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Newsletters 2008
October
Betsy Gotbaum This Week
10-6-08
Check out the Public Advocate's Corner
My new interactive blog, The Public Advocate's Corner, is up and running. Please check it out at http://www.publicadvocatescorner.com/ , and let me know what you think. One topic this week is whether the credit crisis will cripple city services.
Real People, Real Problems, Real Results
Now and then, my office handles New York-related problems for people who live far from the five boroughs. Such was the case of a desperate couple from Plano, Texas, who have three disabled children, two with multiple sclerosis and one with autism. The city Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE) had sent the father a letter saying that his wages would be garnished to support his son in New York. But he has no son in New York. He has a son with the same name as that cited by OCSE, but his son lives in Texas. Also, his son is ... 27.
Clearly, this was a case of mistaken identity. The man proved this to OCSE's satisfaction, but by that time a $730 garnishment already had taken effect. Making matters worse, his $1,500 stimulus check also had been seized as part of the support case. By the time he contacted my office, he had mounting bills and faced foreclosure. He had no idea how or when his salary and stimulus check would be refunded.
Heather Francis, one of my ombuds staffers, intervened on his behalf. She spoke with the supervisor of the OCSE unit that handles mistaken identity, who said OCSE already had mailed a garnishment stop order to the man's employer. To speed things up, however, the supervisor agreed to fax the stop order. Ms. Francis later confirmed that the garnishment indeed was stopped. The man has received his $730 refund check, and the refund of his stimulus check is being processed. He also avoided foreclosure.
Voters Should Decide Term Limits
As you know, Mayor Michael Bloomberg intends to run for a third term. He has said that if the City Council passes legislation that extends term limits, he would sign it and then run.
I cannot support this back-door effort to circumvent the will of the voters. New York voters already have told us -- twice -- that they want term limits. It insults the democratic process to now render those votes meaningless. The rules should not be changed this late in the game. I am working with others to explore the possibility of a special referendum. The public must have a say in this critical matter. New York voters -- not incumbents, not editorial boards and certainly not a few wealthy, powerful individuals -- should decide whether term limits should be extended.
Food Stamp Benefits Increase
Last week I and other advocates called attention to provisions of the federal Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008 that have just taken effect. These provisions increase the minimum amount of Food Stamp benefits. The minimum benefit for one- and two-person households, for example, will rise from $10 to $14 a month, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP).
These provisions also remove the cap on dependent care deductions, which means that the true cost of caring for children, seniors or other dependents now will be factored into calculations for Food Stamps. CBPP estimates that this change will provide an average annual benefit of about $500 to working households that pay high child care costs.
During these uncertain financial times, Food Stamps are needed more than ever. These new regulations should help low-income families put food on their tables, but we still have a lot of work to do in fighting hunger. For one thing, we need to spread the word to immigrant communities that Food Stamps are available for their children. For another, we need to break down barriers that keep parents from applying.
Joining me in calling attention to these changes were Joel Berg, Executive Director of the New York City Coalition Against Hunger; Triada Stampas, director of Government Relations and Public Education, Food Bank for New York City; and Lori McNeil, director of research and policy for Homelessness Outreach & Prevention, Urban Justice Center.
A description of changes to the Food Stamps program is at: http://www.cbpp.org/5-23-08fa.htm . My news release on this matter is at http://pubadvocate.nyc.gov/news/09.29.08RELImmigrantFoodStamps.html
Op-Ed Column Published on Mayoral Control of Schools
Last week The New York Daily News published my op-ed column about the Commission on School Governance, which recommends that mayoral control of New York City public schools continue. I agree with this recommendation, though I believe that the law should be amended in certain important ways. My op-ed column can be accessed at http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/2008/09/29/2008-09-29_give_parents_more_power_in_new_york_city.html .
Have a great week!
Betsy Gotbaum This Week
10-14-08
The Public Advocate's Corner Introduces Guest Posts
Please take a look at my blog, The Public Advocate's Corner, at http://www.publicadvocatescorner.com/ . Catherine Abate, president/CEO of the Community Healthcare Network, writes a guest post about the ongoing financial crisis and how cuts in city services may affect New Yorkers, and Diane Ravitch, the well-known education historian, writes about mayoral control of schools.
Real People, Real Problems, Real Results, Case No. 1
An irate Brooklyn man contacted my office after his Food Stamps had been cut off because, he said, he was unable to travel to the appropriate Food Stamps office to recertify. He wanted relevant documents to be e-mailed to him so that he could recertify by way of the Internet. When Heather Francis, one of my ombuds staffers, intervened on his behalf, she learned that he actually didn't have to travel to the office. However, he was required to sign certain recertification papers and mail them back. After that was done, a Food Stamps staffer planned to interview him over the telephone. After much coaxing, the man signed the paperwork and mailed it to us. We faxed it to his Food Stamps office, and within three business days he received his benefit.
Real People, Real Problems, Real Results, Case No. 2
A very worried Manhattan woman contacted my office because a storage company was about to auction her property, due to nonpayment of fees. The woman, homebound after a lengthy hospital stay, was unable to travel to a city Human Resources Administration (HRA) office to apply for a one-time emergency grant known as a One-Shot Deal. Heather Francis, one of my ombuds staffers, also intervened in this case. She contacted HRA, and the woman was referred to its homebound unit. A few days later, an HRA staffer visited the woman, enabling her to apply for the One-Shot Deal. But the auction was imminent. Ms. Francis asked the storage company to remove the woman's name from the auction list, thereby giving HRA time to process her application. The company reluctantly agreed. Ms. Francis also asked HRA to expedite the One-Shot Deal application. Shortly afterward, HRA advised that the storage company had been paid in full, $1,048.
Competing Bills on Term Limits Introduced
In the City Council last week, a bill was introduced that would allow elected officeholders to serve three consecutive terms instead of two. A competing bill would require that any proposal to change term limits have an attached referendum for voters. And a third bill would create a commission to revise the term limit law and have voters decide it in a special election this Spring.
I, along with council members, other advocates and members of good government groups, strongly believe that voters must weigh in on this issue. Anything else undermines democracy. One argument I keep hearing is that special elections have low voter turnout. Not only is that anti-democratic, it's a weak justification to subvert the will of the people. I guarantee that any low turnout for a term limits referendum would far exceed 51 people -- the number of city council members who otherwise would decide this issue.
As it happens, I oppose term limits. What matters here is that New Yorkers have voted in favor of term limits -- twice.
Teens Struggle to Access Emergency Contraception; HHC Announces New Policy
Last week my office released a study that showed that while some improvements have been made since 2007, only one-third of city Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC) and city Department of Health and Mental Hygiene clinics provide same-day emergency contraception (EC). I'm pleased to say, however, that HHC promptly responded to my report by greatly expanding EC access.
With tens of thousands of unplanned teen pregnancies every year, there's clearly a need for the city to provide better reproductive services. But too often my office found that EC was unavailable for same-day pick up. And too often it was not available for free. But as soon as we shared our findings with HHC, its staff took corrective action. And, over the last two months, we've worked together to improve EC access. I applaud HHC for making smart policy changes. Working together, we improved a city service. That's good government.
My report, “Taking (Birth) Control: Progress and Problems in Access to Contraception at City Clinics,” is at http://pubadvocate.nyc.gov/policy/documents/EC_report.pdf .
Have a great week!
Betsy Gotbaum This Week
10-20-08
Real People, Real Problems, Real Results
A Staten Island man contacted my office about a large electrical box and antenna that a cellular telephone company was installing in front of his home. Workers, he said, had removed a light pole and planned to install the antenna 20 feet from his bedroom window. He said he already has a Con Ed transformer on his property, and he did not want to play host to a cellular antenna as well.
Elsa Suazo, one of my ombuds staffers, contacted the city Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications (DoITT) about the man's concerns. Shortly afterward, DoITT informed Ms. Suazo that the cellular company had reconsidered and would install its equipment elsewhere. The Staten Island man was quite pleased with the quick response.
Death of 8-Month-Old at City Homeless Shelter is Deeply Troubling
Last week eight-month-old Elijah Rodriguez died at a city shelter, allegedly at the hands of his father. We are awaiting more information and details on this case but, tragically, child fatalities in the city shelter system are a reoccurring problem. We must do more to improve coordination between ACS and DHS and to keep children safe in city shelters.
Between 2004-2006, 20 children have died in the shelter system. Since my office released a report last year on child fatalities in the city’s homeless shelter system, at least eight more children have died. My report included important recommendations for both ACS and DHS to strengthen their practices and improve their protection of children in the shelter system. We must have increased prevention measures to protect the lives of these at-risk children.
After the death of Colesvinton Florestal in the shelter system four years ago, I introduced and the City Council passed legislation requiring shelters to post signs reminding shelters of the importance of reporting child abuse.
DOE Must Do More to Advise Parents, Students of Rights Regarding Military Recruiters
The city Department of Education (DOE) allows military recruiters to collect student information directly from DOE headquarters in the Tweed Courthouse rather than from individual schools. Parents and students have not been sufficiently informed that they may opt out of this process. I have three concerns:
--The opt-out process isn’t centralized, but the process to obtain student data is
--The deadline to opt-out is this Friday, and DOE hasn’t done enough to publicize the deadline or even the right to opt out
--The new process makes it too easy for military recruiters to obtain student information
The federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001 gives military recruiters wide access to public high schools and to students’ personal information. However, NCLB also requires schools to allow students and parents to withhold such personal information. DOE has done a poor job of informing students and parents of this right. It must do more.
Additionally, decisions that impact our children so personally must not be made in secret behind closed doors. This is just one more reminder of the dire need for stepped-up DOE transparency
Testifying at the City Council Public Hearing on Term Limits
Last Friday I testified at the City Council Public Hearing. Here's an excerpt of my testimony:
This is not about term limits, it’s not about the job Mayor Bloomberg has done, and it’s also not about continuity during a financial crisis. It’s about a fundamental change in how New York City is governed... While I can only support extending or changing term limits through a referendum, at the very least, the City Council must prolong any vote until public hearings can be held in all five boroughs.
I am against term limits, and I would work hard to overturn them, but only by a referendum. What matters here is that New Yorkers have twice voted for them. Over two million people in all went to their polling sites and performed their civic duty. To change term limits by anything other than a referendum would amount to telling 2 million people that their votes don’t matter, that they don’t count, kind of like the 2000 presidential election. And we all see where that got us.
I have been proud to serve with all of you who came in at a time of real crisis. We not only survived, but as a result of our leadership the city has thrived. Let’s all be proud of ourselves by doing the right thing and voting down the Mayor's bill.
Have a great week!
Betsy Gotbaum This Week
October 21, 2008
Public Advocate's Corner Takes on Term Limits
Please take a look at my blog, the Public Advocate's Corner, at http://www.publicadvocatescorner.com/ and share your thoughts about term limits.
Last Friday, I testified at the City Council Public Hearing. Here's an excerpt of my testimony, and you can watch the video of the testimony here: http://www.publicadvocatescorner.com/advocates_corner/2008/10/gotbaum-testifi.html
"This is not about term limits, it’s not about the job Mayor Bloomberg has done, and it’s also not about continuity during a financial crisis. It’s about a fundamental change in how New York City is governed... While I can only support extending or changing term limits through a referendum, at the very least, the City Council must prolong any vote until public hearings can be held in all five boroughs.
I am against term limits, and I would work hard to overturn them, but only by a referendum. What matters here is that New Yorkers have twice voted for them. Over two million people in all went to their polling sites and performed their civic duty. To change term limits by anything other than a referendum would amount to telling 2 million people that their votes don’t matter, that they don’t count, kind of like the 2000 presidential election. And we all see where that got us.
I have been proud to serve with all of you who came in at a time of real crisis. We not only survived, but as a result of our leadership the city has thrived. Let’s all be proud of ourselves by doing the right thing and voting down the Mayor's bill."
Real People, Real Problems, Real Results
A Staten Island man contacted my office about a large electrical box and antenna that a cellular telephone company was installing in front of his home. Workers, he said, had removed a light pole and planned to install the antenna 20 feet from his bedroom window. He said he already has a Con Ed transformer on his property, and he did not want to play host to a cellular antenna as well.
Elsa Suazo, one of my ombuds staffers, contacted the city Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications (DoITT) about the man's concerns. Shortly afterward, DoITT informed Ms. Suazo that the cellular company had reconsidered and would install its equipment elsewhere. The Staten Island man was quite pleased with the quick response.
Death of 8-Month-Old at City Homeless Shelter is Deeply Troubling
Last week eight-month-old Elijah Rodriguez died at a city shelter, allegedly at the hands of his father. We are awaiting more information and details on this case but, tragically, child fatalities in the city shelter system are a reoccurring problem. We must do more to improve coordination between ACS and DHS and to keep children safe in city shelters.
Between 2004-2006, 20 children have died in the shelter system. Since my office released a report last year on child fatalities in the city’s homeless shelter system, at least eight more children have died. My report included important recommendations for both ACS and DHS to strengthen their practices and improve their protection of children in the shelter system. We must have increased prevention measures to protect the lives of these at-risk children.
After the death of Colesvinton Florestal in the shelter system four years ago, I introduced and the City Council passed legislation requiring shelters to post signs reminding shelters of the importance of reporting child abuse.
DOE Must Do More to Advise Parents, Students of Rights Regarding Military Recruiters
The city Department of Education (DOE) allows military recruiters to collect student information directly from DOE headquarters in the Tweed Courthouse rather than from individual schools. Parents and students have not been sufficiently informed that they may opt out of this process. I have three concerns:
--The opt-out process isn’t centralized, but the process to obtain student data is
--The deadline to opt-out is this Friday, and DOE hasn’t done enough to publicize the deadline or even the right to opt out
--The new process makes it too easy for military recruiters to obtain student information
The federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001 gives military recruiters wide access to public high schools and to students’ personal information. However, NCLB also requires schools to allow students and parents to withhold such personal information. DOE has done a poor job of informing students and parents of this right. It must do more.
Additionally, decisions that impact our children so personally must not be made in secret behind closed doors. This is just one more reminder of the dire need for stepped-up DOE transparency.
Have a great week!
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