On 12.27.17, NYSD 17 for Progress sent the below four transparency requests to State Sen. Felder via email. This blog will be updated with any response received.
Dear Senator Felder,
We, the members of NYSD 17 for Progress (link: https://www.facebook.com/nysd17forprogress/), are looking forward to engaging with you throughout 2018, with the goal of making our district, our city and our state a better place to live for all residents.
As we approach next year’s Senate session, we have a few requests we think represent a good place to begin our dialogue:
1) Please provide us with an updated staff list: It is critical for your constituents to know who is working for your office, and what their responsibilities are.
Members of our organization have requested a current list of your staffers, with staffers’ positions, contact information, and issue areas of responsibility, multiple times over the past year – including requests made in May (link: http://bit.ly/2CAgqqw) and in September (link: http://bit.ly/2oM0vUf). However, the only response we received came from your communications director, Avi Fertig, who on Sep. 8 told us without explanation that your office is “not in a position to address requests concerning specific personnel.” (link: http://bit.ly/2gXHfvv)
We therefore again request a staff list, with your staffers’ titles, issue areas of responsibility, and contact information. We would also respectfully remind you that your staffers are public employees, and that their role in your office is public information.
2) Please list your legislative priorities for 2018: We are very eager to learn what you hope to focus on during the upcoming Senate session. We therefore request a list of your top legislative priorities for 2018, with any associated commentary you’d like to provide.
3) Please explain why you’re caucusing with the GOP: The New York Post recently reported that you plan to caucus with the Republican Party in Albany until a state budget has been negotiated. (link: http://nyp.st/2kKisNl)
In November, 2016, you downplayed the significance of party membership, writing in Hamodia that, “Our political arena largely relies on a two-party system where you are either a Democrat or a Republican. But at the same time, political club memberships have been declining for years. It’s a sign that more and more people are recognizing that it’s not about the parties—it’s about the issues.” (link: http://bit.ly/2gg4SlE)
We, however, believe that party membership is extremely important, and links directly to the issues that matter to voters. As one of our members and an SD 17 constituent, Naomi Rabeeya, wrote in BKLYNER this year, “Parties matter as they connect people to government through shared values. Knowing a candidate’s political affiliation helps constituents trust that they can predict the stances the person will take if elected to office.” (link: http://bit.ly/2kRxlha) And, of course, the majority party in the Senate and Assembly controls the legislative agenda that moves through those bodies.
As such, we would like you to share a list of the legislative priorities you believe the Republican Party plans to pursue in 2018 that you also support – priorities which explain why you believe it is in the best interest of your constituents to caucus with the GOP.
4) Hold regular town hall meetings: Last year, we circulated a petition asking you to hold regular public town hall meetings with your constituents. Our request was co-signed by more than 110 individuals (link: http://bit.ly/2DgZWF1).
In a July meeting with our group, you told us that you won’t be holding such meetings going forward (link: http://bit.ly/2z6GsQ3). As you said at the time:
“I don’t do town hall meetings. I understand your interest. I’m willing to meet with as many constituents as they want, as often as they want. I don’t find [town hall meetings] productive. I find that when people have serious issues, if the purpose is really to discuss the issues, usually having a smaller group [works better]…If you watch the recent town hall meetings that different officials have had, including the mayor, these are pre-determined, pre-scheduled, pre-ordained…Who asks the questions, they decide beforehand, they decide who gets invited. So I’m not in the business of putting on a show. Now, I’m not telling you that it is impossible to have a town hall meeting that’s productive. All I’m suggesting to you is, this is my philosophy. I’ve been doing things this way since I was in office.”
We appreciated your feedback and perspective, but believe we could work out a town hall format that would allow for a respectful exchange of ideas, would encourage more direct constituent engagement, and would illuminate your positions and principles before a larger number of your constituents.
We therefore again request that you host regular town hall meetings in SD 17 throughout 2018. Would you be open to discussing this with us?
Thank you for taking the time to read this, and we look forward to your responses.
Sincerely,
NYSD 17 for Progress
Co-signed by the following NYSD 17 members and SD 17 constituents:
Eleanor Whitney
David Cummings
Nora Nussbaum
Francine Snyder
Debbie Herdan
Wayne Reiss
Susan Robertson
Dorothy Gambrell
Samuel Moch
Kathleen Rubenstein
Ben Theodore
Stephen Kaldon
Mildred Lee
Tim Munier
Sheldon Baker
David Goldberg
Naomi Rabeeya
Gerald Cook
Jess Byrne
Julio Pena
Ellen Bilofsky
L. Blake Morris
Aaron Wexler
John V. Santore
Note: since being submitted to Mr. Felder’s office, this letter was also co-signed by Maria Catalina Bertani, Yung-En Chen, Mary Varn, and Daniel Millstone, bringing the total number of signatories to 28.
— Posted by JVS on 12.27.17, updated on 1.1.18
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