Important legislation introduced in City Council

Following the press conference held on the steps of City Hall just prior the meeting, Council Member Jose Serrano asked his colleagues for their support of a bill to ensure that parents and guardians are regularly informed of public health insurance options available for their children. It would do so by distributing annually, through the public school system, a pamphlet detailing these options.

"Children living in New York City represent 19% of the city's uninsured," Serrano said. "Many parents do not know that all children, regardless of their immigration status, are entitled to quality health insurance. This legislation will help families who would otherwise have little or no knowledge of what is available to their children to be informed. Every child should have quality health care, and this will provide the means for all parents and guardians to be reached properly."

Council Member Charles Barron then introduced a bill which would amend the local law governing how the Police Department approaches missing persons cases.

As the law stands now, when persons have no mental or physical impairment and there's no reason to suspect drowning or foul play and they are reported missing, the police only begin an immediate search if they are age 16 and under, or 65 and over. And though the Missing Persons Squad is informed of the search, the case isn't actually turned over to them for 7 days. This is despite the fact that law enforcement officials acknowledge that the first 24 to 72 hours are the most crucial.

In April, this hesitation on the part of the police led to tragedy when 21-year-old Hunter College student Romona Moore went missing. Despite the fact that her family and friends insisted that her absence was totally out of character and they pleaded with the police to begin an immediate search, the police did not do so until it was too late. Just one week after she was reported missing, Moore's body was found only a few blocks from her home.

The amended law would require that an immediate search begin for persons 25 years and younger - college age and below - when their absence is inconsistent with their usual habits and schedule. It would also require that the case be handed over to the special unit within 3 days.

"We do this to end the discrimination as to when they will begin looking for missing persons," stated Barron. "Oftentimes when the missing persons come from white communities they launch into an investigation immediately. When it comes to our communities of color, they often say the person is hanging out, they're partying, 'You know how young people act.' This young lady was a scholar," he continued. "I feel if the police had acted immediately Romona may have been alive today."

Council Member Philip Reed backed up Barron, declaring, "There is no question that there is a double standard. When a woman who lives on the Upper East Side goes missing, they look for her immediately. But with a young girl in East New York it takes a week to get the police to start paying attention. Let's not forget that everybody in this city is eligible and deserves the same quality of protection - not one standard for some people and another for others."

Several other introductions had to do with financial matters. Council Member Robert Jackson introduced a bill - which is supported by both labor and management throughout the city - mandating that any construction contract with the city above $100,000 have an apprenticeship program in place. Jackson pointed out that over 51% of the apprentices are young men and woman of color. "What this does is enlarge the pool of young individuals learning the construction trades," he explained. "This will guarantee that when they graduate they will be top-earning bread winners for their families."

Council Member Kendall Stewart introduced a bill that would grant voluntary leave of absence to city employees in times of fiscal crisis. Instead of being laid off, a person could go on furlough for up to 2 years. During that time they would continue receiving health benefits and also have the time credited towards their pension. The city would benefit through saving on salaries while retaining their best workers.

Council Member David Weprin also introduced legislation to limit the amount of money any individual or organization can spend on a campaign to revise the city charter. "This amendment would help level the playing field and insure that those who have not been blessed with significant monetary assets will have their voices heard in the debate," stated Weprin. It would, for instance, prevent Mayor Bloomberg from spending an exorbitant amount of money campaigning to alter the charter in order to bring about nonpartisan elections in New York City because he thinks it would boost his re-election chances in 2005. In general, this electoral method would make it even harder than it already is for a person of color to win a mayoral race.

It was also good to see several Council Members - Eric Dilan, Sara Gonzalez and James Davis among them - keeping up the good fight for the people's firehouses. Bill DeBlasio stressed that if the mayor can find $90 million to restore some cuts and also admit that actions taken in Albany several weeks ago changed the city's financial picture for the better, "Then it is possible to come up with $6 million to reopen the firehouses that have been shut."

Council Member Yvette Clarke commented, "When we found that we have the room to restore some items to the budget, it's beyond me why the very first restoration wasn't the reopening of those firehouses. That is at the very foundation of our society: preventing the loss of life and destruction of property. So I would ask that the administration take a look again at its priorities."