REMARKS
Council Member Joann Ariola explains her vote on multiple items
1:17:42
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123 sec
Council Member Joann Ariola explains her vote on several items, including the confirmation of Muriel Goode-Trufant as Corporation Counsel and the City of Yes zoning amendment. She expresses strong opposition to Goode-Trufant's confirmation, citing concerns about her handling of COVID-19 vaccine mandate cases and potential future pandemic responses.
- Ariola discloses that her son works for DSNY (Department of Sanitation New York)
- She criticizes Goode-Trufant's actions regarding city workers who refused the COVID-19 vaccine
- Ariola votes no on land use item 181 (City of Yes), Intros 1127-A and 1128-A, M 79, and Resolution 688
Joann Ariola
1:17:42
Permission to explain my vote?
UNKNOWN
1:17:43
Permission granted.
Joann Ariola
1:17:45
1st, I'd like to disclose for the record on the transparency resolution that my son works for DSNY.
1:17:52
I'd like to speak, to the corp counsel nominee, in her capacity as acting corp counsel and prior as the managing attorney for corp counsel, Muriel Gautreufant has held back hundreds of experienced and extremely qualified firefighters, teachers, police officers, and sanitation workers, and thousands of other city workers from returning to their jobs that they love after they won court cases, and she continues to unlawfully have them removed from their jobs.
1:18:23
Time and time again, lawsuits against the city have been won by city workers who refused to take the COVID vaccine due to medical and religious reasons.
1:18:31
And time and time again, Truffant, following in the steps of her predecessor, Sylvia Heinz Radix, has continued to waste taxpayer dollars on appeals instead of giving the workers the court ordered back pay and allowing them to regain their livelihoods.
1:18:46
In her own words, miss Truffant stated that her at her confirmation hearing that she wants to make certain that should the city have another pandemic like we had with COVID, that we would be able as able to keep the whole public safe.
1:19:01
This means that she would be more than willing to impose lockdowns and mandates, which have been dis dispelled by former commissioner Ashwin Vassan himself, and it has been proven that it was ineffective and admittedly a political weapon rather than a public safety measure.
1:19:17
It's time to end the politicizing of families and their careers.
1:19:21
Under Truffaut's leadership, this will not happen.
1:19:23
For these reasons, I cannot support her confirmation and I urge my, colleagues to do the same.
1:19:30
Therefore, I am a no on land use, item 181, city of yes, intro 1127 a and 1128 a, m 79, and accompanying reso 688, and an eye on all the rest.
1:19:44
Thank you.
