Candidate Answers to JOLDC: Mino Lora for City Council District 11

Candidate Name: Mino Lora

Office Seeking Election for: City Council District 11

Explain, based on life experiences and accomplishments, why you believe you are best qualified to represent your district

I came to New York on an academic scholarship when I was 19. As an immigrant, I’ve struggled to find places where I felt I belonged, and built them when they didn't exist. And as an educator for over 20 years in classrooms across the city, I’ve taught thousands of students how to do the same. I’m the founder and executive director of People’s Theatre Project - a social justice arts nonprofit, that employs a staff of 30, has an operating budget of $1 million, and serves 1,000 young people annually. Most of my students are immigrants or children of immigrants, people of color, or come from working-class and low-income families. In the absence of in-person education, it was imperative for me to reimagine how we could continue serving them without interruption. When the pandemic hit, I immediately took action to support my neighbors and students in Upper Manhattan, where I work, and in the Bronx, where I live. I organized a fundraiser and brought cash to families who needed immediate relief, and connected those who are undocumented with additional support. First, I committed to keeping my staff employed, then we launched a weekly web series to amplify stories of hope and resilience, highlighting the small businesses, nonprofits, and government officials working to get us through these dual epidemics. And when the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) was cut from the city budget in June, I brought together 14 local arts & culture nonprofits to create a virtual arts summer camp for over 200 children, and secured the funding to operate it. After the murder of George Floyd, I co-organized with 5 local moms, Teens Take Charge and Warriors in the Garden, to lead a Children’s March for Black Lives that featured a line up of youth speakers and was attended by over 1,000 people. Witnessing the failure of our government to do what needed to be done for our communities - this is when running for City Council became part of my plan.

Please identify any openly LGBTQ candidate for public office you have previously or presently endorsed?

Not applicable.

If applicable, what legislation directly affecting the LGBTQ community have you introduced or co-sponsored? (indicate accordingly)

Not applicable.

What LGBTQ organizations have you been involved with, either on a volunteer basis or professionally?

In my decades of work as an actor and cultural organizer I have worked with many arts and culture organizations that have strong ties to the LGBTQ community such as Ali Forney Center, Hetrick Martin Institute, New York Theatre Workshop, The Lark, DreamYard Project, and Theatre Development Fund (TDF).

Do you consider yourself a member of the LGBTQ community?

Happily married to my husband Bob.

Have you marched in Pride? Which marches and for approximately how many years?

I would love to march in Pride! I’ve watched the Pride March, and attend Pride events every year in Washington Heights and the Bronx. Additionally, I co-organized a vigil in Washington Heights after the Pulse Nightclub shooting in 2016, and celebrated the passing of Marriage Equality at Stonewall in 2015.

Have you employed openly LGBTQ individuals previously? Do you employ any currently?

YES to both questions.

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?

Since I emigrated to this country in 2000, I have participated in countless marches and rallies demanding an end of the Iraq war, immigrant justice, racial justice, criminal justice reform, women’s rights, LGBTQIA+ rights, gun safety and countless others, including: March for Black Lives, Women’s March, Climate March, March for Our Lives, among others. Most recently, I co-organized a Children’s March for Black Lives in Upper Manhattan that was attended by over 1,000 people.

Have you ever been arrested? If so please explain why and outcome of arrest.

NO, I have not 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

I support defunding the NYPD. NYC’s budget should reflect the values of residents, not the PBA and NYPD’s continued thirst for unchecked power. We invest too much in policing and incarceration, and not enough in people, especially those made vulnerable by a system designed to fail and ensnare them. Since the 2008 financial crisis, the NYPD budget has increased 33% to the $6 billion it is today. When police pensions, fringe benefits, and debt payments are accounted for, spending reaches almost $11 billion, making it the most expensive police department in the U.S. It’s important to note that uniformed overtime spending hovers at around $500 million annually. And since 2014, taxpayers have footed the bill for about $1.3 billion in police misconduct settlements; a gross abuse of public trust and funds. Calls to defund the police are rooted in this constant expansive budgeting, especially within the context of austerity budgeting for education and culture, and the televised, deadly behavior of racist NYPD officers. Rational New Yorkers do not want school-to-prison pipelines’ to exist, our schools to be underfunded, or for Black and brown people to be murdered and harassed with impunity. When we keep expanding the budget that directly enables this behavior, we’re declaring our disregard for human life. Armed officers in our schools, broken windows theory, and military equipment and tactics anticipate and facilitate violence, framing New Yorkers as the enemy. We need to demilitarize the NYPD, and correct its scope of responsibilities, because public safety should be a partnership, not warfare. This is why NYC’s budget should focus on de-escalation, rehabilitation and restorative justice as the humane bare minimum. Social workers, mental health, domestic violence, and addiction counselors should be empowered to serve New Yorkers in their time of need. Every school needs to be equitably staffed with counselors at a standard ratio to students. These interventions are a matter of public health and should be equally available to all.

Will you not seek, and refuse, the endorsement of Bill de Blasio?

YES

In view of the fact that Ed Koch has been documented to have caused the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people with AIDS, and was blatantly racist, would you support and sponsor a bill to rename the former Queensboro Bridge?

YES

What is your position on removing the Christopher Columbus statue in Columbus Circle and if so, what should replace it?

I support removing the Christopher Columbus statue. I grew up on the island of Quisqueya, where Christopher Columbus first landed. Our history made clear his decisive role in abusing and erasing our Taino community, stripping most Dominicans of our indigenous ancestry. He is not a hero and he should not be celebrated. Instead of Christopher Columbus, we should put a statue of a female Indigenous activist, and the community should ultimately decide who that ends up being.

Will you refuse contributions from real estate developers and all law enforcement unions or associations?

YES - I will refuse donations from real estate developers and all law enforcement unions or associations.

Do you support reducing the budget of the NYPD and if so, by how much?

YES - I support NYC Comptroller Scott Stringer's plan to reduce the NYPD budget by $1.1 billion over the next 4 fiscal years, redirecting those tax dollars to fund public education, healthcare, and recreational programs within our communities most impacted by structural oppression, racism, and chronic underinvestment.

How would you have voted on the FY21 City Budget?

I would have voted NO on the FY21 City Budget.

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 - I am in favor of all: A, B, C & D.

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?

At minimum, police officers who refuse to wear masks should be suspended without pay and subject to the same penalties as regular New Yorkers.

What reforms would you make to the Civilian Complaint Review Board? Would you support state legislation to make CCRB disciplinary determinations binding?

The NYPD is there to protect and serve, not abuse and brutalize; which is precisely what officers were doing during the protests that followed the murder of George Floyd. Not wearing masks and endangering New Yorkers added to their unacceptable behavior. In August, 50 nonprofit organizations serving communities of color developed the Reform NYPD Agenda, which has broad community support and is immediately actionable. I will work to implement this agenda, and expand on its outlined approach. Effective, measurable, and routine training should be mandatory for all NYPD frontline and office personnel. This holistic approach will support and institutionalize the culture shift that is necessary throughout the entire NYPD. This effort will include anti-racism, anti-bias, community relations, and de-escalation training. Currently, the Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB) is appointed by the Mayor, has no enforcement power, and Commissioner Shea only addressed 52% of the CCRB’s recommendations in 2019. Instead, the CCRB should be democratically elected by residents to serve their own communities. In order to be fully effective, independent and transparent, the board needs to be codified, fully funded, and have it’s jurisdiction expanded to include biased and racist policing allegations.

What is your position on the plan to close Rikers and create four borough-based jails?

We do not need four borough-based jails, and we do need to close Rikers. We should, instead, focus NYC resources on decarceration, restorative justice, rehabilitation and reintegration. Regarding the criminal justice system, the conversation and investment needs to be focused on prevention, constructive interventions and meaningful treatment, not continued practices that seek to embolden the current punitive, brutal, and racist carceral system. We can reduce needless demand for jail space by: 1) decriminalizing marijuana; 2) decriminilizing sex work; 3) creating safe injection sites; 4) ending cash bail for non-violent offenders which will significantly reduce demand for jail space; 5) passing Kalief’s Law to ensure all defendants have access to speedy trials. For low-income, and people of color in the Bronx where racism and injustice have often been the throughline for chronic underinvestment and public health crises, the impacts are targeted, and devastating - especially during the pandemic. In order to realize a more humane and just city we need to end the budgetary neglect of NYC H+H, mental healthcare, affordable housing, education, arts, parks, transportation, and youth programming. The public sector exists to serve the general population, functions as a safety net for the most vulnerable among us, and prevent phenomena like the school to prison pipeline. I support the resolution to pass Senator Liz Krueger’s NY Marijuana Bill S1527C, creating a cannabis revenue fund, state drug treatment, public education fund, and community grants reinvestment fund. Monetarily, this is projected to generate annual revenue of $436 million for NY State and $336 million for NYC. To shift funding priorities, our city and state budgets need to redistribute surplus wealth hoarded by private interests. All revenue gains realized from budgets that prioritize equity must be re-invested to serve the public good.

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?

Our 311 system receives 42 million calls a year, which is the highest rate for any non-emergency municipal line in the country. One of the primary issues with the 311 system is that caller concerns, issues and feedback are not being appropriately reported and thus, not addressed or resolved. To fix this I will: 1) Allocate funds to adequately expand and train 311 system operators. 2) Integrate the 311 system with NYC agency systems in areas that function under state or federal jurisdiction, including some State Parks, NYCHA, Battery Park Authority, (BPCA), and Roosevelt Island.

Do you support decriminalizing sex work? Will you pledge to oppose the Nordic model?

YES - I support decriminalizing sex work and repealing the Loitering for the Purpose of Prostitution law from 1976; known today as the Walking While Trans ban for its use by the NYPD to target and criminalize transgender individuals. YES - I oppose the Nordic model because it still criminalizes the sex worker’s clients, putting the worker at risk of retribution, harm, and economic insecurity. Additionally, I will devote constituent service resources to protection and destimigizatization efforts for sex workers.

Do you oppose school screening, which exacerbates segregation? Which screens in your school district(s) will you advocate to abolish?

YES - I support the decision announced today suspending all middle school admissions screenings, and I will advocate for their elimination in 2022. Our schools are underfunded, racially and economically segregated, and underutilized for the critical safety net functions they could provide by offering wrap-around supports for students and families. Current admissions policies underscore economic advantage through tutoring and prep for tests already proven to favor white students over Black and Latino students during the admissions process perpetuating a deeply segregated system. COVID has highlighted how these admission policies, interrupted instruction, and unequal access to tools for remote learning specifically harm children of color.

Describe what reforms you would make to the control of the NYC public school system.

I will work to establish a democratically elected Review Board composed of principals, teachers, parents, students and alumni from NYC’s public schools who are empowered in the decision-making that directly impacts them. The Review Board, the City Council Education Committee and the Panel of Educational Policy (PEP) will serve as a co-governing coalition together with the Mayor.

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?

NO

Have you ever supported any of the members of the IDC? If so, who? What did you do to help defeat the IDC in 2018?

NO - I never voted for members of the IDC. I voted for Senator Alessandra Biaggi in 2018 and 2020.

What will you do to support nightlife in NYC?

As Councilwoman, I will legislate and dedicate constituent services resources to educate residents about, and to remove barriers to a thriving nightlife in NYC. Many who work in nightlife are ‘gig workers’ and immigrants. This is why we must legislate a more expansive definition of ‘employee’ in New York State so that employers are not able to abuse workers by hiring them as independent contractors, and not giving them the wages, benefits, and protections they deserve - and should be entitled to. We need to establish a minimum standard for living with dignity and stability in NYC that also eliminates barriers to employment by: 1) demanding a $20 an hour minimum wage with annual cost of living increases, and for part-time workers to have access to and qualify for fringe benefits; 2) expanding NYC Paid Sick Leave and Paid Family Leave; 3) guaranteeing universal access to low-cost and high-quality child and elder care; 4) passing universal healthcare that is untethered to employment 5) promote broad understanding among uninsured individuals that they qualify for Emergency Medicaid regardless of immigration status. I support, and we need to pass, Senator Alessandra Biaggi’s Senate Bill 28406a which provides for minimum wage requirements for miscellaneous industry workers. I support, and we need to pass the City Council’s Commercial Rent Stabilization Bill 1796-2019, which would establish a Commercial Rent Guidelines Board to protect small businesses against the unchecked power of big Real Estate. We need to keep people who work in nightlife from losing their homes by banning evictions and foreclosures; canceling rent and mortgage arrears caused by the pandemic; banning utility cutoffs for electric, gas and internet. People who work in nightlife need retroactive hazard pay for the duration of the pandemic. If businesses are required to close by government order, the government should subsidize businesses so workers continue to receive their wages.

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?

While I opposed Amazon HQ2, I understand why 32BJ saw it as an opportunity to unionize one of the largest non-union organizations in the world. Just this week, a Bloomberg study revealed that Amazon warehouse wages and safety standards are decreasing. We have to end e-commerce companies’ ability to undercut brick and mortar stores by underpaying their workers and forcing them to work in unsafe conditions; not bearing the cost of pollution they impose on neighborhoods around their warehouses; and continuing to receive unfair and underserved tax breaks. First, we must support warehouse and distribution workers' right to unionize, and make a living wage with full benefits in a safe work environment. Many so-called ‘last mile distribution centers’ are being built in NYC in low-income neighborhoods, and in communities of color. Historically, these communities are chronically neglected by municipal investments for infrastructure, schools, public spaces, and so on. The absence of political and social capital is how e-commerce warehouses have been able to thrive at the expense of residents and our neighborhoods. These employers should not receive tax breaks, and should be required to incur the costs associated with reducing increased truck traffic. Additionally, we should require their trucks to be electric, to mitigate pollution, and protect our children and families from chronic illnesses associated with the proximity to high-traffic and industrialized areas. NYC is a union city; workers and their families will always come first.

What role do you believe the local member should play in the approval of development proposals before the Council?

I do not support Member Deference during the ULURP process. District 11 residents and workers must take priority over developers and corporations. Two major changes are needed in the ULURP process: All stakeholders who will be impacted by the project and zoning changes must be heard; workers’ voices, including those in healthcare, are essential; Athorough review of all potential impacts on the community, including housing, transportation, schools, and healthcare service must be fully conducted prior to any decision making. We must also guarantee that affordability and accessibility of the Mandatory Inclusionary Housing (MIH) in new developments actually meets current community demand, and proactively solves anticipated future needs. Because gentrification and new development are the subjects of contentious debate, new projects must be driven by community input. Any new development should be expected to generate good new jobs that will contribute to NYC’s recovery, as well as permanently affordable housing options, among other important community benefits that add to the legacies, and rich cultural diversity of our neighborhoods.

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 - I do not support the removal of 300 homeless individuals from the Lucerne hotel.

What proposals will you advocate for to protect immigrants and further New York as a Sanctuary City?

As immigrants, we own over half of NYC’s small businesses, power a quarter of the total GDP, and make up a third of NYC’s population. NYC is a Sanctuary City, which means our undocumented neighbors are welcomed and protected here. Moreover, they should be able to live with dignity, opportunity, and respect for their families and livelihoods. As policy, this means City Hall rejects harsh, punitive, and inhumane practices within city jurisdiction that seek to criminalize or cause harm because of a person’s immigration status. Additionally, our public safety and legal institutions must reject attempts by ICE and federal authorities that seek to detain, criminalize, and deport NYC residents because of their immigration status. As the District 11 Councilwoman, I will fight to: 1) Extend municipal voting rights to adult residents regardless of immigration status; 2) End support for ICE, prohibit contracts, and prevent them from entering our schools, courthouses, and public housing; 3) Expand legal and economic stability for culturally-competent community organizations that serve immigrant New Yorkers; 4) Expand funding for programs that guarantee the right to counsel in immigration courts, and advance immigrants’ rights. Additionally, I serve on the Immigrant Leadership Council for the New York Immigrant Coalition (NYIC) and the Northern Manhattan Agenda, advocating for the rights of immigrants, students, and working-class communities at every level of government. Over the summer, I met with Senator Chuck Schumer to advocate for the inclusion of all immigrants in the federal COVID relief bill (only to see it gutted by Republicans); and more recently partnered with the Governor’s Office to guarantee the vaccine rollout won’t include invasions of privacy by ICE.

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. Forty percent of New Yorkers are covered by Medicaid and 700,000 are uninsured; about 400,000 of whom are undocumented. NYC H+H is the ultimate safety net, charged with a duty to care for these patients when private hospitals are unwilling or unable to serve them. Funding for NYC H+H needs to be sufficient to treat all uninsured patients as well as those on Medicaid. Inequitable distribution of healthcare allows private hospitals to build large surpluses at the expense of our public healthcare system, year after year. Healthcare services and resources must be allocated justly. Restructuring efforts to address the finances of NYC H+H need to hold as an equal priority the duty to protect NYC H+H employees and NYSNA nurses. As we create an integrated, city-wide healthcare system, private and public providers must collaborate to serve the interests of all New Yorkers - both patients and providers. As Councilwoman, I will work to: 1) Promote broad understanding among uninsured individuals that they qualify for Emergency Medicaid regardless of immigration status. 2) Pass the Safe Staffing for Quality Care Act to adequately serve patient demand. 3) Pass the New York Health Act. 4) Pass Councilwoman Catalina Cruz’s Resolution 1239-2020, making doulas more accessible to patients covered by Medicaid and the uninsured. 5) Establish a temporary, state-funded Essential Plan for residents with a suspected or confirmed case of COVID who were previously excluded from coverage based on immigration status by passing Senator Gustavo Rivera’s Bill S8357. 6) Establish safe injection sites with available substance abuse treatment and interventions by passing Senator Gustavo Rivera’s Safer Consumption Services Act 2498. Expanding healthcare to the uninsured requires education and access. New Yorkers must receive education about all currently available coverage options, as well as the stalled legislation cited above that would cover more people, and that would guarantee all forms of medically necessary care including dental, vision, and mental health. Access to care can be expanded through multiple pathways as well. To truly meet the needs of the uninsured, staffing ratios must be adequate to meet patient demand, staff must be culturally competent and multilingual, and facilities must be located with an eye to mitigating the impact of transit deserts, especially in poor communities more likely to rely on public transportation. As Councilwoman, I will dedicate constituent services resources to provide the necessary education, and to remove barriers to healthcare access.

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) Mayor in 2013: Bill De Blasio B) Public Advocate in 2013 and 2019: Tish James (2013) & Jumane Williams (2019) C) President in 2016 and 2020: Hillary Clinton (2016) & Joe Biden (2020) C) Governor and Attorney General in 2018: Cynthia Nixon & Tish James

Top 3 issues you aim to address locally and legislatively

My priorities will directly reflect the challenges facing my constituents. District 11 is majority working-class and people of color; nearly half of us are Latino, and a third of us are immigrants. Bronx residents live at the intersections of injustice, which the pandemic intensified. Failure to address any one area of injustice exacerbates all of them. We need to prioritize economic justice to adequately address all other injustices. Passing universal childcare and eldercare so that everyone can go back to work is an important step we must take right away as well as expanding universal family leave for all who need it. Bold initiatives for just transitions can be funded by implementing fair taxes on pied-a terres, commercial vacancies, carried interest, stock transfers, millionaires, billionaires, and legalized marijuana (an industry that must be led by people of color). With these revenues, we can take decisive actions to meet this moment. In the Bronx, these are matters of life and death, and we need to bring justice to: 1) Mental Health Care: Very few New Yorkers have access to adequate mental health resources. The absence of support is particularly felt by communities who seek multi-racial or multi-lingual or trauma-informed providers. COVID disproportionately impacts the mental health of those same populations. A Black or Latino child is far more likely to have experienced the COVID death of a parent or other family member, which increases that child’s risk for entering foster care, and doubles their risk of falling below the poverty line. As Councilwoman, I will build coalitions of Black, Latino, and LGBTQ+ friendly mental health providers, and support efforts to recruit from these populations for careers at the decision making level. We need to prepare these students over a lifetime to earn advanced degrees, which should be free at CUNY schools. 2) Housing: Housing affordability is a crisis in District 11, where over 3,500 residents lived in shelters during the first 7 months of 2019, and 1 in 6 school-aged children experienced homelessness in the last 5 years. Families languish for too long in the shelter system, where the average stay reported in September 2019 was 446 days for a family with children, 414 days for a single adult, and 580 days for an adult family. In order to move our homeless neighbors out of the shelter system, we need affordable housing that actually meets the demand. As Councilwoman, I will commit to Increasing maximum monthly voucher payments to align with fair market values, while joining the efforts of community organizers like the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition (NWBCCC) to support expanded funding for community land trusts and, specifically, the Community Opportunity to Purchase Act in the NYC Council. 3) Arts & Culture: Whether it’s on the streets, in classrooms, or at our renowned institutions, creativity is the heartbeat of NYC. Over 400,000 artists generate $110 billion in annual economic activity, but the majority of municipal funding still flows to overwhelmingly white institutions. As Councilwoman, I will prioritize the post-pandemic recovery and resurgence of the arts & culture sector, investing in people of color and immigrant communities and artists to lead the way. Within that plan, we must protect all organized labor, which includes artists, working at every level in our cultural institutions.

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?

For the budget process: Expand participatory budgeting. For land use: I support the City Council’s Comprehensive Planning Framework for New York City, which connects capital funding investments to development on any City led rezoning plan. For the powers and duties of municipal offices: Adequate oversight is needed to reform systemic issues in City agencies like the DOC and the NYPD. I will join Councilmember Mark Treyger, Chair of the Education Committee, in working to establish co-governance committees with the Mayor.

Please explain your vision for the present powers of the office you are seeking and how you intend to exercise them?

I’m running to represent a district that’s majority working-class and people of color; nearly half of us are Latino, and a third of us are immigrants. In the Bronx, we live at the intersections of injustice which the pandemic intensified. From inequities in our economy, public education, housing, healthcare and transportation systems, the environment, and our cultural institutions: failure to address any one area of injustice exacerbates all of them. We can’t accept this disconnect between our elected officials, the uber rich, and our neighborhoods. I believe justice is achieved through representation, and our leaders must reflect the communities they serve. In the race for District 11, I am 1) The only candidate endorsed by the progressive Working Families Party, Citizen Action of NY, and The Jewish Vote. 2) The only executive director. While successfully leading an organization through a financial and public health crisis, I kept my current staff employed, and even expanded with new hires. 3) The only artist. Imagination and creativity are powerful organizing and legislating tools. I’m trained to reimagine what’s possible, and through storytelling, shift hearts and minds to make it reality. 4) The only immigrant and woman of color. Our next Council Member must be able to directly connect to the majority in District 11, not only through our native language, but through cultural competency, and shared life experience. As Councilwoman, I will sponsor and support legislation and negotiate budgets that prioritize public hospitals, education, parks, housing, transit, and cultural institutions. We can establish a modern standard for living with dignity in NYC, and I share with City and State Legislators the belief that NYC can increase revenue to cover the estimated $8.33 billion shortfall in the 2021 budget by progressively taxing millionaires and billionaires, mandating surcharges on pied-e-terres, increasing the tax on stock transfers, closing carried interest loopholes, and taxes commercial vacancies. These fair taxes amount to a total revenue gain for NYC: $12.3 billion! Leadership that failed to implement fair taxation created a revenue crisis, now worsened by the pandemic. Fair taxes that redistribute hoarded wealth to serve the public good will build a sustainable, humane, and expansive economy.

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

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?