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RIGHT NOW ON www.wpcommunitymedia.org
YOU’VE GOT
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
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
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PETER KATZ JOHN BAILEY JIM BENEROFE
ON YOUTUBE AND WHITEPLAINSWEEK.COM
AND WWW.WPCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
ON
WESTCHESTER COUNTY WOOS AMAZON WITHOUT TALKING TO GOVERNOR CUOMO–VIDEO
LATIMER DEMANDS COUNTY EXECUTIVE ASTORINO SPEAK OUT FOR WESTCHESTER ON TRUMP TAX PLAN–VIDEO
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
AT THOMPSON’S CIDER MILL
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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.
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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:
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.
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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
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WPCNR QUILL AND EYESHADE. From the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance with WPCNR analysis. September 28, 2017:
The first two months of the White Plains Fiscal Year are up 7.1% in sales tax receipts, according to figures released by the NYS Department of Taxation and Finance, and 21% in August compared to July figures.
The August report shows White Plains receiving $4,702,800 in sales taxes in August compared to $3,888,289 in July.
Kevin Nunn, Executive Director of the White Plains Business Improvement District, theorized to WPCNR that part of the increase in the sales tax “handle,” (the largest month to month rise since WPCNR has been tracking White Plains sales tax receipts activity) may be traced to commercial vacancy rates narrowing from 22% to 16.1% from July-August 2016 to July-August 2017, (bringing more potential customers to restaurants and malls).
WPCNR notes the $4.7 Million August figure is just shy of average December “handles” (usually the highest month of sales receipts)numbers.
Westchester County up 9% in August ’17 over August ’16, Sales Tax $$ Up $8.5 Million for First 7 Months of 2017 Fiscal Year. 6.1% Increase from July 17 to August 2017
Westchester County sales tax receipts rose 9% in August 2017 compared to August 2016, and was up 6.1% over July ’17 to August ’17 in sales tax receipts, $42,598,007 in August ’17, to $40,112,175 in July ’17.
As the August sales tax report, released September 19, the county has collected $335,973,435 in sales tax dollars in the first 7 months of the County fiscal year compared to $327,528,593 the first 7 months of 2016. This has put the county ahead in sales tax collections by $8,444,842, a 2.6% increase pace.
WPCNR observes that the $8.4 Million is halfway toward covering the $15 Million deficit the county planned to cover by leasing Westchester County Airport to a private operator, perhaps eliminating the need to lease the airport altogether, if the money keeps on coming in at the present pace
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WPCNR THE LETTER TICKER. September 28, 2017:
Today, we are expanding the scope of our efforts to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. So, we are calling on all our friends and supporters – individuals and organizations – to contribute to the HIV Hurricane Relief Effort here.
AIDS United established the HIV Hurricane Relief Effort as part of the rapid response arm of the new Southern HIV Impact Fund, a collaborative effort coordinated by Funders Concerned About AIDS with generous support from Gilead Sciences, Ford Foundation, Elton John AIDS Foundation, and ViiV Healthcare. Gilead Sciences has also made an additional $1 million available to the Fund to support immediate assistance to areas affected by the storms. NMAC is partnering with AIDS United by appointing an HIV Hurricane Relief Advisory Panel made up of constituents from the affected regions to identify priority emergency needs for the HIV communities in each area.
Our people and HIV service organizations are in desperate need. Since the announcement of the hurricane relief effort at the U.S. Conference on AIDS, applications have been received from HIV organizations in Texas, Florida, and Puerto Rico describing the need for millions and millions of dollars to address their emergencies. Applications are being reviewed weekly and funds are being dispersed quickly. Grants have covered everything from housing to food as well as medications and medical care.
Questions about the fund should be sent to Melanie Powers, Program Manager at AIDS United, at mpowers@aidsunited.org. The communities affected by this year’s hurricanes are part of the epicenter of the U.S. epidemic of HIV. In 2014, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 100,000 people with HIV lived in Florida, more than 77,000 in Texas, nearly 19,000 in Louisiana, and more than 17,000 in Puerto Rico.
We must do all we can to help. Now!
