Maya Contreras

[{"question": "Ballotpedia survey responses", "answer_html": "<p>See also: <a href=\"/Ballotpedia%27s_Candidate_Connection\">Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection</a></p>\n<div class=\"row\"><div class=\"col-xs-10 col-md-6 col-xs-offset-1 col-md-offset-3\"><p><a href=\"https://ballotpedia.org/Ballotpedia%27s_Candidate_Connection\"><img align=\"middle\" alt=\"Candidate Connection\" src=\"https://cdn.ballotpedia.org/images/8/88/Candidate_Connection_Logo.png\" width=\"90%\"/></a></p></div></div>\n<p>Maya Contreras completed <a href=\"/Ballotpedia%27s_Candidate_Connection\">Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection</a> survey in 2021. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Contreras' responses.</p>\n<p><span class=\"expand-all\">Expand all</span> | <span class=\"collapse-all\">Collapse all</span></p>\n<div aria-multiselectable=\"true\" class=\"panel-group\" id=\"accordion\" role=\"tablist\"><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-bio-101368-2021-09-27\" id=\"heading-bio-101368-2021-09-27\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse-bio-101368-2021-09-27\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-bio-101368-2021-09-27\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWho are you? Tell us about yourself.\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading-bio-101368-2021-09-27\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse-bio-101368-2021-09-27\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tNY Congressional Candidate Maya Contreras is a Housing and Voting Rights Advocate. Contreras became a Housing Rights advocate at the age of 16 after her family had been evicted and lived in a storage facility for a short time. Maya firmly believes not one person should be unhoused in America or experience housing insecurity. Since the Voting Rights Act was gutted in 2013 by SCOTUS Maya Contreras added Voting Rights to her focus of advocacy because all paths to policy and justice begin with access to the ballot box.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-key-message-101368-2021-09-27\" id=\"heading-key-message-101368-2021-09-27\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse-key-message-101368-2021-09-27\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-key-message-101368-2021-09-27\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tPlease list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading-key-message-101368-2021-09-27\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse-key-message-101368-2021-09-27\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\"><ul><li>Maya Contreras wants to update federal zoning laws to expanding accessible and affordable housing and eradicate homelessness.</li><li>Maya Contreras wants Universal Childcare inclusive of afterschool care, and a Universal Basic Income for Children in Foster Care</li><li>Maya Contreras would like to create federal portable benefits for artists, educators, and freelancers.</li></ul></span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse1-101368-2021-09-27\" id=\"heading1-101368-2021-09-27\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse1-101368-2021-09-27\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse1-101368-2021-09-27\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading1-101368-2021-09-27\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse1-101368-2021-09-27\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tNot one child, teenager, or adult should be worried about where their next meal is coming from, or face housing insecurity, or fear for their safety, and yet those are some of peoples daily struggles and fears. I am passionate about policies that promote Public Health, because that means we are caring just as much about our mental and physical infrastructure as we are our highways and bridges. <br/><br/>\n<p>I will advocate for policy that:<br/>\r\nUpdates Federal Zoning Laws to Expanding Accessible and Affordable Housing and eradicate Homelessness <br/>\r\nDoubles the Baseline of Accessible Units for People with Mobility, Visual, and Hearing Disabilities<br/>\r\nCreate a New Federal Arts Program, Artist Subsidized Spaces, and Emergency Grants<br/>\r\nCreate Portable Benefits for Artists, Educators, and Freelancers<br/>\r\nA Public Healthcare Option or Medicaid Expansion inclusive of Mental, Dental, Vision, and Hearing Care<br/>\r\nEnding Gun Violence through Universal Background Checks, Investment in Public Health, and Research<br/>\r\nExpand Federal Investment in Arts, Foreign Language, Language Preservation, and Sports Programs<br/>\r\nEnds Wage Gaps in the LGBTQ community and ends Gender, Racial, and Disability Wage Gaps<br/>\r\nModernizes Supplemental Security Income (SSI)<br/>\r\nEradicating Medical Debt<br/>\r\nCreates A Path for all to Student Loan Forgiveness<br/>\r\nUniversal Childcare and Afterschool Care<br/>\r\nUniversal Basic Income for Children in Foster Care<br/>\r\nUniversal Childcare and Baby Bonds<br/>\n</p>\nLifts the Cap on Doctors to End Medical Shortages<br/></span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse2-101368-2021-09-27\" id=\"heading2-101368-2021-09-27\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse2-101368-2021-09-27\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse2-101368-2021-09-27\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat do you perceive to be the United States' greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading2-101368-2021-09-27\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse2-101368-2021-09-27\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tThe U.S. has many challenges over the next decade and we're going to have to handle them simultaneously as these challenges are all deeply connected. The Climate Crisis, The Housing Crisis, and Economic Crisis, and Mental and Physical Health Crisis all collided during our Global Pandemic. It seems America has allowed deregulation, single housing zoning, low wages, and a duct-taped healthcare system go unchecked for far to long. Now the time has come to pay out big by fairly taxing the wealthy and fix these issues. We can also recognize that while The American Jobs Plan is the first step towards Climate Justice we'll need a host of new and expanded policies to address the deep inequity that is built into the structures of this country. Policy solutions that must be view through multiple lenses like Disability, Black, Afro-Latinx, Latinx, Native, AAPI, Gender, LGBTQ2+, and Immigrant perspectives. America will also have to recognize that our \"harm first, apologize never\" approach to foreign and domestic policy must now come to an end. America needs to turn over a new leaf and lead through a humanitarian approach placing human right abuses in the past, and placing our Public Health first. \t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse3-101368-2021-09-27\" id=\"heading3-101368-2021-09-27\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse3-101368-2021-09-27\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse3-101368-2021-09-27\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat are your thoughts on term limits?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading3-101368-2021-09-27\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse3-101368-2021-09-27\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tPolitical Scientists have long agreed that while term limits work for Presidents, Governors, and Mayors, it doesn't make sense for every elected seat. I agree. We must start by changing campaign finance laws that make it easier to primary an opponent that isn't serving their community well, that means overturning Citizens United and passing For The People Act. For The People Act Voters would root out political corruption and finally give real transparency on who is spending big on our elections while reducing the influence of special interests groups.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div></div>\n<div class=\"small\" data-nosnippet=\"\"><p><i><b>Note:</b> Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.</i></p></div>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-1548351761485-0\"><script>googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display(\"div-gpt-ad-1548351761485-0\"); });</script></div>", "answer_text": "See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection\n\nMaya Contreras completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2021. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Contreras' responses.\nExpand all | Collapse all\nWho are you? Tell us about yourself. NY Congressional Candidate Maya Contreras is a Housing and Voting Rights Advocate. Contreras became a Housing Rights advocate at the age of 16 after her family had been evicted and lived in a storage facility for a short time. Maya firmly believes not one person should be unhoused in America or experience housing insecurity. Since the Voting Rights Act was gutted in 2013 by SCOTUS Maya Contreras added Voting Rights to her focus of advocacy because all paths to policy and justice begin with access to the ballot box. Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office? Maya Contreras wants to update federal zoning laws to expanding accessible and affordable housing and eradicate homelessness. Maya Contreras wants Universal Childcare inclusive of afterschool care, and a Universal Basic Income for Children in Foster Care Maya Contreras would like to create federal portable benefits for artists, educators, and freelancers. What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about? Not one child, teenager, or adult should be worried about where their next meal is coming from, or face housing insecurity, or fear for their safety, and yet those are some of peoples daily struggles and fears. I am passionate about policies that promote Public Health, because that means we are caring just as much about our mental and physical infrastructure as we are our highways and bridges. I will advocate for policy that: Updates Federal Zoning Laws to Expanding Accessible and Affordable Housing and eradicate Homelessness Doubles the Baseline of Accessible Units for People with Mobility, Visual, and Hearing Disabilities Create a New Federal Arts Program, Artist Subsidized Spaces, and Emergency Grants Create Portable Benefits for Artists, Educators, and Freelancers A Public Healthcare Option or Medicaid Expansion inclusive of Mental, Dental, Vision, and Hearing Care Ending Gun Violence through Universal Background Checks, Investment in Public Health, and Research Expand Federal Investment in Arts, Foreign Language, Language Preservation, and Sports Programs Ends Wage Gaps in the LGBTQ community and ends Gender, Racial, and Disability Wage Gaps Modernizes Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Eradicating Medical Debt Creates A Path for all to Student Loan Forgiveness Universal Childcare and Afterschool Care Universal Basic Income for Children in Foster Care Universal Childcare and Baby Bonds Lifts the Cap on Doctors to End Medical Shortages What do you perceive to be the United States' greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade? The U.S. has many challenges over the next decade and we're going to have to handle them simultaneously as these challenges are all deeply connected. The Climate Crisis, The Housing Crisis, and Economic Crisis, and Mental and Physical Health Crisis all collided during our Global Pandemic. It seems America has allowed deregulation, single housing zoning, low wages, and a duct-taped healthcare system go unchecked for far to long. Now the time has come to pay out big by fairly taxing the wealthy and fix these issues. We can also recognize that while The American Jobs Plan is the first step towards Climate Justice we'll need a host of new and expanded policies to address the deep inequity that is built into the structures of this country. Policy solutions that must be view through multiple lenses like Disability, Black, Afro-Latinx, Latinx, Native, AAPI, Gender, LGBTQ2+, and Immigrant perspectives. America will also have to recognize that our \"harm first, apologize never\" approach to foreign and domestic policy must now come to an end. America needs to turn over a new leaf and lead through a humanitarian approach placing human right abuses in the past, and placing our Public Health first. What are your thoughts on term limits? Political Scientists have long agreed that while term limits work for Presidents, Governors, and Mayors, it doesn't make sense for every elected seat. I agree. We must start by changing campaign finance laws that make it easier to primary an opponent that isn't serving their community well, that means overturning Citizens United and passing For The People Act. For The People Act Voters would root out political corruption and finally give real transparency on who is spending big on our elections while reducing the influence of special interests groups.\nNote: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it."}]