PACE Candidate Questionnaire

Transcription

1 50 Broadway Suite 1001 NY, NY Phone: (212) ext #233 Fax: (212) Website: PACE Candidate Questionnaire Candidate s name: John C. Liu Campaign Address: Bell Blvd City: Bayside State: NY Zip: Campaign Phone: Campaign Fax: Campaign john@liunewyork.com Office Sought: State Senate, District 11 Party Affiliation: Democrat Name and title of person completing this form: Ian Dunford Before PACE s specific questions, here are some broad underlying principles from both our sister chapter, NASW-New York State Chapter, which covers the rest of New York State other than New York City, as well as our own priorities. NASW-NYC PACE is concerned about a range of issues that affect the quality of life for all people in New York State, the ability of social workers to provide quality services, and the allocation of public funds for these services. We support the development and maintenance of services and the allocation of public funds to meet the basic human needs of all New Yorkers and the maintenance of critical human rights protections needed to assure their equitable treatment. We are committed to ensuring that every New Yorker has access to the resources and services necessary to maintain at least a minimum standard of living through social safety nets such as the welfare grant, Medicare, and Medicaid. We advocate for a health care system that provides access to health and mental health care for all New Yorkers, without discrimination based on type of diagnosis, type of health plan, or financial status. NASW-NYC s priorities include addressing issues related to social work licensing in New York State, advocating for funding for student loan forgiveness, as well as 1

2 assuring that the public, including government, human service programs, and the media understand the value and contribution of professional social workers. NASW-NYC believes that the issue of poverty continues to be a major problem in New York City; yet, it is not being adequately addressed. We see the response to poverty as too often being swept under the rug. One remedy to this is for NASW-NYC and members of the social work profession to bring issues relating to poverty more fully to light. Thousands of social workers in New York City work with people who live in or near poverty and are intimately aware of the challenges that low income creates for individuals, families and communities. While poverty is a major issue in its own right, we also believe that understanding the relationship between poverty, diversity and multiculturalism in the City is essential, along with the oppressive nature caused by all of these factors, in combination. The intersection of these issues in the lives of the people of New York also needs to be our concern. We would add to these points that world climate change threatens the well-being of all the world s people, and expect that candidates for public office will develop policy platforms on state and local environmental issues such as fracking while promoting national and international measures as well. In addition to our interest in your policy platform or legislative history in regard to these issues, please provide a brief answer to these specific questions: Income 1. New York City has one of the highest per capita incomes in the country. However, the level of income disparity is alarming, with poverty and homelessness at record levels especially for women and persons of color. How would you advocate for all New Yorkers to enjoy the benefits of the wealth generated by our society? Similarly, how would you address the eroding middle-class, and erosion of decent-paying jobs, in the city and state? There is a widening wealth gap in New York; especially in New York City. The best way to close that gap is by creating and preserving good jobs and ensuring that people can afford to live in the city. I m a strong believer in the power and efficacy of union labor and consistently pursue ways to bring more union jobs with high wages and benefits to New Yorkers. The City s affordable housing stock is rapidly decreasing, thanks in large part to failure to create and protect affordable units. My approach to enacting real affordable housing reform will involve fighting for quality jobs that make it 2

3 easier for New Yorkers to afford housing, making developers who seek subsidies build and preserve substantial amounts of affordable units, protecting rent stabilization laws, and going after landlords who seek to cheat tenants out of affordable, safe housing. 2. What are your stances on Paid Sick Leave, as well as potentially raising the minimum wage and the living wage? Living wage and paid sick leave are two key tools that help the working poor climb out of poverty. As both City Councilmember and New York City Comptroller, I strongly advocated for a citywide paid sick leave, and would support a similar statewide program. I firmly believe that workers must be paid a living wage. At the very least, minimum wages must be raised in a thoughtful, innovative manner. I strongly support local wage authorities. The State s reforms to the minimum wage in 2013 did not go far enough. As New York City Comptroller, I proposed a higher minimum wage than the State s 2013 provisions. That is because I understand that all municipalities are different and, as such, need to be able to set their own minimum wages. Health 1. The Affordable Care Act has now taken effect, in which all Americans are expected to be enrolled in health insurance. What do you envision as NYS government s role in implementing the Act and assisting residents in accessing health care? What do you see as the role of social workers in this process? The Affordable Care Act should be administered via an appropriately funded New York State Health Benefits Exchange, which is the reason I was upset when the current Senate passed a resolution to defund the Exchange. Social workers should be key partners in the implementation and operation of the Exchange, as millions of New Yorkers will receive mental health and substance abuse care through the Exchange. 2. Medicaid is undergoing numerous revisions, including vast budget cuts and mandating managed care. How do you foresee these changes affecting crucial services, such as long-term home health care? How would you ensure the health care needs of all New Yorkers are met? 3

4 Cuts to Medicaid have made it so that New York has to fight tooth and nail for its proper share of healthcare funding for our most vulnerable populations. As Comptroller, I audited the New York City s special education system and found that flaws in the City s data system resulted in a collection of only 25% of Medicaid reimbursements due to the City. In the Senate, I will look for new ways to ensure that New York is getting the Medicaid funds it s due. 3. What is your position on protecting a woman s right to reproductive choice? Do you support women s access to emergency contraception? I am a firm supporter of a woman s reproductive freedom and I support access to emergency contraception. Criminal and Juvenile Justice 1. How might you address recidivism rates and racial inequity (e.g. the mass incarceration of young males of color) in prisons? The Rockefeller Drug Law reforms of 2009 were a good first step, but we need to take a thorough look at our criminal justice system and figure out real solutions to prevent young males of color from being pointlessly incarcerated and put in a system where recidivism runs rampant. The decriminalization of small amounts of marijuana would be a good first step. And reforms are need to laws that put undue restrictions on felons who ve served their time. This includes felons not being allowed to vote and numerous employment restrictions. Job opportunities and the ability to participate in elections with the rest of your community are just two simple things that would go a long way toward decreasing recidivism. 2. New York is now the only state in the country where the age of criminal responsibility is 16. What are your views on current measures to raise the age to 18? By setting the age of responsibility so low, we are giving up on our children. Rather than rehabilitating our children, we are starting them down a road to crime, re-arrest, and incarceration. I support current Raise the Age efforts and believe that there s a better way to deal with our children who ve committed crimes than locking them up. The age should be raised to 18, social programs and mental health treatment for 16 and 17 year olds should be expanded and fully funded, and preventative programs, such as after school programs, should also be expanded and funded properly. The cost of recidivism is greater than the funding costs I just highlighted. 3. What, if anything, should be done to protect gun control legislation? 4

5 A strong, Democratic majority in the State Senate is key to legislative items like gun control. Gun control legislation should also be augmented by a holistic legislative approach that includes better mental healthcare programs and expanded background checks to prevent gun violence. 4. What is your viewpoint on solitary confinement in prisons, and its increasing usage as a control tactic? Solitary confinement is an inhumane practice that causes profound psychological damage. Its use in this day and age is absurd and should be put to an end. Surely, there are less damaging ways to protect the women and men working as corrections officers from dangerous inmates. 5. How might you address the apparent role of incarceration as, in part, a method to prevent homelessness and to house the mentally ill? I know from firsthand experience that the City s shelter system failed our homeless residents during the last administration. Any government that proactively seeks to imprison its homeless population as an alternative to housing them in a flawed shelter system has failed its citizens. Further funding and better management for the shelter system should be one of the City and State s top priorities. In addition, the City and State should work together to find innovative solutions, such as housing-first programs. In the Senate, I ll work with not only New York City, but the rest of the state to find better ways to care for the homeless and I ll do all that I can to make sure incarceration is never and option. Education 1. How important is universal pre-kindergarten for all of New York s children, and how do you propose it is funded? I ve championed universal pre-k since 2013, during my time as Comptroller. I feel that it s crucial to the development of our children and to the livelihoods of New York s working parents. Funding for programs such as universal pre-k could be easily attained by taxation reform, whereby the wealthiest citizens and corporations truly pay their fair share of taxes. 2. How might you address the increasing unaffordability of higher education? As Comptroller, I proposed the decriminalization and taxation of marijuana in New York City to create a revenue stream that would be dedicated to drastically cutting tuition at CUNY schools. My office s studies showed that 5

6 such a tax would halve CUNY tuitions. It is imperative that our elected leaders continue to search for untapped revenue streams to ease the financial burden on our citizens, which is what I ll do in Albany. Housing 1. What housing policy changes would you propose to meet the growing need for affordable housing? How can New York s government address widespread homelessness? As stated earlier, I fully believe in a holistic approach to whereby legislators use all possible tools in the toolkit to create and preserve affordable housing units. This includes enacting real affordable housing reform will involve fighting for quality jobs that make it easier for New Yorkers to afford housing, making developers who seek subsidies build and preserve substantial amounts of affordable units, protecting rent stabilization laws, and going after landlords who seek to cheat tenants out of affordable, safe housing. And, as stated earlier, our cities need to take a close look at the services provided to our homeless populations. Shelters need to be places that provide safe accommodations and provide the social, mental health, and substance abuse services necessary to help the homeless take the first step toward living a life off the streets. And I also firmly believe that the State needs to explore a housing-first program to get critical care homeless persons off of the streets and out of emergency rooms. Environmental Justice 1. What are your plans on how to address the needs of those affected by Hurricane Sandy? How can New York protect against future extreme weather events? The state needs to step up and ensure those affected by the natural tragedy don t suffer from neglect at the state level. At the same time, we also need to ensure this state s infrastructure can withstand weather events like Sandy in the future. Lastly, we need to make sure we re addressing the fundamental causes of extreme weather and reducing the effects of human made climate change 2. Do you support the practice of high-volume hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking, in New York State? I remain fully committed to a moratorium on fracking until we can learn more about its potential effects on our water supply and environment. To that end, as Comptroller, my office filed a shareholder proposal with the Exxon Mobil Corporation calling upon them to release their data on fracking. 6

7 Social Services Provision 1. Which NY social service programs have been the most effective, in your view? Which may benefit from revisions? What new or different social service programs would you propose or support? I believe that there s room for improvement in how New York approaches social services across the board. While I m thankful for services offered by our senior centers and homeless shelters, the programs are consistently plagued by a lack of funding that harms the service recipients and the state s social workers. When I get to the Senate, I ll fight to prioritize funding for healthcare, education, affordable housing, good jobs, and social services. I ll also work hand in hand with representatives of our social services system to reform the way we approach care for our vulnerable populations, with an eye toward progressive, innovative programs. 2. If you are elected, what would you do to protect non-profit organizations, their staff, and clients from funding delays and the resulting breaks in service, and to assure that program goals and quality are protected? Since the onset of the economic downturn, nonprofits have essentially been asked to do more with less. More people require the critical services offered by these nonprofits while their donors have given less. My familiarity with a Comptroller s role in awarding public funds in a timely fashion will serve me well in the Senate, where I ll work with the State Comptroller to ensure that nonprofit funding is both transparent and timely. 3. How might you address the need for more after-school programs, as well as enlarging summer youth employment programs? How might you meet the need for additional senior group programs? After school programs and summer programs, summer youth employment programs and senior programs are very important, and I will fight for additional state funding for these programs when I m in the Senate. As mentioned earlier, progressive taxation could go a long way toward funding these critical programs. 4. What is your opinion of the privatization of public services, in light of recent pitfalls of privately run long-term care agencies? Privatization initiatives undermine the accountability of public programs. As Comptroller, my office scrutinized the City s procurement process and came to many conclusions that affirmed my belief that privatization doesn t always 7

8 save money. In fact, many of our studies found that private sector workers cost more than public sector workers. I would strongly support the use of Cost Benefit Analyses to prove that keeping public sector work in the public sector is the best policy. Social Work Professional Issues 1. The student loan forgiveness program for master level social workers, who work in critical human services specialty areas in which there are staffing shortages, including gerontology, mental health, substance abuse, child welfare, domestic violence and HIV/AIDS, is now funded at $2 million. Would you support raising the appropriation to encourage social workers to work in these critical areas? Specialized social workers provide critical services and assistance to improve the social and psychological welfare of children and seniors. Additionally, these social workers provide great relief to the families of their clients. We should absolutely incentivize and encourage students to pursue careers in social work. 2. The current New York State Social Work Licensing Law requires that all NYS social workers take and pass (at 75%) the Social Work Licensing Exam by 7/1/16. How do you feel about the efforts to grant exemptions to certain agencies, delaying raising the level of services available to the needy? Extensive efforts have been made to eliminate cultural bias in the examination and to have it reflect an ability to practice in the field. Do you favor using supply and demand to solve the problem of the shortage of licensed workers? I believe any system that a delay of assistance to the needy is not acceptable, especially if there is a rational way to address the issue. 3. In 2014, NASW-NYC launched the Equitable Social Work Salaries Campaign, which addresses the impact of low social work salaries and reimbursement rates on all New Yorkers, and which seeks to partner with public and private funders to ensure that social workers are compensated fairly and equitably for the critical and often life-saving work they perform. Do you support this campaign? If so, how would you propose to work with NASW to achieve this goal? My ideal solution to this problem is to raise rates and ensure social workers are getting paid the money they rightfully deserve. 4. With which Caucus would you be sitting? 8

9 I am running as a Democrat and I will sit with the Democratic caucus. 9