City Council District One Candidate Questionnaire: Zack Deere

What is your background and how does it inform your decision to run for election?

I do not have a background in politics and that is part of the reason that I feel I am the right person to run for City Council. I don’t have any plans on being a career politician, I am only running because I can’t stand idly by with our government in the shape that it is. In my career of running a nonprofit, I’ve learned how to bring people together, launch and maintain programs/services, manage budgets, and to think outside of the box.

According to the city’s latest Housing Element, the City Council could take up the issue of creating a rent stabilization ordinance next year. What are your thoughts on a citywide rent stabilization ordinance in Long Beach?

I believe that it’s a step in the right direction as more and more people get priced out of housing. I do not believe that it’s enough though… We need to get aggressive in stopping the development of more luxury apartments. Instead, we should work to convert apartment complexes into condominiums that people can purchase to start developing their own wealth and stability. The younger/future generations are fighting an uphill battle, in which they are losing, when it comes to housing, wealth, and stability. 

Would you support the creation of a citywide rental data registry that would require landlords to report lengths of tenancies, rent amounts collected, and whenever they begin, alter, or end a tenancy?

Yes.

Tenants rights advocates across the country have called for a codified right to legal counsel for tenants facing eviction and have been successful in San Francisco and New York. Would you support a right to counsel ordinance in Long Beach?

Yes.

Is housing a human right?

Yes.

Tell us about an approach, policy, or program that has been successfully implemented in another city to reduce homelessness that you would like to introduce in Long Beach.

I feel that we need to combine some of the best parts of implemented programs in our state to serve our homeless in Long Beach. Berkeley’s Coordinated Entry System is a powerful tool that helps streamline processes, prioritizes those most in need, and has a hotline to access services. San Diego has their housing first policy that has helped thousands of people move from temporary shelters to permanent housing. To best implement these programs, I also believe that we need a large team of social workers that are easily accessible to anyone who may need help.

As part of a plan for all new buildings to have net-zero carbon emissions by 2030, the Los Angeles City Council is considering a proposal to bar all new commercial and residential construction projects from including gas line hookups in favor of all-electric appliances. Would you support a similar undertaking in Long Beach? Editors’ Note: Since the asking of this question, the Los Angeles City Council voted in favor of banning most gas appliances in new construction.  

Yes.

A recently drafted city memo proposes to end oil drilling in Long Beach by 2035, when local oil fields will no longer be financially viable. Should the city end oil drilling operations before 2035?

Yes.

Have you taken campaign donations from the fossil fuel industry and, if so, do you plan to continue taking contributions from that sector?

My campaign has not, and will not, take any donations from any business, individual, or organization as I do not believe money should have any place in political elections.

The Long Beach Police Department currently employs approximately 800 sworn police officers. Do you think the current number of sworn police officers should:

Stay the same.

A city-hired consultant recently recommended changes to the Citizen Police Complaint Commission that would create an inspector general position to investigate the LBPD. However, the inspector general could only investigate police shootings, in-custody deaths, and complaints against command staff with the approval of the City Manager. Past commissioners and community members have argued that the CPCC’s current subordination to the City Manager has rendered it toothless. Would you be in favor of an Inspector General position with the unfettered authority to investigate officer misconduct and use-of-force?

Yes.

Please explain what changes, if any, you would like to see implemented to better hold LBPD officers accountable for misconduct and/or excessive force?

I believe that there are multiple levels to improving our police department and lowering cases of misconduct/excessive force. We absolutely need the ability to investigate the officers without approval from a city manager or police chief. But that only helps after the incident has already happened… We need more ongoing training for officers to help avoid these situations in the first place. We need to improve their public image so that people aren’t so angry, spiteful, and hostile towards officers… We need to believe that our officers intentions are good and that they will uphold their duty to serve and protect us. We will only do that through improved transparency and time.

Long Beach has been working to implement an alternate crisis response (ACR) program that dispatches mental health professionals instead of police officers to calls for service related to mental health crises. Would you support expanding the criteria for the ACR to divert calls away from LBPD beyond mental health crises? If so, which types of calls for service?

I feel that the ACR program is a step in the right direction but that it could definitely be expanded upon. Specifically I believe that these professionals could help in many non-violent domestic disputes and in situations regarding a person who is experiencing homelessness. In many of these cases, it may be beneficial to have both an officer and a mental health professional on site to insure everyone is cared for properly and safely. 

The city’s Technology and Innovation Commission recently issued a full-throated recommendation to put a citywide moratorium on the use of Facial Recognition Technology until privacy and civil rights safeguards are put in place. Do you agree with this recommendation?

Yes.

Have you taken campaign donations from the Long Beach Police Officers Association and, if so, do you plan to continue taking their contributions? 

My campaign has not and will not take any donations from any business, individual, or organization as I do not believe money should have any place in political elections.

According to county data, accidental overdose deaths have spiked over the pandemic, especially in Long Beach. Harm reduction has become a key public health intervention in preventing overdose deaths and cities like New York and San Francisco have opened safe consumption sites to address the problem. Should Long Beach open a safe consumption site?

Yes.

Several cities have decriminalized psilocybin mushrooms, otherwise known as ‘magic mushrooms,’ including Detroit, Santa Cruz, and Oakland. What are your thoughts on decriminalizing magic mushrooms in Long Beach?

I don’t see why mushrooms should be illegal if alcohol and marijuana aren’t. In my opinion, if someone isn’t hurting themselves or others then why does our government have any right to tell us not to do something. According to the CDC, alcohol is the third-leading preventable cause of death in the United States yet remains completely legal. Ultimately, it should come down to whatever people vote on. It’s not a politician’s right to decide for the people, it’s their job to represent the people. If this is something that my constituents want the opportunity to vote on, then I will work to give them that opportunity. In contrast, if they don’t want it, I will not pursue it.

Long Beach’s minimum wage is currently $14 an hour for businesses with 25 or fewer employees and $15 an hour for all other businesses. Los Angeles’s minimum wage, which increases annually based on the Consumer Price Index, will rise to $16.04 in July. Should Long Beach adopt an annual minimum wage increase to keep pace with cost of living?

Yes.

Fare collections accounted for 12-15% of Long Beach Transit’s operating revenue pre-pandemic, totaling roughly $14.8 million. Should Long Beach consider investing more funds into LBT in order to transition it to a fare-free transit system?

Yes.

Seeing as councilmembers are only employed part time, what would be your other area(s) of employment if (re)elected?

I will continue to work full time as the manager of development operations at a local 501(c)(3) nonprofit in LA County.