Candidate Answers to JOLDC: Michael Hollingsworth for City Council District 35
Candidate Name: Michael Hollingsworth
Office Seeking Election for: City Council District 35
Explain, based on life experiences and accomplishments, why you believe you are best qualified to represent your district
The 35th Council District is in crisis, and at the root of that crisis is the displacement of longtime working class Black and brown tenants. I was born and raised in South Crown Heights. For years I’ve been a volunteer and tenant organizer with the Crown Heights Tenant Union (CHTU), organizing my neighbors and building tenant power across Crown Heights to fight back against our own displacement. For the first time in decades, candidates for D35 are making housing justice central to their campaign, as well they should - tenants are a must-have voting block in just about every NYC neighborhood thanks to the relentless organizing we and the elders of the tenant movement have done for decades. But we’ve been fooled before. Then-Public Advocate Bill de Blasio once ran on a platform promising thousands of new affordable units, rent freezes, and an end to the Bloomberg-era domination of big real estate. But instead of looking to the organizers and advocates that did the work to get him into office, de Blasio chose to let investment bankers and developers design his disastrous housing plan. 51 out 59 community boards in NYC said it was a bad idea. The self-proclaimed "most progressive NYC Council ever," funded by real estate dollars, voted near-unanimously to affirm a policy they knew would result in the displacement of countless Black and brown New Yorkers. 7 years later, there are few neighborhoods of color that haven't felt the pain these decisions caused. But we've fought back every step of the way and we're still here. Just yesterday we found out that we won an Article 78 case I am a plaintiff on, annulling an MIH-based spot rezoning on my block that was approved in 2018. I’m tired of seeing new residents who would like to put down roots, contribute and perhaps start a family here as my parents did in the ’70s unable to do so because of the unaffordable and unstable rental market, because real estate investors have decided that the district is now trendy. I’m tired of being presented every election cycle with establishment candidates and being told that this is the best person for the job. I’m tired of candidates who have been part of the structures that have harmed our community, now being recast as fighters against the system. I believe I am the most qualified candidate for this district because I have the strength and support of tenants in the district. I was there when tenants were arrested in Albany in June 2019 to enable the passage of the Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act of 2019. I was there when we organized for the 2020 rent freeze. And I was there when tenants were violently arrested last week demanding an eviction moratorium and the cancellation of rent. I am qualified because I have dedicated myself to fighting and winning alongside my neighbors in the 35th Council District.
Please identify any openly LGBTQ candidate for public office you have previously or presently endorsed?
I supported Jabari Brisport in 2017 for City Council D35 and in 2020 for NYS Senate SSD 25.
If applicable, what legislation directly affecting the LGBTQ community have you introduced or co-sponsored? (indicate accordingly)
I have not yet served as an elected representative, but my campaign is centered on 3 main legislative areas that I have spent the past few years lobbying and advocating for: housing justice--fighting displacement and homelessness; education justice--fighting privatization and segregation and making our schools more inclusive & welcoming; and policing--ending police brutality and reinvesting funds in public services. I believe these issues carry added urgency as they relate to the LGBTQ+ community and in particular for trans folx of color who have often been ignored or excluded from policy discussions. New Yorkers know what they need and politicians should NEVER attempt to draft legislation that affects a marginalized group without that group leading the conversation.
What LGBTQ organizations have you been involved with, either on a volunteer basis or professionally?
Audre Lorde Project, VOCAL-NY
Do you consider yourself a member of the LGBTQ community?
No, but I identify as an ally and affirm the right of all marginalized groups to speak for themselves and determine who is a member of their community. As a Black man, I know that my LGBTQ comrades and I share many parallel experiences of marginalization, and that the fight for racial justice requires that I also smash the patriarchy and destroy misogyny & homophobia which are essential components of a white supremacist system.
Have you marched in Pride? Which marches and for approximately how many years?
No, but the CHTU had a contingent this past year at the Queer Liberation March. I echo the concerns of thousands of members of the Reclaim Pride Coalition, in particular trans folx of color, who believe it is unacceptable for the NYPD - the original target of the Stonewall Riots - to occupy a space meant for the most marginalized and oppressed.
Have you employed openly LGBTQ individuals previously? Do you employ any currently?
The campaign has not yet hired any staff but several of our core volunteers currently leading the campaign are LGBTQ. I pledge to hire a diverse staff that is representative of the district with a focus on QTPOC.
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?
The bulk of my activism has been centered around housing justice. I’ve participated in numerous sit-ins, marches, eviction defenses and actions throughout the city and state. I've participated in numerous actions around this summer's uprising as well.
Have you ever been arrested? If so please explain why and outcome of arrest.
I was once falsely accused of not paying my full fare and received a DAT. The charges were dropped.
Do you commit to visiting constituents who are incarcerated in state prisons and city jails?
Absolutely.
Will you affirmatively seek to hire formerly incarcerated individuals?
Yes. I also look forward to taking money from the NYPD’s budget and allocating it to programs that can assist formerly incarcerated individuals in rebuilding their lives.
Describe your legislative and policy vision for combatting systemic racism
D35 is a historically redlined district in a city that maintains a shocking level of inequality and segregation. The BLM protests this summer made clear what Black people have always known: racist policing is still a primary obstacle to racial justice for Black Brooklynites like myself. But what some elected officials have lost sight of is how the protests occurred in the wake of COVID-19’s devastation of marginalized communities: Black and brown NYers died at a higher rate than any other group, and were also a major part of the frontline workers fighting to save New York, now we are overrepresented in the population that faces the greatest threat of losing our homes with the avalanche of evictions poised to hit New York, and our kids are suffering the most from the switch to remote learning. Progress towards racial justice in my district is going to take a comprehensive approach where we fight for housing justice, health justice, carceral justice, economic justice, and educational justice. These fights require taking action against the real estate and corporate interests that view our communities as opportunities for plunder, and for that reason I believe that we need council members with a record of fighting back at the City and State level. Some of these issues require immediate action from CIty Council, like ending racist luxury rezonings and reinvesting the NYPD budget in social services and job programs. However, many of these projects will require State-level action, which is why I will use my large office staff to organize our community for these State-level priorities.
Will you not seek, and refuse, the endorsement of Bill de Blasio?
I will not seek, and will refuse, the endorsement of Bill de Blasio, whose policies have contributed to displacement in D35 and who failed to defend protesters against the NYPD during the George Floyd protests this past summer.
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. While it is tragic that Ed Koch lived in a time when coming out would have cost him the Mayoral race, that doesn’t absolve him of responsibility for doing nothing while a generation of gay men lost their lives. I would sponsor a bill that would rename the bridge in honor of an LGBTQ+ New Yorker to honor the victims of Koch’s indifference.
What is your position on removing the Christopher Columbus statue in Columbus Circle and if so, what should replace it?
It should be replaced. It could instead feature a monument to the Lenape tribe whose stolen land we occupy today.
Will you refuse contributions from real estate developers and all law enforcement unions or associations?
The Crown Heights Tenant Union was my entry into the world of activism. Since 2015, we have asked candidates running for office to sign a pledge not to accept real estate money, with Assemblymember Diana Richardson being the only candidate to sign the pledge initially. As of January 2021 Brooklyn will have three NYS senators (Salazar, Myrie, and Brisport) and four Assemblymembers (Souffrant-Forest, Mitaynes, Gallagher, and Richardson) who didn't take real estate money to win their races. As a lifelong Black, Brooklynite tenant who has witnessed firsthand the impact that the real estate industry has had on my neighbors and neighborhood, there is no way that I will ever accept big real estate’s money. Same goes for law enforcement: I will not take contributions from law enforcement unions or associations, nor will I accept money from elected officials or organizations that have received these contributions. Clean hands are clean hands, and there's no such thing when police unions are funding a candidate.
Do you support reducing the budget of the NYPD and if so, by how much?
I support the Defund 2 Refund movement. Their 2020 budget didn’t grow to 10.9 billion overnight but instead accumulated over decades. I envision myself cutting as much as possible every year that I’m in office, and instead diverting those funds to the same historically underfunded redlined communities that have been overpoliced for decades, into our schools, housing, healthcare, job training, and job creation. This is crucial when Black male unemployment is twice as high as that of our white male counterparts. People and neighborhoods that receive meaningful investment are less likely to need and have police interactions. A lot of organizations that I respect doing abolition work have set an initial goal of defunding the NYPD by $3 Billion, which I believe is both a heavy lift and also absolutely doable.
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.
All of the above. I would support shifting the responsibility for responding to mental health crises, noise complaints, and other non-violent “quality of life” complaints to other city agencies and or community groups better equipped to handle them. I would support returning traffic enforcement to the Department of Transit. I would support returning funding to youth-outreach programs that have been proven to reduce youth participation in crime, gang-related, or otherwise. I would support shifting funding and other resources to homelessness prevention since the trauma of homelessness is another pipeline to the carceral system; it’s unacceptable that NYC’s justice system treats the (often illegal) displacement of families as less worthy of investigation than crime perpetrated by the poor. I want us to invest in community-based anti-violence organizations like Save Our Streets Brooklyn. From my lived experience, I know that a lot of times young people get into trouble because of idle hands, so I’d like to see a re-investment in Richard Green’s Crown Heights Youth Collective and other youth-focused organizations that give young people a safe place to go and something constructive to do.
Should the NYPD Vice Squad be eliminated?
Yes. Sex work is work except when it’s non-consensual and at the hands of the Vice Squad, in which case it’s just rape. Shut it down.
Should Dermot Shea be fired immediately?
Yes.
Should the NYPD Commissioner require confirmation by the City Council?
Yes. Otherwise you invite the situation we were in this past summer, with our Mayor cowering in a corner while the NYPD beat us down and ran us over.
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?
As someone who got Covid-19 back in March 2020 and suffered for months with debilitating aftereffects, it’s no exaggeration to say that officers not wearing masks during the current surge is reckless endangerment. If those officers are too lazy or selfish to put a mask on, they should be suspended without pay until the threat of the pandemic has passed.
What reforms would you make to the Civilian Complaint Review Board? Would you support state legislation to make CCRB disciplinary determinations binding?
Yes, I believe CCRB disciplinary determinations should be binding. I also believe that the we should make the board elected.
What is your position on the plan to close Rikers and create four borough-based jails?
We must close Rikers Island and transform it into a site of public parks for all New Yorkers. We must do this without building more jails. In order to make this possible, we need to host of reforms on the state level to drastically reduce the number of people behind bars. Some promising ideas are building on recent reforms to fully eliminating cash bail, treat drug use as a mental health issue rather than a crime, and releasing our incarcerated elders.
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?
There are several issues here. First, we need to make sure that the 311 system is well funded and has enough workers answering phones. However, a lot of problems don’t involve 311 itself, but involve enforcement. For example, HPD is terribly underfunded, has too few inspectors, and cannot levy severe enough fines to force landlords to treat tenants with respect. We need to push the state to make reforms to HPD and also increase city and state funding for the agency to solve this problem. We must also work to ensure that the city workers respond to problems they’re trained to solve. For example, social workers and mental health professionals should respond to mental health calls, not police.
Do you support decriminalizing sex work? Will you pledge to oppose the Nordic model?
Yes, I support full decriminalization of sex work and oppose the Nordic model, which is shown to harm sex workers.
Do you oppose school screening, which exacerbates segregation? Which screens in your school district(s) will you advocate to abolish?
Yes. Screened admissions systems, like the Specialized High Schools Admissions Test, segregate our city's schools on racial and economic lines. Academic screens should be completely removed.
Describe what reforms you would make to the control of the NYC public school system.
I am currently undecided about the issue of control and am consulting with experts and activists on this question. In general, I will side with parents, teachers, and students who have years of experience advocating for more just and democratic public schools.
Do you support public funding of abortion?
Absolutely.
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 to both.
Do you smoke or otherwise consume weed?
I’ve had asthma all my life so I’ve never smoked tobacco or weed, but I support legalization.
Have you ever supported any of the members of the IDC? If so, who? What did you do to help defeat the IDC in 2018?
No. I opposed Jesse Hamilton in 2018.
What will you do to support nightlife in NYC?
I believe that all New Yorkers have a right to party, dance, and socialize in public in a free, safe, positive, and joyous environment during night hours. I plan to consult closely with those who enjoy nightlife and operate venues to craft the best possible policy. In general, I believe every neighborhood should have areas where people can enjoy themselves at night. I am excited about open streets and would like to explore the possibility of allowing nighttime use for dance parties and public celebrations.
Do you commit to speak with restaurant and nightlife industry representatives before taking a position on any policies that affect their businesses?
Yes, 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?
Yes, I am in favor of increasing opportunities for local residents to open businesses so they can care for their families. I will be more nuanced about community board appointments than most - it’s important that appointees have a track record of service to this community and that they live or work here so decisions about our neighborhood not be left to those who don’t have to deal with the consequences.
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. The fact that Amazon has continued to lease office space all over the city without massive giveaways or a private helicopter for Jeff Bezos proves how terrible Cuomo and deBlasio were as negotiators. Ultimately, grassroots activist pressure, both on local elected officials like Senator Gianaris and tons of door knocking and outreach by organizers and residents killed the one dream project that the Governor and Mayor could agree on.
What role do you believe the local member should play in the approval of development proposals before the Council?
The local member's role is to bring the community's voice to the rest of the council. When there is consensus for or against a project by a community board and tenants, homeowners, small businesses and other residents, neither the local councilmember nor the council as a whole should be making unilateral decisions that contradict the will of local residents. Member deference is a smokescreen. It is not mandatory, merely a courtesy enforced through peer pressure
Do you support legislation to prohibit discrimination against formerly incarcerated people in housing?
Yes. Those rules are draconian--formerly incarcerated have the same right to housing that all human beings have. I oppose such restrictions in NYCHA and all other housing programs.
Do you oppose the removal of the nearly 300 homeless individuals from the Lucerne hotel due to pressure from some local residents?
Yes, we must put the needs of our homeless neighbors before wealthy New Yorkers.
What proposals will you advocate for to protect immigrants and further New York as a Sanctuary City?
In District 35, we have a strong community of West Indian immigrants and their first-generation American-born children. We face many of the same issues that other immigrant communities all over the city face. On the City Council, I will fight to establish stronger Sanctuary City protections in New York City. Our current protections are strong, but there are too few enforcement mechanisms to ensure city employees and residents refrain from endangering our immigrant neighbors. I’m always willing to hear from and be advised by activists and organizers on the frontlines. I’ll also work to ensure we proactively educate all constituents on their rights so they feel empowered to advocate for themselves and their neighbors. I also will use our campaign and office as a bully pulpit to advocate for legislation extending voting rights in municipal elections to immigrant New Yorkers.
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. At the city level, NYC Care is a good first step toward providing all New Yorkers healthcare and I would like to expand this program further. I also believe that the Council must take steps to creating new hospitals in underserved Black and brown communities. However, I believe that we must advocate for the New York Health Act at the state level and ensure that healthcare is free at the point of care and that our hospitals are equitably funded.
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?
I did not support candidates publicly during these elections, but I have always voted against Cuomo’s austerity in primaries.
Top 3 issues you aim to address locally and legislatively
As I stated earlier, my campaign is centered on 3 main legislative areas. Housing justice--fighting displacement and homelessness;. education justice--fighting privatization and segregation and making our schools more inclusive & welcoming; and policing--ending police brutality and reinvesting funds in public services.
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 priority here is a complete overhaul of Land Use Review procedures to prevent corruption and prioritize people over profits. A new process should incorporate: 1) Community benefit agreements that must be publicly accessible, legally binding and transferable from applicant-to-applicant or owner-to-owner, and developed with current residents at the table, along with grassroots orgs and tenant unions with years of local history. 2) Minimize developer influence over the Department of City Planning, Economic Development Corporation, and other city agencies and instead increase cooperation with residents and communities 3) More transparency about changes in plans mid-process 4) A longer timeline with more opportunities for the community to review
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 see a broad coalition that stands for Black and brown, marginalized, and working class New Yorkers fight austerity and pass a bold legislative agenda. I also believe that land use is a crucial power of the council than has been abused in the name of profits for far too long. I am running because I want to use this power to end racist land use decisions once and for all. I am an organizer and believe that constituent services and the generous staff budget of the office are often overlooked--I plan to use these powers to mobilize and activate my constituents, so they can fight for their own interests.
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?
Based on the questions presented here, as well as several of the blog posts on your website, I am encouraged by the way you all have shown up for Black lives, and I’d be honored to work with this club, during the campaign to ensure I’m getting educated on issues and existing legislation, and once in office being able to build out an LGBTQ-focused legislative platform and strategy in collaboration with you and LGBTQ constituents like Alejandra Caraballo who suspended her campaign and endorsed me a few weeks ago and has agreed to share her policy expertise. As a cis-het man, I know one of the best ways to get the policy right is to defer to those with lived experience and simply be a conduit to amplify marginalized voices.
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?