PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Rochelle Thompson, Artist and 1st Lady of Jazz in Harlem
8:32:12
·
92 sec
Rochelle Thompson, a long-time Harlem resident and jazz artist, testifies against the "City of Yes" proposal, expressing frustration with the court system and landlord-tenant disputes. She emphasizes the challenges faced by tenants in protecting their housing rights and the toll it takes on their lives.
- Thompson has lived in her building for 40 years and has been involved in numerous legal actions, including 18 HP actions and two Supreme Court cases.
- She criticizes judges for ignoring tenants' evidence and calls for reforms to reduce the frequency of court appearances for rent-paying tenants.
- Thompson expresses a desire to focus on her community work and artistic pursuits rather than constantly fighting legal battles to maintain her housing.
Rochelle Thompson
8:32:12
Hi.
8:32:13
My name is Rochelle Thompson, and I'm known as the 1st Lady of Jazz in Harlem, USA, the continent that I love.
8:32:21
And I'm here today to testify to say, I feel this is a city of no.
8:32:27
And I heard all of the testimonies before, particularly of the senior citizen who was about to be evicted.
8:32:35
So my issue is with the court.
8:32:38
We are going to court forever We are paying our rent by certified mail return receipt requested that landlords are not in court.
8:32:47
The judges are ignoring our evidence, and there is not a cap on how many times that you can go to court.
8:32:56
I've worn 2 supreme court cases, one I wrote on my own.
8:33:00
I've done 18 HP actions.
8:33:03
I've lived in my building for 40 years, and I am wondering why we as tax paying citizens are going through all of that.
8:33:12
That is my main issue.
8:33:14
And I hope that we can look into that, and I hope that the mayor's office and the new first deputy will look into this and change this because it is wearing us out as people.
8:33:26
We just want to live in our homes.
8:33:29
I did a children's jazz festival on my blog.
8:33:32
I did a a children's newsletter sent to the White House.
8:33:35
I worked on Obama's campaign.
8:33:37
I'm working on Kamala Harris' campaign.
8:33:40
I don't wanna be in court.
8:33:41
I wanna have a lie.
8:33:43
Thank you very much.
