Public Advocate's Corner

How are we doing?

It’s a new year, and here at the Office of the Public Advocate we just passed a  big blogging milestone – our 100^th post! As the first (and only) citywide elected official to have a blog, we’ve had some important accomplishments in the last year, from standing up against the mayor’s decision to extend term limits to helping New Yorkers get access to city services each week.   

But we want to hear from you – our readers –  about what's working well here, or what's not. What do you want to see more of in 2009 on the Public Advocate's Corner? Email us comments, tips, questions and feedback or post a response here, and as always, thanks for reading the Public Advocate’s Corner.  

Congratulations to President Barack Obama

Today's historic inauguration marks a new era of promise and change in our country. I am so pleased to congratulate our new President and excited to see what change his administration brings to our country and our city. I found the image of the turning the clenched fist into an open hand particularly powerful in his speech today, and as I watched with my friends at the Teamsters Union Local 237, we were alternately crying and cheering, especially when we heard that statement.

A Day of Service (in photos)

Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum yesterday joined elected officials at the New York City Coalition Against Hunger's 6th Annual MLK DAY “Serve a Thon” at the Broadway Presbyterian Church.

Pictured below: Betsy and youth prepare lunch at the soup kitchen; Betsy Gotbaum with Senator Liz Kruger and Congressman Anthony Weiner; Betsy Gotbaum and Congressman Charles Rangel share a laugh earlier in the day at the Mayor's salute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at the Schomberg Center.

Remembering MLK

Today, January 19^th 2009, we commemorate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.  This year’s celebration carries special significance: Last Thursday marked what would have been Dr. King’s 80^th birthday, and tomorrow, our country will welcome its first African-American President. The election of Barack Obama is a step toward social and racial justice, and a reminder of what’s possible.

This economic crisis affects all New Yorkers, and a full recovery will require all of us to give a little more. Today is a day of remembrance, but it’s also a national day of service. There’s no better time to come together and commit to serving our communities in need.

Today, I’ll be joining State Senator Liz Krueger to volunteer at a soup kitchen in Manhattan, one of many events organized by the New York City Coalition Against Hunger. 

NYCCAH is a fantastic organization, and their website makes it easy to find volunteer opportunities.  Or, you can find a community service event through President-elect Obama’s website.

Use your day off to volunteer, and let’s show the country that New Yorkers are committed to service and the dream of MLK.

Accessing City Services: How to Get Help Quitting Smoking

If your list of New Years resolutions includes finally kicking that habit, you’re not alone. Thousands of New Yorkers attempt to quit smoking every year… and succeed... with the help of city resources.

The risks associated with smoking have been well documented. Smoking releases over four thousand chemicals into your body, damaging your heart and lungs. The habit over time can weaken your immune system, dull your senses and greatly increase your risk of cancer.

But don’t worry, help is out there. For free coaching and support, call the New York State Smokers' Quitline at 1-866-NY-QUITS (1-866-697-8487). If you prefer to use the internet, try this online guide to quitting. For those who need help in person, New York State provides smoking cessation clinics run by the city Health and Hospitals Corporation.These publications and websites list helpful ways to quit, such as replacing smoking with another activity (like drinking water or chewing gum). If you think that slowly decreasing your nicotine intake will help, you may be eligible for free smoking cessation patches, gum or lozenges from New York State.

Don’t forget why you’ve quit:

• Your Health: By quitting smoking, you reduce your risk of heart attack or stroke, emphysema or bronchitis, heart disease and cancers of the larynx, esophagus, lung, bladder, kidney and cervix.
• Your Friends and Family: As you know, second-hand smoke creates an unhealthy environment for those around you.
• Your Wallet: There is no better time to save the cash you would be spending on cigarettes and put it to better use. According to the "Tobacco Trivia" feature on the New York State Smokers’ Quit Site New York City, it costs tobacco companies about 5 cents to produce a pack of cigarettes. That same pack may cost as much as $10.25 in New York City.  

For More Information:

• Smoking Fact Sheet for Downloading
• The New York State Smokers’ Quite Site  
• Action on Smoking and Health, a national anti-smoking and nonsmokers' rights organization.
• The National Alliance for Tobacco Cessation reports that, each year, 70 percent of smokers say they want to quit and 5 percent quit long term. It also says that it takes 8 to 11 attempts to quit smoking for good.

The websites cited have multiple links to other stop-smoking sites. If you need further assistance, call 311 or call my office at 212-669-7250. Good luck!

State of the City

Today, the Mayor gave his annual State of the City address focusing on job creation in NYC. Read the full text of the State of the City address.

Public Advocate Gotbaum, in attendance, issued the following response to his speech:

“While I commend the Mayor for his proactive planning for new job creation, and the innovative components of his recovery strategy, I had some serious concerns with his new quality-of-life crime proposal. 'Three strikes and you’re out'  has been bad for California. Cutting police officers while taking the sentencing out of the hands of judges and prosecutors and putting it in the hands of politicians is just bad policy. We need to keep the police on the streets. 

Term Limits Ruling

As you may have heard, U.S. District Court Judge Charles Sifton dismissed the lawsuit that would challenge the legality of changing voter-ratified term limits by legislation. The suit was filed on the grounds that the mayor's limit extension violated the First and Fourteenth amendments of the U.S. Constitution. 

Betsy Gotbaum said: "I am disappointed by the court's decision on term limits and remain deeply concerned about this process. It's wrong and un-democratic for a handful of elected officials to overturn a public referendum, especially when that same handful will benefit from changing the law. Millions of votes cast by New Yorkers in previous referendums have been tossed out through this misguided process. As I have said all along, this was decided by the people twice. New Yorkers deserve to have a voice on this issue and we will keep fighting for that. "

 

From one Blogger to Another

I welcome Speaker Quinn to the blogosphere. I learned over the weekend about the Red Room Blog, and wanted to congratulate everyone involved on the launch.

Transparent government is good government. Blogs not only provide an interesting format for readers to find out more about what's going on in the city, but they have the potential to create a dialogue around important city issues and connect New Yorkers with the electeds that serve them.

In my opinion, it's only a matter of time before elected officials blogging will be the rule, not the exception, and I am glad to see more of my colleagues joining me in the blogosphere. The Public Advocates Corner has already helped me let more people know what I’m working on, and what I care about, and hear more from New Yorkers about issues that concern them.

I hope the Red Room blog also serves to create an online conversation around legislative happenings and other council news (can we expect to see a space for comments?), and I look forward to reading it over the coming months.

Support for Israel

I have visited Israel several times, most recently last year when I was working to promote our city's pension fund investments and to celebrate Israel’s 60th Anniversary as a nation.  I can tell you first-hand the Israeli people want a genuine and lasting peace. But every country has a right to defend its citizens, and as long as agreements are being violated, the Israelis have every right to protect their country.

Tragically, innocent civilians on both sides are suffering because of Hamas' frequent and terrifying rocket attacks on Israel, so it is crucial that all involved work honestly and earnestly to bring about a peaceful solution. This is an issue I feel very strongly about personally, and I believe that as civic leaders we should speak out to show our support for a safe and secure Israel.

Betsy Talking to Latino Youth

This weekend, Betsy Gotbaum spoke at ASPIRA's 16th Annual Youth Conference at Hunter College. The conference was themed "Make Your Mark" and attracted over 700 high school students.

Through the ASPIRA Process - Awareness, Analysis and Action - students learn to act on issues and problems that concern them. ASPIRA fosters the social advancement of the Puerto Rican/Latino community by supporting its youth in the pursuit of educational excellence through leadership development activities and programs.