2013 NYC Public Advocate Questionnaire

20 Jay Street, Suite 830 Brooklyn, NY 11201 Tel (212) 796-4200 Fax (646) 349-3893 website: www.gothamist.com Instructions: Gothamist plans to interview all candidates for citywide office in 2013. This survey will give us and our readers an overview of each candidates positions on issues of particular import to our audience of young New York voters. For each question, please give a a short

response outlining your candidates position. You may include a link to longer position statements at the bottom of each response, which we will include when we publish the piece. If you do not wish to answer any question, please specify no comment. If you have any questions, please contact us.

Candidate Overview 1. Why should young people in NYC vote for you for Public Advocate instead of the other candidates? I have been a passionate advocate for engaging our youth on many levels, among which are access and opportunity to quality education, meaningful and innovative community based programs to occupy our young during off school hours, expand school lunch programs in communities where hunger and poverty are prevalent, encourage public/private partnership funding such programs as well as creating summer jobs, bridge the technology gap in minority communities, forge effective police/community partnership to reduce gun violence/crime obviating the need for stop and frisk as the main tool 2. How would you distinguish your future office from the present one run by Bill De Blasio?

Bill de Blasio has been a good public advocate. I would build on what he started but my office will differ in the way it is run. I will in essence introduce what I call government on wheels , a roving office on a bus if you will, going to different neighborhoods in all 5 boroughs, bringing government to the people, listening to their concerns and following up on them based on the ACT principle (Accountability, Collaboration and Transparency)

Personal Questions 1. Do you rent or own your home? Own 2. Do you have a pet? No 3. If you have children, do/did/will they attend public schools? Yes 4. Have you ever been the victim of a crime? Yes

Safety 1. What changes would you like to see in the NYPD's stop and frisk policies? Encourage and strengthen effective community and Police collaboration/partnership in fighting crime Introduce miniature camera to be worn on police lapels activated on contact during a stop and frisk encounter. This would be protective of both the citizen and the police by recording if the stop was justified if ones civil rights were infringed upon etc. It will also protect the police from false accusations of mistreatment if record shows they were behaving in a professional respectful manner. 2. Do you support the decriminalization or legalization of marijuana in New York City? I would support decriminalization of marijuana in NYC 3. Do you support an independent inspector general for the NYPD?

No. I believe this would add another layer of bureaucracy without necessarily addressing the core issue which I believe is institutional and cultural. I would recommend effective community policing, better training, increasing recruitment of police from minorities 4. Would you lobby to change the way the NYPD handles protests in the city, including the present "free speech zones"? I believe free speech cannot and should not be zoned. Alternative ways to ensure public safety without infringing on our first amendment rights should be sought . iDo you favor an increase in funding for the Accident Investigation Squad, and directing AIS to investigate all accidents which include a serious injury (rather than just deaths) Yes 5. Should people be allowed to drink alcohol on their own stoops? What about in public parks?

Allow drinking on their own stoops but not in public parks

Transportation, Bikes and Bike Lanes 1. How often do you ride a bike? Rarely 2. How will you change Mayor Bloomberg's bike lane policy? Expand bike lanes in outer boroughs. 3. How often do you ride NYC subways and buses? Every day 4. Should livery cabs be allowed to pick up street hails in the outer boroughs? Yes 5. Do you support congestion pricing? Yes 6. Should the new Staten Island ferries be required to have outdoor decks? Yes with adequate safety measures 7. Do you favor adding platform gates on New York City subways? In some areas

Health 1. Will you support the change or repeal any of the following Bloomberg administration policies? a) Salt ban I support it in conjunction with public education campaign As above Emphatically support I support the measure

b) Soda size limits

c) Smoking in public parks d) Restaurant letter grades e) Styrofoam ban

Support ban

Disaster Preparedness 1. Should residents be allowed to rebuild their homes in flood-prone areas like The Rockaways? I would encourage, educate and incentivize residents to seek safer grounds for rebuilding.

2. What specific measures should the City take to prevent widespread destruction from Sandy level storms?

Limit developments in low lying areas, solicit the opinions and recommendations of environmentalists, oceanographers building engineers and other experts before undertaking a major policy decision

Development 1. Do you support a ban or limit on chain stores in New York City? Yes 2. Do you support Walmart building stores in the City? No, as it would mean the demise of Pap Mom stores and small business that are anchors of our vibrant and distinctive neighborhoods 3. Do you support NYCHA's recently announced plans to build market rate apartments on public housing parking lots and playgrounds? No I do not support the plan. It would end up squeezing the poor and middle class out of the market for residence 4. Do you support tax breaks to keep corporations in NYC? What about for movies being filmed in NYC? I would encourage and offer tax breaks to industries that develop green technology and hold current beneficiaries of tax breaks to live up to their end of the bargain according to the spirit of the law. Same applies to the movie industry 5. Do you support the "public-private" model of park development used under the Bloomberg \

\ Administration?
Yes as long as complete ownership of and access to the park is ensured

6. How would you lobby to modify the Bloomberg administration's waterfront development policy?

Thorough environmental impact studies need to be done and discussed

Education 1. How can the city reduce the number of teachers in "rubber rooms"? By speedy investigation and resolution of the wrong the teacher is accused of 2. Do you support schools distributing "morning after pills" without parental consent? Yes 3. How would you lobby to change the present administration's Charter School policy

I would reduce the rush to charter schools which syphon off badly needed funds from public schools. I would lobby to strengthen the public school system by increasing funding

Miscellaneous 1. Do you support or oppose term limits for NYC politicians? Support term limits

2. Should short-term vacation rental services like AirBnB be legalized in New York City? Yes 3. How would you increase transparency in New York City government for citizens and the press? A well informed citizenry and a vigilant press are the best guarantees to ensure transparency. My idea of government on wheels based my ACT principle is my way of ensuring transparency and accountability

mohammed 8/20/13 7:59

PM