our bus lines, and when the Green Line is slow or infrequent – or entirely closed down.
Even those who must travel by car are better off when our public transportation system is better because it means fewer cars on the road and less congestion.
And of course, as a doctor, I am excited about the public health benefits for all of us, with fewer cars on the road emitting harmful tailpipe emissions that reduce air quality and increase rates of asthma and respiratory diseases.
HOUSING
The Legislature can have a huge impact on housing, as was shown by its passage of the MBTA Communities Act. Now that Newton and Brookline have done their part, we still need to work to increase the availability of and access to housing.
As the next step, we should focus on investing more in affordable housing and creating incentives for lower cost, middle income units to be built and maintained.
The Governor’s housing bond bill is a start; I believe there are additional creative ways to reduce the cost of building much-needed new housing.
We must also figure out how to keep people from losing their housing – during the pandemic, changes to eviction rules and procedures allowed many patients on the edge to remain housed.
LOCAL INVESTMENTS
Current State Rep. Ruth Balser has been a champion on many issues, including securing investments for our district. I will be equally dogged at pursuing funds for priority projects for special areas such as Crystal Lake, Hammond Pond, the Brookline Reservoir, our Green Line stops, and other ideas to be determined when I have a chance to hear from YOU about what areas you would like to see investment in.
A VOICE FOR ALL