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Newsletters 2008
August
Betsy Gotbaum This Week
8-5-08
Real People, Real Problems, Real Results
A Brooklyn woman contacted my office for help with a bill for a $200 telephone call to Spain. The woman, a senior who lives on a fixed income, insisted that she had made no such call. When she does place international calls, she said, she always uses prepaid phone cards. She complained to the telephone company, but the customer service representative refused to reverse the $200 charge. At that point Elsa Suazo, one of my ombuds staffers, intervened. The woman later called to say that, shortly after Ms. Suazo contacted the telephone company, she herself received a call about the bill: The $200 would be credited to her account.
City Should End Unfair Late-Arrival Policy for Homeless Families
This week I released a report about a city Department of Homeless Services (DHS) policy in which DHS denies shelter to a certain group of homeless families -- those who have been found ineligible for placement but who then re-apply after 5 p.m. The policy, instituted in 2007, has serious flaws. Of 278 families turned away between October 2007 and February 2008, 61 percent later were granted overnight placement or were found to be eligible for shelter after presenting what DHS deemed to be new information. The percentage suggests that DHS frequently errs in determining whether families are eligible for shelter.
This policy is unfair. Four years ago, the mayor promised to end chronic homelessness by 2009. And what happened? Homelessness has gone up in the city, and DHS is implementing new policies to turn families away, forcing them to return to unsafe, unhealthy living situations. Read the report here: http://www.pubadvocate.nyc.gov/news/08.05.08DHSProfiles.html
I recommend that DHS:
-- End the policy of denying shelter to families who re-apply after 5 p.m.
-- Evaluate and revise the application process to improve eligibility determinations.
-- Revise shelter application and re-application procedures such that school-aged children do not have to miss school.
State Gives Women Better On-Line Access to Maternity Data
Last week I commended the state Department of Health (DOH) for improving on-line access to vital maternity information, an action that followed my letter to DOH in January. The new on-line portal provides statistics about hospital childbirth procedures, including Caesarean sections, epidurals and episiotomies. I asked that this information be made available to help women make informed decisions before giving birth. The data may be downloaded at www.nyhealth.gov/statistics/facilities/hospital/maternity/.
I've also urged the city Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) to make this data available through its website. After issuing two reports that showed how difficult it was for women to obtain maternity information from city hospitals, in May 2007 I introduced a bill that would require the city to create an online database of maternity information.
My reports, released in 2005 and 2006, found that no city hospital distributed information required by the State Maternity Information Act. In August 2007, after several rounds of calls by my office, all 44 city hospitals had provided my office with the mandated pamphlets.
Have a great week!
Betsy Gotbaum This Week
8-18-08
Real People, Real Problems, Real Results, Case #1
Suffering from severe pain, a New York man, 49, called my office directly from the Harlem Hospital Center emergency room, pleading for help in obtaining medical attention. While at work the man had injured his lip, which became badly swollen. He called my office because he had been at the hospital for five hours, he said, and had yet to see a triage nurse. Bronce Perez, one of my ombuds staffers, immediately contacted the city Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC) on his behalf. A HHC staffer agreed to call the hospital right away, and did. Minutes later, the HHC staffer called back to say that the man would be promptly evaluated and treated. The man later reported that, thanks to our intervention, that did in fact occur.
Real People, Real Problems, Real Results, Case #2
A counselor at Lutheran Family Health Centers contacted my office on behalf of a Brooklyn man who lives with his mother, a senior, in Red Hook Houses. A month earlier, the man had contacted the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) about a leak in his bathroom. NYCHA plumbers repaired the leak, but in correcting that problem they created another: They left such gaping holes in the ceiling and walls that the man and his mother were unable to bathe properly. Bronce Perez intervened in this case as well. He contacted a woman who handles emergency repairs for NYCHA, asking that the damaged bathroom be repaired immediately. The NYCHA staffer called back a few hours later to say that she had sent a maintenance crew to inspect the damage and that repairs were scheduled for the next day.
High School Graduation Rates Up, But More Improvement Needed
The city Department of Education, teachers, administrators and most of all students should be commended for the 2.4 per cent gain in high school graduation rates, as announced last week. It's great that we finally have surpassed the 50 per cent mark. But we must not lose sight of the fact that nearly 50 per cent of students still don’t graduate on time. And while black and Hispanic students made gains in graduation numbers, the fact remains that fewer than half graduate on time. Further, the city continues to lag behind the state in graduation rates, and English language learners graduate at lower rates than they did just three years ago. We can do better, and we must.
Compromise Needed on Willets Point Rezoning Plan
No one wants Willets Point to remain as it is, given its streets filled with potholes, lack of sewers and frequent flooding. We all want what's best for both the neighborhood and the city: Viable jobs, affordable housing, more schools and opportunity for economic growth. All this can be realized in Willets Point, especially if everyone involved has a voice in the process.
The current Willets Point Development Plan is large in both vision and scope, but it has deep flaws that must be addressed. There is a need for sensible compromise, not a headlong rush for approval. It makes sense to bring all stakeholders together, set aside adequate time for all concerns to be voiced and then make informed decisions on how best to move forward. My full statement on this matter is at http://pubadvocate.nyc.gov/news/08.13.08WilletsPoint.html
Have a great week!
Betsy Gotbaum This Week
8-25-08
Full HUD Funding Needed to Help Prevent Elevator Tragedies
I was so distressed to hear of the death last week of 5-year-old Jacob Neuman, who fell down an elevator shaft in a New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) apartment complex in Brooklyn. To protect residents, we must take immediate steps to ensure that all NYCHA elevators are properly maintained, and safe. However, both the city and state face budget shortfalls, and the operating shortfall NYCHA faces from just the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is $150 million. I call on HUD to fully fund NYCHA operating subsidies. Such funds are used for repair and maintenance, which helps prevent the kind of accident that led to the death of this young boy. My heart goes out to his family.
Real People, Real Problems, Real Results
A Manhattan woman contacted my office for help with a problem that even Housing Court hadn't solved. For several years the woman, whose apartment is on the top floor of an Upper West Side building, had lived with a leaky roof. Every time it rained, she said, she had to position buckets around her living room to catch the multiple drips. She pursued the matter in Housing Court, and the judge ruled in her favor. But the roof, unrepaired, continued to leak. Bronce Perez, one of my ombuds staffers, contacted the city Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) on the woman's behalf. An inspector promptly investigated -- and promptly issued a notice of violation. The landlord's deadline for fixing the roof is Aug. 31. If he fails to comply, HPD will make emergency repairs.
Children's Health and Wellness Tour Continues
My Children's Health and Wellness Tour continued last week with visits to Coney Island and to Barretto Point Park, Bronx. The wellness tour includes a quick screening to assess a child's Body Mass Index provided by the Community Healthcare Network, and it works to educate parents on the importance of early preventive child healthcare. It also provides nutritional information and resources and encourages daily exercise. Two dates remain: Sept. 6 at the Richmond County Fair, Staten Island, and Sept. 14 at Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Queens.
Annual Picnic Celebrates Seniors
It was such fun last week to once again join state Assemblyman Vito J. Lopez, the staff of the Ridgewood Bushwick Senior Citizens Center and hundreds of my fellow seniors at a fabulous picnic at Sunken Meadow State Park. The day-long, food-filled annual event celebrates seniors and recognizes their many contributions to the City of New York. Apart from that, the day showcased senior-oriented music, dancing, games and great community spirit, and I loved being a part of it. My Community Affairs staff gave out whistles, key chains and pudding – Yes, it was a big hit. I am always heartened by the response of the seniors to us and to my husband Victor, who ran the union for many of those present.
Have a great week and a great Labor Day Weekend. I am off to Denver so tune in for a report next week!
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