Candidates’ Forum on Disability Issues

Thursday, October 21, 2010
1:00 P.M. - 3:30 P.M.

The purpose of the forum is to educate people with disabilities, their family and friends, and the public about the candidates’ positions related to disability issues.
VOTE!
Free and open to the public!

Enable
1603 Court Street
Syracuse, NY 13208

Program
1:00pm - 2:00pm:
Congressional Candidates
2:00pm - 3:30pm:
NYS Senate and Assembly Candidates

Who Should Attend?
People with Disabilities, Family Members, Advocates & Supporters

October 13th Candidate Forum on Disability Issues

Tuesday October 13, 2009
1:00 PM—4:30PM

Candidate Discussion Topics:
• Pedestrian safety
• Inclusion of people with disabilities on county and city committees
• Accessibility of city schools slated for renovation
• Enforcement of Visitability or basic access to new home construction
• Continued funding for the Homebound Transportation program
• The need for Defibrillators in nursing homes
• The need for a county ADA coordinator
• A plan to get younger people with disabilities out of nursing homes and into community living.

Location:
Enable
1603 Court Street
Syracuse, NY

Program:
1:00pm – 2:15pm
Candidates for Onondaga County Legislature
(10 minute break)
2:25pm – 3:15pm
Candidates for Syracuse Common Council
(10 minute break)
3:25pm – 4:30pm
Candidates for Mayor of Syracuse
Questions from the audience after each segment (time permitting).

Sponsored by:
Local disability rights advocates and consumer groups, including: ARISE’s Consumer Council, ENABLE’s Advocacy Committee, and Disabled in Action of Greater Syracuse Sign language interpreter and free refreshments will be provided.

For questions or accommodations contact Sally Johnston at (315) 410-3317

Syracuse Mayoral Platforms

The Greater Syracuse Progressive Coalition, representing over 20 community organizations and thousands of individuals committed to the betterment of Syracuse, has been working tirelessly to create a more just, sustainable, inclusive and peaceful community. Below you will find our proposals for concrete steps the next mayor can take to carry out such reforms. Four candidates: Alfonso Davis, Carmen Harlow, Stephanie Miner and Joe Nicoletti submitted their responses on deadline (Otis Jennings and Steve Kimatian are also included). We seek to publicize the candidate responses widely and use them as the basis for a series of educational forums in September and October to provide Syracuse residents an opportunity to question the candidates (see back page calendar). “Y” denotes a “yes” response, “N” a “no” and “C” reports a comment entered. For more information and to read candidate comments, click here.

MEET THE CANDIDATES FOR MAYOR OF SYRACUSE

Join the discussion with mayoral candidates focusing on
“HOW DO WE BUILD A SUSTAINABLE, LIVABLE SYRACUSE THROUGH CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT AND PLANNING?”
Wednesday, June 17
6:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.: refreshments
6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.: program
SUNY Oswego Metro Center
Corner of N. Salina and W. Washington Streets
EVERYONE IS WELCOME

CANDIDATES FOR MAYOR – all agreed to attend:
Alfonso Davis, Carmen Harlow, Otis Jennings, Steven Kimatian, Stephanie Miner, Joe Nicoletti
Candidates will be asked to respond briefly to the following three questions, followed by an open forum.

QUESTIONS:
1) A key contributor to making a city sustainable and livable is good urban design and planning. As mayor, what principles and policies will you use to ensure that the city of Syracuse will safeguard and strengthen the elements of good urban design it already has, add more wherever possible and make Syracuse the national model for sustainability?

2) Numerous documents containing plans for sustainable development of all or parts of our city, created by citizen groups or consultants, already exist at City Hall. James Street Overlay District Guidelines and a proposal for a Director of Sustainability are examples. What will you do to recover, implement, and, most of all, enforce, what is still valuable in these documents?

3) Considering any future planning for a sustainable and livable city that might occur during your administration, how will you ensure that Syracuse residents will have ample opportunity to contribute, and that their opportunity to react and give input continues as those plans are carried out and enforced?

Sponsored by
WALKABLE EASTWOOD, GREENING USA, URBAN DESIGN CENTER, F.O.C.U.S. GREATER SYRACUSE

NYS Senate: Notice of Public Hearing

NEW YORK STATE SENATE
Notice of Public Hearing

New York State Senate Standing Committee on Elections
Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr.
Chair

Senator Martin Malave Dilan Senator Thomas W. Libous
Senator Jose M. Serrano Senator Joseph A. Griffo
Senator Brian X. Foley Senator Thomas P. Morahan

SUBJECT: To address a number of proposals to update and reform the state’s registration laws and regulations governing casting a ballot and polling places.

May 14, 2009
10A.M. -1 PM.
Syracuse Common Council Chambers
233 East Washington Street
City Hall
4th Floor
Syracuse, New York 13202

The goal of these hearings is to open the legislative process to the public, listen to its thoughts and ideas about proposed election reforms and reinvigorate participatory democracy. The May hearings in Albany (May 11) and Syracuse (May 14) are the second set in a series of five that will continue in June, September and November. In those hearings, the Elections Committee will consider campaign finance reform; Board of Elections oversight; additional election law reforms; and oversight of the November elections.

This dialogue between lawmakers and the public is part of the Senate’s commitment to beginning a robust committee process, developing sound public policy through open dialogue, and creating transparency in legislative process.

The purpose of the hearings in Albany on May 11th, and in Syracuse on May 14th, is to seek public comment on following bills:

• S3250 The “Early Voting Act,” which would allow voters to cast a ballot at the county board of elections from 14 days before an election until one day before.
• S5028 Amends the Constitution to allow no-excuse absentee voting by removing the restrictions on a voter's right to vote by absentee ballot.
• S2868-a Eliminates the requirement that voters who request an absentee ballot disclose private and personal information about why they cannot vote at their polling station.
• S1701 Requires affidavit ballots to be counted if a voter appears at a polling place in the correct county but in the incorrect election district.
• S1058-a Requires that all polling places be accessible to the disabled.
• S1386-a Authorizes the board of elections to employ election inspectors to work half-day shifts with adjusted compensation.
• S2443 Requires poll workers to inform voters who are not in poll books of their correct polling place and election district within the county, and provides poll workers with sufficient maps and address finders to do so.
• S5112 Requires that paper ballots have a box, oval or other area that the voter can mark to alert the voting system that all “undervotes” are intentional.

Persons who wish to attend or testify should call Bernadette Oliver at (518) 455-2310, and fill out and return the attached reply form by May 11th via fax. The Elections Committee will accommodate as many witnesses as possible, and encourages the submission of written testimony, which will considered and made part of the hearing record. Written testimony should be e-mailed no later than May 11th as an attachment in any common format to: oliver@senate.state.ny.us.

Witnesses are requested to keep their oral testimony to no more than five minutes in length, and to please bring 10 copies of their prepared statement to the hearing.

In order to meet the needs of those who may have a disability, the New York State Senate has made its facilities and services available to all individuals with disabilities. Accommodations will be provided for individuals with disabilities upon reasonable request to afford such individuals access and admission to Senate facilities and activities.

Questions about this hearing may be directed to Bernadette Oliver at (518) 455-2310 or oliver@senate.state.ny.us.