Candidate Answers to JOLDC: Rodrigo Camarena for City Council District 38
Candidate Name: Rodrigo Camarena
Office Seeking Election for: City Council District 38
Explain, based on life experiences and accomplishments, why you believe you are best qualified to represent your district
I have been a Sunset Park organizer, immigrant advocate, and fighter for social justice for over 15 years. My campaign is grounded in my life experience as an immigrant and experience organizing with vulnerable and working class communities. As a candidate for office, I have centered my campaign platform on the needs and aspirations of the working parents, young people, people of color, and LGBTQI communities that have been pushed to the margins in our city. I intend to use my position in elected office to bring radical structural change to NYC and prioritize the wills and aspirations of those we systematically exclude. For the last 15 years I have played a leadership role in the Mixteca Organization, an immigrant-led advocacy group based in Sunset Park that recently celebrated its 20 year anniversary and have served on our local Community Board (CB7). I am also founding member of the anti-displacement group Protect Sunset Park (which recently helped defeat the Industry City rezoning application), have been a lifelong tenant advocate as a community activist and member of the NYC Rent Guidelines Board. I currently lead the Immigration Advocate Network, the largest national network of non-profit immigrant advocates, was a founding member of the Sunset Park ICE Watch, and have dedicated my career to immigrant justice. Lastly, I am a Mexican-American, first-generation, New Yorker, who has organized with working people in my district for over a decade. I know this community intimately and believe that my life-experience and aspirations as a Latinx New Yorker from an immigrant family is reflective of my district.
Please identify any openly LGBTQ candidate for public office you have previously or presently endorsed?
I was a supporter of Carlos Menchaca’s 2013 run for City Council and supported his reelection campaign in 2017. I also supported Genesis Aquino’s run for District Leader and was an early supporter in her campaign for the 51st Assembly District. I was also a proud supporter of Cynthia Nixon.
If applicable, what legislation directly affecting the LGBTQ community have you introduced or co-sponsored? (indicate accordingly)
N/A
What LGBTQ organizations have you been involved with, either on a volunteer basis or professionally?
I have donated and/or volunteered to organizations with large LGBTQI-serving including Latino Commission on AIDS, Callen-Lorde, Make the Road New York, and the Lambda Independent Democrats (to name a few).
Do you consider yourself a member of the LGBTQ community?
I am a strong ally of the LGBTQ community.
Have you marched in Pride? Which marches and for approximately how many years?
Absolutely. I’ve participated in the Brooklyn Pride March multiple times (since 2012 I want to say) and have been at the New York City Pride march as early as 2003.
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?
Too many to name. I participated in events to promote reproductive justice, demand policy accountability, combat gender-based harassment and discrimination, and resist white supremacy, Trumpism, and fascism in all its forms.
Have you ever been arrested? If so please explain why and outcome of arrest.
No.
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.
Describe your legislative and policy vision for combatting systemic racism
As a candidate for City Council, our campaign is committed to tackling systemic racism and white supremacy in all of its forms. We will fight it in housing insecurity and in the rezonings that systematically displace Black and brown New Yorkers, we will fight it in City’s economy and the incentives that we provide to big businesses at the expense of mom and pop shops owned by immigrants, women, and people of color, and we will fight it our city budget to defund the NYPD and refund our communities by prioritizing and investing in the caretakers, hospital workers, and essential workers that truly keep us safe.
Will you not seek, and refuse, the endorsement of Bill de Blasio?
Yes. If he calls it's going straight to voicemail. Voicemail full? Sorry Bill ;-)
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 think it should be removed. I leave the decision of what it should be replaced with to indigenous leaders.
Will you refuse contributions from real estate developers and all law enforcement unions or associations?
Yes. I’ve already done this. This policy is public and on my website and has been since our campaign launched.
Do you support reducing the budget of the NYPD and if so, by how much?
I am a police and prison abolitionist and believe that as a society we need to strive to live in a city where the police forces and prisons are no longer needed nor funded. I have been a vocal champion of the defund campaign, and believe that we should slash the NYPD budget by at least $3 Billion in the next fiscal year. We need to overhaul our criminal code and work towards a justice system that doesn’t disproportionately impact Black and brown New Yorkers. The New York City Council can help bring us closer to this vision of justice by passing budgets that address the root causes of poverty and crime, create a special commission to review our city’s criminal code, and allocate resources to affordable and public housing, mental health services and crisis support, job training, and our underfunded and segregated educational system. We should also continue to invest in legal empowerment initiatives (initiatives that help individuals know, use, and shape the law) and the agencies that help enforce civil law including the NYC Human Rights Commission, NYC Department of Consumer Affairs, and Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, Mayor’s Office to End Domestic and Gender-Based Violence.
How would you have voted on the FY21 City Budget?
I would have been a “no” vote.
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 of the above. The NYPD should not have officers in places of learning, be engaged in responding to mental health emergencies, homeless outreach, street vendor enforcement or traffic enforcement.
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?
I would consider a significant fine (maybe $5,000) and unpaid leave.
What reforms would you make to the Civilian Complaint Review Board? Would you support state legislation to make CCRB disciplinary determinations binding?
We need to make sure that any appointee nominated by City Council to the CCRB is someone who is connected to the communities that are most heavily policed, and who understands the brutality that Black and brown people disproportionately experience at the hands of the NYPD. There are also proposals circulating to make the CCRB an elected position, however the issue with police accountability is that any findings by the CCRB around police misconduct, and their suggestions for disciplinary action are simply recommendations to the NYPD, and the Commissioner is not bound to implement any of those measures recommended by the CCRB. If we are to truly improve oversight and accountability of the NYPD, we need to create an amendment to the city charter that allows the CCRB to have decision-making powers in how NYPD officers who have been found guilty of misconduct are ultimately disciplined. Because the city charter states that only the NYPD Commissioner or the Mayor can make such decisions, it will always be the commissioner’s default to protect the status quo. Short of changing the city charter, we need to make sure that any Mayoral hopefuls are explicit about who they will appoint as their NYPD commissioner. If we had known Bill de Blasio was going to appoint Bill Bratton as NYPD commissioner, I’m not sure he would have been elected.
What is your position on the plan to close Rikers and create four borough-based jails?
I am in favor of closing Rikers, but not building new jails. We do not need to be spending $9 billion to build new jails. If you build them, the NYPD will find a way to fill them. There are policies that we can push DAs to implement, and legislation that we can pass in the City Council and the state level that can help us reduce the jail population to such levels that we would be able to close Rikers without building new jails. Additionally, as we remove the NYPD from systems where there is a strong pipeline into our jails, including from our schools, traffic stops, homeless outreach, and mental health responses, we will also start to see a decrease in the jail population.
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, and I’m also in favor of sentencing reform that would cap sentences at 20 years. Life sentences are simply death by incarceration.
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 am very much in favor of Public Advocate Jumaane Williams’s legislation proposing a different phone number for New Yorkers to call in case of a situation that needs a mental health professional to respond. It has been shown that individuals with a mental illness are more likely to experience police brutality and are more likely to be shot by police officers. It is obvious that no amount of training is going to prepare police officers to adequately respond to folks experiencing a mental health crisis, so we should be investing that money on social workers and other medical health professionals. The response system should be similar to that of the EMT system, where a number is called, and a team is dispatched. In order to ensure success in such a program the infrastructure needs to be built to ensure quick response times, which would mean having sufficient locations from which to dispatch a team, especially in neighborhoods where we’re likely to see the highest incidences.
Do you support decriminalizing sex work? Will you pledge to oppose the Nordic model?
I believe we should decriminalize sex work and oppose the Nordic Model.
Do you oppose school screening, which exacerbates segregation? Which screens in your school district(s) will you advocate to abolish?
The racial segregation in our schools is reflective of the economic and racial inequity in our city and neighborhoods. The council needs to demand that the Mayor and School’s Chancellor produce a desegregation plan and put it into effect within the next decade. In the short term, we can : -Begin to implement a school’s admissions process that considers the current demographic makeup of the school and seeks to diversify admissions based on the integration goals of that community and school. -Remove the NYPD from places of learning. Research shows that schools with more police tend to have higher arrest and suspension rates. We need to equip schools with counselors, mental health support, and social workers. -Have teachers and school leadership that reflects our communities. We need to have teachers that understand the lived experience of students in the NYC Public School System, the majority of which are Black and brown. Teachers and school administrators that look like our students would also contribute towards ending the “school-to-prison” pipeline.
Describe what reforms you would make to the control of the NYC public school system.
I believe New York City should control New York City Public Schools.
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?
I don’t smoke and have consumed weed.
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?
Absolutely not. As a longtime political activist and Executive Committee member of the New Kings Democrats I joined fellow progressive advocates (like NO IDCNY, True Blue, and Take Back 20) to educate voters on the IDC and help elect Senator Zellnor Myrie to the 20th Assembly District (my current Senator).
What will you do to support nightlife in NYC?
New York City is known for its vibrant nightlife community and culture. We need to listen to nightlife business owners and work with them to ensure that they can reopen safely and return to operation once the pandemic is under better control.
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. We need more dancing in New York City. I am a staunch pro-dance advocate.
Did you oppose the de Blasio/Cuomo proposal (and giveaways) for bringing Amazon’s HQ2 to Long Island City?
Yes. Economic development and land use are core issues to my campaign. New York City’s public agencies and the planning entities tasked with deciding public housing and land use priorities are heavily influenced and, in some cases, directly overseen by representatives from the real-estate industry. These bodies include the New York City Department of City Planning (DCP), the New York City Planning Commission (CPC), the Housing and Preservation Department (HPD) and Housing Development Corporation (HDC), and the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC). If our planners are to be accountable to the public’s interest, we need to remove private interests from public planning and strengthen accountability and transparency at all levels of government.
What role do you believe the local member should play in the approval of development proposals before the Council?
I believe that as a city, we must undergo a process of comprehensive community-led planning to determine our long-term land-use needs and Council Members should help usher in that process and advise on whether development projects reflect the community’s vision for their district as part of a comprehensive city plan. This comprehensive city plan must consider existing community visions (i.e. 197-A plans and plans designed by local community groups), undo racist inequities in land use, and be steered by communities and public agencies that are accountable to New Yorkers.
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?
As a general principle. I don’t support the removal of homeless individuals from shelters.
What proposals will you advocate for to protect immigrants and further New York as a Sanctuary City?
Our city needs to end all coordination and collaboration with ICE, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), US Customs and Immigration Services (USCIS) and the NYS agencies that continue to share data and information with the Federal government. Furthermore, we need to consider the provision of safe and anonymous supportive housing dedicated for immigrant and refugee New Yorkers and invest in the sanctuary networks created by civil society.
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 believe in single-payer universal health care. Healthcare is a basic human right and we need to fight to ensure equal access and care for all New Yorkers. I believe that New York City needs to continue to expand the NYC Care Program, invest in preventative health services (especially mental health services) and reallocate funding from the NYPD towards the NYC DOHMH and HHC.
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) I was not active in the 2013 Mayoral campaign and did not support a candidate. B) I was a supporter of Jumaane Williams’ Public Advocate campaign in 2019. C) During the 2016 Primary I supported Bernie Sanders and then supported Hillary Clinton. D) In 2018 I supported Cynthia Nixon for Governor and Zephyr Teachout for Attorney General
Top 3 issues you aim to address locally and legislatively
1. Overhaul our city’s planning and land-use process, Fully-fund NYCHA, invest in affordable and cooperative housing; 2. Lift the street vendor permit cap, pass commercial rent-stabilization, and increase funding to cooperative business ownership program; and 3. Desegregate and fully-fund our schools, end the schools-to-prison pipeline and overhaul our schools admissions process.
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?
1) The budget process is very disempowering, with the Mayor holding incredible power, and the Speaker holding some power, with little input from the community, and little incentive for the decision-makers to listen to the community when they are against a budget proposal that is detrimental, much like we saw this past June with the defund fight. I would support any revision to the charter that reversed the order of the budget process, wherein the City Council and its members put together the budget proposal with input from the communities they serve, to then have it approved by the Mayor. 2) New York City is the only major American city without a long-term, comprehensive plan. Cities like Seatle, Philadelphia, and Portland all have citywide master plans that guide long-term decision-making around infrastructure projects. New York City needs a charter-mandated comprehensive Comprehensive Citywide Plan for Housing and Land Justice that is long-term (at least 10 years), community-led, and grounded in racial, economic, and environmental justice. This plan must consider existing community visions (i.e. 197-A plans and plans designed by local community groups), undo racist inequities in land use, and be steered by communities and public agencies that are accountable to New Yorkers. The plan must account for the health and educational disparities, especially in communities of color, and our needs for mass transit and personal mobility in a growing and fast-moving city. It must be informed and led by everyday New Yorkers and it’s implementation must directly benefit workers, small businesses, and the communities who have been disproportionately impacted by adverse land-use decisions. Most importantly, the plan must be flexible and it must account for that which we have yet to account for. 3) I would propose an amendment that would give the CCRB the power to make disciplinary determinations against officers who have been found guilty of misconduct. The charter currently states that only the Mayor and the NYPD Commissioner can make such determinations, and the CCRB can only make suggestions, which ultimately means officers rarely if ever face repercussions for misconduct and/or abuse. This change would mean that we might see some accountability for police misconduct.
Please explain your vision for the present powers of the office you are seeking and how you intend to exercise them?
As a City Council Member I plan to use the office’s legislative and budgetary powers to develop bold legislation and prioritize funding for education, healthcare, housing, critical infrastructure, and vulnerable communities to create a more equitable city and move towards dismantling the racist systems that are still pervasive today. I will use the power of bully pulpit to shape our city, state, and federal conversations around housing, economic development, and racial justice and work with my progressive colleagues in the City Council to keep Mayoral agencies accountable to the people of New York. Lastly, I see the office existing as a permanent organizing space for the residents of my district and plan to create a grassroots advisory councils to ensure that we are staying ahead of the issues facing our neighbors and can lead on developing solutions to their concerns.
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?
Our campaign is building advisory councils to help shape policy proposals and advocate for communities who have been left out by our leaders. I would welcome members of Jim Owles and the progressive LGBTQI community into these advisory councils.
If you receive the endorsement, do you agree to identify the club on all literature and electronic materials where you list endorsements?
Proudly!
What additional information would you like Jim Owles to consider when we are making our endorsement decisions?
Follow me on socia media, Google me, or read one of my many Op-Eds. I've been on the ground fighting for New Yorkers and advocating for a more just future for over a decade and i'm just getting started.