Emperor Bloomberg Fiddles as NYC Burns

He has no money to remove snow or save firehouses on Staten Island but allows $80 million to be misspent on bogus contracts for City Time. He praises the passage of the Zadroga Bill but spends $500 million to fight every claim submitted by workers who became ill working at Ground Zero. He appoints a School Chancellor with no education experience and changes term limits because the city needs his financial expertise and we are now on the verge of bankruptcy......Just like Nero Emperor Bloomberg fiddles as the city crashes and burns.....Can anybody say John Lindsay II

State Controller DiNapoli...How About a Political Pre-Nup?

State Controller Tony DiNapoli that he will begin to publicly push for laws that would par busted politicians busted on felony charges from getting their pensions.

While this is a good idea, with the lawyers that these politicians have (paid for with campaign funds), we rarely ever see anything less than pled out cases.

For two years we have been promoting the idea that elected officials should have to sign political pre-nups before taking office.

This would be a legally binding document

It’s very simple. They sign this pre-nup which states that if they are forced from their positions due to illegal or improper behavior they will give up any claim to any pensions or benefits that they may be entitled to. And they agree to pay back any monies that may have been illegally gained without dispute. Now any honest politician should have no problem signing this agreement. It would be interesting to see if any actually would.

Dennis


See our post from June 2008

It's Time For A Political Pre-Nup

http://www.where-to-turn.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=43838

Transcend political correctness and strive for human righteousness

The failure of the Senate to pass the Zadroga 9/11 Health Care Bill is just the latest example of all that is wrong with our current two party political system. Now while the Republicans are solely to blame in the current round a quick review of the bill’s history of this bill as well as its sister bill in the House will show that the Democrats also playing party politics have long delayed the bills getting anywhere near proposal.

In the house as well as in the Senate these bills have spent most of their times in committees as the party leaders would not even allow them out for a vote.

In the House’s case this was under direct orders from Nancy Pelosi who would not allow any bills out of committee until the President’s Health Care Agenda was moved forward.

In the Senate this was delayed and only put to a vote when they knew it would defeated as the Republicans vowed not to approve any bills until the Bush tax breaks were extended.

So we have both Republicans and Democrats playing party politics while people continue to die.

Is it only me or does anyone else believe that both parties are becoming more like the Borg Collective only moving forward as a block with no independent
thinking allowed?


They continue to totally disregard the majority of Americans and only move forward with what the “Party Wants”

All of our Senators and Representatives believe that “Resistance is Futile” as they fear the loss of campaign financing if they don’t tow the party line.

Well it’s about time we let them know that we want independent thinkers.

We elect candidates to represent us not the Republican or Democratic Parties.

We deserve more than these Stepford Senators and Representatives marching mindlessly to the orders of the Party Borg Collective.

It is now time that we make them release that “Resistance is Not Futile” and that we will no longer put up with it.

As Anthony J. D’Angelo once said we need to “Transcend political correctness and strive for human righteousness”

And we can start with the passage of the Zadroga Bill.

A Gambler's Christmas

As I was coming back from getting my newspaper this morning I noticed a group of at least 100 people (Mostly Seniors) waiting for the bus to Atlantic City.



This afternoon there was a group almost double that size waiting in the same spot.



As the economy gets worse more and more people are taking a chance.



And the government continues to try to bring draw more and more into this trap with ads in print on radio and on TV.



More and more seniors and young kids are getting drawn.



Something needs to be done.



This was first published last year and I thought we should share it again.



Take a moment and read it and the articles below.





“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 are going 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




THE GROWING GAMBLING PROBLEM IN AMERICA



http://www.where-to-turn.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=41184


They Are Gambling With Our Future


http://www.where-to-turn.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=45712

Mosque Developer Can't Manage Existing Holdings Yet Wants Federal Grant to Build Near Ground Zero

It has been reported that the developers looking to build the mosque near Ground Zero are requesting a $5 million grant from the LMDC to help finance the build. Hopefully the LMDC has done its homework as the developers do not have such a great track record when it comes to managing properties. According to Mike Daly of The Record “Rauf' is the owner (along with Daisy Khan) of a slum apartment building in Union City, NJ. The local mayor refers to Rauf as a slumlord. Last week, a judge placed the building in the hands of a custodial receiver until code violations were fixed. (There were more than 200 violations.) The place didn't even have working fire alarms. While Rauf and Khan were out raising money for their Ground Zero mosque, the poor people of Union City were forced to live with rats.” (See full article below) Now whether you believe the mosque should be built or not do you really think that management of this property would be any better. Hopefully the LMDC will consider this when making their decision about the grant. The mayor and all the others fully supporting this effort should have at least done the same fact checking as Mr. Daly. Again they have every right to build the mosque but they definitely do not appear to be the people that they present themselves to be and they definitely do not deserve any type of City, State or Federal support of this effort.

Kelly: Mosque developer misses chance to come clean on apartments

http://www.northjersey.com/news/opinions/103027309_Cleric_misses_his_chance_to_come_clean_on_repairs.html

THE CUT AND PASTE GENERATION

More and more states are on the verge of bankruptcy and the federal government just continues to toss good money after bad. Has anyone wondered why we are in this situation? Here is our take. The problem is that we have become a cut and paste society and original thinking has all but disappeared from this generation. Just ask any student when was the last time they visited a library to do real research. Why should they when with the click of a cursor they can get all of the information they need. Ask them to write an essay and see how many spelling errors or "text abbreviations" you find. And you can forget about grammar all together. But why do they need to worry when they all have spell and grammar check on their computers. And it is not only the student's fault. School rankings are based on success in standardized tests. So students are taught to pass those tests. Shortcuts are instituted to bypass anything that is not covered on these standardized tests. And the problems just get worse and worse. An entire industry now exists to teach students to pass High School entrance exams and SAT tests. Shortcuts....shortcuts....shortcuts. And this extends to the business world as well. These same students have become today's executives. The majority of who have never worked their way up the corporate ladder. No real on the job training and more importantly no common sense. Personal gain overshadowing corporate responsibility. And why not! This is a generation that has been able to fast forward most of their lives while skipping over or deleting anything that has gotten in their way. A generation of "Guitar Heroes" who can't read a note of music. A generation who do not know the value of a dollar and whose lives are "PRICELESS" or who "WON"T LEAVE HOME" without their credit cards And these are the people who are now making the corporate decisions that have brought our country to the brink of bankruptcy. They are the same people taking these ideas into government who think that a $10 trillion national debt is not a concern.

The same people who pass bills without reading them.So we will have to work till we die as our 401K's disappear and Social Security goes bankrupt.

As the new cut and paste generation takes the place of the old cut and run generation before them We can only pray that the day will come when they begin to realize that Real Life is not something you watch on MTV. And hopefully that day comes soon.

A GOOD TRAILER DOES NOT GUARANTEE A GOOD MOVIE...DON'T BE FOOLED AGAIN

As it has been recently reported candidates for office in this midterm election will spend over $4 billion dollars on their campaigns.

That's right not $4 million...$4 billion and this is not even a presidential election year.

And that's just what they are going to spend; God only knows how much they have actually raised.

Maybe it's just me but in these tough economic times there are definitely better ways to spend this money.

People can't put food on their tables, unemployment is near record highs, schools are having their budgets slashed, the country's infrastructure is falling apart and we are trillions in debt but candidates can spend $4 billion attempting to get elected.

How can we expect any fiscal responsibility from any of them?

And this is just one side of the coin.

You then you have the millions that has been raised that will just go into campaign war chests for future elections or even worse spent on legal fees for when quite a few of those elected get into trouble.

And this process is repeated every two years with the numbers jumping during a presidential election.

So much for campaign finance reform.

They say that money can't buy you love but it is obvious they think that it can buy an election.

And it doesn't say much about what they think about the electorate.

Half of these ads just bash opponents with very little regard to honesty.

To say that they stretch the truth is an understatement.

The other half exaggerate what the incumbents have accomplished or overstate what the challengers will do if elected.

But they must think that it is worth it because the spending increases with every election.

And it is our fault if we let these ads impact our decisions.

If an incumbent is not doing the job vote him or her out.

If you only see a challenger come election time disregard him or her.

We need to put people in office who are involved with our community and care about “our needs”

We need hands on people of action.

As they say a good trailer does not guarantee a good movie.

Tomorrow let’s tell them we are smarter then they think.

If we don’t we will wind up with another two years of broken promises and little change.

And They Wonder Why People Don’t Vote

Every year we always hear how unfortunate it is that so many people don’t vote.

The real tragedy is that we have set up a system which produces so few candidates worthy of our votes.

Candidates have become more like cartoon characters that morph into criminals once elected.

We have members of the locust party that only appear every election telling you what they are going to do when elected.

Most of these professional candidates only appear every two to four years and do little or nothing to help their communities between elections.

They are at least not as dangerous as the party “store bought candidates” who run on campaigns based on promises that they know the people want to hear but they know they can’t deliver.

Add these to the candidates whose only platform is bashing and badmouthing their opponents.

These candidates wouldn’t know a local issue if it bit them in the butt.

But this is the process that has been created.

There was a time when we could at least choose the lesser of two evils but nowadays that’s not even the case.

We now get to choose between criminals both accused and convicted or witches or wrestling owners.

We have people who have never had a real job running against those whose resumes are more fiction than fact.

And that is why we have a federal government that has spoken about fiscal responsibility for years that has managed to increase federal spending every year since 1954.

On a local level back room deals and partisan politics have made the NY elected officials the poster children all that is wrong with government.

At the federal level we constantly send back millionaires who never had to worry about what they spend and act surprised when they do the same with our tax dollars when elected.

Ronald Regan once said “Politics is supposed to be the second oldest profession. I have come to realize that it bears a very close resemblance to the first”

Maybe it’s not crazy that a former madam is running for Governor at least she will know how to deal with the Assembly and Senate in Albany.

But we cannot give up. We need to go out and vote.

We just need to be smart with our vote.

We don’t need to vote Republican, Democrat or Conservative.

We don’t need to follow the Tea Partiers or the Tax and Spend Liberals.

We need to become educated about the candidates and make educated choices.

Our own choices, not choices made by the self serving media.

It’s the only way that we will stem this tide of inept government and finally get some real change.

I am a disgruntled tax payer and I have approved this message.

Chilean Miners....British Petroleum and our Government

The effort to save the miners is a perfect example how a focused well thought out solution works.

A stark contrast to BP's fiasco in the Gulf.

Unfortunately our government seems to have missed the boat on focused and well thought out solutions and that is why the country is in such bad shape.

So cheers to all those involved in this rescue and hopefully we will be able to replace the do nothing but spend Representatives (off all parties) in government in November

Now that would be a legitimate change

OPEN LETTER TO MAYOR BLOOMBERG REGARDING ZADROGA BILL

Dear Mayor Bloomberg,

In your statement regarding the Zadroga Bill today you stated ““Today’s bi-partisan vote by the House of Representatives is a significant moment in a fight we have waged for years. Today’s vote acknowledges that the September 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks were an attack on America, and addressing its health impacts is a national duty. This bill recognizes that the country should be there for the tens of thousands of responders who were there for us on 9/11”

I find it difficult to understand how you could make such a statement at the same time that your administration through the WTC Captive Insurance Corp has denied almost every claim from people ill as a result of 9/11.

The Federal Government gave New York City $1 Billion to aid those ill as a result of 9/11

The WTC Captive Insurance Corp a Registered Not For Profit that has spent over $400 Million in Federal Funds and distributed less than 1% of the funds to satisfy health claims.

They have paid their administrators millions in salaries and have regularly paid attorneys $500 an hour to fight the claims of our sick 9/11 responders.

I do agree with you that the bill recognizes that the country should be there for the tens of thousands of responders who were there for us on 9/11 but my question is why your administration hasn’t been there as well.

Dennis McKeon

FROM THE GROUND UP...SUPPORT AFTER 9/11

On September 11, 2001 America was devastated but not defeated. Families were broken but not destroyed. Our faith was shaken but hope was not lost. With the eyes of the world upon us we pulled ourselves up. Petty prejudices were forgotten. The lines that so often have separated us were forgotten. No one spoke of race, religion or political affiliation. We were one family that had been severely hurt and, we responded as a family. We did not ask how or why we needed to help. We just did. We need not forget how we as a nation responded that day and we need never forget that every member of our collective family deserves the same treatment today. No tragedy is too small, no trauma to insignificant for it is never too far removed from each and every one of us especially in today’s political climate.

This passage is from an article written in 2005 about support after 9/11.

From the Ground Up

http://www.where-to-turn.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=52444

OF MEMORIALS AND MOSQUES

As the controversy around the mosque near Ground Zero grows Postcards the 9/11 Memorial on Staten Island was vandalized with five 9/11 victims’ profiles being smashed.

Now one thing may have nothing to do with the other but the possibility always exists.

Don’t all involved see the potential danger of the Mosque being built just a few feet away from Ground Zero?

Say during the construction or after it is built some fanatic attempts to bomb the mosque.

Now this could happen.

It could be an Islamic extremist or a crazed American.

Either way people will die and the rift between all involved will be widened with each blaming the other.

Why would we want to create such a no win situation?

Now all of this should have been taken into consideration early on.

But now it has, as with all things related to 9/11, become a political hot item.

And all the same politicians who did not give a second thought about defeating the 9/11 Health Care bill just a few weeks ago are on their soap boxes attempting to gain a political advantage in the upcoming elections.

The same politicians that have allowed the 9/11 memorial/museum to be buried underground will use this for their political gain.

And mayor Bloomberg who continues to allow the WTC Captive Insurance Corp to pay lawyers millions to deny health claims to 9/11 victims is appalled that New Yorkers might actually have thoughts of their own about a mosque a few blocks from Ground Zero.

So unfortunately the sad saga of Ground Zero drags on into its 9th year.

Ex politicians who have made billions off the tragedy join with those still in office for photo ops on the 11th day of September each year and could care less about 9/11 or its victims for the other 364 days.

And the atmosphere of hate increases.

Nobody can convince me that a mosque a few blocks from Ground Zero is going to make things any better.

SO MUCH FOR TRUTH JUSTICE AND THE AMERICAN WAY

In a Sept. 13, 2001, press release, the EPA said the air around Ground Zero was relatively safe.

On Sept. 16, 2001, Christie Whitman as Director of the EPA said that tests showed air pollution levels "that cause us no concern."

Two days later, she said she was glad to reassure New York and Washington residents that their air and water were safe.

As most of you know the law suit against Christie Whitman was thrown out of court when a judge did not want to set a dangerous precedent that would make public officials fear making public statements in the future. In 2007 the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York found that former EPA Administrator Christine Todd Whitman's falsely reassuring and misleading statements of safety after the September 11, 2001 attacks were "without question conscience-shocking." The court also found the facts "support an allegation of a violation of the substantive due process right to be free from official government policies that increase the risk of bodily harm" by Whitman's misstatements regarding the air quality of the affected area. So the courts basically stated that government officials can lie and put us at risk and we have no recourse. The head of the Environmental Protection Agency that reports directly to the President can not be held responsible for lying to the people she was being paid to protect. And now on Thursday the House of Representatives play their partisan politics game to stop the 9/11 Health Bill once again.

Our government was set up with 3 branches the Judicial, Legislative and Executive to assure that the people were properly treated and that one branch did not dominate decisions.

Who would have thought that the sick and dying heroes of 9/11 would get screwed by all three?

So much for truth justice and the America way

Isn’t it time we took our government back?

An Open Letter to Our So Called Representatives

Dear Congressmen and Congresswomen,

I could not even address this letter to our Representatives as you have once again shown that you do not warrant that title.

Your rejection of the Zadroga bill is just another slap in the face to those who actually attempted to do something after 9/11.

As you sit in your offices paid for by those who elected you and meet daily with lobbyists to discuss how you can promote their interests brave people continue to die.

People who did not hold press conferences after 9/11 to swear they would never forget.

But people who did the right thing and worked at Ground Zero or Fresh Kills in an attempt to find the victims of the most vicious attack in the history of America.

And when we came to you to help those who are sick and dying because of their efforts you turned your backs.

You hide behind Congressional tricks that allow you to change the voting rules to get your desired results.

You line up behind Nancy Pelosi who has stonewalled this bill since it was first introduced with the hopes that it would die in committee.

Well the bill didn’t die but many of our loved ones will continue to as you play politics with their lives.

It is amazing how the House continues to be held hostage as its members sell their votes to the highest bidders every chance they get.

Unfortunately we do not have the money or the influence to buy your votes.

But be assured we will keep up the fight.

And we will let everyone know who voted against this bill.

We will also make them aware of what to expect “God Forbid” something like 9/11 happens again.

So the next time you are counting the money in your campaign war chests, money that you will most likely need to use to pay lawyers to get you out of trouble most of you seem to find yourselves in, remember we are still here.

We expect to be represented.

We expect you to care for the victims who where lied to by the Federal Government about the quality of air after 9/11.

We expect you to make decisions based on what is right and not what fills your pockets.

And most importantly unlike you……”We Will Not Forget”

Dennis McKeon

Haiti....6 Months Later

Most of the media outlets are doing their 6 month update on Haiti and surprise surprise not much has been done and they are questioning where the billions that were donated or supplied by governments went.

This is like a broken record.

After every tragedy or natural disaster millions are collected by agencies that state they are using the funds for that specific event.

They get kind hearted people to donate and the money goes into their general administration fund to be spent when and where they want it.

We warned people up front that this was happening. (see below)

If the government really wanted to do something it would be really easy.

Compare the amount of money that was collected by these charities this year (from Jan through July) with last year.

The bulk of the increase could be associated with what was donated for Haiti.

Then check how much of that money was actually sent to Haiti and how was it spent.

But this will never happen.

Do you know that we could not get one of these charities to give us $15,000 to ship our T Shirts to Haiti?

We had to rely on individuals and small organizations and we are finally going to be able to ship the shirts.

Many of the people who we reached out to stated they already gave to these major charities and were shocked that they would not support our effort.

100% of what we collect will go towards shipping the shirts and the shirts will be distributed directly to those in need in Haiti.

We are making the final arrangements and should be shipping by the end of the month.

We are going to give everyone who donated a dollar or a shirt to sign labels that we are going to be placed on the shipping cartons to let them know who helped out.

We will also ask everyone who comes to help us load the container to bring a bottle of Dawn dishwashing liquid which we will be sending to the Gulf area to help with the cleaning of wildlife impacted by the oil spill.

We would like to thank everyone who has helped us with this effort. We will also let you know about a small fundraiser we will be planning to cover any additional costs we may run into getting the shirts through customs.

We hope that you will take part in some of our future events and hope that you continue to support other grass root efforts that are always there at every tragedy and really give you a bang for your donated buck


Follow the Money...The Donation Shell Game

http://www.where-to-turn.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=50415

GROUND ZERO: ABOVE GROUND MOSQUE AND UNDERGROUND MEMORIAL

As plans are underway to build a huge mosque AT Ground Zero remains are still being found.

Just today another 4 potential human remains were uncovered bringing the total to 1831 since the second recovery effort was started in 2006.

While you may not think that these have anything in common they certainly do.

Shortly after 9/11 in an effort to bring business back to Lower Manhattan the process began to remove the stigma of 9/11 from Ground Zero.

The mayor rushed to convert the site from a recovery area to a construction zone and the search for any additional remains was called off.

They couldn’t have remains being found because that would remind people of what happened on 9/11 and keep business away.

If not for an accidental discovery in 2006 the new search that turned up nearly 2,000 remains would have never even taken place.

At the same time the site was turned into a construction zone plans began on what type of memorial would honor those who died on 9/11.

Once again the concerns of the community and economic factors cast the deciding vote,

An above ground memorial would make Ground Zero too much like a cemetery and they couldn’t have that.

9/11 family members were pretty much eliminated from any planning sessions and any design that contained an above ground memorial structure was immediately eliminated.

So the 9/11 Memorial (I will not call it the WTC Memorial because it should be honoring all who died on 9/11) will be entirely underground.

Visitors will have to travel between four to seven stories underground to get to the memorial and museum.

They even wanted to list the names of those who died at the bottom of the two waterfalls and would have if we didn’t fight them tooth and nail to bring them above ground.

And who are the people who pushed for this underground memorial?

The same people who are pushing for a huge mosque to be built a block away.

The members of Community Board One and our local elected officials, that’s who.

They have and will continue to try to remove any reminders of 9/11 from the site.

The mayor has already stated that this is not the 9/11 families’ memorial but that it belongs to everyone.

So they continue to bury everything related to 9/11.

The memorial………….. underground.

Human remains ………..underground at the site.

Human remains ………..underground at Fresh Kills.

And unfortunately we continue to bury loved ones still dying from 9/11 illnesses because the city would rather fight claims than save the lives of 9/11 victims.

They even changed the name of the Freedom Tower because they didn’t want to offend anyone.

But that is how it has always been and will continue to be at Ground Zero.

And when family members come to the site to pay their respects they will have to walk by a huge mosque before they begin their long journey underground to visit the 9/11 memorial or museum.

But why would we expect anything different.

If it were up to them there would be no memorial at all.

M MEMORIAL DAY PRAYER

As I stand with hand on heart

Pledging to the land I love

Proud to be an American

As Old Glory flies above

I see the red the white the blue

And my heart fills with pride

And a tear rolls down cheek

For those who fought and died

I remember those we have lost

Fighting to keep us free

And I pray you all do the same

And keep alive their memory

Remember these fine Americans

And the price that they did pay

And say a prayer for all who still

Answer the call today

The backbone of America

We honor on this day

For they are the only reason

We have a USA

100,000 T Shirts for Haiti 4/14...81,375...We Are On Our Own

To All,

We really need help getting the word out about our need for assistance with shipping.

Please pass on to all of your distributions.

If you have a contact in the media please give them a call. (Oprah Ellen etc)

If you know an elected official please contact them.

If you have friends in the shipping industry have them give us a call.

Donations can be made through Facebook at 100,000 T-Shirts for Haiti http://apps.facebook.com/causes/435485/38137363 or Through the Network for Good https://www.networkforgood.org/donation/ExpressDonation.aspx?ORGID2=200404386 or By check made payable to Where to Turn 150-L Greaves Lane # 312 Staten Island NY 10308 Please note Haiti T Shirts in memo section All donations are 100% tax deductible.


To date we have collected 81,375 shirts

We need help with pickups from the following locations

ON ISLAND

PS 16 80 Monroe Ave (100 shirts)

OFF ISLAND

2 Hudson Place Hoboken NJ (700 shirts)

St. Theresa's Church 2855 St. Theresa Ave Bronx NY 10461 (500 shirts)

787 7th Ave NYC 10019 (300 shirts)

Baruch College Performing Arts Box Office 25th and Lexington Ave (3,000 shirts)

We have no success with our outreach to any charities or businesses so we will have to do this on our own

We got another e-mail from the Red Cross

The best advice I can give you is to ask airlines for free or discounted space. They are opening up again for Haiti. Or, you could run them to Miami – there is a lot of ocean transport available from there. The American Red Cross is not able to assist with funding.

I guess they really want to let us know that they are not interested.

All we are asking is that they include our supplies with one of their shipments. So I really do not understand the response.

We will be brainstorming this week about a possible fundraiser your input would be appreciated.

We still need another 10,000 shirts but are looking for a few big pickups.

We ask everyone to check with their businesses, schools or organizations about leftover shirts from old events.

I once again like to that everyone who has contributed so far.

To date we have collected $2,830.

We are also going to make up labels that say from your friends at _________. We will then print all of the various schools organizations etc who have participated.

Keep up the good work.

Dennis

100,000 T Shirts for Haiti

http://www.where-to-turn.org/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=89

IT BEGINS ALL OVER AGAIN

Eight and a half years later and they are still finding potential remains at Ground Zero.

While we are glad that remains are being found we are once again reminded how poorly the recovery process has been handled.

These remains were from the Haul Road or the area that included hot spots.

Witnesses have stated that the Haul Road itself was constructed by unsifted debris from the pit itself.

This contention was supported when steel beams were found when the road was dismantled.

Although there was a very good chance that remains would be found in this material, the city let it sit unattended for over a year.

Delaying the process that started over eight years ago another 18 months.

Now family members will have to go through the ordeal yet again.

From day one the city has handled the recovery effort as a “when we get around to it” effort.

They have spent millions on a contract to a company with a questionable past that was supposed to produce a significant amount of identifications but have produced few.

They have refused to expand the search of the roofs of surrounding buildings and flat out refuse to resift the remains buried at Fresh Kills.

The recovery effort was forced to close to expedite the rebuilding at the site.

Well we all know how swiftly that has progressed.

Unfortunately at this rate they will still be finding remains as people are going into the Memorial.

One only has to refer to the way the Deutsche bank was handled to get an idea as to how the recovery effort was as well.

While we hope that some of these new remains actually lead an identification our hearts go out to the families that are continuously put through this ordeal.

MAYBE WE SHOULD ONLY ELECT CURLERS

For years many people have made fun of curling with its stones and sweepers.

But I did a little research and maybe our elected officials could take a page out of the curling rule book.

Below is the Code of Ethics for Curling Participants.

Curler’s Code of Ethics

I will play the game with a spirit of good sportsmanship.

I will conduct myself in an honorable manner both on and off the ice.

I will never knowingly break a rule, but if I do, I will divulge the breach.

I will take no action that could be interpreted as an attempt to intimidate or demean my opponents, teammates or officials

I will interpret the rules in an impartial manner, always keeping in mind that the purpose of the rules is to ensure that the game is played in an orderly and fair manner.

I will humbly accept any penalty that the governing body at any level of curling deems appropriate, if I am found in violation of the code of ethics or rules of the game

Just think how much better off we would be if those in office were held to the same standards.

As Thomas Jefferson once said “When a man assumes a public trust he should consider himself a public property”

Unfortunately today we have too few elected officials who do.

Since we cannot trust them to govern themselves we once again say

It's Time For A Political Pre-Nup

http://www.where-to-turn.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=43838

Or maybe we should only elect curlers

THIS IS NOT THE CHANGE WE WERE PROMISED

For the past year we have been trying to give the president the benefit of the doubt.

Even when he bailed out Wall Street but still allowed ridiculous bonuses to the same execs who caused the financial meltdown.

Even after he pulled all resources in the House to work on nothing but a Health Care Plan filled with pork and tried to force feed it to America.

Even after his chief of Homeland Security didn’t think there was a problem with the underwear bomber getting on a plane.

But what his administration did today was the straw that broke the camel’s back.

After promising throughout his campaign and throughout his first year that he fully supported the 9/11 Health and Compensation Act.

After stating that the bill would be a top priority after National health Care was passed

His administration now says they cannot support the bill because of a technicality about permanent funding.

This from the same administration that with the help of Nancy Pelosi basically bought the votes they thought they needed to pass health care.

Just look what Nebraska and Louisiana got in return for their votes.

So votes can be bought but 9/11 victims cannot be cared for.

If there was really a technicality why was it not brought up when the bill was first introduced.

The bottom line is that this has nothing to do with a technicality.

The reason this bill is being stalled is because many of the other Representatives believe that 9/11 is a New York problem and they are also concerned that because the bill covers residents and workers of lower Manhattan that it may raise the issues of health care for some undocumented residents.

And the administration does not what to address these issues so they would rather turn their backs on 9/11 victims.

We have raised these issues numerous times (see links below) but our appeals went unanswered.

We yearn for the days when decisions were made on the facts and not because of political ideals.

You would have thought that after the vote in Massachusetts that president would be more aware that people are growing wary of broken promises.

For too long candidates have treated campaign promises like New Year’s Resolutions, unrealistic and usually discarded after a month.

We deserve better. We demand better.

We will never forget and will continue to fight for all those impacted by 9/11.

Mr. President this is not the change we were promised.

And if your administration thinks we are kidding just wait till the next election


9/11 Health Care Our View

http://www.where-to-turn.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=50326

Terrorist Trials and 9/11 Health Care

http://www.where-to-turn.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=50055

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

http://www.where-to-turn.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=50254

Lost in Translation

Do you remember the time when people said what they meant and meant what they said?

Maybe I am getting old but I am beginning to lose things in translation.

Here are a few examples.


Transparency in Government

Vice President Biden is holding hearings on transparency in government.

Sounds good right?

But he is holding them behind closed doors with no media access.

Am I missing something?


Disaster Relief for Haiti

Hundreds of millions have been donated to support the relief effort in Haiti.

Sounds good right?

Unfortunately only a fraction of this money will actually make it to Haiti.

Even though they advertise these appeals as Haiti Relief efforts if you read the fine print all the money goes into the organization’s general fund and is distributed or not at the discretion of the organization.

There is one organization that has collected over $40 million but has only allocated a little over $10 million to Haiti Relief.

The same thing happened after 9/11 and Katrina.

Whatever happened to truth in advertising?


We Got You Covered

In the ongoing battle between wireless providers they keep attacking each other’s coverage.

In a recent advertisement Luke Wilson shows a map of coverage in New York.

The ad boasts coverage from Bridgeport to Hempstead to Princeton.

Isn’t Bridgeport in Connecticut and the last time I checked wasn’t Princeton in New Jersey?

Maybe that’s why they are having problems or am I missing something.


Hi I Just Moved Here and Want to Be Your Senator

More and more you see candidates who can’t win in their home states moving to other states to run for office.

Wasn’t the government set up so that states would have people that represent them not political parties?

Am I the only one who thinks this is wrong?


The Edward M Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate

I heard on the radio that there is a $20 million earmark in the current Health Care Bill for the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate at the University of Massachusetts campus in Boston.

I tried to research this but despite claims of transparency (see item 1) it is still almost impossible to know what is in or not in the bill.

I did find out that an earmark for this was originally placed in a Defense Bill.

Either way what does this institute which will include an exact replica of the Senate floor to be built on the college campus have to do with health care or defense?

Maybe I am just lost in translation

The Buck Stops Where?

Time and time again when elected officials attempt to make a point or show the American people that they are on top of things we always hear the phrase “The Buck Stops Here”

Unfortunately the buck hasn’t stopped anywhere near any of our elected officials in recent memory.

On the political side the problem is that we have allowed a situation to be set up where vital positions are no longer filled by qualified individuals but by people who have either helped the elected get into office or who are the pawns of lobbyists who funded the campaigns.

On the financial side we continue to elect people who have never met a dollar that they didn’t love to spend.

They not only spend the money that they have but continue to spend what we don’t have.

The recent near disaster is a perfect example.

A man on a terrorist watch lists gets on a plane with explosives and Janet Napolitano the Director of Homeland Security states that the system worked properly.

The day after the attack, Michael Leiter, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, created after 9/11 to receive and analyze data from throughout the intelligence system goes on a ski trip.

In the real world both of these people would have been relieved of their positions.

But in the real world people are responsible for their positions and held accountable for their decisions.

But Washington has not been a part of the real world for a long time.

And it is obvious that the buck did not stop at either of their desks or at the desk of their boss.

And I can almost guarantee that any decisions being made will most definitely include the passing of millions of more bucks to the TSA which has wasted billions since 9/11.

Audit results have been ignored as is always the case when you have a self monitoring situation.

And needless to say the buck has never stopped with the TSA.

This is not a knock on the current administration as this is nothing new.

Going back to the Bush Administration one only has to look at the identification of remains at Ground Zero.

Even though two additional victims were identified last week the numbers of identifications over the past few years have been few and far between.

A few years ago a multi-million dollar contract was awarded to Logistics Health Inc. that promised a significant increase in identifications.

Here is some background as to how that company got the contract.

This contract was awarded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention which happens to be a part of the Health and Human

Services Department, which just so happened to be run by Tommy Thompson during Bush's first term, who also happens to be president of Logistics Health Inc, which just by chance is the firm that was awarded the contract.

So you see unfortunately that’s the way positions are filled and contracts awarded.

The bottom line is if we don’t change the process the buck will not stop until it finds its way into the pocket of some political crony and as

for responsibility and accountability we will continue to have none.

If the current administration really wants to prove they are serious they can start with an independent audit of the TSA.

I am sure the results would shock not only them but all of us as well.

9/11 Health Care Our View

There has been a lot of craziness going on surrounding the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act so we thought that we would give our perspective.

The act has been stalled in the House Health Subcommittee since July with little or no activity.

Rep. Frank Pallone has stated that he is doing all that he can to move the bill along but he does need to take at least some of the blame for the inactivity considering that in a press release this past September 11 he stated that he will be scheduling a mark-up of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2009 in the Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee at the end of this month. At the same time, Pallone, who chairs the Health Subcommittee, urged all supporters of the measure to mobilize and to press other members of the subcommittee to provide enough votes for approval. "We can start the momentum with a mark-up, but we need to generate enough support to get it voted out of the subcommittee," said Pallone. "The emergency responders put their lives on the line when they were needed, we should respond to their needs now."

It is now 2010 and nothing has happened.

The least he can do is co-sponsor the bill as I do not see his name on the list of co-sponsors (see below)

That being said there are plenty of others to blame including the other 103 co-sponsors and the 331 representatives that have not co-sponsored the bill.

We need to go after them to put pressure to get this bill out of committee.

I have been told that there are three reasons why there has been no movement.


Primary Reason

Orders from the top (Obama and Pelosi) have pulled all available resources and put them on the National Health Care Bill.

I have been told that there are very few resources available to work on anything else.

If this is the case it is a very sad commentary on the ways things are getting done.

Also the veil of secrecy that continues to shield activity makes it very difficult to get the real story.

Secondary Concerns

It appears that members of the subcommittee as well of other members of Congress are concerned that the bill not only covers responders but residents and workers in NYC as well.

They tend to think that this is a New York issue and not a national concern.

Our response to that is that once Christie Whitman as the head of the Environmental Protection Agency (a Federal Agency) made a public statement assuring everyone that the air quality was fine in New York City shortly after 9/11 this became a Federal issue.

There is also a concern that NYC was already given $1 billion to support health claims resulting from 9/11 but has only used that money to pay lawyers to fight the claims.

Unfortunately we cannot argue this point as it is a disgrace the way the Captive Insurance Corp under the guidance of Mayor Bloomberg has handled 9/11 health claims over the past 5 years.

The final issue is that of the many undocumented workers that are also covered under the current version of the bill.

It appears that many of the members of the committee are leery about opening up a can of worms if coverage is expanded to cover this portion of the population.

To this point we really do not have an answer but one would think they would be able to work something out.

So those are the facts as we know them.

Although most of the attention has been about the first responder portion of the bill because of the way our government works there are always other things involved.

Our recommendation would be to continue to reach out to your Representative to get him or her on board.

We would also like to know why Obama and Pelosi are allowed to basically bring all other work to a halt by assigning resources to their pet projects and why hasn’t the media been all over this.

We would ask Representative Pallone to at least co-sponsor the bill to show his support.

Finally we hope that everyone realizes that this is just the first step as if we do get these issues worked out there is still the Senate version of the bill S.1334 which currently only has 3 co-sponsors which will need to be addressed.

We hope this makes things a little clearer and we will continue to support this effort and keep you updated.

Below please find some additional information on both bills.

Dennis McKeon
150-L Greaves Lane # 312
Staten Island, NY 10308
718-966-6531


H.R.847 Title: To amend the Public Health Service Act to extend and improve protections and services to individuals directly impacted by the terrorist attack in New York City on September 11, 2001, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Rep Maloney, Carolyn B. [NY-14] (introduced 2/4/2009) Cosponsors (103) Related Bills: S.1334 Latest Major Action: 7/29/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties Discharged.
COSPONSORS(103), ALPHABETICAL [followed by Cosponsors withdrawn]: (Sort: by date)
Rep Ackerman, Gary L. [NY-5] - 2/4/2009
Rep Andrews, Robert E. [NJ-1] - 5/4/2009
Rep Arcuri, Michael A. [NY-24] - 2/4/2009
Rep Baldwin, Tammy [WI-2] - 10/20/2009
Rep Berkley, Shelley [NV-1] - 2/10/2009
Rep Bishop, Sanford D., Jr. [GA-2] - 3/5/2009
Rep Bishop, Timothy H. [NY-1] - 2/4/2009
Rep Brady, Robert A. [PA-1] - 5/7/2009
Rep Braley, Bruce L. [IA-1] - 12/15/2009
Rep Burgess, Michael C. [TX-26] - 2/4/2009
Rep Cao, Anh "Joseph" [LA-2] - 12/1/2009
Rep Capps, Lois [CA-23] - 9/15/2009
Rep Carney, Christopher P. [PA-10] - 10/22/2009
Rep Castor, Kathy [FL-11] - 9/16/2009
Rep Christensen, Donna M. [VI] - 4/22/2009
Rep Clarke, Yvette D. [NY-11] - 2/4/2009
Rep Cohen, Steve [TN-9] - 4/29/2009
Rep Connolly, Gerald E. "Gerry" [VA-11] - 2/13/2009
Rep Conyers, John, Jr. [MI-14] - 3/31/2009
Rep Courtney, Joe [CT-2] - 7/31/2009
Rep Crowley, Joseph [NY-7] - 2/4/2009
Rep Cummings, Elijah E. [MD-7] - 12/1/2009
Rep Dahlkemper, Kathleen A. [PA-3] - 3/26/2009
Rep DeLauro, Rosa L. [CT-3] - 3/4/2009
Rep Dent, Charles W. [PA-15] - 3/5/2009
Rep Doyle, Michael F. [PA-14] - 3/5/2009
Rep Ellsworth, Brad [IN-8] - 10/20/2009
Rep Engel, Eliot L. [NY-17] - 2/4/2009
Rep Etheridge, Bob [NC-2] - 3/26/2009
Rep Fattah, Chaka [PA-2] - 7/28/2009
Rep Filner, Bob [CA-51] - 11/19/2009
Rep Garrett, Scott [NJ-5] - 5/20/2009
Rep Gonzalez, Charles A. [TX-20] - 7/28/2009
Rep Green, Gene [TX-29] - 2/10/2009
Rep Grijalva, Raul M. [AZ-7] - 3/4/2009
Rep Hall, John J. [NY-19] - 2/4/2009
Rep Harman, Jane [CA-36] - 11/19/2009
Rep Higgins, Brian [NY-27] - 2/4/2009
Rep Himes, James A. [CT-4] - 2/4/2009
Rep Hinchey, Maurice D. [NY-22] - 2/4/2009
Rep Hodes, Paul W. [NH-2] - 7/9/2009
Rep Holden, Tim [PA-17] - 12/1/2009
Rep Holt, Rush D. [NJ-12] - 3/10/2009
Rep Israel, Steve [NY-2] - 2/4/2009
Rep Jackson-Lee, Sheila [TX-18] - 11/16/2009
Rep Jones, Walter B., Jr. [NC-3] - 9/10/2009
Rep King, Peter T. [NY-3] - 2/4/2009
Rep Klein, Ron [FL-22] - 3/4/2009
Rep Kucinich, Dennis J. [OH-10] - 3/4/2009
Rep Lance, Leonard [NJ-7] - 2/25/2009
Rep Larson, John B. [CT-1] - 3/10/2009
Rep Lee, Barbara [CA-9] - 3/4/2009
Rep Lee, Christopher J. [NY-26] - 2/4/2009
Rep Lewis, John [GA-5] - 3/4/2009
Rep Lipinski, Daniel [IL-3] - 9/22/2009
Rep Lowey, Nita M. [NY-18] - 2/4/2009
Rep Lynch, Stephen F. [MA-9] - 12/1/2009
Rep Maffei, Daniel B. [NY-25] - 2/4/2009
Rep Markey, Edward J. [MA-7] - 12/2/2009
Rep Massa, Eric J. J. [NY-29] - 2/4/2009
Rep McCarthy, Carolyn [NY-4] - 2/4/2009
Rep McCaul, Michael T. [TX-10] - 6/4/2009
Rep McCollum, Betty [MN-4] - 12/15/2009
Rep McGovern, James P. [MA-3] - 2/4/2009
Rep McHugh, John M. [NY-23] - 2/4/2009
Rep McMahon, Michael E. [NY-13] - 2/4/2009
Rep Meeks, Gregory W. [NY-6] - 2/4/2009
Rep Murphy, Christopher S. [CT-5] - 3/10/2009
Rep Murphy, Patrick J. [PA-8] - 11/19/2009
Rep Murphy, Scott [NY-20] - 7/15/2009

Rep Murphy, Tim [PA-18] - 9/16/2009
Rep Nadler, Jerrold [NY-8] - 2/4/2009

Rep Napolitano, Grace F. [CA-38] - 12/1/2009
Rep Neal, Richard E. [MA-2] - 11/19/2009

Rep Norton, Eleanor Holmes [DC] - 12/1/2009
Rep Nye, Glenn C., III [VA-2] - 12/8/2009

Rep Pascrell, Bill, Jr. [NJ-8] - 2/4/2009
Rep Pierluisi, Pedro R. [PR] - 3/16/2009

Rep Rangel, Charles B. [NY-15] - 2/4/2009
Rep Reichert, David G. [WA-8] - 12/16/2009

Rep Rothman, Steven R. [NJ-9] - 12/1/2009
Rep Rush, Bobby L. [IL-1] - 10/13/2009

Rep Sarbanes, John P. [MD-3] - 9/16/2009
Rep Schakowsky, Janice D. [IL-9] - 2/10/2009

Rep Schauer, Mark H. [MI-7] - 5/7/2009
Rep Schwartz, Allyson Y. [PA-13] - 7/9/2009

Rep Serrano, Jose E. [NY-16] - 2/4/2009
Rep Sestak, Joe [PA-7] - 3/12/2009

Rep Shea-Porter, Carol [NH-1] - 12/1/2009
Rep Sires, Albio [NJ-13] - 9/22/2009

Rep Slaughter, Louise McIntosh [NY-28] - 3/16/2009
Rep Smith, Christopher H. [NJ-4] - 2/10/2009

Rep Stupak, Bart [MI-1] - 9/10/2009
Rep Sutton, Betty [OH-13] - 2/4/2009

Rep Thompson, Bennie G. [MS-2] - 10/13/2009
Rep Tonko, Paul D. [NY-21] - 2/4/2009

Rep Towns, Edolphus [NY-10] - 2/4/2009
Rep Upton, Fred [MI-6] - 11/19/2009

Rep Velazquez, Nydia M. [NY-12] - 3/24/2009
Rep Walz, Timothy J. [MN-1] - 12/9/2009

Rep Weiner, Anthony D. [NY-9] - 2/4/2009
Rep Wexler, Robert [FL-19] - 4/22/2009

Rep Woolsey, Lynn C. [CA-6] - 2/4/2009







S.1334 Title: A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to extend and improve protections and services to individuals directly impacted by the terrorist attack in New York City on September 11, 2001, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Sen Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [NY] (introduced 6/24/2009) Cosponsors (3) Related Bills: H.R.847 Latest Major Action: 6/24/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
COSPONSORS(3), ALPHABETICAL [followed by Cosponsors withdrawn]: (Sort: by date)
Sen Lautenberg, Frank R. [NJ] - 6/24/2009
Sen Menendez, Robert [NJ] - 6/24/2009
Sen Schumer, Charles E. [NY] - 6/24/2009




The Rich Get Richer and the Sick Continue to Suffer http://www.where-to-turn.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=46070