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Call for advocate involvement in budget advocacy
2:31:33
ยท
158 sec
Council Member Williams makes a passionate plea for advocates to get involved in budget advocacy for CCHR and EEPC, emphasizing the importance of their support beyond just promoting bills.
- She invites advocates to join the Human Rights Working Group to discuss budget strategies.
- Williams highlights the disconnect between advocacy for legislation and advocacy for budget allocations to implement those laws.
- She stresses that proper enforcement of laws requires adequate funding for agencies like CCHR and EEPC.
Nantasha M. Williams
2:31:33
And every single year, we did better this year, we did better this year, but my last 3 budget cycles, this will be my 4th budget cycle, there is no advocacy from the advocates.
2:31:46
There's advocacy for the bills, but when this once the bills are passed and the the bills become law, the advocates are silent on the budget asked, and so this is just my firm plea to individuals to get involved.
2:32:00
I think we're open to expanding our work group.
2:32:03
We call it the Human Rights Working Group.
2:32:06
We meet regularly to talk about strategies, to to make sure that we are uplifting the needs for the budget and CCHR, and EEPC, because that's another agency that does a lot of work internally in New York City government, completely underfunded, and not able to actually do much to ensure that New York City itself has equal employment practices within our city, government, work force.
2:32:35
So, if you're listening, you know, I hope, you know, if you're listening, like, virtually on the Zoom or, like, virtually on the, like, council web page and you're an advocate, I'm encouraging you to reach out to us to join our fight because, again, we there was all this advocacy for Fair Chance for Housing.
2:32:52
I mean, the hearing was crazy.
2:32:54
It was all day.
2:32:55
And then when it comes to us actually talking about the budget, to ensuring that CCHR has the money to carry out the work, those same advocates are not there.
2:33:05
So, if if advocates take the time and energy to push for legislation, then they should take the time and energy to push for proper budget allocations to ensure that the laws that you feel so passionately about can be truly enforced and implemented, because that is a problem.
2:33:22
A part of the reason why some of these laws don't work, maybe it's not really the law, it's the fact that the agency itself can enforce the law to its fullest potential.
2:33:29
And so, yeah, maybe more laws are needed, or maybe the agency itself should be able to properly enforce these laws.
2:33:36
So that's my TED Talk and my rant, and it's, like, just a pet peeve I have, because advocates disappear when it's time to talk budget for, specifically, for CCHR and EEPC.
2:33:48
And, you know, that's just my my ongoing, energy and swag for this committee.
2:33:54
Like, if you are here for this this legislative hearing, then I expect you to also be there when we're talking about budget during all the budget fights.
2:34:03
So with that, thank you so much.
2:34:05
We have one more person on Zoom, Sean McIntosh.