Greetings, I am Jonathan Makeley. I am a historian, with a focus on American reform movements. I am communally active and involve myself with policy advocacy in the hopes of helping to improve the conditions of people’s lives. I pay attention to New York state politics. While there is plenty of hope and potential for improving things, there are many challenges and problems. For too long, I have seen too many politicians pursue policies that were indifferent or detrimental to the wellbeing of people in New York State. It was on this basis that I decided that I would run for office, in order to help promote good policies and a better politics. I decided that I will run as a candidate for the 146th disctrict of the NewYork State Assembly, and seek to get on ballot via independent nominating petition.

The key element of my campaign is promoting government for the people; promoting politics and policy based in moral principle, public service, and advancing the wellbeing of people. I support stronger ethics laws for public officials and stronger efforts against corruption. I support stronger efforts to reduce the harms of alcohol and other drugs; including increased prevention efforts, expanded addiction treatment, stronger enforcement, stronger DUI/DWI laws, increased restrictions on the alcohol industry, and ending state support for industries which harm the public health. I support improving our state’s education system through educational reform and fixing the state’s education financing to ensure that all schools are adequately funded. I support moving our state toward establishing a system where all qualified students have a reasonable opportunity a debt-free education at any of the state’s public and private non-profit colleges, universities, and vocational schools. I support reforming our state’s finance system to reduce the burden of property taxes and reduce the burden of local mandates by having the state take more responsibility for financing its own expenses. I support ending the forced consolidation of local services and allowing localities to voluntarily consolidate or maintain distinct services based on what the members of communities think is best. I support passing the child victims act, and I support abolishing the statute of limitations for rape and the sexual abuse of children; because predators should not be able to run free and victims should be denied justice because of some arbitrary deadline. I support working to revitalize out state’s infrastructure. I support a holistic approach to economic development, which takes into account comprehensive factors and the interests of communities. I also see the need to reform our state’s economic development programs, to root out corruption and toxic business practices which end up damaging the economy and hurting the wellbeing of people. Overall, I support moving the state in a direction in which its people are better off.

Though in order to do this, I will need the help of other people who want to help build a better future for New York and are willing to help in this campaign. Those are interested in this campaign, can email me at makeleyforassembly@outlook.com