{"id":2726,"date":"2020-01-17T23:22:30","date_gmt":"2020-01-17T20:22:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/yemeniamerican.com\/en\/?p=2726"},"modified":"2020-01-17T23:30:47","modified_gmt":"2020-01-17T20:30:47","slug":"the-yemeni-american-politician-working-for-the-people-of-new-york","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/yemeniamerican.com\/en\/the-yemeni-american-politician-working-for-the-people-of-new-york\/","title":{"rendered":"The Yemeni American Politician Working for the People of New York"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Simon Albaugh – YAN \u2013<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"Next year will be massive in the history of New York City Politics. After Term Limits were enacted back in 2001, the 41 open seats on New York\u2019s City Council have attracted more than 500 candidates to kick-start their campaigns throughout the city\u2019s five boroughs. And that number is only the number of candidates who\u2019ve already started their campaigns.
\nOne district in the Southwest corner of Queens is up for big change. After going through a demographic shift that pushed out many of the reliably Republican voters, District 32 now has a record number of registered democrats moving in. And one candidate is looking to capitalize on the need for a new face to represent their district.
\nKaled Alamarie is many things: a city employee for over 20 years, a father of four, a Yemeni American and even an avid marathon runner, among other traits. He\u2019s one of the candidates looking to cause a shift in New York\u2019s District 32.
\n\u201cMy interest in running \u2013 there\u2019s actually many reasons, but one of the main reasons was Yemeni Americans have been relying heavily on small business in New York City,\u201d Alamarie said. \u201cAnd there\u2019s many laws that have come up to the surface that are really forcing them not only to close down, but also we can\u2019t afford to really live in New York anymore.\u201d
\nKaled has been a city employee for the last 22 years, working in project management. He\u2019s recommended policies and even established some of the city\u2019s green infrastructure. Taking some timeless issues, like New York\u2019s inefficient sewage system, he\u2019s given them 21st century upgrades \u2013 All without raising taxes on the people of New York.
\nThe campaign is still relatively new. Alamarie announced his candidacy last month, along with the unveiling of a few policy proposals. One of those policies will try to reduce schools\u2019 overreliance on applications for students by giving every school district in New York the resources students need.
\n\u201cI had to actually go through that process with my son when we, over the duration of a single year, had to transfer to three different schools because it wasn\u2019t meeting his educational goals and ambition,\u201d Alamarie said. \u201cAll schools should have access to the specialized program from kindergarten to grade 12.\u201d
\nAnother policy proposal is compartmentalizing city services by district. Alamarie says there are over 2.7 million unanswered service requests sitting in the city\u2019s database. \u201cAnd that\u2019s just inefficient,\u201d Alamarie said. \u201cBecause there\u2019s no way New York City can address the 2.7 million in a timely way.\u201d
\nInstead, Alamarie is looking to make services response fall on the responsibility of each district, rather than the city as a whole. And this could help reduce the overwhelming wait times for city services.
\nAs Alamarie\u2019s campaign progresses, he says he won\u2019t take money from Political Action Committees or Organizations for his campaign. \u201cIt\u2019s all individual funds,\u201d Alamarie said. \u201cSo we don\u2019t have pressure from anyone that can influence our plan to deal with issues and concerns in New York.\u201d
\nAlamarie has studied the issues that people in the district care about most. He\u2019s talked to residents about the issues they care about most, like quality of life, travel time through the city and the high price of housing and taxes. Part of how Alamarie runs his campaign is with a grassroots focus on New Yorkers being able to address concerns.
\n\u201cIn terms of campaigning, it depends heavily on volunteers, empowering local communities, and local residents into getting involved with the politics in the systems.\u201d
\nKaled Alamarie is a Yemeni American. After his parents brought him to New York City at a young age, he\u2019s studied and worked in the city for all his life. Growing up, his parents owned a small business in the same district where he\u2019s running for City Council.
\nNow, Kaled is watching two of his kids go through colleges in New York. One of them is graduating this year while preparing for medical school. \u201cWe\u2019re fortunate to have the American Dream,\u201d Alamarie said.
\nWhether he\u2019s defined as a New Yorker or a Yemeni American, Kaled Alamarie seems to hold both of these identities close to him.
\n\u201cWe really want to make it known that for such a long time [Yemeni Americans] have been bystanders,\u201d Alamarie said. \u201cAnd you know, we\u2019re no longer bystanders. Yemeni Americans are part of this country. And we should get involved in everyday politics and contributing and decision making to make this country a better place.\u201d
\nAs a representative of the Yemeni American Community, the representation in New York City\u2019s politics could mean more for everyone.
\n\u201cWe\u2019re fortunate to have the American Dream,\u201d Alamarie said. \u201cThat\u2019s why I hope to contribute.<\/p>\n

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