Jennifer Gutierrez
Level
City Council
Constituency
District 34
More Information
Campaign Site
2020 LID Questionnaire Response
Why are you running for City Council?
In a rapidly gentrifying district, Williamsburg and Bushwick and Ridgewood in Queens the preservation of our community is paramount. Families that resided here during the worst of times and contributed to our legacy can no longer afford to live here. I am running to keep people in their homes, to provide real solutions to a community disproportionately impacted by over policing, environmental racism, and is oversaturated with luxury housing. I am running as a Latinx, a woman of color, and a daughter of immigrants to make bold and progressive changes we need to move forward.
What are the greatest struggles of your Council district?
I think the greatest challenge to my district will continue to be housing and how we protect tenants. We have the opportunity to expand Right to Counsel legislation, and invest in community land trusts to ensure that housing remains affordable. Another challenge is related to our COVID response moving forward and making sure that every New Yorker has access to affordable healthcare, regardless of their immigrant status. The 34th Council District has some of the lowest amount of park space per resident. We have an opportunity as part of our response to rethink how we use our public spaces and redesign them to create more parks and open spaces to better serve our neighbors.
Why do you want LIDs endorsement? And what does LGBTQ+ representation in the government mean to you?
LID has served as an incredible organization committed to advancing the rights of LGBTQ+ New Yorkers. Rooted in equity and justice, LID has pushed for inclusivity, greater representation in government and played a major role in passing same sex marriage, along with other campaigns. I sincerely believe that governments role is to work to serve every New Yorker, and should work twice as hard to serve those who have been disproportionately discriminated against. Being idle is exacerbating the problem. LGBTQ+ representation means actively implementing progressive policies, that in collaboration with the LGBTQ+ community, solve for unjust policies that create barriers to equality and access.
What is one thing you would do while in office to make NYC government more inclusive?
One thing is tough because there is so much to do, but I would prioritize passing municipal voting.
What does gender equity mean to you in your district and how can you improve upon it?
In District 34, gender equity means school curriculum’s that cover comprehensive and inclusive sex education, fully funding for all school sports teams, unlearning practices that lead to gender based violence, prioritizing a women’s safety plan as a community safety plan and devising a citywide workforce development plan that has concrete goals to promoting women owned businesses while achieving pay equity.
Approximately 40% of runaway and homeless youth are LGBTQ+. The NYC Unity Work Project would have provided training, job placement and development for these communities, but the program ($675k per year) was cut from the city’s budget in FY21. Do you commit to fighting for funding for this or similar programs? How will you support safety and wellness for homeless LGBTQ+ New Yorkers if you are elected?
I would absolutely commit to fighting for funding for programs like the NYC Unity Work Project and advocating for restoration of initiatives that support our LGBTQ+ young homeless population. It’s important that we see and hear this population. I would begin with continuing to push to remove police from schools and remove NYPD from the 311 response that forced their interactions with our houseless populations.
The NYPD’s budget is nearly $6 billion? If elected, will you work to reduce the NYPD’s and invest in non-policing alternatives? By how much?
Yes. I’ll be taking my lead from police reform advocates, such as Communities United for Police Reform, on the specific cuts we should be making. I think it’s crucial that the Council push to get accurate budget numbers from the PD- we still don’t have the specificity that advocates demand or that other agencies provide. I believe $1 billion was a strong starting point, but we would have to go deeper if we care about budget justice.
What is your plan to help the city financially recover from the economic crisis caused by COVID19? What will your priorities be if there is a second wave of COVID19?
I am incredibly concerned about our undocumented population who have received no government support during the entire pandemic. For these New Yorkes, as well as many others in my district, getting people back into the labor force is a major priority. People simply will not recover if they’re not financially stable and I plan to implement a robust jobs program in my district to connect people to economic opportunities. Furthermore, I will be advocating to secure more community health centers as well as preserving NYC Care to ensure that my constituents have access to primary care. We saw how COVID impacted those with underlying conditions with increased severity and that was exacerbated by the lack of adequate healthcare before the pandemic hit in communities like mine.
What if any initiatives do you propose to help with the climate crisis?
I think the fight against climate change is layered and we need every level of government to play a strategic role in innovative policies and enforcement. Some of the ways that the Council can do its part include funding the expansion of organics City Wide and permanently, ensuring that municipal food purchasing (ie schools and hospitals) come from farms that protect workers rights and use sustainable practices, invest in green retrofitting in our parks, schools, libraries, public housing, and streets that meet our climate change goals, and finally transition to public utilities companies for New Yorkers so that we know that private interest is not outweighing our climate change needs.
What will you do to support labor unions if elected? Did you publicly support the Association of Legislative Employees (the union that represents council staffers) in their request for voluntary recognition?
I genuinely believe in the power of organizing and am aligned with the values of union workers in demanding dignified wages and conditions, healthcare and greater protections from their employers. Earlier this year I stood with Teamsters at the Hunts Point Food Terminal in their fight for a raise and better healthcare coverage. In the past, I have stood with 32bj workers in Bushwick seeking wages from their employer at the old Rheingold site, with CSA principles and administrators and they demanded a new contract, and with Domino’s workers in Williamsburg in demanding a raise in minimum wage back in 2013. I will continue to stand and rally with labor, author and pass legislation that codifies greater protections and work with unions to advocate for their members. I am and have been very supportive of City Council Staff unionizing as the Association of Legislative Employees and as a staff myself, am public about my support.
How much money has your campaign raised and what are your major sources?
As of the filing last week, our campaign has privately raised $38k and has qualified for maximum matching funds with the CFB. The majority of our contributions from NYC Residents with half coming from District 34 residents. Our average donation is $62
Are you accepting campaign contributions from law enforcement sources? Real Estate Sources?
I am not accepting campaign contributions from either
Do you commit to using inclusive and gender neutral language in press releases and other announcements (e.g., “the people of the...” instead of “the men and women of the...”)?
Yes, absolutely.
Do you agree to list Lambda Independent Democrats of Brooklyn on all materials where your endorsements are listed?
Yes
Yes or no, do you support the following city council initiatives:
Intro 2047: Prevents landlords from discriminating against criminal legal system involved tenants: Yes
Intro 2050: Allows noncitizens to vote in municipal elections:Yes / No Reso 0923: Calls for the state to repeal Penal Law 240.37, known as the #WalkingWhileTrans Ban: Yes
Intro 1314/Fair Chance Act 2.0: Prohibits discrimination based on one’s arrest record, pending criminal accusations, or criminal convictions. Prevents employers from inquiring about #WalkingWhileTrans Ban arrests: Yes
Intro 2012: Requires NYPD to report on custodial interrogations of minors: Yes
Intro 1529: Expands access to an attorney for tenants in eviction proceedings: Yes
DNA protection bill introduced by CM Richardson and CM Ayala: Prevents NYPD from collecting samples of DNA from children without consent form a parent or guardian: Yes