Demonstration against hospital closings on Palm Sunday - St. John's Queens Hospital

Healthcare activists are holding a demonstration and speak-out against the debt-ridden healthcare system that drives hospitals to closure on Palm Sunday at the former site of St. John's Queens Hospital in Elmhurst. RSVP at the official Facebook event for the St. John's Queens Hospital demonstration against hospital and medical debt.

The spree of hospital closings has become an issue in this year's campaign to be New York City next mayor.

Last year, the newspaper publisher Tom Allon made news when he took out a full-page newspaper advertisement questioning the leadership of New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn during the closing of St. Vincent's Hospital.

But for all the discussion about the need to save hospitals, the conversation never seems to lead to the underlying issue of how the market-driven healthcare system leaves hospitals debt-ridden, thereby driving hospitals into bankruptcy.

Join us for a protest to stop hospital closings : 1 p.m., Sunday, March 24, 2013, at the former site of St. John's Hospital Queens : 90-02 Queens Blvd.

Subway Directions : Take the R train to Woodhaven Blvd.

This is a demonstration in affinity with #strikedebt. Fore more information about Strike Debt, please visit : http://strikedebt.org/lifeordebt/

Christine Quinn Takes More Heat Over Blocking Of Paid Sick Leave

Christine Quinn takes heat at mayoral forum for blocking vote on paid-sick-leave bill; Controller John Liu was consistently applauded by Harlem crowd.

From The New York Daily News :

Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, seated next to Quinn during a lively forum in Harlem on poverty issues, also ripped into the Council Speaker for helping pass a “watered-down” living-wage bill.

Controller John Liu consistently drew the loudest cheers from the largely minority audience, as he went further on several issues than his Democratic rivals – Quinn, de Blasio, ex-City Controller William Thompson and former Councilman Sal Albanese. For one, he called for the minimum wage to be raised to $11.50 — the current rate is $7.25 in New York — while his opponents said they favored President Obama’s preferred figure of $9.

Liu also repeated a previous demand to have the NYPD’s controversial stop-and-frisk policy halted. “It makes everybody less safe,” he said. The other candidates argued to keep the practice but reform the way it is applied.

Publisher Tom Allon was the only GOP candidate to attend ; three others, including former MTA boss Joe Lhota, declined invitations.