Candidate Answers to JOLDC: Blake Morris for City Council District 40
Candidate Name: Blake Morris
Office Seeking Election for: City Council District 40
Explain, based on life experiences and accomplishments, why you believe you are best qualified to represent your district
I have over 30 years of experience in government and law and NYC history that I think I could provide a value to the district and the city as a whole.
Please identify any openly LGBTQ candidate for public office you have previously or presently endorsed?
Jabari Brisport for State Senate
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?
N/A
Do you consider yourself a member of the LGBTQ community?
I am an ally
Have you marched in Pride? Which marches and for approximately how many years?
2018 Brooklyn Pride March
Have you employed openly LGBTQ individuals previously? Do you employ any currently?
Yes, my 2018 field organizer is a member of the LGBTQ community.
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’ve attended press conferences related to pro-choice legislation, specifically in 2018, and have attended many Indivisible Brooklyn meetings regarding Trump resistance.
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?
Yes
Describe your legislative and policy vision for combatting systemic racism
We need to begin to work against systems of oppression, rather than seeing racism as individual actions. We need to work to actively be anti-racist.
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?
Remove the statue and donate it to a museum. Keep the fountain and dedicate it to multiculturalism.
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?
I support moving auxiliary functions of the NYPD, such as school safety, traffic enforcement, etc to other agencies, which will substantially reduce the budget of the NYPD.
How would you have voted on the FY21 City Budget?
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?
Suspension
What reforms would you make to the Civilian Complaint Review Board? Would you support state legislation to make CCRB disciplinary determinations binding?
CCRB should have the final say on discipline. I would support state legislation mandating this.
What is your position on the plan to close Rikers and create four borough-based jails?
Opposed
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?
Hold agencies accountable for the answers they enter into the 311 system.
Do you support decriminalizing sex work? Will you pledge to oppose the Nordic model?
Yes
Do you oppose school screening, which exacerbates segregation? Which screens in your school district(s) will you advocate to abolish?
Yes
Describe what reforms you would make to the control of the NYC public school system.
Oppose mayoral control, eliminate screening and zoning.
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/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 ran against Simcha Felder in 2018.
What will you do to support nightlife in NYC?
Reduce the regulations that businesses are forced to comply with.
Do you commit to speak with restaurant and nightlife industry representatives before taking a position on any policies that affect their businesses?
Absolutely
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?
As vital members of communities, restaurant, bar and club owners deserve seats on community boards but those who oppose them deserve to be heard as well.
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?
There should be no restrictions on dancing.
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?
The local council member has the ability to shoot down bad local development schemes and assure that plans that move forward fit in with what is in the best interest of the neighborhood.
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?
Monitoring of and restrictions on ICE activity.
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. The city should expand basic health coverage through HHC to prevent bankruptcies that result from hospitalizations.
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?
.
Top 3 issues you aim to address locally and legislatively
1) Affordable housing 2) School reform 3) Unemployment
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?
The EDC budget should be subject to zero based budgeting and strict restrictions placed on its scope of operations. The entire ambulance system is a mess and wasteful. EMS, Fire Dept. and private ambulances require substantial consolidation. Sanitation Dept. policies are extremely wasteful when composting would solve a significant portion of the waste needs for the city. Fire Dept. in general is extremely wasteful. NYC leads the nation in false alarms. Municipal leasing of private buildings is extremely wasteful. The non-metered Con Ed bill that the city pays is a heist. Where to increase spending: Education Health City built affordable housing that is co-op owner managed with rentals Parks, in particular many all weather pools I worked for City Planning in the Waterfront Division for many years and also reviewed many ULURP applications. The system at best was wobbly but now it’s broken. It needs to be scrapped. NYC can adopt a more comprehensive approach where the voters have a say in what the city of the future will look like. The Dept. of City planning can start the ball rolling by career planners creating lists of goals for the city of the future, let’s say 30 items. A time frame would be given, around six months where the public could learn about these goals, add more goals and community boards and anyone can review, discuss and decide what they like or do not like. Then have a referendum where the voters rank the items they think most important for the next 50 years. Once the vote is taken then back to city planning dept to come with applications to those goals that the voters selected. Shop that around for six months, public education and take another vote which applications the voters want. Then each community board develops land use guidance with the power they already have under Section 197-a of the City Charter and get those certified and have the voters approve their plans. Now when done you have a community based voter driven master plan. It takes a lot of work, education and voting.
Please explain your vision for the present powers of the office you are seeking and how you intend to exercise them?
I would like to expand on constituent services because this is something that has ben sorely lacking in the district for more than a decade. My experience as an attorney will also put me in a better position to craft legislation that improves the lives of constituents.
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, we'd meet regularly to discuss needs and goals.
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?
I was involved with stopping the Atlantic Yards project as planned for 17 50-story towers and filed a successful lawsuit against the NY Senate for violation of FOIL and state budget law in allowing state senators unfettered access to constituent mail budgets. Long time ago: Stopping Westway and son of Westway.