504 Democratic Club: Questionnaires (Candidate for City Council Melquiades Gagarin's 2009 response)

Candidate Name: Melquiades Gagarin

Council District: 29

Contact Person: Aleda Gagarin, Campaign Manager & Treasurer

If there is a Campaign office, is it wheelchair accessible? We currently do not have a campaign office, it is run out of the candidate's home. When we do obtain an official headquarters, accessibility will be a guideline for securing it.

Campaign Address: 119-30 Metropolitan Avenue, 2nd Floor, Kew Gardens, NY 11415
Phone: 347-561-3877
Fax: 347-561-3877
Email: AledaGagarin @ gmail.com
Website: www.GAGARIN2009.com

Endorsements: I have sought the endorsement of several progressive groups who have yet to announce their endorsements.

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 been a big proponent of affordable housing and modernizing infrastructure, which for me would include making housing and public transportation accessible. Our city needs to make leaps and bounds to make transportation and public spaces accessible, and with accessibility would come better access to more housing options, education, and employment opportunities for those with disabilities. This is an issue that I care deeply about, and as a City Council member accessibility is something that I would be determined to fight for.
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)?
  
  I can commit to doing my very best to sponsor events that are physically accessible to all. A lot buildings are already accessible, adaptable, or in the process of becoming either of those. The reality, however, is that not all buildings in my district and the city as a whole are accessible. I cannot promise that I will never attend events in those buildings if I have the chance to make a positive impact on another group in need of assistance. I know that the politically convenient thing to do here would be to give my commitment to make the endorsement process easier, but I believe in running my campaign based on honesty and good conscience, not political convenience. What I can promise is that my office would be accessible, and that when attending events, I can ask that the sponsors do everything in their power to make the events accessible, and provide assistance and information on how to do so. I can commit to working on legislation in the council to increase accessibility in my district and in the city as a whole, so that one day this won't be an issue.
General Questions
1. What personal and professional experience have you had with people with disabilities in your personal life and in the workplace?
  
  This year, my experience with people with disabilities has become quite personal. I have met wonderful constituents with disabilities while on the campaign trail that I know deserve the same access to employment, transportation, education and housing that people without disabilities have. Just last week, my grandfather, who has lived in the same building as me for most of my life and helped raise me, suffered three major strokes and now relies on a wheelchair to get around. Both my family and I are becoming intimately aware of the difficulties he will have because of this. My wife and I have also become more and more aware of how much accessibility matters through working with our daughter's physical therapist, who has made it her life's passion to help to fight for accessibility, and who founded Dancing Dreams, an non-profit that teaches ballet to disabled girls. We attended their yearly recital in March with our son and daughter, and could not have been more moved by the how wonderful these girls are, how hard they worked, and by the struggles of their families to give their disabled daughters the same opportunities that their brothers and sisters have.
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 will work with all my staff members to make sure their needs are accommodated as best as possible. I believe that a supportive work environment is crucial in keeping staff members performing at their best. As for specific positions - I will not let a potential disability define my future staff member(s)' role in the office. If someone is qualified and enthusiastic about working for me, they will be asked to come on board.
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 will be to speak to as many people in the disability community as possible, including groups serving and advocating for the disabled community to develop legislation and partnerships that will benefit the disability community.
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?
  
  I am in favor of it.
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 am in favor of it.
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?
  
  There is absolutely no reason why accessible cannot be "green." I feel that the proposed The Accessible and Green Taxi Transition Law of 2007 combined the two well. I would work with members of the community to work off that proposal and come up with a more efficient way to get more accessible taxis out in the city.
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?
  
  The most important thing I would do is fight to ensure that the next budget does not cut AAR, and actually increases funding for the program. With more money and better oversight, the program will operate better. I think that the people that rely on these services also need to have more power added to their voices in terms of the quality of the services. No one should be afraid to report a lack of efficiency or accommodation of a service that they need, and that our city should be providing. I know of stories like these all to well from my own grandparents, and the ridiculous things that they must go through to get to a medical appointment. How the city contracts with AAR providers needs to also be more closely examined to ensure that there is accountability for services. I would 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.
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)?
  
  As many as I meet who are qualified and committed.
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?

Yes.
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 have been a big proponent of updating our city's infrastructure. Firstly I think legislation should be passed mandating the repair and/or replacement of pedestrian ramps on corners, with built in enforcement measures to ensure they are carried out. I think a 10 year timetable for all five boroughs would be more than enough time to carry out the project.
2. What steps do you think NYC should take to encourage business owners to make their establishments more accessible?
  
  I would support legislation that would aid local businesses increase accessibility - ramps are important for people to get in, lower counters for people in wheelchairs to be able to pay at stores, etc. I think that the pushback on this issue often comes from small local businesses, of which both my district and city have many, that cannot afford to high costs of making their stores accessible. I think that the city needs to add incentives, whether through tax breaks, or from funding to ensure that these small local businesses can become accessible while benefitting both the local economy and people with disabilities. It is my belief that by when business owners make their establishments accessible, everybody wins.
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 like to work on legislation that would create a voluntary registry database system for PWDs with first responders so that when emergencies arise first responders are flagged that PWDs are at the site. Secondly part of this legislation would ensure that first responders have been trained in handling evacuations, particularly in high rises of persons with disabilities.
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 would work to make sure there is a liaison set within the MOPD for all the other agencies to have as a point person for questions and planning. Secondly, I would work to increase the visibility of the department by coordinating information distribution through not for profits and advocacy bloggers that already serve this population. Thirdly, I would make use of visual media already at the city's disposal, like newspaper press releases, nyc.gov, and local media.
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?
  
  Since the Council has oversight of city agencies, it should certainly be appraised of the MOPD's work. Similar to the proceedings with other city agencies, the council should hold regular hearings on the MOPD's programs and budget.

Date: May 26, 2009

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