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Newsletters 2008
November
Betsy Gotbaum This Week
November 3, 2008
The Public Advocate's Corner
In case you missed it, last week on my blog: Andrew Wolf wrote a guest post on Mayoral Control, we spread the word to parents about open Pre-K seats around the city, we continued the conversation about term limits, and provided information about how and where to get tested for STDs/HIV in the city. Check out www.publicadvocatescorner.com for daily updates.
Real People, Real Problems, Real Results
The parents of a NYC student contacted my office last week regarding their daughter’s door-to-door bus service. Since the beginning of the school year they have been troubled by the length of their daughter’s’ commute to school. What is normally a 5-7 minute car ride instead takes over an hour. The school is only a mile and a half away. While her commute may be within the guidelines, it does not make sense to put a six-year-old child on a bus for that length of time when the school is so close. As a special needs student, the longer commute was especially difficult for her. My office was able to intervene and successfully switch her school bus route to a shorter route.
STDs/HIV
Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) continue to be a major public health problem in New York City. Free city-run clinics are set up to diagnose and treat STDs, including HIV. Last week, I released a report on these ten clinics, and found that city clinics were often unable to provide important services and information to New Yorkers. It’s critical that we reduce any and all barriers to STD screening and testing. Public clinics are an invaluable resource to uninsured individuals who may be unable to afford care elsewhere, and while I’m pleased to see some improvements have been made since our initial report in 2006, we must do more to improve access to services at STD clinics. You can read the report here: http://pubadvocate.nyc.gov/news/10.27.08STDReport.html
Elevator Safety
Last week’s elevator incident, when a woman in a New York City Housing Authority’s (NYCHA) Housing Complex fell several feet down an elevator shaft, is a reminder that the NYCHA chronic elevator problems continue to escalate. Considering the budget constraints NYCHA is facing, I welcome the news that it will spend $112 million over the next five years to get its elevators working properly. But the fact that 75% of NYCHA elevators receive unsatisfactory ratings upon inspection is totally unacceptable. These elevators serve more than 400,000 New Yorkers, many of them the youngest and oldest in our communities. The city must do everything possible to prioritize and fast-track the most urgent elevator repair projects.
Have a great week, and remember to vote tomorrow!
Betsy Gotbaum This Week
November 10, 2008
The Public Advocate's Corner
Check out my blog, the Public Advocate's Corner, at http://www.publicadvocatescorner.com. Last week, I discussed my meeting with Mayor Bloomberg regarding his proposed budget cuts. Please check it out and let me know what you think.
Congrats to Barack Obama
I congratulate Barack Obama on his decisive and historic victory. New York City and the nation as a whole face daunting challenges, but I'm confident that President-elect Obama will provide strong and effective leadership as we find common ground and forge bipartisan solutions.
Real People, Real Problems, Real Results, Case No. 1
A Catholic nun contacted my office about a disabled Bronx mother and her disabled adult daughter. Both women were hospitalized at the time, but their neighbor, the nun said, had advised that the women had been living in "horrendous" conditions, even though they were clients of city Adult Protective Services. Among other things, the home was said to be overrun with flies, fleas, roaches and rodents. The bathroom ceiling had collapsed, leaving rubble in the tub and broken floor tiles.
Bronce Perez, one of my ombuds staffers, immediately called code enforcement services for the city Department of Housing Preservation and Development. It turns out that the building had 232 violations, including several in the women's apartment. After Mr. Perez intervened, a guardian ad litem was appointed on their behalf. We insisted that their landlord be taken to court, and he was. The judge ordered him to make repairs. He did so, and mother and daughter have since returned to a cleaner, safer home.
Real People, Real Problems, Real Results, Case No. 2
A disabled Brooklyn senior who lives alone with her pet cat in public housing contacted my office after receiving a 30-day eviction notice. New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) staffers, she said, claimed that she had failed to file proper paperwork relating to the cat. When she showed that she in fact had filed the paperwork -- license, registration papers, $25 fee -- NYCHA said she still had to leave because she hadn't done so in a timely manner.
Again, Bronce Perez intervened in her behalf. After several back-and-forth faxes, letters and telephone calls, NYCHA agreed to allow the woman to keep her cat -- and keep her apartment. NYCHA, the woman reported, also is willing to help her transfer to another apartment, if she so choose.
Cuts to Education Raise Concern
I am concerned about Mayor Michael Bloomberg's proposed budget cuts and how they will affect education. However, the Mayor has assured me that these cuts, which are significant, will not directly impact the classroom. They are to be made mostly in the city Department of Education's (DOE) central administration. As I have long stated, DOE central can afford to trim some of its fat. To take just one example, DOE's website lists nine open positions under its accountability initiative, with jobs paying up to $170,000.
Hospital Patients Need Personal Advocates
I want to call your attention to the "Health Journal" column in the Oct. 28, 2008 edition of The Wall Street Journal which notes that 100,000 patients die in U.S. hospitals every year due to preventable mistakes, such as infections and medication mix-ups. The column, by Melinda Beck, begins with these words: "Don't go to the hospital alone, if you can possibly avoid it." It urges patients to take along a personal advocate to ask questions and otherwise lobby on their behalf. It also lists suggestions from a forthcoming book on how to advocate for a hospitalized loved one:
--Ask those entering a hospital room if they've washed their hands.
--Ask nurses to read drug orders aloud, and make sure they match the patient's ID bracelet.
--If a nurse is about to administer a new medication, ask what it's for and what to expect.
--Keep a journal.
--Be alert for bedsores, especially in lengthy hospital stays.
--Speak up if you have concerns.
Have a great week!
Betsy Gotbaum This Week
November 17, 2008
Check out the Public Advocate's Corner!
Please take a look at my interactive blog, the Public Advocate's Corner, at http://www.publicadvocatescorner.com/. I've posted comments about the Bronx Supreme Court ruling about the School Construction Authority which, the court said, violated the State Environmental Quality Review Act when it approved the Mott Haven Schools Complex site.
Real People, Real Problems, Real Results, Case #1
A disabled Staten Island mother, homebound and utterly desperate, called my office because she had run out of food for herself and her three children. The city Human Resources Administration (HRA) had closed her case, causing most of her benefits to be cut off or drastically reduced. HRA took that action because the woman had failed to keep an appointment that would have re-certified her eligibility for public benefits. She hadn't kept the appointment because she was unable to leave her home. As a result, she lost $592 a month in food stamps, and $167 in cash assistance was cut to $55. HRA later sent a staffer to her home to do the re-certification paperwork, but her benefits had not yet restarted.
Heather Francis, one of my ombudswomen, immediately contacted HRA on the woman's behalf. I'm pleased to say that HRA gave this case the high priority it merited. The woman received emergency food stamps later that day, and the day after that her full cash grant was released. HRA also quickly processed her re-certification papers.
Real People, Real Problems, Real Results, Case #2
A Bronx single mother contacted my office because of a series of problems in finding suitable housing for herself and her 10-year-old son through the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA). Her troubles began with a rat infestation in her apartment. She found another apartment and, with the help of a Section 8 housing voucher, moved in. Shortly after, however, the landlord decided that he didn't want to rent the unit after all and that the two would have to leave. By that time, the housing voucher was about to expire. The woman obtained a two-month extension, located another new apartment and arranged for an inspection as required by NYCHA. But the apartment failed the inspection.
At that point, the woman called my office. Her voucher once again was about to expire and, in her view, her caseworker was ineffective. Frances Santiago, one of my ombudswomen, contacted the Bronx Leased Housing Office on the woman's behalf, and that office gave her yet another voucher extension. Eventually the apartment was re-inspected. This time it passed, and mother and son have moved into their new home.
Real People, Real Problems, Real Results, Case #3
An exasperated Queens women contacted my office for help with a tree that threatened to crush her home: The tree was leaning at an alarming angle, its roots pushing up the sidewalk. Tommy Lin, one of my ombudsmen, contacted the city Department of Parks & Recreation on her behalf, asking that the tree be removed. A Parks staffer later advised that the tree had been inspected, that it certainly was leaning and that it would be removed. The Queens woman, very relieved, later confirmed that the tree now is gone.
DOE Spending More Than $352 Million on Accountability Initiative
At my request, the city Independent Budget Office (IBO) reviewed costs of the city Department of Education’s (DOE) Accountability Initiative. The review included costs for school evaluations, information technology, vendor contracts and personnel. It found that DOE has spent or will spend $352.2 million on this initiative from Fiscal Year 2007 through Fiscal Year 2009 and that some costs would be ongoing. Accountability in our schools is important, but it's also important that we spend wisely. DOE is funneling hundreds of millions of dollars into high-stakes tests, highly-paid staff, controversial school progress reports and a computer system.
Given the fiscal crisis, DOE must re-evaluate this initiative. It needs to be cost-effective, and it needs to produce real classroom results. The DOE has not been clear or forthcoming about the true cost of this initiative. It is almost impossible to interpret the budget at all, much less any program budget thereof. This is one reason why my Commission on School Governance recommended that there be independent oversight of DOE. DOE also should be required to provide clear and accurate information about spending and how the money benefits the classroom. Without transparency, real accountability does not exist.Background information about the Accountability Initiative is at http://schools.nyc.gov/Offices/mediarelations/NewsandSpeeches/2005-2006/04112006pressrelease.htm
My news release about the IBO report is at http://pubadvocate.nyc.gov/news/11.13.08IBOReport.html
Survey: Psychologists Spend More Time on Paperwork Than With Special-Needs Students
Last week I released a survey in which school psychologists report that increased workloads and related paperwork hinders their work with special-needs students. This is due to recent reorganizations of the city special education system, and it comes at a time when we have more special ed students than ever. This also comes at a time when DOE's Absent Teacher Reserve employs 86 school psychologists and social workers to work as substitute or temporary teachers rather than in their area of expertise.
My report is titled "Overworked, Underutilized: How the Department of Education’s Reorganizations of Special Education Turned School Psychologists from Mental Health Professionals into Paper Pushers." The survey of 100 veteran school psychologists found, in part:
--Nearly 94 percent of respondents say they spend more time on paperwork and compliance issues than on matters directly benefiting children and families
--91 percent of respondents say case management responsibilities and related paperwork hinder student interventions and evaluations;
--Nearly 87 percent of respondents say that they no longer have time to consult with parents and staff about behavioral issues prior to special-ed referrals.
My news release, complete with recommendations and a link to the full report, is at http://pubadvocate.nyc.gov/news/11.09.08SchoolPsychologists.html
Have a great week!
Betsy Gotbaum This Week
November 24, 2008
Check out the Public Advocate's Corner!
Take a look at my interactive blog at http://www.publicadvocatescorner.com/ and let me know what you think. This week I speak out about marriage equality and California's Proposition 8.
Real People, Real Problems, Real Results, Case #1
Once again my office was called upon to help someone who lives far from the sidewalks of New York. A former city resident now lives in Georgia, where he expected to receive a $1,200 check from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Instead, the check was seized by the city Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE). As it happened, however, the man had no active child support case, and OCSE never should have intercepted the funds. The man called my office after his own efforts to recover the funds had failed.
Heather Francis, one of my ombudswomen, contacted OCSE on his behalf. OCSE requested IRS documentation, which Ms. Francis submitted. Not long afterward, the Georgia man, thankful and happy, called to say his $1,200 check had arrived.
Real People, Real Problems, Real Results, Case #2
A sleep-deprived Manhattan man contacted my office about ongoing construction noise in Battery Park City. Despite a 7 a.m. start time -- itself a problem for some -- heavy-duty trucks rumbled into the neighborhood as early as 5:30 a.m., generating pounding, clanging, disruptive noise.
Bronce Perez, one of my ombudsmen, immediately contacted the city Department of Environmental Protection. In short order, an inspector went to the site and found conditions exactly as described. The inspector advised construction crews that they were making too much noise and that they would have to haul in and unload building materials at a later hour.
Mr. Perez followed up with the Manhattan man a few weeks later. The man said that early-morning construction noise had decreased dramatically. He and his Battery Park neighbors, he added, finally are getting a full night's sleep.
Real People, Real Problems, Real Results, Case #3
A stressed-out, financially-strapped Manhattan man called my office for help with a serious and unresolved snafu regarding his New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) rent. The man, who is disabled, paid his $245 rent online. But for two months running, he said, NYCHA had deducted double the amount due. He complained, and NYCHA advised that he would be credited for the overpayments. But he said that the next month he was charged another $245.
His apartment manager advised him to contact NYCHA and suspend the online payments, which he did. Unfortunately, that action somehow didn't stop another $245 deduction. At that point, the man called my office. Frances Santiago, one of my ombudswomen, intervened on his behalf. Not long afterward, NYCHA acknowledged the error and corrected it.
Advocates Protest DOE Plan to Redraw School Bus Routes Yet Again
Last week I joined City Councilmembers David Yassky and Robert Jackson, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz and other advocates to protest the city Department of Education (DOE) plan to redraw school bus routes for the third time in two years. DOE’s previous consultant-driven effort to revamp school bus routes was an unmitigated disaster, stranding many children and forcing others to spend up to two hours on school buses. Some were dropped off at school late.
To prevent similar problems, we're making a common-sense request: That new DOE rerouting plans be presented to Community Education Councils for feedback and community comment before they are implemented. It's crucial to keep parents involved. Stay tuned....
Guide to Public Benefits for NYC Immigrants is Released
Last week I released a comprehensive Guide to Public Benefits for Immigrants in New York City, which provides vital information about federal, state and city benefits. It's the first of its kind to examine immigration status as part of benefit eligibility. The guide, written at an 8th-grade level to foster accessibility, is available online in Spanish, Chinese, Russian, Korean, Bengali and English.
New York City is home to more than 3 million immigrants, about one-third the total population. According to recent city data, 48 percent of these immigrants are not English-proficient. One of five live in poverty, earning less than $21,200 for a family of four, and many are unaware that they may be entitled to benefits. To take just one example, the city Human Resources Administration reported in 2006 that 83,000 non-citizens were eligible but not enrolled in the food stamps program.
A news release about the guide is at http://www.pubadvocate.nyc.gov/news/111908ImmigrantGuide.html. The New York Immigration Coalition joined me in releasing the guide, which may be downloaded at http://pubadvocate.nyc.gov/PublicBenefitsGuide.htm .
Have a great week and Happy Thanksgiving!
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