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2005 COMMUNITY ELECTION GUIDE
Primary Election: September 13, 2005
Anthony Weiner’s Response:
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Question One:
The astronomical rise in property values is a double-edged sword. While it has been a boon for wealthy property owners, it has meant higher property taxes for many New York City residents, who have passed those costs onto renters, many of whom are being priced out of what were once affordable neighborhoods. I believe we should use the value of property to create more middle class housing. Where existing programs to develop new housing have set aside only 20% for low income housing, I believe an additional 20% should be set aside for the middle class.
Question Two:
The residents of Flushing are among those who understand the challenges of astronomical property values. Residents have seen their property taxes grow at an average above 40%. That means that the City Hall has to do a better job ensuring that middle class housing is available in the neighborhood. I will fight hard to ensure that more apartments in Flushing are set aside for the middle class.
Question Three:
I will work hard to ensure that middle class New Yorkers in Chinatown, the Lower East Side, and neighborhoods throughout the five boroughs are able to find housing that they can afford.
Question Four:
I will make sure that all funds go straight to the classroom. The current administration has diverted funding to dysfunctional programs to pay parents to serve as the liaisons to other parents – a program that has been called “a $40 million failure” – and train non-educators to become school principals. Those funds would be better spent teaching our kids, building new classrooms, and hiring more teachers to reduce class sizes.
Question Five:
The police force has been reduced 13% from its maximum force strength just a few years ago, meaning fewer officers are available to patrol neighborhoods throughout the five boroughs, including Chinatown/LES. Additionally, it means that fewer resources are available for translation services. I will restore the NYPD to its full force strength.
Question Six:
I will do everything possible to alleviate the traffic congestion problems that plague Chinatown, and to ensure that security precautions do not negatively affect emergency service response times.
Question Seven:
While New York may never return to the days of old, where factories, breweries and warehouses dotted the coasts of Manhattan, Queens, and Brooklyn, I don’t think we should treat the loss of jobs in the garment industries as inevitable. We need to think comprehensively about how we can ensure that good jobs like those that have been lost in Chinatown remain here in the five boroughs.
Question Eight:
In Congress I fought Republican plans to require healthcare providers to inform immigration authorities when an undocumented worker seeks treatment. I will work hard to ensure that the resources required to provide translation services to non-English speaking patients are accessible everywhere.
Question Nine:
I fought against the REAL ID Act in Congress, and I will never hesitate to be vocal in support of immigrant rights when I am mayor.
Question Ten:
Diversity – particularly among the immigrant community – has been one of the most important factors in ensuring that New York remains the capital of the world. City government should reflect the strength of that diversity, and you can be sure that a Weiner administration will reflect the best of every community in the five boroughs.
Click for other candidate’s response.
Fernando Ferrer
C. Virginia Fields
A. Gifford Miller
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