Where to Turn Crisis Relief Network
With over 200,000 visits to our websites Where to Turn continues to provide up to date information on 9/11 matters while providing information both locally and nationally for any victim of crisis.
With the help of contributors like Arnie Korotkin and others we provide daily news updates in our 9/11 forum and provide a calendar of events for all related matters.
With over 800 support organizations, government offices and not for profits linked to our site we continue to be one of the major clearinghouses of information for victims.
Where to Turn 9/11 Programs
Keeping in close contact with 9/11 family members and family groups we continue to try to answer 9/11 questions while providing support.
We have keep the pressure on our elected officials as to all issues related to Ground Zero, Fresh Kills and the continuing health issues (both physical and mental) resulting from the attacks.
We will once again be providing bus transportation to the 9/11 service at Ground Zero for Staten Island 9/11 families.
Hearts and Hands 9/11 Memorial.
We are in the final application stage and should have access to our $468,000 start up grant from Senators Clinton and Schumer.
We have sent letters to Governor Paterson and Mayor Bloomberg to assist in this effort to help us complete this $6.5 Million facility by the 10th Anniversary.
To learn more about this facility which will provide a peaceful and serene memorial which will honor those who died as well as those who came together after 9/11 and continue to support all the victims of the attacks click the link below
http://www.where-to-turn.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=38365
We have already collected over 100 photos for the Corridor of Memories and have preliminary details and architectural designs for the Exhibition Hall and Memorial Garden.
Major Local Projects
We currently have over 75 Staten Island Organizations linked to our site and will link and post information or any Staten Island Not for Profit that makes a request.
Our weekly graffiti cleanups with the local precincts and the CAU have resulted in over 425 sites cleaned.
Scott LoBaido is currently working on mural 12 of our Flags Across Staten Island Program and will continue until we complete 50
To view completed murals or to find out how to become involved click the link below
http://www.where-to-turn.org/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=71
Working with the courts we monitoring and documenting court ordered community service and will continue to do so year round
Shortly we will begin year 5 of the Snow Shoveling for Seniors Program and will be reaching out to all Staten Island Schools.
Our Goal this year is to provide service to over 750 seniors.
http://www.where-to-turn.org/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=42
After 9/11 we will be scheduling our Re-Gifting for a Good Cause Flea Market.
We will sell all the nearly 2,000 items that we collected over the year and use the funds raised to support our programs.
After the flea market we will begin collecting items again for next year.
http://www.where-to-turn.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=36686
We are currently working with the NY Blood Center and will be awarding community service credit to students who donate blood or recruit donors.
Working with the Friends of Abandoned Cemeteries and Senator Lanza’s office we will be replacing missing grave markers for over 350 Staten Island Veterans.
http://www.where-to-turn.org/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=72
To view other programs click the link below
http://www.where-to-turn.org/phpBB2/index.php?c=18
We will be coordinating projects throughout the year and will post volunteer opportunities on a regular basis at www.where-to-turn.org
We would like to thank all of the elected officials and Staten Islanders who have supported our efforts.
How You Can Help
We are looking for single points of contact with each of our Staten Island Schools (one student, one administrator) to help coordinate our programs.
Student reps will receive extra community service credit.
Any help would be greatly appreciated. We are also looking for civic and community groups and schools to spread the word about our programs.
We are available to speak at any meetings.
Finally tax deductible donations to help support our programs are greatly appreciated and can be sent to
Where to Turn
150-L Greaves Lane # 312
Staten Island NY 10308
We will also be sending out a formal request for assistance for the Hearts and Hands Memorial later in September.
We will be looking for individual, corporate and governmental support.
Thanks in advance for your support.
Feel free to call us at 718-966-6531 if you have any questions.
Any feedback would also be appreciated.
Dennis McKeon
Executive Director
Friday, August 29, 2008
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Seven Years Later
9/11/2008 is only two weeks away and unfortunately for many it will be just another day.
We have already had a movie poking fun at the attacks and more recently we had a game maker who thought it was a good idea to remake space invaders and use the World Trade Center as the target of the attacks.
It is also being reported that the Target store chain will be using the anniversary of 9/11 as a marketing tool to open up a few “Target Stores” in New York.
Needless to say we have come a long way from the “Never Forget” attitude that followed the attacks.
Not that we would want it to become a political opportunity but don’t you find it odd that neither presidential candidate has even mentioned what they will be doing on 9/11.
We have elected officials from other states telling us we need to get past the event and move on.
And of course we will always have those who feel too much has already been done to support the victims of the attacks.
The $64,000 question is why?
Maybe it’s the economy.
Maybe it’s the fact that thousands of additional sons and daughters have died in a seemingly never ending war.
Or maybe it’s the fact that after seven years and billions of dollars spent all we still have is a huge hole in the ground at the site.
Whatever the reason, the fact is that there are those who wake up every day hoping that the whole thing was only a bad dream.
For those that have forgotten close your eyes for a few moments.
The complete darkness that you experience is what many family members have experienced every day since 2001.
Experienced because:
Seven years later and the victims’ list grows every day as people die because they put their faith in Christie Whitman, when as a representative of our government, she assured them that the quality of the air was fine at Ground Zero.
Seven years later and the judicial system continues to deny any legitimate claim against deficient governmental performance or any action against foreign countries that have proven ties to funding the attacks.
Seven years later and thousands of remains are still not identified.
Seven years later hundreds of millions have been spent to dismantle a building that still stands after taking two additional lives but no money can be found to remove human remains from a landfill.
All of this after seven years.
So while complete closure will never come, addressing these issues will surely go a long way towards easing the pain.
Lest we Forget
Dennis
We have already had a movie poking fun at the attacks and more recently we had a game maker who thought it was a good idea to remake space invaders and use the World Trade Center as the target of the attacks.
It is also being reported that the Target store chain will be using the anniversary of 9/11 as a marketing tool to open up a few “Target Stores” in New York.
Needless to say we have come a long way from the “Never Forget” attitude that followed the attacks.
Not that we would want it to become a political opportunity but don’t you find it odd that neither presidential candidate has even mentioned what they will be doing on 9/11.
We have elected officials from other states telling us we need to get past the event and move on.
And of course we will always have those who feel too much has already been done to support the victims of the attacks.
The $64,000 question is why?
Maybe it’s the economy.
Maybe it’s the fact that thousands of additional sons and daughters have died in a seemingly never ending war.
Or maybe it’s the fact that after seven years and billions of dollars spent all we still have is a huge hole in the ground at the site.
Whatever the reason, the fact is that there are those who wake up every day hoping that the whole thing was only a bad dream.
For those that have forgotten close your eyes for a few moments.
The complete darkness that you experience is what many family members have experienced every day since 2001.
Experienced because:
Seven years later and the victims’ list grows every day as people die because they put their faith in Christie Whitman, when as a representative of our government, she assured them that the quality of the air was fine at Ground Zero.
Seven years later and the judicial system continues to deny any legitimate claim against deficient governmental performance or any action against foreign countries that have proven ties to funding the attacks.
Seven years later and thousands of remains are still not identified.
Seven years later hundreds of millions have been spent to dismantle a building that still stands after taking two additional lives but no money can be found to remove human remains from a landfill.
All of this after seven years.
So while complete closure will never come, addressing these issues will surely go a long way towards easing the pain.
Lest we Forget
Dennis
Monday, August 25, 2008
IT APPEARS TO BE ALL ABOUT NOTHING
Am I the only one following this campaign who feels like I am watching reruns of Seinfeld?
We have a primary cast that could easily be replaced with Jerry, Elaine and George.
For the past year , we have heard all the great speeches about change and about what is wrong with America.
Not one of the candidates has set forth solid plans as to how this will be accomplished.
Seems that they all have clones of Kramer as their campaign managers.
With crazy schemes to get us where America needs to be, but no real plans as to how to get us there.
We have Elaine who seems to be more concerned about herself and always seems to rub people the wrong way.
We have Jerry who by trying to please everyone always winds up getting caught up in these schemes.
And we have George who is not a very good people person and changes day by day to be part of the "in crowd ".
I will leave it to you to connect the dots.
Seinfeld ran for nine seasons; and, it looks like one of these will run our country for the next eight.
The problem is running the country should be a little more important than a sitcom.
We are not going to be able to change the channel for at least 4 years; so we really should know a little more about what we are putting on.
Candidates should be required to make public their solutions for the country and not make vague promises that differ as they go from state by state.
Candidates should ask the people what they want, and not tell us what we need, or we are all going to wind up with nothing in the end.
At least with Seinfeld, you had something to talk about at the water cooler.
Was I the only one who got really nothing out of the debates?
I don't think so. I would bet that 9 out of 10 registered voters would not be able to tell you how their candidate proposes to fix the economy, health care, the immigration problem or national security.
It is a very sad commentary on our political system.
But we go merrily along just like we used to every Thursday night.
And we only have ourselves to blame.
Do you realize that the money that Jerry, Elaine and George have spent on their campaigns could have provided health care for everyone in need.
If everyone would contribute to a local not for profit that is trying to address people's needs, we might actually be able to make a difference.
Now that would be change.
But that appears to be wishful thinking and unfortunately will never happen.
Every four years, we will just get a new sitcom that catches the nation's eye and we will get another four years of nothing.
Unless we we start asking real questions and demanding real answers, we are going to wind up with one of these characters as our commander in chief with Kramer as the Vice President and a Cabinet made up of Neuman, Uncle Leo and the Soup Nazi.
Not funny but true.
We have a primary cast that could easily be replaced with Jerry, Elaine and George.
For the past year , we have heard all the great speeches about change and about what is wrong with America.
Not one of the candidates has set forth solid plans as to how this will be accomplished.
Seems that they all have clones of Kramer as their campaign managers.
With crazy schemes to get us where America needs to be, but no real plans as to how to get us there.
We have Elaine who seems to be more concerned about herself and always seems to rub people the wrong way.
We have Jerry who by trying to please everyone always winds up getting caught up in these schemes.
And we have George who is not a very good people person and changes day by day to be part of the "in crowd ".
I will leave it to you to connect the dots.
Seinfeld ran for nine seasons; and, it looks like one of these will run our country for the next eight.
The problem is running the country should be a little more important than a sitcom.
We are not going to be able to change the channel for at least 4 years; so we really should know a little more about what we are putting on.
Candidates should be required to make public their solutions for the country and not make vague promises that differ as they go from state by state.
Candidates should ask the people what they want, and not tell us what we need, or we are all going to wind up with nothing in the end.
At least with Seinfeld, you had something to talk about at the water cooler.
Was I the only one who got really nothing out of the debates?
I don't think so. I would bet that 9 out of 10 registered voters would not be able to tell you how their candidate proposes to fix the economy, health care, the immigration problem or national security.
It is a very sad commentary on our political system.
But we go merrily along just like we used to every Thursday night.
And we only have ourselves to blame.
Do you realize that the money that Jerry, Elaine and George have spent on their campaigns could have provided health care for everyone in need.
If everyone would contribute to a local not for profit that is trying to address people's needs, we might actually be able to make a difference.
Now that would be change.
But that appears to be wishful thinking and unfortunately will never happen.
Every four years, we will just get a new sitcom that catches the nation's eye and we will get another four years of nothing.
Unless we we start asking real questions and demanding real answers, we are going to wind up with one of these characters as our commander in chief with Kramer as the Vice President and a Cabinet made up of Neuman, Uncle Leo and the Soup Nazi.
Not funny but true.
IT'S CONVENTION TIME DON'T FORGET THE POST TURTLES
This was sent to me by a friend.
While suturing a cut on the hand of a 75 year old Texas rancher whose hand was caught in a gate while working cattle, the doctor struck up a conversation with the old man.
Eventually the topic got around to current candidates and their bids to be our President.
The old rancher said, 'Well, ya know, they're both 'post turtles.''
Not being familiar with the term, the doctor asked him what a 'post turtle' was.
The old rancher said, 'When you're driving down a country road and you come across a fence post with a turtle balanced on top, that's a 'post turtle'.'
The old rancher saw a puzzled look on the doctor's face, so he continued to explain.
'You know he didn't get up there by himself, he doesn't belong up there, he doesn't know what to do while he is up there, and you just wonder what kind of a dumb ass put him up there to begin with.'
While suturing a cut on the hand of a 75 year old Texas rancher whose hand was caught in a gate while working cattle, the doctor struck up a conversation with the old man.
Eventually the topic got around to current candidates and their bids to be our President.
The old rancher said, 'Well, ya know, they're both 'post turtles.''
Not being familiar with the term, the doctor asked him what a 'post turtle' was.
The old rancher said, 'When you're driving down a country road and you come across a fence post with a turtle balanced on top, that's a 'post turtle'.'
The old rancher saw a puzzled look on the doctor's face, so he continued to explain.
'You know he didn't get up there by himself, he doesn't belong up there, he doesn't know what to do while he is up there, and you just wonder what kind of a dumb ass put him up there to begin with.'
Monday, August 18, 2008
THE SYMBOL OF ALL THAT IS WRONG AT GROUND ZERO
Over the past two days the Deutsche Bank Building is back in the news again.
There were reports yesterday that the demolition costs will now run to $300 Million and today we hear that there is now a Grand Jury investigation into the handling of the building.
Our question continues to be why has it taken so long?
The Deutsche Bank Building is just one of the symptoms of the disease that has been the rebuilding effort at Ground Zero.
From what appears to be a shell company that was hired to handle the initial deconstruction to the total mismanagement of the site that has led to the death of 2 NYC firefighters and a current ridiculous price tag.
The building still stands…..and very little has been built around it.
One only has to look around Ground Zero to see the other symptoms.
As the site remains an open scar that tears into the hearts of 9/11 family members every day.
But the taxpayers will continue to fund the LMDC and the Port Authority as they continue to write checks to questionable companies and ignore overruns and missed schedules, while nobody is held responsible.
And the families will not have a memorial for the 10th Anniversary and on 9/11/08 they will once again have to hold their ceremony in the shadow of 130 Liberty.
The symbol of all that is wrong at Ground Zero.
THE SYMBOL OF ALL THAT IS WRONG AT GROUND ZERO
(Posted 8/19/2007)
Friday, August 15, 2008
COST OF THE WTC MEMORIAL AND MUSEUM NOW ESTIMATED AT OVER $1 BILLION
The Daily News reported this morning that the cost of constructing the WTC memorial and Museum is expected to soar past the $1 Billion mark.
They also reported that the museum will not open until at least 2013 and that it is unlikely that the memorial will be ready by 2011.
The bickering has already started as to who will pay for this almost 65% increase in cost.
So hear we go again.
Back in 2006 the Sciame Report was released to keep the cost of the Memorial under half a billion and the Memorial Foundation stated that it would “continue its efforts to refine the project’s base estimates, resolve all of the outstanding infrastructure cost issues with Port Authority and two, in cooperation with other key stakeholders, outline an array of ways to reduce project costs while maintaining the Arad/Walker vision for the Memorial. The Foundation believes that in order to move forward with construction, the City, the State, LMDC, Port Authority and the Foundation must all be on the same page”.
Again all we seem to get are unfulfilled promises as the price tag continues to rise.
We had hoped that Mayor Bloomberg and Governor Spitzer had gotten this under control in 2006 but that did not happen.
We also hoped that Mayor Bloomberg and Governor Paterson would have gotten a handle on this by now put that hasn’t happened as well.
At this point in time all that is known is that we will not have a 9/11 Museum at Ground Zero until 2013/2014 and it does not appear likely that we will have a Memorial by the tenth anniversary.
And this is even with a $1 billion estimate.
Over a month ago we sent letters to both the Governor and the Mayor detailing our plans for the 9/11 Hearts and Hands Memorial.
This $6.5 million facility would give the 9/11 families everything they have asked for in a memorial in a quiet and serene setting.
We asked both the Mayor and the Governor for assistance in moving forward with this plan for which we already have $1 million committed.
With their help we will be able to complete this project well in advance of 2011 and give the families a place to go until the WTC Memorial is completed and act as a compliment to September 11th Memorial and Museum when they open.
To date we have heard nothing back.
Unfortunately it looks like we will have to do this on our own.
Please take a moment and check out the preliminary plans for this facility which will cost less than 1% of what they are planning to spend at Ground Zero.
http://www.where-to-turn.org/phpBB2/index.php?c=21
With your help we can make this happen.
Dennis McKeon
LETTER TO MAYOR BLOOMBERG
http://www.where-to-turn.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=43636
They also reported that the museum will not open until at least 2013 and that it is unlikely that the memorial will be ready by 2011.
The bickering has already started as to who will pay for this almost 65% increase in cost.
So hear we go again.
Back in 2006 the Sciame Report was released to keep the cost of the Memorial under half a billion and the Memorial Foundation stated that it would “continue its efforts to refine the project’s base estimates, resolve all of the outstanding infrastructure cost issues with Port Authority and two, in cooperation with other key stakeholders, outline an array of ways to reduce project costs while maintaining the Arad/Walker vision for the Memorial. The Foundation believes that in order to move forward with construction, the City, the State, LMDC, Port Authority and the Foundation must all be on the same page”.
Again all we seem to get are unfulfilled promises as the price tag continues to rise.
We had hoped that Mayor Bloomberg and Governor Spitzer had gotten this under control in 2006 but that did not happen.
We also hoped that Mayor Bloomberg and Governor Paterson would have gotten a handle on this by now put that hasn’t happened as well.
At this point in time all that is known is that we will not have a 9/11 Museum at Ground Zero until 2013/2014 and it does not appear likely that we will have a Memorial by the tenth anniversary.
And this is even with a $1 billion estimate.
Over a month ago we sent letters to both the Governor and the Mayor detailing our plans for the 9/11 Hearts and Hands Memorial.
This $6.5 million facility would give the 9/11 families everything they have asked for in a memorial in a quiet and serene setting.
We asked both the Mayor and the Governor for assistance in moving forward with this plan for which we already have $1 million committed.
With their help we will be able to complete this project well in advance of 2011 and give the families a place to go until the WTC Memorial is completed and act as a compliment to September 11th Memorial and Museum when they open.
To date we have heard nothing back.
Unfortunately it looks like we will have to do this on our own.
Please take a moment and check out the preliminary plans for this facility which will cost less than 1% of what they are planning to spend at Ground Zero.
http://www.where-to-turn.org/phpBB2/index.php?c=21
With your help we can make this happen.
Dennis McKeon
LETTER TO MAYOR BLOOMBERG
http://www.where-to-turn.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=43636
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
SOMETHING TO LOOK INTO
In a very tiny article in today’s Daily News it was reported that Chris Ward the Executive has resigned from his $100,000 part time job with New York Independent System Operator (a not for profit corp).
Having heard that the salary portion of this benefits package was only $30,000 we did a little research and found that although board members salaries appear to be small the total compensation packages are quite large.
In the 2005 tax filing nearly $5.5 Million was paid as compensation of Officers and Directors while another nearly $9 Million was paid in other Management and non program related salaries.
What is more interesting is the distribution of funds to former Officers, Directors, Trustees and Key Employees.
The four listed in 2005 received over $200,000 in compensation.
They also received contributions to employee benefit plans and deferred compensation plans to the tune of over $2.25 Million.
These are the figures directly from the 2005 IRS 990 form.
Why is a not for profit’s Board members being paid in compensation rather than salaries and being paid $2,000 to attend monthly meetings, $1,500 a day for committee meetings and $750 apiece for phone conferences?
How many of the other current and former Board Members are current state city and Authority employees?
Someone should be looking into this.
Having heard that the salary portion of this benefits package was only $30,000 we did a little research and found that although board members salaries appear to be small the total compensation packages are quite large.
In the 2005 tax filing nearly $5.5 Million was paid as compensation of Officers and Directors while another nearly $9 Million was paid in other Management and non program related salaries.
What is more interesting is the distribution of funds to former Officers, Directors, Trustees and Key Employees.
The four listed in 2005 received over $200,000 in compensation.
They also received contributions to employee benefit plans and deferred compensation plans to the tune of over $2.25 Million.
These are the figures directly from the 2005 IRS 990 form.
Why is a not for profit’s Board members being paid in compensation rather than salaries and being paid $2,000 to attend monthly meetings, $1,500 a day for committee meetings and $750 apiece for phone conferences?
How many of the other current and former Board Members are current state city and Authority employees?
Someone should be looking into this.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
AND THEY WONDER WHY WE HAVE A DEFICIT
Last week it was reported in the New York Post that over 30,000 former New York residents may have improperly collected millions in NY Medicaid payments while being registered in other states' Medicaid programs.
And what is being done?
You guessed it another audit.
New York state's Medicaid Inspector General James Sheehan has ordered his staff to investigate the claims of the former residents.
Here are a few questions for the Inspector General;
Why were former NY residents even allowed to apply for NY Medicaid benefits?
Isn't there a process in place to validate a recipients address?
If not is a process going to be implemented?
Who is going to handle the current workload if your staff needs to review all of these past payments?
What if anything is going to be done to those found to have improperly received these funds?
This is just another example of why we have such a deficit and why nothing gets done.
We will spend hundreds of hours on this review and what will we get.
An audit report and a huge overtime bill from the Medicaid staff.
What's worse is nothing will come of the report and no one will be held responsible for improperly receiving the funds or allowing it to happen.
That's the problem with the system.
There is little or no oversight and it takes a newspaper report to get them to do anything.
If they want to do an audit here is a suggestion.
Do an audit of the cost of all of the past city and state audits compared to what was actually recovered as a result of the audits.
Guarantee that you will need your red pen to post that result.
What makes matters even worse is that it is extremely rare when any audit recommendations are even implemented.
But that is business as usual when it comes to government.
And they wonder why we have a deficit.
And what is being done?
You guessed it another audit.
New York state's Medicaid Inspector General James Sheehan has ordered his staff to investigate the claims of the former residents.
Here are a few questions for the Inspector General;
Why were former NY residents even allowed to apply for NY Medicaid benefits?
Isn't there a process in place to validate a recipients address?
If not is a process going to be implemented?
Who is going to handle the current workload if your staff needs to review all of these past payments?
What if anything is going to be done to those found to have improperly received these funds?
This is just another example of why we have such a deficit and why nothing gets done.
We will spend hundreds of hours on this review and what will we get.
An audit report and a huge overtime bill from the Medicaid staff.
What's worse is nothing will come of the report and no one will be held responsible for improperly receiving the funds or allowing it to happen.
That's the problem with the system.
There is little or no oversight and it takes a newspaper report to get them to do anything.
If they want to do an audit here is a suggestion.
Do an audit of the cost of all of the past city and state audits compared to what was actually recovered as a result of the audits.
Guarantee that you will need your red pen to post that result.
What makes matters even worse is that it is extremely rare when any audit recommendations are even implemented.
But that is business as usual when it comes to government.
And they wonder why we have a deficit.
Sunday, August 3, 2008
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