CBP K 9 Sniffs Out Travelers’ Undeclared Cash at JFK by Stephen Geffon - Leader-Observer

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Customs and Border Protection K-9 Grill thinks of her job as play. But it's no joke when she quickly sniffs departing JFK Airport travelers and their carry-on luggage on randomly selected international flights looking for large sums of undeclared U.S. currency.

The Leader/Observer was invited to watch Grill, a five-year old female German Shepherd, in action on Tuesday, May 2, as she checked departing passengers on an afternoon flight to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

Grill, who is cross-trained to also detect firearms, did not find any cash or guns. However, to show how she would react if she did find what she was looking for, a plainclothes CPB officer volunteered to slip into the passenger line with a large amount of CBP-supplied $1 bills similar to the number of $100 bills a smuggler would have on his person or in his luggage.

When Grill sniffed the cash the CBP officer was carrying, she reacted just as she had been trained to do, immediately sitting down in front of him. Grill was rewarded for her “find” with her favorite toy, a rolled up terrycloth towel given to her by her handler, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officer Chad Duryee, which she eagerly played with.

Although it is legal to transport any amount of currency into or out of the United States, currency reporting laws require individuals to report any money equivalent to $10,000 or more.

CBP officials said the purpose of the agency’s undeclared cash program is to go after criminal organizations, terrorist organizations and money-laundering operations.

Grill also showed off her skills at a cargo warehouse at JFK. For this training exercise, CBP officials hid two unloaded firearms in a box and put the box among the numerous other cargo containers in the warehouse. They then watched as Grill walked up and down the aisles. When the CBP canine came to the box containing the guns she passively sat down, pointing her nose at the container.

Grill and Duryee underwent an intensive 12-week training course at the agency’s training center in Front Royal, Virginia, before being assigned to the canine unit at JFK.

The Shepherds, Labradors and Beagles of the Department of Homeland Security Customs and Border Protection stand ready to protect airline travelers at JFK Airport. Man’s best friend is on duty at JFK 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, stopping narcotics and illegal firearms and protecting citizens from insect infested fruit, vegetables and meat entering the country.

“The canine program has been instrumental in assisting officers to identify cargo and luggage containing contraband quickly and with little effort since the early 1970's when the program was established,” said Gary Walck, deputy chief of the Anti-Terrorism Contraband Enforcement Team (ATCET) at JFK.

“Detector dogs are an integral part of CBP's anti-terrorism and enforcement efforts," he added. "The canine unit serves as a valuable tool to officers in the field as they carry out the agency's mission.”

Further information about Customs and Border Protection is available at www.cbp.gov. To find out about their Outreach Program and demonstrations contact their Public Affairs Office at (646) 733-3275.

NYS Senator Joe Addabbo's Statement on the Proposed Cuts to NYC Homeland Security Federal Funding

NYS Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr. (D-Queens), released the following statement on the New York State Senate Homeland Security hearing held on Friday, April 8, 2011, and the proposed cuts to New York City’s Homeland Security federal funding:

It was my intent to participate in a focused hearing which was to examine the security of the New York City residents, and surrounding areas, ten years after the tragedy of 9/11. Based on the testimony of witnesses and my questioning of those witnesses, my main concern continues to be the governmental funding and interaction of the entities involved in maintaining the safety of individuals, namely the NYPD, FDNY, MTA and Port Authority. I intend, as the ranking member of the Senate Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs Committee, to continue my efforts in finding the means available to improve the safety and security of people locally and throughout the city and state.

Senator Addabbo's Statement on the Killing of Osama bin Laden

NYS Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr. (D-Queens), released the following statement today:

We will all remember where we were when we learned of certain occasions and events in our country’s history and I believe the killing of Osama bin Laden is one of them. After hearing the news late in the evening at my home, my thoughts immediately turned to the families and individuals who experienced the loss of a loved one during the tragic events of 9/11. I am hopeful that for many, the end of Osama bin Laden brings a sense of closure and relief. I then started to think about the brave and dedicated men and women of our armed forces. I am so grateful to all those who risk their lives for our country and who spend countless hours protecting our country against the ongoing threat of terrorism.

As the ranking member of the New York State Senate’s Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs Committee, I am mindful that the killing of Osama bin Laden may bring retaliation to our city and country and that we should be conscious and alert as to any suspicious or extraordinary activity we observe and immediately report said activity. It is rare to witness an event that brings the entire country together, and the death of Osama bin Laden did just that.

News & Notes from NY Senator Joe Addabbo - 15th Senate District

SENATOR ADDABBO STATEMENT ON ACTING CHANCELLOR DENNIS WALCOTTAPPEARING BEFORE SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE

NYS Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr. (D-Howard Beach), a member of the Senate’s Education Committee, released the following statement:

The visit by Acting Chancellor Dennis Walcott to the NYS Senate Education Committee was both promising and encouraging for the Department of Education and the children in the school system. I stated at the meeting that I look forward to working with Mr. Walcott through the fiscal, policy and administrative challenges that face our public schools. I have known Mr. Walcott for over 15 years and have always found him to be professional and dedicated to public service.

SENATOR JOSEPH P. ADDABBO, JR. STATEMENT ON PIA’S ELIMINATION FROM AMERICAN IDOL

NYS Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr. (D-Howard Beach) released the following statement on last week’s elimination of contestant and Howard Beach resident Pia Toscano from the popular TV show:

“Pia’s elimination from American Idol was shocking and premature. If I had the chance to give Pia a message, it would be to express my appreciation for her God-given talent, for exciting a community and for touching the hearts of millions of people around the country. I am so proud to have Pia within my district.”

ADDABBO: WE HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO IN SECURING AREAS TEN YEARS AFTER 9/11

Senate Revisits Public Protection Concerns

NYS Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr. (D-Queens), who serves as ranking Minority member on the Senate’s Veterans, Homeland Security, & Military Affairs Committee, participated in this past Friday’s public hearing on Homeland Security 10 years later after September 11, 2001, to listen and respond to testimony on public protection since the terrorist attacks. Among the attending witnesses were Peter King, United States Congressman and Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security; Michael O’Meara, Executive Vice President of the Metropolitan Transit Authority Police Benevolent Association; Richard Daddario, NYPD Assistant Deputy Commissioner for Counter-terrorism; and Douglas Zeigler, Director of Security for the Metropolitan Transit Authority.

While the hearing became increasingly contentious when the topic of religious sects were being discussed, the first half of the hearing included testimony from the NYPD, MTA, the Port Authority and other public safety personnel. “The critical issues were the lack of funding allocations for improved security measures and the need for upgrading the communication systems between our safety-related agencies,” stated Senator Addabbo. It was mentioned at the hearing that some of the radios and means of communicating among the agencies were over 20 years old. Addabbo said that he intends to discuss with the Port Authority the issue of security at JFK Airport and on the Airtrain.

Congressman King spoke at great length as to how terrorist threat levels are as high as 9/11, and reiterated that these are very real threats as we approach the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.

Michael O’Meara gave insight as to the issue of communication between the Metropolitan Transit Authority Police and the ongoing discussions with the MTA to correct and improve radio frequency communications between MTA Police and the MTA. The radio system, according to Mr. O’Meara, has not worked since its implementation some 20 years ago.

The use and placement of security cameras on New York State tunnels, bridges and pedestrian areas was explained by Douglas Ziegler. Currently, almost 4,000 cameras have been placed within the MTA system, with the intention of more to come.

A future similar Senate hearing concerning the status of security measures since the 9/11 tragedy is being scheduled in Albany.

Together with above release, here are two complementary statements from the Senator:

Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr., released the following statement on NYS Senate Homeland Security Hearing held on Friday, 8, 2011:

It was my intent to participate in a focused hearing which was to examine the security of the New York City residents, and surrounding areas, ten years after the tragedy of 9/11. Based on the testimony of witnesses and my questioning of those witnesses, my main concern continues to be the governmental funding and interaction of the entities involved in maintaining the safety of individuals, namely the NYPD, FDNY, MTA and Port Authority. I intend, as the ranking member of the Senate Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs Committee, to continue my efforts in finding the means available to improve the safety and security of people locally and throughout the city and state.

Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr., released the following statement on the witness list for the NYS Senate Homeland Security Hearing held on Friday, 8, 2011:

As I have previously stated, I intended to participate in a NYS Senate hearing focused on the public safety of individuals in New York City, ten years after the 9/11 tragedy. In my opinion, there should have been separate hearings with one having witnesses from governmental entities who would testify as to their plans to secure people and another, separate hearing with witnesses of all backgrounds giving testimony on their cultural and ideological theories toward their views on Americans. The global issue of terrorism as it pertains to our safety is so complex and intricate, that I believe separate Senate hearings were warranted.

ADDABBO: STATEMENT ON SAFETY OF AIRTRAIN & JFK AIRPORT

Generally, I have a daily concern for security in and around the JFK Airport property, including the Airtrain. The gateway to millions of visitors to New York is right in our backyard and therefore, my interest in the airport’s safety measures, which are a high priority for me. I intend to continue my working relationship with the all aspects of the Port Authority to ensure the safety of my constituents. In a recent conversation with the Port Authority regarding the inoperable radio usage near the Jet Blue Terminal, they advised me that the situation is being addressed and should be resolved shortly. I plan on having advanced discussions and meetings with the Port Authority about their vision for improved security at JFK.

SENATORS INTRODUCE CLEAN WATER LEGISLATIVE PACKAGE AND VOW TO KEEP NEW YORK’S WATER SAFE & CLEAN

As new information continues to surface on the dangers of horizontal hydraulic fracturing, particularly in relation to the wastewater produced during the hydro-fracking process, Senators Liz Krueger (D-Manhattan), Ranking Member of the Environmental Protection Committee Tony Avella (D-Queens) and Joseph Addabbo (D-Queens) have introduced a package of bills that aim to keep New York’s water clean against the effects of hydro-fracking. First and foremost, the package calls for a ban on hydro-fracking. While working towards this goal, the package installs a series of necessary, common sense measures that would implement stronger regulations and heightened scrutiny that will keep New Yorkers, and their water, safe.

A series of articles produced by the New York Times has revealed that studies conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency show that the wastewater produced in hydro-fracking is far more dangerous than previously reported. Even before it enters the ground, the frac fluid used in drilling poses serious threats to the environment and human health, as it is made of a combination of undisclosed chemicals that often contain carcinogenic materials. However, as reported by the New York Times, wastewater produced in hydro-fracking grows even more dangerous once it’s blasted through rock thousands of feet below ground. There, the frac fluid picks up salts and radioactive elements, like radium, that are naturally embedded in the Earth.

To address these issues, the first three bills in the Clean Water Package will implement tighter regulation and ensure transparency so the public can be assured that proper precautions are in place to monitor both frac fluid and the resulting wastewater. The bills providing for increased regulation are absolutely necessary to provide immediate and necessary oversight to keep the public and environment safe while ample political support is gathered to establish an all out ban, which has been proposed by Senator Avella. Senator Krueger’s bill (S.425) is currently on the agenda to be voted on in the Environmental Conservation Committee on Tuesday, the 12th.

The bills in the Clean Water Package are:

• S.425 (Krueger) - Would provide greater regulation of the use of hydraulic fracturing fluids used for oil and gas drilling, including prohibiting the use of frac fluids containing chemicals that pose a risk to human health.
• S.2697 (Avella) – Would provide for comprehensive regulation of oil and natural gas operations.
• S. 4251 (Addabbo) – Would require treatment works to test waste from hydraulic fracturing operations for radioactivity.
• S.4220 (Avella) – Would prohibit the use of hydraulic fracturing in the process of drilling for natural gas and/or oil.

Senator Liz Krueger said, “I don’t see it as that great of a request to require these gas companies to inform the public on what chemicals they’re blasting into the Earth. They want us to just fall into line and not ask any questions, to just ‘trust them.’ Well, we saw what they did with Pennsylvania’s trust, and I say no. Not here, not in New York. I tend to believe that if you guard a secret with your life it’s not because you’re hiding something good or harmless, it’s because you know that whatever you’re hiding will bring negative consequences for you if it comes to light.”

Senator Avella added, “Perhaps our greatest resource as New York City residents is the clean, unfiltered and refreshing water we receive every time we turn on our faucets. It is clear to me, that until we can be assured that the practice of hydro-fracking presents absolutely no threat to New York’s residents and their drinking water, we must completely ban fracking.”

Senator Addabbo said, “Today, I join my Senate colleagues, Tony Avella and Liz Krueger, to support their respective bills, which together with mine, would amend the environmental conservation law, requiring new regulations from the DEC. My new bill authorizes the DEC Commissioner, after hosting a public hearing, to force regulations requiring treatment facilities handling wastewater to test for radioactivity levels. The DEC will identify tests to be performed on the water, including ingredients found within the hydro-fracking fluids, and would prohibit the acceptance, treatment or discharge of hydro-fracking-produced waste. This was in response to EPA and drilling industry studies that concluded radioactivity in drilling waste cannot be fully diluted in rivers and other waterways.”

There are many ways this wastewater puts human health and the environment in danger. In other states, wastewater is often stored in open pits until transported for ultimate disposal, but chemicals evaporate from these open pits, contributing to air pollution. Even prior to fracking, the trucks are carrying the fluids in high concentrations, and are subject to leaks and spills, causing contamination of surface waters. The fracturing fluid left underground can migrate or seep through fractures in underground formations, cracks in well-bore casings or through abandoned wells, polluting groundwater.

As has been made clear by a number of incidents related to natural gas drilling in Pennsylvania and elsewhere, high-volume hydro-fracking continues to present unacceptable risks.

ADDABBO: GOVERNOR SIGNS BILL INTO LAW EXTENDING UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE BENEFITS THROUGH 2011

Extended Benefits Will Provide Relief for 166,000 New Yorkers

NYS Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr. (D-Queens), a member of the Senate’s Labor Committee who supported the measure, is pleased to report to his constituents that Governor Andrew Cuomo signed into law a measure that extends federally funded unemployment insurance benefits throughout 2011. This bill, S.3928, amends the Labor Law to allow New York to take advantage of provisions contained in the recently enacted Federal Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization and Job Creation Act of 2010 by modifying provisions concerning unemployment insurance extended benefits.

The extension would have expired early this spring, giving people who lose their jobs up to 80 weeks of unemployment checks instead of up to 93, for people now on the unemployment rolls, said the Senator. Without this new law, the state would not be able to continue to pay a total of 93 weeks of benefits and would have forfeited $620 million in federal payments to the unemployed, negatively impacting approximately 166,000 New Yorkers.

Since 2009, New York State has participated in a two-year, federally funded unemployment insurance program. In December 2010, the U.S. Congress extended the federal program by an additional year. The governor’s legislation amends New York State law to allow the state to qualify for the additional third year of the program.

Under the program, benefits for all private sector and nonprofit employees are fully federally funded. This act is effective immediately and “shall be deemed to have been in full force and effect on and after February 1, 2011.”

Added Addabbo, “The unemployment rate in Queens is about 8.5 percent; it’s between 8.9-9.2 percent for New York City, and 8.7 percent for our state overall. While some reports have noted that the worst of the long recession has ended, many of my people have been seeking jobs for the past year, and for some, almost two years. The governor requested quick legislative action, which has allowed us to access federal funds to assist those on unemployment. This law will give them a safety net as they continue to pursue time-consuming and daunting efforts to re-enter the workforce.” The senator is hopeful that future extensions of unemployment benefits would be unnecessary due to an improving economy and new jobs in the city. “The main goal is to find people stable employment,” Addabbo concluded.

Lindenwood Alliance Discusses Crime in Howard Beach by Stephen Geffon - Leader-Observer

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More than 50 people attended the Lindenwood Alliance’s most recent meeting at the Rockwood Park Jewish Center in Howard Beach last week, a good showing for the young civic association.

“This shows we have issues in Lindenwood that need to be addressed,” said the group’s co-founder Joanne Ariola regarding the number in attendance.

The Lindenwood Alliance was founded last December by Ariola and Christina Gold to promote cooperation between residents, police, and elected officials in the area.

“Each little area in Howard Beach has its own very specific issues, and we wanted to have a unified voice for Lindenwood,” Ariola said.

Ariola told the audience that burglaries and auto thefts were two major issues in the community, which 106th Precinct Community Affairs Officer Brenda Bratcher discussed at the meeting.

Bratcher reported that in Lindenwood during 28 days between February and March, there had been one robbery, one felony assault, three burglaries, two grand larcenies and two auto thefts. She said the burglaries in the area have occurred between 76th and 88th streets and 149th and 156th avenues.

According to Bratcher, among the most frequently stolen items were money, jewelry and electronics including cameras, computers and large screen televisions. Bratcher said that in most cases the perpetrators entered apartments from the fire escapes.

“If you see anyone suspicious entering or exiting a property, don’t wait, call 911,” she said.

Bratcher told attendees that there was a recent home invasion at 149th Avenue and 88th Street. Since there was an ongoing investigation into the incident, she said she could not provide any additional details. However, she was able to say that there were four alleged perpetrators involved, two of whom have been captured.

FBI Special Agent James Capozzi also addressed the residents and asked them to participate in the FBI’s InfraGard program, designed to help keep the city’s infrastructure safe from future terrorist attacks.

“By raising your awareness, you are better positioned to let us know what you might see that we should respond to,” he told the audience.

Though still not widely known, InfraGard has been in existence since 1996. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) took over responsibility for InfraGard in 2003.

The effort is an association of businesses, academic institutions, state and local law enforcement agencies and other participants dedicated to sharing information and intelligence to prevent hostile acts against the U.S.

Today, InfraGard’s protection efforts involve a close working relationship between the FBI and the private sector, as well as other agencies, including DHS, the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the Small Business Administration.

Membership in the InfraGard program is free. To join, or for further information, contact infragardteam@infragard.org or visit infragard.net.

Dromm Denounces Peter King Over Muslim Hearings by Connor Adams Sheets - Queens Campaigner

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City Councilman Daniel Dromm speaks during a protest of U.S. Rep. Peter King's planned hearing into the radicalization of the American Muslim community. Photo courtesy Daniel Dromm

On Sunday, City Councilman Daniel Dromm (D-Jackson Heights) was a Muslim.

At least that was the message behind an event called “I Am a Muslim, Too” that he hosted in Jackson Heights that rainy morning: that he stands with Muslims in opposing the anti-Muslim invective being tossed around by politicians like U.S. Rep. Peter King (R-Massapequa Park).

The issue of what Dromm calls “Muslim-baiting,” where elected officials use anti-Muslim political sentiment for political gain, is coming to a head Thursday, Dromm said, when King, chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security, plans to host the first in a series of hearings on the “radicalization” of American Muslims.

Entitled “The Extent of Radicalization in the American Muslim Community and that Community’s Response,” the hearings are aimed at investigating the influence radicalization is having on the American Muslim community. A spokesman for King did not respond to a request for comment.

Representatives of several groups that advocate for and protect the rights of South Asian and Muslim immigrants, including Jackson Heights-based Desis Rising Up & Moving,? South Asian Youth Action in Elmhurst and Chhaya, CDC in Jackson Heights joined with Dromm Sunday in front of his Council office at 37-32 75th St. to denounce King’s planned inquiries. The event took place in Queens, which is home to a sizable Muslim community, in advance of a larger campaign by the same name that afternoon in Times Square.

Dromm said he sees the hearings as an religiously intolerant witch hunt that should concern all Americans.

“He’s singling out one group. If he had a hearing on radicalization of all populations, it would be a different story, but he’s feeding into a wrong stereotype of the Muslim community. He’s just totally wrong to do this and he should know better,” Dromm said Tuesday. “This is an un-American activity for Peter King to be involved in. It reminds me of the McCarthy hearings and it violates the basic principle that this country was founded on, which is freedom of religion.”

“Islamophobia and racism does not make us safer,” Monami Maulik, executive director of DRUM, said. “Peter King’s hearings targeting Muslims are his latest attempt to divide us and stoke fears for political ends. Just as masses of people stood up for human rights after his passage of the anti-immigrant Sensenbrenner bill in 2005, so too do conscious people stand now to end these witch hunts.”

Senator Gillibrand to House GOP: Security Funding for NYC is National Priority

Senator Gillibrand Urges House Leadership to Drop Plans to Cut $100 Million in Security Funding that Would Protect One of New York’s Top Terror Targets

U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand is fighting back against House Republican plans to cut $100 million of federal funding for critical security upgrades, which were requested by the New York Police Department, at one of New York’s top terror targets, the United Nations Headquarters. In a letter to House Speaker John Boehner and Majority Leader Eric Cantor sent this morning, Senator Gillibrand is urging the House leadership to maintain critical funding that would help protect one of New York’s top terror targets from a terror attack.

“Security funding for New York City is a national priority,” Senator Gillibrand said. “No other city in America faces the level or frequency of threats as New York does a daily basis. The NYPD does a tremendous job of remaining vigilant and protecting our city, and we must always support them with the resources they need. We can’t afford to cut funding for law enforcement that is critical for keeping our city or our nation safe.”

House leaders and Budget Committee members announced their plan on Tuesday, and are set to vote on the cuts on the House floor today. However, fellow Republican and House Homeland Security Chairman Peter King has already expressed a commitment to protect the funding for New York’s security.

Senator Gillibrand’s full letter to Speaker Boehner and Majority Leader Cantor:

Dear Mr. Speaker,

I write to oppose H.R. 519, which would cut $100 million in critical security funding for New York. This funding is intended to upgrade the security perimeter around the United Nations (UN) – one of the most significant terror targets in the world. Security funding for New York is a national priority, and I urge you to not bring this bill up on the floor.

The terrorist threat to New York has dramatically risen since the attacks of September 11, 2001. Since that day, there have been 12 known major terrorist plots against locations in New York City. New York Police Department (NYPD) Commissioner Ray Kelly has stated that the security of the UN is critical for New York, and has requested that necessary upgrades be made to provide adequate protection and address the structural deficiencies that create unnecessary vulnerabilities. It is my understanding that without these upgrades a car bomb would do extensive damage not just to the UN, but to the New York neighborhoods in the vicinity. The NYPD has worked with the UN to identify specific vulnerabilities that are in need of addressing, and in response to these concerns the State Department made its commitment to apply certain unused United States contributions to the UN to make the security enhancements. The NYPD supports funding for the security improvements and opposes any efforts to compromise such funding.

I share a commitment to reducing excess federal spending in a fiscally responsible and prudent manner; however, this legislation is not the appropriate solution. H.R. 519 will put in jeopardy the critical security enhancements that have been identified by the NYPD and the UN. I strongly urge you to reconsider your decision to bring this flawed legislation to the floor.

cc: 

The Honorable Eric Cantor

Majority Leader

United States House of Representatives

Washington, DC 20515

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand Speaks on Capital Tonight About Arizona Shooting Incident of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and Security - www.capitaltonight.com

One Blizzard, Two Markedly Different Approaches in NJ and NYC By Bob Hennelly - WNYC

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On Tuesday, Mayor Bloomberg was careful not to overpromise. With dozens of ambulances and hundreds of buses still stranded, he was trying to manage expectations. Outer borough council members said constituents had not yet seen a snow plow.

"I don’t know that you ever get everything plowed because there always are streets, there are streets not even on the map... but I think you can expect another 24 hours before we’ll get to everyone, and even then I'm not so sure," he said.

That was quite a contrast to the mayor's stoic detachment a day earlier, when he didn't seem to fully grasp just how dysfunctional things had become for most New Yorkers. "The world has not come to an end," he said. "The city is going fine. Broadway shows were full last night. There are lots of tourists here enjoying themselves."

Mayor Bloomberg kept the city open for business on Monday and held the NYPD's graduation ceremony for more than 1,100 police cadets and their families at Madison Square Garden.

Meanwhile, west of the Hudson in New Jersey, Acting New Jersey Governor Steve Sweeney had declared a statewide snow emergency the night before (New Jersey Governor Chris Christie was out of state.) That declaration marshalled all of the state's resources including the National Guard. He bought himself time by granting the state workforce a two-hour delayed opening.

"The State of Emergency gives us the ability to get a lot of vehicles off the road where we can get our roads cleaned up as fast as possible and this evening there are going to be some really high winds so we are going to have blizzard conditions this evening so it is best for people to get off the road," Sweeney told WNYC Sunday night.

The next moning, Sweeney closed state government except for the state's essential emergency personnel.

That Bloomberg decision to keep the city's massive workforce on the hook for the day really irked Councilman Peter Vallone, chairman of the Council's Public Safety Committee. He said the Bloomberg administration made a critical error when it decided not to close city agencies.

"It was absolutely a mistake," says Vallone. "There were people stranded on trains, people stranded on roads, people falling on the pavement. Nobody but essential personnel should have been coming in."

Vallone said he closed his office Monday, but he said his Facebook page blew up with hundreds of complaints from constituents about the lack of snow plows.

"There was just a storm last December which was almost as bad as this one and we saw snow plows all day and all night," Valone said on Tuesday. "For the last 24 hours, we have seen no snowplows. We are finally beginning to see snow plows on the side streets of Queens. But we have been left on our own and it has been a very dangerous situation."

City Council Speaker Christine Quinn says she is convening emergency oversight hearings because this response was such a degradation from similar snow emergencies. Quinn said she is not clear why the Bloomberg administration did not declare a snow emergency as was done in New Jersey. She says Mayor Bloomberg's response that it would have caused more chaos left her perplexed.

“Well, that makes me ask, why do we have snow emergency rules that don’t work in a snow emergency!" Quinn said. "Maybe we in fact need to look at the way we define snow emergency and the rules we put in place around snow emergencies and bring them up to date.”

Earlier in the week the city's Office of Emergency Management Commissioner Joe Bruno said only the governor could make such a declaration. But Dennis Michalski, with the state's Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, says any local mayor has that power.

Firefighters' union president Steve Cassidy says many companies could not reach fires due to snowed-in streets or because they were covering for ambulances stuck in the snow. "Response times were affected dramatically and at one point, half of the engine companies were unavailable to respond to fires or other emergencies because they were assigned to medical emergencies."

On Monday, the city's 311 phone line had 250,000 calls. One major problem was that out of the close to 50,000 911 calls the NYPD received, only 10,000, or one in five, were actual emergencies.

Floating in the background is the question of whether cutting of 400 Sanitation Department slots was part of what slowed the response. Back in October, Stephen Goldsmith, the new Deputy Mayor for Operations, who replaced experienced city hand Ed Skyker, may have gotten off on the wrong foot with the Department of Sanitation middle management when he hailed his plan to demote 100 sanitation supervisors.

The Daily News Adam Lisberg and Lisa Colangelo reported in October that as a result, the busted supervisors got their pay cut $5,000 and the remaining supervisors got almost double the workload.

FBI Seeks Public Help to Thwart Attacks by Stephen Geffon - Queens Chronicle

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An FBI program designed to help keep the city’s infrastructure safe from future terrorist attacks needs your help.

Special Agent James Capozzi of the FBI’s New York field office explained to Community Board 10 last Thursday that the program, named InfraGard, a collaboration for national infrastructure protection between the FBI and the InfraGard National Members Alliance, seeks to share information with the public in an effort to prevent future attacks.

“We’ve got to be vigilant,” said Capozzi, coordinator of InfraGard for the New York field office. “We need extra eyes and ears. By raising your awareness you are better positioned to let us know what you might see that we should respond to.”

Though still not widely known, InfraGard has been in existence since 1996. The Department of Homeland Security took over responsibility for it in 2003.

According to infragard.net, the effort is an information-sharing agreement between businesses, academic institutions, state and local law enforcement agencies. It was designed to harness private-sector expertise for investigative efforts in the cyber and physical security arenas.

Today, InfraGard’s protection efforts involve a close working relationship between the FBI and the private sector, as well as other agencies, including DHS, the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the Small Business Administration.

Each InfraGard chapter is geographically linked with an FBI field office. Information is shared to mitigate threats to the nation’s critical infrastructures and key resources.

Membership in the InfraGard program, which is free, is, according to a published pamphlet, “a unique opportunity for both industry and government to unite in a cooperative effort of national security.”

To join, or for further information, contact infragard at team@infragard.org or go online to infragard.net.

Also discussed at the meeting was that the development of affordable senior housing in Howard Beach is on track.

Board members were advised by CB 10 Chairwoman Betty Braton that Bernard Fineson Senior Housing developer Catholic Charities is now expected to close on the building by the end of the year and break ground shortly thereafter. Construction is projected to take 18-months. The affordable housing is to be located on Crossbay Boulevard in Howard Beach.

The new complex will have 96 apartments. Twelve of the units will be set aside for the developmentally disabled. There will be 83 apartments for seniors, 27 studio apartments and 56 one-bedroom apartments. Seniors living in the Community Board 10 area will get priority for these apartments with half of these units being set aside for them, Braton said.

Rents are determined based on income. Braton said the studio apartments require applicants to have an income of no more that $30,800. The estimated rent for those units is $550 to $650 a month. For the one-bedroom apartments the applicant’s income is required to be no more than $49,280. The estimated rent is from $600 to $1,050 a month.

Catholic Charities has stated that six months before completion of construction it will advertise that applications will be accepted. Those interested must write a letter requesting an application, which will be reviewed for age, disability and income eligibility. Braton the community board and area elected officials will help in writing letters and filling out the applications. The CB 10 chairwoman noted that seniors should be aware there will be a deadline for filing the application.

A group of Aqueduct flea market vendors concerned about their fate also came to the meeting to ask for the board’s help.

Darrel Sukhdeo, a spokesman for the group, said the vendors would like to coexist with Genting’s racino.

“We believe that they can help us and we can help them,” he said, adding his belief that the flea market shoppers would go to the casino complex after shopping.

Not everyone, however, would be sorry to see the flea market close. Some local residents consider it a source of garbage and crime.

Rep Weiner Statement on Homeland Security Funding for NYC...

“Mind Bogglingly Bad Judgment”

Following reports that the Department of Homeland Security has decided to slash anti-terror funding for New York City less than two weeks after an attempted terrorist bombing in Times Square, Rep. Anthony Weiner (D – Queens and Brooklyn) issued the following statement:

“Cutting Big Apple homeland security funding to the core is mind bogglingly bad judgment.”

“We got lucky when the Times Square bomber failed. Now instead of increasing our odds, the Administration is pushing our luck.”

“I will tell the President this tonight.”

**EDITORS NOTE** Weiner will grill Attorney General Eric Holder during today’s 10 AM Judiciary Committee hearing on the Administration’s decision to slash anti-terror funding to New York City. Watchable on CSPAN 3 or at http://judiciary.house.gov/

Fact Check: New York's Homeland Security Funding Is Rising - Politics by Marc Ambinder - The Atlantic

Read original...

Rep. Peter King: "The fact that the Obama Administration would cut New York's homeland security funding just 11 days after the Times Square car bomb attempt is dangerous and unconscionable.

Rep. Anthony Weiner: "Cutting Big Apple homeland security funding to the core is mind bogglingly bad judgment."

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But funding really isn't decreasing. When all federal funding is totaled, according to White House spokesperson Nick Shapiro, the city is getting $47 million more for port and transit security over the previous year's budget, the last signed into law by the Bush Administration.

Remember: $100 million in port and transit security grants were earmarked for NYC from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act -- the stimulus package.

With that money, the total for NYC will be $245 million.

"In fact, one out of every three recovery dollars for transit and port security went to NYC, making them the largest recipient in the country," Shapiro said.

Overall port and transit security grant funding increased 14% from the Bush to Obama administrations.

Port and transit security grant funding in New York City increased by 24% from the Bush to Obama administrations.

Rep. Towns Urges Secretary Napolitano to Grant Haitians Temporary Protected Status...

U.S. Rep. Edolphus “Ed” Towns (D-NY), Chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, has joined a bi-partisan congressional coalition, urging Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano to grant temporary protected status to 30,000 Haitian refugees who currently face deportation.

After four storms pummeled Haiti last summer, tens of thousands of Haitian residents are struggling against food shortages and lack of adequate housing. According to a recent New York Times article, the Haitian government is seeking temporary protected status for Haitian immigrants currently living in the United States. Without it, many say a large number of deportees could further weaken the stability of the country, which is experiencing a wave of political violence and civil unrest.

“The situation in Haiti is dire: families are starving, communities are in disrepair, and people are desperate,” said Rep. Towns. “We need to take action immediately to grant temporary protected status for Haitian immigrants living right here in America. Doing so will allow these hard-working Brooklynites to continue working so they can send money back to Haiti for their families in Haiti while the country stabilizes.”

Towns signed onto a letter yesterday with sixteen Members of Congress, asking that temporary protected status be granted to Haitian refugees – a designation extended to other countries when hit by similar disasters.

The signatories include: U.S. Reps. Edolphus Towns, Kendrick B. Meek, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Robert Wexler, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Maxine Waters, Barney Frank, Corrine Brown, Donna Edwards, Michael E. McMahon, William D. Delahunt, Bob Filner, Joseph Crowley, Raul M. Grijalva, Jose E. Serrano, and Barbara Lee.

The text of the letter is as follows:

Dear Secretary Napolitano,

We would like to first congratulate you on your recent confirmation as Secretary of Homeland Security. We also write to express our outrage over the continuing deportations of Haitians in the United States and urge you to immediately grant Haitian immigrants in the United States Temporary Protected Status (TPS).

This past summer, only months after deadly food riots, Haiti was hit by four back-to-back hurricanes and tropical storms. Thousands lost their homes, many were left starving and isolated from humanitarian assistance, nearly 800 lives were taken, and as of last month, over 300 people remain missing. Though recovery efforts have slowly commenced, much of Haiti remains in a state of destruction. Up to 40,000 people are in shelters, and severe malnutrition concerns have arisen throughout rural areas.

The Bush administration recognized these conditions and commendably chose to halt deportation flights to Haiti. However, without prior warning or adequate explanation, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) chose to resume deportations. Even worse, deportations are still occurring at alarming rates and under disturbing conditions.

As you know, TPS may be granted when any of the following conditions are met: there is ongoing armed conflict posing a serious threat to personal safety; it is requested by a foreign state that temporarily cannot handle the return of nationals due to environmental disaster; or when extraordinary and temporary conditions in a foreign state exist which prevent aliens from returning. Now, more than ever, Haiti continues to meet all of the requirements for TPS.

In December, your predecessor determined that Haiti did not meet the standards for TPS. Given the overwhelming challenges with which Haiti has been forced to contend over the past year, and the dire humanitarian crisis facing this small struggling nation, we urge you to reverse this decision and grant Haitians in the United States TPS, or at the very least, resume the halt on deportations pending further policy review.

As Haiti’s humanitarian crisis becomes increasingly dire and the nation’s struggle for economic stability and sustainable development is further delayed, it is only a matter of time before a humanitarian crisis becomes a political one threatening the stability of Haiti and our entire region. TPS is the least expensive, most immediate form of humanitarian assistance we can provide, as it allows the Haitian government to invest all of its limited resources in the rebuilding and redevelopment of its struggling economy.

Just 600 miles from our shores, political and economic instability in Haiti impacts our own economy and immigration levels, thereby making it our responsibility to work to ensure Haiti’s long-term stability. The people of Haiti have long suffered through natural destruction, persistent poverty, and repressive regimes. We have a moral obligation to help the people of Haiti sustain and rebuild their country by granting Haitian nationals already residing in the United States TPS.

In keeping with President Obama’s promise to renew America’s global leadership and restore our moral standing, we respectfully ask that you address this extremely critical issue immediately.

We thank you for your consideration and look forward to working with you on this and other matters of mutual concern.

The End of America by Naomi Wolf

“My sense of alarm comes from the clear lessons from history that, once certain checks and balances are destroyed, and once certain institutions have been intimidated, the pressures that can turn an open society into a closed one turn into direct assaults; at that point events tend to occur very rapidly, and a point comes at which there is no easy turning back to the way it used to be.”

Naomi Wolf,
The End of America: Letter of Warning to a Young Patriot

Locust Grove Civic Association Meeting - Wednesday October 1st - held at St James-St Matthew's Lutheran Church Wakefield

Residents attending the Wednesday, October 1st Locust Grove Civic Association meeting at the St. James/St. Matthews Lutheran Church in South Ozone Park arrived to find the church hall festooned in Halloween ornaments and spooky characters rolling around.

Locust Grove Civic Association Executive Board

Albert Gentile - Recording Secretary,Tony Caruana - Sgt.- at -Arms, Donna Gilmartin - President, Doris Petersen - Vice President and Miriam Marsala - Financial Secretary (l-r)

LGCA President Donna Gilmartin told the assemblage that Senator Serphin Maltese had canceled late in the day due to other commitments, but his community rep, Mitch Udowitz was present.

NYPD 106th Precinct PO Potter

The on-going problem with the Department of Homeland Security to provide parking for the TSA workers was discussed at length.

The LGCA feels that TSA employees should have parking alternatives on airport property and not have to use street parking. Numerous residents have complained over the past few years that about security personnel that reportedly park their vehicles illegally by blocking driveways, throw litter in the streets or get undressed inside their cars, within the confines of the LGCA.

PO Potter

Community Board 10 Chairperson Elizabeth Braton told civic members that she and the Community Board are working towards facilitating the LGCA's ends.

PO Potter talks to Tony

Another ongoing concern of the community is the issue of large trucks parked throughout the LGCA area after 9 p.m. , LGCA President Donna Gilmartin, suggested that residents report all truck sightings to the 311 help line.

She also told audience members to always proceed with caution when encountering any commercial vehicle in the evening hours due to South Ozone Park's proximity to JFK Airport. Members of the civic felt there should be a much greater emphasis by law enforcement on this issue, due to the threat of a terrorist attack being made upon the airport.

Community Board 10 Staff - (l-r) Marcella, Karyn & Mary Ann

Residents cited a large number of 18-wheelers which regularly have been seen traveling through smaller side streets and parking there overnight.

Marcella, Karyn & Mary Ann (l-r)

One community member gave the location of two trucks that he stated hadn't been moved for over a month.

Mary Ann Turso (left) with her daughter Nicole Turso

LGCA President Gilmartin also spoke briefly about the ongoing situation with Aqueduct racetrack. She stated that the decision is up to Governor David Paterson, she hopes a decision is made soon since - "The state is losing $1 million a day from VLT revenue".

Mary Ann & Nicole

Of the three companies vying for the contract and currently being vetted by the state, Capital North and SL Green Realty Trust have both reached out to the community. She stated that some remain apprehensive about Delaware North not effectively seeking community feedback.

After the meeting, there was coffee, cake and good conversation for all in attendance.

Albert Gentile with his son Frank Gentile