NYC Mayoral Race: Ray McGuire Touts Management Experience

New York City NY

17 June, 2021

4:47 PM

Description

NEW YORK CITY — New Yorkers are casting ballots to decide who will replace Mayor Bill de Blasio after eight years. The June 22 primary features eight Democratic candidates — Eric Adams, Shaun Donovan, Kathryn Garcia, Raymond J. McGuire, Dianne Morales, Scott Stringer, Maya Wiley and Andrew Yang — looking to lead New York City. Patch sent out questionnaires to their campaigns to give readers a chance to make a more informed choice on their ranked-choice ballots. Here's what Raymond J. McGuire had to say: Raymond J. McGuire Age (as of Election Day) 64 Position Sought Mayor Party Affiliation Democrat Neighborhood of residence (i.e., East Village, Astoria, etc.) Upper West Side Family Crystal (Wife), Children: Cole (20), Ella (18), Leo (8) Does anyone in your family work in politics or government? No Education Harvard College (Business School and J.D.) Occupation Business Executive Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office n/a Campaign website www.rayformayor.com Why are you seeking elective office? I am running because I love New York City. I see the city I love struggling and I am confident that if there was ever a time that my life experiences, management record, relationships, and vision were needed to lead this city, it's now. These qualifications give me a different perspective than those who have spent years in politics. I grew up with the same economic insecurity many New Yorkers feel today and that personal story is at the heart of my candidacy. I have detailed and innovative ideas for lifting our schools, saving small businesses, creating jobs, making housing more affordable, and reducing crime in a way that respects everyone's dignity. I want every child in New York City to get the same opportunity that I did. The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it. My single most important priority is to secure an inclusive economic recovery for all New Yorkers. My comprehensive Comeback plan will kickstart our economy immediately and includes bringing back 50,000 jobs through wage subsidies, allowing businesses to keep sales tax receipts, eliminating red tape and establishing the Comeback Bank to provide long term, low interest loans for businesses that need an infusion of capital. My administration will also introduce a large infrastructure program that will create jobs rebuilding our roads and bridges, fixing subway elevators, building and renovating affordable housing and making our city more sustainable. What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post? I am not a career politician, so I will approach key issues with fresh eyes and ideas unlike the others who have had their chance to solve these problems and largely failed to make the reforms our city needs. I will make decisions without concessions to special interests and instead make judgments on merit. I have spent 36 years leading global teams, putting together multi-billion-dollar deals and advising CEOs on how to grow and create jobs. My business career tells voters that I know how to turn our economy around, and my personal story shows that I know what it means to struggle and that I will bring everyone along in the city's comeback. If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency) How do you think local officials performed in responding to the coronavirus? What if anything would you have done differently? It is necessary to provide immediate assistance during a time of crisis, but not without being held accountable. I would have made sure that myself and my senior officials were responsible for achieving health, safety, and economic outcomes in a timely manner during this state of distress for many families. I would have also established robust Crisis Standards of Care plans to improve hospital coordination, capacity, and staffing. As mayor, I will work to eliminate unnecessary regulatory burdens and bureaucracy that slow essential government services from reaching those who need them the most. Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform. My vision for New York City is one where every family has a home, nobody pays more rent than they can afford, and all New Yorkers can realistically dream of someday owning a home. To do this, I will expand eviction and foreclosure legal assistance and increase the amount the City currently spends on rental subsidies from approximately $130 million to $400 million. This will keep more New Yorkers who would otherwise face eviction in their homes and help others exit the shelter system for good. As mayor, I will more than double the amount of city capital funds spent on affordable housing construction and focus the majority of that $2.5 billion each year on building housing that is affordable for people at 50% or less of Area Median Income. To bridge the racial wealth gap and give more people access to homeownership, I will extend eligibility for the Home First program to those making up to 120% of AMI and pilot a Help to Buy Equity Loan program to provide city support for down payments.My public safety plan will confront gun violence with specialized policing and address underlying social inequities to create safer communities for all New Yorkers. The NYPD's acute intelligence and investigative capabilities, which have resulted in record gun arrests should continue in communities facing gun violence. We should also embed specially trained officers in the highest-crime areas to disrupt the criminal networks responsible for the most violence and deploy others to disrupt the influx of guns. At a broader level, it's about community-oriented public safety. The NYPD must exclusively hire new personnel who live within the five boroughs and officers at every level need better deescalation training. However, even the best-trained police officer should not be expected to handle situations that are really mental health crises. Policing, therefore, has to horizontally expand to include social service workers like therapists and addiction counselors. This should be partnered with increased funding for violence prevention programs to divert young people from criminal activity. The next mayor must prioritize public safety and make our system the most effective, modern, and fair it's ever been. As it was for me, education needs to be every child's ticket to opportunity and we have to help our kids before they get to school and as they exit the school system. As part of my "Cradle to Career" education plan, I will guarantee every parent access to early childcare designed to address all aspects of early childhood development, which will help every kid enter school on a level playing field. Under my administration, all neighborhoods will have high quality schools to choose from including small schools, gifted and talented programs, magnets and charters. I will make sure every child meets reading proficiency by the third grade with a full-court press of solutions like enlisting a 10,000 tutor corp to work with students one-on-one and in small groups. In addition, we should be responsible for putting every single high school student on a pathway to community college, four-year college, job training or the workforce. That is why we need career counselors and college readiness programs in each school, responsible for ensuring students are ready to succeed before they graduate. What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job? My experience in the private sector as a senior executive of a Fortune 500 company makes me uniquely suited to improve management across the city's workforce. I spent my career helping companies survive and grow. My longstanding and unparalleled success with managing budgets in times of crisis means that I know the steps required to heal our city's economy. We need someone who can bring accountability to problems where too many others have passed the buck. The critical need for budget savings means that as mayor, I will be involved in setting priorities. I see this also as an opportunity to streamline how city government operates while keeping issues of equity and the culture that makes New York City so exceptional from being excluded. The best advice ever shared with me was: Childhood advice from my now 95 year old mother as I started at a new all white school across town : Don't pick a fight, but don't lose one either What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions? One issue not covered enough is how our city government should support seniors. The necessity of prioritizing care for older adults has been brought into sharp focus over this past year. Older adults make up nearly 1 in 7 New Yorkers and that number is expected to grow. As mayor, I will ensure that older adults feel safe, connected, independent, and valued. My housing plan aims to end older adult homelessnesss in New York City, and will commit $500 million in capital funding towards new affordable housing equipped with on-site services for low-income seniors. My plan for seniors centers on expanding in-home services and community care to allow them to age in place. I will accommodate seniors with disabilities with construction that is designed for accessibility as well as modifications to existing housing, implementing features like wide doorways and step-free entryways. I will create a grant program to fund the installation of bathroom railings, shower chairs, grab bars and other devices to enable more seniors to remain independent. As mayor, I will eliminate service deserts, ensuring that all older New Yorkers have convenient access to a senior center or other specialized services found in Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities (NORCs). Additionally, I will extend partnerships between senior centers and NORCs with neighborhood resources such as libraries, recreation centers, and parks in order to expand programming. To prevent financial abuse, which is the most common form of elder abuse, I will implement financial literacy and assistance programs in senior centers and NORCs. Establishing an intergenerational corps, a permanent technology training program that pairs older adults with younger individuals, would help seniors improve their quality of life through online health tracking and medication management. Finally, I will make certain that no senior goes hungry by maintaining the expansion of high quality home delivered meals.We need a mayor who is an effective manager and will improve quality of life. I am offering an innovative, but realistic plan to generate economic growth, make our streets safe, and ensure New York City remains the best place to work, live, and raise a family. Together, we can lead the greatest, most inclusive comeback in our history. One that takes us not back to the pre-pandemic status quo, but to the promise of a 21st century economy for all. I am the only candidate with the lived experience, business background, and bold ideas to do this.