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.”

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.

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.

Gotbaum Responds to Felder on Huff Post

 Public Advocate Gotbaum said, "Over the past 7 years, the Office of the Public Advocate has been the catalyst for major program and policy changes. And, during this  challenging era of economic downturn, it has been especially relevant and essential. Just ask the thousands of New Yorkers we've helped. Yet Mr. Felder, his true motives unclear, continues to make comments that are pejorative, misleading or downright  fictitious."  Click here to read the full post.

Educating the Public On Dangers of Locally Caught Fish

This week, Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum made a strong push for measures that would raise public awareness of the health risks of locally caught fish.

On Monday, the New York Daily News reported that, at piers where fishermen catch and consume fish from polluted waters, there are no visible warning signs or sources of accurate information. It was also reported that the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) hadn’t tested fish, other than striped bass, in a decade because of the agency’s workload.

Alarmed by these findings, Gotbaum announced plans to introduce a bill that would require the city to post warning of the various health dangers related to fish from local waters; and may require the city to test fish for health related risks if the state fails to do so.

After brushing off the topic for days, the Bloomberg administration finally announced that it would 250 new signs 'warning of the dangers of locally caught fish.' In response, Gotbaum said: "This is great, but we need something on the books to ensure this is really happening, and that the bill goes further to make sure signs are posted in languages other than English--like Spanish and Chinese. My bill also calls for testing and a public education campaign."

Read more about Gotbaum's work on this issue

(Photo credit: NY Daily News)

Standing up for Transitional Jobs Programs

Today, at a rally hosted by Community Voices Heard - a grassroots, membership-led organization of low income families with chapters in New York City, Yonkers, and the Mid-Hudson Valley - Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum voiced support for transitional jobs programs for low income New Yorkers. Gotbaum spoke about her experience as Commissioner of the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation:

"When I was Parks Commissioner, I witnessed first-hand the lack of incentives and training for participants in the Work Experience Program (WEP). So I instituted an innovative welfare-to-work training program that provided guidance for people seeking full-time employment. As out-of-work New Yorkers turn to us for support during these tough economic times, we need to work to strengthen city services to make sure our programs actually help people. Unlike WEP, transitional jobs programs serve as a stepping stone, not an obstacle, to financial stability."

Here's a New York Times Op-Ed Gotbaum wrote as Commissioner in 1993: When Workfare is Just Make-Work

Read today's release

Gotbaum to Quinn: Get Your Priorities Straight

Today, I responded to Council Speaker Quinn’s claim that restoring the Office of the Public Advocate’s budget was “not a priority.” Despite the fact that the city is experiencing the worst economy it has seen since the Great Depression, Speaker Quinn found more money for this year's budget than was allocated last year, almost $50 million for member items - $17 million that she handed out herself. However, the Speaker still passed a budget that cut the Office of the Public Advocate by nearly 40 percent.

 

Speaker Quinn’s priorities seem to be putting her political future before the interest of New Yorkers.  While she spent last fiscal year overturning the will of the voters, my office was busy watching out for New Yorkers short-changed by the City.  The Office of the Public Advocate is vital to helping vulnerable New Yorkers access city services. Speaker Quinn was right about one thing: This office does good work. But I have a bridge right outside my office to sell to anyone who buys her explanation for not restoring.

Gotbaum Visits ‘Bloomberg Beach’

Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum visited Times Square today to observe a stretch of blocks along Broadway that have been closed to vehicles and opened to pedestrians as part of a pilot program. In place of cars, the city has installed lawn chairs in different colors, prompting many to label the experiment ‘Bloomberg Beach'. Separate articles published in the past week have reported that the area has seen a decline in business, an influx in homeless New Yorkers, unexpected crowds, and trash.

During today’s visit, Public Advocate Gotbaum spoke with several business owners, police officers, pedestrians and representatives of the Times Square Alliance, a not-for-profit working to improve Times Square. Her reaction was mixed: “It’s too early to tell whether this project succeeds in improving traffic or reducing gridlock,” Gotbaum said. “As for the public space, I think it’s clear that people are enjoying it, but I do have a few suggestions. First, the city should install signs reminding people to discard their trash before leaving—and it should enforce fines for those who litter. Second, this project has to work for businesses as well as pedestrians: the city should allow trucks to enter Broadway and deliver supplies to restaurants in the morning, instead of forcing them to the side streets; and it should work with restaurants and other businesses to resolve problems related to garbage pick-up.”

PA Gotbaum Promotes Korean Guide to Public Benefits

 

Today, Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum was joined by Assemblywoman Grace Meng, David Chung of the Korean American Voters’ Council, and other advocates, to promote her Guide to Public Benefits for Immigrants in Korean. The free guide provides valuable information on federal, state and city benefits and is the first of its kind to specifically examine immigration status as part of benefit eligibility. The Public Advocate first released the guide in November 2008 in six languages, including English, Russian, Chinese, Spanish, Korean and Bengali.

Public Advocate Gotbaum said, “Immigrants bring our neighborhoods to life and make our culture the most diverse in the country. Low-income working immigrants may need government help, for themselves or their families, but many do not know how to access the benefits they need. We’re here today to promote a very important resource for the Korean community and let immigrants know that this guide offers crucial information about federal, state, and city benefits.”

Read the full release

Gotbaum Pushes For Bill to Fight Asthma Triggers in NYC Homes

Today, Public Advocate Gotbaum joined Councilmember Rosie Mendez and the Coalition for Asthma-Free Homes to hail a new report documenting how asthma triggers in New Yorkers' homes - combined with a lack of enforceable guidelines to curb them - are contributing greatly to the city's high asthma rates. Gotbaum said:

"This is a clear-cut public health issue. No one with asthma - a group that includes a large number of New York City children - should have to live in an apartment with health hazards like pests and mold. Today's report makes it clear that the current city law has failed to protect New Yorkers from those indoor allergens."

Read the Press Release