2013 City Council Candidate Questionnaire

Candidate Information Full Name: John M. Mancuso Address: 53 Foch Ave , Staten Island, NY 10305 Personal Phone: 646-573-9418 Work Phone: Personal Email: johnmancusonyc@gmail.com District Information District #:50th Are you an incumbent?NO If yes, when were you first elected? Campaign Information From which parties are you seeking a nomination: Dem/WFP Full Name of Campaign Committee: Mancuso For Council Campaign HQ Address: TBD HQ Phone: TBD HQ Fax: Campaign Manager Name: TBD Still Interviewing Managers Cell: Managers Email: Please return to Robert Atterbury at Robert.Atterbury@gmail.com , with SDNYC Questionnaire [Candidate Name] as the subject.

Additional Candidate Information Endorsements List here the union, organizations (community, civic, media, issue groups), and elected officials that have endorsed you. 1- CM Vincent Gentile 2- Democratic Organization of Richmond County --Many more to follow Candidate Experience - Please explain any activities and/or experiences that demonstrate your commitment to the LGBT movement. I am on the executive board of Community Health Action of Staten Island (Formally Staten Island AIDS Task Force). CHASI is an organization that has been hard at work with LGBT issues for years. Not only do we care for those infected with HIV/AIDS virus but also have community outreach and free testing. We also operate the only LGBT Center on Staten Island. During my 2012 Assembly Race I was also vocal about LGBT issues.

- What experience do you have to demonstrate you are the best person to represent the district office you seek? I come with a well-rounded background in business, not for profits, and emergency services. This covers a majority of what comes before the Council. With my knowledge in many areas that directly affect New Yorkers I will be able to make an educated decision on what bills will benefit New Yorkers. - Please detail any specific policy proposals you may have that will affect the LGBT community, that are not addressed in the next section.

Policy Positions Please answer the following questions in full, using your policy proposals and including specific examples of your previous actions on any given topic when possible. Marriage Do you support full marriage equality for same-sex couples? (Y/N If no, please explain)
YES

Will you work with New Yorks congressional delegation to support the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act? (Y/N If no, please explain)- YES

Adoption: Do you support full adoption rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender couples? (Y/N If no, please explain) - YES Human Rights Do you support equal rights and treatment for people of transgender experience in the New York Shelter System, both adult shelters and youth shelters? (Y/N If no, please explain) - YES HIV/AIDS

In 2011, Mayor Bloomberg proposed cutting 248 case managers and millions in rental assistance from the HIV/AIDS Services Administration (HASA). Individual legislators ended up using discretionary funds to fill the gap. Do you support increased funding for the HASA? (Y/N If no, please explain) YES Please explain your position on using discretionary funds to support agencies like HASA. I would work on expanding the funding in the city budget for HASA and use discretionary money to subsidize where needed. What actions do you think the City Council should be taking to provide emergency housing for homeless people living with AIDS? Any homeless person should be moved to the top of any housing list especially if they are infected with a life threatening disease. The city should fund a NYCHA complex that is built in conjunction with HHS (City Hospitals) to be able to care for and deliver the services needed. AIDS funding no longer corresponds to the demographics of which communities represent the greatest number of HIV cases in NYC. Would you support yearly statistics of both the geographic areas where HIV is most prevalent and as well as which populations in those neighborhoods are most effected, and then allocate yearly funding to services and communities based on these results? YES/ and work with not for profits in that field to determine where monies should be spent.

Community Boards: Many Community Boards routinely oppose applications for liquor licenses in their areas, particularly if the proposed venue is tailored to appeal to the LGBT community. Please explain your position on the

appropriate balance between support for nightlife, minority communities and respect for neighborhood concerns. Certainly all groups should be treated equally and if they meet the criteria then a license should be issued.

Please outline the criteria you would use in selecting Community Board members. -Community board members need to reflect all communities. I feel that community boards should have people from all walks of life and career backgrounds. The NYPD often targets bars, restaurants and clubs serving the LGBT community for increased scrutiny. They have used health code violations, allegations of drug use or sale, allegations of prostitution, allegations of serving minors, and a myriad of tools at their disposal. What changes would you implement to ensure LGBT institutions are treated equally by enforcement agencies? -Transparency- the NYPD needs to make clear with proof of violations. Do you support reforming Stop-and-Frisk? Please detail any specific changes to the program you believe are necessary. Yes I do believe it is a good program but it need to be changed. Officers need to receive more training and a receipt needs to be issued to each person searched with the officers names and information. All searches should also be placed on a public database for TRANPARNCY! Do you oppose the use of condoms as evidence of prostitution in criminal cases? Please explain your support or opposition. Yes condoms do not determine if someone is a prostitute.

NYPD

Runaway and Homeless Youth Will you support increasing the funding for both emergency shelter beds and transitional beds for homeless youth, a huge percentage of whom are from the LGBT community and will you pledge to support capital and expense funding for programs serving this population? (Y/N If no, please explain)- YES

What will you do to expand access to services for runaway and homeless youth? Make sure that outreach programs are funded and that shelters are a safe place for the youth to turn to seek shelter and social services.

LGBT Services and Funding:

The LGBT community has no direct funding for the arts from the NEA or other funding sources because of institutional homophobia. Would your office help with funding for LGBT Arts? If yes, please explain how. I would Have to review the current arts programs in my district. The LGBT community is in great need of senior housing for many of our aging population. Many seniors experience homophobia in senior facilities making them feel they must be closeted. Would you help with the funding of senior housing for the LGBT community in your district? (Y/N If no, please explain)- YES If you are currently in office, have you made member item grants or supported LGBT funding requests? If seeking office for the first time, would you give strong consideration to LGBT social service organizations seeking funding from your office if elected? (Y/N If no, please explain) What actions will you take to help support the LGBT community center in your borough? If there is not an LGBT community center in your borough, what actions will you take to help develop one? We have one on Staten Island. I will give member item money to it!

Other:

Please state concrete achievements for the LGBT community that you are responsible for in your current, or previous, elected office/s. Serving on the CHASI board of directors. Approving the funding for the first LGBT center on Staten Island and approving funding through CHASI for the SI Pride Parade. Have you endorsed any LGBT candidates? Which ones? Assemblyman Matt Titone If endorsed will you display the endorsement of the Stonewall Democratic Club of NYC in your literature whenever you list other endorsements and will you display the endorsement on your website? -Yes Will you hire openly LGBT staff and/or designate a liaison to our communities if elected? (Y/N If no, please explain) Yes absolutely