Latimer Accuses County Executive of “Pay to Play” Contracting on County Projects.

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WPCNR CAMPAIGN 2017. From the George Latimer Campaign (Edited). October 7, 2017:

 State Senator George Latimer called on his County Executive Robert Astorino to disclose his campaign’s relationships and meetings with thirteen NYC-based firms that have received nearly $80 million in county contracts during the office’s existence.
According to the New York State Board of Elections and the Westchester County Government the list of donors includes notable contributors such as Arcadis, Harris Beach, HDR, LiRo, Tectonic, and Verde Electric Corporation.
An analysis by the Latimer camp shows that the firms have contributed over $200,000 to Astorino during his tenure as County Executive, further raising the question  of pay-to-play for the controversial Republican lawmaker.
“This is a great deal for these companies and for Rob Astorino, but a terrible deal for Westchester taxpayers,” said George Latimer. “Since Astorino won’t disclose exactly what took place at 125 Park, (the Westchester County Manhattan-based economic development office), we can’t know if these donors were meeting there with him or what was being discussed. This raises serious questions about the integrity of our County Executive that Rob Astorino should answer immediately.”
According to a review of Westchester County public records and state campaign finance reports, thirteen firms either headquartered in New York City or with a significant presence there received $79.2 million in taxpayer-funded contracts between 2015 and 2017. This coincides with the existence of the county’s Economic Development satellite office at 125 Park Avenue in Midtown, which Astorino opened to great fanfare but which  the county cannot point to any specific benefit to taxpayers having come out of the exclusive commercial space. Last month, the county announced that it would be closing the space once its current lease expires.
These thirteen firms, which provide a range of services including engineering, architecture and legal, have at the same time been major donors to Astorino’s high-profile political campaigns over the years. In total, they contributed over $213,000 in contributions to Astorino’s war chest both before and after many of the contracts were issued to them by the county.
For Latimer, this raises serious ethical questions about Astorino’s use of the Manhattan space, which the State Senator and others contend provides the Republican with a base of operations for building his donor network ahead of a rumored 2018 rematch against Governor Andrew Cuomo. As a result, Latimer is calling on his opponent in the County Executive race to release all information pertaining to his relationship with the firms in question, as well as details on any meetings that the donors may have had with Astorino and county officials at the Park Avenue office.
“Rob Astorino in his past races for County Executive and Governor made a point of criticizing his opponents for the practices that he seems to have mastered,” Latimer said.
Latimer’s request comes one week after he and fellow county lawmakers held a press conference and rally outside county offices in White Plains to call for the full disclosure of all meetings at the office. Astorino’s office has stated in the press that no meetings logs were kept and no such details are available for the taxpayer-funded space.
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Bronx Man Charged in Manhattan Federal Court with Sex Trafficking of Minors

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WPCNR FBI WIRE. Special to WPCNR from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. October 5, 2017:

Joon H. Kim, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, William F. Sweeney Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and James P. O’Neill, Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”),announced Thuradsy that–

ADRIAN BROOKS, a/k/a “Abee,” was arrested for his alleged role as the leader of a sex trafficking and prostitution enterprise that exploited and abused women and minor girls.

BROOKS was charged in an Indictment with sex trafficking of minors and sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion.  BROOKS was also charged with the use of interstate facilities and interstate travel to promote a prostitution enterprise.

BROOKS was arrested Thursday morning and was to be presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Gorenstein in Manhattan federal court Thursday afternoon.  The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge William H. Pauley.

Acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim said:

“As alleged, Adrian Brooks used threats and violence to coerce underaged girls into performing sex acts for money, and then kept most of the money for himself.  For his reprehensible alleged crimes, Brooks will now face federal sex trafficking charges.  This Office remains committed to protecting vulnerable children from the sick world of commercial sex trafficking.”

According to the allegations in the Indictment[1] filed in Manhattan federal court:

Since at least 2014, BROOKS directed and conducted a criminal sex trafficking and prostitution enterprise (the “Sex Trafficking Enterprise”) that recruited and exploited minor girls, and then forced them to engage in commercial sex acts for his own profit by, among other things, using an online classifieds website called Backpage.com (“Backpage”).

BROOKS operated the Sex Trafficking Enterprise out of motels in the Bronx, New York, and Yonkers, New York, as well as on the streets of the Bronx.

To evade detection by law enforcement, the Sex Trafficking Enterprise’s advertisements often purported to be offering escorts.  However, such advertisements often signaled that they were, in fact, offering individuals for commercial sex acts through a variety of cues, including pictures of partially-clothed women in sexually suggestive poses, and coded language indicating that the people being offered would perform sex acts in exchange for money.

The victims of BROOKS’s Sex Trafficking Enterprise were typically forced to engage in commercial sex acts with multiple customers in a single day.  Customers typically paid for such commercial sex acts in cash.  BROOKS kept most or all of the profits from his Sex Trafficking Enterprise.

BROOKS forced certain of his victims to take prescription pain relievers, to which they became addicted.  In addition, BROOKS set rules for his victims, controlled their actions, and punished violations of his rules and disobedience through physical violence, among other things.

BROOKS is charged with one count of sex trafficking conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison; two counts of sex trafficking of a minor and by force, fraud, or coercion, each of which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison; and one count of use of interstate facilities and interstate travel to promote a prostitution enterprise, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.  The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.

Any individuals who believe they have information concerning ADRIAN BROOKS, a/k/a “Abee,” that may be relevant to the investigation, or information regarding other sex trafficking crimes, should contact the FBI at (212) 384-1000 or https://tips.fbi.gov/, or the New York City Police Department at (646) 610-7272.

FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge William F. Sweeney Jr. said: “Brooks’s alleged acts are horrendous, preying on and exploiting minors. Cases like this are disgraceful examples of the worst in our society. Sadly, too often these types of crimes are unknown or ignored in our communities. The FBI simply won’t tolerate this behavior. Our Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force will be relentless in pursuing those who target our youth.  I encourage anyone with knowledge of trafficking activity to step forward to help us make a difference”

 

The investigation was conducted through the New York Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, a joint task force between the FBI and NYPD to combat human trafficking.  Mr. Kim praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and the NYPD.   Mr. Kim also thanked the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey – Youth Services Unit and the New York City Administration for Children’s Services for their assistance during the investigation.

 

This case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit.  Assistant United States Attorneys Elizabeth Hanft, Sagar K. Ravi, and Alexandra N. Rothman are in charge of the prosecution.

 

The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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NOW ON THE INTERNET ON PEOPLE TO BE HEARD: PREVIEW OF “GHOST” AND THE WHITE PLAINS PERFORMING ARTS CENTER FALL SEASON

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RIGHT NOW ON www.wpcommunitymedia.org

YOU’VE GOT

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JOE WALSH, DIRECTOR OF GHOST

AND

 STEPHEN FERRI, ASSOCIATE PRODUCER

ON “GHOST” OPENING NEXT WEEK  WITH NATALIE WEISS

AND A PREVIEW OF

THE WHITE PLAINS PERFORMING ARTS CENTER FALL SEASON

rehearsalwithdirector

JOE WALSH DIRECTING NATALIE WEISS AS MOLLY and STEVEN DOUGLAS as SAM in the Musical Ghost that opens the season next week at White Plains Performing Arts Center

rehearsal

Molly_Sam

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Letter from Latimer Follows Up With County Gun Policy Reforms Challenges to County Executive

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WPCNR THE LETTER TICKER. From State Senator George Latimer, Candidate for County Executive. October 5, 2017:
October 4, 2017
Honorable Robert P. Astorino
County Executive
Westchester County
148 Martine Avenue
White Plains, NY 10601
Dear County Executive Astorino:
In light of the terrible events earlier this week in Las Vegas, a great deal of concern has been raised regarding items that can be used to turn a legal semi-automatic rifle into a rapid fire weapon – commonly known as “Bump Stocks”. Adding a bump stock to a weapon such as an AR-15, a modification that is in fact specifically designed for that weapon, uses the recoil of the rifle, when fired, to greatly increase the number of rounds that can be consecutively fired.
Currently, Bump Stocks are not illegal in New York, but adding them to a weapon in our state would render that gun not compliant with the NY SAFE Act. Thus, the purchase of a Bump Stock in New York serves no other purpose than to make a legal gun an illegal one. This form of weapon modification allegedly permitted the perpetrator of the Las Vegas attacks to shoot as many as 400 rounds per minute, causing the unfathomable death toll our nation now mourns.
In response to these attacks and to my own efforts to address the issue of gun sales in our community, your office has issued conflicting statements on the future of the controversial gun shows at the Westchester County Center and the items sold there.
Promotional materials indicate that the next Westchester Gun Show is slated for January 20 and 21, 2018. However, a spokesperson for your office was reported as indicating that “no dates [have been] agreed upon.” Likewise, your office has dismissed very real and disturbing reports of Nazi and Confederate paraphernalia having been sold at last year’s show, an action that ignores the pain that this imagery inflicts upon countless Westchester families.
As such, it is critical that you share the following information with us regarding the 2017 Westchester gun show, as well as the upcoming 2018 gun show.
1) Does the County gather information regarding history of compliance with state and federal law for the vendors and the items they sell at Westchester gun shows?
2) What does the County do to ensure that only items legally compliant with state and federal law are sold at gun shows?
3) Are Bump Stocks sold at Westchester Gun Shows? Please provide the names of the vendors selling Bump Stocks.
4) Does the County have a policy banning the sale of Bump Stocks at the Westchester Gun Shows? If not, would you consider implementing one immediately?
5) To ensure the safety of the residents of Westchester County, please provide a list of all vendors that participated in the 2017 gun show, and the current list of the anticipated vendors for the 2018 gun show.
6) Will you commit to prohibiting the sale of hate materials, such as Nazi and Confederate Paraphernalia at county events.
7) Will you, in light of the Las Vegas attacks, commit to the ban on the sale of guns on county property, restoring the practice put in place following the massacres of Columbine and Sandy Hook.
Far too often, we have seen our fellow Americans fall victim to instruments of war that have no place in civilian hands. The true test of leadership is to ensure the safety and security of all Westchester residents at such a difficult and trying time.
I implore you, as a fellow Westchester resident, to stand not on the side of powerful gun lobbies, but on the side of decency and safety. In answering these questions for every Westchester family, you can help bring about positive change in our community.
Thank you in advance for your cooperation in addressing this request.
Sincerely,
George Latimer
###
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In The Garden of Remembrance

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holocaust

 

The Garden of Remembrance was dedicated by the Westchester Holocaust Commission and Foundation (now the Holocaust and Human Rights Education Center) on October 4, 1992, located in front of the Michaelian County Office Building, at 148 Martine Avenue, White Plains, Westchester, New York.

holocaustgates

As we stand before these Gates, we are called upon to REMEMBER what we must NEVER forget. 

 

The Gates of Remembrance were created in 1992 by Rita Rapaport to memorialize the suffering and death of millions during the Nazi era from 1933 to 1945.The posts supporting the Gates look blown by the wind.  They evoke memories of the flames of the chimneys of the crematoria.  To some they will resemble the Hebrew letter Vov, which represents the number six, for the six days of creation or the six million Jewish victims.  The Gates themselves may symbolize the bars of a prison or the entrances to concentration camps.  Or, are they the Gates of Heaven or Hell?  Do they lead to freedom or bondage?The five plaques on the Gates depict images meaning Zachor or Remember, torn fabric bearing a prisoner’s number; barbed wire representing concentration camps; the Bible in flames commemorating Kristallnacht, when the Holocaust began; and the broken tablets of the Ten Commandments.As we stand before these Gates, we are called upon to REMEMBER what we must NEVER forget.

The Garden walls are inscribed with the names of 26 places in which Jews and other innocent victims of Nazi persecution were tortured and murdered.  These names represent only some of the many hundreds of locations where recorded and unrecorded atrocities occurred.

 

 

Drancy
Krakow-Plaszow
Sachsenhausen
Klooga
Buchenwald
Sobibor
Jasenovac
Lwow-Janowska
Stutthof
Belzec
Ravensbruck
Babi-Yar
Ponary

 

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Latimer Says He Would Support Banning Gun Shows on County Property in Aftermath of Las Vegas Killings.

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 In light of the horrific mass shooting in Las Vegas, Nevada that killed 59 and injured scores more, a group of lawmakers and gun control advocates led by Democratic New York State Senator George Latimer (D – Mamaroneck) Tuesday rallied in front of the Westchester County Center in White Plains to call on County Executive Rob Astorino to pass legislation preventing gun shows from being held on county property.
(Editor’s Note: County Executive Robert Astorino’s campaign team issued a statement accusing Mr. Latimer of  “playing politics” in the aftermath of the Las Vegas killings.
In a related campaign development, Mayor Michael Spano of Yonkers endorsed Mr. Latimer for County Executive.)
The Latimer move coincides with recent reports that a controversial gun show held last year at the Center will again come to the public facility in January 2018, provoking renewed condemnation of Astorino for supporting the event and for substantial campaign contributions the Republican has received from gun groups.
“Our hearts go out to the victims, their families and the first responders, but we’ve said that in Orlando, we’ve said that in San Bernadino, and we’ve said that going all the way back to the 1960s when Charles Whitman took lives at the University of Texas. Time and again, we’re expressing prayers and common sympathy and that’s not enough anymore. I believe that the Second Amendment allows you to own a weapon, but it certainly does not mean that every possible armament under the sun should be in private hands,” said George Latimer at the event.
Latimer’s strong rebuke of Astorino came during a press conference and rally outside the Westchester County Center, a 5,000-seat multipurpose arena located in downtown White Plains, N.Y. Latimer was joined by County Legislator Catherine Parker, County Legislature candidate Nancy Barr, New Castle Town Supervisor candidate Kirsten Browde, and County Legislature candidate Ruth Walter. Moms Demand Action head Nicole Lesser also attended the afternoon press conference.
The Westchester County Center was recently the site a controversial January 2017 gun show attended by some 8,000 and featuring an array of guns, knives and paraphernalia for sale, including “military style weapons.” Most notably, some vendors at the show also sold a range of Nazi and Confederate imagery and memorabilia. Last month, Latimer strongly criticized the sale after a neo-Nazi rally in Charlottesville, Virginia turned deadly, sparking international outrage.
Prior to last year’s gun show, the County had effectively banned the shows in response to successive school shootings like Columbine and 2012 Sandy Hook massacre, which took place just 50 miles from White Plains. The Westchester County Legislature subsequently introduced legislation codifying the ban, which Astorino vetoed earlier this year.
Most recently, it was reported that the gun show may again return to the county center in January 2018. In light of this recent massacre in Las Vegas, the deadliest in modern U.S. history, Latimer and supporters renewed calls on Astorino to support the ban. Latimer also criticized Astorino’s well-established pro-gun stances, calling the County Executive out of step with the values of most Westchester residents. Astorino has received $5,000 from the National Rifle Association and has pledged to repeal the SAFE act, a law passed in the wake of Sandy Hook meant to regulate the use and availability of semi-automatic weapons.
“Putting an end to this carnage is a matter of leadership and in this way Rob Astorino failed us,” said Latimer. “We need leadership to stand up to the gun lobby and prevent military-grade weapons from being sold on county property. As our next County Executive, I will pass the gun show bill and make every Westchester resident’s safety my top priority.”
Posted in Uncategorized

WHITE PLAINS WEEK, THE SEPT.29 SHOW-NOW ON INTERNET NOW

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IMG_0169

PETER KATZ   JOHN BAILEY   JIM BENEROFE

ON YOUTUBE AND WHITEPLAINSWEEK.COM

AND WWW.WPCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

WPWeek for 9-29 has been posted
the YouTube link is
the link to WhitePlainsWeek.com is

ON

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WESTCHESTER COUNTY WOOS AMAZON WITHOUT TALKING TO GOVERNOR CUOMO–VIDEO

LATIMER DEMANDS COUNTY EXECUTIVE ASTORINO SPEAK OUT FOR WESTCHESTER ON TRUMP TAX PLAN–VIDEOWP_20170520_12_39_42_Pro

STANDARD AMUSEMENTS HAS NOT COMMITTED TO PLAYLAND DEAL YET.

RED HOT SUMMER BUSINESS: WHITE PLAINS SALES TAX DOLLARS UP 21% IN ONE MONTH…JULY TO AUGUST

GOVERNOR CUOMO VIDEO OF PUERTO RICO DESTRUCTION–

REMEMBERING “HEF”

INTRODUCING THE LIBERTY APPLE

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AT THOMPSON’S CIDER MILL

Posted in Uncategorized

NEWS FROM PUERTO RICO–CUOMO TELLS CNN: PROGRESS IN PUERTO RICO AFTER 10 DAYS “NOT ACCEPTABLE.” “U.S. GOV UNDERESTIMATED THE SITUATION.” “SLOWNESS OF RESPONSE.”

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WPCNR ALBANY ROUNDS. From the OFFICE OF GOVERNOR ANDREW M. CUOMO. September 30, 2017:

On Saturday,, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo was a guest on CNN with Ana Cabrera. A rush transcript of the Governor’s interview is available below, where he comments on the progress of U.S. government recovery efforts in Puerto Rico after 10 days:

Ana Cabrera: Joining us now on the phone, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. New York of course is home to arguably the largest population of Puerto Ricans outside of the island. Governor, thank you for spending some time with us. I know you got a chance to see firsthand the devastation just days after this hurricane. What struck you?

 Governor Cuomo: The level of devastation. As bad as it looks in the pictures, it’s actually worse in person, Ana. And frankly, the slowness on the response, you know. It’s a great debate now on twitter, but I don’t think there’s any question that if the tape was replayed, you would have seen more federal sources and resources pre-deployed before the situation.

Once the storm hits, now you’re playing catch up. And I think part of the complication is FEMA’s orientation is to support the local government. If you ask them, they’ll say their role is to support the local government.

That’s one situation in Florida or Texas or New York where you have a local government with a lot of resources. It’s a different situation in Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico had a lot of big problems to begin with. So I think they (FEMA) were just slow in the pre-deployment.

 Ana Cabrera: Do you think any of that had to do with being spread a little thin, given there had been two other devastating hurricanes that have hit the U.S?

Governor Cuomo: Actually, I don’t. The federal government has tremendous resources. We have resources. Every state has the national guard. We have equipment. I sent down hundreds of national guard, black hawk helicopters, I sent down my state police.

The federal government could have put out a call. They could have put out anything they wanted.

I think they underestimated the situation and they underestimated the amount of support that Puerto Rico was going to need because as a local government, because as a local government it just has fewer resources and it’s one thing to help Florida and Texas.

It’s another situation in Puerto Rico. It’s an island. It’s isolated. It’s basically insolvent. So the federal government has to play a much larger role.

I think the thing to focus on now is what’s next, right.

We are in this first phase, which is the emergency response phase. They call it three hots and a cot. Get people water, medical supplies, et cetera. You’re then going to the rebuilding phase.

And let’s not make the same mistake twice.

Let’s anticipate the scope of the rebuilding. Because the truth is we don’t want to replace what was there in Puerto Rico.

Much of the equipment was sub-standard. The power system, the grid was substandard. You’re going to pump billions of dollars into Puerto Rico.

How do you use those funds and actually rebuild the island to a better place? Not just a build back, but to build back better and that’s what we should be thinking about now so we don’t have to play catch up again.

Ana Cabrera: I hear you and I think anybody can agree with your sentiments. Let me read you some of the latest numbers we’re just getting right now from FEMA in terms of what the situation, what the reality is in Puerto Rico right now.

We know that according to FEMA, the Urban Search and Rescue Teams have now covered 100 percent of Puerto Rico, they’ve made some 843 rescues. They say we are hearing that 45 percent of customers now have potable water, so not quite 50 percent are dealing with running water.

There are still a lot of people who do not have that bare necessity (water).

Only five percent of electricity has been restored, 33 percent of the telecommunications infrastructure is back up and 11 percent of cell phone towers are functioning. How do you read those numbers 10 days after the disaster?

Governor Cuomo: It’s not acceptable. You know? There’s no debate. The only thing the federal government can say is, “Well, Puerto Rico wasn’t in a position to help. Puerto Rico had problems.”

Yes. That’s the nature of the beast. That’s like the doctor saying, “Well, you know, the patient was sick.” Yeah. I know the patient is sick.

And it’s what I was saying before. FEMA’s orientation is, we’re here to support the local government. But for Puerto Rico, support means you have to bring all the resources and it should not have taken this long.

These are American citizens. They are American citizens. This is not an operation of mercy in a foreign country. They are our brother and sister Americans.

The one thing this country has been very good at, and I’m in New York so I lived through 9/11. When things are at their worst, people are at their best and Americans come together to help Americans.

I’m sure this president could have had all the support he needed to put together whatever forces, funds, etcetera Puerto Rico required. We’re doing a volunteer drive all across the state this weekend. It’s amazing what people are giving and donating and how they want to help. Everyone you talk to wants to help.

Ana Cabrera: No doubt about it. Governor Andrew Cuomo, thank you so much. Thank you for the efforts that are happening right now in your state. We appreciate it.

Posted in Uncategorized

American Nero: President Golfs While Puerto Ricans Die

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WPCNR NEWS AND COMMENT. By John F. Bailey. September 30, 2017:

If I were President right now here is what I would do.

Tears are filling my eyes as I write this.

I’d fly down there and I’d be right there on the scene.

I would establish the San Juan White House Command Center with the Governor of Puerto Rico the brave Mayor Carmen Yulin’ Cruz out there getting herself wet, dirty sweaty. Working phones. Taking charge. You don’t tell Mayor Cruz “we’re doing a great job.”

His Twitter Account should be suspended.

This outrageous Trump “Big Lie” is a direct steal from Stalin’s Soviet Russia which when it failed to meet the objectives of 5 year plans, said they did or made excuses. Donnie is always making excuses. The dog ate his homework every night.

(Has Donald Trump ever done any real work in his life? No. It’s obvious. Because he can’t get any work done. When it’s there he doesn’t know how to do it. How has this guy ever built anything is beyond belief. Obviously other people made the decisions because he can’t He is making George W. Bush look very very good. (“We’re doing a great job” is Trump’s, “You’re doing a helluva job Brownie.” )

Mr.T, remember is the man who promised Americans “we’ve got your back.”

Turn around and you’ll find is not there.

Where are the Latino leaders nationally and the black leaders, and those evangelical “Christians” crying out about this deliberate “Latinocide” Trump is creating as I type each letter of this comment?

What would Jesus say about you?

You know where Jesus would be. He’d be right there.

Because Donald Trump isn’t.

He’s where he shouldn’t be all the time, and when he’s not he’s playing golf.

So if I were President right now this moment I’d do this:

  1. Order military divisions down there using helicopters to airdrop water and rations all across the nation based on intelligence from Puerto Rican leaders. (This was recommended by the General who handled the Katrina recovery in New Orleans. That General told Trump that 4 days ago.)
  2. I’d order prefabricated home modules from manufacturers to provide shelters to house those with no homes. That  might be hard to do, but you have to think that way.
  3. I’d order cruise ships out from Florida to drop their cruises and rush those ships to house people and feed them. Now. Paying tourists will have to wait. I’d ask freighters to detour to San Juan to convey our Puerto Rican citizen refugees to Florida. (Probably the reason the Trump Administration doesn’t want to do this is they do not want 3 million more Latinos coming to the mainland – just speculating. God I hope that is not true, don’t you?)
  4. I’d have the U.S. Navy bring in their Seabees to clear wreckage replace buildings, houses, put the Navy to work. And a few aircraft carriers  to survey the island target triage and replace priority sites.
  5. I’d order all the power companies of  America to send emergency crews or use military experts at setting up instant bases with power in 24 hours, sector by sector. (I think they can do that. This is a time to show what America working together instead of against each other can do, because the Trump Administration isn’t going to do it.)
  6. I’d bring in hospital ships and sanitation specialists  and public works professionals  and construction teams to repair the water treatment apparatus if repairable, pump out all that standing water. Purify and purify to prevent a cholera epidemic. (Even a dumb reporter like me can figure it out why can’t the Captains of Finance The Incompetent Team in the Trump Administration, figure it out?  Incompetence in politicians and managers has a very dear price.
  7. I’d set up prefab buildings to replace schools businesses. Build new airport strips to bring service to all affected areas.
  8. I’d be going to the businesses that serve America, the water companies, the food companies, to reroute everything they make and are shipping and get it straight to Puerto Rico. They should be doing that anyway!
  9. I would tell  Puerto Rico all is “on the house,” that they would not have to worry about paying for it and their personal financial loses and employment would be restored and loses reimbursed.(Is Texas paying for their relief? Is Florida paying for their relief? How about an Executive order like this that helps people?
  10. I would call an immediate session of congress and ask every member of congress to go back to their states and pull together resources from local businesses and organzations to aid in the on-going effort to house Puerto Rican refugees during the interim period and ship direct aid.

11. Do we even know what Puerto Rico needs after 8 days, besides everything? FEMA has fumbled again, fumbled 3 million lives away, unless the President wakes up and smells the rotting corpses. Assessment and priorities  immediately please!!!

12. I’d order all military medical resources available to go to Puerto Rico and replace and spell the Puerto Rican medical folks, electrify the hospitals and supply them with medications to combat the disease outbreaks to come. (Field hospitals spring to mind. If you can treat wounded soldiers as soon as they land, you can treat starving, heat stricken Puerto Ricans, innoculate them just as soon! Come on, Washington, do your job.)

I will add to this list. The blackout on Puerto Rico situational analysis is a disgrace.

But, the President will not get to this until he gets to Puerto Rico next week.

So in the meantime, it is up to those businesses which consider themselves so important to America to step up for the once Shining Star of the Caribbean, Puerto Rico. Now. Show us how important, powerful and humane you are. Now.

Show us how competent you are. Now

All right all you CEO’s, Gazillionaires, Hedge Funders, sneaker makers, chicken kings, sports club owners, communications giants now is the time for action. And especially Federal Express, all the airlines, food supply companies, Goldman-Sachs,   you have to save the Puerto Rican citizens…days away from cholera, dysentery, starvation.

What is the matter with the “President In Name Only” that he does not recognize the danger to 3 million people down there? How can he say he’s doing a great job down there.

He isn’t. He’s doing no job. He doesn’t know how to do a job.

He’s playing golf while Puerto Ricans die, starve, drink infected water, and God knows what.  But “Red Texas” got help, “Red Florida” got help. Latino Puerto Rico—8 days and no significant help.

Think about it: President Trump is playing golf while Puerto Rico has no food, no potable water, electricity.

He is playing golf while Puerto Rico has no food, no potable water, no electricity.

After President Trump’s ghastly comments to the Mayor of San Juan this morning, it is clear the President does not have the humanity and decency to be a good leader. He is a person who cares not a wit for anyone but himself.

But you already knew that.

He has no grip on reality.  If he had a shred of compassion in him he’d have been on the plane with Andrew Cuomo down there. But the Trumpster was not. He was fighting the NFL. He was talking tax plan.

It is time for Puerto Rico to plea for help from Germany, France, England to come to their rescue, the elitist, anti-Latino, whites’ rights Trump Tyrant won’t anytime soon. Maybe Cuba will help the Puerto Ricans, maybe Jamaica, how about the Bahamas, close by with room? Cuba could welcome Puerto Rican refugees to help clear their damage, since we do not know the extent of that. Canada always helps

Puerto Rico you have gotten a message from Mr. Trump: it’s every Puerto Rican for him or herself.

The only politician who has spoken out on this is Governor Andrew Cuomo.

Mr. Cuomo should be appointed manager of the Puerto Rican recovery, he knows more about it than anybody.

I salute him and I am proud he went and no one else did.

I cannot get over it.

Donald Trump is playing golf while Puerto Ricans are suffering from no electricity, no homes, no water, no jobs, no food.

He could at least send them a few steaks or write them a check for a million.

 

 

Posted in Uncategorized

Dealing with Devastation

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WPCNR NEWS AND COMMENT. By James C. Benerofe. (c) 2017, Reprinted from SuburanStreet.com with permission. September 29, 2017:

Dealing with Devastation

Editorial by James C. Benerofe
With the onslaught of natural disasters in recent months, there are practical steps that we could take to make recovery easier and allow for dealing more effectively with long and short term recovery.
We have been faced with hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, and earthquakes.  Hurricanes and floods have devastated island and coastlines.
Why don’t we have some large cruise ships come into places like Puerto Rico and other tropical islands and house  thousands of people until reconstruction of infrastructure can be completed?
This would be an immediate interim solution–an obviously temporary measure.
For the long term,  FEMA should consider and evaluate building disaster recovery ships that would essentially be floating cities. These ships would be designed like cruise ships. FEMA might  also explore buying and modifying existing cruise ships.
These ships would have the ability to move to a disaster area within a matter of days. The ships would be designed with all of the facilities that a community has–apartments, retail stores, medical services, recreational services, and a lot of other necessities. The ship would be stocked and maintained at all times. The ships would vary in size starting at accommodating 500 to 1000 people and going to as large as 5000 to 6000 people.
The objective of this concept would be to bring families and individuals back to some kind of normal lifestyle as quickly as possible.This kind of program will require extensive evaluation.
We are dealing with catastrophic events involving millions of people and we need to do something.
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