Capano Rips Into De Blasio For Funding Sex Change Operations
Bob Capano, one of the Republican candidate for Brooklyn’s 43rd City Council District seat (Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, Bensonhurst) this week blasted Mayor de Blasio and the NYC Health and Hospital Corporation (HHC) for opening a clinic offering Gender-Reassignment surgery at Metropolitan Hospital in Harlem while the rest of the public hospital system hemorrhages billions of dollars.
“This is yet another example of the Mayor’s far-left fiscal insanity. At a time when our public hospital system is bleeding billions of dollars in red ink, the de Blasio administration chooses to create an elective surgery department instead of using what limited resources are available to deliver basic medical services to our citizens,” said Capano. “The scarce resources of our taxpayer-funded hospitals must be focused on improving emergency room services, acute care necessities, and training. As a Republican Councilman from Brooklyn, I will fight to make sure our money is being spent in the most effective ways.”
According to city filings with the state Financial Control Board, the municipal hospital system’s yearly operating losses are projected to be $1.1 billion this year, and increasing to a $1.95 billion by 2019.
Capano pointed to recent troubles at Brooklyn’s Coney Island Hospital, which is part of HHC, as an example of how funds can be better spent. Specifically, he noted a published report last year where a pediatrician who spent three years as a resident revealed that the facility was “chronically understaffed and most of the nurses were pulled from other departments. They didn’t know how to find a vein in a child’s arm for an IV, or how to perform CPR on a tiny infant.” He also noted the case of Grisel Soto last year, who died from an untreated form of meningitis.
The Health and Hospitals Corporation operates the public hospitals and clinics in New York City. It is the largest municipal health care system in the United States.
Brannan Demands Answers From The MTA
Justin Brannan, one of the Democratic candidates for Brooklyn’s 43rd City Council District seat (Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, Bensonhurst) this week called for accountability from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) on chronic and excessive delays on connecting R trains at 59th Street.
Brannan’s request comes as straphangers anticipate their commute will get even worse in the coming months with the impending shutdown of nearby stations for repair work and renovations, and recent controversial increases to the MetroCard base fare down the line.
“It’s already hard enough for hard-working Bay Ridge families to move around this city. Between the long commutes and fare hikes, we are simply not getting the service we need. I’m all for new and improved subway stations but having to wait 45 minutes at 59th Street to catch an R train at night is insulting. The MTA should fix what’s broken before doing anything else. The bottom line is we deserve better and it starts by their being accountable to our community,” said Brannan.
Brannan‘s call to action comes as straphangers’ subterranean blues continue to mount in light of ongoing service disruptions and increasing fares. In January, it was reported that service on the express N train will be suspended between the 36th and 59th street stations to allow for emergency repairs. Brannan expects the work to create additional headaches for the many R train riders transferring between the local and express lines.
“We live about 7 miles from Manhattan and yet people who live in different states get to work faster than we do. It is absolutely absurd and we’re tired of basically being told to just deal with it. We are done being ignored by the MTA,” said Brannan.
McCabe Takes On Illegal Home Conversions
Liam McCabe, one of the Republican candidate for Brooklyn’s 43rd City Council District seat (Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, Bensonhurst) this week said he has been talking to neighbors and local media about the burden illegal home conversions place on the district’s infrastructure.
“From overcrowded schools to garbage that’s left all over our streets, to water mains that are ready to burst, illegal home conversions are a real problem for our community,” said McCabe. “When I am your City Councilman, stopping illegal home conversions from ruining our communities will be a top priority. I am learning more about this problem every day and putting together real plans to protect us.
If you have questions about illegal home conversions, or you are worried about what’s happening on your block, let me know right away.
