Candidate Answers to JOLDC: Elizabeth Adams for City Council District 33

Candidate Name: Elizabeth Adams

Office Seeking Election for: City Council District 33

Explain, based on life experiences and accomplishments, why you believe you are best qualified to represent your district

I am a lifelong tenant. I grew up in this city, I’ve worked in education, and bars and restaurants for years, and I know the challenges of our city personally. I have been a social justice organizer with Planned Parenthood, and then went to serve my community directly in the Council and learned concrete tools to effect change legislatively. I went to work for PP because they were there for me when I needed access to healthcare and didn't have insurance. ‘Care no, matter what’ is a value that has always informed my work -- from helping pass GENDA, to securing Council funding for gender affirming trans services at planned parenthood for the first time in the org’s history, to being appointed by the Mayor to a Task force on sex ed, where I achieved concrete wins to make curriculum & teacher training more gender inclusive. I have carried that into the council where I’m working to pass legislation to provide rental assistance for runaway and homeless youth -- and end housing discrimination against formerly incarcerated New Yorkers. I’ve taken on some of our city’s most critical social service needs in the General Welfare committee and so when COVID hit, I helped constituents navigate HRA & public benefits like SNAP, and fought to get thousands of homeless NYers safely housed. But I saw firsthand the failures of our social safety net in meeting the needs of our neighbors -- I am running because I have a plan to do things differently and I have the legislative experience and organizing values to get it done in the right way. This is a change election -- voters do not want 4 more years of de Blasio, they want people who have a record of delivering on progressive issues. I am that candidate -- and I am endorsed by 21 in 21, Cecilia Gentilli, and Senators Jessica Ramos & Alessandra Biaggi -- because I have been a proven leader in fighting for my values.

Please identify any openly LGBTQ candidate for public office you have previously or presently endorsed?

I haven’t made many public endorsements overall, but I’ve supported Elisa Crespo, Zachariah Boyer, Emilia Decaudin, Tiffany Caban, Samy Namir Olivares

If applicable, what legislation directly affecting the LGBTQ community have you introduced or co-sponsored? (indicate accordingly)

I drafted a council resolution on inclusive sex ed and have worked to pass rental assistance for runaway and homeless youth. I’ve also advocated for the NYC Unity program.

What LGBTQ organizations have you been involved with, either on a volunteer basis or professionally?

I’ve built coalitions with the LGBTQ Center, Callen Lorde, GMHC, Housing Works, Sex Workers Project, GGE, the Ali Forney Center, among others

Do you consider yourself a member of the LGBTQ community?

no

Have you marched in Pride? Which marches and for approximately how many years?

I’ve marched with PPNYC at several NYC Prides and with political clubs and neighbors at Brooklyn and Queens Pride.

Have you employed openly LGBTQ individuals previously? Do you employ any currently?

I have employed openly LGBTQ individuals, but don’t currently have any on staff.

What press conferences, demonstrations, rallies and protests in support of LGBT issues, pro-choice legislation, criminal justice issues and the Resist Trump Movement have you attended?

I have organized Stand with Planned Parenthood rallies and End Aids 2020, and No Condoms as Evidence press conferences. I’ve also co-organized rallies on comprehensive sex ed, and in opposition to Trump’s anti-LGBTQand anti-immigrant policies. I’ve attended defund NYPD rallies this year and anti police violence rallies since Eric Garner was killed six years ago. As an organizer with Planned Parenthood I’ve joined many actions in support of sexual liberation, healthcare funding and immigrant justice.

Have you ever been arrested? If so please explain why and outcome of arrest.

Yes, for an mta subway ticket. I received an ACD and was in central booking for a day, where I talked with women who were put in jail for minor infractions like littering or having substances on them.

Do you commit to visiting constituents who are incarcerated in state prisons and city jails?

Yes. The Brooklyn house of detention (BHOD) is in the district and I’ve worked with constituents and families who have called my office for assistance while in jail. I’ve helped address conditions issues in the Brooklyn jail and visited BHOD and rikers Island. I will visit and work with constituents in detention on cases.

Will you affirmatively seek to hire formerly incarcerated individuals?

yes

Describe your legislative and policy vision for combatting systemic racism

I believe in decarceration and restorative justice over incarceration and policing, and community safety that is truly safe for every one of us, and which has been denied for Black and Brown New Yorkers for too long. I am committed to advancing legislation that prioritizes restorative justice and provides access to housing, education, and healthcare for people over the cycle of incarceration and will work to challenge the Council to push beyond reform to breaking down systems that continue to use punitive measures as the default response. I worked in the City Council during the Close Rikers campaign, where I learned from organizations and community members steeped in decarceration and anti-prison work and a major role of mine was advocating for the Council’s Points of Agreement, where I helped secure millions of dollars for cure violence programs, housing for formerly incarcerated individuals, and a restorative justice fund. Community investments like these are needed to build a different justice system. I have also focused on enacting legislation that supports community alternatives to policing and decriminalization. I drafted legislation to decriminalize marijuana in ACS cases and protect new parents from discriminatory drug testing -- which has caused harmful policing of communities of color and separated families, and I am currently working to pass NYC’s Fair Chance in Housing Act, which I partnered with criminal justice advocates to draft. I’m proud of the legislative work I have taken on, working in close partnership with organizations like VOCAL, Drug Policy Alliance, public defenders, Communities United for Police Reform, Prison Reentry Initiative and others. As a Council Member I would focus on ending our current reliance on policing, including in mental health crises, sex work, and domestic violence; holding officers accountable for disciplinary records; and addressing housing discrimination against formerly incarcerated individuals -- all of which the Council has an important role in changing. During this year’s budget cycle, I helped secure the removal of NYPD involvement in homeless service outreach. While there is more work to do, I am proud of the work I have done to decouple police involvement from social service response needs. In the Council, I also drafted a bill to provide a healthcare assessment, including a mental health assessment for individuals who have been arrested before arraignment. This provides the opportunity for diversion for healthcare for more individuals rather than incarceration. I hope to pass this bill before the term ends and am proud of legislation I have worked on that continually takes a healthcare approach to community needs - not carceral responses.

Will you not seek, and refuse, the endorsement of Bill de Blasio?

Yes, I have never been endorsed by Bill de Blasio.

In view of the fact that Ed Koch has been documented to have caused the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people with AIDS, and was blatantly racist, would you support and sponsor a bill to rename the former Queensboro Bridge?

yes

What is your position on removing the Christopher Columbus statue in Columbus Circle and if so, what should replace it?

It should be removed -- I have spoken out against the Columbus statue in Downtown Brooklyn as well. It should be replaced with a statue honoring indigenous communities and be decided by people directly impacted.

Will you refuse contributions from real estate developers and all law enforcement unions or associations?

yes

Do you support reducing the budget of the NYPD and if so, by how much?

Yes, I spoke out against the budget decision to not defund NYPD and worked closely with advocates in calling on the Council to cut the NYPD budget by at least $1billion dollars. Knowing how the Council’s budget process works, it was upsetting to see the failure to make meaningful cuts. After the vote, I joined with multiple Brooklyn women candidates in publishing an op-ed against the budget and the need to commit to a future that invests in communities. I support hiring freezes and/or layoffs to reduce the NYPD headcount -- we are facing cuts of 22,000 social service workers, we should cut policing budgets before we let that happen.

How would you have voted on the FY21 City Budget?

I would have voted against it. As someone who works on the budget I saw the ways it did not make the changes we need to address policing in NYC.

Are you in favor of removing police from any of the following? a) Schools; b) Mental health response calls; c) Homeless outreach and social services; or d) Traffic enforcement.

Yes all of the above. In the General welfare committee I worked to remove NYPD from homeless outreach.

Should the NYPD Vice Squad be eliminated?

Yes - it harms sex workers and people of color.

Should Dermot Shea be fired immediately?

yes

Should the NYPD Commissioner require confirmation by the City Council?

Yes, there needs to be more accountability of who is chosen to oversee the police.

How would you recommend police officers be penalized for refusing to wear masks in public while on duty, in defiance of city and state rules?

Not wearing masks puts the city’s entire test and trace program and community spread reduction at risk and so it should be treated seriously. Law enforcement is paid for by taxpayer dollars and is supposed to set an example and standard for the city. Not wearing masks should be subject to workplace discipline, as people should not be on duty without masks.

What reforms would you make to the Civilian Complaint Review Board? Would you support state legislation to make CCRB disciplinary determinations binding?

The CCRB needs teeth. I would push to remove disciplinary authority from the NYPD commissioner and to make CCRB determinations binding. I have strong relationships with state elected officials and would support the state drafting legislation to give NYC the authority to change discipline authority in the ad code 14-115.

What is your position on the plan to close Rikers and create four borough-based jails?

District 33 holds Brooklyn’s housing court, family court, central booking station, HRA offices, and the borough’s city jail -- all sites of criminalization and incarceration predominantly of Black and Latinx, and people of color in Brooklyn. We have a lot of work to do locally and city-wide to build a framework of community safety that doesn’t rely on punitive and carceral responses as the default. Fundamentally, a $9 billion dollar plan to build jails is unjust. Since the passage of reform measures during COVID-19, it is clear that four borough jails are not needed or justified. We can close Rikers and the Barge without building something new in its place. We must instead redirect those funds to capital projects sorely needed for our communities, including for NYCHA and temporary and permanent housing for New Yorkers, which is integral to addressing underlying conditions that contribute to incarceration. The Brooklyn House of Detention (BHOD) is also extremely inhumane. Further decarceration measures, including ending technical parole violations and investing in neighborhood diversion programs such as the Red Hook Initiative, are the most important ways to address the inhumane conditions. However, having also worked with direct service organizations in the jail, I recognize that people’s immediate needs are real, and I follow the leadership of those who worked or spent time at BHOD and have demanded changes to conditions. I cannot commit to not investing capital funds locally in response to direct calls for Brooklyn House changes.

Will you advocate for the Governor to review sentences of incarcerated individuals over the age 55 who have served in excess of 15 years to determine if they warrant release?

yes

It’s common knowledge that New York City’s 311 system is not adequately responsive to the public’s concerns. How would you alter the 311 system to combat these problems?

311 complaints often don't lead to follow up action or resolution -- NYC should use additional GIS data integration to improve agency coordination on the backend for response. Tickets also get incorrectly marked as resolved, there should be a central storehouse for complaints, such as in the Public Advocate’s office to review trends and complaints for longer term response.

Do you support decriminalizing sex work? Will you pledge to oppose the Nordic model?

Yes I have been vocal about opposing the nordic model

Do you oppose school screening, which exacerbates segregation? Which screens in your school district(s) will you advocate to abolish?

Yes I oppose screening -- specifically the SHSAT, the G&T test and screens for middle and high schools.

Describe what reforms you would make to the control of the NYC public school system.

Mayoral control has shown it has not worked and it has given one person too much authority without accountability or checks and balances from stakeholders. I would push for greater teacher and parent voice in the Chancellor selection process and in oversight of the school system and would support efforts in Albany to restructure authority away from the Mayor only. Parents and teachers recommendation and demands have been repeatedly ignored during the pandemic and often only listened to far too late. We need them to be involved in the decision making process.

Do you support public funding of abortion?

Yes! I worked to get public funding for abortion while at Planned Parenthood and in the Council.

Do you support the creation of safe consumption sites? Would you support the use of NYC DOHMH authority to establish SCSs without NYSDOH authorization?

Yes, during my time in the Council I have been pushing to open an overdose prevention site in the district and I would strongly support plans to expand needle exchange programs and overdose prevention work in the district. I have worked closely with VOCAL on constituent drug use support needs and I am proud to have drafted multiple bills around expanding harm reduction and drug treatment for people living in shelters. Personally, I have family members who have struggled with addiction and I know that services and support are always needed over policing and incarceration. It is time to end the drug war, which has disproportionately harmed Black and Brown New Yorkers, and invest in public healthcare and community services, not policing. We need to move beyond just legalizing marijuana to full decriminalization and investment in communities.

Do you smoke or otherwise consume weed?

Yes occasionally.

Have you ever supported any of the members of the IDC? If so, who? What did you do to help defeat the IDC in 2018?

I have never supported the IDC and in fact Sen. Klein once called the cops on a group of Planned Parenthood volunteers when we were protesting outside of his office. I campaigned for the No IDC coalition in 2018 and opposed their creation and expansion years prior. I am endorsed by Sens. Ramos and Biaggi because I have always been a vocal proponent of real progressives in New York.

What will you do to support nightlife in NYC?

I’ve worked in NYC nightlife for years and I know the challenges of the industry well. It is one of the reasons I am such a strong proponent of Planned Parenthood -- they were there for me as a patient when I didn’t always have health insurance while bartending or waiting tables. The ‘care, no matter what’ value is one I hold deeply and why I am a staunch advocate for Medicare for all and sliding scale services provided regardless of insurance or immigration status. The 33rd District, including Williamsburg, Greenpoint, and Downtown Brooklyn, is home to some of our city’s best nightlife and I would be a proud ally for the community that has given me so much over the years. Throughout the pandemic I've worked with the Office of Nightlife and local business groups, including North Brooklyn’s BABAR and the United for Small Business Coalition. Venues like Pete's Candy Store, Elsewhere, Brooklyn Bowl, Someday Bar, and Building on Bond are beloved and I’ve been proud to work with them to advocate for outdoor restaurants, easing of unnecessary fines for businesses, rent assistance, and calling out the Governor’s restrictive SLA enforcement. Having worked as a bartender, I know how critical a business’ liquor license is to revenue and staff wages, and I will fight for nightlife employees as a Council Member. As the District’s Legislative Director, I took on nightlife issues early on in the office. I drafted and helped pass the bill to expose harmful NYPD-led MARCH raids and strengthen the communication system between businesses and the Office of Nightlife - without police involvement. Nightlife and small businesses provide critical jobs and resources for communities and we are losing neighborhood institutions weekly. During my time in the Council, I was proud to draft the Commercial Rent Stabilization Act, and believe we need both immediate commercial rent relief and regulatory assistance for small businesses, as well as long term regulation to provide a more stable, secure, and affordable market for businesses to operate in. Commercial rents in NYC have skyrocketed, often forcing tenants to either cover increasing costs or raise prices on customers, harming their businesses and fueling gentrification. I will convene regular meetings and walk-throughs with members of nightlife in my district, as the 33rd has a vibrant nightlife community that should be supported and looked to for citywide policy ideas. I would also like to be on the Council’s small business committee, which needs women and people of color leading the conversations of how we support businesses and workers.

Do you commit to speak with restaurant and nightlife industry representatives before taking a position on any policies that affect their businesses?

Yes! I have regularly and will continue to do so.

Will you work to place restaurant, bar and club owners on community boards? Will you commit to not appointing or reappointing community board members who are hostile to food and beverage estalishments?

yes

Now that the cabaret law was repealed do you support amending the zoning resolution to allow patrons to dance at more venues and eliminate the restrictions against dancing?

Yes! I am working on it in the council.

Did you oppose the de Blasio/Cuomo proposal (and giveaways) for bringing Amazon’s HQ2 to Long Island City?

yes

What role do you believe the local member should play in the approval of development proposals before the Council?

I support ending member deference on large ULURPs, because housing and affordability challenges are faced by all of us and the real estate fights are interdependent.

Do you support legislation to prohibit discrimination against formerly incarcerated people in housing?

Yes, I helped draft the bill.

Do you oppose the removal of the nearly 300 homeless individuals from the Lucerne hotel due to pressure from some local residents?

Yes i have been vocal on this issue and drafted a letter in opposition.

What proposals will you advocate for to protect immigrants and further New York as a Sanctuary City?

A third of New Yorkers are foreign born; supporting immigrants means supporting New Yorkers. I’ve worked with Make the Road-NY to assist constituents who have had ICE show up at their door. No one should be afraid to leave their home or be worried about the safety of their loved ones because of documentation status. There is more we need to do to protect immigrant communities across the city, including: -Ensuring ICE remains outside of the courthouse and aren’t able to linger outside of the courthouses -Police officers /NYPD and port authority should be required must act according in spirit with a sanctuary city - not cooperating or sharing any information with ICE -Promote awareness and immigrants rights with regards to ICE and law enforcement in general in the district, generally promoting awareness of these rights and the needs to film and monitor ICE activities -Make sure that all new Yorkers, including undocumented immigrants have access to social services are made aware of them -Support the agency of our immigrant community members and leaders

Do you support a single-payer universal health care system? Please elaborate on what policy and legislative steps the City can take to expand access and affordability.

We will continue to have an ad-hoc, confusing, costly, and inaccessible healthcare system as long as our healthcare remains primarily in the hands of private insurance companies and the limitations of their provider networks. Healthcare is a right, and we need to start treating it as one, instead of as a commodity. This is why I support the NY Health Act, and its plan to provide coverage through one centralized public system while eliminating the need for private insurance companies. We should expand the NYC Care program citywide and invest in community-driven programs that meet people where they are. Our healthcare system is complicated, opaque, and inaccessible to many and there is understandable distrust of government services. We should ramp up programs like Access Health NYC, which fund enrollment specialists, trusted community organizations, and culturally responsive educators in people’s own language and community. I saw firsthand at Planned Parenthood that it isn’t just about making a service available, but also making it accessible and trusted for those looking for care. If someone can’t learn about a program in their own language, or it’s not provided in a culturally understanding manner that leads them to want to obtain care, the result is the same.

Who did you support for office in the following primaries or special elections: A) Mayor in 2013 B) Public Advocate in 2013 and 2019, C) President in 2016 and 2020 C) Governor and Attorney General in 2018?

a)I voted for Ron Kim in the primary b)Tish James and Jumaane Williams c)Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders/Elizabeth Warren d)Cynthia Nixon, Tish James

Top 3 issues you aim to address locally and legislatively

COVID recovery and small businesses; transportation access and open public green space; affordable and safe communities.

Mayor de Blasio has indicated his intent to call a third Charter Revision Commission, what additional reforms would you support to 1) the budget process, 2) the land use process, and 3) the powers and duties of municipal offices?

Budget -- we need significant contract reform and we should reform our budget process to improve the discretionary item process. Currently the mayor proposes a budget and the Council responds, I would propose the COuncil have greater leverage here with a people’s budget proposed as well. As a lifelong renter, New York City’s housing challenges are extremely personal to me. Under the guise of increased affordable housing, District 33 has seen significant luxury development, oftentimes not affordable enough for long-standing residents. Greenpoint and Williamsburg, in particular, have undergone rapid gentrification. As a result, there have been significant displacements of non-English speakers. 130% Area Median Income (AMI) is not affordable. We need to overhaul the city’s affordable housing program to reflect actual affordability, according to the city's needs, rather than affordability on developer's terms. This starts with changing the Department of City Planning’s role in development and establishing an independent, community-driven planning process. I have worked on land use proposals for the District and have seen the process firsthand. The process should be reversed-- community stakeholders should have a hand in defining what local, borough, and city needs are, and developers should respond accordingly. I support a comprehensive planning overhaul, which is long overdue in NYC. Reforming our land use process is critical to addressing housing inequity, and in a district that includes more affluent neighborhoods, discussions must consider housing integration and fair share policies. COVID-19 has only exacerbated the unaffordability crisis in NYC -- 25% of New Yorkers have not paid rent since March and 50,000 renters could face immediate eviction proceedings if the state’s moratorium ends. Small businesses have also been hit hard by the pandemic, unable to operate in the same ways, yet are still expected to pay rent without any relief from local government. Displacement of our communities extends beyond residential burdens to the spaces that make our neighborhoods unique, loved, and whole. We also need to invest in housing programs that we know work. We should use city owned-land to require 100% affordable housing at deeply affordable rates. And we should significantly expand community land trusts and social housing. These are the long term investments our city needs to commit to now to start us on a better recovery path. I also plan to change operations and processes at the local District level to give community members more control, including through expanding participatory budgeting to have ongoing PB leadership informing my district’s and the Council’s budget process; and establishing community advisory groups for my office on local issues to develop a more collaborative governing model for the district. Community members should be involved in policy generation from the outset, as a form of participatory governance, instead of being contacted at the end of the process.

Please explain your vision for the present powers of the office you are seeking and how you intend to exercise them?

The current failure of federal leadership makes the need for local government greater than ever. The next Council will play a major role in helping to rebuild and reshape our city and we need to ask ourselves what type of city we want to build. We have the opportunity to shift away from the last decade’s reliance on luxury housing and privatization and instead invest in real affordable housing, support for working families and small businesses, and deepening our investment in public education and social services. We can build a future that prioritizes the wellbeing and safety of our families, without the continued dependence on carceral solutions, and one that addresses the longstanding segregation in our school system and housing programs. All of this requires a stronger City Council, which I am committed to helping build. The Council has the ability to enact large-scale policy change when it is united. Issues like commercial rent control; a local green new deal; worker cooperatives; permanent housing for people experiencing homelessness; and universal public internet are change-making for how our city operates. I want the next Council to have a stronger plan for the city and push bold priorities that inform our future for decades to come, which could include reforming the City Charter. We can’t ignore that Council districts are interconnected in our city, but failing to acknowledge that has led to individualistic responses and fracturing of worker power, rather than collective solutions. Mayor de Blasio has also failed to commit to NYCHA, the largest housing provider in New York City. There is still FEMA recovery funding owed to NYCHA, which the Mayor should push for, he’s leaving money on the table. The city budget also needs to prioritize investments in NYCHA to a much greater degree. The 33rd District has 7 public housing developments and I hear from constituents regularly in buildings that have gone months without gas, or had nonfunctioning boilers. Lead poisoning is still a major issue for families. This is unacceptable. I am interested in recent proposals for new NYCHA funding structures, however, first and foremost we need new leadership. De Blasio put forth a plan in 2015 that has gone mostly unfulfilled. I would use the Council’s budgetary power to hold the next mayor accountable on NYCHA investments in quality of life issues needed such as heating and hot water, and mold and lead. New York City can and must invest significant capital funding for NYCHA projects and train and hire tenants from NYCHA developments in the process. Both the City and State are overdue in providing billions needed. I would refuse to vote on a Council budget that does not provide significant investment in public housing.

Do you commit to working with Jim Owles during your campaign and while in office? What role can the club and the progressive LGBT community play in holding you accountable?

yes

If you receive the endorsement, do you agree to identify the club on all literature and electronic materials where you list endorsements?

yes!

What additional information would you like Jim Owles to consider when we are making our endorsement decisions?

thank you for considering my endorsement!