Candidate Answers to JOLDC: Sandra Ung for City Council District 20

Candidate Name: Sandra Ung

Office Seeking Election for: City Council District 20

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

When I was a child, my family fled the genocide in Cambodia and came to Flushing. Because of the language and cultural barriers, we struggled - it fell to me to help my parents navigate this new environment as I grew up. Later, I became an attorney and worked at Sanctuary for Families in order to fight for victims of domestic violence. Since leaving Sanctuary, I’ve worked in government offices, helping constituents navigate the government system and representing their interests. I understand how to build coalitions to support working families and marginalized communities, and I’m passionate about working with community organizations, advocacy groups and organized labor. I’m running for City Council because I want to make government work for my neighbors, the residents of District 20. District 20 needs an advocate who embraces its diversity and understands the unique challenges many of our residents face. Social justice, advocacy, and activism aren’t new to me - I’ve devoted my life to it. It is the core of who I am and why I am running for office. I want to empower the residents of District 20 regardless of their background. I will increase language access so our immigrant community can prosper. I will secure more affordable housing for our seniors so that they can age in place. And I will fight to ensure that everybody has the opportunity to flourish by improving our schools.

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

N/a - haven’t held office, but I recognize and am deeply concerned that there may be no LGBTQ+ representation on the City Council next year given that all of the LGBTQ+ members on City Council are term limited. I will work with LGBTQ+ candidates, including Lynn Schulman in my neighboring district, to ensure that there is LGBTQ+ representation on the Council.

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

N/A - haven’t held office

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

While I haven’t been a member, I have been a financial supporter of Jim Owles and attended events.

Do you consider yourself a member of the LGBTQ community?

No

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

Yes - 2009 and I believe I attended another one since then, but I am not sure of the year. I will attend Pride events in the future.

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

N/A - I have been working in nonprofits and government offices so haven’t had employees.

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 recently attended the Jim Owles election celebration and I participated in BLM marches.

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

No

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

Yes

Will you affirmatively seek to hire formerly incarcerated individuals?

I will try and I would absolutely not reject someone based on being formerly incarcerated. I do commit to hiring a diverse, multicultural and representative staff with extensive multilingual skills.

Describe your legislative and policy vision for combatting systemic racism

Going forward, the Council must support legislation that increases the transparency of the NYPD, especially in regards to disciplinary infractions, such as the recent repeal of New York State’s civil rights law Section 50-A. The Council can encourage transparency by requiring badges to be clearly displayed. Accountability also means that we should focus on protecting the victims when it comes to policies like qualified immunity. The Council should ensure that the CCRB has the power to both investigate and discipline officers when appropriate, and it should reexamine the role of the NYPD command in approving disciplinary recommendations. Even when the CCRB recommends charges, NYPD command often chooses not to pursue the matter and dismisses the charges. I would also support examining the relative merits of moving towards an ECRB with subpoena powers and an independent prosecutor to examine cases. We need to add social workers and mental health specialists at our local precincts and/or Police Servicing Areas (PSAs) at some NYCHA locations, because they will be trained to handle those delicate situations like domestic violence, or mental health crisis. It adds another layer of accountability for everyone, especially the NYPD. Police officers only receive a limited amount of training when it comes to these sensitive situations. We need to have experts alongside working simultaneously with the NYPD. We must build stronger connections between our police officers and the local community. NYC needs to hire more bilingual officers so that they can interact with the diverse population of New York. Gender and racial diversity, especially among the upper ranks of the police department, should be a top hiring priority so that the police department reflects our city’s population. Systemic racism is also built into our economic system. People of color take on a disproportionately high amount of unpaid care work, and face steeper challenges in securing access to child care. We need a holistic care system that elevates the status of care work in our society and provides a support structure including paid family leave, child care, more high quality afterschool programs and elder care. I would work with fellow city council members, state representatives and federal counterparts to push policies like increasing the wage replacement gap and making existing programs more accessible. On the municipal level, I would work to identify ways to make these programs more well known and easier to apply to for communities of color, for example by identifying liaisons and community-based organizations that can increase accessibility. I would also work to elevate issues of environmental racism by prioritizing the resiliency of our communities. We need to tackle climate change head on, but we must also prepare for its effects. Communities of color will bear a disproportionately high amount of the impact of climate change - I would fight for more cooling centers, work to retrofit public buildings and NYCHA to bear the heat and update sewage lines to bear with increased rainfall. We also need to put our laws under a critical lens and ask whether they’re actually contributing to our collective safety, or have discriminatory intent. For example, the State Assembly and Senate should move immediately to repeal the Walking While Trans laws, which disproportionately affects people of color and the LGBTQ+ community.

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

Yes.

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?

Christopher Columbus committed numerous atrocities against indigenous peoples, and I would be open to discussing the future of the statue. If we move forward with replacing the statue, I am not sure what should replace it, but it should be someone who represents our values as a culturally diverse city.

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

I am refusing contributions from law enforcement unions and associations.

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

If elected, I would engage in a serious conversation with community members and leaders from black and brown communities to examine the form those reforms should take. We need to look at ways we can tackle this step by step. We should engage with the NYPD about extending their training, have social workers respond when possible, and use properly trained professionals for situations that require a more delicate approach. Communities of color want to feel safe in their community, not targeted. The way we can have a serious discussion about policing and the community is by bringing folks to the table. Too many sentiments get lost in translation, which puts us further and further away from accomplishing anything tangible for our communities.

How would you have voted on the FY21 City Budget?

Yes. While any budget document is going to come with trade-offs, this budget had many important things that had to get passed. I believe listening is incredibly important and I would have worked and listened and discussed with the Council’s Black, Latino and Asian Caucus regarding the vote.

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.

I support exploring all of these, but I think this is also a nuanced discussion and it’s critical that we hear from the experts and from black and brown communities to discuss proper execution. I support removing the police from schools and ending the school-to-prison pipeline - disciplinary problems are not criminal problems, and they shouldn’t be treated that way. We should invest in building a robust social safety net and support network in our schools to help students. School safety agents, most of whom are minorities from the community, should be moved to be under the DOE. I would work with black and brown communities to reimagine school safety in a way that promotes the wellbeing of our students. I support removing the police from mental health response calls, homeless outreach and social services, and I’m glad the city is beginning a program to have trained professionals respond to these calls. The NYPD simply don’t have the training for this, and it was a mistake to stop investing in our mental health services, but I also want to make sure that police are available as backup if the mental health experts believe that is necessary. I support removing NYPD officers from traffic enforcement - we’ve too often seen traffic stops that end in violence. However, most TEAs (Traffic Enforcement Agents) are people of color and have concerns about their safety without the protection of the badge - I would engage in a real conversation with TEAs and the black/brown community to discuss the best path forward.

Should the NYPD Vice Squad be eliminated?

Yes. Reports of alleged corruption and misconduct by the NYPD Vice Squad are incredibly disturbing and should be fully investigated. The fact that 93% of those arrested by the Vice Squad were not white should also raise everybody’s eyebrows. Their previous cases should be reexamined for misconduct and officers should be held accountable for breaking the law.

Should Dermot Shea be fired immediately?

Yes

Should the NYPD Commissioner require confirmation by the City Council?

Yes - this is a definite move in the right direction.

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?

They should be held accountable according to the law, just like everybody else.

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

The Council should ensure that the CCRB has the power to both investigate and discipline officers, and it should reexamine the role of the NYPD command in approving disciplinary recommendations. I also support examining the relative merits of moving towards an ECRB with subpoena powers and an independent prosecutor to examine cases.

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

Given its history and the repeated failure of the city to reform the prison, we had to close Rikers. It was also too far away for families to visit and a drain on city resources to transport individuals to the courts. We need to move beyond mass incarceration and models of policing and punishment that rely on locking people behind bars, especially given the history of disproportionately incarcerating black and brown people, and towards a model based on rehabilitation. We should use diversionary programs to keep people out of prison when possible, especially the mentally ill and youth who may simply need access to social services. However, I also spent years as a lawyer representing victims and survivors of domestic violence, and a priority of mine is making sure that survivors are safe from abuse. I’ve seen what abusive partners can do in retaliation for calling the authorities. We must continue to explore what options we have to make sure that people are able to live lives free from the fear of abuse or violence, free of crime, and explore with the community what options fairly distribute any new jails.

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?

I support expanding elder parole.

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?

I would work to have 311 better equipped to direct New Yorkers to social service and mental health responders. I know a primary issue for many residents in my district is that there is a significant lag between calling and being connected to language services - many local residents simply hang up after being placed on hold to wait for bilingual help. I would work to find innovative ways to fix this issue, both with more staffing and by finding technological innovations.

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

.

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

I support increasing diversity in schools, and would support efforts to come up with a holistic approach to diversity. There are many tools we can use to improve diversity, top among them investing in early childhood education like 3K and pre-K. We should also invest in afterschool programs. Finally, we should require all students to take the exams for screened and gifted programs, a policy that has been shown to increase diversity elsewhere. Broward County in Florida screened every 2nd grade student for gifted programs - this increased the number of black students by 80%, hispanic students by 130% and economically disadvantaged students by 180%. I do not support abolishing school screening.

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

The old way, with a schools chancellor and school boards, needed to change, but after several years of mayoral control, the reality is educators and parents need a greater input/voice. I support a new approach where a greater voice is given to parents and educators.

Do you support public funding of abortion?

Yes

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

While I need to examine any proposal in more detail, our country is in the midst of an opioid epidemic and it is absolutely critical that we work to support those suffering from addiction. I would work with addiction specialists and my counterparts in both the state and federal government to provide much needed assistance to New Yorkers facing addiction.

Do you smoke or otherwise consume weed?

No, I don’t.

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?

No, I didn’t support any members of the IDC. I canvassed for John Liu in his bid to unseat IDC member Tony Avella.

What will you do to support nightlife in NYC?

I am a proud supporter of small businesses and would work with the hospitality industry, including nightlife establishments, to find ways to help them recover from the pandemic.

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

Yes.

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 strongly supported repealing the law.

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

The Amazon HQ2 deal was poorly negotiated, and the product of an incredibly flawed process. Community input should have come into the process much sooner, and the city should have used its leverage to get far more out of Amazon before releasing a finalized deal. Many e-commerce employers are offered lucrative tax breaks, zoning incentives and other bonuses. We should leverage these to make the project one that works for the community. I would work to use strong labor standards and local hiring practices as a precondition for moving forward with the project.

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

I support moving away from member deference and towards a more comprehensive development model, but I believe that the local member has an important, perhaps the most important, role to play given their local knowledge. One of the biggest problems in the current ULURP and development process is that organized labor and community groups are brought into the discussion too late. If elected, I would work with organized labor, the community and other stakeholders early on in the process to identify ways that we can make the development/zoning work for the community and workers. I would make sure that organized labor has a seat at the table, facilitate meetings between unions and developers/companies and work with labor and the community to leverage the development process into being one that works for working families. As we pursue a smoother and community-oriented development process, we should expand the definition of environmental impact to include more areas, including the impact on schools and healthcare services. I would work with organized labor and the community to identify other potential reforms.

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

While I support breaking down barriers to successful reentry into the community, I need to further study the bill and its effects. We need to evaluate the type of crime when it comes to specific housing.

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

Yes. The entire situation was brought about by a poor response by the current mayoral administration. But of course, this question goes beyond Lucerne. Housing is a human right. To make sure that everyone has access to housing requires a diverse toolkit given the varied reasons behind homelessness. The Home Stability Support bill in the State Legislature is the most common sense solution to our homeless crisis. We all know that the key to helping someone stabilize their financial situation is to provide permanent housing. We need to move away from the shelter system that is fraught with waste and pay peoples’ rent when they cannot do so themselves. This allows for people to set roots, allows their children to have the stability of staying in the same school for the year and it saves the State and the City money. The City Council can also act by expanding housing voucher and rental subsidy programs with the goal of securing long term housing and preventing eviction before it happens, or securing long term housing for those evicted. Finally, social services need to be improved - wraparound service providers can help people find housing, but can also help fight the underlying causes of homelessness by helping people find work, or overcoming mental illness or drug problems.

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

I moved to the United States when I was 7 and grew up in Flushing where nearly 6 in 10 residents are foreign-born. Protecting and empowering our immigrant community is one of the main reasons I’m running for office. First, we must defend the programs that help our neighbors stay here - NYIFUP, which provides legal defense to those facing deportation proceedings, has been a resounding success. We should continue to expand programs that provide legal assistance to immigrant New Yorkers. I would defend our sanctuary laws and work to expand privacy protections for immigrant New Yorkers. We also need to support our immigrant neighbors and their economic/social wellbeing. If elected, one of my priorities will be to secure multilingual special liaisons in the Small Business Services (SBS) to help immigrant small businesses understand regulations and laws. I’ve heard over and over from my neighbors about drowning under onerous fines or being shut down because they weren’t warned in their own language. I would also work to appoint liaisons responsible for going to senior centers and senior homes to assist seniors, many of whom are not proficient in English, with applying for government benefit programs and paying bills. Finally, we should expand access to ESL programs across the city.

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.

I support universal healthcare. While expanding insurance programs might be predominantly a state and federal issue, I believe that a big problem is accessibility - people aren’t aware of their eligibility for programs like Medicaid, and the City Council can help perform that outreach with appropriate language capabilities to diverse communities, including to immigrant communities and communities of color. City Council members can also work with state and federal counterparts to prioritize expanding health coverage, and protect funding for our public hospitals. I support a moratorium on hospital closures and creation of health planning boards that empower the local community and stakeholders to have a say in healthcare decisions in their area.

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 - Bill Thompson B - Letitia James & Jumaane Williams C - Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden D - Andrew Cuomo and Letitia James

Top 3 issues you aim to address locally and legislatively

Language Access and Outreach - One of my top priorities will be expanding language access and outreach. District 20 is an immigrant community and our diverse languages mean that many people are unaware or unable to take advantage of city programs and opportunities. I will work to create special liaisons to help ESL speakers, whether small businesses or senior citizens, access benefit programs or learn about regulations. I will also fight for more and improved translations on government forms and websites. As a nonprofit attorney working with Sanctuary for Families, I worked to empower survivors of domestic violence. Unfortunately, COVID-19 has only exacerbated the struggles of those seeking to leave an abuser. I would work with survivors, service providers and community groups to identify policies to support survivors and victims of domestic violence. For example, many survivors are being forced to stay with their tormentors because they’re unable to pay rent. New York City can help end the cycle of violence by enacting a targeted housing program for survivors of domestic violence including expanding the number of Tier II shelters and a new program that allows survivors to apply for HRA subsidies as soon as an order of protection is issued. By acting to prevent an eviction proceeding before it even begins, this program will give survivors a real shot at normalcy. Education - District 20’s schools are overcrowded and underfunded, harming not only our students but also our teachers. I would work with the Mayoral Administration and the School Construction Authority to secure funding for a new school in the district. To fight for a more equitable city, I would seek to expand after school programs and homework assistance programs in order to help every student succeed. Small businesses - District 20 is full of vibrant small businesses that are a major boon to our economy and culture. Many of them are immigrant-owned and struggle with regulations and onerous fines; I would work with the city government, the SBS and small businesses to make sure that there is more outreach to our small businesses, and explore options to expand the city’s MWBE program.

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?

I would need to explore reforms to the budget and municipal offices further, and would be open to hearing the suggestions of Jim Owles’ members, but I would support reforming the zoning process to take racial justice, environmental, health and education concerns into account.

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

My vision for a City Councilperson is that of an advocate. By ensuring that the diverse constituencies in their district have their voices heard, the City Council plays an integral role in making the government accountable to those it serves, both in budgetary decisions, legislatively and in determining agency priorities. Whether because of language access or lack of outreach, many of our communities do not receive the services they need to flourish, especially in immigrant communities like my own. By bringing resources to every resident and ensuring the government recognizes their concerns, the City Council should make government work for everyone and not just the rich and powerful. It’s critical that we bring money back into the community to strengthen the economy and social services in order to protect those individuals most in need.

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, I do. Too often, our legislative process ignores or forgets the LGBTQ+ community and I welcome the club and its members’ input into how to change that. I will work with the club to share information and craft legislation, and will keep my office doors open to have constructive conversations on ways we can elevate the voices of LGBTQ+ individuals.

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

Yes, I will absolutely put it on social media and websites - printed literature will be dependent on space.

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

My campaign is drawing on a broad base of support, including community leaders and immigrant groups. As Congresswoman Grace Meng’s Special Assistant, I have worked with many of these groups for years to get things done, and strongly believe in the need to keep building these relationships to make sure that government works for New Yorkers. My campaign already has a large team of volunteers helping with everything from canvassing to website design and community events - we are doing lit drops and calling voters. We are also drawing on a broad base of support, as signified by the fact that we were one of the top three campaigns in the borough of Queens for funds received under the matching program.