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Free Christmas Meter Parking on Mamaroneck Ave Tradition Eliminated by City Hall
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BAH! HUMBUG! FREE METER PARKING DUMPED BY HUMBUGS AT CITY HALL.
WPCNR MAMARONECK AVENUE AMBLER. By John F. Bailey. December 22, 2012:
I wheeled into the White Plains downtown Saturday to do some Christmas Shopping at the City Center.
My fantasy was of obtaining one of the free parking meter spaces on Mamaroneck Avenue and selected side streets.
I eagerly anticipate this every year since I can remember.
It has been a tradition on Christmas Week for the ruthless City of White Plains Parking Commissars and Parking Enforcement Officers to give back this token good will gesture to lure shoppers for years. There were not a lot of them, but at least it was up and down Mamaroneck Avenue. The “5th Avenue Westchester County.”
But something was wrong!
I was moving slow down the avenue, passing Maple Avenue, looking for the cheer of the red bags (shown above in a 2006 WPCNR photo).
Not a red meter “hoodie” was showing. I hit Post Road and Mamaroneck, still not a red free parking cover in sight.
By Martine Avenue, I was way worried. No red bag covered parking meter cheer did I see.
There were no Red Free Parking Spaces to be found in the heart of the shopping district.
Is the city this hardup for coin that one of the few pleasant things about Christmas in the downtown had to be eliminated, without telling anybody?
Come on. This is yet another public relations gaffe. A slap in the face to good will and cheer, and concern for people’s economic woes.
For anyone with the luck to get one of these parking spaces in past years, it made your day — an extra bit of warmth in years past and guaranteed worry-free parking.
What a dumb decison!
The Common Council might launch a city hall investigation on this one.
I do not care how much coin it cost the city to run this now defunct cheery promotion.
I can hear the excuses now: “People hogged the spaces, stayed too long.” “It created dangerous conflicts over free spots,” or “It conflicted with drinking traffic at the bars.”
The city must be in free fall on revenues to do something this dumb, cheap and mean.
Once again, another inept decision by the one-day-at-a-time seat-of-the-pants management at city hall.
Not even free parking in the municipal garage at city hall — which definitely would not create a parking hazard.
Peter Madoff Gets 10 Years In Prison
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WPCNR FBI WIRE. From the Federal Bureau of Investigation. December 20, 2012:
Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that Peter Madoff, the former chief compliance officer and senior managing director of Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC (BLMIS), was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for crimes stemming from a two-count superseding information to which he pled guilty that charged him with, among other things, conspiracy to commit securities fraud, tax fraud, mail fraud, ERISA fraud, and falsifying records of an investment adviser.
The overt acts in the conspiracy count also included, among other things, making false statements to investors about BLMIS’s compliance program and the nature and scope of its Investment Advisory business. Madoff pled guilty in June 2012. He was sentenced in Manhattan federal court by U.S. District Judge Laura Taylor Swain.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said, “Peter Madoff was a gatekeeper, who was supposed to guard against fraud, but instead enabled it—facilitating his brother Bernie’s breathtaking scheme by falsifying compliance records and lying to both regulators and clients of BLMIS. The decade he will spend in prison and the disgorgement of his assets are a just result. Our efforts to hold to account anyone and everyone who played a role in this unprecedented Ponzi scheme continue.”
According to the superseding information to which Madoff pled guilty and other court filings:
Madoff was employed at BLMIS from 1965 through December 2008. Beginning in 1969, he became the chief compliance fficer (CCO) and senior managing director of BLMIS. In his role as CCO, Madoff created false and misleading BLMIS compliance documents, as well as false reports that were filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that materially misstated the nature and scope of BLMIS’s Investment Advisory (IA) business.
Specifically, in his capacity as CCO, Madoff created numerous false compliance documents in which he stated that he had performed compliance reviews of the trading in the BLMIS IA business on a regular basis, when in reality, the reviews were never performed. The false statements were designed to mislead regulators, auditors, and IA clients.
Further, in August 2006, BLMIS registered as an investment adviser with the SEC. As a registered investment adviser, on at least an annual basis, BLMIS was required to file forms with the SEC that are used as part of the oversight process of investment advisers.
Madoff was integrally involved with both the SEC registration process and in the creation of the forms, known as “Forms ADV,” which were materially false and misleading. The numerous false statements in the Forms ADV created the false appearance that BLMIS’s IA business had a small number of highly sophisticated clients and far fewer assets under management than was actually the case. Madoff also misrepresented that he, as CCO, ensured that reviews of the IA trading were being performed.
In addition, from 1998 through 2008, Madoff engaged in a tax fraud scheme involving the transfer of wealth within the Madoff family in ways that allowed him to avoid paying millions of dollars in required taxes to the IRS. Most, if not all of the “wealth,” came directly or indirectly from IA client funds held at BLMIS. The schemes in which he engaged also allowed Bernard L. Madoff to evade his tax obligations. The methods by which Madoff engaged in tax fraud included the following:
- Madoff received approximately $15,700,000 from Bernard L. Madoff and his wife,and executed sham promissory notes to make it appear that the transfers were loans, in order to avoid paying taxes;
- Madoff gave approximately $9,900,000 to family members, and in order to avoid paying taxes, executed sham promissory notes to make it appear that the transfers of these funds were loans;
- Madoff did not pay taxes on approximately $7,750,000 that he received from BLMIS;
- Madoff received approximately $16,800,000 from Bernard L. Madoff from two sham trades, and disguised the proceeds of the trades as long-term stock transactions in order to take advantage of the lower tax rate for long-term capital gains;
- Madoff charged approximately $175,000 in personal expenses to a corporate American Express card and did not report those expenses as income.
Madoff also arranged for his wife to have a “no-show” job at BLMIS from which she received between approximately $100,000 to $160,000 per year in salary, a 401(k), and health benefits to which she was not entitled.
In December 2008, when the collapse of BLMIS was virtually certain, Madoff agreed with others to send the $300 million that remained in the IA accounts to preferred employees, family members and friends. BLMIS collapsed before the funds were ever disbursed. On December 10, 2008, one day prior to BLMIS’s collapse, Madoff also withdrew $200,000 from BLMIS for his personal use.
Thruway Authority Releases Details on Tap Zee Constructors- New Bridge Amenities
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WPCNR TAPPAN ZEE BRIDGE NEWS. From the New York State Thruway Authority. December 19, 2012 (EDITED):
The design-build proposal for the new New York Bridge to replace the Tappan Zee approved on Monday by the New York State Thruway Authority Board of Directors will deliver the project at a far lower cost than initially estimated, Thruway Board Chairman Howard P. Milstein said today.
The proposal approved on Monday was submitted by Tappan Zee Constructors, a consortium that includes Fluor Enterprises, American Bridge Company, Granite Construction Northeast, and Traylor Bros. A spokesman for the Authority, Brian Conybeare told WPCNR all steel would come from America, complying with the Federal Highway Administratrion Buy America Act, that the TIFIA loan terms the state is seeking require.
The new New York Bridge will be transit-ready for all modes including bus rapid transit, light rail or commuter rail.
THE NEW NY BRIDGE FEATURES
- Eight general traffic lanes plus emergency lanes and extra-wide shoulders for immediate express bus service when opened
- A new toll plaza with at least three highway speed E-ZPass lanes (The current toll plaza includes only two 35mph lanes, as well as 5mph E-ZPass lanes)
- Dedicated bicycle and pedestrian path on northern span
- Safe scenic overlooks, with anti-climb fencing and security cameras to be monitored 24 hours a day
- Strength and capacity provisions to accommodate various mass transit modes
Earlier this month, Chairman Milstein announced the establishment of a Mass Transit Task Force, which will work to identify short, medium and long-term transit solutions for the bridge and the I-287 corridor in Westchester and Rockland Counties including the bridge; develop funding strategies to implement and sustain transit operations; and create a corridor management plan to ensure a viable transit program.
The task force, comprised of state and local officials and transit and planning experts, will meet for the first time later this week and will have one year to complete its work and make recommendations.
“The unanimous approval of the proposal from Tappan Zee Constructors marks an important milestone in the project to build a new New York bridge to replace the Tappan Zee. The price proposal from Tappan Zee Constructors was at least 20 percent lower than other bidders, requires less dredging and can be completed faster than the other proposals,” Milstein said. “Most importantly, the design-build process produced a savings of at least $1.5 billion compared to the amounts estimated by the Federal Highway Administration and our own original estimates.
The contract with Tappan Zee Constructors will now be formally reviewed by the State Comptroller and the Attorney General. Chairman Milstein noted that Thruway officials have over the past few months provided extensive information to the Comptroller’s office regarding the procurement of the new bridge project, which represents the largest transportation design-build project to date in the United States and one of the largest construction contracts in New York State history.
KEY PROJECT MILESTONES
- Tens of thousands of jobs will be created or sustained
- Historic Project Labor Agreement will save $452 million
- Design-build best value procurement and delivery method shifts risk of cost overruns and delays to contractor
- Buy America provision ensures all steel will come from the United States
- Environmental performance commitments include:
- 24 hour video, noise, vibration and air-quality monitors posted in real time on our website www.NewNYBridge.com
- Most equipment and supplies delivered by barges, not trucks
- State-of-the-art controls to limit dust and emissions
- 24 hour video, noise, vibration and air-quality monitors posted in real time on our website www.NewNYBridge.com
- Other owner costs estimated at $600-800 million for project management, oversight, contingency, financing costs and other expenditures
ABOUT THE TAPPAN ZEE CONSTRUCTORS PROPOSAL
- Lowest price: $3.142B
- Shortest construction timeline: five years, two-and-a-half months
- Will use their “Left Coast Lifter”, one of the world’s largest floating cranes, which cuts total construction time
- Left Coast Lifter is able to lift 1,750 metric tons, 12 times the weight of the Statue of Liberty. Use of Left Coast Lifter will also ease demolition of old bridge.
- Mass transit ready for bus rapid transit on the span, or commuter rail or light rail between spans
- Meets all environmental standards in FEIS
- Quieter: proposal requires less pile driving and maximizes use of vibration technique
- Least Dredging Required: 951,000 cubic yards
- Lifespan: 100 years before major repairs would be needed
| Tappan Zee Bridge Constructors | Tappan Zee Bridge Partners | Kiewit-Skanska-Weeks | |
|---|---|---|---|
Proposal Price | $3.142 Billion | $3.990 Billion | $4.059 Billion |
Project Duration | 5 Years, 2.5 Months | 5 Years, 11.5 Months | 5 Years, 11 Months |
Dredging | 951,000 cubic yds | 1,800,000 cubic yds | 1,550,000 cubic yds |
Concrete Weight (Substructure) | 350,000 tons | 420,000 tons | 310,000 tons |
Concrete Weight (Superstructure) | 200,000 tons | 410,000 tons | 175,000 tons (deck) |
Steel Weight (Superstructure) | 110,000 tons | 15,000 tons | 60,000 tons |
Number of Piles | 964 | 1387 | 1392 |
NEW NY BRIDGE PROJECT TIMELINE
- Governor Pataki first announced plans to build a new bridge replacing the Tappan Zee in 1999. In the decade following that announcement, the state held 430 public meetings, explored 150 concepts and spent $88 million but never finalized a plan for a new bridge.
- Since taking office in January 2011, Governor Cuomo has made the new bridge project a priority
- October 2011 – Following request from Governor Cuomo, President Obama fast tracks the review process, while incorporating the past decades of study
- December 2011 – Governor signs design-build legislation into law, cutting the bureaucratic process in half and having bidders selected on the basis of “best value”, combining overall quality of technical, environmental, and bridge features with price
- January 2012 – Draft Environmental Impact Statement published
- July 2012 – Three bids submitted for new bridge contract
- September 2012 – Federal agencies approve Final Environmental Impact Statement
- September 2012 – Selection Review Team appointed to review three submitted bids:
http://www.governor.ny.gov/press/09192012Tappan-Zee-Project
- December 2012 – Preview of thee bridge proposal designs and prices presented to the public: http://www.newnybridge.com/thruwaybridgedesignpresentation.pdf
- December 17, 2012 – Thruway Board makes final decision on bridge proposal
- Early 2013 – Construction on new bridge to begin
White Plains School Superintendent Issues Statement to Parents.
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WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. From the Superintendent of Schools, White Plains City School District. December 18, 2012:
The Superintendent of Schools announced Monday on school district websites he would be meeting with the Mayor and the Commissioner of Public Safety on safety issues this week. The Mayor’s Office has not returned WPCNR’s queries on whether such meetings would be held to review security with all schools, including private schools in the city.
Dr. Christopher Clouet issued the following letter Monday to elementary school parents and posted it on the School District Middle School and High School websites commenting in the wake of the Newtown, Connecticut shootings of 26 last Friday:
We are all saddened by the tragic events of Friday, December 14th at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT. Be assured school safety continues to be our highest priority.
Today is a difficult day. We have support available for students and staff, as needed. I met with school administrators before school this morning to go over plans. Each school is convening their Safety Team. Our plan is to handle this in an age-appropriate manner; no big assemblies, etc. for elementary students will be held; at the Middle School and High School level this becomes a teachable moment.
We feel that it’s important to share with you at this time the procedures we have in place to ensure the safety and security of our students.
All schools have an updated comprehensive Safety Plan
All schools have a trained Crisis Response Team- since 1999
All schools have Emergency/Safety Drills that are practiced throughout the school year.
All schools have security cameras and monitors
A formal meeting with the Mayor and White Plains Police Department is scheduled for this week, but we have been in regular contact throughout this situation.
Students will have many questions and will look to you for guidance. For this reason we have attached a list of online resources to help you during this difficult time. We hope you’ll find it helpful.
Please remember the importance of routines in the lives of our children. If you notice your child, or any child, in need of extra support please contact the principal.
Let’s be alert. Let’s be gentle with the children and each other. Let’s get through this together.
Michele Schoenfeld, Clerk to the City School District, informed WPCNR The communication was sent to all elementary parents and is posted on the Middle and High School websites.
Neighbor and Police Sources Attribute Motive for Sandy Hook Shootings
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WPCNR News and Comment. December 18, 2012:
Fox News reported tonight that Adam Lanza’s mother was exploring placing Mr. Lanza (the shooter of his mother in her home, and 20 children and 6 school staff and Friday at Sandy Hook Elementary School) in a psychiatric facility “against his will,” saying Lanza found out Mrs. Lanza had attempted to take steps in court to commit him.
Fox reported this neighbor and unidentified police sources confirmed this as the probable motive for Lanza’s killing his mother last Friday. The neighbor told Fox News Lanza resented his mother’s volunteering at the Sandy Hook Elementary School with kindergarteners.
Previously the Superintendent of Schools in Newtown, Connecticut, had said Mrs. Lanza was not employed at the Sandy Hook School.
Fox News named the neighbor of the mother of Adam Lanza. The neighbor’s explanation of the possible motive was confirmed to Fox by unidentified law enforcement officials. The Fox Reporter writing the story is Jana Winter.
To read the complete Fox News Report, go to http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/12/18/fear-being-committed-may-have-caused-connecticut-madman-to-snap/?cmpid=prn_aol&icid=maing-grid10%7Chtmlws-main-bb%7Cdl1%7Csec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D247519
FBI Charges 26 in Massive Immigration Fraud Scheme
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WPCNR FBI WIRE. Special to WPCNR from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. December 18, 2012:
Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York; George Venizelos, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); Raymond W. Kelly, the Commissioner of the Police Department for the City of New York (NYPD); and Patricia A. Menges, the Director of the New York Asylum Office of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), announced today the unsealing of nine indictments charging a total of 26 defendants with allegedly participating in separate but overlapping immigration fraud schemes related to the submission of hundreds of asylum applications containing fabricated claims of persecution.
As alleged in the indictments, at least 10 New York City area law firms created and submitted these fraudulent applications on behalf of alien applicants and coached them on how to lie to immigration authorities.
Of the 26 defendants charged, 21 work at the various law firms, six as attorneys. Also charged are four translators who work at an asylum office in Queens, New York; and an employee at a church in Queens where she allegedly provides training in basic Christianity to asylum applicants falsely claiming to have been persecuted in China for their religious beliefs.
Twenty-one defendants were taken into custody late this morning and will be presented and arraigned this afternoon and tomorrow before United States Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn. Of the remaining defendants, two will be surrendering tomorrow and three are at large. U.S. District Judges Ronnie Abrams, Robert P. Patterson, Sidney H. Stein, Victor Marrero, John G. Koeltl, and William H. Pauley, III have been assigned to these cases.
Pursuant to federal immigration law, in order to obtain asylum in the U.S., aliens are required to show that they have suffered persecution in their country of origin on account of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group, or have a well-founded fear of persecution if they were to return to that country.
The process requires an application that is reviewed by an asylum officer with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, who makes an initial determination whether to grant asylum. If asylum is denied, the case is referred to an Immigration Judge, who receives testimony from the applicant and hears argument from the applicant’s attorney.
The schemes alleged in today’s Indictments involved the submission of hundreds of fraudulent asylum applications on behalf of Chinese aliens by law firms in the Chinatown area of Manhattan and Queens.
The defendants—lawyers and employees at 10 different law firms and their co-conspirators—including translators who work at an asylum office, profited by creating and submitting asylum applications containing false stories of persecution purportedly suffered by alien applicants. The defendants who worked at the law firms also provided the asylum applicants with educational materials related to their fabricated claims and coached the applicants to lie in their interviews with immigration authorities.
To perpetuate these schemes, the law firms made up stories of persecution that often followed one of three fact patterns: (a) forced abortions performed pursuant to China’s family planning policy; (b) persecution based on the client’s belief in Christianity; or (c) political or ideological persecution, typically for membership in China’s Democratic Party or against followers of Falun Gong.
Typically, non-lawyer employees at the law firms, acting at the direction of the attorneys, prepared the false asylum applications and coached the clients on how to lie in their interviews with immigration authorities. A translator provided by the law firms usually accompanied the client to the interview and falsely translated any answers provided by the applicant that did not conform to the fabricated story presented to the asylum officer.
In some cases where the client was not actually a Christian but was claiming persecution based on religious affiliation, an employee at one of the law firms referred the client to a church in Queens to receive training in the basic tenets of Christianity and to obtain certificates proving that he or she belonged to the church.
If an application was denied by the asylum officer, an attorney from the law firm assumed representation of the client before an Immigration Judge. In advance of the hearing, the attorney would typically meet with the client to prepare him or her for the hearing. At these preparation sessions, the attorney frequently instructed the client on what to say to ensure that nothing was said that contradicted the story that the law firm had fabricated. At the hearing, the client would falsely testify under oath in response to the attorney’s questioning about the fictitious story of persecution.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara stated,
“Our asylum laws exist to provide a safe haven in the United States to immigrants subject to persecution in their own countries for exercising freedoms fundamental to a democracy. As alleged, these defendants, including six attorneys and a church employee, exploited those laws by weaving elaborate fictions on behalf of hundreds of would-be asylum seekers, coaching them on how to lie on their applications, stepping in when they went off script, and lying to immigration judges at court hearings. Asylum fraud imposes a tremendous burden on the system and it also makes it more difficult for those who are legitimately seeking refuge in this country.”
FBI Assistant Director in Charge George Venizelos said, “The defendants allegedly conspired criminally to exploit the safe haven our nation provides for asylum-seekers. They aided and abetted immigrants in falsely claiming to be victims of persecution. Some of the defendants are officers of the court who have violated the canons of their profession as well as the law. Others, including a church employee, used religion like a fake passport or phony ID—a perversion of religious freedom. The FBI is committed to policing unscrupulous exploitation of the asylum process.”
NYPD Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly said, “Those who allegedly exploit the government’s asylum process for profit potentially put the country at risk by enabling the immigration of people with false identities and unknown histories. While the NYPD is not investigating individual applicants for asylum, detectives will work with their federal partners to arrest anyone who exploits the system at others’ expense and potentially blocks legitimate asylum seekers from access to better lives in the process.”
USCIS New York Asylum Office Director Patricia A. Menges stated, “I want to thank the FBI and the NYPD for helping us protect the asylum program against exploitation and fraud so that we may again concentrate on those in need of protection.”
* * *
All 26 defendants are charged with conspiring to commit immigration fraud. Five defendants are also charged with substantive counts of immigration fraud and two defendants are charged with identity fraud in connection with the sale of fake Chinese birth certificates. A chart containing the names, ages, and residence information of the defendants charged in each of the nine indictments is attached.
In United States v. Ken Giles, et al., both defendants face a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. In United States v. Freddy Jacobs et al., both defendants face a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison. In United States v. Liying Lin, a/k/a “the Deacon,” the defendant faces a maximum penalty of 35 years in prison. In United States v. John Wang, et al., two of the four defendants face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. The remaining 19 defendants face a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
Mr. Bharara praised the investigative work of the FBI, the NYPD, and USCIS.
This investigation was initiated upon a referral by the New York Asylum Office, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Department of Homeland Security.
The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s Organized Crime Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Harris Fischman and Robert Boone are in charge of the prosecution.
The Charges contained in the indictments are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
United States v. Feng Ling Liu, et al.
| Name | Role | Age | Residence | Charges |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feng Ling Liu, Esq. | Lawyer | 46 | Manhattan | Conspiracy to commit immigration fraud (one count) |
| Vanessa Bandrich, Esq. | Lawyer | 33 | Manhattan | Conspiracy to commit immigration fraud (one count) |
| Feng Li, Esq. | Lawyer | 31 | Brooklyn | Conspiracy to commit immigration fraud (one count) |
| Yuchang Miao, a/k/a “David” | Office Manager | 47 | Manhattan | Conspiracy to commit immigration fraud (one count) |
| Shuran Liu, a/k/a “Harry” | Office Manager | 35 | Queens | Conspiracy to commit immigration fraud (one count) |
| Kevin LNU | Paralegal | Unknown | Unknown | Conspiracy to commit immigration fraud (one count) |
| Wen Ting Zheng | Paralegal | 26 | Queens | Conspiracy to commit immigration fraud (one count) |
| Guo Qin Miao, a/k/a “Lillian” | Office Manager | 45 | Queens | Conspiracy to commit immigration fraud (one count) |
| Sunny Yang | Paralegal | Unknown | Unknown | Conspiracy to commit immigration fraud (one count) |
United States v. Ken Giles, et al.
| Name | Role | Age | Residence | Charges |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ken Giles | Lawyer | 53 | Brooklyn | Conspiracy to commit immigration fraud (one count); immigration fraud (One Count) |
| Hong Che, a/k/a “Julie Chen,” | Office Manager | 49 | Bronx | Conspiracy to commit immigration fraud (one count); immigration fraud (one count) |
United States v. Freddy Jacobs, et al.
| Name | Role | Age | Residence | Charges |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freddy Jacobs | Lawyer | 63 | Queens | Conspiracy to commit immigration fraud (one count); immigration fraud (two counts) |
| FNU Yang, a/k/a “Daisy,” | Office Manager | Unknown | Unknown | Conspiracy to commit immigration fraud (one count); immigration fraud (two counts) |
United States v. John Wang, et al.
| Name | Role | Age | Residence | Charges |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Wang | Lawyer | 32 | Manhattan | Conspiracy to commit immigration fraud (one count) |
| Dejin Huang, a/k/a “Uncle Huang,” a/k/a Old Man Huang” | Paralegal | 60 | Brooklyn | Conspiracy to commit immigration fraud (one count); Identity fraud (one count) |
| Jian En Wang, a/k/a “Gao,” a/k/a “Big Glasses | Office Manager | 46 | Queens | Conspiracy to commit immigration fraud (one count) |
| Lianna Chen | Translator | 24 | Queens | Conspiracy to commit immigration fraud (one count); Identity fraud (one count) |
United States v. Yong Zhang, a/k/a “Tom,”, et al.
| Name | Role | Age | Residence | Charges |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yong Zhang, a/k/a “Tom” | Translator | 38 | Queens | Conspiracy to commit immigration fraud (one count) |
| Song Luo, a/k/a “Marshal” | Translator | 34 | Queens | Conspiracy to commit immigration fraud (one count) |
| Xian Jun Yang | Translator | 58 | Queens | Conspiracy to commit immigration fraud (one count) |
| Zeyuan Wang, a/k/a “Steve” | Paralegal | 32 | Connecticut | Conspiracy to commit immigration fraud (one count) |
United States v. Xu Lu, et al.
| Name | Role | Age | Residence | Charges |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Xu Lu | Office Manager | 42 | Queens | Conspiracy to commit immigration fraud (one count) |
| Huan Wang | Paralegal | 40 | Queens | Conspiracy to commit immigration fraud (one count) |
United States v. Liying Lin, a/k/a the “Deacon”
| Name | Role | Age | Residence | Charges |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liying Lin, a/k/a the “Deacon” | Religious Trainer | 29 | Queens | Conspiracy to commit immigration fraud (one count); Immigration fraud (three counts) |
United States v. Xiao Feng Xu
| Name | Role | Age | Residence | Charges |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Xiao Feng Xu | Office Manager | 57 | Queens | Conspiracy to commit immigration fraud (one count) |
United States v. Xia Ping Wen, a/k/a “Wendy”
| Name | Role | Age | Residence | Charges |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Xia Ping Wen, a/k/a “Wendy,” |
Thruway Authority Picks Tappan Zee Contractors. Least Expensive Proposal
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Model of New Tappan Zee Bridge Shown in New York Monday
Thruway Goes With Bridge Number 1!
WPCNR TAPPAN ZEE BRIDGE NEWS. From Brian Connybeare, New York State Thruway Authority. December 17, 2012 UPDATED 10 P.M. E.S.T.:
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced today, after a meeting of the New York State Thruway Authority resulted in selecting Tappan Zee Constructors, the least expensive bidders to construct the new bridge:
Computer-created view of new Bridge Seen from West Bank of Hudson River.
WINNING BRIDGE, looking East from Nyack.
“After more than a decade of gridlock and millions of taxpayer dollars spent, we have ended the dysfunction of the past and have a new bridge proposal ready to break ground next year. Following an extensive review of all three proposal submissions, the Thruway Board has selected the Tappan Zee Constructors’ plan which offers New York toll payers the biggest bang for their buck – with the best price, shortest construction time, minimal dredging, and can accommodate mass transit in the future. This is a major milestone for a bridge project that was a metaphor for the dysfunction of government and is now a national model for progress.”
Brian Connybeare, an aid to the Governor on the Tappan Zee Bridge project, in a statement notes:
“Preliminary construction work will begin after the new year though no firm date is set. No word on when we may hear about TIFIA.”
Congresswoman Nita Lowey said, “Replacing the Tappan Zee Bridge is critical to our region’s economic development and continued vitality. It is a major milestone for the Thruway Authority to select a proposal that minimizes cost to taxpayers and construction time, maximizes benefits to commuters and other travelers, and accommodates mass transit in the future. I will work with Governor Cuomo and my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to ensure the federal government does its part to help with this project of national importance.”
Congressman Eliot Engel said, “We are glad the Thruway Authority Executive Board chose the option which is least expensive to the public, and has a lesser environmental impact on our region. I have been saying for many years that this should be the method chosen. I am pleased to see that the option selected allows for the addition of mass transit in the future – as I believe this is something which would be important to commuters. I have been working on bringing about a new bridge for the last 10 years, and it is very promising to see progress being made. A new bridge is not only necessary for transportation, but will be a boom for economic development in the entire Hudson Valley region.”
Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino said, “Today’s vote by the Thruway Authority board marks a major step forward in building a new bridge across the Hudson River that will benefit Westchester County, New York State and the nation. The selection of the proposal by Tappan Zee Constructors delivers on three critical fronts: cost, completion time, and mass transit readiness to carry express buses on day one. And after so many years of gridlock, building a safer and less congested bridge as soon as possible is the most attractive option for Westchester. I thank the Governor and his team for their thorough review and for the appointment of the mass transit task force that will identify short, medium and long term transit solutions for the new bridge and the I-287 corridor.”
Rockland County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef said, “This proposal provides the best price, the shortest construction time, and the least impact on the Hudson River. It maximizes the use of taxpayer and toll payer dollars. I commend Governor Cuomo for his leadership in moving this project forward and urge the Thruway Authority Board to select the proposal submitted by Tappan Zee Constructors.”
Putnam County Executive MaryEllen Odell said, “After over a decade of indecision and gridlock, we finally have a decision today for a new bridge to replace the Tappan Zee. The chosen proposal, submitted by the Tappan Zee Constructors, gives the toll payers of Putnam County the best price, a bridge to last over 100 years, and a bridge that will be built the fastest. I support the Thruway Board’s vote and look forward to seeing this project finally break ground and begin construction.”
Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins said, “Today’s decision by the Thruway Authority marks a critical step in the process of replacing the Tappan Zee Bridge. Today’s selected proposal provides great value to the taxpayers of New York. It is the cheapest option and can allow construction to begin as early as next year. It can also be built in the shortest time, will accommodate future mass transit and have the least dredging on the Hudson River. I am pleased to support today’s vote and applaud the Governor for making this a priority.”
Westchester County Board of Legislators Chairman Ken Jenkins said, “I fully support the selection committee’s recommendation of a bridge proposal that will best compliment the natural beauty of the Hudson and provide the best value to Westchester residents and all New Yorkers. Governor Cuomo has brought local leaders into this process by including Westchester County on the selection committee. Today’s early public preview of all the bridge designs and prices is a continuation of the Governor’s commitment to make the entire process of choosing a new bridge as open and inclusive as possible. I am calling on the Thruway Authority’s Board to approve the selection committee’s recommendation so we can begin building this exciting new bridge.”
Harriet Cornell, Chairwoman of Rockland County Legislature, said, “Thanks to the focused leadership of Governor Cuomo, the project to build a new bridge to replace the obsolete Tappan Zee has once again made a leap forward. Today, the Thruway Authority board has voted for a proposal to build a new bridge that meets the needs of New Yorkers. We are promised a bridge that will befit the Empire State and the majestic Hudson River. The winning proposal will be completed the fastest, with the least impact on the environment and at the lowest cost. I am thrilled to support this vote and anxious to see construction begin.”
Marsha Gordon, President and CEO of the Business Council of Westchester, said, “Today’s vote by the Thruway Authority is great news for the families and businesses of Westchester County. Not only does this proposal offer the lowest price for our toll payers, but it also means tens of thousands of new jobs for our families. Under the leadership of Governor Cuomo, this project is finally becoming a reality and giving our region’s economy a critical boost.”
WP Autism Authority Criticises Media Reports Newtown Shooter Had Autism.
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WPCNR NEWS & COMMENT. Statement from Heartsong, Inc., White Plains. December 17, 2012:
Marion Anderson, Executive Director of Heartsong, an organization that has been working with austic children for twenty years, currently serving 175 youngsters at their location in White Plains, and 150 students in school programs throughout Westchester County and Brooklyn, contacted WPCNR today to crticise media reports linking the Newtown attack to the possibility the shooter had an autistic diagnosis.
Ms. Anderson and Allegra Themmen, Clinical Supervisor at Heartsong told WPCNR that reports on CNN and in the Washington Post have linked the Newtown shooter to an autistic diagnosis by hearsay reports. In a statement to WPCNR Ms. Anderson and Ms. Themmen write:
There was no written medical evidence (published) that Adam Lanza had an Autisic Diagnosis. There is also no medical evidence that if a child has Autism they have violent tendencies. To have news media report this misinformation linking Autism and violent behavior is a travesty to all children, families and organizations that love and support these very special people.
We have been working with thousands of children for over 20 years at Heartsong and see, know and care for these families everyday. We cannot sit idly by and not advocate for this vulnerable and highly misunderstood population.
Families and organizations have come way too far in educating the public about who they are, what they need and how we can support them for the news to set us back in this way. There are 1:88 children being born with Autism everyday and we as a society have to help, support, understand and love them as we love ourselves. We hope the news media will be more responsible in reporting the facts.
It is unfortunate that the news media has stated that Adam Lanza was Autistic and that the diagnosis somehow was a factor in making him a mass murderer.
We are very passionate about our work and the children and families that we serve. We are appalled that these children are being misrepresented in such a negative light. We find that this population of children, adolescents and adults in no way have the capacity to plan and execute such a heinous act.
,
Allegra Themmen, LPC, MT-BC
Clinical Supervisor
Marion Anderson, Ms.Ed.
Executive Director
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The Ghoul News Network
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GNN – The Ghoul News Network.
WPCNR NEWS & COMMENT. By John F. Bailey. December 17, 2012:
Guns don’t shoot themselves.
People shoot guns.
But is the news media and the tweeters of the moment, right now tightening the trigger fingers of the next gunner with a grudge that will lead to the next shooting of the next victims in the next American “tragic” shooting?
The coverage has been as despicable as the Newtown tragedy itself.
It has not been good. Not accurate. Brutally intrusive. It is doing that it usually does. It works America into a frenzy of grief and remorse, it is arousing the demons in America’s troubled and mentally ill who watch it.
After watching reports; after reading articles in “respected newspapers” admitting Sunday the print stories published Saturday were dead wrong; after jerk-your-heart photos of the victims, the latest orgy of sensational shooting aftermath coverage, I am convinced the media lust for ratings despite pious sentiments excusing the inexcusable.
( I saw one young reporter interviewing a child under 10 about what happened, saying the parents wanted the children interviewed).
After seeing and reading incredibly slipshod, unprofessional, tasteless, compassionless, reckless, unsubstantiated reports of what happened in Newtown, Connecticut, I suspect the next “loner” somewhere is getting ideas on how he or she can secure a place in history and “get even” for the resentment he or she feels about God knows what and God knows who.
American media fascination with disasters is like covering lynchings used to be.
Their answer is you have to cover it.
Of course you have to cover it.
But what is missing is using facts to cover with, not inventing them. Not substantiating.
Covering a big story as if it’s the only story is just not right. It may be exciting to the executives and the news editors but the way to do it is cutaway coverage, not nuance after nuance.
Facts are not showing tape loop after tape loop of the same overhead shots, the same standup commentators to keep America watching your network, listening to your radio station, or buying your next newspaper with endless reams of commentary.
Facts are found by waiting until authorities have something concrete to tell you. Instead, the reporters for the most part reported the first things they heard. They reported the mother of the killer worked at the school; the principal let the gunner in, two blatant errors. These were flat out mistakes, created by prolonging anxiety by reporting every piece of hearsay and supposedly informed source they can find at a scene, and doing a posthumous injustice to the brave who died.
This is going to make you mad:
There is a part of America that drinks up these vicarious thrills from watching real life tragedy unfold. They want to know why. They want someone to blame. They in some strange way are soothed by educators talking about it, experts advising on grief, leaders pontificating about it, and outrage is built.
The media feeds this like gossip columnists of olden days.
News Directors and editors have to get a grip. It was a mass murder in Newtown. Report it. Wait for facts to be released. Have taste to allow the the grieving to grieve instead of intruding.
Do not run it for the sensationalism.
A famous Cavalry general, George Armstrong Custer came across two Calvarymen tortured and mutilated in the desert., As he surveyed the two dead men, he said, “How horrible. But how exciting.” There is an appalling truth to that statement. Obviously the way the television, and the press cover disasters and the Newtown shooting they feel the same way.
Well, Monday Senator Diane Feinstein is about to introduce an assault weapons ban.
Now, the arguments from the gun enthusiasts will be heard again.
Here is what it should do, off the top of my head:
1. Ban possession and licensing of automatic weapons, period. Only guns allowed to be sold should be hand automatics and revolvers and rifles that are not repeaters.
2. Have all sales of repeating ammunition clips and massive sales of hand-gun clips subject to a background check, and reported with names of the buyers. That would possibly stop a spur of the moment event.
3. Have all gun owners reapply for their license each year or say, every six months (like a driver’s license). That would quickly identify persons buying handguns legally then reselling them on the black market.
Don’t worry, gun enthusiasts, congress will never do that. They do not have the guts.
There have been 181 persons killed in 60 school shootings in the U.S.A. in the last 13 years according to McGill University in Montreal. That is a rate of 4 a year! One every three months.
Extensive, Ghoul News Network coverage does not make this disturbing trend O.K., and I think it is responsible for a lot of it.
Ghoul News Network coverage advertises the behavior. It promotes it. It shows the mentally unstable, the misanthropes of life, and the evil (who know exactly what they are doing) a way to achieve instant satisfaction, a horrible get-even high that will bring many people to a low they will never get over.
The media needs to think seriously about the impact of their coverage on the impressionable, the disturbed, and the suggestible in the future.
Because we should have another by Easter.