The Voice of the West Village WestView News VOLUME 14, NUMBER 10 OCTOBER 2018 $1.00 Duty to Warn: How Big Business Northwell Runs the Healthcare Industry Opens Suite of By Gary G. Kohls, MD the World. Around the time that the book was published, I was a small-town family practitioner still trying mightily to follow PART ONE—In this two-part series, Dr. Kohls explores the Hippocratic Oath, which I took back in 1968. I was also Doctor Offices how the intersection of big business and the pharmaceuti- still trying to honor my patient’s inalienable right to be fully cal, vaccine and medical device corporations have come to informed about the risks and benefits of any drug I was con- rule the healthcare industry. Part two of the series will ap- sidering prescribing before he or she consented to the prescrip- pear in the November issue of WestView. tion. It was time-consuming to follow those ethical principles. “Corporations should not be involved in any aspect of the Korten followed up with a sequel in 1999, titled “The democratic process. They should not be involved in educa- Post-Corporate World. Here is an excerpt that nicely sum- tion at any level. They should not be involved in healthcare. marizes what he was warning his readers about: They should not be involved in the administration of social “’When Corporations Rule the World’ told the new story as I had services. They should not be involved in the administration come to understand it: “Our relentless pursuit of economic growth of justice. WHY? Because they are incapable of understand- is accelerating the break-down of the planet’s life support systems, ing and conforming to higher human aspirations and needs. intensifying resource competition, widening the gap between rich Better to leave these areas to government, and to non-profit and poor, and undermining the values and relationships of fam- organizations, both of which are administered by humans in ily and community. The growing concentration of power in global In a move to return the range of care once offered by the human interest… The corporation is sociopathic in its corporations and financial institutions is stripping governments— St. Vincent’s, West Villagers are now being offered the disregard for human goals and values; in fact, its behavior democratic and otherwise—of their ability to set economic, social, skills of highly qualified physicians, each expert in the fits the World Health Organization’s criteria for defining the and environmental priorities in the larger common interest. major disciplines of ambulatory medicine, in offices just across the avenue from the Northwell urgent care psychopath.” – Wade Rowland, Author of Greed, Inc. “Driven by a single-minded dedication to generating ever center. The entrance to this two floor suite of offices Why Corporations Rule the World greater profits for the benefit of their investors, global corpo- is where the emergency room entrance was once rations and financial institutions have turned their economic located. Photo credit © Joel Gordon 2018—All rights I have a heavily-underlined book in my library that was writ- power into political power. They now dominate the decision reserved. ten in 1995 by David C. Korten, titled When Corporations Rule continued on page 12 that too? The crowd was silent as “Mandy,” the woman in the Eyes Wide Shut mask, continued to speak. “It is an Prostitution 101 epidemic… No girl should have to sell herself to make “Working” college students now includes that better life a reality.” I wondered, why was there no prostitution to pay cost of attending NYU one in the administration able to offer this junior student a scholarship? By Roger Paradiso I filmed the demonstration. When Mandy finished speaking, the crowd broke out in applause for the courage I was an innocent man on September 1, 2015. That’s of this young lady. It was at that point I decided to do a when I attended the demonstration of Faculty and Stu- film about this decadence and my (our) loss of innocence dents against NYU, the corporate university. I was in- in the failing Empire of 21st century America. I watched nocent until a masked woman, who turned out to be an “Mandy,” the anonymous sex worker student, walk off NYU student, stood up and spoke. Her opening words into the blazing sun. I decided then that the film would be seemed to drift from the PA system to my mind. Was I called The Lost Village. really hearing what I thought I was hearing? She said, “By I turned to my cameraperson, Liz, a young lady just out the time I started working as a Dominatrix, I had less than of college. I asked her if she had ever heard of prostitution two weeks to make rent. I made the money in two days.” THE LOST VILLAGE student in the mask reveals she worked as on campus. She told me she was making a short film about I took a step back and sized up the crowd. Did they hear a prostitute to pay tuition. Photo courtesy of Roger Paradiso. continued on page 14 Made With Love Jack-O-Lanterns St. Veronica Westside Market owner Boo! Joel Gordon offers Maria Zoitas’ new a gallery of Halloween’s Concert Series cookbook offers recipes most ghoulish pumpkins. Performances continue at St. with a Mediterranean flair. Veronica, 149 Christopher St. Saturday, November 3—7 pm SEE PAGE 7 SEE PAGE 8 2 WestView News October 2018 www.westviewnews.org WestView Published by WestView, Inc. WestViews by and for the residents of the West Village. Correspondence, Commentary, Corrections Publisher circulating that since the WFP convention could Executive Editor Praise for Dr. Grange I went to file a complaint today and found George Capsis not endorse a candidate in the Assembly race To the Editor: that the city no longer takes complaints for (Glick had no opposition in the September 13th Managing Editor Thank you for the profile of Dr. Carmen stickers on private property. The DoS needs Kim Plosia primary and would not be on the ballot), a chal- Grange in the September issue. She was to be held accountable for enforcing the law. Associate Editors lenge was still possible on the WFP line. Andrew Buemi, Justin Matthews, my doctor for many years and I liked her I’m hoping that you will share this infor- Anne Olshansky and had well-placed confidence in her Even Ms. Glick expressed “surprise” in re- mation with your readers and perhaps even Art Director judgment (I’m normally a difficult patient!) sponse to press queries about Nixon challeng- join me in an effort raise awareness of the Kim Plosia — Barbara Chacour ing her on the WFP line. I did try to get a growing illegal advertising issue, and hold Advertising Manager and Designer confirmation from the WFP, but was told that DoS accountable for enforcement. Stephanie Phelan In Defense of Female nothing was set until after the primary. I did — Peter Yorgin Photo Editor Postal Workers not knowingly mislead my readers. I apologize Peter: Darielle Smolian if I was mistaken. Thank you for reporting a sticker villain. We To the Editor: My column is political opinion commentary, propose the following as remedy: Traffic Manager Liza Whiting You wrote “But now, we seem to have a dif- not a news column. I did write, “We will con- ferent postal gal delivering the mail each tinue to cover after the September Primary.” To Councilman and City Council Speaker, Photographers day, and the only thing they have in com- In politics, things change all the time. My Corey Johnson: Maggie Berkvist Joel Gordon mon is their weight.” Wow. Really? Well, criticism of Assemblywoman Glick remains. We have run several articles from irate maybe they’ll stop mis-delivering your Her role as chief enforcer of the rule of the cor- readers on the callous and indiscriminate use Comptroller mail when you stop publicly calling them rupt and convicted Speaker Sheldon Silver is of advertising stickers on lamp posts and let- Jolanta Meckauskaite fat. I’m pretty sure you graduated from ju- a matter of record. The Daily News wrote, ter boxes and we suggest a city regulation. If Architecture Editor nior high decades ago. Stop it and grow up. “Glick was lucky she also did not go to jail.” a person discovers an offending sticker he may Brian Pape I was with you with Christine Quinn, Glick’s dismal legislative record for issues that capture an image of it with his cell phone and Film, Media and Music Editor though. But that was a while ago. affect her constituents, other than women’s email it to the proper city office with time and Jim Fouratt — Eric Gilliland health, made me welcome this possibility. location—and that offender will be subject to In “Have You Heard” I did endorse Ms. a fine. Food Editor David Porat Oops! WFP Supports Glick Nixon’s candidacy. I hoped Nixon would win —George Capsis and the issue would be moot. As she didn’t win, Distribution Manager To the Editor: I suggest strongly that the WFP consider, if Timothy Jambeck Pension Funds Invested in It was recently brought to our attention that Nixon is willing, to put an active, progressive Kindness and Decency Regular Contributors Jim Fouratt mislead your readers with a false female voice in Albany, rather than support an Barry Benepe, Caroline Benveniste, claim that the Working Families Party (WFP) elected official who did little to change the cor- The following letter by WestView contributor Charles Caruso, Jim Fouratt, is not supporting Assemblywoman Debo- rupt State Assembly or stand up to bully Cuo- Carol Yost was recently published in the Daily John Gilman, Mark.