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Newsletters 2007
November
Betsy Gotbaum This Week
November 19, 2007
Thanksgiving Turkeys Delivered to Food Bank
Last week I was among those who joined Stop & Shop executives as they announced their donation of a truckload of 500 Thanksgiving turkeys to the Food Bank for New York City. It was quite a sight -- a turkey-filled tractor-trailer, 69 feet long, parked near City Hall. Stop & Shop should be applauded for its generosity. Representatives of RWDSU/UFCW Local 338 and UFCW Local 1500 were at the event as well. These unions conduct their own Thanksgiving food drives.
The sad reality is that hunger doesn’t take a break for the holidays. New York City food pantries and soup kitchens are facing the worst food shortage in 20 years -- this at a time when 1.3 million New Yorkers rely on emergency food programs. The great irony, of course, is that New York is one of the richest cities in the world.
In this season of thanks and giving, I urge all New Yorkers to help the less fortunate by donating food to local soup kitchens and food pantries. Or donate blankets and coats to area shelters, especially as the weather grows colder. For down-on-their-luck New Yorkers, even small donations may have a big impact.
Young People See Gang Activity in Schools, Neighborhoods
This past Sunday I released a report showing that many New York City young people believe that gang activity is alive and well. There is more gang activity than there used to be, young people say, and gangs are a problem in their neighborhood. The report, based on 348 face-to-face interviews with students at three summer school sites and at three summer job registration centers, found that two-thirds of those questioned believe that there are more gangs today than there used to be.
This finding supports recent data from the New York City Police Department, which reported a 62 percent spike in gang-motivated incidents in the first four months of Fiscal Year 2007. Two-thirds of the young people surveyed felt that there are more gangs today; nearly half considered gangs a problem in their neighborhood; and more than two-thirds said they noticed gang colors and flags in their schools.
While some jurisdictions try to stop gang violence with harsh punishment and more police action, research shows that incidents of violence increase with more severe punishment.
Because it’s time to explore alternative ways to deal with this problem, I'm planning a series of roundtable discussions with students, educators, community leaders and elected officials which will culminate in recommendations on how the city can best respond.
Mock Bake Sale Calls Attention to Need for School Site Review
The city recently rejected a request for $11,000 for a review of its draft maintenance and monitoring plan for the Mott Haven Schools Campus, which had been contaminated by toxic chemicals. Last week I joined parents, children, teachers and other advocates at a "bake sale" on the steps of City Hall to draw attention to the need for the $11,000, which would pay independent environmental experts to review the plan, which community groups believe is inadequate. Each of 11 cupcakes was on sale for $1,000.
A price tag, of course, cannot be put on children’s health. By taking a small, common-sense, $11,000 step to guarantee that the city is doing all it can to properly maintain and monitor the site, however, we can create a safe environment for decades to come. It's a small price to pay in an effort to protect children.
Happy Thanksgiving!
I wish all of you a happy, hearty and altogether scrumptious holiday.
One of the things I enjoy at this time of year is fixing my favorite side dish for our Thanksgiving table. When it comes to epicurean traditions, however, mine is a bit unconventional: It's cooked red cabbage flavored with turkey juices, onions and pancetta.
Just for fun, what's your favorite Thanksgiving side dish? Please let us know at issues@pubadvocate.nyc.gov.
Betsy Gotbaum This Week
November 13, 2007
Real People, Real Problems, Real Results
A U.S. Army sergeant on active duty in Ft. Lewis, WA was being evicted from his late grandfather's Mitchell Lama apartment In East Harlem because, according to the city, he didn't qualify for succession rights. However, his grandfather had included him in his annual income affidavits, and, in Army records, the sergeant used the Mitchell Lama address as his primary residence. Further, housing records listed the sergeant as an absent member of the family. Housing managers never notified the grandfather, in writing, that the sergeant was an unauthorized occupant or that, for purposes of succession, he could not be included as part of the family. My staff intervened with the city Housing Preservation and Development judge hearing the case. We asked that succession rights be granted to this sergeant, who had served in Iraq. I recently received a letter saying that, due to our intervention, the sergeant has been allowed to stay.
Welcome home, Sargent, and Happy Veteran’s Day to all our veterans.
New Yorkers Can't Afford Yet Another Transit Fare Hike
I testified last week against the Metropolitan Transit Authority's (MTA) request for yet another fare increase. Many New Yorkers cannot afford another fare hike. In fact, they couldn’t afford the last fare hike, which left us paying more without seeing significant improvement in service. Long-suffering subway riders have come to expect widespread service disruptions, especially when it rains. Frankly, the MTA’s runaway budget has been heading toward disaster for years. But rather than clean up its own mess, the MTA’s response has been to burden riders with fare increases. The MTA must get away from this mindset. It must focus on fiscally responsible planning, such that fare increases are the last resort rather than the first solution.
DOE Report Cards on City Schools Causing Confusion
The new test-centric grading system instituted by the city Department of Education appears to be causing confusion and concern among many parents. For one thing, schools where many students failed standardized tests are receiving A's and B's.
The administration contends that, with these report cards, "parents no longer have to navigate a maze of statistics." In reality, however, parents can't rely on performance and progress ratings of this type to help them identify good schools.
The heart of the matter is that teaching, not testing, is how you educate children. The way that DOE's new accountability initiative mirrors the flawed No Child Left Behind Act is problematic. We need to watch this experiment very closely.
What's Your Opinion on DOE Report Cards for Schools?
News accounts suggest that the new DOE method of grading New York City public schools is causing widespread confusion among parents. What do you think? Is the new DOE calculus for judging schools and assigning bonuses a good idea? Unfair? Helpful? Stigmatizing? Clear and understandable? Virtually impenetrable? Whatever your thoughts, we want to hear from you. Please e-mail us at issues@pubadvocate.nyc.gov.
Betsy Gotbaum This Week
November 5, 2007
Real People, Real Problems, Real Results
Late one chilly afternoon, Tommy Lin, a member of my staff, traveled to the Bronx for a "sleep-out" sponsored by Picture the Homeless, an advocacy group that, like me, opposes the misguided city policy that denies emergency shelter to certain homeless families.
While at the sleep-out, Mr. Lin and a staffer from the office of State Sen. Ruben Diaz met with four affected families. After hearing their story, they promptly pleaded their case to the city Department of Homeless Services (DHS). As a result of their intervention, DHS agreed to shelter the four families for at least that one night. Later, all four families were given 10-day placements, pending review of their cases.
The new and cold-hearted DHS policy denies emergency shelter to families who reapply after being ruled ineligible. I have written Deputy Mayor Linda Gibbs and DHS Commissioner Robert Hess about its unconscionable flaws. They have argued that they want to prevent families from taking advantage of the system. Clearly, however, the value of preventing any such behavior -- if it in fact occurs -- is far outweighed by the harm that could befall families unfairly turned away.
Chinese Petroleum Companies Must Put Pressure on Myanmar
Last week I wrote PetroChina Co. and China Petroleum Corp. to ask that they take specific steps to pressure Myanmar to stop its state-sanctioned violence against pro-democracy groups. New York City Pension Funds, which include the New York City Employees Retirement System, of which I am a trustee, owns millions of shares of these companies. Both invest in Myanmar. In fact, both signed new contracts to expand investments in that troubled nation, with plans to develop natural gas resources and extend oil and gas pipelines into China. Without assurances that these firms are making concerted efforts to stop Myanmar's violent repression, our investments face increasing peril due to political and social instability.
Reminder: New Yorkers Should Take Steps to Prevent Staph Infection
In the aftermath of the tragic death of a middle school student in Brooklyn from the staph infection MRSA, I once again urge all New Yorkers to take precautionary measures to prevent the spread of this bacteria. Steps include:
--Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Encourage children to wash hands frequently.
--Keep cuts and scrapes clean and covered with a bandage until healed.
--Avoid contact with other people's wounds or bandages.
--Warn students not to share clothes, towels, razors and other personal items.
--Use pump dispensers rather than bars of soap.
--Student athletes with active MRSA infections should avoid contact with other players.
MRSA is short for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. According to new data, it is responsible for more deaths in the United States each year than AIDS. Though these types of infections usually are minor, invasive MRSA infections can be fatal.
Annual Report Shows 7 Percent Rise in NYCHA Complaints
I've just released my annual report for Fiscal Year 2007, which shows a 7 percent rise in the number of calls regarding the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA). Most relate to maintenance problems. My report also shows that the greatest number of complaints – 1,220 – are from constituents who had trouble accessing social services, including food stamps and Medicaid. New York remains the greatest city in the world, but calls to my office suggest that city government all too often is more a hindrance than a help. That's where I come in. I'll continue helping New Yorkers cut through red tape to access the social services, safe housing and quality education that they and their loved ones deserve. For the full annual report, click here.
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