LATINO - DAD - PROFESSIONAL - YOUR NEIGHBOR

FINDING SOLUTIONS TOGETHER

NEIGHBORS FIRST

If elected, I would be the first Latinx man to ever hold office for
New York City Council District 32.

DISTRICT 32

Belle Harbor, Breezy Point, Broad Channel, Howard Beach, Lindenwood, Neponsit, Ozone
Park, Richmond Hill, Rockaway Park, Roxbury, South Ozone Park, West Hamilton Beach,
Woodhaven
HASHTAGS:

#WhatsInYourBallot, #Cruz4Queens, #C4Q, #District32, #Queens, #BelleHarbor,

#BreezyPoint, #BroadChannel, #HowardBeach, #Lindenwood, #Neponsit, #OzonePark,
#RichmondHill, #RockawayPark, #Rockaways #Roxbury, #SouthOzonePark,
#WestHamiltonBeach, #Woodhaven, #CityCouncil, #NYCCouncil, #jmcommnet, #channeli

Committees I am interested in:

● Committee on Aging ● Committee on Resiliency and
● Committee on Education Waterfronts
● Committee on Public Housing ● Committee on Transportation

PLATFORM
Keep New York Moving
Education - Make New York a Beacon of Education

Free education for all New Yorkers from Universal 3K to University PHD.
Give State-run control of CUNY (City University of New York) to New York City control where it
belongs.

Housing - Make New York Home

30% affordable housing and affordable commercial space for all old and new development.
Make placing liens on property owners without notice illegal.

Healthcare - Make New York Safe

Protect New Yorkers by ensuring health and wellness for all.

City regulations for excessive pharmaceutical costs,

Transportation - Keep New York Moving

Give State-run control of MTA city trains and buses to New York City Control where it belongs.
Increase bus service and routes throughout New York City.
Allow permitting of house frontage parking spaces to free up parking congestion.
Investigate MTA owned insurance carrier First Mutual Transportation Assurance Company.

The details

Reduce predatory bank, credit card and utility fees.

Ensure the continuation of New York City’s WildlifeNYC program

Key campaign movers

Briana Coyle, Guy DeMatties, Jay Michaels, Paula Rubel, Ramon Ramirez,
Sukhpreet Kohli, Jim Quinn, Virginia Ramos Rios, Linda Singh, Mariana Buoninconti,
Allison Alexis, William Figueroa, Ra Araya, Evelyn Rivera-Ortiz, Susan Agin, Christina
Troche

Where we are. Where we need to go. How we’ll get there.

 OUR EDUCATION PLAN
Make New York a Beacon of Education

STATEMENT

Sometimes change happens with deliberation, sometimes it is forced upon us. COVID-19 has
forced a change in how our school system operates. This affords us the unique opportunity to
make long overdue changes regarding the education of our youth. Since its inception, Our
educational system has been defunded over and over again. Our current Department of
Education was formed on December 14, 2002. It’s only 17 years old! Our schools need to be
the “Place to Be” for our kids instead of the place kids “Wind Up” because they cannot get into
a Charter or Private school.

HISTORY

The New York City Board of Education was established in 1842, but our currently recognized
system of 6-year elementary, junior high/middle school and high school has only been around
since the late 1930s.

On February 3, 1964, over 450,000 students boycotted New York City public schools in protest
over segregation and school conditions.

Regarding segregation & school conditions, this is not just an old fight, it’s a generational one.

In 1969, Mayor John Lindsay gave up control of schools and re-organized the school system
into the Board of Education (made up of seven members appointed by borough presidents and
the mayor) and 32 community school boards (whose members were elected). Elementary and
middle schools were controlled by the community boards, while high schools were controlled
by the Board of Education.

33 years later, In 2002, the city's school system was reorganized by chapter 91 of the Laws of
2002. Control of the school system was given to the Mayor, who began reorganization and
reform efforts. The powers of the community school boards were diminished and the Board of
Education was renamed the Panel for Educational Policy, a twelve-member body of which
seven members are appointed by the mayor and five by Borough Presidents.

Due to an continued and ongoing power struggle between the Democratic and Republican
parties, state senators failed to renew mayoral control of the city's school system by 12:00 a.m.
EDT on July 1, 2009, which immediately ceded control back to the pre-2002 Board of
Education system.

Since 2009, the NYS Assembly has passed incremental laws keeping NYC Mayoral control
over the DOE and the current law is set to expire with the end of Mayor DeBlasio’s term in
2022.

TODAY
The Department of Education has an annual budget of nearly $25 billion for its 1.1 million
students. According to Census Data, New York spends $19,076 each year per student, more
than any other state compared to the national average of $10,560.

$3 billion of the budget goes to Non City schools. This includes $1.09 billion to pre-school
special education services and $725.3 million for School-Age non DOE contract special
education. Another $71 million goes to non public schools such as yeshivas and parochial
schools and $1.04 billion is paid for the 70 thousand students attending charter schools.

$4.6 billion of the budget pays for pensions and interest on Capital Plan debt.

New York City began to offer free lunch to all students in 2017.

40% of students live in households where a language other than English is spoken.

40% of our children are living in poverty.

Unlike other urban school districts (such as San Francisco Unified School District), New York
does not use racial preferences (affirmative action) in public school admissions. The School
Diversity Advisory Group has recommended that race and socioeconomic status, rather than
student aptitude, be the prime considerations in school admissions. Our schools regularly fail
the mandatory state physical education requirements. The NYCDOE failed to maintain or
improve playgrounds, instead turning them into ad-hoc additional classroom space or parking
lots.

In the 1974 case of Milliken v. Bradley, Justice Thurgood Marshall said:

"Our nation, I fear, will be ill served by the court's refusal to remedy
separate and unequal education," Marshall warned, "for unless our
children begin to learn together, there is little hope that our people
will ever learn to live together and understand each other."

Finally and most importantly, Our schools have been impacted directly by the COVID crisis.

MY EDUCATIONAL SOLUTION

THE 3K2PHD PLAN

Free education available for our kids from 3K to PHD.

City Control of the CUNY system.

A Permanent blended learning option.

I want to see the first Queens student graduate from Universal 3K to a PHD completely free.
Our public and CUNY education systems should be free to all New York City Residents

The lottery contributes about 30% of it’s proceeds to fund education but getting a good
education shouldn’t be like playing the lottery. We need to sift through these funds and ensure
it is distributed responsibly.

COVID-19 may have forever changed the way we school our children. This year, we struggled
to come up with remote and in-school instruction with limited success. I want total remote
learning available to all who want and need it. While some caregivers need to go to work and
consequently need their children to go to school, there are also many who would benefit from
the availability of remote learning. That would also help to alleviate overcrowding in our
schools which is ever more a concern today.

Principals should run their schools completely. School Safety and Crossing Guards should all
fall under Department of Education purview with Principals charged with the hiring of personnel
for their schools. Training and certification should fall under DOE purview.

I want to encourage civics education. “We are going to be the district of public servants.” says
Ruben. Add more civics classes to the curriculum, emphasizing the importance of voting in
local elections and what it means to be a citizen, encouraging public service.

More than ever, we need to prioritize music, art and athletics. Our Summer Youth Employment
Program is also important to help our youth gain experience through summer jobs. Kosher and
Halal foods need to be made available in public schools. We’ve had to fund a sudden need for
technology in tablets for our students due to the pandemic. We can go further by extending
innovative programs in S.T.E.M. education and other technologies to keep us competitive.

I’ve provided bi-lingual programing for kids for over 15 years. Our bilingual students are
generally more motivated and achieve higher grades. We need to encourage more bilingual
education in our schools.

Segregation in our schools is as old as the history of our education system in New York City.
Our public officials, parents, teachers and principals have seen no real change in this dynamic
ever. I propose to sit with the Department of Education and the Teachers Union to try
something different. I propose the desegregation of our teachers. Our teachers will be rotated
randomly or by lottery with added incentives for those teachers. This would be an “opt-in”
option with additional incentives and benefits ensuring that the best teachers influence our
most at need schools.

I think the DOE’s School Diversity Advisory Group needs to be budgeted out of existence as
no members of this group, frankly, represent our everyday students, parents and faculty at our
public schools and their recommendations have done nothing to solve our ages old problem of
segregation. Let’s add that money to securing universal child care and 3K.

As a child of the welfare system, I am proud of the public education system from which I
graduated. From Chester Park Public School 62, to Virgil I. Grissom Junior High School, to
Richmond Hill High School to Queens College, to the life lessons that brought me here today. I
am committed to bringing our school system in line with what the world expects of us.
I recently had a discussion via zoom with students from a High School in Brooklyn and
students from Nepal. I thought, how wonderful that we can connect and communicate and
learn with each other around the world. As an additional pool of funding for our school system,
I want to open integrated, paid, worldwide remote learning options allowing students around
the world to participate in segments of our school system. This can add needed revenue to
support our educational infrastructure.

As a parent of a second grader, I share the concerns of parents and educators for the
intellectual and sociological development of our kids. But I’ve also seen increased connectivity
between teachers and students both of whom have had to flash learn new technology.

I believe that a blended learning model is not only a logical solution for the next two to four
years as the COVID-19 crisis resolves itself, but may be a permanent way of life for us that
may finally provide an solution to segregation and put to rest the wishes and indeed, the
mandate of the good Justice Thurgood Marshall that our children “... learn to live together and
understand each other."

It’s hard to believe we still have transitory issues providing a safe learning environment for our
LGBTQIA+ youth. We have a backlog on so many issues in our city, not the least of which is
the title IX investigations for ethics violations. We have the time and must take that time now to
eliminiate this backlog and protect our students against gender discrimination.

Our educators are partners with our parents and caregivers in the rearing of our young ones.
But how do we strengthen our relationships with our educators? How does our Mayor and the
United Federation of Teachers union serve our teachers? Mayoral control expires in 2022.
Again, this is an opportunity for us to be proactive in planning our educational system for the
future.

It’s all inter-related. Our Education, Our Housing, Our Transportation, Our Health.

Let’s ensure that free MetroCards continue to be available to students in need throughout our
public school system regardless of whether mayoral control extends past 2022 or not.
Continue free unlimited MetroCards for ASAP and ACE students in CUNY. Extend unlimited
MetroCards for SEEK/CD students in Cuny.

Continued funding for the CUNY Fatherhood Academy (CFA), a free program for young
fathers or expecting fathers to help them prepare for their high school equivalency (HSE)
diploma exam or get ready for college. These men 18-30 years old can get tutoring and take
workshops on parenting, job readiness and more.

CUNY and the MTA currently run under state jurisdiction. These both need to be brought
under purview of the city where it belongs.

We need to learn together, live together, and work together.

 OUR HOUSING PLAN
Make New York Home

STATEMENT

We are a true Metropolis and Global City. The challenges we face in District 32 range from
over-taxing our properties to underfunding repairs for our NYCHA buildings. Thousands of
residents are discovering they have liens on their homes and have never been informed of it.
The following is the history, present day conditions, and solutions we need to move forward for
us all.

HISTORY

New York was one of the original thirteen colonies. New York City will celebrate 400 years in
2025 founded at “New Amsterdam” by the Dutchman Peter Minuit who purchased it from
Native Americans for 60 Dutch Guilders worth of trinkets in 1625.

The evolution of the city as we know it, begins in the 1850’s. From single-family houses to
high-rise apartment towers, New York City will forever remain an unfinished project. It is from
the development of our housing infrastructure that our transportation, education and health
systems come together in the city we have today.

There are still some apartments in the city that sport a bathtub in the kitchen or a phantom
window to nowhere. While quaint now, in truth, these apartments were mostly parts of
tenements that were poorly constructed and poorly ventilated contributing to the poorest health
conditions and mortality rate for its residents.

The emergence of public housing, NYCHA (New York City Housing Authority) created in 1934
by Mayor Fiorello H. Laguardia’s administration was a model of success albeit, at the time, it
screened out most applicants via a list of whether you were a single mother, had an irregular
work history, or even had a lack of furniture.

There was plenty of funding and staff available for maintenance. You would call for a repair
and it was fixed right away. It’s amazing how a word can change in meaning over time.
NYCHA public housing was known at the time as the “Projects”. And it was a model of living
for mostly white residents.

By the end of the 1960’s, NYCHA relaxed it’s selection process due to political activism,
allowing people in need of all backgrounds access to public housing. It was a time, not unlike
the time we are living in today, of great social change and upheaval. The projects were still the
place to be, but funding fell, drugs, crime and vandalism increased to a point NYCHA policing
and repair couldn’t keep up with. This was what was called the “break-and-repair cycle” of
windows broken, elevators vandalised and mailboxes broken into for paper checks that could
be cashed anywhere.

By the 1980’s the “Projects” became synonymous with fear and danger.

For more insight into the background of public housing visit:

Ruben shares: The Rise and Fall of New York Public Housing: An Oral History

Ruben shares: A Brief History of Affordable Housing in New York City

TODAY

Our home is our castle. Our land is our business. Queens is home to people of more nations
than any other city in the world.

The median property tax nationwide is approx. $1,917 while the median tax paid in Queens is
about $2,914. We pay 30% more in property taxes than the rest of the country.

The STAR and SCHE program provides tax reductions for seniors, but many seniors don’t
know of the program or cannot properly fill out the applications.

There is no law against putting a lien on your property without telling you.

In NYCHA housing, repairs, heat, cold, vermin, leaks, broken elevators and threats of
privatization of NYCHA are part of daily living now with a $32 Billion dollar back-log on repairs.

MY HOUSING SOLUTION

PROPOSITION 30/30

30% mandatory affordable housing for all housing with ten or more units.

30% mandatory affordable business rentals for all commercial buildings.

A law making it illegal to place a lien on a property without advising the property owner.

The one thing we have that is undeniably ours is our land. It is our responsibility to govern our
land for our people.

It’s all related. How does housing affect the schooling our youth receive? How does
transportation and healthcare play a part?

COVID-19 is poised to have a devastating effect on us all whether we are homeowners or

renters. How do we pay our utilities, insurance, taxes, rent, or mortgage when we have no
income? Many homeowners have been afforded a grace period of up to a year with mortgage
payments being deferred to the end of the loan. We’ve had at least three month holds on our
other payments. But we are facing evictions and foreclosures. Residents losing their homes in
the coming months will face an even harder time finding a place to live as landlords will be
hesitant to rent to new tenants and mortgages will be harder to secure for, although home
owners are assured their credit rating will not suffer, I hear numerous cases of severe drops in
our credit ratings.
Next to governance with our Mayor, City Council relations with its community boards are
essential not just in land use and housing, but in strengthening the framework to not just help our
city grow, but prosper.

We all have to give a little. Sometimes we have to give a lot. But we can’t wait for others to open
the right doors for us. We have to come together and make this happen. And it can go a long way
to help our school segregation problem. Once again, I consider the mandate of Justice Thurgood
Marshall that we “... learn to live together and understand each other."

Make no mistake. COVID-19 is remaking how we govern. I see this as a unique opportunity to
make the changes we always needed across all sections of city governance.

So what is the 30/30 proposition? I want to institute 30% mandatory affordable housing for all
housing with ten or more units in both old and new developments. 30% mandatory affordable
business rentals for all commercial buildings in both old and new developments. I want to
break apart the warehousing of the poor and low income families. My 30/30 initiative ensures
that we have a balance in our city and in our neighborhoods.

Mandatory occupancy. Too many property owners purposely leave units vacant causing higher
prices and shortages in both housing and commercial business. This contributes to the “Ghost
town” syndrome that wreaks havoc on our businesses and communities. We need to
incentivise and mandate occupancy over a specified time. We need to stop the warehousing of
our city apartments and storefronts.

Loan Shark: A person or entity that charges extremely high interest rates typically in excess of
30%. This is also known as usury. A lesser term is also price gouging. Another term for this is
Profiteering.

Rent or lease increases of more than 30% due to “market rates” is little different. Especially
during these pandemic times. I would file to extend New York Usury laws to include rents,
leases and mortgages in our city. Regarding this abuse, look at the following article.

In this article:

Second Circuit Decision Addresses New York Usury Laws and

Post-Default Mortgage Loan Obligations

“On March 30, 2020, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second
Circuit affirmed several holdings of the District Court for the Eastern
District of New York requiring a commercial mortgage borrower to
pay default interest at a rate of 24 percent, effective as of the date
of the default. In 1077 Madison Street, LLC v. March, the defendant
borrower, an individual, raised numerous defenses to the
enforcement of a mortgage foreclosure action related to a 2007
mortgage in the original principal amount of $211,000, secured by a
mixed-use commercial property in Queens, New York. Notably, the
 borrower raised an unsuccessful usury defense against the
calculation of interest due made by a court-appointed referee.

In 2014, the plaintiff, a holder of the mortgage at issue by

assignment, commenced its foreclosure action against the
borrower, citing February 1, 2008 as the date of the default.
Following the plaintiff’s successful motion for summary judgment,
and the borrower’s unsuccessful subsequent motion for
reconsideration, a court-appointed referee calculated the amounts
then due on the mortgage and underlying promissory note. The
referee calculated the interest at the default rate contained in the
mortgage loan documents, 24 percent, calculated as of the date of
the default, which resulted in a total amount due of approximately
$596,700, of which $383,736 was interest alone. Subsequently, the
District Court entered an order of foreclosure and sale, which the
borrower appealed.”

Source: Whiteandwilliams.com

Please note, this happened in Queens. Where the plaintiff was charged $383,736 in interest on
top of the $211,000 he owed.

As much as 29% on business properties in Queens may be operating without a Certificate of

Occupancy. Many businesses are renting in these properties and risk having the building
closed down at any time. Many of these property owners refuse to get a Certificate of
Occupancy or allow the tenant to procure one, preferring to leave the building vacant in hope
of selling the property or land to developers.

I will introduce legislation to review all non-compliant commercial properties and confiscate
properties that do not meet code within a two-year period. Properties without a valid Certificate
of Occupancy will be considered abandoned and taken over by the city.

The Urstadt Law was named after Charles Urstadt. He was a real-estate owner and housing
commissioner for Nelson Rockefeller. This law is a sty that leaves New York City residents and
city council with no power to improve housing conditions. Property owners are using the
Urstadt law to try to bypass the city and significantly raise the rents of our remaining rent-
controlled units.

Our city, Our rules.

New York City must run New York City. The Urstadt Law prevents us from enforcing stronger
rent regulations without the state housing commissioner’s approval. The law keeps us from
preventing the real estate industry profiteering from excessive rents. Let’s throw out this law.

We need clean streets free of potholes with free broadband available citywide. I believe the
recent cutback in sanitation presents an imminent health threat. We’ve all seen the discarded
masks and gloves that collect on our streets. A few months ago, the Department of Sanitation
removed hundreds of large enclosed trash cans from our streets and replaced them with
smaller, wired baskets. With reduced pickups, our daily view in our neighborhoods is
overflowing garbage cans. During this time of COVID-19, it is irresponsible to leave our city so
dirty and at risk of passing bacteria and disease. We need the right trash cans back and
Sanitation back on the job of keeping our streets clean.

We need City approved vendors to bring affordable energy efficient housing to our
neighborhoods. We need to allow for easier permits for homeowners to rent basements.

The AMI paradox

The matrix for affordable housing is determined partly by the calculation of AMI.

The AMI is an income figure used to help determine eligibility for affordable housing programs
in NYC and is calculated annually by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development. It is based on the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey median
family income estimates. “Median” means that half of a geographic area’s household income is
above that midpoint, while the other half is below that amount.*

For 2018, the AMI for New York City is $93,900 for a three-person household (100 percent of
AMI).*

Oddly, New York City’s AMI is not just confined to NYC’s five boroughs, but also includes
Putnam, Rockland and Westchester counties. It’s defined as the “New York, NY HUD Metro
FMR Area.”*

*Source: Streeteasy.com

The City Council and Mayor have no jurisdiction in Putnam, Rockland and Westchester
counties. So it’s inclusion in our AMI gives us inaccurate figures in determining the parameters
for determining affordable housing rates.

Roommate Rights:

New York is well known as roommate mecca popularized by such television programs as
“Friends” and “Will & Grace”. But we find more and more couples, single parents and families
renting rooms and sharing apartments and homes.

These arrangements can help not only with sharing the costs of living, but in lending support in
the care of our pets and everyday tasks in rearing children. In fact, many landlords now rent
out rooms instead of the apartment in order to maximize profit.

In many cases, if a building isn’t designated as an SRO (Single-room-occupancy) or hotel, it’s

illegal for the landlord to rent individual rooms. The trend now is for landlords to rent out rooms
in their apartments evading the Rent Stabilization Law and Code and creating safety hazards
like locks on bedroom doors with access to a fire escape. I want to ensure tenant rights for
roommates and legal safety standards that protect everyone.

Liens and taxes

In New York, a lien on your home without informing you. Recently, a homeowner accidentally
found out a lien was placed on their home for $60,000.00 for Solar Panels. This lien was for
Solar Panel and roofing. The lien company was based in California, the loan company was
based in Connecticut, the Solar Panel company was based in New Jersey, the roofing
company was based in Queens and the “agent” was based in Nassau county.

The lien company claimed they had a voice recording of the homeowner accepting this work
and $30,000.00 was already claimed for the solar panels. No written contract of any kind was
ever mailed. The lien company claimed the contract was emailed out at the was sufficient and
compliant with the rules to apply the lien. After three months of following the trail and quite
frankly, threatening these parties with public disclosure of these practices, an investigator of
the lien company found that 6 other residents in the area had the same complaint. That is
$360,000.00 being defrauded of 6 of our residents. They discovered that the “agent” imitated
these people accepting these Solar Panel contracts. The only reason they realized the fraud
was that one of the people he imitated was a woman. The excuse for not recognizing this
sooner, said the lien agent from California was that “All New Yorkers sound alike”.

You would think that was the end of it. The lien company said there would be no liability for the
amount and the lien would be lifted, which I had to follow up with three more times to ensure it
was done. Then loan payments were being demanded by the loan company in Connecticut.
Another month of battle with the company. And what of the Solar Panel company? No apology,
just offering to come by and offer a deal. The roofing company, I found, was owned by a
lawyer who ran the company out of a hardware store also owned by the lawyer. The roofing
company went under multiple names and reviews stated that the owner frequently undersold
then overcharged and was notorious for taking homeowners to court. Finally, the agent. Can
the client sue? No information would be shared.

So we have fraud taking place across four states making it near impossible to prosecute. The
lien was lifted. But this homeowner’s credit plummeted over 100 unrecoverable points. That is
100 points. The cascade result? Credit card interest rates increased to maximum 25%-35%.
Credit limits were slashed pushing the credit to debt ratio from positive 10-40% to 70-90%
debt. The result? Another 100 point drop in credit rating.

So for the rest of one senior’s life, there will be no appreciable credit available in case of
emergency, like actually needing a new roof or getting a loan for medical bills.

I propose making it illegal to place a lien on a homeowner’s property without their knowledge. I
would also make it illegal for credit reporting agencies to take liens into account until the liens
status is finalized. Also, credit reporting agencies must restore credit levels to previous levels
or higher in the event such fraud as has taken place with our residents takes place and is
resolved.
Currently, there is no multi-state processes to prosecute and sue for damages against multi-
organizational fraud for the consumers who are left with shattered bad credit scores.

Predatory solar panel deals. We need to educate consumers on power purchase agreements
local contractors use to install solar panels to avoid predatory deals coming to fruition, as well
as on options for renewable, safer, and cheaper energy options.

Seniors 65 years and older quality for STAR and SCHE program reductions in property tax.
The problem is many seniors are unaware of this program and many more cannot manage the
process. I propose that the STAR and SCHE property tax program be made automatic for
seniors when they reach the age of 65.

In District 32, we have many homeowners that create makeshift parking spaces in front of their
homes. Some are clever and tastefully done. Others are not. All are illegal. The fact is parking
is an increasing issue in our District and many of these makeshift parking spaces relieve our
congested parking conditions.

I propose a low-cost permitting solution to allow homeowners to create these parking

alternatives safely and tastefully.

NYCHA, NYCHA, NYCHA

How many years have we heard of one politician or another tout the fight they have fought for
NYCHA? And what? Nothing.

So what do we do? NYCHA has a $32 Billion dollar backlog on repairs. We are hit particularly
hard in the Rockaways. And the contractors. Some, already arrested for jobs half done or none
at all, but millions of dollars gone.

First, I want union jobs repairing our buildings and hiring our NYCHA residents to do the job.
The NYCHA solution is about breaking circles. We have to put money in and keep it there. We
keep it there by employing the very residents we are serving.

NYCHA policing. We have such a disconnect in this arena at times. We need to learn together,
live together, work together. I propose one apartment be made available to a police officer,
free of charge in every NYCHA building in our city. When we learn together, live together and
work together, we have a city that is together.

Have you seen the suits? Sometimes it’s three to five people standing on the corner just
across the street. Walking up the block. One writing on a pad, the other on the phone.
Developers? City officials? Who knows? They don’t talk to anyone in the building. They just
look at it, talk among themselves and leave.

The truth is NYCHA housing has some of the most spectacular views in the city. And the
scenario is similar to the landlords that leave apartments vacant or not repaired, waiting to sell
the property for a big profit.

But what if there was another solution for NYCHA buildings and residents? A few years ago,
the city sold some buildings on East 4th Street between Second Avenue and Bowery to arts
organizations for $1 each! That is not a typo. One building for one dollar. After purchasing the
building, with the help of city capital funds and other donations, These arts organizations
raised about 8 million dollars for renovations and now have state of the art facilities and now
East 4th Street has become an arts & culture mini Broadway.

Now, I love the arts. It is wonderful that a bunch of arts organizations were offered city-owned
buildings for $1 each. But what about us regular people? Looking for jobs, trying to raise or
support a family, living paycheck to paycheck. When do we get a chance? How can I be worth
more than my paycheck.

Here is my solution and it’s a big one for NYCHA residents. What if I told you I will sell you
your apartment at Hammel, or Redfern or Carleton Manor or Ocean Bay or any NYCHA
building for $1. It’s yours. You own the apartment. You may have to pay a little more than you
are paying now for maintenance like any co-op or condo. But it’s yours. Number one. Your net
worth has instantly jumped up considerably. I mean how much can the apartment be worth?
$200,000, $300,000. And not just that. You owe $6,000 in credit cards and got $3,000 in the
bank so your debt to credit ratio puts you at a credit rating of say 550 or so. But now you are
worth $200,000. So for the first time maybe, your credit score is over 650.

Now the city is going to make available to you the same capital funding that they do to these
art groups they sold buildings to. So we still need to have a board and manage the building.
But it is yours. We cannot say the city cannot do it because they have already done it. There is
talk all the time about privatizing NYCHA. I’m talking about real jobs and REAL wealth creation
for our residents. If the city wants to sell our buildings to developers who will do absolutely
nothing for us, why not sell it to us so we can do something for all?
 OUR HEALTHCARE PLAN
Make New York Safe

STATEMENT

First of all, we are living through a COVID-19 pandemic. The engines that move our country and
communities have been paused or stopped as we contain the spread of this virus and begin the
inoculation of our people. That simply, is our first priority. The health of our district is dependent
on many things: Our living conditions, health education, access to healthcare and social
engagement. How we ensure the health of our district is dependent on how we manage the full
circle of our governance infrastructure.

HISTORY

One of my favorite Beatles songs is “The Long and Winding Road”. It is the best way to describe
the history of healthcare in the United States. During colonial times, healthcare was limited
mostly women providing care particularly during childbirth.

The first medical society was formed in Boston in 1735. The first American degree in medicine
was awarded in New York in 1770. In the mid 1800’s during the Civil War, more soldiers died
from disease than from fighting in the Civil War. Chicken Pox, Diarrhea, dysentery, Measles,
mumps, typhoid fever and whooping cough ravaged the country.

During this time, medical care and techniques improved and became more organized. By the end
of the century, nearly half the physicians in the country joined the American Medical Association
(AMA) and we began to see the development of organized group healthcare services.

“No country could be strong whose people were sick and poor.” Theodore Roosevelt.

At the turn of the century, the Industrial Revolution brought about organized unions and
organized healthcare. Prior to the 1900’s most healthcare was pay-per-service which
endangered families from the costs to the loss of work. As unions grew stronger, due to the
dangers of illness and injury from the heavy machines union workers labored on, many
companies had to commit to sickness protection, the precursor to healthcare benefits. We have
our unions to thank for making healthcare benefits a staple of American life.

It is at this time we faltered. While Theodore Roosevelt supported health insurance, successive
leaders failed to bring qualified healthcare to the American public. The AALL bill of 1915 was
proposed by the American Association of Labor Legislation (AALL) to offer coverage to workers
that earned less than $1200 a year, including dependents. doctors, nurses, and hospitals were
included, as well as sick pay, maternity benefits, and a death benefit of fifty dollars to pay for
funeral expenses. The costs would be shared between the workers, employers, and the state.

Unfortunately, doctors, business, insurance and even unions worried more about losing power
and profit resulting in the death of public healthcare for all Americans. Another key component of
stifling the bill was the proposed death benefit of fifty dollars to pay for funeral expenses. The
private insurance industry made plenty of pocket money in policies sold to the public. A national
health plan would have hampered the industry that literally collected nickels and dimes from the
working class.
Hospital Stays and Popcorn in Theaters:

After World War I, hospitals and doctors began charging more that the common American could
afford. Much like the price gouging at movie theaters such as popcorn. Today, the only thing
worse than the extra fee cable companies charge is your hospital bill which can literally charge
you for the air you breathe.

Blue Cross/Blue Shield was born in 1923. Baylor Hospitals in Dallas created a pre-paid monthly
fee healthcare program for teachers that expanded to schools across the nation creating the first
modern nationwide health program followed by many others since then.

The Great Depression of the 30’s and World War II in the 40’s did much to shape the healthcare
benefits we employ today. We jump from Theodore Roosevelt to Franklin Delano Roosevelt. He
introduced a healthcare insurance bill that included “old age” benefits. This was fought against
vehemently by the American Medical Association and Roosevelt had to let it go replacing it with
the Social Security Act of 1935:

The Social Security Act (Act of August 14, 1935) [H. R. 7260]

An act to provide for the general welfare by establishing a system of

Federal old-age benefits, and by enabling the several States to
make more adequate provision for aged persons, blind persons,
dependent and crippled children, maternal and child welfare, public
health, and the administration of their unemployment compensation
laws; to establish a Social Security Board; to raise revenue; and for
other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the

United States of America in Congress assembled,

Full Archived Historical Document at: Ruben shares - Social Security Act of 1935

In order to fight runaway inflation during the war, the legislature passed the Stabilization Act of
1942 limiting wage increases prohibiting businesses from offering higher salaries. Unable to offer
higher pay, in order to recruit new employees, businesses began offering employer-sponsored
health insurance. This ushered in health insurance as we know it today.

Around the same time, Henry Kaiser, an industrialist, contracted with Dr. Sidney Garfield to
provide pre-paid healthcare that eventually became the Kaiser Permanente Health Plan which
evolved into the present-day managed care systems or HMOs and PPOs we know today.

A payroll tax to fund universal healthcare was introduced in 1943 in the Wagner-Murray-Dingell
Bill. As you can expect, the bill was stillborn. In 1945, Harry Truman introduced the first health
plan that included all Americans. Again, the American Medical Association opposed the plan and
new attacks against this idea were launched like “socialist”, “Red Scare”, and “the Moscow party
line” With the Korean War on the horizon, a national healthcare plan would have to wait.

We continued to make significant medical advances such as the Polio vaccine, but we also saw
the price of hospital care double.
Over one hundred years after it’s inception, the American Medical Association continued to
quash health care growth and expansion. John F. Kennedy introduced a healthcare plan for
senior citizens opposed by the American Medical Association claiming “socialized medicine”.
However, in 1965, Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Social Security Act of 1965 laying the
groundwork for what would become Medicare and Medicaid.

It is in this era I was born. Eventually my mom and brother and I would live on welfare and
medicaid and struggle to make ends meet. But we found ways to thrive. I was able to graduate
high school, then earn my degree, start a business, contribute to my community and run for city
council.

We got close to national health insurance with Richard Nixon, but he was able to secure the
Social Security Amendment of 1972 and the Health Maintenance Organization Act of 1973.

In the 80’, 90’s and early 2000’s we saw the introduction of COBRA allowing former employees to
continue enrollment in their former employer’s group health plan by paying the full premium.

In 1960, the government tracked National Health Expenditures (NHE) as a percentage of Gross
Domestic Product (GDP). At the start of the decade, NHE accounted for 5 percent of GDP. By
1970, it was 6.9%. By 1980, it was 8.9%. The 90’s saw 12.1%. And by 2000, it accounted for
13.3% of the GDP.

We’ve seen expanded Medicaid assistance for uninsured children and Medicare part D. For the
most part, healthcare as an issue took a backseat to increased threats worldwide of terrorism and
two Iraq wars.

TODAY

Today we have the Affordable Care Act. Attacked as a “socialist” plan, congress has voted over
50 times to repeal the Affordable Care Act. Most important is the pre-existing condition clause
effectively ending the practice of denying individuals coverage with pre-existing conditions such
as AIDS, asthma, heart attacks and strokes. Previously, Blue Cross/Blue Shield charged the
same regardless of age, sex or pre-existing condition. As coverage became more of a profit
based system, prices began to go up and people with pre-existing conditions started to be
declined coverage. This is the most significant expansion of healthcare coverage since the
passage of Medicare and Medicaid when I was born.

Before the Affordable Care Act, one out of seven people were denied coverage due to pre-
existing conditions up to and including pregnancy.

What a shame that phrases like “Too big to fail” and “Big Pharma” have entered our vernacular.
But the fact is pharmaceuticals are severely over-priced to near criminal levels. We all remember
“Pharma bro” Martin Shkreli raising the price of the life-saving drug Daraprim by 5,000% from
$13.50 per pill to $750.00 per pill! He is serving a 7-year prison sentence for an unrelated crime.
But guess what? The price is still $750.00 per pill.

Today we have a world-wide epidemic in COVID-19. We now have multiple vaccine options to
employ to vaccinate our district.
MY HEALTHCARE SOLUTION

First things first. District 32 has been one of the hardest hit districts in New York. We’ve been
highlighted as a yellow zone and now Richmond Hill has the distinction of the Highest rate of
COVID-19 cases in New York. So hot spot areas such as ours as well as essential workers and
the elderly need to be targeted for vaccinations.

Healthcare is healthy living, education, cleanliness. We need to keep educated on the health
both physical and mental of each other as well as practice simple things like washing our hands
more. That’s the practical side of things. But what do we need to do for the future?

Food pantries. Food pantries have been a critical part of keeping us going during this crisis. I
would like to see this continued and codified in locations of critical need.

I would like to have more mobile units available to reach at need communities particularly at our
NYCHA housing.

More than ever, we need health programs to keep us active and healthy for children, adults and
seniors alike. I would like to create multi-generational online exercise programs through the
Mayor’s office of Media and Communications similar to We Speak NYC, a series produced by the
NYC Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs to help English language learners improve their
language skills while learning about City services and their rights.

Health of the person, health of the community.

While individual health both mental and physical is important, the same can be said for the health
of a community. While we appear to have a shortage of space, we have, in fact, a large cache of
spaces available to us.

Districts 32 harbors more catering halls than most anyplace else in Queens. I would engage
these catering halls to sponsor open days when they have no business, for community use and
events. I believe this good will can foster increased revenue for our catering halls that support
their community.

Resorts World Casino, our churches, our schools, our libraries, NYCHA, Parks and Recreation all
have underutilized spaces that I would like to engage in lending access to youth groups, health
fairs and other community based activities. You see, a city council member is tasked not just with
the passing of legislation but engaging the district in unifying ways for the health of the
community.

Cooling centers and heating centers. I want to ensure that these essential services are provided
particularly in places that have been non-compliant like some NYCHA spaces.

We need free high speed broadband available in all of NYC. Of utmost importance is having
free broadband available at NYCHA locations where students and seniors need them most.

The ADA, Americans with Disabilities Act is 30 years old and we’re still not compliant? Trains,
schools, uncounted buildings are still not ADA compliant. I know many places like the Long
Island Railroad were given 20 years to comply. 30 years later and we’re still not there.
Out of 124 the LIRR has, only 20 were fully accessible. The New York City Transit has 248
stations with 67 that were accessible with an additional 33 scheduled for completion by 2020.

Our entire fleet of busses on the other hand, are lift-equipped, has kneeling features,
wheelchair securement devices, public address systems, and seating spaces reserved for
persons with disabilities. This is where health, housing and transportation collide.

This will be my focus under my transportation platform.

OUR TRANSPORTATION PLAN

Keep New York Moving

STATEMENT

Transportation. It's so obvious, we overlook it. We work all over the place. How do I get from
Woodhaven to Woodside for my job and from Woodside to the Westside for my appointment?
Oh, and I am handicapable. Transportation may be the single biggest antagonist in the life of a
New Yorker.

HISTORY

Early transportation in New York was through trails and water. Jamaica Avenue, which runs
through Queens and Brooklyn was built on the trail route of the Lenape people.

The first traffic law in New Amsterdam was in 1652 barring wagons, carts and sleights from
being driven at a gallop.

In the 1800’s the shape of the city and it’s transportation system really began to take shape
and form the foundation of the city we know today. First was the grid plan of 1811 dividing
streets and avenues in a rectangular pattern that set a foundation for our transportation
system. At the same time, the world’s first ferry service came into operation.

Naturally, horse-drawn carriages were the primary means of public transportation. Following
the steam ferry came the steam train soon after. The first elevated trains appeared in 1867. By
1878, it was carrying an estimated 14,000,000 passengers.

Did you know the first “subway” was created by Alfred E. Beach from
1870-1873? It was a 312-foot tunnel under lower Broadway. The train
was operated by "pneumatic pressure" and blown by a giant fan.

Steam cars replaced horse-drawn streetcars. This resulted in faster transportation and cleaner
streets. They were so much faster that the Brooklyn trolleys became infamously dangerous for
pedestrians. The local baseball team changed their name to the Brooklyn Trolley Dodgers in
1895 eventually shortening the name to Brooklyn Dodgers.
The 1900’s saw a surge in expansion. Trains went electric in 1903, Gas powered buses came
on the scene in 1905. In 1919, New York installed it’s first traffic signal light. By 1925, we had
two independently run train services. In 1957 the last streetcars disappeared, replaced by the
bus system.

In 2017, Andrew Cuomo declared a state of emergency for the MTA due to reliability and
crowding problems with mass transit in New York City.

TODAY

We have an extensive metropolis with cars, trains, buses and ferries providing the bulk of the
business of transit in our city. The MTA is actually a multi-pseudo state-run corporation. Many
riders didn’t know that the MTA also owns the Long Island Railroad, or the Metro-North
Railroad. So the MTA renamed all their subsidiary and affiliate agencies to reflect their
holdings.

They are:
MTA Long Island Rail Road (LIRR)
MTA Metro-North Railroad (MNR)
MTA Staten Island Railway (SIR)
MTA Capital Construction (MTACC)
MTA Regional Bus Operations
First Mutual Transportation Assurance Company
MTA Bridges and Tunnels (MTA B&T)
MTA New York City Transit (NYCT)

And so. Wait a minute. First Mutual Transportation Assurance Company? What is the First
Mutual Transportation Assurance Company also known as FMTAC?

According to a report (attached here). The following is from that report.

2. DESCRIPTION OF COMPANY

The Company was incorporated under the laws of New York State
as a pure captive insurance company on December 5, 1997 and
commenced business on the same day. The Company is a wholly-
owned subsidiary of the MTA and was established to maximize the
flexibility and effectiveness of the MTA’s insurance program.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority was established under

the New York Public Authorities Law and is a public benefit
corporation of the State of New York. The MTA’s mission is to
 develop and improve public transportation and to develop and
implement a unified public transportation policy in the New York
metropolitan area.

The MTA carries out these responsibilities directly and through its
subsidiaries and affiliates, which are also public benefit
corporations. In addition to the Company, the following entities are
MTA subsidiaries and affiliates:

A.
Subsidiaries

The Long Island Rail Road Company

Metro-North Commuter Railroad Company
Staten Island Rapid Transit Operating Authority
MTA Capital Construction Company
MTA Bus Company
Metropolitan Suburban Bus Authority (eliminated on 12/31/11)

Affiliates
New York City Transit Authority and its subsidiary
Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority

According to an article in the Insurance Journal from 2015 (see attached), FMTAC’s total
assets were $1.333 Billion at the end of 2013. FMTAC is run by an outside company, March
Captive Solutions Group. In another article (Attached) by the Insurance Journal, it says:

Laureen Coyne, director of risk and insurance management for the

MTA and president of FMTAC, said there are about half a dozen
carriers that share the layers up through the tower. She said it’s too
early to tell whether the excess liability coverages through the
commercial markets might be triggered.

FMTAC said it’s fully reinsured in the domestic, London, European

and Bermuda marketplaces for the property coverage.

In this COVID-19 crisis, it’s disheartening to hear of the MTA lack of funds, closures and
breakdowns as our tax dollars, at over $1 Billion, are moved to London, European and
Bermuda marketplaces.

MY TRANSPORTATION SOLUTION

I believe character matters; leadership descends from character.

We need to lead our own path to come up with the solutions we need for our transportation
system.

While the State runs our public transit system, it seems evident little if any money flows from
entities such as the MTA’s First Mutual Transportation Assurance Company with its $1.333
Billion dollars in assets to help us with maintaining our transit system. Roughly 7% of the MTA
budget comes from State & Local Subsidies. We are essentially left to fend for ourselves.

I propose the city should run the MTA New York City Transit (NYCT) putting subways and
buses under municipal control.

We can’t build more trains or tracks anytime soon. But we got buses.

In addition, we should ensure the “Better Buses” project is not shut down and continued with
the following modifications:

More Buses, More Jobs, More Routes.

I think the answer lies in our bus system. More ADA compliant buses, more bus routes, bus
lanes, bus times. Our train system is like Fred Flintstone working at the quarry running up and
down the spine of the dinosaur stairs up and down and crowded. That doesn’t help our seniors
or handi-capable people much. Our train routes have a lot of empty spaces, particularly in the
meteor sized hole that's actually between Woodside and Woodhaven. So I believe Buses are
the solution for us all.

30 miles of bus lanes currently cost the same as 1 mile of subway tracks. Let’s make those
bus lanes!

We need to fill in the transportation gaps in Rockaway with more buses and add more buses to
ferry stops and over the bridge.

We need to fill in the meteor-sized hole in our transportation grid between District 32 and the
Northern Districts with more bus routes.

Improve 10 miles of existing bus lanes each year, not 5 miles.

Install 20–30 miles of new bus lanes each year, not 10-15 miles.

Remove the pilot program to add up to 2 miles of physically separated bus lanes. Instead, I
would approve speed bump style divisions which would cost much less and stop the red zone
bus painting that is costly and is already cracking and pulling apart.
Eliminate the goal to implement NYC DOT street design projects that benefit 600,000 daily
riders each year. We already do this.

Adding 300 Transit Signal Priority (TSP) intersections per year is fine so long as it doesn’t
interfere with increasing our bus fleet and work force or increased routes. Otherwise, we don’t
need it right now.

Enforcement

Expand bus lane camera enforcement. I agree only if revenue goes directly to the MTA budget
for our buses.

I would remove the goal to increase NYPD bus lane enforcement with seven dedicated tow
truck teams. We have enough.

Bus Stops

Evaluate and improve bus stops. You come to a bus stop, you wait, it comes, you go. This
sounds like one of those line items where a lot of money disappears. No Thanks.

Working with the MTA

Support MTA Bus Network Redesign efforts with borough bus priority plans
Press for all-door boarding, restarting the SBS program, and other improvements to bus
operations. This is the problem with the MTA in the first place. Our City, Our rules. We should
decide for ourselves regarding all-door boarding, not the State run MTA. The NYC Department
of Small Business Services (SBS) shouldn’t be a program that needs restarting. It should be
our standard of doing business.

Bus Boarders are permanent or durable plastic sidewalk extensions at bus stops that provide
more space for waiting passengers and allow buses to save time by pulling up to the curb
without leaving the travel lane. If they specifically assist in ADA compliance, I’m all for it.
Otherwise, I want to put the money to more buses, more jobs, more routes.

I would like to open an investigation into First Mutual Transportation Assurance Company, an
MTA owned but privately run organization with over a Billion dollars in assets that few people
know about.

We have cameras and tickets for everything now. That’s fine. But let’s make the street a little
safer instead of just more expensive to drive through.
Recently, we have had a surge of speeding, drag racing and other dangerous driving behavior
in our district. We can’t undo it all. But we can slow it down some. I want to propose more
speed bumps particularly in some of our wider streets.

If residents call in for a stop sign or speed bump, let’s get this processed quicker. Now is the
time to work and clean up the city and make all the corrections we’ve been wishing for.

Let’s cut out the Cross Bay Bridge Toll. We are one district. We shouldn’t be divided by a toll.

Let’s expand citywide ferry service with stops closer to NYCHA buildings and integrated more
with the mass transit system.

Let’s Build the QueensRail. It’s already there. I can reduce commutes to and from midtown
Manhattan by at least a half hour in our District.

Have you heard about the reverse angle parking program? More cars fit on a block, more
space, less time looking for parking, more time with the family. Let’s work with the DOT and
just do it.

The MTA owns it all, so we should get reduced LIRR fares for New York City residents.

Illegal parking spots.

You’ve seen them. Cars parked on a lawn. Sometimes right in front of the entrance to homes.
Many residents have made their own illegal parking spots. Sure some of them are ugly. Some
of them are quite ingenious. The truth is, we have a lot of cars and not a lot of space. Driving
around, looking for parking can be a very stressful time. So I get it.

Let’s do something about it. We should regulate and legitimize these spaces with affordable
standards. Standards of how much minimum and maximum space can be used. Proper
curbage and a reasonable city fee for the permit. This will take cars off the street and free up
space.

More cars off the streets, less time looking for parking, more time with family, less stress.

It’s a win all around.

 OTHER POLICIES AND ISSUES

BUSINESS SOLUTIONS

Support local economy and small businesses by reinstating universal rent-stabilization for
commercial tenants. Better access to lines of credit.

SENIORS

Automatic home tax reduction at age 65 on the STAR/SCHE program.

THE LITTLE THINGS

I want to cut small business fines.

I want to encourage more local groups in District to start 501c3 organizations
I want to slash extraneous charges and fees on our telephone, cable, and utility bills.
I want a cap on interest rates. 30% used to be considered loan sharking. It’s time to go shark
hunting.
Bank fees, ATM fees. I’m coming after you.

ANIMAL RIGHTS

During Covid, I noticed a hotline from the ASPCA to provide pet supplies for residents affected
by Covid-19. I found that they had locations in Brooklyn, Manhattan and the Bronx but not in
Queens. I called in and asked if I could pick up pet supplies for older pet owners in my
community.

When I went to their Brooklyn location to pick up the supplies, I asked why they didn’t provide
this service in Queens. They told me they didn’t have the staff to provide services to Queens. I
asked to speak to someone in authority about offering to provide these services to Queens
Residents myself. A few days later, I had a conference call with the ASPCA, The Humane
Society of New York and the Mayor’s Office of Animal Welfare. After some vetting, they agreed
to provide me with training and all the pet supplies I could stock, to implement the program in
Queens.

I called it the Queens Pet Pantry and set up an online and call in system similar to the ASPCA
which worked so well, the ASPCA adopted my systems tracking and soon took over the data
management. Encouraged by the overwhelming response to my program, the Queens
Borough’s Presidents office secured several truckloads of pet supplies for distribution to all
parts Queens.
I was the only one who saw the need and made it happen. Since then, I have been working
with the Mayor’s office of Animal Welfare on several online training seminars translating for our
Spanish speaking community on pet safety and health.

In my family, we grew up with Cats, Dogs, Birds, Fish, Snakes and Turtles. We are currently
owned by a GoldenDoodle named Frenchie.

I would like to limit the domestic animal trade to shelters for cats and dogs. Too many of these
pets sold in-store came from abusive conditions. Pets are a special member of our families
especially in District 32. I will commit to designating a member of my staff to handle animal
issues.

Let’s allocate funding to maintain non-profit animal rescue organizations.

Let’s support legislation preserving the right of individuals over the age of 62 not to be denied
housing on the basis of having a companion animal.

Let’s support and vote for Intro 1483 (Levin), which would require the DHS, in collaboration
with the Department of Social Services, to develop a plan to accommodate pets of homeless
individuals and families with the objective of providing pet-friendly shelters and identifying other
temporary pet care arrangements that would allow homeless pet-owners to keep their
companion animals.

Let’s support the continuation and expansion of New York City’s WildlifeNYC program. It’s right
in our backyard.

Finally, let’s take care of our animals.

LEADING TOGETHER

I’m a strong believer in Community Leadership. Together, we can lead each other in order to
build a stronger healthier community. To do that, we will create an inter-community committee
represented by residents of every town in our district Belle Harbor, Breezy Point, Broad
Channel, Howard Beach, Lindenwood, Neponsit, Ozone Park, Richmond Hill, Rockaway Park,
Roxbury, South Ozone Park, West Hamilton Beach, Woodhaven.

No one is looking to solve problems, They’re looking to profit from them. I live these problems
with you everyday and I’m here to solve the problems with you.
THIS IS THE END OF THIS SECTION. THE FOLLOWING IS ARTICLES FOR SUBMISSION
TO MEDIA OUTLETS, DATA FOR COMPOSITIONAL PURPOSES AND A HISTORY OF THE
NEW YORK CITY COUNCIL.
FOR ARTICLES

About Ruben:

I am Ruben Cruz running for City Council District 32. I grew up in this “All American”
neighborhood where I struggled to be accepted.

My family is Puerto Rican. My mom, like many women at the time, left school at 14 years old to
work at a textile factory doing “piece work” along with my grandmother and aunt to support the
family. Eventually, she met and married my dad and had my brother and I. When they got
divorced in the late 60’s, about 1 in 250 Americans were getting divorced, which was a big
thing at the time. (Nowadays, roughly 50% of marriages end in divorce.) It was a time of
change and independence and violence. As a single mom with two kids, we entered the
welfare system. But we never felt poor. My mom knew how to stretch a dollar and keep our
clothes looking nice.

We moved to Ozone Park from East New York when I was 7 years old. I had a strong lisp and
a stutter. I was really lucky to have this nice speech therapist in school to help me. I remember
feeling like we moved to the country although it was only a few stops from the station on Myrtle
Avenue to the 114 Street station on the J-Train.

My brother and I were the only Puerto Ricans in the neighborhood. But I was the dark skinned
one. Bullying and fights were almost a daily affair, with me often in the principal's office for
“starting” another fight against three or four kids. At times, even the bully would yell out for me
to just “stay down”, but I kept getting up, bloodied but standing, until they gave up. One time
some ten kids surrounded me in the school yard. They all jumped on me punching and kicking.
Most of them were in each other's way, so I didn’t get hurt much.

I’ll never forget the toothy, grizzly grin of the security guard leaning against the rail at the
entrance to the school just a few feet away, watching, smiling. But the worst thing was that
one kid. I never saw who it was, but there I was on a bright sunny day with ten kids piled on
me and my hand sticking out on the pavement. And that one kid was standing near my hand,
and ever so slowly, raised the Pro-Ked covered foot and gently pressed it down on my
outstretched hand. Soon, I felt the alcohol breathed, toothy, grizzly guard grab a fistful of my
collar and pull me up and swung me hanging by my collar to the principal’s office for “starting”
another fight.

But things started to change. Soon, more people started moving in from different countries &
religions like Guyana and Pakistan. Can you imagine that? I remember, I used to love walking
through the neighborhood on a Sunday afternoon to the smell of spaghetti & meatballs &
sausage coming from one house, and up the block, the aroma of Oxtail soup with curry.
And change continued. We all grew and matured. And started to understand each other a little
better. One time, in our debate class, we were debating the welfare system. I’m still amazed
how little the debate has changed from the 1970’s to the present day. I stood up and told the
class I was on welfare. The looks on every one’s face. The silence. Have you ever revealed
something secret about yourself? There were things you didn’t talk about in those days like;
you are on welfare or, you are gay, or you are whatever.

I looked the class in the eyes and told them how I was proud of my mom for how she took care
of us. I told them how the landlord took $25 dollars off the rent in exchange for my brother and
I keeping the building clean and taking out the garbage every month. I told them how I got my
Work Permit for minors at 14 years old to work at the lumber yard sweeping or an electrician’s
office sorting wires and screws. I looked them in the eyes. The bell rang, the class ended. It
never came up again.

After class, my teacher pulled me aside and told me how brave I was. I remember the breath I
took before I revealed I was on welfare. But was it brave? It was the truth. And the truth is: I
will always stand up again and again in defense of the truth. It was true then, it’s true now.

I bought my first house across the street from my elementary school P.S. 62 right in front of
that school yard entrance. My neighbor happened to be one of the kids from my class. Can
you imagine that? We became great friends. We never talked about those days in school. Like
the bullying and prejudice of those times were the immaturity of our youth.

Except we did talk about it once. It was a snow day. I was shoveling out the driveway. My
neighbor came out to shovel the sidewalk. We were shoveling and talking and looking across
the street at the school yard. I remembered a snow day back when we were kids and I told him
about it.

There was no school that day. My little cousin and brother and I made little pouch bags to carry
a bunch of those “Little Golden” children’s Books that we didn’t want anymore. We added little
pockets for money and change. We were going to go door to door to sell the books and buy
something for our mothers.

It was still snowing pretty heavily, but it was fun just to be out and about. As we passed the
school, three boys came up to me. They yanked the pouch bag off me, ripping it open. The
books and coins spilled into the snow. My little cousin and brother couldn’t do anything. They
were too little. Being ten years old is a lot of responsibility. I still remember the feel of the
swelling in my cheek when they smashed my head into the metal gate post of the school. I
can’t remember the feeling as they shoved piles of cold, wet snow up my coat and down my
back. And I remember the walk home and my mother and aunt crying and cleaning me up.
That was the one time, my neighbor and I talked about our youth. He didn’t do it. But he was
sorry for those days. Sorry for what happened. And it meant a lot.

How much has changed since then? How do we all get along now? Well, it isn’t easy. But
we’re still here, living together, learning together, growing together. This is the NEW American
Neighborhood. And I’m pretty proud of it.

We live in Richmond Hill now. My next door neighbor is a C.P.A. and a Progressive Democrat.
My neighbor across the street is a Steel Workers Union Member and a Conservative
Republican. The last big snow we had, my neighbor across the street plowed both mine and
my next door neighbor’s sidewalk and driveway. My next door neighbor helped me figure out a
business tax problem and redid them for free. For my part, I’ve helped repair both my
neighbor’s front doors. The truth is that here, where I grew up, on my block, in our District,
Neighbors come before Politics.

But we’re living in a new world where all the old platform terms and platitudes are no longer
valid. We need to work, figure out how to get to work, and work on protecting our kids and
elderly. Even now, our elderly are losing their homes to high taxes and scammers putting liens
on their homes without their knowledge.

We’re neighbors, and neighbors help each other out. Together we can help nurture our
Children and protect our Seniors. We are a Rich mix of cultures and religions that make up our
NEW American Neighborhood. We need dedication and deserve dedication. This is where I
live, this is where I work, this is where I will dedicate myself and stay.

I’m Ruben Cruz. I ask for your vote on November 24 to represent you and all our neighbors in
City Council District 32. Thank you. “Better Neighbors, Better Neighborhoods”
Article submitted to The Wave:

Kids playing in the schoolyard. Such a simple thing. That’s what I want to see in our district
again. Kids of all colors, religions and income levels learning and living together. The elderly
come out on bright sunny days and walk to the senior center where there will be a karaoke
party after lunch. Buses and trains are running and people are coming and going to work.

I grew up in Ozone Park in a Puerto Rican family. We lived on welfare but had the greatest
summers any kid could want. Riding the A train, knees on the seats so we could look out the
window. If we were lucky, we could catch the front of the train and look out the front car on our
way to Rockaway Beach. Sometimes my aunt and cousins would come in from Brooklyn for
the weekend and we’d all be on that train to Rockaway Beach.

So where are we now? We are at the beginning of a new year with renewed hope for the
future. While the Rockaways is open year-round, the warm weather is coming and so are the
visitors. Which is why Rockaway should be one of the primary locations to distribute the
vaccine. It just makes sense to inoculate a potential hotspot so we are protected from visitors
and likewise, protect those that visit us. We need better transportation. I want to double the
bus lines to take on the capacity the trains can’t accommodate.

I’m a business owner who’s managed to flourish during the 2008 recession and found ways to
innovate during COVID-19 to provide services to the elderly and children in Health & Wellness
and Arts & Culture. I also serve on three non-profit boards including the Latin American
Intercultural Alliance. Ever on the lookout to find ways to serve the community during this
crisis, I created the only “Queens Pet Pantry” in collaboration with the Mayor’s Office of Animal
Welfare, ASPCA, Humane Society of New York, New York Department of Parks & Recreation
and the Latin American Intercultural Alliance, brining pet supplies to residents in Rockaway
affected by COVID-19.

In November, Ruben sponsored a “Food for the Soul” event. A pop-up presentation with
NYCNext, New York Department of Parks & Recreation, NYC Precinct 100 Community Affairs,
the Rockaway Black Surfing Association, and Latin American Intercultural Alliance. Ruben had
a Salvation Army music group and Jazz group performing for the public, while the Rockaway
Black Surfing Association conducted a clothing drive. Finally, an artist created a group heart
wreath out of flowers which was then carried out to sea in honor of victims and survivors of
COVID-19. At the end of the ceremony, as the sun began to set, Ruben observed some of the
flowers coming back to shore. “This is who we are. We suffer through rough seas, but little by
little, we come back”.
DATA AND HISTORY OF CITY COUNCIL
How much does life cost? DATA, SPREADSHEETS AND GRAPHICS

SPECTRUM
Cable/net/phone: 232.00
11.75 for box and remote rental
19.15 for BTV surcharges
05.99 Franchise fee
02.16 Fed Universal Service Fund
02.65 State and Local Sales tax
1.00 State telecom excise tax
00.70 Local telecom excise tax
00.08 Regulatory Cost recovery fee
00.41 Regulatory Cost recovery fee
00.64 Regulatory Cost recovery fee
01.00 E-911 fee
00.23 mctd 1863
01.12 public access fee
00.06 State universal fund
46*12=552/365=1.5123
SPRINT
Bill 215.00
05.00 Administrative Charge
01.30 Federal Univ Serv Assess Non LD
00.72 NYS Telecomm Excise Recovery
00.18 Queens County MCTD Excise Surcharge
00.47 Queens County Telecomm Excixe Recovery
01.98 Regulatory Charge
=225
Universal Service Fund
The federal government requires that all cell phone providers contribute a percentage of their
revenues to the Universal Service Fund (USF), which pays for low-income communication
services. Carriers are not required to pass this expense along to their customers - in fact,
many smaller cell phone providers absorb the cost - however, the big four carriers generally
prefer to charge these fees to the user.

State Telecommunications Excise Surcharge (aka Gross Receipts Surcharge)

Many states, such as New York, New Mexico, and Pennsylvania, charge sales and excise
taxes on communication services. As with the USF charges, the big four carriers will pass
these taxes directly onto the customer. This fee usually comes in as a percentage of your bill
and can add an extra 5 or 20 percent to your monthly payment depending on the state.

Local Taxes
Along with Telecommunications Excise charges, you'll also have to pay taxes for simply having
a wireless service. How much varies depending on where you live. Each state, county, and city
has a unique a tax rate on wireless service, and the rate can vary dramatically. Customers in
New York state, for example, pay an average of 24.36% in federal, state and local taxes on
their wireless bills. If you're moving, especially to a state with lower taxes, make sure to remind
your carrier to update your bill.

Regulatory Charges
Oddly enough, the Regulatory Charges aren't actually government-mandated charges. In
reality, your cell phone carrier uses these charges to cover their operating expenses for
participating in government mandated programs, such as offering local number portability.
And, you guessed it, they're charging you extra to make it all happen.

Administrative Charges
Administrative charges are potentially the most tricky to pin down, as the term is used to cover
all sorts of evils. These charges are often put towards paying the fees other carriers impose on
your cell phone provider for delivering calls, however, they might also be put towards network
maintenance or other anonymous expenses. In 2013, AT&T announced that their
administrative charges would go towards “charges associated with cell site rents and
maintenance.” These fees can and do change frequently without prior warning.

Smartphone Access Line

Some carriers, such as Verizon, charge you extra simply for having a smartphone as your
registered cell phone. Beyond what you pay for minutes, messages and data, Verizon's
Smartphone Access Line fee charges from you up to an extra $20 a month simply for owning a
smartphone.

the average American pays $225 a year just in taxes and fees on their wireless bills

NATIONAL GRID
Bill 95.00
00.02 MTA Surcharge
00.37 Gas Supply charge
=00.50
ConEd
=.50
GASOLINE
Avg. 50.00-80.00
00.45.6 per gallon. = 11.25
=135.00
135+1+225-552=913=3
More Issues
1. Community-based land use policy
2. Participatory budgeting and
transparency
3. Waterfront resiliency
4. Create and Preserve Affordable
Housing
5. Fight for Our Seniors
6. Improve Residents' Quality of Life
7. Preserve Our Historic, Affordable
Neighborhoods
8. Prevent Displacement of Small
Businesses
9. Protect the Environment
10. Prohibitive and inflated housing cost
11. Discrimination in New York City housing
12. Gentrification
13. Empower small businesses
14. Reduce job-stifling regulations
15. Reduce onerous licensing requirements
16. Low Income Housing
17. Education
18. Mental Health
19. Affordable housing for all incomes
20. Support to age in place
21. Better-funded, diverse schools
22. Affordable housing
23. Protecting vulnerable communities in
NYC
24. Transportation and quality of life
25. Gentrification/Affordable Housing
26. Universal Basic Income
27. Election Integrity/Voter Suppression
28. Fighting for Affordable Housing
29. Supporting Quality Public Education
30. Strengthening Public Transportation
31. Quality of life
32. Homelessness
33. Small Business Closures
34. Small Business Displacement
35. Affordable Housing and Stable
Neighborhoods
36. Utilization of Parks and Waterways
37. More School Seats and STEM
38. Traffic Safety and Improving Commutes
39. Fighting Corruption and the MTS
40. Pedestrian Safety
41. School Integration
42. Affordable Housing
43. Quality of life zoning issues
44. The disposition of public assets
45. Livable neighborhood for retirees
History: The New York City Council

The history of the New York City Council can be traced to Dutch Colonial times when New
York City was known as New Amsterdam. On February 2, 1653, the town of New Amsterdam,
founded on the southern tip of Manhattan Island in 1625, was incorporated as a city under a
charter issued by the Dutch West India Company. A Council of Legislators sat as the local law
making body and as a court of inferior jurisdiction. During the 18th and 19th centuries the local
legislature was called the Common Council and then the Board of Aldermen. In 1898 the
amalgamation charter of the City of Greater New York renamed and revamped the council and
added a New York City Board of Estimate with certain administrative and financial powers.
After a number of changes through the ensuing years, the present Council was born in 1938
under a new charter which instituted the council as the sole legislative body and the New York
City Board of Estimate as the chief administrative body. Certain functions of the council,
however, remained subject to the approval of the board.

A system of proportional representation known as Single Transferable Vote seated a 26-

member Council in 1938 to serve two-year terms. The term was extended to four years in 1945
to coincide with the term of the mayor. Proportional representation was abolished in 1947,
largely from pressure from Democrats, who played on fears of Communist council members
being elected (two already had). It was replaced by a system of electing one Council Member
from each New York State Senate district within the city. The Charter also provided for the
election of two Council Members-at-large from each of the five boroughs. In June 1983,
however, a federal court ruled that the 10 at-large seats violated the United States
Constitution's one-person, one-vote mandate.

In 1989, the Supreme Court ruled that the Board of Estimate also violated the one-person,
one-vote mandate. In response, the new Charter abolished the Board of Estimate and
provided for the redrawing of the council district lines to increase minority representation on the
council. It also increased the number of Council Members from 35 to 51. The council was then
granted full power over the municipal budget, as well as authority over zoning, land use and
franchises. In 1993 the New York City Council voted to rename the position of president of the
city council to the Public Advocate. As the presiding officer, the Public Advocate was an ex
officio member of all committees in the council, and in that capacity had the right to introduce
and co-sponsor legislation. However the city charter revision of 2002 transferred the duties of
presiding officer from the Public Advocate to the Council Speaker; the Public Advocate
remains a non-voting member of the council.

A two-term limit was imposed on city council members and citywide elected officials in a 1993
referendum. The movement to introduce term limits was led by Ronald Lauder, a cosmetics
heir. In 1996, voters turned down a council proposal to extend term limits. Lauder spent $4
million on the two referenda.
However, in 2008, under pressure from Mayor Michael Bloomberg (who, like many Council
members, was facing the end of his two-term limit at that time), the council voted 29–22 to
extend the limit to three terms; the council also defeated (by a vote of 22–28, with one
abstention) a proposal to submit the issue to public referendum.

Legal challenges to the extension of term limits failed in federal court. The original decision by
Judge Charles Sifton of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York
(Long Island, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island) was upheld by a three-judge panel of the
United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit (Vermont, Connecticut and New York),
and a proposal in the New York State Legislature to override the extension was not passed.

Voters voted to reinstate the two-term limit law in another referendum in 2010. However,
according to The New York Times, incumbent members of the city council who were elected
prior to the 2010 referendum “will still be allowed to run for a third term. People in office before
2010 were eligible for three terms.”

Today:

The New York City Council is the lawmaking body of the City of New York. It has 51 members
from 51 council districts throughout the five boroughs.

The council serves as a check against the mayor in a mayor-council government model. The
council monitors the performance of city agencies and makes land use decisions as well as
legislating on a variety of other issues. The city council also has sole responsibility for
approving the city budget. Members elected are limited to two consecutive terms in office, but
may run again after a four-year respite.

The head of the city council is called the Speaker. The Speaker sets the agenda and presides
at meetings of the city council. Proposed legislation is submitted through the Speaker's Office.

The council has 35 committees with oversight of various functions of the city government.
Each council member sits on at least three standing, select or subcommittees. The standing
committees meet at least once per month. The Speaker of the council, the majority leader, and
the minority leader are all ex officio members of every committee.

Council members are elected every four years, except for two consecutive two-year terms
every twenty years to allow for redistricting between the terms due to the national census in
2021 and 2023 for the 2020 Census.