Liz De La Torre - Saint Paul Ward 1
Name: Liz De La Torre
Public Office Sought: Saint Paul City Council
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 651-470-1928
Website: www.neighborsforliz.com
Twitter Handle: @LizDeLaTorreW1
Facebook: Liz De La Torre for Ward 1
Candidate Bio
I’m a first-generation American, the proud daughter of Mexican immigrants, a union member, an organizer, an advocate, a renter, and I am running to represent the diverse voices of Ward 1.
My history is like that of many immigrant families, navigating entities and systems that were not meant to include us. My goal is to change how our city departments interact with us, so that decisions are made by us and not for us.
I have dedicated my career to the service of others. I worked as a PCA for people with disabilities while also working as a server making $2.25 an hour to put myself through college. I went on to work for Congresswoman Betty McCollum from 2012-2016 serving the people of the fourth district.
Currently, I work at Saint Paul-Ramsey County Public Health as the agency’s first Systems Change Coordinator. I counsel sexual assault victims and work to ensure they have access to the support, information, resources, and medical services they need and deserve by identifying gaps and eliminating barriers to services and justice. When elected, I intend to do the same for the residents of Ward 1 and Saint Paul.
Business climate
1. How would you characterize the business climate in Saint Paul?
The business climate in Saint Paul depends on which part of the city you’re in. While there are thriving areas in Ward 1, we also see areas that are eager to develop and grow. I’d like to work with SPACC, local chambers, and other community partners to address economic development throughout the city and ensure a strong business climate city wide.
2. What role do you think the City should have in attracting and retaining jobs, and what steps would you take to solicit new businesses to, and retain existing businesses in, Saint Paul?
I believe that Saint Paul’s diversity is one of our biggest assets. I would love to work with the SPACC and local chambers to incentivize local businesses- especially those owned by women, LGBTQ, and minority individuals. If we can make these individual business owners thrive, we will all succeed. I also believe that we should invest in true small and local businesses on a city level, by being more proactive in how we reach out and solicit feedback from them.
3. Would you support hiring a business advocate as a member of the city senior staff, to concentrate on business retention and expansion; new business recruitment; and business impact of proposed regulations on the business climate in Saint Paul?
I would be in favor of adding such a position to staff and would welcome a discussion about which city department would best house it.
4. Do you support any other specific employment-related proposals in Saint Paul (such as mandatory scheduling notice)? If so, what specific steps would you take to understand the impact of an increase on the many types of businesses in Saint Paul and how would you define any exceptions to those policies?
As someone that has worked under a minimum wage with a tip credit, I see $15 an hour as a minimum wage, not a liveable wage. While I’m sympathetic to micro-businesses and the “mom and pop” shops, I’m most concerned with the employees working these low-wage jobs in a city that lacks access to public transit equitably throughout the city. I strongly support Fair Scheduling that allows both employers and workers predictability in the workplace and the ability to plan accordingly. Earned sick and safe time is good for business and residents.
5. Would you support modifying or repealing the new earned sick and safe time or minimum wage ordinances that apply to the city? If so, how?
I would not support a repeal of earned sick and safe time or the minimum wage. I believe a $15 an hour wage is not a liveable wage. I would like to see the minimum wage indexed with inflation to ensure that we are not just providing a temporary solution to a long-term issue. I believe in working with the community, workers, and businesses on how to strengthen earned sick and safe time and the minimum wage, not scale it back.
Public safety
6. What is your strategy to address public safety concerns?
I believe that it is possible to continue to invest in our police department while still holding them to the highest of standards.
We need to push our police department administration for more transparency in its standard operating procedures so that we can begin to make progress in increasing trust. Policing as an institution is structured to shield itself from accountability and change, which is not sustainable and something I seek to change when I am elected.
We have to start by admitting the wrongs of the past and be willing to listen and lean into uncomfortable conversations of white supremacy, implicit bias in our policing models, and accept the need for change before we can start to healing the relationship between our community and the police and work together to bring forward new solutions to repair our criminal justice systems.
Budget
7. What are your priorities for the City’s budget?
My priorities would include expanding access to affordable housing and including emergency shelters and transitional housing in that discussion.
I believe that we must invest in our roads and infrastructure to include a complete streets model, meaning that we consider ALL modes of transportation--walking, biking, and public transit. For far too long, we have gone above and beyond to accommodate cars, failing to recognize that car ownership is an equity issue.
I’m also passionate about investing in a community-centered public safety to decrease 9-1-1 response times and that takes the community’s input to heart.
8. How do you view the relationship between commercial and residential property taxes?
A thriving community and city should have a healthy mix of the two. While property taxes affect both, we should be looking at expanding our tax base equitably throughout the city.
9. What will you do to expand Saint Paul’s tax base?
We need to ensure that we can maximize the opportunities that are currently present in St. Paul. In Ward 1, we need to ensure that we are setting up our communities and local economies for success right along the Green Line and the area surrounding Allianz Field. This must be done with input from key stakeholders and the communities immediately impacted by these developments.
Workforce development
10. How will you work with K-12 and post-secondary educational institutions and businesses to ensure our region develops and retains an educated workforce?
Because our city’s greatest asset is its diversity, we must continue to partner with SPPS and our partners in Labor to create direct pipelines to training and apprenticeships as soon as possible. With the cost of education skyrocketing, now is the time to capitalize on this opportunity and provide incentives for trade and vocational skills. I would support initiatives at the city like Right Track to continue to connect individuals with opportunities throughout the city of St. Paul.
11. What do you see as the city council’s role with regard to public schools in Saint Paul?
As a product of our St. Paul Public School system, this issue is personal for me. We need to ensure that we are working with leaders from all levels of government- including the school board and state government to ensure that we have the resources needed for all Saint Paul students to have a quality education.
I would continue to advocate for funding our public schools and listen to constituent and amplify their stories. As a city, we cannot separate the success of our public schools from that of our city. One of the issues that continues to creep up is student homelessness. We cannot continue the status quo and accept that a third of students experience this sometime in the academic year. I believe that investing in our children is investing in the future of our city.
Other
12. What is the biggest challenge facing the city and how would you address it?
We are at a crucial time in our city, and there are many issues that we need to tackle.
For me, one of the most important issues facing us is our lack of affordable housing. We need to prioritize upzoning as much as possible to include more density in our developments. We must ensure that we are creating these housing opportunities throughout the city, not just concentrating them in certain neighborhoods. It is also very important that we are not just talking about apartments when talking about housing, we must include conversation on emergency shelters and transitional housing if we are truly interested in tackling this issue holistically.
13. What would be your top three priorities if elected?
Like I mentioned in the previous question, I am particularly passionate about addressing our affordable housing crisis. I would also prioritize transportation by focusing on a Complete Streets model to ensure we have city that is just as friendly to pedestrians and bikes as it is to cars. I am also passionate about public safety and look forward to working with the community, the city, and our police department to improve our systems.
14. What do you think should be the city’s top transportation related priority?
We need to prioritize a 21st century approach to transportation in Saint Paul. We have had an alarming and unacceptable amount of pedestrian deaths in the last year. Most of the time when we talk about transportation, we are approaching it from a personal vehicle perspective. I believe that needs to change and that we need to be taking a more holistic approach to transportation.
Having a vehicle is a privilege that not all Saint Paul residents have access to or necessarily want to use every day. We need to be expanding the transportation conversation to include more accessible public transit options, bike lanes, and walking accessibility. Not only is it the more equitable thing to do, but it also will help reduce our carbon emissions long term and that’s why expanding the transportation conversation will be my priority as a City Councilmember.
15. Are there any services currently provided by the city that you believe should be cut back or eliminated? Or, are there new opportunities to share services with other entities?
I would like to explore the options in Ward 1 to see what public-private partnerships would best serve our residents. Perhaps this is an issue worth exploring when talking about issues such as alley plowing.
16. Is there anything else you would like to share with voters not covered above?
I believe in the power of us, and that we are all stronger when we put the most vulnerable at the center of our decision making.
I am running for City Council to ensure that we put people back at the center of the decision making at City Hall. We are at a crucial time in our city and we need leadership that is going to take the toughest issues facing us head on.
From overarching issues like affordable housing, transportation, criminal justice reform, and environmental protections, to the everyday issues like trash collection, we deserve to have a City Council member that is transparent and accountable on their positions. Someone who works with the members of all of our diverse communities to ensure that we are making the best and most informed decisions possible for the residents of Saint Paul.
I would be honored earn your support and to be able to work with you as your next City Councilmember.
Public Office Sought: Saint Paul City Council
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 651-470-1928
Website: www.neighborsforliz.com
Twitter Handle: @LizDeLaTorreW1
Facebook: Liz De La Torre for Ward 1
Candidate Bio
I’m a first-generation American, the proud daughter of Mexican immigrants, a union member, an organizer, an advocate, a renter, and I am running to represent the diverse voices of Ward 1.
My history is like that of many immigrant families, navigating entities and systems that were not meant to include us. My goal is to change how our city departments interact with us, so that decisions are made by us and not for us.
I have dedicated my career to the service of others. I worked as a PCA for people with disabilities while also working as a server making $2.25 an hour to put myself through college. I went on to work for Congresswoman Betty McCollum from 2012-2016 serving the people of the fourth district.
Currently, I work at Saint Paul-Ramsey County Public Health as the agency’s first Systems Change Coordinator. I counsel sexual assault victims and work to ensure they have access to the support, information, resources, and medical services they need and deserve by identifying gaps and eliminating barriers to services and justice. When elected, I intend to do the same for the residents of Ward 1 and Saint Paul.
Business climate
1. How would you characterize the business climate in Saint Paul?
The business climate in Saint Paul depends on which part of the city you’re in. While there are thriving areas in Ward 1, we also see areas that are eager to develop and grow. I’d like to work with SPACC, local chambers, and other community partners to address economic development throughout the city and ensure a strong business climate city wide.
2. What role do you think the City should have in attracting and retaining jobs, and what steps would you take to solicit new businesses to, and retain existing businesses in, Saint Paul?
I believe that Saint Paul’s diversity is one of our biggest assets. I would love to work with the SPACC and local chambers to incentivize local businesses- especially those owned by women, LGBTQ, and minority individuals. If we can make these individual business owners thrive, we will all succeed. I also believe that we should invest in true small and local businesses on a city level, by being more proactive in how we reach out and solicit feedback from them.
3. Would you support hiring a business advocate as a member of the city senior staff, to concentrate on business retention and expansion; new business recruitment; and business impact of proposed regulations on the business climate in Saint Paul?
I would be in favor of adding such a position to staff and would welcome a discussion about which city department would best house it.
4. Do you support any other specific employment-related proposals in Saint Paul (such as mandatory scheduling notice)? If so, what specific steps would you take to understand the impact of an increase on the many types of businesses in Saint Paul and how would you define any exceptions to those policies?
As someone that has worked under a minimum wage with a tip credit, I see $15 an hour as a minimum wage, not a liveable wage. While I’m sympathetic to micro-businesses and the “mom and pop” shops, I’m most concerned with the employees working these low-wage jobs in a city that lacks access to public transit equitably throughout the city. I strongly support Fair Scheduling that allows both employers and workers predictability in the workplace and the ability to plan accordingly. Earned sick and safe time is good for business and residents.
5. Would you support modifying or repealing the new earned sick and safe time or minimum wage ordinances that apply to the city? If so, how?
I would not support a repeal of earned sick and safe time or the minimum wage. I believe a $15 an hour wage is not a liveable wage. I would like to see the minimum wage indexed with inflation to ensure that we are not just providing a temporary solution to a long-term issue. I believe in working with the community, workers, and businesses on how to strengthen earned sick and safe time and the minimum wage, not scale it back.
Public safety
6. What is your strategy to address public safety concerns?
I believe that it is possible to continue to invest in our police department while still holding them to the highest of standards.
We need to push our police department administration for more transparency in its standard operating procedures so that we can begin to make progress in increasing trust. Policing as an institution is structured to shield itself from accountability and change, which is not sustainable and something I seek to change when I am elected.
We have to start by admitting the wrongs of the past and be willing to listen and lean into uncomfortable conversations of white supremacy, implicit bias in our policing models, and accept the need for change before we can start to healing the relationship between our community and the police and work together to bring forward new solutions to repair our criminal justice systems.
Budget
7. What are your priorities for the City’s budget?
My priorities would include expanding access to affordable housing and including emergency shelters and transitional housing in that discussion.
I believe that we must invest in our roads and infrastructure to include a complete streets model, meaning that we consider ALL modes of transportation--walking, biking, and public transit. For far too long, we have gone above and beyond to accommodate cars, failing to recognize that car ownership is an equity issue.
I’m also passionate about investing in a community-centered public safety to decrease 9-1-1 response times and that takes the community’s input to heart.
8. How do you view the relationship between commercial and residential property taxes?
A thriving community and city should have a healthy mix of the two. While property taxes affect both, we should be looking at expanding our tax base equitably throughout the city.
9. What will you do to expand Saint Paul’s tax base?
We need to ensure that we can maximize the opportunities that are currently present in St. Paul. In Ward 1, we need to ensure that we are setting up our communities and local economies for success right along the Green Line and the area surrounding Allianz Field. This must be done with input from key stakeholders and the communities immediately impacted by these developments.
Workforce development
10. How will you work with K-12 and post-secondary educational institutions and businesses to ensure our region develops and retains an educated workforce?
Because our city’s greatest asset is its diversity, we must continue to partner with SPPS and our partners in Labor to create direct pipelines to training and apprenticeships as soon as possible. With the cost of education skyrocketing, now is the time to capitalize on this opportunity and provide incentives for trade and vocational skills. I would support initiatives at the city like Right Track to continue to connect individuals with opportunities throughout the city of St. Paul.
11. What do you see as the city council’s role with regard to public schools in Saint Paul?
As a product of our St. Paul Public School system, this issue is personal for me. We need to ensure that we are working with leaders from all levels of government- including the school board and state government to ensure that we have the resources needed for all Saint Paul students to have a quality education.
I would continue to advocate for funding our public schools and listen to constituent and amplify their stories. As a city, we cannot separate the success of our public schools from that of our city. One of the issues that continues to creep up is student homelessness. We cannot continue the status quo and accept that a third of students experience this sometime in the academic year. I believe that investing in our children is investing in the future of our city.
Other
12. What is the biggest challenge facing the city and how would you address it?
We are at a crucial time in our city, and there are many issues that we need to tackle.
For me, one of the most important issues facing us is our lack of affordable housing. We need to prioritize upzoning as much as possible to include more density in our developments. We must ensure that we are creating these housing opportunities throughout the city, not just concentrating them in certain neighborhoods. It is also very important that we are not just talking about apartments when talking about housing, we must include conversation on emergency shelters and transitional housing if we are truly interested in tackling this issue holistically.
13. What would be your top three priorities if elected?
Like I mentioned in the previous question, I am particularly passionate about addressing our affordable housing crisis. I would also prioritize transportation by focusing on a Complete Streets model to ensure we have city that is just as friendly to pedestrians and bikes as it is to cars. I am also passionate about public safety and look forward to working with the community, the city, and our police department to improve our systems.
14. What do you think should be the city’s top transportation related priority?
We need to prioritize a 21st century approach to transportation in Saint Paul. We have had an alarming and unacceptable amount of pedestrian deaths in the last year. Most of the time when we talk about transportation, we are approaching it from a personal vehicle perspective. I believe that needs to change and that we need to be taking a more holistic approach to transportation.
Having a vehicle is a privilege that not all Saint Paul residents have access to or necessarily want to use every day. We need to be expanding the transportation conversation to include more accessible public transit options, bike lanes, and walking accessibility. Not only is it the more equitable thing to do, but it also will help reduce our carbon emissions long term and that’s why expanding the transportation conversation will be my priority as a City Councilmember.
15. Are there any services currently provided by the city that you believe should be cut back or eliminated? Or, are there new opportunities to share services with other entities?
I would like to explore the options in Ward 1 to see what public-private partnerships would best serve our residents. Perhaps this is an issue worth exploring when talking about issues such as alley plowing.
16. Is there anything else you would like to share with voters not covered above?
I believe in the power of us, and that we are all stronger when we put the most vulnerable at the center of our decision making.
I am running for City Council to ensure that we put people back at the center of the decision making at City Hall. We are at a crucial time in our city and we need leadership that is going to take the toughest issues facing us head on.
From overarching issues like affordable housing, transportation, criminal justice reform, and environmental protections, to the everyday issues like trash collection, we deserve to have a City Council member that is transparent and accountable on their positions. Someone who works with the members of all of our diverse communities to ensure that we are making the best and most informed decisions possible for the residents of Saint Paul.
I would be honored earn your support and to be able to work with you as your next City Councilmember.