| Releases & Statements
Contact: Press Office
(212) 669-4193
For Immediate Release: April 26, 2006
Gotbaum
Introduces Bills to Provide Consumers with Gas Price Info; Set
tougher Penalties for Cop, Fire Fighter Impersonators; Help Seniors
Obtain Rent Increase Exemptions
Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum today
re-introduced legislation requiring gas stations to regularly
report gas prices to the Department of Consumer Affairs. DCA would
make the information available on the City’s web site so
residents could compare prices in their neighborhoods or by zip
code. The bill is designed to foster competition, which could
result in lower prices. According to a study conducted by the
National Association of Convenience Stores, 40 percent of drivers
will go to a different gas station just to save a few dollars.
The bill would also help DCA regulate unscrupulous gas station
owners who are gouging New Yorkers at the pump.
“This bill is for all New York
drivers,” Gotbaum said. “If they can avoid the gas
station that charges $3.60 a gallon and find one on their way
to work that charges $2.90 a gallon, they’ll save $7 for
every 10 gallons. A few dollars may not seem like much, but it
can mean a lot to a working family.”
Gotbaum also re-introduced legislation
that would increase penalties for unlawful use or possession of
any part of an NYPD uniform to a fine of $1000 (from $100) and/or
1 year in prison (from 60 days). Last year, Gotbaum drew public
attention to the fact that current laws against impersonating
a police officer are more than twenty years old and real or replica
police uniforms, insignia, and equipment are easily available
from supply stores and the Internet.
“It’s a dangerous problem
when anyone can impersonate a police officer without fear of serious
consequences,” Gotbaum said. “This legislation will
solve that problem, make the work of our Finest easier, and help
protect New Yorkers.”
Finally, Gotbaum re-introduced legislation
requiring the City to report on processing times for applications
to the Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption (SCRIE) program
and help seniors get reimbursed for rent increases they pay in
the meantime. Last year, the Office of the Public Advocate conducted
an investigation of the program and found that average application
processing time was seven months, during which time many seniors
were forced to pay rent increases. Less than a year after her
investigation, the city has responded with a plan to streamline
the SCRIE application process by transferring administration of
the program from the Department of the Aging to the Department
of Finance.
“No senior should have to choose
between paying the rent and buying groceries or prescription drugs,”
Gotbaum said. “Moving the SCRIE program to the Department
of Finance was a step in the right direction. But my office and
the City Council still need the power to monitor this important
program and ensure that it is serving our seniors as efficiently
as possible.”
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