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Indian Prime Minister Modi at Madison Square Garden (photo: Casey Tolan)

New York - In a major speech at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, newly-elected Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed an adoring audience of Indian-Americans.

They cheered when he talked about his rags-to-riches story, his plan to clean the Ganges river, and his country's successful Mars satellite.

But the 19,000-strong crowd roared loudest of all for a slightly more mundane issue: visas.

Modi announced he would implement "lifetime visas" for Americans of Indian descent and a new visa-on-arrival system for all American citizens – top priorities for many Indian-Americans frustrated with the country's dysfunctional visa processing system.

The pledges are a sign of how focused Modi is on the Indian-American diaspora, and how he wants to make it easy for people of Indian descent to come home and invest.

"There was a time when people knew our country as a country of snake charmers," Modi told his audience, members of which had traveled to New York from across the U.S. "India has created a positive identity in the whole world, and you have an important part in that."

But while many attendees said they were proud of Modi, protesters outside the arena showed that the Indian-American community is still divided. Some accuse Modi of doing too little as chief minister of Gujarat state to stop religious riots in 2002 that killed over 1,000 people, most of whom were Muslims.

Modi finally made it to Madison Square Garden, where he was supposed to speak nine years ago, in 2005, but the State Department denied him a visa due to questions surrounding his involvement in the riots. The Obama administration made it clear after Modi won election in May that a visa would no longer be an issue – and on Sunday, many U.S. officials, especially from New York, seemed eager to put the past behind them.

Promises to cut red tape
Modi's speech was part of a six-day trip to New York and Washington, D.C. that also includes appearances at the U.N. General Assembly and the Global Citizen Festival in Central Park. This week, he will meet with President Obama at the White House.

The Madison Square Garden event at times resembled more of a rock concert than an address by a foreign leader. It featured folk dancers, flashy videos, and bollywood songs, and was emceed by Miss America 2014, who is Indian-American.

In a speech that was more than an hour long, Modi - who is fasting for the Hindu holiday of Navratri and only drinking tea and lemonade - promised to revamp India: helping the poor, cutting government waste, and making it easier to do business in the country.

He drew a line between himself and the previous administration, which was hit by corruption scandals, and said he wanted to create a government that would make Indians abroad proud, not ashamed.

"Ever since I have taken the responsibility of this job, not even for 15 minutes have I taken a vacation," Modi said, adding that he would "never do anything for which you feel you have to look down."

New York State has the second-largest Indian population in the U.S. behind California, with more than 313,000 Indians, according to census data, although New Jersey's population is close behind and growing rapidly.

The large Indian diaspora, especially in the United States, is important to Modi's plans because of the potential of Indians to return to India and invest in its development. Indian-Americans were also big contributors to Modi's political party during the election campaign earlier this year.

"He has a vision for how Indians around the world can contribute to India, through business and charity," said Persis Khambatta, an analyst with Bower Group Asia, which studies Asian politics. "People are energized. This was a much more high energy event than I've ever seen for an Indian government official."

The visa issue is key. Now, New Yorkers wanting to travel to "mother India," as Modi put it, have to stand in line, sometimes for hours, at the disorganized visa processing center on East 30th Street.

After Modi's proposals take effect, Americans will be able to get a visa when they arrive in India, instead of having to apply ahead of time. Indian-Americans will get a permanent visa, instead of dealing with the current, bureaucratic registration system.

About 30 members of the United States Congress joined Modi on stage, perhaps a testament to the growing political power of the Indian-American community.

"Cutting of the red tape... is something that's tremendously important to a lot of my constituents," Rep. Grace Meng, whose western Queens district has one of the largest Indian populations in New York, told Gotham Gazette. "We're thrilled that they're making it easier for them to travel."

"The Indian diaspora is quite excited," said New Jersey Assembly Member Upendra Chivukula, one of the first Indian-American elected officials in the country. "They can go back to their villages and try to invest and bring some investment from America. America speaks in dollars, and those dollars are going to go a long way."

Controversial history
Not everyone was so happy about Modi's visit. A group of several hundred protesters assembled across the block from Madison Square Garden, holding up signs like "Convict Modi" and "Prime Murderer of India."

They said the Obama administration should never have approved his visa, and that the 2002 riots were being swept under the rug.

"There is evidence against Modi that he was involved, and we think he needs to be held accountable for his role," said Robindra Deb, an activist with the South Asia Solidarity Initiative, one of the groups that organized the protest.

Deb said that Modi's rhetoric about helping the poor was undermined by his pro-business policies that disproportionately benefited the upper class.

"We wanted to make clear that the Indian-American community is not in any way united in their jubilation of Modi's victory," Deb said. "There are a lot of Indian-Americans who find this victory very troubling."

Last week, a federal court in New York issued a summons to Modi over his role in the riots – a decision that was basically symbolic due to the prime minister's diplomatic immunity.

But for many U.S. officials who attended the speech, the riots and the dispute over Modi's visa were squarely in the past.

"We're looking forward, and I know the prime minister is as well," said Nisha Biswal, the U.S. Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs.

"Many of us here felt he should have had that opportunity to come to the United States [in 2005]," said Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA), chair of the House Foreign Relations Committee.

Royce noted that an investigation by India's Supreme Court found no culpability for Modi. "It is the responsibility of leaders in the United States to accept the decision of the court," Royce said - although human rights activists have questioned the validity of the investigation.

While it's unclear what percentage of the Indian-American population supports Modi, supporters get more attention than those who oppose him, said Maritsa Poros, a CUNY professor who studies Indian immigrants in New York.

"The Modi supporters and the people who have...really supported him abroad are very vocal, and those are the voices you hear for the most part," Poros said. "They do drown out a lot of the dissent."

Excitement in Queens
A 7 train ride away in Jackson Heights, the heart of New York's Little India, Modi's visit was big news, and many people were excited about the prime minister.

Saifullah Bhuiyan, who runs a travel agency on 74th Street, said he hoped the reforms Modi announced would make travel easier for his many customers heading to India.

Currently, "there's no fixed time for getting a visa back," said Bhuiyan, who is from Bangladesh. "People wait and wait and wait."

Travelers are often confused about the complicated visa procedures, and some have had their passports lost in the bureaucratic shuffle, Bhuiyan said.

Down the block at Patel Brothers, a large grocery store that stocks imported chai tea and shelves of Indian spices, a large poster of Modi hung on the wall.

"He was well-prepared for the audience of New York," said Ravi Rachit of Forest Hills, who had come from the speech to go shopping. "He got the results for us – the visa process will be better."

"He's trying to have us come back to India and help out," added his son, also named Ravi. "I like that."

The manager of the store, Nandu Patel, said he does business in India and thought Modi's reforms would make it easier.

"I'm proud of him," Patel said. "Narendra Modi is great for India, for all Indians."

Signage for Modi in a Queens store (photo: Casey Tolan)

***
by Casey Tolan, Gotham Gazette
@CaseyTolan

The Death Star petition on The White House's We the People petition site

September 22 marked the three year anniversary of We the People, the White House's online petitioning platform. In an effort to increase public engagement, the site is designed for citizens across the country to bring issues to the federal government and receive public responses.

New York City does not currently have a government-sponsored online petitioning platform, but a newly proposed law may change that. On Wednesday, the City Council's Technology Committee will hear Intro. 471, a bill that would create a local version of We the People.

The bill, introduced by Council Member James Vacca, chair of the technology committee, would require the Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications (DoITT) to create an online platform where New Yorkers can create and sign petitions. Just like with We the People, once a certain number of signatures is reached on the city platform, a city agency or public authority would be required to issue a response.

"On major public issues we don't have an opportunity to gauge how citizens collectively feel," Vacca said in a recent phone interview. He added this bill would provide "citizens in New York City an opportunity to register how they feel about public policy and legislative issues, collectively."

The idea is not just to provide a new place for New Yorkers to complain to government about something they want fixed, but to begin a public, online dialogue with elected officials about issues in specific communities and around the city. Think of it as the 311 for policy ideas and discussions.

The idea for a platform like this took off last year when BetaNYC, America's largest civic technology and open government community, released its "People's Roadmap to a Digital New York City." Of the recommendations the group called for is the creation of "We the People of NYC," an online petitioning platform similar to the We the People platform at the federal level. 

While the legislation was not picked up in the 2013 election year session of the Council, a non-government sponsored site called Ask Them got the ball rolling locally. Ask Them, created by David Moore of Participatory Politics Foundation, has been running since February 2014 (former New York gubernatorial candidate Zephyr Teachout is on the advisory council). The site works by allowing a user to find a verified elected official, ask them a question, get others to support the question by signing the petition, and then have the elected official answer the question publicly.

Moore says he and other members of the civic tech community spoke with Vacca's staff prior to the introduction of the bill about how Ask Them works and that he even offered the City the code to build the platform. He says he doesn't consider a City-sponsored site in competition with his, but more of a useful complement.

"It is a validation for the ground work we laid with Ask Them to create more dialogue with your local council members and be able to petition the people who represent you," Moore said in a recent interview.

Recipe for Success
The bill is aimed at increasing civic participation, and if the site catches on, it would create a unique way to communicate local problems and propose solutions directly to elected officials. But simply creating a site does not guarantee its success. In fact if history is any indication, a lot of resources will need to be spent to foster its success: maintaining the technical side, ensuring politicians or agencies respond in a timely manner, and (perhaps most difficult) creating and maintaining public engagement with the site.

That is a tall order for any municipality. But David Karpf, Assistant Professor in the School of Media and Public Affairs at George Washington University, argues if a platform like this is going to succeed, New York City could very well be the place to do it.

"New Yorkers care enough about their city that I think there is a real chance that if they come to know about this site, they will use it to voice concern about what they are seeing in their neighborhood and in their city," Karpf said in a recent phone interview.

He cautioned, however, if New York City's platform does succeed, it would be a first for a government-run site of this kind. Karpf did an analysis in April of We the People, which saw only 85 petitions posted that month. None of them hit the current threshold of 100,000 signatures to get a response. By comparison, during the same month 7,393 petitions were created on Change.org and 2,053 on Moveon.org - neither of which are government run. Both sites had several petitions that reached the 100,000 signature threshold, according to Karpf's analysis.

To get a site like this to work, Karpf says making it easy to use will be critical, but the key will be to drive people to use the site once and get them to come back a second time. While that may sound easy, We the People has shown that it is not—even with an Internet hit like the now-infamous "Death Star petition."

We the People struck PR gold when the "Death Star petition" was created in November 2012, asking the government to secure funding and begin construction of a Death Star (yes, like the one from Star Wars) by 2016. It became an Internet and media hit, driving 34,435 people to sign (the threshold to receive an official response was then 25,000 signatures). In January 2013 the Obama administration issued a comedic response which drew nationwide press coverage.

While that petition was able to generate a spike in new users and even press coverage of the site, many of those people who signed on never went back to We the People to continue to engage. Karpf said that while a big hit like the "Death Star petition" is the type of thing that drives early adoption, the We the People site failed to follow successful marketing models used by Change.org and Moveon.org.

We the People does not have a strong social media campaign where it pushes popular petitions. It relies more on homepage web traffic, which as a universal trend has dropped significantly in the last several years thanks in large part to the rise of social media.

Change.org and Moveon.org also use push notifications like emails to entice users to sign other petitions based on what they have already signed. While that may be one of the best ways to get more people to interact with the site, it leaves a lot of questions as to what role government should play in pushing certain petitions over others, or pushing any at all.

Soliciting participation on a city site is among several areas to be explored during Wednesday's hearing, including if the City will allow citizens to create or sign petitions for issues in a district they don't live in and how to mitigate groups flooding support for a petition that may or may not have true community support.

While there may be obstacles to creating and ensuring the success of the site, it does not appear a failed local version of We the People would actually even be all that bad.

"The worst case scenario is you build a website where New Yorkers can register their opinions and then not a lot of New Yorkers show up," Karpf said. "As government boondoggles go, that is a pretty small one."

***
by Kristen Meriwether, Gotham Gazette
@MeriwetherK

Note: this article has been updated to include information about BetaNYC's roadmap

Mayor Bill de Blasio and MOVA Commissioner Loree Sutton (photo: @servicewomen)

NEW YORK—If there is going to be a new Department of Veterans' Affairs in New York City, it is isn't going to happen anytime soon.

On Monday, the City Council's Committee on Veterans held the first hearing on Intro. 314, a proposed local law which would create a new Department of Veterans' Affairs to replace the Mayor's Office of Veterans' Affairs (MOVA) as a central source for helping veterans get services in the city. While there was much support for the bill during testimony, the timing does not appear to be on the side of those who favor the move, including Council Member Eric Ulrich, chair of the veterans committee and sponsor of the legislation.

Newly minted MOVA Commissioner Loree Sutton gave very brief testimony, but, noting she had only been on the job for 29 days, was not ready to commit to her full support for the legislation.

"Introduction 314 deserves all due consideration as we dedicate ourselves to the historic journey that lies ahead," Sutton said during her testimony. "After completing my assessment and sharing my findings with Mayor [Bill] de Blasio, I look forward to following up with the New York City Council Committee on Veterans to discuss this important proposal in further detail."

She added that the five person staff at MOVA is currently overhauling its website to make accessing relevant resources and services easier. The 2014-15 Agency Liaison list, a "contact MOVA" form, and Sutton's bio have already been added. In October MOVA will launch a "Commissioner's Blog" section, according to mayoral spokesperson Marti Adams. Adams said additional design changes and "other improvements aimed at increasing MOVA's capacity to engage with the veteran community" should be expected soon.

Sutton did not, as some commissioners have on other pieces of legislation, submit any objections to the bill. Sutton's testimony politely implied she had not been on the job long enough to make a qualified assessment.

The council members present did not press her on her stance on the bill, agreeing she had not been on the job long enough.

"She is new, and we have to give her a little time to settle in to her job," Ulrich said on Monday. "But she wants to listen, she wants to learn, and she wants to lead. As I stated before, I don't think Mayor de Blasio could have picked a better person."

Sutton stayed through the entire committee hearing, listening intently and jotting down notes as members of four different panels spoke - an unusual move for a sitting commissioner.

Support for the bill was widespread, with affirmative testimony from organizations like Helmet to Hardhats and Legal Services NYC, as well as the chairman of the Veteran's Advisory Board (VAB), Vincent McGowan. Testimony echoed the perils of underfunding MOVA and all saw the creation of a new department (replacing an office under the Mayor) as a way to increase funding.

But not all groups saw Intro. 314 as the best way forward—at least not the way it is currently written. Rob Cuthbert of the Urban Center Veteran Advocacy Project gave the most impassioned testimony of the hearing, offering constructive criticism and specifics areas of improvement.

"Unfortunately, the proposed law does not provide enough detail on the duties of the new department," Cuthbert said during his testimony. "Without a clear mission, the department could do little to improve the lives of New York City's veterans."

Cuthbert suggested that if the Department of Veterans' Affairs was made, it should not stop its focus at just employment, as it has been at MOVA, he said. He suggested four separate pillars: health, legal services, housing, and education.

In addition, Cuthbert suggested the annual report provided by the Veteran's Advisory Board (which is required by law) be much more substantive than it currently is. VAB reports currently only list meeting minutes "providing little to no policy guidance to the public, veterans advocacy groups, or New York City's government," Cuthbert said.

Ulrich said there will be an oversight hearing on the VAB in October that will specifically deal with that issue.

Monday's was only the first hearing on the bill and Ulrich said it was just the first conversation of many with veterans on the bill. He said one change already being considered is changing the name from Department of Veterans' Affairs to Department of Veterans' Services so as not to be confused with the federal agency.

"I can assure you and all the stakeholders, we will definitely engage the veterans community before any further action or consideration is made on this bill," Ulrich said, "We don't want to pass something that nobody really knows anything about."

***
by Kristen Meriwether, Gotham Gazette
@MeriwetherK

Note: this article has been updated with comment from the mayor's office.

Gov. Cuomo, Kathy Hochul, and Mayor de Blasio march together (photo: @BilldeBlasio)

The coalition formed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Mayor Bill de Blasio, and labor interests to help Democrats win control of the State Senate is making its presence felt in a number of contentious races as the group intensifies its efforts heading into the final five weeks before November's elections.

According to a number of Democratic sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity, the coalition has been actively providing Democratic Senate candidates with talking points as well as opposition research. The State Democratic Campaign Committee (SDCC), which is controlled by the notoriously hands-on governor, has been providing direct mail support of Democrats in key Senate races including in the 46th Senate District which features a contentious rematch between Democrat Cecelia Tkaczyk and former Republican Assembly George Amedore.

Sources say that certain races will see a bombardment of attacks against Republican opponents and the state committee will begin airing TV and radio ads in some contentious districts. Races that are staffed with relative newcomers and volunteers are suddenly finding themselves bolstered by a veteran, if not impersonal, political operation.

Operatives stress that Cuomo and de Blasio are personally involved in strategizing along with some of their top advisors, and the 1199 SEIU (healthcare workers) and Hotel Trades Council (HTC) unions.

"You've got the two best political strategists in the business running your campaign," said one source of Cuomo and de Blasio. "Its like Bill Clinton being your campaign manager. These two guys learned at his hips and having people with that kind of expertise can really be a game changer."

A number of extremely seasoned Democratic political operatives are also involved in the effort to win back the Senate for Democrats. The SDCC has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on the state's top consultants, though it isn't clear how much has been spent specifically on Senate races.

When asked about the mayor's commitment to winning a Democratic Senate, Dan Levitan of Berlin Rosen said, "The Mayor is fully committed to building a progressive Democratic majority in the State Senate this November."

Emma Wolfe, a top de Blasio aide highly credited for de Blasio's electoral success, is using personal time to work on electing Senate Democrats.

However, some Democrats insist that it is unfair to call the efforts a partnership between de Blasio and Cuomo. They say de Blasio has been ramping up his efforts while Cuomo has remained on the sidelines. There is a sense among some Democrats that Cuomo would rather work with a Senate that will enable him to push through more conservative fiscal measures, as he has done during his first term.

"I think he's trying to embarrass the governor into action," said one Democratic senator of de Blasio, speaking on the condition of anonymity. "I don't think the governor wants to work with us."

Cuomo has seemed noncommittal to a Democratic majority in the Senate even though he committed to work for one in exchange for the Working Families Party endorsement in late May.

"They elect a Legislature – Democratic, Republican, whatever they elect," Cuomo said of voters. "I think the job of the Governor is to figure out how to make it work," he told reporters at the gathering of The Business Council of New York earlier this month.

Former Gov. David Paterson, who Cuomo hand-picked to head the State Democratic Committee has also issued lukewarm statements on the possibility of Democrats winning the Senate.

Cuomo has indicated that he may endorse Republican Sen. Mark Grisanti of Buffalo who lost his primary bid to his more conservative opponent Kevin Stocker. Grisanti voted for two key Cuomo wins in same-sex marriage and gun regulations via the SAFE Act. Cuomo promised political support to Republicans who backed him on the same-sex marriage vote and Grisanti is the last one of those left. Cuomo told reporters that he faces a "personally difficult" decision in whether to endorse Grisanti or Democrat Mark Panepinto.

Grisanti has been courted by Independent Democratic Conference head Sen. Jeff Klein in recent weeks and many Democratic operatives believe Grisanti will end up caucusing with Democrats if he is re-elected - despite some of his conservative leanings.

Some liberal activists have been outraged by Cuomo's lack of public enthusiasm for Democratic Senate candidates and his flirtation with Grisanti. Bill Samuels, who helped finance Democratic efforts to win the Senate in the past, has called on Cuomo to spend $10 million of his own campaign cash on Senate races and slammed him for considering endorsing Grisanti.

"It's political malpractice for Cuomo and Hochul not to endorse Marc Panepinto, a strong and talented Democrat whose victory in November will play a crucial role in helping the Democrats take back the State Senate and enact a real statewide progressive agenda," said Samuels.

Cuomo has generally been stingy with his endorsements and is loathe to endorse candidates unless they are a sure thing. Some insiders insist the governor doesn't want to stick his brand on an uncertain cause while jeopardizing his bipartisan record. Those close to the Cuomo-de Blasio effort say they don't expect to see personal endorsements until late in the game when the groundwork has been laid with paid and earned media.

Sources involved in the Cuomo-de Blasio effort say that the governor has been absolutely hands on in strategizing and fundraising. They say a massive win in November will give Cuomo a mandate to move progressive legislation. Operatives working for the Democratic Committee indicated that Cuomo understands that the public and media are focused on issues like the Women's Equality Agenda, the minimum wage, and The Dream Act, and that an improving economy and extra cash in the state budget mean he can focus on moving that kind of legislation.

Operatives say they are looking to defend Democratic seats in the the 41st district race in the Hudson Valley between Terry Gipson and Republican Sue Serino, and the 55th district race between Sen. Ted O'Brien and Republican Rich Funke. Democrats are looking to pick up seats in the 40th district in Westchester where Republican Sen. Greg ball has decided not to run for reelection, the 3rd senate district on Long Island where Republican Sen. Lee Zeldin is not seeking reelection, and the 7th senate district on Long Island where Republican Sen. Jack Martins faces Democrat Adam Haber.

A number of skeptical insiders and activists insist that Cuomo has talked himself into a corner and now has no choice. "I don't know how he can back Grisanti, who has insisted he won't support the Women's Equality Agenda, when he is running on passing that very piece of legislation and created a party just to get it passed," said one advocate. "The governor will look impotent if he goes into the next legislative session having touted all these issues but doesn't have the votes to pass them."

However, there has been consistent speculation that the governor has enjoyed the current power-sharing arrangement between the IDC and Senate Republicans so that he can govern more from the middle without having to veto more progressive legislation that would come through a Democratically-controlled Assembly and Senate. And Cuomo may be in favor of continuing to be able to put the blame on a split legislature when certain progressive legislation is stalled.

Democrats skeptical of Cuomo's efforts note that the governor's Women's Equality Party (WEP) has been an embarrassment. Democrats Tkaczyk, O'Brien, Gipson, and Justin Wagner, who are all in extremely close races that are key to Senate control were all bounced off the WEP ballot line after the majority of their petition signatures were rejected by the Board of Elections. Most of the rejected signatures came from out-of-district signees. Angry Democrats are in disbelief that such an error could have been an "honest mistake" when Cuomo is known to run such a tight ship.

This is an unusual year for Senate Democrats because of the number of groups involved in trying to win a Democratic majority. Klein is looking to bolster his own IDC ranks and has tepidly pledged to work with Democrats if they win the appropriate number of seats. Sen. Mike Gianaris, who heads the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee and has a notoriously frosty relationship with Klein, would like to grow his influence with the conference. Naturally, both the mayor and governor are also looking to grow their influence in the Senate through the candidates they help elect.

All this maneuvering will come into play, of course, when post-election jockeying starts for agenda items, rules changes, committee seats, and resources. Insiders expect senate rules changes to come up quickly as the IDC and mainline Democrats look to encode their relationship just as the IDC and Senate Republicans did two years ago. Staffing and resource allocation will be hot topics in a new Democratic alliance - if it happens. Loyalty, allegiances, and campaign debts will almost certainly come into play.

What do Cuomo and de Blasio get out of it? "The governor has committed to these big progressive items," said one operative. "And he is going to deliver. The mayor has come up against Albany and he knows what it is like to have your issues gummed up. He wants to be able to have people he can count on up there."

***
by David King, Albany Editor, Gotham Gazette
@DavidHowardKing

New York City Hall

What to watch for this week in New York politics:

The week ahead is sure to include more action in the hotly-contested races for Governor, Attorney General, and New York's 11th Congressional District, along with key State Senate districts - Tuesday is five weeks 'til Election Day. This week will also include the convening of the grand jury in the Eric Garner case on Staten Island and a lot of action at The New York City Council [read our previews of Monday's education committee hearing on guidance counselors and veterans committee hearing on forming a new veterans' affairs department]. All this and a whole lot more:

Governor Andrew Cuomo spent his weekend overseas, where he's remaining until Tuesday, he said by conference call Sunday: the governor is in Afghanistan after heading to Washington, D.C. for briefings, then Germany to visit injured soldiers. According to a release from Cuomo's office, the trip is "a bipartisan delegation of governors at the invitation of the U.S. Department of Defense, which is sponsoring the visit. During the trip, Governor Cuomo is receiving a series of briefings from senior U.S. Department of Defense officials on counterterrorism issues, the evolving global threats that affect New York's security at home, and other matters. Governor Cuomo will also meet with New York and other American troops who are currently stationed in Afghanistan – including those from Fort Drum, New York's 10th Mountain Division – to thank them for their service."

On the Sunday conference call, the governor said that it had already been a "really educationally fascinating trip," full of briefings on "Middle East issues, terrorism specifically." "Classified briefings," he said, from the Department of State, Department of Defense, and USAID, among others. The governor lauded U.S. accomplishments in Afghanistan, but on terrorism said generally that "as Governor of New York, New York is at the top of everybody's threat list" and that his administration continues to spend a lot of time on homeland security. "I'm telling you, we're going to be the most prepared," Cuomo said. "My goal is to have the most sophisticated homeland defense system ever designed by any state, period." Cuomo added that while terrorists are becoming more sophisticated, so would the response, and that New York would "stay one step ahead." Cuomo repeatedly said that efforts must be made to understand the source of growing terrorist groups and threats, not simply to try to stop terrorist efforts. He did not elaborate further on the topic.

The Mayor, the Speaker and the Comptroller
Coming off of a Sunday on which he had no public events scheduled (no word on whether he wound up taking another baseball game road trip), Mayor Bill de Blasio starts his week with a 10 a.m. press conference at the "John F. Kennedy Campus in the Bronx to make an announcement" and later in the day "he will meet with Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz."

New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito begins her week with an appearance on the Brian Lehrer Show on WNYC at 10:30 a.m. Monday morning. She will then deliver an opening statement at a city council hearing looking at efforts to provide legal representation to unaccompanied immigrant children - both according to her public schedule.

Comptroller Scott Stringer starts his week hosting a conference "Families and Flexibility: Reshaping the workplace for the 21st century." Details below.

Elections Watch - just over 5 weeks until Election Day
Good news and bad news, gubernatorial campaign edition: The bad news is that The Rent is Too Damn High's Jimmy McMillan is off the gubernatorial ballot - BUT - the good news is that four other candidates who will be on the ballot are going to debate at least once. "I am just going to bow out and support anybody to beat Andrew Cuomo," McMillan said, according to The Daily News.

Word from the campaign of Gov. Andrew Cuomo is that the governor and his Republican opponent, Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino, will debate at least twice: once one-on-one over the radio (in New York City via WNYC and The Wall Street Journal) and once along with Green Party candidate Howie Hawkins and Libertarian Party candidate Michael McDermott on TV from Buffalo. Dates have not been determined yet, but the debates are expected to occur in mid-October. It's unlikely there will be others, and the Astorino campaign is not happy that there likely won't be a one-on-one TV debate. (There are going to be five candidates on the gubernatorial ballot in November, the fifth is Sapient Party candidate Steve Cohn).

Speaking of debates, the campaign of Republican attorney general candidate John Cahill continues to challenge incumbent Democratic AG Eric Schneiderman to debates, putting out a statement on Saturday that read, in part: "Today, Governor Cuomo agreed to two debates - that's some good news for New Yorkers who deserve to hear from the candidates on their records and vision for the future of our great state. Now the ball is in Eric Schneiderman's court, after almost four years of acting like he is in a witness protection program it's time he faces the voters....the Cahill Campaign has challenged him to 11 debates, one state wide and one in each region...To date, the Cahill Campaign has accepted four debate offers and more are in the offing."

As the week begins, New York politicos will keep an eye on the campaigns, and there's a great deal happening at the City Council and all over the city, with many events to be aware of.

The run of the week in more detail:

Monday
On Monday, the grand jury will convene as called by Staten Island District Attorney Dan Donovan in the case of Eric Garner's death while being taken into police custody in July. As City Council Member Rory Lancman, an attorney, explained weeks ago, there are "legal gaps" when it comes to chokehold laws that could make criminal prosecution difficult in the case against the police officer involved.

The City Council's Committee on Education will meet Monday morning with regard to guidance services for students and the establishment of a comprehensive college preparation program, "based on the college readiness model proposed by the Urban Youth Collaborative." [Our report on the issue and preview of the hearing] Before the education committee hearing, there will be a 9:30 a.m. rally on the steps of City Hall calling for improved college-readiness programming in city schools led by Council Member Antonio Reynoso, the Urban Youth Collaborative, and others.

The Monday council schedule also includes a meeting of Committee on Cultural Affairs, Libraries and International Intergroup Relations, "a local law to amend the New York City Charter in relation to a comprehensive cultural plan."

The Committee on Courts and Legal Service will hold a joint meeting with the Committee on Immigration with regard to the "crisis of unaccompanied immigrant children" and what New York City is doing in relation to it. Speaker Mark-Viverito will give an opening statement (earlier in the day she will be a guest on The Brian Lehrer Show).

The Committee on Veterans will hold a hearing in relation to the establishment of a Department of Veterans' Affairs to replace the Mayor's Office of Veterans Affairs (MOVA). [Our report on the issue and preview of the hearing]

New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer will host a forum to discuss workplace flexibility on Monday: "Families and Flexibility: Reshaping the Workplace for the 21st Century," an event following up on a report Stringer's office released earlier this year. "If we want to remain a global economic power, we must support policies that see family and work as complementary, rather than competing interests."

And, according to Council Member Andy King's office, "Discovery for Justice and community leaders will host a rally and press conference on Monday Sept. 29th, at 11 AM to advocate for open, early and automatic discovery of evidence. Discovery for Justice and community leaders will also demand that the New York State Legislature repeal Criminal Procedure Law 240 and enact Criminal Procedure Law 245."

On Monday, (new grandmother) Hillary Clinton is scheduled to headline a lunchtime fundraiser for 10 Democratic congressional candidates running in NY and NJ (NY candidates include Domenic Recchia, Sean Patrick Maloney and Dan Maffei). No word on if Clinton's plans have changed due to the weekend birth of her granddaughter.

On Monday afternoon, New York City Schools Chancellor Carmen Farina will "deliver remarks at the Learning Partners Program Fall Kick-Off" at the Brooklyn Marriott, according to her public schedule.

After he chairs the council education committee hearing, CM Danny Dromm is set to be in his Queens district Monday afternoon to announce "Implementation of Jackson Heights Slow Zone" according to his office. "The Jackson Heights Slow Zone will improve pedestrian safety from 69th to 87th streets between Roosevelt and 34th avenues. Throughout the whole zone, the speed limit will be reduced to 20 mph and traffic calming measures will be installed....Jackson Heights is a busy pedestrian corridor...there are thousands of students who attend the schools and afterschool programs in the slow zone area who need to be protected. Over the last few years, Jackson Heights has seen an unfortunate increase in the number of traffic related fatalities including those of seniors and children."

Tuesday
Tuesday is five weeks until election day! Visit our Elections Center for a lot more info.

Several interesting events and conferences on Tuesday morning:
The Crain's Business Breakfast Forum series continues with Preet Bharara, the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, to discuss "corruption and the Moreland Commission and the current probe of Rikers Island" as well as "Wall Street, tax evasion and cybercrime."

City & State NY is holding its Public Projects Forum featuring Rick Chandler (Commissioner, NYC Department of Buildings), Joan McDonald (New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner) and Ramanathan Raju (New York City's Health and Hospital Corporation President and Executive Director) regarding the "current public project construction landscape, major upcoming RFPs and bids, and the ever-expanding role of technology in construction."

The New School is hosting "Ferguson + Staten Island: The Roots, the Reality, and the Response" with moderator Jeff Smith: "In this discussion, law enforcement, policy makers, advocates, journalists, and community leaders will come together to explore the events in Ferguson -- and ask how New York and other cities are responding. What political and economic conditions in Ferguson and minority communities nationally underlie the anger that exploded in Ferguson? What kinds of policy changes are necessary to prevent more tragedies from occurring - and to prevent continued escalation of tension between police departments and minority communities? And how do we go about making this policy change happen?"

Fordham Law School, fittingly - or is it ironically (or both)? - will host "Is Prof. Teachout A Real New Yorker? Weiss vs. Teachout: Do Residency Requirements Still Matter?" on Tuesday at lunchtime.

The WCC (Women's City Club of New York) will be hosting a luncheon event on Tuesday with newly-elected Council Members Corey Johnson (Chair of the Health Committee), and Carlos Menchaca (Chair of the Immigration Committee and Chair): "Don't miss the opportunity to exchange thoughts about legislative priorities and learn more about health, immigration, and more in New York City."

Tuesday's busy City Council schedule includes a meeting of The Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises "to review different Land Use Applications"; The Committee on Mental Health, Developmental Disability, Alcoholism, Substance Abuse and Disability Services will meet to inspect the (ongoing) redesign of Medicaid; The Committee on Higher Education will meet on "reducing the cost on college textbooks"; and The Subcommittee on Planning, Dispositions and Concessions will meet to look at "Land Use Applications."

On Tuesday Council Member Donovan Richards will co-host an environmental event with Speaker Mark-Viverito at City Hall to mark the "close of New York Climate Week" and "push for a greener, greater NYC" - and there will be live jazz music.

Now's a good time to go Pro with Capital New York, especially if you're in Albany: Tuesday night in Albany will see the "first-ever Capital Pro Trivia Night...on all things concerning New York policy, politics and media" - questions from Capital Albany Bureau Chief Jimmy Vielkind. (RSVP to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for location details)

Wednesday
There are two events on Wednesday that may feature both candidates in New York's 11th Congressional District: incumbent Rep. Michael Grimm, a Republican, and his Democratic challenger, former City Council Member Domenic Recchia: the Bay Ridge Council on Aging holds its annual candidates forum Wednesday morning and the Middle Class Action Forum Wednesday evening. One or both events could also feature the candidates in State Senate District 22, incumbent Republican Marty Golden and his Democratic challenger Jamie Kemmerer.

Other interesting events Wednesday morning:
New York City Housing Commissioner Vicki Been will discuss her priorities for affordable housing at a Citizens Budget Commission (CBC) breakfast forum.

Westchester County Executive and Republican gubernatorial candidate Rob Astorino will speak at an Association for a Better New York (ABNY) breakfast forum, discussing the state budget, taxes, and other issues.

Crain's Health Care Summit: Transforming New York's Health Care Industry: "After lengthy negotiations, the federal government agreed to give New York state $8 billion for a five-year overhaul of the state's health care delivery system. The money is targeted at the state's expensive Medicaid program—but what most New Yorkers don't realize is that the changes ahead will affect health care delivery in New York well beyond the one in four New York City residents who receive Medicaid benefits. Crain's will address how the $8 billion will act as seed capital for radical transformation. The state is planning changes that will have a profound impact on employers, commercial insurers, hospitals and patients. We explain the transformations ahead—including more hospital closures—before they broadside New York businesses."

Fordham Law School is hosting NYC Directors of Admission Panel: "The Enrollment landscape is ever changing. Increased competition, media scrutiny, new technologies, and a tumultuous economic climate are just of few of the most pressing issues of recent admission cycles. Columbia, Cooper Union, CUNY, Fordham, NYU and SUNY invite you into a dialogue on these and other topics that impact the work that you do and the families you serve."

Wednesday's city council schedule includes a meeting of the Committee on Housing and Buildings that will look at introduction of local laws "in relation to the alternative enforcement program" and "inspection fees for certain recurring violations of the housing maintenance code"; a meeting of the Committee on Transportation to consider a local law "in relation to reducing citywide speed limit to twenty-five miles per hour"; a meeting of the Committee on Technology on a local law to create "a website to produce and sign petitions seeking particular actions by city government"; a joint meeting of the Committee on Civil Service and Labor and the Committee on General Welfare regarding oversight of "proposed changes to HRA's Employment Programs." [Read our look at the Civil Service Committee and Chair Daneek Miller and our look at the General Welfare Committee and Chair Stephen Levin]

Council Member Andy King "will be hosting a job recruitment session for the companies CareRide of Queens and GVCII of the Bronx, carriers in the MTA's Access-A-Ride program" on Wednesday at his Bronx office. "Both companies are looking to immediately hire drivers for their company."

On Wednesday evening, The New York Democratic Lawyers Council presents: "Why Don't New Yorkers Vote? A discussion about fixing New York State's restrictive Election Laws and how you can help...featuring panel experts Benjamin Kallos (CM, 5th District), Brian Kavangh (Assemblyman, 74th District), Douglas Kellner (NYS Board of Elections, Co-Chair) and Susan Lerner (Common Cause NY, Executive Director)."

Also Wednesday evening, there will be a Sunset Park Town Hall on Police Conduct and Accountability, hosted by the New York City Congress for Puerto Rican Rights : "Join us as we invite local NYPD & Elected Officials for a public conversation on police accountability, conduct and the rights of citizens when dealing with police confrontations."

On both Wednesday and Thursday, there will be the NAN Education Summit (In Celebration of Rev. Sharpton's 60th Birthday) at NYU: "Addressing the Civil Rights Issue of the 21st Century...Rev. Al Sharpton and NAN will be convening leaders in education, including teachers, students, parents, policy makers, administrators, artist and other performers, to demand equality in education."

Wednesday and Thursday will also see the "New York State 4th Annual MWBE Forum" at the Empire State Plaza Convention Center in Albany.

Thursday
Thursday's city council schedule includes: a meeting of The Committee on Land Use at which council members "will consider all items reported out of the Subcommittees at the meetings held on Tuesday, September 30, 2014, and conduct such other business as may be necessary"; and the Committee on Economic Development will meet and be "evaluating the effectiveness of tax benefits offered by the New York City Economic Development Corporation" (EDC).

The Coalition for Education Equality will rally "to end systemwide failure in NYC public schools" on Thursday morning in Manhattan's Foley Square.

Friday and the weekend
As usual the end of the week and weekend look like as of Sunday evening, but things are always sure to pick up. Yom Kippur does begin on Friday evening, so the city could be a bit more quiet, especially on Friday and Saturday, as a result.

One key event on our radar for Sunday, though: "What's Next for Public Schools?" 5-7 p.m. at The New School. "Progressive educators and parents have been highly critical of the school reform agenda that emphasizes standardized testing and charter schools. But what kind of change are we for? In this free and public discussion based on a forthcoming special issue of The Nation, leading voices in education will explore a progressive agenda for public schools in New York City and nationwide. Following a special appearance by New York City Schools Chancellor Carmen Farina, the panel discussion moderated by MSNBC's Chris Hayes will feature AFT President Randi Weingarten, best-selling author Dana Goldstein, New York University Professor Pedro Noguera and the Advocacy Director of the AQE, Zakiyah Ansari. Sponsored by The New School for Public Engagement and The Nation."

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Have events or topics for us to include in an upcoming Week Ahead in New York Politics? Email Gotham Gazette executive editor Ben Max any time: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (please use "For Week Ahead" as email subject).

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by Rati Mukhuradze, Katrina Shakarian, Kristen Meriwether, David King, and Ben Max
@GothamGazette

MOVA Commissioner Sutton presents a mayoral proclamation (photo: @nycveterans)

For the City's 216,000 military veterans, the Mayor's Office of Veterans' Affairs (MOVA) is the only centralized city-run resource center to help find things like healthcare services, employment opportunities, and educational training.

But MOVA itself has extremely limited resources by which to help veterans. For fiscal year 2015 MOVA is set to receive just $549,112 in funding, which pays for five staff members and an additional $25,000 in non-personnel costs, according to figures provided by the Office of Management and Budget. With more and more veterans expected to return home in the coming years, those resources are not going to be enough, according to veterans advocates who already see MOVA's reach as too short.

For City Council Member Eric Ulrich, chair of the Council's veterans committee, the solution is both simple and necessary: make MOVA into its own department.

On Monday Ulrich's veterans committee will hear Intro. 0314, which would abolish MOVA and create the New York City Department of Veterans' Affairs in its place. Having a department instead of an agency under the Mayor would give the Council more budgetary and operational oversight, which could lead to more funding and better execution of however much funding exists.

Nothing in the bill sets any sort of minimums for funding or staffing of the proposed department. In fact, the language of the bill laying out the responsibilities for the new department is nearly identical to the language in the City Charter that created MOVA in 1987. But by creating a separate department, the Council would, for the first time, be allowed to hold budget hearings for veterans' affairs, much like it does with all the other big name departments such as Police, Parks, Transportation, and Education.

These budget hearings would give the Council multiple opportunities each year to get a performance assessment from the Veteran's Affairs Commissioner as well as listen to advocates voice concerns about what services funding is (or is not) providing. The Council can use that information as leverage when pushing for additional funding during budget negotiations with the Mayor.

Mayor Bill de Blasio has been vocal about support for veterans, often evoking the personal story of his father, who was a WWII veteran. De Blasio's father lost part of his leg in the Battle of Okinawa and later, after being diagnosed with cancer, took his own life.

Despite his personal connection and expressed support for veterans, de Blasio's first budget as mayor did not include additional funding for MOVA. In its April response to the mayor's preliminary budget, the Council asked for $400,000 in added funding for MOVA. The request was denied. However, Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito and the Council used $400,000 of its own discretionary funding for veterans initiatives. Individual Council members allocated $207,250 of their discretionary funding toward veterans services as well.

Using discretionary funds as a way to circumvent the lack of funding provided by the mayor is not necessarily a sustainable or fool-proof plan. Because MOVA is not its own department, that discretionary funding must go through other departments (primarily DYCD, DFTA, or SBS). This process can be much slower than the mayor directly funding initiatives through a department and in some cases the funding does not actually make it to the targeted group at all.

In fiscal year 2014, which ended on June 30, the Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) received 20 requests to process council member discretionary funding related to veterans for a total of $97,357. As of Friday, September 26, nine of those requests totaling $61,857 had been filled, with another four totaling $22,400 in process. Of those not in either category, a request for $5,000 was not filled because the organization never submitted the paperwork.

But checks for six requests totaling $8,000 could not be written because those requests each did not meet the department minimum of $3,500. DYCD spokesperson Mark Zustovich said it was not efficient to consider contracts for smaller amounts due to the volume of contracts the department receives. He added that in some cases groups who have multiple requests under $3,500 with DYCD could be combined. Groups applying for funding of less than $3,500 can go back to the City Council to see what other options exist.

Creating a separate Department of Veterans' Affairs would not be a panacea for this problem. There is currently no language in the bill specifying that there be no minimum request amounts, but this could be something council members consider during negotiations with the administration on the bill.

In addition, while creating a new department would provide another avenue for discretionary funding, it would not necessarily mean all discretionary funding is funneled through it.

Newly appointed MOVA Commissioner Loree Sutton will be testifying on Monday, per a City Hall spokesperson. If her boss' comments during the Aug. 18 press conference announcing her appointment are any indication, it doesn't appear the administration is warm to the idea of a separate department just yet.

"We think that the model we have now is an important and effective one and we can do a lot more with," de Blasio said when Gotham Gazette asked about the plan. "It's certainly something we would entertain going forward, but I think the way I look at this is we wanted to bring in a new leader, get going with the model we have now, and then we'll judge from there."

Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, who helped push for more funding for veterans services, has not taken a firm position on the bill.

"I have to look at it more carefully, and obviously I look forward to the testimony," Mark-Viverito said at an unrelated Sept. 23 press conference. "We believe strongly that we have to do all we can to figure out how to bring together and galvanize existing resources of the city to benefit our veterans."

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by Kristen Meriwether, Gotham Gazette
@MeriwetherK

Council Member Ben Kallos (photo: @BenKallos)

New York - Earlier this week, the City Council's Committee on Governmental Operations convened a hearing to review the Campaign Finance Board's (CFB) comprehensive report on the money raised and spent during the city's 2013 elections.

At the hearing, city council members, CFB leadership, and good governance groups discussed the possibility of raising spending limits for candidates participating in the CFB's public matching funds program and lowering campaign contribution limits for all candidates. These proposed changes come, in part, as response to the deluge of independent expenditures that rattled the last electoral cycle's financial playing field - floodgates opened by the Supreme Court's 2010 ruling in the now-infamous Citizens United case.

Council Member Ben Kallos, who chairs the government operations committee, cut straight to the chase when he asked the CFB's executive director, Amy Loprest, "Do you think matching funds did enough, in those races with significant outside expenditures, to allow candidates to fairly respond?"

Kallos was referring to the $15.9 million in outside spending that inundated the election cycle. According to CFB's report, $8 million in independent expenditures poured into the mayoral race and $6.9 million into city council primary races alone. In 17 of the 41 city council primary races, outside organizations even outspent candidates themselves.

Although Loprest maintained that the program did provide candidates with enough matching funds to "get their own message out" - noting that some of the highest outside spenders did not meet their electoral objectives - she acknowledged the dilemma that the spike in outside spending poses to campaign finance programs in general.

"In New York City, most candidates participate in the Program and agree to abide by a spending limit. Outside spenders face no spending limits, and voters cannot hold them accountable for their campaigns, " her prepared remarks read.

Council Member David Greenfield further probed Loprest on the issue of independent spending. "Have you looked at the possibility of raising those spending caps [on candidates] to deal with the influence of outside funds?" he asked.

The CFB's election report does indeed include the possibility of raising spending limits for participants in the program, along with the possibility of lowering the amount of money that any candidate, whether participating in the matching funds program or not, can accept from donors. The suggestion is listed as a point for consideration, and not as one of the report's 14 explicit legislative proposals.

The good governance groups who testified at Monday's hearing had different opinions on the possibility of changing those limits.

Common Cause NY, via testimony provided by Associate Director Lauren George, is "reluctant to encourage a money race between independent expenditure committees and public matching funds," and believes that the idea "merits further analysis and discussion." Meanwhile, Citizens Union supports altering limits, in conjunction with other changes such a move may necessitate to maintain balance and equity within the complex campaign finance ecosystem.

In testimony from its Director of Public Policy, Rachael Fauss, Citizens Union proposes increasing spending limits on candidates who receive public funds "from $182,000 for the 2017 cycle to $290,000, an increase about equal to the largest independent expenditure spent in opposition to a Council candidate during the 2013 primary elections."

The CFB's 14 legislative proposals include implementing instant runoff voting and stemming the role of intermediaries, or bundlers, who raise funds for candidates yet do business with city government at the same time, thereby violating campaign finance regulations. The latter is in direct reference to the Campaign Finance Act's intent to stop "play-to-play" corruption.

The hearing included discussion of the CFB's recommendations, but also concerns brought up by council members, such as the process of receiving matching funds for contributions made by credit card and how to mitigate the difficulties faced by first-time and "grassroots" candidates in navigating complex campaign finance rules.

Kallos inquired about new rules the CFB is formulating around the matching of contributions received via text message. Local Law 116 of 2013 allows voters to make contributions to campaigns by text message, a development which may broaden the pool of campaign contributors to include more lower income constituents, Kallos said. The CFB's codification of this process is due out in December.

All told, the most fervent discussion at the hearing surrounded what action should be taken to maintain a fair financial playing field in the face of monumental levels of spending by outside organizations, such as political action committees (PACs) and unions, that seek to influence electoral outcomes.

Hearing participants appeared to be unanimous on the indispensability of the city's campaign finance program, which is seen as a model that the state should follow, with council members taking turns lauding the CFB. Praise was given for the board's efforts to strengthen the Campaign Finance Act and ensure fair city elections in which the influence of local voters is propagated and that of bigger interests diminished.

"[The CFB has] been on my mind a lot this week, said Council Member Mark Levine, before praising the CFB in the unlikely context of this week's climate march.

"Time and again I've heard that we're not gonna be able to address the climate crisis until we change the fact that oil companies have outside influence on American politics with their unfettered campaign contributions," Levine said. "And boy, isn't it great that here in New York City, we have a robust, progressive, and overwhelmingly effective way to eliminate that kind of outside influence. [More than] we have on the federal level, and for that matter, even the state level."

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by Katrina Shakarian, Gotham Gazette
@KatShakarian

Note: Gotham Gazette is an independent publication of Citizens Union Foundation, sister organization of Citizens Union

Zak Malamed, founder of Student Voice, left, speaking on a panel (photo: @SusannaDW)

"I can't tell you how many conferences, events, and meetings...I have to go to where there are no students, even though we are talking only about education," said Amanda Ripley at the opening session of this year's Student Voice Live summit in New York City.

Ripley, who is an investigative journalist and the author of the book The Smartest Kids in the World: And How They Got That Way, was one of the hundreds of event attendees who share the collective goal of amplifying student voices within the education system. Participants gathered in Manhattan on Saturday, September 20 to engage in a series of discussions on a wide variety of topics. In its second year, the event again had several corporate sponsors, including Dell and Microsoft.

Student Voice is a not-for-profit organization created for students, by students. The organization was founded in May of 2012 by now-Executive Director Zak Malamed, a student at The University of Maryland. Over the past two-plus years, Student Voice has implemented programs that have catalyzed school and community improvement, ensuring that students' voices are more heard when their education is being discussed.

StuVoice, as it is often called, began with Twitter chats, now held each Monday, in which youth lead virtual dialogues (find them at #StuVoice). Past online conversations have touched upon topics such as expanding digital infrastructure to all students, reshaping curricula to make room for entrepreneurship, and reducing barriers to higher education.

The issues addressed by panelists at the summit ran the gamut, including student rights in the classroom, diversity in STEM, and health and wellness both in and out of school. The youth in attendance were from varied backgrounds, ranging from scientists to actors, all of whom were engaged in revolutionizing education from their particular vantage point.

Jaxson Khan, who served as a panelist on the global student movement, is leading the Student Voice Initiative in Canada. In proposing solutions to the agreed-upon problem of limited student say in education policy-making, Khan said, "From the start, it's building a system that's encouraging students to get active and involved and self-directing their own learning." Khan went on to say that students having a sense of ownership of their learning experiences is paramount.

The notion of ownership that Khan highlighted was the common thread that tied the conference's diverse panels together. The absence of that control and independence is familiar to Jordan Howard, who began working on youth advisory boards for nonprofits and corporations when she was 15 in order to claim more agency in her education. At 22, she is now a co-founder of GenYNot and a Dell Youth Innovation Advisor, and the solution she poses in education reform is simple. "Have a conversation," Howard said, when asked how education stakeholders can engage students. "And sometimes, they don't understand that it's that easy. What if we recognized that young people are the experts of their own experiences?"

Nikhil Goyal, a 19-year-old activist and author of a forthcoming book on alternative education, wants to see sweeping change. In expressing a prevailing sentiment among youth activists at the conference, Goyal asserts that "the solution is not top-down; it's bottom-up. It's through the people who are leading this movement and leading social change."

Goyal continued, "It's not just about bringing youth voices to the table, it's about bringing power to young people, giving them more responsibility, giving them privileges and rights, and allowing them to have the freedom to express their voices."

Student Voice is one such example of this work being done, and it is just one among several youth-led initiatives and organizations that have sprung up as a result of the lack of youth voices in discussions about issues that directly affect young people. Youth activism has served as a powerful presence in social movements, evidenced by the turnout of youth at Occupy Wall Street in the past, as well as the recent People's Climate March.

Goyal's advocacy of the bottom-up approach applies to the student voice movement as much as it does to the youth rights movement as a whole. Civic engagement among youth is a global movement that has exerted such influence on Scotland, which allowed 16-year-olds to vote in the referendum on national independence. Other countries that have extended nationwide voting rights to youth under 18 include Austria, Brazil, Nicaragua, Indonesia, and Sudan, among others.

This is largely not the case for Americans. The National Youth Rights Association reports that a total of 12 states allow citizens under 18 to vote in state elections, though often only in primaries or caucuses. Over the last decade, however, 12 other states have seen movements to lower the voting age on both state and local levels.

Amid talk of bills that would invite more youth to participate in local politics, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed legislation last month lowering the minimum age of community board members from 18 to 16. The passage of the bill has met both support and considerable pushback from incumbent community board members, some of whom feel that the work is too hefty for youth. The passage of the bill, however, could potentially allow students to hold a larger stake in policy-making and offers new avenues for youth engagement.

As the New York State general election approaches, education will certainly be among the key issues debated by candidates, as it was in the primaries. Those participating in Student Voice Live are likely to be paying attention and remembering promises made - while also looking to influence the discussion.

Ruby Karp, who just began her first year of high school and was a host of Student Voice Live, has reiterated familiar advice on how to get youth involved in the education conversation: "If you want students to be engaged, engage them."

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by Alex-Quan Pham, Gotham Gazette

@GothamGazette

Members of the Urban Youth Collaborative at a protest march

The role of guidance counselors in schools is increasingly being recognized as an essential factor in student support and key driver to help prepare students both for graduating from high school and succeeding in higher education.

On Monday, the New York City Council's Committee on Education will consider a bill and a resolution centered around the counseling that students receive and aimed at improving student support services, college enrollment rates, and college-preparedness among high school graduates.

The proposed legislation, Intro. 0403, would require the city's Department of Education (DOE) to send annual reports to the Council on the state of guidance counselors in city schools, including guidance counselor to student ratios at each school. For these purposes, 'guidance counselors' includes a variety of student service providers such as traditional guidance counselors as well as school psychologists and others. With growingly diverse and needy student populations, many have renewed calls for an increase in counselor staff at schools.

The accompanying resolution, which also mentions counselor-student ratios, is focused on the creation of a comprehensive college preparation program based on recommendations by the Urban Youth Collaborative (UYC), an umbrella body of local youth organizations.

Former New York City Comptroller John Liu released a report in October 2012 highlighting the need to increase the number of counselors in city schools. The report also addressed the issues that the Council will be taking up on Monday, including an early intervention system to keep students on the right track to college, summer programs for college-bound youth, and training peer leadership in education.

The issue of skewed guidance counselor-student ratios is not new. A 2010 study by nonprofit research organization, Public Agenda, for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, found that students considered high school counseling systems inadequate and at times even detrimental to their interests. Those who felt they were badly counseled in school suffered later when they headed to college.

The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) recommends that there be one counselor for every 250 students (Liu's report set the caseload goal at 100 students). According to the latest statistics from 2010-11, the national average was 471 students per counselor. New York State had a better figure, 392, but nonetheless higher than the optimum ratios set by ASCA and others.

"In the past few years, that number has just gotten worse," said Amanda Fitzgerald, director of public policy at ASCA. Fitzgerald says a countrywide trend has begun of addressing college and career readiness through increases in staffing ratios and that local governments are at the start. "It's definitely an important piece of the puzzle. We support the Council's resolution."

Unfortunately, the data for New York City is inadequate, which is one of the reasons behind the bill in front of the education committee. "Students are getting very little attention," said Council Member Antonio Reynoso, a sponsor on the bill.

(A 2005 study by the National Association for College Admission Counseling found that counselors were spending an average of 38 minutes annually per student on college advising. Back then the average counselor-student ratio was 315-1)

"The first step to improve the situation is to get a report from the Department of Education. Then hopefully we can find a solution and figure out how to change the system," Reynoso added.

Late last year, the Center for New York City Affairs at The New School highlighted the issue in a report titled Creating College Ready Communities. Certain students, the report noted, had even missed out on admissions to colleges of their choice because of mistakes by overburdened counselors. Of note, the Center analyzed data provided by the United Federation of Teachers (UFT), the union representing guidance counselors. New York City had seen, per the data, certain improvements in staffing ratios, but it varied greatly in different schools.

Scott Noon, executive director of business development at the Institute for Student Achievement (ISA) says the Bloomberg-era small schools initiative helped improve the situation in New York. "Most of the high schools are small," he said. "It leads to tight-knit relationships between students and adults. When that happens, students get better counseling."

The resolution before the education committee is aimed at addressing the more general problem of college access for students. According to DOE data from November 2013, only 49.7 percent of the class of 2012 enrolled in a two- or four-year college, vocational program, or public service program after graduation. Keeping this figure in mind, the Council's resolution is pushing the Urban Youth Collective's "Get Us To College" platform, which recommends that the city undertake an assessment of the support systems for high school students to transition into post-secondary education.

Among other measures in the resolution, the UYC has particularly stressed the need for creating student leadership and training peer counselors through Student Success Centers. "Young people are excited that the Council understands the youth have solutions and can play an important role in implementing them," said Kesi Foster, incoming UYC coordinator. "There is a broken pipeline in between high school and college graduation. The standards are changing and it's important to get students ready academically, especially first generation college goers," he added.

One method the resolution suggests, which the ISA agreed is effective, is distributed counseling. The model, which has already seen success in schools, relies on small groups, usually of 15 students. As opposed to the traditional model of hiring counselors, distributed counseling creates a network of counselors out of all teachers. "It's a safety net," said ISA's Noon. "It's a whole foundation of social and academic support to ensure no student falls through the cracks. It's about creating a college going culture by getting the students excited to go to college and ready to do so."

DOE Chancellor Carmen Farina created the office of Guidance and School Counseling at the department. Their representatives declined to comment for this story, but will be at the hearing on Monday to testify before the committee.

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by Samar Khurshid, Gotham Gazette
@SamarKhurshid