Name of Council Candidate: Laurie A. Cumbo Person Completing: Jarvis Houston, Campaign Manager Campaign Website: www.lauriecumbo2013.

com

2013 CITY COUNCIL HUMAN RIGHTS QUESTIONNAIRE

1. Many in the United States think of international affairs when they think of human rights. Our work emphasizes the applicability of the human rights framework here in the United States. Please share your thoughts on the domestic applicability of human rights, and discuss why human rights are important to you in the context of New York City and the City Council. The International Bill of Human Rights details widely-accepted norms that far exceed the basic right to sustain a healthy physical and mental life safe from harm: nations (and their legislatures, such as Council) tacitly agree to maintain domestic rule of law that promotes both delivery and protection of even the broadest human rights. Extreme violations now affect few Americans (ex., few are spirited away by individuals or government representatives to be tortured in traditional ways), but millions of prisoners are affected by government policies permitting use of stun equipment and solitary confinement that, internationally, is considered torture. Bombs and plague are not dropped on American civilians, destroying both lives and community and family coherence, but profiteering, inequitable, unsafe housing and business development, and medical service delivery, have similar impacts. Council must ensure that NYC law, and government-agency rules, performance, and budgets are designed and enforced to uphold and enhance all human rights, and to protect from government intrusion and abuse. Council must safeguard equitable access to rights such as due process, education, religious tolerance and cultural life, all shown to be in short order in NYC. City government policy and activity must exist within a human rights framework. 2. How have you used current or previous professional positions to advance human rights? My upbringing valued education and philanthropy, and promoted the arts and travel in ways that taught me the impact of urban planning on quality-of-life. While founding and developing the Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Art, I used physical space, varied arts techniques (paint, sculpture, video, music, poetry), history and maps to educate the public on human rights problems experienced by artists in the U.S. and abroad, and addressed by them in their art - example, immigrant aspirations and related discrimination, gun and police violence, housing displacement, religious expression, racism and sexism, natural disasters. I added on-site lectures about combating such problems, such as by Haiti "earthquake relief" efforts, and advertised such events and causes elsewhere. MoCADA provides after-school programs on-site and in housing projects, and events in neighborhood churches and parks on topics such as the anniversary of apartheid's end. When controversy over exhibits arose, I arranged town hall-type meetings nearby. Needing to fund MoCADA made me an effective advocate for increased, equitable distribution of government funding for small, racially-diverse non-profits.

3. What will your top 3 legislative priorities be in your first term as Council Member? 1. Investment in economic development projects that will encourage small business growth and cultural tourism as well as energize public parks and spaces 2. Public education reforms that will expand students knowledge base so as to help them f unction and compete in the globalized economy 3. Increased support, financial and otherwise, for community-based not-for-profit organizations, including but not limited to those that provide youth and senior services, and cultural activities 4. What will your top 3 budget priorities be in your first term as Council Member? 1. Increase support for existing health care services, and for the speedy implementation of new communitybased sites and hospital access 2. Strengthen existing women and minority-owned community-based businesses, and provide financial and other incentives for such businesses to remain and to open. 3. Ensure a balanced mix of housing options by means of methods such as retention, renovation and construction of permanent affordable housing, and mortgage assistance for struggling homeowners 5. Do you plan to use participatory budgeting to allocate your discretionary funds? Why or why not? For my first budget year, I will dedicate 50% of my discretionary funds to participatory budgeting, and will utilize transparency crucial to building resident-responsiveness and belief in fairness: to promote development of concrete, realistic proposals; to evaluate proposals, advertise finalists, and stage a public vote. Officials and communities benefit from exposure of problems that otherwise might remain invisible: ex., inequitable distribution of safe outdoor play space, or of school physical plant upkeep and technology equipment-installation. As Members solicit and incorporate information and opinions, residents learn the value of working within the system, and of voting. However, I am concerned that the process of competition - among residents who can research, write, and orally advocate for a specific solution that they identify for their problem excludes residents who neither have these skills nor quickly can develop them, who traditionally do not speak publicly or advocate privately, who are not personally or locally organized. District 35 neighborhoods are extremely different: outreach methods appropriate to each will enable ongoing solicitation of information and ideas. As I address problems by awarding discretionary funds and by other methods, more residents will believe in engagement, enabling me to dedicate more funds to participatory budgeting. 6. Please provide examples of recent legislation in Council that you believe promotes human rights. Although NYC already surpasses the rest of the U.S. in providing human rights-related services to immigrants, such as health care and education, the Council approved the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Bill urging Congress to pass the long-pending Federal bill that would grant human rights protections and services to undocumented immigrants. The Council overrode a Mayoral veto to pass Local Law 46 providing five paid sick days for certain categories of workers to care for themselves or sick family members. Council Members approved creation of an Inspector General position and office to oversee the NY Police Department, such as already exists for every other NYC agency. With

expected overturn of Mayoral veto, this legislation will enable independent evaluation of police actions within the context of existing NYPD rules and regulations designed to uphold the human right to safety of ones person and protection from abuse by government representatives. Two proposed Local Laws concern the Department of Corrections use of solitary confinement for inmates: I abhor traditional Member reluctance to sponsor and protect the human rights of prisoners, and support movement of this legislation out of Committee 7. Legislation is only one of many ways in which Council Members can work to advance human rights. What ways other than through legislation will you advance the human rights of New Yorkers as a City Council Member? Little Member workload involves drafting or debating legislation. Primary activities - specialized-Committee and budget-related work - enable Members to enforce and enhance specific human rights that both government agencies and private entities are responsible for upholding. Committee research and hearings enable Members to hold accountable for performance and policies all City agencies and officials, and private organizations that do business with agencies or interact with agency clients, and to pursue problems identified by staff and the public. Committees can propose policies and programs, and arrange related Council funding. Member evaluation of every aspect of every budget, and of select contracts, enables Members to adjust agency expenditures so as to ensure proper performance and fulfillment of human rights-related mandates and goals as well as construction. I will continue to hold town hall meetings to solicit information from constituents about perceived local abuses and negligence, some of which might rise to the level of human rights violations by government workers, landlords, local health service providers or others. Staff and technology in my District office will be capable of speedy response to complaints and tips, as will I. 8. Some advocates contend that the position of the Council Speaker has too much power over the progression of legislation. The Speakers position inherently may be too powerful, and Speakers definitely have used their power to obstruct progression of proposed legislation. Speakers have a large pool of discretionary funds to award Members who vote their way and only sponsor or move legislation that they approve. A Speaker can retaliate against independent legislators by withholding or reducing awards of discretionary funds, thereby harming the Members District and constituents, potentially resulting in their retaliating by voting the Member out of office. Members want work on particular Committees; many Members strive to Chair their favorite Committee so as to control its agenda. The Speaker position has authority over Committee appointments and Chairs, and bonuses awarded to Chairs: Speakers have used these powers to reward or harm Members who are uncooperative legislatively. The Speaker position has authority to decide when, or if, proposed legislation emerges from Committee for Council discussion: a renegade Member attempting to move discussion beyond Committee, or to push a Council vote to override a Speaker-supported Mayoral veto, is subject to Speaker retaliation. The Speakers position, or its misuse/abuse, prevents equitable treatment for Members and Districts, and a democratic legislative process.

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