Assemblymember Yuh-Line Niou (photograph: Wikimedia Commons)
Max Politics Podcast: Yuh-Line Niou Runs for Congress within the New NY-10
Recorded July 19, 2022
Listen to the audio here, or at Max Politics wherever you get podcasts.
Democratic main day: August 23, 2022
District: Decrease Manhattan & elements of Brooklyn (see map here)
Transcript:
Ben Max: [Longer intro…] Assemblymember Yuh-Line Niou, thanks for being right here and taking the time. How are you at present?
Yuh-Line Niou: Thanks a lot for having me. It is all the time good to be in your present.
Ben Max: Thanks for becoming a member of me, good. So, we’re talking right here, as I stated, simply after former Mayor de Blasio introduced he is dropping out of this race. This isn’t the place I anticipated to start out with you, however why do not you share your response to the information of the previous mayor dropping out of this main?
Yuh-Line Niou: I believe that it’s democracy, and everyone ought to have the ability to run, and I simply needed to say, I assume, for the final 20 years plus, I imagine that he has been a public servant. I do know that being in public service myself, it isn’t straightforward, and it is a actually, actually tough option to make for what you wish to do together with your life to just remember to’re serving folks and serving your constituency. So I want him effectively, and I believe that I recognize that he was keen to place over 20 plus years of his life into service.
Ben Max: Any sense of what you suppose type of did him in with the voters of this district specifically. It is a district residence to his authentic political base, which appeared to have type of left him or he left it someday throughout his mayoralty. A whole lot of type of disillusioned progressive Brooklyn voters who elected him to the town council, helped elect him public advocate, mayor. What do you suppose, and also you are actually one thing of a progressive customary bearer in New York, you’ve gotten the endorsement of the Working Households Celebration, which Invoice de Blasio helped to start out, what do you suppose did the mayor in, by way of his relationships with the type of progressive base of a minimum of Brooklyn the place he got here by?
Yuh-Line Niou: I am not truly certain what would have been any type of set off or something like that, however I positively suppose that it is actually vital to listen to your constituents, hear them out, and be keen to hear, and I believe that there is quite a lot of points that individuals may not 100% agree on, and even vehemently disagree on. However I believe that what is absolutely vital is to ensure that we even have the power to have the ability to have any individual who’s listening, who’s all the time keen to take a seat down, even have the time, make the time. It does not matter the place they’re speaking to you from, however to satisfy them the place they’re, meet your whole constituents the place they’re, and to be keen to hearken to all the problems and perceive why any individual thinks the way in which they do, even when they disagree with you. And I believe that it is actually vital to take that point, and I believe that over time, folks as they’re in several positions might need a more durable time reaching folks, and perhaps that could possibly be a frustration. I do know that as an meeting member, I positively have all the time tried to make that point, however I do know that there are moments when persons are annoyed with me even after we used to have the ability to discuss on a regular basis, and typically it makes it so it is more durable for us to have the ability to attain one another. It does not imply I do not care, and it does not imply that I do not regard everyone’s ideas, however I might perceive how typically it is more durable.
Ben Max: All proper, we will discuss with others and perhaps the previous mayor himself about all that one other time. However let’s get into your candidacy right here for the brand new tenth congressional district of New York, which as I stated within the introduction, features a large chunk of Decrease Manhattan — a part of what you signify now within the meeting — and a giant swath of Brooklyn. So why are you on this race? Broad strokes, we’ll get right into a bunch of specifics. However what drew you to this race? Why are you operating right here for Congress?
Yuh-Line Niou: I imply, clearly, our complete nation proper now could be in disaster. I actually am seeing that lots of people are very scared. We’ve got lots of people who’re getting killed each single day. In the case of mass shootings, our nation has skilled extra mass shootings than there are days of the 12 months. I imply, even throughout July 4, we have seen two mass shootings, the place kids misplaced their dad and mom. One little boy misplaced each of his dad and mom and one lady misplaced her mother. And persons are dropping their rights. We noticed in Buffalo, how horrifying it was, and persons are actually struggling. And we now have misplaced our bodily autonomy. I believe that proper now, we actually must proceed to battle for our rights as folks. I’ve already represented a part of this district within the state meeting for the previous six years, and I believe I’ve represented it rather well. 100% of my Meeting district, as you had talked about earlier, is within this NY-10 district, and I actually wish to proceed to signify my neighbors, my neighborhood, as a result of I believe that proper now, our nation is on this second of apathy, proper, the place quite a lot of instances, it is identical to these horrible issues are taking place to us and we really feel like we will not do something to vary it. However as a teen who’s simply began working in public service once I was in, I assume, in faculty, I actually realized that there are quite a lot of instances when folks make it seem to be there’s some large secret to accessing authorities, however it’s actually simply that there are highly effective folks which might be in authorities proper now, that do not need us to comprehend that we even have the facility to make the modifications that we wish to see. And so I do know that it is vital for us to run as a result of we’re then exhibiting that after we mobilize and are available collectively, we will make authorities work for us.
Ben Max: Who within the district are you most targeted on type of making an attempt to ensure that their voices are heard? Like many congressional districts, there’s quite a lot of totally different communities and quite a lot of totally different neighborhoods on this new NY-10. An enormous chunk of the voting inhabitants is white, however there’s two Chinatowns within the district, together with the one you signify presently in Manhattan. There’s two giant, greater than two giant Latino neighborhoods. It is a various district, there’s an Orthodox Jewish a part of Borough Park. How are you excited about type of being a voice for the residents of this district, and never all of these residents are voters within the Democratic main, however who’re you seeking to type of actually hear out and signify and attraction to on this district?
Yuh-Line Niou: After all, there’s the vote, however then additionally the truth that if you’re representing any district, if you’re representing in any seat, you need to signify everyone who’s inside that district, and you need to even be keen to listen to everyone out. And once more, I believe it is actually about being listener and being any individual who’s keen to go and meet folks the place they’re at. And for me, I have a tendency to have a look at ensuring that issues are accessible for all, and also you and I’ve talked about this at size earlier than, however I believe that it is so vital for us to have the ability to have the lens of trying by all laws and all illustration as ‘Is that this going to assist with social justice? Is that this going to make it in order that we now have ecological and environmental justice? And is that this going to make it in order that we’re issues with disabilities centered in our dialog? Or is that this making it in order that we are literally financial justice?’ We’ve got to ask these questions. Let’s shut the racial wealth hole — does this make it in order that we’re making it in order that issues are extra only for each single individual, proper. And I believe that after we are all of those items, I believe that we now have to be combating for individuals who are essentially the most susceptible in our communities, as a result of after we try this, we’re then uplifting everybody. After we construct a ramp, everyone walks over it or goes over it and makes use of it, and every time we’re speaking about language accessibility, we’re making it so that everyone can have entry to providers, proper. So all the things must ensure that we now have to talk to essentially the most susceptible always, and I believe that that is actually type of the place I am coming from when it comes from laws and illustration.
Ben Max: In your authentic reply and whilst you’re operating, you bought at a few of the large points that quite a lot of Democrats particularly are targeted on proper now. However are there particular insurance policies that you’d most champion in Congress? There’s quite a lot of settlement, and in lots of Democratic primaries, particularly in New York Metropolis on quite a lot of the massive stuff: defending abortion rights, advancing extra gun management, a few of the belongings you consult with. However what can be prime priorities for you in the event you had been elected by way of insurance policies and areas to concentrate on?
Yuh-Line Niou: Yeah, so one of many issues that I’d positively be specializing in, which I believe a few different legislators have already checked out, which is ensuring that we’re social infrastructure spending. I believe that basically passing the Inexperienced New Deal, taking our battle for working folks in Albany to the halls of Congress. We will actually construct an economic system that basically works for normal New Yorkers. One of many greatest issues that I communicate on on a regular basis is making an attempt to totally fund our public housing. After we are in Albany, I’ll say that I pushed and pushed and pushed to ensure that our state took some accountability for our public housing. And once I was elected, I wrote a letter to Carl [Heastie, the Assembly Speaker], ensuring that each single one among our elected officers who signify public housing of their districts was on that letter, and we had been capable of lastly get $100 million for the very first time for capital {dollars} to spend from Albany. And we continued to battle each single 12 months and we acquired increasingly more {dollars} till now, we now have put over a billion {dollars} into public housing. However each single time I fought for public housing on the state degree, folks informed me it is a federal challenge, and for this reason we need not fund it, and for this reason we will not fund it, and so forth., and so forth., and so forth.
They gave me a ton of various excuses, however the greatest the largest factor that I believe that we have to do is ensure that we’re totally funding our public housing as a result of we now have divested, our federal authorities has divested for many years, from our public housing, and it is actually, actually vital that we’re ensuring that we’re funding all of our capital wants. It means passing the Inexperienced New Deal to direct federal funds to guard our public housing. They’ve a complete Inexperienced New Public Housing Deal within it. They usually even have a Inexperienced New Public Colleges inside. That is Jamaal Bowman’s invoice within this bundle, and that is one thing that will be so useful to all of our faculties proper now, as a result of as we all know, a few of our faculties have aged infrastructure. And likewise, we’ve not talked quite a bit concerning the air flow, the way in which that it has been so vital for us to have that air flow for thus lots of our college students due to COVID. These are totally different ways in which we will actually bridge that hole. And I additionally suppose, clearly, we now have to actually take care of a few of the local weather change points that basically plague Decrease Manhattan and Brooklyn, and shore up the defenses of our small companies whereas creating robust union jobs within the course of. That is actually, actually great things within the Inexperienced New Deal. And it additionally means doing in Congress what I did in Albany, which is successful our neighborhood a bigger share of presidency help for that true reasonably priced housing, to make sure individuals who dwell and work in us can preserve their head above water. And clearly, if we work collectively, we will make an economic system that works for all New Yorkers.
Ben Max: In a democratic supermajority within the State Meeting, you’ve got been one of many voices on the left type of actually making an attempt to push the dialog in that extra leftward progressive route, voting no on plenty of price range payments, actually making an attempt to say ‘This isn’t sufficient, we ought to be growing taxes on the rich additional,’ and investing much more cash in providers and packages and public housing and so forth. Would you see your self enjoying an analogous position in Congress, given the present panorama? And once more, for the sake of quite a lot of this dialogue, we will type of assess the present congressional panorama. There’s an opportunity clearly that Democrats lose the home majority within the coming elections. However by way of that position and that type of progressive left voice, how would you see your self within the Home?
Yuh-Line Niou: Yeah, I imply, I believe that there is clearly a necessity for political braveness proper now, greater than ever, in our Congress. And we now have a majority within the Senate, we now have a majority within the Home, and so clearly, we even have a Democratic president. And I believe that it is actually about ensuring that we’re individuals who have that political braveness so as to battle for the issues that we desperately want as a result of we need not save seats — what we have to do is save our folks. And so I all the time suppose that it is actually vital that we vote for any individual who’s keen to face in entrance of our folks and ensure that they take the hits. I believe that one of many greatest issues for me is that I do know that progressives are going to battle like hell to maintain the Home majority. We all the time have, we all the time will, but when there is a threat of dropping it, we nonetheless have an vital position to play. And one, even within the minority, we is usually a roadblock to conservative overreach. Two, we is usually a voice of ethical authority within the face of assaults on our rights or giveaways to the rich. And three, we will develop coverage and laws that may enhance folks’s lives after we take the bulk, which we’ll.
And I’ve labored throughout the aisle in Albany, clearly, to get laws handed, however I believe it is vital to be sincere about what bipartisanship means after we’re speaking concerning the congressional degree, and when we now have sitting Congress individuals who truly voted towards certifying the 2020 presidential election outcomes, and electeds who actively deliberate, promoted, and took part in a violent assault towards our democracy. And if folks in our authorities are actively working towards our democracy, I am not likely certain what attaining a bipartisanship even seems like when bipartisanship is clearly solely doable when the celebration throughout the aisle is not actively working to undo our democracy or violently hurt their colleagues in a fascist coup. And I am blissful to clearly work with anybody who can go that litmus take a look at.
Ben Max: A few of what you are saying about braveness and about having the majorities and about having a Democratic president. What do you make of federal management, Democratic management? Senate Majority Chief Schumer, who clearly is from Brooklyn, Speaker Pelosi, President Biden. Is a part of your marketing campaign right here for Congress concerning the want for generational change, is it concerning the want for some type of critique these leaders, that they have not actually tailored or adjusted to the trendy Republican Celebration that they are actually coping with? And in some methods, clearly, Schumer and Pelosi have acknowledged that, and in some methods, Biden appears to have come round to acknowledge that, although he type of ran on the concept that he might get Republicans to return to extra bipartisanship. They’ve had a few bipartisan accomplishments on infrastructure and the latest gun laws, however it’s a part of your pitch right here concerning the want for generational change in Congress. Are you somebody who would positively be searching for a distinct speaker of the home than Nancy Pelosi in the event you had been within the Home majority?
Yuh-Line Niou: So for me, I believe that I am any individual who’s all the time spoken reality to energy. Iit did not matter if it was towards my very own management or the governor, proper, and I believe that I have been very sincere about all the things that I’ve seen. I spoke up towards Cuomo, I did, I spoke up once I felt just like the austerity price range was going to kill us. And I felt like we misplaced quite a lot of lives as a result of as an alternative of passing a price range that will be one thing that was going to make us wholesome, blissful, and entire once more, we had been slicing and slashing well being care funds and social providers, and schooling {dollars} at first of a worldwide world pandemic, proper. We had been doing that, and we must always have been investing in our communities. I really feel like that goes to indicate that I would like to have the ability to, it doesn’t matter what, be accountable to my constituents and the individuals who selected to have me signify them, and I believe that that is crucial factor. Even when it means talking up when it is uncomfortable, even when it means talking out when folks need you to toe the established order line, and I believe that it is vital for us to have any individual who’s keen to do this.
Ben Max: Let me throw a few the a few of the widespread criticisms of you and see what your responses are on these two issues. One is, one strategy to body a few of this, as you stated, is type of having braveness and talking out and talking reality to energy. However some folks say, ‘Properly, you are all the time you are all the time type of saying no to all the things,’ that you just’re all the time saying ‘This isn’t sufficient,’ and vote no unsure price range offers, oppose particular initiatives within the district. What’s your response to that critique that you just’re type of by no means keen to type of get to sure and make extra compromise, and never by no means clearly, that is type of a overstatement, however that you just’re type of too hesitant to come back alongside and get to some compromises and virtually all the time against issues.
Yuh-Line Niou: I’m very not often against issues. I believe that is why the issues which might be shining out are actually the instances once I do say no, and I believe that I do say no to issues that must be stated no to. I believe that quite a lot of instances if you’re seeing a price range like that, and also you’re seeing that there is schooling cuts which might be making it in order that college students, when you understand, youngsters should not going to have the ability to go to highschool in individual and they’ll battle. You may’t skim, you need to just remember to’re talking out when you understand that it is a healthcare disaster and also you see that the governor is taking away healthcare {dollars} and underfunding, like you could say no. And in case you are seeing that, you understand that sooner or later, that social providers are going to forestall worse deaths or forestall hurt to folks, that you need to say no. I believe that there are moments when that’s the brave factor to do. And I believe that if any individual’s paying consideration, then they’d say no to, however I believe quite a lot of instances issues are taking place and folks aren’t paying consideration. And I believe that as a result of I concentrate and I learn all the things, and I attempt to be actually thorough, and I attempt to increase the query, and if these questions should not answered, then I can not be OK with this till I’ve my questions answered for these explicit points. And I believe that each single time when I’ve had the braveness to exit and battle for folk, I am simply actually making an attempt to shine a light-weight on a few of the locations the place persons are not given the power to shine the sunshine on the conventional darkness and opaqueness of presidency. And I’d say that it is actually about accessibility, making an attempt to speak to my constituents first about what is occurring, after which I believe that due to my speeches on issues, due to my readability on the explanation behind one thing, persons are truly extra concerned and have extra say within the course of. And I believe that that is all the time one thing that is good in authorities.
Ben Max: How do you consider this district, this congressional district, and it clearly expands fairly a bit into Brooklyn and different elements of Manhattan than you presently signify. However about bringing extra housing into the district, and the talk over what it means to type of be progressive on housing points. You hear from some folks, for instance the chair of the Metropolis Council housing committee, Pierina Ana Sanchez, who’s speaking concerning the want for extra housing in all places and of every kind. However then there is a fairly robust type of left-leaning group of individuals on many points who’re fairly often against quite a lot of new housing improvement, and largely as a result of they are saying it isn’t reasonably priced sufficient. How are you excited about that with respect to this bigger tenth congressional district and the significance of housing improvement broadly and reasonably priced housing inside that dialog?
Yuh-Line Niou: Yeah, completely. So one of many greatest issues is I’m very a lot in, I believe in quite a lot of methods, in each these cans. We do must construct much more housing, and we have to ensure that it’s deeply reasonably priced, completely reasonably priced, and likewise one thing that individuals can afford, as a result of I’ve seen throughout my district, quite a lot of luxurious housing that individuals cannot afford. And I believe that it is actually vital for us to have the ability to you’ll want to construct reasonably priced housing and ensure that folks have these packages. And I’ll say that we now have quite a lot of housing developments that go on in decrease Manhattan. Density is clearly not a problem with me, and I believe that it is one thing that’s vital. It lowers the carbon footprint, it helps to ensure that we now have much more folks with the ability to come and go simpler. We even have the very, crucial factor of getting extra models in the marketplace, proper.
Clearly in Decrease Manhattan, we now have buildings which might be even on prime of buildings. However what I do suppose is absolutely vital is folks do not realize what number of developments are occurring that individuals do not actually have any say over. However I do suppose that it is actually vital that if we do on the town degree have any type of public house or type of public housing or something like that that’s constructed there, then we now have to ensure that folks can truly afford it. And I believe that we now have to ensure that issues are deeply reasonably priced, completely reasonably priced, and if one thing’s taken away from any individual for public good, then we now have to ensure that we exchange it with one other public good, proper. And I believe that it is actually vital for us to have the ability to be vocal when the neighborhood has any pushback, as a result of we signify our folks and we now have to ensure that we’re representing what the folks need out of all of those totally different developments, and I believe that that is crucial factor. I believe that it is actually about ensuring that we now have a neighborhood that works for everybody.
Ben Max: As I discussed earlier, there’s a few fairly giant majority Asian communities on this new tenth congressional district. One among them is Manhattan’s Chinatown, which is presently in your meeting district. On no account making a plurality or a majority of voters on this new district, however the brand new district does mix these two important closely Asian communities. How are you excited about illustration and Asian illustration in Congress as a part of this run? And forgive me, however as a part of this query, we have seen some motion of Asian American voters in direction of the Republican Celebration in New York Metropolis and elsewhere. How are you excited about that and what’s on the root of that? And as a progressive, how are you excited about type of successful over a few of these voters who is perhaps disaffected from the Democratic Celebration who’re registered Democrats most definitely?
Yuh-Line Niou: So at the beginning, that is a number of questions and I’ll attempt to take it. I really like them, actually vital questions. So at the beginning, this district truly designated by this particular grasp included each Chinatowns on goal, each the Brooklyn-side Chinatown on Bat Dai Do [8th Avenue] is what we name it, and likewise in Chinatown right here in Decrease Manhattan, which we name it Táng Rén Jiē. And so we now have each of our Chinatowns voting collectively for the primary time and an open main, and it is actually vital as a result of if we now have this chance to have the ability to have Asian American illustration, that is actually what this district was type of slated for by the particular grasp. But when we do not truly win this seat, then for 10, 20, 30, perhaps years, we’d not have the ability to have one other alternative to have the ability to have one other Asian American consultant from New York on the congressional degree. And right here in New York, we clearly have one Asian American on the congressional degree — Grace Meng, she’s wonderful. However we additionally haven’t had one other American consultant ever, so I believe that it is actually vital that we do have that illustration as a result of nationwide, Asian People make up over 7% of the nation’s inhabitants, and but we now have lower than 1% of illustration right here in Congress. And so I believe that it is actually vital for us to have the ability to have extra Asian American illustration as a result of as we all know, it is vital to have the ability to have various lenses so as to make higher coverage.
And so throughout this time particularly, we noticed such a rise in anti-Asian hate, antisemitism, we now have seen Islamophobia in a means that we will not even describe. There’s a lot hatred occurring all through our nation that it is actually vital that individuals acknowledge that quite a lot of instances after we’re seeing this type of hatred, this type of concern all through, the aim of that type of terrorism, that type of hatred, is to make us afraid and to make us not present up for issues, not run for issues, simply to cover, I assume. And I believe that is why it is a lot extra vital that we now have visibility and that we now have any individual who’s operating that appears like us and helps us to have the ability to break a few of the stereotypes and break a few of the hatred and the perpetual foreigner syndrome that our nation buys into, proper. And I believe that it is actually vital for us to have the ability to have these conversations as effectively.
I’ll say that I’m not shocked by of us being disillusioned with the Democratic Celebration with regards to our Asian American communities as a result of I’ll say that in this pandemic and for a lot of, a few years earlier than it, we now have not had the illustration to actually have the ability to communicate for our communities in a means that issues. Till I used to be elected in our New York State Legislature, we did not even have line gadgets for our neighborhood organizations, for our Asian American neighborhood organizations in our price range. We had no put aside funding for our Asian American teams as a complete, and I felt like that was one thing that wanted to vary and we had been capable of convey, for the primary time, when it was very obvious to me after we had been speaking about authorized providers for our immigrant communities, and there was funding for everyone aside from the Asian American teams, I used to be shocked. And it was known as the Liberty Protection Fund, you may look it up, it was put collectively by the IDC truly, and I used to be shocked that Asian People weren’t included in that funding. And so I fought to ensure that we had some {dollars}. And Carl [Heastie, the Assembly Speaker] truly, to his credit score, gave us 300,000, and stated that was a begin and that I might battle for extra later. So then I fought for extra later, we acquired one other 600k. After which we had been lastly capable of get final 12 months, $10 million to our Asian American organizations for the primary time ever within the historical past of the nation, in all probability. After which in California, they really copied us and had been capable of ship lots of of hundreds of thousands of {dollars} to our Asian American communities.
After which this 12 months, we had been capable of double what we had been capable of give for Asian American communities and anti-hate work to twenty million. So it was actually unbelievable to have the ability to see and I used to be capable of triple the {dollars} that our yeshivas acquired for protections like towards hate crimes, so a few of the {dollars} for cameras, and so forth. These sorts of {dollars} are actually vital in order that we will cease the hatred that we’re seeing, and in order that’s why from my finish, I am not shocked by the Asian American inhabitants getting a little bit bit extra disillusioned with how little we have protected them. The anti-Asian hate is absolutely, actually scary and scary, and I believe that it is actually vital for us to have the ability to present the sources so as to fight it.
Ben Max: I type of wish to attempt to get to a couple extra issues in our final 5 or so minutes right here. Simply rapidly, yet another on that. There appears to be, and once more, it is exhausting to quantify precisely, however there appears to be some hole between some portion of Asian American communities and the progressive imaginative and prescient round divesting from police funding to go to another neighborhood packages. And once more, perhaps in the event you’re saying a few of this work you’ve got finished to focus on some new funding into packages that really profit in Asian American communities, then folks would possibly see a few of that in another way, however there appears to be a little bit of a spot, once more not in totality, however some portion of Asian American communities right here in New York Metropolis round that progressive push. How do you type of attempt to bridge that hole, as a result of you’ve gotten been way more firmly within the camp of ‘Let’s transfer funding away from regulation enforcement into extra neighborhood packages?’”
Yuh-Line Niou: Yeah, I believe that it is about educating everybody on why it is so vital that we now have funding for the packages which might be actually vital in serving to with ending poverty, creating neighborhood security, like actual neighborhood security, and we now have to speak about security as one thing that is vital to all of us on this in the actual neighborhood security sense. As a result of after we’re speaking about altering what security, in that dialog round security, to actually speak about what truly retains us protected. It’s not having any individual reply to you after one thing horrible has occurred. It is about ensuring that we’re stopping these horrible issues from taking place and it is presupposed to be, ‘Hey, when you have any individual checking in on you,’ if we now have lots of people ensuring that there are providers for folk who want them, after which if we now have providers for folk who’re additionally eager to ensure that they will have psychological well being providers or the power to have the ability to speak about what’s taking place contained in the neighborhood. It is going to assist us to have the ability to have extra of a capability to battle again within the sense of actually simply prevention, proper. And I believe that the extra schooling that we now have, the extra illustration that we now have, the extra range that we now have in our illustration, the extra that we’ll truly have the ability to cowl the issues that trigger it so that individuals do not get providers.
One of many greatest issues is language entry. Proper now, our authorities and our regulation enforcement, we do not have people who find themselves talking our languages truly serving to us on the bottom, proper. And I believe it is actually exhausting when you’ve gotten like an app or one thing telling you one thing, or you do not hear any individual speaking to you since you do not perceive that they are chatting with you. And I believe that it is actually vital that we’re speaking about how we will get extra of these providers. Majority of the circumstances that we get in our workplace are actually like any individual simply needing some translation assist to get the providers that they already qualify for, proper. And so I believe that it is actually vital to assist us to have the ability to get these sorts of providers going after which ensuring that our authorities is definitely capable of get us to issues that we’d like. That greatest factor, once more, being funding in direction of our neighborhood organizations so as to have the ability to present them.
Ben Max: Alright, thanks. So let’s attempt to get a little bit readability on one thing that blew up associated to you within the information not too long ago. The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions motion that is targeted on Israel, the disapproval of actions by the Israeli authorities and different points. You informed Jewish Insider that you just imagine in the precise to protest as a basic tenet of Western democracy, so I do help BDS. Then I noticed a tweet from a Jewish neighborhood chief, Alexander Rapaport, who stated that you just informed him and others locally that you’re towards BDS. Are you able to make clear your stance on this, and simply attempt to type of give us the place you stand on this challenge?
Yuh-Line Niou: So at the beginning, that tweet. I believe that it was perhaps made in joking, I do not know. However that was not, yeah, I didn’t say sufficient issues. I’ll say that I’m adamantly dedicated to the protection, safety, and effectively being of all Jewish folks, whether or not they dwell in my district in New York, in america, in Israel, or wherever else on the planet. I’ve devoted my private and public life to combating for all focused communities impacted by bigotry, by white supremacy, and nationalism, and that has and can all the time embrace my Jewish neighbors. And with regards to Israel and Palestine, I help the BDS motion’s proper to political speech. I used to be very, very clear about that, together with boycotts and financial strain. I additionally share the motion’s dedication to human rights. I believe that that is for everybody within the area. I do know that boycotts are tried to and revered and constitutionally protected, non-violent tactic for human rights and social justice actions, and I believe that it is actually vital that we have the ability to proceed to have the ability to make the most of that software, proper. And so from the motion towards like South African apartheid to my very own mentors’ greatest causes was the nice boycott in solidarity with the United Farm Employees to the Montgomery Bus Boycotts to battle segregation. I believe that it is actually vital that we’re capable of have that political speech, whether or not it is in direction of our authorities or our authorities’s relationships with different governments.
Ben Max: And in giving full-throated help for the precise to do these items, do you additionally take into account your self a supporter of that BDS motion?
Yuh-Line Niou: I imply, I personally, myself, , I believe that it is actually vital for us to know, I imagine our tax {dollars} ought to by no means be used to violate human rights, which is why I additionally help laws that will forestall federal funds from going to the persecution of Palestinians or to the development of settlements. And I believe that the one means that we now have a voice in that is the direct negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians are going. We’ve got to ensure that they’re those who’re truly, since they’re closest to their very own ache, clearly, that there are a lot of issues that they will do, and I believe that they must be those to make that call. This challenge is one which’s private to me. A few of you might know the story of Rachel Corrie. She was a younger activist who was killed by an armored bulldozer whereas protesting for Palestinian rights. She was my classmate and she or he was my buddy, and she or he was a part of a motion and that motion clearly deserves the precise to be heard. And so this is the underside line, I will simply say it out loud that I might be a robust voice in Congress towards occupation and in help of equality, justice, and a thriving future for all Israelis and Palestinians. So I believe that the one means we get there may be by direct negotiation between Israelis and Palestinians themselves.
Ben Max: OK, thanks. Previous few issues and these are issues I am asking all of the candidates in NY-10, and so they’re type of a fast, closing little lightning spherical of fast solutions. You do not have to provide a complete clarification right here and I wish to allow you to go on time. Do you suppose it is time, and once more, you are as much as get right into a rationale, however do you suppose it is time for a full federal receivership of the Rikers Island jails? There is a monitor in place and there is questions round whether or not there ought to be a receivership. Do you suppose it is time for that? Sure or no?
Yuh-Line Niou: I believe that it’s time to shut Rikers. I believe that we need not even, I imply…
Ben Max: There’s going to be a while between now and the closure, although. So the query is the Adams administration has requested for extra time, offered a plan. Clearly, the brand new mayor’s solely been in workplace six or seven months, and so they acquired a little bit extra time. However do you suppose it is time for the federal authorities to play an much more lively position right here?
Yuh-Line Niou: I believe so. I imply, within the sense that we now have increasingly more folks dying, each single day, we now have one thing horrible popping out of Rikers. We have had, I imagine, 11 folks have died for the reason that starting of this 12 months, I imagine, in Rikers, and that’s not one thing that ought to proceed. We have to do one thing about Rikers and I imagine that Rikers wants to shut. We can’t carry on kicking the ball down the highway or the can down the highway, I believe that is the terminology for it. However we will’ carry on ready. Rikers Island is a human rights atrocity.
Ben Max: And I discussed earlier, Consultant Jones has moved into the district only a few weeks in the past. Do you are taking any challenge with that, or do you, once more, do you suppose it is a little bit bit totally different, it’s a democracy and he did not even have to maneuver into the district to run. However do you are taking any challenge with that, on condition that quite a lot of the opposite candidates within the race are individuals who have had a long-standing dedication to the district?
Yuh-Line Niou: I imply I believe that once more, it is a democracy, everybody can run, however I believe that our constituents in all probability would really like any individual who is aware of their points and cares concerning the issues that they’ve gone by, is aware of the place the loos are of their condo structure. I believe that it is actually vital for us to have the ability to have a consultant who’s talking for all of us and is keen to ensure that we now have any individual who desires to proceed to get to know and hearken to our constituents. And I believe that when we now have neighbors that we already know and already know the problems that they care about, it makes a giant distinction in how we signify them.
Ben Max: And lastly on this little spherical right here, aside from tens of billions of {dollars} for NYCHA, which clearly you’ve got made clear you’ll battle for on the federal degree and there is numerous potential NYCHA cash in Construct Again Higher, which has stalled in Washington, clearly. You and others within the race would clearly battle for that. Apart from tens of billions of federal {dollars} going to assist NYCHA with its large want of capital repairs, is there one NYCHA income elevating technique that you just help? Is there something aside from main quantities of federal support, state support as you’ve got talked about combating for and securing, however is there some other NYCHA-related technique to boost income that you just help?
Yuh-Line Niou: Yeah, so truly, Nydia Velázquez has a standalone invoice to totally fund public housing, it is also an excellent invoice, the Inexperienced New Housing Deal can be a method of with the ability to additionally totally fund our public housing, after which after all, there may be the addition to the Construct Again Higher plan, additionally totally funding our public housing. And I believe that we’d like quite a lot of totally different payments to take the possibility of with the ability to totally fund our public housing, however I believe that crucial factor is that we discover increasingly more mechanisms so as to have the ability to get these {dollars} to our state and to our public housing residents who’re seeing that their houses are making them sick — no scorching water, no warmth, mildew, lead, paint. It is actually, actually devastating each single time. I do know that every time it will get scorching, I will get calls to attempt to determine how they will cool their residences. Each time it will get chilly, I already know that they’ll have scorching water and heating points. And each single time that it occurs, it has been devastating. So we have had we have seen fires occur when seniors who’ve Alzheimer’s or one thing who will activate and open their stoves for warmth and overlook that that they had them turned on or open. I believe that it is actually vital that we’re stopping these sorts of accidents.
Ben Max: Alright, Yuh-Line Niou. Democratic candidate within the new tenth congressional district of New York, together with elements of Decrease Manhattan and a giant swath of Brooklyn. Why do not you are taking a closing second right here, a closing minute, something we’ve not touched on or any message to the NY-10 voters who’re listening that you just wish to go away them with after listening to this dialog. Go forward and take a minute, after which we’ll say goodbye.
Yuh-Line Niou: I simply wish to say thanks a lot Ben for having the chance to have the ability to discuss to you and have the ability to deep dive into so many of those points. I believe that it is actually vital that we’re very a lot having these discussions to ensure that folks to see who they need to have the ability to help for the brand new NY-10. Once more, I believe that proper now we have to have that political braveness and we now have to ensure that we now have any individual who’s keen to battle for us, battle for us constantly, and ensure that we’re standing up on this second the place our authorities is needing that voice greater than ever. And so I hope that you’re going to all vote for me. You may go to nioufornewyork.com so as to be certain that to search for and discover out and listen to extra about all the issues which might be taking place in our race. Once more, that is nioufornewyork.com. Thanks a lot.
Ben Max: All proper. Yuh-Line Niou represents the sixty fifth meeting district within the New York State Meeting that features elements of Decrease Manhattan which might be a part of the brand new tenth congressional district the place she’s a candidate within the Democratic main arising in August. Main day is August 23. Get that in your calendar, whether or not you are within the tenth district or not. And in the event you’re an eligible Democratic voter, you may nonetheless register to vote in these races. The state senate and U.S. Home primaries arising in August, after which after all, the final election within the fall that will even embrace the winners of the meeting and statewide primaries that occurred in June. It is one other busy election 12 months right here in New York. Yuh-Line Niou, thanks very a lot for the time, recognize it, and be effectively.
Yuh-Line Niou: Thanks a lot. Bye Ben.
