PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Grant Braam, Actuary and Citizen Air Complaint Program Participant
3:12:40
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121 sec
Grant Braam, an actuary and enthusiastic participant in the Citizens Air Complaint Program (CACP), testifies about his experiences with the program and his concerns about the proposed changes in Intro 941. He argues that the program's success is due to citizen dedication and financial incentives, and warns that Intro 941 would disincentivize participation.
- Braam highlights the challenges of participating in CACP, including unpaid summonses and potential professional risks.
- He compares NYC's program to Washington D.C.'s, noting that D.C.'s program is easier to use but receives fewer complaints due to lack of financial incentives.
- Braam criticizes Intro 941 for potentially reversing the program's success by increasing risks and barriers to entry while reducing rewards for participants.
Grant Braam
3:12:40
Is this Son?
3:12:41
Okay.
3:12:42
My name is Grant Brom.
3:12:43
I work as an actuary, a large life insurance company, and live in the East Village.
3:12:46
I'm a regular and enthusiastic participant in the Citizens ER complaint program.
3:12:51
2 weeks ago on Wednesday, I had a date in Long Island City, which went okay.
3:12:54
Thanks for asking.
3:12:56
On my way home, I swung through the desk.
James F. Gennaro
3:12:58
Date, he's he's in?
Grant Braam
3:13:00
On my way home, I swung through the desklet East Williamsburg Industrial Park and recorded a large number of a number of large trucks adding with abandon.
3:13:08
People who don't participate in the Citizens Air complaint program would consider this to be insanity, and maybe they're right.
3:13:14
But receiving a fair share of what the city collects makes it less crazy, and this type of dedication was made the program as successful as it is in in improving our city's air.
3:13:23
Participating in the CACP is far from an easy bet.
3:13:27
We only get paid when the company pays, which in some cases is never.
3:13:31
Brinks, for example, has only paid a handful of their thousands of summonses.
3:13:35
The city can settle for nickels on the dollar, which they did recently with numerous highland datacom summonses.
3:13:42
This isn't even to talk about the costs of participating.
3:13:45
DP has prosecuted CACC CACP participants before for run of the mill submission errors, which I have professional implications for myself and others.
3:13:55
Is it worth threatening my day job to participate?
3:13:58
It's something I have to ask myself every day.
3:14:02
DC also accepts citizen complaints, but does not share the awards.
3:14:07
I submitted a bus complaint during a recent visit to DC, and the DC inspectors were shocked with the professionalism of my submission.
3:14:14
All of their fines are higher and it is easier to submit.
3:14:17
They don't require video and submitters can just use the 311 app.
3:14:21
They don't get too many citizen complaints.
3:14:23
It's too much trouble for too little reward.
3:14:26
941 is essentially reversing what has made NYC's program so successful by directly disincentivizing citizens while increasing the risk to participate and doing nothing to address the barriers of entry.
3:14:39
Yeah.
3:14:40
That's my testimony.
3:14:40
Thank you.
