Aaron Foldenauer
Level
Mayor
More Information
Campaign Site
2020 LID Questionnaire Response
Why are you running for Mayor?
More and more New Yorkers are moving away and giving up on our City. Small businesses are closing at a record pace. Our leaders have failed in their response to the pandemic. The City’s finances are in shambles and we are now billions of dollars in the red. Aaron is running because our political establishment has failed us. Our City government must be overhauled top-to-bottom. Aaron is focused on innovative policies that will allow us to reimagine life in our City and get our economy moving again.
Please cite your top three-five priorities should you be elected Mayor and why you believe they are priorities.
One of Aaron’s main priorities will be focusing on getting New York City moving again. We will need to reinvent neighborhoods to adapt to new work-from-home trends. We should also rethink our quarantine and testing requirements in a way that invites the world to visit our City. Because the tourism industry is crucial to our economy, Aaron will restart tourism to the City in a safe and innovative way. Tourists coming to the City will be given a free rapid COVID test upon arrival at an NYC-are airport. Once they test negative, they will be allowed to freely travel within the tristate area and enjoy the attractions the City has to offer. This will show the world the great assets of our City, including restaurants, small businesses and museums, are open for business.
Another priority is climate and the environment. Aaron’s early appreciation of the environment has carried over into his personal philosophy, making environmental protection a cornerstone of his campaign. The Gotham Gazette recently recognized Aaron for his work as an “environmental advocate” in New York City politics. In considering environmental and climate-related issues, Aaron has created a three-pronged clean transportation plan, which includes building a bicycle superhighway along Third Avenue, banning gas guzzlers, and establishing electric vehicle lanes.
Lastly, as income inequality has increased in the City and across the country, families and individuals are priced out of their neighborhoods they grew up in. Displacement has become the norm. This is unacceptable. Aaron will work to preserve our neighborhoods and that new affordable housing units are built for residents in lower income brackets. We must keep people in their homes wherever and whenever possible. Aaron will ensure tax breaks are not given to luxury buildings; instead, Aaron will offer tax breaks for only moderate and low-income housing.
If elected, what (if anything) would you do differently versus your predecessor (or previous Mayors) and why?
As the next Mayor, Aaron will take unnecessary ideological disputes out of the equation when it comes to running an efficient government. Making the trains run on time and maintaining our parks should not lead to ideological disputes. Aaron will eliminate waste from the system and bring back efficient government, which will lure New Yorkers back to the City. Aaron will not just work with his Commissioners, but also regularly interact with workers on the front lines, given that they are the ones who truly know what’s going on.
What is your plan to help NYC recover from the economic crisis caused by Covid-19?
Aaron is the only candidate for Mayor focused on getting our economy moving again. Aaron was the only candidate for Mayor in 2020 who successfully argued that our restaurants should be allowed to reopen indoor dining. We should start by rethinking our quarantine and testing requirements in a way that invites the world to visit our City.
Tourism is a vital part of the City’s economy and provides over 5 billion dollars in tax revenue each year. Since the onset of the pandemic, the tourism industry, which supports hundreds of thousands of jobs in the City, has been decimated. Historically, some tourists spend more money than others. As tourism rebounds, Aaron will prioritize bringing back the highest-spending tourists first, so that the City can bring in the most money as fast as possible. Attracting tourists from overseas will be Aaron’s priority, because they spend four times as much money as domestic tourists. Focusing on these high spending individuals will immediately bring back jobs and revitalize our small businesses.
Furthermore, until recently, over 1.5 million people came into Manhattan every day to work and socialize. Unfortunately, due to the coronavirus, our offices, restaurants, and businesses in Midtown are largely empty. Because working from home is more accepted than ever, office workers will not return in the same numbers. Aaron proposes offering tax benefits to owners of commercial real estate to convert some of these spaces into affordable housing. Thereby, Midtown will become a vibrant residential and business community, in turn attracting talent from across the world. In fact, a similar program was successful in transforming Lower Manhattan into the thriving residential and business community it is today.
Describe how you’d effectively address police misconduct and brutality, particularly as it affects communities of color.
We need a police service not a police force. Unfortunately, our police officers are given training that overemphasizes combat, and are equipped with increasingly powerful weapons. Emblematic of this wrongheaded mindset was Mayor Bloomberg’s statement that the NYPD was “his army” and the “seventh biggest army in the world.”
Unfortunately, the NYPD is organized like an army with sergeants, lieutenants, and captains. We should eliminate the military-style titles we currently give to our officers, which will go a long way towards ending the militarized mentality that pervades the police. Instead of the military-style ranks that are currently used, officers on street patrol could be called “Patrol Officers,” supervising officers could be called “Managing Officers,” and precinct and department heads could be called “Directing Officers.” Changes such as this one will go a long way in ensuring that minorities are treated fairly by our officers.
Describe your plan to address/reduce the NYPD budget while better ensuring public safety and meeting community needs?
We can easily trim our police budget if we focus on making our police more efficient. In Aaron’s neighborhood, Lower Manhattan, police officers are routinely seen idle, sitting in their cars. This must change.
Aaron also proposes making more substantive changes to our police and the training they receive. For example, our police are told when they can use force but not when they should use force. In basic training, an NYPD officer will receive over 60 hours of firearms training but only eight hours on conflict de-escalation. This despite the fact that 95% of officers will never have to discharge their firearm. Such an outsized emphasis on combat causes our officers to view their role as a fight for survival, rather than providing a community service. We must instead focus police training on conflict management and how to build relationships within our diverse communities while giving our officers adequate training in self-defense.
What would you do to further LGBTQ+ rights, equity, and justice if elected Mayor?
As an attorney, Aaron has fought for a number of individuals who were victims of discrimination and harassment. Aaron will apply his skills as an advocate and as a lawyer to ensure that the mistreatment and discrimination against our LGBTQ+ community comes to an end. Recently, progress was made when New York appealed its antiquated “walking while trans” ban, which was wrongfully used to target people who identify as transgender. Aaron will continue to use his skills as an attorney and advocate to ensure that the law enforcement community does not misuse their authority under the law. Aaron will also ensure that the New York City Sexual Health Clinics, which serves many underprivileged and undocumented New Yorkers with free and low cost STI treatment, will have the adequate funding to continue their mission.
Do you commit to retaining the New York City Unity Project, the City’s first Mayoral-level effort to coordinate LGBTQ+ policy efforts across city agencies, and if so, what actions would you take to build upon or revise the project?
Aaron believes that the New York City Unity Project is a noble cause. We must ensure that each and every young person among us is encouraged, supported, and safe. These are compelling needs today, given the rise of suicide and depression amongst our youth, particularly in the LGBTQ+ community. Aaron will look at concrete data to understand the effectiveness of the NYC Unity Project and ensure that we are helping as many LGBTQ+ youth as possible. Aaron will ensure that the NYC Unity project does not suffer the same fate as ThriveNYC, DeBlasio’s wife’s one-billion dollar mental health plan, which largely failed.
What would you do differently than your predecessor(s) to address New York City’s affordable housing crisis?
Few New Yorkers can afford the luxury condos that have recently dotted the landscape of New York City. Aaron will fight for realignment of incentives so that the real estate industry will build more rental housing, which is what this City needs the most. More rental units will mean more choices for consumers, and ultimately, lower prices for people who actually live and work here in New York City.
We must also reform our public housing. NYCHA public housing facilities are in dire need of improvement on all fronts. In past several years, we have seen too many cases of dangerous and even deadly living conditions, including not only chronic issues with mold contamination, heat, air conditioning, and electricity problems, but also general neglect such as deadly elevator and smoke alarm failures. This is not acceptable and residents of one of the greatest cities in the world should not continue to be forced to deal with these problems. I will hold city officials accountable and fight for much needed reform for our residents of public housing.
Relatedly, and keeping in mind the City’s legal and moral obligation to provide shelter, how would you improve shelter and services for New Yorkers experiencing homelessness, particularly as it relates to reducing the number in need of shelter?
Aaron has proposed a comprehensive plan to get the people of our City back to work. Bringing back jobs to our city will go a long way to solve our housing and homelessness crisis.
The homeless problem is one affecting all New Yorkers and we, as a society, need to understand and correct the issues and illnesses afflicting New York’s homeless population. The City is now routinely putting homeless people in random hotels without adequate services and at a cost of upwards of $600/night. The City is also shuttling the homeless in and out of Emergency Rooms without adequate post-care; these practices perpetuate, rather than fix, the underlying problem. Aaron will advocate for rehabilitative homeless shelters or halfway houses that provide mental health, medical, education, and job training services that will strive to get people on their feet and back to leading productive lives.
Keeping in mind the specific needs of LGBTQ+ New Yorkers experiencing homelessness, will you commit to increasing capacity for clients (youth and adults) who require single room placement for reasons of health and safety including clients with mobility issues and/or who identify as TGNC (because placement in traditional single adult shelter may compromise their safety)?
Aaron is committed to ensure that our homeless shelters make reasonable efforts to match roommates that are compatible with each other and in congregate housing. Abuse within our homeless shelters is a particular concern, given that members of the LGBTQ+ community are more likely to be victims of sexual violence. Aaron is focused on meeting the needs of every homeless person while acknowledging the need to balance the needs of everyone with the costs imposed by additional regulations.
Aaron was recently outraged in connection with the recent New York Times expose revealing widespread sexual and financial misconduct at a network of homeless shelters in the Bronx. Aaron will strengthen oversight of the nonprofits that run our homeless shelters.
Describe what you believe is meant by “gender equity” and what steps you’ve taken to date and will take if elected Mayor to support and further gender equity.
Gender equity means placing each and every individual on an equal playing field and providing additional assistance and incentives to those who have been disadvantaged by systematic sexism and discrimination. Aaron recognizes that differences based on where we were born, where we live, our race, our gender identity, and our sexual orientation can have a dramatic impact on our quality of life. Therefore, Aaron is committed to ensuring that as a society, we help those who need it the most.
Unfortunately, because of the indifference of our political class, and the pervasiveness of pay-to-play politics, all too often, we are simply helping those who need it the least. As an attorney, Aaron has been a champion for minority and female lawyers attempting to succeed. For years, he served on the Diversity Committee of a large law firm, advocating for equal opportunities for minorities and women in the legal profession, and Aaron is a mentor to underprivileged law students.
If elected, do you commit to using inclusive and gender neutral language in all official documents and press releases, and will you order city agencies to do the same?
Aaron commits to being fair and inclusive to everyone. When addressing or referring to a person Aaron will use the prefix/pronoun that the person prefers. From a grammar perspective, the technical usage of specific terminology is quickly evolving and will continue to evolve over time.
How much money has your campaign raised to date and what are your key sources of support? Relatedly, are you rejecting contributions from specific sectors, such as lobbyists, real estate interests, pension fund managers, police unions, etc.
Aaron has raised money from a number of small donors and has significant grassroot support across the city. It must be said that other candidates for mayor have raised far greater amounts of money. This is because Aaron is not part of our broken political establishment and is focused on building a large grassroots movement to transform City Hall as the next mayor of NYC.
Aaron has not received contributions from interest groups such as lobbyists, real estate interests, pension fund managers, or police unions. As a non-establishment candidate, Aaron will be focused on small-dollar fundraising and taking his message directly to the people. Aaron is not accepting any corporate contributions.
Why do you want LID's endorsement? If LID endorses you do you commit to including that endorsement on your website, social media, and all campaign literature on which you list or make mention of endorsements?
LID’s endorsement of Aaron’s campaign would demonstrate Aaron’s commitment to equality and justice for all. Aaron will prominently display all key endorsements, including one from LID, on his website, social media and all campaign literature on which he makes list of endorsements.