Budget + Taxes

How would you prioritize these elements of or changes to the city's contracting and spending processes?

1: Greater limits and oversight for campaign donations for companies and individuals who contract with the city.
2: Council and borough president discretionary funding process.
2: Participatory budgeting at the executive level.
2: Participatory budgeting for all council members and borough presidents.
Not listed as a priority: A Database of Deals for all economic development projects.
Not listed as a priority: Living wage requirements for city contracts, with cost of living adjustments (COLAs).
Not listed as a priority: Minority and women owned business enterprises (MWBE) programs.

Which proposals would you support to change or study changes to the city's tax system?

• The system is working as it is and there is no need to change it
• Institute tax insentives for commercial businesses an property owners to implement green iniatives like rooftop gardens and solar panels and other renewable energy and environmental projects

Please use this space if you'd like to share any other thoughts and proposals to address the budget and taxes in NYC, or expand your answers to the questions on this topic.

Definitely more oversight of agencies such as parks and MTA on allocation of funds, and genuine transparency on reaching out the community for input, not the horse and pony shows conducted recently by parks that are so disingenuous. More oversight of the bidding process for capital projects.
Audit of MTA spending enormously on cosmetic and not enough on maintemance and handycap accessibilty and unnecessary ever increasing costs to public resulting from waste, mis use if funds and possibly fraud.
More oversight of Landmarks as they seem neglegent in preservation of historic sites and bare minimum response to community complaints of abuses to landmark sites by owners or developers. More training and qualifications of all appointments of Agency staff.
More infrastructure with all the new residential development with more focus on quality not quantity. More parks, swimming facilities and natural grass playing fields in appropriate places, not fake turf preserving quiet, green places for relaxation and tranquility as well.
Better planning of boke lanes which ate poorly designed and not in properly located creating dangerous situations for firemen and first responders as well as auto drivers and pedestrians.

Workers + Economic Development

How would you improve jobs for CITY employees?

• End gender and race-based pay gaps (Note that there is an 18-cent wage gap for women in city jobs)
• Move city employees in non-emergency and non-school roles to a 4-day, 36 hour work week, with 9 hour days (The NYC Independent Budget Office states that this could save $20 million a year)
• Improve evaluations and disciplinary processes
• Limit outsourcing of city jobs
• Privide more and better training for NYPD and Corrections officers, Parks training on Maintenance and Environment and Landscaping, and qualifications for the job. Independent Oversight Committees.

How would you prioritize creating and protecting job opportunities for NON-CITY employees?

1: Expand summer youth employment.
2: Expand job placement services for veterans.
2: Support training programs to bring workers into emerging sectors.
3: Expand transitional jobs programs for the homeless and formerly incarcerated.
Not listed as a priority: Change street vendor permit rules, such as the Street Vendor Modernization Act.
Not listed as a priority: Provide workers with the right to advance notice of schedules, greater flexibility of scheduling, and access to full-time hours.

How do you rank these initiatives to spur economic development throughout the city?

1: Develop ports and waterfront jobs.
1: Support film and TV productions, including in the form of credits.
1: Support manufacturing expansion and protection.
2: Develop the technology sector, including campuses such as Cornell, and incubators for the sector as a whole.
I do not support this initiative: Implement Midtown East Rezoning.
Not listed as a priority: Reform of Scaffold Law (requires change to state law).
Not listed as a priority: Support the sharing economy.

Please use this space if you'd like to share any other thoughts and proposals to address workers and economic development in NYC, or expand your answers to the questions on this topic.

Transportation + Infrastructure

How would you prioritize upgrading NYC's aging infrastructure?

1: Gas lines
1: Rail and bus service
1: Roads and bridges
1: Water and sewer system
2: Airports

How would you prioritize proposals to address transportation and mobility in NYC? (Note that many of these proposals require state level advocacy.)

1: Bus Rapid Transit
1: Ferry Service
1: Increased funding for Access-A-Ride and ADA compliance for subway stations
2: Brooklyn to Queens Streetcar
2: Half-price fares for working adults at or below the poverty line
2: Increased Ride Hailing
2: LaGuardia AirTrain
2: Second Avenue Subway Phase 2
2: Triboro RX Subway Extension
3: Bike Lanes Expansion
3: CitiBike Expansion

Many subway riders - and associated MTA data - would argue that subway service is getting worse. At the same time, city and state officials disagree about who is responsible for fixing the system and paying the bills. What proposals would you advance to improve the subways and their governance?

• Earmark state funds for the MTA and forbid moving MTA money from subways to other projects - and seek state approval to accomplish this change
• Audit MTA finances, including contracts with vendors and maintenance costs, to find opportunities for savings
• Develop mechanisms for community input in MTA spending plans.

cm-subway-yes

Please use this space if you'd like to share any other thoughts and proposals to address transportation and infrastructure in NYC, or expand your answers to the questions on this topic.

More accessible pedestrian paths and bike lanes on rail and auto bridges and tunnels. More Ferry service and stops. Busses and ferrys to use clean efficient fuel sich as steam, natual gas, electric.
Expand rail service and rapid rail. Use of blimps for air travel. Use of driving vehicles that become floating vehicles for transportation service. Trams, Mono rails should be used more accross rivers as shuttle services.
Have a massive evacuation plan in case of natural or man made disaster.

Land Use + Real Estate + Housing

As a council member you'd have influence over land use decisions and the process for decision-making in your district, and competing concerns may arise in the process. How would you rank various land use priorities as you make these decisions?

1: Expand classroom seats at pace with the increase in housing units.
1: Expand infrastructure, such as transportation and utility capacity, at pace with the increase in housing units.
1: Increase affordable housing units.
1: Increase market rate housing units.
1: Keep/grow community spaces, including parks and gardens.
1: Keep/grow small businesses, including mom and pop retailers.
1: Limit building heights to stay close to those of surrounding buildings.
1: Preserve landmarks and/or institute neighborhood review to recommend which landmarks matter most.
2: Make sure development and zoning is in line with a BOROUGH-wide land use plan.
2: Make sure development and zoning is in line with a CITY-wide land use plan.
2: Make sure development and zoning is in line with a DISTRICT-wide land use plan.
3: Expand presence of chain and big-box retailers.
3: Increase luxury units.

Do you support any of these proposals to reform ULURP (Uniform Land Use Review Procedure)?

• Increase transparency and refine procedures before ULURP applications are filed and/or during the certification stage
• Change the ratio of mayoral appointees to the City Planning Commission, or change the term lengths or limits of commissioners
• Increase oversight of community benefits agreements between developers, community groups, and government officials - and make them enforceable.

What proposals do you support to address housing costs?

• Tie the percentage of rent increases to increased fees and costs for property maintenance, including taxes and water costs - rather than the annual determination of the Rent Guidelines Board
• Preserve affordable housing units by subsidizing physical repairs to property
• Preserve affordable housing through financing arrangements with owners, ie tax subsidies.

Which proposals do you support to change the city’s homelessness service delivery?

• Offer permanent rental assistance
• Offer permanent supportive housing with links to social services to address mental illness and other health issues
• Expand eviction-prevention programs including subsidizing rent for those behind in payments.

Please use this space if you'd like to share any other thoughts and proposals to address land use, real estate, and housing in NYC, or expand your answers to the questions on this topic.

Environment + Sanitation

What proposals do you support to address the environment and environmental justice in the city?

• Expand green infrastructure to prevent storm runoff
• Expand green energy usage for public facilites, such as solar and natural gas
• Increase transparency of facilities siting through online publication of Fair Share Statements and mapping of facilities
• Tax credits for private green energy usage, such as solar and natural gas.

How do you prioritize proposals to improve NYC's waste management?

1: Increase compost collection sites.
2: Improve education about residents' role in waste management.
2: Increase e-waste recycling facilities.
2: Recycle styrofoam.
3: “Pay as you throw” charging for collection of waste other than recycled materials, similar to charges for utilities and water (estimated to raise $337 million annually, by the Independent Budget Office).
3: Expand commercial waste zones.

Please use this space if you'd like to share any other thoughts and proposals to address the environment and sanitation in NYC, or expand your answers to the questions on this topic.

Bring back leaf collection for compost. Brink back sanitation trucks to take tvs and other appliances, its very important as many are being left in the streets and hard for elderly to carry and transport heavy devises.

Public Health + Safety

What public health and safety issues do you believe are in most need of addressing?

1: Access to healthy food.
1: Community-police relations.
1: Emergency preparedness.
1: Epidemic of addiction, including opiates.
1: Keeping hospitals and emergency care in neighborhoods.
2: Continuing sanctuary city policies.
2: Integrity and proper management of buildings and construction inspections.
Not listed as a priority: Funding for safety net hospitals.

What do you think is the greatest health, safety, or emergency preparedness challenge facing NYC, how does it impact your district, and how would you address it?

There's no plan for evacuation or emergency back up for electric grid. Needs to be addressed. All our sea walks need to be upgraded. Rain water capture and and filtering in hospitals , schools, shelters. So many ideas need to be planned out.

Please use this space if you'd like to share any other thoughts and proposals to address public health and safety in NYC, or expand your answers to the questions on this topic.

Education + Children + Youth

How would you rank the significance of these alleged problems in NYC schools?

1: Not enough classrooms and/or seats.
2: Class sizes are too big.
2: Parental involvement mechanisms, such as Community Education Councils, need strengthening.
2: Restrictive environment for children with disabilities.
2: Student achievement gaps based on race and income.
2: Too much student testing.
2: Too much testing to measure student and/or teacher performance.
3: Inadequate racial and ethnic diversity.

What solutions would you advance to solve the problems you marked in the previous question?

Where do you stand on charter schools?

• The number of charter schools should be reduced
• Charter schools divert city funds inequitably to benefit some students at the expense of the majority.

Should the city subsidize any of these services for children and their families?

• Expanded alternative education/GED programming
• Longer library hours
• After-school programming for all students
• More youth employment and apprenticeship opportunities
• Subsidize parents who want to stay home with infants and toddlers as well as offer daycare for those of low income who wish to work

What proposals do you support to ensure the safety of children under the purview of the Administration for Children's Services (ACS) in the foster care and juvenile justice systems?

• Caseload reductions of front-line workers
• Greater transparency of data regarding caseloads
• Increased resources for parent and family advocacy in navigating these systems
• Increased oversight, beyond court-appointed monitor
• Increased use of city council's oversight authority.

Please use this space if you'd like to share any other thoughts and proposals to address the children, youth, and education in NYC, or expand your answers to the questions on this topic.

Arts + Parks

Which proposals do you support regarding arts and cultural institutions and initiatives in NYC?

• Increase the city's overall arts budget
• Increase funding for small and/or community-based arts and cultural organizations.

What proposals do you support regarding the management and funding of city parks?

• Standardize financial data reporting from private partnerships that care for parks - such as the Central Park Conservancy and Prospect Park Alliance
• Institute shadow laws to prevent parks from losing sunlight because of shadows from new, tall buildings
• More oversight and accountability with better qualified and trained Park staff. Hold Park officials accountable for dissemination of false information to manipulate unpopular agenda not supported by community tegardless of self serving elecyed ofgici. Preservation and restoration of lanmarks such as WPA parks and pools. More use if rain barrels and irrigation.

Please use this space if you'd like to share any other thoughts and proposals to address arts and parks in NYC, or expand your answers to the questions on this topic.

Constituent Groups' Needs

The city offers services to address constituent needs - how would you address funding for these services?
Increase funding:

• Education regarding availability of Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption (SCRIE).
• Education regarding availability of Disability Rent Increase Exemption (DRIE).
• Education regarding availability of evaluations for Individualized Education Plans (IEP) for students with disabilities.
• Education and job training for individuals with disabilities.
• Sexual health/HIV and AIDs services.
• Drug abuse and addiction services.
• Mental health training for city employees.
• Department of Veterans Services.

Fine as is:

• Additional staff, including social workers, for senior centers.
• LGBTQ community centers.
• Housing for homeless LGBTQ, particularly youth.

Decrease funding:

• (Candidate didn't select answers in this category)

Do you support any of these changes to NYC's human rights law?

• Need to review

NYC provides a variety of services and information to immigrants, but not always in the languages spoken by the city's many immigrant communities. In which of these areas do you believe the city should provide resources in more languages?

• Elections and voting
• Educational and youth services
• Senior services.

The current city budget supports funding for legal services for immigrants facing deportation. What do you think about that?

I support this funding for immigrants not convicted of serious felonies.

Women make up half of the population, but are slated to make up less than one-third of the NYC Council's next class. Do you think this is a problem? And if so, what would you do about it?

Run for office and encourage more women to do so with early education in schools of women who made a difference as leaders, not only in the US but around the world. Programming on City funded networks and media outlets about women in leadership roles.

Please use this space if you'd like to share any other thoughts and proposals to address the needs of constituent groups in NYC, or expand your answers to the questions on this topic.

Access and answers by officials with meetings and written correspondence and noing who to complain to if elected officials or agency officials are unresponsive.

Policing + Criminal Justice

Which of these strategies do you think NYC should implement to prevent crimes?

• Invest in education and workforce development for young New Yorkers, to steer them away from making money through criminal activity
• Strengthen partnerships between the police, government entities, and community organization working with at-risk youths.

Which of these proposals do you support to change policies of the New York Police Department (NYPD)?

• Improve existing oversight structures such as the Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB) and Inspector General
• Pass the Right to Know Act, which requires police officers to identify themselves and the reason for the interaction, and obtain fully informed consent before conducting searches
• Publish data regarding when the Police Commissioner declines to discipline or reduces recommended penalties for officers, particularly for use of force cases
• Improve diversity and special needs training for communities of color, LGBTQ and disabilities communities, and residents with mental health issues.

Which of these proposals do you support to address pretrial detention, case processing, and trials for criminal defendants?

• Develop risk assessment tools to measure defendant's possible risk of re-offense, violence, and domestic violence
• Institute best practices to manage the timeline of criminal cases, including triage for cases likely to go to trial and speedy resolution of other cases, courts monitoring the timelines of cases, and holding attorneys accountable for moving cases along
• Use specialized courts that deliver services to address recidivism and provide alternative justice models, such as Community, Youth, Reentry, Drug, and/or Mental Health Courts.

If Rikers Island were to close, where do you think a jail should be sited in your borough, how would you discuss this with your constituents, and what do you think should be the use of Rikers Island?

Reform Rikers and implement more compadsionate training and don't close it to build more prisons throughout the boroughs.

Please use this space if you'd like to share any other thoughts and proposals to address policing and criminal justice in NYC, or expand your answers to the questions on this topic.

Police should not have to pay for their own defense training in martial arts and be given more training in compassion and understanding of diverse communities and mental illness and ptsd and drug addiction.

Government Structures

How do you think NYC's system of checks and balances is working?

• Elections are not enough to keep government accountable
• The mayor's office has too much power and the other branches of government cannot adequately counteract or check it
• Not enough independant oversight and accountability

How would you fix NYC government's system of checks and balances and keep officials accountable to the public?

• Give the COIB, DOI, and/or the public advocate "independent budgets" - budgets tied to certain formulas rather than the annual, political budget process of the mayor and city council, Give the public advocate more powers, such as power to issue subpoenas and prosecute officials' violations of the city charter
• Change COIB and DOI leadership appointments, so that they are not only appointed by the mayor but also by other branches of government that check the mayor and the city's agencies, such as the city council, public advocate, and/or comptroller
• Have the city council review COIB and DOI internal rules, procedures, and findings
• Conduct an extensive review of the city charter to balance and update government structures
• Build on NYC's OpenRECORDS by publishing documents in response to Freedom of Information Law requests
• Community board members and chairpersons and district manager should have to live in the neighborhood they are advising and voting on, no exceptions. Thete should be much more community outreach in mass emaiks, mailings to constitutants being impacyed by decisions they are approving or disapproving. Participation by resudents should be encouraged rather than stifled.

Over the past several years, NYC has developed an Open Data Plan and has been releasing datasets about select city services and operations to the public through the Open Data Portal. Is there any data about city services or operations that you think should or must still be shared with New Yorkers?

How the bidding process wirks and progect cists ate estimated. Hiw the funds are being allocated and mandatory to prioritize based in mist important progects first.

All cities, including NYC, are "municipal corporations" of state government - and state law dictates what authority cities have over their own government and operations. State law limits NYC government's control over rent regulation (Urstadt Law), mayoral control of city schools, transportation and traffic (the MTA and subways, bridge tolls, and speed cameras and speed limits). As a council member, how would you deal with state government when it gets in the way of your city policy goals?

• Meet with state legislators, the governor, and other state officials to collaboratively find solutions
• Protest with other council members and constituents in Albany
• More checjs and ballences and oversight. Bring back the board of ed. Audit MTA and hold them accountable for mis spending.

In 2016, the NYC Council voted to remove special stipends for chairs of council committees (which had been used as a political tool by the council speaker), while giving all council members a raise from $112,500 to $148,500 - the raise was signed into law by the mayor. If elected, how would you handle this issue if it comes up again?

• Advocate for legislation that requires salaries of council members to be voted on by New Yorkers through referendum
• Advocate for legislation that requires salaries of council members to be exclusively determined by an independent commission
• Worh the mayor in control to much temptation for quid pro quo..

Please use this space if you'd like to share any other thoughts and proposals to address government structures and accountability in NYC, or expand your answers to the questions on this topic.

Elections + Campaign Finance

Where do you stand on these proposals to change voting and municipal elections in NYC?
Support - and would like to be prime sponsor on this legislation:

• Nonpartisan elections

Support:

• (Candidate didn't select answers in this category)

Oppose:

• (Candidate didn't select answers in this category)

Not sure:

• (Candidate didn't select answers in this category)

Should these elements of the public matching system be higher or lower?
Make it higher:

• (Candidate didn't select answers in this category)

Good as is:

• Contribution limit ($2,750 for council candidates)
• Doing business contribution limit ($250 for council candidates)
• Threshold of donors to participate in public matching system (75 for council candidates)

Make it lower:

• (Candidate didn't select answers in this category)

Not sure:

• (Candidate didn't select answers in this category)

What do you think about the role of bundlers in raising campaign funds, lobbyists making donations, and nonprofits of elected officials taking donations from lobbyists?

No good. Akso on the above, thete should be no deadline for matching funds, especially if someone enters thevrace late.

Please use this space if you'd like to share any other thoughts and proposals to address elections and campaign finance in NYC, or expand your answers to the questions on this topic.

ALL candidates should be given the same flat rate amount without having to raise funds from outside sources. All candidates should be invited to all debates in general election and should be given equal media time.