POLICY
It's Time for Change
We’re facing many problems in our lives that require immediate solutions. Working families are facing economic uncertainty in wage stagnation and affordability in childcare. Healthcare has become a struggle between profits over people and whether it truly meets the needs of communities that deserve quality healthcare. Our teachers are overworked and undervalued, which is why we need to raise teacher salary and hire more support personnel to ease the burden on our educators. Our students’ mental health must be valued and that we’re teaching them core life skills like financial literacy and civics to help our local economies and democracy.
Education
The safety of students must be paramount in the mind of every council member. This means not only investing in the physical wellness of our students, but their emotional and mental wellness as well. Denying children a high quality education is denying them countless opportunities to achieve their dreams and passions. A zip code must never be a factor of how great a child’s education can be. Everything must be done to bridge the gap of opportunity amongst students. Ruben will:
- Invest in the physical, mental, and emotional wellness of our students and teachers.
- Create better accountability for how safety protocols are implemented, such as ALICE and other safety drills.
- Fight for a $70,000 starting salary for Baltimore County teachers.
- Establish universal broadband access to guarantee high speed internet to all Baltimore County students.
- Establish universal pre-k and after school care.
- Increase funding for CTE Programs and other economic courses that have proven beneficial to growing demands in Baltimore County.
- Introduce a required financial literacy course to the school curriculum.
- Expand civics and climate education.
- Create policies that prioritize teacher retention.
- Invest in strengthening ESOL programs for students and educators.
- Reform school discipline practices and abolish zero tolerance policies.
- Expand access to AP courses and reduce costs for students.
- Expand resources for curricular activities to expand inclusivity in schools.
Public Safety
Safety in any community is paramount. Everyone should feel safe, from where they live to where they worship. Expanding trust, accountability, and transparency is vital in ensuring that the interests of the public is treated with care. Ruben will:
- Expand education and resources that address hate crimes.
- Expand resources for victims of sexual assault and expedite the processing of rape kits.
- Fight for more funding and modern equipment for fire/EMS departments, including volunteer departments.
- Provide resources for young adults that include access to employment opportunities.
- Fight to ensure the Inspector General of Baltimore County has full authority for oversight of county government.
- Support legislation that removes the County Executive & County Council from any future selection processes of the Inspector General.
- Work with BCPS and the Department of Recreation & Parks to expand youth activities and services.
Economic Development
Fair jobs and wages are crucial to any economy. We need a leader who is willing to stand up for our workers. I will do just that by fighting for our small businesses and workers to ensure we bring better pay and benefits to our district. Ruben will:
- Work to bridge technology gaps in the workforce.
- Create better access and awareness of loan programs, such as BOOST, and small business loans for small business owners.
- Fight for stronger unions.
- Work to close the gap on child poverty.
- Ensure land use decisions are made within the interest of communities in mind.
- Fight for a living wage and work to address the racial and gender wage gap.
- Advocate for regional development throughout the district.
- Fight for more funding for the Woodlawn Community Approach.
- Tackle potential food deserts by fighting for more grocery stores along the Liberty Road corridor.
Environment
This decade will be pivotal in determining the fate of our planet: we need to pass bold and encompassing legislation to stop any further environmental damage. Ruben will:
- Make 100% of countywide contracts carbon neutral by 2030.
- Establish clean water and air as a right for all residents of Baltimore County.
- Fight to protect Baltimore County’s many ecosystems and their biodiversity.
- Support local sustainable farming.
- Establish better resources for our farmers by funding more services such as farmer markets and agricultural resiliency programs.
- Fight to preserve our land by stopping projects that harm natural property like the Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project.
- Ensure that future developments do not harm surrounding communities or the environment.
- Advocate to preserve the Urban Rural Demarcation Line (URDL) and push for sustainable growth in surrounding communities.
LGBTQ+ Rights
Everyone should have the right to be treated with respect and dignity. No one deserves to be treated unfairly for who they love or who they are. Ruben Amaya will:
- Continue working with state and local partners to expand resources and investment in communities.
- Support LGBTQ+ youth by working to expand inclusive curriculums in schools and educate school counselors on LGBTQ+ awareness.
- Work to address mental health and fight for additional resources.
- Push to create a LGBTQ+ Commission within county government.
Senior Citizens
We owe so much to those who have paved the way for so many. Our senior citizens deserve quality representation in Baltimore County. We must always do everything possible to invest in our senior citizens. Ruben will:
- Promote the expansion of cultural and wellness programs.
- Expand protection in the consumer market.
- Provide better opportunities for affordable housing and nursing/assisted living facilities.
- Advocate for the highest possible standard of care through strong regulations within nursing/assisted living facilities.
- Fight for more staffing at county senior centers and increase hours of operation for residents to enjoy.
- Advocate for more recreational activities such as sports programs, crafting projects, and outdoor activities.
- Expand high quality transportation to increase accessibility .
Housing
Housing is a human right. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown the drastic need for greater housing security, more affordable rent, and easy access to low-income public housing units. Ruben believes that we can and must provide housing to all Baltimore County residents. Ruben will:
- Protect tenants by advocating for rent control, raising standards of maintenance and service, and ending water shutoffs.
- Fight to expand the rights of tenants.
- Build sustainable low-income and public housing units.
- Fight against anti-homeless infrastructure.
- Push to create an office of Tenant and Landlord Affairs to better assist renters in Baltimore County.
Transportation
Free and available transportation is a vital component of not only developing economic opportunity, but also reducing carbon emissions. Ruben wants to invest in a Baltimore County which makes eco-friendly transportation accessible to the communities that need it most. Our communities of color have historically been deprived of accessible public transportation in comparison to white affluent communities. By reviving our current infrastructure, we can bring safe and convenient public transportation to all residents of Baltimore County. Ruben will:
- Fight to restore construction plans for the Red Line into Baltimore City.
- Expand bus, rail, and subway access to reduce traffic, pollution, and commute times.
- Build 21st century green and sustainable public transit.
- Support local transit authorities.
- Create a bus circulator for the Liberty Road corridor.
Immigration
As a first-generation American, Ruben knows both the value and the diligence of our immigrant communities, as well as the challenges they face. Ruben promises to protect our undocumented residents and fight back against xenophobia and the scapegoating of immigrants. Ruben wants to build a better Baltimore County for all immigrants by ending ICE presence in our communities, creating more accessible pathways to citizenship, and expanding inclusive government services. Ruben will:
- Fight to keep ICE (Immigration Customs and Enforcement) out of our communities.
- Create inclusive government that expands immigrant services, prioritizes hiring bilingual staff, and mandates language options for government services.
Improving our Communities & Beyond
Click on a community below to see how we can tackle specific issues in our neighborhoods
Improving Reisterstown & Beyond
Improving Randallstown & Beyond
Improving Academy Heights & Beyond
Improving Woodlawn & Beyond