120th Speaker Carl E. Heastie of the New York State Assembly

2/13/2017

Speaker Carl E. Heastie of the New York State Assembly

c/o Legislative Office Building

198 State Street, Room 932

Albany, NY  12210

Dear Speaker Heastie,

My name is Matthew Winick from Ann Arbor, Michigan with a strong interest in learning history with public policy. In these subjects, I enjoy learning about the need to make Civil rights stronger, improve environmental protection, and many others.  Speaker Heastie, the main reason I’m a writing you a letter is to explain how I find your role as 120^th Speaker of the New York State Assembly to be very inspiring to me.

In your current role as 120^th Speaker of the New York State Assembly, I’m proud on how you are a strong supporter of Civil Rights. Also on Civil Rights, I like on how you advocate for people with disabilities’ rights, push for laws to combat against people who commit hate-crime to protect minorities or people who are different, express the need for equal pay for women to help protect them from being discriminated based on gender, and support LGBT rights.  On the economy, I like on how you expand job-training programs to help train youth including workers to develop job-skills, increase unemployment benefits to help people who are unemployed get help on finding a job, and sponsor “Wage Theft Prevention Act” which is to penalize employers that steal employee’s wages.  Supporting renewable energy sources (solar, wind, biofuel, and energy efficient products) to help reduce addiction to oil with gas and expanding fund to help clean up parks including water resources to make them safe for people to use is common sense.  Also on helping the African American community, I liked on how you worked with President Obama on expanding funds to help young African American boys including girls get educational help along with provide recreation programs to help them from turning to crime.  Support funding special education to help students with disabilities get educational resources they need, push for early childhood education to help young children develop reading skills, and express the need to reduce high cost for people who want to get a higher education are great ways to improve education.  

Speaker Heastie, I have Autism with a learning disability. Having a disability is hard for me because I have trouble comprehending on learning different subjects, sometimes I struggle to communicate my thoughts, and get teased.  Your commitment to be a strong supporter of Civil Rights and be an advocate for people with disabilities’ rights really inspires me to work hard on my disability. Your work on improving the minimum wage and worker’s rights motivated me to watch different documentaries about the need to raise the minimum wage to help workers afford to live, the need for laws to improve worker’s rights including the working conditions, and many others.   Your role as 120^th Speaker of the New York State Assembly drives me to continue my interest in learning history with public policy. MY future goal is to continue to learn how social justice is an important issue, understand how diversity plays a role, and many others. My letter is a gift to you for inspiring me and for Black History Month to help recognize African Americans who work hard to make a great difference for society and history.

I strongly believe that you are making a great difference in your role as Speaker of the New York State Assembly on many different issues.  You have inspired me to work hard on my disability, continue my interest in learning history with public policy, and understand the importance of protecting worker’s rights.  Thanks for taking the time to read my letter, making a great difference, and inspiring me. I was wondering if you could explain what it is like being Speaker of the New York State Assembly.  I wish you well to continue to make a great difference in your current role as Speaker of the New York State Assembly.

Sincerely,

Matthew B. Winick