Thursday, December 31, 2009

WHERE TO TURN INTO 2010

To All,

As 2009 draws to a close and we embark on a new decade we would like to thank our volunteers and everyone else who made this a very successful year at Where to Turn.

Special thanks to Senators Savino and Lanza, Assemlymen Cusick, Tobacco and Titone, District Attorney Daniel Donovan, Councilmen Oddo, Ignizio and Mitchell, the Richmond County Bank Foundation and the Staten Island Bank Foundation for their ongoing support of our programs

Here are a few highlights.

Overall

Our two websites have attracted over 400,000 visitors and we continue to serve a distribution of over 10,000 on a daily basis.

The site is updated every day with articles of interest and our calendar lists upcoming events for any participating organization.

We continue to share information from numerous sources and allow all of our followers to form their own opinions on topics of interest.

We have links to over 800 support organizations and weekly update grant, employment and volunteer opportunities.

In the past year we have expanded our partnerships with the NYPD, the Mayor’s CAU, the Department of Parks and Recreation, the DA’s Office and both the Criminal and Family Courts, South Beach Psychiatric, Friends of Abandoned Cemeteries, the NRPA, the NY Blood Center and many local community and civic groups.

In 2009 over 2,500 volunteers participated in our programs including representatives from almost every school on Staten Island and we have provided volunteers and support for numerous other not for profits on Staten Island.


9/11 Support

We have posted updates to our site every day in 2009. We have also partnered with Arnie Korotkin and will continue to post 9/11 articles of interest on a daily basis.

We have kept pressure on our elected officials with letters and OP ED’s addressing everything from the continued lack of support for suffering survivors of 9/11, to the upcoming trials as well as the issue of the remains in Fresh Kills.

We continue to work on plans for the Hearts and Hands Memorial.

Preliminary designs are complete and we have commitments from most of the elected officials on Staten Island.

We have over 8,000 supporters following the memorial on Facebook and hope to begin construction in 2010.

We are trying to get “Extreme Makeover” involved in the project for a 10th Anniversary show.

Community Programs

Graffiti Cleanups

Working with the 122 and 123 precincts we completed over 350 cleanups with our court ordered participants.

Scott LoBaido also completed 51 American Flag Murals through our Flags Across Staten Island Program

Court Referrals

Working with the Criminal and Family Courts on Staten Island nearly 120 juveniles were sentenced to community service for non violent crimes and referred to Where to Turn. We coordinated
weekend activities and these juveniles performed nearly 3,500 hours of community service on Staten Island.

Information Forums

Over 100 local not for profits and nearly 1,000 students attended the two volunteer information forums that we held this year with the help of the Parks Department and South Beach Psychiatric.

Snow Shoveling for Seniors

Over 600 students participated in 2009 and shoveled for 650 seniors free of charge.

Re-Gifting for a Good Cause/Toy Drive

We collected over 2,500 items and toys most of which were redistributed to needy families on Staten Island. The remaining novelty items were sold at our yearly Blood Drive/Flea Market where we also collected nearly 100 pints of blood.

Academic All County Awards

In 2009 we once again partnered with St. John’s University and honored all graduating high school seniors on Staten Island who participated in a varsity sport while maintaining a 90 or above GPA in their junior and senior years.

Prom Dresses for All

We collected over 100 prom dresses which will be dry cleaned and made available to high school girls who are not able to afford them so that they might be able to attend their proms in 2010.

Park and Beach Cleanups

Partnering with the NRPA and the Department of Parks and Recreation we participated in over 20 park and beach cleanups in 2009

Restoration of the Asbury Methodist Cemetery

In the fall of 2009 we began the restoration with weekly cleanups which resulted in the clearing of half the property of 25 years of overgrowth. Our goal is to complete the cleanup in the spring and possibly convert some of the unused space into an urban garden while converting the exterior into the first dog walker’s park on Staten Island.

Looking Ahead to 2010

With the current state of the economy and the fiscal condition of New York we do realize that everyone is going to have to do more with less in 2010.

Our goal is to work with our elected officials and other not for profits to better coordinate and align our various projects.

By working together we have a better chance of getting things done.

We plan to expand our outreach and supply volunteers to more programs outside of Where to Turn.

We plan to hold forums to get input from Staten Islanders to help us prioritize our efforts.

We hope to expand our Crisis Relief Network and get more organizations and schools to participate and post on our website.

We will continue to act as a voice for those in need from 9/11 families to senior citizens.

We will continue to work with at risk students giving them opportunities to better themselves through innovative programs.

We hope to double the amount of volunteers participating in our programs.

But most importantly we will continue to listen to the concerns of those in need and create new programs to address those needs.

We will also add programs that have worked in other areas such as “Pedals for Progress” where we will begin collecting used bicycles. These bikes will be restored and shipped to third world countries
where they are the primary form of transportation. Since 1981 this program has shipped over 125,000 bikes and kept them out of our waste stream.

We hope that others will use our programs as templates and use them in other areas of the country.

In addition we will be continuing with 3 capital projects for which we will require significant funding.

Hearts and Hands Memorial – Creating a permanent home for the United in Memory 9/11 Victims Memorial Quilt by restoring abandoned buildings at the Sea View Campus.

Restoration of the Asbury Methodist Cemetery - Restoring the cemetery to its original condition. Majority of cost will be restoring the stone wall along Richmond Ave.

Restoration of TV studio at South Beach Psychiatric – Updating an outdated facility and create a working space for students to learn TV production skills.

We once again would like to thank all of you who have helped us in the past and hope that even more of you will become involved as we move into this new decade.

Check out our website at www.where-to-turn.org as we look forward to your feedback.

Happy New Year

Dennis McKeon
718-966-6531

Monday, December 28, 2009

Fear of Flying.......The Government's Solution

Much is being made of the latest attempt of terrorism.

Once again the government is stating that all is well and that their security procedures that are in place are adequate.

What else do you expect them to say?

The fact of the matter is that if history has proven anything it is that our government has become almost 100% reactive and has become all about money.

Here is a little history lesson.

After 9/11 the government was in a panic but it was not solely related to terrorism.

Their major concern was not for the victims but a fear that law suits would bankrupt the airlines and send our economy into a nosedive.

To prevent this from happening the government did two things.

They created the Victims Compensation Fund to circumvent the lawsuits and in typical government fashion they created a new Agency the TSA to deal with transportation security.

Now they already had the Office of Homeland Security but that wasn’t good enough.

We needed this new Transportation Security Administration with a budget of over $1.3 billion and were told:

The events of September 11th underscore the importance of transportation security as part of America’s homeland security. There is a realization that protecting airports, bridges, highways, seaports, mass transportation, and the Nation’s transportation infrastructure in general is vital to protecting the Nation against acts of terrorism. During 2002, the Transportation Security Administration will become operational and the first steps towards an increased Federal role in transportation security will be taken. In 2003, TSA will continue implementing an aggressive, comprehensive aviation security program. The 2003 budget for TSA totals--the first full year of funding for the new agency--$4.8 billion, an increase of over $3.5 billion from current 2002 funding levels. The budget reflects estimated fee collections of $2.2 billion raised through a combination of passenger and air carrier fees authorized by the Aviation and Transportation Security Act.

Passenger Screening: Although TSA will take over the screener contracts in 2002, these contracts will be replaced by Federal screener personnel by November 19, 2002. As a result, the budget includes the costs of well over 30,000 airport security personnel, including screeners, law enforcement personnel, and screener supervisors.

Cargo Screening: Explosive detection systems must be in place to screen all checked baggage by December 31, 2002. The 2003 budget includes funding for equipment purchases, installation, and maintenance, more than three times the level of funds currently available in 2002.

Federal Air Marshals: The 2003 budget is the first year reflecting full funding of a greatly expanded Federal Air Marshal (FAM) program. The number of FAMs is classified information and, therefore, is not included in public documents. Following September 11th, law enforcement officers from other Government agencies were loaned to the Department of Transportation and trained as FAMs, which allowed the program to quickly expand. These loaned law enforcement personnel will be replaced before the end of 2002 with permanent FAM staff, and the number of FAMs significantly increased.

Transportation Network Security: Language is included in the 2003 budget that allows for the transfer of resources from the other modal budgets to the TSA budget, as necessary, to perform the security functions identified in the Aviation and Transportation Security Act. The resources currently residing in the other modal budgets are being identified and will, as appropriate, be transferred to TSA as soon as practical.

Here are a few things that the first audit of the TSA turned up.

There were serious questions raised about how over $300 million was spent by a firms contracted by the newly formed Transportation Security Administration.

$5.4 Million for 9 months salaries for executives of a firm that received a contract before it was incorporated and has subsequently gone out of business.

$8,100 for elevator operators at the Marriott Marquis Hotel

$125,000 rental fee for six magnetometers that could have been purchased for about $5,000 apiece

$4.4 Million for no show fees for exams not taken by potential candidates

$28,000 for coffee at the Sheraton Hotel in Reston

Now this audit took place in 2005 and as with most government audits we never found out if any of these items were addressed.

We also have not heard anything of subsequent audits.

What we have learned is that since 9/11 the TSA’s budget has ballooned to over $6 billion.

In 2009

• It devotes nearly $6 billion to the multi-layered, risk-based aviation security system.
o $3 billion for over 48,000 Transportation Security Officers and technologies to screen passengers and their baggage for weapons and explosives.
o $1.2 billion to recapitalize checked baggage screening devices and accelerate deployment of inline systems that will increase baggage throughput up to 300 percent. The Budget proposes a temporary, four-year surcharge in the passenger security fee of $0.50 per enplanement with a maximum increase of $1.00 per one-way trip. The additional fee collections of $426 million would be deposited in the Aviation Security Capital Fund to accelerate the deployment of optimal checked baggage screening systems and address the need to recapitalize existing equipment deployed immediately after September 11, 2001.
o $128 million for enhancements at passenger checkpoints to improve the detection of prohibited items, especially weapons and explosives, through the use of additional sensors, such as whole body imaging, liquid bottle scanners, automated explosive sampling, and cast and prosthesis scanners. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will continue to provide specialized training in the detection of suspicious behaviors, fraudulent documents, and improvised explosive devices.
o Nearly $100 million for air cargo security inspectors, canine teams, and the Certified Shipper Program to achieve 100-percent screening of passenger air cargo in 2010.
• Enhances security assessments. Funds security assessments on more than 2.4 million individuals in the Nation’s transportation system, including commercial HAZMAT drivers, airport and port workers, and international airline flight crews. In addition, TSA will continuously vet 13 million individuals who have already undergone a security assessment. These assessments will be based on terrorism and criminal information from the U.S. intelligence community and FBI databases. And, TSA will assume the watch list matching of over two million airline passengers daily with the implementation of Secure Flight.
• Addresses surface transportation vulnerabilities. $37 million for surface transportation security, including funding for nearly 100 inspectors to conduct risk-based assessments in the largest mass transit and rail systems.

Over $6 Billion and still a terrorist walks on a plane with explosives.

So what will happen now?

While the fear level is high the government will request additional funding.

Requirements will be written so that only certain companies will be able to be granted contracts.

We will hire more bureaucrats add more levels of government and spend, spend, spend.

But we will not adequately address any of the issues such as proper salaries and training for screeners.

It is almost impossible to separate salaries from technologies in the current budget.

We need to change that now.

We have an opportunity to change that now.

The government was reactive after 9/11 but for all the wrong reasons.

The government has been inactive since (except for spending)

We have a chance to be proactive moving forward.

And it starts with the basics.

Now there’s a real solution.

Sunday, December 27, 2009

Health Care Bought at the Expense of Dying 9/11 Victims

Another 9/11 hero will not live to see the New Year.

As all the Senators lined the pockets of their pork projects in the name of Health Care they all continue to turn a blind eye to all those who continue to die because of 9/11.

$300 Million to Louisiana for disaster relief after they misappropriated nearly $1 Billion in Katrina aid.

Nebraska gets free Medicare and the list goes on and on.

And the list of our honored dead continues to grow.

It is a disgrace and Pelosi and Reid and all the rest should be held accountable for stone walling 9/11 Health Care while they bought votes just to get a Christmas vote on National Health Care to make it look like they actually care.

Everyone needs to remember this come next election.

Dennis


9/11 Hero Dies of Cancer on Christmas Day

http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local-beat/911-Hero-Dies-of-Cancer-on-Christmas-Day-80139487.html

"Services for FF Jim Ryan Ladder 167 will be held at:

Brueggmanns Funeral Home
522 Larkfield Road
East Northport, NY 11731
Tel: 631-368-1235

Wake/Viewing:
Sunday 2-5pm & 7-9pm
Monday 2-5pm & 7-9pm

Funeral on Tuesday 11am at Abiding Presence Lutheran Church
4 Trescott Path
Fort Salonga, NY 11768

R.I.P. 5-5-5-5"

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Our Most Troubled Authority is Not Alone

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority or as we like to refer to them as our Most Troubled Authority is now going to reduce service for its riders and eliminate free service for school kids.



So let me get this straight



The MTA is totally mismanaged



Its executives continue to make exorbitant salaries



Its Board Members are still allowed to ride for free using their EZ passes.



Hundreds of its employees are supplied with agency cars



And even more of its employees get free service as part of their job.



So with all this going on they decide to go after the school kids.



This after asking for yet another bailout from the government.



And we will bail them out, not hold them responsible and they will continue to lose money with no oversight and no accountability.



And if this wasn’t enough they are not alone.



We have an alphabet of Authorities and Agencies that do the same thing year after year.



If you could believe the financials that they provide they lose millions in investments and real estate deals.



Why are Authorities and Agencies involved in investments and real estate in the first place?



And what are they going to do about this?



Practically nothing.



Even though Albany is enacting some type of legislation everyone knows it is too little too late.



Until we do away with all the agencies and authorities we will always be the ones left holding the bag.



We will continue to pay more for less service and our kids will walk while these millionaire board members and executives will continue to enjoy their free rides in more ways than we can even imagine.



It is time that we step up and say enough is enough.



Tomorrow we look at the LMDC.



Dennis

Sunday, December 13, 2009

WE NEED A CHRISTMAS MIRACLE

To All,



Over the past 8 years we have done many things that people said could not be done.



I now ask you for one more favor.



Please read the e-mail below.



Kerry is a good friend of mine who has done countless great things for our community.



Let’s try for a Christmas miracle and get him a donor.



Please pass this on to all your distributions and list serves.



Let’s blanket the country through Facebook and other social media outlets.



“Those who don’t believe in miracles, don’t believe in themselves”



I believe in miracles and I believe in you.



Let’s do this for Kerry



Dennis






--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Hello Everyone.......



It's easier to do an e-mail blast like this, rather then to try to explain it over the telephone, and break down every time I have to tell this story..........as it stands right now, I am not eligible for a Liver Transplant, as I do not have "Liver Disease", I have "liver cancer", which does not fit the criteria for a liver transplant from the national transplant organization ......... How I made it through life without a liver disease, amaze's even me !



Since my liver is in perfect condition, and working, I cannot get on the liver transplant list, I have to find my own Donor..... Problem #2:....... Me being of Irish decent, I have O Positive blood type, the hardest to find. So I have to ask one of you for a donation of a piece of your liver ............



The type of cancer I have is extremely aggressive : hepacellular carcinoma...... 20 months ago, it grew from 3 centimeters to half my liver in two week's time........It's growing fast again, I go in to Mount Sinai on Tuesday for what is called an Hepatic Arterial Chemoembolization (whew, big word!) .......



What that is, is this.... they will put a fiber optic tube in to my liver through my groin area, in to my liver, they will burn the cancer, radiate it, then encapsulate it in a chemo to keep it from spreading into my bloodstream, if the cancer gets into my blood, I am dead.......period

This will last about 2 months, then the cancer will start to break through it, and I will have to have it done again, and again...



So, I need to ask all of you, to consider giving me a piece of your liver..... an e-mail is a little impersonal , but it has been so hard on me, saying this over and over on the telephone to those of you I have spoken with so far.....that I have to do it this way, Vicky walks around crying every time I make a phone call, and it just adds to the difficulty in explaining the situation



You would be in the hospital for 3 days, and would have to take it easy for one week........your missing piece will grow back within 30 days........ Since our blood type is so hard to get a donor from, the surgeon will also use a small piece of your liver, and implant it in an yet, unknown baby. You will save two live's ...........



You can be any type "O" blood, Plus or Minus, and must be younger then 55 years old............The donation does not have to be from a family member, it can be from anyone with "O" Type blood



I have CC'ed some of my friends at the Natural Resources Protective Association and some of our compatriots in this e-mail, as it really is difficult explaining this time and time again. So I had to inform them about this, In this e-mail too ......



Thanks........

Kerry





Mr. Kerry Sullivan

718 720-5951
kerrysull@aol.com

www.facebook.com/kerrysull

Thursday, December 10, 2009

WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE...WHAT CAN BE DONE

I have the consolation of having added nothing to my private fortune
during my public service, and of retiring with hands clean as they are
empty

Thomas Jefferson



I wonder how many of our friends in Albany and Washington would be able
to make the same claim.

Not many I am sure.

This will continue to be the case as long as we allow our
representatives to have outside interests with economic consequences.

Government should not be a part time job.

There should also be some type of Common Sense requirement for those to
hold office.

Right now we have the JAMES ZADROGA 9/11 HEALTH & COMPENSATION BILL stuck in committee
with no one even ooking at it but Congress has time to look at bill that would require
the NCAA to have a playoff for the national football championship,

Am I the only one who sees something wrong with this picture?

Also we basically allow Congress to buy Health Care votes by giving
Louisiana anywhere from $100 million to $300 million in disaster
recovery aid.

Now I do not begrudge the victims in Louisiana but this is the state at
misappropriated nearly $1 billion in disaster aid after Katrina.

How about getting some of that money back before they get anything else?

But we will continue to toss good money after bad and while local grass
root organizations that actually do some good struggle to survive
billions will go to phantom not for profits or shell organizations under
ACORN.

This will not change until we get some accountability in place.

It will also not change until you get the aid to the people who need it
and not into the pockets of middleman and political cronies.

It was just announced that $150 million will be coming to New York.

I ask Senator Schumer and Congressman McMahon to make sure that this
money goes to what it was allocated.

I ask them to set up workshops to help organizations like CERT who at
the local level actually get things done get some of this money.

Don't let the money be spent on garbage trucks and executive salaries or no show
jobs like it was after 9/11.

We should use some of the money to document what was done in New York at
the local level after 9/11.

Had it not been for these local efforts and all of the volunteers God
only knows where we would be now.

Many of these volunteers are now dying and being denied medical
benefits.

Possibly we could use some of this money to help them out.

Taking care of those who took care of us in our time of need would only
promote the same response if this ever happens again.

Thomas Jefferson also said "We in America do not have government by the
majority. We have government by the majority who participate."

Participation begins at the local level and needs to be fostered.

We need to make sure that it is.

Saturday, December 5, 2009

“A GAMBLER’S CHRISTMAS”

“A GAMBLER’S CHRISTMAS”



T’was the night before Christmas when all through the house
The only sound heard came from my mouse
While the stockings where hung from the chimney with care
They were all empty barren and bare

My youngest was nestled all snug in his bed
While the piles of bills rose above my head
His mother and sister along with Aunt Bea
Were on they’re way back from a trip to AC

My other son James was locked in a gaze
As Chris Moneymaker considered a raise
Not even a Yule Log on our TV set
As he watched Phil Ivey check the last bet

The World Series of Poker on every TV
Had replaced all the classics that we used to see
No Frosty or Rudolph or Charlie Brown’s tree
Just Texas Hold'em on four channels not three

As I clicked all around to find my next site
To play online poker and cover last night
All the games that I lost both college and pro
Outside of my window it started to snow

I thought of the call I received just last night
From my dear old mom who had missed the last flight
It appears the she didn’t notice the time
While playing the slots where she lost her last dime

And the letter I got from my brother Bob
Letting me know that he just lost his job.
He had gone out to lunch and didn’t come back
Losing his pay check again at the track

I closed my eyes but I couldn’t sleep
Thinking of promises I wouldn’t keep
And Johnny would wake tomorrow to see
Not one single present under the tree

And I would have to think of a really good lie
To explain why Santa had passed us by
I would explain it was just a mistake
While thinking of even more bets I could make

But as if by magic I saw my way out
And I started to leap and dance about
For from the radio I heard a voice scream

“The New Christmas Lottery A Dollar and a Dream”







Although many of you may think that the poem above is an exaggeration it is a lot closer to the truth they you may believe.

Gambling is becoming more of the norm then the exception to the rule.

Families are losing their houses because of compulsive gambling.

Seniors on a fixed income are losing their life’s savings on repeated trips to Atlantic City and other casinos.

You cannot turn on the TV without seeing one version of a poker match or another.

Children in their teens and younger are playing at on line sites and losing real money.

Texas Hold’em tournaments are sponsored by schools and churches and teenagers are playing with alarming regularity.

Nights at the Races and Casino Nights are now regular events.

And the worst offender is New York State.

They spend millions a year advertising to lure more innocent people in with promises of millions.

Gambling is now at epidemic levels especially with teens and seniors.

Recent studies indicate that more than 70 percent of youth between the ages of 10 and 17 gambled in the past year, up from 45 percent in 1988. Almost one in three high school students gamble on a regular basis, according to the National Academy of Sciences.

Researchers at Pennsylvania State College of Medicine and the University of Pennsylvania surveyed 843 elderly people 65 years and older and discovered that 70 percent had been involved in at least one gambling activity in the past year and 11 percent fit the criteria of at-risk gamblers: they had recently laid down more than $100 on a single bet and/or they had bet more than they could afford to lose.



We would like to work with Gambler’s Anonymous next year and develop some seminars to address these issues. We will offer these to both schools as well as senior groups.



Anyone wishing to participate can contact us at info@where-to-turn.org.



In the meantime we need to get the Government out of the recruitment business.



If people want to gamble that is their prerogative but we do not need to be barraged with lottery ads.



The state should get out of the gambling business all together. Just look what a great job they did with OTB. I never heard of a bookie losing money.



If they need to keep the lottery they should at least cut the advertising. The reduced cost would probably compensate for the lost revenue from new gamblers.



If you know of someone with a gambling problem call 1-800-GAMBLER

Dennis

BETTING THEIR LIVES Kids as young as 8 are getting caught up in the new spin on an old problem

http://www.parentsknow.com/newarticle.cfm?colid=7281

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Terrorist Trials and 9/11 Health Care

Saturday there will be a rally in New York City to voice the concerns of many individuals who feel that the trials of the 9/11 terrorists belong in a military tribunal and not in Federal court in NY.

We support this effort for many good reasons (see below) but are very concerned that once again 9/11 is being used as a tool to support political agendas.

We are also concerned that political groups are making statements as if they speak for all the 9/11 families.

The fact of the matter is that there is not one 9/11 opinion.

If 9/11 showed us anything it was that this vicious attack did not discriminate and people of all faiths, nationalities and ways of life were killed.

The great thing about America is that we are allowed to voice our opinion.

We have a government that allows us this right, along with the many other rights which were were also attacked on 9/11.

We must never forget this.

While we may feel that our opinion is correct we must not assume that it is the only opinion that warrants consideration.

While I applaud the effort to try to get the government to change its position on this matter I do not want to see this as a way to use 9/11 to promote political agendas as has happened in the past.

Arguments should be presented and evaluated on their merits and not on what side of the political fence we may find ourselves.

That being said (and this is just my opinion)

I believe that these terrorists are war criminals and should be treated as such.

They were arrested by the military and should be tried by the military.

I am very concerned that legal maneuvers will be deployed in criminal court by the defense that the accused were not properly advised of their Miranda rights required in criminal court and that this ploy may be used to get the charges dismissed.

I am also concerned that through discovery the defense may demand that all documents relating to 9/11 be made public and that this could detrimental to national security.

As for the location of the trial I do not feel that it should take place in New York City.

Although the city was the most directly impacted in the country we cannot afford what it will take to secure downtown Manhattan.

This trial may last for years and cost and security issues do not warrant it taking place in New York.

We also do not need to give these terrorists a platform to promote their Anti American doctrines blocks away from where they killed nearly 3,000 people.

A more logical location would be Shanksville Pennsylvania.

We should construct a courthouse in the area where United Airlines flight 93 crashed, away from any major city.

This area would be easily secured at a fraction of the cost of a trial in NYC and when the trial completes the building could be used as a museum/memorial to those who died there on 9/11.

This location would work for either a military or criminal venue.

Again this is just my opinion.

On a topic that is just as important, I am concerned that while everyone is concentrating on this issue we are losing site of the fact that people continue to die as a result of 9/11 as the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act continues to be ignored in committee.

Even though this bill had enough votes to pass it has been placed in committee and will not even be considered until the current Health Care Bill is sorted out.

People continue to die as a result of illnesses they contracted because of 9/11 and the government refuses to move this bill forward because of the political football that National Health Care has become.

The first question I would ask of any elected official that might show up on Saturday is what are they doing to get this bill out of committee and onto the floor for a vote.

If they can afford to spend hundreds of millions in pork to buy Congressional votes on National Health Care they can certainly do something for those with 9/11 related illnesses.

This bill would provide medical care to many of those who are now sick because the EPA, an agency of the government, told them that there were no concerns as to the quality of the air after 9/11 even though they knew that what they were reporting was inaccurate.

So on Saturday I hope that those who are sick and those who continue to die as a result of 9/11 are not forgotten.

And I hope that we are able to convince the current Commander in Chief that these terrorists need to be tried in military tribunals.


Dennis McKeon