Candidates fault city hospitals agency

Health and Hospitals Corp. does not spend enough of its budget on Staten Island, it is charged at political forum

Thursday, October 05, 2006

By TOM WROBLESKI

The city Health and Hospitals Corp. came in for a bipartisan scolding yesterday from candidates who attended a political forum at Olivet Presbyterian Church, West Brighton.

City Councilman Andrew Lanza (R-South Shore) said it was a "disgrace" that HHC spends "less than one-half of 1 percent of its budget" on Staten Island. He and others complained that the Island is the only borough without an HHC acute-care hospital.

"Their mission is to give health care to all the people of New York City," said Lanza, who is running to replace retiring state Sen. John Marchi (R-Staten Island).

State Sen. Diane Savino (D-North Shore/Brooklyn) complained that borough residents "missed an opportunity" to pressure Mayor Michael Bloomberg on the issue when he was campaigning for re-election last year.

"Whenever he comes to Staten Island, we treat him like a rock star," said Ms. Savino. "We let him get away with it."

HHC spokeswoman Ana Marengo responded that the agency had helped establish a federally funded clinic on the Island.

"That will provide extended services to Staten Islanders," she said.

She could not speak to the issue of an acute-care facility for the borough.

Also attending yesterday's forum, which focused on health care and social-service issues, were Assemblymen John Lavelle (D-North Shore) and Michael Cusick (D-Mid-Island); Democratic congressional candidate Stephen Harrison; Democrat Matthew Titone, who is running for the Marchi seat, and Democratic Assembly nominee Janele Hyer-Spencer.

Also appearing were Judges Barbara Panepinto and Philip Straniere, who are running for re-election to Civil Court, and Civil Court candidates Ralph Porzio, a Republican, and Kim Dollard, a Democrat.

Republican lawmakers in Washington, D.C., and Albany took hits at the forum for cutting funding for HIV/AIDS treatment and other health care programs. Lavelle said that funding for such programs would increase if Democrat Eliot Spitzer is elected governor.

Ms. Savino noted that the state Senate Social Services Committee has but four members, instead of the customary eight or more.

"It's reflective of the ideology of our government in the state Senate," she said. "It's an issue that we don't have to spend a lot of energy on."

Lanza afterward said the partisan "attacks" were counterproductive.

"We need to move beyond that," he said. "Attacks serve as a distraction."

Tom Wrobleski may be reached at wrobleski@siadvance.com. Read his polit.bureau blog at http://www.silive.com/newslogs/politics/

 

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