Celebrating a Milestone for Four Freedoms Park
September 13, 2010
Here I am pictured with Sally Minard, Council Member Jessica Lappin, and Ambassador William vanden Heuvel at the ceremony laying the foundation stones for FDR Four Freedoms Park.
Today, I was proud to speak at a ceremony welcoming the granite foundation stones for the long-awaited Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park on Roosevelt Island. It is tremendously exciting to see this splendid public space and tribute to one of America’s greatest Presidents taking shape. Now is an especially poignant moment to properly commemorate a great President who led our country out of the Great Depression and through the Second World War, and this civic space, designed by one of the greatest American architects, will be a fitting tribute.
It is especially appropriate that this memorial to a great President with a disability be located on Roosevelt Island, with its proud history of inclusiveness and accessibility. I was honored to be part of the celebration as the foundation stones were laid for this iconic masterpiece.
Defending the Rights of Animal Care & Control Volunteers
September 1, 2010
Animal Care and Control of New York City (ACC) is the organization responsible for operating our city’s animal shelters. Many dedicated New Yorkers serve as volunteers at ACC facilities, giving their time to help care for homeless and neglected animals. Unfortunately, there have been reports from some volunteers of substandard conditions at ACC shelters, including allegations of animals wallowing in their own waste, cats and kittens going without food and water for extended periods of time, dogs not being properly socialized, ongoing killing of healthy animals, and failure to treat medical conditions.
I was deeply disturbed to learn that ACC has now instituted new volunteer policies apparently intended to silence such complaints. The new policies state, among other things, that volunteers may not “publicly criticiz[e]” or cast the agency “in a negative light.” These policies violate volunteers’ constitutional rights, and are clearly inconsistent with court decisions protecting whistleblowers and establishing that the opportunity to serve as a volunteer is a protected government privilege.
I am calling upon Mayor Bloomberg and New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley, who effectively control ACC, to have this policy repealed immediately. I have also asked City Comptroller John Liu to meet with me to discuss what steps can be taken to provide additional oversight of ACC, to ensure that volunteers are being treated fairly and that allegations of substandard conditions at ACC shelters are handled properly.
Copies of my letters to Mayor Bloomberg, Dr. Farley, and Comptroller Liu are below.
Letter to Mayor Bloomberg re: Animal Care & Control
Letter to Comptroller Liu re: Animal Care & Control
- Via @MicahKellner + @MMViverito NYPD, never sensitive to Trans NYers, but if these allegations true its beyond the pale http://t.co/UGWWI9Tn
11 hours ago from ÜberSocial for BlackBerry
