REMARKS
David Carr explains vote on corporation counsel appointment and zoning changes
1:26:38
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129 sec
Council Member David Carr explains his vote against the appointment of Muriel Goode-Trufant as corporation counsel, citing concerns about Goode-Trufant stance on various issues including the return of city workers, services for non-public school students, and interpretation of constitutional rights. Carr also indicates his voting intentions on several other items.
- Carr expresses concern about Goode-Trufant role in preventing the return of some city workers to office
- He criticizes Goode-Trufant position on IESPs (Individualized Education Services Plan) for non-public school students
- Carr disagrees with Goode-Trufant standard for striking down local laws as unconstitutional, arguing it's too stringent
- The council member announces his intention to vote no on M 79 with Resolution 688, LU 181 with Resolution 689, and Introductions 1127-A and 1128-A
David Carr
1:26:38
Thank you, majority leader.
1:26:39
I just wanna take a few minutes to also talk about the appointment of Murielle Gautreufant as the next corporation counsel.
1:26:46
My colleague, council member Ariella, spoke articulately about the issues concerning the separation of some of our city workers, and the failure of them to be returned to office.
1:26:57
Unfortunately, she has been one of the main obstacles, to their return and these are good civil servants.
1:27:05
But on top of that, she has articulated some other standards that I think are troubling.
1:27:09
One of them we heard about earlier today, which is with respect to IESPs for non public school students.
1:27:15
She seems to be one of the architects of the current proposal, which would essentially force parents to give up their children's rights in order to get services come January, services they should have been getting and have been getting for years and should have been getting since the start of the academic year.
1:27:31
And she's also articulated a troubling standard with respect, to our constitutional rights, claiming that local laws, and other acts of legislative bodies should only be struck down as unconstitutional if they can be proven beyond a reasonable doubt that they violate the Constitution.
1:27:49
Frankly, I think our constitutional right should be a lot more accessible than that, and I think that's the standard that the courts and the state have applied regardless of the parties of the judges, who are sitting and hearing our cases.
1:28:02
And so, unfortunately, she seems to be part of the effort to continue to appeal the noncitizen voting ruling, which is a plain text reading of the New York State Constitution that voters in this state must be citizens.
1:28:15
And so I think that those of us who care about our constitutional rights, particularly those that may have been recently added by a recent proposition, should hope for a more accessible standard from somebody, who's gonna be serving as our corporation counsel.
1:28:28
And that's why I cannot support, her nomination.
1:28:31
And so, with that said, I will be voting no on m 79 with the accompanying resolution 688, lu 181 with accompanying resolution 689, as well as introductions 1127a and 1128a, and I own the rest.
