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
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Saturday, January 16, 2010
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
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
Sunday, January 10, 2010
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.
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.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
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
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
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
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.
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"
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"
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