Candidate Answers to JOLDC: Angela Fernandez for City Council District 10

Candidate Name: Angela Fernandez

Office Seeking Election for: City Council District 10

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

I have spent much of my life organizing, advocating and fighting for rights that are denied to many, especially for those most marginalized.

I am running for NY City Council in my home of District 10 because as someone who has co-led and co-created social justice movements born out of this district, I believe I am the best candidate to work hand-in-hand with frontline residents to successfully and effectively tackle the systemic problems that our political establishment has failed to address. Our campaign and my candidacy is unique in the following ways:

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I have deep, multi-decade experience co-creating and co-leading social justice movements with residents in CD10.

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I am the only candidate in my district that ran a frontline, non-profit for 10 years (nmcir.org), expanding its budget from $300,000 to $2.2 million, serving 5,000 to 8,000 families per year. I believe I am the only candidate for city council across the city that has run a frontline, non-profit for 10 years.

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I am the only candidate that has significant leadership experience at the federal (as district Chief of Staff to Congressman Jose Serrano), state (as NYS Commissioner of the Division of Human Rights) and city (as board member of the NYC Civilian Complaint Review Board and former Executive Director) levels.

. I have a long and successful track record of working with the community to transform institutions to serve the most marginalized. My deep relationships in the community and the diversity of my volunteers and donors are a testament that I connect with the entire district and not just certain sectors of the district. . I am not backed by the establishment. . I am the only candidate of all of the candidates running for city council across the city who has been a commissioner of a state agency, which will help me make funding decisions and create laws that, when implemented by agencies, will lead to meaningful improvement in people’s lives. . I was recruited to become the President of the Dominican Day Parade when it was in deep fiscal crisis and successfully turned it around, putting on two successful parades along 6th avenue (2015& 2016) and creating the first ever scholarship program for college students of Domincian descent.

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

Carlos Menchaca, Daniel Dromm, Ritchie Torres

If applicable, what legislation directly affecting the LGBTQ community have you introduced or co-sponsored? (indicate accordingly) Not applicable.

What LGBTQ organizations have you been involved with, either on a volunteer basis or professionally? As the parent of a nonbinary child, I supported my child, their classmates and school guidance counselor in the formation of the school’s GSA and in advocating for a space and the expansion of support for queer, trans, non binary, and gender non conforming students. As former Commissioner of the Division of Human Rights, I leveraged the agency's resources and structures to support and amplify LGBTQ organizations led by people of color such as Destination Tomorrow. The very day DOMA was passed allowing for spousal petitions, I began to outline and train staff to take the lead in outreaching to and processing applications immediately while I was with NMCIR. We partnered with the Sylvia Rivera Law Project to set up supportive lines and clinics to help countless couples be reunited and/or achieve legal status.

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. I marched in a few NYC Pride parades in the 1990’s (I cannot recall the exact years) and every year in NYC Pride since 2016. I marched in Bronx Pride in 2019.

Have you employed openly LGBTQ individuals previously? Do you employ any currently? Ever since I have had the capacity to hire employees (starting in 2004) I have employed openly LGBTQ+ individuals. Presently our campaign does not have staff but rather consultants and volunteers. The consultants have not shared a LGBTQ+ identity. We do have LGBTQ+ identifying volunteers.

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?

As Executive Director of Northern Manhattan Coalition for Immigrant Rights, I organized and attended countless rallies and press conferences between elevating the plight of detainees in immigration, including LGBTQ detainees. During those years, I was also a strong supporter of the many queer undocumented youth fighting for the Dream Act in NYS. Since the 1980’s I have attended pro-choice rallies and press conferences. As Commissioner for the Division of Human Rights, I led and attended roundtables, press conferences and rallies in support of LGBTQ+ access in rural communities fighting discrimination in conservative, right leaning communities. More recently, I have been part of organizing rallies and marches against police violence and brutality, with over 1,000 attendees. In addition, I was part of the organizing team for Protect the Vote rally during the 2020 Presidential election.

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

Yes. I was arrested during two civil disobedience actions: One in 2010 to prevent the deportation to Haiti of one of the founders of the New Sanctuary Movement (he was subsequently released from detention) and the second in 2014 to demand the expansion of legal protections for immigrants. In both I received ACD’s.

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

“In a racist society, it is not enough to be non-racist, we must be anti-racist.” -Angela Y. Davis First, I would look at successful models across the country, such as Oakland, CA’s Department of Race and Equity, to inform how we best combat systemic racism in city government. Second, just as all city council bills must include a fiscal impact statement prepared by the Finance Division of the Council, we should create the mechanism and infrastructure to have all city council bills include a racial impact statement. Budget decisions and initiatives must also include a racial impact statement. For example, CUNY must be free again. A prime example of systemic racism in our educational system is the introduction of tuition in CUNY. Thousands of people in NYC have acquired debt to CUNY and do not hold a college degree. I am committed to making CUNY free again for NYC residents. Environmental justice cannot exist without racial justice. Peaker plants in NYC are overwhelmingly located in working class black and brown communities and have contributed to environmental health harms documented for decades. I am in support of the campaign for Public Power. Peaker Plants need to be replaced with renewable energy that will keep NYS on track to fully decarbonize by 2030. Lastly, prosecutorial reform is critical to combating systemic racism. We need to make sure that bail reform is implemented in NYS. We also need to push back against the police unions’ efforts to rollback the repeal of 50A. I am in support of reducing the NYPD budget so that we can invest in areas that have historically been divested from communities of color. Shifting funds away from the police to address issues that plague communities is a start to addressing inequitable distribution of resources and opportunities in our communities.

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 I am in support of removing the Christopher Columbus statue in Columbus Circle and if so, what should replace it?

Christopher Columbus statue and all statues or monuments that reward legacies of violence, genocide and abuse of power. As a practitioner of co-governance, I believe that there should be a process similar to participatory budgeting in assessing and renaming statues and monuments throughout the city. Two ideas that come to mind is honoring the Lenape People whose land our present Columbus Circle sits on. It is also fitting to consider remembering African American members who lived in Seneca Village and were uprooted to build Central Park.

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. A true $3 billion reduction in the NYPD budget would be a good start. I believe reducing the $6 billion budget by half is both possible and necessary.

How would you have voted on the FY21 City Budget? I would have voted No.

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 to all.

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? Yes. When a police officer does not wear a mask, they are communicating that they believe that they are above the law. This cannot be allowed. It is the height of hypocrisy and endangers all of us by contributing to the spread of this deadly virus.

The penalty should begin with a fine that is greater than what is levied on civilians. Beginning at a $1,000 fine and for repeat offenders, their pay would be docked, suspension and/or termination.

What reforms would you make to the Civilian Complaint Review Board? Would you support state legislation to make CCRB disciplinary determinations binding? I served on the Civilian Complaint Review Board for three years and experienced first hand the frustration of not having final authority on judgements, and watch the NYPD Commissioner throw away our final determinations like an emperor. I would absolutely support state legislation to make CCRB disciplinary determinations binding. Other reforms include expanding the CCRB budget. The NYPD budget is $6 Billion ($11 Billion including their health benefits and pension) yet the CCRB budget is a little over $10 Million. The lack of proportionality is laughable. By expanding the budget, more investigators can be hired, trained and paid at a much higher rate to support their dignity and motivate retention. The agency can then also hire more attorneys. The agency could benefit from more funding for public education around WHAT is considered police misconduct and abuse and the avenues for relief that the CCRB could provide. I also believe that the penalty paradigm needs to be overhauled and more extensive training around the scope of penalties needs to be given to those who adjudicate these cases.

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

The point of the close Rikers movement was not to replace it with new buildings, but to decarcerate our city. Pre-trial detention, which represents the status of 80-85% of our jail population, must be the exception and not the rule. I will use the power of budgeting, legislation, and the bully pulpit of the Council to ensure that our courts and District Attorneys do not seek pre-trial detention except for the most extraordinary cases. I support “No New Jails.”

Residents of Washington Heights and Inwood continue to be over-policed. We need life-affirming programs that provide paths for social and economic success for our youth. The “No New Jails” campaign supports re-investing billions of dollars in local, community-based resources rather than in building 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? 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?

A major issue with 311 is the response of city agencies once a complaint or request comes in. I have personally experienced the frustration of not being able to get the services needed through 311. Are our city agencies equipped to properly service the number of referrals that come in through 311? ACcording to the NY City Council, top issues reported through 311 are Noise, Heat/Hot Water Complaints and Bulky Item Collection. Yet, we don’t have enough building inspectors or sanitation workers to adequately resolve or properly report ongoing resolutions for. As a former Commissioner for a State Agency, I would bring that lens in examining the challenges and opportunities for agencies to improve and to work better with our 311 system.

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

Do you oppose school screening, which exacerbates segregation? Which screens in your school district(s) will you advocate to abolish? Yes. I oppose school screenings. I would advocate to abolish the Specialized High School Admission Test which obviously favors families who can afford tutoring for the test.In my district I would abolish gifted & talented screenings. My district does not have any other screenings in K-12.

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

The city council as a body needs to organize as a unified front to demand that the state give the city council municipal control of the NYC DOE. The city council does not have the same decision making powers over the NYC DOE that it has over other agencies and this needs to change by shifting the power from the state and the mayor to the city council. This would also provide parents, students and teachers the ability to have greater local access to (and opportunities to organize/pressure) city councilmembers. It will also provide city councilmembers with the ability to conduct real oversight and budgetary decision-making over the NYC DOE. I also believe that by shifting the control to the city council, it will bring us closer to a community control of schools model, with local democratic processes that would center the decision-making power of students, parents/guardians and teachers.

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. (I smoked throughout my adolescence but stopped after experiencing a handful of negative reactions).

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 supported former IDC member Marisol Alcantara, particularly after the IDC was disbanded in April 2018. I first met Marisol Alcantara in 2016 when she was a Bernie delegate and I knew of her track record as a staunch labor activist and trade unionist. I was deeply disappointed and opposed to her joining the IDC, and directly told her so repeatedly throughout her tenure. (I live and ran a non-profit in her former district). In 2017, When the anti-IDC movement started after the election of Trump, I attended organizing meetings to support efforts in dismantling the IDC.

What will you do to support nightlife in NYC? The nightlife in NYC is critical for our mental, emotional and creative well-being. From an economic standpoint it is also critical for our city. I long supported the creation of the Office of Nightlife and I see it as a critical first step in ensuring that the nightlife industry has a municipal office that supports its interests. I would turn to the Executive Director and the Board Members of that office and ask them what they think is needed to support and strengthen the office. I would also look at existing proposed bills with representatives of the nightlife industry to see if the laws (once passed) would actually be helpful to them and their businesses. For example, looking closely at the Commercial Rent Stabilization bill which establishes a Commercial Rent Guidelines Board to regulate increases for many commercial leases. I support this bill but I also believe we need to strengthen the Commercial Rent Stabilization bill to prevent real estate interests from unduly influencing the appointed board. We have an opportunity to implement a municipal universal basic income (UBI) to support the thousands of artists, stage technicians and work crews that have lost jobs and will unduly face the loss of industry for months to come. I would seek to implement UBI for nightlife workers.

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 who are unable to listen and work with others food and beverage establishments?

Yes and yes.

Board members (or aspiring board members) of different lived experiences, interests and opinions must be reassessed before reappointing or appointing.

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? Very rarely do developers live in the neighborhoods they want to make a profit off of, yet they have tremendous say over the redesign of the fabric of that community. This is why it is critical that the local member must play an active and vigilant role in ensuring that any potential developer is not creating harm through their proposals. Is there a need for the development project and if there is how exactly are they fulfilling that need without creating economic harm towards the residents of the district? The local member must incorporate standards that need to be followed before considering an approval of the development project. For example, every proposed development must undergo a racial impact study, along with the environmental impact study. Enforceable community-benefits and project labor agreements must be negotiated and agreed to before consideration. These are just a few of the many tools that a city councilmember should wield hand in hand with the community when it comes to development proposals.

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.

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

Under my leadership, NMCIR was a founding coalition member of the ICE out of Riker’s campaign in 2009, which culminated in NYC Council passing two detainer laws, in 2014, that greatly limits the circumstances in which NYPD or DOC would honor an ICE hold (the mechanism used to transfer an arrestee to ICE custody). While it was a strong first step, and has ended the practice of transferring a large percentage of arrestees, there are carve outs that lead to people being transferred from NYPD or DOC to ICE. I would advocate for and work to end those carve outs. Others include: -Eliminate carve outs in NYC Department of Corrections' policy of limited engagement with ICE in 2015 and make it law. -Advocate for a law that prohibits the NYPD from arresting or bringing anyone to the precinct based on an NCIC “immigration warrant” hit. -ICE’s and CBP’s footprint and their ability to arrest and detain near courthouses needs to be prohibited. -Eliminate carve outs of certain criminal convictions that would disqualify a detained immigrant from seeking a free deportation defense attorney. -Ending the use of gang databases.

The use of electronic ankle-monitors needs to end and I would work with frontline communities and advocates to design policy solutions to end this practice in NYC. We need to identify ways in which ICE and CBP enforcement activities (such as home raids, work raids and arrests off the streets) in NYC can be prohibited. This would require creative and collaborative thinking with a variety of directly-impacted individuals, institutions and advocacy organizations.

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. As we advocate and rally statewide colleagues, I am committed to funding, developing and expanding behavioral health mobile crisis teams. We must expand access to behavioral health services that will address our opioid crisis and glaring disparities of access and care for mental health services. Overdoses have spiked throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and it is critical that we expand our current pilot crisis teams under NYC Well. Birth Justice is critical to addressing the racial and class inequities of our healthcare system and the national crisis of Black maternal mortality and morbidity. Our city can use discretionary funding, oversight and investigatory powers to expand Doula and midwife access and training in our city for all birthing people along with birthing centers in working class communities of color. We must push our state legislature to reimburse for doulas under Medicaid. We must improve access and funding for gender affirming care. Every community must have access to local comprehensive services and providers knowledgeable in centering the patient care of transgender, gender non conforming, and non binary patients. Expanded training and certification hours need to be mandated for providers and financial assistance (while we wait for major healthcare reform) for medical costs as well as health home support.

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) None
B) 2013: Letitia James 2019: Jumaane Williams
C) Bernie & Bernie
D) GOV: None AG: Letitia James

Top 3 issues you aim to address locally and legislatively

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?

My top three legislative priorities are:

1.

Creating a Green Jobs Guarantee Program where workers will retrofit and upgrade our building stock, build and maintain blue and green infrastructure, expand and maintain public green spaces, and support local food systems;

2.

Securing housing as a human right by preparing our housing stock for climate change, expanding universal rent control, ending speculative warehousing of empty apartment, protecting tenants from discrimination, supporting community land trusts, and ensuring any future rezonings are led by community residents and account for racial and environmental justice;

3.

Achieving budget justice, including in the areas of recreation, safety, and wellness

Through all legislative priorities, I plan to center environmental justice and co-governance, meaning that I will strategize and implement decision making with community residents through community councils and general assemblies.

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.

Expand participatory budget from $1 Million to $5 Million per district per year;

2.

Must include racial-impact study; and

3.

District offices serving low-income communities require robust (highly staffed) constituent services in order to appropriately connect residents to much needed services. Budgets for the operations of city council offices should be proportional to the constituent services needs of the residents and should therefore be increased for those district offices.

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

City council members negotiate budgets, create new budgetary initiatives, introduce/pass legislation, appoint community board members, vote on zoning changes, support the creation and the enforcement of Community Benefits Agreements and Project Labor Agreements when a corporation or development comes into the district, and can help organize and use the power of the bully pulpit to push laws at the city, state and federal level. The city council also has investigatory and little used subpoena power.

I would engage in all of the powers listed above to push through policies and budgetary priorities that center the needs of the marginalized. I would also use the subpoena power to compel agencies to respond to oversight hearings held by the city council. (eg: subpoena the NYPD Commissioner to a hearing regarding the dismissal of the hundreds of CCRB disciplinary charges levied on their officers).

With regard to budget negotiations the overall goal is to reappropriate funding so that it funds life-giving and supportive initiatives rather than continuing to fund agencies or programs that support the punishment paradigm that create mental, emotional and physical trauma.

Two city-wide budgetary initiatives I would like to introduce as quickly as possible is:

1) I propose that we fund and co-create Mental Health Professionals Corps, where young adults from our frontline communities receive free educational and clinical training, supervised by participating universities, and degrees to provide free mental health counseling via community-based health care programs to NYC residents. 2) For parks and other public spaces, I would like to propose the creation of an Urban Civilian Conservation Corps (Urban CCC), inspired by the New Deal. In partnership with the community, we would co-design the creation and implementation of an Urban CCC, which would immediately employ and pay dignity wages and benefits to New Yorkers to prepare our neighborhoods for the climate crisis.

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 am running on a platform of co-governance and see the club as a real and meaningful partner. Accountability comes from my being in close and active communication with you on legislation and/or budgetary negotiations so that we can meaningfully strategize together on the best path forward in reaching our desired outcomes. I believe this is the way in which the club and the progressive LGBT community can hold me accountable.

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? As former NYS Commissioner of the Division of Human Rights, under my leadership, our agency aggressively investigated cases of discrimination against members of the LGBTQIA+ community in the employment, housing, and public accommodation spaces.

One of the many cases we were able to resolve favorably involved a case where a local county clerk refused to issue a marriage license to a same sex couple. We won that case and ordered the Town of Root to pay $25,000 to the couple that was discriminated against. https://cbs6albany.com/news/local/town-topay-civil-fine-settlement-following-denial-of-marr iage-license-to-same-sex-couple Through my personal and professional conviction, I have leveraged all of the tools at my disposal to fight for LGBTQIA+ rights.