Former Democratic female district leader for the 80th assembly district and Democratic candidate for city council in District 13, Irene Estrada, briefly broke down why she is running for the seat against incumbent, City Councilwoman Marjorie Velázquez when we spoke to her at the 25th Throggs Neck St. Patrick’s Day parade on March 12.

 

Estrada, whose two daughters serve with the NYPD, and who is on the clergy council of the 49th Precinct, said, “Our streets are a mess with crime.” She added, “We also need to bring back the school safety task force. They took it away after COVID. There are 200 agents that need to come back to protect our children and youth.”

 

She continued, “The criminals have more rights than we do, and it’s about time that we get a leader who knows how to work and collaborate with the agencies to make sure that our district will not have lack of police, we will not have lack of security, and we will not have no resources, because you need someone that knows how to negotiate what we want in our communities and not vote for something that we don’t want.”

 

Estrada said she has been endorsed by Guardian Angels founder and former Republican mayoral candidate, Curtis Sliwa, who lost to Democrat and now Mayor Eric Adams in the 2021 election, as reported. Estrada said she had warned residents not to vote for Velázquez in 2021 because she said Velázquez would vote for what is seen by many as a controversial upzoning at Bruckner Boulevard in Throggs Neck.

 

“The overdevelopment is something that the City says that it needs to fix the affordable housing problem,” she said. “The problem is that when they build all these brand new apartments, the apartments are not affordable. You have to make over $83,000 to get in. There has to be a cap on our rent during inflation; no increases in Con Edison, no increases on anything. People are struggling to pay either Con Edison or their food. The people who are struggling to eat right now are the seniors, our veterans and the homeless.”

 

She added, “We need to make sure that all people that are in crisis can reach out and get food stamps, regardless of their income, to make sure that they’re all being taken care of and fed. Our children only sometimes get one meal a day in the schools. I retired from the Board of Education, I see the condition that the schools are going.”

 

It’s one of two controversial rezoning development projects in the East Bronx, as reported, another being the “Just Home” development proposal at 1900 Seminole Avenue, the proposed new onsite housing complex on Jacobi Medical Center’s campus, for mostly formerly incarcerated individuals of Rikers Island who have been sentenced for up to a year and who have complex medical needs, or those who are being detained pre-trial at Rikers because they cannot afford bail and also have complex medical needs.”

 

We mentioned that crime was down versus a few years ago and she said it depended on how the stats were recorded and suggested bail reform was skewing the data. We asked what she would do to address the mental health crisis happening at Rikers and across the City. She said she supports efforts to address the mental health crisis, and agreed former detainees deserve a second chance, but that “that should not be at the cost of residents.” She said the location was “not a safe environment” for the residents, for the five nearby schools or for seniors. She proposed reaching out to Christian organizations that she said have “working resources that can help these particular inmates not only have a new apartment, but also have the skills to make sure that they don’t go back to becoming a problem for society again.”

 

Since the date of the parade, Gothamist reported that Santo de la Cruz, the father of Raul de la Cruz, who, as reported, was shot by police during a mental health episode in Kingsbridge Heights on March 26, was reportedly an Evangelical, and had reportedly been persuaded by his religious beliefs not to take needed medication to treat his illness.

 

Aside from this point, we asked Estrada if she was sure such religious organizations really had the funds to take on this task, since the Catholic Church, at least, was actually losing money, as evidenced by the announcement in February of the closure of six Catholic schools in the borough and the merger or two others. This follows the prior closure of six other Catholic schools in 2020. We also mentioned how the Bedford Park Congregational Church, which does provide addiction services to residents, was currently struggling to pay for needed upgrades to its heating system, as reported.

 

Estrada said churches with lots could apply for such funding to build shelters and housing. “There are many options,” Estrada said. “You can also transfer them out of state to places where they can have the care and the training that they need to come back and live a healthy, prosperous life. In the city. We do have many grants and funding for churches. If the churches apply for these particular grants. There is help. Now with our mayor, Eric Adams, doing a wonderful job working with the churches to bring restorations to the immigrants.”

 

Most mental health professionals and social workers who work with prisoners say those who maintain contact with their families and support structure while incarcerated fare better than those who don’t. Moving prisoners upstate makes it hard for families to visit their loved ones.

 

Estrada went on to say that she believes that it’s very difficult for people who have been in prison or jail to come out and find avenues to start all over again. “I have a brother that’s been in prison who has come out,” she said. “Many times they say that it’s better for them to be inside, because they can’t deal with the outside. So, my thing is that for those that want to be on the outside, once they are released and they have many opportunities, just like the immigrants, there’s no excuse.”

 

Those who work in the criminal justice system would likely disagree that the formerly incarcerated have “many opportunities,” post release. Indeed, all data suggests reintegration into society post-release is extremely difficult. As reported, Bronx District Attorney holds job fairs for the formerly incarcerated in order to assist them get back on their feet and find employment. Another problem is housing, which was one of the main reasons behind the Fair Chance for Housing Act, as reported.

 

Nonetheless, Estrada said, “We live in America. We live in the land of opportunity. So when people are looking for a pat on the back or you’re looking for more consolation, more comfort, excuse me! Who’s giving comfort to the single parent who lost a child to gun violence? Who’s giving comfort to the seniors who don’t have food at night and are going to bed lonely? Who’s comforting the youth who are scared to go to school and try to bring weapons because they got to protect themselves, who don’t have enough defense? Who’s giving the increased wages to the hardworking middle income who’s trying to survive and struggle paying Con Edison or food?”

 

She added, “So when you take a look at what can we do, and who should take care of… it’s our district, it’s our people. It’s we, the people, and we have to continue to fight for what is good for our communities. As city council, you sit at the table with 51 members, and you have to make decisions that are going to affect all New Yorkers. I want to make sure that my decision-making will be based on what affects my district, and what is best for all New Yorkers, because we want to make New York New York strive, and we don’t want an exodus of people leaving and moving because it’s the wrong thing to do at this time.”

 

She went on to commend the work of Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell. “Every human being in New York State has to be respected for life, and we are for life, in order to protect life,” she said. “We must have those that are going to fight for the communities and make sure that the future generations are protected.”

 

Sewell has since resigned, as reported.

 

For more recent election coverage, click  here, here, here, here and here.

 

Early voting commenced on Saturday, June 17, when 983 Bronxites had voted by close of polls.

 

 

Polls are open on Primary Election Day, Tuesday, June 27, from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Click here to find your Election Day poll site. Return your absentee ballot by mail (postmark required) or drop it off at a poll site by Tuesday, June 27.