ISSUEs

As your State Representative, I will keep residents of the 18th Middlesex District up to date on our work at the State House. This includes

·  Creating office hours so we can meet regularly and discuss your priorities. I will bring these concerns with me to the State House.

·  Using social media, E-newsletters, and my website (tarahong.com) to keep you updated on what I am doing on behalf of the district.

My goal is to make life in our community better for us now and better for the future of our children.

I believe that every child should have access to high-quality education no matter their skin color, heritage, of economic means. Quality education is essential for building a strong future for our community and our country. I commend Governor Healey and the State Legislature for providing students with affordable access to college education. When elected, I will work to continue and expand this program as necessary.

We need to improve our PreK–12 public education with increased funding for schools and fair compensation for our teachers. I also support the work of CARE, the Coalition for Anti-Racism and Equity. Teach Us History. All Of It.

Everyone deserves to know how their representative votes, yet this is not a matter of public record unless there is a roll call vote. Because a swift and coordinated effort must be made on the floor before a vote, most issues go to voice vote. When this happens, there is no way to know how many yeas and how many nays are “cast”. The Chair simply decides the outcome based on what they hear.

First and foremost, I promise to be public about all of my votes. I will also advocate for changing how we vote and making all votes a matter of public record.

All residents deserve the opportunity to have an affordable place to live, one in which they can thrive and live a safe and healthy life. But housing costs are far higher than many salaries can cover, leading many individuals and families being forced to live on the streets.

As your State Representative, I will prioritize the need for more affordable housing. I will support legislation that allows for more multiple family structures and that requires new developments to include a percentage of affordable units. I will also partner with Lowell Housing Authority, Coalition for a Better Acre, and other organizations to ensure a whole-community approach to the problem.

Healthcare is a right, not a privilege. Massachusetts residents deserve access to quality, affordable health care. We need to improve our system. Everyone should have easy access to the knowledge and support needed to access insurance that can help them when they need it. As a State Representative, I will strive to make healthcare more accessible and more affordable to ALL people of ALL backgrounds in our commonwealth. You can count on me to work by your side and champion public health issues.

If elected, I'm committed to tackling our district's infrastructure challenges. I'll collaborate closely with state and federal colleagues to address issues with the Rourke Bridge. At the same time, with numerous projects in our district—ranging from affordable housing constructions to parks and roads—I'll build strong relationships with all involved parties. As your next State Representative, I promise smooth project management, timely completion, and a brighter future for our district.

Supporting our local businesses during this economic recovery is a top priority on my agenda. Lowell is one of 26 Gateway Cities in Massachusetts. That means much of the social and economic focus that fuels our jobs is beyond the City of Boston. From the colorful and diverse small businesses in Cambodia Town to the vibrant converted mill buildings in Western Ave Studios, I will support our local entrepreneurs and seek innovative ideas to ensure a robust economic recovery as we emerge from the pandemic of two years ago. If I am elected to be your State Representative, I will welcome the opportunity to meet regularly with small business owners in the district to understand their needs and figure out how we can partner together to fill those needs. I promise to work with all legislators at the State House who want to help small and local businesses thrive.

The time for us to come together and act on climate change is now, both for our future and that of our children. Transitioning from gas to clean electricity is a crucial step in reducing our carbon footprint. We need to stop the expansion of gas lines and increase the expansion of solar and wind power.

I will advocate for programs in the Commonwealth that subsidize increasing solar energy, making it accessible to more residents.

With the experience of Asian Hate at the onset of the pandemic and the need for the ongoing Black Lives Matter movement nationally, it is clear that we need to address racism as what it is:A Public Health Crisis. The harm done by racism goes deeper than the horrible incidents of violence against Asians wrongly vilified for bringing a virus to America and the wrongful police killings of Black people because they are Black. Racism is a barrier to health equity. Communities of color have a higher percentage of misrepresentations because of who we are. As your State Representative, I promise to stand in solidarity with ALL members of our community to fight for and achieve equity for everyone.