Aiyash on the Issues

Defeating anti-black racism, Reforming the Criminal Justice System and Ending police Brutality

America’s ugliest and longest lasting stain has been the entrenched Anti-Blackness in nearly every facet of life. It’s permeated our economy, social life, education, our policies, and more. Since the bad 1992 Crime Bill, we’ve realized that the criminal justice system needs to change. The current system is designed to discriminate against minorities (particularly Black and African American communities) and the disadvantaged. What’s more, it lacks the needed safeguards to protect communities from overreach by law enforcement into private lives. In addition, police brutality and Anti-Black Racism are epidemics that have threatened our country far before COVID-19 ever did. That much is clear from the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and countless others at the hands of overzealous members of the law enforcement community. We’ve seen it in Michigan all too often. It’s time we address the root of this problem and I plan to fight for these changes when elected to represent the people of the 4th District. Here’s what we have to do:

  • Banning facial recognition technology used by the state. 

  • Establishing citizen oversight committees and enforce anti-racism training for local police.   

  • Calling out Anti-Black Racism in this country and take appropriate actions to address it.

  • Ending cash bail and support ban the box legislation. 

  • Expunging criminal records, continuing Rep. Robinson’s work with HB 5120. 

  • Introduce the Michigan Peace Act to stop excessive use of police force, and fire any officer with repeat misconduct.

The Caring Economy: Putting our Children and our Seniors First

Seniors are the bedrock of Detroit and our children are our future. It not only is our duty to care for both of these important populations, but it can help us build a stronger, better economy. In my years as an organizer, I’ve had the privilege to sit with many of our elders and share stories, resources, and struggles. Through these discussions, it’s become clear to me that Michigan Seniors are overcharged for medication, necessary medical procedures, and at-home and nursing care. Many have been sold the short end of the stick; the Pension Tax has hurt our retirees and many Detroiters were left to pay off the debt of the city. We need to build a system that takes care of Michigan Seniors, instead of one that drains them of resources and places heavy burdens on family members to provide care where others won’t. In addition to our Seniors, COVID-19 has been incredibly tough on families with children. First-line responders have been particularly hard hit, with many unable to spend time caring for their children for fear of risking exposure to the virus. We need to work to ensure that now--and into the future--Michigan children are appropriately cared for and educated. By adopting these proposals, as your State Rep, I will ensure that our seniors and our children live under a Caring Economy.

  • For our Seniors

    • Providing care in an era of COVID-19: We must fund stockpiles of PPE for Michigan’s nursing and long-term senior care facilities.

    • Create a Single Payer Medicaid-for-all plan within Michigan.

    • Support legislation recommended by AARP that would provide a tax credit to individuals providing At-Home Senior Care.

    • Fund Programs to Protect Against Elder Abuse

    • Promote Retention and Require Training within the Caregiving Workforce.

    • Fight to repeal the Pension Tax.

  • For our Children

    • Expand and Restore Paid Sick Leave so that no family has to decide between a job and a child.

    • Propose legislation mandating universal pre-K services for all Michigan students

    • Introduce legislation to expand child care financing so that all but the wealthiest Michigangers have access to subsidies.

Education: Investing In our future

The Betsy Devos Agenda has fundamentally destroyed public education in the state of Michigan. Our teachers have taken massive pay cuts, our kids don’t have the resources they need and college is simply not affordable for most. For-profit schools have made the education gap even larger and are not held accountable by the state. It’s time we reinvest in our kids’ futures. We need to:

  • Provide at-home broadband Wi-Fi internet access for all students to ensure no gaps in online learning.

  • Provide educators with better compensation – incentivizing future students to pursue teaching

  • Increase Per Pupil Funding

  • Create a mandatory universal Pre-K program

  • Support initiatives focusing on the Whole Child. Programs designed to ensure that students are healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged are necessary to create well rounded students.

  • Create sound policy that keeps guns out of schools, and away from those who would use them to cause harm to Michiganders.

  • Ending the School-to-Prison Pipeline & Divestment From Police in Schools

  • Push to phase out for-profit charter schools over the next four years and transition them into non-profit status

Healthcare Reform: Fighting for Medicare for all, and COVID-19 Relief

Now more than ever, access to quality affordable healthcare has become the difference maker in maintaining a healthy and vibrant community. COVID-19 has helped to illustrate the need for expanded healthcare access for all Michiganders, regardless of income level. In doing so, the virus has demonstrated the stark divide between those with the means to purchase quality healthcare, and those forced to face the virus without access to insurance coverage. I propose a series of plans that would eliminate that divide, providing Medicare coverage for all, and ensuring that regardless of income, sex, or race, Michigan residents are treated with compassion and care. These policies would also work to ensure that Michigan remains prepared for pandemics on the scale of COVID-19 in the future.

It’s also incredibly important—particularly in times of crisis—that we hold accountable the pharmaceutical companies that stand to profit from expensive drugs and treatments. With billions of dollars at their disposal, Big Pharma all too often flies under the radar of government oversight. That’s why my plan is designed to ensure Big Pharma acts alongside the state government under clearly defined standards and with the utmost transparency. In addition, I’ll work to hold those companies to account for the last great pandemic—that of opioid abuse—which accounted for over 2000 Michigan deaths in 2018. My proposals include:

  • Medicare for All

  • Getting COVID-19 Expenses Covered for all individuals

  • Capping Copays

  • Caring for and covering the medical needs of Women.

  • Fighting for care for those impacted by the opioid epidemic, and ensuring Big Pharma is held accountable for its role.

  • Ensuring Transparency and Accountability from Big Pharma

  • Getting our state prepared for the next pandemic.

MI Clean and Green: A Plan to Save our Planet and Rebuild our Infrastructure

I’ve been working to protect the environment and punish polluters within our community for most of my life. When US Ecology pushed to expand a facility dedicated to storing hazardous waste within the City, I stood with Rep. Isaac Robinson to fight against the project. In much the same way, I worked tirelessly to ensure the Detroit Incinerator was shut down and the blight and air pollution it caused were removed from our community. When Republicans and even some Democratic politicians defended Enbridge’s corroded and dangerous Line 5 pipeline, I spoke out against its continued use, demanding action from the state to protect the Great Lakes. My belief in the need for Green Infrastructure and structural improvements to the Detroit water distribution system earned me the endorsement of Senator Bernie Sanders, the Sierra Club, and Sunrise Movement Detroit. If elected in November, you can expect the same level of dedication to environmental issues and community welfare. We need to:

  • Ensure affordable access to quality water

  • Prevent corporate exploitation of water resources

  • Invest in green infrastructure

  • Tax both carbon emissions and other harmful pollution created by current Michigan industries to help to fund Green infrastructure initiatives.

  • Ban new CO2 emissions from both new and current Michigan companies.

  • Keep Polluters Out of Low-Income Neighborhoods

Car Insurance

Car insurance is exorbitantly high in and around Detroit, that has to change. People are living paycheck to paycheck simply because they are paying thousands every year in car insurance. We need to:

  • Eliminate discriminatory practices in rate setting – such as territory and credit report

  • Demand transparency by subjecting the MCCA to the Open Meetings Act and FOIA

  • Increase oversight on rate setting to ensure people aren’t being scammed

Economy

Too many people are working 2 or more jobs and still struggling to support their families. We need to create an economy that works for everyone, and not just the wealthy few. We need to:

  • Champion a $15 dollar an hour minimum wage

  • Establishing a “fresh start” fund to assist individuals in making the back payments during this crisis (mortgage, utilities, etc.)

  • Support a freeze on all evictions through 2020 and push for stronger relief and aid for renters

  • Ensure Michigan invests in more skilled trade jobs

  • Implement a graduated income tax system where 98% of families would realize a tax reduction

  • Establish a strategic fund that focuses investments in small business entrepreneurs

  • Retain Michigan college graduates with student loan forgiveness and economic opportunity

Government Corruption

For too long politicians have used public office for personal benefit. Our politics has been bought by greedy corporations and is controlled by the special interests. It is time we bring to Michigan a politics of purpose rather than a politics of profit. We need to:

  • Get corporate PAC money out of our politics: the people are the only special interest we should be listening to.

  • Be transparent, Abraham will directly release his campaign finances to the public on his own website.

  • Open an office in this district. Abe is the only candidate committed to opening an office within the district, because you shouldn’t have to go all the way to Lansing to speak with your elected official.

Infrastructure

We are the auto capital of the world, and yet we have some of the worst roads in the country. We are the Great Lakes State, and yet our kids are being poisoned by lead in their drinking water. We need to:

  • Demand quality work and fair through the support and protection of prevailing wage laws

  • Revise Michigan’s road funding formula to send more money to roads that have more traffic

  • Invest in a collaborative regional transit program that provides greater connectivity for residents

  • Make sure our water infrastructure is brought up to date and lead pipes are eliminated

Gun Reform

Students shouldn't have to march for their lives just to feel safe going to school. It's time to release the chokehold the NRA has on our politics and demand #GunReformNow. Aiyash is the only candidate in this race who has received the Mom’s Demand Action Gun Sense Candidate Distinction. We need to: 

  • Implement universal background checks that would close the gun show loophole

  • Ban assault weapons for use by the general public

  • Support red-flag legislation that would keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers

 

Disability Rights

We need to value the members of our communities with disabilities. That means supporting initiatives to promote inclusion and fighting against ableist laws and policies. Whether it’s more funding for school programs, ending discrimination in housing and from law enforcement, or supporting employment initiatives, I support policies that recognize and defend the valuable role people with disabilities play in their communities. We need to:

  • Provide needed medical and financial resources and support for disabled Michiganders during the COVID-19 crisis

  • Increase funding for school programs dedicated to assisting students with physical and learning disabilities 

  • Promote de-escalation training for law enforcement officers and awareness of the prevalence of disabilities in victims of police violence

  • Hold employers and landlords accountable for ableist policies that prevent disabled individuals from finding meaningful employment or quality housing

  • Require government initiatives and programs to receive input from disability advocates and stakeholders prior to commencement

  • Support programs designed to foster understanding and comradery between those with and without disabilities