The interviews below were conducted separately, with Jeanne Edwards on May 31 and Rita Worthington on June 1. The interviews have been edited lightly for space and coherence.
Majority leader of the Kingston common council and three-term alder Rita Worthington works to hold the Democratic Party’s favor against challenger and city employee Jeanne Edwards in the June 27 Democratic Party primary for Ward 4 in the City of Kingston. Early voting begins June 17.
Rokosz Most: What made you decide to run for office?
Rita Worthington: Oh, that’s a loaded question because I wasn’t sure that I was going to. But my primary reason really, there’s a lot of progress that is in the works that had begun, stuff that I started with the council that had not been completed and now is finally starting up I just wanted to see it through to completion.
Jeanne Edwards: There was a couple of reasons, but I’ll give you the main one. My heart is for the City of Kingston, I’ve been working for the city for 18 years. And for my neighbors and my community, I have been giving service not only on the job but off the job.
RM: What do you think about government-owned or -managed housing?
JE: I’ll tell you, I received my home from Rupco Section 8, so on that end they gave me the opportunity after I went through Section 8. Then I went to the first homebuyers club, and I was taught how to manage money, to manage a home, you know, they gave us a lot of tools. And next thing, you know, I was able to buy a home. I chose this home to live in Ward 4 in 2003. I think it was. I love Kingston and love Ward 4 because of the diversity here/ And you know, I feel like I’m a real testimony to, government programs, because you can move up, you know, you really can. We have a lot of resources for people to get up on their feet. Rupco to me is, it’s a government program, and it’s needed.
RW: Do I prefer one or the other? The thing with privately-owned houses you know they get to regulate the rent themselves. They get to charge you anything they want or do anything that they want. Government? Is one better than the other? Government, maybe. if they are doing what they’re supposed to do, and they’re in compliance with, you know, fixing up the building and maintenance and repairs. Things of that nature Then it works.
RM: How do you feel about refugees moving to the community?
RW: You know, look, it’s a problem, right? Were supposed to be a safe place and inclusive like a sanctuary city with people coming in. Unfortunately there’s a housing crisis going on in the City of Kingston and all over the place. What do you do about it? They’ve got to go somewhere. I’m not a proponent of saying you can’t come, I just don’t know where we’re going to put people. I don’t know about excluding others, though. You know it’s really unfortunate. You don’t want to turn away others, but you also have to take care of home. And if we’re not taking care of home how in the world, are we going to take care of someone else?
JE: I’m waiting for all the information before I really form an opinion on this because of my background. But I’m gonna say one thing. We’re all on stolen ground when you get right down to it. You know, how do we turn our noses away when everybody else is an immigrant too? If they’re coming over as asylum seekers, take their DNA, take their fingerprints. And give them work visas, and let them work.. And you know, go from there. That’s what I feel like.
RM: if you could change one thing in our zoning code, what would it be and why?
JE: We’re having a new zoning code. Very exciting. You have to admit the Hudson Valley. We’re, we’re in a metamorphosis here. Yeah. It’s changing. And we’re in exciting times. Why not be part of it?
RW: Yeah. Affordability. Right now the AMI [Average Median Income] for affordable goes from 80 percent up to 120 percent, My take on that is that most people in the City of Kingston are not making those amounts. If we could somehow revise those numbers…
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