The Bus Rule That Pulled One Mom into NYC Politics | Danielle Avissar

WEBVTT
00:00:00.239 --> 00:00:02.479
When you're on a community board, it's kind of like being in the Senate.
00:00:02.560 --> 00:00:09.199
You're gonna be with a lot of people that don't think the way you do at all and reaching a consensus with all of them.
00:00:09.359 --> 00:00:13.519
There are people that are extremely conservative, there are people that are extremely liberal.
00:00:13.679 --> 00:00:23.920
And the funny part is that I've noticed that on every issue, like ideologically, like there are things that me and someone who is completely polar opposite than me, we will agree on.
00:00:24.160 --> 00:00:28.160
And then there's another topic where we're completely not on the same page with.
00:00:28.320 --> 00:00:37.280
And I'm going, how do we sometimes see the both of us see blue, and then sometimes we both see red, and then sometimes we just don't see.
00:00:37.359 --> 00:00:39.439
It's very, very interesting.
00:00:41.520 --> 00:00:49.439
Welcome to Generation Reset, a podcast that explores political activation, the forces and impulses that push people into or out of US politics.
00:00:49.520 --> 00:00:58.560
I'm Carrie Rodriguez, your host, and on the show this week, Danielle Avisar, a New York City resident whose civic journey began with an unfair rule on public buses.
00:00:58.799 --> 00:01:03.280
At the time, mothers traveling with strollers had to fold them up when riding the MTA bus.
00:01:03.439 --> 00:01:06.000
Try doing that with a baby and with bags of groceries.
00:01:06.159 --> 00:01:10.959
After one too many run-ins with drivers enforcing the rule, Avisar decided it was time for change.
00:01:11.120 --> 00:01:15.760
She rallied mothers across her neighborhood and together they pushed the MTA to rethink the policy.
00:01:16.000 --> 00:01:16.560
The result?
00:01:16.879 --> 00:01:21.120
Designated stroller space on MTA buses so babies could travel comfortably.
00:01:21.280 --> 00:01:23.760
But for Avisar, this win was just the beginning.
00:01:23.920 --> 00:01:32.000
In this episode, we trace her path from this policy win to tackling dogways in her community, and finally to joining New York City's community boards.
00:01:32.159 --> 00:01:38.400
The local volunteer panels write into the city's charters that give everyday residents a voice in how their neighborhood is run.
00:01:38.560 --> 00:01:43.519
It turns out these boards are also seen as a springboard into public office.
00:01:46.879 --> 00:01:52.319
You know, I really am curious and would like to start the conversation with what's your political origin story?
00:01:52.480 --> 00:01:57.920
There's something on your website that gives a bit of a clue, but if it's if it goes before that, then would love to know.
00:01:58.159 --> 00:01:58.640
Yeah.
00:01:58.879 --> 00:02:00.319
Um, it wasn't much, really.
00:02:00.400 --> 00:02:01.840
It was just having a kid.
00:02:02.079 --> 00:02:06.959
Um that's usually when you start uh observing the world in a different way.
00:02:07.200 --> 00:02:08.879
Um, I had a kid.
00:02:09.039 --> 00:02:12.159
Um, I was living in New York for about 18 years.
00:02:12.240 --> 00:02:14.319
Um, I had a kid during COVID.
00:02:14.560 --> 00:02:19.280
Um and I got on the bus with him with a stroller several times.
00:02:19.599 --> 00:02:25.919
And uh one time I got on and the bus driver said, you know, take your baby out of the stroller.
00:02:26.159 --> 00:02:29.599
And I thought he was crazy and that he was just giving me a hard time.
00:02:29.680 --> 00:02:33.199
And he goes, I'm not moving this bus until you don't take your baby out of the stroller.
00:02:33.439 --> 00:02:35.439
And I was like, What are you talking about?
00:02:35.680 --> 00:02:38.319
And it happened to me another time.
00:02:38.800 --> 00:02:44.560
And I didn't know if these bus drivers were messing with me, but I had it.
00:02:44.719 --> 00:02:45.759
One day I just had it.
00:02:45.840 --> 00:02:51.360
And I went on 311 and they said, Yeah, that's the policy in New York, is that you got to fold your stroller.
00:02:51.520 --> 00:02:57.360
And I go, on what planet do we live in a city that primarily depends on public transportation?
00:02:57.599 --> 00:03:05.439
And parents cannot take strollers on buses with, and we're not talking little kids, I'm talking infants that are sleeping.
00:03:05.680 --> 00:03:07.919
You have groceries there, you have stuff.
00:03:08.080 --> 00:03:13.599
I'm supposed to take my baby out of the stroller, fold the stroller, put everything on it.
00:03:13.680 --> 00:03:13.919
How?
00:03:14.080 --> 00:03:14.879
With what hands?
00:03:15.039 --> 00:03:15.680
Who's helping me?
00:03:15.840 --> 00:03:17.439
I mean, I thought this was insane.
00:03:17.599 --> 00:03:19.199
I just can't, I can't live like this.
00:03:19.439 --> 00:03:24.639
So I got in touch with a I started researching anyone who ever tried to have this battle.
00:03:24.800 --> 00:03:28.560
Um, there was a petition with a few names signed, nothing really came of it.
00:03:28.800 --> 00:03:37.360
Then there was this woman that um oversaw um, she she had a nonprofit that oversaw this, and I contacted her and I go, what do we do?
00:03:37.520 --> 00:03:45.599
And she goes, You just gotta go to the MTA uh executive board meetings that they have every single month and try to rally as many moms as you can.
00:03:45.840 --> 00:03:48.080
I was like, Okay, that's what I gotta do.
00:03:48.319 --> 00:03:50.319
I showed up, it's 10 a.m.
00:03:50.479 --> 00:03:50.800
meeting.
00:03:50.879 --> 00:03:53.199
They first opened the floor to the public.
00:03:53.520 --> 00:03:56.560
Um, every person gets two minutes on the clock to speak.
00:03:56.800 --> 00:04:00.639
And um, a reporter from AM New York came and said, Are you Danielle Avisar?
00:04:00.719 --> 00:04:03.759
Somebody said that you would be here today, uh, testifying on your behalf.
00:04:04.000 --> 00:04:04.879
I said, Yeah.
00:04:05.120 --> 00:04:07.199
And he goes, Can I get the full story?
00:04:07.360 --> 00:04:08.400
And I said, sure.
00:04:08.639 --> 00:04:10.159
But we were at the MTA.
00:04:10.240 --> 00:04:14.479
Like it wasn't like a real, like you couldn't take pictures of me and my kids struggling on the stroller.
00:04:14.560 --> 00:04:20.560
So I was like, Why don't you come to my neighborhood later today and I'll show you what it's like to bring a kid on a bus?
00:04:20.959 --> 00:04:25.680
And he came to the Upper East Side, and that was like the first real story.
00:04:25.920 --> 00:04:28.319
And I have, I have a background in marketing.
00:04:28.480 --> 00:04:30.480
I know kind of how things work more or less.
00:04:30.639 --> 00:04:33.120
You gotta, you gotta hit it while the iron's kind of hot.
00:04:33.360 --> 00:04:44.720
So I went after every local news publication, whether it was Pix 11, whether it was New York Mon, all the major networks were like, yeah, we've heard it from this and this, and we want to cover it too.
00:04:44.800 --> 00:04:49.519
We want a piece of, we want a piece of this this action, whether it's for better or or worse.
00:04:49.759 --> 00:04:56.240
And um, and and then shortly what happened is that the MTA really did hear us loud and clear, very to their credit.
00:04:56.399 --> 00:04:59.279
Within two months, they put a pilot program together.
00:04:59.519 --> 00:05:04.480
It was parents, the disability community, and then the MTA bus drivers.
00:05:04.720 --> 00:05:06.959
And they were like, you know, how do we figure this out?
00:05:07.120 --> 00:05:09.360
Do we split the seats with the handicapped people?
00:05:09.519 --> 00:05:21.519
Well, that became a huge political battle because, you know, the disability uh community, they fought for their rights in the 70s, and there was no way that anybody was going to take their handicapped seating away from them.
00:05:21.839 --> 00:05:23.680
So, you know, they didn't want that.
00:05:23.839 --> 00:05:26.879
Um, and then it became this kind of like ugly fight.
00:05:26.959 --> 00:05:30.240
The MTA drivers, the bus drivers didn't want it.
00:05:30.480 --> 00:05:35.519
Also, because MTA bus drivers cannot enforce anything on a bus.
00:05:35.759 --> 00:05:41.360
Um, if they do, they could get penalized and then they're taken off the job.
00:05:41.519 --> 00:05:46.800
And they just didn't want this extra, you know, um, uh fight on the job of now handling strollers.
00:05:46.879 --> 00:05:50.720
And they said, listen, you're gonna open up a Pandora's box, you're never gonna see your way out of it.
00:05:50.959 --> 00:05:55.279
Well, thank God for the engineers, because it wasn't a political issue and it wasn't anything.
00:05:55.360 --> 00:05:56.480
It was an engineering issue.
00:05:56.639 --> 00:05:57.519
That's all it was.
00:05:57.680 --> 00:06:02.959
And a few really smart guys with some measuring tape figured out a way to flip up the seats.
00:06:03.519 --> 00:06:05.199
And that's all it was.
00:06:05.439 --> 00:06:06.639
That's all it was.
00:06:06.879 --> 00:06:12.399
And now you go on a bus and there's a designated stroller space and nobody fights with you anymore.
00:06:12.800 --> 00:06:23.759
Just regarding the like, so for instance, if you it was if this was in COVID when you raised the problem to MTA, did it take two years for the MTA to say we're gonna roll this out on all buses?
00:06:23.839 --> 00:06:34.959
Or oh, I I think uh so it was like six months until it was on select buses, and then after that, it was in waves, but once it once it kicked off, it kicked off.
00:06:35.199 --> 00:06:38.879
It was first like, yeah, on select and then it expanded and now it's permanent.
00:06:39.120 --> 00:06:41.600
So there was never a long waiting period.
00:06:41.920 --> 00:06:44.879
So I like the fact that you mentioned your background in marketing.
00:06:45.040 --> 00:06:48.639
Did you know that you just had to hit up all the news outlets?
00:06:48.800 --> 00:06:54.079
Did you feel like that was the way to kind of the most effective way to get the the response?
00:06:54.399 --> 00:06:57.279
The media moves people, emotions move people.
00:06:57.519 --> 00:06:58.399
That's what it is.
00:06:58.560 --> 00:07:01.839
Once people get caught up in a wave, something's gonna happen now.
00:07:01.920 --> 00:07:03.839
It's either gonna combust or it's gonna happen.
00:07:03.920 --> 00:07:06.160
We don't know, but you gotta you gotta go full force.
00:07:06.480 --> 00:07:09.120
How what was the process for you to reach out to these new solidates?
00:07:09.279 --> 00:07:10.560
Like how did you get in contact with them?
00:07:10.720 --> 00:07:18.720
I know that some of them came to you, and I'm assuming that was the public record that you could point to and say, look, I'm advocating for this.
00:07:18.800 --> 00:07:22.639
Here's a news article on it, would like to be on your show to talk about it as well.
00:07:22.720 --> 00:07:24.800
Is that how you kind of leveraged it?
00:07:24.959 --> 00:07:25.759
Pretty, pretty much.
00:07:25.920 --> 00:07:33.680
I mean, I sent out emails to um anyone that I could find that was head of um like news segments or producer for a network.
00:07:33.920 --> 00:07:42.720
And I would just email him and be like, hey, I was on, you know, I was on AM New York uh and I was on like Pix 11 and then interview me next.
00:07:42.800 --> 00:07:43.519
And they were like, great.
00:07:43.600 --> 00:07:49.519
And then you kind of build your resume from there, and then you go to other networks and they want, you know, they want to cover you too.
00:07:49.759 --> 00:07:54.720
So um, yeah, I would just reach out to producers and say, like, you know, get a piece of this story.
00:07:54.879 --> 00:07:57.519
And that's how this kind of happened.
00:07:58.560 --> 00:07:58.879
Okay.
00:07:59.199 --> 00:08:02.399
Uh and so you you were just talking about something else as well.
00:08:02.720 --> 00:08:03.279
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:08:03.360 --> 00:08:05.279
This is how it all led to the community board.
00:08:05.360 --> 00:08:08.959
But um, so then another big issue was the dog waste issue.
00:08:09.040 --> 00:08:16.079
I mean, uh, Upper East Side has, I think, like the highest density uh of dogs, um, especially again during COVID.
00:08:16.240 --> 00:08:19.920
A lot of people got animals that they clearly don't know how to take care of.
00:08:20.000 --> 00:08:25.439
They're not responsible dog owners, and there was just waste everywhere.
00:08:25.600 --> 00:08:26.800
I mean, it was really disgusting.
00:08:26.879 --> 00:08:36.799
You couldn't even look at the buildings, you couldn't appreciate, you know, you live in a town like New York where you want to walk around like you're in a fantasy all day long, and all you're doing is just kind of looking at the sidewalk.
00:08:37.039 --> 00:08:38.799
Uh, so this was a big issue.
00:08:38.960 --> 00:08:42.000
So, um, but but something had to be done.
00:08:42.240 --> 00:08:52.080
So I rallied up moms again and I said, you know, let's propose some solutions and talk to Julie Menon about it, who's our uh council member.
00:08:52.320 --> 00:08:54.000
Uh, people were really into it.
00:08:54.159 --> 00:08:56.240
Again, an issue that really upsets parents.
00:08:56.399 --> 00:08:58.720
We requested a meeting with Julie Menon.
00:08:58.799 --> 00:09:02.320
Uh, we were kind of like given the, you know, like, what do you want?
00:09:02.480 --> 00:09:02.879
Go away.
00:09:03.039 --> 00:09:08.960
And then we actually sent a document of like, here's like 36 proposed solutions that we would like for the neighborhood.
00:09:09.120 --> 00:09:10.799
Are you willing to take a call with us?
00:09:10.960 --> 00:09:12.720
To her credit, she did.
00:09:12.960 --> 00:09:14.159
We had a call.
00:09:14.480 --> 00:09:18.080
She liked two out of the 36 ideas.
00:09:18.240 --> 00:09:23.759
She was very, very transparent about which would be a complete waste of time and which would actually be effective.
00:09:23.919 --> 00:09:36.080
And one of the ideas was to have, first of all, disposable bags on every single trash receptacle in the neighborhood, because a lot of the time people just don't have bags and they just like they're just like, oh, whatever.
00:09:36.240 --> 00:09:37.919
Like, this is the one time I won't do it.
00:09:38.000 --> 00:09:43.600
And everyone's thinking, oh, it's the one time I won't do it, but it's hundreds, thousands of residents who are doing this.
00:09:43.919 --> 00:09:46.399
That, and then also creating an awareness campaign.
00:09:46.480 --> 00:09:53.200
You know, a lot of people are not aware of how disease really spreads with dog waste.
00:09:53.519 --> 00:10:00.799
And we later on, even in the community board, we learn that a lot of this waste gets washed into our sewers and it goes into our oceans.
00:10:00.960 --> 00:10:03.200
We're like literally swimming in it in the summertime.
00:10:03.279 --> 00:10:03.919
It's disgusting.
00:10:04.159 --> 00:10:08.960
Don't go to Coney, which I go to all the time.
00:10:09.279 --> 00:10:14.000
But but yes, it's, it's, it's people just think, you know, it'll just go away.
00:10:14.080 --> 00:10:15.679
It doesn't, there's no such thing, it goes away.
00:10:15.759 --> 00:10:16.799
It goes somewhere.
00:10:17.120 --> 00:10:24.399
So um, really bringing awareness to people of like, if this is what you're doing, this is the contamination that's causing for everyone.
00:10:24.639 --> 00:10:28.559
This was when Julie Menon was our councilwoman, and now she became speaker.
00:10:28.720 --> 00:10:32.000
And if you heard on the news yesterday, this is past.
00:10:32.639 --> 00:10:40.720
So little things like that that really got me wanting to kind of change the community or anything that was really bothering me.
00:10:40.879 --> 00:10:45.440
I mean, all it takes is like one issue to really piss me off, and then I become very effective.
00:10:45.759 --> 00:10:49.600
And the strollers and the waist were two things that just really got to me.
00:10:49.840 --> 00:10:58.480
Um, so when I learned about community board, and I learned about the community board through Julie Menon's newsletters, I didn't even know about it.
00:10:58.559 --> 00:11:00.559
And it was like, hey, apply for community board.
00:11:00.639 --> 00:11:05.679
I read a brief description on what it was, and I was like, yeah, totally, like 100%.
00:11:06.080 --> 00:11:08.000
Could I have a better track record?
00:11:08.320 --> 00:11:21.519
And I went and I did the entire um, so the way for community board is that you submit your name, you submit your resume, why you want to be on there, and then you go through an interview process.
00:11:21.759 --> 00:11:33.519
And the interview process is, I think, I know I'm gonna butcher the numbers, but it's something like 3,000 people apply, and there's only like 500 seats.
00:11:33.600 --> 00:11:37.200
It's something in the thousands and then in the hundreds of what it drops to.
00:11:37.600 --> 00:11:47.200
And you basically get called on for an interview session with people all over New York City that want to be part of all different community boards.
00:11:47.519 --> 00:11:55.279
And there are people that are already community board members who are part of the process of leading these questionnaire groups.
00:11:55.440 --> 00:11:58.879
And they give you two scenarios that you have to answer.
00:11:58.960 --> 00:12:04.480
And they want to know how you think in terms of budgeting, how you think in terms of resolutions, how you think.
00:12:04.559 --> 00:12:07.120
So it's basically like this two-hour test.
00:12:07.679 --> 00:12:11.759
Um, and then whoever passes gets to be part of their community board.
00:12:11.919 --> 00:12:14.639
Now, our community board has 50 members.
00:12:14.799 --> 00:12:17.440
Some of them have been on there for like wow, yeah.
00:12:17.600 --> 00:12:19.200
But now they have term limits.
00:12:19.440 --> 00:12:23.200
So they can't, some of them are gonna just like expire out.
00:12:23.440 --> 00:12:26.159
The biggest problem with community boards is like who's on it?
00:12:26.320 --> 00:12:32.720
Mostly senior citizens, people that have a lot of free time, people that are retired, nobody really young.
00:12:32.879 --> 00:12:34.080
We have a few very young people.
00:12:34.159 --> 00:12:36.000
We have one in high school, it's amazing.
00:12:36.320 --> 00:12:43.360
But the parents that are like the most critical to like real residential neighborhoods, they don't have time for it.
00:12:43.600 --> 00:12:53.279
So I was like, I really want to step in as like a parent, and it is very time consuming, also depending on what board you want to serve on.
00:12:53.440 --> 00:13:10.399
So there's an overall executive community board, which is like all 50 of us, and then once a month we just basically vote on things across the platform, which is like landmarks, street life, transportation, education committee.
00:13:10.639 --> 00:13:13.919
Um, there's there's like 12 different ones.
00:13:14.399 --> 00:13:25.039
So you're looking at about like five hours, if not more, five to ten hours of free of free community, no, on free community service per month, which is a lot.
00:13:25.360 --> 00:13:25.840
So yeah.
00:13:25.919 --> 00:13:29.519
So, anyways, the first time I was rejected, they didn't, they I don't know why.
00:13:29.600 --> 00:13:32.240
I didn't make it, I didn't make the cut, which I thought was crazy.
00:13:32.559 --> 00:13:39.440
So I started uh reaching out to community board members, and I was like, hi, I just want to let you know.
00:13:39.519 --> 00:13:40.879
My name is, you know, Danielle.
00:13:40.960 --> 00:13:42.639
I would love to be part of the community board.
00:13:42.799 --> 00:13:51.279
And I got to know one of the members and I got to know the head of the community board, and I said, you know, please consider me for next year.
00:13:51.519 --> 00:13:54.080
And uh I had to try again to get in.
00:13:54.159 --> 00:13:55.360
And the second time I got in.
00:13:55.679 --> 00:14:11.120
I want to ask a question about the difference in outcomes that you can expect being on a community board versus, you know, the outcomes that you manage to get just being a mom, rallying moms, and getting them to, you know, apply pressure.
00:14:11.440 --> 00:14:14.960
It it's kind of like when you're on a community board, it's kind of like being in the Senate.
00:14:15.120 --> 00:14:21.679
You're gonna be with a lot of people that don't think the way you do at all and reaching a consensus with all of them.
00:14:21.919 --> 00:14:37.279
And it was very, very um eye-opening to see that even though you guys all live on the Upper East Side and you guys love the Upper East Side, you love your neighborhood, you love where you live, you guys are all alike in many ways, you're also very different in many ways.
00:14:37.519 --> 00:14:41.600
There are people that are extremely conservative, there are people that are extremely liberal.
00:14:41.759 --> 00:14:52.000
And the funny part is that I've noticed that on every issue, like ideologically, like there are things that me and someone who is completely polar opposite than me, we will agree on.
00:14:52.240 --> 00:14:56.240
And then there's another topic where we're completely not on the same page with.
00:14:56.399 --> 00:15:08.480
And I'm going, how do we sometimes see the both of us see blue and then sometimes we both see red, and then sometimes we just don't see it's very, very interesting to see that.
00:15:08.799 --> 00:15:12.879
That was a process to me that was very, very eye-opening.
00:15:13.200 --> 00:15:36.000
Um, so you know, just because you meet someone who, for instance, i it tends to have much different views than you, when you guys are faced with five different subjects or six different subjects to vote on, you would be surprised how many of them you will vote similarly on, and then how many you will vote differently on.
00:15:36.399 --> 00:15:41.440
And there has to be a hundred percent consensus or just majority?
00:15:41.759 --> 00:15:42.879
Just majority vote.
00:15:43.039 --> 00:15:43.200
Okay.
00:15:43.440 --> 00:15:44.080
Majority vote.
00:15:44.159 --> 00:15:44.320
Yeah.
00:15:44.639 --> 00:15:51.039
And how often are you out uh trying to get someone that is ideologically opposed to you to vote the way you want them to vote?
00:15:51.279 --> 00:15:55.679
Do you have to get in front of their face and say, hey, like, you know, we would really like this?
00:15:56.159 --> 00:16:04.159
We we all we all voice, I I think one of the blessings that we have is that most of them are old.
00:16:04.480 --> 00:16:17.519
And I think like the old school way of communicating is very different from Gen Z, which is that they still understand like the level of respect that you have, even though you disagree.
00:16:17.679 --> 00:16:24.159
And I think like considering where politics are today, it's not about like who's the loudest in the room, it's about who's actually making the most sense.
00:16:24.320 --> 00:16:36.799
So even though we might get into heated debates, it always ends up in kind of like a very like laugh or comedic relief at the end where people are just like, okay, like, you know, we were just talking about like the design of a building.
00:16:36.879 --> 00:16:38.720
It's not like the end of the world, right?
00:16:38.960 --> 00:16:41.120
So we do, it's it's very civilized.
00:16:41.279 --> 00:16:42.000
I will say that.
00:16:42.080 --> 00:16:43.679
It is very, very civilized.
00:16:43.840 --> 00:16:59.200
Um, but there are times that there are a lot of community board members that do have um their own convictions about certain topics that they will not, they will never change their minds.
00:16:59.279 --> 00:17:01.600
Some people will say, I will never want outdoor seating.
00:17:01.840 --> 00:17:06.319
It doesn't matter what the argument is, I'm feverishly against it.
00:17:06.480 --> 00:17:09.519
There are some people that don't want smoke shops.
00:17:10.000 --> 00:17:10.960
They are against it.
00:17:11.119 --> 00:17:13.680
There is nothing that will convince them to vote for a smoke shop.
00:17:14.079 --> 00:17:17.599
Are those the type of candidates you recommend to kind of join the community board?
00:17:17.680 --> 00:17:20.960
Or do you think sometimes it helps to have an open perspective?
00:17:21.279 --> 00:17:22.160
Let me put it this way.
00:17:22.240 --> 00:17:28.160
I have I have nothing against anyone who comes in with a political ideology or whatnot.
00:17:28.319 --> 00:17:30.000
That doesn't, that doesn't bother me.
00:17:30.240 --> 00:17:32.319
I think, like again, diversity is our strength.
00:17:32.400 --> 00:17:37.759
And I like the fact that we have, you know, people that are more on the conservative side, people that are more on the liberal side.
00:17:37.920 --> 00:17:38.400
That's great.
00:17:38.480 --> 00:17:41.839
That that really does embody a lot of the people in our community.
00:17:42.079 --> 00:17:49.279
But I think when you're not willing to bend your ideologies, given realistic circumstances, that's when it becomes a little dangerous.
00:17:49.680 --> 00:17:59.920
One of the uh questions that I have when it comes to community boards is sometimes it's used as a launch pad into getting in deeper to the political system.
00:18:00.160 --> 00:18:12.559
Is that something that you see with the members that uh you've served with or even other community boards where people are surprised that they end up liking it enough that they end up taking more responsibility?
00:18:12.880 --> 00:18:23.119
Yes, we do have a lot of people in our board that have pursued uh their own political ambitions, whether it was running for city council, whether it was running for various different positions.
00:18:23.279 --> 00:18:35.920
But it's definitely like a good starting point because, like I said, you're uh partaking in a vote amongst your peers and you're really understanding how a system works and then who the key players are.
00:18:36.160 --> 00:18:43.440
And a very valuable experience that I personally had as well was uh getting involved in campaigns.
00:18:43.680 --> 00:18:47.759
So when we had the election, the mayoral election, I got really involved in that.
00:18:47.920 --> 00:18:56.720
You get to meet a lot of people during that time, like Virginia Maloney, she was campaigning and I got to know her, you know, wonderful person.
00:18:57.200 --> 00:19:10.799
Um getting to know the assistants or the helpers of already elected officials and speaking to them, becoming part of their WhatsApp groups, um, getting really activated.
00:19:11.039 --> 00:19:19.920
Um so yeah, it it really opens up your your world to who's really running your city, your district, your neighborhood, everything.
00:19:20.319 --> 00:19:23.279
You know, this is a volunteer position.
00:19:23.519 --> 00:19:26.400
You know, I don't think they pay you to be on the community board.
00:19:26.480 --> 00:19:27.680
If they do, let me know.
00:19:27.839 --> 00:19:33.920
Um and so you do have to balance the professional life with the per the with the volunteer position that you hold.
00:19:34.319 --> 00:19:42.079
I have to I have to think that being a community being a member on the community board helps if you're in brand partnerships.
00:19:42.240 --> 00:19:42.720
Is that true?
00:19:42.960 --> 00:19:45.039
Like, does that just give you clout?
00:19:45.519 --> 00:19:47.519
It doesn't, they don't care about you being around.
00:19:47.680 --> 00:19:49.279
They know about the stroller stuff.
00:19:49.440 --> 00:19:50.000
They don't know.
00:19:50.160 --> 00:19:50.720
They don't care.
00:19:50.880 --> 00:19:53.440
Like, most people don't even know what a community board is.
00:19:53.599 --> 00:19:58.160
A lot of people, like when I tell them I'm part of the community board, they think it's like a bingo club.
00:19:58.319 --> 00:19:59.680
They're like, what is that?
00:20:00.640 --> 00:20:12.640
I was like, I was, you know, they they imagine like if you retired senior citizens sitting around thinking about like what kind of plants are we gonna put in front of the playground next week?
00:20:12.799 --> 00:20:14.000
That's what they think it is.
00:20:14.319 --> 00:20:20.160
They don't understand that, and again, we only have some sort of power or clout.
00:20:20.240 --> 00:20:29.039
We we we're we we're a recommending agency pretty much for our um elected officials, you know.
00:20:29.200 --> 00:20:31.599
What is the consensus from the neighborhood?
00:20:31.759 --> 00:20:33.039
That's what they want to know.
00:20:33.279 --> 00:20:37.519
We can only recommend something and it can only go so far, honestly.
00:20:37.839 --> 00:20:51.359
But I mean, if you really want to make a change, you gotta go out on your own and do it in your own personal capacity because you can never ever ever talk about any topic and say that it's a community board, you know, a CB8 initiative.
00:20:51.440 --> 00:20:52.160
You can't do that.
00:20:52.319 --> 00:20:53.359
There's rules to it.
00:20:53.599 --> 00:20:58.480
And and what about uh have have you met content creators who are on community boards?
00:20:58.559 --> 00:21:01.839
Because I can only imagine that, you know, I'm looking at I'd love to.
00:21:02.319 --> 00:21:04.880
I would love to find somebody like that.
00:21:05.039 --> 00:21:06.640
I'm telling you, they're afraid of this.
00:21:06.720 --> 00:21:07.680
They don't want to.
00:21:08.640 --> 00:21:11.519
There's like with this is the crazy part.
00:21:11.759 --> 00:21:17.119
With all of this political anger that young kids are having, they're not involved.
00:21:17.279 --> 00:21:17.920
I don't see them.
00:21:18.000 --> 00:21:25.680
We have like two kids, when I say kids, like high schoolers that are on our border early, uh they just graduated from college.
00:21:25.920 --> 00:21:31.599
Most of them are just they're not, they're not thinking about the greater world, they're not interested in it.
00:21:31.759 --> 00:21:37.759
And there's so much to do, but they're and then so you have a bunch of so it's it's highly skewed, right?
00:21:37.839 --> 00:21:44.240
So you have like all these like senior citizens that didn't be they don't know how to use social media, they don't know how to use messaging, they don't know how to do any of this stuff.
00:21:44.400 --> 00:21:55.839
And we would love to have young kids that could come and really kind of um in and and and TikTok activate, but but but but they're just they're not interested.
00:21:56.079 --> 00:21:58.160
Well, you know, hopefully after this episode.
00:21:58.640 --> 00:21:58.799
Yeah.
00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:03.039
To distribute it so that uh the world the word gets out.
00:22:03.279 --> 00:22:05.519
Um something that you said that I want to get back into.
00:22:05.680 --> 00:22:16.400
Um I remember you said that you gave about thirty-two proposed changes you wanted to see happen to a city counselor, uh Julie.
00:22:16.799 --> 00:22:19.759
And she said that she could only take on two.
00:22:20.000 --> 00:22:23.119
What are the things what were the obstacles for for that you faced?
00:22:23.359 --> 00:22:33.519
Um one was like a sampling program, which was like if we sample the dog poop and you get your dog registered, we're gonna know exactly whose dog it is.
00:22:33.839 --> 00:22:36.079
Extremely expensive to do.
00:22:36.400 --> 00:22:40.000
New York City is not wasting their money on something like that, okay?
00:22:40.319 --> 00:22:52.240
So um, oh, police officers start getting the only way that somebody could actually get fine, by the way, for the$250 fine, which$250 was the fine they established in 1978.
00:22:52.640 --> 00:22:58.640
If you match it to inflation today, that fine should be over like$1,500, okay?
00:22:58.799 --> 00:23:03.440
Or sorry, it's like$1,225, okay, for the dog waste.
00:23:03.599 --> 00:23:05.119
They're not gonna increase that.
00:23:05.359 --> 00:23:14.400
They're not gonna send out extra police officers to patrol the streets to catch somebody in the crime, because that's the only way you could get fined, is if you get caught in the crime.
00:23:14.559 --> 00:23:19.359
No one's getting they're doing this late at night or early in the morning and they're they're being strategic.
00:23:19.519 --> 00:23:22.880
They're making sure that nobody's watching them walk away from the dog waste.
00:23:23.119 --> 00:23:27.680
So things that she was just like very realistic, this is not gonna work.
00:23:27.920 --> 00:23:30.240
And you can understand why they're not gonna work.
00:23:30.319 --> 00:23:33.279
It's a very tricky topic of how do you get a handle on this?
00:23:33.599 --> 00:23:42.960
This so this is getting to a big question that I have, which is you know, if you don't, if you only have so much time in front of your city counselor, you know, this is usually the case for a lot of representatives anyway.
00:23:43.680 --> 00:23:55.920
What work can you do before that meeting uh to come up with the right set of changes that you just know they are likelier to say yes to?
00:23:56.000 --> 00:23:58.799
So that so that you're not leaving disappointed where they're just like, good luck.
00:23:59.119 --> 00:24:09.759
In terms of the solutions, you kind of have to aim a little low on things, things that you know are gonna be like they'll agree to this.
00:24:09.920 --> 00:24:11.279
This is not a heavy lift.
00:24:11.440 --> 00:24:12.799
This is not a heavy act.
00:24:13.039 --> 00:24:20.319
This is not, you know, this is not gonna, this is not mind-blowing science or legislation or something that has to be done.
00:24:20.559 --> 00:24:25.359
And I think like sometimes the solutions are a little more simpler than what people think they are.
00:24:25.599 --> 00:24:29.680
Um, so you aim well, honestly, and see where you get.
00:24:29.759 --> 00:24:32.559
And then from that point, you can get more ambitious.
00:24:32.960 --> 00:24:46.960
And and for things that one city counselor can't do, but you're a resident, is it that you start to band together with residents in other districts to kind of create this coalition to push multiple counselors in one way?
00:24:47.200 --> 00:24:50.880
Or is that just have you not seen that happen among just residents?
00:24:51.119 --> 00:24:53.599
I I I have not seen that happen yet.
00:24:53.759 --> 00:24:58.640
I've only done things in capacity of my own neighborhood and my own community board.
00:24:58.799 --> 00:25:07.519
Um, I'm very lucky that I live in a highly dense city neighborhood where we have about 200,000 residents.
00:25:07.759 --> 00:25:09.279
Um, so that helps.
00:25:09.440 --> 00:25:16.720
If I lived in another area where there wasn't such a high population, maybe things would be different for me.
00:25:17.039 --> 00:25:19.680
So I th we're kind of getting near the end of the conversation.
00:25:19.839 --> 00:25:25.119
Um, I want to know what ambitions do you may you have?
00:25:25.519 --> 00:25:32.160
Uh is it gonna is the cap the community board, or do you see yourself kind of becoming more involved beyond?
00:25:32.640 --> 00:25:33.200
I don't know.
00:25:34.480 --> 00:25:38.799
It's wherever I can be the most of use, to be honest.
00:25:39.039 --> 00:25:49.359
Um I like like right now, I again, I'm just waiting for my next hot topic like button issue for me to get activated again.
00:25:49.599 --> 00:25:51.599
Um I don't care about everything.
00:25:51.759 --> 00:25:56.079
I care about certain things a lot, but I don't care about like everything.
00:25:56.240 --> 00:26:01.759
And and being being in charge means that you need to care about everything.
00:26:02.000 --> 00:26:09.519
Um so maybe I'll get there, maybe not, but I think it's pretty much on a a per case basis for now.
00:26:10.079 --> 00:26:10.319
Yeah.
00:26:10.400 --> 00:26:17.519
So the city the city counselors are just like uh their bandwidth is large and they just are ready to take it all.
00:26:17.759 --> 00:26:19.839
And yeah, it's like cut it.
00:26:20.319 --> 00:26:20.559
Yeah.
00:26:21.440 --> 00:26:29.279
And what is the thing that you recommend they do so that the chances of them engaging in similar ways that you have take place?
00:26:29.680 --> 00:26:30.880
Start somewhere.
00:26:31.920 --> 00:26:32.799
Start somewhere.
00:26:33.119 --> 00:26:34.960
Say you're gonna do it and do it.
00:26:35.359 --> 00:26:55.200
Whether it's a petition, whether it's a social media post, whether it's getting people together that want to come together as a coalition with you or as a group or as a a voice for what it is that you're looking to change, and get in touch with the people who are in charge.
00:26:55.440 --> 00:26:58.240
That is the most effective way of doing things.
00:26:58.400 --> 00:27:02.880
I don't believe in protests, I don't believe in rallies, I don't believe in any of these things.
00:27:03.119 --> 00:27:08.720
You want to get something done, go put some logic on paper and go talk to the people who are in charge.
00:27:08.880 --> 00:27:10.319
And that is the best way to do it.
00:27:10.640 --> 00:27:11.759
And involve the media.
00:27:12.640 --> 00:27:13.920
And involve the media.
00:27:14.160 --> 00:27:14.799
Yes.
00:27:15.200 --> 00:27:17.599
The media is your social media.
00:27:17.680 --> 00:27:20.000
Like that really gets things going.
00:27:20.319 --> 00:27:31.279
But your first place is having an idea and an end goal, getting the people to back you up so that they know you're not the only one thinking this way, and then going to the person in charge.
00:27:31.599 --> 00:27:34.480
Let me just get back to this point about the rallying and the protest.
00:27:34.720 --> 00:27:39.279
Um, for people who think that that's are you saying don't just stop there?
00:27:39.599 --> 00:27:45.759
You gotta then I just I think those things make more noise than they are effective.
00:27:45.920 --> 00:27:48.880
I think those things are more theater than they are effective.
00:27:49.119 --> 00:27:53.519
And I think honestly, in the last 10 years, I'm like protest fatigued.
00:27:53.599 --> 00:27:54.960
I don't want to see another protest.
00:27:55.039 --> 00:27:56.000
Like, I'm not interested.
00:27:56.160 --> 00:28:05.279
I think like, I think it's just like anyone who has anything is just like another protest, another rally, and then it's just a bunch of people just like screaming at each other over the same things that they all believe in.
00:28:05.440 --> 00:28:07.599
Like that to me is not real change.
00:28:07.759 --> 00:28:19.599
I think the most effective leaders out there are the ones who work smart and strategically and go to the people who are in charge that they can speak with head to head with and then come to an actual solution.
00:28:19.759 --> 00:28:23.519
I don't think that screaming in the streets will get you anywhere, my personal opinion.
00:28:23.839 --> 00:28:31.759
And what's one uh media outlet you recommend people when they're just like, ah, I need to get in front of a camera.
00:28:32.000 --> 00:28:33.519
Which one do you recommend first?
00:28:33.759 --> 00:28:35.200
I think New York one is great.
00:28:35.359 --> 00:28:36.319
Spectrum.
00:28:36.559 --> 00:28:38.240
Everyone gets spectrum.
00:28:38.400 --> 00:28:38.960
Yeah.
00:28:39.200 --> 00:28:40.480
Ah, right, correct.
00:28:40.640 --> 00:28:40.880
Okay.
00:28:41.119 --> 00:28:43.440
Well, Danielle, it's great to have this conversation.
00:28:43.599 --> 00:28:46.160
Thank you so much, and I hope that the listeners enjoy it as well.
00:28:46.400 --> 00:28:46.640
Thank you.
00:28:46.880 --> 00:28:50.400
Please keep me posted on when this is uh out in the world.
00:28:52.400 --> 00:28:59.440
That is Danielle Avisard, a member of her community board in New York City who also executes brand partnership deals in her professional career.
00:28:59.599 --> 00:29:03.359
If you like this episode, then I encourage you to subscribe to the show wherever you listen.
00:29:03.440 --> 00:29:04.720
I'm Carrie Rodriguez.
00:29:04.799 --> 00:29:08.160
Thank you for listening, and I'll see you at the next episode.