With state lawmakers from the Bronx back to work for the new legislative session, we asked readers what are some of the current issues our local politicians should be addressing?

Well, believe it or not, there is still a lot of racism here still. And it’s not just white people, it’s Africans and Dominicans; so it’s not a white thing. It’s all the races. And they’re (the NYPD) are doing the stop and search again that they were ordered not to do. Yes, they’re starting it again. You can thank [President] Trump for all of this and half the people in this neighborhood that voted for him.
Jeff Rodriguez
Norwood

I actually work in a hospital; in the operating room. I think they should keep better track of how they’re prescribing the drugs. That’s the thing; how is it they start off getting it and then they stay hooked on it? Doctors actually tell you they won’t prescribe it again to you, so how is it these people keep getting it over and over again? So the government and the politicians need to look into what the doctors are doing.
Anthony Correa
Kingsbridge

I think the most important issue affecting us right now is climate change and the environment. The Long Island Sound is historically and horribly polluted and I hope our elected officials can work together at all levels of government to address that.
John Doyle
City Island

 

I would like to see our elected officials advocating for more individuals to register to vote. We have always had record low turnout in the Bronx. With all of the issues hitting our communities from immigration rights to housing, the people’s voices and inputs are truly needed now. Their reach in the community is truly abundant as advocates and outside organizations can only do so much. But that won’t happen because as long as the numbers stay low, it’s more advantageous to those officials.
Gonzalo Duran
Belmont

Our biggest local problems, I’d say, is housing. I think that currently the Bronx Housing Court is too frequently packed with cases and that housing in the borough needs to be dealt with in a way that everyone is able to secure decent, affordable housing, and people are given a better opportunity to find a new apartment or able to retain their older apartments without struggling against the bureaucracy.
Michael Brown
Morris Heights