Candidate Name

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Question 1: What is your general view on government open data as it relates to government transparency, accountability, and public participation in Cleveland?

I believe that our government should be as transparent as possible. To that end, I am generally in favor of the concept of open data.

Question 2: Do you support making city open data sets available in the most standard, non-proprietary, reusable, and machine readable format possible the default policy? For example, making public datasets available as CSV files rather than PDFs. Feel free to use the "Other" option to add comments. Yes, No, and Other were options

This is something that I'd have to study more. One concern of mine would be the ability of non-government actors to adjust the data. I feel controls must be enacted to protect the integrity of the data.

Question 3: In your opinion, does the City of Cleveland currently provide enough open, standardized data in a digital format? What kinds of government information or specific data sets would you like to see made more available to residents? *

I believe that our city government lack transparency and that we do not provide enough data in digital format. My administration will embrace and promote a "Smart City" approach to government that provides public safety, economic and city service data to the residents of Cleveland..

Question 4: Many data sets controlled by the city are comprised exclusively of data that by law should be accessible to the public. Would you commit to making such datasets publicly available online in your first year in office? *(Yes, no, or other, with option to free paragraph)

Yes

Question 5: How would you approach balancing privacy, safety, and budget concerns in implementing technologies like Spotshotter and surveillance cameras ? What would you prioritize?

Privacy is extremely important when using technology. Having said that, I believe that cameras in our neighborhoods are important to identify those who commit criminal offenses. We must ensure that all technology being used is utilized in compliance with state and federal privacy laws. As these technologies evolve, I will ensure that our city government remains diligent in its oversight of these emerging tools.

Question 6: What are your views on the use of facial recognition technology by police? Would you support its prohibition? Do you believe that residents should be required to share footage from their security video cameras (like residents' doorbells, e.g. Ring)? *

I do not believe the government has an absolute right to the security camera footage of its residents. I believe this raises troubling privacy concerns. Furthermore, there are concerns regarding issues of potential hacking of databases that store facial recognition data. The issue needs more study to ensure that those we represent are not unwittingly swept up in mass surveillance.

Question 7: Do you believe every Northeast Ohio resident must have affordable access to universal high-speed internet of at least 50 megabits per second (Mbps) (aka broadband) where they live, work or play?" If so, how would you address this?

I do believe that every resident should have access to affordable high speed internet. In order to achieve this outcome we must take seriously the notion that this is a city service that must be offered to our residents in the same way that water and electricity is. We must budget for installation of broadband across the entire city.

Question 8: We understand that working to implement an open data policy across multiple departments and agencies can be a significant management challenge. If elected, how will you implement a municipal open data policy that you envision and have described in your responses above?

I would meet with the City of Cleveland's Tech Czar in order to better understand current protocols and if necessary, implement new ones.

Question 9: What else should we know for your plans around increasing government transparency, open data, and digital equality ?

I am of the mind the government should be transparent and responsive to those who have elected us to serve. The mayor's office is no different. As for digital equality, we must provide access to high speed internet to all of our residents. As we've seen during the pandemic, when our children pivoted to virtual learning, those who don't have this access have fallen behind. We are destined to lose a generation of potential if we do not address this problem immediately. My administration will do that. These services are also important to those who sometimes are forced to live on the margins of society. Our senior citizens, many of whom are on fixed income, suffer, when they can't access government benefits or information on what's going on in their neighborhoods. Increasingly, this information is to be found online. Absent this access to affordable high-speed internet, we are in effect, adding another layer to our permanent underclass. That is unacceptable.

Question 10: As a gesture of your commitment to open data, would you be willing to release your campaign's financial disclosure statement in a machine-readable format (e.g. CSV, XML, EXCEL etc) on your campaign website? (yes, no, other)

At this time I would like to wait until my next compulsory disclosure.