Candidate Answers to JOLDC: Jonathan Soto for NY Assembly District 82
Candidate Name: Jonathan Soto
Office Seeking Election for: NY Assembly District 82
Website: https://www.soto4ny.com
1. Explain, based on life experiences and accomplishments, why you believe you are best qualified to represent your district. I am a public school parent trained in law and urban planning organizing for community empowerment of our schools, public lands and waterfront. My political organizing centers a practice of investing in what heals our community so we can divest from systems that harm our community, and in particular, our LGBTQIA+ neighbors. My community is in the East Bronx, and the district is now majority-Latinx, yet is represented by a 20-year incumbent who received $6,000 in donations from Trump. Assemblymember Michael Benedetto gave Trump a $127 million tax credit for the creation of the Trump Golf Course in my neighborhood of Throggs Neck, and I am organizing to shut it down. I am currently on staff with Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and was a comms director for Samelys López. I was also a campaign manager for Harlem Councilwoman Kristin Richardson Jordan. I’ve organized campaigns to provide disaster relief to Puerto Rico and advocate against the fiscal crisis caused by Puerto Rico’s fiscal control board. I designed and launched a mutual aid program that mobilized thousands of volunteers to provide free tutoring and homework help to public school students in my district. We also organized with Make the Road, NYIC and the Street Vendor Project to provide COVID workplace safety education to our neighbors who are undocumented and advocated to pass the recently enacted Excluded Workers Fund. During my time at City Hall, I organized with LGBTQIA+ faith leaders to support the victims from the Pulse Nightclub shooting. As a New Sanctuary Coalition organizer, I worked with directly impacted families and a coalition of immigration activists/lawyers, elected officials, and local religious leaders to pass a NY State bill to hold not-profits who participated in the Trump administration’s child separation policy accountable. I organized with McDonald’s workers to occupy their workplaces and demand a $15 wage. I led a school restoration and climate justice in Puerto Rico post Hurricane Maria.
2.Please identify any openly LGBTQQ candidate for public office you have previously or presently endorsed? Kristin Richardson Jordan, Tiffany Cabán, Jabari Brisport.
3. If applicable, what legislation directly affecting the LGBTQ community have
you introduced or co-sponsored? (indicate accordingly) N/A
4. What LGBTQ organizations have you been involved with, either on a volunteer basis or professionally? With DecrimNY, Black Queer Socialists of Harlem, Stonewall Democrats.
5. If applicable, what LGBTQ organizations have you allocated funds to? I haven't yet but plan on doing so once elected.
6. Do you consider yourself a member of the LGBTQ community? No
7. Have you marched in Pride? Which marches and for approximately how many years? Yes, I marched in the Pride parades in 2016 - 2018.
8. Have you employed openly LGBTQ individuals previously? Do you employ any currently? I have in the past when I worked at City Hall. I don’t currently have employees but will definitely seek to hire LGBTQIA+ individuals.
9. If you receive the endorsement, do you agree to identify the club on all literature and electronic materials where you list endorsements? Yes
10. What press conferences, demonstrations, rallies and protests in support of LGBTQ issues, pro choice legislation, criminal justice issues and the Resist Trump Movement have you attended? Along with community and LGBTQ faith leaders, I organized vigils and rallies in support of the victims from the Pulse Nightclub shooting and have marched with Black Queer socialists during the BLM marches. I have marched with my family in the Women’s Marches and in support of pro-choice legislation. I’ve marched and organized rallies against Stop-&-Frisk, and lots of anti-Trump rallies.
11. Have you ever been arrested fighting in pursuit of legislation or for the purpose of protesting? Please elaborate. I have not yet.
12. If you are an incumbent, what have you accomplished in your most recent term? N/A
13. For the following pieces of legislation, please answer if you are currently a sponsor or co-sponsor (if you are an incumbent), or if you will co-sponsor (if you are not an incumbent):
1. Fair and Timely Parole (S. 1415A/A.4231A): A bill pending in Albany that would ensure the parole release process for incarcerated people in New York State is based on incarcerated peoples' rehabilitation and current risk to public safety. Yes
14. Elder Parole (S. 15A / A.3475A): A bill pending in Albany that would allow incarcerated people defined by the state prison as older adults, and who have served at least 15 years, an opportunity to appear before the Parole Board for an individualized review of their case and chance at release.
Yes
15. If you will not co-sponsor any of the above legislation, why not? 15. Do you oppose the efforts of law and order conservatives to weaken bail reform as written? Yes.
16. Do you commit to visiting constituents who are incarcerated in state prisons and city jails?Yes, 100%.
17. When was the last time you were inside a correctional facility? December 2020
18. Do you believe sincere remorse and actions taken while incarcerated should be considered over the original crime in determinations of parole? Yes
19. What do you believe should be done to ensure more clemencies are granted every year? I believe we should empower the families, advocates and communities that support clemency. We should welcome the return of our neighbors back into our communities.
20. Will you publicly call on the governor to use her clemency power to the many incarcerated New Yorkers who can safely return home? Will you tweet out your support for this or issue a public statement? Would you be willing to be critical of a governor who does not exercise their power to grant clemencies and to those worthy of release? Have you ever spoken out in such a way? Yes to all.
21. Have you participated in any demonstrations or protests in relation to the issues of clemency and parole? Yes.
22. Will you affirmatively seek to hire formerly incarcerated individuals? Yes.
23. Do you support legislation to prohibit discrimination against formerly incarcerated people in housing and employment? Yes.
24. Do you believe in the decriminalization of sex work? Are you or will you co-sponsor the bill introduced by Julia Salazar (S.6419 / A. 8230), which fully decriminalizes and decarcerates sex work? Yes.
25. Will you actively oppose legislation (S.6040 I A.7069) that would implement the dangerous Nordic model instead of decriminalization of prostitution? Yes
27. Explain in detail your views on full decriminalization, the Nordic model,
legalization, and the existing criminalization approach. I believe we must move away from carceral practices of public safety that harm people who are exercising their right to their own body. The Nordic model uses carceral methods of policing that will harm sex workers. Sex work is work, and I believe that we must decrimialize sex work and support the autonomy of each workers’ body and labor.
28. Do you support ending qualified immunity for police officers? Yes
29. What proposals will you advocate for to protect immigrants and further New York as a "Sanctuary State"? We should organize to abolish ICE and protect our neighbors from overzealous federal law enforcement. We should expand Sanctuary protections to all public, civic and community spaces throughout New York State. We should expand civic participation of our undocumented neighbors by granting them the right to vote for local elections and strenghtn IDNYC’s programs and services.
30. Do you support the establishment of supervised drug consumption spaces? Yes.
31. Have you ever endorsed any member of the IDC or any candidates who challenged IDC members? Please identify all candidates No.
32. Will you commit to ensuring diverse LGBTQQ representation among your staff? Yes
33.Who did you support for office in the following primaries or special elections: A) Mayor in 2021 B) President in 2016 and 2020 C) Governor and Attorney General in 2018? A. Maya Wiley, B. Bernie Sanders, C. Cynthia Nixon and Zephyr Teachout.
34. Have you made an endorsement in the current bid for Governor? If so, who? I haven’t yet.
35. Describe any legislation and policy changes that you support in order to address the ongoing effects of slavery, racism, colonialism, and discrimination: I support reparations and land-back laws that ackolwdge the theft of labor and land that has occurred throughout America’s history.
36. What legislation or other policy changes do you support in order to make college and graduate school affordable for poor, working-class, and middle-class Americans and to alleviate the crushing loan debt that many students and alumni are facing? We should cancel all student debt and create a K - 16 education system that includes a free CUNY.
37.Do you support a single-payer universal health care system? Do you or will
you co-sponsor the New York Health Act? Please elaborate. Yes
38. Discuss your stance on reproductive rights, including access to contraceptives and abortion services. We are witnessing a right-wing attack against reproductive rights. Reproductive rights is health care and should be protected at all costs.
39. Will you refuse money from individuals or Political Action Committees representing the real estate industry or law enforcement unions associations? Yes
40. Will you refuse and refund any contributions from executives at corporations complicit in the Trump agenda? Yes.
41. Will you cosponsor the legislation to prohibit evictions without good cause (S.3082 / A.5573)? Yes.
42. Will you push for the passage of Home Stability Support (HSS) to bridge the difference between the public assistance shelter allowance and fair market rents for NY's 95,000 homeless? Will you co-sponsor S.856 / A.6032, which amend the Social Services Law to create a statewide rent supplement for families and individuals who are eligible for public assistance benefits and who face eviction, homelessness, or loss of housing due to domestic violence or hazardous living conditions? Yes.
43. What should happen to 421-a? Would you end it, mend it, continue it? I would eliminate 421-a. The tax incentives prioritize development and real estate interests over the interests of New Yorkers who need affordable housing. We need to use a different AMI model that is narrowly tailored to median incomes of New Yorkers through a hyper-local model. This will help reflect a better model of affordability than the one we have now.
44. Do you support legalizing accessory dwelling units? yes
45. Do you support more state funding for NYCHA? If so, how much? Yes. The state should contribute several billion in order to address the close to $20 billion capital funding gap NYCHA currently faces.
46. Do you, or will you, co-sponsor the Climate and Community Investment Act? (S.4264A/A.6967) If you are an incumbent and do not currently co-sponsor this bill, why not? Yes.
47. Do you support the New York Public Banking Act (S.1762A/A. 8290? If you are an incumbent and do not currently co-sponsor this bill, why not? Yes
48. Do you support the New Deal for CUNY (S.4461 / A.5843)? If you are an incumbent and do not currently co-sponsor this bill, why not? Yes
49. 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 a city bill to rename the former Queensboro Bridge? Yes
50. Do you authorize the use of your name for such a purpose? Yes
51. What is your position on removing the Christopher Columbus statue in Columbus Circle and if so, what should replace it? It should be removed and we should honor the indigenous people of the land in a way they’d like.
52. Do you support reducing the budget of the law enforcement throughout the state, and if so, by how much? Yes. I believe in an invest/divest model of public budgets where we invest in what heals us and divest from what harms us. I believe that our goal is a world without jail, and we should take a large first step of reducing it by a quarter or a half.
53. 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, they should be removed from all these spaces.
54. Should law enforcement "Vice Squads" be eliminated? Yes
55. How would you recommend law enforcement officers be penalized for refusing to wear masks in public while on duty, in defiance of city and state rules? They should be placed on unpaid leave until they comply.
56. What reforms would you make to the Civilian Complaint Review Board? Would you support state legislation to make CCRB disciplinary determinations binding? I believe an Elected Civilian Review Board with firing power over NYPD personnel would be a good next step towards empowering the CCRB.
57. What will you do to support nightlife in New York State? I believe that safe communities that have adequate funding for community-based crime prevention and strong human rights protections against hate will support the culture of our nightlife.
58. Do you commit to speak with restaurant and nightlife industry representatives before taking a position on any policies that affect their businesses? Yes.
59. Do you commit to speak personally with liquor license applicants and license holders before opposing any bid for a liquor license? Likewise for an applicant seeking your support? Yes
60. What are the top 3 issues you aim to address locally and legislatively? My top issues are to increase parent voice by re-examining our system of mayoral control of schools, shut down the Trump golf course by my neighborhood, and create a climate resiliency plan for the district.
61. What additional information would you like Jim Owles to consider when we are making our endorsements decisions? I’m eager to connect and answer any questions the club may have.