Public Advocate's Corner

City to Finally Clean Up ‘Bronx Swamp’

Prompted by repeated calls from Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum, community leaders and Bronx residents, the Mayor's office announced today that they will take action to clean up a stretch of filthy standing water in the Bronx.

Last month, the City Department of Health (DOHMH) detected the West Nile Virus in mosquitoes in the Bronx. Public Advocate Gotbaum visited the site to call on the City to clean it up before mosquito season. On a visit to the tracks, representatives from the Public Advocate's office spotted rats, animal carcasses, and swarms of mosquitoes rising above the filthy muck.

Gotbaum said, “Finally, after three separate calls by my office to clean up this swamp and months of trying to pass the buck, the city has announced that it will take responsibility and clean up the swamp. This is a victory for the residents nearby who have to deal with it everyday. No one should have to live near an area as filthy, and potentially dangerous, as the Bronx swamp at any time of year, but especially during mosquito season when it is a public health hazard. I am pleased that the city has decided to take action.”

Faked Hospital Records? Joint Commission Investigates

Last week, Public Advocate Gotbaum & the City Comptroller wrote a letter to Mark Chassin, President of the Joint Commission, asking him to investigate the allegations against eleven city hospitals that they had falsified medical records.

Both the Public Advocate and the City Comptroller believe that an independent investigation is necessary, and should be conducted immediately by the Joint Commission.

The Joint Commission is the country's leading healthcare quality and regulatory agency. The Commission accredits and certifies healthcare institutions and monitors them for compliance with healthcare quality standards.
 
They received a letter back from the Mr. Chassin, assuring them that the Joint Commission has initiated a full investigation through their Office of Quality Monitoring into these troubling allegations.
 

Remembering Eunice Kennedy Shriver

Today, we recognize the life of Eunice Kennedy Shriver, a tireless advocate for the mentally disabled. Eunice was not only a prominent member of one of America's most influential families, but she was also a life-long advocate for developmentally challenged Americans. Among her many accomplishments, she will always be remembered for her role in founding the Special Olympics.

I admire the work that Eunice did, and know that she will be sorely missed by her friends and family. Her lifetime of service empowering the mentally challenged serves as an example for us all.

Helping Women Find Stable Jobs

The Jennie A. Clarke Residence, a Department of Homeless Services (DHS) facility operated by Women In Need, Inc. (WIN), provides housing, job training, and other services to women who are homeless and disadvantaged. WIN offers the tools and guidance that allow families to return to their communities and live independently.

Recently, the Public Advocate's office learned that clients at the Jennie A. Clarke Residence would be better able to keep track of job-related appointments if they owned calendars. Today, Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum visited the Residence to donate 100 calendars and learn more about the facility's needs.

(Top: PA Gotbaum speaks with Mary Beth Gonzalez, Program Director at the Residence, and associate; Right: Gonzalez accepts calendars from Gotbaum)

Summer in the City: Check Out these Free Events!

There's no better time to be in New York City than the late summer, when the crowds have thinned and free events abound. If you haven't found something fun and free to do on a given August weekend or even a weeknight, check out the many options on www.nycgo.com. Among its listings are weekly picks of "free in nyc" events. For example, from July 31 to Aug. 31, nycgo.com lists 13 free events in Brooklyn, 28 in Manhattan and two in Queens.  

 

Movies: The Department of Parks sponsors Free Summer Movies. For additional free Parks-related activities, check out their coming events calendar as well as Urban Park Rangers activities. You also may want to download the Parks Special Events Calendar for 2009.

 

Music: Among free New York City concerts are the Seaside Summer Concert Series at Asser Levy/Seaside Park in Brooklyn. The concerts run Thursdays through Aug. 27. 

Check out the Central Park SummerStage calendar. On August 6, SummerStage features Asbury Shorts: An Evening of the World’s Best Short Films, along with the Mingus Dynasty Quintet.

Theater: Shakespeare in the Park runs through Aug. 30.  Now playing at Central Park's Delacorte Theater: "The Baccae" by Euripides. 

 

Museums: Nyc.gov offers information about free or discounted admission at city museums. Admission at the National Museum of the American Indian in Battery Park, for example, is always free.

 

Camping: The city Department of Parks & Recreation offers overnight family camping in city parks, complete with cookout, night hike, stargazing and breakfast.  Parks even provides tents.  Registration is required for this free urban adventure, but all you need to bring are sleeping bags. Urban Park Rangers run the program, which was featured recently in The New York Times.

 

Other Events: The Downtown Boathouse offers free kayaking in the Hudson River at three locations: Pier 40 at Houston Street, Pier 96 at 56th Street and, in Riverside Park, at 72nd Street. All equipment is provided, also for free. You must wear a life jacket, know how to swim, abide by Downtown Boathouse rules and sign a liability waiver. Kayaks are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. At Pier 96, three-hour trips are available as well as introductory classes.

 

Take the ferry to Governors Island, a former military base that only recently became accessible to the general public. On Wednesdays and Thursdays, National Park Rangers lead 1.5 hour walking tours of this National Historic Landmark District.

 

And watch out for Summer Streets, in which certain streets between the Brooklyn Bridge and Central Park will be closed to motor vehicles from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. on three consecutive Saturdays -- Aug. 8, 15, and 22. A city website featuring videos and other information suggests that, on these Saturdays, "...the city streets are your playground. Come out and let your imagination run wild!"  

Mayor Must Shed Light on Discretionary Spending

Today, I wrote a letter to the Mayor after asking him to address allegations of irregularities in the distribution of discretionary funding from his office.

According to a recent New York Times article, over a period of several years, the Mayor's office routed hundreds of thousands of dollars in discretionary funds to at least two nonprofit groups possibly without following the correct contracting procedures. 

I urge the Mayor to address these allegations immediately and to shed light on his office’s discretionary spending. I am asking him to provide my office with a detailed account of each distribution of discretionary money to the two nonprofits mentioned in the article: Agudath Israel of America Community Services and Ohel Children’s Home and Family Services.

I am also asking that he provide my office with a copy of the internal audit of discretionary spending conducted by the Mayor's office, which has been mentioned in media reports, as well as an itemized list of all discretionary spending since 2002 not addressed in the audit including the name of the recipient organization, the amount allocated, the councilmember or borough president who requested the funding, the date of each request, whether the request was made orally or in writing, and the date your office approved the requested funding.

Save New York City's Food Pantries!

With rising unemployment and higher costs of living across New York City, food pantries have experienced increased demand. In some cases, such as at Richmond Senior Services in Staten Island, the influx of families has resulted in a shortage of food and resources. According to Beverly Neuhaus, Executive Director of the center, Richmond Senior Services serves 25 percent more people than it did in November 2008. 

Today, Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum visited the Staten Island food pantry, where she called on the city to increase funding for emergency food programs and support policies - like improving access to food stamps - to fight hunger in New York City. She was joined by Joel Berg, Executive Director of the New York City Coalition Against Hunger (NYCCAH). Gotbaum said: "As the number of unemployed in New York City contiunues to rise, the city should not turn its back on hungry New Yorkers. Making it easier for them to access food stamps could eliminate some of the demand for pantries. This is a wake up call."

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On behalf of Korean immigrants, thank you

Last week, Betsy joined the Korean American Voters’ Council and the Global Society of Korea and America to congratulate them on their work promoting a very important resource for the Korean community – the Guide to Public Benefits for Immigrants.

This guide, created by the Office of the Public Advocate last fall, was first of its kind to specifically look at immigration status as part of benefit eligibility.

Betsy congratulated David Haemin Chung, Chairman, Korean American Voters’ Council and Yung Duk Kim, Chairman, The Global Society of Korea and America, as well as Kwang S. Kim - President of Korean American Human Service Providers Association - for their exceptional work printing and distributing the guide to Koreans around New York City. (pictured).

The guide is available on the office website in 6 different languages.