City Council District 38 – Democratic Primary 2013

 

 

Age: 32

Occupation: Full-time candidate
Education: Jesuit University of San Francisco (BA)

 

Carlos Menchaca believes his success in life is due in part to the government assistance he received, and wants to serve because he believes government can help others as it did him. He gained experience in public service by working in the Brooklyn Borough President’s Office and in coordinating volunteers in Red Hook to provide assistance in response to Hurricane Sandy. On reform issues, Menchaca believes public matching funds should not be used to pay for lobbying services. He supports instant runoff voting to make elections more efficient. He believes the City Council should be made more decentralized by creating an independent bill drafting office, and changing the way that discretionary funds are allocated so distribution is based on need and community input. Beyond reform issues, Menchaca wants to provide further relief in response to Hurricane Sandy. He seeks to alleviate overcrowding in schools, particularly in Sunset Park, create a recreational area along the waterfront in addition to industrial jobs. Citizens Union believes Menchaca is articulate and thoughtful on reform issues. He is an engaging candidate who would emphasize reform if elected. He earns our preference.

 

 

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Sara M. Gonzalez is running for her third City Council term because she wants to give her district the funding that it deserves and complete projects she started. Regarding reform issues, Gonzalez cites stop, question, and frisk as her most important issue, believing her district is especially affected by these stops. She supports passage of the Community Safety Act. She stated that the City Council and the Board of Elections need to be reformed, but did not provide any specific proposals for changing either. She stated that, in retrospect, she would not vote for extending term limits as she did in 2008. Within her district, she said that reducing class size, enhancing services and aid for immigrants, and creating more affordable housing are priorities. Gonzalez lacked knowledge of Citizens Union’s reform agenda, and therefore we do not believe she would advocate for reform during a third term in office.