Unions Representing Over 30,000 NY Firefighters Endorse Gllibrand for Senate...

UFA, UFOA Praise Gillibrand’s Leadership As Chief Senate Sponsor of James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, Fast-Tracking Legislation Toward Passage

Gillibrand Secured First-Ever Senate Hearing on Long-Awaited Legislation

Kirsten Gillibrand today formally received the endorsement of the Uniformed Firefighters Association, IAFF Local 94, AFL-CIO and the Uniformed Fire Officers Association, IAFF Local 854, AFL-CIO, representing more than 30,000 active and retired New York City fire fighters, fire marshals, and fire officers.

The New York City firefighters and fire officers praised Senator Gillibrand for her leadership as the chief Senate sponsor of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, and her efforts to fast-track the legislation toward final passage in the coming months. Nearly16,000 FDNY responders are enrolled in the WTC Health Registry, waiting for lawmakers to deliver the care they need.

“In her short time as Senator of New York State, Senator Gillibrand has demonstrated leadership and distinguished herself in the U.S. Senate,” said UFA President Steve Cassidy. “She has shown a great knowledge and understanding of the difficult and dangerous job performed by New York City Firefighters and we look forward to working with her to get the James Zadroga Bill passed in the U.S. Senate.”

“Senator Gillibrand has demonstrated an unusually deep and detailed understanding of the horrific damage done to New York City firefighters during and after the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center,” said Captain Alexander Hagan, President of the UFOA. 

“Everyone knows that 343 members of the FDNY died that day, but Senator Gillibrand is one of only a few who understand that thousands of firefighters who survived the attack have been sick and dying since.”

“I am honored to have the support of New York’s brave firefighters and fire officers,” said Senator Gillibrand. “They know the 9/11 health bill shouldn’t come down to a partisan fight. We have an undeniable, moral obligation to pass this bill and provide care to the thousands of heroes and survivors who are suffering, dying, and waiting for us to deliver the care they need. It’s time to seize this opportunity and keep our promise to the heroes of this country who came to our rescue on 9/11.”

The James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act passed the House of Representatives with bipartisan support last month, sending the legislation to the U.S. Senate. Senator Gillibrand successfully garnered the support of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) to bypass a lengthy and uncertain committee process, sending the bill straight to the Senate floor for a vote in the next legislative session. Earlier this year, Senator Gillibrand secured the first-ever Senate committee hearing on the landmark legislation that 9/11 first-responders across the country are waiting on to deliver the care they need.

The long-awaited legislation would provide monitoring and treatment for WTC responders and local community members, as well as monitoring and treatment for responders who traveled from all across the country to help in the clean-up effort following 9/11. The bill would also invest in research into new conditions of the diseases many first-responders and community members suffer from as a result of exposure to the toxic fumes of Ground Zero.

Nearly 16,000 responders and 2,700 community members are currently sick and receiving treatment. Over 40,000 responders are in medical monitoring and more than 70,000 individuals are enrolled in the WTC Health Registry. While most live in the New York/New Jersey area, at least 10,000 of those who are sick or being monitored for signs of illness today live all across America. In fact, citizens in all but four Congressional districts across the country could be affected by toxins from the 9/11 attacks.

City Pledges to Nurture Sapling Grown from Acorn of Fallen Centuries-old Oak Tree by Lisa L. Colangelo - NY Daily News

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A centuries-old Queens tree, struck down in last month's violent storm, is getting a second chance at life.

City Parks Department officials pledged to nurture a sapling believed to have grown from the acorns of a massive red oak that stood sentry at the intersection of 112th St. and 84th Ave.

The tree, known by several names, including "Robin Hood," "The Grandfather" and "The Castle," captured the hearts and imaginations of its Richmond Hill neighbors for decades.

"The kids used to think it was magical," said Helen Day, 57, who has lived in a house across the street from the tree for 30 years. "My daughter always called it 'The Castle.'"

Day noted that the tree - which once stood almost 100-feet high - did minimal damage when it toppled over on Sept. 16.

"It just sort of plopped into the yard without hitting a person, a house or a car," said Day. "It fell in the best way possible."

Neighbor Clark Whitsett, who lives with his wife and three young children in a house near the tree, got the ear of city workers during the storm cleanup. He showed them the skinny sapling and they told him it was from the same tree.

"It's nice that this tree will have a chance," said Whitsett, a 33-year-old lawyer. "I've tried to take care of it."

Queens Parks Commissioner Dorothy Lewandowski said the sapling will be moved to the department's greenhouse for special care.

"We are always saddened to lose one of our trees, especially a venerable one so loved by the community," said Lewandowski. "Eventually, the new tree will be replanted in the neighborhood or in a park for all to enjoy."

Ivan Mrakovcic, chairman of Community Board 9 who lives in Richmond Hill, said the neighborhood is "devastated" by the loss of the tree.

"I love the idea of carrying on its gene pool," he said.

But not all the people who lived in the shadow of the green giant were fans.

For 65 years, Marie Russo and her family lived in a home next to the tree, before moving out last year.

Her husband tried unsuccessfully to have the tree removed, worried that it would fall onto their property.

"During a heavy storm, you look at it and kind of pray 'Don't come down today, please,'" said Russo, 85, who lives with her daughter Bridget Curran.

At one point, it was slated for removal. But, Russo said, local activists persuaded the city to leave it alone.

"My dad always worried it was an accident waiting to happen," Curran said.

Demand Your Mortgage Note..!!

Wheres the Note.org


The big banks' BS is starting to catch up to them.

Last week, JPMorgan Chase announced they were halting foreclosures in 23 states. Turns out, the bankers in charge of approving the foreclosure paperwork weren't even reading what they were signing. Now, one by one, foreclosures at America's biggest banks are grinding to a halt. It's gotten so bad, several states are taking the banks to court - calling for an immediate freeze on all foreclosures.

The banks created this mess, it's on them to clean it up. You have a right to know if your mortgage is affected.


Wall Street has bought and sold our mortgages so many times, they've lost track of who owns what. And now they're getting caught red handed. In one state, two banks tried to foreclose on the same home. In another state, BofA tried to take a house away from a man who'd never even had a mortgage. The more we learn, the worse it gets.

Banks are calling these "technical glitches." These are more than technical glitches. These are monumental screw-ups that are forcing families out of their homes. The banks raise our rates and change our terms - and if we make one mistake, we pay with our homes.

Don't have a mortgage? Pass this on to someone who does. Every single homeowner needs to know if their bank still holds their mortgage note.

Go to: Where's the Note.org


SEIU.org

Ridgewood Democratic Club Meeting - Friday, October 22nd @ 7:30 - Labor Rights for Farm Workers

What: Ridgewood Democratic Club October Meeting

Topic: Labor Rights for Farm Workers

Guest Speaker: Rabbi Michael Feinberg

When: Friday, October 22, 2010

Time: 7:30 pm

Where: 60-70 Putnam Avenue - Ridgewood, NY

Feds Link GOP Senate Hopeful Joe DioGuardi to Ponzi Firm by Kathleen Ludacamo

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Senate hopeful Joe DioGuardi has a history with a firm the feds say ran a $1.7B Ponzi scheme.

U.S. Senate hopeful Joe DioGuardi prides himself on his accounting expertise - but he has a history with a firm the feds say ran a $1.7 billion Ponzi scheme.

Medical Capital Holdings and its subsidiaries bilked investors out of $1 billion while sinking millions into a mega-yacht and Hollywood flop, a complaint filed last year by the Securities and Exchange Commission said.

From 2007 to 2009, the former Westchester Republican congressman was paid $5,000 a month as a consultant for the subsidiary Medical Capital Corp. - and also got $16,000 a year to sit on boards of various other MCH subsidiaries.

MCH managed the messy books for several of the companies involved in the so-called scheme and was named in the suit.

DioGuardi, a trained accountant, claims he was oblivious to any wrongdoing.

"As a consultant, Joe was tasked with saving hospitals in New York from being shut down, but knew nothing of the schemes that were occurring behind the scenes," said his spokesman Brian Hummell, adding that his boss "has never seen the books."

The SEC described DioGuardi, who faces incumbent Democrat Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand in next month's election, as an "old crony" of the company's bosses and suggested "he's connected to the original fraudulent scheme."

As of last November, thousands of investors were owed $1 billion. The feds froze the company's assets; the case is pending.

MCH moved last year to have DioGuardi replace a court-appointed manager of its assets, which include the $3.2 million yacht Home Stretch and the $18.1 million movie rights to the recent flick "The Perfect Game."

The SEC countered that he had a long history with the company, including sitting on the board of three subsidiaries.

"DioGuardi is not 'new' management at all, but rather an old crony of \[the management charged with fraud\] who has been on their payroll since at least 2004," prosecutors said.

Since the managers didn't tell the court about DioGuardi's background with the company, the SEC said their "attempt to hide their connections to so-called 'new' management shows that there is a genuine danger that 'new' management is connected to the original fraudulent scheme."

DioGuardi agreed to help the company reorganize to avoid bankruptcy after the SEC charges were disclosed, a campaign aide said. A judge denied MCH's request.

DioGuardi, a former CPA who served two terms in Congress, trails Gillibrand in most polls by double digits.

Gillibrand's spokesman Glen Caplin called DioGuardi's connection to MCH "the latest example of how the former big-spending congressman turned lobbyist . . . is completely wrong for New York."

NYC Mosque Commercial - Funny Or Die...

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NYC Mosque Commercial - watch more funny videos

People have a lot of things to say about the mosque that's being planned for downtown New York City. People have opinions and they just want to share them.

South Queens Democratic Club Monthly Meeting - October 20th, 2010 at Carosello Restaurant

What: South Queens Democratic Club Monthly Meeting - October 2010

When: Wednesday October 20th, 2010

Time: 7:30 pm

Where: Carosello Restaurant 162-54 Crossbay Blvd

Queens County Democrats Reception for Tom DiNapoli at the Waterfront Crab House...

What: Queens County Democrats and Joe Crowley Dinner Reception for NYS Comptroller Tom DiNapoli

When: October 12th - 5:30pm - 7pm

Where: Waterfront Crab House - 2-03 Borden Avenue, LIC, NY

To RSVP or for more info call Elizabeth: 646-861-0066

Ringo Starr - John Lennon 70th Birthday Tribute

Yoko Ono - Happy 70th Birthday John!

Julian Lennon Honors John Lennon with Photos - Video - CNN

NATIONAL COALITION LAUNCHED IN RESPONSE TO CITIZENS UNITED

CITY, STATE ELECTED LEADERS FORM COALITION FOR ACCOUNTABILITY IN POLITICAL SPENDING (CAPS)

New York City Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn, Pennsylvania Treasurer Rob McCord, New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, North Carolina State Treasurer Janet Cowell and Los Angeles City Controller Wendy Greuel today announced the creation of a national coalition to reduce the impact of the Supreme Court’s decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission.

The Coalition for Accountability in Political Spending or CAPS will coordinate efforts in different cities and states across the Country to ensure transparency in the expenditure of corporate funds for campaign advertising in the wake of Citizens United. Specifically coalition members will demand accountability from companies that receive public investments or apply for government contracts. In addition CAPS will advocate for legislation on the local, state and federal level to create greater disclosure of corporate political spending. More information on CAPS can be found at its new website: www.SaveOurElections.com

“We are launching a coalition of leaders from across the country to protect our nation’s democracy from being undermined by limitless corporate spending,” said New York City Public Advocate Bill de Blasio. “The closer we get to Election Day, the more evidence we see of corporate dollars being secretly poured into races around the country. I am proud to be joined by leaders from cities and states across America in forming CAPS to fight back against this disturbing trend and demand greater accountability and transparency from the corporate world.”

“I have an obligation to the people of Pennsylvania to provide careful financial stewardship,” said Pennsylvania Treasurer Rob McCord. “This role prompts me to highlight concerns about an 'agency' problem -- in which managers are at odds with shareholders -- due to the contentious Citizens United decision. Investors must now worry that shareholders will not know what managers are doing with corporate resources. Secret political spending clearly damages any drive for transparency and accountability.”

“One issue that unites Americans – Democrats, Republicans and Independents – is that they want to slow the flood of corporate special interest money into campaigns,” said City Controller Wendy Greuel. “This coalition is the first step in actually doing something about it, by holding these big money interests accountable. I want to applaud my longtime friend New York City Public Advocate Bill de Blasio for spearheading this effort.”

“Now more than ever we need to curb the influence of corporate money in elections,” said New York State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli. “We've all seen what happens when Wall Street is given free rein. As New York State Comptroller, I've worked on behalf of taxpayers to ensure that companies the Common Retirement Fund invests in are held accountable for their actions. CAPS is a extension of that work. When corporations buy elections, all Americans lose. CAPS is a vital counterweight to the outsize influence corporate money and corporate power on our political process.”

According to FEC electioneering reports, 501(c) groups have been buying ads in many of the coalition members’ states:

• Illinois: At least $340,000 in spending reported in September by Americans for Prosperity, NARAL Pro-Choice America, and America Future Fund
• New York: At least $1.4 million in spending reported in September by Americans for Job Security, Revere America, The 60 Plus Association, and NARAL Pro-Choice America
• Pennsylvania: At least $2.4 million in spending reported in September by The 60 Plus Association, the National Wildlife Action Fund, Club for Growth Action, Americans for Job Security, VoteVets.org, and the League of Conservation Voters.

Two weeks ago, U.S. Senate Republicans blocked the DISCLOSE Act for the second time this year. This legislation, which would require corporations to reveal their roles in political ads and prohibit companies from underwriting “electioneering communications,” would counteract the effects of Citizens United.” The blockage of this legislation further undermines years of campaign finance reform dismantled by Citizens United and highlights the need for voluntary action by corporations to help reduce the impact of the Supreme Court’s decision.

Happy 70th Birthday, John - Working Class Hero - John Lennon

Happy Birthday, John...!

RIP - 9 October 1940 – 8 December 1980

Shake Shack $$$: Bad for City Parks? by Arun Venugopal - WNYC

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I've only recently started eating at Shake Shack, and have fallen hard for their frozen custard (the blueberry, so very creamy). And after generally avoiding beef for years, I've made return trips for their cheeseburgers, which I've concluded are superior to those of Five Guys — certainly less unwieldy.

But let us set aside such childish pursuits as all-beef patties, and consider this article by Patrick Arden in Next American City, asking "whether the city’s reliance on private-funding schemes was creating disparities between parks in wealthy and poor neighborhoods."

In 2009 Shake Shack collected revenues of $4.9 million; $220,256 of that went to the city and $348,389 to the park. Concessions in other parks pay as much as 20 percent of their take to the city, but not [owner Danny] Meyer, whose company adds to its profits by catering private parties in the park for $15,000 an hour. When Meyer opened his fast-food stand, he was the director and co-founder of the Madison Square Park Conservancy, the nonprofit that oversees the public park.

Just to be clear, I've never eaten at the notoriously over-patronized Madison Square Park Shake Shack, only the UWS and Times Square locations — but I digress.

Arden gives numerous examples of the "big business" that public parks have become:

Few may object to the $364,000 salary paid to Central Park Conservancy president Douglas Blonsky, because his group is responsible for raising 85 percent of Central Park’s $27 million annual operating budget....

But those two parks now exemplify how lucrative the conservancy model can be. The Bryant Park Corporation took in more than $8.8 million in 2007 and its executive director, Daniel Biederman, picked up $210,000 for overseeing its 9.6 acres. Over at the Madison Square Park Conservancy, president Debbie Landau pulled in $185,000 — and her sister Maggi made $114,962.

Arden also notes that Robert Hammond, executive director of Friends of the High Line, earned $280,000 last year — "$75,000 more than the salary of [Adrian] Benepe, the city’s parks commissioner."

The problem, as Arden sees it, is not so much the fat paychecks in the private sector, it's the continuing cuts in public funding:

In 1960 parks maintenance and operations claimed 1.4 percent of city funds. Mayor Bloomberg’s new $63.6 billion budget would send parks’ percentage to a record low of 0.37 percent, or $239 million. (Chicago spent almost $150 million more last year on 21,000 fewer acres.) The mayor’s cut would drop the full-time workforce below 3,000, less than half the number employed by the Parks Department in 1970. “No other city agency has lost a greater percentage of its workforce over the last 40 years,” says [Geoffrey Croft, president of the watchdog group NYC Park Advocates]. “Private money will never make that up."

Arden and parks advocates say the “Golden Age for Parks” that Adrian Benepe claims is more like a Gilded Age, "with wide — and growing — disparities between lavish, showplace parks for the haves and cast-off parcels for the have-nots. For every Madison Square, Bryant Park or High Line, there are hundreds of parks that depend solely on the city, and many suffer from scandalous neglect."

Decimated by Years of Pollution, Oysters Once Again Find Home in Jamaica Bay by Adam Lisberg - NY Daily News

Gregg Rivera pours oysters into Jamaica Bay near JFK Airport, part of $350,000 project to restore mollusks that have been absent for years.

Oysters left Jamaica Bay slowly, declining for decades from overharvesting and pollution, until they were just a memory.

Oysters came back Tuesday - by the bagful.

Under a gray sky, ecologists emptied the first of what will be thousands of oyster shells into the gentle waves of the bay - the beginning of a plan to rehab the reefs that once filled these waters.

"At one time, oysters were a navigation hazard. Ships were sinking just from coming into New York Harbor and hitting the reefs," said John McLaughlin, director of ecological services for the city Department of Environmental Protection.

He was standing on a boat slowly chugging to an underwater platform of old clam and mussel shells, where crews today will nestle up to 10,000 shells seeded with oyster larvae.

If years of planning and decades of cleaning up the bay work as hoped, the young oysters will survive and thrive - and encourage new life.

"They're a keystone species," McLaughlin said. "The water quality in the bay is the best it's been in a very long time."

DEP has poured $624 million since 2002 into improving the four sewage plants that dump into Jamaica Bay. Another $244 million worth of work is planned by 2014.

The tab for the oyster bed project is $350,000, and it has taken years of coordination with agencies and advocacy groups.

They used computer models of water currents to find the best home for the oysters - a long-neglected site surrounded by rotting wood pilings in the shadow of Kennedy Airport.

The marshes around the bay have been eroding over time - and the DEP hopes the oysters can help with regrowth.

If the oysters can reestablish a foothold, they'll help filter the water, improve its clarity and enable it hold more oxygen.

"A single mature oyster can filter 30 to 35 gallons of water a day. If you multiply that by a lot of oysters, that's a lot of water," McLaughlin said. "Restoring oysters, restoring the wetlands, restoring the eelgrass. These are all parts of the puzzle that over time should begin to have an effect."