Candidate Answers to JOLDC: Brandon West for City Council District 39
Candidate Name: Brandon West
Office Seeking Election for: City Council District 39
Explain, based on life experiences and accomplishments, why you believe you are best qualified to represent your district
I have always lived with a deep interest in building power for people who don’t have it. The last few years reaffirmed in me that the circumstances in the district and city require something more transformative, and that means bringing more working people into creating solutions. I’ve been radicalized by what I’ve seen and experienced. Government is failing people, our economy is built off of people’s exploitation, and the local political parties and establishment are propping the system up. Particularly in this district, the marginalized are politically invisible and disenfranchised. I want to build power and use Council as a model for base building, and pass real, life-changing policy at the citywide level. I’m the son of teachers--my father was from Jersey City, and my mother from Newark. I got involved in leftist organizing as soon as my parents let me get out of the house. After college, I knew that I wanted to get involved in community organizing, specifically around democracy and building power for Black and Brown people in our democracy. I was drawn to community organizing specifically, as opposed to legal advocacy or philanthropy, for example, because I believe change and justice have always come from the ground up. Just as plants grow deep roots into the soil to grow, the wisdom, energy, urgency, and creativity that are critical to the movement come from the communities themselves, ordinary working people who understand policy as a lived experience. I am also a Black man, which means my very existence is political and politicized. Too often my community is talked about, but not talked to. We are statistics to white lawmakers and policy analysts who make decisions that shape our lives. As a budget and policy wonk - having worked at the Office of Management and Budget and the City Council’s Finance Committee - and as leader in my own right, having been the President of New Kings Democrats and now working on critical issues of democracy at the Center for Popular Democracy, I’m ready to bring my folding chair to the table
Please identify any openly LGBTQ candidate for public office you have previously or presently endorsed?
I have not personally done any endorsements, but when I was President of New Kings Democrats, we endorsed Cynthia Nixon for Governor and Genesis Aquino for Female District Leader in Assembly District 51.
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?
In 2018, I helped mediate a conflict and participated in conversations between VOCAL-NY and residents of the surrounding blocks (where I live) regarding the expansion of a safe injection site at their office on 4th Avenue. VOCAL-NY is not entirely an LGBTQ organization, but is dedicated to building power among low-income people affected by HIV/AIDS, among other related issues.
Do you consider yourself a member of the LGBTQ community?
no, but I consider myself an ally
Have you marched in Pride? Which marches and for approximately how many years?
Yes, I have marched in the BK Pride parade in 2019 and 2018, and attended it regularly. I also marched once in the Philadelphia Pride Parade in 2008.
Have you employed openly LGBTQ individuals previously? Do you employ any currently?
n/a, I am not an employer
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 have attended many protests and actions. In particular, this summer, I was one of the organizing members of the Free Black Radicals and the Occupy City Hall movement, which called upon the Speaker and the Mayor to cut funding to the NYPD and redistribute that funding to our communities. Seeing hundreds of people together to watch the City Council budget process felt like an amazing radical change to civic engagement. Especially since budget issues are a passion of mine, seeing it converge with my organizing life meant a lot to me.
Have you ever been arrested? If so please explain why and outcome of arrest.
I have not been arrested, but I have been a part of political actions that have led to arrest, either intentionally, or as a result of civil disobedience. I helped organize a few Black Lives Matter actions during the recent curfew this summer, and was prepared to be arrested as a result, but was not arrested.
Do you commit to visiting constituents who are incarcerated in state prisons and city jails?
Yes. I was a volunteer for 3 years for the Parole Preparation Project, and worked with an applicant to prepare him for his parole board meeting. I regularly traveled to Otisville Correctional Facility to meet him for social and legal visits during that time, until he was eventually put on parole, at which point I helped him navigate his life as a returning citizen. My time volunteering in Parole Prep had a deep impact on my understanding of navigating the criminal justice system here in New York. I bring this experience with me when discussing the ways we can change this and move away from a carceral system.
Will you affirmatively seek to hire formerly incarcerated individuals?
Yes
Describe your legislative and policy vision for combatting systemic racism
There are many racial justice issues that exist in every district of this city. It is not just overt instances of racism, but it is the legacy of redlining, it is over-policing, it is segregated schools. It’s everything. To achieve racial justice, we need to center the erasing of oppressive institutions. For District 39, we are seeing an affordability crisis made worse by the pandemic, where prices have gone down in Manhattan, but have mostly stabilized in district. We are also experiencing a potential rezoning that is likely to displace people in one of the more diverse parts of the district. I will fight for a Racial Impact Study to be included in this rezoning, and all future developments. ICE has ravaged the southern part of the district, mainly Kensington. ICE watches are an example of community work that the government could support, either by providing resources, or helping community groups do that work with grants and funds to continue their programs. I would need to double check the legality of it, but I’m confident it’s possible. At a high level, the government has to be committed to the principals of a Sanctuary City, which it isn’t, and we have to better equip the people on the ground doing the work to protect their community. I would also add that the rezoning of school district 15 is a racial justice issue and should be treated as such.
Will you not seek, and refuse, the endorsement of Bill de Blasio?
I will not seek his endorsement and would refuse it if offered.
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 replace it and do a participatory process to decide with what.
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, I would advocate for a budget cut to NYPD of $3 billion. This should come from headcount, overtime, school safety agents, and capital projects (particularly the most problematic and dubiously legal ones, such as facial recognition software, which was recently used to target a protestor at his own home). The first shift would be school safety officers, followed by removing NYPD from Homeless Outreach and Subway Diversion Programs. This funding can go to adding more social workers and guidance counselors in schools, truly investing in restorative justice (ensuring that all schools have at least one full-time restorative justice coordinator, expanding the number of community schools, increasing DYCD’s budget (including expanding SYEP, COMPASS, and SONYC slots; expanding the scope of Beacon and Cornerstone services; and expanding the Learning Bridges model to provide permanent, universal, free childcare), and providing subsidies to get people into permanent homes. I think the community should also have an impact on what programs we choose for investment, and support participatory methods of working with my constituents on these priorities. I believe that the sheer scope of the police budget gives us space to create programs that will reduce what we associate with crime.
How would you have voted on the FY21 City Budget?
I would have voted no. The cuts to NYPD were a joke.
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, all of the above.
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?
Any city employee that is public facing and refuses to wear a mask should be penalized or compelled to do so.
What reforms would you make to the Civilian Complaint Review Board? Would you support state legislation to make CCRB disciplinary determinations binding?
I struggle with the idea that the CCRB is reformable. From what I’ve seen, there versions of CCRBs that exist in this country all exist in cities where the Police have some form of veto or vote reversal over the decision of the board, and that these cities struggle to have any form of accountability for their police force, and see the impacts of overpolicing. I believe the stronger move forward is to move away from a carceral system, and do that by diminishing and eventually moving away from a policing centric model of community safety by greatly increasing social services. I think this is really the only way forward to decreasing violence and increasing community safety. While I think that making disciplinary determination binding a great next step, I believe it is politically challenging, and won’t deal with the other issues connected to the problems of overpolicing that we are facing. But I support it in the meantime.
What is your position on the plan to close Rikers and create four borough-based jails?
I support No New Jails, and I believe we should close Rikers, and move away from incarceration, not keep the same perspective for public safety and fill up new jails. I respect that there are people on the other side of this debate, but I think that this was a bad move and we will be living with the ramifications for a long time. It is also worth noting that the default to closing Rikers was to build new jails elsewhere, rather than considering how the population (most of whom have not been convicted of any crime), can be released on their own recognizance, rather than housed elsewhere. We need to break out of the narrow and violent ways we imagine our criminal justice system. This does not mean we shouldn’t care about the poor conditions caused by the Department of Corrections. But as we’ve seen, the fact that they are delaying closing Rikers but continuing with the construction of the new jails shows that we can’t trust this system, and shows that we are failing to think beyond the system to humane and viable alternatives. Jails do not keep people safe.
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?
One major area is language access. While I believe while the experience of using 311 for English speakers is not adequate, it is practically impossible for the many New Yorkers who do not speak English. I think we have to build an infrastructure of call responders who speak a multitude of languages, and we need to present 311 to communities with high levels of language isolation to get buy-in to this as a viable service. I think to deal with 311’s larger problems, we have to have it function as more than a way to just forward complaints to agencies that are not well-equipped to deal with enforcement or public interaction. Right now, it takes a long time to connect to someone, and for most issues, you need to connect to an agency representative. Depending on how that agency prioritizes interacting with the public, this can be anywhere from an okay to an awful experience. Each agency needs to reprioritize responding to public complaints and tracking the data on how it interacts with people, and adjust their response systems accordingly based on the people's needs.
Do you support decriminalizing sex work? Will you pledge to oppose the Nordic model?
Yes, sex work is work and should be decriminalized.
Do you oppose school screening, which exacerbates segregation? Which screens in your school district(s) will you advocate to abolish?
Yes, school desegregation is one of my main priorities. I will fight for desegregation by advocating for school district rezonings, like the one going on in one of the school districts in my council district, that will be a step towards equity. Considering student class rank in middle school also is a more equitable way to assess performance, this will make high schools more diverse over time. Even so, it is more important that we should move away from any form of screenings. High schools often find other ways to create barriers, including requirements such as “demonstrated interest” or even attendance, which is another marker that privileged parents who can leverage resources to get their children into a particular school will always have an advantage. The City could create a singular application for all schools, and move towards lotteries.
Describe what reforms you would make to the control of the NYC public school system.
I think that directly electing a Board of Education, without building out more structures to prevent the influx of money into more of our democracy could be problematic. I believe we need more democratic reform, which could include municipal control, reshaping the makeup of PEP, and more local authority and outreach to marginalized communities within CECs. I want to further explore ways to move away from Mayoral control but want to do so intentionally.
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, as mentioned above I have advocated for this in my neighborhood and will continue to do so.
Do you smoke or otherwise consume weed?
I have tried it a few times, but don’t use it regularly. Regardless, I believe it should be legalized immediately and that all marijuana convictions should be expunged.
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 have never supported a member of the IDC. As part of New Kings Democrats, we supported Zellnor Myrie early on in his successful challenge of Jesse Hamilton.
What will you do to support nightlife in NYC?
New York City's nightlife is a critical part of its culture and identity. It’s what we think about when we think of New York. I believe the Office of Nightlife has been an incredibly important addition to City government, especially because it is run by former nightlife operators and policy experts who understand how this all works, and how best to support. Up until the pandemic, NYC's nightlife supported nearly 300,000 jobs and was responsible for $35bn in annual economic output. The effects of the pandemic and the resulting shutdowns have been devastating to nightlife in NYC and immediate steps must be taken to preserve our restaurants, bars, and venues. This all must be balanced with efforts to keep New Yorkers safe and curb any additional spread of COVID-19. Even within those constraints, there is much space to support NYC nightlife. The ways in which I plan to coordinate with and promote nightlife in NYC include the following: (1) promoting open streets along with continued outdoor dining and drinking, (2) reducing regulatory burdens on restaurants, as many nightlife operators have had challenges navigating the regulatory processes necessary continuously operate venues (and as part of this, ensuring that restaurants are not issued crippling fines for what are de minimis violations), (3) creating small grant and subsidized programs for venues to hire musicians and other performers for outdoor and socially distant nightlife, (4) encourage and support cooperation between the Office of Nightlife and other relevant City agencies to create mitigate health and safety risks and support patron safety and workplace safety, (5) develop initiatives to support valued and culturally important nightlife venues. We have seen a reemergence of energy and a new nightlife as our city came back to life after the COVID-19 shut down. In that new nightlife, the needs of workers, who have taken the brunt of impact of this pandemic, need to be a key focus.
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
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?
I think we need to consider moving beyond member deference in regards to development proposals. I think we need to make much larger sweeping changes to planning and land use, but I believe that any system that allows a very small number of people to impact the future development of a large swath of a community is ripe for a system that privileges developers and not community members.
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?
Most importantly, we need to ensure that immigrants have the right to representation if they are detained. Ensuring representation means (hopefully) they cannot simply “disappear” one day without friends and family having any idea where they are or what has become of them. Representation for detained immigrants should be in place no matter what the political climate, but now more than ever we see the urgent need and responsibility on our part to protect our communities. Much as we have seen with Right to Counsel in housing court, those who appear in immigration court with counsel are much more likely to receive a favorable outcome. This should be non-negotiable. We also urgently need to work with the State to ensure that excluded immigrant workers can receive critical benefits, such as unemployment, rental assistance, and other needed support in general and especially due to the pandemic. I will also work to support non-citizen voting in municipal elections, and increasing language access for all City services.
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! Firstly, I will work with my colleagues in the State to pass the NY Health Act, which would provide comprehensive, universal health coverage for every New Yorker. We also need to: --Fund NYC Health & Hospitals and local community-based organizations adequately to provide critical health care services --Strip private hospitals of non-profit status (which means they don’t pay taxes), unless they provide critical “indigent care” services --Create an emergency phone line separate from 911 with an unarmed team of non-police health and behavioral health professionals to respond to behavioral, psychiatric, substance abuse, and any other medical emergencies.
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 B) Letitia James, Jumaane Williams C) Bernie Sanders D) Cynthia Nixon, Zephyr Teachout
Top 3 issues you aim to address locally and legislatively
1) Defunding the NYPD in the budget, and moving towards the abolishing of the police as we know it by creating new alternatives for community safety. This will be connected to a year-long process of advocating for a radical people’s budget, where working people are driving the priorities of what we fund as a city. 2) Work with the Speaker to create a Charter Revision Commission focused on land use, so that ULURP and the land use process can be radically changed to encourage the decommodification of housing. This would include requiring a Citywide Comprehensive Planning Framework that balances citywide needs with neighborhood priorities. A comprehensive planning framework will outline growth targets and anti-displacement strategies, analyze neighborhood needs, and include necessary siting of public facilities, all while leaving the implementation strategy to a community process. This can mean community and worker-led planning that actually gets implemented, using inclusive, democratic processes that go beyond participatory budgeting to establish neighborhood priorities. This would also include the creation of an Office of Community Planning that would provide technical assistance to communities. 3) Fully funding, and desegregating our schools. The City Council has very little structural ability to influence what the DOE does or doesn’t do. In a system of Mayoral control, with the State holding legislative power over most areas of education, our power rests in the budget and the bully pulpit. We can and must use our voice to uplift the importance of desegregation. We can prioritize resources for other districts to replicate the work done in D15. We can fund a demonstration program for schools to experiment with whole-school enrichment. We can better financially incentivize academically-integrated schools by changing the weights in the Fair Student Funding formula. Most importantly, we can work to make sure that every school has access to the resources and funding it needs to meet the educational and social needs of its students.
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?
Yes, see previous question regarding land use.
Please explain your vision for the present powers of the office you are seeking and how you intend to exercise them?
I believe it is important to be incredibly focused on the scope of the office, particularly drafting and helping get legislation passed, focusing on the management of agencies, and matters of the city budget and land use. I believe there is enough there to really transform the city if the Council worked together through legislation and Charter change to enshrine power for everyday working people. Through my committee chairmanship, I will work to demystify the issues of the functioning of government, and will also work to make budgeting a year-long issue. I also see my future role in the Council as a coalition builder, so will really focus on building power with the groups most impacted by legislation and engaging people in the district, particularly those from more marginalized communities, to have more understanding and power.
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 want to follow through on your club's agenda, and work to lift up your community’s concerns throughout my time in office. I don’t see this as just when major legislation comes up, but through the term. There are a lot of issues that in particular the progressive LGBT community can speak to very clearly, and I want to make sure that the first budget that this Council ratifies is incredibly focused on expanding human rights and lifting up folks.
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?