Anastasia Mann, Tommy Parker, Janice Fine, Carol Golden, Patricia Fernandez-Kelly, Dorothea von Moltke, Princeton
Only two weeks remain until we head to the polls for the New Jersey primary elections. Like us, you’re probably wringing your hands about recent developments at the national level.
While we can’t claim any special insight about that contest, we’re happy to report that closer to home the choice looks a lot clearer.
Two seats are open on the Princeton Council. Of the four candidates vying for your vote, we feel strongly that Leticia Fraga is the best choice.
Leticia built her career in government, working at the municipal, county and federal levels. In Seattle, throughout Washington State and overseas, she developed the kinds of expertise in civil rights enforcement, police-community relations, fair housing, and human service provision that Princeton sorely needs.
As chair of various commissions and boards, from the Latin American Legal Defense and Education Fund to the YWCA, Princeton Community Housing, Send Hunger Packing Princeton, and the Civil Rights Committee of Human Services, Leticia has impressed colleagues with her willingness to work hard, listen carefully, ask tough questions, reflect honestly, and speak with candor.
Don’t let her wide smile and warm demeanor fool you: Leticia can be tenacious, and she is a woman of action. She is responsible for the return of the Mercer County ID program to town. Since being introduced in Princeton in 2011, community IDs have been embraced by cities from New York to Philadelphia as a means of fostering inclusion among residents. Now, thanks to Leticia, each week a team of volunteers from Princeton High School, Princeton University and the wider community issue IDs to qualified residents out of a space in our wonderful Public Library.
A native speaker of Spanish, Leticia has led “Know Your Rights“ trainings for various at-risk groups in town. She has also done outreach to and advocated on behalf of more than 20 unaccompanied minor refugees who fled violence in their home nations and now attend Princeton Public Schools.
As vice chair of Princeton’s municipal Human Services Commission, Leticia has spearheaded the movement to revive an independent Civil Rights Commission. Created in the late 1960s to mediate allegations of discrimination in housing, employment, education, and access to services, that commission lost its independent stature in the 1990s. Leticia understands that an independent Civil Rights Commission fosters community trust and saves taxpayers money by avoiding costly lawsuits.
Our country stands at a crossroads. Bigotry is on the march. We have the opportunity to make history. In a town that talks a lot about diversity, Leticia will be the first person of Latino/a heritage on Princeton Council.
Leticia understands that our town thrives on opportunity, affordability, transparency and inclusion.
We support her because we admire her talents, appreciate her values, and trust her instincts. At the end of the day, what else is there?
We hope you will join us in electing Fraga for Council ?on Tuesday, June 7.
Anastasia Mann, Tommy Parker, Janice Fine, Carol Golden, Patricia Fernandez-Kelly, Dorothea von Moltke
Princeton
