No Land Grab

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Brooklyn Star: As a candidate on the Green Party line, what issues best represents the mission of the Green Party?

Gloria Mattera: One of the main issues of the campaign is the overdevelopment in the borough and the part many local politicians play in catering to wealthy developers at the expense of communities. The four pillars of the Green Party are: Grassroots Democracy, Ecological Wisdom, Social & Economic Justice and Peace/Non-Violence. These four principles are embodied in the campaign message. Decisions on land use and its relation to affordable housing, public green space and a healthy environment need to be more inclusive and transparent. The billions of tax subsidy dollars handed to big real estate developers deprive local governments of the revenue needed to maintain the city infrastructure, reduce class sizes, shore-up the public health system and other essential services that improve the quality of life for most residents.

Although the Borough President has no authority in the area of national policy, I feel it is important to highlight the billions of dollars being spent on the current war in addition to building up the U.S. military while our cities and states are deprived of resources. I am very concerned about the aggressive presence of military recruiters in our high schools and campuses. I see the Borough President’s office acting as a resource for students and parents to learn more about the “opt-out” option by providing assistance and guidance to them.

BS: Have you picked up any major endorsements?

GM: Wherever we go, we have the ringing endorsement of the community. This, in my assessment, amounts to the most important endorsement of all. Major endorsers are mainly concerned about winning, and rarely confront incumbents. Institutional support for third party candidates out of the left is so very rare that it’s barely a consideration at this point. That said, I will seek endorsements, only I will do so selectively.

BS: How satisfied are you with the performance of current Borough President, Marty Markowitz?

GM: Not satisfied in the least. Markowitz is vain and pompous; his overtures to Ratner reveal his one-dimensional view of progress. If skyscrapers could produce a decent life for all, then why in New York City one of the most unequal cities in the U.S.? Markowitz has not spoken out against the abuse of eminent domain and he has supported the circumvention of the Uniform Land Use Review Process (ULURP).

Markowitz is helping to rip the heart out of Brooklyn, and yet at the same time he views himself as the champion of the borough. He divides Brooklyn into urban and suburban, simply because he wants the poorer areas to become a construction site while at the same time preserving the charm of the more residential sections. I don’t have to tell you the racial implications of this. That’s why power plants and garbage dumps are built in neighborhoods where blacks and immigrants tend to live.

BS: Understanding that you are a clear opponent of Bruce Ratner’s arena proposal, what are your plans for creating affordable housing, as well as thousands of employment opportunities for Brooklynites?

GM: Housing is expensive, and there are no easy solutions to the problem of housing shortages. However, if $1.5 billion can be given to Ratner in subsidies, then that money could some produce housing. I believe proposals made by groups like the Met Council need to be given more serious consideration, because rents are rising twice as fast as incomes in Brooklyn. The work of organizations like the Fifth Avenue Committee should be supported and championed as a model of what community groups can do to stop displacement of long time residents and create affordable housing.

Creative solutions are needed and all proposals considered, but the idea of expecting private developers to solve the housing crisis by linking development deals to the production of certain numbers of units is not going to work. Any developer of the Atlantic Yards will bring thousands of jobs and affordable housing to the area. Ratner should not have exclusive rights to the site for his basketball arena and primarily high end residential skyscrapers. There should be n open bidding process, with the MTA getting the best price possible for the sale of the yards.

BS: From the stand point of an educator, How effective has the public education system been in addressing the needs of the minority community?

GM: Public education has failed the minority community because the system is constantly under stress. Large class sizes, poorly paid and disrespected teachers—disrespected by the political establishment that is—and inadequate levels of school construction have contributed to this crisis. CUNY, too, is no longer friendly to low-income working class people, a disproportionate number of who are people of color and immigrants. Behind this neglect of education is the inherently racist notion that it’s not worth spending tax dollars on constituencies who will surely end up in low-skill, service economy jobs. This then becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy. The standardized, high stakes testing and “one-size-fits-all” curriculum culturally insensitive. The rich, cultural diversity of our student population needs to be acknowledged and nurtured through a varied method of tracking and assessment each individual student’s progress.

BS: What, if any, policy recommendations would you suggest to improve the education system?

GM: Firstly, the governor needs to stop obstructing the State Supreme Court’s decision that ordered the state to meet its obligations to young learners. This will infuse the education system with billions of dollars and thus reduce class sizes. Secondly, teachers need not just a contract but a pay hike of 30 per cent or more to stop the flight of teachers to the suburbs where they can earn more. There needs to be a commitment to recruit potential educators from communities of color. The institution of scholarships and loan forgiveness for young people entering the teaching profession would help diversify and increase the dwindling pool of teachers due to increased retirement.

GM: Teachers and parents need more authority in school governance at the local level. Parent councils with decision-making power are needed. The current system that has replaced local school boards has not empowered parents or given them a real voice in their child’s education.

Also, I would restore CUNY by slashing tuition and fees, or even phasing it out altogether. And the admissions tests need to be reconsidered, especially for adult learners. These tests are educationally useless and serve to discourage potential students.

BS: Which political prominents are you courting for support of your campaign?

GM: Although several Democratic politicians have vocally opposed the Ratner plan, no one stepped forward in that party to challenge Markowitz. The local Green Party has been an active member of the Develop Don’t Destroy from the early days of the coalition. My campaign is built on the strength and support of a grassroots movement that has grown out of the community opposition to irresponsible, deceptive overdevelopment throughout Brooklyn. I am working closely with several community groups including the Downtown Brooklyn Leadership Group.

BS: Upon election, will there be any plans to reconstruct the community boards?

GM: The City Charter has jurisdiction over the structure of Community Boards. The boards serve as an educational forum and provide a voice for residents. However, with the Borough President making all appointments, there is a danger that only a limited point of view will be represented. As Borough President, I would use the resources of my office to do a serious outreach campaign to recruit a diverse pool of residents from each community to serve on the boards. Meetings with community groups would be held to provide recommendations. Additional resources would be used to help provide child care and transportation assistance to facilitate board participation by working parents, the elderly or those who have difficulty traveling. Active participation in the community board is an important role for all members. Automatic re-appointment for many years deprives our local boards of new members who might be more representative of a changing community. Although there are no term limit provisions for community board members, the Borough President’s office should be cognizant of how many years members have served and make an effort to create a space for new ones.

The Green Party has advocated for elected community councils with increased decision-making authority. I would welcome a dialogue on this concept with other elected officials and communities.

BS: What is the statistical breakdown of Green Party members by ethnicity in Brooklyn?

GM: The Kings County Green Party does not have official statistics of membership by ethnicity at this time. People of color throughout Brooklyn are members of the party but more work needs to be done. Local activists have been committed to the goal of diversifying our party membership. In Brooklyn over the past few years, we have organized and attended meetings in several culturally diverse communities. In my campaign, I have reached out and recruited volunteers and supporters in East New York, Bedford-Stuyvesant and among the West African community citywide.

BS: What organizations have you contributed your services to, so that Brooklyn could be a better place?

GM: As an activist in my community, I have worked with local peace groups, Brooklyn Parents for Peace and the War Resisters League in the anti-war movement. As a coordinator in the Park Slope Greens, I have worked with other groups to promote environmental issues including Christmas tree recycling the year the Department of Sanitation cut that program. I have been a long time advocate in the single payer health care movement and a current board member of the NY Metro chapter of Physicians for a National Health Program. In that capacity, I organized several forums and rallies in Brooklyn as well as other parts of the city.