|
|
Newsletters 2008
June
Betsy Gotbaum This Week
June 23, 2008
Real People, Real Problems, Real Results #1
A very worried Bronx mother of three, fearing her Section 8 subsidized housing voucher was about to expire, contacted my office for help. The woman, 41, said she had found a suitable apartment but that her assigned Section 8 housing assistant from the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) wasn't actually assisting. Though she said she had submitted all relevant paperwork, including the lease, the housing assistant never sent anyone to inspect the apartment. In the meantime, the woman had received a letter saying the housing voucher would be terminated, since she had never used it. But she couldn't use the voucher until NYCHA inspected the apartment. Frances Santiago, one of my ombuds staffers, contacted the appropriate NYCHA office and explained the woman's dilemma. Shortly afterward, the woman received the Section 8 documents that enabled her to make the move.
Real People, Real Problems, Real Results #2
A Brooklyn woman who had suffered a violent assault in her neighborhood contacted my office for help with a move from her subsidized apartment. She had been granted an emergency transfer because of her status as an intimidated victim. But when she told her landlord she was moving, she said, he became angry and, apparently out of spite, immediately started an eviction process. That had the effect of delaying her transfer. Frances Santiago again handled the case for my office. She advised the woman to collect all relevant documents and take them directly to the NYCHA housing office that had approved her transfer. The woman did so. The office investigated and in due time found that a judge had dismissed the landlord's case. promptly expanded the emergency transfer to a portable transfer, which allowed the woman to move anywhere in the United States.
City Must Not Close Homeless Intake Center
Homeless intake centers ensure that those who need a bed for the night do in fact get one. I truly was shocked when I learned that the city planned to close the 30th Street Intake center and shelter for homeless men in Manhattan. Earlier this month I sent a letter to city Department of Homeless Services (DHS) Commissioner Robert Hess outlining my opposition to this ill-advised plan. I have not received a response. According to DHS's Hope 2008, the NYC Street Survey, far more homeless New Yorkers were found in Manhattan than in any other borough. The DHS plan would force many homeless men to travel from Manhattan to Brooklyn by train or bus at their own expense to find shelter. All this is bad enough, but what's worse is that the city wants to replace the 30th Street Intake center with a luxury hotel. This is unconscionable, and I strongly urge DHS to rethink this misguided plan.
39th Annual LGBT Pride Day March A Success
What a week for Gay Pride! The rally in Bryant Park, the thrilling march down Fifth Avenue, Pridefest, the Dance on the Pier, the Rapture on the River -- wow! I've long taken part in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) events -- with pride -- and members of my staff and I had such fun yesterday at the 39th Annual LGBT Pride Day March. We were one of nearly 300 groups. The parade, of course, has its serious side: It began as a yearly civil rights demonstration, and it evolved to recognize the fight against AIDS and to remember those who have died. But it's also a celebration of the city's vibrant LGBT community, and it was a pleasure to take part.
Have a great week and a festive Fourth of July!
Betsy Gotbaum This Week
June 23, 2008
Real People, Real Problems, Real Results
Saying he was desperate and at wit's end, a Bronx man contacted my office about downed telephone lines in his back yard. Verizon had dispatched a crew to fix the problem, the man said, but the solution was to attach the lines to a dying 70-foot maple tree. As it happens, the man already had hired a tree surgeon to remove the tree. Frustrated by 2-1/2 years of "wrangling" with Verizon, the man said, he and his wife were on the verge of hiring a lawyer. But first, his wife said, why not try calling Ralph Perfetto, one of my ombuds staffers. Mr. Perfetto, the man later wrote me, "had performed a prior miracle 4-1/2 years ago when my blind, aged mother's dial tone was interrupted. Nothing could persuade Verizon to fix it -- nothing, except Ralph Perfetto."
So they called my office. "Lo and behold, the very next day" the head of a local Verizon office arrived "full of contrition and anxious to fix the problem immediately," the man said. An on-site worker, he added, confided that "'I don't know who you're talking to down there, but you're talking to the right guy.' Indeed, I was." And also, "I am very happy to receive this kind of return on the investment of my tax dollars. Your office is to be applauded."
311 Must Better Aide Parents of Students with Special Needs
My office issued a report that shows that 311 gives inconsistent information to parents of children with special needs. DOE policy is to have parents call 311 with questions about special education, and yet only 1 out of 100 calls were transferred to the DOE’s special education call center. We asked 10 different questions ten times each and got 33 different answers from 311. Yesterday, I called a press conference demanding that the Department of Education (DOE) make its Special Education Call Center more accessible to those who need it. Parents shouldn’t have to hope to get the right answer from our city’s call center.
I also recommend that:
- DoITT train 311 operators on special education and implement a quality assurance program.
- DoITT instruct operators to specifically ask parents calling with a special education question if they want to be transferred to the Call Center and give them the direct number so those parents can follow up on their inquiries.
- The DOE should ensure that when operators refer parents to their schools’ parent coordinators, parents receive a timely and helpful response.
City Must Help Kids Get Summer Jobs and Keep Community Centers Open to Fight Rise in Gun Violence
Last Thursday, I held a press conference with a group of concerned citizens and community leaders about the need for Mayor Bloomberg to restore at least $8 million in funding for the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) and provide funding for the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA). These programs are especially important given the rise in youth gun violence over the past few years.
By keeping youth employed through the SYEP or providing them with recreation and education programs through the NYCHA community centers, we can give them positive alternatives to hanging out on the street. I feel that keeping kids safe should be one of our top priorities and I urge the Mayor to make sure that our children are safe. School is almost out for the summer, and the time to act is now.
Pharmacies Must Provide Free Translation Assistance and Services for Prescription Drugs
When taking prescription drugs, it is always important to understand what the directions are so that the drugs can be safely administered. For 1.8 million New Yorkers who have limited English proficiency (LEP), this is harder to do. Last Monday, along with Council Member Rivera, I co-chaired a Council Oversight Hearing on this very issue. Following the hearing, I joined with Councilmember Rivera, Eric Gioia, Make the Road NY, New York Lawyers for the Public Interest, and the New York Immigration Coalition to announcing our intent to draft a bill that would require city pharmacies to post signs indicating that LEP individuals have the right to free, accessible languages assistance and translation services. Making sure that people can read their prescriptions isn’t rocket science. This isn’t a difficult problem to fix, and I look forward to working with the Council and Advocate groups on addressing these problems.
Betsy Gotbaum This Week
June 9, 2008
Real People, Real Problems, Real Results #1
An exasperated Staten Island woman called my office after her application for public housing, which had been pending for five years, was rejected. The reason? Tardy paperwork. The woman, age 27 and now the single mother of a 1-year-old daughter, had applied to the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) in 2003. During a subsequent NYCHA interview, the woman said, she was told that she needed a letter from the city Human Resources Administration (HRA) that outlined her previous public assistance income. (Though once unemployed, she later found work as a certified home health aide.) Due to bureaucratic delays, she said, it took four months to acquire the HRA letter and other requested documents. But when she presented the assembled papers to NYCHA, she said, she was told that time had run out and that her application had been "dropped." Her protests went nowhere. One of my ombuds staffers, Frances Santiago, contacted NYCHA on her behalf. Ms. Santiago pointed out that dates on the relevant documents clearly showed that the woman had done nothing to cause the four-month delay. NYCHA investigated and later agreed to reinstate her application.
Real People, Real Problems, Real Results #2
A Brooklyn woman contacted my office about her long-unpaid residential water bill of $19,174.65, an amount that included interest and penalties. The woman and her sister, both seniors, live alone in a single-family home. Though the residence had no leaks or broken faucets, its latest monthly water bill had been $1,000 -- clearly an error, and an ongoing one. Ralph Perfetto, one of my ombuds staffers, asked the woman for a copy of the $1,000 bill. Mr. Perfetto then contacted the city Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) on the sisters' behalf, explaining that they had stopped paying their water bill because of the obvious overcharge, for which they were awaiting an adjustment. He also pointed out that the $1,000 bill actually should have been $23.53, based on DEP's own usage calculations, plus a $37.41 sewer charge. Mr. Perfetto pursued this case for an entire year. DEP finally adjusted the bill to $3,000, and the sisters promptly paid.
Citywide Customer Survey: Tell Us What You Think
I'm pleased to say that, starting next week, the mayor and I begin mailing our Citywide Customer Survey to 100,000 randomly-selected households. The survey tries to broadly assess how New Yorkers regard the city in general and their neighborhood in particular. It addresses such issues as the quality of garbage collection; rodent and noise control; sidewalk, playground and parks maintenance; availability of health care; and the condition of public housing and schools.
Survey results will allow us to identify where the city can improve government performance. The greater the public participation, the better we can hold city agencies accountable for providing the very best in customer service. To maintain confidentiality, survey results will be mailed to a third party contractor in New York City. Private information will not be available to the public or the city.
The 34-question survey may be completed in English, Russian, Chinese or Spanish, and the mayor and I hope to make the results public in September.
My office developed the concept of a citizens' satisfaction survey more than two years ago, and we're now working to raise $200,000 to finance focus groups to discuss the results. We want to know not just what people are concerned about, but why. Stay tuned....
Questions Remain on "Reorganizing" Senior Centers
I was among those who strongly suggested that significant changes to senior services, including a "reorganization" of senior centers, be postponed. It's good that the city announced last week that some reforms would be phased in, rather than abruptly put in place. I recently spoke at the city Department for the Aging (DFTA) budget hearing about the proposed changes, which amounted to a sweeping overhaul of senior centers. I also took part in a news conference on the same issue last Thursday on the steps of City Hall. The question weighing most on my mind is this: If DFTA reorganizes senior centers into a system of regions, closing some senior centers, what happens to the seniors who attended those centers? The answer remains elusive. DFTA indeed should proceed with caution here, since such drastic change may have serious long-term consequences. We cannot afford to jeopardize services on which so many seniors rely.
DOE Should Correct Mistakes, Extend Deadline for Pre-K Placement Appeals
After fielding multiple complaints from parents, I called a news conference last week to demand that the city Department of Education (DOE) correct mistakes made in the pre-Kindergarten (pre-K) admissions process and that DOE improve the appeals process. Councilmember Bill de Blasio joined me in making this demand. We also ask that DOE:
--Provide appropriate pre-K placements for children affected by placement errors
--Extend the appeals deadline to the end of June
--Provide ways other than e-mail to file appeals
--Ensure that detailed information on the appeals procedure is easily accessible and widely publicized
DOE information about pre-K enrollment is at
http://schools.nyc.gov/ChoicesEnrollment/PreK/default.htm .
Betsy Gotbaum This Week
June 2, 2008
Real People, Real Problems, Real Results
For several months, my office worked with a desperate Manhattan woman, a blind senior, regarding her request for a furniture allowance from the city Human Resources Administration (HRA). The woman had suffered an outbreak of bedbugs, and her furniture had to be discarded. She applied to HRA for help but was denied on various technical grounds. She appealed that ruling and, with our help, was scheduled for a telephone hearing. But on the appointed day, she said, no one called. Heather Francis, one of my ombuds staffers, then contacted the appropriate HRA homebound unit on her behalf. I'm pleased to say that its staff responded quickly. A caseworker visited the woman and filled out her application. Shortly afterward, the woman called to tell us that she had been approved for a $500 furniture grant.
DOE Must Address Parents' Concerns Regarding Pre-K Enrollment
Last week I sent a letter to city Department of Education (DOE) Chancellor Joel Klein regarding parents' problems with the confusing new enrollment process for pre-Kindergarten (pre-K) children. Pre-K parents say DOE is not following its own guidelines regarding school choice, school zones and schools that pre-K siblings attend. As a result, parents remain in the dark about what school their pre-K kids will attend this fall.
I'm calling on DOE to immediately address the concerns of pre-K parents. For one thing, DOE needs to reach out to these anxious parents and make sure that they get the information they need.The text of my letter to Chancellor Klein is at
http://pubadvocate.nyc.gov/news/5.28.08KleinPreK.html.
And, if you're a parent who needs help with pre-K enrollment, please call my office at 212-669-7250.
Steps Needed To Curtail Youth Violence
I am distressed by the recent rash of shootings in Harlem, the Bronx and Queens. As I said last week at a Stop the Violence rally in Marcus Garvey Park, we must work harder to end such bloodshed, and we must work together. It's not just up to the New York Police Department. It's an ongoing struggle for us as a society -- families, community members, elected officials.
Let’s keep the pressure on and stop the flow of illegal handguns into New York City. The mayor and police commissioner have made admirable strides in this area. We also need to create more youth employment opportunities, and we need to focus on creating more, not closing more, summer programs for teens. Work keeps kids off the street, and it puts money in their pockets. It’s one of the best tools we have for moving our kids in the right direction.
City Needs to Help Retain Neighborhood Grocery Stores
New York City has long been a national leader in helping its residents live healthier lives. We've limited trans fats in restaurants. We've established greenmarkets. We've banned smoking in bars and restaurants. In some neighborhoods, access to groceries has long been an important issue, too. Supermarkets are shutting their doors, and the cost of food is soaring.
I've made access to food and nutrition a priority by connecting more eligible New Yorkers with food stamps. Last week I also took part in a rally outside City Hall that promoted supermarket retention and protested higher grocery bills. About 3 million New Yorkers now live in supermarket-deprived areas. The more supermarkets that close, the more we disconnect New Yorkers from healthy food options and the more decent-paying union jobs we risk losing. The city needs to do more to prevent this situation from getting worse. The city also needs to make sure that this situation improves.
Schools To Present Public Advocate Achievement Awards
Education has always been one of my highest priorities, and I strongly believe that top achievers in city schools deserve recognition and encouragement. In line with that, I'm sending Public Advocate Achievement Awards to 3,000 public and private schools to present to two top students. In choosing recipients for these awards, I encourage school administrators to gauge student performance in three areas: academic excellence, civic responsibility and community service. As in years past, I also suggest that the schools use gender parity in presenting the certificates -- one award to a boy, one to a girl. And, as always, I salute our students.
|
|
|
