504 Democratic Club: Questionnaires (Candidate for City Council James M. Pocchia's 2009 response)

Candidate Name: James M. Pocchia

Council District: 50

Contact Person: James M. Pocchia 917-757-8008, David DeMartino 646-228-6659

If there is a Campaign office, is it wheelchair accessible? Currently, there is no formal campaign headquarters.

Campaign Address: 114 Seguine Avenue, Staten Island, NY 10309
Phone: 718-757-8008
Fax: 718-605-5156
Email: jamespocchiaforcouncil @ verizon.net
Website: www.jamespocchiaforcitycouncil.com

Endorsements: Richmond County Democratic Party, Democratic Organization of Richmond County. Staten Island Community Emergency Response Team

Action Shows Commitment!
1. 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?
  
  I have never held public office prior to this campaign.
2. Will you commit to only attend / sponsor events that are accessible to people with disabilities (PWDs including providing written materials in alternate formats, providing assistive listening systems, and sign language interpreters as well as ensuring that locations are physically accessible)?
  
  No answer.
General Questions
1. What personal and professional experience have you had with people with disabilities in your personal life and in the workplace?
  
  I have a family member who operates a speech and occupational therapy center for children with special needs here on Staten Island. I have made first hand observations of the work that she does and have spoken with her on too many occasions to count about the needs of the children she treats here on Staten Island.
2. 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?
  
  I would be willing to explore all possibilities for hiring persons with disabilities when elected to the City Council.
3. How will you work closely with the disability community to assure passage of vitally needed legislation through the City Council? What will be your strategy?
  
  My strategy would be to focus on the various civic associations in my district to insure that support for persons with disabilities was an issue that did get attention from their groups.
Housing
1. What is your position on the development of supported apartments/homes and retirement homes for the persons with mental and/or physical disabilities in your district?
  
  My position is to provide the support that people with disabilities living in my district need and deserve.
2. 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?)
  
  I do not know enough about this legislation to comment at this time. However, I remain interested in learning more about it through the efforts of your organization.
3. Visitability sets guidelines to ensure newly constructed multi-family dwellings have basic accessible/adaptable features to permit people with disabilities can visit, and for residents to "age in place," without having to move out when age and/or disability set in. Do you support incorporating the concept of "visitability" in the Building Code?
  
  Yes.
Transportation
1. Will you support an expansion of affordable wheelchair accessible transportation in NYC, including taxis, livery service, express buses, and shuttles, more accessible subway stations, etc.?
  
  Yes.
2. Efforts to secure a 100% accessible fleet of medallion taxis have been hampered by opposition from Mayor Bloomberg and the taxi industry. The current emphasis is on creating a 100% "green" fleet. What would you do to assure that taxis and community car service vehicles are both "green" and universally designed for wheelchair access?
  
  I would work with the new administration to insure that both objectives are met.
3. Access-A-Ride (AAR) users experience unnecessarily long trips, causing workers to be late for work, have their pay docked and possibly losing their jobs. AAR leaves consumers stranded, lies that a vehicle is coming and penalized riders as a "no-show" when the vehicle never arrived. Riders who complain report they are subject to retaliation. What would you do to improve the quality of AAR? Would you support the issuance of a "smart card" so that Access-A-Ride users can use accessible cabs/livery service at a reduced cost and receive better service? Would you support the issuance of a "smart card" so that Access-A-Ride users can use accessible cabs/livery service at a reduced cost and receive better service?
  
  I would advocate a study of the problem with an eye towards a reasonable cost effective solution.
Civil Rights

Do you pledge to use your office to affirm or strengthen, rather than weaken, civil rights protections for persons with disabilities?

Yes.
Community Board
1. Do you support requiring all Community Board meeting and function be accessible, including requiring sign language interpreters and large print format material?
  
  Yes.
2. How many people with disabilities have/will you appoint to your local Community Board(s)?
  
  This question cannot be answered with a certain numerical answer. I would certainly try to insure that the correct cross section of my community, including persons with disabilities, was represented on the community boards.
3. Will you support the "requirement" and implement, a Disabled Committee on every Community Board?
  
  Yes.
Discretionary Funds

Will you use your discretionary funds to support organizations serving people with disabilities or service organizations seeking to make their programs accessible to people with disabilities?

I would make that effort.
Accessibility
1. Under Mayor Bloomberg, the City settled with the United Spinal Association and agreed to install pedestrian ramps, on all corners which presently don't have one. However, no provision was made to repair and/or replace existing ones which are unsafe. How would you ensure that pedestrian ramps are provided or repaired? What would you establish as a timetable?
  
  I would attempt to have this project made part of future capital improvements to be completed in a reasonable time frame.
2. What steps do you think NYC should take to encourage business owners to make their establishments more accessible?
  
  I believe there should be a direct focus campaign, possibly through literature, to encourage accessibility.
3. How would you ensure that emergency evacuation for PWDs provisions are put in place to improve survival rates of PWDs in the event of fire, attack, blackout, or other emergency situation?
  
  I would tackle this problem by formulating a study group comprised of a number of persons with disabilities so that ideas can be formulated and studied for feasibility.
Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD)
1. Mayor Bloomberg elevated the Director of the (MOPD) to a Commissioner without any increase in budget or responsibilities. How would you ensure that city departments/agencies coordinate through MOPD?
  
  I believe that one would need to explore the possibility of legislation towards that end.
2. How do you believe the City Council should enforce and do oversight regarding the work of the office and be certain of the implementation and its efforts?
  
  I believe there should be regular interval reporting completed by the office to the City Council. In addition, if it has not already been done, the City Council should look towards establishing a specific committee for this and related purposes.

Date: June 3, 2009

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