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2005 COMMUNITY ELECTION GUIDE
Primary Election: September 13, 2005
Fernando Ferrer’s Response:
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Question One:
The need for affordable housing is one of the most pressing issues facing New Yorkers. I was raised in a fifth floor walkup in the South Bronx, by my mother and grandmother who both worked hard to keep a roof over our heads. I know what it is like to struggle to pay the rent and that is why as the Bronx Borough President, I helped to build 66,000 units of housing that families could afford. Today, over 25% of New York City households spend at least half of their income on rent. Those families have been forgotten by billionaire Mike Bloomberg, who confuses million dollar condos with affordable housing. I have proposed a bold and comprehensive affordable housing plan and as Mayor, I will target four goals to make New York City affordable -- I will require that 30 percent of newly created units be set aside for moderate and low-income individuals in targeted "growth zones" -- and provide substantial financial incentives for developers to set aside an additional 20% of the units for affordable housing, dedicate $8.5 billion over ten years for the development and preservation of 167,000 affordable housing units throughout the City; end tax giveaways to developers who refuse to include affordable housing in their new developments; and provide real Mayoral leadership in Albany and Washington, D.C. to fight for housing resources for New York.
In addition, I will fight displacements and illegal tenant evictions by fighting to repeal the Urstadt law so that control over rent-regulated apartments is returned to New York City; i.e. fighting to preserve Section 8 and Mitchell Lama housing units to ensure that affordable housing stays affordable; and reaching out to community leaders in vulnerable communities to ensure that landlords carrying out illegal evictions are prosecuted and their illicit evictions reversed.
Question Two:
While I am glad more affordable housing will be available in Williamsburg and the West Side, I do not believe the City should be negotiating these deals on a case-by-case basis. That is why my plan calls for a mandatory 30% set-aside of affordable housing for low and moderate income New Yorkers in “growth zones” where major redevelopment is occurring, with additional incentives for those developers to set aside an additional 20%.
In Flushing, I will use a similar mix in the Request for Proposal submitted to developers. By blending requirements with incentives such as tax abatements, and allowing developers to construct higher density buildings consistent with community’s fabric we will work to ensure 50% affordable housing in the development of Municipal Parking Lot 1 in Queens.
Question Three:
I would treat the city-owned sites in Chinatown and the Lower East Side much like the Municipal Parking Lot 1 in Flushing. I would use a mix of requirements and incentives to achieve 50% affordable housing.
Question Four:
I am proud that I am the only candidate running for Mayor, including Mike Bloomberg, who has a plan to leverage the $23 billion that Albany owes our children. We cannot wait while another generation of students goes through the public school system denied the tools and services they need to compete with suburban students. With the money acquired through my School Investment Plan, I have a comprehensive plan to reduce class sizes, give teachers and principals the support they need and modernize schools. As the child of immigrant grandparents, I understand what a quality education means for those trying to get ahead and give their children opportunities that were not available to them. I believe that family literacy is imperative for children to excel and that is why I have included in my education plan funding specifically for family literacy programs. In addition, I strongly support City Council Intro 464, the Education Equity Act, which will provide complete translation and language services to the parents of schoolchildren who have difficulty communicating with their children’s teachers and administrators.
Question Five:
I have called for the 1,000 trained police officers that are currently performing clerical duty, to be put back on the street so that we can more completely combat crime, particularly subway crime, which has risen 17 percent so far this year. Hate crimes and sexual assaults are among the gruesome of all crimes and we must be aggressive in combating such crime throughout the city. All New Yorkers who have been the victim of a crime must be able to report it to the authorities in the language they speak. We have to do as much as possible to make the reporting of crimes easy for all victims no matter their English proficiency.
Question Six:
While I am happy that pedestrian and bus traffic has returned to Park Row, I am in favor of the complete opening of Park Row as soon as possible. We have to find ways of securing our City that do not cause disruption in our daily lives. I would direct that the street be completely re-opened as soon as the Police Department has assured me that doing so would not pose a heightened security risk.
Question Seven:
I will increase teaching instruction in different languages so that non-English speaking immigrants can take full advantage of job training. I will also offer more ELL programs so that non-English speaking immigrants have more resources in learning English. Together, these initiatives will help immigrants gain access to job training programs. It is a shame that Mike Bloomberg’s Republican friends have cut federal job training funding and I promise you I will fight to restore and increase this funding. Additionally, in my small business plan I have allocated funding to provide workforce training to fill small business needs.
Question Eight:
As a young boy, my grandmother needed me to translate for her in the hospital because there were no trained professionals that could speak Spanish. This is a common story in many immigrant families and why during my time in the City Council, I authored legislation requiring City hospitals to provide foreign-language interpreters in their emergency rooms. I believe we need to ensure that translation services are available for all major languages spoken in New York City. It is unconscionable that someone's health could be put into further jeopardy because they cannot communicate with medical professionals.
Question Nine:
I strongly support Executive Order 41, which prohibits city officials from asking the immigration status of those seeking services and will actively enforce this order as Mayor. I opposed the "Real ID Act," because it would erect new barriers to block those coming to our shores fleeing persecution, bar the granting of driving privileges to those who operate motor vehicles on our highways and cut off immigrants from basic due process and fundamental fairness in immigration proceedings. As Mayor, I will work everyday to ensure that the rights of immigrant New Yorkers are protected and that their contributions to our society are commended not minimized or degraded. I would do this in a number of ways including guaranteeing translation services in New York public schools for non–English speaking parents so that they are best able to advocate for their children and participate in and their education; supporting non–citizen voting in municipal elections;
and through my plan for small business which includes greater support for minority– and women–owned businesses.
Question Ten:
I believe the backbone of New York City is its diversity, and those in leadership positions in our government must echo that diversity. It will be a high priority of my administration to appoint qualified commissioners from many different communities in New York City, reflecting the mosaic that makes up our great city.
Click for other candidate’s response.
C. Virginia Fields
A. Gifford Miller
Anthony Weiner
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