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SHINING A LIGHT ON NEW YORK’S PUBLIC AUTHORITIES |
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 By New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli
August 22, 2010 There are more than a thousand public authorities in the state, but most New Yorkers don’t know what they do or how they do it. Despite employing 159,000 people and spending $44 billion annually, New York’s 1,100 state and local public authorities remain largely unknown and unrecognized entities. As a result, taxpayers have little or no idea what authorities are doing to help us and our communities. They operate in the shadows, spending public money without much public scrutiny.
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GUEST COLUMN: What Do I Do Now!? Social Security Disability and Other Mysteries |
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 QUESTION: I CANNOT WORK DUE TO MY MEDICAL CONDITION. HOW LONG SHOULD I WAIT BEFORE I APPLY FOR SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY (“SSD”)?
ANSWER: YOU CAN APPLY SOONER THAN YOU THINK. Joe, a Traffic Enforcement Agent, was working the intersection at the Manhattan Bridge when a drunk driver and a 18-wheeler made a sandwich with him in the middle. Before you could say Social Security Disability, Joe looked like the Mummy, but in traction. The good news was all the necessary Workers’ Compensation papers were filed immediately. The bad news was that Joe would need more than a year and a half to regain the use of his legs and his left shoulder. The Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (MTBI) would take much longer to heal. Joe was devastated. And very, very worried how he and his family would get by as he recuperated. The doctor, however, pointed out that because Joe would be unable to work in any capacity for more than 12 months, Joe could file for Social Security Disability (SSD). |
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SEA's Need to be Protected and Respected |
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 By James Huntley
President, CWA Local 1182
When I first began working in 1982 as a Traffic Enforcement Agents, I worked hand in hand with Sanitation Police and Sanitation Enforcement Agents. We all shared the same goal, to ensure that New York City is safe, clean, and disease-free. The responsibilities of Sanitation Enforcement Agents (SEAs) cover a lot of territory including recycling, public health, unleashed dogs, vendors, and abandoned vehicles, just to name a few. SEAs monitor compliance and enforce the law so that streets are clean, illegal dumping is prevented, city waste is properly disposed, and garbage from residential and commercial buildings are removed from streets. Our Agents ensure that the city remains clean and free of disease but while they perform their important roles they are vulnerable to attack and violence. Unlike citizen victims of random crime, SEAs are specifically targeted because of their job. Sanitation Agents are chased by dogs, spat at by angry store owners, and punched while writing tickets. The City, State, and Federal government is willing to acknowledge the need to protect endangered species, like the Bald Eagle. It is even a felony to attack or kill certain animals. Yet, despite repeatedly being put in harms way while protecting and improving this city, SEA's are denied the protection needed to do their job each day. It's a shame that our dedicated Sanitation Enforcement Agents are not provided the same protections as all others in law enforcement. |
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NYC Hides Behind Eminent Domain Law |
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 By: Richard Silver President, American Pipe and Tank Lining Co., Inc.
New York City businesses are being tested. Unfortunately, it is not just the sour economy that’s doing the testing. In an ironic twist, it is the city itself that is causing businesses duress.
My business is one such business. My family has owned and operated American Pipe & Tank for decades. We clean and maintain water tanks. In an industry of un-sung heroes, our staff of professionals ensures that the iconic water towers gracing the NYC skyline are more than just ornamental decoration. They are an integral part of daily life in NYC. And through the years, American Pipe has suffered through the bad times and benefited from the good.
American Pipe and Tank has grown to become a New York City institution. But in 2006 that all changed. Using the protection of eminent domain laws, the City took possession of our building, 538 West 35th Street. I now know what many others know—that New York State is the most egregious perpetrator of eminent domain abuse in our country. |
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ember 7, 2010