Yetta Kurland Answers to DFNYC 2013 Candidate Questionnaire

Yetta Kurland is running for NYC Council in District 3, on the west side of Manhattan. YettaKurland.com. To see the list of candidates and other facts about this district, click here.

Yetta Kurland's Answers to the DFNYC 2013 Candidate Questionnaire:

1. Money in NYC Politics. Large donors, specifically real estate developers and landlords, have a huge amount of influence in NYC politics due to their campaign contributions. While NYC’s matching funds programs is seen as one of the most innovative public funding campaigns in the country, many DFNYC members feel that big money donors still have too much influence and candidates still spend too much time fundraising. Would you support a change to full public financing of campaigns, similar to the Clean Money Clean Elections programs in Arizona, Connecticut and Maine?

Yes. Clean Money, Clean Elections is by far the best system. The system should be crafted so as to work around recent (wrongly decided, in my legal opinion) court decisions limiting the use of “triggers” to discourage candidates from opting out. A CMCE system would not only eliminate dependence on big money contributors, it would save the City millions in compliance costs. Properly implemented, CMCE could also provide another avenue for ballot access, further democratizing our city elections.

2. Tenant Protection & Cost of Housing. Do you support rent stabilization and rent control laws? What will you do to crack down on landlords that break the law? Would you call on the state legislature to repeal vacancy decontrol and more generally, the Urstadt Law, so that New York City – and not Albany – can enact its own housing laws?

Yes. Yes. And Yes. Rent regulation is by far the largest and most important source of affordable housing inNew York City. As an attorney, I have worked with many tenants to fight against unscrupulous landlords and keep our neighbors in their rent stabilized and rent controlled homes. I believe tenants inHousing Courtfacing eviction have a right to counsel, and will work to make that a reality. Having worked inHousing Court, I know this measure could save many thousands of families from eviction per year. Vacancy decontrol encourages the worst in predatory landlord tactics. It should be ended. The Urstadt Law is undemocratic, and I will continue to fight for its repeal.

3. Paid Sick Leave. There is currently a bill in the city council that would require companies in NYC with 5 or more employees to give 5 paid sick days per year to each employee (if they do not already). While many councilmembers support this, it has not been brought to a vote. Supporters feel this is much needed public health legislation that would only minimally raise labor costs, while opponents say that it would be an unfair financial burden to small business. Do you support the bill and will you actively work to get it passed?

Sources:

For Paid Sick Leave: http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/labor/news/2012/11/16/45152/myth-vs-fact-paid-sick-days/

Against Paid Sick Leave: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/opedcolumnists/why_we_reject_sick_leave_bill_03pE50CZMFiHFhXzasDMLL

I have long been an advocate of paid sick leave. I am the only candidate in the 3rd District to have signed a Working Families Party letter calling on the Speaker to release the bill. As a small business owner, I know the value of healthy employees, and have always given my employees paid sick leave commensurate to their needs. The recent deal on this legislation is a step forward, but a disappointing one. I will work with the Progressive Caucus and others to see the policy expanded.

4. Fair Police Practices & Occupy Wall Street. The New York City Police Department has been highly criticized for its Stop & Frisk policy, which disproportionally affects racial minorities and poor and working class New Yorkers. The NYPD has also been criticized for its treatment of activists in the Occupy Wall Street movement. Do you support ending or modifying Stop & Frisk? If running for mayor, will you keep Ray Kelly or appoint a new police commissioner? Do you think Mayor Bloomberg and the NYPD should have handled events in the OWS movement differently and what measures will you take to protect political demonstrations?

As a civil rights attorney and activist, I have stood against NYPD abuses in the streets, in courtrooms and in City Hall. I am the lead attorney on major federal civil rights litigation regarding police misconduct in response to the OWS movement. My clients in the case include City Councilmembers Letitia James, Melissa Mark-Viverito, Ydanis Rodriguez and Jumaane Williams as well as several journalists, and we are seeking redress including federal oversight of the NYPD. I have also been a consistent critic of the practice of Stop-And-Frisk, and will use the powers of the City Council to ensure that the NYPD are part of our neighborhoods, not an occupying force. The streets ofNew York Cityare our streets. And whether we use them for political protest of merely walking home as an African-American or Latino male, we have the inalienable right to do so unmolested by law enforcement without legitimate probable cause.

5. Mayoral Control of Education. Mayoral Control of NYC schools is set to expiren 2016, but the state legislature can renew it. If elected to city government, you will not directly vote on mayoral control, but you will have a ‘bully pulpit’ as renewal is discussed in the next 3 years. Do you support keeping Mayoral Control as is, letting it expire, or making changes, for example to the hearing process for controversial decisions? (Examples: Co-locations of multiple schools in one building, providing district school space to charter schools, phasing out schools that have been labeled as “failing” due to high dropout rates, low test scores, or other factors.)

Mayoral Control was put into place to fix an old system of governance that was clearly not working. Now, it is the Mayor that is held accountable for the vast majority of the actions taken by our city’s government. However, I believe that in the past several years the voice of the community has not been adequately heard. We can reform this system so that if we retain Mayoral Control, we also give power to the people and a checks and balances in government so that there is accountability and community input.

6. Teacher Evaluation. A key area where the mayor has influence in public education is in the negotiation of a contract with NYC’s public school teachers. Please give your opinion on the following proposed ways to evaluate teachers for the purpose of tenure, salary and other job benefits: Improvement in student test scores, observations by other teachers, student surveys, whether the teacher has an advanced degree, a principal’s evaluation of a teacher. Should principals be allowed to do unannounced observations of teachers? Do you have any experience negotiating labor union contracts?

We need more authentic evaluation that is better at reliably and validly determining both student and teacher performance.

7. Co-location of charter schools. City officials do not decide how many charter schools can exist, or grant requests to be a charter school. However, the Department of Education - currently controlled by the Mayor - may decide to provide charter schools with space, usually by "co-location" with district public schools. While more than half of NYC schools (not just charters) are co-located, it is a controversial topic when a charter school is involved. Critics argue that cash-strapped district schools should not be forced to share resources with charter schools and that co-location creates a morale problem when students and parents see the contrast. Co-location advocates argue that charter schools are public schools and should have an equal right to publicly owned resources such as buildings, charter schools do not receive funding for space and therefore operate at a severe financial disadvantage if they have to find private space, and that differences between co-located schools result from decisions the principals make about how to spend their per-pupil funding. Do you support the DOE giving public school space to charter schools?

Sources:  Against – Click here for funding and space arguments.  In Favor: Click here for Funding   Click here for Space (pdf)

I do not believe co-location of DOE Public schools and Charter Schools has worked.

8. The City Wage Tax. New York City’s budget depends in large part on the city wage tax, which is only paid by residents, not everyone who works in NYC. Would you call on the state legislature to allow NYC to collect the tax from people from the suburbs who work in NYC and benefit from our services (police, fire, etc.)? Would you support efforts to collect the tax from people who actually live in New York City but use a second home (a loophole not available to middle class New Yorkers with just one home) to avoid the city wage tax? If these efforts work, would you be willing to reduce the city wage tax so that workers would have more take home pay, and there would be less incentive for people to move to the suburbs, reducing our tax base?

In answer to Questions 8 and 9 -- Yes and the taxation inNew York Cityis currently unfair and regressive. NYC’s tax structure is currently built on a flat-tax model. This model has been shown to be inefficient in terms of revenue generation and economic stimulation – and places far too much burden on the city’s working and middle classes. A far bigger source of lost revenue are the unconscionable tax breaks given to large real estate developers. While some of this is controlled by the State Legislature, the City Council can work creatively to change this (as the revenue comes out of city coffers). Zoning regulations, for example, can require the inclusion of affordable housing, new school space and other resources in new development. This would obviate the need for costly 421-A and other tax breaks. I support a financial transaction tax at the Federal level.

9. Other Taxes. Do you support progressive taxation? Do you support Governor Cuomo’s approach to the marginal tax rate on high incomes? What is your opinion on the current property tax in NYC? Would you support a federal financial transaction tax to either raise revenue, reduce the practice of high frequency trading, or both?

In answer to Questions 8 and 9 -- Yes and the taxation inNew York Cityis currently unfair and regressive. NYC’s tax structure is currently built on a flat-tax model. This model has been shown to be inefficient in terms of revenue generation and economic stimulation – and places far too much burden on the city’s working and middle classes. A far bigger source of lost revenue are the unconscionable tax breaks given to large real estate developers. While some of this is controlled by the State Legislature, the City Council can work creatively to change this (as the revenue comes out of city coffers). Zoning regulations, for example, can require the inclusion of affordable housing, new school space and other resources in new development. This would obviate the need for costly 421-A and other tax breaks. I support a financial transaction tax at the Federal level.

10. Poverty & the Social Safety Net. According to a 2012 report by the Fedration of Protestant Welfare Agencies, many struggling New Yorkers are eligible for welfare, but have not been able to obtain it due to onerous application requirements, and the excessive and arbitrary use of “sanctions” by the City’s Human Resources Administration (HRA). These obstacles have caused very little increase in welfare cases during the recent recession, as contrasted with large increases in Food Stamps and Medicaid. Would you change HRA to make it easier for eligible families to obtain cash assistance, connect them to jobs or meaningful job training, and reform the improper use of sanctions? How would you manage New York City's social safety net programs to ensure that people get the help they need, while at the same time preventing fraud? Report: http:/www.fpwa.org/cgi-bin/iowa/policy/article/218.html

New York Cityshould be a leader in caring for all of our neighbors. The system of sanctions and fees imposed by the current administration are bad social policy, mean-spirited, and penny-wise and pound-foolish. The additional costs imposed by families “slipping through the cracks” more than outweigh the savings from nickel-and-diming the hardest hit New Yorkers. These “sanctions” should be ended – as should the stigma on poverty that they represent.

11. Homelessness. When Mayor Bloomberg first ran, he promised to introduce policies to drastically reduce the numbers of people who are homeless in our city. But during the twelve years of his administration, the numbers of homeless have increased dramatically each year. This is in addition to the approximately 50,000 people sleeping in shelters on an average night, according to a recent report by the Coalition for the Homeless. What would you do to deal with this sad situation? Sources: http://www.coalitionforthehomeless.org/pages/state-of-the-homeless-2013 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/20/nyregion/20homeless.html

Adding new affordable housing, and preserving our existing stock, are vital to the long term survival of the city we love. While that alone will not solve the crisis of homelessness, long term it will take tremendous pressure off the system. In the short term, the shelter system must be expanded. Families should be kept together, and no city funds should support agencies that do not welcome LGBT and other clients. Finally, access to healthcare facilities and substance abuse treatment on demand can provide the help many of our neighbors need to get off the streets and we must increase funding for LGBTQ youth homelessness and other at risk groups.

12. Hurricane Sandy & Environmental Protection. The devastating impact that Hurricane Sandy had on New York City poses short term and long term challenges: immediate support for those who lost their homes and businesses, and climate change, respectively. What measures do you support for helping Sandy recovery efforts, as well as energy conservation and reducing the carbon footprint of New York City? What is your position on hydraulic fracturing and the Spectra pipeline?

After Super Storm Sandy, the effects of climate change are learer than ever. We will continue to see more severe storms. I have been committed to protecting the environment. InNew York, a key place to start is opposing the misguided efforts to open our state to hydro-fracking. On theLower West Side, I have vigorously opposed the Spectra gas pipeline in courtrooms and in the street. In the City Council, I will continue that fight. Immediately after the storm, I worked with a number of community groups, including TWU 100 and Transit Forward, to organize relief operations for thousands in our district and in hard hit places likeStaten Islandand the Rockaways. As the only 3rd council district candidate directly organizing relief city-wide, we were able to collect and distribute tens of thousands of cans, water and other needed supplies and distribute them both to our community and others. During the storm, the dangers of putting too much of our city’s resources on our waterfront was laid bare. I will work to see that our city – from NYCHA to our hospitals to sanitation to the MTA – are prepared for inevitable effects of climate change on New Yorkers. As we reallocate resources in response to the storm, we must be sure that heretofore public facilities are not relegated to private use as part of a redevelopment plan. Likewise, as we view safety plans, we must look at the whole city – and not just protect the wealthier, so-called core neighborhoods and facilities. To protect some neighborhoods at the expense of others would be to fail.

13. Gun Control. While DFNYC members have long supported gun cotrol, the December 14th shooting in Newtown, Connecticut seems to have changed the debate on the national level. Do you support the proposals President Obama made to (a) renew and fix the assault weapons ban, (b) ban high capacity magazines (limit the number of bullets that can be shot before reloading), and (c) improve the background check system? Please indicate any other methods you would support to reduce gun violence, including how you would implement them, for example: gun buy-back programs, training programs for gun owners, improved access to mental health care, and involving the business community in gun safety.

I am, and have long been, a firm advocate for tighter gun control legislation. I organized the rally in response to Rep. Gabby Giffords and others being shot in January of 2011 and have continued to be a voice advocating for gun control. I have worked to promote stricter and universal background checks, bans on military style weaponry and high capacity magazines and more can do a lot to reduce gun violence. I help organize the massive gun reform rally inHarlemthis year and advocated for the passage NY Safe Act. NYC has some of the best gun control laws in the country, but unfortunately, until real action is taken at the Federal level, real progress will be slow because we will always be as vulnerable as our neighbors are.

14. Choice & Marriage Equality. Please briefly state your position on the following three issues: marriage equality for gays & lesbians, a woman's right to choose, and access to birth control. (25 words or less)

I support full and equal marriage for all. I support a woman’s right to make her own reproductive choices from contraception to abortion regardless of ability to pay or luck of geography. I was on the board of Marriage Equality and part of the coalition that won marriage inNew YorkStateand I sit on the board of MEUSA as we fight to repeal DOMA federally. I am also a longtime feminist advocating for women’s rights and proudly endorsed by EMILY’s List, Women’s Campaign Fund, and the Women’s Democratic Club of NYC.

~Yetta Kurland, candidate for NYC Council in District 3, on the west side of Manhattan. YettaKurland.com.  

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Corey Johnson Answers to DFNYC Candidate Questionnaire

Corey Johnson is running for NYC Council in District 3 on the west side of Manhattan. For our list of candidates and other facts about this race, click here.

Corey Johnson's Answers to DFNYC's 2013 Candidate Questionnaire:

1. Money in NYC Politics. Large donors, specifically real estate developers and landlords, have a huge amount of influence in NYC politics due to their campaign contributions. While NYC’s matching funds programs is seen as one of the most innovative public funding campaigns in the country, many DFNYC members feel that big money donors still have too much influence and candidates still spend too much time fundraising. Would you support a change to full public financing of campaigns, similar to the Clean Money Clean Elections programs in Arizona, Connecticut and Maine?

Public financing of elections removes the undue influence exercised by large donors and enables candidates to engage with the community and issues of import rather than moneyed sources. Clean Money Clean Elections has a proven track record of delivering both elected officials and legislation free of corporate interests and should be expanded nationwide to the fullest extent allowable by law.

2. Tenant Protection & Cost of Housing. Do you support rent stabilization and rent control laws? What will you do to crack down on landlords that break the law? Would you call on the state legislature to repeal vacancy decontrol and more generally, the Urstadt Law, so that New York City – and not Albany – can enact its own housing laws?

Rent regulation is crucial to preserving the diversity and vibrancy of our city while affording all who work, or worked, in our communities the ability to partake in the metropolis they built. The recent creation of the Tenant Protection Unit at HCR was an important step forward in regulating landlord harassment and maltreatment of tenants but additional funding must be secured and regulations implemented to prevent the collection of a rent increase, and in some extreme cases rent at all, unless the landlord can prove compliance with safety, health and maintenance standards. Home rule control of our rent regulated housing should be restored to NYC but must be accompanied with an overhaul of the RGB procedures and to guarantee the Council a role in reviewing appointees.

3. Paid Sick Leave. There is currently a bill in the city council that would require companies in NYC with 5 or more employees to give 5 paid sick days per year to each employee (if they do not already). While many councilmembers support this, it has not been brought to a vote. Supporters feel this is much needed public health legislation that would only minimally raise labor costs, while opponents say that it would be an unfair financial burden to small business. Do you support the bill and will you actively work to get it passed? Sources: ~For: http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/labor/news/2012/11/16/45152/myth-vs-fact-paid-sick-days/ ~Against: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/opedcolumnists/why_we_reject_sick_leave_bill_03pE50CZMFiHFhXzasDMLL

I was proud to support Intro 97-A and lead MCB4 in passing a resolution in support of paid sick leave. I am glad that a compromise was reached this past week to in the coming two years extend coverage to businesses with greater than 15 employees, and will work to expand those covered after the successful implementation of this initial round and release of the mandated IBO report.

4. Fair Police Practices & Occupy Wall Street. The New York City Police Department has been highly criticized for its Stop & Frisk policy, which disproportionally affects racial minorities and poor and working class New Yorkers. The NYPD has also been criticized for its treatment of activists in the Occupy Wall Street movement. Do you support ending or modifying Stop & Frisk? If running for mayor, will you keep Ray Kelly or appoint a new police commissioner? Do you think Mayor Bloomberg and the NYPD should have handled events in the OWS movement differently and what measures will you take to protect political demonstrations?

I have been a leader in opposing the NYPD’s stop and frisk policy which breeds distrust and divides communities. The targeting of minority and trans communities must not be tolerated. As Chair of Community Board 4 I spoke out with other CB Chairs and the Borough President in opposing the policy and in support of the Community Safety Act. The mishandling of OWS by the NYPD speaks to the need for strengthened oversight of the department by both the CCRB and an IG. I’ve been able to work productively with local police precinct and community councils on making sure that police and the great community work together on public safety and I hope that such a spirit of communication will pervade future long-term actions.

5. Mayoral Control of Education. Mayoral Control of NYC schools is set to expire in 2016, but the state legislature can renew it. If elected to city government, you will not directly vote on mayoral control, but you will have a ‘bully pulpit’ as renewal is discussed in the next 3 years. Do you support keeping Mayoral Control as is, letting it expire, or making changes, for example to the hearing process for controversial decisions? (Examples: Co-locations of multiple schools in one building, providing district school space to charter schools, phasing out schools that have been labeled as “failing” due to high dropout rates, low test scores, or other factors.)

I believe that the present appointment process to the PEP is flawed and that it should be revised to afford the City Council representation and to remove the ability for the appointing official to remove members at their leisure. I further believe that in addition to maintaining the numerical obligations concerning the parent membership of the central body, all additional members should either be accredited educators, administrators or parents and anyone directly employed by the appointing official should be precluded from service. I formerly Co-Chaired the Education Committee on Community Board 4 before I became Chair of the Board and worked with local public schools, PTAs, students and teachers in making sure that our local schools are adequately funded. I also helped ensure that Board 4 adopted a resolution opposing the co-location of charter schools in Community Education Council District 2. CECs should be granted additional oversight over the disposition and utilization of DOE space and ULURP should be extended to allow Community Boards a role in the sale and lease of school space to developers.

6. Teacher Evaluation. A key area where the mayor has influence in public education is in the negotiation of a contract with NYC’s public school teachers. Please give your opinion on the following proposed ways to evaluate teachers for the purpose of tenure, salary and other job benefits: Improvement in student test scores, observations by other teachers, student surveys, whether the teacher has an advanced degree, a principal’s evaluation of a teacher. Should principals be allowed to do unannounced observations of teachers? Do you have any experience negotiating labor union contracts?

One of the biggest failures of the present administration has been its refusal to engage in good-faith negotiations with municipal unions, including the UFT (and also imperiling our children recently the ATU). Any rubric for teacher evaluation should be focused on peer and supervisor evaluations with the primary purpose being professional development and constructive growth rather than retention and benefits.

7. Co-location of charter schools. City officials do not decide how many charter schools can exist, or grant requests to be a charter school. However, the Department of Education - currently controlled by the Mayor - may decide to provide charter schools with space, usually by "co-location" with district public schools. While more than half of NYC schools (not just charters) are co-located, it is a controversial topic when a charter school is involved. Critics argue that cash-strapped district schools should not be forced to share resources with charter schools and that co-location creates a morale problem when students and parents see the contrast. Co-location advocates argue that charter schools are public schools and should have an equal right to publicly owned resources such as buildings, charter schools do not receive funding for space and therefore operate at a severe financial disadvantage if they have to find private space, and that differences between co-located schools result from decisions the principals make about how to spend their per-pupil funding. Do you support the DOE giving public school space to charter schools?

Sources:  Against – Click here for funding and space arguments.  In Favor: Click here for Funding   Click here for Space (pdf)

I formerly Co-Chaired the Education Committee on Community Board 4 before I became Chair of the Board and worked with local public schools, PTAs, students and teachers in making sure that our local schools are adequately funded. I also helped ensure that Board 4 adopted a resolution opposing the co-location of charter schools in Community Education Council District 2. Such co-locations drain resources from the schools where they are housed and among others imperil magnet grants, access to physical education, reasonable lunchtimes and the necessary spaces for arts and music education.

8. The City Wage Tax. New York City’s budget depends in large part on the city wage tax, which is only paid by residents, not everyone who works in NYC. Would you call on the state legislature to allow NYC to collect the tax from people from the suburbs who work in NYC and benefit from our services (police, fire, etc.)? Would you support efforts to collect the tax from people who actually live in New York City but use a second home (a loophole not available to middle class New Yorkers with just one home) to avoid the city wage tax? If these efforts work, would you be willing to reduce the city wage tax so that workers would have more take home pay, and there would be less incentive for people to move to the suburbs, reducing our tax base?

All those who work within the confines of NYC should be contributing city wage taxes. By legislating the collection of this tax from non-residents of the city, the incentive to claim an alternative address for the purpose of avoiding this tax will be eliminated. This additional revenue will allow us to reduce the burden on those families unable to afford a second home and by eliminating the incentive to reside elsewhere stimulate our economy throughout.

9. Other Taxes. Do you support progressive taxation? Do you support Governor Cuomo’s approach to the marginal tax rate on high incomes? What is your opinion on the current property tax in NYC? Would you support a federal financial transaction tax to either raise revenue, reduce the practice of high frequency trading, or both?

I support a permanent New York City Progressive Income Taxation (PIT) system on the top 4% of city filers that would raise approximately $1 billion of new City revenue to protect working-and middle-class families from service cuts and regressive tax increases. The NYC property tax system is in need of significant overhaul and reform. It should be revised to ensure that an owner-occupied condo or coop pays the same rate as a comparably valued single family home and that investment and non-owner occupied properties are taxed at a higher rate.

10. Poverty & the Social Safety Net. According to a 2012 report by the Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies, many struggling New Yorkers are eligible for welfare, but have not been able to obtain it due to onerous application requirements, and the excessive and arbitrary use of “sanctions” by the City’s Human Resources Administration (HRA). These obstacles have caused very little increase in welfare cases during the recent recession, as contrasted with large increases in Food Stamps and Medicaid. Would you change HRA to make it easier for eligible families to obtain cash assistance, connect them to jobs or meaningful job training, and reform the improper use of sanctions? How would you manage New York City's social safety net programs to ensure that people get the help they need, while at the same time preventing fraud? Report: http:/www.fpwa.org/cgi-bin/iowa/policy/article/218.html

It is a shame that at the same time last month we celebrated an all-time high on the stock market, NYC was facing an all-time high in our shelter census. We must do everything possible to eliminate any and all obstacles preventing eligible families from obtaining the necessary assistance and training to live their lives with dignity. The application process must be revised to eliminate onerous requirements and the improper use of sanctions ceased. The question of fraud is a red herring and any and all benefits of increased access far outstrips any potential savings from these onerous processes.

11. Homelessness. When Mayor Bloomberg first ran, he promised to introduce policies to drastically reduce the numbers of people who are homeless in our city. But during the twelve years of his administration, the numbers of homeless have increased dramatically each year. This is in addition to the approximately 50,000 people sleeping in shelters on an average night, according to a recent report by the Coalition for the Homeless. What would you do to deal with this sad situation? Sources: http://www.coalitionforthehomeless.org/pages/state-of-the-homeless-2013 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/20/nyregion/20homeless.html

The recent actions of the administration itself have only exacerbated the homeless census through the elimination of Advantage and other access to permanence programs and a method of securing emergency shelters that erodes at an already shrinking base of affordable housing. We need to develop programs that will train and care for our homeless population and improve their economic conditions while moving them towards self-sustaining jobs and homes. For those who are homeless as a result of mental or physical illness, additional case management and support services need to be deployed to deliver the necessary resources.

12. Hurricane Sandy & Environmental Protection. The devastating impact that Hurricane Sandy had on New York City poses short term and long term challenges: immediate support for those who lost their homes and businesses, and climate change, respectively. What measures do you support for helping Sandy recovery efforts, as well as energy conservation and reducing the carbon footprint of New York City? What is your position on hydraulic fracturing and the Spectra pipeline?

The efforts to rebuild in the wake of Hurricane Sandy highlight a long-standing need for a public works program. At a time with interest rates at a historic low I support a “21st Century WPA for NYC”. By creating a public works program that stimulates investment in infrastructure to make NYC more resilient in the face of climate change, including storm-surge adaptations, clean energy and below-grade infrastructure we will be creating a platform for economic growth and neighborhood stability. I’ve opposed hydrofracking as Chair of Community Board 4 and also oppose the Spectra pipeline being built under the Hudson River and coming into neighborhoods on the West Side. I’ve led the charge on these important environmental issues in my community.

13. Gun Control. While DFNYC members have long supported gun control, the December 14th shooting in Newtown, Connecticut seems to have changed the debate on the national level. Do you support the proposals President Obama made to (a) renew and fix the assault weapons ban, (b) ban high capacity magazines (limit the number of bullets that can be shot before reloading), and (c) improve the background check system? Please indicate any other methods you would support to reduce gun violence, including how you would implement them, for example: gun buy-back programs, training programs for gun owners, improved access to mental health care, and involving the business community in gun safety.

I support both the NY SAFE Act in its original form and the President’s proposal to renew and strengthen the AWB, ban high capacity magazines and eliminate gun show and other loopholes in the background check system. Gun buyback and community education programs as well as microstamping and finger trigger locks are important tools in removing guns from our streets and preventing unauthorized persons from discharging them.

14. Choice & Marriage Equality. Please briefly state your position on the following three issues: marriage equality for gays & lesbians, a woman's right to choose, and access to birth control. (25 words or less)

I wholeheartedly support marriage equality for all, a woman’s right to choose and access to birth control.

~ Corey Johnson, candidate for NYC Council, District 3, Corey2013.com

Julie Menin Answers to DFNYC Candidate Questionnaire

Julie Menin is running for Manhattan Borough President in 2013. JulieMenin2013.com

Julie Menin's Answers to the DFNYC Candidate Questionnaire:

1. Money in NYC Politics. Large donors, specifically real estate developers and landlords, have a huge amount of influence in NYC politics due to their campaign contributions. While NYC’s matching funds programs is seen as one of the most innovative public funding campaigns in the country, many DFNYC members feel that big money donors still have too much influence and candidates still spend too much time fundraising. Would you support a change to full public financing of campaigns, similar to the Clean Money Clean Elections programs in Arizona, Connecticut and Maine?

I have chosen to participate in New York City's matching funds program because I believe in a level playing field for the candidates free from outsized influences. Time spent fundraising is better spent engaging with our constituencies and focusing on the issues. I wholeheartedly support Clean Money Clean Elections programs, and would support New York's adoption of full public financing of campaigns to the extent permissible by law.

2. Tenant Protection & Cost of Housing. Do you support rent stabilization and rent control laws? What will you do to crack down on landlords that break the law? Would you call on the state legislature to repeal vacancy decontrol and more generally, the Urstadt Law, so that New York City – and not Albany – can enact its own housing laws?

I support rent stabilization and rent control laws, and have been an outspoken advocate for the repeal of vacancy deregulation. Landlords should be obligated to prove their compliance with the law, health, safety and maintenance standards and a history of no harassment before being granted a rent increase. Home rule of our rent-regulated housing must be returned from Albany but must also be accompanied by overhaul of the RGB to increase the voice of tenants and our elected legislators. I have already released a policy paper detailing how we could build more affordable housing through instituting a master plan. The plan, found here: http://juliemenin.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Land-Use-Final-3.22.13.pdf, would ensure that school seats, affordable housing, open space, healthcare facilities and other needs are mandated with any new development project.

3. Paid Sick Leave. There is currently a bill in the city council that would require companies in NYC with 5 or more employees to give 5 paid sick days per year to each employee (if they do not already). While many councilmembers support this, it has not been brought to a vote. Supporters feel this is much needed public health legislation that would only minimally raise labor costs, while opponents say that it would be an unfair financial burden to small business. Do you support the bill and will you actively work to get it passed?

Sources:

~For: http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/labor/news/2012/11/16/45152/myth-vs-fact-paid-sick-days/

~Against: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/opedcolumnists/why_we_reject_sick_leave_bill_03pE50CZMFiHFhXzasDMLL

I support the bill for paid sick leave, and I am delighted that the City Council was finally able to pass a version of this legislation. I agree that the bill would only minimally raise labor costs (8 cents an hour according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics), and it is also good for business by reducing turnover, increasing productivity, and minimizing emergency room visits. On a side note, I must state my disappointment with the compromise measures, such as delaying the effect of the law, tying implementation to the financial index, and reducing the amount of coverage by only applying the measure to larger businesses (15-20 employees or more). I hope that in the years ahead as the bill is implemented and is proven to not comprise the success of small business, we can collaborate to lower the employee threshold.

4. Fair Police Practices & Occupy Wall Street. The New York City Police Department has been highly criticized for its Stop & Frisk policy, which disproportionally affects racial minorities and poor and working class New Yorkers. The NYPD has also been criticized for its treatment of activists in the Occupy Wall Street movement. Do you support ending or modifying Stop & Frisk? If running for mayor, will you keep Ray Kelly or appoint a new police commissioner? Do you think Mayor Bloomberg and the NYPD should have handled events in the OWS movement differently and what measures will you take to protect political demonstrations?

I have been a vocal critic of the Mayor's Stop & Frisk policy, and as Chair of Community Board 1 in Lower Manhattan, I worked to protect Occupy Wall Street's political demonstration. Stop & Frisk was responsible for stopping about 684,000 people in 2011, the vast majority being African-American or Latino. I believe that this calls for major reform, so that we ensure stops are being made only on the basis of suspected criminal activity, and not on the basis of race. As for Occupy Wall Street, I am proud of the work that I did to hammer out a "Good Neighbor Agreement" between the protesters and the community. I believe that this was the right approach, as we were protecting Occupy's right to protest while improving the quality of life for neighboring residents and business.

5. Mayoral Control of Education. Mayoral Control of NYC schools is set to expire in 2016, but the state legislature can renew it. If elected to city government, you will not directly vote on mayoral control, but you will have a ‘bully pulpit’ as renewal is discussed in the next 3 years. Do you support keeping Mayoral Control as is, letting it expire, or making changes, for example to the hearing process for controversial decisions? (Examples: Co-locations of multiple schools in one building, providing district school space to charter schools, phasing out schools that have been labeled as “failing” due to high dropout rates, low test scores, or other factors.)

If elected Manhattan Borough President, I would use my appointee to the Panel for Educational Policy to push for a strengthened role for parents in the oversight of public schools. I believe that Community Education Councils should be granted additional power concerning the review of space utilization decisions and dispositions which should also be made subject to ULURP. As a long-time critic against co-locations for charter schools, I feel we must do more to increase democratic participation and transparency when it comes to our schools.

6. Teacher Evaluation. A key area where the mayor has influence in public education is in the negotiation of a contract with NYC’s public school teachers. Please give your opinion on the following proposed ways to evaluate teachers for the purpose of tenure, salary and other job benefits: Improvement in student test scores, observations by other teachers, student surveys, whether the teacher has an advanced degree, a principal’s evaluation of a teacher. Should principals be allowed to do unannounced observations of teachers? Do you have any experience negotiating labor union contracts?

Any rubric for teacher evaluation should incorporate content knowledge, instructional delivery, classroom management, knowledge of student development, effective collaborative relationships as well as multiple measures of student learning such as growth on test scores, classroom work, presentations and projects. Principals should be allowed to do unannounced visits of teachers, but these visits should be informal and restricted to professional development purposes. As a former small business owner, I have experience negotiating a fair amount of employment contracts, and understand how to reach a consensus and bring opposing parties to the table.

7. Co-location of charter schools. City officials do not decide how many charter schools can exist, or grant requests to be a charter school. However, the Department of Education - currently controlled by the Mayor - may decide to provide charter schools with space, usually by "co-location" with district public schools. While more than half of NYC schools (not just charters) are co-located, it is a controversial topic when a charter school is involved. Critics argue that cash-strapped district schools should not be forced to share resources with charter schools and that co-location creates a morale problem when students and parents see the contrast. Co-location advocates argue that charter schools are public schools and should have an equal right to publicly owned resources such as buildings, charter schools do not receive funding for space and therefore operate at a severe financial disadvantage if they have to find private space, and that differences between co-located schools result from decisions the principals make about how to spend their per-pupil funding. Do you support the DOE giving public school space to charter schools? Sources: ~ Against - funding and space arguments: http://www.classsizematters.org/our-lawsuit-vs-the-doe-regarding-charter-co-locations/ ~In Favor: Funding: http://www.nyccharterschools.org/resources/school-funding-comparisons-nyc-independent-budget-office-ibo-2010-11 Space (pdf): http://dl.dropbox.com/u/87134745/media/nyccsc_colocation.pdf

I am against cramming charter schools and traditional public schools in the same building. In addition to creating a morale problem, co-locations often result in stripping public schools of much needed resources, such as art rooms, music rooms, access to gymnasiums, access to the cafeterias, etc. These inequities create visible tension among students, as it forces them into shorter playground periods, shorter library hours, and earlier lunch schedules to accommodate students enrolled at the co-located charter school. Furthermore, these charter schools enroll fewer English language learners and students with disabilities while receiving more in per pupil public funding than our district public schools. Lastly, co-locations contribute to increasing class sizes, significantly reducing the quality of education for public school students.

8. The City Wage Tax. New York City’s budget depends in large part on the city wage tax, which is only paid by residents, not everyone who works in NYC. Would you call on the state legislature to allow NYC to collect the tax from people from the suburbs who work in NYC and benefit from our services (police, fire, etc.)? Would you support efforts to collect the tax from people who actually live in New York City but use a second home (a loophole not available to middle class New Yorkers with just one home) to avoid the city wage tax? If these efforts work, would you be willing to reduce the city wage tax so that workers would have more take home pay, and there would be less incentive for people to move to the suburbs, reducing our tax base?

I believe we should cut the city wage tax for middle class New Yorkers, so that they do not leave the city and reduce our tax base, and raise taxes on those making more than $1 million. We currently tax our teachers making $50,000 a year at the same rate that we tax our CEO's making $500,000 a year. I believe we should enact reforms to make our tax system more progressive, so that our middle-class is not priced out. We should also be going after those who live in the City and are using their second home to avoid the city wage tax. Elected officials should be doing everything in their power to keep New York affordable for the middle class.

9. Other Taxes. Do you support progressive taxation? Do you support Governor Cuomo’s approach to the marginal tax rate on high incomes? What is your opinion on the current property tax in NYC? Would you support a federal financial transaction tax to either raise revenue, reduce the practice of high frequency trading, or both?

I am a big proponent of progressive taxation, which we have had in the United States since President Abraham Lincoln. I supported Governor Cuomo's approach to the marginal tax rate on high incomes, which also delivered a tax cut for middle-income earners. As for property taxes in New York City, I believe that we could do more to reduce the burden on renters, which according to the Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy at New York University, pay much more in property taxes than homeowners. I am also in favor of placing a federal financial transaction tax on Wall Street to reduce the deficit and promote productive long-term investment by discouraging the high frequency trading that is currently driving today's financial markets.

10. Poverty & the Social Safety Net. According to a 2012 report by the Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies, many struggling New Yorkers are eligible for welfare, but have not been able to obtain it due to onerous application requirements, and the excessive and arbitrary use of “sanctions” by the City’s Human Resources Administration (HRA). These obstacles have caused very little increase in welfare cases during the recent recession, as contrasted with large increases in Food Stamps and Medicaid. Would you change HRA to make it easier for eligible families to obtain cash assistance, connect them to jobs or meaningful job training, and reform the improper use of sanctions? How would you manage New York City's social safety net programs to ensure that people get the help they need, while at the same time preventing fraud? Report: http:/www.fpwa.org/cgi-bin/iowa/policy/article/218.html

If elected Borough President, I would use the power of the bully-pulpit and work with the mayor and city council to reform the improper use of sanctions and ensure that needy families have access to temporary cash assistance, jobs and meaningful job training. The administration should manage New York City's social safety net to provide access to reasonable financial support for those who are currently unable to provide adequately for themselves, while also addressing the barriers to financial independence faced by those who remain in need of support. The Human Resources Administration and private entities under contract to the agency should be providing timely, respectful, and proper administration of benefit delivery.

11. Homelessness. When Mayor Bloomberg first ran, he promised to introduce policies to drastically reduce the numbers of people who are homeless in our city. But during the twelve years of his administration, the numbers of homeless have increased dramatically each year. This is in addition to the approximately 50,000 people sleeping in shelters on an average night, according to a recent report by the Coalition for the Homeless. What would you do to deal with this sad situation?

Sources: http://www.coalitionforthehomeless.org/pages/state-of-the-homeless-2013 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/20/nyregion/20homeless.html

If elected Borough President, I would lobby Albany to reinstate rent subsidies to help families move out of the shelters and into permanent homes. The loss of the Advantage program not only strained our shelter system but places an additional financial burden upon the city. We need to be building more public and affordable housing and give those in shelter programs priority for these programs and Section 8 vouchers. A focus on the economy and job creation must go hand in hand with these strategies. At the same time as the swell in homelessness, New York's unemployment rate increased substantially. I want to work with young people, especially those in disadvantaged communities, to connect them with jobs and internship opportunities and put them on a track toward success.

12. Hurricane Sandy & Environmental Protection. The devastating impact that Hurricane Sandy had on New York City poses short term and long term challenges: immediate support for those who lost their homes and businesses, and climate change, respectively. What measures do you support for helping Sandy recovery efforts, as well as energy conservation and reducing the carbon footprint of New York City? What is your position on hydraulic fracturing and the Spectra pipeline?

In the wake of Sandy, I released a policy paper (http://juliemenin.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Lessons-from-Sandy-Readiness-and-Response-for-New-Yorkers.pdf) outlining the immediate things we should be doing to better our emergency response, including establishing a volunteer corps., expanding the reach of our emergency notification system, and mandating placement of emergency generators above grade, among others. I support energy policies that focus on alternatives, such as wind and solar power. The creation of a 21st century WPA for NYC would enable us to strengthen and green our urban infrastructure while stimulating the local economies devastated by this disaster. I am staunchly opposed to hydraulic fracturing and the Spectra pipeline, which I believe will have very negative effects on our environment, posing significant risks to New York's water supply.

13. Gun Control. While DFNYC members have long supported gun control, the December 14th shooting in Newtown, Connecticut seems to have changed the debate on the national level. Do you support the proposals President Obama made to (a) renew and fix the assault weapons ban, (b) ban high capacity magazines (limit the number of bullets that can be shot before reloading), and (c) improve the background check system? Please indicate any other methods you would support to reduce gun violence, including how you would implement them, for example: gun buy-back programs, training programs for gun owners, improved access to mental health care, and involving the business community in gun safety.

I have long been supportive of gun control measures, and am a big proponent of President Obama's initiatives. It is calamitous that the National Rifle Association has such a tight hold on Congress, and that we still do not have background checks for private transactions like those at gun shows and online, let alone bans on assault weapons and a ban on high-capacity magazines. We need to implement all of these proposals on a federal level to reduce gun violence, in addition to providing buy-back programs, training for gun owners, and improved access to mental healthcare. Municipalities should be partnering with the business community to help these programs come to life, as public safety is in everyone's best interest.

14. Choice & Marriage Equality. Please briefly state your position on the following three issues: marriage equality for gays & lesbians, a woman's right to choose, and access to birth control. (25 words or less)

I have been a long-supporter of marriage equality for gays and lesbians. I am also pro-choice and favor access to birth control.

~ Julie Menin, candidate for Manhattan Borough President, 2013.  JulieMenin2013.com

Sal Albanese - Answers to the DFNYC Candidate Questionnaire

 

Sal Albanese is running for mayor of New York City. Salalbanese2013.com

1. Money in NYC Politics. Large donors, specifically real estate developers and landlords, have a huge amount of influence in NYC politics due to their campaign contributions. While NYC’s matching funds programs is seen as one of the most innovative public funding campaigns in the country, many DFNYC members feel that big money donors still have too much influence and candidates still spend too much time fundraising. Would you support a change to full public financing of campaigns, similar to the Clean Money Clean Elections programs in Arizona, Connecticut and Maine?

As one of the key supporters of NYC’s current campaign finance law, I am a strong believer in getting big money out of our political system. DFNYC members and I agree that the law is flawed and needs to be fixed. I support full public financing and a reduction on contribution caps so that any candidate for Mayor has to generate real grassroots support to win. If a candidate gets elected indebted to special interests and big donors, he or she will be handcuffed and incapable of making decisions in the best interests of the public. From simple incompetence to outright bribery and corruption, New Yorkers have all too often had to endure the results. That is why I am the only candidate not taking contributions from developers, lobbyists, or people who do business with the city. My campaign depends solely on small contributions from average New Yorkers who believe in a government that puts their interests first.

2. Tenant Protection & Cost of Housing. Do you support rent stabilization and rent control laws? What will you do to crack down on landlords that break the law? Would you call on the state legislature to repeal vacancy decontrol and more generally, the Urstadt Law, so that New York City – and not Albany – can enact its own housing laws?

As a City Council member, I opposed vacancy decontrol in Manhattan. As Mayor, I would oppose any effort to reduce rent stabilization or rent control laws. In fact, I believe they need to be expanded. Our city faces a catastrophic deficit in affordable housing for working and middle class families. When people’s ability to put a roof over their heads is at stake, we should take a zero tolerance approach to landlords who try to find their way around existing regulations. Given the stark differences between housing needs in Buffalo and in the Bronx, I think the Urstadt law has disempowered New York City residents and caused more problems than it has solved. I will focus on three areas:

•   Expanding the affordable housing ratio to 70/30. The current 80/20 approach simply cannot meet rising demand. We have to work with developers to ensure that housing is sold at a rate that’s actually affordable to the residents who need it. We also need affordable housing units built on time, not 20 years after other elements of a development project are completed.

•   Compelling NYCHA to repair the thousands of units currently warehoused. It is a travesty that we have affordable apartments off the market because the authority has not made proper repairs.

•   Working with nonprofit groups like IAF, with the city providing land and infrastructure to help them build more housing.

3. Paid Sick Leave. There is currently a bill in the city council that would require companies in NYC with 5 or more employees to give 5 paid sick days per year to each employee (if they do not already). While many councilmembers support this, it has not been brought to a vote. Supporters feel this is much needed public health legislation that would only minimally raise labor costs, while opponents say that it would be an unfair financial burden to small business. Do you support the bill and will you actively work to get it passed?

Sources:

~For:

http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/labor/news/2012/11/16/45152/myth-vs-fact-paid-sick-days/

~Against: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/opedcolumnists/why_we_reject_sick_leave_bill_03pE50CZMFiHFhXzasDMLL

Paid sick leave is, to me, a workers’ rights issue. No one should have to choose between getting healthy and getting a paycheck. Unfortunately, the City Council has operated more like a dictatorship than a democratic body, with the Speakers preventing bills they do not like from coming to a vote. It’s a tactic that has been used again and again over the years to prevent progress on critical issues, including the gay rights bill. I share concerns about the impact on very small businesses, many of which are operating on a narrow profit margin that could mean the difference between keeping the doors open or shutting down. The compromise legislation, which sets the number at 20 employees and bars smaller businesses from punishing workers for staying home sick, is the smartest path forward. No matter which legislation passes, we have to keep working to expand sick leave and shouldn’t pat ourselves on the back for something that should have been done years ago.

4. Fair Police Practices & Occupy Wall Street. The New York City Police Department has been highly criticized for its Stop & Frisk policy, which disproportionally affects racial minorities and poor and working class New Yorkers. The NYPD has also been criticized for its treatment of activists in the Occupy Wall Street movement. Do you support ending or modifying Stop & Frisk? If running for mayor, will you keep Ray Kelly or appoint a new police commissioner? Do you think Mayor Bloomberg and the NYPD should have handled events in the OWS movement differently and what measures will you take to protect political demonstrations?

On commissioners: Having spent 15 years in the private sector, I think it is irresponsible for any candidate to make purely-political declarations about who they would hire. A responsible Mayor would do due diligence and screen candidates before making any personnel decisions. On OWS: Mayor Bloomberg was characteristically out of touch in his approach to Occupy Wall Street. Americans have the right to free assembly in public space, plain and simple. OWS was a legitimate outcry from those that have been ignored by the political class and whose voices have been drown out of the democratic process by big money. I do believe, though, that the NYPD has the authority to carefully limit some events to protect the security and rights of all New Yorkers, protesters and bystanders alike. On Stop and Frisk: We live in the United States, where nobody should be stopped in violation of the Constitution. The current application of stop and frisk, a legal police tactic upheld in the Terry v. Ohio case, has created serious divisions between police and communities that need to be addressed. I propose:

•             Investing in training for recruits and officers to ensure they know what constitutes a legal stop.

•             Hiring 3,800 more police officers and assigning them to patrol to build rapport and trust with community members, which is essential.

•             Legalizing, regulating, and taxing marijuana, the primary reason for most stop and frisk arrests. Our current drug laws haven’t worked. I’d like to see revenues raised devoted to public safety and schools.

5. Mayoral Control of Education. Mayoral Control of NYC schools is set to expire in 2016, but the state legislature can renew it. If elected to city government, you will not directly vote on mayoral control, but you will have a ‘bully pulpit’ as renewal is discussed in the next 3 years. Do you support keeping Mayoral Control as is, letting it expire, or making changes, for example to the hearing process for controversial decisions? (Examples: Co-locations of multiple schools in one building, providing district school space to charter schools, phasing out schools that have been labeled as “failing” due to high dropout rates, low test scores, or other factors.)

Having spent 11 years as a New York City public school teacher, I experienced firsthand the chaos of the old Board of Education system. No one took responsibility, and our students and teachers suffered as a result. Unfortunately, Mayor Bloomberg has done a lousy job with mayoral control, demonizing teachers and locking parents out of the process. I support maintaining Mayoral control, in part so that the next Mayor has the power to fix what Bloomberg broke. I think we must amend the process to allow for meaningful local input, instead of rubber-stamping, on co-locations and school closings. We also have to end a pattern of providing waivers for Chancellors. In an Albanese administration, the Chancellor would be an educator and skilled administrator. To me, the root of our education problems, poverty, has been ignored. That is why I have called for establishing a Department of Early Learning and creating pediatric wellness centers in low-income neighborhoods. Taking a multidisciplinary approach, we can bring teachers, administrators, parents, medical professionals, and communities together to ensure that all of our kids are prepared from the first day they enter school.

6. Teacher Evaluation. A key area where the mayor has influence in public education is in the negotiation of a contract with NYC’s public school teachers. Please give your opinion on the following proposed ways to evaluate teachers for the purpose of tenure, salary and other job benefits: Improvement in student test scores, observations by other teachers, student surveys, whether the teacher has an advanced degree, a principal’s evaluation of a teacher. Should principals be allowed to do unannounced observations of teachers? Do you have any experience negotiating labor union contracts?

Mayor Bloomberg’s failure to negotiate a fair contract with teachers, costing the city hundreds of millions of dollars in education funds, is just the latest in a series of missteps. As a former teacher and a dues-paying UFT member, I am confident that we can reach a deal that is fair to taxpayers and fair to teachers. We simply need a Mayor willing to engage directly and negotiate in good faith. Unlike my opponents, I’m not afraid to disagree with UFT leadership, and I often do. But the union has shown itself to be more flexible in recent years. There is widespread agreement that student test scores should be an important factor in teacher evaluations. Any good educator knows that real classroom success is not limited to test performance. I think peer-to-peer observations, student surveys, and principal evaluations are beneficial to helping teachers improve, but present challenges about how to account for individual bias. While they should be part of the equation, they need to be properly weighted. I do believe that principals should be able to observe teachers in the classroom at will, but that observations done as part of the formal evaluation process should be arranged beforehand. When it comes to teacher evaluations, the elephant in the room is professional development. To properly evaluate educators, we first have to invest in more rigorously recruiting, training, and supporting them. As in any trade, they need quality feedback and the basic tools to succeed in the classroom. I have not directly negotiated municipal labor union contracts. I have negotiated contracts with investment clients in the private sector, including labor unions.

7. Co-location of charter schools. City officials do not decide how many charter schools can exist, or grant requests to be a charter school. However, the Department of Education - currently controlled by the Mayor - may decide to provide charter schools with space, usually by "co-location" with district public schools. While more than half of NYC schools (not just charters) are co-located, it is a controversial topic when a charter school is involved. Critics argue that cash-strapped district schools should not be forced to share resources with charter schools and that co-location creates a morale problem when students and parents see the contrast. Co-location advocates argue that charter schools are public schools and should have an equal right to publicly owned resources such as buildings, charter schools do not receive funding for space and therefore operate at a severe financial disadvantage if they have to find private space, and that differences between co-located schools result from decisions the principals make about how to spend their per-pupil funding. Do you support the DOE giving public school space to charter schools?

Sources:

~ Against - funding and space arguments: http://www.classsizematters.org/our-lawsuit-vs-the-doe-regarding-charter-co-locations/

~In Favor: Funding: http://www.nyccharterschools.org/resources/school-funding-comparisons-nyc-independent-budget-office-ibo-2010-11 Space (pdf): http://dl.dropbox.com/u/87134745/media/nyccsc_colocation.pdf

Charter schools are useful for experimenting with new ideas, but they are no replacement for high-quality public schools in every neighborhood. I’m concerned about anything that creates a sense of segregation in our schools, and oftentimes co-located charters have done just that. There is no room in a fair society to have school resources available to charter students and not to their non-charter peers. Co-location and school closings should be done with the consensus of the community. That sort of local control has been missing during the Bloomberg era, but would take on a central role in an Albanese administration.

8. The City Wage Tax. New York City’s budget depends in large part on the city wage tax, which is only paid by residents, not everyone who works in NYC. Would you call on the state legislature to allow NYC to collect the tax from people from the suburbs who work in NYC and benefit from our services (police, fire, etc.)? Would you support efforts to collect the tax from people who actually live in New York City but use a second home (a loophole not available to middle class New Yorkers with just one home) to avoid the city wage tax? If these efforts work, would you be willing to reduce the city wage tax so that workers would have more take home pay, and there would be less incentive for people to move to the suburbs, reducing our tax base?

Yes, I would call on the state legislature to allow NYC to tax suburban commuters and other individuals who work in the city and benefit from our services. When it comes to people using an out-of-city home to escape taxes, the current 183-days rule should be vigorously enforced. At this point, I do not think the city wage tax should be increased or reduced unless unforeseen sources of revenue make reduction a viable option.

9. Other Taxes. Do you support progressive taxation? Do you support Governor Cuomo’s approach to the marginal tax rate on high incomes? What is your opinion on the current property tax in NYC? Would you support a federal financial transaction tax to either raise revenue, reduce the practice of high frequency trading, or both?

I believe in progressive taxation and agree with the Governor’s approach to marginal tax rates on high-income earners. Inequities in property tax assessment must be addressed. It’s unfair and counterproductive to have one property across the street from another paying significantly different rates. The comparables are a mess. As Mayor, I plan to set the right tone and create a more transparent and equitable system. First, I will appoint a Finance Commissioner who actually understands the problems with property tax assessment. Under my administration, his or her mission will be to create a uniform assessment within each class. Second, I will make transparency a top priority. We should expand the information already available online to include information on assessments by neighborhood, so property owners can confirm for themselves that they are receiving a fair assessment. We also need to post signs in every building and send letters to every tenant to let them know how much of their rent is going to city taxes. I have long supported and would continue to support as Mayor a federal financial transaction tax, both to raise revenue and reduce high-frequency trades.

10. Poverty & the Social Safety Net. According to a 2012 report by the Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies, many struggling New Yorkers are eligible for welfare, but have not been able to obtain it due to onerous application requirements, and the excessive and arbitrary use of “sanctions” by the City’s Human Resources Administration (HRA). These obstacles have caused very little increase in welfare cases during the recent recession, as contrasted with large increases in Food Stamps and Medicaid. Would you change HRA to make it easier for eligible families to obtain cash assistance, connect them to jobs or meaningful job training, and reform the improper use of sanctions? How would you manage New York City's social safety net programs to ensure that people get the help they need, while at the same time preventing fraud? Report: http:/www.fpwa.org/cgi-bin/iowa/policy/article/218.html

As Mayor, I would work diligently to remove obstacles that prevent anyone eligible for and interested in assistance from receiving it. To me, income inequality and poverty are the root causes of most of the problems facing our schools and our society in general. I plan to offer incentives to companies that commit to hiring unemployed New Yorkers and provide a living wage for their workers. I also plan to work closely with CUNY and other higher-ed institutions to create training programs so that, in addition to providing a well-rounded education, our graduates are equipped with the skills needed to take on new jobs in tech, engineering, and other sectors. To maintain a strong social safety net for those who need it, we have to fight against a trend of offering only low-wage work, limiting access to healthcare for immigrants and low-income New Yorkers, and allowing youth unemployment to skyrocket.

11. Homelessness. When Mayor Bloomberg first ran, he promised to introduce policies to drastically reduce the numbers of people who are homeless in our city. But during the twelve years of his administration, the numbers of homeless have increased dramatically each year. This is in addition to the approximately 50,000 people sleeping in shelters on an average night, according to a recent report by the Coalition for the Homeless. What would you do to deal with this sad situation? Sources: http://www.coalitionforthehomeless.org/pages/state-of-the-homeless-2013 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/20/nyregion/20homeless.html

First of all, we need a Mayor who believes that homelessness is a real problem! The best approach to addressing homelessness in the long-term is to build a fairer society. By expanding access to better schools, health care, housing, and jobs, we can prevent thousands of New Yorkers from entering the vicious cycle that leads to homelessness. That is why my initiatives on housing, job creation, and education are so critical. A high number of New York’s homeless suffer from mental illness or addiction. Unfortunately, we have eroded our treatment options for them. I have family members that have suffered from mental illness, so I understand first hand how devastating that approach is. As mayor, I commit to reinvesting in mental health services and advocating drug law reform so that addicts can seek proper treatment without shame or stigmatization.

12. Hurricane Sandy & Environmental Protection. The devastating impact that Hurricane Sandy had on New York City poses short term and long term challenges: immediate support for those who lost their homes and businesses, and climate change, respectively. What measures do you support for helping Sandy recovery efforts, as well as energy conservation and reducing the carbon footprint of New York City? What is your position on hydraulic fracturing and the Spectra pipeline?

Hurricane Sandy goes to the core of why I am running. We have a reactive government that reacts to crises instead of preparing for them. In the aftermath, it hasn’t done enough to help residents recover. I have called on the Mayor to create an interagency task force with boots on the ground to provide assistance and clarity with flood insurance issues, rebuilding, etc. In the wake of the storm, I have serious concerns about the environmental and public healthy safety of a number of industrial projects, including the Spectra pipeline, and plan to reassess them as Mayor. I plan to appoint a Deputy Mayor for Infrastructure to work with communities and coordinate agencies in a creative rebuilding process. We will restore natural barriers and construct sea walls to protect much of our coast. On land, homes and businesses will be elevated. Mass transit entrances will be raised and floodgates installed to protect our trains and tracks from being forced offline every year. Major redundancies will be put into place to protect power stations and waste facilities. And we will craft an evacuation plan that accounts for medical patients, public housing residents, disabled New Yorkers, and seniors to prevent the tragic conditions endured post-Sandy. Until the data is absolutely clear that no harm will be done to groundwater, I will oppose fracking. We simply cannot risk the drinking water of 8 million New York City residents to provide a temporary fix to our energy problems.

13. Gun Control. While DFNYC members have long supported gun control, the December 14th shooting in Newtown, Connecticut seems to have changed the debate on the national level. Do you support the proposals President Obama made to (a) renew and fix the assault weapons ban, (b) ban high capacity magazines (limit the number of bullets that can be shot before reloading), and (c) improve the background check system? Please indicate any other methods you would support to reduce gun violence, including how you would implement them, for example: gun buy-back programs, training programs for gun owners, improved access to mental health care, and involving the business community in gun safety.

As the only Democratic candidate to support President Obama when he was an underdog in 2007, I’m proud of his recent push on gun control. I support a stronger assault weapons ban, a ban on high capacity magazines, and universal background checks. I think the city should continue gun buy-back programs and, as already stated, increase access to mental health care. The debate over guns is one of the best examples of the corrupt power that big money has in our political system. When 85% of Americans support an assault weapons ban and 90% support background checks, it is a tragedy that Congress cannot pass legislation.

14. Choice & Marriage Equality. Please briefly state your position on the following three issues: marriage equality for gays & lesbians, a woman's right to choose, and access to birth control. (25 words or less)

Am I pro-choice? Absolutely. Do I support equal marriage rights for same sex couples? Yes. To me, marriage is a basic right. Do I support access to birth control? Absolutely. It's the right thing to do and good public health policy.

~Sal Albanese, Candidate for Mayor, 2013.  SalAlbanese2013.com

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