Loree Sutton
Level
Mayor
More Information
Campaign Site
2020 LID Questionnaire Response
Why are you running for Mayor?
I am running for Mayor to bring sanity, leadership & common sense to City Hall. The way forward to our City’s resilience and recovery requires leaders who possess the character, competence, confidence and courage to lead in times of conflict, crisis, and pandemic. Recovering from the public health, public safety and economic crises of the COVID-19 pandemic and restoring prosperity and vitality to our city forms the essential foundation upon which all else must build and, without which, little can succeed. This will require tough choices, sound stewardship of our resources and well-designed public-private partnerships. We must let go of the City we knew just a year ago and forge innovative solutions for the City we now inhabit — the next Mayor must restore public safety and health; reopen the City for business; and bring sanity and common sense — NOT ideology — to City Hall.
Please cite your top three-five priorities should you be elected Mayor and why you believe they are priorities.
Restore Public Safety
There will be no economic recovery in New York City until we can restore trust in the public safety of our city. Unless and until we can achieve and build this foundation, our path to recovery will fall short.
The first step in restoring public safety is rebuilding the destroyed trust between the police and the communities they serve. My public safety plan calls for new leadership, new approaches to training, better partnerships and investments as well as coordination between the police and social service agencies, and a complete reimagining of policing in the 21st century. It also recognizes that the number one responsibility of government is to ensure the safety of its citizens, and that New York City remains a top terror target.
Re-Open New York City
We must re-open our businesses, schools, cultural and arts institutions by following the science and data regarding COVID-19 infection rates and the protocols that prevent transmission of the virus. Inconsistency in reopening policies, as with houses of worship and indoor-dining are destructive; leadership courage is needed.
We also must let the investors, innovators, small business owners and entrepreneurs who are crucial to our economic recovery know that we are open for business in the broader sense—that they will have a reliable partner in revitalizing the city in City Hall—by creating an economic climate that is attractive for business and investment, by investing in technology and city-wide broad band internet access, and by establishing public-private partnerships that will help create a pathway to apprenticeships and jobs for our young people.
The next Mayor must invest in green jobs, technologies, infrastructure and renewable energy sources while easing burdensome regulations, incentivizing public-private partnerships and implementing a carbon dividends program to remunerate New Yorkers based upon our success; finally, our low-wage, front line and essential workers have secure health care, housing and living wages.
Invest in Social Determinants of Whole Health
Access to timely quality healthcare for all New Yorkers is necessary yet insufficient. As the pandemic has demonstrated, public health requires a broader and deeper in investment, ensuring readiness with a pragmatic “all of City” approach to monitoring all current and emerging threats — whether from disease pathogens like COVID-19 or a diverse array of challenges, including gun violence and gang activity, quality education, employment, economic insecurity, intimate partner abuse, serious mental illness, addiction treatment, restorative justice, clean water and safe streets, affordable and accessible housing, multi-modal transit network, social support, nutrition and more. We must improve upon how we prepare, plan and practice our disaster preparedness efforts to synchronize with the myriad needs, including ‘essential worker’ protection, medical equipment, supply chain management, shelter, nutrition, therapeutics, tiered phases and care facilities. As this pandemic reminds us, there is no health without public health.
If elected, what (if anything) would you do differently versus your predecessor (or previous Mayors) and why?
Relationships matter — I will develop productive & respectful working relationships with the Governor, the media, the private sector in general & NYC wealthy in particular, NYPD & all leaders of my Administration and, critically important, the most vulnerable New Yorkers, whose needs, hopes & dreams the current Mayor had utterly & absolutely betrayed through inattention, neglect, incompetence & hubris.
Character counts — I will lead with HEART, exemplifying my lifelong values & commitment to integrity — Honor, Empathy, Accountability, Respect & Teamwork.
Respect for authority & public safety — NYPD has suffered immeasurably due to the Mayor’s conflicted relationship with authority and the rule of the law. The next Mayor must restore trust between communities & cops; reinvest in communities & law enforcement; & work WITH the NYPD & communities to reimagine law enforcement in NYC & then roll up our sleeves & hold all involved accountable to get us there.
Budget discipline & courage — draining the City reserves & begging for borrowing authority from Albany is NOT the way to demonstrate leadership which meets the moment during a pandemic. Bloated City government, failure of affordable housing policy & feckless measures such as the 1-week furlough — symbolic but not even close to matching the seriousness required in this moment.
And many more . . .
What is your plan to help NYC recover from the economic crisis caused by COVID-19?
Economic recovery depends upon the next Mayor’s ability & inclination to do first things first, building a strong foundation encompassing these five actions, upon which all else depends:
** Restore public safety
** Stop the exodus of New Yorkers leaving the City
** Fix the budget
** Open the City for business
** Bring back tourists
Firm, fair, & principled leadership, centered upon core values, are critically important. Serving as Mayor is NOT a popularity contest, neither should it be treated as a springboard to a national platform nor a consolation prize for those who have failed at the national level. New Yorkers deserve a Mayor who truly LOVES our City — its quirks, characters, teams & traditions — and who possesses the character, vision & proven experience to succeed. In short, New Yorkers need a General to lead, a Doctor to heal & a gay Woman to pioneer & achieve, working together, the inclusive City we OUGHT to be. . . ;-)))
Describe how you’d effectively address police misconduct and brutality, particularly as it affects communities of color.
Police misconduct and brutality is inexcusable, no matter where it occurs, but is particularly damaging in communities of color because it destroys trust and legitimacy between the community and the police.
The NYPD has already made significant progress to increase accountability, NYPD Commissioner has recently come to an agreement with the Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB) on the use of a new disciplinary matrix, implemented an early warning and detection system called, the Risk Assessment Information Liability System (RAILS) to quickly identify and discipline officers who have a high number of citizen complaints, appear to be exhibiting bias, over policing, or using excessive force. Additionally, by the end of the year, RAILS will even help identify officers who should NOT be indemnified when the department is sued civilly because of the officers’ actions.
These progressive reforms, in addition to a handful of amended NYPD policies and effective leadership, prior to the COVID -19 pandemic, helped bring UOF incidents resulting in death, the number of “stops”, the number of arrests and summonses, and the number of punitive encounters overall to some of the lowest levels comparatively in the country, while also reducing crime to its lowest levels in decades.
In addition to these effort, I would create a Public Safety Oversight Board (PSOB) to coordinate, triage, track and increase collaboration on misconduct investigations across (DOI NYPD-OIG, NYPD IAB, CCRB and CCPC) and institute a Mayor’s Public Safety (1800) Misconduct Hotline to ensure allegations are expeditiously referred to the appropriate agency.
I would appoint a senior executive to handle all FOIA requests for the release of substantiated officer misconduct records for lesser offenses and ensure substantiated cases for serious offenses were made public once disciplinary or legal action has concluded and I would mandate NYPD participate in the National Decertification Index.
The PSOB would also create Disciplinary Action Panels (DAPs) across the interagency with input from vetted community stakeholders to review completed investigations and apply the disciplinary matrix. Recommendations would be forwarded to the NYPD Commissioner for decision.
The PSOB would also develop decision guidance for the NYPD Commissioner similar to the twelve (mitigating /aggravating) factors, determined by the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board, referred to as the Douglas Factors. The commissioner would have the last word, but the PSOB would conduct quarterly reviews of final decisions to ensure due process, timeliness, consistency, and uniformity of outcomes. These findings would be reported quarterly to the Mayor’s Office and City Council. The commissioner could then be called upon to provide testimony at City Council hearings bi-annually to provide justification for any significant departures from the Matrix.
Describe your plan to address/reduce the NYPD budget while better ensuring public safety and meeting community needs?
Given the City’s financial condition, all city agencies, including the NYPD will have to take a haircut. But I will not jump on the bandwagon of the “Defund Police” movement. My objective is to unify public safety efforts across NYC with social services and community resources.
My reform agenda for policing in NYC, is rooted in the shared responsibility and integrated services approach of public safety resources across all of City government. I have proposed the creation of a Public Security Coordination Council (PSCC) to create strategic priorities, goals, and objectives; operationalize shared services, to find efficiencies and unify decision making to solve complex public safety problems.
I have also proposed the development of a data driven, information sharing and analytics platform to hold all public safety agencies accountable for results and direct the deployment of resources efficiently. Furthermore, I have proposed creating Public Safety Action Teams (PSATs) to integrate city-wide services at the precinct level, ensuring that the right balance of police, social services and community resources are leveraged to solve complex issues like addiction, mental health crisis and homelessness. By combining resources, using technology, and strategically applying both, I believe we can save money find efficiencies and be more effective in how we deliver police and public safety services to our communities.
We also need to take steps to promote fiscal responsibility and evidence-based policies across all NYC public safety agencies. To this end, I would implement a system-wide approach, partnering with non-profit organizations such as the National Police Foundation, Police Executive Research Forum, and the International Association of Chiefs of Police as well as educational institutions to identify best practices and pursue reforms that are based on science and evidence, not political rhetoric. In collaboration with the Mayor’s Office and City Council, I would also champion “smart” legislation that thoughtfully anticipates the benefits and costs to both the community and public safety agencies. Most importantly, these policies public safety solutions would be integrated with underlying conditions of crime such as poverty, education, substance abuse and mental health.
I would also create a Mayor’s Joint Requirements Counsel (JRC) to conduct agency capability assessments, mission gap identification and to explore long term and joint solutions for Acquisitions, Technology and Information Sharing Systems, Facilities and Fleet Management, Staffing and Training, Maintenance and Equipment, Contracts, and Accounting. Through these efforts combined, I believe we can ensure public safety and meet community needs.
What would you do to further LGBTQ+ rights, equity, and justice if elected Mayor?
My Administration would not tolerate discrimination, disrespect, marginalization or oppression in any form. This has been a major part of my life’s work — both in the military for 30 years and now here in NYC… I will leave no stone unturned to make my Administration the most open, forward-thinking Administration in NYC with respect to protecting the rights, enforcing justice & insisting upon equity for our community. There is no greater privilege.
I would serve as a role model for the LGBTQ+ community, with particular focus upon the strengths & needs of seniors, youth, persons with disabilities & transgender individuals.
I would work with police and public safety agencies and personnel to ensure officers are trained/protect from discriminatory policing/police brutality — see my Public Safety plan for details.
I would advance efforts to prevent gender-based & intimate partner violence and to enforce Human Rights & Criminal Hate Crime laws to the fullest extent for all protected classes.
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?
Yes, definitely; this is an important initiative. Going forward, I would consult with the greater LGBTQ+ community to ensure my Administration builds on successes & provides resources to support the future success of the NYC Unity Project according to community feedback.
What would you do differently than your predecessor(s) to address New York City’s affordable housing crisis?
We must be innovative and pragmatic to create the housing stock that actually meets the needs of New York residents. My housing program would include:
Zoning must allow for mixed-use housing/retail/health service developments aligned with transit corridors throughout the City
Excess commercial real estate (pandemic-induced) may be converted to a variety of housing models and approaches
City program allowing apartment dwellers to sublease spare bedrooms to tenants in need must be expanded
Tiny housing complexes and village communities can play a role
Distressed property values represent an opportunity for the City to invest — borrowing for this purpose is a definite improvement over operating expenses
Landlord reforms instituted in the last legislative term in Albany must be revamped to ensure that landlords can recoup maintenance expenses as well as capital investments — the current law will accelerate a “race to the bottom”
A single council member must NOT be allowed to kill a development in his/her district
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?
As the NYC DVC Commissioner, I led the team of teams which reduced veteran homelessness by nearly 90% over the past several years. The key to our success was to understand homelessness as a housing crisis and address those factors.
Enduring homelessness is usually the result of mental health, physical disability, addition and other problems that require supportive housing with wrap-around services. For others, it is the result of a catastrophic event—medical bills, a divorce, job loss. We have to have programs in place to prevent homelessness for these individuals and families and keep them in their homes before they enter the shelter system. For working families who just don’t earn enough to pay rent, we need to provide appropriate affordable housing and offer programs, such as jobs and skill training, that would provide them with opportunities for upward mobility.
Our strategy at DVS also included putting human relationships at the center of our strategy and instituting:
Peer coordinators
Landlord hotline
Aftercare support
Digital tracking database
Case management
Partnerships at all levels
NYLOP projects
Pandemic-borne opportunities to invest in distressed commercial properties /land & convert to permanent housing.
These innovations need to be scaled citywide.
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)?
Yes. I believe single-room housing would fill a large gap in our housing needs/homeless crisis. I support rezoning and changes to existing laws that would allow homeowners to rent out spare bedrooms and other measures that would create more single-room housing.
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?
My life has been one continuing struggle to advocate for, create pathways for and to insist upon gender equity. Simply defined, gender equity means fair treatment for all genders, identities & relational orientations — treatment which is equivalent in terms of rights, benefits, obligations & opportunities.
I commit to bringing my entire life experience in leadership, management, advocacy & service to protect, enhance & enforce gender equity in every facet, sector, borough, community & neighborhood of City life if granted the opportunity to serve as Mayor of the greatest City on earth.
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?
Yes.
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.?
I have raised $230,000 mostly from individual contributors. I do not believe in banning entire industries from supporting my campaign. I evaluate each donation on its individual merits and am capable of determining whose contributions align with my values and which contributions I should reject.
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?
As the only openly gay woman candidate in this race, I would be most honored to receive LID’s endorsement & would pledge my ongoing engagement, advocacy, leadership & support for all within our community whom LID so ably represents.
Yes, I would be beyond proud to advertise LID’s endorsement — EVERYWHERE and ANYWHERE my campaign is featured or represented to all New Yorkers. I am PROUD of who I am and who we all are AND what we can accomplish through working together as one team.