In today’s New York City politics, the term “woke” is tossed around like a badge of honor or a punchline. But for many lifelong Democrats like me, raised in the Bronx, what’s getting lost in the noise is common sense. I’ve always believed in justice, strong public schools, labor rights, and economic opportunity for all. However, I believe that ideology should never replace responsibility, especially when managing the billions of dollars that belong to NYC taxpayers.
Since launching my campaign for New York City Comptroller, I’ve watched my Democratic party opponents throw around slogans about punishing billionaires, eliminating fossil fuels, or divesting from companies they disagree with politically, all without providing a basic financial analysis or a long-term plan to protect taxpayer dollars. That’s not leadership. That’s rhetoric masquerading as public finance.
One of the most troubling examples is current Comptroller Brad Lander and my Democratic party opponent’s recent calls to divest New York City’s pension funds from Tesla, citing the politics and personal conduct of its CEO, Elon Musk. In a press statement, he said, “Get him out,” and by extension, Tesla stock, accusing Musk of gutting NYC’s finances and endangering pensions. While it may sound popular, this approach is irresponsible.
Let me be clear: pensions are not political weapons. They are the retirement security for teachers, first responders, sanitation workers, and everyday public employees who dedicated their lives to serving our city. As someone who has worked for five Comptrollers at the state and city levels, and managed billions in public assets, the clear role of the Comptroller is to protect these funds with discipline, not politicize the investments with vendettas.
The call by my Democratic party opponents to pull roughly $800 million in Tesla stock, which is currently down about 40%, is not just bad timing; it’s financial malfeasance. Divesting from any company at the bottom of a market dip locks in losses and prevents the pension system from recovering value if the stock rebounds. That’s not just bad investing — it’s a betrayal of NYC taxpayers who depend on those returns. Would you sell your 401(k) at a loss just because you don’t like a CEO’s tweets?
Even more dangerous is that his statement offers no investment framework, no reinvestment plan, and no consistent policy. If we’re going to talk about Environmental, Social, Governance standards, then let’s do it across the board, with clear criteria and full transparency. But cherry picking stocks based on headlines undermines investor confidence and makes New York City look like it’s playing with retirees’ money for applause.
Let’s also be honest: divesting means giving up shareholder power. If you want to change corporate behavior, being an investor gives you a seat at the table. You can vote on shareholder resolutions, demand better governance, and use leverage to push for transparency. Walking away removes that leverage and leaves workers footing the bill.
The next Comptroller can’t afford to govern by tweet or trend. We need smart, grounded, technologically forward leadership. That’s why I’m proposing the Monetary Applications Portal (MAP) — a first-of-its-kind AI-powered Financial Digital Twin for New York City. Imagine a dashboard that tracks revenue, expenditures, debt, pension performance, infrastructure projects, and budget gaps — all in real time, available to the public, to city agencies, and elected officials. If we expect New York taxpayers to balance their checkbooks, shouldn’t City Hall do the same?
Transparency, not talking points, is what our city needs.
Being against this new wave of woke politics doesn’t make me anti-progress. It makes me pro-competence. I’m proud to be a Democrat, but I won’t pretend that slogans pay bills or that ideology is more important than doing the job right. As Comptroller, I won’t chase headlines — I’ll chase results.
The city’s taxpayers and pensioners deserve better. As Comptroller, I will be a responsible fiduciary. Through transparency, I’m ready to bring real financial justice back to this office, rooted in facts, guided by experience, and focused on the future.
