Candidate Answers to JOLDC: Dan Cohen for City Council District 7
Candidate Name: Dan Cohen
Office Seeking Election for: City Council District 7
Explain, based on life experiences and accomplishments, why you believe you are best qualified to represent your district
I have deep roots in the community, I was born and raised in Upper Manhattan in the same neighborhood where I live with my wife and son today. I believe in the honor of public service and wish to be the champion for the district I have always called home. I am a proud NYC public-school graduate as well as current public-school parent, and I serve on the school PTA. For the past seven years I have worked at the nonprofit Housing Partnership, helping create and preserve thousands of affordable housing units each year. Since 2010 I have been re-elected five times in the 69th Assembly District as the Democratic State Committeeman and I am a founder of the Progressive Caucus of the NYS Democratic Committee, which was a leading voice against the turncoat Democrats in the State Senate formerly known as the IDC. I am involved in the community as an appointed member of Community Board 9, working to create a West Harlem Community Arts Center with affordable housing, limit runaway real estate development, protect local landmarks and preserve our parks. I am further involved through serving on the community advisory board of Mt. Sinai Hospital, as the elected President of the Valley Restoration Local Development Corporation, as the founder of Friends of Anibal Aviles Playground/Amigos del Parque de Anibal Aviles and on the board of Friends of Morningside Park. I have done more, served more and lived more in the district than any of my opponents combined. I have been part of that change through my work in the affordable housing nonprofit world, my serving as State Committeeman, and my civic participation. Now I want to be a part of that change in shaping the city through serving on the city council.
Please identify any openly LGBTQ candidate for public office you have previously or presently endorsed?
I endorsed Karen Burstein when she ran for Attorney General in 1994. I supported and served as campaign treasurer for Phil Reed when he successfully ran for City Council in 1997 and 2001. I have continuously supported Danny O’Donnell for re-election to the NYS State Assembly since 2004 and in the 2019 special election for NYC Public Advocate. I endorsed Cynthia Nixon in 2018 when she ran for Governor and was one of the few who publicly voted for her on the floor of the NYS Democratic Convention. I have supported many more candidates across the city and the country financially and politically but these are the ones that overlap with the 7th Council District, or are city- or state-wide.
If applicable, what legislation directly affecting the LGBTQ community have you introduced or co-sponsored? (indicate accordingly)
N/A
What LGBTQ organizations have you been involved with, either on a volunteer basis or professionally?
Jim Owles, Stonewall Democrats, GLID, Eshel, Keshet, GMHC, ACT UP
Do you consider yourself a member of the LGBTQ community?
I consider myself LGBTQ-adjacent, as an ally.
Have you marched in Pride? Which marches and for approximately how many years?
Yes. Sometimes marched, sometimes just watched and cheered. Every year.
Have you employed openly LGBTQ individuals previously? Do you employ any currently?
I have. Campaign is lean at the moment but as we expand we will.
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 was part of the women’s march immediately after the 2016 election, and have attended and supported countless protests, for LGBTQ, pro-choice, BLM and other resistance efforts throughout the past four years.
Have you ever been arrested? If so please explain why and outcome of arrest.
Yes, protesting public education cuts. Released without penalty.
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?
Yes
Describe your legislative and policy vision for combatting systemic racism
By using the needs for racial, social and economic justice as the lens through which I will make decisions. I would continue to reach out to organizations that have been working on combatting systemic racism, such as Color of Change, WEACT and the Movement for Black Lives, and listen to what they say New York City should be doing. Some of the proposed changes include the way we approach education, particularly funding elementary schools, it is the way the NYPD approaches youth of color, with the criminalization of behavior as a way of social control that must change, it is also healthcare, where people of color have higher rates of medical neglect and subsequently increased mortality, and it is environmental justice – where certain investments are made, and not made, and how they often highly correlate to the color of the people in a neighborhood. All this, and so much more. As a Councilmember, the biggest impact I can have is in the budget. Our budget is not just numbers, it is a moral document, and equipped with the support and advice of anti-racism organizations we will make the changes we must make to bring our society into a more equitable future.
Will you not seek, and refuse, the endorsement of Bill de Blasio?
I will not seek, and would refuse, the endorsement of 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?
I would consider removing the statue and renaming the circle Lenape Circle or something similar.
Will you refuse contributions from real estate developers and all law enforcement unions or associations?
Yes, I have publicly refused contributions from real estate and law enforcement.
Do you support reducing the budget of the NYPD and if so, by how much?
Thirty years ago we had 500,000 major felony offenses with 24,000 cops, today we have under 100,000 offenses, but 36,000 officers. We could cut the force by a third or more, which would save us over a billion dollars in annual expenses, money we could re-allocate to affordable housing, the aforementioned mental health corps, medical clinics, drug treatment, job retraining and small business investment. Even cutting our forces back to 90’s levels we would still have the largest force in the country, twice the size of Chicago’s, a distant second with a headcount of 12,000.
How would you have voted on the FY21 City Budget?
I would have voted NO on the FY2021 budget because it did not go far enough in reallocating funding to other social priorities.
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.
a) Yes b) Yes c) Yes d) Yes
Should the NYPD Vice Squad be eliminated?
Yes
Should Dermot Shea be fired immediately?
Yes
Should the NYPD Commissioner require confirmation by the City Council?
Yes
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?
Salary reduction
What reforms would you make to the Civilian Complaint Review Board? Would you support state legislation to make CCRB disciplinary determinations binding?
I would make the Office of the Inspector General an independent agency, give the New York City Council the power of “advise and consent” on the Mayoral appointment of the NYPD Police Commissioner and strengthen the role of the Civilian Complaint Review Board in the disciplinary process so that the NYPD Commissioner does not have the final decision. I would support state legislation to make CCRB disciplinary determinations binding.
What is your position on the plan to close Rikers and create four borough-based jails?
Yes, I agree with closing Rikers. No, I do not support new jails, I believe the capacity of the jails we already have in the boroughs are currently sufficient – I would seek to rehab the existing facilities before spending billions on new jails we may never even need as the next council pursues a decarceral strategy. Alternatives to incarceration, including home confinement, ankle bracelets and other technology can allow individuals prior to trial to continue with their lives and not be cut off from work, school and family. Closing Rikers is the right step, and allowing people to be closer to their homes, near families and friends for support, is better than placing them away from local resources and deepening their isolation.
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?
The fact that city and state-run entities (like NYCHA) are not included in the system has to change. There are also significant concerns about accessibility for people who are either deaf or hard of hearing. And 311 is not as easily accessible for people who do not speak English well. Disability advocates have said that people have reported waiting for almost an hour before being connected with someone who has the skills and technology to answer a question or field a complaint. A user-designed system that takes the disabled community’s concerns would be paramount in the next administration. And expanding 311 to cover ALL city and state entities is essential.
Do you support decriminalizing sex work? Will you pledge to oppose the Nordic model?
Yes, I support decriminalizing sex work. Yes, I pledge to oppose the Nordic model – we cannot decriminalize sex work if we only decriminalize the workers but still criminalize the clients.
Do you oppose school screening, which exacerbates segregation? Which screens in your school district(s) will you advocate to abolish?
Yes, we should eliminate screens in all elementary schools and most middle schools, particularly in community school districts 3, 5 and 6 – the three school districts in council district 7. I would eliminate geographic screens for all high schools. Some, such as specializations in art and music, I would keep.
Describe what reforms you would make to the control of the NYC public school system.
As I am sure you know, NYC schools are the most segregated in the nation. Part of that is state policy, and part of that is local policy. On the state level, I will join the effort of the Alliance for Quality Education for the state to provide adequate funding to the city. By AQE’s estimates, the city is owed $4 Billion in education funding, and even a portion of that would have a huge impact in level-funding the vast deficiencies in the school system. But money is not the only issue. We as a city have to revisit how we allocate resources and students, throughout the schools. It means reviewing the relevance of gifted & talented programs, eliminating them if necessary, to reduce the institutional inequities in the schools.
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?
Yes, and yes.
Do you smoke or otherwise consume weed?
No
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 opposed the IDC. In fact, as the Democratic State Committeeman in the 69th Assembly District I am a founder of the Progressive Caucus of the NYS Democratic Committee, a leading voice against the IDC in the State Senate. I supported Robert Jackson in his victorious effort over Marisol Alcantara in 2018.
What will you do to support nightlife in NYC?
I have proposed the creation of nightlife “districts” throughout the city that would explicitly be zoned for music and entertainment and with fewer restrictions on noise to encourage the creation and support for nightlife in NYC.
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, and 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
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?
Land use is perhaps the biggest responsibility of members of the city council. We must thread a careful course between frequently conflicting perspectives and imperfect solutions. Another thing is to reject member deference as the criteria for legislative decisions. I would vote my values on re-zonings, in favor of creating new mixed income housing in communities of opportunity, even if it is over the objections of the local councilmember.
Do you support legislation to prohibit discrimination against formerly incarcerated people in housing?
Yes
Do you oppose the removal of the nearly 300 homeless individuals from the Lucerne hotel due to pressure from some local residents?
Yes. And I stood outside the hotel and repeatedly voiced my support for letting the residents remain in the Lucerne.
What proposals will you advocate for to protect immigrants and further New York as a Sanctuary City?
I would support and enhance funding for the New York Immigrant Family Unity Project, which ensures legal representation for all detained immigrants, regardless of the offense for which they were charged.
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.
Yes. I support a single-payer universal health care system. I would fully fund the NYC Care program, now costing about $100 million a year, to provide inform the thousands of New Yorkers without health insurance to learn about Metro Health Plus, the City's health insurance program. While NYC Care itself is not health insurance, it has had a positive impact and I would want to continue it. I would press the Governor to provide universal health care through the New York Health Act, and I would continue to support a national healthcare program.
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 de Blasio in 2013 B) Daniel Squadron in 2013, Daniel O’Donnell in 2019 C) Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Elizabeth Warren in 2020 D) Cynthia Nixon for Governor in 2018 and Zephyr Teachout for AG in 2018
Top 3 issues you aim to address locally and legislatively
Certainly, the COVID-19 recovery is the priority. But assuming we have made some progress on that by the time I take office, 1) affordable housing, 2) education and 3) climate change are my top three priorities. All three should be conducted with a racial and economic justice lens, we cannot tackle those priorities in the way we have before (or not at all), we must inject equity into the development of affordable housing: where we build it, and whom it is built for. We must fix the horrible racial segregation of our public schools, and not simply make adjustments around the edges, and climate change will impact us all, but some more deeply that others: particularly people of color and low-income New Yorkers will be bearing the brunt of global warming unless we take active steps to ensure the burden and the benefits are more equitably shared.
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?
1) Fully transparent NYPD budget 2) Focus on more comprehensive planning rather than the piecemeal process we have now 3) I would make the Office of the Inspector General an independent agency, give the New York City Council the power of “advise and consent” on the Mayoral appointment of the NYPD Police Commissioner and strengthen the role of the Civilian Complaint Review Board in the disciplinary process so that the NYPD Commissioner does not have the final decision.
Please explain your vision for the present powers of the office you are seeking and how you intend to exercise them?
A Councilmember has influence over land use decisions, as a check on the mayor, reviews and questions city agencies and acts as an advocate for their district. This council has done a middling job on many of those things – in part because it is hamstrung by current legislation, and if we can have more influence over education and assert more analysis of the NYPD budget, we can move the city forward to a more progressive future.
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! They will make sure I stay grounded and always in touch with the issues and concerns that matter to the Jim Owles Club and the progressive LGBT community.
If you receive the endorsement, do you agree to identify the club on all literature and electronic materials where you list endorsements?
Yes! With pleasure.
What additional information would you like Jim Owles to consider when we are making our endorsement decisions?
I am the son and grandson of union members: my grandmother was in the ILGWU, my mother is in a clergical union. I worked in the political division of the ILGWU when I graduated college in 1992 organizing retirees into phone banking for Carolyn Maloney for Congress. As a liberal Democrat, I have I have marched in NYC and lobbied in Albany on many causes initiated by, or as part of a larger coalition of, union labor.