Monday, September 29, 2008

New Blog on Iraq and Afghanistan

To All,

Stephanie Gaskell a long time friend of Where to Turn has just started a new blog on the daily news website about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

She hopes that it will be a place where people can go to connect with soldiers from our area and get informed about the latest developments on the front lines.

The link is www.nydailynews.com/blogs/warzone

When you get a chance give it a look

Thanks

Dennis

We Have Heard It All Before





In a perfect example of closing the barn door after the horse is out the mayor is now calling for the shutdown of the LMDC.

For years we have been complaining about how money was being thrown into this money pit.

We have asked for audits of the salaried positions as well as contracts that were authorized by the LMDC.

And we have been totally ignored.

One only has to look at Ground Zero or the Deutsche Bank Building or even the New Transit Hub to see that there was never any concern about getting things done and even less concern about fiscal responsibility.

Had even 5% of what was wasted on this agency had been put towards 9/11 Health Benefits the mayor would have the 10% city portion that the federal government is now requiring.

But no he would rather ignore the golden parachutes that were given to former LMDC employees as well as the political patronage that continues to fill these executive positions at the LMDC.

Along with the revolving door policy that basically acted as a stepping stone (along with a healthy paycheck) until a better job opened up.

And all the while the 9/11 concerns were ignored, little progress was made at Ground Zero and billions of dollars were wasted.

But they will finally close up shop and walk away with better jobs and no one will ever even ask for any accountability.

Business as usual at Ground Zero and we have heard it all before.

And if you don’t believe us check out a few of our posts below


THE PROBLEM WITH THE SYSTEM (01/09/08)

http://www.where-to-turn.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=41116

THE PROBLEM WITH THE SYSTEM PART II (01/10/08)

http://www.where-to-turn.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=41143

OUR FORGIVING DAYS HAVE LONG PAST (07/06/08)

http://www.where-to-turn.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=43710

TRANSPARENCY AND OPENNESS (07/01/2008)

http://www.where-to-turn.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=43629

ONE BY ONE THEY ALL WALK AWAY (8/1/06)

http://www.where-to-turn.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=26670

LMDC CONTINUES TO KEEP US IN THE DARK (8/21/06)

http://www.where-to-turn.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=20988


To view all of our posts go to

The Lost Art of Common Sense

http://www.where-to-turn.org/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=30

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Who Is Going to Bail Out Washington?

As Congress continues to fight about this $700 Billion bail out package almost entirely along party lines the country's fall deeper and deeper into this Recession that they assure us we are not in.

While we continue to find it hard to make ends meet, and keep food on the table through no fault of our own, the country is willing to bail out institutions that have only greed to blame for their current situations.

Many have proposed better ways to spend the $700 Billion.

We could give nearly $25,000 to every citizen.

We could pay off every mortgage in the country

We could stabilize Social Security

Or we could solve the health care problem, or the education problem or fix all the roads and bridges in the entire country and still have money to spare.

But we won't.

The people who have the most to do with putting people in Washington will continue to be protected.

Protected by the same people deciding on this $700 Billion bailout.

Now lets take a look at the logic behind that.

People who continue to approve budgets that now have the county over a trillion dollars in debt are the ones that are deciding how we now going to be fiscally responsible.

People who were more concerned with steroids in Major League Baseball than what was happening on Wall Street are going make everything right.

People who spend more time campaigning than they do governing are going to save the day.

Somehow we do not think so.

Imagine if you had a two or six year contract and told your boss that you wanted nearly two years paid leave to compete for a better job.

How quickly would you be shown the door?

But we allow it to happen every four years at the national level and on a smaller scale almost every year at the local level.

Doesn't anyone else see something wrong with this picture?

And these are the people that are going to restore fiscal stability.

People who don't worry about Social Security System because they have guaranteed lifetime pensions after serving only a few terms.

Talk about golden parachutes.

This is not a Democratic or a Republican problem even though both parties place the blame on the other.

Both of our Presidential candidates have been in Washington long enough and should have been aware of what was going on.

While executives from these institutions have been pulling down millions of dollars a year approving questionable practices our next President has been on the campaign trail raising hundreds of millions to win the election.

Is that what we are paying him to do?

And the same can be said for every other elected official running for office.

And these are the same people that bailed out the Dot Coms and the Savings and Loans.

The same people who think that the solution to every problem is as simple as writing a check.

And they continue to write checks that unfortunately our country's body can't cash.

Not so much different than what happened on Wall Street.

Maybe we should be looking at regulating our elected officials

If we don't, when the time comes and at this rate it is coming quickly, who is going to bail out Washington?

Monday, September 22, 2008

ITS ALL ABOUT APPEARANCES

So much was made of the need to quickly rebuild at Ground Zero and to get Lower Manhattan back on track after 9/11.

We needed to show everyone that the financial center of the word could not be halted even by the death of nearly 3,000.

Short cuts were taken and the recovery effort quickly gave way to a construction site,

False information was given out by the EPA about the quality of air so that people would come back to work.

The economic fate of the country depended on the well being of Wall Street and the top priority of all in power was to keep the economic machine running.

First they bailed out the airlines and then all efforts went into protecting the economic infrastructure of Wall Street.

It didn’t matter that body parts still lay unrecovered.

It didn’t matter that that hundreds of thousands would be put at risk do to the quality of the air.

It didn’t matter that remains were cast aside in a landfill with no plan for recovery.

And it didn’t matter that there was no real comprehensive rebuilding plan as can be seen by the huge void that still remains at Ground Zero

Because all that really mattered was the appearance of financial stability.

And now it appears that the lack of regulation of the same financial institutions that they needed to save may be the downfall of Ground Zero itself.

Goldman Sachs has already turned its back on Ground Zero moving its new headquarters and the 3 million square feet that they were going to occupy at the rebuilt site.

AIG is now being run by the government and it does not look like they will have the finances to take over the 4 million square feet that they had agreed to occupy.

And finally it does not seem likely that Merrill Lynch will be occupying the 4.2 million square to which it had committed.

And billions more will continue to be spent on buildings for which there appear to be no tenants. And the 9/11 museum and most of the memorial will be buried underground.

Because it continues to be about appearances and no matter what the Port Authority reports next week it always will.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

ISSUE WITH BENEFITS FOR 9/11 SURVIVORS

Below please find a letter that Roy and his wife Trish have sent to some of our local officials.

Roy is not the only one who has fallen into this trap and it is something that we need corrected,

I was hoping that we might be able to get this to those who make the decisions as to date nothing has been done. Any help publicizing this or getting appropriate action taken would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Dennis




I am writing to ask for your assistance. My husband, Roy Chelsen, is a retired FDNY firefighter and a survivor of the World Trade Center attacks. He escaped the second falling tower moments before it fell, as well as, worked tirelessly in the weeks and months that followed. Since that day, he has been diagnosed with a blood marrow cancer called multiple myeloma. Unfortunately, Roy’s myeloma has progressed to the point of requiring extensive chemotherapy and another stem cell transplant. Forced to retire from the FDNY due to his illness, he was eligible to receive social security benefits. We did not realize that the decision to apply for Social Security and Medicare would cause termination of a much needed chemotherapy pharmacy benefit called PICA. Believing he had medical and pharmacy benefits through the FDNY union, we opted not to participate in Medicare part D. At this moment, Roy has maxed out his pharmacy benefit and has no further coverage. We acknowledge your commitment to the 9/11 rescue workers. Fortunately, we have the option to participate in Medicare part D. Our concerns are when and how to enroll in Medicare Part D, as well as, if a penalty exists for delayed enrollment. Given the challenges of living through stem cell transplantation, we are experiencing difficulty in the decision-making process to identify the best option for pharmacy benefits. We have realized the extraordinary time and effort it takes to navigate the Medicare Part D enrollment process. To this end, we ask for any assistance you may be able to provide in this challenging time. Thank you for your attention.

Sincerely,

Trish Chelsen

Roy Chelsen

You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today


"You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today"

Abraham Lincoln



Our government does not have the money to fund a legitimate health care program.

Social security is on the verge of bankruptcy

Thousands join the rolls of the unemployed each day

And we have no money to properly care for our returning soldiers or education or our country's infrastructure.

But it does have $85 billion to bail out yet another corporation.

First the Dot Coms, then the Savings and Loans and now those involved with sub prime mortgages.

When will it end?

We hear that the government couldn't let AIG go under because too many innocent people would be impacted and we do understand.

But the fact of the matter is that we have heard it all before.

Where is the regulation?

Executives will continue to make decisions based on greed as long as they know that in the end they will be bailed out.

Billions of dollars have been paid out in salaries and golden parachutes and the rich continue to get richer while the rest of us suffer.

Almost a century ago Ambrose Bierce described corporations as "an ingenious devise for obtaining individual profit without individual responsibility"

Doesn't look like much has changed in a 100 years.

And it will not change until we get some kind of real regulation that holds corporate executives responsible.

Because as the market starts to crash they are the only ones that have parachutes, golden ones at that.

And they will get their multimillion dollar packages and taxpayers will have to foot the bill for bailouts after they are gone.

Corporations have proven that they can't regulate themselves so maybe the government should mandate that all packages be 100% stock based and only exercisable 5 years after they are granted.

Might make the executives a little more responsible.

Friday, September 12, 2008

Civic and Community Responsibility

To All,

I attended the Service Nation Town Hall Meeting last night with a few of the 9/11 family groups.

Both candidates stated that they are fully supportive of the volunteer effort and would work to help such efforts if elected.

Governor Paterson even announced that he is going to create a cabinet level position to support the same.

I have always felt that Staten Island was years ahead of the rest of the country in this effort but according to the statistics shared New York ranks as one of the lowest states in citizen involvement and volunteerism.

We at Where to Turn are going to double our efforts in an event to rectify this situation.

We will be reaching out to all our local schools civic groups, community boards and elected officials to recruit volunteers into our current programs and support of the volunteer efforts by posting their events.

We have also proposed programs at the National level to both Senator Clinton and Schumer (see below for details)

For a list of all of our Where to Turn Programs go to

http://www.where-to-turn.org/phpBB2/index.php?c=18

For additional volunteer opportunities go to

http://www.where-to-turn.org/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=26


We have already reached out to all of our local elected officials through our Campaigning for our Community Program asking candidates to offer their campaign workers of a day of community work.

We are happy to see that Senator Lanza has taken this even further and will be partnering with the Staten Island Advance to do four beach cleanups.

We hope that others will follow his lead and we will work with them to organize events.

We will continue to work with our court ordered offenders through our weekly graffiti cleanups but we will also work with any school to coordinate additional cleanups.

We also will ask all Staten Island Schools to adopt a block in their neighborhood and keep it graffiti and litter free. Where to Turn will supply the paint and supplies.

Letters will also being sent out for this year’s Snow Shoveling for Seniors Program.

Last year we shoveled for over 625 seniors and this year our goal is 750.

We have also offered to set up pilot programs in the other boroughs if funding is made available.

Information and applications can be found at

http://www.where-to-turn.org/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=42

We will also be planning our Re-Gifting for a Good Cause Flea Market and will need volunteers. We are also asking schools if they can begin supporting the effort by collecting unwanted gifts. We are also looking for some new toys to be distributed over the Holidays. We will arrange pick up at your convenience.

Below are a few opportunities over the next few weeks

Volunteers needed for beach cleanups 9/20, 9/27, 10/4 and 10/11

Roy Chelsen Bone Marrow Drive

September 20, Zion Lutheran Church, 505 Watchogue Rd, Staten Island 10314, 10am-3:30pm

Students will receive 1 hour of community service credit if they donate blood or for each person referred by them who donates. Students will receive 2 hours of community service credit each time they donate platelets or recruit someone to donate platelets. Students will receive 1 hour of community service credit for each person they recruit to be tested as a possible bone marrow donor for Roy Chelsen. We will award 2 hours of community service credit to any high school senior who registers. (MUST BE 18 OR OLDER)

Graffiti Removal Outing with St. Johns

We will be cleaning up a ten block stretch of graffiti on Arthur Kill Road with the 122 Precinct

More to follow

National Recommendations

Proactive Support

Instead of waiting to coordinate efforts after hurricanes hit we recommend that schools and churches in non hurricane regions adopt schools and churches in hurricane regions or regions impacted by other natural disasters.

This will develop a proactive relationship. If a hurricane should hit our local school or church would have a contact at the hurricane impacted school or church and would be able to coordinate the collection of what is needed.

This could also be expanded to community groups and police departments, fire departments etc.

Where to Turn will arrange to cover the shipping costs by recruiting corporate sponsors. The coordination of the shipping will be expedited as all information would already be on file.

Recruiting Retiree Volunteers

Set up a federal or state fund which will support medical benefits to recent retirees who volunteer at least 20 hours a week at not for profits or schools.

This will supply valuable resources while cutting the payrolls of not for profits while provided medical benefits for those who have lost them when they retired.

Where to Turn is ready to coordinate a pilot program on Staten Island.

Volunteerism = Financial Aid

Have Colleges and Universities (especially at the state and city level) offer financial aid based on the amount of community service hours incoming students have accumulated over their pre college years.

Local organizations can be set up to track and document student volunteer hours

Injured Soldiers Benefits

Both candidates spoke of the problem of recruiting and retaining soldiers in the military.

One of the major problems is the pathetic treatment of injured veterans (both mentally and physically) when they return home.

Even though this was newsworthy last year little has been done and the injured vets continue to suffer.

Our proposal is that a certain percentage of each year’s military budget be dedicated to the treatment of returning soldiers.

If we dedicate even 3 to 5 percent we will have more than enough the properly treat the needs of those who have given up.

I believe that last year the only 1/10 of 1% of the total military budget went to veteran benefits. That is a disgrace.

In times of war as the military budget increases we will be able to bank funds to assist vets when they return.

OCME WTC DNA REPORT 9/1 When is Something Going to Be Done?



Wednesday, September 10, 2008

WE MUST NEVER FORGET

9/11/08



Seven years ago tonight this country went to bed as it had every night before.

Some people worried about pressing deadlines at their jobs.

Some kids worried about upcoming tests in schools.

Schedules to keep, things to do, people to meet, vacations or weddings to plan.

Good thoughts, issues, or future plans swirled around in many minds as America drifted off to sleep.

Nearly 3,000 of whom never realized that it would be for the last time

For everyone else life would never be the same.

Fear would become a part of our life every day.

Worries about our jobs were replaced by worries for our lives.

Students' worries about tests were replaced with worries about their parents coming home.

Plans were scrapped, vacations cancelled and for the first time fear became a part of our every day life.

Terrorism was never really a major concern for Americans.

It was always somebody else's problem.

It appeared September 11th 2001 had changed everything.

Seven years later, and for many, things are back to normal and many people are sleeping easier once again..

Airlines seem more concerned with charging for extra bags then they are about security.

Vacation plans are determined by gas prices and the state of the economy not fear of terrorists.

Elected officials are telling 9/11 families that they need to move on.

Some teachers are even being told not to mention 9/11 in their classrooms.

Homeland Security appears to have been relegated to the back seat.

While we defend the people in Afghanistan and Iraq against terrorists we seem to have forgotten security here at home.

Forgotten that tomorrow is the 7th Anniversary of the murder of 2,975 at the hands of terrorists

Forgotten that hundreds have died and continue to die as a result of the attacks

Forgotten that the terrorists are very patient and will lay in wait.

Wait for us to get complacent and lower our guard.

Wait for us to stop worrying.

Wait for us to forget how we felt on September 11th 2001.

And then they will strike again.

The best way to honor our lost loved ones is to assure that this does not happen.

We must not drop our guard.

We must remember that the threat still exists and that it is real.

We must "Never Forget"

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

It's Not What You Know Part II

It was reported today by the New York Post that Logistic Health Inc. the company that was awarded an $11 Million contract to provide medical care to 9/11 responders outside the tri state area has been delinquent in its duties.

They were supposed to contact patients and start providing treatment back in July.

It is now September and some patients have not yet even been contacted .

Our question is why is anyone surprised as this contract appears to have been awarded based on political patronage rather than qualifications?

Some elected officials are now starting to react.

Where were they three months ago when the contract was awarded?

See our post from June 4th 2008 below



IT'S NOT WHAT YOU KNOW.........

http://www.where-to-turn.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=43174

Monday, September 8, 2008

Now That Would Be Historic

What a historic campaign!

The Democrats have the first African American Presidential candidate and the Republicans have their first female Vice Presidential candidate on their tickets.

The Democrats are promoting "CHANGE" and according to the Republicans their candidate is a "MAVERICK"

Both sides are going to get us out of this depression, win the war on terror and correct every other ill that we are currently facing while restoring America to its rightful place as a respected world leader.

By the sound of it we are in a no lose situation.

If either is elected all of our problems will be solved.

Unfortunately this is what we hear every four years.

What would really make this campaign historic would be if either side would stop with these over the top promises and actually produce some hard facts as to how they plan to meet even one of these goals.

And even though we have these historic tickets the fact remains that we have two candidates with limited experience and two that have been part of the problem for too many years.

Change would be great but it needs to be based in reality.

And the only reality that exists is that over $1 billion is going to be spent on this campaign.

Over $1 Billion that could have been put to much better use.

Job creation, education, health coverage, veteran benefits, infrastructure are just a few areas that could have benefited from a billion dollars.

But they will spend it going state to state morphing their candidates into Sooners or Buckeyes or whatever the case may be.

This is not change.

At best it is fiscal irresponsibility.

At worst it is fraud.

Nearly 100 years ago William J. H. Boetcker came up with the following suggestions

You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.

You cannot help small men by tearing down big men.

You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich.

You cannot lift the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer.

You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than your income.

You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatreds.

You cannot establish security on borrowed money.

You cannot build character and courage by taking away a man's initiative and independence.

You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves.

Appears to be pretty sound advice.

Unfortunately it has been ignored by both parties for almost 100 years.

Maybe if either party had listened there would not be so much need for change today.

When was the last time you actually felt that any candidate was listening.

They are always telling you what needs to be done.

They never ask for your suggestions or advice only your time and your money.

Maybe if they actually listened we would begin to see some change.

Now that would be historic.

Saturday, September 6, 2008

Graffiti Journalism




Just spent the weekend removing graffiti.

A pretty nasty development that is once again becoming a very serious problem.

Vandals thinking that they have the right to force their tag, or in some cases their opinion, by destroying property that is not theirs with their spray painted scrawls.

We are doing our best to remove these tags thereby giving the property owner back what was theirs.

While removing two rather large and disturbing tags (see photos above) I began to think that this is not very much different from what is happening with mainstream journalism these days.

Opinions continue to be forced upon us in the name of news.

Networks, newspapers and magazines align themselves with a particular point of view and only report on the side with which they agree

Candidates make speeches and then the reporters (we will get back to that term) basically reap praise on their candidate of choice and take apart the one with whom they disagree.

How in all good conscience can these people continue to state “reporting live?”

Reporting is by definition; “to make or present an often official, formal, or regular account of”

When is the last time you saw or heard that during this campaign?

Just like these graffiti vandals they are forcing their opinions on properties they do not own.

Newscasts and newspapers are supposed to report the news.

Not just one side based on the reporters’ views.

At least when candidates are on the air there is supposed to be equal time awarded to the opposing candidate.

Unfortunately there are no such rules when it comes to “reporting”

And just like graffiti it is getting out of hand.

Just my opinion.

Dennis




Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Can't Help Being a Little Cynical

Yesterday they had the placement of the first steel beam for the September 11th Memorial at Ground Zero.

Hopefully this is a sign that things are actually moving forward.

Unfortunately we have seen many similar ceremonies at the site in the past with the installation of other first beams.

We even had an elaborate ceremony for the installation of the cornerstone which no longer even resides at the site.

Although I am hopeful, so many promises have been made and broken, it is difficult not to be cynical.

Placing hope and cynicism aside we look forward to the Port Authority’s report later this month.

A report that is to include a new budget and timeline for construction at Ground Zero.

Back in the spring of 2006 a similar report was released when the costs were first spiraling out of control. (see link below)

Frank Sciame was hired to “ensure the World Trade Center Memorial be brought in line with the $500 million budget while remaining consistent with the “Reflecting Absence” vision of David Libeskind’s Master Plan” “while providing significant cost savings and meeting the schedule to open the Memorial on September 11, 2009”

As we know even with the recommendations implemented the cost of the Memorial has almost doubled and now a 2011 opening date is even in jeopardy.

We are hoping (can’t seem to give up hope) that this new report will be adhered to and that at least someone will be held accountable to the new timelines and budget.

One other concern that never seems to be mentioned is the operating cost of the Memorial complex after it is opened.

Prior to the Sciame Report the projected annual operating cost was estimated at almost $61 million. The Sciame recommendations cut this by over $11 million leaving it at over $40 million a year. (including $500,000 a year to heat the water in the waterfalls so that the mist would not freeze during the winter)

With the cost of the Memorial nearly doubling and the significant rise in the cost of almost everything over the past two years one would think that the operating costs would now be somewhere in the $75-$80 million range.

Has anyone even considered where this money is coming from?


Hopefully they have and if they are serious about being open and truthful in the upcoming report the details will be included.

So we are back to hoping.

Hoping that the Port Authority will present a plan that will deliver a safe and secure memorial while paying closer attention to costs and timelines.

Hoping that more attention will be paid to this report than was paid to the Sciame report.

Hoping that we will have a memorial to go to on September 11, 2011.

I for one cannot help being a little cynical.

Dennis


http://www.renewnyc.com/content/pdfs/FRANK_SCIAME_Draft_Rec_Analysis.pdf

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Pretty Much a Recipe for Disaster

It appears that many prayers were answered as hurricane Gustav hit New Orleans as a weakened category 2 storm rather than the category 4 or 5 that had been predicted.

Before the storm had even passed FEMA and other elected officials began patting themselves on their backs as to how great job they had done.

By all accounts the evacuation process was much better than three years ago but that is not saying much.

The preparation for and response (or lack thereof) to Katrina was so bad that anything would have been an improvement.

But the question needs to be asked; “How much better prepared were we and how would the response have been had this been a category 4 or 5 storm?”

Shortly after Katrina and Rita we recommended that the government get some input from some of the grass root agencies that were involved at the hands on level and were major players in the recovery of the Gulf Coast.

Three years later and I do not know of any that were contacted.

We also suggested that going forward anyone who lives in a known natural disaster related area be asked to register when they buy or rent a home.

The government would then know who the relief aid recipients would be in advance.

This is a very simple solution which would cut considerably the cases of fraud.

We can almost guarantee that had this been as bad a storm as had been expected that both FEMA and the local government would not have a clue as to whom the potential victims would be and it would be Katrina all over again.

Considering the fact that they are predicting a very bad hurricane season and the fact that the continued rise in temperature of the Gulf will lend itself to more powerful storms in the future one would think that the government would begin acting on these or similar types of recommendations.

We dodged a bullet this time but it is only a matter of time that our luck will change.

If things don’t change we are just playing Russian roulette with the lives of millions of Gulf Coast residents.

The Government has already proven it can’t be reactive, has shown that it doesn’t want to be proactive and unless we keep the pressure on will continue to be basically inactive.

Pretty much a recipe for disaster.