THE CENTER FOR NEW YORK CITY AFFAIRS
Program Area: Public Policy Forums
The Center for New York City Affairs is a nonpartisan, university-based
forum for informed analysis and public dialogue about critical
urban issues. Our events include public forums on a wide variety
of policy issues impacting New Yorkers, with an emphasis on low-income
neighborhoods and rapidly changing communities. Participants for
our forums come from the nonprofit sector, community organizations,
media, government and foundations, and faculty and students of
Milano The New School for Management and Urban Policy, as well
as from the wider New School community.
All of our forums are free
and open to the public.
To reserve a seat at an upcoming
event, please call 212 229 5418.
The Center's public forums
are supported by the Milano Foundation.
SPRING 2007 Forums
JUSTICE RENEWED?
Criminal Justice Policy in the Spitzer Era
Thursday, February 15, 2007, 10 am to noon
Theresa Lang Student & Community Center, Arnhold Hall, 55 West 13th Street
Nearly $3 billion in state funds will be spent on corrections and criminal justice services in New York this year. Under the state's first Democratic administration in 12 years, will there be a new vision—and new policies—on sentencing, prison conditions and drug treatment, health care and education behind bars? And with 25,000 ex-offenders returning home each year, what kind of support can communities expect?
Speakers:
Brian Fischer, Acting Commissioner, NY State Department of Correctional Services
Robert Gangi, Executive Director, Correctional Association of New York
Michael P. Jacobson, Director, Vera Institute of Justice
Vivian Nixon, Director, College and Community Fellowship
Moderator:
Andrew White, Director, Center for New York City Affairs
THE STATE OF WELFARE:
Spitzer, NYC and the Future of Public Assistance
Tuesday, March 13, 2007, 8:15 am to 10:30 am
Theresa Lang Student & Community Center, Arnhold Hall, 55 West 13th Street
New York’s city and state welfare agencies have new leaders, and both must implement last year’s revised federal TANF regulations. How do local strategies mesh with Washington's latest demands? What will be the impact of new employment rules on people who struggle to work, if they can work at all? And will the low-wage workforce gain access to more––or fewer––temporary supports?
Speakers:
Robert Doar, Commissioner, NYC Human Resources Administration
David Hansell, Commissioner, NYS Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance
Sandra Killet, co-chair of the board of Community Voices Heard
Jillynn Stevens, Director of Policy, Advocacy and Research, Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies and a representative from Community Voices Heard
Moderator:
Andrew White, Director, Center for New York City Affairs
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND THE MEGA CITY
Thursday, April 26, 2007, 8:15 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
Theresa Lang Student & Community Center, Arnhold Hall, 55 West 13th Street
featuring a presentation by
Daniel L. Doctoroff, Deputy Mayor for Economic Development and Rebuilding, City of New York
With large-scale developments underway in every borough, the physical face of New York City is already changing on a scale unseen in decades—even as the Bloomberg administration is planning for sustainable growth of nearly a million more residents by 2030. What are the implications for more livable neighborhoods and community renewal? Can City Hall’s vision survive beyond the current mayoralty and the latest economic boom?
Speakers:
Rohit Aggarwala, Director, Mayor's Office of Long-term Planning and Sustainability
Maria Mottola, Executive Director, The New York Foundation
Sheena Wright, President & CEO, Abyssinian Development Corporation
Kathryn S. Wylde, President & CEO, Partnership for New York City
Moderator:
Errol Louis, Columnist and Editorial Board Member, New York Daily News
SAME NEWS, DIFFERENT VIEWS:
Bridging the Gap Between Ethnic and Mainstream Media
A Feet in TwoWorlds Town Hall
Thursday, May 24, 2007, 6:30 pm to 9 pm
Theresa Lang Student & Community Center, Arnhold Hall, 55 West 13th Street
The federal immigration policy debate may soon reach its climactic moment, changing the lives of hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers. Meanwhile, our city’s immigrant communities face unique—and not so unique—local challenges related to schools, poverty, housing and more. If you read or listen to the mainstream English-language press, what are you missing? A Town Hall meeting with the ethnic and mainstream press, hosted by Brian Lehrer and taped for broadcast on WNYC, New York Public Radio.
Speakers:
Ti-Hua Chang, Investigative Reporter, WCBS-TV News
Muzaffar Chishti, Migration Policy Institute
Roberto Lovato, New America Media
Juana Ponce De Leon, IPA-New York
Julia Preston, The New York Times
Elaine Rivera, WNYC, New York Public Radio
Sree Sreenivasan, Columbia University and WNBC-TV
Alberto Vourvoulias, El Diario/LA PRENSA
Leon Wynter, author of American Skin
Moderator:
Brian Lehrer, WNYC, New York Public Radio
URBAN CONVERSATIONS:
Strengthening the Middle Class
Friday, June 1, 2007, 8 am to 11 am
Theresa Lang Student & Community Center, Arnhold Hall, 55 West 13th Street
As income disparity between wealthy and working-class families becomes more pronounced, middle-class neighborhoods are disappearing from many American cities. How are today’s urban leaders trying to ensure their cities remain—or become—livable for middle-income families and affordable for the millions of working people aspiring to gain a foothold in the middle class?
Introductory Remarks:
Dean Fred P. Hochberg, Milano The New School for Management and Urban Policy
Welcoming Remarks:
Hon. Christine Quinn, Speaker, New York City Council
CONVERSATION I:
Livable Cities for the Urban Middle Class
Speakers:
Hon. Adrian Fenty, Mayor of Washington, DC
Hon. Shirley Franklin, Mayor of Atlanta, GA
Ester Fuchs, Professor of Public Affairs and Political Science, Columbia University, and former Special Advisor to New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg
Hon. Thomas R. Suozzi, County Executive, Nassau County, NY
Moderator:
Brian Lehrer, WNYC, New York Public Radio
CONVERSATION II:
A Viable New York for Working Families
Speakers:
Dan Cantor, Executive Director, Working Families Party
Nicole Gelinas, Senior Fellow, Manhattan Institute, and contributing editor, City Journal
Andrea Batista Schlesinger, Executive Director, Drum Major Institute for Public Policy
Dennis Walcott, Deputy Mayor for Education and Community Development, City of New York
Moderator:
Brian Lehrer, WNYC, New York Public Radio
FALL 2006 Forums
"THERE ARE STILL GUNS ON OUR STREETS!"
Guns and Violence in NYC
Wednesday, October 18, 2006, 10 am to noon
Theresa Lang Student & Community Center, Arnhold Hall, 55 West 13th Street
Arsenals seized, gun dealers sued, specialized firearms units deployed and convicted weapons offenders required to check in twice a year with the NYPD: The Bloomberg administration is in the midst of an all-out campaign to get guns off the streets. Yet despite a steady decrease in gun violence over the past decade, New York still has one of the highest rates in the nation of children killed by firearms. What more can be done to make neighborhoods safe?
Speakers:
Richard Aborn, President, Citizens Crime Commission
John Feinblatt, Criminal Justice Coordinator, New York City
David Kennedy, Director, Center on Crime Prevention and Control, John Jay College of Justice
Lisa Kenner, President, Van Dyke Houses Residents Association
Moderator:
Andrew White, Director, Center for New York City Affairs
LEARN ENGLISH…IF YOU CAN
The Shortage of English Classes for NYC’s Immigrants
Thursday, October 26, 2006, 10 am to noon
Swayduck Auditorium, 65 Fifth Avenue
New Yorkers' demand for low-cost English classes vastly outstrips supply. There are far fewer subsidized English classes for adults offered in New York City today than 16 years ago-despite the massive increase in the immigrant population and the fact that English Speakers are much more likely to earn a living wage. What are the cultural and economic implications? Can New York build a better, more accessible language education system for adults?
Speakers:
Tara Colton, Associate Research Director, Center for an Urban Future
Steve Hinds, Activist, Coalition for Adult Literacy
Chung-Wha Hong, Executive Director, The New York Immigration Coalition
Maria Quiroga, former Adult Education Program Manager, Union Settlement Association
Anthony Tassi, Director of Adult Education, NYC Office of the Mayor
Moderator:
Andrew White, Director, Center for New York City Affairs
A TANGLED TAX:
Unraveling New York's Property Tax System
Tuesday, December 5, 2006, 8:15 am to 10:30 am
Theresa Lang Student & Community Center, Arnhold Hall, 55 West 13th Street
December marks the 25th anniversary of the law that created New York City's current property tax system, as well as the long debate about its intrinsic inequities. The Independent Budget Office is releasing a report examining how the weight of the property tax is shared across communities and classes of homes and buildings. Is reform warranted? Is it politically possible? The city has changed—should our tax system change with it?
Speakers:
Dick Netzer, Professor Emeritus of Economics, Planning and Public Administration, New York University Wagner School of Public Administration
Mary Ann Rothman, Executive Director, Council of New York Cooperatives & Condominiums
Michael Slattery, Senior Vice President, Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY)
Martha Stark, Commissioner, New York City Department of Finance
George Sweeting, Deputy Director, New York City Independent Budget Office
Hon. Peter Vallone, Sr., former Speaker, New York City Council
Moderator:
Charles V. Bagli, Reporter, The New York Times
GOVERNING CHANGE:
Policy, Politics and the Spitzer Administration
Tuesday, December 12, 2006, 8 am to 2:30 pm
Theresa Lang Community & Student Center, Arnhold Hall, 55 West 13th Street
co-sponsored by
The New York Times Community Affairs Department
The office of the governor is about to change hands for the first time in 12 years, likely representing a seismic shift—not just in ideology, but in management, leadership and appointments. A day of in-depth discussion on the challenges facing New York in health care, affordable housing, public education and government reform.
This conference was made possible thanks to the generous support of Edison Properties. Additional support provided by the Milano Foundation.
Welcoming Remarks:
Fred P. Hochberg, Dean, Milano
Paul Francis, Budget Director, Office of Governor-elect Eliot Spitzer
Panel I: Affordable Housing
Overview of the issues facing the state:
Emily Youssouf, President, New York City Housing Development Corporation and Member, Milano Board of Governors
Discussion:
Eric Bluestone, Partner, The Bluestone Organization
Commissioner Shaun Donovan, NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development
Eduardo LaGuerre, CEO, Neighborhood Association for Intercultural Affairs
Moderator:
Janny Scott, Reporter, The New York Times
Panel II: Health Care and Medicaid
Overview of the issues facing the state:
Howard Berliner, Professor, Milano
Discussion:
Dr. Olveen Carrasquillo, Principal Investigator, Columbia Center for the Health of Urban Minorities, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University
Jennifer Cunningham, Executive Director, SEIU New York State Council, and Executive Vice President for Politics and Legislation, 1199 SEIU
Patricia Wang, Senior Vice President, Finance and Managed Care, Greater NY Hospital Association
Moderator:
Richard Pérez-Peña, Reporter, The New York Times
Panel III: Government Reform
Overview of the issues facing the state:
Gerald Benjamin, Dean, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, SUNY New Paltz
Discussion:
Norman Adler, President, Bolton-St. Johns
Blair Horner, Legislative Director, NYPIRG
Moderator:
Michael Cooper, Albany Bureau Chief, The New York Times
Luncheon Conversation
Discussion:
Hon. James Florio, Former Governor of New Jersey
Hon. William Weld, Former Governor of Massachusetts
Moderator:
Fred P. Hochberg, Dean, Milano
Panel IV: Public Education and CFE
Overview of the issues facing the state:
Meryl Tisch, Member, New York State Board of Regents
Discussion:
Gene Keilin, Partner, KPS Special Situations Fund, and Member, Milano Board of Governors
Geri Palast, Executive Director, Campaign for Fiscal Equity
Randi Weingarten, President, United Federation of Teachers
Moderator:
David Herszenhorn, Reporter, The New York Times
DOUBLE DUTY:
Solutions to the Work/Family Dilemma
A talk with Ann Crittenden, award-winning journalist and lecturer, and author of The Price of Motherhood
Wednesday, October 11, 2006, 10 am to noon
Theresa Lang Student & Community Center, Arnhold Hall, 55 West 13th Street
Parents who combine the uncompensated work of childcare with paid employment have two jobs, yet workplaces and government have done little to accommodate their dual roles. Why is domestic work unpaid? How does the U.S. compare to other countries in terms of work/family policy? How are women across the economic spectrum—especially single mothers—affected by the American approach? And how can it be changed?
with:
Ann Crittenden, award-winning journalist, lecturer and author of The Price of Motherhood
featuring presentations by:
Janet Gornick, Professor of Sociology and Political Science, City University of New York, and author of Families That Work: Policies for Reconciling Parenthood and Employment
Ai-Jen Poo, Lead Organizer, Domestic Workers United
Moderator:
Sharon Lerner, Senior Fellow, Center for New York City Affairs
SPRING 2006 FORUMS
FROM AUSTERITY TO SURPLUS TO…?
Forecasting NYC's Fiscal Future
Thursday, January 12, 2006, 8:30 am to 10:30 am
Theresa Lang Student & Community Center, Arnhold Hall, 55 West 13th Street
New York City went from a dire fiscal crisis in 2002 to an estimated surplus of almost $2 billion this year. After years of austerity, higher revenues may spark demands for tax cuts and new spending. As the mayor prepares his Fiscal 2007 budget proposal, we consider how political leaders, business, labor and the nonprofit sector will respond. What will the city do to close budget gaps predicted for the coming years?
Speakers:
Fatima Goldman, Executive Director, Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies
Robert Kurtter, Senior Vice President, Moody’s Investors Service
Ronnie Lowenstein, Director, NYC Independent Budget Office
Randi Weingarten, President, United Federation of Teachers
Kathryn Wylde, President & CEO, NYC Partnership
Moderator:
David Seifman, City Hall Bureau Chief, NY Post
PROMISES I CAN KEEP:
Poor Women, Motherhood and Marriage
A talk with Kathryn Edin
Thursday, January 26, 2006, 10 am to noon
Theresa Lang Student & Community Center, Arnhold Hall, 55 West 13th Street
The stereotypes and statistics of single motherhood in low-income urban neighborhoods are familiar enough. But what is the reality of these young women's lives, and why do so many postpone marriage – or avoid it altogether – but not childbearing? Kathryn Edin, co-author of Promises I Can Keep: Why Poor Women Put Motherhood Before Marriage, joins us to discuss her book, which is based on a five-year study of single mothers in eight of the Philadelphia area’s poorest neighborhoods.
featuring a presentation by
Kathryn Edin, Associate Professor of Sociology, University of Pennsylvania
Respondents:
Benita Miller Johnston, Founder and Executive Director, The Brooklyn Childcare Collective
Mark Levitan, Senior Policy Analyst, Community Service Society
Moderator:
Sharon Lerner, Senior Fellow, Center for New York City Affairs
OVERHAULING SEX ED:
The New Curriculum for NYC Schools
Wednesday, February 1, 2006, 6 pm to 8 pm
Theresa Lang Student & Community Center, Arnhold Hall, 55 West 13th Street
New York City has begun to revamp sex education in the public schools, launching a new health curriculum as well as an HIV/AIDS education program. Are the city schools doing all they can to prepare young New Yorkers for safe sexual lives? What do parents, students and teachers think of the changes? How is our city’s experience in keeping with national trends while bucking others?
Speakers:
Stephanie Andujar, Program Coordinator, Youth Organizers United
Rebecca Fox, Assistant Director for Public Policy, Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS)
Joe Pressley, Executive Director, New York AIDS Coalition
Betty Rothbart, Director, Office of Health Education and Family Living, NYC Department of Education
Moderator:
Sharon Lerner, Senior Fellow, Center for New York City Affairs
YOUNG WOMEN OF COLOR AND HIV/AIDS:
Where Did We Go Wrong?
Thursday, February 16, 2006, 10 am to noon
Theresa Lang Student & Community Center, Arnhold Hall, 55 West 13th Street
HIV infection rates have declined in other high-risk populations, yet new HIV and AIDS cases among black women and Latinas in New York State have more than tripled in the last 15 years. Women of color now account for 85 percent of women in the state living with HIV/AIDS. Nearly half of the females newly infected with HIV are teens and most of the rest are aged 20 to 24. Why have prevention efforts failed some of New York’s youngest and most vulnerable residents? What can be done to reverse the trend?
Speakers:
Barbara Devore, Executive Deputy Director, AIDS Institute, New York State Department of Health
Tracie Gardner, Director of New York State Policy & Coordinator, Women's Initiative to Stop HIV/AIDS (WISH-New York), Legal Action Center
Sandra Ruiz Butter, Chair, New York State AIDS Advisory Council
Claire Simon, Deputy Director for Programs, Love Heals, the Alison Gertz Foundation for AIDS Education
Moderator:
Linda Villarosa, Contributing Writer, ESSENCE and The New York Times
WORKING TOWARD A COMMON GOAL:
Safe, Supportive Schools for Every New York Teen
Thursday, March 2, 2006, 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm
Theresa Lang Student & Community Center, Arnhold Hall, 55 West 13th Street
Students with too few credits, who have discipline problems or who lose interest in school often drop out or are placed in alternative programs. Not surprisingly, young people of color are most likely to leave school without a degree and end up in poverty – and sometimes in prison. How can the city's schools better engage disconnected students? Do discipline practices contribute to high drop-out rates? What will it take for New York to help all students reach their potential – and break free of the national trend of urban underachievement?
Speakers:
Ana Bermudez, Co-Director, Community Prep High School
Na-Sia Chinn, Junior, Lafayette High School, and Intern, Each One, Teach One Youth Leadership Training Program
Bobby Ferazi, Director, Youth Link Program, Police Athletic League
Daniel Losen, Senior Education Law and Policy Associate, Civil Rights Project, Harvard University
Shane Mulhern, Executive Director, Office of Youth Development and School-Community Services, NYC Department of Education
Moderator:
Andrew White, Director, Center for New York City Affairs
DRUGS AND THE LAW:
Race, Politics, Prisons and Justice in New York State
Friday, March 10, 2006, 8 am to 10:30 am
Theresa Lang Student & Community Center, Arnhold Hall, 55 West 13th Street
Over the past year and half, the state legislature and Governor Pataki have modified New York's Rockefeller Drug Laws. How successful have those changes been? Is further reform needed? What else could be done to improve the state's drug policies, increase access to treatment for offenders and make alternatives to incarceration more meaningful and effective?
Speakers:
Jeffrion Aubry, Assembly Member and Chair, NY State Assembly Committee on Correction
Bridget Brennan, Special Narcotics Prosecutor, City of New York
Reverend Calvin O. Butts, III, Pastor, Abyssinian Baptist Church
Robert Gangi, Executive Director, Correctional Association
Moderator:
Andrew White, Director, Center for New York City Affairs
IS THERE ORDER IN FAMILY COURT?
A Child Welfare Watch Forum
Thursday, March 16, 2006, 8 am to 10:30 am
Theresa Lang Student & Community Center, Arnhold Hall, 55 West 13th Street
New York's Family Court ensures neither fair representation nor timely decisions in cases involving the most cherished and personal aspect of our lives, the relationships between parents and their children. This winter, new state legislative mandates, the impact of the Nixzmary Brown case and new initiatives at the city's Administration for Children's Services have converged to put new pressures on this overstressed institution. What will it take to finally fix Family Court?
Speakers:
Honorable Lee Elkins, Judge, Kings County Family Court
Wanjiro Gethaiga, Staff Social Worker, Center for Family Representation
Ronald Richter, Deputy Commissioner, Division of Family Court Legal Services, NYC Administration for Children's Services
Tamara Steckler, Attorney-in-Charge, Juvenile Rights Division, The Legal Aid Society
Moderator:
Andrew White, Director, Center for New York City Affairs
IMPACT AND RECOVERY:
How the Mental Health Community Deals with Disaster
Tuesday, May 9, 2006, 6 pm to 8 pm
Theresa Lang Student & Community Center, Arnhold Hall, 55 West 13th Street
What is the spectrum of "normal" and potentially "abnormal" emotional responses that commonly occur after man-made and natural disasters? This forum will discuss the various aspects of individuals, as well as the disasters themselves, which may predispose people to experiencing severe emotional reactions, including the role of preexisting psychiatric conditions. We will also learn how to best help ourselves and others to cope emotionally after a disaster.
Speakers:
Craig Katz, M.D., cofounder Disaster Psychiatry Outreach
Anand Pandya, M.D., cofounder Disaster Psychiatry Outreach, NAMI NYC-Metro Advisory Board member
MORE VOICES, MORE CHOICES:
Expanding Community Participation and Employment Opportunities:
A Developmental Disabilities Watch Forum
Wednesday, June 14, 2006, 8:30 am to 10:30 am
Wollman Hall, 66 West 12th Street
Despite popular rhetoric and policy initiatives in support of consumer-friendly services and greater individual choice, many city residents with developmental disabilities still struggle with unemployment, segregation and services tailored to broad-brush needs of the population, not to individual people. Will the latest state efforts to encourage person-centered planning open up valuable new alternatives? How do people with disabilities, parents, policymakers and service providers describe the barriers and opportunities for individualized services and a more supportive community life?
Speakers:
Michael R. Dillon, Assistant Professor of Special Education, Dowling College
Joel M. Levy, CEO, YAI/National Institute for People with Disabilities
Gary Lind, Director of Policy, Planning and Individualized Initiatives, NYS OMRDD Hanns Meissner, Chief Operating Officer, Rensselaer County NYSARC
Yvette Watts, Board Member, Interagency Council of New York City
Moderator:
Andrew White, Director, Center for New York City Affairs
FALL 2005 FORUMS
TALKING ABOUT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
Tuesday, October 11, 2005, 10:30 am to noon
Wolff Conference Room , 65 Fifth Avenue, Second Floor
Many thousands of New Yorkers will experience domestic violence in their homes and in their relationships this year—but how many will know how to deal with it? In a collaboration with talk radio hosts and Liz Claiborne Inc., the Center for New York City Affairs at Milano hosts a conversation about educating communities and young people about preventing and responding to domestic abuse. Part of "It's Time to Talk" day on radio stations nationwide.
Speakers:
Pauline Gordon, High School Student and Writer, Represent!
Doug Stephan, Host, “Good Day” radio show
Ijeoma Ude, Community Educator, CONNECT
Moderator:
Michael Harrison, editor, TALKERS magazine
AVERTING CRISIS:
Community Strategies for Supporting Families and Preventing Homelessness
Thursday, October 20, 2005, 10 am to noon
Theresa Lang Student & Community Center, Arnhold Hall, 55 West 13th Street
The Bloomberg administration has invested new dollars and creativity in preventing family homelessness. As the number of families in shelter begins to drop, what more can New York do to help families stay in their homes and out of crisis? In a new report, the Center for New York City Affairs proposes the city unify its many family support programs to institutionalize a neighborhood-based safety net. Can the lessons of prevention transcend the longstanding inflexibility of government?
Speakers:
Linda Gibbs, Commissioner, Department of Homeless Services
Juana Estevez, Senior Case Manager, Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation
Elaine Hopkins, WHEDCO Program Participant
Sharon McDonald, Program and Policy Analyst, National Alliance to End Homelessness
Melissa Mowery, Director, CAMBA HomeBase Program
Moderator:
Andrew White, Director, Center for New York City Affairs
TAKING CARE OF NEW YORK’S CHILDREN (I):
Rethinking Child Care
Tuesday, October 25, 2005, 10 am to noon
Theresa Lang Student & Community Center, Arnhold Hall, 55 West 13th Street
Mayor Bloomberg and the NYC Administration for Children's Services have announced a broad expansion and realignment of child care and early education programs. The new system aims to pull together disparate parts, simplify enrolment, improve accountability-and eventually increase dramatically the number of children taking part. Is the plan right for the city, and can the administration follow through on its promise?
Speakers:
John Mattingly, Commissioner, NYC Administration for Children’s Services
Ajay Chaudry, Deputy Commissioner for Child Care and Head Start, NYC Administration for Children’s Services
Helen Blank, Director of Leadership and Public Policy, National Women’s Law Center
Nancy Kolben, Executive Director, Child Care, Inc.
Charmane Wong, Vice President, Graham Windham
Moderator:
Sharon Lerner, Senior Fellow, Center for New York City Affairs
THE RACE FOR MAYOR 2005:
Of Politics and Policy
Thursday, October 27, 2005, 5:45 pm to 8:00 pm
Theresa Lang Student & Community Center, Arnhold Hall, 55 West 13th Street
In this election year, why have some issues been politically charged while others remain off the agenda? Have the mayoral candidates offered meaningful visions of the future? What are the most pressing problems facing the next administration—and have the candidates offered valid solutions? A follow-up to the publication of "Framing the Debate 2005: Issues and Proposals for the Candidates."
Speakers and moderators:
Lilliam Barrios-Paoli, President and CEO, Safe Space
Jonathan Bowles, Director, Center for an Urban Future
Clara Hemphill, Project Director, Advocates for Children
Evelyn Hernández, Opinion Page Editor, El Diario
Ronnie Lowenstein, Director, NYC Independent Budget Office
Lee Miringoff, Director, Marist College Institute for Public Opinion
Hank Sheinkopf, President, Sheinkopf Communications
Andrew White, Director, Center for New York City Affairs
Bob Yaro, President, Regional Plan Association
Read the transcript
AT HOME IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD:
Envisioning New Housing for the Developmentally Disabled
Thursday, November 3, 2005, 8 am to 10:30 am
Theresa Lang Student & Community Center, Arnhold Hall, 55 West 13th Street
Permanent, safe, supportive and independent housing for adults with developmental disabilities has been hard to find anywhere in the United States. In 1993, a group of parents in Wisconsin founded a nonprofit housing organization that has helped that state become a model for self-directed housing solutions. Can we make this happen in New York? Should we? How?
with a presentation by Marcie M. Brost, Consultant, Parent and Affordable Housing Advocate, Madison, Wisconsin
Speakers:
Thomas A. Maul, Commissioner, NYS Office of Mental Retardation &
Developmental Disabilities
Clara Berg, Family Specialist, New York State Technical Assistance Project
Timothy Elliott, Project Head, Self-Advocacy Association
Fredda Rosen, Executive Director, JobPath
Moderator:
Andrew White, Director, Center for New York City Affairs
TAKING CARE OF NEW YORK’S CHILDREN (II):
The Future of Out of School Time
Tuesday, December 6, 2005, 10 am to noon
Theresa Lang Student & Community Center, Arnhold Hall, 55 West 13th Street
The Bloomberg administration has overhauled its after school policies, consolidating all out of school time programs under the Department of Youth and Community Development and bringing new providers into the mix. The city aims to save money, expand services and improve access in underserved communities. Are these goals achievable? How are parents, children and community organizations responding to the change?
Speakers:
Bill Chong, Deputy Commissioner, NYC Department of Youth and Community Development
Christopher Caruso, Assistant Commissioner, NYC Department of Youth and Community Development
Candice Anderson, Senior Policy Associate, Citizens' Committee for Children
Richard Buery, Founder and Executive Director, Groundwork
David Chen, Executive Director, Chinese American Planning Council
Moderator:
Sharon Lerner, Senior Fellow, Center for New York City Affairs
SPRING 2005 FORUMS
TEN YEARS LATER:
The Transformation of Workfare in NYC
Thursday, February 24, 2005, 10 am to noon
Theresa Lang Student & Community Center, Arnhold Hall, 55 West 13th Street
A high percentage of New Yorkers on public assistance have medical or psychiatric barriers to employment. The city’s welfare agency has a new plan for helping them become as economically independent as possible. Can it work? And how will impending changes in the federal TANF law affect New York?
with a presentation by NYC Human Resources Administration Commissioner Verna Eggleston and members of her staff
Respondents:
Richard Blum, Staff Attorney, Legal Aid Society
Margy Waller, Visiting Fellow, The Brookings Institution
Yvonne Shields, Board Member, Community Voices Heard
Moderator:
Andrew White, Director, Center for New York City Affairs
URBAN CONVERSATIONS:
The Media & The Mayor, Revisited
Tuesday, March 15, 2005, 6 pm to 8 pm
Wolff Conference Room, 65 Fifth Avenue
In 2003, we convened a panel of experts to consider Mayor Bloomberg's apolitical style of government and the news media's quizzical response. Now it's an election year, and the mayor has begun to play politics. How will reporters and editors shape voters' understanding of a different kind of mayor?
Speakers:
Wayne Barrett, Senior Editor, The Village Voice
Joyce Purnick, Columnist, The New York Times
Michael Wolff, Columnist and Contributing Editor, Vanity Fair
Howard Wolfson, Partner, Glover Park Group
Moderator:
Errol Louis, Columnist, New York Daily News
URBAN CONVERSATIONS:
U.S. Mayors & Innovative Leadership
Wednesday, March 30, 2005, 8 am to 1 pm
Tishman Auditorium, 66 West 12th Street
Across the country, mayors are forging creative solutions to tough urban issues—education, policing and security, homelessness, housing and economic development, to name a few, while facing enormous political and fiscal obstacles. Milano convenes some of the nation's most forward-thinking leaders and experts for an incisive discussion on the future of America's cities.
Speakers:
Mayor Kay Barnes, Kansas City, MO
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, New York, NY
Bob Kerrey, President, The New School
Andrew Kirtzman, Reporter, WCBS - TV
Mayor Tom Murphy, Pittsburgh, PA
Mayor Gavin Newsom, San Francisco, CA
Governor Edward G. Rendell, Pennsylvania
Douglas W. Rae, Professor, Yale School of Management
Dorothy Samuels, Editorial Board Member, The New York Times
Bryna Sanger, Professor, Milano The New School for Management and Urban Policy
George Stephanopoulos, Anchor, “This Week”, ABC News
Darren Walker, Director, Rockefeller Foundation Working Communities program
Mayor L. Douglas Wilder, Richmond, VA
BUILDING A FUTURE:
Can NYC Ever Meet Its Need for Affordable Housing?
Thursday, April 7, 2005, 10 am to noon
Theresa Lang Student & Community Center, Arnhold Hall, 55 West 13th Street
From a commitment to create 65,000 new units of affordable housing to the planned mass transfer of failing HUD-subsidized buildings to nonprofits, tenants and private landlords, the Bloomberg Administration is thinking big when it comes to housing. What will it take to bring these plans to fruition? Are they the best responses to New York City's perpetual affordable housing crisis?
Speakers:
Shaun Donovan, Commissioner, NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development
Irene Baldwin, Executive Director, Association of Neighborhood Housing Developers
Diane Borradaile, Senior Vice President for Community Development Banking, Bank of America
Sheena Wright, Executive Director, Abyssinian Development Corporation
Moderator:
Glenn Thrush, City Hall Reporter, Newsday
WITH FEET IN TWO WORLDS:
Immigrants In A Global City
Tuesday, May 10, 2005, 6:30 pm to 9 pm
Theresa Lang Student & Community Center, Arnhold Hall, 55 West 13th Street
New Yorkers thrive amid multiple hybrid cultures bridging east and west, north and south. Meanwhile millions of city residents have their ears and eyes attuned to their home countries, to their families, politics, cultural life and the flow of money across borders. This forum features excerpts from a new documentary project of WNYC Radio, American Public Media, the Center for NYC Affairs and producer John Rudolph, plus panel discussions exploring transnational life and culture in immigrant New York. The evening was taped for broadcast on The Brian Lehrer Show.
Speakers:
Chung-Wha Hong, Deputy Director, The New York Immigration Coalition
German Perez, Dominican-American Visual Artist
Garry Pierre-Pierre, Editor, Haitian Times
D.J. Rekha, Host, S.O.B.'s Basement Banghra dance parties
Rob Smith, Associate Professor, Baruch College School of Public Affairs, and author, Mexican New York: Transnational Worlds of New Immigrants
Arun Venugopal, Reporter, India Abroad
Moderator:
Brian Lehrer, WNYC Radio
FALL 2004 FORUMS
The 2004 Nathan W. Levin Distinguished Lectureship on Public Policy
THE WORKING POOR:
Invisible in America
Wednesday, October 13, 2004, 4 pm to 6 pm
Theresa Lang Student & Community Center, Arnhold Hall, 55 West 13th Street
with Pulitzer prize winning author David K. Shipler, author of the acclaimed new book The Working Poor: Invisible in America.
Millions of working people in America live on the edge of poverty, coping with skyrocketing housing costs, failed schools and poor health. They work long hours in jobs essential to our economy, yet remain invisible to the nation's politicians, policymakers and opinion shapers. Why has society failed to take responsibility? How can we build large-scale political support for proven policy solutions?
WOMEN AND THE VOTE:
2004 and Beyond
Wednesday, October 20, 2004, 2 pm to 3:30 pm
Swayduck Auditorium, 65 Fifth Avenue
With polls showing more women than men undecided in this year's presidential race, both parties are wooing female voters—especially young women, single women and those who have never voted. Could the mobilization of women voters tip the scales this year—and shape politics and policy in years to come?
Speakers:
Page Gardner, Co-Director, Women's Voices. Women Vote
Celinda Lake, President, Lake, Snell, Perry & Associates, Inc.
Ann Lewis, National Chair, Women's Vote Center, Democratic National Committee Voting Rights Institute
Moderator:
Sharon Lerner, Senior Fellow, Center for New York City Affairs
SHARED PROSPERITY?
The Mayor's Development Strategy for New York
Wednesday, December 1, 2004, 10 am to noon
Wolff Conference Room, 65 Fifth Avenue
From new stadiums, new zoning plans and neighborhood-centered development in preparation for New York's Olympics 2012 bid, the Bloomberg Administration is working hard to change the economy of the city for the better. To what degree can new real estate development anchor this transformation—and create quality jobs, generate tax revenues and produce shared prosperity for all New Yorkers?
Speakers:
Sandy Hornick, Deputy Commissioner, NYC Department of City Planning
Brad Lander, Director, Pratt Institute Center for Community and Environmental Development
Julia Vitullo-Martin, Senior Fellow, The Manhattan Institute
Moderator:
Errol Louis, Columnist, NY Daily News
REFLECTIONS ON ABU GHRAIB:
The Use and Abuse of Prison Power in the United States
Monday, December 6, 2004, 7 pm to 9 pm
Theresa Lang Community & Student Center, Arnhold Hall, 55 West 13th Street
Prison experts discuss what the images from Abu Ghraib reveal about the nature of American prisons, how the public outcry over these images provides an opportunity to reflect on why prison conditions should matter to those of us outside the walls, and how prison officials and independent monitors can prevent and curtail abusive practices in prisons and jails.
Speakers:
Elaine Bartlett, Ex-prisoner whose life was chronicled in Jennifer Gonnerman’s Life on the Outside: The Prison Odyssey of Elaine Bartlett
Ted Conover, Author, NewJack: Guarding Sing Sing
Ron D. Daniels, Executive Director, Center for Constitutional Rights
Robert Gangi, Executive Director, Correctional Association of New York
Martin Horn, Commissioner, NYC Departments of Correction and Probation
THE PUZZLE THAT FOLLOWS PROGRESS:
Reinventing Child Welfare in NYC
The number of children in foster care is in steep decline, government is promoting prevention and neighborhood-based strategies are all the rage. So why are the nonprofit agencies who run the programs in such a jam-and why does the future appear so unforgiving? A Child Welfare Watch forum.
Tuesday December 14, 2004, 8:30 am to 11am
Theresa Lang Community & Student Center, Arnhold Hall, 55 West 13th Street
Speakers:
Commissioner John Mattingly, NYC Administration for Children's Services
Paul Light, Professor of Public Service, NYU
Richard Altman, CEO, Jewish Child Care Association, Parent Organizer
Bernadette Blount, Executive Director, Child Welfare Organizing Project
Melba Butler, Harlem Dowling-West Side Center
Moderator:
Andrew White, Director, Center for NYC Affairs
SUMMER 2004 FORUMS
URBAN CONVERSATIONS
WHERE RED MEETS BLUE: A Bipartisan Dialogue in NYC During the Republican Convention
Many majority-Republican states (red on the news media's electoral vote maps) have growing urban populations, and suburbs that are becoming more diverse and more concerned with issues once identified only with American cities. This means Republican mayors and governors are now taking on issues, such as immigration, affordable housing and public education reform, long identified with Democratic constituencies. Milano The New School for Management and Urban Policy hosts a day of conversations on critical urban issues facing politicians and the electorate.
Tuesday, August 31, 2004, 8:30 am to 1 pm
Theresa Lang Community & Student Center, Arnhold Hall, 55 West 13th Street
Conversation I
Where Red Meets Blue: Urban Issues and the Electorate
Why should urban issues matter to Republicans? We kick off the conference with a look at the issues and politics of urban America, in "Red" states (Republican states on the electoral college map) and "Blue" (Democratic). Prominent suburban Republicans will discuss their perspectives on traditionally urban issues, and how their constituencies straddle the traditional geographic divides. Prominent pollsters and researchers assess the political and electoral impact of demographic shifts in and around America's cities.
Milano Faculty Presenter: Dean Fred P. Hochberg
Opening Presentation: William Bevington, Executive Director, Parsons Insititute for Information Mapping (PIIM)
Speakers:
U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN)
Stephen Goldsmith, Chair, Corporation for National and Community Service
Stanley Greenberg, CEO, Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research
Andrew Kohut, President, Pew Research Center for the People and the Press
U.S. Representative Michael Turner (R-OH)
Moderator:
George Stephanopoulos, Anchor, "This Week", ABC News
Conversation II
Urban Housing: Living and Working in Affordable Communities
Housing prices in much of the urban and suburban United States have soared in recent years—leaving many working families priced out of the markets where they work and would like to live. What are the most effective strategies for ensuring that economically strong communities remain affordable for the labor force on which we depend?
Milano Faculty Presenter: Alex Schwartz, Chair, Urban Policy Program
Speakers:
Andrew Cuomo, former Secretary, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Randy A. Daniels, Secretary of State, State of New York
Felice Michetti, Chairperson, Grenadier Realty Corp.
Karen Phillips, Commissioner, New York City Planning Commission
U.S. Representative James Walsh (R-NY)
Moderator:
Colbert King, Columnist, The Washington Post
Conversation III
Urban Immigration: From Foreign Competition to Natural Resource
The 1990s and early 2000s have been a period of extraordinary immigration to United States cities and suburbs from all parts of the world. Immigrants have become the backbone of the labor force in large sectors of the U.S. economy, and the pulse of many newly revitalized neighborhoods. How can our cities and states derive the greatest benefit from immigrant communities? And how can the federal government balance the nation's economic needs, cultural pluralism, border security and rights of citizenship?
Milano Faculty Presenter: Andrew White, Director, Center for New York City Affairs
Speakers:
U.S. Representative Jeffrey Flake (R-AZ)
John Fund, Columnist, The Wall Street Journal
Margie McHugh, Executive Director, The New York Immigration Coalition
Doris Meissner, Senior Fellow, Migration Policy Institute
Rossana Rosado, Editor-in-Chief, El Diario/La Prensa
Moderator:
Ron Brownstein, Columnist, The Los Angeles Times
SPRING 2004 FORUMS
THE MANY LANGUAGES OF POVERTY:
Immigrant Family Services in NYC
Research shows that New York families with limited English are more likely to be poor and hungry than their peers. Poor immigrant families also tend to have two parents, with one or both in the workforce. How well do current work supports, child care and other nonprofit social services support these families? Will the city's new language access law make a difference?
Wednesday, January 21, 2004, 10 am to noon
Wolff Conference Room, 65 Fifth Avenue
Opening Presentation: Randy Capps, Research Associate, Population Studies Program, Urban Institute
Panelists:
Sayu Bhojwani, Commissioner, Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs
Robert Doar, Commissioner, NYS Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance
Chung Wah Hong, Advocacy Director, New York Immigration Coalition
Lois Lee, Director, Queens SADCC, Chinese American Planning Council
Carlos Rodriguez, Senior Field Organizer, Children's Defense Fund, New York
Moderator:
Andrew White, Director, Center for New York City Affairs
SCREENING OF OUT OF THE SHADOW:
A New Documentary by Susan Smiley
Wednesday, February 4, 2004, 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm
Tishman Auditorium, 66 West 12th Street
Panelists:
Mary Pendergreene, Director of Social Work, Jewish Board of Family & Children's Services
Susan Smiley, Writer, Director and Producer, Out of the Shadow
Dr. Anand Pandya, Asst. Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, NYU School of Medicine
MEDICAID:
Can New York Control Spending?
Wednesday, February 25, 2004, 10 am to noon
Wolff Conference Room, 65 Fifth Avenue
Medicaid expenses already comprise one-third of New York State's budget and continue to spiral. Yet Medicaid is also a revenue source, generating health care jobs throughout the city and state. The need for major reform is clear, but is it politically feasible? Are New York's politicians ready to support a state takeover of Medicaid spending and take on the sacred cow of long term care for the middle class?
Panelists:
Jennifer Cunningham, Executive Director, SEIU State Council
Robert Hinckley, Senior Deputy Secretary for Health and Human Services, Office of Governor Pataki
Kenneth Raske, President, Greater New York Hospital Association
Arthur Webb, President, Village Care of New York
Moderator:
Howard Berliner, Professor, Milano Graduate School
Read the transcript
EARLY LEARNERS:
Newcomer Families and Pre-School Education in NYC
Wednesday, March 17, 2004, 10 am to noon
Theresa Lang Community & Student Center, Arnhold Hall, 55 West 13th Street
Head Start and other early education programs have a proven, positive impact on children's learning. Recent studies show this is especially true among black and Hispanic children and children from low-income and non-English speaking families. Yet far fewer children of immigrant parents are enrolled in preschool than those from native-born families. What will it take to make preschool more attractive to newcomer parents?
Panelists:
Linda Espinosa, College of Education, University of Missouri-Columbia
Karen Liu, Assistant Executive Director, Child Care Division, Chinese American Planning Council
Heddy Mills, Director of Immigrant Services, Project Reach Youth
Eleanor Ukoli, Deputy Chancellor for Teaching and Learning, NYC Department of Education
KIDS AT RISK:
Health of Immigrant Children in NYC
Wednesday, April 28, 2004, 10 am to noon
Wolff Conference Room, 65 Fifth Avenue
The combination of language hurdles, fear of immigration authorities and the stress of living in overcrowded and deteriorating housing can result in serious health issues for immigrant families. Children of immigrants are much less likely to be insured than those of native-born parents, yet are at increased risk for environmentally-related urban illnesses as well as behavioral problems. And the city's health and mental health care systems often prove daunting for newcomers. A look at recent research, and a discussion of emerging solutions.
Panelists:
Marjorie Cadogan, Director, Mayor's Office of Health Insurance Access
Maida Galvez, Fellow in Environmental Pediatrics, Mount Sinai School of Medicine
Adam Gurvitch, Director of Health Advocacy, The New York Immigration Coalition
Christina Hoven, Assistant Professor of Epidemiology, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health
FALL 2003 FORUMS
REFORMING SPECIAL EDUCATION…AGAIN:
How Can We Best Serve the City's Neediest Students?
Thursday, October 9, 2003, 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm
Swayduck Auditorium, 65 Fifth Avenue
After years of stormy debate about the problems of special ed, there's little agreement on solutions. Chancellor Klein thinks he has the answers… but so did his predecessors. This time, will the Chancellor's vision address the real and diverse issues facing children with special needs?
Panelists:
Alan Gartner, Director of Policy Research, Office of the Deputy Mayor
Jill Chaifetz, Executive Director, Advocates for Children
Carmen Fariña, Regional Superintendent, Instructional Leadership Division 8, NYC Department of Education
Jill Levy, President, Council of Supervisors and Administrators
Debbie Edwards-Anderson, Parent Advocate
Moderator:
Liz Willen, Education Reporter, Bloomberg News Service
IN THE WAKE OF NICHOLSON:
Child Welfare and Domestic Violence in New York City
Wednesday, October 15, 2003, 8:30 am to 11:30 am
Swayduck Auditorium, 65 Fifth Avenue
New York's child welfare authorities, prosecutors and Family Courts are transforming the ways in which they work with survivors of domestic violence, their children and their batterers. The latest edition of Child Welfare Watch, to be released at this forum, examines the changes in policy, practice and enforcement in the wake of the federal injunction imposed in the Nicholson lawsuit.
Opening remarks:
Charles J. Hynes, District Attorney, Kings County
Sharwline Nicholson, Plaintiff, Nicholson v. Scoppetta
Panelists:
Larry Busching, Chief, Child and Family Division, Manhattan District Attorney's Office
Alisa del Tufo, Executive Director, CONNECT
David Lansner, Partner, Lansner and Kubitschek
Liz Roberts, Director of Domestic Violence Policy and Planning, NYC Administration for Children's Services
Cynthia Wells, Director, Clinical Consultation Program, New York Foundling Hospital
Moderator:
Andrew White, Director, Center for NYC Affairs, and Editor, Child Welfare Watch
BREAKING A PROMISE?
The Earned Income Tax Credit Under Attack
Thursday, October 23, 2003, 10 am to noon
Wolff Conference Room, 65 Fifth Avenue
Congressional pressure to establish new, more stringent IRS requirements for families applying for the Earned Income Tax Credit could damage the most ambitious income support program ever established for low-income working families. Last year, New Yorkers received $1.3 billion in refunds from the credit. Will Congress take billions of dollars out of the city’s economy? Is this a war on the (working) poor?
Panelists:
Marielys Divanne, Community Organizer, South Bronx Churches
William Nelson, Staff Attorney, Legal Aid Society Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic
Nina Olson, IRS National Taxpayer Advocate
John Wancheck, EITC Campaign Coordinator, Center for Budget Policies and Priorities
Moderator:
Darrick Hamilton, Assistant Professor, Milano Graduate School
RETHINKING THE BUDGET DANCE:
Will New York City's Budget Process Ever Change?
Thursday, November 20, 2003, 9:30 am to noon
Theresa Lang Community & Student Center, Arnhold Hall, 55 West 13th Street
Every year, in what has become a scripted dance, the Mayor proposes budget cuts, community groups protest, and the City Council restores the funds and claims victory. The participants derive obvious political benefits, but what does the average New Yorker gain from this process? Might the players involved be open to meaningful reform? What would a "real" budget debate look like?
Opening Remarks: Barbara Turk, Former Deputy Director, NYC Office of Management and Budget
Roundtable Participants:
Larian Angelo, Director of Finance, New York City Council
Lillian Cho, Executive Director, Asian American Arts Alliance
Michael Cooper, Reporter, The New York Times
Diana Fortuna, Executive Director, Citizens Budget Commission
Fatima Goldman, Executive Director, Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies
Mark Page, Director, NYC Office of Management and Budget
Hon. Kevin Parker, New York State Senator
Joseph Semidei, Deputy Exec. Director, Committee For Hispanic Children & Families
Hon. David Weprin, Chair, City Council Finance Committee
Kathryn Wylde, President, Partnership for NYC
Moderator:
Andrew White, Director, Center for New York City Affairs
SPRING 2003 FORUMS
THE MEDIA & THE MAYOR:
Does Spin Make the Man?
Thursday, February 13, 2003, 6 pm to 8 pm
66 West 12th Street, Room 510
Mayor Bloomberg has displayed a curious lack of media strategy—what New York Magazine columnist Michael Wolff terms "one of the more unmediated political enterprises in memory." It's a radical departure from the Giuliani approach, but Bloomberg's non-spin ethic has won him a begrudging respect from the press. Can it last? Is a strong media hand essential to a strong mayoralty?
Panelists:
Norman Adler, President, Bolton-St. Johns
Wayne Barrett, Senior Editor, The Village Voice
Joyce Purnick, Columnist, The New York Times
Michael Wolff, Columnist, New York Magazine
Moderator:
Andrew White, Director, Center for New York City Affairs
UNSEEN STRUGGLES:
Immigrant Women and New York's Hidden Economy
Thursday, February 27, 2003, 10 am to noon
Wolff Conference Room, 65 Fifth Avenue
Whether working long hours for little pay in a garment sweatshop or tricked and trapped into a life of domestic servitude, undocumented immigrant women are vulnerable to abuse. What can be done to prevent their mistreatment? Is the exploitation of immigrants tacitly sanctioned for the benefit of our city's economy?
Panelists:
Peter Kwong, Hunter College, author of Forbidden Workers: Illegal Chinese Immigrants and American Labor
Kamala Mantha, Staff Organizer, Workers Awaaz
Christa Stewart, Senior Director, Safe Horizon Anti-Trafficking Initiative
Terri Gerstein, Assistant Attorney General, Office of the State Attorney General
Moderator:
Maria Hinojosa, Urban Affairs Correspondent, CNN
MUNICIPAL LABOR & THE MAYOR:
Wary Partners in Resolving New York's Fiscal Crisis
Thursday, March 20, 2003, 10 am to noon
Wolff Conference Room, 65 Fifth Avenue
The Bloomberg administration's plan to resolve the city's current fiscal crisis depends on $600 million in savings gained through deals with municipal unions. As negotiations move forward, how good are the prospects for avoiding a labor relations disaster? Can unions help the city recover while still looking out for their membership?
Panelists:
Lillian Roberts, Executive Director, DC 37, AFSCME, AFL-CIO
Randi Weingarten, President, United Federation of Teachers
Richard Schrader, Senior Consultant, The PR Consulting Group
Stephen Cassidy, President, United Firefighters Association
Moderator:
Howard Berliner, Professor, Milano Graduate School
THE CRIME DROP IN NEW YORK:
Can the Trend Continue?
Thursday, April 3, 2003, 10 am to noon
Wolff Conference Room, 65 Fifth Avenue
After a decade of falling crime rates, other major cities have begun to experience a resurgence in violence. Yet crime continues to decline in New York. Why? Can this last as unemployment rates and the economic climate remain grim? The Urban Institute has described promising strategies for preventing a return to the high crime rates of the past. Is New York listening?
with a presentation by Jeremy Travis, Senior Fellow, The Urban Institute and former Director, National Institute of Justice
Respondents:
Jennifer Gonnerman, Staff Writer, The Village Voice
Fred Patrick, Deputy Commissioner of Community Affairs, NYPD
The 2003 Nathan W. Levin Distinguished Lectureship on Public Policy
WELFARE AND WORK IN THE 21ST CENTURY:
Hope for the Future
Thursday, April 24, 2003, 4 pm
Swayduck Auditorium, 65 Fifth Avenue
with David T. Ellwood, Lucius N. Littauer Professor of Political
Economy at the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, and former Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Respondents:
Patricia Smith, First Deputy Commissioner, NYC Human Resources Administration
Mark Levitan, Senior Policy Analyst, Community Service Society
WORKFORCE FOR HIRE:
Day Labor in New York City
Tuesday, May 6, 2003, 10 am to noon
Wolff Conference Room, 65 Fifth Avenue
Every morning, hundreds of recent immigrants converge on street corners throughout the city in search of work. The jobs can be dangerous, but the pay is not bad, and most laborers earn enough to support families back home. Who are New York's day laborers? What are their working conditions? Is New York unique?
Speakers:
Hon. Vincent Gentile, New York City Council Member
Rev. Robert Lepley, Community Organizer, Education and Opportunity Center
Abel Valenzuela Jr., Director, Center for the Study of Urban Poverty, UCLA
Luna Yasui, Staff Attorney, National Employment Law Project
FALL 2002 FORUMS
CARRIED AWAY:
Resolving New York's Garbage Crisis
Tuesday, September 17, 10 am to noon
Wolff Conference Room, 65 Fifth Avenue
In an effort to save the city money, the Bloomberg administration suspended glass and plastic recycling, and has now set forth a plan to retrofit the city's aged marine transfer stations to carry away residential trash by boat and train. The solutions are bold. Are they workable?
Panelists:
John Doherty, Commissioner, NYC Department of Sanitation
Eddie Bautista, Lead Organizer, Organization of Waterfront Neighborhoods
Benjamin Miller, Author, Fat of the Land: Garbage of New York, The Last Two Hundred Years
Leslie H. Lowe, Consultant, Consumer Policy Institute of Consumers Union
Moderator:
Nevin Cohen, Consultant and Co-author of the city's recycling law in the late 1980s
Read the transcript
BREAKING THE CYCLE:
Homeless Families in New York Today
Tuesday, October 1, 2002, 10 am to noon
Wolff Conference Room, 65 Fifth Avenue
During the 1990s, the city and state reduced the scale of single adult homelessness by investing millions of dollars in supportive housing. Yet the numbers of homeless families in city shelters has risen steadily and continues to do so, hitting record-breaking highs the last two years. There were practical answers for singles. Are there equally good solutions for families?
Panelists:
Linda Gibbs, Commissioner, NYC Department of Homeless Services
Dennis Culhane, Professor of Social Work, University of Pennsylvania
Jane Velez, President, Palladia, Inc. (formerly Project Return Foundation)
Gladys Cruz, Housing Specialist, HELP USA Bronx Morris Avenue Shelter
Moderator:
Ted Houghton, Writer, Consultant and former Director of Housing and Program Placement for the NYC Department of Homeless Services
Read the transcript
TIME FOR CHANGE:
Transforming New York's Worst Schools
Thursday, October 10, 2002, 5 pm to 7 pm
Swayduck Auditorium, 65 Fifth Avenue
About one-third of New York City's schools chronically perform below par. Mayor Bloomberg and his new chancellor are now in charge of the education bureaucracy, and have taken on the responsibility for improving these struggling schools. What are the best ideas on the table for meeting this challenge? Should the city's top teachers be sent to the neediest schools? Are more powerful principals the key? What will it take to move from idea to implementation?
Panelists:
Dennis Walcott, New York City Deputy Mayor for Policy
Norm Fruchter, Director, New York University Institute for Education and Social Policy
Jill S. Levy, President, Council of Supervisors and Administrators
Hon. Robert Jackson, New York City Council Member
Moderator:
Abby Goodnough, Education Reporter, The New York Times
THE LIVING WAGE:
Breaking Down the Myths
Thursday, November 14, 2002, 10 am to noon
Wolff Conference Room, 65 Fifth Avenue
The City Council may soon pass legislation requiring city contractors to pay employees $10 per hour plus benefits by the year 2006. The advocacy debate rages: Will jobs for the poor be slashed? Can living wage laws lift families out of poverty? Will Mayor Bloomberg implement the law, or fight it in the courts?
Panelists:
David Neumark, Senior Fellow, Public Policy Institute of California
Paul Sonn, Associate Counsel, The Brennan Center for Justice
Robert Ward, Director of Research, The Public Policy Institute of New York State
Sheila Dixon, President, Baltimore City Council
David Howell, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Milano
Moderator:
Steven Greenhouse, Reporter, The New York Times
THE CIVIL RIGHTS ROLLBACK
Tuesday, December 3, 2002, 10 am to noon
Wolff Conference Room, 65 Fifth Avenue
Court decisions eroding civil rights began during the Clinton years and continue full-force today. Rulings have affected the disabled, minorities, women, immigrants, polluted low-income communities and others. Will members of the city's most fragile neighborhoods be affected? Who is organizing - and litigating—against this tide?
Speakers:
Edward J. Blakely, Dean, Milano Graduate School
Sandra del Valle, Associate Counsel, Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund
Emily Martin, Deputy Director, ACLU Women's Rights Project
Norma Ramos, Board Member, West Harlem Environmental Action
Jim Weisman, General Counsel, Eastern Paralyzed Veterans Association
Moderator:
Marianne Engelman Lado, New York Lawyers for the Public Interest and the National Campaign to Restore Civil Rights
