Candidate Answers to JOLDC: Felicia Singh for City Council District 32
Felicia Singh
Office Seeking Election for: City Council District 32
Explain, based on life experiences and accomplishments, why you believe you are best qualified to represent your district
Decades ago, my parents made a conscious decision and chose the borough of Queens, the town of Ozone Park, and the working-class community where we reside to this day to raise their family in. They chose this community that held the public school system my siblings and I would attend, the bus and train routes we would commute on, and the multi-ethnic shops we would buy our goods and products from; they chose District 32 to be the base for our family home. My community raised me and in turn, I am doing everything I can to serve my community in ways that are authentic to who I am. My parents raised me to hold the pillar of seva (service in Punjabi) close to my heart and that knowledge is power and should be used to do good. This is what I have been doing and intend on continuing to do for the rest of my life. I am an anti-racist teacher and the eldest daughter of working-class immigrant parents. My father is a taxi driver, and my mother is a matron on a yellow school bus. From their experiences I’ve learned that it is important to represent the truth of working-class families as they mirror many other’s experiences across the district despite the different neighborhoods they may live in or the backgrounds they come from. I believe a true representative who can rally for all community members and their needs is required to step up in the City Council for District 32. My candidacy in this race is focused on centralizing the voices of the people in my district who have been overlooked and ignored, time and time again, particularly in the decision-making processes when it comes to community and city-wide change. There are communities of people within my district who have been marginalized and have not been centered in the policies that impact them greatly. For instance, children and the policies surrounding their education and working-class people, like my own immigrant parents who weren’t able to make it to afternoon town halls with elected officials because they didn’t have the privilege to take time off from putting food on the tables for their families. I want to empower members of my district and show them that they can create the opportunity for change in their own lives and the lives of their neighbors. I will be the conduit between my district and the City Council and ensure that I am serving the people of my district effectively. We must think about the community we not only want to live in today but ensure that we are building it towards the vision of what we want it to be tomorrow, for all of the people of city council district 32. For those who are the firstborn, children of immigrants like me, for the children who are housing and food insecure, for those who are disabled - the aim is to embrace their diversity whether they look different or learn differently, to be able to live and work in the community with dignity. In order to build this community, we must build on the community - build on the growth and progress that has already accumulated through hard work and work side-by-side with working-class families, while transforming our district in order to have the stability to support future generations. I am the right person to represent my community because I have lived through the experiences District 32 has faced with them in roles such as - their neighbor, the vice-president of our local civic association, Census leader, and COVID resource advocate. The time is now because we are entering a prime year in NYC where we’ll finally be able to match our policies with our values and elect a record number of progressive women of color to New York City Council in 2021.
Please identify any openly LGBTQ candidate for public office you have previously or presently endorsed?
I have supported Tiffany Caban in her race for District Attorney by volunteering as a canvasser.
If applicable, what legislation directly affecting the LGBTQ community have you introduced or co-sponsored? (indicate accordingly)
Since I have not yet held elected office, I have not introduced or co-sponsored any legislation yet.
What LGBTQ organizations have you been involved with, either on a volunteer basis or professionally?
My most specific involvement with Black and Latino LGBTQ communities is as an educator. I made space for students to be themselves with me, in our class and in the building. For my students, I was the first person they were able to share all parts of their identity. As a leader in my school, I led professional development around culturally responsive education and the brain where we focused on intersectionality, race and racism. This was important because this gave educators the tools to have conversations about sexuality, gender and race in the classroom while maintaining a safe space. As a board member for the NY State Assembly Asian Pacific Islander Task Force, we conducted a large virtual forum on repealing Walking While Trans Ban. We, as a task force, knew it was important to teach our own communities about the struggles of our trans siblings and it was our job to create a platform for a teach-in. We listened to trans women of color and legal aid representatives as they shared their stories about the way our laws devalue people. I have also volunteered with Caribbean Equality Project to get out the Census and assisted them with their pantry during the pandemic.
Do you consider yourself a member of the LGBTQ community?
While I do not consider myself a member of the LGBTQ community, I am definitely a strong ally for those who do consider themselves a part of that community. As a teacher, many of my students and friends have felt trust and support in being who they are with me. I strive to provide a safe and welcoming space for those who identify as LQBTQ.
Have you marched in Pride? Which marches and for approximately how many years?
I have not marched in Pride, but would definitely march in future parades.
Have you employed openly LGBTQ individuals previously? Do you employ any currently?
Although we are still working on payroll, currently about fifty percent of my campaign team identifies as LQBTQ. In fact, my campaign is led by two LGBTQ individuals- one queer man of color, along with a queer female. There is also one other queer man and two other queer females on my team.
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 been to many rallies/protests, conferences and demonstrations in support of LGBT issues, pro-choice legislation and criminal justice and resist Trump movements. Two of the most recent rallies I’ve attended are a counter protest to a trump caravan that drove through my district. The other was a rally with Local 100 Fightback to protest increase MTA fares, service cuts and transit layoffs.
Have you ever been arrested? If so please explain why and outcome of arrest.
I have never been arrested.
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
One step in combatting systemic racism involves housing. NYCHA needs to be and remain as public housing. In order to secure funding for NYCHA’s capital needs and operating costs, we need to rally behind the People’s Budget for Housing, Justice and Dignity because it is about real tax legislation that would guarantee funding for NYCHA. The NYCHA preservation group, Fight For NYCHA, recommends raising income taxes on corporations and on the wealthy, many progressive elected officials and candidates like myself agree with this. If this recommendation were in place, we would stop refusing stock transfer tax, stop the funding and building of Sunnyside Yards, and reallocate those funds and a 1% income tax on corporations. With the People’s Budget, there would not be a need for Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) and the privatization of NYCHA. RAD would raise rent for families in NYCHA and leave tenants settling to live in unlivable conditions, situations we don’t want in our city. With RAD, the Mayor will put 62,000 apartments into the hands of private landlords, we simply cannot choose to put profit over people. Racism in employment is so deeply layered and must be dismantled at all levels in the way we recruit, hire and retain employees. Creating a college and career program at the high school level helps students reach the pathway of employment of their choice. It helps close the gap and prevents students from entering the world without a plan, occurring debt, or being unemployed.
Will you not seek, and refuse, the endorsement of Bill de Blasio?
I will 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, however it is important to note that renaming the Queensboro Bridge will not undo years of racism and harm to the LQBTQ community. More effort must be put into combating systemic racism and undoing the injustices the LGBTQ community has faced.
What is your position on removing the Christopher Columbus statue in Columbus Circle and if so, what should replace it?
Similar to my opinion on renaming the Queensboro bridge, I think it is a necessary symbolic action to remove the Christopher Columbus statue. It would be appropriate to replace it with a tribute to the native Lenape people, on whose land the circle rests. However, more efforts must be made to not only name and honor the Lenape, but to connect with the Native community in NYC and understand what policies they would like to see enacted to support their community.
Will you refuse contributions from real estate developers and all law enforcement unions or associations?
I will absolutely refuse donations from police unions and real estate developers. Myself and other City Council Candidates were the first to sign a pledge, written by Janos Marton, to defund the NYPD by 1 billion dollars. With this pledge, I’ve pledged to refuse donations from police unions.
Do you support reducing the budget of the NYPD and if so, by how much?
I support significantly reducing the scope and size of the NYPD. Our NYC budget plays a significant role in reducing the scope and size of the NYPD. It's Important to note that we need to also prepare communities for this reduction as well. In other words, communities across our City have always relied on the police to respond to crime. We know that the NYPD do not prevent crime, but we’ve been molded to believe that their response and presence equates to our safety. How do we undo this thinking in our safety practices? We need to help community members transition to community safety plans that help empower communities to be agents of change. This must happen in conjunction with divesting from the NYPD and investing in social services that place money in the budget to allow for stronger and more reliable services.
How would you have voted on the FY21 City Budget?
I would not have voted to approve the FY21 City Budget. The City Council needs to allocate ample funds to social services and fully fund education so that all New Yorkers can thrive. This year’s city budget did not provide those funds to center liberation of Black women, working-class, youth, homeless, and disabled communities, groups often neglected in policymaking. Instead, the council pretended to shift funds away from the NYPD, while simply moving that money around. More of this is discussed in the forthcoming question
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 am in favor of removing police from schools, mental health response calls, homeless outreach and social services and traffic enforcement. When I was in high school, our school would conduct random scanning every week. During these times, the first person I would see entering what was supposed to be a safe space was a police officer. On these days, we used to hide our cell phone or figure out smart ways of not getting it detected upon entrance into the building because it would be taken away. We’d have to have our bags and our body scanned. If the metal detector went off while I went through it, I’d be taken to a sectioned off part of the cafeteria where I’d be scanned again. It wasn’t until I went to a PWI and took my first education course did I discover that this practice was not normal in schools across NYC. As an anti-racist educator, the first person a child should see every morning upon entrance of their school building is a welcoming staff member like their principal or teacher. I will never support police in our schools and I’m proud to say that in 9 years I’ve been a teacher, I have never worked in a school building that had police. The NYPD should not be responding to domestic and child abuse incidents. Although the NCOS program was designed for a purpose of having the same officers respond to neighborhood calls, the systematic and social and emotional approach behind the response is missing and can often leave survivors feeling neglected and unseen. Because of the way we apply discretionary funds in our City, nonprofits that do gender-justice work have seen a tremendous decrease in funding resulting in a less careful approach to the way we treat and respond to survivors across this city. The NYPD is also not equipped to respond to our unhoused population or those experiencing a mental health episode. Because I support reducing the scope and size of the NYPD, this means that we need to divest in agencies that are better equipped to respond to these urgent needs. Organizations like Safe Horizon, Jahajee Sisters and Womankind NYC need a larger scope of funding as well as office locations in communities in order to support survivors.
Should the NYPD Vice Squad be eliminated?
The NYPD Vice Squad should be eliminated, as it does not promote safety in our communities. In fact, quite the opposite. The Vice Squad has been exposed to have made a high number of false arrests, participated in sexual misconduct, and disproportionately arrested people of color. Our money and resources would be better spent on funding social services to support communities who are affected by addiction, and supporting the decriminalization of sex work. By doing this, we are working to support communities rather than criminalizing them, which actually moves towards building safety.
Should Dermot Shea be fired immediately?
Demot Shea absolutely should not be in charge of the NYPD, and should be fired. His handling of this past summer’s uprising was shameful and his unrelenting support for a police force that continues to brutalize Black and brown communities makes him unfit to serve as commissioner. However, the systemic problems that plague the NYPD run deeper than the current Commissioner. In order to keep communities safe, we must reimagine safety, and move money and resources away from the NYPD to other social services.
Should the NYPD Commissioner require confirmation by the City Council?
The NYPD Commissioner should require confirmation by the City Council. By requiring confirmation from more than the Mayor, the Commissioner can be held responsible by more than one individual.
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?
I believe that police officers who refuse to wear masks while on duty should receive the same penalization that any civilian would receive. However, the penalties have been handed out disproportionately to communities of color, while white communities have been given much more leeway. Because of this, it does not seem that penalizing folks for not wearing masks is actually encouraging people to wear them in an equitable and effective way. Instead, we should be providing them in public spaces for free.
What reforms would you make to the Civilian Complaint Review Board? Would you support state legislation to make CCRB disciplinary determinations binding?
I support the bill proposed by Councilmember Barron to make the CCRB an elected body. The CCRB should be formed by people that the community trusts, rather than be appointed by elected officials.I also support the legislation to make CCRB disciplinary determinations binding. We have seen too many times that disciplinary actions for NYPD officers does not come to fruition, even after misconduct is recognized.
What is your position on the plan to close Rikers and create four borough-based jails?
We should close Rikers, not open new jails and instead open halfway houses with 24/7 supportive reentry programs. All boroughs would need to take on implementing a welcoming and safe transition for those living in halfway houses. I believe that we can change the dialogue and that people can grow to see this as a property value increase. In order to really achieve this, we need to redefine what constitutes a ‘safe community.’ A safe community is one where residents take care of each other in a way that is anti-racist and centers those who’ve been marginalized and isolated from communities. It means reteaching and having the community play a larger role in re-entry or those who are exiting the incarceration system. This could look like small businesses employing a large number of halfway house residents. This looks like renting to those reentering the community.
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?
Even before COVID, jails and prisons were a health hazard to aging people. The pandemic has exacerbated this and continues to create unsafe and inhumane conditions. Governor Cuomo has the power to grant clemency, and should absolutely exercise that power in order to provide a better quality of life for our incarcerated elders.
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?
To improve the 311 system, we need to improve the way that requests are tracked. Many times, requests go unanswered, or it is not clear whether or not they were resolved. We must enforce the disclosure of outcomes of complaints. We also must push to have other agencies respond to 311 complaints, as the NYPD is still the highest responding department to 311 complaints. We know that the NYPD does not create a sense of safety for all our community members in NYC, so we must work towards building responses from other departments that are specific to the complaint.
Do you support decriminalizing sex work? Will you pledge to oppose the Nordic model?
I support decriminalizing sex work because it helps reduce incarceration, protects Black and brown trans women, and reduces sex trafficking. The decriminalization of sex workers reduces interactions with the police and seals criminal records for those who want to transition into a different kind of work. Decriminalization of sex work is about the liberation of bodies whereas legalization is the regulation of them.
Do you oppose school screening, which exacerbates segregation? Which screens in your school district(s) will you advocate to abolish?
I wholeheartedly oppose school screening. City Council must follow up on the bill introduced last year that requires school districts to create an integration plan. Additionally, push for the elimination of the specialized high school admissions exam to expand integration, we must also move towards a city where every high school is a specialized high school. If we have the means to create a set of great schools then we have the capability of expanding those same schools to reach every district high school. We must mandate that funding is allocated equitably among schools so that all students receive quality education, teachers, and school programming. Integration is about resource equity and in order to prepare for integration staff at each school should have facilitated anti-racist professional development at least once a month along with paired anti-curriculum development. We can’t integrate schools and send our Black and brown youth into spaces where they are not cared for and instead further traumatized in the building.
Describe what reforms you would make to the control of the NYC public school system.
First, the Mayor should not be the one to make decisions for public schools. City Council needs more legislative power over DOE. One of the biggest reforms that needs to be made to NYC public school system is that we need to introduce an elected school board that is not appointed by the mayor. The mayor has too much control over the public school system, which has continually led to segregation, underfunding, and a resource shortfall. The resource shortfall has to do with the fact that we have 1 million students and less than 2,000 social workers. We need to fully fund schools in the following areas and/or fully support schools in expanding roles and responsibilities of staff through professional development and pay increases for staff that commit to these roles: Increase social work teams for social emotional support Raise graduation rates by funding college and career teams in high schools that help transition students to a college and/or career pathway of their choice. To assist with this and a part of my platform for education, schools need to create college and career teams of 3-5 staff members who guide students on the pathways of their choice after high school. We can no longer graduate students out into the college and/or the workforce without guidance on how to navigate both spaces. Expand special education programs for students and families in schools where families have better tools and language to understand their child’s disability. Increase the expansion of anti-racist professional development for staff and teachers to help dismantle the bias that has always occurred in school buildings. Culturally responsive teaching is necessary to uplift all our students and we must invest in literature, professional development and curriculum development throughout the school year. Pulling school police from our school buildings and using that money to reinvest in restorative justice programs will help bridge resource gaps while closing the school to prison pipeline.
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
Do you smoke or otherwise consume weed?
This question is a reminder that there is still a double standard and privilege in being able to answer this question openly. Just recently, the NYT chose to use Dianne Morales’s answer to a similar question as the sole focus of her candidacy. As a whole, white folks partake in consuming weed with little to no repercussions or discussions, meanwhile, we still have young Black and brown community members incarcerated for possession of marijuana.
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 have not supported any members of the IDC.
What will you do to support nightlife in NYC?
YC’s nightlife is one of the many things that makes this city so unique and great. We must ensure that our nightlife venues, performers, and service workers are able to survive through the pandemic and thrive beyond it. We must provide more relief for small businesses and venues that are categorized as nightlife, especially as the winter restricts the capability to hold events and performances outdoors. To continue supporting through the summer, I will support creating more venues for nightlife performances, including waiving fees for park permits and supporting the creation of more open streets. I also support providing relief for gig workers and service workers at the same level as employees. Gig workers should be able to access paid sick leave and fully health insurance.
Do you commit to speak with restaurant and nightlife industry representatives before taking a position on any policies that affect their businesses?
Yes and I'm already doing this as a candidate.
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?
The local council member should be attending the Community Board meetings when development proposals are being introduced and debated. I also believe that since the local member is representing the district the development proposal is affecting, there should be deference to their vote on the developmen
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?
In order to protect vulnerable immigrant groups in a Sanctuary City, the first thing the City Council must do is cut funding from the NYPD, who continues to conspire with ICE. ICE has no place in NYC, and the NYPD should not be collaborating with them. Additionally, we need to provide more comprehensive tenant protections, such as expanding the right to counsel in housing court.
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 a single-payer universal health care system. Safe and reliable healthcare is a basic human right right and should be provided to all New Yorkers regardless of employment status or immigration status. Although, I believe that taxing the rich will truly help our economy fund public hospitals and schools, we might need a healthcare tax that would allow us to support this resource. Our hospital visit costs leave families and individuals with deep debt and this should be a factor in how we expand access to healthcare.
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?
Mayor/Public Advocate 2013:I was serving the United States in the Peace Corps in 2013 and unable to support in either race. Public Advocate 2019: Dawn Smalls President 2016 - Hillary Clinton President 2020 - Bernie Sanders, then Joe Biden Governer 2018 - Cynthia Nixon Attorny General 2019 - Letitia James
Top 3 issues you aim to address locally and legislatively
I will prioritize education,(fully funding our schools and fighting for true equity for our children), climate resilience and environmental justice, and community development (small business support).
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 support giving City Council more power of the city’s budgeting process. Currently, the Mayor has an indiscriminate say over the budget, and there needs to be more oversight on how the line items in the budget are allocated, not just how it is approved. Land use: I support a complete overhaul and change to the ULURP system. In fact, in order to move toward a racially equitable comprehensive process, we need to expand Community Board involvement and oversight and include an environmental review process for land use. CBs need more voting power outside of the Board having 60 days to review the proposal, and the mandatory public hearing held on it. According to the ULURP, the board can render a decision on the application—this is purely advisory—or do nothing. The part that makes this inequitable is that the board only has suggestive powers and these are the people who will be impacted the most in the community. Municipal Offices: I would support the council have confirmation power over mayoral appointees.
Please explain your vision for the present powers of the office you are seeking and how you intend to exercise them?
In order for the City Council to work for all of us, it must equitably represent all of us. Currently, 52% of New York City’s population is composed of women, yet there are currently only 12 women who are City Councilmembers. A City Council that works for all of us centers on liberation of Black women, working-class, youth, homeless, and disabled communities, groups often neglected in policymaking. This means that the City Council needs to allocate ample funds to social services and fully fund education so that all New Yorkers can thrive. We also need to work together at all levels of government to ensure that justice is at the forefront of policy making. The city has done a terrible job in dismantling anti-racism and the evidence can be seen in our current city budget, the long pantry lines that wrap around the block, and in our criminal injustice system. The City Council needs to be bold, they currently play the middle ground the field where we have bursts of what seems like progression and then there is a push for roll back like we saw with no cash bail and now the chokehold ban. When we work for all of us we work towards the values of liberation.
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?
As a cisgendered, straight woman I want to continue to learn how to center LGBTQIA+ folks, especially our BIPOC LGBTQIA+ community members. I would be willing and happy to meet regularly with the club to discuss how to best support the LGBTQ+ community in legislation and advocacy.
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?
None. Thank you for taking the time to learn about our campaign!