504 Democratic Club: Questionnaires (Candidate for Congress Steve Harrison's 2008 response)

Candidate Name: Steve Harrison

Candidate for Congressional District: 13

Campaign Name: Friends of Steve Harrrison

Campaign Address: 1738 Victory Blvd., Staten Island, NY 10314

Campaign Manager: Laura Sword

Phone: 718 - 745 - 2539

Fax: 718 - 815 - 7124

Contact Person: Roy Moskowitz (r2ceo @ aol.com)

Email: info @ steveharrisonforcongress.com

Website: SteveHarrisonForCongress.com

NOTE: I have a firm policy not to make pledges. I take my promises very seriously and I would never make any pledge in a vacuum, as I cannot predict the future or analyze all possible facts and circumstances. I can, however state my expectations and intentions. Therefore, what follows in each section, are not pledges, but are my policies and intentions. I hope to adhere to these polices and fulfill these expectations to the best of my ability when elected.

Please describe any experience with disability you have had in your life or career.

As a personal injury attorney, I have dedicated my life to advocating for those who have become disabled. I have represented clients with disabilities ranging from quadriplegia to those who suffer from mental impairments. In my practice, I must explain to juries the impact that a particular disability will have on a person's life, emotionally and physically. This experience has sensitized me to the needs of people with disabilities and the created in me a desire to make society more aware of those needs.
Is your campaign headquarters accessible to persons with disabilities? If you are an incumbent, is your district office accessible to persons with disabilities?

Yes. We used a real estate agent that was knowledgeable in the access required by the ADA and had our liaison for the disabled approve the site.
How will you incorporate people with disabilities into your campaign?

We have named Philip Kirshner, member of the national board of directors for NAMI, as our constituent liaison for the disabled community. David Camacho, who suffered from a traumatic brain injury will be joining the campaign as our volunteer coordinator. Al Rizzi, a disability rights advocate who has partnered with icouldbe.org to provide mentors to the blind has hosted a fundraiser for us and will get more involved as a volunteer.
Are you willing to hire and use flex-time and job-sharing if necessary?

Yes.
What do you think of the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act?. What will you do to find a solution to the problem of high rates of unemployment for people with disabilities and the removal of disincentives to joining the workforce?

Both laws need improvement because they do not go far enough to provide incentives to work. Tax incentives should be provided to employers who provide reasonable accommodations, using the federal government's savings from disability payments. There should also be a fast track back onto disability should the person become unemployed again. Often employers fear that hiring someone who is disabled will cause their healthcare premiums to rise. Educating employers and expanding Medicare and Medicaid should help to alleviate this concern, in the short term; however, single payer universal healthcare must be enacted in order to protect all Americans in the long term.
In 2002, the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) passed in Congress. What would you do to resolve problem areas preventing smooth transitions to new voting systems by 2006-such as accessible voting machines, ensuring that states receive the needed funds, etc.? What is your position the HAVA requirement that each polling place have at least one accessible voting machine?

Every machine, not just one per site, should be accessible to all people. Every person should be able to vote with dignity as independently as possible, while still allowing assistance if needed. However we must ensure that all machines are secure, cannot be tampered be with and have a verifiable paper trail.
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act turned 29 this past year, yet funding remains below mandated levels in New York State, as in many other states. What will you do to correct this problem, and strengthen the services provided students with disabilities, so that in fact, "no child is left behind?"

Every child deserves a fair, free and appropriate education in the least restrictive setting possible. Congress must ensure that funding meets or exceeds the mandates set in the I.D.E.A. and when I'm elected I will vote to ensure that funding.
A bill called the ADA Notification Act has been kicking around both houses of the U.S. Congress for the past few years. It calls for amending Title III of the ADA requiring that prior to filing lawsuits, people with disabilities provide business owners with 90 days advance notice of ADA violations in writing--detailing the location of inaccessible facilities, dates when access was attempted, and facts relating to their attempt to gain access. What are your thoughts on this issue?

It is the responsibility of each of us to ensure that we are in compliance with all applicable laws. The Notification Act further takes the teeth out of the ADA as it exists and would encourage violations by removing pressure to comply. Shifting the onus of enforcement onto the person with a disability who has already been discriminated against and denied access, is inappropriate.
Recently, there is uneven availability of Medicaid-funded attendant services in the U.S. There are "good" states (such as New York) which offer decent programs, and "bad" states (such as Florida) which offer little service. The proposed Medicaid Community Attendant Services & Supports Act (MiCASSA) would establish a national program of attendant services and supports. This means that current recipients of services will not unjustly have their hours cut, thus permitting the freedom to move to another state to live, work, and/or study. A companion piece of legislation, Money Follows the Individual, would end the bias toward institutional care by ensuring that funding for services continues when an individual leaves the nursing home and is reintegrated into the community. Do you support the passage of MiCASSA? Do you support the concept of Money Follows the Individual?

I would support MiCASSA (now the Community Choice Act) and Money Follows the Individual. These bills will not only make the system more fair, and allow people to receive care in a home setting, but will also create jobs. However, these are only interim measures. We need Universal Single Payer Healthcare that incorporates these concepts.
Most health insurance plans in America treat mental disorders in an unequal fashion when compared to physical disorders. The typical health insurance plan in America authorizes unlimited hospitalization for physical disorders while limiting hospitalization for mental disorders to 30 days per calendar year. The typical insurance plan in America authorizes a broad array of outpatient services for physical insurance, but limits outpatient mental health services to 20 visits each year. What would you do to remedy this problem?

I would vote to enact parity for all disorders in the DSM. Mental illnesses are physical diseases and should not be treated differently.
Do you favor removing the Federal Government's restrictions and substantially increasing funding on stem cell research?

I believe that restricting stem cell research denies hope to those suffering from Lou Gehrig's disease, spinal cord injuries, diabetes, Alzheimer's Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson's disease and countless other diseases and injuries. Stem cell research shows promise to save lives and improve the health of millions of Americans. Federal funding should not be merely permissible, but should be treated as the moral imperative that it is.
Persons with disabilities have historically been under-represented within the Democratic Party leadership. According to the 2000 census, persons with disabilities comprised 20.6% of all residents in New York State and 23.1% of population 18 years and older. Previously, we were told that only those groups included in the Voting Rights Act were included in the goals and timetables for delegate selection. Yet the lesbian and gay communities were included for the first time at the 2000 convention and again at the 2004 convention. Would you support a campaign to set a goal that 10% of the total New York State Delegation to the 2008 Democratic National Convention be comprised of persons with disabilities?

There should be no quota system at all, but we do need an affirmative action plan for people with disabilities in the party on a state and on a national level.

Date: April 23, 2008

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