News & Notes from NYC Public Advocate Bill de Blasio...

FDNY CUTS PUT RESPONSE TIMES OVER NATIONAL "RED LINE"

May 21, 2011

Public Advocate De Blasio: 18 of 20 Cut Companies Won’t Meet Basic Standard

A report released today by Public Advocate Bill de Blasio shows the cuts to 20 fire companies in Mayor Bloomberg's Executive Budget will seriously imperil emergency response times. According to the report, 18 of these companies will exceed a national 4-minute standard after cuts are implemented—-some by over a full minute. The National Fire Protection Association urges a 4-minute response to prevent fires from spreading beyond a single room, after which the risk of civilian death triples and property damage increases more than eight-fold.

"The neighborhoods targeted by these cuts will see their safety go up in smoke," said Public Advocate Bill de Blasio. "If the Mayor succeeds in cutting these companies, some communities won't meet the response times needed in places like Fargo, North Dakota, let alone a city where we need to fight fires on the upper floors of big apartment buildings."

Council Member Elizabeth Crowley (D-30, Queens), Chair of the Fire & Criminal Justice Committee stated, "In addition to the findings in this study, the FDNY is not counting the time the 911-caller is spending with the 911 operator which could be up to two minutes. Response times are significantly higher than what the Administration is reporting--and these false response times are being used to justify closing fire companies.  The Administration's policy for reporting response times is misleading, inaccurate and dangerous."

The Public Advocate's report is based on response time increases estimated by the FDNY. The National Fire Protection Association standard is modeled on responding to a fire at a two-story, single-family home where firefighting can commence soon after crews arrive. In a dense city like New York, firefighters require additional minutes to ascend multi-story buildings, making any response times above the national standard even more alarming.

Read the report at:http://advocate.nyc.gov/files/DeBlasio_Fire_Company_Closures_Brief.pdf

Read it on Scribd at:http://www.scribd.com/doc/55945084/Public-Advocate-de-Blasio-Report-on-FDNY-Budget

STATEMENT BY PUBLIC ADVOCATE DE BLASIO ON FIREHOUSE CLOSURES

May 19, 2011

“The list of fire company cutbacks shows what the Mayor’s budget really means for the safety of New Yorkers and their families. In my own neighborhood, Engine Company 220, which is a block from my house, now faces an estimated 30-second jump in response time. As Fire Commissioner Cassano has acknowledged, higher response times mean greater risks for New Yorkers. I will fight to keep every one of these firehouses open so that no family is put in harm’s way.”

STATEMENT BY PUBLIC ADVOCATE DE BLASIO ON EXTENSION OF “TEMPORARY PROTECTED STATUS” FOR HAITIANS IN U.S
May 17, 2011

“I applaud President Obama and Secretary of Homeland Security Napolitano for extending Temporary Protected Status to Haitian nationals living in the United States through 2013. Thousands of Haitians living in our city will be better able to support their friends and families as Haiti continues to recover. Haiti still remains in desperate need of assistance, and I encourage all New Yorkers to continue showing their tremendous generosity by donating to relief efforts.”

New Yorkers can make donations to Haiti relief efforts through the following organizations:

International Rescue Committee

https://www.rescue.org/donate/donate-now-haiti

Clinton Foundation Relief Fund for Haiti

www.clintonfoundation.org/haitirelief

International Red Cross

Mail a check with “Haiti” in the memo line to:

American Red Cross

P.O. Box 37243

Washington, DC 20013

STATEMENT BY PUBLIC ADVOCATE DE BLASIO ON DOE PLEDGE TO REDO COMMUNITY EDUCATION COUNCIL ELECTIONS
MAY 13, 2011

“The Department’s revamped plan for CEC elections is only a partial victory for parents. I remain deeply concerned that a few days are insufficient to fully investigate what went wrong with this year’s elections, and that there may still be parents who were blocked from the ballot without just cause. While it was the right decision to postpone elections and restart voting, we need a lot more consideration from Tweed including a plan that ensures parents their rightful place in school decisions.”

STATEMENT FROM PUBLIC ADVOCATE DE BLASIO ON TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER IN BRANDEIS HIGH SCHOOL COURT CASE

MAY 13, 2011

“As a public school parent, I do not see any sense in spending taxpayer dollars to renovate Brandeis until the outcome of this lawsuit is settled. The Department of Education should take this decision as an opportunity to find a more appropriate home for Success Academy, and to enable the students at Brandeis to continue to thrive.”

STATEMENT FROM PUBLIC ADVOCATE DE BLASIO ON ARRESTS OF SUPSECTS PLANNING TO ATTACK MANHATTAN SYNAGOGUE
MAY 12, 2011

“As President Obama has said, we need the vigilance and dedication of City and State government to successfully fight terrorism. Today local law enforcement has once again protected our city by dismantling a hateful and anti-Semitic plot to attack a synagogue. I commend all officers involved as well as Mayor Bloomberg, Commissioner Ray Kelly and District Attorney Cyrus Vance for their leadership in keeping New Yorkers safe.”

AN OPEN LETTER CHALLENGING BRADLEY A. SMITH OF THE CENTER FOR COMPETITIVE POLITICS TO A CITIZENS UNITED DEBATE
MAY 11, 2011

The following open letter has been sent to Bradley A. Smith of the Center for Competitive Politics in response to an op-ed in today’s New York Post. Public Advocate Bill de Blasio has invited Mr. Smith to debate the impact of the Supreme Court’s Citizens United ruling, and its relevance to New Yorkers.

May 11, 2011

Dear Mr. Smith,

The protection of our democratic process is the responsibility of all citizens. As New York City’s Public Advocate, I take that charge especially seriously.

Your assertion in today’s New York Post that the excessive corporate political spending let loose by the Citizens United ruling doesn’t matter to New Yorkers proves just how little you know about our city. For us, this is both a matter of economic interest and a moral imperative.

As a trustee of a $40 billion pension fund, I know firsthand that the rash political ventures of corporate America can have major consequences for the retirement and security of thousands of working people in New York. Citizens United has opened the way for companies to make political contributions right out of the corporate treasury, and by extension, out of our pension investments. The financial future of hard-working retirees shouldn’t rest on the political whims of corporate executives.

To contend that New Yorkers and Americans don’t care about the corrosive influence of money in our elections is blatantly untrue. Our city has blazed the trail of campaign finance reform by instituting a system of public matching funds that helps serious candidates of any income level to run for office. Just last fall, NYC voters overwhelmingly enacted a ballot measure to require disclosure of independent expenditures in City elections. There can be no question where New Yorkers’ hearts and minds are on this issue.

In short, the avalanche of corporate money into our political system does matter to New Yorkers, and all the more so because it happens in our own back yard. Just yesterday, American Crossroads—Karl Rove’s latest assault on democracy—announced its intention to drop $350,000 on a single special election for an upstate New York House seat.

I would welcome the chance to challenge you on these points so New Yorkers can see and judge for themselves. I invite you to debate in person the impact of Citizens United on our political system in New York and nationally.

I believe you will find New Yorkers both interested, and opinionated, on this critical issue.

Sincerely,

Bill de Blasio

Public Advocate for the City of New York

STATEMENT BY PUBLIC ADVOCATE DE BLASIO ON TEACHER LAYOFFS

MAY 6, 2011

“Despite the fiscal challenges we face, the Mayor is making the wrong choices for our children’s future. Even a cursory look at the millions we spend on teacher recruitment and technology consultants shows that the Administration has not made a real effort to strip down other expenses before firing teachers. The Administration also cannot afford to continue making the political fight around Last In/First Out a higher priority than keeping teachers in the classroom. As a public school parent I am outraged by how these choices jeopardize the stability of our schools. I will be organizing parents across New York City to demand that this budget makes our children the number one priority.”

STATEMENT BY PUBLIC ADVOCATE DE BLASIO ON MAYOR BLOOMBERG PICKING NISSAN TO BE TAXI OF TOMORROW
MAY 3, 2011

“The Taxi of Tomorrow should be creating the jobs of today for New York City, New York State and America. Instead, the Administration is giving away a $1 billion contract to a company based overseas without seeking any commitments for investment in our local and national economies. This failure, along with potential conflicts of interest between the TLC’s hired consultant Ricardo Inc. and Nissan, cast serious doubts on the legitimacy of the Administration’s final decision and its focus on bringing New York City out of the recession.”

STATEMENT BY PUBLIC ADVOCATE DE BLASIO ON INSPECTIONS OF ILLEGALLY SUBDIVIDED APARTMENTS
May 2, 2011

“Illegally converted apartments are a clear hazard to the safety of New Yorkers. It should not take the Department of Buildings weeks to dispatch inspectors, only to have many of them stymied by locked doors. The Department must accelerate its inspection process and increase its attempts to gain access to illegally subdivided units. We need to hold irresponsible landlords accountable and shut."

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand Visits Orphanage During Trip to Haiti...

Official Congressional Trip to Assess Earthquake's Impact on Child Welfare

Visit Included Meetings With Haiti’s President and First Lady, Discussion With Local Child Welfare Agency, And Tour Of Port-Au-Prince Orphanage

U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand’s visited a Port-Au-Prince orphanage during an official Congressional Delegation trip to Haiti last week with Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA) and Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC). The group assessed the impact on child welfare from the earthquake that devastated the country earlier this year. Senator Gillibrand now plans to work with her Senate colleagues on new legislation to help bolster Haiti's child welfare system. In addition to visiting the orphanage, the group also met with Haitian government officials and NGO leaders to discuss ways in which Haiti’s children can be assisted.

Photographs of Senator Gillibrand’s visit to the orphanage are available here.

“This trip was an important opportunity for me to see firsthand how the hundreds of thousands of vulnerable children are faring,” said Senator Gillibrand. “As a mother of two young children, I was heartbroken to see so many young children in Haiti suffering. I pledged to the Haitian President and First Lady that America would stand with the people of Haiti as they recovered. My focus now is on continuing our aid efforts and on crafting legislation that would help to significantly improve life for Haiti's children.”

On Monday, Senator Gillibrand met with President René Préval, First Lady Elisabeth Delatour Préval and other governmental officials to discuss the challenges Haiti is facing. Senator Gillibrand also toured the Rose Mina Orphanage to see firsthand how the earthquake has impacted Haiti’s youth.

Senator Gillibrand plans to work with Haitian leaders as they increase access to education for all of Haiti’s children, improve conditions in Haiti’s orphanages, with the ultimate goal of keeping families together. In the Senate, she plans to work with her colleagues to increase support for public education, register all children, and improve the adoption process to ensure that children may be reunited with families, and when that is not possible, may be adopted by qualified families.

Haiti, the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere, was devastated by a magnitude 7.0 earthquake on January 12. The powerful earthquake destroyed schools, hospitals, and much of Port-Au-Prince’s infrastructure, leading to the loss of over 230,000 lives and displacing over 1.3 million people from their homes. Many of those affected are young children who have been separated from their families.

Haiti has a very young population. Prior to the earthquake it was estimated that 65 percent of the population was under the age of 25, and 40 percent was under the age of 14. It was also estimated that over 300,000 children were unaccompanied by their parents, with about 50,000 living in orphanages. Only 20 percent of Haiti’s school children attended public schools. With the earthquake’s recent devastation, the number of vulnerable children in Port-Au-Prince has risen drastically.

Prior to the Earthquake, many children were sent to unregulated orphanages, not because they did not have parents, but because their families were too poor to give them shelter, food and education. Thus about 80 percent of the children in "orphanages" had families. Only a small number of orphanages were regulated by IBESR, Haiti’s children’s welfare agency. Since the humanitarian parole of almost 1,000 orphans who joined families in the U.S., due to the devastation caused by the earthquake, the already slow adoption process has been virtually stopped.

Rep Ed Towns’ Statement on Temporary Protected Status for Haitian Refugees in the U.S.

U.S. Rep. Towns (NY-10) released the following statement today following a press conference, where Members of the New York City Congressional Delegation convened at Brooklyn Borough Hall in support of the humanitarian relief efforts being organized to support Haiti. At the conference, Rep. Towns, who chairs the Committee on Oversight and Government reform, discussed his plans to lead a congressional delegation to Haiti as well as current legislation underway to extend Temporary Protected Status to the tens of thousands of Haitian refugees currently facing deportation.

“I want to extend my heartfelt sympathies to the people of Haiti, their families, and our neighbors across Brooklyn who have loved ones living in that country.

“With each passing hour, it becomes increasingly clear that the earthquake that struck Haiti on Tuesday night left behind tremendous destruction and a devastating loss of life. The scenes of the earthquake’s aftermath are heart wrenching.

“Today, we are calling on all Americans, and good people around the world, to assist in the international effort to provide vital support and resources to our Haitian brothers and sisters during this critical time.

“Now, more than ever, we need to provide temporary protected status for Haitian immigrants currently living in the United States. Doing so will enhance the stability of that brave, yet battered nation and allow for Haitians living in the United States to continue to provide financial support from our shores. As a practical matter, providing Temporary Protected Status is the least expensive, most immediate form of humanitarian assistance we can provide. In order to address situations like the one facing Haiti, the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security has the authority to grant Temporary Protected Status to immigrants when a foreign state cannot handle the return of nationals due to an environmental disaster. Now is precisely the time to extend that status to the thirty thousand Haitian refugees that might otherwise face deportation.

“As a cosponsor of Federal legislation to extend Temporary Protected Status to Haitian immigrants, the Haitian Protection Act, I am encouraged by the strong support we have received, including that of Congresswoman Clarke, Congressman McMahon and Senator Gillibrand. I stand ready with my colleagues in the Congress to do whatever is within our power to bring remedy to this urgent situation.”

NYS Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr., Statement on the Haiti Earthquake and Relief Efforts

NYS Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr., released the following statement on the devastating earthquake in Haiti and ongoing relief efforts:

"My heartfelt prayers go out to the families and loved ones of people in my district, more specifically from the South Ozone Park and greater Richmond Hill, Ridgewood and Woodhaven areas, who were affected by this horrific earthquake in Haiti. My staff and I will continue to monitor the situation in Haiti and work with relief organizations and other local elected officials on behalf of those Haitian families, to help with information about the rescue and recovery efforts. The American Red Cross, with whom I have been in contact, has already released $1 million for immediate response action. I urge my constituents to make donations of money, food, water, blankets, clothing, to the relief efforts. Donors may call 1-800-733-2767, or visit this Red Cross chapter Web site: www.nyredcross.org.”

For more information on how to help the disaster victims in Haiti, call the Senator’s Howard Beach district office at 718-738-1111.

Rep. Ed Towns to Lead Congressional Delegation to Haiti for Humanitarian Relief Efforts...

U.S. Rep. Edolphus “Ed” Towns (D-10), Chairman of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, announced today that he is making preparations to lead a congressional delegation to Haiti in response to the devastating earthquake that struck the country late yesterday.

Chairman Towns met with State Department officials today to discuss humanitarian efforts and spoke with White House officials to obtain regular updates on the situation.

“During the last few years, Haiti has suffered tremendously from several natural disasters, from hurricanes to mudslides. In addition to the tragic human toll, the disasters have severely hobbled the nation’s already fragile infrastructure and economy.” Chairman Towns continued, “I am pleased with the swift reaction of the United States government so far and am encouraged by the international support flowing into Haiti. I will continue working with my colleagues to monitor the situation and assist with the rescue and recovery efforts.”

Chairman Towns said that the purpose of the congressional delegation is to provide support and assess the scope of resources needed, including food, water, and economic assistance.

Chairman Towns added, “As the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere struggles to overcome the loss of life and destruction that has been wrought, I strongly urge those blessed with the means to help, to please do so.”

Private citizens can donate to the American Cross by simply texting the words “Haiti” to 90999. A $10 donation will be made to the Red Cross through your cell phone and added to your monthly bill.

Chairman Towns concluded, “My thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families and loved ones and anyone affected by this devastating tragedy. It will be a long time before Haiti recovers, but we must do whatever we can now to comfort its suffering citizens.”

Massive Earthquake In Haiti Requires U.S. Action - Statements by Rep Ed Towns and Rep Anthony Weiner...

U.S. Representative Edolphus "Ed" Towns (NY-10) issued the following statement in response to the devastating 7.0 magnitude earthquake that struck 10 miles outside Haiti's capital city, Port-au-Prince earlier today.

"My thoughts and prayers go out to the families and loved ones affected by this horrific earthquake in Haiti," said Chairman Towns. I will continue to monitor the situation in Haiti and work with my colleagues to assist with the rescue and recovery efforts.”

For more information regarding the status of United States citizens, please contact American Citizens Services at (888) 407-4747.

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Weiner calls on USAID to take lead in tackling developing humanitarian crisis...

In response to reports of a 7.0 magnitude earthquake in Haiti, Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-Queens and Brooklyn) issued the following statement:

“Haiti and the Dominican Republic need our help. Six million Haitians live below the poverty line and 70 percent are unemployed, making it the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. This would be a terrible tragedy for any country, let alone an island that just last year faced some of the most devastating hurricanes in its history. I witnessed this devastation up close when I visited Haiti last year, and I saw how important emergency assistance was to helping the families in need. That is why it is so important that the United States steps up and continues its efforts to help."

"Last year, in response to storms that ravaged these two nations, the U.S. government provided much-needed emergency relief. Now, with Haiti suffering again, I am calling on USAID to increase its emergency aid and provide immediate assistance.”