The Mayoral Race:

We judge Mark Green to be the strongest candidate by far, based on his past record as Public Advocate as well as his presentation to us and in public forums. In an office without much power and a small staff, he has developed a strong record on issues of concern to social work.

This included suing the Police Department to force disciplining and opening of records of members who were judged abusive to citizens; creating the C-PLAN, a public-private partnership to advocate for families and children in need of child welfare services; advocacy on behalf of homeless families denied temporary housing by the Mayor's policies; efforts to modify the harshness of H.R.A. Commissioner Jason Turner's workfare policies; conducting studies spotlighting the lack of daycare for welfare recipients and following up with lobbying to prevent closure of current daycare centers; and 20 studies investigating and evaluating the problems faced by HMO and managed care company enrollees to ensure that more families with children receive health care. Based on his very effective use of a weak and understaffed office, as well as the employment of many social workers on his staff and his receptivity to NASW, we are endorsing Mark Green in the Democratic Primary for Mayor.

Public Advocate

We are endorsing Stephen DiBrienza for NYC Public Advocate as the best candidate from a large field of highly qualified candidates. He has been a very effective City Council member from Brooklyn for 16 years and during that time has received our support and endorsements. While in the City Council Mr. DiBrienza won passage for legislation for the following: protecting victims of domestic violence in the workplace, making reforms in the delivery system of the city's homeless services, and requiring a more effective welfare-to-work effort in the city. As Chair of the General Welfare Committee he has provided crucial oversight for HRA, ACS and Medicaid services and has proven himself a passionate advocate of the issues we value.

Comptroller

We strongly endorse William Thompson for Comptroller. He is very knowledgeable and forthright in his answers to our questions and concerns, and speaks to the issues of social work. He supports the continuation of ACS as a free-standing agency, recognizes the problem presented by transition of Welfare recipients at their end of their five-year time limit because of the lack of a safety net program; and he has detailed a thoughtful proposal regarding mental health services for city residents.