County Executive Supports Governor Patterson’s Budget Cuts

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WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. December 22, 2008: Westchester County Executive Andy Spano  praised Governor Paterson’s leadership as “bold, direct and honest,” as the Governor outlined his efforts to control spending as New York faces its worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.

“Every elected official should be standing shoulder to shoulder with Governor Paterson. He has outlined a bold plan to control state spending,” Spano said. “He has made difficult decisions in his efforts to secure a brighter future for all New Yorkers. He has not shied away from the task to get New York on a sound financial footing and neither should the officials who will now be reviewing his budget.


“Governor Paterson’s budget calls for everyone to buy in. It calls for shared sacrifice and shared pain, because that is the only way to move New York ahead. The door is open to smart decision-making, as the Governor alluded to.” Spano said.


“Regardless of political party, regardless of special interests, all elected officials and advocates must support the governor and work with him as he tries to bring New York State back to its former glory. This is no time for partisanship. We must all work together to benefit the residents of New York for the future of our great state.”


 

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Terrorists of the Internet

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WPCNR SERGEANT JOE FRIDAY’S REPORT. December 22, 2008 UPDATED DECEMBER 23, 2008: The communications department of a major company has passed along this explanation of a proliferation of internet scams which have increased lately as the economy has slowed and conditions have worsened for Mr. and Mrs. and Ms. America. WPCNR passes along this advice


The following, published yesterday before The New York Times  admitted it, too, was victimized by an identify assumer who sent a bogus e-mail  critical of Caroline Kennedy, purportedly signed by the Mayor of Paris, which the Times apologized for yesterday. The following advice is particularly interesting and relevant:


Phishing” and “email address spoofing” are the common twists on Internet fraud, and are bold and deceptive attempts to obtain your confidential and sensitive information, including credit card numbers, passwords, social security number and other important financial information. They often masquerade as legitimate businesses or organizations, such as eBay, PayPal or your local bank. 


Appearing in both emails and on fraudulent websites, these schemes are often very believable on the surface.   The hope is that a suspicious recipient will just look at the sender, see it says “admin@ebay.com” or “service@paypal.com,” and assume the message is legitimate. Spammers can alter the header of the email so that it appears the email message comes from someone else.   Please remember that what you see in the “From” field on an email has little bearing on where it was actually sent from.   


Here’s what’s going on:


In fact,  the scam may even look like an email comes from your own email address. When the spammers construct ‘From:’ addresses with your email address, there’s literally nothing you can do.  Why do spammers go through all these steps? Two reasons: first, they naturally want to hide where they’re sending from specifically so you can’t block them. Second, by setting the “From” address to be yours, if the mail cannot be delivered, you’ll still get it as the mail system attempts to return the mail to the sender identified by the “From:” address.


How did they get your email address? There are so many ways. One of the most common is  harvesting them from legitimate web pages or forums where you’ve provided your email address.


 What can you do about Spoofing?


Nothing.  If spoofers are constructing “From:” addresses with your email address there’s literally very little you can do. You wouldn’t want to block it because you’d be blocking yourself.


While (your company)  has put in place numerous procedures to catch these kinds of threats, incoming emails appearing to originate from (your company staff) may not be possible to be blocked.


 The best you can do for now is to use the delete key and simply delete the offending message(s).

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Scientists Discover New Element: Governmentium

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WPCNR’S SCIENCE SCOOP.  From One of WPCNR’s Far-Flung Listening Posts Abroad (Satire). December 22, 2008:  Lawrence Livermore Laboratories has discovered the heaviest element yet known to science.


The new element, Governmentium (Gv), has one neutron, 25 assistant neutrons, 88 deputy neutrons, and 198 assistant deputy neutrons  giving it an atomic mass of 312.



 


 These 312 particles are held together by forces called morons, which
 are surrounded by vast quantities of lepton-like particles called peons.

 Since Governmentium has no electrons, it is inert; however, it can be
 detected, because it impedes every reaction with which it comes into
 contact. A tiny amount of Governmentium can cause a reaction that
 would normally take less than a second, to take from 4 days to 4 years
 to complete.

 Governmentium has a normal half-life of 2- 6 years. It does not decay,
 but instead undergoes a reorganization in which a portion of the
 assistant neutrons and deputy neutrons exchange places.

 In fact, Governmentium’s mass will actually increase over time, since
each reorganization will cause more morons to become neutrons, forming
 isodopes.

 This characteristic of morons promotion leads some scientists to
 believe that Governmentium is formed whenever morons reach a critical
 concentration. This hypothetical quantity is referred to as critical
 morass.

 When catalysed with money, Governmentium becomes Administratium, an
element that radiates just as much energy as Governmentium since it
 has half as many peons but twice as many morons.

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The Patterson Plan to Slow State Spending, Workforce Reforms

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WPCNR ALBANY ROUNDS. From the Governor’s Press Office. December 22,2008: Last week the Governor of New York State published a series of extensive news releases on his 2008-2009 Budget cuts and 2009-1010 Budget. This is his discussion on workforce spending cuts and proposals:

Governor David A. Paterson’s Executive Budget includes a number of proposals to streamline State government by eliminating duplicative services, consolidating overlapping State agencies, lowering the cost and size of the State workforce, and closing underutilized State facilities.


“With the State facing a fiscal emergency, we need to look for innovative ways to improve the operations of our government and deliver services more effectively,” said Governor Paterson. “These reforms are a first step toward fundamentally reevaluating the way we do business, which will mean significantly lower costs for taxpayers over the long term.”


Agency Consolidations


The Executive Budget recommends that seven State agencies merge or integrate with existing agencies, as a first step toward future consolidations. Two additional agencies would have their operations hosted by other agencies. In total, these actions would provide savings of more than $16.5 million in 2009-10.



  • To streamline and improve the delivery of economic development services, the New York State Foundation for Science, Technology and Innovation (NYSTAR) would merge with the Empire State Development Corporation (ESDC). Further efficiencies and coordination will be achieved through enhanced integration of activities between the Department of Economic Development and ESDC ($13.3 million in 2009-10 savings).
  • The State Employment Relations Board is eliminated and its functions absorbed by the Public Employment Relations Board ($1.4 million in 2009-10 savings).
  • The Northeastern Queens Nature and Historical Preserve Commission and the Hudson River Valley Greenway Communities Council and Conservancy would merge into the Department of State ($1.1 million in 2009-10 savings).
  • The New York State Theatre Institute would merge with the Empire State Plaza Performing Arts Center Corporation (“The Egg”) and the Office of the Welfare Inspector General would merge with the Office of the Medicaid Inspector General. While neither of these actions would produce General Fund savings, they would create efficiencies within these organizations to strengthen their long-term operational and fiscal health.

Additionally, the Department of Taxation and Finance would host the operations of the Office of Real Property Services ($500,000 in 2009-10 savings) and the Division of the Lottery would host the operations of the Racing and Wagering Board ($225,000 in 2009-10 savings).


Pension Reform/Workforce


The Executive Budget creates a new tier of pension benefits (Tier V) for public employees. Many of the requirements for Tier V would remove pension enhancements added in recent years to Tier IV, including restoring the minimum retirement age from 55 to 62, requiring employees to contribute to the pension fund after their tenth year of service, restoring the minimum years of service required to draw a pension from five to ten, and others. New requirements for Tier V include excluding overtime compensation when calculating pension benefits, which will prevent “salary spiking” in an employee’s final years of service.


The Executive Budget reduces the size of the State workforce by 3,108 positions in 2009-10. This will be accomplished through a combination of specific programmatic actions, such as agency consolidations and facility closures, as well as the continued implementation of a hard hiring freeze. Layoffs are primarily limited to the impact of agency consolidations or facility closures.


Facility Closures


The Executive Budget recommends that several underutilized State facilities would be eliminated or downsized.


The Budget recommends the closure of four minimum-security camps . Pharsalia (located in Chenango County), Gabriels (located in Franklin County), Georgetown (located in Madison County), and Mt. McGregor (located in Saratoga County). These facilities are currently at less than 47 percent of capacity, reflecting a decline in the prison population of 10,500 (15 percent) since 1999. In addition, DOCS will close several annexes to further consolidate the system. These closures would provide savings of $26 million in 2009-10 and $29 million in 2010-11.


The Executive Budget also recommends closing six underutilized OCFS youth facilities (the Adirondack Residential Center in Clinton County, the Cattaraugus Residential Center and Great Valley Residential Center in Cattaraugus County, the Pyramid Reception Center in the Bronx, the Rochester Community Residential Home in Monroe County, and the Syracuse Community Residential Home in Onondaga County), downsizing two other youth facilities (the Allen Residential Center in Delaware County and the Tryon Residential Center in Fulton County) and closing three evening reporting centers (the Capital District Evening Reporting Center in Albany County, the Buffalo Evening Reporting Center in Erie County, and the Syracuse Evening Reporting Center in Onondaga County). The affected youth facilities have a vacancy rate of 63 percent. These actions will provide savings of $12 million in 2009-10 and $14 million in 2010-11.


Additionally, the Office of Mental Health would eliminate 450 beds (11 percent) from its inpatient psychiatric system, moving those patients to more appropriate settings, at a savings of $6.1 million in 2009-10 and $12.3 million in 2010-11. The Office of Alcohol and Substance Abuse Services would close its 52-bed Manhattan Addiction Treatment Center (ATC), providing savings of $4.6 million in 2009-10 and 2010-11.


Council on Shared State Operations (CSSO)


To build toward future efficiencies, the Executive Budget would also establish a new Council on Shared State Operations to oversee the development of a “shared services” model in New York, co-chaired by the Director of State Operations and the Director of the Budget. A shared services approach seeks to centralize back-office operations, thereby creating cost-savings while simultaneously improving the services offered . an approach that has been supported by private sector firms for years and has been increasingly adopted in the public sector. Consolidating administrative functions shared by multiple agencies will free agencies to focus on their core missions of providing essential services to New Yorkers, rather than administrative tasks.


Over the next several years, state agencies will work together to create shared service centers with expertise in six distinct operational areas. These centers would gradually become responsible for administering the following consolidated lines of business across state government:



  • Financial Management System (FMS). The Division of the Budget, in partnership with the Office of the State Comptroller, will launch development of a system to support the delivery of statewide financial services including budgeting, procurement, accounts payable, and travel expense reporting.
  • Procurement. A new Office of Procurement Services will evaluate and improve the State’s procurement policies, coordinate purchasing among State agencies, develop new approaches to leverage the buying power of the State, and assist in the development of an e-procurement system as part of the statewide Financial Management System. The new Office will be led by a Chief Procurement Officer (CPO) following a model used by the private sector and other states to capture savings through an ongoing identification of strategic opportunities to partner with sellers of goods and services.
  • Human Resources. The Office of Civil Service and the Office of Employee Relations will explore how the State can better integrate its existing human resource systems and coordinate employee benefits, training, recruiting, and time and attendance.
  • Technology. The Office for Technology will focus on the delivery of disaster recovery services, consolidation of servers into a statewide data center, required security, and improvements to telecommunications.
  • Asset Management. The Office of General Services will focus on managing State-owned and leased real property, and explore fleet and surplus property initiatives.
  • Customer Service. A consortium of agencies will also become responsible for developing statewide customer service activities, including a statewide web-based portal for “one-stop” applications for licensing and permits, and potentially a statewide call center.

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Governor Patterson’s Plan to Rein In Medicaid Spending.

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WPCNR ALBANY ROUNDS. From The Goverrnor’s Press Office. December 21, 2008: As part of his 2008-09 Budget Revisions, an his 2009-2010 Budget released last Tuesday, currently being sharply criticised by State Legislators for the cuts and proposals involving power state unions, and reportedly swaying the legislators to raise state taxes on persons earning over $250,000, the governor proposed a sweeping seriesof changes in state Medicaid programs. Here is the Governor’s news release going into the detail on Medicaid cuts.

Governor David A. Paterson last Tuesday  announced that his Executive Budget includes a comprehensive $3.5 billion health care savings package that will help rein in unaffordable growth in the New York’s Medicaid program. Additionally, these proposals will continue the process of reforming our State’s reimbursement system to invest in more effective and cost-efficient primary care settings and incentivize higher quality care.


If no actions were taken to control costs, State Funds Medicaid spending would grow 12 percent to $17.3 billion. The Executive Budget proposes actions to limit State Funds Medicaid spending to $16.0 billion, an increase of 3.8 percent from 2008-09. The recommendations focus on reforming ineffective hospital, nursing home and home care reimbursement systems to direct spending to more appropriate primary and community based settings. Even after these actions, total federal, state and local Medicaid spending would still increase by $432 million or 1 percent compared to 2008-09 to a total of $45.4 billion, and New York’s program would still be the most expensive in the nation.


“Especially in times of fiscal difficulty, we must continue our efforts to reform health care and create a more rational reimbursement system, which targets our resources to those investments that will produce real results for patients,” said Governor Paterson. “Additionally, it is clear that even after these reductions, New York would continue to make a substantial financial commitment to health care.”


According to the most recent federal data, New York spends a greater amount on Medicaid per capita ($2,283) than any state in the nation and more than twice the national average ($1,026). Additionally, projected 2009-10 All Funds Medicaid spending ($45.4 billion) would still represent an increase of $15.3 billion or 51 percent compared to 1999-00.


The Executive Budget will produce health care savings across every sector, totaling $3.5 billion in 2009-10. None of these reductions will impact benefits currently given to individuals. A full, itemized list of individual health care savings actions is available at www.budget.state.ny.us.


Hospitals (2009-10 savings: $699.7 million). Continues the second year of a four-year plan to reform New York.s health care reimbursement by shifting funding from inpatient services to more appropriate and cost-efficient primary and community-based care settings, updating reimbursements to current costs, and calibrating inpatient rates to reflect patient severity. Additional savings are achieved through across-the-board rate reductions, eliminating the 2008 and 2009 trend (inflation) factors, reducing unspent funding for selected HCRA programs, and other actions.


Nursing Homes (2009-10 savings: $420.2 million). New York spends $7 billion annually on nursing homes, about the same as California and Pennsylvania combined. The Executive Budget creates a more rational reimbursement system that is simple, transparent and uses an average regional price adjusted for the needs of the residents, not the individual facility.s costs. These proposals will improve quality and efficiency and help control rising nursing home costs, making New York.s payments more consistent with other states over time. Additional savings are achieved for the 2008-09 fiscal year through across-the-board rate reductions, eliminating the 2008 and 2009 trend factors, reducing recruitment and retention grants for public facilities, and other actions. The budget invests a portion of the savings described above to phase-in 6,000 new assisted living beds over five years; support financially disadvantaged homes; and recognize the costs of hard to serve patients


Home Care (2009-10 savings: $189.4 million). Home care is the fastest growing area in Medicaid. From 2003 to 2006, home care spending increased by more than 43 percent while the number of people served declined by 3.6 percent during the same period. New York spends far more on home care than any other state in the nation, and will continue to do so after these proposals are implemented. These proposals create a more rational reimbursement system that, that, similar to Medicare, uses a pricing methodology based on patient condition to help control the growth of home care costs.


Pharmacy (2009-10 savings: $111.4 million). Recommendations reduce State spending and maximize non-state revenues by directly negotiating with manufacturers for drug rebates and accessing Federal Medicare Part D coverage for New York.s seniors. Common sense utilization control measures employed by commercial drug plans to ensure patients receive cost-effective high quality care are also proposed, among other actions.


Insurance Industry (2009-10 savings: $855.3 million). Targeted assessments on the Insurance Industry reflect the need to receive contributions from each sector of the state.s health care system for gap-closing purposes, and are used to supplement health care spending and improve access to quality health care for low income individuals. These public health investments will help lower health care costs in the future.


Medicaid Fraud Prevention (2009-10 savings: $125.0 million). Over the last two years, the State has substantially increased resources used in identifying fraud and abuse in the Medicaid system. The number of staff targeted to fighting fraud in the Office of the Medicaid Inspector General has been significantly increased (more than 200 since 2006-07) and OMIG.s computer systems have been upgraded, utilizing state-of-the-art technology to detect fraudulent practices before payments are made. These investments are paying dividends. The state share of collections from Medicaid fraud enforcement in expected to reach a record level of $820 million in 2009-10, an increase of $125 million or 18 percent over 2008-09.


Utilization and Management of Services (2009-10 savings: $24.0 million). These proposals continue efforts commenced in recent years to manage the provision of Medicaid services to ensure that they are appropriate, meet patient need, are provided in a cost efficient manner including requiring hospitals and clinic claims to contain accurate patient-specific diagnostic and practitioner codes to prevent inappropriate billing, among other measures.


Public Health and Aging (2009-10 savings: $525.9 million). To combat obesity, the budget proposes an additional 18 percent tax on non-diet soft drinks to discourage consumption of beverages that contribute to obesity, diabetes and heart disease, with all of the revenues to be dedicated to health care programs. Additional measures will reduce funding for certain programs and senior services, raise the retail tobacco fee, eliminate a cost of living adjustment (COLA) for public health and aging providers, and other actions.


Other savings actions outside these areas would total $639.6 million, including delaying a $400 million 2009-10 Medicaid payment by one day, capping marketing expenses for Family Health Plus and Child Health Plus, limiting participating in case management services and other actions.


The health care savings plan included in the Executive Budget has enabled Governor Paterson to propose several targeted investments, including:



  • Extend HEAL NY. Extending for two years the HEAL NY program, which provides capital grants to health care institutions to improve their efficiency. Authorized appropriations for this purpose would total $650 million over the next two years.
  • Streamline Access to Coverage. To enable eligible children and adults to secure and keep coverage, face-to-face interview, finger imaging, and asset test requirements are eliminated. Also, barriers to enrollment in Family Health Plus by public employees and 19 and 20 year-olds who do not live with their parents will be removed.
  • Assist Seniors with Medicare Part D. Providing $2 million in additional funding for local Area Agencies on Aging and community-based organizations to assist Elderly Pharmaceutical Insurance Coverage (EPIC) program seniors in selecting, accessing and maximizing appropriate Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage.
  • Reduce EPIC Cost Sharing. Reducing out-of-pocket expenses for low-income seniors by eliminating EPIC fees for those with incomes below 150 percent of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) . currently those below 135 percent of the FPL pay no fees. This will cost $10 million in 2009-10.
  • Enhance Lead Poisoning Prevention. Funding for the Childhood Lead Poisoning Primary Prevention Program is increased by $2.5 million and this pilot program is made permanent. The increased funding will allow further expansion of existing pilot projects to additional zip codes, support enhanced local activities including coordination with municipal building code departments, and add one to five more counties to the program.
  • Support Obesity Prevention Programs. New funding of $1.0 million is recommended for local organizations to work together to create environmental and policy changes that support access to sustainable, healthy, affordable food and accessible safe environments for physical activity and play.
  • Increase Cancer Screening. Additional funding of $3.2 million is recommended to support the cancer services program which funds free mammograms, ovarian cancer screenings and colorectal screenings for uninsured and underinsured people.
  • Increase Food Banks Funding. Providing $4.4 million in increased funding to food banks, food pantries, soup kitchens and emergency shelters to address growing needs in difficult economic times.
  • Finance Emergency Preparedness. Providing $1.2 million funding to help maintain pharmaceutical supplies and medical equipment in the event of an emergency.


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A Chanuka Sermon

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WPCNR MAIN STREET JOURNAL. December 20, 2008: A reader has sent along the following sermon announcing the beginning of Chanuka, The Festival of Light Sunday evening, giving a perspective on this special time. WPCNR is pleased to pass this along in the spirit of the season:
A Chanukah Sermon
Rabbi Sid Schwarz
Founder/President, PANIM: The Institute for Jewish Leadership and Values

Tomorrow night, Dec. 21st corresponding to the 25th day of Kislev in the
Hebrew calendar, marks the first night of Chanukah. The very word Chanukah,
conjures up happy and joyous images and memories for most Jews. Dreidel
(spinning top) games, latkes (potato pancakes), presents or at least some
Chanukah gelt (money) are all part of the Chanukah experience. 

Surveys tell us that Chanukah is one of the two most popular festivals for
American Jews, Passover being the other. Passover is mentioned as one of the
three pilgrimage festivals in the Bible, a time when Jews in ancient times
made their way to Jerusalem to celebrate the holiday. But Chanukah is not
even mentioned in the Torah as its historical origins post-date the Biblical
canon. Some rabbis have cynically commented on the popularity of Chanukah as
the attempt of Jews to copy the observance of Christmas by their gentile
neighbors. How better for Jewish parents to counter the “Christmas envy” of
their children than to provide a “Jewish Christmas”.

But motivations for observance notwithstanding, just as serious Christians
try hard to put the Christ back into Christmas, Jews too must drill down a
bit to discover the power of the Chanukah message. And when they do, they
will discover a message that is as central to Jewish teaching as any in our
tradition. It is also a message desperately needed in the world.

In 198 BCE, the Syrians conquered the land of Israel bringing it under the
influence of Hellenism which had swept the continent over the previous two
centuries. With the rise of Antiochus Epiphanies as the king of Syria in
175, the Jews of Israel suddenly faced a tyrant bent on crushing the
practice of Judaism and enforcing the submission of Jews to the political
and cultural influence of Hellenism and the Seleucid kingdom. In 169
Antiochus devastated Jerusalem, massacring thousands of Jews and desecrating
Judaism’s holiest shrine, the Temple in Jerusalem.

While much of the political and religious elite of Israel seemed prepared to
bend to the will of their powerful enemies and compromise on the tenets of
Judaism, one family, the Hashmoneans, refused. Under the military leadership
of Judah the Maccabee, Israel gradually rallied against Antiochus. On the
25th day Kislev, the Maccabees retook Jerusalem from the Syrians and
rededicated the Temple for Jewish worship. The Hebrew word Chanukah,
literally means, “dedication”.  The custom of celebrating eight days of
Chanukah stems from the belief that the small amount of oil that was
available to rekindle the menorah (sacred lamp) in the Temple burned for
eight days even though the amount of oil was barely sufficient for one.

Whether or not one believes literally in the miracle of the high octane oil,
on a spiritual level Chanukah is about a much bigger miracle. It is the
miracle of faith conquering fear; the miracle of the few overcoming the
many; the miracle of liberty winning out over oppression.

As is so often the case, life and history come to affirm eternal truths. I
believe that it is no coincidence that Chanukah comes within a week or two
of Human Rights Day every year. Human Rights Day was celebrated on December
10, or at least it should have been celebrated. We ignore the day at our
peril. This year marked the 60th anniversary of the adoption of the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations. Enshrined in
that international agreement are principles that are at the core of
democracy: the right to life, liberty and security of person; equal justice
before the law; protection against cruel and degrading forms of punishment;
freedom of thought, conscience and religious practice.

These principles are also at the core of Judaism. Genesis 1:27 articulates
the principle that every human being is made in the image of God (tzelem
elohim). I believe that tzelem elohim is the single most radical teaching in
the Torah. “Radical” has two meanings and I intend both. The first meaning
of “radical” is “going to the origin or fundamental meaning”. In that sense
tzelem elohim points to the fundamental teaching of the entire Torah-treat
every person as if they were made in the image of God.  The second meaning
of “radical” is “drastic reform from a current state of social or political
affairs”. Were we to internalize the message of tzelem elohim in our own
behavior and succeed in getting societies and nation-states to abide by that
principle as well, we would be well on our way to the Messianic era.

We are far from that place!
-In violation of the teachings of Torah we stand as idle witnesses to the
ongoing genocide in Darfur. The Sudanese government defies international
sanctions with impunity, the Chinese continue to support the perpetrators of
genocide with arms and Darfurians continue to die.
– In violation of the teachings of Torah we stand as idle witnesses to the
ongoing repression in Burma.  A military dictatorship has been in control of
the country since 1990. There is widespread state sponsored human
trafficking, forced child labor and use of sexual violence as a means of
political control and repression. Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi
has been under perpetual house arrest for years and the attempted peaceful
protest by Buddhist monks in Burma last year was put down violently.
– In violation of the teachings of Torah we stand as idle witnesses to the
illegal rule of Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe. Ignoring his agreement to share
power after he lost the most recent election to Morgan Tsvangirai, Mugabe
has ruthlesslesly intimidated and killed his opponents, has plundered the
country of its wealth and has left most of the country subject to disease
and starvation.

Tyranny is far from defeated in our world. We have a long way to go to get
the world to abide by the principles of the U.N. Declaration of Human Rights
that are so consistent with Jewish values.

In the Chanukah story, the Maccabees were the ones who fought for liberty,
for the right to practice their religion, for the dignity of human freedom.
Two thousand years before Patrick Henry they declared: “Give me liberty or
give me death!”

Who are the Maccabees who will fight for human rights in our world today?
Nelson Mandela has been a Maccabee in the way he helped South Africa emerge
from a history of apartheid and insured that his society would be ruled, not
by vengeance over the past, but by forgiveness and reconciliation. The Dali
Lama has been a Maccabee in the way he has represented peaceful resistance
to the Chinese occupation of his native Tibet and has become a peace
emissary to the world. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., whose birthday we will
celebrate next month, was a Maccabee in the way he helped this country face
its deeply rooted racism and showed us a path to a better America.

Just last week I participated in a national conference sponsored by Rabbis
for Human Rights here in Washington D.C. That conference was infused with
the Maccabee spirit  because the organization understands that truth and
honesty demand that we not only point the finger and act on violations of
human rights around the world, but that we need to look in our own backyard
as well. 

It is now common knowledge that our own country has been involved in
state-sponsored torture of detainees, not only in Guantanamo, but in prisons
all around the globe. The Center for Constitutional Rights has documented
that the prisoners range in age from age14 to 80. Most have been denied
access to legal representation. Military experts have testified that the use
of torture is ineffective in extracting information from prisoners and the
practice has made a mockery of America’s claim to be fighting to protect
democracy and human rights around the world.

Even more difficult is for us to look at our beloved State of Israel. Rabbis
for Human Rights is a deeply Zionist organization. It believes that after
2000 years of persecution and the near annihilation of our people during the
Holocaust that the legitimacy of a Jewish homeland in the Middle East is a
necessity. Yet rabbis need to answer to a higher authority. They need to be
Maccabees.

In Israel, Rabbis for Human Rights has fought against illegal home
demolitions, has helped protect Palestinians from Jewish settlers who would
prevent them from harvesting their olive crops, and has called upon the
state to provide equal treatment to all of its citizens regardless of race,
religion or nationality. These are not easy standards to implement in a
country that has been under siege for all 60 years of its existence and that
has enemies both outside and within its borders. However it is a standard
that is set in Israel’s own Declaration of Independence when it calls on the
country to live up to the standards of justice and peace as envisioned and
articulated by the Biblical prophets like Isaiah, Amos and Jeremiah.

Chanukah coincides with the winter solstice. It is the darkest time of the
year. And into that darkness, we are commanded to bring forth light. In the
Talmud there is debate as two whether the Chanukah menorah should be lit
with eight candles the first night, decreasing by one each night until we
only have one on the last night or rather, to start with one and finish with
eight. The ruling was to move from one to eight suggesting that even a
thousand years ago, the rabbis understood something about human nature and
human history.

We live in a dark time. In a world ravaged by war, prejudice, disease and
now, an economic crisis that will put hundreds of thousands of people at
risk of great suffering, we need to bring more light. Each and every day, we
need more light-just like on Chanukah. And to bring light, we need to become
Maccabees, women and men of faith who believe that liberty is worth fighting
for, that human dignity is worth fighting for and that justice is worth
fighting for.

Rabbi Sid Schwarz is the founding rabbi of Adat Shalom Reconstructionist
Congregation in Bethesda, MD. He is the president of PANIM: The Institute
for Jewish Leadership and Values. His most recent book is Judaism and
Justice: The Jewish Passion to Repair the World (Jewish Lights).




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The Difference Between Illinois & NY? We Offer Fundraising for Senate Seats

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WPCNR ALBANY ROUNDS. News and Commentary By John F. Bailey. December 20, 2008: Well G-Rod has the entire Illinois legislature calling for his impeachment. I’m shocked, simply shocked that Illinois senate seat was being shopped.  What’s wrong with that if it’s done by good people who do not use the F-word?


After all, it’s been done in New York for years, where everything with power attached to it is for sale. No one does anything for nothing in NY.  Everyone in New York knows that. Money wins elections and the ability to raise money for the party – is a key factor in who runs for office. It even trumps qualifications.


 



Here in New York, G-Rod  we talk this way instead of , “I contribute to your campaign, you don’t pass legislation that is going to stop me from making money, get it pal? I’ll expletiving sue you,”  becomes, “Tom, these provisions cutting back our interest charges are really going to hurt us recover in this economy, we’d really appreciate it if you could postpone them for a year and a half, and I’ll see you at the inaugural.”


Trouble is G-Rod was just a little crude about working his prospects.


He lacked telephone etiquette. Perhaps the FBI should run some taps on New York’s present elected representatives, and G-Rod might hear some very different, very gentle businesslike conversations to take some pointers. In New York, G-Rod could claim a “best practices” defense.


But, he’s learning.  


His 3-minute news conference Friday  in the Windy City showed that he’s definitely picking up some finesse – he said he’s done nothing wrong. And, you know he’s right.


 He just got a little tough on the telephone, asking for political support, instead he asked in an oblique way (rather crudely) for money in return for a Senate seat, according to some of the tapes. Well that’s done in New York all the time.  


In fact, it’s being done now.


 See here in New York, G-Rod, where everything is for sale, and nothing gets done unless you pay for it, we’re ladies and gentlemen about it. We cover our money trails. We leave discreet intervals before the payoffs are made. 


Somehow the Feds leave us alone and the deals go through, over and over again.  Nobody raises an eyebrow.


Once in awhile we catch payoff schemes, disbar a lawyer, but eventually we reinstate them if they’re nice. Once in awhile we get a phone tip about an employee buying things with government money, and he is pilloried in press, but still departs with a juicy pension. It’s the way New York works in the corridors of power though it’s all coming apart lately. Big time.


You just have to be subtle. Hold cocktail parties.  Golf outings.  Parties at country clubs. Set up Political Action Committees that raise money for a candidate or a string of candidates. Have “Friends of” committees that feed money into city committees who support candidates who vote in project after project.


But New Yorkers above all,  love names without  substance. We’re suckers.


You  have to cultivate a name and if you have a name and the ability to fundraise – when you want something like a senate seat, you’re real subtle. You have your close friends and relatives promote you as a wonderful public service oriented individual who will be great for New York.  


Remember the line, “Let’s put Bobby Kennedy to work for New York.”? That’s how Bobby Kennedy did it in New York in 1964 when he established residency and defeated Senator Kenneth Keating. Senator Hillary Clinton followed a similar schtick in 2000, beating the unknown Rick Lazio, when Rudolf Giuliani did not run. This game is getting tedious.


If you’re from a rich or politically connected family on first name basis with other names in high places  who can get you cushy jobs in Washington or New York, you’re in great shape. New York is a sucker for big name.  And when you come back to N.Y  from Washington, you’re a name. New York just has one party, too, that makes it even sweeter. You’ve got an Assembly Seat, State Senate Seat, Senate seat, Congressional seat for life.


We’ve had a lot people like that come to New York and come in here to represent us. There was Bobby. There was Hillary. Mario. Daniel P. Andy. Now there is Caroline.  


Quick, can any one see what is the unique thread here – they all could raise money, supposedly enough to help those presently in office raise more money on their own.


 When they were not in office, they used their charisma to raise money for their party and local and state politicians. They showed up and worked for the party. They glad-hand. When an opening comes up, they naturally are tapped.


 A grateful party sees they have name recognition and in they go. A President moves to New York, raises tons of money for party nationally  and locally, and suddenly his wife gets the Senate nomination? No connection, of course.  She’s so qualified.


 A former Attorney General sets up a residency in New York after his brother is assassinated and he runs for Senator  of New York and wins. It is a familiar pattern. 


New York has become a reincarnation venue for big name politicians without a job, and our Democratic Party loves running them in here. We bring in political super stars like the Yankees bring in Free Agents. These people know the old New York money. They know the powerful because they are powerful themselves. New York power types fawn over them like celebrities.


These carpetbaggers get to run for high office because they have magic names that translated into money to buy spots, offices, polls, lawyers. They work fundraising events, chair foundations, work locally in high profile agencies and know everybody. They attract money bees like pollen.


 Candidates on the local level have been told in the past they need at least $25,000 to run for city governments.  Now I do not know how much they contribute – but they do hold fundraisers to pour money into the party.  Even long elected officials who are not facing any opposition run fundraisers.  You have to be able to raise money. As you move up you have to raise more money for the party, not just yourself.


Now if you’re not running for anything, why hold a fundraiser? Who gets the money?  Oh, we’re always told they have to raise it for the next campaign whatever it may be. For State Senate, Assembly, congress, or maybe Senator.


Well everybody is all over G-Rod because, well obviously someone wanted to get him, and the FBI did their duty with their incriminating tapes. G-Rod contributed with his mouth. But, did anyone ever give him money for an office seat? Soliciting as he did was done crudely –  no manners, simply making it a little too plain how politicians operate. He was embarrassing.


Come on.  In New York State it is a way of life.


Just look at the projects that have been approved recently. A well-known developer contributes lots of money to a certain community leader and bingo, the governing body eventually buys the builder’s  building, saying it was the best buy. How convenient. Coincidence, of course.


Anything wrong here? Hello Gangbusters.  Just go over the developing that’s done by the familiar suspects and you’ll see the big names on the big political elected officials PAC Committee lists. It’s shall we say, perhaps a cost of doing business? (Don’t wait for tips on horny Governors to start an investigation).


  In New York, we do not call this bribery, or soliciting, we call it “providing support.” Now if G-Rod in his conversations, he might have rephrased to Senate Candidate 5, as saying “I love you Jessie, we really need you in the Senate, how can our organizations work together and make both of them stronger, and coordinate what we need in  Chicago with what you can do for us  in the senate?” Now that sounds a lot better doesn’t it?  Where is an etiquette, ethics coach when you need them.


People who get places and swing deals say things like that here in New York. People wanting things from elected officials lobby them, and committees solicit money and dole it out to politicians, and low and behold regulations get loosened, projects get approved, zoning codes get changed, Special Permits by the dozen get granted. Tax abatements are a breeze. IDA commitments, no problem-O.


Funding of housing projects that cost far more than they should gets done – take years more than they should to complete — with taxpayer money. Look no farther than the faux Yankee Stadium and the pathetic Citi Field giveaways to the two richest teams in baseball. New York  City extracted a suite from the Yankees – was that a bribe – no way that was – well, what was it? A courtesy? A gift to the city. What was that anyway?


Certain PAC Committees collect money from developers and then distribute the money to candidates, some do not even say how they spent their money and nobody cares because there are no penalties for disobeying the reporting laws.


Caroline Kennedy has been touted by her supporters for our Senate Seat for her humanity, her good works, and her ability to fundraise. This was the first plum dangled to Governor David Patterson by the Caroliners.  


Isn’t that offering a very subtle bribe to Governor Patterson publicly? But, wait, not a bribe, an advantage dangled.


The other candidates are no names – who bring no money to the table, but 100% more legislative experience. Caroline Kennedy has never written a law in her life. She’s written a book on the constitution, with a collaborator. She has never worked for a law firm, apparently, according to her biography, but has worked for major fundraising organizations in New York specializing in education. Perhaps she can be the education Senator.


Essentially, she has enough money and fame, to spend most of her time keeping the Kennedy mystique alive, and also being on the A-list as an attractor of rich people with money who can write checks. Big ones. Lots of them.  What a legacy! Just what we need in New York, and the only skill really respected.


Now  other than the fact she will command a lot of face time in the senate saying all the right things for New York, perhaps that’s all you want in a Senator, whose job mainly is to pump money into the state from federal coffers, and send out press releases about it.


Judging from Senatorial performance the last 8 months, she can’t do any more harm than the 100 bought-and-paid  legislators in there now.  Because, make no mistake the lobbyists run Washington. Chris Dodd, the Senator who runs the banking committee got $4 Million from credit institution interests and he has been sitting on credit reform for years. They work for their contributors, not you, and that’s who they listen to.


 


Here’s a prediction.  Who do you think  will be the next to get a bailout?


 The big losers in the Madoff $50 Billion Caper.


$50 Billion? That’s a drop in the bucket. You can bet that Senators’ and Representatives’ telephone lines are burning up with calls from the rich and famous this minute, saying, “You Son-of-a-expletive, you’re not getting another dime unless you make me whole. I’m  expletiving ruined. I made you and you have to make us whole.”


What do you think? No one has thought at all about saving you, Mr. and Mrs. and Ms. White Plains. I want to hear what Caroline thinks we should do before she goes up to the Senate.


However, Governor David Patterson has to get some sort of quid pro quo from the Caroliners.


He has to be assured that the party will not throw him under the bus and put Andrew Cuomo, his rival for the next Gubernatorial Nomination – coming up in 2010—behind the big wheel of the Democratic Party Super Cruiser.


Putting Andrew Cuomo into the senate clears the decks for Patterson, however, that could backfire if the Democratics then decide to run Caroline for Governor – hey if Caroline would be a great Senator, she’d be a great governor, too, wouldn’t she? And she’d be so easy to manipulate.  On second thought, I take that back, send her to Washington where she will hurt us less.


Something Governor Patterson is not, is manipulatable. Otherwise he would never have shown the legislators up so much.


Governor Patterson is making a lot of enemies in Albany by showing – YES, we can get a budget submitted before Christmas. YES, we can cut the state budget , and YES we can cut state aid to education, and YES, we can consolidate departments.


This is heresy to every last State Senator and Assemblyperson, every union head, every bureaucracy, every development agency.  He has made the legislature look unprofessional, which of course they are – but they are very smart professionals actually  who have been stealing from us for years, and we thank them very much, they never could have done it without us.


Governor Patterson is the enemy to them. They want him out of there in the worst way.


Our Senators, Charles Schumer, and Ms. Clinton have promised the ObamaBucks will bail New York out. More Medicaid refunds to New York.  $50 Billion will do it (and include the Tappan Zee Bridge, no doubt.)


Perhaps Governor Patterson should appoint himself to the Senate Seat that Hillary the latest Carpetbagger is leaving. That would fix them all. But, I do not think he can do that.


Oh – and by the way, no one should ever watch Saturday Night Live again after that sorry, embarrassing, tasteless skit about The Governor last week.


The network should seriously consider firing the sorry minds who approved all the way to the top. It was back to ridiculing the handicapped. Something the non-funny comedians do very well.


The Governor memorizes all his speeches because he cannot read teleprompters or pages.  Something the skit performer might not have done in his little horrible skit.


He and his budget director have put every financial officer to shame by overhauling this state budget so thoroughly faster than any governor ever.


And as far as appointing the next Senator –  I do not know what I would do in his position — perhaps one of our NY Congressional Representatives who are at least in congress now.


If Patterson is not nominated to run for  Governor – you heard the reason why  here first.


He’s trying to work for you.

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Being Outside Shoveling Snow in Cold Improves Focus, Memory

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WPCNR OUTDOOR LIFE. From University of Michigan News Service.(EDITED) December 19, 2008: With White Plains experiencing its first snowfall of the season Friday of 6 inches falling at the WPCNR News Tower as of 9:30 P.M., and turning roads into slow-going treacherous circumlocutions, shovelers tonight can take heart: Being outside, helps improve your focus—even when it’s cold out.



A really “white” White Plains viewed from the WPCNR News Tower 4:30 P.M. The six inch snow job made traveling treacherous, bumper to bumper on Route 119 and there were a lot of fender benders motorists reported to WPCNR surrounding the city. Kids tomorrow will be saying, “Look out slopes, here I come.”




Researchers believe the findings could have broader impact on helping people who may be suffering from mental fatigue (from perhaps listening to  too many Common Council meetings,  County Board of Legislators meetings, Board of Education meetings, work sessions, news network and financial radio station commentators, seated Senators offering comments,  Assemblymen and State Senators worrying about cuts,  CEOs crying for money,  and Senator Wanna-Be’s saying how they want to give something back by serving into the Senate.)

“Interacting with nature can have similar effects as meditating,” Berman said. “People don’t have to enjoy the walk to get the benefits. We found the same benefits when it was 80 degrees and sunny over the summer as when the temperatures dropped to 25 degrees in January. The only difference was that participants enjoyed the walks more in the spring and summer than in the dead of winter.”

Kaplan and his wife, Rachel Kaplan, a researcher in psychology and the School of Natural Resources and Environment, argue that people are far more likely to be satisfied with their lives when their environment supports three basic needs: the ability to understand and explore; to feel they make a difference; and to feel competent and effective.

Berman decided to test that theory by sending study participants on walking routes around Ann Arbor. Participants walked on an urban route down main streets and also on a route in U-M’s Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum, taking in nature. When participants walked in the Arboretum, they improved their short-term memory by 20 percent, but showed no improvements after walking down city streets.

The researchers also tested the same theory by having subjects sit inside and look at pictures of either downtown scenes or nature scenes and again the results were the same: when looking at photos of nature, memory and attention scores improved by about 20 percent, but not when viewing the urban pictures.


 

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Mayor Disputes Charge He Refused to Meet with Boykin/Malmud on Contract B4 Vote

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WPCNR CITY HALL CIRCUIT. From The Mayor’s Office. December 18, 2008: Mayor Joseph Delfino’s office has issued the following statement clarifying the exchange between Councilpersons Rita Malmud and Benjamin Boykin regarding Mrs. Malmud’s request for a meeting with the Mayor before Wednesday’s rejection vote.



Mayor Joseph Delfino clarifies Boykin-Malmud-Delfino interchange on the Police-Fire Contract. File Photo of Mayor, taken October 24, 2008


The Mayor’s Office released this statement Thursday afternoon from Melissa Lopez, the Mayor’s press officer:


The Mayor had asked me to contact you to let you know that the statement made by Councilwoman Malmud is incorrect. 


Ben Boykin and Rita Malmud did in fact contact the Mayor for a meeting but the Mayor did not deny meeting with them instead he requested that he does not meet solely with just two members of the council.  He suggested that Ben and Rita contact their fellow cou`ncil members and schedule a time where they could all meet with the Mayor.  No one ever called the Mayor back.

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Councilman Boykin Issues Statement on Contract NIX: Flexibility Needed.

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WPCNR COMMON COUNCIL-CHRONICLE EXAMINER. December 18, 2008: Councilman Benjamin Boykin, who joined with Councilpersons  Milagros Lecuona, Rita Malmud, Dennis Power and Tom Roach to defeat the union-ratified Police/Fire contract Wednesday evening issued this statement to WPCNR Thursday evening:



Councilman Benjamin Boyin. August 5, 2008



The Common Council voted 5 to 2 to turn down the proposed Police and Fire union contracts negotiated between the Mayor and the unions.

The reason for turning down the contracts relate to the term of the contracts and salary increase amounts given the economic situation of the city and the general economic environment. With the city laying off employees, closing the library on Fridays, reducing the current year budget by $4.0 million and cutting back on some services, financial flexibility is critical to our city’s long term financial viability.


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Under the city charter, the Mayor is charged with negotiations with the unions. The Common Council can accept/reject the proposed settlements.

In early December, I called the Mayor’s office and requested that Councilwoman Malmud and I meet with the Mayor to provide some comments on the contracts that were presented to us in November. The Mayor did not want to meet with us.

We have a wonderful police and firefighters in our city. They are top notch and professional. They protect the public and safety of our city.

The salary settlements included in the contracts are generous even in good economic times. We now are facing an economic tsunami and the largest economic crisis since the Great Depression. Economic circumstances have changed and we must adjust to this new fiscal reality. It is critical that our city maintain its financial flexibility in these uncertain and dire economic times. 

I believe that a one year contract with the proposed schedule changes and training changes and an appropriate salary adjustment should be completed. It would provide the unions with an increase in these tough economic times and provide the city with financial flexibility to response to rapidly changing economic situations.

Councilman Ben Boykin

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