Last month, the Norwood News asked candidates in the 33rd District Senate race to answer, in writing, a number of questions concerning their political positions, their thoughts on key issues in the community, and what they would do if elected.

Daniel Padernacht and Gustavo Rivera got back to us, but State Senator Pedro Espada, Jr., the incumbent, didn’t. In an e-mail, a staffer of his wrote: “Thank you for the survey, however we will not be participating at this time. The Senator’s positions will be made available via other media, including his website and Facebook.”

The accompanying grid contains a synopsis of Rivera’ answers. As Espada didn’t provide any, we’ve attempted to fill in some of the gaps for him, using his voting record and comments he’s made in the past to the press. Padernacht withdrew from the race last weeked.

Candidates’ full unedited answers are posted on the Bronx News Network’s website.

Will you serve as a full-time legislator? If not, what other jobs will you also keep?
RIVERA: I would love to be able to continue to teach if elected, but only if it doesn’t interfere with my legislative duties and is not deemed a conflict of interest.
ESPADA: As well as being a state senator and the Senate majority leader, Espada is the founder, president and CEO of Soundview Healthcare Network, a non-profit healthcare agency which runs several health centers, including Burnside Medical Center at 165 E. Burnside Ave.

How would you describe yourself politically (e.g. liberal, conservative, etc.)? Name three political figures you admire. What books have you read recently?
RIVERA: I am a progressive. I believe we must address the basic issues: quality education, universal healthcare, pensions for retirees, unemployment, and regulation of business to protect hard-working families. President Obama is a great example of a progressive elected official. I recently read The Power Broker by Robert Caro.
ESPADA: In 2009, during what became known as the Senate coup, Espada briefly defected to the Republican side of the aisle, bringing Albany business to a standstill.

If you were a member of the City Council last December, would you have voted for or against the Bloomberg administration’s proposal to turn the Kingsbridge Armory into a shopping mall?
RIVERA: I did not support the Mayor’s plan because it did not contain the things I believe any publicly-funded development should contain, which would include: a living wage for ALL workers — from the construction workers who build the site to every employee who works in the completed complex; labor agreements that guarantee the rights of workers to organize if they do not belong to a union; and community benefits agreements.
ESPADA: Espada has rarely gone on the record expressing his views as to what should be done with the armory.

What can you do as a state legislator to address high unemployment in the Bronx?
RIVERA: Many residents in our community work in vital fields: teaching our children, taking care of our elderly, and saving lives as nurses and hospital workers. Yet these important jobs are often the first cut in times of economic worry. I will resist these cuts.

Do you support sin taxes, such as the so-called “soda tax”? Why or why not?
RIVERA: In principle I tend to oppose any measure that disproportionately hurts the poorest members of our community. That said, I would have supported the soda tax. The negative health impacts of sugary beverages regressively affect people in poorer communities.
ESPADA: Espada opposed the “soda tax.”

What’s your position on vacancy decontrol [a law which allows a landlord to increase a vacant rent-regulated apartment’s rent to whatever the market will stand once it hits $2,000 a month]? Any other housing legislation you would like to see moved in Albany?
RIVERA: I absolutely support any bill that repeals vacancy decontrol. I also support State Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins’ bill on adequate protections for former Mitchell-Lama & Section 8 tenants.
ESPADA: Espada has said he’s in favor of repealing vacancy decontrol. But as chair of the Senate’s housing committee, he’s been criticized by housing advocates for not making this — and other tenant-friendly legislation — a priority. Instead he’s proposed a “rent freeze” bill which, if passed, would freeze the rent of low and moderate-income households. Critics say it would also enable landlords who illegally removed apartments from rent regulation to keep them at market rate.
 
What can you do as a state legislator to address drug dealing and other crime problems in the Bronx?
RIVERA: We have to support the police in our community, while at the same time working to create better living conditions for all members of the community. Crime can be a symptom of high unemployment rates and low standards of living.

What’s your position on same-sex marriage? Abortion rights?
RIVERA: I am 100 percent pro-marriage equality and 100 percent pro-choice.
ESPADA: In the past, Espada has voted in favor of gay marriage. He is pro-choice.