504 Democratic Club: Questionnaires (Candidate for Public Advocate Norman Siegel's 2009 response)

Candidate Name: Norman Siegel

Contact Person: Theresa Canter

If there is a Campaign office, is it wheelchair accessible? Yes

Campaign Address: 260 Madison Avenue, 18th Floor, New York, NY 10016
Phone: 212-448-6271
Fax: 212-448-0066
Email: nycnormansiegel @ aol.com
Website: normansiegel.com

Action Shows Commitment!

While in public office/prior to this campaign, what have you accomplished in regard to advancing disability rights? This can include work towards accessible housing, transportation, employment, health care, education, and including people with disabilities in the political process.

A few years ago I stood on the steps of City Hall to fight for a broader interpretation of human rights through the passage of Intro 22. Throughout my career, I have advocated for the rights of those who face societal disadvantages. I hope to apply this experience to fighting for the advancement of disability rights as well.
What oversight have you performed regarding implementation of programs/legislation you have passed (in first term or in previous offices)?

I have not held previous elected office.
What implementation/strategy do you have for your future programs and legislation to help constituents with disabilities?

Equality issues and civil liberties are my area of expertise and the central focus of my career. I would appoint a Deputy Public Advocate for equality issues pertaining to race, gender, sexual orientation, income discrimination issues, and individuals with disabilities.

The backbone of my campaign and my desire to serve as New York City's Public Advocate is my vision for how this unique elected position - the only position in America that represents the people against the government - can operate as an example of democracy in action. No New Yorker would have to ask "what does the Public Advocate do?" if I were in charge of the office. The City Charter specifies in section 24g, "The public advocate shall establish procedures for receiving and processing complaints, responding to complaints, conducting investigations, and reporting findings, and shall inform the public about such procedures." Accordingly, I've outlined fourteen procedures and approaches I would use to make the office more dynamic and accessible:
1. I will not only contact the appropriate city agencies when it is appropriate, but I will also connect concerned residents and community groups to the appropriate agencies, so they do not get the run-around when trying to deal with city bureaucracies.
2. The Public Advocate has access to the media, and he or she should use it. The Public Advocate's office will put pressing issues into New York's papers by writing letters to the editor and opinion editorials on a constant basis.
3. Similarly, our office will hold press conferences to keep New York's journalists apprised of the problems people are facing, and the work our office and our partners are doing to fix them.
4. A Public Advocate cannot understand the concerns of the City without going directly to the people. That is why we will hold public conferences/town hall meetings throughout the five boroughs to allow residents to give feedback about the difficulties they are facing.
5. Not only will I hold meetings in all five boroughs, but I will also decentralize the office. I would establish satellite Public Advocate offices in each borough, not just the municipal building in downtown Manhattan. No advocate waits for people to come with their problems; advocacy is about taking the first step by reaching out to people in their own neighborhoods.
6. Once a problem has been identified, the Public Advocate's office will designate a task force to speedily gather information, make recommendations, and if necessary, take action.
7. If a task force is insufficient, I will not hesitate to create Public Advocate Commissions that can hold hearings, issue reports, and bring additional media attention to an issue.
8. If our office identifies an issue that warrants substantial study, we will commission Special Reports and have experts look into those issues.
9. There will be times when new legislation will be required to solve the issues we face. Under my direction, the Public Advocate's office will be aggressive in recommending and supporting new legislation.
10. As Public Advocate, I will encourage and participate in all protected First Amendment action events, including marches, rallies and protests.
11. One of the most important features of the Public Advocate's office is its authority to hold public hearings. When dealing with City agencies accused of wrongdoing, one can be assured that holding hearings is a tool I will use liberally. Additionally, New York law allows the Public Advocate to petition for judicial public hearings when there has been any showing of government impropriety, which allows the public to hear the acts in a court of law. As a civil rights attorney representing taxpayers I used this process to bring public attention to the "slush fund" that had been funneling city money to fictitious organizations. That case is currently on appeal in the New York Appellate Division. The incumbent has never asked for judicial hearings, but I will show no such reluctance in exposing government improprieties, such as fraud and corruption.
12. I would create an Institute of Advocacy where the Public Advocate staff would quarterly hold weekend training sessions on the "art of advocacy." The goal would be to create a citywide network of skilled advocates.
13. To this end, I would recruit, train and supervise hundreds of volunteers (assistant Public Advocates) to participate in weekly intakes at housing developments, public libraries, and senior centers, identifying the systemic issues and recurring grievances that are plaguing city government.
14. As a last resort, the Public Advocate's office will engage in litigation. We will sue for declaratory judgments, injunctive relief, or, in state court, for a judicial public hearing.
I will employ all of the above energetically and forcefully, because I see the Public Advocate's office as the culmination of a lifetime of work, not just a political stepping stone.
Will you commit to only attend or sponsor events that are accessible to people with disabilities? NOTE: This includes providing written materials in alternate formats for people with low vision, providing assistive listening systems for people who are hard-of-hearing, and sign language interpreters for people who are deaf, as well as ensuring that locations are accessible to people who use mobility aids, like wheelchairs and walkers.

Yes.

General Questions

What personal and professional experience have you had with people with disabilities in your personal life and in the workplace?

I have friends and neighbors who are disabled; 2. As Executive Director of the NYCLU and MFY Legal Services, I have had numerous experiences with clients, community members and staff who were disabled, we constructed a storefront (MFY) and office space (NYCLU) that was disability-accessible.
What type of jobs would you be willing to hire and to provide reasonable accommodation (e.g. flex or part time) for staff members with disabilities?

Any and all jobs.
How do you propose to implement your active involvement and/or availability to the disability community?

See question (c); creating an interactive procedural interface is my driving vision for the Public Advocate's office.
Will there be a specific person in your office responsible to this community?

Yes - my Deputy Public Advocate for equality issues.
Will have regular office agenda items and meetings on disabled community issues?

Yes.
How will you work with the disability community to assist in passage of other vitally needed legislation through relevant levels of local, state and federal government?

Through my Deputy Public Advocate for equality issues, through the approaches in (c), particularly those regarding the training and connecting of community groups and leaders to advocate for their causes, and of course I myself will speak out vociferously in favor of legislation that promotes fairness, justice and equality.

Housing

What is your position on making DRIE (Disabled Rent Increase Exemption) and SCRIE (Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption) programs income eligibility comparable? (At present a individual senior or household income eligibility is $28,000. While the income for a younger disabled individual is capped at $19,284 and $27,780 for a household?)

While $28,000 seems like a low cap for either seniors or people with disabilities, certainly I would approve that amount instead of the lower amount, and parity in general.
What alternative programs will you propose to allow persons with disabilities to stay in their own homes/apartments? Perhaps a dedicated housing trust fund should be established for persons with disabilities?

One thing we can do is protect people with disabilities who are living in rent-controlled buildings from landlords who are eager to push them out in order to get increased rent. Permanent affordable housing is one way to achieve this protection. A dedicated housing trust fund is a great plan, but we'd have to find a way to ensure that we can fund this program in the long term so recipients of the funds don't have to worry about losing their housing when the economy fluctuates.
Emergency evacuation for people with disabilities: what would you do to ensure that provisions are put in place to improve survival rates of people with disabilities in the event of fire, attack, blackout, or other emergency situation?

I think that training and planning on the part of building managers and emergency workers is the place to start. Every building manager and fire warden should be aware of which people will need special assistance in the event of an emergency and what type of assistance is appropriate for differing needs.
What would you do to ensure that "Visitability" is enacted in New York City? Visitability is the movement towards establishing guidelines providing that newly constructed multi-family dwellings have basic accessible/adaptable features that permit friends and family with disabilities to visit, and for residents to "age in place," without having to move out when age and/or disability set in.

The best way to ensure Visitability of New York is to draw attention to how successful Visitability programs have been and emphasize how desirable the changes involved in Visitability actually are. Most New Yorkers would be more than happy to add a few extra inches of width to their doorways, make sure that buildings have a ground floor entrance, and build bathrooms that include enough space for maneuverability.

Organization

How would you ensure that city departments/agencies coordinate through MOPD?

The key to successful coordination between agencies is constant communication and honest airing of grievances. I pride myself on being someone who can mediate between agencies and can speak openly about difficult subjects. The Public Advocate is an ideal vehicle for mediation because its citywide oversight role over these agencies give it an essential bird's-eye-view over collaboration or the lack thereof. As Public Advocate, I will ensure that MOPD receives attention, respect, and prominence - from the public and from other agencies, including the mayor's office.
What implementation/authority should MOPD have, and/or how would you ensure that MOPD? Since presumably "this" office is a Mayoral Office, how would you enforce and do oversight regarding the work of the office and be certain of the implementation and its efforts?

MOPD should have the authority to investigate all claims and concerns of people with disabilities, including but not limited to discrimination, housing concerns, and general accessibility. Part of my job as Public Advocate, as alluded to in the previous question, will be to make sure this office isn't sidelined by the mayor. I will act as a watchdog over the mayor's office, paying vigilant attention to MOPD and drawing attention to any failures to account for people with disabilities.

Accessibility

How will you advocate that curb cuts, a.k.a. pedestrian ramps, are built wherever new intersections are installed or old sidewalks and/or intersections are repaired?

I would support introducing as legislation a requirement that all new or significantly repaired intersections include curb cuts. With or without such legislation I would, as Public Advocate, put a spotlight on the relative simplicity of such construction.
What steps do you think NYC should take to encourage business owners to make their establishments more accessible?

The Public Advocate should bring together leaders of the disability community and business community and focus on where they overlap, both in terms of membership and shared interests. From there we can find ways to increase accessibility.
How would you encourage landmark buildings to become accessible without losing their historical integrity? What strategy would you employ?

I don't see adding a wheelchair ramp or a small lift as significantly diminishing a building's historical integrity - I would start there. There is no point in having these buildings if our entire community can't access them.

Accessibility

List your accomplishments in your present office to advance employment opportunities for disabled people?

I haven't held previous elected office, but I have been and continue to be a strong supporter of equal employment opportunity for all, and have the legal knowledge and experience to fight for it.

Transportation

What is your position on expansion of accessible transportation in NYC, including taxis, livery service, express buses, airport shuttles, ferries, etc.?

I will work with the DOT and community groups like the 504 Democratic Club to find the areas of greatest need, then work from there to focus on solutions. Specifically, I support expansion of accessible transportation in NYC in the stated areas.
How would you enforce compliance with existing laws and regulations?

I will do whatever it takes to make sure these laws are enforced, including but not limited to helping those who are denied access to bring suit against those who break the law.
What will you do to ensure that the approximately 14,000 taxis serving New York City will be accessible to all? How would you sure that persons with disabilities in the outer boroughs and above 125th Street have greater access to livery service vehicles?

I will begin a dialogue with TLC and the taxi community to bring home the point that all future taxis need to be wheelchair-accessible. If necessary, I will push to provide tax incentives to achieve this goal.

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