Public Advocate's Corner

Freedom to Marry

I have always supported gay marriage. I believe if people love each other and want to get married, they should be able to. I don't believe that government has a right to take away the rights of individuals. And voters shouldn’t be deciding this either. Civil rights are not to be doled out or erased by those in power, and they aren't something you can give or take away at the ballot box. They aren't up for grabs; these rights belong to everybody.

41 years ago, the Supreme Court ruled all bans against interracial marriage unconstitutional. At the time, if interracial marriage had been put to a vote, the majority would have been against it. This is no different. Prop 8 discriminates against part of the population and tells them they do not have the same rights as all other tax-paying citizens of this country. I believe it violates the Constitution and should be overturned.

This is not just about the discriminatory measure of Prop 8 and it's not only about other states that recently voted against marriage equality. It's about all Americans having equal rights under the law. Two neighboring states have recognized that it is unconstitutional to deny same-sex couples their legal rights. We must work together to make New York next. It's the right thing to do.

Willets Point Vote

Yesterday, the City Council voted on the development plan for Willets Point. It's no secret that I've had some serious reservations about this plan since it was introduced.

I have voiced my concerns that the needs of local business owners in the Willets Point must be addressed. For months, I’ve been advocating that the city sit down with local business owners and workout a situation that meets everyone’s needs. And it appears – for the majority of businesses – that this may have happened.  This is welcome news. 

Many of these business owners have invested considerable amounts time and money improve their community, and many have supplied needed services to New Yorkers for generations.  I hope this current plan takes that into account, for we all want an ideal future for Willets Point. I think we can all agree that the best way to move forward is to make sure that all parties - the city, the community, and local business owners - have an equal say in the development plan.

Gotbaum: "Without transparency, real accountability does not exist"

Public Advocate Gotbaum today, at her office, released the New York City Independent Budget Office (IBO) review of the spending associated with the Department of Education’s (DOE) Accountability Initiative, including the costs of school evaluations, information technology, contracts with vendors, and personnel.

Betsy Gotbaum said, “I want to thank the IBO for giving the public its first glimpse of the financial impact of the DOE’s Accountability Initiative. In light of the fiscal crisis, the DOE must reevaluate the Accountability Initiative from top to bottom and assure New Yorkers that it is cost effective and producing real results in the classroom." More.

Read the full report here

Safer Schools: Betsy on Mott Haven Ruling

Recently, the Bronx Supreme Court ruled that the SCA - an agency entrusted with managing the construction of New York public schools - had violated the State Environmental Quality Review Act by approving the contaminated Mott Haven Schools Complex as a site for a new school complex “without first detailing a plan to ensure that on-site protections would be adequately maintained and monitored.”

Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum said:

“I'd like to congratulate NYLPI for all their work on this issue. Last spring, my office released a report that pointed out a loophole in the Public Authorities Law that allows the SCA to open schools on potentially toxic sites around the city without full public environmental review.

NYLPI and the community's involvement in plans for the Mott Haven school is what led to the extra safety measures taken at this site. Had this site fallen in the PAL loophole, it's possible that the school would have been completed before the community and its representatives had a chance to assess the cleanup and long-term maintenance plans.

We need a process that includes opportunities for public feedback and Council oversight so that the parents can be ensured that no new or existing school locations pose a potential health threat for their children. It is my hope that NYLPI, community groups and the state legislature can work together to close the loophole in the state law as well as ensuring that sites like Mott Haven undergo comprehensive environmental review and have long-term site management plans to keep all our schoolchildren safe.”

Betsy Gotbaum has worked with community groups and local elected officials to cleanup the Soundview and Loral sites in the Bronx. Last year, she stood with Concerned Residents Organization of Soundview, New York Lawyers for the Public Interest, and local politicians to call for the cleanup of the contaminated Soundview site. In 2005 she fought for the cleanup of the former Loral Electronics site and called on the city to remove illegally parked, waste-filled diesel trucks from a lot next to an 800-student high school in the Soundview neighborhood. 

Honoring Veterans

Today, I would like to thank the brave men and women who sacrifice so much to keep our country safe.

This past September, I was pleased to introduce a resolution at a City Council meeting (No.1621) that will call on the state to pass a law to provide partial tax exemption for veterans of the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
 
Currently, veterans from World War I, World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War, and Cold War are all given a break on home property taxes. The new law would add eligible veterans of Afghanistan and Iraq to this list.

Read more about this important legislation, and don’t forget to say thank you to the veterans in your life for their invaluable service.

School Psychologists Spend More Time on Paperwork than Working with Special Needs Students

Yesterday, Betsy Gotbaum released a new survey that found that, since the reorganizations of the special education system, school psychologists report that the significantly increased workload and the associated paperwork hinder their ability to complete quality student interventions and evaluations. At the same time, there are 86 school psychologists and social workers in the Department of Education's (DOE) Absent Teacher Reserve, earning a combined $7.1 million. Instead of being utilized in their respective fields of expertise, they are working as substitute or temporary teachers.

Gotbaum said, "We have more students receiving special education services than ever before, but school psychologists are actually spending less time working directly with students. Instead, they are being required to spend much of their day filling out paperwork. It's also troubling to see a number of trained mental health professionals sitting idly in the Absent Teacher Reserve instead of filling the holes in the special education system and delivering essential services to special needs students.

Randi Weingarten, President of the United Federation of Teachers, also commented.

Read the Full Report.pdf (results and recommendations) or today's article in the NY Post.

Accessing City Services: How to Get a Flu Shot

It’s flu season again. Every year, as the weather gets colder and the seasons change, New Yorkers start to come down with this familiar virus. But for many, influenza can have serious consequences. About 36,000 people die every year from influenza or influenza-related complications. Certain individuals—including adults over 50, pregnant women and health care workers—are more at risk and should do everything to prevent catching the virus.
 
Luckily, the city offers free and low cost flu shots to New Yorkers – easily the best way to protect yourself from getting the flu this season.

For those of you that don’t know, influenza, or the flu, is a viral infection of the nose, throat, bronchial tubes and lungs. It comes in two main types: Influenza A and Influenza B. Each type includes many different strains, which tend to change each year.

Vaccines help protect against the flu by injecting a very small amount of the virus into your system. The flu shot is safe for anyone older than 6 months, including healthy people and people with chronic medical conditions. About 2 weeks after vaccination, antibodies that provide protection against influenza virus infection develop in the body.

Get a Flu Shot
You can find a flu clinic near you by visiting the Flu Clinic Locater Site hosted by the American Lung Association.

For New Yorkers who do not have health insurance, as well as undocumented immigrants, primary health care is available at public Child and Family Health Clinics and Community Health Centers. At these clinics, "medical providers are not allowed to turn you away if you cannot pay for care or because of your immigration status."  Payment, if any, is on a sliding scale and is determined by family size and income. You may pay absolutely nothing. If you qualify, staffers at these centers and clinics also will help you apply for public health insurance.

For additional information, call the NYC Department of Health's Flu Vaccination Information Line at 311 or the Office of the Public Advocate at 212-669-7250.

the budget today

I met with the Mayor earlier today for a budget briefing. Given our city’s decreased revenues and the uncertainty regarding funds from the state, service cuts and tax increases are, unfortunately, unavoidable.    

While it appears that the majority of cuts will not have a major impact on vulnerable New Yorkers, I am concerned about the elimination of child dental clinics. In terms of the dental clinics, I urge the city to establish a transition plan to help inform the families of the 17,000 kids who use these clinics where they can now go to get dental services.   

One of my main concerns going into today’s meeting was how the proposed cuts would affect education. The mayor assured me that the budget cuts to education will not directly impact the classroom, and instead will be made mostly to the Department of Education's central administration. As I have long stated, DOE central can afford to trim some fat. For instance, there are still nine open positions listed on the DOE website under their accountability initiative, some paying up to $170,000.

Finally, as a trustee of NYCERS, I understand the significant cost of the pension system to this city and the effects on the system of a downturn in the economy. Which is why I believe we should institute a fifth tier for pension contributions. A fifth tier will require that new employees coming into the system give a greater contribution to their pensions. It might not help us today, but down the road it will make a difference.  

Hopefully, the mayor's current conservative projections won't hold, and the economy will rebound. There is cause to be optimistic: yesterday we made history by electing Barack Obama. I believe this will restore confidence in the markets and in the country.  

Get Out and Vote Tomorrow

We’re standing at a crossroads in our political history. Tomorrow’s election will determine the future of our country, state and city for the next four years and beyond. Never has it been more important that every eligible voter turn out to vote.

This year, we’re predicting record numbers of first time voters in the city: The NYC Board of Elections received nearly 204,000 new voter registration forms between October 1 and 15 alone. If you have recently moved due to foreclosure, you are still allowed to vote.  If anyone gives you trouble, you can fill out a paper ballot.

As a member of the NYC Voter Assistance Commission, I want every new voter to know that even if you registered a while ago, you may not yet be entered into the system. But you can still vote! If you are a new voter, you should proceed to the local polling site in your election district, even if you haven’t received a notification in the mail, and fill out a paper ballot. The polls are open from 6 am to 9 pm, and you can find more information about your local polling site here.

Don’t get discouraged. Don’t let anyone turn you away from the polls – fill out a paper ballot at your polling site, and be persistent in casting your ballot. The lines may be long, and the polling stations may be crowded, but you can make your voice heard by at least filling out a paper ballot and insisting that you have a right to cast your vote. Also, if you see an elderly person on a long line, let them go ahead of you. 

We need every New Yorker to play their part in this election, so get out to your local polling station tomorrow and make your voice heard.

Spotted: Gotbaum, Thompson and Weiner Talk with New Yorkers about Term Limits

Today, Betsy Gotbaum, Bill Thompson and Anthony Weiner (along with others) listened to the frustrations of New Yorkers lined up to testify at the last public hearing on Term Limits before the Mayor signs the bill today.

Watch Live Video of the public comments on Term Limits here or submit your own public comment below.