Candidate Answers to CU: Khaleel Anderson for NY Assembly District 31 – 2020 Primary

Name:  Khaleel M Anderson
Office Sought: New York State Assembly District 31
Party Affiliation(s): Democratic/WFP
Age: 23
Education: CUNY-Queens College
Occupation/Employer: CUNY Non-Teaching Adunct
Previous Offices, Campaigns and Community/Civic Involvement:

  • Community Board 14 Member
  • Member of 101st Police Precinct Council
  • Co-Chair Participatory Budgeting Project Youth Committee
  • Board of Director at RYTF Inc.
  • Member of Far Rockaway NAACP
  • Founding Member Ready Rockaway

Website:  www.khaleel4thepeople.com
Twitter:  https://Twitter: .com/KhaleelAnderson
Facebook:   https://www.Facebook.com/khaleel.anderson.9

 

CANDIDATE QUESTIONS

Please state whether you support or oppose the following reform measures. If you wish to elaborate on your answers, you may do so in the provided space at the bottom of this page.

 

Ethics

  1. Replace the Joint Commission on Public Ethics and the Legislative Ethics Commission with an effective and independent enforcement body (S594A/A1282A).
    Support
  1. Limit outside compensation earned by state legislators and statewide officials to 25% of their salaries and eliminate stipends.
    Support

 

Elections and Voting

  1. Do you support or oppose the following changes to the state’s current registration and voting system?
    1. No-excuse absentee voting (second passage of constitutional amendment)
      Support
    2. Election Day voter registration (second passage of constitutional amendment)
      Support
    3. Re-enfranchisement of people on parole automatically through legislation, without requiring a Certificate of Good Conduct or Relief
      Support
    4. Automatic voter registration, unless the potential voter opts out
      Support
    5. Mandating poll sites on college campuses
      Support
  1. Reform the special election process, utilizing a nonpartisan special election for state legislative seats and eliminate delays in filling vacancies.
    Support
  1. Reduce the vote threshold to become a registered party back to 50,000 votes and keep the gubernatorial election as the qualifying election, and reduce the petition requirement for independent candidates back to 15,000 signatures.
    Support

 

Campaign Finance

  1. Amend the state’s public campaign financing system, approved in the 2021 budget, by
    1. Drastically reduce campaign contribution limits
      Support
    2. Set even lower contribution limits for registered lobbyists and those who do business with the state
      Support
    3. Move the campaign finance matching program to be administered by an independent, nonpartisan body outside of the NY Board of Election
      Support
    4. Simplify the matching system by making both in- and out-of-district donations eligible and by eliminating the three different tiers for matching
      Support

 

Budget Process

  1. Require full disclosure of grants and contracts issued by the state, including the budget lines from which the spending is made and reporting on the results of each grant or contract over a certain amount.
    Support
  1. Provide for effective online disclosure and itemization of spending from elected officials’ lump sum appropriations, including reporting on potential conflicts of interest and how the funds are spent.
    Support

 

Police Accountability

  1. Repeal Civil Rights Law, Sec. 50-a, which shields from public view the disciplinary records of police officers, correction officers, and firefighters.
    Support

 

Election Administration

  1. Restructure the state Board of Elections to abolish the strict two-party division of governance and operation and put in place professional, nonpartisan administration.
    Support
  1. Empower the attorney general to investigate and prosecute election law malfeasance and cases of public corruption.
    Support

 

Home Rule

  1. Make mayoral control of city schools permanent, with a governance system that provides for accountability, transparency, parent engagement, and democratic participation.
    Support

 

Court Reform

  1. Simplify and consolidate New York State’s court system by passing the Chief Judge’s proposed constitutional amendment to modernize the courts.
    Support

If needed, you may elaborate below on your positions on the previous questions. You may also provide additional information on any actions that you have taken or plan to take to advance your positions on these issues.

Public financing of elections would ensure that our elected leaders are not bought and paid for by special interests. It would also expand the strength of small dollar donations. In January 2020. myself and 16 other candidates for state office issued a pr

 

RESPONDING TO THE COVID-19 OUTBREAK

Government under the COVID-19 outbreak

  1. Adopt technological solutions and provisions that will allow the New York State legislature to convene and vote remotely if needed.
    Support
  1. Provide public access to observe and participate in government proceedings, in meetings that would be public under the New York Open Meetings Law, via live and recorded video available on government Website:
    Support
  1. Implement immediate programs to facilitate absentee voting for all New York voters as long as the widespread contagion risk of COVID-19 continues, under current state constitutional limitations. This includes electronic submission of absentee ballot applications without a wet signature and a public information campaign.
    Support
  1. What are your concerns regarding the use of emergency powers during this crisis, and how do you think NY government can maintain public accountability standards at this time?
    The use of emergency powers is very necessary during times like this. Checks and balances have to be maintained to make sure funds are being distributed to the right places and being used for the right reasons.

 

Serving the public under the COVID-19 outbreak

  1. What are the biggest challenges in your district in dealing with the coronavirus outbreak?
    The coronavirus outbreak only shed a clearer light on the inequalities and injustices in minority and low income communities, which a majority of my district comprises. The lack of access to resources is obvious as our businesses are on the back-burner for government assistance. The options we have for fresh produce are also inadequate.
  1. What are the appropriate roles of city, state, and federal governments in a crisis such as this?
    City:The City of New York should be focused on medical supply distribution, protecting immigrants where the federal government has failed in this vain, NYC DOHMH PSAs about COVID-19 protection, wearing masks, etc.

    The NYPD should not enforce social distancing regulations. This should be the responsibility of community groups and educators whose goal is to educate and empower people with information.

    State:
    Research and data collection

    Passing legislation that creates a database that studies racial impact of healthcare shut-out neighborhoods

    Creating new permanent hospitals in neighborhoods that lost them previously or have transmission rates.

    Protecting small business and immigrants and other vulnerable populations.

    Federal: Address food shortage by authorizing more funds for SNAP. Ensure that small businesses have resources to stay afloat. Research and national strategy for purchasing medical equipment and other supplies. Coordinating with CDC and other nations that have had positive results with slowing COVID-19.

  1. How will you help your future constituents, residents and businesses, access potential funding from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, or any other future government relief funds?
    The first wave of CARES ACT funding virtually ignored black and brown owned businesses, creating a further racial disparity with the private banking system that has historically denied loans/grants to this population. Furthermore we need public banking so that private banks that do NOT follow the guidelines of the Community Reinvestment Act can be held accountable. When elected we are committed to: 1. Information/resource sharing regarding relief funds, 2. virtual town halls and workshops on how to complete the necessary paperwork for the funds. We will also hold one-on-one sessions with individuals or business owners to ensure they have documents needed. We talked to dozens of local business owners who were reliant upon PPP funds but the funds ran out and there was no real public information campaign educating people on the deadlines forms needed, etc. 3. We would use the office to continue food distribution in frontline neighborhoods that already suffered from food inequity.

 

CAMPAIGN PROMISES MADE TO VOTERS

What are the top five promises you are making to the voters during the campaign?

Campaign Promise 1

Housing
Housing is a basic human right for all. To that end, we are committed to re-creating aspects of the housing market that has repeatedly failed black families and brown families. With close to 50% of the district facing rent-burden, with home foreclosures on the rise and the public housing stock deteriorating there is a need for a coherent strategy to address these three issues and beyond. We will commit the time, energy and legislative muscle to make this a reality for all.

Campaign Promise 2

Transparency
We need an Assembly-member who is present, available, and proactive on the issues that impact this district. We commit to being involved in the community in all relevant capacities. We commit to making sure that our votes are explained to voters and that the projects we are working on in our office are public.

Campaign Promise 3

Environmental Racism
Every community is entitled to a healthy environment, but historically in Assembly District 31, we suffer far more from environmental risks than any other neighborhood.In Southeast Queens and the Rockaways, several environmental injustice issues loom large. We are committed to the fight that ensures we reduce our impact on the environment, find ways to create green employment opportunities and address airplane noise which contributes to air pollution in the neighborhood.

Campaign Promise 4

Transportation
We are committed to being a voice for public transportation across the neighborhood. We need buses that connect folks and make sense. We are committed to ensuring that bus/train routes changes are done with real community input and activism.

Campaign Promise 5

Jobs and the Economy
In New York communities of color have experienced limited economic growth As compared to their white counterparts. It is vitally important to recognize the disparities in economic development based off of race class gender and other social aspects. We are committed to ensuring that major development includes spaces for economic opportunity and job creation. We need an economy that works for the many not the few. We are committed to looking at creative ways to addressing the high unemployment rate facing this district.

 

 

ETHICAL REPRESENTATION OF CONSTITUENTS

Citizens Union believes that all New Yorkers deserve to be represented by officials who work for the public interest and honor the public trust. With the corruption conviction of recent legislative leaders, we seek to endorse a candidate who will demonstrate that she/he will honor the full commitment of the oath of office, and always represent the public interest above all else.

 

Please tell us how you have and would continue to conduct the political affairs of this office in an upright manner, and maintain the public trust.

The single most important aspect of being an elected leader is trust. People need to trust their leadership, trust that they are upholding their oath and trust their commitment to actively working to improve the lives of our neighbors. We need elected leaders who do not go back on their word and communicate truthfully and ethically with the people even if the position is not popular. Our campaign takes seriously the commitments we make to our community. It is our job to enforcing the social contract of this democracy by being ethical officials.

As an organizer, activist, and community board member Khaleel has always followed a strict code of ethics. Building trust with community leaders, standing firm in the fight and holding true to his values and ideas. He would continue to ensure that ethics and trust are at the center of his decision-making processes.   

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