Council Member Epstein calls for respectful discourse in policy debates

Permission to explain my vote?

Permission granted.

Thank you.

I just want to thank this council and Speaker Mena for really taking on some tough issues that we're talking about.

And I just want to encourage my colleagues and the public to think about the discourse, because we've seen during the hearings on some of these bills, you know, real personal attacks that I think really undermine the efforts that we're all trying to do.

The goal is to work on policy to improve New Yorkers.

And we can always agree to disagree about a political issue, but we can't always agree to have inappropriate discourse.

I encourage us to be thinking how we move together as a body and the public as large.

To think about collaborating and coordinating and think about how we were important passing important pieces of legislation.

We were doing it in a thoughtful, methodical way.

And as we move together, I would look forward to much more healthy conversations and collaborations, whether we're talking about the horse carriages or COPA.

These are important bills that we're talking about, but they are policy decisions that we are collectively making.

And to ensure that we have this opportunity to have these debates and move forward requires people being thoughtful and respectful and kind to each other and not the ongoing slaughter of attacks that we've seen.

I vote aye on all.

Thank you.