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City Council Committees - 2005


2005 City Council Committees

Approved January 19, 2005
Updated June 20, 2005

Standing Committees

Aging
Maria Baez, Chair
Maria del Carmen Arroyo
Domenic Recchia
Kendall Stewart
Helen Foster
Erik Martin Dilan
Dennis Gallagher

Civil Service & Labor
Joseph Addabbo, Jr., Chair
Larry Seabrook
Dennis Gallagher
Sara Gonzalez

Consumer Affairs
Philip Reed, Chair
Joseph Addabbo Jr.
Charles Barron
John Liu
Oliver Koppell
Maria del Carmen Arroyo
Vincent Gentile

Contracts
Robert Jackson, Chair
Yvette Clarke
Joseph Addabbo Jr.
John Liu
Margarita Lopez
Kendall Stewart
David Yassky

Cultural Affairs, Libraries & International Intergroup Relations
Dominic Recchia, Chair
Eric Gioia
David Weprin
Philip Reed

Economic Development
James Sanders, Jr., Chair
Diana Reyna
Yvette Clarke
Eric Gioia
Domenic Recchia
Alan Gerson
Letitia James

Education
Eva Moskowitz, Chair
Bill DeBlasio
Leroy Comrie
Domenic Recchia
Albert Vann
Robert Jackson
John Liu
Helen Foster
Andrew Lanza
David Yassky
Oliver Koppell

Environmental Protection
James Gennaro, Chair
Margarita Lopez
Peter Vallone Jr.
Bill DeBlasio
Oliver Koppell
Dennis Gallagher
Dominic Recchia

Finance
David Weprin, Chair
Tracy Boyland
Gail Brewer
Bill DeBlasio
Lewis Fidler
Margarita Lopez
Eva Moskowitz
James Oddo
Christine Quinn
James Gennaro
Eric Gioia
Joel Rivera
Robert Jackson
Madeline Provenzano
Bill Perkins
Leroy Comrie
Helen Sears
Dennis Gallagher
Simcha Felder
Al Vann
Michael McMahon
Oliver Koppell

Fire & Criminal Justice Services
Yvette Clarke, Chair
Hiram Monserrate
Tony Avella
David Yassky
Alan Gerson

General Welfare
Bill Deblasio, Chair
Gale Brewer
Bill Perkins
Larry Seabrook
Christine Quinn
Annabel Palma
Maria del Carmen Arroyo

Governmental Operations
Bill Perkins, Chair
Madeline Provenzano
Michael Nelson
Christine Quinn
Eva Moskowitz
Joseph Addabbo Jr.
Peter Vallone Jr.
Philip Reed
Leroy Comrie

Health
Christine Quinn, Chair
Yvette Clarke
Philip Reed
Kendall Stewart
Albert Vann
Helen Sears
James Oddo
Kendall Stewart

Higher Education
Charles Barron, Chair
Gale Brewer
Miguel Martinez
Larry Seabrook
Margarita Lopez
Bill Perkins
Joel Rivera

Housing & Buildings
Madeline Provenzano, Chair
Joel Rivera
Diana Reyna
Lewis Fidler
Gale Brewer
Robert Jackson
Leroy Comrie
Melinda Katz
Tony Avella
James Oddo
Letitia James

Immigration
Kendall Stewart, Chair
Charles Barron
Lewis Fidler
Miguel Martinez
Annabel Palma

Land Use
Melinda Katz, Chair
Michael Nelson
Albert Vann
Charles Barron
Simcha Felder
Hiram Monseratte
Eric Gioia
Tony Avella
Leroy Comrie
Erik Martin Dilan
Bill Perkins
Christine Quinn
Miguel Martinez
Joel Rivera
Maria Baez
Michael McMahon
Andrew Lanza
Oliver Koppell
James Sanders, Jr.
Vincent Gentile
Annabel Palma
James Oddo
Larry Seabrook

Mental Health, Mental Retardation, Alcoholism, Drug Abuse & Disability Services
Margarita Lopez, Chair
Helen Foster
Gale Brewer
Vincent Gentile
Kendall Stewart
Annabel Palma
James Gennaro

Oversight and Investigations
Eric Gioia, Chair
Miguel Martinez
Tracy Boyland
Peter Vallone Jr.
John Liu

Parks & Recreation
Helen Foster, Chair
Joseph Addabbo Jr.
Dennis Gallagher
Letitia James
Gale Brewer
Alan Gerson
Maria del Carmen Arroyo
Erik Martin Dilan
Robert Jackson

Public Safety
Peter Vallone Jr., Chair
David Yassky
James Gennarro
Melinda Katz
Hiram Monserrate
Helen Foster
Philip Reed
Eric Martin Dilan
Sara Gonzalez
Vincent Gentile

Rules/Privileges & Elections
Leroy Comrie, Chair
Christine Quinn
Bill Perkins
Madeline Provenzano
Maria Baez
Joel Rivera
David Weprin
Melinda Katz
Yvette Clarke
A. Gifford Miller
James Oddo
Diana Reyna
Lewis Fidler

Sanitation & Solid Waste Management
Michael McMahon, Chair
David Yassky
David Weprin
James Gennaro
Larry B. Seabrook
Andrew Lanza
Robert Jackson

Small Business
Micheal Nelson, Chair
Simcha Felder
David Weprin
Letitia James
Annabel Palma

Standards & Ethics
Helen Sears, Chair
Peter Vallone Jr.
A. Gifford Miller
David Weprin
Melinda Katz
Madeline Provenzano
Philip Reed
Joel Rivera
Andrew Lanza
Diana Reyna
Bill Perkins

State & Federal Legislation
Joel Rivera, Chair
Helen Sears
Joseph Addabbo Jr.
Erik Martin Dilan
Michael McMahon
Lewis Fidler
Hiram Monseratte
Maria Baez
Vincent Gentile

Technology In Government
Gale Brewer, Chair
Tracy Boyland
Bill DeBlasio
James Sanders, Jr.
Letitia James

Transportation
John Liu, Chair
Eva Moskowitz
Diana Reyna
James Sanders, Jr.
Helen Sears
Larry Seabrook
Miguel Martinez
Andrew Lanza
Joseph Addabbo, Jr.
Oliver Koppell
Sarah Gonzalez

Veterans
Hiram Monserrate, Chair
Michael Nelson
Tony Avella
Alan Gerson
Letitia James

Waterfronts
David Yassky, Chair,
Joseph Addobbo, Jr.
Gale Brewer
Alan Gerson
Eric Gioia
Michael McMahon
Vincent Gentile
Sara Gonzalez

Women's Issues
Tracy Boyland, Chair
Diana Reyna
Sara Gonzaliez
Charles Barron
Oliver Koppell

Youth Services
Lewis Fidler, Chair
Alan Gerson
Miguel Martinez
Albert Vann
Maria del Carmen Arroyo
Simcha Felder
Dennis Gallagher


Land Use Subcommittees

Landmarks, Public Siting & Maritime
Simcha Felder, Chair
Charles Barron
Oliver Koppell
Leroy Comrie
Bill Perkins
Annabel Palma
James Oddo

Planning, Dispositions & Concessions
Miguel Martinez, Chair
Michael Nelson
Hiram Monserrate
Joel Rivera
Andrew Lanza
James Sanders
Vincent Gentile

Zoning Franchises
Tony Avella, Chair
Eric Gioia
Maria Baez
Melinda Katz
Michael McMahon
Christine Quinn
Albert Vann


Subcommittees

Juvenile Justice (Public Safety)
Sara Gonzalez, Chair

Public Housing
Diana Reyna, Chair

Revenue Forecasting
Oliver Koppell, Chair

Senior Centers (Aging)
Eric Dilan, Chair


Select Committees

Civil Rights
Larry Seabrook, Chair

Community Development
Al Vann, Chair

Lower Manhattan Redevelopment
Alan Gerson, Chair

The Speaker of the Council, Gifford Miller, the Majority Leader, Joel Rivera, the Minority Leader, James S. Oddo, and the Public Advocate, Betsy Gotbaum are ex-officio members of all committees.

Auto Insurance Fraud: Driving Rates Up In Brooklyn


Also:
Insurance and Its Threats in NYC

If you drive a car in Brooklyn, chances are you've encountered many headaches during that endless search for a parking spot. What, you might ask, could be worse? How about this: People in Brooklyn pay the highest car insurance rates in the state.

Someone who lives in Brooklyn and drives a 2004 Chevy Malibu would be charged an average of more than $3,000 for six months of required insurance coverage, while the average cost for the same car in the Bronx is about half that amount.

Why is this so? It is largely due to auto insurance fraud.

"DOC IN THE BOX" INSURANCE FRAUD

Brooklyn's rates are so high because the borough is home to some of the largest and most efficient auto insurance fraud mills in the country. Millions of dollars in false insurance claims are fraudulently submitted and paid each year and, according to a recent study (in pdf format) conducted by the Insurance Research Council, increased claims abuse and fraud were particularly high in Brooklyn in every category.

These criminal enterprises are centered on fake clinics known as "Doc in the Box" operations, which use an intricate system of fake victims who claim false injuries and then, after being "treated" by one of these clinics, fraudulently bill medical and auto insurance companies. Though New York State law requires medical doctors to operate clinics, most of these operations are not under the supervision of a doctor and instead are under the operation of unlicensed management teams. Instead of using the clinics to treat injuries, the Doc in the Box operators are in the business of fabricating and perpetrating insurance fraud.

All of this adds up to astronomical costs for the average Brooklyn driver.

TOO MUCH FOR THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY TO HANDLE?

The Brooklyn District Attorney's office, which is responsible for investigating and prosecuting these local criminals, has not been able to keep up with these vast criminal enterprises in recent years. Recent auto fraud cases - to the extent they have been brought - have dealt only with cases being brought against the low-level "victims" and not the people responsible for running these vast schemes.

These results occasionally produce a good sound bite, but do not decrease fraud levels enough to lower premiums for the average Brooklynite. It is fair to argue that the Brooklyn D.A.'s office is without serious direction when it comes to prosecuting auto insurance fraud successfully, and that it is relying on antiquated investigative techniques.

BETTER ENFORCEMENT TECHNIQUES NEEDED

At the state level, the Attorney General's Auto Insurance Fraud Unit has been quite successful in regard to producing meaningful convictions. Like many other aspects of the Attorney General's office, the Auto Insurance Fraud Unit represents a model that local prosecutors should adopt. Among the reasons for its successes is a real commitment of resources to combat this sophisticated law enforcement problem. This includes assembling a highly professional staff on both the prosecutorial and investigative sides.

The same thing could be happening in Brooklyn. The Brooklyn D.A. should be using techniques such as wiretapping and undercover work to put forward a series of cases that work up the chain of command. Going after the Doc in the Box operations requires long-term commitments of resources from a smart and professional prosecutor's office. The Brooklyn D.A.'s failure to do this is evident in the lack of high-level prosecution - cases that other law enforcement teams, including the Attorney General's, are consistently putting together.

Since many of the auto fraud cases also cross jurisdictional lines, it would make sense to work with other local prosecutors to investigate and prosecute. The D.A. also needs to work together with the State Legislature to propose new, anti-kickback legislation, similar to the type used to fight against Medicaid fraud, that would effectively prohibit the clinics and law firms from paying middlemen who act as conduits between the "victims" and those who are perpetrating and certifying the fraudulent claims. Frankly, there is little public evidence that the Brooklyn D.A. has done this.

The prosecution of violent crimes is obviously an important part of protecting the citizens of Brooklyn, but, as the chief law enforcement officer in the borough, it's up to the D.A. to take on insurance fraud rings in the same aggressive and responsible manner other felonies require.

Mark G. Peters, the former chief of the New York State Attorney General's Public Integrity Unit, is running for Brooklyn District Attorney.



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