Tag: government

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Math, Not Myth: A Clear-Eyed Guide to NYC’s $12 Billion Crisis

Christa Avampato

We’re seeing a lot of headlines and finger pointing about NYC’s budget crisis. Here’s a clear-eyed breakdown I wrote of what’s actually happening and why, and what we can do about it.

A picture of the NYC skyline as seen from the water looking at Lower Manhattan
Photo by Jermaine Ee on Unsplash

New York City is currently staring down a projected budget gap of $12.6 billion over the next two fiscal years ($2.2 billion for 2026 and $10.4 billion for 2027). While headlines often focus on political blame, the math behind this crisis is driven by three specific, documented factors:

1. The “Funding Cliff”

During the pandemic, the city received billions in one-time federal aid. This money was used to launch or expand recurring programs, such as 3-K, mental health services, and summer youth employment. Now that the federal funds have dried up, the city must either find its own tax revenue to pay for them or shut the programs down. This “cliff” accounts for roughly $700 million to $1 billion in new annual costs.

2. Chronic Underbudgeting

Non-partisan watchdogs like the IBO have flagged a trend of “underbudgeting” known expenses. This occurs when the city’s budget lists a cost (like police overtime or housing vouchers) far below what history suggests will actually be spent.

  • The Reality: In FY 2026 alone, unbudgeted costs for rental assistance (CityFHEPS), uniformed overtime (NYPD/FDNY), and special education legal cases are projected to create a $3.8 billion hole that wasn’t fully accounted for in initial plans.

3. State Mandates

New York State laws often require the city to spend more without providing the full funding to cover it. The most significant example is the Class Size Mandate, which requires smaller classes in NYC schools. The IBO estimates this will cost the city an additional $700 million to $1.6 billion annually by 2027.

What Can Be Done? (Mamdani & Levine’s Path Forward)

Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Comptroller Mark Levine are now tasked with closing this gap. Here is what they are proposing (or could do) to mitigate the crisis in both the short and long term:

Short-Term Fixes (Closing the 2026 Gap)

  • Targeted Efficiency (PEGs): The Mayor can implement a Program to Eliminate the Gap (PEG). Rather than across-the-board cuts, this targets “administrative efficiencies”—like consolidating back-office functions or reducing the $1 billion spent annually on vacant positions that haven’t been filled in years.
  • Re-evaluating the “Rainy Day Fund”: The city currently has billions in reserves. While monitors warn against using these for recurring costs, a one-time draw could prevent immediate, “destabilizing” service cuts while more permanent solutions are negotiated.
  • Revenue Generation: Mayor Mamdani has proposed taxing the city’s highest earners and most profitable corporations. This would require state approval and is a central part of his strategy to avoid “austerity” cuts to services.

Long-Term Solutions (Stabilizing the 2027+ Gaps)

Healthcare Savings: The Citizens Budget Commission (CBC) has suggested that rebidding the city’s massive health insurance contracts for employees could save upwards of $1 billion annually without reducing benefits, by leveraging the city’s massive size to get better rates.

Budgetary Transparency: Comptroller Levine has pushed for a “Truth in Budgeting” approach. This means accurately budgeting for overtime and housing vouchers from day one, rather than pretending the costs will be lower. This prevents mid-year “surprises” and allows for more honest long-term planning.

State Level Negotiation: The city is currently pushing Albany to foot more of the bill for the Class Size Mandate and to increase the city’s share of state tax revenue. (Currently, NYC provides over 50% of state revenue but receives back much less in aid).

For further reading and raw data, visit these non-partisan resources:

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Momentum: A Hopeful New Era for NYC

Christa Avampato
Jumaane Williams gives a poetic and poignant speech at his swearing in ceremony from a podium. His wife is standing up behind him applauding, with the crowd in the background, including Zohran Mamdani and Mark Levine.
Jumaane Williams delivering his inauguration speech on January 1, 2026. Photo by Christa Avampato.

Yesterday, I watched the NYC inauguration of Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Comptroller Mark Levine, and Public Advocate Jumaane Williams. Each used a different holy book for their swearing in ceremonies: Quaran, Hebrew Bible, and Christian Bible, respectively. This was a first in NYC history. Each of them comes from a different ethnic background: Muslim and South Asian, Jewish, and Black and Caribbean heritage. Another first in NYC history. The level of diversity and inclusivity at the ceremony mirrors a truth that runs deep in our city: everyone from everywhere comes to NYC and makes this their home.

I have never watched an inauguration before yesterday. Given this historic moment, I wanted to be part of it in a small way. I wanted to bear witness in the hopes that this really is an inflection point in our city. I’m always hopeful and optimistic about our city because I believe in New Yorkers. It’s inspiring to see so many others also hopeful and optimistic about our city.

I believe strongly that when we start a new journey, we should begin as we wish to go. Though it will be a long road to make our city equitable and affordable for all, yesterday was a very good start. I would like to find a way to do my part (and then some.) I don’t know yet exactly what that means, but I’m excited to find out how I can help.

My favorite part of the ceremony came from Jumaane Williams. He gave a poetic and poignant speech, a message to us and his younger self. “If we are all connected, we can’t lose anyone,” he said. That idea keeps ringing in my ears. So many New Yorkers slip through the cracks for a million different reasons. But it doesn’t have to be that way. If we can help everyone, every single one, plug into a community where they can connect, no one gets lost. No one has to be alone. In a city this big and varied and resourced, there is space for everyone to have someone they can depend on. There’s something in there. Something powerful that’s worthy of exploration and action. Let’s see what we can do together.

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Follow the money: Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on what’s behind all the executive orders and what we can do

Christa Avampato
Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on an Instagram Live event

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is doing regular Instagram Live events about what’s happening in this new administration and actions we can all take. These events help us understand what underpins everything that’s happening and why it’s happening. Knowing this information can help us stay calm and focus our energy into actions that will move the needle.

I didn’t know 99% of what AOC explains in this week’s Live event, and I read all day, every day. I watch the news constantly. The media and the opinions of friends and family members, no matter their jobs and past experience, are not facts. Many think they’re experts in what’s happening and almost no one is because what’s happening is unprecedented. Past experience isn’t a guide because we’re not living in the same world we were in two weeks ago. The only people who actually see the entire landscape are those on the ground right now, in the room where it happens inside the Capitol Building. That’s exactly why AOC is doing these Live events.

I highly recommend watching AOC’s Live events. They’re saved as Reels to watch later. They’re long because the landscape is complex. If you don’t have the energy or time, I’ve put the biggest take-aways from this week’s event below.

Here is the biggest thing you need to know: A massive tax break for the rich with a looming deadline, Medicaid, Department of Defense spending and the tech industry (including AI), immigration, prisons, and the GOP are all connected.

Tax breaks
In 2017, this president and the GOP forced through one of the biggest tax giveaways to the rich in U.S. history — a total of ~$4 trillion. For example, they include tax write-offs on private jets and yachts. These tax breaks sunset this year. Not only does this administration want to extend them but they also want to expand them.

Medicaid
Where will they find $4 trillion to extend and expand these tax breaks? I thought I would be from raising taxes on people who make less than $350,000. Nope. That’s only going to give them a fraction of the $4 trillion. They’re going after Medicaid because they think they can get $2 trillion from there. This explains why they want us to think people on Medicaid are lazy and that they’re the enemy. This explains why they tried to freeze Medicaid portals, except that massively backfired on them, and they had to reopen them.

Department of Defense spending and tech companies (including AI)
You know what government waste they won’t cut? Defense spending. Why? Because most tech companies whose products we use every day, and the billionaires who own them, make a massive amount of money from defense contracts. Defense contractors price gouge constantly. The Pentagon has yet to pass an audit. They want us to believe supporting Defense spending proves we’re patriots and love our country; if we question anything to do with the Defense spending, we’re not patriots. We’re the enemy. This is how they pit us against one another. Don’t fall for it.

Immigration, prisons, and the GOP
They want us to think they’re focused on immigration and mass deportation for our safety. Nope. They know they can’t do mass deportations all at once so what will they do with the people they round up? Detain them. Where? Prisons (like the news about the 30,000 people they want to hold at Guantánamo.) Who makes money from prison construction and management? The private prison industry. Who owns the prison industry? Billionaires. Who finances a lot of Republican campaigns? The private prison industry.

What actions can we take?
No action is too small. 
We are all grains of sand in these giant gears and if enough of us mobilize, we can at least slow them down. If a lot of us mobilize, we can stop them. When your mind says, “we can’t do anything”, STOP. Breathe. Do it anyway. When we are relentless, they will fatigue. Draw them out. Do not comply in advance.

File your Federal taxes directly FOR FREE 
For years AOC and many others have been fighting against the lobbyists at TurboTax, H&R Block, and others who make massive amounts of money off of people filing their taxes. IRS Free File could potentially cause those companies to lose a lot of money this year. That’s why this administration is trying to kill IRS Free File. This administration cares about making money for big businesses, not about protecting working class people. I’ve used a company to file for years. I’ll file my taxes for free this year with IRS Free File.

If you’re exhausted and have no time
Look up your rights, whether you’re a U.S. citizen, green card holder, visa holder, or undocumented. You can also help your neighbors know their rights. AOC put a Know Your Rights flyer on her website in English, Spanish, Bangla, Mandarin, and Arabic.

If you have a little more energy
Print out the Know Your Rights flyer. Take them around to your local shops, business, food carts, and libraries, and ask if you can put them up for people to read.

If you have a medium amount of energy
Call your senators. No matter what party they’re in, tell them you want them to vote no on every single cabinet appointment. Even if your call just slows them down a fraction, it’s effective. No matter how they vote, your voice matters. Your anger matters, even if they make you think it doesn’t. Their skin is thin. And so is this administration’s. And so is this batch of billionaires’. 
 
Call your House Reps. No matter how they vote, no matter what party they’re in, express your dismay. You might think it doesn’t matter, especially if they support this administration, but it matters. The tallies of who calls and what those callers say is reported to them every single day. Call them.

If you’re a federal worker
Don’t take the buy-out. They’re counting on you giving up and walking away so they can do whatever they want. Make them make you leave. Don’t consent in advance.

If ICE comes to your home, workplace, school, house of worship, or community center
You don’t have to open the door. They need a judicial warrant with a judge’s signature to enter. You can ask them to leave. You don’t have to give them any personal information. You don’t have to answer any of their questions. You don’t need to sign anything. You can ask for an attorney. California and New York provide attorneys for everyone, even those who are undocumented. Outside those states, you can ask to speak to an attorney. You can stay silent, even if you’re detained.

In summary
Take a breath
Focus
Know your rights and help others know theirs
Call your senators and House reps

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We’re All Part of President Jimmy Carter’s Legacy

Christa Avampato
President Jimmy Carter. City of Boston Archives from West Roxbury, United States, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

How do you sum up 100 years of decency, service, and love? President Jimmy Carter’s advocacy and policies to secure human rights, world peace, free and fair democratic elections around the world, protections for nature, and health, well-being, and housing for the most vulnerable will live on long into the future. In the midst of all his accomplishments and contributions, he always maintained his grace, humility, and gratitude for being able to help others.

When Jimmy Carter was elected President, the U.S. was reeling from the Watergate scandal. Americans had lost faith and trust in their government and politicians. And what did President Carter say and do? He publicly pledged to always tell the truth and support all Americans, no matter the personal consequences to him. He was not concerned about getting re-elected or flexing his power. He cared only about taking care of all people in any and every way he could.

I had the honor of hearing him speak just as I was starting my career. His message was simple and powerful — be honest, take care of others, and build a better world for all beings. His remarks mirrored his actions. He walked the talk. His advice is more important now than ever.

President Carter will be laid to rest in Plains, Georgia in the shade of a willow tree next to his beloved wife, Rosalynn. Symbolically, a willow tree stands for mourning and rebirth, flexibility and adaptability, renewal and vitality, strength and stability, vision, endurance, tranquility, and introspection. These are also the principles President Carter lived by, and the principles he’s calling all of us to live now in the wake of his remarkable life. Let’s honor his legacy and continue it.

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This is why your vote matters

Christa Avampato

These are more energizing scenes from my long weekend of canvassing in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania with Senator Cory Booker, Sue Altman, Mondaire Jones, and for Vice President Kamala Harris and Governor Tim Walz.

Now election day is here! My heart is full of hope. The great Congressman John Lewis said so beautifully, “Freedom isn’t a state; it’s an act.” So is democracy. So is joy.

Voting is how we reaffirm and recommit to our well-being, to each other, to the world, and for our collective future. It is how we evolve this grand experiment of a country. It is, like our favorite characters in novels and throughout history, deeply flawed and deeply loved. Today is the day we exercise our right to make it better for all of us. Please vote.

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New York City’s 2024 election ballot explained

Christa Avampato
nycvotes.org

Early voting starts in New York and New Jersey today, October 26, 2024. In New York City, we have a number of races and proposals on our ballot. Here are informational links about them. Thank you for being a voter, encouraging your friends, family members, and neighbors to vote, and participating in our democracy. 

Early voting days, times, and location

  • Saturday, October 26, 2024 — Sunday, November 3, 2024. Hours vary by day
  • The location of your early voting polling station may be different than your election day polling station.
  • To find the location and hours of your early voting polling site, visit https://findmypollsite.vote.nyc/

Election day

  • Tuesday, November 5th. 6am — 9pm. 
  • The location of your early voting polling station may be different than your election day polling station.
  • To find the location of your election day polling site, visit https://findmypollsite.vote.nyc/

If you’re voting by mail

Candidates on the New York City ballot this year

We will be voting for candidates for the following offices:
President and Vice President
U.S. Senate
Congressional district
State Assembly
State Senate

You can see the candidates who will be on your ballot and read about them at https://www.nycvotes.org/whats-on-the-ballot/2024-state-and-federal-general-election/

Proposals on the New York City ballot this year

We also have six city proposals on our ballot: https://www.nycvotes.org/whats-on-the-ballot/2024-state-and-federal-general-election/2024-ballot-proposals/. 

Here is the name and direct link to each proposal that explains what it means as well as arguments for and against it. Proposal 1 aims to prevent discrimination and enhance civil rights. Proposals 2 — 6 grant increased power to the mayor and the mayor’s appointees.  

Ballot Proposal 1: Adds Certain Rights Protections to the State Bill of Rights
https://www.nycvotes.org/whats-on-the-ballot/2024-state-and-federal-general-election/2024-ballot-proposals/ballot-proposal-1/

Ballot Proposal 2: Cleaning Public Property
https://www.nycvotes.org/whats-on-the-ballot/2024-state-and-federal-general-election/2024-ballot-proposals/ballot-proposal-2/
 
Ballot Proposal 3: Additional Estimates of the Cost of Proposed Laws and Updates to Budget Deadlines
https://www.nycvotes.org/whats-on-the-ballot/2024-state-and-federal-general-election/2024-ballot-proposals/ballot-proposal-3/

Ballot Proposal 4: More Notice and Time Before Votes on Public Safety Legislation
https://www.nycvotes.org/whats-on-the-ballot/2024-state-and-federal-general-election/2024-ballot-proposals/ballot-proposal-4/

Ballot Proposal 5: Capital Planning
https://www.nycvotes.org/whats-on-the-ballot/2024-state-and-federal-general-election/2024-ballot-proposals/ballot-proposal-5/

Ballot Proposal 6: Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (MWBES), Film Permits, and Archive Review Boards
https://www.nycvotes.org/whats-on-the-ballot/2024-state-and-federal-general-election/2024-ballot-proposals/ballot-proposal-6/

Again, thank you for being a voter!

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What it’s like to canvas and knock on voters’ doors in Pennsylvania

Christa Avampato
Photo by Christa Avampato

On Sunday, I hopped on a bus in New York and made my way to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to canvas for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz with the organization Swing Left. This is the first time I’ve ever gone door-to-door for a candidate and I wanted to tell you about my positive experience. With only 3 weeks left before Election Day on Tuesday, November 5th , and early voting and vote by mail already in full swing in many states, now is the time to do everything we can to get out the vote. 

Structure of the day:
At 9:30am, our bus left from 34th Street and 11th Avenue in Manhattan near the Jacob Javits Center. 

We received training on the bus with a sample script that we were encouraged to make our own. We used an app called Minivan that had our voter lists and the script (more on that below). We pair up with another volunteer on the bus to canvass together.

At 11:15am, we arrived at campaign headquarters in Northeast Philadelphia. We had one more quick training with the campaign team, downloaded our voter lists into the Minivan app, and someone drove us to the area where we were going to canvas. 

At 12 noon, we started working down our voter lists, knocking on each door. We had a lot of wonderful conversations with voters about the issues that mattered to them. We encouraged them to vote and explained that Pennsylvania is one of the swing states in this election that would likely decide the final outcome. A lot of voters didn’t know how much their vote matters! 

There were a few people who weren’t interested in talking to us. That’s okay. We thanked them, wished them a good Sunday, and left. With limited time, we have to focus on those who want to engage. If people weren’t home, we left literature for them at their door. 

We kept track of our conversations and if someone was home or not in the Minivan app so that the campaign got all of this information. Once we were comfortable, we split our lists — I took one side of the street and my buddy took the other. We visited 205 homes with 322 voters. (Collectively, our bus visited 4,000 homes!)

At 4pm, we finished our lists. Someone from the campaign picked us up and brought us back to headquarters. We gave feedback to the campaign. Once everyone returned, we got on the bus, debriefed with the Swing Left bus captains, and were back in New York by 8pm.

Messaging:
We were not there to be policy experts. The basic script is to knock on the door, smile, state our name, and explain we’re with the Harris Walz campaign. Then we hit the 3 main points: thank them for being a voter, explain we’re talking to their neighbors who support Kamala and Tim, and ask them about the details of their plan to vote (where, when, and how they plan to vote). We could also ask who they support and why, and which issues matter most to them. What matters most in this work is listening to these voters, and sharing our stories about why we support Kamala and Tim. Before leaving, we thanked them for their time.

Research shows door-to-door canvassing is the single best way to engage voters and turn them out at the polls, increasing voter turnout for a candidate by as much as 10%. Phone banking as well as writing letters and postcards to voters are also effective ways to reach voters, increasing turnout between 1% and 3%. While that might sound small, remember that this is a tight election and every single vote matters. With 21 days left, the race is on. Do everything you can to turn out the vote!

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Campaign communications are bringing the fun and rallying voters

Christa Avampato
Image by Swifties4Kamala.com

Something fascinating and fantastic is happening with campaign communications in 2024 and it warms my story loving heart. In the past, voters have rallied around their political party, social issues, geography, and demographics such as age, race, religion, and ethnicity. This year we’re seeing people rally around their interests, passions, and affinities in support of Kamala Harris and Tim Walz. From comedy and food to pets and music, there is a group for all of us. These groups and their respective Zoom events are using trusted messengers — people with whom we share a common bond and who make us feel safe—to relate to voters on a personal level. 

This week I went to two online incredible online events: Swifties for Kamala organized by Taylor Swift fans and Cooking for Kamala organized by professional celebrity chefs. (They were both recorded so you can watch them at the links below.) Swifties raised over $144,000 and the chefs raised over $225,000 from event attendees. They got people registered to vote, helped people check their voter registration, talked about issues related to their interests (in these cases, corporate monopolies like Ticketmaster and food security, respectively), provided resources for people to volunteer on the campaign to knock on doors, send postcards, make phone calls, combat disinformation and misinformation, and most importantly activate their friends, family members, and communities to turn out the vote this November. 

Swifties for Kamala has a full website, social media accounts, merch for the cause, friendship bracelets (of course!) and a newsletter called Paint the Town Blue where they are continuing to activate their community after the event. What’s even more impressive about Swifties for Kamala is that it’s organized and run only by fans, not celebrities. Taylor herself is not involved, and they had Senator Elizabeth Warren and Carole King attend the event as special guests.

Collectively, all these affinity events and efforts are also doing the important work of reminding all of us that politics is about people and policies. It’s personal. It’s about who we are and who we want to be. It’s about how we live together in community, in harmony. It’s about the world we’re building for ourselves and future generations. While disagreements will inevitably happen, politics can only be effective if it’s about unity and open, clear communications. These affinity events are putting the heart back into government, and they’re giving us hope. 

Some media outlets have said joy is not a strategy. These events show joy is not only a strategy; it’s also a way of being and doing. And it’s working. 

Swifties for Kamala website, social media accounts, and event rewatch:
https://swifties4kamala.com/
https://linktr.ee/swifties4kamala
https://www.youtube.com/live/r9lQlWzQLPQ

Cooking for Kamala event rewatch:
https://pages.hovercast.live/cooking-for-kamala/live

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Kamala Harris official Facebook pages organizing voters and volunteers

Christa Avampato
Harris for New York

As part of my communications work to help Kamala and Tim win in November, I’m so happy to be a moderator for the Facebook group Harris for New York. Every state has its own group and these are official groups run by Kamala’s and Tim’s campaign. (You’ll also see me posting on Harris for Pennsylvania and Harris for Georgia.) I was a moderator for Pantsuit Nation in 2016. I’m using everything I learned then to help Tim and Kamala win. 

These pages are places to build community, get organized with others in your state, share information, and volunteer the time, talents, and resources you have to win this election. To find your state group, go to the search bar and type in “Harris for [state]”. The logo will look like the one below — a blue background with white text that says “Harris for [state]”. 

You join a state’s page based on where you live, work, went to school, or another important tie to it. Every request to join and every post in every state Facebook group is reviewed by moderators like me. 

While we combat misinformation and disinformation, the vast majority of the posts by moderators and members are positive, uplifting, and focus on Kamala and Tim’s stance on all the issues. These groups are also where we share official posts with information directly from the campaign. Also, they are places of JOY!

We’ve got 74 days until election day. Let’s make every day count. We have no time to waste.

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My letter to President Biden after the World Central Kitchen tragedy in Gaza

Christa Avampato
From World Central Kitchen. https://wck.org/

In the aftermath of the World Central Kitchen tragedy that took the lives of 7 humanitarian aid workers in Gaza this week, I wrote a letter to President Biden on Wednesday evening. The text of my letter is below. My hope is that my letter will inspire other people to not just post on social media but also to write to all of their elected officials and policy makers as a way of pushing for change at a system level.

“Dear President Biden,

On the news tonight, I heard you’re speaking to Prime Minister Netanyahu tomorrow. I know you receive a multitude of letters and that mine will likely never reach you but I’ve been so racked by grief at the tremendous loss of life in Gaza, especially the aid workers from World Central Kitchen, that I had to write to you.

This war’s made it unsafe for Americans to be abroad and unsafe to be Jewish, even in a city as diverse and accepting as New York City, where I live. This war is starving millions of people. It’s killed tens of thousands, the majority children and women. It’s maimed, disabled, and orphaned an untold number of innocent people. The people of Gaza are penned in with nowhere to go, no safe passage out and no safe space within.

I know the situation is complicated. I know the Jewish people have suffered for decades, for centuries. I know October 7th was a horrific unspeakable act by Hamas. And I also know what Netanyahu’s government is doing now is as cruel and inhumane as what has been done to them. The people of Gaza and Israel deserve better. They deserve peace. Netanyahu will never give them peace. And so, we have to use every resource we have to stand for peace: A stop on weapons, funding, and support for Netanyahu.

The second term of your presidency is on the line, and with it the future of our nation and the world. We’re asking you to lead, to protect us, to stand on the side of humanity and peace, and that means we cannot stand with Netanyahu. That way lies another Trump presidency, more anti-Semitism, and more anti-American sentiment. We and the world cannot afford any of that.

This war must end and Netanyahu must go. And you must be the one to take that stand. It’s as simple and as complex as that. I know it’s painful. I know it’s difficult. It must be done and you must do it, for all our sakes.

Sincerely yours,
Christa Avampato”