Public Advocate's Corner

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.
 

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. 

 

All Workers Deserve Paid Sick Leave

Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum today joined City Council Member Gale Brewer along with the New York State Paid Family Leave Coalition and A Better Balance to announce the 2009 campaign launch for an Earned Paid Sick Time Bill covering private sector workers in New York City.

Public Advocate Gotbaum said, "Paid sick leave should be a right for everyone. New Yorkers should not be forced to choose between their well-being and their paycheck. Too many workers are being forced to come to work sick because they can’t afford to lose a day’s wages. For those who work in food service, this injustice also becomes a public health issue. I am pleased to be co-sponsoring the Earned Paid Sick Time Bill with Councilmember Brewer."

Hungry? Need your finger prints, first

This Saturday, Public Advocate Gotbaum joined the New York City Coalition Against Hunger and local elected officials to honor Nelson Mandela's Birthday and call on the City to end their practice of finger-printing NYC food stamp applicants.

The city's policy currently requires food stamp recipients to provide a finger print in order to obtain their legally entitled benefits. This practice costs the city up to $800,000 every year, and may deter eligible families from applying for food stamps.

Gotbaum said, “Commissioner Doar tried to limit finger imaging when he ran the State agency that manages HRA, but now he insists on continuing this wasteful, unnecessary, and demeaning policy. If New Yorkers from Wall Street don’t need to provide finger prints to benefit from the Mayor’s JumpStart program, why should hungry New Yorkers have to provide finger prints for food they need to survive? This program is just one more hurdle for families trying to access needed benefits. The administration should be doing everything in its power to break down barriers to food stamps, which bring federal dollars into the local economy." Read the full press release [pdf] here.

Congratulations, NAACP

I would like congratulate the NAACP on their 100th anniversary. I was proud to serve as Parks Commissioner under our city's first and only African-American mayor, David Dinkins, and I am proud today to welcome our nation's first African-American president to celebrate this historic achievement.

The NAACP has been fundamental in advancing the cause of African-Americans in our country for the last hundred years, and I am confident that they will continue to champion civil rights and equal opportunity in our city and our nation for a long time to come.

[Watch Obama's full speech from July 16 here]

Cut to City Watchdog is ‘Bad Government’

MANHATTAN – Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum stood with good government groups and candidates for  her office, to condemn the nearly 40% cut to the Office of the Public Advocate as a damaging blow to accountability and good governance in New York City. No office of the other elected officials sustained a cut of more than 6%. Recently, Public Advocate Gotbaum charged that Speaker Quinn and Mayor Bloomberg cut the budget as retaliation for her opposition to extending term limits without a referendum. Public Advocate Gotbaum renewed her call for an independent budget to ensure that this type of power play cannot happen again.

The 2010 budget, proposed by Mayor Bloomberg and approved by Speaker Quinn, contains a nearly 40% cut to the Office of the Public Advocate, from $2.9 million to $1.8 million. This year, despite an increase in the overall budget, and full or partial restoration for every other elected official, the Public Advocate received no restoration.  

Public Advocate Gotbaum said, “This office is the watchdog over city government. And when the Mayor and Speaker impose damaging, crippling cuts to the agency that is meant to watch over them, it is time to speak out and call it like it is: this is an anti-democratic power play, and it’s bad government.”

Read the Full Release

Watch the video in the extended entry below, or at YouTube

Gotbaum Responds to NY Daily News Editorial

Today, the NY Daily News published a letter to the editor from Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum, in which she responds to a harshly worded editorial published last week.

Gotbaum writes:

In a recent editorial ("Elective surgery," June 24) you write that you last heard from me as a witness in the Brooke Astor trial. Ironically, since my appearance on the witness stand, your paper has reported on my criticism of the Department of Education's excessive use of no-bid contracts ("New York City schools gave out $342 million in no-bid contracts," May 20), on my lobbying for language translation services in pharmacies ("Council bill requiring pharmacies to provide language translation help," May 5) and on my guide for immigrants ("Your new guide to public benefits for immigrants," May 7). I suggest you take your eyes off the gossip column and give credit to your own reporting. You will find that my office is working on behalf of vulnerable New Yorkers on a wide range of issues.

Betsy Gotbaum, Public Advocate for the City of New York

Gotbaum Takes Budget Fight to the Huffington Post

On Friday, Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum denounced the disproportionate 40% budget cut agreed to by Speaker Quinn and Mayor Bloomberg. And yesterday, all six candidates for her office joined her in calling for an independent budget for the Public Advocate.

Today, Gotbaum takes her fight to The Huffington Post: "Bloomberg and Quinn Cripple the City Watchdog"

Below is a selection of the coverage Gotbaum's budget protest has received:

June 24, 2009:

Wanna-bes join Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum in her budget war with Mayor Bloomberg (NY Daily News)

Rivals Unite to Protest Plan to Cut New York Public Advocate's Budget (NY Times)

Public Advocate Hopefuls Question Funding Gap (NY1)

June 23, 2009:

A Hatchet to the Public's Watchdog (El Diario)

The Stifling of the Public Advocate (NBC NY)

June 20, 2009:

Gotbaum Budget is Cut 40%; She Calls it Political Payback (NY Times)

Advocacy slashed: Betsy Gotbaum stews over budget slight (NY Daily News)

Don't Cross Betsy (Gotham Gazette)

Gotbaum Hits Cuts to Her Office as "Payback from Speaker Quinn" (Village Voice)

Costco’s Step in the Right Direction

Today, I’m pleased to report a victory for New Yorkers receiving Food Stamp benefits: after entreaties from myself, Council Member Eric Gioia and Comptroller William C. Thompson, Jr., Costco has ‘agreed to accept Food Stamps at its two New York City stores.’ In a statement, James D. Sinegal, Costco’s CEO, declared his intention to “be a part of the solution to the financial burden that many people are facing today”, citing the “unprecedented economic challenges” that influenced into his decision.

As a trustee of the New York City Employee’s Retirement System, a significant Costco shareholder, I recently sent a letter urging Mr. Sinegal to amend their policy on Food Stamps. With today’s news, I’m hopeful that Costco has recognized both the severity of this economic crisis, and the potential to expand its customer base by reaching out to New Yorkers receiving Food Stamps.

In the coming months, Costco must continue in the right direction by committing to accept Food Stamps at the new store it plans to open in East Harlem—a neighborhood in which tens of thousands of residents receive Food Stamp benefits.

Voice Your Opinion: What do you think about Costco offering its products to New Yorkers receiving Food Stamps?

Obama Nominee for Supreme Court Justice

I am so pleased with President Obama's nomination of Sonia Sotomayor for Supreme Court Justice. Not only is Judge Sotomayor a great legal mind with excellent credentials and vast experience, but she will bring much-needed diversity and a valuable perspective to the Supreme Court. New Yorkers, and the Puerto Rican community in particular, are proud that one of their own will soon join the nation’s highest court. This is an historic choice that will benefit all Americans and I congratulate Judge Sotomayor on her nomination.