Long time community Veteran advocate Sergeant Gonzalo Duran launches City Council campaign
Bronx, NY (April 8, 2017) – Gonzalo Duran announced the official launch of his candidacy for New York City Bronx Council District 15, vowing to stand against developers and to improve the district for its residents. Duran, CEO of Devil Dog USA Incorporated, a nonprofit in the Bronx, will highlight his positions for creating better job growth, forming stronger regulations on building developments, and his plan on combating homelessness.
“Our community needs to be built stronger with local businesses, residents and outside resources working simultaneously while our community takes the lead. I have implemented programs and initiatives on small, localized scales to large national platforms with little funds so that it can reach local Veterans. While the focus of my work has been towards the mental, physical, and economic needs of Veterans, I have worked with non-Veterans as well and can implement these skills to benefit all community members.”
Duran, an advocate for increasing resources for the local residents, has pledged to take a 50% pay deduction in order to hire more staff for community outreach and programs. Additionally, he will not accept contributions from special interest groups. “I define leadership as leading by example. There is a huge lack of leadership within the Bronx political system.” said Duran. “In the past few months there have been many disturbing examples of this with elected officials approving their own absurd pay raise, political favoritism instead of allowing constituents to vote on candidates and raising our taxes. This is going on while important issues like the decline in community safety, increasing affordable housing, improving employment, health and recreational programs are ignored.”
In announcing his platforms, Duran spoke briefly about the controversial issue on gentrification throughout the Bronx: “Now we live in a period of renewal but in actuality our new buildings are not affordable for us and the increase in malls are only producing low-wage jobs with little chance in career growth or financial stability.” Along with housing, Duran’s other platforms will focus on increased long-term employment, better education, improving public safety, providing access to healthier foods as well as care, combating homelessness, and advocating for more laws to protect animals.
For more information about Duran, along with further details on issues that are important to voters, please visit www.gonzaloduran.nyc
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