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.

Rep Joe Crowley Responds to Death of Osama bin Laden

Today, Congressman Joseph Crowley (D-Queens, the Bronx) issued the following statement on the death of Osama bin Laden:


"The United States promised we would bring justice to bin Laden, and now that promise has been fulfilled. Osama bin Laden met the kind of end he deserved. I hope it provides at least some level of consolation to those who lost loved ones as a result of his heinous terror attacks.


“In particular, my thoughts and prayers are with the families from New York and across America who lost loved ones on September 11, 2001. There is no doubt the world is a safer place without bin Laden, but our efforts to eradicate the threat of terror will continue without pause and on behalf of everyone who has been killed or injured as a result of senseless terror and violence.


"I salute the hard-working men and women of our military and intelligence services for carrying out such a skilled and dangerous operation. I also commend President Obama for his strong leadership in making this happen.”

Statement by Public Advocate Bill de Blasio on the Death of Osama bin Laden

“Almost ten years ago the lives of all New Yorkers were irrevocably changed by the most violent attack of our time. Thousands of families were torn apart; countless other New Yorkers, including my wife Chirlane and I, lost close friends and neighbors. While our hearts will never be fully healed, today all New Yorkers can feel a long-awaited sense of justice and closure. We owe a great debt of gratitude to the men and women of our armed forces, our intelligence community and President Barack Obama for bringing Osama bin Laden to justice.”

REP. EDOLPHUS 'ED' TOWNS’ STATEMENT ON THE DEATH OF OSAMA BIN LADEN

“For all the innocent victims who perished on 9/11; to every person who has endlessly grieved for someone they lost on that fateful day; for every 9/11 responder who died as a hero—as well as scores of others who continue to suffer physical and emotional after-effects; to all of our military personnel who have lost their lives on the front lines in the battle against terrorism and tyranny, and for those who continue to engage the terrorists in the fight for freedom, I say quite simply this: justice delayed—but not denied”.

Statement of Congressman Gregory W. Meeks on the Capture and Killing of Osama bin Laden

As a New Yorker and as a Member of Congress who visited Ground Zero days after the 9/11 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center, who witnessed the carnage and smelled death and destruction emanating from the ruins, it is difficult to find words that fully express my appreciation of our military personnel and intelligence professionals who brilliantly and successfully accomplished the mission which led to the killing of Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad, Pakistan. The courage, skill, confidence and capability with which they carried out this assignment are magnified by the degree of difficulty involved.

By the same measure, I would like to convey my gratitude to President Barack Obama for his fortitude. Considering how much could have gone wrong and the consequences of failure, one can only imagine how lonely it must have been to take such a decision. Yet, our president discharged the commitment he had repeatedly made to the American people, and above all to the families and friends of the 9/11 victims, with singular fortitude and determination. The nation salutes you, Mr. President, and your entire national security team.

At the same time, I urge my constituents and all Americans to take seriously the president’s caution to remain vigilant. It is especially important at such an extraordinary moment of success to absorb the fact that the struggle against terrorism and extremism continues. There is more to be done. But, as President Obama said, there is nothing that we Americans cannot achieve together as “one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

Schumer: ‘Thunderous Strike For Justice’ by Elizabeth Benjamin - Capital Tonite

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Senator Charles Schumer’s statement on Osama Bin Laden’s death.

“This is a thunderous strike for justice for the thousands of my fellow New Yorkers — and citizens from all over the world — who were murdered on 9/11. It took close to ten years, but the world’s most wanted terrorist has finally met his deserved fate. New York’s heart is still broken from the tragedy of 9/11, but this at least brings some measure of closure and consolation to the victims and their families.

“This is a massive accomplishment for the countless military and intelligence personnel who have been urgently dedicated to this task for the past decade. Because Bin Laden’s evil dogma has poisoned the minds of so many others, we cannot let up in the war on terror. This successful mission sends a definitive message to those who would test the resolve of the people of the United States of America: do not doubt our resolve; if you do us harm, we will find you, we will mete out justice, and we will prevail.”

News Alert: Osama bin Laden Is Dead, U.S. Official Says - NY Times

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Osama bin Laden has been killed, a United States official said.

President Obama is expected to make an announcement on Sunday night, almost ten years after the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

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http://www.nytimes.com?emc=na

9/11 Responders React to the Filibuster of the Zadroga 9-11 Healthcare Bill - The Daily Show

Worst Responders

Senate Republicans filibuster the Zadroga bill but pass tax cuts for the wealthy, which is great news for firefighters who make over $200,000 a year. (05:18)

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9/11 First Responders React to the Senate Filibuster
9/11 first responders express their thoughts on Mitch McConnell's tearful sendoff of a retiring friend and Jon Kyl's reasons for why the Senate can't work after Christmas. (08:55)

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9/11 First Responders React to the Senate Filibuster
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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.

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.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand: TODAY One Step Closer To Justice For Our 9/11 Heroes & Survivors (VIDEO)

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On September 11, 2001, when thousands of innocent men and women lost their lives, tens of thousands more came to their assistance. We as a nation saw greater acts of heroism than we could ever have imagined: first responders from all over New York and all over the country came to Ground Zero to save innocent lives, provide proper burial for lives that were lost, and assist in the enormous effort to clean up and recover from that devastating attack on our nation.

While we are all too aware of the damage that was done on September 11th, what is less well known is the long-lasting harm that has been done to the health and well being of the thousands of first responders who were on the scene that day as well as all the men, women, and children who were exposed to the toxic debris that was spread all throughout Lower Manhattan after the towers fell. Shortly after the attacks, Congress passed the Victims Compensation Fund, which compensated victims of the attack; since then, however, thousands of heroes and community survivors have developed deadly illnesses due to the exposure to the toxic debris. It's time we took care of them.

As we approach 9 years since the attack, nearly 20,000 responders and innocent residents of New York have fallen ill due to the harmful toxins released at Ground Zero. These include New York Firefighters, EMTs, Police, construction workers, clean-up workers, and innocent men, women, and children who lived and worked in the area. But while the majority of these people live in the New York/New Jersey area, at least 10,000 of those who are sick or are being monitored for signs of illness today reside in all but four Congressional districts across the country.

People from all over the U.S. responded to the call for help in the aftermath of the attacks and tens of thousands currently face life threatening health ailments. We have an undeniable, moral obligation to provide them the help and treatment they deserve.

That's why, over the past several months, I have reached out to my colleagues in the Senate and the House, to the firefighters, police and others who responded to the tragedy and to family members of workers who have since lost their lives to rally support for the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010. And I am very pleased to report that after years of inaction, today this bill will have its first hearing in the Senate on the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.

This legislation would:

- establish the World Trade Center Health Program within the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health to provide medical monitoring and treatment to the thousands of WTC-responders and community members for health conditions caused by the toxins at Ground Zero.

- expand access to an additional 15,000 participants in the responder medical monitoring and treatment program - currently capped at about 40,000 - to make sure no one feeling the health effects of 9/11 is left behind from getting the care they deserve. In addition, it would ensure 55,000 WTC responders get the care they need.

- extend and expand support for the World Trade Center Health Registry and provide grants for the mental health needs of individuals not otherwise eligible for services under this bill.

- establish a community program to provide initial health screenings, treatment, and monitoring to eligible community members, including geographic and exposure criteria to define who may be eligible for the program (i.e. those who lived, worked, or were present in lower Manhattan, South of Houston Street or in Brooklyn within a 1.5 mile radius of the WTC site for certain defined time periods.)

- reopen the September 11 Victim Compensation Fund (VCF). The fund would be reopened until December 22, 2031 to provide compensation for economic damages and loss for individuals who did not file before or became ill after the original December 22, 2003 deadline.

- ensure that we continue critical research into the long lasting health effects that threaten these men, women, and children and provide appropriate financial assistance for the irreparable harm that these innocent people have endured.

America must always taken care of its heroes and this should be no exception. The attack on NYC on September 11, 2001 was an act of war and we have a moral obligation to take care of those who have suffered health effects as a result.

In February, I asked President Obama if he would commit to working with Congress to pass a fully paid for 9/11 health bill and he said he would. With our hearing in the Senate today, we are now closer than we've ever been to passing this important legislation. It is long past time that we passed the James Zadroga 9/11 Health & Compensation Act and began to repay the enormous debt we owe our 9/11 heroes.

On June 18, I stood at Ground Zero with Reps. Maloney and Weiner as well as some of our brave 9/11 first responders, union workers and community survivors who've been helping fight for this legislation to announce today's hearing. Some video from that press conference is below.

Laywers for Sick Ground Zero Workers Agree to Reduce $200M in Legal Fees to $115M by Alison Gendar and Samuel Goldsmith - NY Daily News

Bloomberg's Corporation Counsel tells judge to butt out of settlement and that rich lawyers deserve more $, thereby reducing amount 911 Ground Zero workers get...typical Bloomberg rhetoric..!

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Attorneys at Worby Groner Edelman & Napoli Bern, representing sickened Ground Zero workers, have agreed to reduce the $200 million in legal fees to $115 million.Simmons/News

Lawyers who negotiated a massive settlement for 10,000 sickened Ground Zero workers have grudgingly agreed to forgo $85 million in legal fees, the Daily News has learned.

Attorneys at Worby Groner Edelman & Napoli Bern sent a letter to Judge Alvin Hellerstein, who is overseeing the case, volunteering to lower legal fees and pass more money on to the ailing workers.

Hellerstein and sick workers lambasted the lawyers when the deal was struck in March because the lawyers were set to take home a third of the roughly $600 million payout - almost $200 million - in legal fees. Now, they'll accept 20% of the award - $115 million.

"Our fees will be reduced under this court's insistence that it would limit those fees to an even greater degree than we have voluntarily agreed to do," the letter states.

"We have ...been influenced by the truly disheartening pressures visited upon us by the media and our own clients, both of whom seem to believe that we should have simply donated our time for these past seven years."

Hellerstein rejected the settlement in March, saying it was "not enough" for the sick workers.

Early reactions to the letter from ailing workers were positive.

"There is only one pie, and everyone is looking for a piece of it," said Ernie Vallebuona, a retired cop who is sick with cancer. "The judge has asked them to find ways to get more to the people who were sick. If that does this, then it is a good move."

City lawyers who worked out the settlement in April accused Hellerstein of overstepping his legal bounds and interfering with a "private settlement."

"The judge's statements and actions, together with his refusal to even consider other viewpoints, have made it necessary to appeal his rulings," said Corporation Counsel Michael Cardozo.

Intro 650 Is All Wrong - Civil Liberties Will Be Gone

Watch a Music Video showing why we need to fight INTRO 650, a repressive Bill in the New York City Council...Call Christine Quinn - 212-788-7210

STOP INTRO 650 NOW!

Intro 650 is a New York City Council bill, introduced at the request of the Mayor, which purports to regulate chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear weapons detectors. The bill goes far beyond its stated intent and gives the New York City Police Department (NYPD) expansive powers that could limit the freedom of individuals or organizations to engage in monitoring without undue interference. Although modified significantly from its initial introduction, as a result of criticism from unions and community, environmental, public health, and civil liberties organizations, Intro 650 will have a chilling effect on environmental testing. After 9/11, we know that independent environmental testing is invaluable in the face of government deception about poisons in the air. Intro 650 is a dangerous development in the trend toward limitation of civil liberties and will ultimately make New Yorkers less safe rather than more.

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MSNBC - Countdown with Keith Olbermann: Rudy & the Politics of Tragedy

Rudy & the politics of tragedy

Keith Olbermann talks with Rachel Maddow on the disdain the FDNY has for Rudy Giuliani and Rudy's record of draping his whole post-mayoral career around the tragedy of 9-11.

USATODAY.com: Firefighters' Video Will Attack Giuliani's Record; Candidate Offers 'Prebuttal' By: Mark Memmott and Jill Lawrence...

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The International Association of Firefighters, which has been critical of former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani's pre-9/11 policies on equipment for first responders and his post-9/11 management of the recovery and reconstruction efforts at Ground Zero, plans to post a 13-minute video that makes its case against the Republican presidential candidate today at a new website: Rudy Giuliani, Urban Legend. The video is due to be posted at 5 p.m. ET.

Giuliani's campaign was out with a "prebuttal" yesterday afternoon, summarizing what it says has been his "record of support for New York's bravest."

NBC News producer Doug Adams reports this morning that he's seen the firefighters' video and that it is "essentially a long attack ad against Giuliani."

He notes that:

A well done attack video posted on the Internet can have a big effect. Late last year, the United Steelworkers union was locked in a bitter dispute with Goodyear over a new contract. The union made a short attack video highlighting what it said were the hazards of buying tires made by replacement workers. The 30-second video spot showed a montage of black-and-white photos of auto accidents. As a sport-utility vehicle flips over and careens through the air, a question appears on-screen: "What tires do you plan to buy?" The video -- posted onto YouTube and other video sites -- generated thousands of hits, and lots of bad press. The result? Goodyear was forced back to the bargaining table.

If a Fortune 200 company like Goodyear can be influenced by bad press from an Internet video, imagine how a presidential campaign will react.

Update at 11:40 a.m. ET:

We've had a chance now to watch a copy of the video. It is, as Adams described, a mix of testimonials from current and retired firefighters, and from relatives of firefighters who died at the World Trade Center on 9/11, about what they say was Giuliani's failure as mayor to buy firefighters the radios and other equipment they needed to effectively communicate with each other. They blame faulty radio equipment in particular for the deaths of 121 firefighters in the second tower collapse.

They also are harshly critical of what they say were Giuliani's efforts to accelerate the clean-up at the site -- at the expense of recovering the remains of firefighters and civilians.

The critics are all on-the-record and identified.

Update at 1:30 p.m. ET. The back-and-forth continues:

The Giuliani campaign has put up a webpage about, in its words, the "International Association of Partisan Politics." It notes the union's previous endorsements of Democrats Michael Dukakis in 1988, Bill Clinton in 1992 and 1996, Al Gore in 2000 and Sen. John Kerry in 2004. And it points to IAFF President Harold Schaitberger's actions on behalf of Democrats.

FIREPAC, the union's political action committee, describes its "endorsement philosophy" here. A chart at that webpage shows that 70% of the PAC's contributions went to Democrats in 2005-2006 -- though the 30% that went to Republicans is the most going to the GOP from any of the unions that the chart shows.

Update at 2:50 p.m. ET. The union responds:

An e-mail press release from the union just arrived -- an apparent response to the Giuliani campaign's "Association of Partisan Politics" release.

Schaitberger is quoted saying:

"Our union endorses candidates on both sides of the political aisle –- always have and always will. Take a look at our FEC reports. Ask Governor Charlie Crist in Florida (a Republican), Governor Jim Douglas in Vermont (a Republican), or (Sen.) Joe Lieberman in Connecticut (now an independent). We fought for them, like we fought for other good candidates. Party labels mean nothing to us. But failure of leadership is a big problem, and Rudy Giuliani failed us in New York and we think he doesn’t deserve to be considered for president of the United States."

The release also points out that "IAFF locals in New York City endorsed Giuliani twice in his runs for mayor" but have since withdrawn their support for him.

YouTube: IAFF: Rudy's 9/11 Failures of Leadership Exposed by Fire Fighters...

Giuliani Bungled Preparation in Years After 1993 Attack on Trade Center.

Critical failures by former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani before, during and after the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001, raise serious questions about his ability to be commander-in-chief.

In this thirteen minute documentary, fire fighters, fire officers and family members give dramatic testimony about Giuliani's leadership failures. Their dramatic stories tell how Giuliani failed to provide the FDNY with radios that worked, which led to the deaths of 121 fire fighters inside the World Trade Center's North Tower because they were unable to hear orders to evacuate.

Fire fighters also point to Giuliani's poor judgment in placing his emergency command center at 7 World Trade Center, a known terrorist target after the 1993 bombing.

This video documents the mayor's lack of respect for the fallen when he called off the recovery effort at Ground Zero on Nov. 1, 2001, after $200 million in gold bullion was recovered.

"We produced this documentary because we need to make sure our members know Giuliani's real record," said IAFF General President Harold Schaitberger.

"The UFA participated in this video to correct the myth that Rudy Giuliani has perpetrated on the American public," said Steve Cassidy, president of the Uniformed Firefighters Association of Greater New York, IAFF Local 94.

The Giuliani campaign defended the former mayor's record by issuing a release that lists items he purchased for FDNY.

"But the campaign, with its response, has neglected to address the charges of failed leadership outlined in our documentary," President Schaitberger said.

"Purchasing equipment for a fire department doesn't qualify any mayor to be president," said Jack McDonnell, president of New York City Local 854, the Uniformed Fire Officers Association.

"If that's the litmus test for president of the United States, then most mayors in this country qualify for the job. Giuliani is running on his 9/11 record, and his 9/11 record is laced with failures in preparedness and response," McDonnell said.

The IAFF has not made an endorsement in the 2008 presidential election. Local 94 supported President George W. Bush in the 2004 election, while the IAFF
and Local 854 endorsed Sen. John Kerry.

The International Association of Fire Fighters, headquartered in Washington, DC, represents more than 280,000 full-time professional fire fighters and paramedics in every state in the United States and in Canada. More information is available at www.iaff.org and Rudy-UrbanLegend.com

Keith Olbermann Special Comment: Republicans Equal Life; Democrats Equal Death? Rudy Giuliani Exploiting Fear for Power and Personal Gain - 4/25/07...

Bravo Keith Olbermann for letting America know what we New Yorkers have known for a long time about Rudy...

Keith Olbermann delivered a blistering counter-attack to Rudy Giuliani's insane declaration that America will almost certainly suffer another 9/11 under Democratic leadership - but not under Republican. Not only does Keith point out the obvious about who prevented what on 9/11, but digs deep into Rudy's abysmal record as Republian mayor...

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