HRA is a social service city ran organization, which provides various services to over three million New Yorkers. HRA operated under the mayor of New York, Michael Bloomberg administration. The mayor is the leader over all of the New York City agencies/government such as the all-public facilities such as social services, teen programs, and adult protective programs for the elderly and children services. Mayor Bloomberg is responsible for making sure policies, governing laws, and services implemented. “His job is to enforce these laws to the fullest within the city limits: five boroughs’ Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island and Bronx. “(NYC.gov. Jan 28). Michael Bloomberg oversees the city’s budget, and civil and non-civil servants employed by the city. Just like many administrations, he appoints department managers/heads and commissioners within these public agencies to oversee the operations. The department heads must also enforce the city and state laws and reports directly to the mayor. What is Michael Bloombergs hidden agenda for the City of New York?
HRA (Human Resources Administration) head is commissioner Doar. He is responsible for making sure that the social service programs under his departments are functioning according to the Bloomberg policies and New York City laws. Some of the programs receive both Federal and State funding such as food stamps, and Medicaid programs. Other services provided by HRA are home care, childcare, domestic violence shelters, adult protective agency, temporary assistance, public health insurance, child support enforcement, emergency disaster unit, HEAP, HIV/AIDS and teen pregnancy programs. There are over five thousand offices all throughout the five boroughs of New York, which in addition to the above services also provides job training and placement for families receiving social services.
My position with HRA is case worker and union representative for local 307, I basically wear two hats; As a caseworker I work with the Adult Protective Service and my second position Union Rep. I fight for the rights for the workers. Adult protective services assists clients’ age 18-100 yrs old age, which are abused, exploited, neglected and unable to manage their finances. My other role as a Union Representative is to advocate for workers rights, salary increase, and reach equilibrium in the work place. Meet with management to resolve unfair work conditions, try to prevent layoffs, increase overtime, stop pension cuts, and stop the increase in the health benefits co-payments.
My position as the Union Representative has been more involved more than ever before due to the recent re-election of the Mayors .
The city agency currently employers over sixteen thousand employees under the new administration, Bloomberg. The new administration was one of the changes, which many workers were against. Because not only did he change, the term limits law, in-order to run for a third term in two thousand and nine, which he was successful. He also stole the election and over five hundred civil service workers’ jobs were in jeopardy. He layer off two hundred and fifty civil servant caseworkers and replaced them with non-servant workers. Who exactly is Michael Bloomberg?
Michael Bloomberg was born February 14, 1942 in Medford, Massachusetts. His parents were Russian Jews. As a young boy growing up, he kept to himself and posse’s leadership qualities as an early age. “If there was one trait that stood out in Mike’s childhood, foreshadowing the adult he would become, it was his stubborn insistence on taking charge. Anything that came along, he wanted to do it! Mrs. Bloomberg said, ‘ He wanted to be the boss of whatever we were working on. He wanted to run everything.” P. 8 Purnick copyright 2009. He focused on his dream at an early age to make money. His high school girlfriend Sherman Berman recalls him telling her back then “…that it was very important to be successful, that he was going to be successful because once you had a lot of money you could do things to change the world.” (Purnick pg 9) Well improve and change the way Wall Street does business he did. Michael Bloomberg graduated from John Hopkins University, Baltimore Maryland in 1964 with a degree in electrical engineer and went on to Harvard University where he obtained a Master’s degree (MBA) in Business. After graduation, he worked on the trading floor on Wall Street at Salomon investment, as one of the firm’s first Harvard MBA. Bloomberg made his first million at Salomon and changed technology. He knew computers would make the trading easier and faster for the traders. This idea was a mastermind, which evolved and made life easier for the investment world. At an early age Michael Bloomberg was always “no social reformer, he was in business to make money.” (Purnick, Joyce copyright 2009). In 1992, he appeared in Forbes’s list of the four hundred wealthiest American worth an estimate three hundred and fifty million, two years later his worth five hundred million and one billion in Nineteen hundred and ninety five. He usually gets what he wants because of his wealth and power.
A mayor usually serves two terms but he decided to change the term limits so he could serve an additional term .Michael Bloomberg changed the term limits more of a transformational changed, these changes occurred suddenly without any prior notice. He didn’t care what the people of New York want he had his own reason and agenda. Once he was re-elected he changed the terms back to two term for any future mayor. He runs the city like he has no care about the poor, or middle class people. He wants to lay off over 10,0000 teachers, get rid of unions, civil servant workers and privitize all public offices.
This recent turn of event has created a high turnover rate, has changed the office culture, and changed the office morals. He intend on laying off teachers, fire fighters, cut back on city workers’ pensions, close nineteen public school buildings replace with charter schools and turnover public land to private industry. The next fiscal year, “including one point 1.6 billion in spending cuts that may be more severe if the city loses 1.3 billion in anticipated state aid. The mayor’s plan would balance the two thousand and eleven budget in part by firing eight hundred and thirty four city workers and cutting another three thousand four hundred and three thousand four hundred and fifty two positions by attrition, and compares with city spending of about 63.1 billion for this fiscal period, which goes through June thirty, attrition, not layoffs, would be used to reduce uniformed employees in police, fire, sanitation and corrections, he said.” (Bloomberg, January 28, 2009) This is not a good idea cutting back on uniform workers during an economic crisis is counterproductive. Crime rate increases during these hard times therefore the citizens need police protection more now than before. Decrease of police workers would be detrimental to our city. Bloomberg re-election has created uproar of issues among city employees. Employees are concerned about their jobs.
Problem Statement
Michael Bloomberg has a reputation of getting what he wants, based upon his history of success and still does. He was always a high achiever. There is nothing wrong with success, but he uses his money and power as a form of control. His mentality portrays a man who does not accept no as a final answer, his demeanor is success at any means necessary. He wanted to extend the time served from two to third term as mayor, which meant changing the term limits to fulfill his agenda, he succeeded in doing such. Other New York City council such as Christine C. Quinn attempted this change prior to him being mayor which Michael Bloomberg fought against this change, He challenged her attempt and stated, “There is this technical imperfection, if you will, in the existing law that was approved by the public, where in theory the City Council could go and override the wishes of the public, Mr. Michael Bloomberg said at the time. “I think that should be taken away. (New York City Council Oct 12, 2008) He fought against these changes and won. After serving two terms as mayor, he felt two terms were not sufficient time served. Therefore, he was satisfied or he did not finish what he had set out to do. He needed to make more changes as mayor, which required more time. He decided changing the term limits was the only way to finish his hidden agenda for the city. He did not consider the public anymore, but only himself. How selfish was his actions. Many New Yorkers were angry that a billionaire who has everything he needs could just throw his money and power around for his own selfish interest. He used his money to persuade and convince his constituents to vote in his favor for the term limit change. Many New Yorkers came out to protest in front of city hall to prevent the overturn of the term limits law from two to three terms. He did not hear or want to hear our voices. He disregarded us as if we were not a part of the equation. He has no respect for people , most people were not complaining about the mayor’s two term performance, which, in fact, many had approved, but once he refuses to slow the public to vote on the term changed, this angered many New Yorkers. He lost our respect and support as mayor. Another issue we have is regarding his one dollar a year salary.