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NORTH AMERICAN Newsline MARCH 01, 2024 | The Indian Eye 30

NEWSMAKERS OF THE WEEK

Selected stories about Indian diaspora from our website www.theindianeye.com

MEERA JOSHI TULSI GABBARD

Mayor Adams recommends Democrat ‘open’ to talks on

Dy Mayor to serve on MTA board running as Trump’s mate

ew York City Mayor Eric Adams recently announced the recommen- ndian-American Tulsi Gabbard, a 2020 Democratic presidential candi-
dation of Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi to serve on the date, has spoken to Republican frontrunner Donald Trump and his advi-
NMetropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Board, showcasing his Isors about the country’s foreign policy, keeping her options as the former
commitment to providing New Yorkers with a safe, reliable, and accessible President’s 2024 running mate ‘open’, according to media reports.
public transportation system. Now, with the country likely set for a Trump-Joe Biden rematch in 2024,
Currently overseeing the Adams administration’s transportation and in- the talks with Gabbard focused on how the Defence Department should be
frastructure portfolio, Deputy Mayor Joshi spearheads the administration’s run in case of a second Trump term, The Washington Post reported.
street safety work — which helped make 2023 New York City’s second-safest The talks with Gabbard — who has staked out a role as an outspoken
year for pedestrians since Vision Zero began in 2014 — while also creating critic of aid to Ukraine and US military interventions overseas — are part of
vibrant public spaces in all five boroughs and preparing the city for congestion a broader conversation about how Trump would manage the Pentagon differ-
pricing. Her MTA board nomination is subject to New York State Senate ently if voters award him a second term.
confirmation. Trump has repeatedly told advisers and donors in recent months that one
As per Mayor Adams, Deputy Mayor Joshi will help secure the MTA’s of his biggest mistakes was his personnel choices at the Pentagon, where he
future and deliver a world-class, safe, reliable, and accessible transportation says he was stymied by officials with diverging opinions, as cited by The Wash-
system to all New Yorkers. Elaborating further, Mayor Adams said that New ington Post.
York City’s transit system is its backbone, and once confirmed to the MTA Also, with Trump telling his advisors and donors time and again that his
Board, Deputy Mayor Joshi will help ensure that this backbone is stronger personnel choices at the Pentagon cost him, there were broader conversations
than ever. He thanked Governor Hochul and the partners at the MTA for on how Trump 2.0 would manage things differently.
their collaboration on moving New York city forward. A military veteran, who served in the Iraq war between 2004 and 2005
“Perhaps nothing impacts the smooth operations of New York more than for the Hawaii Army National Guard before entering Congress, Gabbard has
its public transit system; it is the backbone around which our economy func- long been critical of US intervention overseas and has also blamed Russia’s
tions and our identity as New Yorkers is built. Supporting the MTA’s fiscal invasion of Ukraine on Biden’s failed foreign policy.
and operational wellbeing through this moment of transition would be a great Gabbard was elected to Congress in 2012 as a Democrat and left Con-
honor and privilege,” said Deputy Mayor Joshi. “From delivering needed up- gress in 2021 after four terms and a failed presidential campaign. After drop-
grades to effectively operationalizing congestion pricing, I am committed to ping out, she endorsed Joe Biden for the 2020 presidency. But in recent years,
faithfully serving the people of New York as a member of the MTA’s Board she has spoken at the Conservative Political Action Conference, filled in for
of Directors. I am deeply grateful for Mayor Adams’ nomination and look Tucker Carlson on his former Fox News show and made other appearances in
forward to the State Senate’s review.” front of Republicans.
Prior to joining the Adams administration, Joshi was President Joe “I’d be open to that conversation. My mission in life is to serve our country
Biden’s nominee for administrator of the U.S. Department of Transporta- and serve the American people and find the best way to be able to do that,”
tion’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the agency responsible Gabbard said.
for regulation of interstate trucking. Continued on next page... >>

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