NYC Council District 9 Election: Ruth McDaniels Seeks Harlem Seat

HARLEM, NY — Voters in New York City's 9th Council district, which includes all of Central Harlem and parts of East Harlem and Washington Heights, will see 13 names on their ballots when they vote in the June 22 primary election.

One of those names will be Ruth McDaniels, a tenant association president and NYPD community council vice president who formerly worked as a peace officer at city schools, a supervisor at the NYPD's school safety division and a police sergeant for the city's human resources administration.

Patch reached out to all candidates in the election to create these profiles. McDaniels's responses are below.

Age (as of Election Day)

57

Position Sought

City Council

Party Affiliation

Democrat

Neighborhood of residence (i.e., East Village, Astoria, etc.)

Harlem

Family

5 children and 7 grandchildren

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education

Masters in Public Administration, Bachelors in Communications

Occupation

Retired 25 year civil servant

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

None politically- although currently serving as VP of 32nd Precinct Council

Campaign website

https://www.friendsofruthmcdan...

Why are you seeking elective office?

I am sick and tired of our elected officials not addressing the real issues in Harlem.

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The single most pressing issue facing District 9 is not addressing the needs of one of our largest demographics, our incarcerated constituents. Once we address their issues as being the lowest group economically, everyone else above them would benefit by their elevation, including our seniors. As it stands, people are crying about homelessness, but they are not willing to close up the leaks that create them. A person returning from incarceration is not allowed to rent an apartment with a criminal background in many instances causing them to have to live with a family member or in the shelter. That family member cannot have an apartment in NYC housing and have another family member that is registered as a felon. These facts perpetuate our communities repetitive battle with displacement everyday. Because of what we know about incarceration from 110th st to 155th st as a predominant area of Black and Brown people, we know incarceration ran rampant because of Rockefeller drug laws and stop and frisk abuse for decades, all of which was due to poverty and poor education.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I'm the only one that has identified and speaking for the above mentioned demographic.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)

#1: since Central Park 5 (which happened in my District), there has been no legislation put in place to stop NYPD from questioning our children without parent or legal representation, which I am pushing for currently (Senate Bill S2800). #2 they've failed to address the incarceration issue which is bringing about pervasive homelessness. I am also supporting a bill to remedy this (Fair Chance for Housing - File #: Int 2047-2020). All of which Bill Perkins nor other local leaders except Inez Dickens has signed off on. #3 they have not addressed the mental health needs of the community as a direct derivative of incarceration and perpetual poverty. I am currently supporting a bill addressing this (SHAWANNA W76337 ACT (Post Traumatic Prison Disorder).

How do you think local officials performed in responding to the coronavirus? What if anything would you have done differently?

I think their performance was luke warm and too little too late in a sense that the food distribution was a photo opportunity and controlled in a way that other community stakeholders who could have brought more to the table were left out until late in the game. In addition, PPE could have been more readily available because we have tailors in our own community who could have helped make masks if the council was more creative with their discretionary funds and out of the box thinking.

Many in Harlem are worried about gentrification and the displacement of longtime residents. What is one specific policy you would push for to slow gentrification?

Changing the median income requirements for housing.

Some Harlem residents complain that the neighborhood is “over-saturated” with methadone clinics. Would you welcome more services for vulnerable people in the neighborhood, or push for a moratorium?

Hell no, we are not welcoming anymore drug programs. For those new people complaining, welcome to the Harlem reality. Harlem has to start suing the people/organizations/entities that are allowing methadone clinics and other community destroying programs to be built exclusively in Harlem.

Many Harlemites have complained of dirty streets during the pandemic. How would you help clean up the sidewalks?

I’ve been personally cleaning these streets even before the pandemic. I would use a portion of our discretionary funds to hire local residents and have a privatize sanitation program as in other communities.

Plans were recently unveiled for a large new development on 145th Street — it would include up to 282 affordable apartments, but some neighbors suggested that the buildings are too large for the neighborhood. As Council Member, would you support this project, oppose it, or push to change it?

I would push to change it. The fact that this has been allowed is a problem I have with the current Community Board, which Joshua Clennon’s currently sits on. The Community Board is supposed to represent the local community and their best interest. The building is too large and too tall compared to the landscape of the block’s neighboring buildings. It will cause all surrounding buildings to be denied sunlight and view. Lastly, I would like to be at the table to truly see what they are calling affordable and look at the income requirements.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

I was a supervisor on the worst academic schools in Harlem under NYPD and the Board of Education, causing me to work in every school in Harlem and with every precinct in Harlem not to exclude the fact that I have worked in every HRA center and shelter in Harlem for decades. In addition, successfully navigated 5 children through the local education system as well as myself. Lastly, outlived a crack epidemic, constant battle with landlord abuse, drug ridden buildings, all while being a widowed single mother and cancer survivor.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

"Follow the money" given to me by Maxine Waters (United States Representative). This was in relation to me asking her why my community does not have housing for our young adult children that they can afford.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

This is not a job for me, this is a nonverbal contract to make sure that we get the legislation and the resources needed to create a quality of life for everyone - this includes our local business, new and old residents, our seniors, our incarcerated loved ones, and especially our children who grew up here and have the right to afford to live and stay here.