Presidential primary brings attention, frustration to Puerto Rico

By Susan Milligan Globe Staff / May 31, 2008

SAN JUAN - Tomorrow's presidential primary is bringing Puerto Ricans just the attention the struggling island has been clamoring for: visits by the candidates and a former president, and media attention that people hope will help their fellow US citizens on the mainland to understand their plight.

But Puerto Ricans have too much experience of being taken for granted to believe it will make a difference.

US politicians promise to help Puerto Rico every four years, then seem to forget about the island once the elections are over, residents here complain.

The Democratic presidential campaigns - at least for now - are indeed paying homage to Puerto Rico, which offers the biggest delegate prize of the remaining three contests that finally bring the long primary voting season to a close on Tuesday.

Senator Hillary Clinton of New York is favored to win tomorrow, owing in large part to the New York-Puerto Rico connection and affection for the Bill Clinton administration. A recent poll by El Vocero, a San Juan newspaper, had Clinton ahead by 51 percent to 38 percent over Obama. But because of the way the 55 delegates are apportioned, Senator Barack Obama of Illinois could add a sizable number of delegates to his count even if he loses.

Obama needs the support of just 42 more delegates to reach the 2,026 needed to win the Democratic nomination -unless the arithmetic changes today when the Democratic Party's rules committee meets in Washington to consider what to do about the disputed delegates from Florida and Michigan.

Clinton has been campaigning more aggressively in Puerto Rico, returning last night for a rally in tourist-packed Old San Juan, but Obama has also visited, and both contenders are on the airwaves with ads in both English and Spanish. Obama reminds Puerto Ricans that he, too, grew up on an island (Hawaii) and understands their needs, while Clinton has underscored her experience and New York ties to Puerto Rican issues and culture.

But for Puerto Ricans, the primary election is less about what the results will mean for the two candidates, and more about what it will mean for the commonwealth itself.

Many are upset about the $2.5 million the government is spending to hold the primaries, and are planning to protest the outlay tomorrow morning. And while Puerto Ricans fight in US wars, they still don't have the right to vote in the general election.

"I'm not voting. I think it is a waste of time and money to vote in a primary when you can't vote in the presidential election" in November, said José Herrera, 22.

"We'll get the spotlight for a little bit. They say they will do something for us, to fix the status problem," said Herrera, who works at a radio station. But Puerto Rico is "not a priority" for US politicians, he lamented.

Politics here have little to do with the traditional left-right construct on the mainland; the dialogue is almost entirely about the future of the island and its relationship with the United States, local and US officials say. Nearly half of Puerto Rico's residents want the island to be a state; approximately an equal number want it to remain a commonwealth, with reduced political rights but also less taxation; and a very small percentage wants Puerto Rico to be an independent country.

Since both Clinton and Obama have supported Puerto Rico's right to determine its own future, voters say they see little difference between the two contenders on the issue most important to Puerto Ricans.

Politics here are largely machine-driven, said Charles Venator, an analyst with the Institute of Puerto Rican and Latino Studies at the University of Connecticut, and normally, the election results would be determined by the turnout operations of the pro-statehood New Progressive Party and pro-commonwealth Popular Democratic Party. But with both of those major parties divided between Clinton and Obama, the parties' voter turnout efforts will be less effective, he said. Some officials are predicting that turnout - often 80 percent in other Puerto Rican elections - will be half that, or even lower.

"It makes no sense for me" to vote, said Nilda Medina, a 63-year-old food vendor. "And we are losing a lot of money in the vote" that could be directed toward needy Puerto Ricans, she said.

Still, island voters and their advocates are hopeful that the US attention to the Puerto Rican primary will highlight locals' concerns - and perhaps lead Congress to focus on them more.

"This has thrust Puerto Rico into the limelight they desperately need for their future relationship with the US Congress," New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson said in an interview after returning from a campaign visit to the island for Obama. While Richardson gives Clinton the edge tomorrow, he said Obama, whom he has endorsed, "can bring Democrats and Republicans together" and help settle the status dispute.

Puerto Ricans enjoy US citizenship but limited benefits from it. They serve in wars, are subject to payroll taxes - without getting the same benefits as state residents - and are not guaranteed all of the rights in the US Constitution, Venator said. Puerto Ricans do not pay federal taxes on income earned here, but must pay US income taxes on federal government salaries, or on income earned outside Puerto Rico, he said.

Representative José Serrano, a New York Democrat who was born in Puerto Rico, said the island has suffered one of the highest casualty rates among its soldiers in Iraq. "How ironic, that they served the commander in chief and never voted," said Serrano, who has campaigned here for Clinton.

Tomorrow's contest, many Puerto Ricans believe, is a rare chance to remind Americans - and perhaps the next president - of the need to address double-digit unemployment in a place where nearly 45 percent of people live in poverty.

"We need more money, more jobs, and more tourism. Without [tourists], we are nothing," said Raymond Cruz, a 46-year-old roofer and painter.

Cruz said he was voting for Clinton because she would bring "change" to Puerto Rico's circumstances.

Jackie Oben, 52, said she would cast her vote for Obama because "deep in my heart . . . I believe he cares about the poor."

© Copyright 2008 Globe Newspaper Company.

COUNCIL STAFF MEMBER MAY BE DEPORTED

POL AIDE MAY BE DEPORTED
By TOM TOPOUSIS
May 22, 2008 -- A top aide to a Brooklyn lawmaker is in jail facing deportation to Jamaica because of a minor crime to which he pleaded guilty to 23 years ago. Ray Martin, chief of staff to City Councilwoman Letitia James, was busted by immigration agents last week.

Martin, 43, who has lived in the United States as a legal resident since 1977, was ordered to leave in 2001 after he failed to appear at a court hearing.
The hearing was prompted by immigration agents who checked Martin's background and found the conviction stemming from a 1985 misdemeanor drug charge.
"He's been an exemplary staff member and an exemplary member of the community," James said.

POLITICAL RACISM IN PUERTO RICO

THE UNTOLD TRUTH

By Rafael Martínez Alequín

The Democratic primary in Puerto Rico is seen as an historical event where average Puerto Ricans are able to cast their vote to select the party nominee for the office of President of the United States. But, they do not have the right to vote for U.S. President or members of Congress.

The Puerto Rican Democratic primary and the increase in the number of Latino voters for president of the United States has opened an opportunity to dispel the notion that Puerto Rico is a colorblind society.

Sadly, racism is as alive and well in the United States and in Puerto Rico today as it was in years gone by. Some even suggest that Puerto Rico is a mulatto society.

In a recent edition of the New York Times, Juan Manuel García Passalacqua a leading political analyst states: “On the U.S. mainland, Obama is black, but not in Puerto Rico. Here he is a mulatto and this is a mulatto society. People here are perfectly prepared to vote for someone who looks like them for president of the United States.”

I disagree with Mr. García Passalacqua's premise. I was born and raised in Puerto Rico. As a child I witnessed first hand the discrimination against Black Puerto Ricans and mulattoes . They were the ones who tended the land and did the menial jobs that White Puerto Ricans would not.

When the Hilton Hotel was opened in San Juan, the speaker of the House of Representatives, the late Ernesto Ramos Antonini, was ejected from the ceremony — because he was Black! The specter of racism has always haunted Puerto Rican society. This extends to the politics of the moment.

A conversation with a friend who prefers to remain anonymous, was related to me. He received a telephone call from his mother in Puerto Rico. She told him “We will not vote for a n----r.”

Mr. José Nazario Solá, a board member of various Latino organizations in New York said: “From work and contacts with Puerto Rican social service providers in Puerto Rico, their comments clearly indicate that in Puerto Rico there exists racist attitudes that impact adversely on services to the population.”

Mr. Luis Vassallo, a manager with a company in lower Manhattan said:
“I was born and raised in El Barrio (Spanish Harlem). A Puerto Rican friend of my family told my aunt that she was always welcome in her home, but not her husband — he was Black.’”

I have visited Puerto Rico frequently. I have heard the racial epithets uttered by Puerto Ricans from all social backgrounds against darker Puerto Ricans. Their favorite innuendo is “yo no quiero ese negro aquí” (I don’t want the Blacks here)

Senator Clinton told Puerto Ricans at an event in the island, that if she becomes President she would fight for the island's right to vote directly for President of the United States. However, she “forgot” to tell them that it would require a constitutional amendment.

Meanwhile, back to the Puerto Rican primary next Sunday. According to the polls and the political pundits, Senator Clinton is the favorite to win there. However, the pundits have failed to mention that race is as big a factor in Puerto Rico as it is in the States.

Hamptons Gallery Owner Arrested

Ah...how the rich live. Offended by a police raid, Hampton art gallery owner, lashes out at cops. She was arrested for serving alcohol without a license. Note the righteous indignation.

BRONX POLS REBEL AGAINST JOSE RIVERA

Jose Rivera's opponents support rival candidate for seat on Civil Court bench
Tuesday, May 27th 2008, 4:00 AM
Warga/NY Daily News

Councilman Larry Seabrook may see his daughter Latisha face ex-Councilman Larry Warden in the race for Warden's old northeast Bronx seat.
The Rainbow Rebellion of black, white and Latino legislators against Bronx Dem Party Boss Jose Rivera has, to quote Assemblyman Ruben Diaz Jr., "drawn a line in the sand."

The rebels - along with sympathizer, party secretary and Assemblywoman Aurelia Greene - are backing their own candidate in the Sept. 9 primary for an open slot on the Bronx Civil Court bench - Elizabeth Taylor, an African-American woman out of Greene's South Bronx district.

The party is backing Maria Matos, incoming president of the Puerto Rican Bar Association.
In case you're just catching up, manning the rebel barricades besides Rubencito are Assemblymen Jeff Dinowitz, Carl Heastie and Michael Benjamin. But we're hearing there may be some surprise defections coming from Jose's camp.

NYC REAL ESTATE

Unique video on NYC real estate. Check it out!

http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1155295588/bclid1155213239/bctid1468250568

HAMPTON BOOZE BUST

East End gallery owner carted off to jail for serving drinks without a license
BY DEBBIE TUMA, JOANNA MOLLOY and DAVE GOLDINER DAILY NEWS WRITERS
Monday, May 26th 2008, 4:00 AM
Devorah Avikser
Gallery owner Ruth Vered is cuffed and put into an East Hampton police car.
It was chaos in the Hamptons as cops crashed an A-list Memorial Day weekend gala, dragging the owner of a tony art gallery to jail for serving drinks without a license.
Longtime gallery owner and East Hampton fixture Ruth Vered was hauled off in handcuffs after she refused to stop serving drinks Saturday evening - and then balked at cops' orders to follow them.
"People were screaming, 'Leave her alone,'" Vered told the Daily News Sunday. "It's disgraceful."
She dismissed the East End cops as big-muscled toughs with too much time on their hands.
"I told them I've been doing this since before they were born," fumed Vered, 67. "They have some nerve."
She was taken away from the wine-and-cheese shindig in front of her granddaughter and the 200 elbow-rubbing fashionistas and socialites gathered at Vered Gallery for the opening of an exhibit by celebrity photographer Steven Klein.
East Hampton Mayor Paul Rickenbach said cops were just enforcing state alcohol rules.
"It's standard operating procedure for the police," Rickenbach said. "It's not something that's new and out of the blue at all."
The beach town brouhaha began as bold-face names like leggy blond Kelly Killoren Bensimon and Kelly Klein, Calvin Klein's ex-wife, sipped white wine and cocktails while they scanned the sexy shots.
The exhibit includes photos of Madonna, Justin Timberlake, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. There were also Polaroids of gay men in various sexual poses.
Just before 8 p.m., two police officers arrived and told Vered to stop serving drinks. When she refused, they told her she would have to come with them to the police station.
"I said I'm not going anywhere," said Vered, who recalled telling them she would only discuss the issue with a higher-ranking police official.
"There were about eight of them with big muscles."
Moments later, up to nine police cars and more than a dozen officers descended on the gallery and arrested Vered. Then they carted out crates of fancy Champagne, wine and Grey Goose vodka.
Vered was identified by cops as Ruth Kalb, but she told The News she prefers using only a single name, Vered.
She blasted the small-town cops for having too little work.
"They really have nothing to do so they pick on me - it's harassment," she said. "You'd think someone was murdered."
Gallery customers said the police response was totally out of proportion to any problem caused by the reception.
"There were about nine cops there for one woman," said Lou Contino of Huntington, L.I. "It seemed like a gross overreaction."
Vered was fingerprinted, photographed and handcuffed to a bench for more than two hours at the East Hampton Village police station before being given a summons for serving liquor without a license. She has a June 25 court date.
Cops didn't return calls for comment.
But the mayor insisted they did everything by the book.
"It's unfortunate the atmosphere was the way it was, but the police operated in a professional manner," Rickenbach said.
Cops also shut down a reception at the neighboring Walk Tall Gallery.
Witnesses said cops confiscated bottles of wine as a woman who worked at Walk Tall began to shake and cry in fear when she was handed a summons.
"It was like a drug bust," said Wendy Wachtel, owner of Walk Tall.
Artsy types said it's going to be a long hot summer in the Hamptons if the cops decide to crack the whip on wine-and-cheese parties.
"This is a dog-and-pony show," said Jim Hayden of the East Hampton Artist Alliance. "It's outrageous."

Racial tensions heat up in a Brooklyn neighborhood

A police officer patrols a mostly ultra-Orthodox Lubavitch section in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, Friday May 23, 2008. Seventeen years after race riots left the streets of Crown Heights bloodied, tensions are rising again in the neighborhood restlessly shared by Orthodox Jews and blacks. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)

By Verena Dobnik
Associated Press Writer / May 26, 2008

NEW YORK—Seventeen years after race riots left the streets of one New York City neighborhood bloodied, tensions are rising again there between Orthodox Jews and blacks.

First, a black man was badly beaten. Weeks later, a Jewish teenager said he was attacked by two young blacks while riding his bicycle, and angry Jewish residents took to the streets with signs saying "Jewish blood is not cheap!" and "Every Jew a .22."

And along the way, the district attorney accused an Orthodox Jewish street patrol of vigilantism and compared the group to street gangs like the Bloods and Crips.

The strife has revived painful memories of the 1991 riots in the Brooklyn neighborhood called Crown Heights, which is home to about 15,000 Orthodox Jews and more than 130,000 blacks.

As summer approaches, leaders from both sides are braced for trouble.

"One small incident could escalate into something beyond our grasp," warned Richard Green, head of the Crown Heights Youth Collective, a group he said inspires the races "to interact instead of react."

The group was started after the 1991 riots that exploded after a black child was accidentally struck by a station wagon in the motorcade of a Jewish spiritual leader. The 7-year-old boy, who was pinned under the vehicle, later died of his injuries. In the ensuing unrest, which lasted three days, a rabbinical student was mortally stabbed by a black mob.

To quell fears of new unrest, Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly visited Crown Heights earlier this month and stepped up police patrols. Officers also are perched atop a tower, keeping 24-hour watch over the world headquarters of the ultra-Orthodox Lubavitch movement.

"It's a very delicate situation in Crown Heights, a bubble of tension," said Geoffrey Davis, a longtime black resident.

District Attorney Charles Hynes has convened a grand jury to probe the April 14 assault on Andrew Charles, a 20-year-old son of a police detective. He told police that a man on a bicycle sprayed him with mace while another man stepped out of an SUV, struck him with a wooden object and drove off.

Police have released a photograph of a 25-year-old member of the local street patrol group, the Shmira, who is wanted for questioning in what Hynes calls "an unprovoked attack."

Police suspect the attack followed reports that black youths had pelted neighborhood homes with rocks. In May, residents say stones were hurled at a school bus carrying Jewish children.

Charles' mother is accusing police of having "a double standard," noting that they've made no arrest in her son's case while two black teenagers were quickly charged with beating and robbing a Jewish 16-year-old riding his bicycle several weeks ago.

"My son's suspect is still at large almost a month after he was brutally assaulted!" said Charles' mother, Wendy Craigg.

The prosecutor's office said it could not discuss the details of a case under investigation.

Members of the Shmira, which means "to watch" in Hebrew, are quick to show that they protect both blacks and Jews.

In early May, a Jewish man standing in front of the Lubavitcher headquarters was surrounded by four black men who confronted him, cutting his hand. The Shmira chased down the four and called police, according to Yossi Stern, Shmira's director.

In another recent incident, Stern said, a young black woman leaving the subway was confronted by a knife-wielding man who forced her into an apartment building, where he tried to remove her clothing. Her screams were heard by a resident of the building -- a Shmira member who pursued the assailant and called 911.

But NYPD spokesman Paul Browne said that the Shmira "does not cooperate with police like other community watch groups who are our eyes and ears." He said the group has not supplied police officials with the names of its members, as do other such groups in the city.

Still, the current tensions don't even begin to approach 1991 levels.

Reported crimes in the precinct that includes Crown Heights have dropped steadily since then -- 77 percent in the past 15 years.

And Green says community residents now have an outlet: Various groups like his formed after the riots to encourage common activities, from sports to the arts, while bridging differences to avert future clashes.

"Race relations are absolutely better than in the '90s, when we were like two ships passing in the night, picking up each other's radar," said Green, 60, a Crown Heights resident and history professor at the City University of New York.

Op-Ed Contributor
Puerto Rico’s Moment in the Sun

By MICHAEL JANEWAY

Published: May 22, 2008

PUERTO RICO, an afterthought trophy for the United States 110 years ago at the end of the Spanish-American War and an island in limbo since, has become an improbable player in the contest between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Its primary on June 1 could bolster Mrs. Clinton’s claim to a majority of the popular vote — the combined tally for all the Democratic primaries and caucuses held across the country over the past six months.

Keith Negley

Times Topics: Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico’s formal role in the process is indeed weighty. Its 63 voting delegates — 55 elected ones and eight superdelegates — at the Democratic National Convention in Denver this summer will outnumber delegations from more than half the states (including Kentucky and Oregon) and the District of Columbia. Yet Puerto Rico does not have a vote in the Electoral College, nor will its 2.5 million registered voters cast ballots for president in November.

How in the world did this happen? From the beginning, the question of Puerto Rico has perplexed the United States. The island was essential to the defense of the Panama Canal, so we did not make it independent, in contrast to two other Spanish possessions we gained in the war, Cuba (which become independent in 1902) and the Philippines (1946). And we judged it foreign in language and culture — and worse, overpopulated — so New Mexico-style Americanization leading to statehood was out of the question.

Similarly, Puerto Ricans have never resolved their relationship with the United States. For almost 50 years after the Spanish-American War, Puerto Rican sentiment was divided between dreams of statehood and of independence. This ambivalence deterred the island from ever petitioning Congress for one or the other. And until mid-century, sporadic outbursts of violent nationalism haunted the scene.

Partly to put such extremism out of business, Congress in 1948 allowed Puerto Rico to elect its own governor and then in 1950 gave it an intricately designed, semi-autonomous “commonwealth” status short of statehood. Two years later, the island adopted its own Constitution, and Congress quickly ratified it.

Puerto Ricans elect their own Legislature, along with the governor. They enjoy entitlements like Social Security, but they do not pay federal income taxes. They retain their own cultural identity (Spanish is the prevailing tongue) but live under the umbrella of the American trade system and the American military. They have been citizens since 1917, but they have no vote in Congress or for the presidency.

The man who brought forth this unique arrangement, which has come to seem permanent, was Luis Muñoz Marín, who dominated Puerto Rico’s politics beginning in 1940. In 1948 he became the island’s first elected governor. He won three more terms and could easily have been “president for life.” A stretch of 116th Street in Manhattan’s Spanish Harlem is named Luis Muñoz Marín Boulevard in his honor.

Muñoz was an eloquent advocate of independence until, faced with daunting statistics at the end of World War II, he concluded that Puerto Rico’s impoverished economy could not support nationhood. So he began packaging his third-way brainchild.

When pitching commonwealth on the mainland, Muñoz — an artist of words and imagery who also enjoyed a drink or two — would observe that Puerto Rico is the olive in the American martini. The phrase went down well in Washington, but Muñoz used different language at home. Neither Congress nor the American courts have ever embraced Muñoz’s Spanish-language phrase for “commonwealth,” universally recognized in Puerto Rico: “estado libre asociado,” or free associated state. Those three words suggested an autonomy (or even statehood or independence) beyond what came to pass. But Muñoz was too popular on the island for that to cause him trouble.

Still, Muñoz always intended to bring “enhanced autonomy” in trade, self-governance, taxation and entitlements to Puerto Rico. But Fidel Castro’s seizure of power in Cuba in 1959 moved Washington’s attention away from the commonwealth.

Muñoz left office in 1965. His dreams faded. The economy he jump-started went flat. Today, the government accounts for 30 percent of Puerto Rico’s work force (compared with 16 percent on the mainland).

Then in 1974, the Democratic National Committee and some shrewd local political strategists came up with an idea for how to play to lingering discontent over the island’s status: Why not make nice with Puerto Rico (and, as important, with the Puerto Rican vote in American cities) by awarding it the number of delegates to the Democratic presidential nominating convention that its population would yield as a state? But not until this year has a presidential race been close enough, long enough, to yield Puerto Rico a role in the endgame.

On the island, politics is focused on the longstanding deadlock between the two dominant parties, whose identities — one is for statehood and one is for enhanced autonomy — today bear no relation to those of the Republicans and Democrats in the 50 states. Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Obama are, gingerly, bidding for support from both of them.

But the mainland population of Puerto Ricans (like the island’s, almost four million) is watching, too. That fully enfranchised constituency is up for grabs in November. Republicans have fished in these waters, too.

Presidential candidates usually offer Puerto Ricans hazy promises that are sure to be unfulfilled. First on the list: We’ll do whatever you want about the island’s status if you deliver us an overwhelming majority for one or another option. That’s not going to happen.

Since 1967, public support on the island has seesawed inconclusively between statehood and enhanced autonomy — a better version of the deal they already have. Muñoz’s commonwealth helped eclipse independence; that course enjoys only limited support today. An overwhelming majority of Puerto Ricans wants, one way or another, to be American.

The next president could just appoint another commission, more high-level and forceful than past ones, to reopen the dormant question of Puerto Rico’s status. But there is an additional option.

Fidel Castro is gone from office, Hugo Chávez’s influence is growing, Brazil is becoming an oil power, and the United States has no Latin American policy to speak of. John F. Kennedy wisely turned to Puerto Rican leaders to help him frame a new policy for the region in 1961. Similarly, the next president could ask Puerto Rico, with its democratic tradition and its past success with economic development, to help us plan for the post-Castro Caribbean.

The United States is overdue in re-engaging with this special place, which landed in our lap as a stepchild of imperialism in 1898, and which we have never seen clearly.

Michael Janeway, a former editor of The Boston Globe and a professor of journalism and arts at Columbia, is writing a history of the United States and Puerto Rico in the 20th century.

The $3 Trillion Shopping Spree

How the government spends our money.

CITY COUNCIL MEMBER VINCENT J. GENTILE REFLECTS RUN FOR VITO FOSSELLA CONGRESSIONAL SEAT

By Rafael Martínez Alequín

Councilman Vincent J. Gentile, in a video interview today stated that he is considering running for the Congressional seat soon to be vacated by disgraced Congressman Vito Fossella.

Council person Gentile a former state senator, who represents both Brooklyn and Staten Island said: “I am the only Democrat that can win the congressional seat. The people of Staten Island know me since I represented them in the state senate.”

In the local media as well as the political arena, his name is seldom mentioned as a potential candidate for congress. The potential Democrat candidates are, Brooklyn Councilman Dominic Recchia, who already has a war chest of $325,000. Council person Democrat Michael McMahon,who has represented Northern Staten Island since 2002, and state assemblyman Michael Cusick. Also, Stephen Harrison, a lawyer from Brooklyn who ran against Congressman Fossella two years ago.

Among the republicans being mentioned is Staten Island District Attorney Daniel Donovan and state senator Andrew J. Lanza. Donovan has withdrawn his name as of this writing.

The republicans have been defeated three times this year in special congressional elections in republican districts, most recently last week in a republican district in Mississippi.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2625981293700847277

CROWN HEIGHTS FIGHTS

Tensions are running high in Crown Heights again due to a young Jewish resident who was attacked by Blacks. This comes on the heels of a young Black man who was attacked by Jewish residents in Crown Heights just prior to the latest incident. Here are a few "very raw" opinions.
First from Jewish residents and following from posters on an NYPD blog.

Comments:
All I hear is "more cops” . The issue is for the crown hts police to stop goofing off and to CATCH AND PROSECUTE . I don’t give a damn how many cops there are!
Comment Credit ---This article posted by LAVDAFKA : May 21, 2008 11:33 AM

"All I hear is "more cops” . The issue is for the crown hts police to stop goofing off and to CATCH AND PROSECUTE . I don’t give a damn how many cops there are!"ahh like the hasid that assaulted and maced a young black kid ok
Comment Credit ---This article posted by larry : May 21, 2008 1:15 PM

We don't need more Police (Like Larry). We want more Shmira and Shomrim. Rotten officers should be sent to the projects where criminals who refer to them as "PIGS" can take target practice. The above comment is directed to Rotten officers (you know who you are). Good police officers will always be welcome, but we know there is a shortage of those, especially in Crown Heights.
Comment Credit ---This article posted by Anonymous : May 21, 2008 5:56 PM

I wonder what the group was trying to do when they stopped the car.
Comment Credit ---This article posted by LEEPSTER : May 21, 2008 7:06 PM
Post a Comment

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#1
Posts: 116
05/21/08 13:02:14
HAHAHAH and yet the member of that community that beat the MOS's son has yet to be turned over to authorities. WOW! How on earth do you negotiate with a community for them to surrender a known perp? Only in NYC this crap happens.
#2
Posts: 236
05/21/08 13:04:18
I am shocked to learn that this one group wields such political power! I had no idea. So vat about Buro paak? and viliamsburg. ve gat schwartzes too!

Posts: 8
05/21/08 13:21:58
Ok I'm gonna give it a try. I have no beef with Prosay but I can't deny an opportunity to be first............................Ok here goes.....you ..............are......................................... a................................ hipocryte!!!!!!!!!!!! Did I do it good enough?........oh no I spelled it wrong I blew it should have left it to the professionals
When God gives you lemonade, you find a new God.
#4

Posts: 182
05/21/08 13:29:41
Kelly knows what he's doing... The looking for the Jewish vote he's giving them what they want more...police in there area. In hopes that they will vote for him in big numbers. Just like he's going to rail road the MOS in the Bell case so he can get the black and minority votes when he runs for Mayor. It really is a shame that Kelly is turning his back on this department that he was once a member. Ray look I did say " ONCE " because you are no longer a former MOS in the eyes of many active and former MOS, You are now looked at as a POS! And to the moderators this is NOT a personal hit it is a question. Prosay how much longer are you going to be a hypocrite and not explain that you said you would go to a MOS funeral and in stead were seen on the RANT while the funeral was taking place????? note to all above is a question I and others have asked it's NOT a personal attack. THANK YOU!

McCain's YouTube Problem Just Became a Nightmare

Will the real John McCain please reveal himself!

As Term Wanes, Bloomberg’s Temper Boils Up

By DIANE CARDWELL

Published: May 20, 2008

For more than six years, Councilman Peter F. Vallone Jr. and Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg have enjoyed a warm relationship. So when the councilor spotted the mayor outside City Hall on a recent sunny morning, he greeted him amiably, shook his hand, and turned to go on his way.

Brendan Hoffman for The New York Times

Associates say Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s anger may be linked to setbacks on projects he sees as critical to his legacy.

There was no indication that the mayor was about to explode.

“What’s this I hear about you objecting to that power plant?” Mr. Bloomberg, who usually keeps his business private, barked out.

“He kept raising his voice. ‘What’s the matter with you? You know we need the power,’ ” Mr. Vallone, from Queens, recalled the mayor saying. “Then he finally just screamed something about not moving it.”

Mr. Bloomberg is often a man of quaint politeness in public. But in recent days, as he has endured setbacks on projects crucial to his legacy, another Michael Bloomberg has spilled into view: short-tempered, scolding, even petulant.

The mayor has watched the collapse of his congestion pricing proposal and the blocking of his plan to link teacher tenure to student test scores. He is hoping a revived deal to develop the far West Side of Manhattan, another crucial part of his vision for transforming the city, can become a reality.

And, with his presidential hopes shelved, the often fawning attention from the media has faded, too.

Suddenly, as he enters the twilight of his term, he is openly dressing down commissioners, taking obvious shots at officials who disagree with him and invoking the royal “we” while refusing to answer questions whose topics or phrasing he finds distasteful.

He threw a sharp elbow last week toward Senator Charles E. Schumer over his suggestion that the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey take over as the lead agency for the stalled Moynihan Station project.

“We set the city’s priorities,” Mr. Bloomberg said. “They don’t come out of Washington.”

Mr. Bloomberg’s chief spokesman, Stu Loeser, played down the recent bouts of temper, saying, “It’s very easy to analyze things into other explanations for ordinary human behavior by someone who, over all, is a very optimistic person.” He added: “Mike Bloomberg is only human, and since he first started running for office in 2001, New Yorkers have seen him happy and sad, irritated and elated.”

But several current and former officials say the public is just now getting a sustained look at the impatience and occasional anger that Mr. Bloomberg, a self-made billionaire unused to answering to any authority higher than his own, feels toward those who would stand in his way or challenge his motives. “It’s the worst I’ve ever seen it,” Mr. Vallone said of Mr. Bloomberg’s mood.

Mr. Bloomberg has long been a man of contradictions: jocular and flirtatious one minute, earnest and moralizing the next. Described as down-to-earth and sharply funny, he might greet a political consultant by joking, “Any of your clients get arrested today?” He can be solicitous of his colleagues, once inviting City Councilman Lewis A. Fidler’s son Max to City Hall for a sit-down interview for his school project, rather than simply providing written answers through an aide.

“He was extremely nice to my kid,” said Mr. Fidler, from Brooklyn. “So there’s clearly a soft side to him.”

But he is also demanding and prone to outbursts of angry hyperbole, according to current and former associates, most of whom would speak only anonymously for fear of offending the mayor. They described a suddenly red-faced man who, in full view of others in the bullpen, the open workspace at City Hall, might scream, “You’re destroying my administration!” at an aide over a slip-up, or unleash a profanity-laced question about why he had botched a step in a project.

In some respects, associates say, Mr. Bloomberg’s anger stems from incredulity that systems do not function as they should, and from never fully adjusting to the last-minute, secret deal-making culture of politics, which he believes is a bad way to conduct business.

These officials and associates say that Mr. Bloomberg’s temper burns hot and fast — he can erupt, and then turn around and invite the target of his anger to join him for dinner. The attacks are not so much personal as an expression of his extreme impatience, said Assemblyman Keith L. T. Wright of Harlem, who clashed with the mayor at times over the congestion pricing proposal.

Mr. Bloomberg’s fury “pales in comparison” to that of former Gov. Eliot Spitzer, who would threaten to “bury you,” Mr. Wright said. He added that Mr. Bloomberg would yell things more focused on policy issues, like, “ This is good for the city! You’ve got to do this!”

Mr. Bloomberg, who declined to be interviewed for this article, has acknowledged his quick temper, writing in his 1997 autobiography, “Bloomberg by Bloomberg,” that when he was first setting up the media and information behemoth Bloomberg L.P., he slammed a door so hard in a fit of rage that the latch broke, locking him in, and he had to sheepishly ask his officemates to let him out.

Like many successful, self-made people, Mr. Bloomberg can be single-minded in his pursuits and supremely confident in his views. Comparing himself with other entrepreneurs in the autobiography, he wrote, “I too think I can do everything better than anyone else.” He added: “Still, my ego does allow for the remote possibility that someone might be as good at one or two little things. I’ve admitted there’s a slim chance that ideas coming from others could be valuable as well.”

As mayor, Mr. Bloomberg has worked to shield these traits from the public. But of late, he has been revealing an unusual level of emotion.

“People think that the guy is a cool operator, he’s a business technocrat, and I think people really can’t comprehend that he gets frustrated with the slow pace of government, that he can’t just wave the magic wand and say, ‘This shall be done,’ ” said Scott M. Stringer, the Manhattan borough president, who said he had been on the receiving end of both rage and joy from the mayor. “Now that they’re focused on the endgame, let’s face it: This legacy, this large canvas, needs a lot more paint before we can step back and really look at it.”

Mr. Bloomberg seemed reflective at a commencement address he gave at the University of Pennsylvania on Monday, describing how exciting and flattering the “buzz” was when he was viewed as a possible presidential hopeful this year, which landed him on the covers of Time and Newsweek.

“But in the end, I decided to stay with my current job — one that has 591 days left before I’m term-limited out. But who’s counting?” the mayor said.

Mr. Bloomberg’s mercurial nature has been emerging most clearly in his dealings with members of the news media, with whom he has recently come to resemble the “Seinfeld” Soup Nazi of municipal government.

At a news conference on May 1, Mr. Bloomberg snapped at a reporter who tried to ask him about a discrimination lawsuit at Bloomberg L.P. “What does this have to do with the budget?” he asked, even though he had already offered his views on other issues. “Next time, don’t bother to ask us a question. Stick to the topic. Everybody else plays by the rules; you’ll just have to as well.”

Last week, at another news conference, he cut off a reporter who used the word “maintain” in a question, calling the word inappropriate because of its confrontational connotation.

“Next time you have a question, you want to insinuate that I lie, just talk to the press secretary,” he said, jabbing his finger toward the reporter. “I don’t think we have a question for you.”

But others in his orbit are feeling his upset, too. At an announcement in late March highlighting more bus service in the Bronx, as the outlook for congestion pricing grew bleaker, he rebuked his transportation commissioner, Janette Sadik-Khan, as she tried to expand on his remarks about why the proposal would not be a pilot program.

Mr. Bloomberg was already upset that day because the Metropolitan Transportation Authority had reneged on $30 million in promised service enhancements linked to fare increases.

“That’s it, that’s the answer to the question,” he said. “I’m answering the questions here at the press conference.”

BLOOMBITO NEEDS ANGER MANAGEMENT

2008

Bloomberg losing his temper (and mind)
For more than six years, Councilman Peter F. Vallone Jr. and Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg have enjoyed a warm relationship. So when the councilor spotted the mayor outside City Hall on a recent sunny morning, he greeted him amiably, shook his hand, and turned to go on his way.As Term Wanes, Bloomberg’s Temper Boils Up

There was no indication that the mayor was about to explode.“What’s this I hear about you objecting to that power plant?” Mr. Bloomberg, who usually keeps his business private, barked out.“He kept raising his voice. ‘What’s the matter with you? You know we need the power,’ ” Mr. Vallone, from Queens, recalled the mayor saying. “Then he finally just screamed something about not moving it.”...several current and former officials say the public is just now getting a sustained look at the impatience and occasional anger that Mr. Bloomberg, a self-made billionaire unused to answering to any authority higher than his own, feels toward those who would stand in his way or challenge his motives.

“It’s the worst I’ve ever seen it,” Mr. Vallone said of Mr. Bloomberg’s mood.And the national publications have noticed that things aren't as great in this city as our mayor would like us to believe: Bloom off the Rose
Posted by Queens Crapper at 12:59 AM 0 comments Links to this post

BLACK REPORTER FIRED FOR SUING

After Telling His Racial Profiling Nightmare in the Post, Black Reporter Gets Canned For Suing Over It

Earlier this month, one of those media meme’s popped up that worth a few seconds of your slack-jawed reaction: The New York Post published an editorial, about how racial profiling by the police was on the wane, on the same day one of its own writers filed a lawsuit against the city for racial profiling. Now, that freelance crime reporter, Leonardo Blair, is out of a job.

Just days after Blair, who is black, filed the suit against the city, stemming from an incident last year where the police stopped, frisked, and arrested him, the Post let him go.
In a first-person feature that ran in the Post in December, Blair detailed how two cops stopped and searched him near his Bronx home moments after he parked his car on the street.
The incident came amid a spike in complaints lodged against the NYPD by minority-group members claiming they were stopped and frisked by police based on nothing more than skin color.

Blair, who earned a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University, charged in his suit that he was the victim of racial profiling. On the lookout for car burglars, two cops stopped Blair on Nov. 28, 2007, after he parked his car and began walking toward his Allerton home.

The officers, William Castillo and Eric Reynolds, cuffed Blair and took him to the 49th Precinct stationhouse, where he was given a summons for disobeying a lawful order and making unreasonable noise. Blair was released after he told cops that he worked for the Post.
The charges against him were later dismissed by a judge. [NYDN]

Might somebody have another lawsuit, of the wrongful termination/racial discrimination variety, on his hands? Or at least a juicy Post expose?

POLICE COLLABORATION

Although a year has passed in the disappearance of Dana Rishpy, the search to find her continues.

A collaborative effort was arranged between Israeli police sent to Mexico, including the Israeli police representive in the US in charge of the Mexican division. They worked with the Mexican Federal police as well as officers from Cancun and Tulum. The case is far from concluded. Each day an eyebrow is raised and each day a whisper is uttered. Eventually the voices will become louder and Dana will be found.

For you who are responsible. The net just got bigger.

Queens Democrats pull plug on Sabini

Sunday, May 18th 2008, 4:00 AM

Things are getting weird in Queens.

The county's Democratic boss, Rep. Joseph Crowley, appears to be abandoning a sitting state senator just before a tough race in favor of his challenger, a city Councilman entangled in a criminal probe.

Why? Queens is changing, and the old guard is nervous.

Several sources confirmed that district leaders meeting tomorrow morning are poised to support Councilman Hiram Monserrate in his primary challenge against state Sen. John Sabini in September. The news reverberated throughout Democratic circles this weekend as it's extremely rare for a party to abandon a loyal incumbent with no major scandal hanging over him.

Monserrate came close to beating Sabini in 2006, and as the district that includes Jackson Heights, Corona and East Elmhurst becomes more Latino, the Hispanic councilman has a solid shot at winning this time around. Mayor Bloomberg blurted out at a private meeting of Council members recently that he would support Monserrate, a former Marine and city cop.

Sources said Crowley is worried about backing the wrong man and leaving Monserrate to build his own base, one that could then help him go after a bigger seat, possibly even Crowley's.

Sabini, a longtime legislator, has been especially vulnerable since he was arrested in Albany last year for drunken driving. He pleaded guilty in February to the lesser charge of driving while impaired.

On the other hand, Monserrate also has the potential for problems. The Queens district attorney and city Department of Investigation reportedly are probing whether Libre, a Queens nonprofit closely linked to Monserrate, helped him with his 2006 Senate race. The councilman, who denies involvement in anything untoward, has steered $400,000 in taxpayer money to the group.

JEWISH PROTEST

BREAKING NEWS -

Hundreds of Jews march for Police protection in Crown Heights
Due to the latest multitude of black-on-Jew violence in Crown Heights and the growing frustration within the community of the lack of Police intervention, members of the community have staged a march of protest.

Three hundred Jewish neighborhood people marched down Empire Blvd. passed the 71st Police Precinct to let their voices be heard. The crowd then proceeded to march to Eastern Parkway and Kingston Avenue where they have blocked the street and closed traffic in both directions. Instead of listening to the communities pleas for protection, the Police are now dispatching a task force to dismantle the march.
Leave Comment ---This article posted by Chaptzem : 5:41 PM1 comments

City pol now in criminal probe

BY ROBERT GEARTY
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Thursday, May 15th 2008, 4:00 AM

A criminal investigation has been launched into allegations that Bronx City Councilwoman Maria del Carmen Arroyo funneled taxpayer money to a nonprofit that employed her relatives.

City officials confirmed the probe Wednesday, a month after the Daily News disclosed that Arroyo directed $82,500 in 2007 to the South Bronx Community Corp., where her sister was the fiscal officer and her nephew was executive director.

The Department of Youth and Community Development cited the investigation in rejecting a request for documents The News filed under the state Freedom of Information law.

The News had asked the agency to turn over all records involving funding to the nonprofit.

"[We have] been informed by the New York City Department of Investigation of an ongoing criminal investigation, and that the release at this time of the information you requested would interfere with that investigation," said Michael Owh, lawyer for the youth agency.

DOI officials declined to comment.

Carmen Aquino, a spokeswoman for Arroyo, said, "We don't know nothing about that."

Last month, Arroyo acknowledged she sponsored the money for South Bronx Community Corp., but insisted it was allocated only after her sister, Iris Arroyo, and Iris' son, Richard Izquierdo, had left.

Arroyo was a former South Bronx Community Corp. director before being elected to the City Council. Her mother, Assemblywoman Carmen Arroyo (D-Bronx), was a director years before, and has sponsored $141,500 in state discretionary grants while her family worked there.

DOI's investigation of City Council spending practices has resulted in the arrests of two Council staffers on charges of embezzling $145,000 through their nonprofit.

Arroyo is not the only City Council member who directed funds to nonprofits where they had family ties.

Among those The News have found are Erik Dilan (D-Brooklyn), Miguel Martinez (D-Manhattan), Diana Reyna (D-Brooklyn) and Darlene Mealy (D-Brooklyn).

Last year, Mealy attempted to steer $25,000 to a block association her sister ran out of her home. Mealy would not say why the funds were never paid. A City Hall source said they were pulled back.

rgearty@nydailynews.com

TREASURING A PIRATE

Treasuring A Pirate

Movement underway to retire Roberto
Clemente’s No. 21 throughout baseball

By Rafael Martinez-Alequín

Only one number in the history of Major League Baseball has been permanently retired from use by all big league clubs, and that is Jackie Robinson’s No. 42. No one except for players who were wearing No, 42 when baseball retired it in 1997 can wear that number again.

We would suggest that another player in addition to Robinson should have his uniform number universally retired. There is no more deserving a player than Roberto Walker Clemente. His contribution to the sport is unparalleled. Let the powers that be get it done!

On December 31, 1972, legendary Roberto Clemente, number 21 for the Pittsburgh Pirates, boarded a small plane headed for Managua, Nicaragua. The aircraft carried much needed supplies for the victims of an earthquake that killed Approximately 10,000 people. Clemente a world-renowned humanitarian, spearheaded the relief effort. But fate took a sour turn when the fragile aircraft, overloaded by 4,200 pounds, plunged into the ocean. The baseball hero’s body was never recovered.

Now, 36 years after that fateful New Year’s Eve when we lost Clemente, fans and advocates of his legacy have launched an initiative to honor his memory with one of the ultimate tributes in sports. The goal is to retire No. 21 on all major league teams.

“We are proud to spearhead the marketing campaign for the Retire 21 community grass roots movement,” said Julio Pabón, President of Latino Sports Ventures, Inc. “Retiring Roberto Clemente's No. 21 is long overdue. It will help us preserve the memory of this legend, and the overall legacy of baseball. One day, Major League Baseball will thank us for helping them decide on this important matter.”

Clemente, who was born in Barrio San Antón in Carolina, Puerto Rico, on August 18, 1934, got his first significant attention from major league scouts while playing with the Santurce Crabbers (Cangrejeros) in the Puerto Rican Winter League. He eventually signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers and was assigned to their top affiliate, the Montreal Royals.

After playing for Montreal in 1954, the Pittsburgh Pirates chose Clemente in the post-season minor league draft, which was a precursor to the modern-day Rule 5 draft. In 1955, Clemente began an illustrious 18-year career with the Pirates.
Clemente was a four time National League Batting Champion and a 12-time. Gold Gloves winner, He was NL MVP in 1966 and chosen as the MVP and the World Series MVP in 1971, when he batted .414 with two homers in 29 Fall Classic at-bats..

“Fans and advocates believe that Clemente should be honored with his number put to rest, and they want his story to be a model and inspiration for all,” Bernie Williams said ”They agree that he should be remembered not just for his record-breaking stats, but also for his compassion, For us, No. 21 is a number that represents dedication and desire to help others,” he concluded.

The issue of retiring numbers is political and emotional. Throughout sports, it is a tribute to greatness. But one would ask why and why now for Clemente?

It is because he died in the quest that others might live. As a result, Clemente’s extraordinary efforts separate him from the uniqueness of a Sandy Koufax or a Hank Aaron, whose numbers were retired by their respective teams.

“Anything that we can do to honor such of great player and a person should be done,” Former President Bill Clinton said.

The world has changed since Clemente perished. Schools enlist students in community service as part of character building. To retire Clemente’s number is a testament to the greatness of self-sacrifice. As Social Security Numbers are retired, and reassigning them would constitute identity theft, there will never be another Roberto Clemente, No. 21. The energy and significance of No. 21 died with its owner.

Julio Pabón and his organization have started an outreach and awareness campaign as well as a petition drive to retire Clemente’s number throughout baseball. The signatures they collect, will be formally presented to Major League Baseball.

Rough Transition to a New Asthma Inhaler

Teva Pharmaceuticals

Both types of asthma inhalers use the drug albuterol. But the newer one, left, has a softer spray. It also costs three times as much.

By LAURIE TARKAN

Published: May 13, 2008

Millions of people with asthma and other lung diseases will have to switch inhalers by the end of the year. And for many, the transition will not be smooth.

Times Health Guide: Asthma »

The change — mandated by the federal government in 2005, to go into effect next Jan. 1 — is to comply with the 1987 treaty to protect the earth’s ozone layer. It bans most uses of chlorofluorocarbons, or CFCs, which are used as propellants in many inhalers.

CFC-free inhalers have been available for more than a decade. But four million to five million users have yet to switch, according to the consumer advocacy group Allergy and Asthma Network Mothers of Asthmatics.

For one thing, the old inhalers cost much less — an average of $13.50, or one-third the price of a CFC-free inhaler, which uses propellants called HFAs, for hydrofluoroalkanes. (CFC inhalers are generic; HFA inhalers are brand-name.) People with asthma use an average of three or four inhalers a year, but some patients use one a month.

Moreover, the new and old inhalers differ in feel, force and taste, and how they are primed and cleaned. Advocates for people with asthma say doctors and patients have not been educated about the changes.

“What the government failed to do is to mandate anyone to tell patients and physicians this transition was happening,” said Nancy Sander, president of the asthma group. “There is no education, no monitoring of patients, no financial assistance to patients who have to pay higher prices for the new drugs.”

As a result, she and others say, there have been unnecessary fears about the newer inhalers, preventable trips to the emergency room and even some hoarding of CFC inhalers.

Callers to a hot line run by Ms. Sander’s group have complained that when they were switched to the new inhalers, the differences between the two types were never explained. Many thought that their device was broken or that their symptoms were not being relieved by the new inhalers.

The Food and Drug Administration says that since January 2007 it has received 415 complaints about HFA inhalers’ costing too much or not working properly. After a public meeting last month in which doctors and patients said most people were unaware of the transition, the agency has been stepping up educational efforts, with several public service announcements expected by the end of this month, said Deborah Henderson, an official at the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.

Both types of inhalers use albuterol, a short-acting medication that can prevent an asthma attack when used preventively — before exercising, for example — or at the first sign of breathing trouble.

But the cost difference has meant huge gains for drug companies. As people switched to HFA inhalers in 2006 and 2007, sales of all albuterol inhalers jumped from about $500 million to $1.1 billion, according to I.M.S. Health, a health care information company. Of the 40.5 million prescriptions written for albuterol inhalers last year, it said, about half were CFC and half were HFA inhalers.

And even though there are important differences between the four brands of HFA inhalers, some insurers cover only one of the four. Advocates say the higher cost may keep patients from buying inhalers or force them to cut back on other medications or switch to a less effective over-the-counter inhaler that uses epinephrine.

Several members of Congress are asking the Bush administration to require insurers, including the Medicare and Medicaid programs, to cover the new inhalers equally. Representative Steve Kagen, a Wisconsin Democrat who is also an allergy and asthma physician, said it was important “to make sure there’s as little co-pay as possible.”

The four HFA inhalers are Ventolin by GlaxoSmithKline, ProAir by Ivax, Proventil by Schering-Plough and Xopenex by Sepracor. (Xopenex uses a different chemical, levalbuterol.) All companies have give-away programs for those in need and are providing free samples that doctors give to their patients. There is also financial assistance available through the Partnership for Prescription Assistance (1-888-477-2669).

Studies show that HFA inhalers are as effective as CFC inhalers and have the same rate of side effects. But if they are not used properly, patients will not get adequate doses. There are three critical differences.

HFA inhalers must be pumped four times to prime them — a number that was not so critical with the more forgiving CFC inhalers, said Dr. Leslie Hendeles, professor of pharmacy and pediatrics at the University of Florida. And each brand of the newer inhaler requires a different frequency of priming.

HFA inhalers have a weaker spray. “It’s very soft so people think it’s not working,” Dr. Stoloff said. Where CFC inhalers deliver a powerful force that feels as if the airway is being pushed open, the newer ones provide a warm, soft mist that also has a distinct taste.

They also require a slower inhale. “You have to take a nice slow, deep breath and hold it,” Ms. Sander said. If people worry that it’s not working, they may not take the second puff, may fail to wait the necessary 30 seconds between puffs or may take too many puffs. And their anxiety may rise, further constricting their airways.

HFA inhalers need to be washed with warm water and air dried once a week. The medication is stickier and will clog the hole, reducing the amount of medication the spray delivers.

There are also important differences among the brands, though some doctors simply write Albuterol HFA on the prescription, leaving the pharmacist to choose the brand. Only one, Ventalin, has a dose counter, which helps users keep track of how much medication is left. ProAir appears to be on many insurance companies’ lists of approved medications, but it has the softest spray, Dr. Stoloff said.

ARE BLOGGERS JOURNALISTS

Lenny Levitt is the editor of a blog called NYPD Confidential. Levitt has been denied a press card. Again, the issue of just "who is a journalist" comes into question. Here is the report.

http://columbiajournalist.org/video.asp?id=1982

POLICE OFFICER SPEAKS OUT

YFP found this post on Chaptzem blog. It is interesting to say the least. You, the reader must decide on the merit of the writer.

Sent in by a Chaptzem reader

To all the people of Boro Park it was a pleasure serving you for the past few years. Wish I could say the same for the cowardly bosses who hide behind each other when they have personal issues against the fine officers of the 66 precinct. i am a kind hearted person who thought there was more to policing than "summons performance objectives." we all know that quotas don't exist because they are illegal. And no person in this world should hate another human being because of their race. That is just stupidity. So let’s just say there are a lot of stupid idiots who abuse their authority.

We as police officers are told not to abuse our authority but we continue to get abused at our workplace. Not all of them are bad. You know who you are. I bet you go home and tell your wives and children how much of a great leader you are.Rank is something you wear, respect is something you earn. I can truly say that I am extremely disappointed in the way I have been treated at the six-six precinct. Some people should be ashamed of the way they disregard their own self pride just for a fling with a supervisor.

It is a shame when you have supervisors who stand roll call and take a banana from a community donated fruit basket, toss it to an African American officer and state "let your natural instincts take over." it is a shame when a Hispanic complainant comes into the precinct and a supervisor starts to ridicule the person because he does not speak English by saying mira, mira, mucho, mucho and begins laughing. it is also a shame that when you confront these supervisors privately to express your concerns, they turn around and give you undesirable assignments the next time they see you. i believe that these supervisors are not very good examples of how a person should conduct themselves around a public building. Especially a police precinct.

And to all you supervisors who tried to jam me up while i was at the six-six precinct..... go home to your wives and apologize. Those of you supervisors who aren’t married but are having relationships with officers. Stop the fraternization. Also, if you get one of them mad enough at you... they know how to jam you up..... They work for the same job as you and know the tricks. Smarten up. It is a shame that officers bust their butts answering 911 calls to keep the community safe and it isn't appreciated by the bosses.

it is a shame when an officer shows up to work, whether late or not, puts on the uniform and risks his life day in and day out for the community and he has to put up with petty nonsense because he is perceived as having a bad attitude. Who wouldn’t have a bad attitude when you are being constantly messed with by someone who hides behind their rank? It is a shame that one boss gets upset, doesn’t have the balls to discipline an officer so he sends another to deal with his problems.....to all you, and you know who you are...... you cant hide behind the gun and badge for the rest of your lives.

And, if you ever see an officer after retirement......and you were abusing that officer.....like the song goes just "walk on by"......P.S. god is watching your every move and he doesn’t like ugly.P.S. 2 thanks for the memories.....I will keep in touch. Good luck to the PO's and the good bosses at the 66.
Leave Comment ---This article posted by Chaptzem : 11:57 AM

VITO ALLEGEDLY LIED TO THE OTHER WOMAN

Vito Fossella lied to other woman; wife considers dumping him
By RICH SCHAPIRO, CELESTE KATZ, NANCY DILLON and TINA MOORE DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS
Saturday, May 10th 2008, 4:00 AM
Oates for News
Vito Fossella

Laura Fay, who had a baby (below) with Fossella, says the councilman lied to her about his marriage.

Vito Fossella's admission that he fathered a love child exposed another of his lies: He had told his girlfriend he was separated from his wife, the Daily News learned Friday.
Retired Air Force Col. Laura Fay told those around her recently that the Staten Island congressman had split with his wife, Mary Pat, one source said.
"Fay thought - up until the release of the statement - that Fossella was separated," said the source, who is familiar with the relationship.
The source said Fay learned of the lie when a friend who saw a draft of Fossella's statement realized it didn't say he was separated.
Fossella, who has always stressed "family values," admitted Thursday in the statement that he fathered Fay's 3-year-old daughter during an illicit affair.
The revelation came a week after he was charged with drunken driving in Alexandria, Va., and seemed to tear apart the family.
Asked if he could ever forgive Fossella, Mary Pat Fossella's father, Thomas Rowan, said, "I'm not going to say."
A close family friend said Fossella's wife was considering divorce - and if so, planned to go after the house and custody of the couple's three children.
"She's mad," said the source, who asked not to be identified. "She wants to move on."
"I think she may have had a clue that he had a roving eye, but I don't think she had a clue that he had another child," the source said.
Fossella has yet to announce if he would step down from his congressional seat or seek reelection in November. His fellow Republicans are urging him to either quit or announce he won't run again.
Fossella's spokeswoman, Susan Del Percio, said he was in Staten Island with family.
News of his love child exposed a crack in the face Fossella portrays to his largely conservative Catholic constituency.
Fossella banded together last month with a group of lawmakers who demanded HBO apologize for what they called an "offensive anti-Catholic rant" by "Real Time" host Bill Maher. Fossella took HBO to task for "insulting the Pope, mocking the Catholic religion and Catholics."
Fossella told cops who stopped him for running a red light about 3 miles from Fay's house on May 1 that he was going to see his sick daughter. Fossella's blood-alcohol content was 0.17 - more than twice the legal limit.
He later was released into Fay's custody, sparking questions about their relationship.
Fossella apologized to his "three beautiful children" at a news conference the next day, explaining this time that he was visiting friends in Virginia.
Some of Fay's neighbors in the Virginia suburbs knew about the daughter but not that the toddler's father was a congressman.
One woman in the neighborhood said she would frequently see Fay walking with her daughter and a "tall man...I always thought that was her husband."
Fossella and his lover took several trips together overseas on official taxpayer-funded congressional business, including to Europe in July 2003. Questions remain about earlier congressionally approved trips Fossella took, where Fay may have joined him in exotic European and Mideast locales on the taxpayers' dime.
Fay split with her second husband in December 2003, five months after the trip.