2013

City Council Candidate Questionnaire

Candidate Information Full Name: Cheryl Ann Pahaham Address: 585 West 214 Street, #4C Personal Phone: 646 314 3079 Work Phone: Personal Email: cpahaham@gmail.com District Information District #: Declared in District 7 and could run in District 10 depending in redistrictings outcome Are you an incumbent? No If yes, when were you first elected? Campaign Information From which parties are you seeking a nomination: Democratic Party Full Name of Campaign Committee: People for Cheryl Campaign HQ Address: PO Box 777 New York NY 10040 HQ Phone: 646 547 6798 HQ Fax: No fax Campaign Manager Name: Camille Parker Managers Cell: 201 492 7077 Managers Email: camille@cherylforcouncil.org Please return to Robert Atterbury at Robert.Atterbury@gmail.com , with SDNYC Questionnaire [Candidate Name] as the subject.

Additional Candidate Information Endorsements List here the union, organizations (community, civic, media, issue groups), and elected officials that have endorsed you. None yet. Candidate Experience - Please explain any activities and/or experiences that demonstrate your commitment to the LGBT movement. I am a member of the Human Rights Campaign and sign its petitions and promote its legislative agenda through social media and in casual conversation with friends and potential constituents. As Vice Chair of Community Board 12 in northern Manhattan, once Governor Cuomo got marriage equality enacted at the state level, I drafted a resolution calling for the repeal of DOMA, which was passed by CB12the first community board in Manhattan to do so. As a candidate stunned by the attention paid to Thomas Lopez-Pierre by the media, I used a robocall to ask my constituents to call the NYC Campaign Finance Board to urge it to deny public match funds to Thomas Lopez

Pierre for violating our values with his anti-semitic, racist, sexist and homophobic rants. I let them know in my message that I will speak out against hate and that I did not support his agenda. As the child of an interracial couple who were active in the civil rights movement and in community-building in my hometown, I understand fully the importance of treating all people equally before the law, of using the law to create economic opportunities and mitigate inequality and poverty; to protect minorities, the environment and victims; and to level the playing field. I deeply believe that I benefit from the struggles of all who have gone before me, and to honor them, I am committed to expanding our civil rights and helping to develop and apply a human rights agenda in our policies and law. My commitment to social justice includes the LGBT community, which suffers employment and housing discrimination and is directly and adversely impacted by disparate treatment before the law in areas such as marriage, criminal justice, taxation and health care. - What experience do you have to demonstrate you are the best person to represent the district office you seek? There are two attributes that I believe distinguish me from other candidates in the race and make me better qualified to represent my community. The first is my experience in state government as a fiscal monitor with oversight of New York Citys finances, which has given me a strong understanding of the budget and financial plan, and how priorities are shaped and implemented in our municipal budget. I understand some of the limits of the Council in its role in the budget process, and how to change these to better suit our constituents needs. I will be an advocate of charter revision to give the Peoples House more authority in the budget process. If elected, I will also implement participatory budgeting in my district, which will allow my constituents to determine how best to spend discretionary funds, empower them and engage them in decision-making about their money. Right now, none of the northern Manhattan Councilmembers except for Melissa Mark-Viverito have opted to implement participatory budgeting in their districts. My prior work experience in state government has also given me a solid understanding of key municipal agencies that serve the people, and I understand that improvements in service can happen through diligent negotiations with agency representatives. I know that these kinds of changes take a long time, but I have the patience and persistence to work with the agencies for my community. The second attribute is that I am a politically independent, multi-ethnic candidate with social ties throughout District 7 (which runs from 218th Street to 123rd Street, mostly west of Broadway, but goes to Edgecombe and St Nicholas Avenues in lower Washington Heights and parts of Harlem), which is an ethnically and racially diverse district where no one group dominates political and cultural life. Being politically independent is valued by voters who are more recently arrived in the district who are worried about candidates being accountable to political bosses rather than to voters. I am not rooted in one ethnic or racial community, and I am not limited to have a base in the five-block radius from my own residence. This diffusion is a strength in a race with 13 candidates. - Please detail any specific policy proposals you may have that will affect the LGBT community, that are not addressed in the next section. I am interested in easing requirements for municipal contractors, and exploring ways to make it easier to become certified as a minority or woman-owned business to compete for government contracts. Along those lines, I would also like to take a look at how city government measures its accomplishments in this area, and possibly change assumptions based on bias (there are no minority or women contractors in these lines of business), and add a measure looking at what percentage of contracts go to LGBT-owned businesses, as a start toward a new contracting mandate. While this may seem redundant as women and men are covered under the existing MWBE program, it could help to address the economic impact of discrimination based on sexual orientation or perceived gender identity, and could have the added benefit of increasing the presence of women and/or men in lines of business typically dominated by one gender. I am not an expert in city contracting but I believe that opening up the contracting process is one way to use government policies to create economic opportunities and mitigate inequality. Policy Positions

Please answer the following questions in full, using your policy proposals and including specific examples of your previous actions on any given topic when possible. Marriage Do you support full marriage equality for same-sex couples? (Y/N If no, please explain) Yes, I support full marriage equality for same-sex couples; it will protect families emotionally and financially and it is only right to treat all persons equally before the law.

Will you work with New Yorks congressional delegation to support the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act? (Y/N If no, please explain) Yes, I will work with the NY congressional delegation to support the repeal of DOMA, including lobbying visits, letter writing, testimony, and whatever else I might be asked to do.

Adoption: Do you support full adoption rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender couples? (Y/N If no, please explain) I support full adoption rights for LGBT couples. Too many children languish in foster care and are in need of a loving and permanent home. LGBT couples, like other couples, can fill this need. Parents should be judged on their ability to provide a safe and loving home in which their children can be nurtured and develop into productive adultsnot based on their sexual orientation. It is shameful to deny children the benefit of family when there are capable adults who can provide a home. Human Rights Do you support equal rights and treatment for people of transgender experience in the New York Shelter System, both adult shelters and youth shelters? (Y/N If no, please explain) I support equal rights and treatment of people of transgender experience in the NY shelter system. By this, I mean that I recognize the distinct vulnerabilities of homeless LGBT people that are reflected in their unique needs. I am committed to finding ways to provide secure and friendly shelter and services, including supporting existing facilities and working to create new options for LGBT people to be housed, cared for and to develop a plan that is a pathway out of poverty. Just as victims of domestic violence do receive unique services and assistance, so should LGBT people in crisis, as they often become homeless and are often targets of hatred and violence just because they are LGBT. I will work with advocates to identify unmet needs and to fill those needs, and if necessary, assist in filing human rights or civil rights violations against shelter providers and the city, and seek to identify possible attorneys to represent constituents in human rights or civil rights litigation. HIV/AIDS

In 2011, Mayor Bloomberg proposed cutting 248 case managers and millions in rental assistance from the HIV/AIDS Services Administration (HASA). Individual legislators ended up using discretionary funds to fill the gap.

Do you support increased funding for the HASA? (Y/N If no, please explain) Yes. I also support exploring ways to strengthen the Councils role in the budget process, including in setting revenues or tax policy. Please explain your position on using discretionary funds to support agencies like HASA.

Whenever services are being reduced and those services benefit my constituents, I support using my discretionary funds to help ensure that services are provided. Because my discretionary funds are limited, my support alone is not enough to make a positive difference, and serious thought should be given to a public discussion about the Councils role in the budget. If only the Mayor establishes priorities for the whole city, no single Councilmember can have the long-term impact that we seek to ensure that needed services are actually provided.

What actions do you think the City Council should be taking to provide emergency housing for homeless people living with AIDS?

I think the Council should be exploring ways to mandate a few set-aside units in every subsidized development for homeless people living with AIDS. I do not believe that we should be building emergency or temporary housing, even though the needs are immediate. We arent building temporary or emergency shelter fast enough, but we are faced with plans to develop every inch of underutilized land in our city, and we have to be willing to pounce on these projects and attach new mandates, benchmarks and incentives. I am also interested in exploring through the Councils oversight process why it is that people who are eligible for services that are in fact available become homeless and working with advocates and the community to develop a policy agenda to stop this.

AIDS funding no longer corresponds to the demographics of which communities represent the greatest number of HIV cases in NYC. Would you support yearly statistics of both the geographic areas where HIV is most prevalent and as well as which populations in those neighborhoods are most effected, and then allocate yearly funding to services and communities based on these results?

Community Boards: Many Community Boards routinely oppose applications for liquor licenses in their areas, particularly if the proposed venue is tailored to appeal to the LGBT community. Please explain your position on the appropriate balance between support for nightlife, minority communities and respect for neighborhood concerns. Noise from nightlife is a serious concern in my community, especially along Broadway and in Inwood, an unusually quite city neighborhood. I will not support businesses that do not respect the community and allow their patrons to make noise and loiter on the sidewalks and in the streets. On the other hand, I will not tolerate communities moving to shut down or fine a business just because it caters to the LGBT community.

Please outline the criteria you would use in selecting Community Board members. I have not given this much thought, but I am concerned about diversity on my community boardwe need people of all ages, all professional experiences and income levels, all races, ethnicities and sexual orientation. I am most concerned that people actually engage and do work for their community. That is how I will judge my appointeesbased on what they do while on the board. The NYPD often targets bars, restaurants and clubs serving the LGBT community for increased scrutiny. They have used health code violations, allegations of drug use or sale, allegations of prostitution, allegations of serving minors, and a myriad of tools at their disposal. What changes would you implement to ensure LGBT institutions are treated equally by enforcement agencies? I would support a careful, neighborhood-level assessment of the evidence, such as the number of times the police visited an establishment compared to the actual findings and/or outcome. For example, was the noise level measured or were drugs being sold or prostitution occurring or were there arrests or were patrons asked to leave the establishment? I would also ask the police to report on where certain crimes occur frequently, according to their records, and review their visits to those areas/establishments. I strongly believe that the combination of police data and community reports will provide sufficient evidence of harassment or unequal treatment and could be used pass a Council resolution directing the NYPD commissioner to review the departments treatment of LGBT-friendly establishments and to develop a policy of nondiscrimination.

NYPD

Do you support reforming Stop-and-Frisk? Please detail any specific changes to the program you believe are necessary.

I as a Black woman have been mistreated by NYC police officers and fear their fire power and their frequently demonstrated poor judgment that leads to fatalities and false arrests and the imprisonment of innocent people. I also am the daughter of a cop and understand the essential role cops play in maintaining order and recognize the positive potential that good policing can offer to communities. I believe strongly that the abuse of stop-and-frisk powers is encouraged and facilitated at the highest levelsby the Mayor and the Commissioner. What is going on right now in NYC is racist, unnecessary, not proven to impact crime rates and can have detrimental long-term impacts on the economic prospects of those who are stopped and are completely innocent. The best reform in my opinion is a change in leadership at the highest levels. With a Mayor and Commissioner committed to respecting civil rights, committed to continuous training and professional development of police officers, the abuses in policing will decline. Until then, I support current efforts to use lawmaking and litigation to stop these abuses.

Do you oppose the use of condoms as evidence of prostitution in criminal cases? Please explain your support or opposition.

I oppose the use of condoms as evidence of prostitution because LGBT people could be more likely to be stopped and questioned for suspected prostitution, whether they are sex workers or not, and because discouraging condom use is bad for public health. Runaway and Homeless Youth Will you support increasing the funding for both emergency shelter beds and transitional beds for homeless youth, a huge percentage of whom are from the LGBT community and will you pledge to support capital and expense funding for programs serving this population? (Y/N If no, please explain) Yes, I support this. The LGBT homeless have unique unmet needs and require dedicated programs and services.

What will you do to expand access to services for runaway and homeless youth?

I will work with advocates in my district to identify the needs of these youth and help to fill those needs with funding and other assistance, such as building community support and consensus, testifying at the state legislature, meeting with city and state agency officials to highlight these unmet needs. LGBT Services and Funding:

The LGBT community has no direct funding for the arts from the NEA or other funding sources because of institutional homophobia. Would your office help with funding for LGBT Arts? If yes, please explain how.

I will help by assisting in seeking private grants from nongovernmental sources. I will write letters urging the NEA to fund LGBT artists, noting that discrimination is illegal. If available, I will provide public funds. The LGBT community is in great need of senior housing for many of our aging population. Many seniors experience homophobia in senior facilities making them feel they must be closeted. Would you help with the funding of senior housing for the LGBT community in your district? (Y/N If no, please explain) Yes, I will help with this by seeking to require set-asides in subsidized developments and pushing for an RFP for housing specially tailored to the needs of senior LGBT community members.

If you are currently in office, have you made member item grants or supported LGBT funding requests? If seeking office for the first time, would you give strong consideration to LGBT social service organizations seeking funding from your office if elected? (Y/N If no, please explain) N/A

LGBT Services and Funding:

If you are currently in office, have you made member item grants or supported LGBT funding requests? If seeking office for the first time, would you give strong consideration to LGBT social service organizations seeking funding from your office if elected? Please explain your position. Yes, I would strongly consider funding LGBT social service organizations. The needs of their clients are no less important than the needs of other social service clients. In general, I will commit to funding independent NFP organizations (not linked to politicians) that provide services with good management of their resources, that evaluate their own performance, that comply with financial and program reporting, and that take themselves seriously. These are the kinds of organizations that have a positive impact on their communities.

What actions will you take to help support the LGBT community center in your borough? If there is not an LGBT community center in your borough, what actions will you take to help develop one?

I will attend events, encourage and facilitate connections and relationships between organizations and constituents in my district and the LGBT center in Manhattan, provide funding when possible. Other:

Please state concrete achievements for the LGBT community that you are responsible for in your current, or previous, elected office/s. None

Have you endorsed any LGBT candidates? Which ones? As a member of the WFP, the Manhattan Chapter voted to endorse Tom Duane and others running from Manhattan.

If endorsed will you display the endorsement of the Stonewall Democratic Club of NYC in your literature whenever you list other endorsements and will you display the endorsement on your website?

Of course; it would be an honor!

Will you hire openly LGBT staff and/or designate a liaison to our communities if elected? (Y/N If no, please explain)

I would certainly designate a liaison to the LGBT communities; it is as necessary as for other communities with high needs or unique needs such as seniors or particular immigrant groups. I also would hire openly LGBT staff if any applied (all are welcome) and were found to fit the needs of me and my office.