Food
Systems
Network
NYC
Questionnaire
for 2009
Public
Advocate
Candidates
Alex T.
Zablocki
Candidate
NYC
Public
Advocate
718-734-1093
s
www.alex2009.com
s
info@alex2009.com
1.
What is
your
number
one
concern
regarding
food
security
in New
York
City?
Food
security
is a
very
important
issue
for all
of New
York
City.
With so
many New
Yorkers
falling
right
below or
right at
the
poverty
line and
slipping
out of
the
middle
class,
we must
do more
to help
these
families
so that
they can
access
food,
especially
fresh
fruits
and
vegetables.
The
danger
with
food
stamps
is that
they are
not
accepted
everywhere
and/or
many
families
that
qualify
do not
get
access
to them.
This is
the most
important
issue
regarding
food
security.
As
Public
Advocate
I would
like to
have a
mobile
public
advocate’s
unit go
into
communities
to
educate
them
about
food
stamp
benefits
and,
working
with HRA,
sign
families
up for
the
benefit,
on the
spot. As
Public
Advocate
I would
like to
do more
to make
getting
food
stamps
easier,
help
people
signing
up for
food
stamps
feel
better
about
signing
up for
assistance
and work
with the
Mayor’s
office
to come
up with
permanent
solutions
to get
more New
Yorkers
signed
up for
food
stamps.
As
Public
Advocate,
I would
also
like to
work
with the
private
sector
as well
as the
Health
Department
and HRA
to
expand
their
Health
Bucks
program.
This
innovative
program
needs to
be
expanded
to other
areas of
the city
so all
recipients
can
receive
the
benefit.
Since
some
farmers
markets
do not
run all
year
long, I
would
like to
see
Health
Bucks
accepted
by local
delis
and
bodegas
that
sell
fresh
fruits
and
vegetables
year-round.
In 2009,
just 49
farmers
markets
signed
up for
this
program
and as
Public
Advocate
I would
work
towards
getting
nearly
every
farmers
market
to
participate
in this
program.
Finally,
working
with
local
Chamber
of
Commerce
associations,
Business
Districts
(BIDS)
and
small
business
owners,
I would
work
with
them to
make
food
stamp
applications
available
in their
stores
and also
help
them
accept
food
stamps
as
payment.
2.
What
steps
can the
public
advocate
take to
ensure
that our
city’s
institutions—such
as
hospitals
and
schools—have
increased
access
to
healthy,
fresh
food
from
local
producers?
Please
explain
the
regulatory
and/or
economic
challenges
of
implementing
your
proposals.
Schools
must
offer
healthier
food in
cafeterias.
It
starts
with
eliminating
vending
machines
in
cafeterias
that
offer
chips,
candy
and
sodas
and
introducing
fresh
fruits
and
vegetables
to
students
in
creative
ways.
As
Public
Advocate
I would
work
with the
Department
of
Education
to get
younger
students
(K-5)
involved
in
community
gardens
at their
school
to learn
the
importance
of
agriculture
and
fresh
fruits
and
vegetables.
I would
also
like to
implement
a
program
where
in-state
and
out-of-state
farmers
sell
fresh
fruits
and
vegetables
on
school
property
a few
times a
year and
teach
students
(6-8)
what
they
could do
with the
food
(i.e.
cooking
class)
and
allow
them to
bring
home the
food,
similar
to a
“bake
sale”.
This
program
could be
a pilot
program
in
communities
where it
is most
needed.
Both of
these
initiatives
could be
implemented
by a
Public
Advocate
and
funded
either
privately,
by the
city or
by the
Public
Advocate’s
Fund for
Public
Advocacy.
The
Department
of
Education
must do
much
more to
expand
physical
education
programs
within
schools.
Currently
many
schools
across
the city
use
school
yards as
parking
lots and
this
practice
should
be
banned
as well.
Healthy
food is
only one
step
towards
healthier
children
–
physical
activity
is
another
major
component.
Hospitals
should
also
offer
better
food
alternatives
and
healthier
foods
but I
believe
hospital
staff
makes
the best
decision
for
patients
when it
comes to
nutrition
and
meals.
I
can’t
advocate
one
position
over
another
for
hospitals,
in terms
of food,
because
a
patient’s
diet is
unique
and
something
a doctor
should
decide,
not an
elected
official.
With
that
said,
HHC
(Health
and
Hospital
Corporation)
facilities
should
provide
the
option
of fresh
fruits
and
vegetables
to
visitors,
staff
and
patients
on a
non-restricted
diet.
3.
The
growing,
packing,
preparing,
and
shipping
of food
generates
significant
greenhouse
gas
emissions.
By
producing
more of
our food
closer
to home,
New York
City can
help
minimize
its
carbon
footprint,
as
advocated
by City
Council
Resolution
#2049 “FoodprintNYC."
The
resolution
builds
on the
environmentally
friendly
policies
and
programs
recommended
in the
Manhattan
Borough
President's
2009
report
“Food in
the
Public
Interest.”
What’s
your
position
on
Resolution
#2049,
and how
should
the
Public
Advocate
work to
reduce
NYC's
foodprint?
I am an
environmentalist.
I
believe
strongly
that
global
warming
is a
problem
and I do
everything
I can in
my
personal
life to
reduce
my
carbon
footprint
and make
our city
and
world a
little
cleaner
and more
livable
for the
next
generation.
This has
included
purchasing
a hybrid
car,
riding a
bike as
often as
possible,
using
public
transportation
and
changing
every
light in
my house
to a
compact
fluorescent
bulb.
I say
this
because
while I
think
the
efforts
of
FoodprintNYC
should
be
praised,
I don’t
believe
it is
the
right
approach
to reach
the
outcome
desired
by all
food and
environmental
advocates.
Many low
income
communities
throughout
the city
lack
supermarkets
or the
supermarkets
they
have are
small
and
rents
are
steep.
All
people
want to
eat
healthier,
but as
Borough
President
Stringer’s
report
found,
fast
food
restaurants
are
often
more
available
than
fresh
fruits
or
vegetables.
My
approach,
as
Public
Advocate,
would be
to
introduce
legislation
that
would
give
small
business
owners a
tax
break
for
carrying
fresh
fruits
and
vegetable
in their
stores
in
certain
areas
(zones).
If the
market
demands
it and
the tax
break is
enough
to
invest
in space
for
these
products
than the
business
owner
will
offer
it.
Secondly,
small
business
owners
would
receive
a bonus
if they
could
prove
that
food
they
were
selling
was
grown
locally
(as set
forth in
the law;
i.e. 25
miles
from
NYC).
Third, I
would
work
with my
appointment
to the
City
Planning
Commission
to
design
new laws
that
would
allow
small
business
owners
to
extend
their
business
onto the
sidewalk,
with no
fee, if
they
offered
fresh
fruits
and
vegetables
in that
space.
Fourth,
I would
work
with the
Department
of Parks
to
ensure
current
community
gardens
were
made
permanent
and
expand
our
gardens
across
the five
boroughs,
including
“urban
gardens”
in the
inner
city,
which
would
provide
fresh
fruits
and
vegetables
as well
as being
a
benefit
for the
environment.
Finally,
I would
advocate
for
better
transportation
of goods
to
stores
throughout
the city
and
incentives
for
making
deliveries
either
on
off-peak
hours or
by
environmentally
friendly
means.
This
would
help
reduce
our
carbon
footprint.
4.
New York
City is
home to
more
than 600
community
gardens
and many
urban
farms
that
have
demonstrated
valuable
contributions
to the
social,
economic,
and
environmental
health
of
neighborhoods.
What are
some
specific
ways the
City
could
increase
the
amount
of space
devoted
to urban
farming?
How
would
you, as
public
advocate,
advance
the
issue?
Community
gardens
and
farms
are not
only
community
assets,
but
provide
real
benefits
to
health,
our
environment
and our
economy.
As
Public
Advocate
I would
like to
do a few
things:
1.
Advocate
for more
funding
from
parks
and from
non-profit
groups
to help
maintain
and
retain
community
gardens.
2.
Advocate
for an
increase
in
community
gardens
across
the five
boroughs
3.
Work
with
property
owners (i,e.
Co-op
boards,
apartment
building
owners,
etc.) to
formulate
a plan
for
green-roofs,
involving
City
Planning
and a
non-profit
partner,
to turn
roof
space
into
green
space
i.
Use
these
spaces
to
cultivate
fruits
and
vegetables
using a
pot
planting
system.
4.
Work
with the
Department
of
Education
to turn
school
rooftops
into
green
spaces
for
fruit
and
vegetable
planting,
which
will not
only
help
reduce
energy
costs in
schools
but also
provide
a
learning
opportunity
for
students.
5.
Catalog
all
vacant
city
owned
property
and put
together
a task
force to
see if
these
spaces
could be
used for
a
community
garden
or urban
farm,
i.
Develop
a plan,
along
with
non-profit
groups,
to turn
these
spaces
into
planting
spaces
and
allow
community
groups
and
residents
to use
the
space
for
planting
ii.
Work
with the
non-profit
sector
to
cultivate
fruits
and
vegetables
on these
parcels
and hire
disabled
persons
and
special
needs
students
to work
on the
farms
and sell
the
product
at local
green
markets.
5.
What are
the main
obstacles
preventing
full-service
supermarkets
from
locating
in
low-income
neighborhoods,
and what
can city
agencies
do to
eliminate
them?
What is
your
position
on the
City’s
FRESH
program,
which
includes
zoning
and
financial
incentives
to
develop
supermarkets
offering
fresh
produce
in NYC
communities
underserved
by
grocery
stores?
What
challenges,
if any,
do you
see in
implementation?
The main
obstacles
are
zoning,
space
and rent
costs.
As
Public
Advocate
the best
way to
eliminate
these
obstacles
are: 1.
Work
with my
appointment
to the
City
Planning
Commission
to
ensure
that new
development
that
receives
FAR
bonuses
from the
city
provides
space,
at a low
cost,
for
supermarkets.
The
square
footage/space
the City
Planning
Commission
could
request
from a
developer
could be
based on
the
number
of units
being
built.
2.
Utilize
unused
city
owned
property
and
market
these
spaces,
at a
lower
cost, to
full-service
supermarkets.
As
Public
Advocate,
I would
catalog
all city
owned
property
and look
at the
“best
use”
scenario
for each
and make
recommendations
to EDC,
City
Planning,
the
Mayor’s
office
and the
City
Council.
3.
Provide
tax
breaks
for
full-service
supermarkets
that
move
into an
area
(zone)
designated
as
needing
these
services.
As
Public
Advocate,
this
could be
done
through
the
submission
of
legislation.
FRESH
goes a
long way
in
completing
some of
the
goals
above,
but
doesn’t
necessarily
help the
small
business
owner or
smaller
grocery
store
you
would
see in a
typical
neighborhood.
The
majority
of New
Yorkers
get
their
food
from
local
stores
owned by
entrepreneurs
from
that
community.
Programs
like
this
should
target
these
business
owners
first as
well as
help
fresh
fruit
and
vegetable
carts in
communities
year
round.
6.
The
Hunts
Point
food
market
district
in the
Bronx is
a
critical
point
for food
distribution
in New
York
City. It
includes
several
publicly
owned
market
buildings
that
current
vendors
advocate
need
substantial
improvements
or
replacement.
There is
also a
call to
create a
wholesale
farmers
market
as a
distribution
point
for
locally
grown
food
throughout
the
region.
What
changes
do you
support?
Which
components,
if any,
should
the City
pay for
directly?
Since
about
60% of
New York
City’s
produce
comes
through
the
Hunts
Point
Food
Market
District,
the city
most
take
more of
a
leading
role in
ensuring
that
this hub
remain
competitive
and a
vibrant
business
district.
The
Hunts
Point
Food
Market
Districts’
location
in the
South
Bronx,
within
close
proximity
to some
of the
poorest
communities
in our
city, as
well as
the most
underserved
in terms
of fresh
fruits
and
vegetables,
should
encourage
all
elected
officials
to
devise a
plan to
make
these
products
more
accessible
to these
communities
as well
as
ensuring
that
these
communities
are part
of this
districts
success
(i.e.
jobs
should
be
offered
to
people
in these
communities
as well
as the
products).
A
wholesale
farmers
market
at Hunts
Point
would
make
sense,
since
this is
already
a major
hub for
the
produce
we
consume
across
the
city.
As
Public
Advocate,
I would
like to
study
where
fresh
fruits
and
vegetables
are
coming
from
locally,
what
time of
year is
the peak
season
for
delivery
and use
this
data to
designate
the best
location
in the
city
that
would
best
serve as
a
wholesale
farmers
market.
Hunts
Point
may not
be the
best
place if
1. they
are at
capacity,
2. do
not have
proper
transportation
in and
out of
the area
and 3.
most of
the
products
come for
the
south or
We also
cannot
focus
all of
our
energies
on Hunts
Point.
This
area of
the city
is not
well
connected,
in terms
of
transportation,
to many
areas in
Queens,
Brooklyn
and
especially
Staten
Island.
Parts of
these
outer
boroughs
should
be
looked
at for
rail and
shipping
(boat)
expansion,
including
Howland
Hook
Container
Terminal
in
Staten
Island.
The City
should
invest
in
infrastructure
that
would
not only
serve
the
businesses
but the
community
and city
as a
whole.
Investment
in
infrastructure
that
leads to
a more
productive
business
environment
as well
as a
positive
benefit
to the
community
should
be the
main
goal of
government.
Currently
CSX
Transportation
has a
rail
link to
this hub
(Hunts
Point)
and as
Public
Advocate
I would
look at
ways to
expand
this
rail
line as
well as
linking
it up to
other
methods
of
distribution
and
importation,
like by
boat.
