Author: Sindi Cela (page 1 of 1)

Before our visit to Capitol Hall, I hadn’t known that there was such a staggering difference between a homeless residence and a homeless shelter. The two are synonymous literarily, but as one of our guest speakers pointed out, a shelter is not a home. Capitol Hall, on the other hand, was indeed a home for the homeless. The building itself is beautiful and clean, but the most impactful part of Capitol Hall for me was the psychological impact it has on its residents. To go from living on the streets to having a solid place to go to every night, something to call your own, is so invaluable. More than a home, a bed, a kitchen , or a bathroom, Capitol Hall gives it’s residents a new lease on life with their room and a support system to help them get back on their feet.

Capitol Hall also turns the stigma of homelessness on its head by removing the element of blame and shame that adds salt to the already open wound of losing everything after falling on hard times. That’s another thing– sometimes life gets tough and being homeless doesn’t mean you’re too lazy to get a job or you’re a drug addict. The residence hall and the residents in the hall challenge these prejudiced notions and serve as a shining beacon of progress for the city that never stops. Maybe now, people will stop long enough to see that homeless doesn’t mean hopeless.

– Sindi

The “Broken Windows” theory is a gateway to over-criminalization and distrust between officers and community members. The theory rests on the belief that small crimes like vandalism, public urination, public intoxication, etc. encourage more crime and create an air of negligence that justifies further negative behavior. Therefore, according to the theory, the best way to stop a neighborhood from becoming a “bad neighborhood” is to nip the negligence in the bud by punishing those infractions. That means punishing people for sleeping on public benches instead of in our overcrowded and underfunded shelters, or punishing those who choose to urinate on the street instead of in the public restrooms we don’t have. The Broken Windows Theory promotes overcriminalization because it makes this arguably poor conduct much more criminal than it is. If a neighborhood is being constantly punished “protected” in this way, it would breed discontent between officials and residents. Granted, some may find the neighborhood to feel safer, regardless of the lack of a significant statistical change,  but this doesn’t change the fact that we would be punishing people for things they may not have a choice in. It also fills their record with infractions and could have grave immigration consequences. Broken Windows could give officers greater power and give them a license to try and push out the people that make that neighborhood unsafe or unpleasant. Unfortunately, due to prejudice and the demographic of those most in need, that usually minority populations like Latin@s and African Americans. That police power can quickly turn into discrimination and broken trust, which is harder to fix than a broken window.

-Sindi

The MoveNY Plan is a way to breathe new life into our city’s transportation system– both public and private vehicles. It’s a monumental task to undertake but it has undoubtedly become an issue that we can no longer ignore. As a daily commuter to and from the city, our trains can be a nightmare to deal with– between switching from local to express mid-route, and running on a different line when you need them most, there’s rarely a day when I’m not quietly cursing the lack of service under my breath. Sam’s plan is appealing because it’s sustainable and works on a system of redistribution. The MoveNY plan spreads out the cost of transportation and maintenance, as well as the bodies coming and going daily in Manhattan among the existing entry points. With a comparatively more equal toll for each bridge, the incentive to stay in traffic and get into the city for free is gone. Consequently, the gridlocks, accidents, and traffic jams we see often will be gone too– and that’s a future I can support.

My favorite part of the plan is that its self-sustaining. It pays for itself because the money raised can be invested in better technology for trains, greater maintenance for bridges, and other innovative ways to keep things working the way they should. I know we spend so much time praising Rob Moses for how quickly he got work done, but there’s something to be said about getting something done thoroughly and that’s what this plan seems like to me. During his presentation in class, “Gridlock Sam” mentioned that he’s having trouble getting public officials in Queens to agree to the plan– COME ON QUEENS. It’s always going to be tough to get more money out of people. However, the total cost is not as drastically different. In fact, the plan aims to lower many tolls! In the long-run, I have faith that this plan will help end NYC’s terrible congestion.

-Sindi Cela