The BlaQue Resource Network hosted a candidate forum on January 28, 2020 to educate community residents about the process of rank choice voting and a forum to have the candidates answer questions based on their platforms determined by community residents. A special election will be held on February 23, 2020 to fill the councilperson seat of Donovan Richards. Richards was elected Queens Borough President thus leaving his council seat open.
Early voting for the special election will be held February 13, 2020.
The forum was moderated by Hanif Rusell and Tanagra Bledman. Russell is the Co-Founder of Carribean Business Connections. Bledman currently works directly with new elected Assemblyman Khaleel Anderson. The event opened up with a discussion about the process of rank choice voting . District Leader Richard David led the discussion on the process of rank choice voting .
In 2019 a referendum was brought forward and in November, 71% of New Yorkers voted for rank choice voting .The way we vote has changed from picking one candidate to ranking five candidates according to your choice.The candidate you prefer best should be your number one choice. The Board Of Elections at the end of the night will tally the votes and the candidate that receives 50% of the vote will automatically win the election. In this election, there are nine candidates. It is likely that one candidate will not be able to garner 50% of the votes. The Board of Elections will look at the election tally, they are going to look at the top five ranked candidates and begin to eliminate starting from the lowest ranked, all the way up as explained by David. Once they have dwindled down to two candidates, the candidate with the most votes, will win the election. David added, this new measure is historic and controversial at the same time. His concerns echo from the result of 30% of absentee ballots being thrown out from District 31 during the pandemic. David takes seriously his role in making sure the district is informed about the process of rank choice voting due to the historical disenfranchisement of African Americans when it comes to voting. ABNY recently hosted a Voter Engagement Panel to provide a platform for understanding rank choice voting and the importance of voter enagement.One of the panelists from Rank The Vote simulated the process of rank choice voting.
The seven candidates present during the forum were given four questions to answers receiving one minute each to provide their vision. The four questions consisted of addressing the issues of education, environmental infrastructure, and economic development of small businesses.
Candidates were given the opportunity to introduce themselves at the beginning of the question and answer section of the forum in alphabetical order: :
LaToya Benjamin is a lifelong resident of Southeast Queens. Ms. Benjamin served as the Director of Economic Development for Sanders. Benjamin has garnered the support of small business owners in her campaign and provides direct action solutions and data in her platform.
In addressing the issues of education focusing on failing schools and the elimination of Universal 3K Benjamin addressed the issue as a lack of transparency from the Department of Education. Addressing the issues in silos need to be dismantled. Elected officials , School Administration, Parents, and State Executives must build an infrastructure that breaks down the silos. Benjamin also cited a 10 billion deficit in the latest fiscal budget and stated that budget needed to be reimagined to include Universal 3K. On the issues of flooding in SoutheastQueens, community and policy responses need to be addressed. Benjamin’s final answer in supporting local black and brown businesses explained COVID Mandates drastically affected 54% of businesses that died during the pandemic. The Fourth Economy will push the businesses to be innovative . Local businesses need more support. Private Sector also has to play a role in helping build a foundation. Businesses in Southeast Queens must be patronized instead of going outside of the community (i.e GreenAcres).
Selvena Brooks-Powers is a lifelong resident of Southeast Queens . Selvena Brooks- Powers is inspired by her grandfather from Jamaica in the work she’s done over the past 17 years. Brook-Powers stated, “When crisis hits our community the government does not respond how they need to .” Currently during the pandemic she rolled up her sleeves and started working to make sure seniors were tested for COVVID and residents received PPE. Powers has garnered the support of the majority of elected officials and some long time community leaders. On the issues of education and Universal 3K, the candidate stated there is a lack of equity no matter where you reside in the district. She also pointed out a 4% decline in the enrollment in public education and the 74,000 students without access to devices and resources during the pandemic for education. In addition she believes even with a 10 billion dollar deficit we must hold the line for children in funding Universal 3K.With the issues of flooding in Southeast Queens, Brooks- Powers wants capital funding to be restructured to address this issue. In closing , Brooks-Powers stated small businesses in Manhattan have benefitted the most from COVID relief while black and brown owned businesses continue to suffer and close. Brooks-Powers will put forward proper funding and resources to help Southeast Queens businesses if elected.
LaTanya Collins is a single parent, business owner and has worked as a teacher for twenty years with the Department Of Education. In her work as an entrepreneur and educator Collins launched the business Curriculum Inc and has connected youth with job opportunities and created programming to address the issue of cultural responsiveness. Collins emphasized her experience as an educator first hand in addressing the issues of inequities in schools and the need to fund Universal 3K. Collins wants schools to be fully funded. There needs to be no digital divide. Addressing the issue of the remote learning , access to broadband must be efficient. Collin also acknowledged the need to provide resources to ESL (English As A Second Language) and students with IEP’s (Individualized Educational Plan).On the issue of Universal 3K ,Collins suggested children should enter programs as young as the age of two. Collins later used her experience as homeowner in Southeast Queens to highlight the unfair burdens of paying high premiums in flood insurance for homes that originally should not have been built on certain lands.Capital funding needs to be done effectively and efficiently towards flooding.For the need for more resources towards black owned business, businesses need to be prioritized through grants and connect with SBA for additional funding.
Reverend Sherwyn James is a resident of Laurelton with his wife of 15 years. James serves the District Leader. He attended Andrew Jackson . James has worked for the city government in different capacities: The Mayor’s Office Of Operations, Department Of Transportation and has worked for the non-profit , The United Way. In addition, he serves as the Reverend of the Bethlehem Church Of Rockaway. James believes elected officials have failed us in providing resources so that we don’t have to go outside of the community. He wants our elected officials to stop taking selfies and be held accountable. In addressing inequities in education in District 31 , James used the contrasting difference of District 26: there is free after-school, free tutoring, where his children attend. James believes Pre-K programs are essential but the city is facing a ten billion dollar gap.If the Mayor’s budget does not consist of PreK 3&4, Parents should be given a tax credit. For the issue of flooding, the city allowed homes to be built where they knew there would be a flooding problem.Homes should not be built on sinking sand. Homeowners living in flood zones should be given the option to be bought out. In closing, James spoke of the disparate impact of small businesses in Southeast Queens. There needs to be a plan to restructure and provide technical resources.
Nancy Martinez has been a resident of Far Rockaway for over 40 years and the founder of The New York Career Training Center Of Far Rockaway. Ms. Martinez’s business has provided training for over 15,000 residents in the Southeast Queens area since 2010. Martinez sits on the board of The Joseph Addabbo Center and advocates for many business alliance organizations in Far Rockaway. Ms. Martinez has provided assistance in many nursing homes during the pandemic and knows the importance of the direct impact of job placements at this crucial time.
As far the education inequities District 31 faces, Martinez believes we need to give more funding per student to provide more resources. Martinez echoed the sentiment of the huge deficit in our budget but also suggested that we need to get creative with our curriculum and children should be entering programs at 2 years. With the flooding issues in Southeast Queens face , Martinez has said many times she felt she needed a row boat to leave her home. There needs to be an infrastructure built through capital funds. A bill needs to be passed to address the infrastructure. Lastly Martinez, is Chair of Rockaways Merchant Association. She would work with Small Business Services to ensure technical resources and funding were available to small businesses in Southeast Queens.
Dr. Shawn Rux is an Education Advocate and a facilitator for opportunity. Rux has over 20 years experience working in the educational system. Prior to his city council run , Rux served as the Deputy Superintendent for District 29 in Queens. Rux stands for real change as opposed to simple rhetoric and will fight for marginalized communities. Rux’s answers during the debate were reflective of his real life experience as a Teacher, Principal and Executive School Administrator. When addressing the issue of inequities in schools, Rux had a solution based answer of creating a community college in the Rockaways which would serve as a hub for business incubators, an after-school program and a place for economic growth. Rux suggested the money that is spent on heating and lighting in schools during the pandemic, could be re-allocated towards Universal 3K since there are less students for in-person attendance.He also suggested part of the NYPD budget should be allocated towards education as well. In addition, Dr. Rux expressed his interest in shifting mayoral control of the educational system back to the people and giving the power back to the school boards. In regards to the flooding issues in Southeast Queens, Rux suggested that sea walls be built as they exist in Long Island City and Brooklyn Heights. Lastly for the questions on providing more opportunities to small businesses, Rux pointed out that only 3% OF Minority Women Business Entrepreneurs government contracts are awarded to black and brown business owners and more grants and resources need to be made available.
Manny Silva has a vision of changing our corporate interest government to a people-powered movement.Siva has a vision for the 31st district of dignified housing , equity in education ,police reform and equity in people power. Silva served as the Chief Of Staff for then Councilman Donovan Richards for three years. In addition, he worked as a Congressional Affairs Specialist for FEMA. He is the founder of a 501c3 non-profit and has worked in solidarity with many grassroots organizations throughout Southeast Queens. Silva’s response to the candidate forum echoed his experience working as chief of staff to an elected official. On the issue of inequities in education and Universal 3K , access to quality education has been an issue for 50 years and the solution is the creation of Community Schools so our public schools have a more holistic approach and include community based organizations. As for Universal 3K, Silva stated that there is an 88 billion dollar budget on the table and changes can happen if the council representative is part of the Mayor’s Budget Negotiating team, because Universal 3K is essential. For the flooding issue in Southeast Queens Silva stated, that only 5 million dollars is allocated towards capital infrastructure in the district and mayoral approval would need to be given to allocate for more to fix such issues as Snake Road. Lastly, in addressing the issues of small business, Silva would set forward an entrepreneurial program and advocate for Small Business Services to bring their 360 program and Facade program to the Tri-Community (Laurelton, Rosedale, Springfield Gardens).
Candidates Nicole Lee and Pesach Osina were not present at the forum but are running for the city council seat. Lee experienced technical difficulties entering the forum and used the time to speak through Instagram Live about her background and platform for the 31st district.
The next candidate forum will take place on February 4th , 2020, 7:30- 9:30 PM sponsored by:
Eastern Queens Alliance
The Concerned Citizens Of Laurelton, Federated Blocks Of Laurelton, Rosedale Civic Association,Springfield/Rosedale Community Action Association, Springfield Gardens Civic Association Inc.
