Candidate Answers to JOLDC: Kristin Richardson Jordan for City Council District 9
Candidate Name: Kristin Richardson Jordan
Office Seeking Election for: City Council District 9
Explain, based on life experiences and accomplishments, why you believe you are best qualified to represent your district
I am best qualified to represent this district because I have spent my entire life in Harlem, and my family has been here for three generations. I know deeply our district’s struggles but also its determination, creativity, and joy. I have been or am a member of many different neighborhood organizations, and am deeply embedded in Central Harlem. I am also qualified because my platform reflects the demands of the community for police accountability, actually affordable housing, senior care, education reform, and more.
Please identify any openly LGBTQ candidate for public office you have previously or presently endorsed?
In this cycle, I have endorsed Marti G Cummings in District 7 and Chi Ossé in District 36.
If applicable, what legislation directly affecting the LGBTQ community have you introduced or co-sponsored? (indicate accordingly)
I have not held elected office before.
What LGBTQ organizations have you been involved with, either on a volunteer basis or professionally?
I have been a member of African Ancestral Lesbians United for Societal Change.
Do you consider yourself a member of the LGBTQ community?
Yes I do, I am a proud lesbian!
Have you marched in Pride? Which marches and for approximately how many years?
Yes I have, and I have for so long I can't really remember the first one I went to!
Have you employed openly LGBTQ individuals previously? Do you employ any currently?
Yes and yes! Many of our staff are openly queer.
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 too many to count, but some of the most recent include demonstrations last to combat violence against women in East Harlem and to prevent the Trump administration from stealing the recent presidential election.
Have you ever been arrested? If so please explain why and outcome of arrest.
I am so lucky to have never been arrested, and I recognize the privilege to not have been arrested.
Do you commit to visiting constituents who are incarcerated in state prisons and city jails?
Yes of course! As an abolitionist, I wholly believe that we should be providing as much support as possible to our incarcerated brothers, sisters, and nonbinary siblings
Will you affirmatively seek to hire formerly incarcerated individuals?
Yes!
Describe your legislative and policy vision for combatting systemic racism
My policy vision begins with defunding the NYPD by at least $3 billion, which is the most visible instrument of systemic racism and white supremacy in New York. I also believe in closing Rikers Island without replacing it with the mayor’s borough based jail plan, pushing harder for school integration, and increasing our investment in communities of color for employment, beautification, and affordable housing.
Will you not seek, and refuse, the endorsement of Bill de Blasio?
I have never even considered asking for his endorsement. If I were to receive it, I would publicly refuse it.
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! We should not be memorializing city officials who murdered tens of thousands of queer New Yorkers through incompetence, malice, or inaction.
What is your position on removing the Christopher Columbus statue in Columbus Circle and if so, what should replace it?
I am in support of replacing the statue with a statue dedicated to the indigenous Lenape people whose land we are occupying.
Will you refuse contributions from real estate developers and all law enforcement unions or associations?
Yes, and I am already refusing such money.
Do you support reducing the budget of the NYPD and if so, by how much?
Like I said earlier, I support defunding by at least $3 billion.
How would you have voted on the FY21 City Budget?
I would’ve voted no because there was no real move by the Speaker’s office to defund the NYPD.
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, and I am proud to see the Walking While Trans Ban be repealed today by the Legislature.
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?
I would support docks in pay for a first offence, and increasing punishment up to termination and loss of pension. There should be no tolerance for officers doing everything they can to prevent the spread of COVID-19
What reforms would you make to the Civilian Complaint Review Board? Would you support state legislation to make CCRB disciplinary determinations binding?
Yes I would! I also support making the CCRB an elected and not appointed position.
What is your position on the plan to close Rikers and create four borough-based jails?
Like I said earlier, I support closing Rikers without borough-based jails replacing it.
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! Especially during a pandemic, we should be looking to release incarcerated individuals.
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?
I would support investigative hearings on why the 311 system does not work, and establishing an independent committee to recommend changes to be made to make it more responsive.
Do you support decriminalizing sex work? Will you pledge to oppose the Nordic model?
I support decriminalizing sex work and opposing the Nordic model, which makes sex work still dangerous for workers.
Do you oppose school screening, which exacerbates segregation? Which screens in your school district(s) will you advocate to abolish?
Yes I do. As a teacher, I am vehemently opposed to exacerbating segregation in our public schools. I will work closely with the UFT and parent and student activists to determine which screens to abolish point by point.
Describe what reforms you would make to the control of the NYC public school system.
I support decentralizing the Department of Education with borough-based school boards, staffed by elected members of the community. I also support decentralizing funding, with money raised from property taxes, PTA donations, and other revenue streams into a borough-based pot to be distributed based on need and not zip code.
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, we should look at drug addiction as a public health issue and not a criminal justice issue.
Do you smoke or otherwise consume weed?
I personally do not, but I am in full support of legalization! It should be taxed and regulated just like alcohol.
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 did not support any members of the IDC. I previously did not see a place for people like me in electoral politics, but I have been inspired by the examples of people like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Tiffany Cabán, and others who are unapologetically themselves to run as myself and not someone I’m not.
What will you do to support nightlife in NYC?
I support commercial rent stabilization, and cancelling rent payments for small independent venues. Nightlife is central to the New York way of life, and we need to support our venues.
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, let the people dance!
Did you oppose the de Blasio/Cuomo proposal (and giveaways) for bringing Amazon’s HQ2 to Long Island City?
Yes I do. New York is a union town and we should not be bending over backwards to bring in a union-busting company.
What role do you believe the local member should play in the approval of development proposals before the Council?
I believe in member deference in the ULURP process at the Council level, but also support the advisory votes throughout the process being binding. The role of a member is to listen to what the people want, and move forward with those desires in mind.
Do you support legislation to prohibit discrimination against formerly incarcerated people in housing?
Yes of course! Once you serve your time, your debt is paid. Nobody should continue to be oppressed because they were previously incarcerated.
Do you oppose the removal of the nearly 300 homeless individuals from the Lucerne hotel due to pressure from some local residents?
No, I believe in housing the homeless.
What proposals will you advocate for to protect immigrants and further New York as a Sanctuary City?
I would move to cut off all cooperation with ICE by any City agency, not just law enforcement, as well as move to expel them from schools, churches, courthouses, and any other public space where ICE routinely ambushes immigrants for deportation.
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, I support both Medicare for All and the New York Health Act. On the City level, we are much more fiscally restrained, but I support increased subsidies to the New York Hospital system to make healthcare as low-cost as possible for New Yorkers.
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 supported passively in 2013 de Blasio for Mayor and Letitia James for Public Advocate (although I regret my support for de Blasio now after seeing how he ran the city), Jumaane Williams in 2019, Sanders in 2016 and 2020, Cynthia Nixon in 2018 and Letitia James for AG.
Top 3 issues you aim to address locally and legislatively
I have a whole Kristin for HARLEM platform that details my top priorities, but out of them my top three are Holding Police Accountable and Abolition, Actually Affordable Housing, and Redistribution of Wealth and Resources.
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 reforms to increase the power of the Council at the expense of the Speaker in the budget process, making advisory votes in the ULURP process binding, and checking the power of municipal offices by placing them under Council review and oversight.
Please explain your vision for the present powers of the office you are seeking and how you intend to exercise them?
My vision for the office I am seeking is to a vocal and disruptive member from the movement space. I am not running to join the City Council to make powerful friends, but to fight for every marginalized and impacted community and make sure that New York remains a city for them too. Since the turn of the century, the influence of the rich and powerful has grown exponentially at the expense of the working classes that make this city run, and I want to tip the balance in the opposite direction.
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 proud lesbian, I commit to working with Jim Owles regardless of whether or not I receive your endorsement. If I am elected, being a queer City Councilmember instantly puts me under scrutiny by the LGBTQIA+ community in making sure I fight for our collective interests.
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?
While I am a proud lesbian, I see that aspect of my identity as just that, an aspect. I am also Black, a woman, an abolitionist, a socialist, and a member of the working class. These aspects of my identity influence the policies that I highlighted in this questionnaire, as well as policy areas we didn’t touch on. I am looking forward to meeting with you this week, and hope that we can build in Harlem together!