Jonathan Howe

[{"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>Jonathan Howe completed <a href=\"/Ballotpedia%27s_Candidate_Connection\">Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection</a> survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Howe's 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-103477-2022-04-10\" id=\"heading-bio-103477-2022-04-10\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse-bio-103477-2022-04-10\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-bio-103477-2022-04-10\" 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-103477-2022-04-10\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse-bio-103477-2022-04-10\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\"><p>I am a public defender in Bronx County Family Court where I represent parents targeted by the family-separation system and work to reunite them with their families and protect their parental rights.\n</p><p>I applied to law school with the sole aim of becoming a public defender; I wanted to help level the playing field for those most impacted by oppressive government systems in any way I could. My internships during school spanned from working in public defenders’ offices in rural southern Texas all the way to Brooklyn and The Bronx. Since graduating in 2018 from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law I have spent my entire career in Bronx County Family Court.\n</p><p>My campaign is focused on working towards peace, justice, and a clean planet through individual liberty.\n</p>\nI<span style=\"color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; white-space: normal;\"> live in Astoria with my two rescue cats, and the colony of outdoor/feral cats I manage.</span><p class=\"mw-empty-elt\"></p></span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-key-message-103477-2022-04-10\" id=\"heading-key-message-103477-2022-04-10\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse-key-message-103477-2022-04-10\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-key-message-103477-2022-04-10\" 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-103477-2022-04-10\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse-key-message-103477-2022-04-10\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\"><ul><li>Get big government out of your business, and big business out of your government.</li><li>Politics should not be a career.</li><li>End the damn wars! At home and abroad.</li></ul></span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse1-103477-2022-04-10\" id=\"heading1-103477-2022-04-10\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse1-103477-2022-04-10\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse1-103477-2022-04-10\" 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=\"heading1-103477-2022-04-10\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse1-103477-2022-04-10\" 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\tDrug Prohibition<br/>\n<p>The War on Drugs has been a failure. It has done unspeakable damage to entire generations, especially in minority and disenfranchised communities.<br/><br/>\r\nThe government does not have the right to tell you what you must or must not put in your body. History has shown that drug use cannot be eliminated without harming society more than drugs ever could. To reduce police brutality and militarization we must defund the cartels by ending this modern day Prohibition.<br/><br/><br/>\r\nWar <br/>\r\nThe United States spends more on its military than the next dozen countries combined. <br/><br/>\r\nNo military conflict involving the US in my lifetime has made our country safer, while tens of thousands of brave men and women who volunteered to serve have been killed, maimed, and abandoned. Our endless wars have destroyed lives and wasted money, devastated communities and the environment, and turned foreign public opinion against the US, all while endangering US citizens throughout the world.<br/><br/><br/>\r\nEnvironmental Protection<br/>\r\nPollution of our planet harms us all. From plastics and medications in our drinking water to toxic chemicals in our air, we have allowed industrial polluters free reign. <br/><br/>\n</p>\nWe must hold polluters accountable, but through enabling individual action, not regulation. Imposing strict liability on those who cause environmental damage, including personal liability on corporate executives for the harm caused, would allow and incentivize those affected to protect their local environment.<br/></span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse2-103477-2022-04-10\" id=\"heading2-103477-2022-04-10\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse2-103477-2022-04-10\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse2-103477-2022-04-10\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWho do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading2-103477-2022-04-10\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse2-103477-2022-04-10\" 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\tIn my personal life I look up to my late mother, Joyce Kingsbury-Howe. She grew up with nothing, but before I was even born she had worked her way to become the director of special education at a school for the blind. From my earliest memory she was the person I loved and respected most. She taught me that kindness, empathy, and devoting your life to helping those in need are the keys to true happiness in life.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse3-103477-2022-04-10\" id=\"heading3-103477-2022-04-10\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse3-103477-2022-04-10\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse3-103477-2022-04-10\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading3-103477-2022-04-10\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse3-103477-2022-04-10\" 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\t1. A belief that politics is not about personal gain, it’s about improving the lives and protecting the freedoms of the people you represent.<br/><br/>\n<p>2. An understanding that every dollar spent by the government is a dollar taken from the people.<br/><br/>\n</p>\n3. An exit plan. When will you leave office, and what will you do? How will you ensure you will not use the honor of having represented their community to seek personal benefit through that office?<br/></span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse4-103477-2022-04-10\" id=\"heading4-103477-2022-04-10\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse4-103477-2022-04-10\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse4-103477-2022-04-10\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading4-103477-2022-04-10\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse4-103477-2022-04-10\" 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\t1. I am experienced in representing the people of this community. <br/><br/>\n<p>In my role as a public defender in Bronx Family Court I represent parents without the resources to hire a lawyer against a government with almost unlimited power and resources. I know what it’s like to fight, and win, within an unfair and often unjust system. On a daily basis I put the needs of those I represent before my own and, if elected, I intend to do the same.<br/>\r\nMost elected representatives have never engaged with the ordinary people of their community, and have never seen how the laws and regulations they create disadvantage the poor and working class. I see it every day. <br/><br/>\r\n2. I do not want a career in politics.<br/>\r\nPolitics should not be a career. Too often our elected leaders run for office with no plans of ever leaving the world of politics. The majority of those in Congress are millionaires, despite a salary of $174,000 (compared to the average American salary of about $52,000). Between favors and kickbacks from lobbyists, to trading on inside information, what was once public service has become a lucrative grift.<br/><br/>\n</p>\nI refuse to be a career politician. I am running for office to represent the people of the 14th Congressional District, not because I want to be Senator or President someday. I love my job and plan to return to it, or something similar in public defense, after serving in Congress. I pledge to serve no more than two terms, and to support term limits for elected and appointed officials. I call on other candidates to make a similar pledge and limit their time in office.<br/></span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse5-103477-2022-04-10\" id=\"heading5-103477-2022-04-10\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse5-103477-2022-04-10\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse5-103477-2022-04-10\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat was your very first job? How long did you have it?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading5-103477-2022-04-10\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse5-103477-2022-04-10\" 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\tI worked for two years in high school as a dishwasher at Luzi’s Cantina, later known as Debbie’s Cooking and Catering, in my hometown of Wilbraham, MA. It was a tiny diner/pizza spot connected to an auto body shop which has since closed down. Working there taught me to always want to “look inside the kitchen” before eating somewhere, and I think that lesson applies to politics as well.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse6-103477-2022-04-10\" id=\"heading6-103477-2022-04-10\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse6-103477-2022-04-10\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse6-103477-2022-04-10\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat is your favorite book? Why?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading6-103477-2022-04-10\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse6-103477-2022-04-10\" 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\tCatch-22 by Joseph Heller. It’s funny every time you read it, and it teaches the right message: disrespect petty authority. It also addresses many of the impossible situations we find ourselves in today, such as pointless and endless for-profit wars, created by bureaucracies run by unaccountable and incompetent nameless and faceless individuals, where you are damned if you do, damned if you don’t. It is a good description of our current convoluted, sometimes contradictory, political system that I hope to change. <br/><br/></span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse7-103477-2022-04-10\" id=\"heading7-103477-2022-04-10\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse7-103477-2022-04-10\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse7-103477-2022-04-10\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tIf you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading7-103477-2022-04-10\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse7-103477-2022-04-10\" 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 Gorn, so I could meet Captain Kirk in person and shake his hand/throw rocks at him.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse8-103477-2022-04-10\" id=\"heading8-103477-2022-04-10\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse8-103477-2022-04-10\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse8-103477-2022-04-10\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat was the last song that got stuck in your head?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading8-103477-2022-04-10\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse8-103477-2022-04-10\" 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\t54-46 That’s My Number by Toots and the Maytals\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse9-103477-2022-04-10\" id=\"heading9-103477-2022-04-10\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse9-103477-2022-04-10\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse9-103477-2022-04-10\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat qualities does the U.S. House of Representatives possess that makes it unique as an institution?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading9-103477-2022-04-10\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse9-103477-2022-04-10\" 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\tJob security: it is very difficult to lose your job once you get elected! That’s something I hope to change.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse10-103477-2022-04-10\" id=\"heading10-103477-2022-04-10\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse10-103477-2022-04-10\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse10-103477-2022-04-10\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tDo you believe that it's beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading10-103477-2022-04-10\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse10-103477-2022-04-10\" 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\tIt is beneficial for them if they want to win, but I don’t think it has a positive impact on policy making. The purpose of representation is for people from different places and different walks of life to come together and manage the affairs of government, not for a millionaires club with no experience outside government to make all the decisions in a smoke filled room.<br/><br/><br/>\r\nThe main benefit comes in time and connections, both of which help in campaigning more than legislating. Many political jobs are designed to allow you to work on campaigns when the time comes around. Most “real” jobs are not. It is much easier to run for office if you’re the chief of staff for a politician already, have the time off, and know all the players, than if you’re working outside of politics, need to use vacation time to campaign, and only know a few of the players. Unfortunately, I’m in the latter group, but I’m willing to fight the uphill battle because someone eventually has to if we want to end career politics.<br/></span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse11-103477-2022-04-10\" id=\"heading11-103477-2022-04-10\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse11-103477-2022-04-10\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse11-103477-2022-04-10\" 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=\"heading11-103477-2022-04-10\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse11-103477-2022-04-10\" 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\tOur greatest challenge will be starting the transition from an era of increasing government control over our lives into an era of increasing freedom. Unfortunately, right now we are accelerating in the wrong direction.<br/><br/>\n<p>Just the last two years we have seen our rights to freely associate and control our own bodies usurped by the government. Before that, we lost our right privacy and due process through The Patriot Act, and here in New York City we have all but lost our right to self defense.<br/><br/>\n</p>\nThe government always seems to find an “emergency” excuse to scale back freedoms from the people and never give it back. Whether it be communism during the Cold War, terrorism after 9/11, financial distress after the recession, or their new excuses today, the pandemic and the war in Ukraine. Enough is enough. Free people must be free and there is no excuse to take away freedoms. These never-ending emergencies must be put to an end. <br/></span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse12-103477-2022-04-10\" id=\"heading12-103477-2022-04-10\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse12-103477-2022-04-10\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse12-103477-2022-04-10\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tIf you are not a current representative, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading12-103477-2022-04-10\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse12-103477-2022-04-10\" 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\tOversight/Government Reform, Foreign Affairs, and Financial Services. Many of the rest could be abolished or consolidated. \t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse13-103477-2022-04-10\" id=\"heading13-103477-2022-04-10\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse13-103477-2022-04-10\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse13-103477-2022-04-10\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tDo you believe that two years is the right term length for representatives?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading13-103477-2022-04-10\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse13-103477-2022-04-10\" 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\tYes, the term length is reasonable, but the number of terms should be limited. I have pledged to serve at most two terms and I support term limits for all elected and appointed officials.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse14-103477-2022-04-10\" id=\"heading14-103477-2022-04-10\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse14-103477-2022-04-10\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse14-103477-2022-04-10\" 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=\"heading14-103477-2022-04-10\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse14-103477-2022-04-10\" 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\tTerm limits are essential to ending career politics and the corruption and cronyism that comes with it. I not only support term limits for all elected and appointed officials, I have also self imposed a 2-term limit on myself if elected. Limits, combined with real-time financial transparency, are the best way to reign in political profiteering.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse15-103477-2022-04-10\" id=\"heading15-103477-2022-04-10\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse15-103477-2022-04-10\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse15-103477-2022-04-10\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tIs there a particular representative, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading15-103477-2022-04-10\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse15-103477-2022-04-10\" 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\tJustin Amash, one of the most principled representatives in the past few decades. He left the Republican Party in the Trump era, and became the first Libertarian in Congress. We don’t agree on every issue, but he always put values ahead of party, politics, and personal interest.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse16-103477-2022-04-10\" id=\"heading16-103477-2022-04-10\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse16-103477-2022-04-10\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse16-103477-2022-04-10\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tBoth sitting representatives and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading16-103477-2022-04-10\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse16-103477-2022-04-10\" 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 stories that impact me the most are those of the hundreds of parents in The Bronx I have represented in my career as a public defender. My job is, in large part, to tell their stories.<br/><br/>\r\nI often first meet a new client on the worst day of their life- the morning after their children have been suddenly taken away from them by the government. Sometimes I see babies taken from their mothers’ arms in open court and whisked into the same system their parents often went through as children. These are the stories that remind me, everyday, that an unaccountable government will do unspeakable things in the name of the common good, especially in historically marginalized and overpoliced communities like parts of The Bronx.<br/></span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse17-103477-2022-04-10\" id=\"heading17-103477-2022-04-10\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse17-103477-2022-04-10\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse17-103477-2022-04-10\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tTell us your favorite joke.\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading17-103477-2022-04-10\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse17-103477-2022-04-10\" 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\t“We’re from the government and we’re here to help.”\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse18-103477-2022-04-10\" id=\"heading18-103477-2022-04-10\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse18-103477-2022-04-10\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse18-103477-2022-04-10\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tDo you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading18-103477-2022-04-10\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse18-103477-2022-04-10\" 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\tCompromise is often necessary to get things done. Compromising on details or timelines is one thing. However, I will not compromise my core principles. I expect to compromise on many issues if elected, but I will not compromise if it would potentially cause more harm.<br/><br/>\r\nI intend to work with both sides of the aisle to advance freedom, and use any/all leverage I may have as a third party to work against both sides of the aisle to resist further expansion of government into our lives.<br/></span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse19-103477-2022-04-10\" id=\"heading19-103477-2022-04-10\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse19-103477-2022-04-10\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse19-103477-2022-04-10\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tThe Constitution says that all bills for raising revenue must originate in the House. What role would this power play in your priorities if elected?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading19-103477-2022-04-10\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse19-103477-2022-04-10\" 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\tI would want to use this power as little as possible, if at all. We need to focus on raising and spending less money for the government and letting the people keep their earnings, not the other way around.<br/><br/>\r\nThe debt is currently nearly $30 trillion; that’s nearly $240,000 for every single taxpayer in the US. Congress needs to cut down on spending significantly before we lose control. History has shown that significant debt harms the economy and can even destroy a society, and the poor are always hurt the most. <br/></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\nJonathan Howe completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Howe's responses.\nExpand all | Collapse all\nWho are you? Tell us about yourself. I am a public defender in Bronx County Family Court where I represent parents targeted by the family-separation system and work to reunite them with their families and protect their parental rights. I applied to law school with the sole aim of becoming a public defender; I wanted to help level the playing field for those most impacted by oppressive government systems in any way I could. My internships during school spanned from working in public defenders’ offices in rural southern Texas all the way to Brooklyn and The Bronx. Since graduating in 2018 from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law I have spent my entire career in Bronx County Family Court. My campaign is focused on working towards peace, justice, and a clean planet through individual liberty. I live in Astoria with my two rescue cats, and the colony of outdoor/feral cats I manage. 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? Get big government out of your business, and big business out of your government. Politics should not be a career. End the damn wars! At home and abroad. What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about? Drug Prohibition The War on Drugs has been a failure. It has done unspeakable damage to entire generations, especially in minority and disenfranchised communities. The government does not have the right to tell you what you must or must not put in your body. History has shown that drug use cannot be eliminated without harming society more than drugs ever could. To reduce police brutality and militarization we must defund the cartels by ending this modern day Prohibition. War The United States spends more on its military than the next dozen countries combined. No military conflict involving the US in my lifetime has made our country safer, while tens of thousands of brave men and women who volunteered to serve have been killed, maimed, and abandoned. Our endless wars have destroyed lives and wasted money, devastated communities and the environment, and turned foreign public opinion against the US, all while endangering US citizens throughout the world. Environmental Protection Pollution of our planet harms us all. From plastics and medications in our drinking water to toxic chemicals in our air, we have allowed industrial polluters free reign. We must hold polluters accountable, but through enabling individual action, not regulation. Imposing strict liability on those who cause environmental damage, including personal liability on corporate executives for the harm caused, would allow and incentivize those affected to protect their local environment. Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why? In my personal life I look up to my late mother, Joyce Kingsbury-Howe. She grew up with nothing, but before I was even born she had worked her way to become the director of special education at a school for the blind. From my earliest memory she was the person I loved and respected most. She taught me that kindness, empathy, and devoting your life to helping those in need are the keys to true happiness in life. What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official? 1. A belief that politics is not about personal gain, it’s about improving the lives and protecting the freedoms of the people you represent. 2. An understanding that every dollar spent by the government is a dollar taken from the people. 3. An exit plan. When will you leave office, and what will you do? How will you ensure you will not use the honor of having represented their community to seek personal benefit through that office? What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder? 1. I am experienced in representing the people of this community. In my role as a public defender in Bronx Family Court I represent parents without the resources to hire a lawyer against a government with almost unlimited power and resources. I know what it’s like to fight, and win, within an unfair and often unjust system. On a daily basis I put the needs of those I represent before my own and, if elected, I intend to do the same. Most elected representatives have never engaged with the ordinary people of their community, and have never seen how the laws and regulations they create disadvantage the poor and working class. I see it every day. 2. I do not want a career in politics. Politics should not be a career. Too often our elected leaders run for office with no plans of ever leaving the world of politics. The majority of those in Congress are millionaires, despite a salary of $174,000 (compared to the average American salary of about $52,000). Between favors and kickbacks from lobbyists, to trading on inside information, what was once public service has become a lucrative grift. I refuse to be a career politician. I am running for office to represent the people of the 14th Congressional District, not because I want to be Senator or President someday. I love my job and plan to return to it, or something similar in public defense, after serving in Congress. I pledge to serve no more than two terms, and to support term limits for elected and appointed officials. I call on other candidates to make a similar pledge and limit their time in office. What was your very first job? How long did you have it? I worked for two years in high school as a dishwasher at Luzi’s Cantina, later known as Debbie’s Cooking and Catering, in my hometown of Wilbraham, MA. It was a tiny diner/pizza spot connected to an auto body shop which has since closed down. Working there taught me to always want to “look inside the kitchen” before eating somewhere, and I think that lesson applies to politics as well. What is your favorite book? Why? Catch-22 by Joseph Heller. It’s funny every time you read it, and it teaches the right message: disrespect petty authority. It also addresses many of the impossible situations we find ourselves in today, such as pointless and endless for-profit wars, created by bureaucracies run by unaccountable and incompetent nameless and faceless individuals, where you are damned if you do, damned if you don’t. It is a good description of our current convoluted, sometimes contradictory, political system that I hope to change. If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be? The Gorn, so I could meet Captain Kirk in person and shake his hand/throw rocks at him. What was the last song that got stuck in your head? 54-46 That’s My Number by Toots and the Maytals What qualities does the U.S. House of Representatives possess that makes it unique as an institution? Job security: it is very difficult to lose your job once you get elected! That’s something I hope to change. Do you believe that it's beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics? It is beneficial for them if they want to win, but I don’t think it has a positive impact on policy making. The purpose of representation is for people from different places and different walks of life to come together and manage the affairs of government, not for a millionaires club with no experience outside government to make all the decisions in a smoke filled room. The main benefit comes in time and connections, both of which help in campaigning more than legislating. Many political jobs are designed to allow you to work on campaigns when the time comes around. Most “real” jobs are not. It is much easier to run for office if you’re the chief of staff for a politician already, have the time off, and know all the players, than if you’re working outside of politics, need to use vacation time to campaign, and only know a few of the players. Unfortunately, I’m in the latter group, but I’m willing to fight the uphill battle because someone eventually has to if we want to end career politics. What do you perceive to be the United States' greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade? Our greatest challenge will be starting the transition from an era of increasing government control over our lives into an era of increasing freedom. Unfortunately, right now we are accelerating in the wrong direction. Just the last two years we have seen our rights to freely associate and control our own bodies usurped by the government. Before that, we lost our right privacy and due process through The Patriot Act, and here in New York City we have all but lost our right to self defense. The government always seems to find an “emergency” excuse to scale back freedoms from the people and never give it back. Whether it be communism during the Cold War, terrorism after 9/11, financial distress after the recession, or their new excuses today, the pandemic and the war in Ukraine. Enough is enough. Free people must be free and there is no excuse to take away freedoms. These never-ending emergencies must be put to an end. If you are not a current representative, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of? Oversight/Government Reform, Foreign Affairs, and Financial Services. Many of the rest could be abolished or consolidated. Do you believe that two years is the right term length for representatives? Yes, the term length is reasonable, but the number of terms should be limited. I have pledged to serve at most two terms and I support term limits for all elected and appointed officials. What are your thoughts on term limits? Term limits are essential to ending career politics and the corruption and cronyism that comes with it. I not only support term limits for all elected and appointed officials, I have also self imposed a 2-term limit on myself if elected. Limits, combined with real-time financial transparency, are the best way to reign in political profiteering. Is there a particular representative, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after? Justin Amash, one of the most principled representatives in the past few decades. He left the Republican Party in the Trump era, and became the first Libertarian in Congress. We don’t agree on every issue, but he always put values ahead of party, politics, and personal interest. Both sitting representatives and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful? The stories that impact me the most are those of the hundreds of parents in The Bronx I have represented in my career as a public defender. My job is, in large part, to tell their stories. I often first meet a new client on the worst day of their life- the morning after their children have been suddenly taken away from them by the government. Sometimes I see babies taken from their mothers’ arms in open court and whisked into the same system their parents often went through as children. These are the stories that remind me, everyday, that an unaccountable government will do unspeakable things in the name of the common good, especially in historically marginalized and overpoliced communities like parts of The Bronx. Tell us your favorite joke. “We’re from the government and we’re here to help.” Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking? Compromise is often necessary to get things done. Compromising on details or timelines is one thing. However, I will not compromise my core principles. I expect to compromise on many issues if elected, but I will not compromise if it would potentially cause more harm. I intend to work with both sides of the aisle to advance freedom, and use any/all leverage I may have as a third party to work against both sides of the aisle to resist further expansion of government into our lives. The Constitution says that all bills for raising revenue must originate in the House. What role would this power play in your priorities if elected? I would want to use this power as little as possible, if at all. We need to focus on raising and spending less money for the government and letting the people keep their earnings, not the other way around. The debt is currently nearly $30 trillion; that’s nearly $240,000 for every single taxpayer in the US. Congress needs to cut down on spending significantly before we lose control. History has shown that significant debt harms the economy and can even destroy a society, and the poor are always hurt the most.\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."}]