Local To Peekskill, New York...

Mayor Testa and the Republican government in Peekskill New York LOVE TO WORK IN SECRET. They often times take public sessions private, and refuse to put the working sessions on local public access television. In short, Testa and the Republicans do anything and every thing they can to get around Sunshine Laws. To thwart their efforts, the minority Democrats have started putting out a RECAP of the work sessions to keep the public informed of what goes on in these meetings. In support of this OPENNESS in Government efforts, this blog will publish these reports in their entirety as they come in.

Peekskill Common Council Work Session Recaps


As part of our commitment to open government, the Peekskill Democratic City Committee has begun providing recaps of Common Council Work Sessions starting December 4, 2006. Work sessions are public meetings, but are not broadcast on the local government channel and there are no official minutes kept for them. Democrats on the council have long called for these meetings to be aired and for minutes to be kept. To date, the Republican majority has refused to do so.



Council Work Sessions take place on the first and third Mondays of the month at 6:30pm in the City Manager's office. They are public meetings, but the space is tight and there is limited seating available.



Work Session Recaps:

December 04, 2006

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Work Session Recap of Monday, December 4, 2006

Present at the meeting:

Mayor John Testa

Deputy Mayor Catherine Pisani

Councilwoman Drew Claxton

Councilman Don Bennett

Councilwoman Mary Foster



Not Present at the Meeting:

Councilwoman Milagros Martinez

Councilman Mel Bolden
(These two members are paid to ATTEND THESE MEETINGS, and their absenses should be TRACKED.)


Extension of Paramount Theatre Lease for 25 Years



The Paramount Center for the Arts, represented by Jon Yanofsky, Executive Director, and former Mayor Vincent Vesce, Paramount Board Member, appeared before the Common Council to request a long-term extension of their lease on the Paramount Theatre building. Currently, the Paramount Center for the Arts, the non-profit that is housed in the Paramount Theatre, has two years remaining on their lease with the City of Peekskill. Yanofsky and Mayor Vesce pointed out that they have had a very successful run over the last couple of years and the Paramount plays a huge role in the overall image of the City of Peekskill. Yanofsky presented several newspaper clippings to council members to demonstrate this point. Yanofsky also pointed out that the Paramount Center for the Arts has obtained $1.2 million in grants since 2004 that have gone to capital improvements to the building, including the restoration of the ceilings and the new bathrooms. An additional $800,000 will be raised in 2007 for a new loading dock and other repairs. In addition the Paramount has increased the amount of reimbursement it makes to the City for utility costs. In 2007 they will reimburse the City between $65,000 and $75,000. The City still expects to cover approximately $100,000 of maintenance costs for the Paramount building in 2007. However the amount of reimbursement from the Paramount has doubled in the last 3 years.



Yanofsky and Vesce explained that the Paramount Board is increasingly being asked by potential funders how stable and/or secure their tenancy is in the building that they lease from the City. Funders want to know that the Paramount Center for the Arts will continue to operate out of the Paramount Theatre before they commit significant dollars, particularly for capital improvements to the building. This being the case, Yanofsky and Vesce requested that the City consider renegotiating their lease and extending the term of the lease to 25 years.



Councilwoman Foster asked what is the current term of the lease and how much do they pay the City to lease the theatre. Mr. Yanofsky stated they are currently in a five year lease that expires in 2008 and the Paramount Center for the Arts leases the theatre for one dollar per year. The past practice has been for 5 year renewable leases. Councilwoman Foster also wanted to know how much the City contributed to the capital funds that were expended in the past 3 years. She noted that the City had set aside $50,000 in a capital project fund for the Paramount bathrooms. City Comptroller Serrano and Mr. Yanofsky both stated that the Paramount raised the entire amount of the funds they needed for the bathrooms and the City’s $50,000 reserve fund was not touched.





Councilwoman Claxton stated that she is a big supporter of the Paramount and that she attends almost two shows a month there. She commended the Paramount for its recent record of achievement and noted that it is an important and vital part of the community. She stated that under the current Director and current board there has been a great amount of momentum and success. She, however, was concerned that under previous boards and directors the Paramount did not do well, that there had been serious problems and the theatre had languished as a community resource. She stated that she was concerned that the progress made over the past few years may be based on the specific director and board and given a different director and/or board; such progress may not continue and could possibly regress. History of the theatre showed that this had happened before. That said, Councilwoman Claxton stated that, given a 25 year lease, there would need to be a mechanism built into the lease to protect the City in the event that the director and/or board members changed and the organization again fell into disarray.



Mayor Vesce agreed with Claxton's concern and agreed that previous boards and previous directors at the Paramount, while having good intentions, did not have the expertise to run the theatre. He went on to state that Common Council had an obligation to make sure that the City was protected in the event of an unforeseen eventuality or in the event that the leadership of the Paramount did not fulfill its duties.



Mayor Testa stated the Paramount is doing great things and is unquestionably an asset to the city. He said he supported the measure. Mayor Vincent Vesce suggested it was premature to make a decision at that time and that they are not looking ‘to close the deal” with the council this evening. He recognized there were major issues and concerns that would need to be worked out on all ends before the city could enter such a long-term lease.



A discussion ensued regarding the programming at the Paramount. Councilman Bennett mentioned that there is a theatre season and noted that the Paramount had increased the amount of shows it shows each year.



Councilwoman Foster stated that there needs to be serious protections written into any such lease to protect the City's interest. She went on to point out that many of the major theatres in NYC, Brooklyn, and the surrounding areas work diligently to establish an endowment in order to continue their growth and achieve financial independence. She asked what kind of work the Paramount Center for the Arts has taken to establish an endowment. Mr. Yanofsky stated at this point they have not been able to focus on building an endowment because their priorities had been focused on capital improvements and programming. He noted, however, the Paramount is currently hiring a full-time fundraiser and a marketing director as well, both of whom will address these issues.



Councilwoman Foster went on to suggest that the Council needed information on a 5 year capital plan so that they had a better understanding of the total amount of capital improvements that are still needed before the Board was able to focus on raising an endowment. In addition there would need to be measures written into any long-term lease that focused on incentives for building an endowment fund rather than just negative provisions that allowed both parties to walk away from the lease if the Paramount did not continue its current level of success. There are 2 factors to be balanced: the City needs to protect the community asset but cannot do that on the back of the taxpayers. The Paramount needs to become self-sufficient and an endowment is the only way to do that for the long-term. Mayor Vesce stated he agreed with Councilwoman Foster that the City needed protection and that if we are to move forward with a lease of this length that it would be important that all of this language and concerns be written into the agreement.



Deputy Mayor Pisani stated the Paramount is a wonderful place. She noted she was a board member of the Paramount during the dark days, but said sometimes we need to take a risk and she supports extending the lease for 25 years at its current one dollar a year rate. She said endowments are great, but we should take baby steps.



Councilwoman Foster said the Paramount has done a wonderful job taken those baby steps and now its time to take bigger steps.



Councilwoman Foster asked about the concerns expressed by some business owners about the “dark periods” in December. Councilwoman Claxton asked about January and why there were fewer productions in January and over the summer months. Mr. Yanofsky stated that the only dark periods are Thanksgiving weekend and the week between Christmas and News Years. That there are a number of productions and films held in December. Mr. Yanofsky also stated that there were two live shows in January, which were traditionally slow months in the theater business, and that the Paramount showed films 4-5 days per week over the summer, as well as accommodating rental productions and making Wednesday evenings available in case the City’s Parks and Recreation Riverfront concert series was rained out.



City Manager Dan Fitzpatrick stated the City will start to address the issues raised by the Common Council and they will have continued discussion on the matter.



Fireman's Memorial

Fire Chief James Howard appeared before the council to update them on the development of a Fireman's Memorial, which will eventually be placed at the waterfront. The design of the memorial will have 6 pillars (one representing each of the six fire stations in Peekskill) and atop the memorial will be the refurbished fireman's bell that now sits on the land adjacent to the Columbian Engine Firehouse on North Board Street. Additionally, a statue of a fireman will stand under the bell.



Because grant monies were obtained and must be exhausted by July of 2007, Chief Howard was requesting that the City provide additional funds to help cover what they have not been able to raise themselves in order to complete the project during the required timeframe as outlined in the grant. The cost would be roughly an additional $15,000 from the City. A presentation was made by the designers of the memorial showing previous work they had done. It was suggested that upon completion of the memorial it be housed in storage until such time as it can be located on the land that is scheduled to be redeveloped at the waterfront.



The common council agreed to move forward, Councilwoman Foster stated there were extra dollars available from monies not utilized by the Paramount Center for the Arts.



Staircase and right-of-way

City Attorney Bill Florence addressed the council regarding ownership of a set of concrete stairs that go from Howard Street to Carhart Avenue. Questions had emerged at prior meetings regarding who owns the staircase and who has liability for the staircase. After Florence's presentation it was still unclear as to who owned the staircase and who was responsible for the upkeep. Florence suggested the stairs were very steep and represented a safety issue.



Councilwoman Claxton pointed out the stairs are used by school children going to and from Hillcrest School and in light of the absence of sidewalks along Husted Ave and other roads leading down to Main Street, it was the safest available path for the children. Florence suggested "safe" was interpretive. Claxton replied that unless the City was willing to build sidewalks so that the children had a safe path home, then the stairs present the safest path of travel for the children, unless the city expected them to walk on the side of a steeply sloped road with vehicular traffic.



Councilwoman Foster asked if any one knew exactly when the stairs were built and the relationship of those stairs to the building of Hillcrest school. She also stated that after the last discussion on the issue she took a tour of the area and also noted that there are no sidewalks in that immediate neighborhood and no direct route from Main Street to Hillcrest school unless the stairs were used. Based on the maps Corporation Counsel was showing them, she thought the stairs may belong to the City. She also mentioned that Husted Ave had a lot of bus traffic directly before and after school at the same time as the school children would be walking along that street if the stairs were closed.



Mayor Testa said he has not seen the location yet and will have to go take a look. City manager Fitzpatrick apologized to the council for not having provided more clarity on the issue since their last discussion on the matter.



The meeting adjourned at roughly 8:30pm.



THE NEXT COMMON COUNCIL WORK SESSION IS MONDAY, DECEMBER 18TH AT 6:30PM IN THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE.



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Common Council Work Session recaps are brought to you as a service from the Peekskill Democratic City Committee
www.peekskilldems.com
PO Box 686
Peekskill, New York 10566
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Wake Up Middle Class America...The Time To Decide Is Near

This post is up over on Porgie's News and Views, and I am reposting it here, as I think many Democrats, many Americans in our lower and middle class need to wake up to the reality that we are being forced into slavery by Corporate America, and this nations rich and elite. This article discusses the Illegal Alien Invasion for what it is, and sides cannot be chosen by party association, but must be chosen along class lines, as it is painfully obvious that Washington is attempting to eradicate and exterminate America's hard working middle class. It is time we end the lie being spread that illegals take jobs we will not do, end the lie that they cause us no harm. If our government will not protect us, we must protect ourselves.

Tuesday, November 28, 2006

Has The Time Come For Americans To Defend Our Borders And Our Homes Ourselves?
http://theporgietirebiter.blogspot.com/







This is a REAL PICTURE of REAL ILLEGALS marching across our Southern Border to STEAL OUR JOBS.

To understand some Americans and their anger where illegal aliens are concerned, you first have to go back in time, back to 1986, back to the great Reagan Era Illegal Alien Amnesty with all of its false and unkept promises. The old saying states that those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Reagan and those in office promised Americans that we were seeing the last Amnesty, that after it went to in effect, our laws would be enforced, employers would be punished, and those here illegally would be deported back to their home country...we as Americans believed those promises, bought into the lie and Amnesty was signed into law over the skepticism of America, and with many angry it happened at all, who believed it would not work.


That amnesty did not work, and now some six years into the Bush Presidency, a full twenty years from that last failed presidency, we are faced with the same issues, the same problems, but this time they are bigger, more magnified that one could have ever pictured. Sadly, if the political winds blowing through this once fine land are any example, our government learned nothing from history, are not only doomed, but EAGER to repeat history again, prepared, with the help of traitorous help from a newly elected Democratic Majority, to force amnesty down the throats of America yet again, legalizing the stealing of our jobs, the depression of our wages, the ruination of many of our lower and middle class communities in the name of CHEAP WAGES, and in the hopes of winning the Latino voting block.


Two reports today should have Americans up in arms, show that Washington did not listen to us on November 7th, and have no intentions of bringing us change. Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats want to beat their drums of bipartisanship, and speak of their GRAND AGENDA for the first 100 hours of the 110th Congress, the crowning jewel of that time frame a raise in the minimum wage to $7.25 (supposedly promised as a stand alone piece of legislation). First, if the average America looks at this promise, it's NOT ENOUGH, and even worse, if not coupled with serious border and immigration enforcement, and the deportation of millions of illegal aliens, may be a detriment to those LEGAL AMERICANS on the lowest rungs of our economic ladder. If low life, fetid, repugnant, law breaking companies and employers are already hiring illegals now because they work for less, isn't and increase in the minimum wage without dealing with this issue going to see even more companies following suit?


The Freshman Class positions on immigration reform are out, and they are at best very disappointing. The first thing noticeable, is what is missing...any mention of how to deal with the 12-20 million illegal aliens, and their 4 million anchor babies...a very disturbing and telling absence, proof that Pelosi has Democrats GOOSESTEPPING TOWARDS AMNESTY. Secondly, though many Democratic Freshman CLAIM they want enforcement first, they lay out no plan for such enforcement, while at the same time saying they do not embrace the building of the fence that we Americans had already been promised, had already seen signed into law. In short, a move is afoot to eliminate any fence, to backtrack from a bill already signed into law. If this is the message coming out of the Freshman Class, you already know what the Democratic Party's position is....sell out the middle class they promised to protect in the Fall Election to get elected. Sell out American workers to BIG BUSINESS and the racist La Raza/Latino Agenda, and begin the implementation of Bush's One World Order call to create a North American Union by the year 2010.


Much like the Jews at the beginning of the Holocaust, America's lower and middle classes have remained quiet, even meek, hoping against hope that if we behaved ourselves, kept quiet and went along, that our government would come to its senses, would protect us, our jobs, our homes, our communities.


Sadly, it has not worked, and Americans are the victims of a Job Holocaust that is threatening to steal away our way of life, all in the name of Cheap Wages, all in the name of La Raza (the one race). We are being boxed in, slowly forced into submission and eventual slavery at the hands of the rich and elite who wish to be our masters, us their surfs. If you doubt this, ask yourself this simple question, "Do you think your children will be better off than your generation has been?" There are no gas chambers, no furnaces, but leave no doubt...the middle class here in America is being deliberately, systematically eradicated, we are both witnessing and the victims of a massive extermination like none ever before witnessed in the history of the world, a Class Holocaust whose numbers dwarf even those of Nazi Germany's extermination of the Jews.


Pick up your phones and call to report illegals living in the home right next to yours, packed in like sardines and they laugh at you, could care less. Report a company or individual hiring illegals, same response. We have SS like public officials like Michael Bloomberg of New York who openly DEFY federal laws, go on TV to openly state that his city, his big companies need ILLEGALS, and the cheap labor they represent. Like some sinister agent of the AMNESTY Gestapo he openly stomps on any one who speaks out against illegals, or tries to have our laws enforced when it comes to cracking down on illegals and those who hire them...Mayor's like him in a sense are the gate keepers of the modern day Concentration Camps meant to keep American Workers out, instead of being locked in.


Leave no doubt, we have been targeted for extermination, the weapon of choice financial strangulation. So the question becomes, what to do if our own government, those sworn to protect us refuse to do their jobs? If our government is bent on granting Amnesty to illegals, and providing even more avenues for them to invade our towns and cities, give them a means by which to steal even more of our jobs, what options have we left? If our government refuse to close our border, do we have any choice but to close it ourselves, using our legal rights to bear arms, our legal right to protect our properties and way of life as justification for the actions that we take? Harsh questions, but it was only last month we heard about the story of a Mexican Drug Dealer being given immunity from prosecution while to Border Patrol Agents were WRONGFULLY sentenced to long prison terms for doing their jobs. Perhaps the time has sadly come for a citizens militia, a group of true Americas who will willingly stand up to do the work our government refuses to do.


How many armed American Heroes from the middle class would it take to secure our Southern Border with Mexico? Ten per mile, or should it be 20? Let's have a nice round number of say 50,000 Armed citizens, each of them being paid by a citizens enforcement fund, a privatized border protection service run for and by the middle class. At a salary of $50,000 a year, we need $2,500,000,000 (2.5 Billion) dollars. That sounds like a lot until you divide by say 150,000,000 lower and middle class citizens. Ask yourselves....if you could secure our Southern Border, stop the flow of illegal aliens into America, end the depression of your wages, would you be willing to contribute $25.00 for each person in your house to such a cause? With that small donation, we could easily hire, arm and outfit a citizens army to our Southern Border, buy vehicles, begin building infrastructure, such as our own fences. What if we double that $25 to $50.00 so that we could hire our own work force enforcement officers, retain attorneys to bring civil claims against any one targeted as hiring, aiding or abetting an illegal.


We the middle class are under attack. Our government has not, and is not heeding our call. Our wages are depressed, our jobs are being stolen, and many of us are losing the value of our homes as illegals move in and take over our neighborhoods. The time has come to take action, rather than wasting our time sending faxes and making calls to and electorate who will not listen, will not heed our calls for change. So, the question I ask of all Americans in the Lower and Middle Class...would you support such a private mobilization of our citizens to deal with this issue head on? If you have four people in your home, is it worth $200 per year to you knowing that the illegal alien problem is being dealt with instead of being ignored? Would you support a Minuteman type organization on steroids if they accomplished the work your government refuses to even begin? Corporations already have their own private armies, already have tens of thousands of well trained Corporate Mercenaries ready to do their bidding for a price...isn't it time that America's lower and middle class incorporates itself and lays claim to these self same protections of our own?

Republican Ponies Lining Up For 2008

Right at one week after the decisive elections of 2006 held last Tuesday that swept Democrats into the drivers seat, Republican Presidential hopeful are rushing to officially form exploratory committees so they can begin raising serious amounts of dollars. A Republican Pundit on CNN tonight said the winning candidate in the Republican Primary will need to raise 100 Million dollars just to win the primary...that's some serious cabbage, and means any one winning the nod is already in the pocket of the rich and elite.

McCain was the first out of the gate, officially tossing his hat in the ring over the weekend. Not far behind him was THE RUDI, famous mayor of New York who declared his intentions today. Though not officially in the Race, former governor of New York, Pataki is openning up an office here in the Peekskill area, so you can look for him to officially declare within days.

Bush Supporting, war mongering, stay the course McCain...forget about it. Iraq is not going to turn around soon, if at all. McCain does not support troop reductions and bringing our troops home, but instead wants to greatly increase the troop strength there, and that is not a winning position and makes him unelectable in 2008, not to mention the fact that he's getting very long of tooth...we do not need another episode like Dole's infamous falling off the stage routine.

The RUDI...OK, lets be honest here. He did a MAGICAL JOB during the aftermath of 9/11 but was not really a good mayor, let alone a great mayor before that disaster fell upon our shores. His positions on key issues are all WRONG for the majority of Republicans, and once things start getting closer to the primaries you can look for some serious swift boating to sink his run. PAtaki...he is a sleeze, and not even going to discuss his run. I lost all respect for the man when I saw him attending an event in upstate NY at the old Plattsburgh Air Base...he was off to the side speaking to his cronies and made a very derogatory comment about what he REALLY though about the people of the area.

So, three major hats in the ring, and my money say NONE of them can get elected. So, who else will toss their hats into the Republican Ring, and for that matter who is going to go up against Hilliary...not talking a great pretender in a second tier governor, talking serious contenders here.

Offensive Fund Raising...Enough Already

OK, I've plugged into the process, have spent many months now working on bringing change to Washington, DC by working to get my Democratic Candidate of choice elected to the new class of Freshman Members of Congress. I have given generously of my time, energy, heart and money since choosing to support John Hall's run for Congress.

Last night, my efforts, and the efforts of literally thousands of people just like me were rewarded with a shocking John Hall victory over incumbent Sue Kelly. It is and should be a time to savor our victory...right? So tell me why it is, that not even one day later I find myself being HOUNDED for a donation from the National Democratic Committee and our own lovable Mr. Dean. Sorry, but I find it offensive, so posting a portion of his note below.

You can commemorate these historic wins and lay the groundwork for a generation of victories ahead of us by joining the Democracy Bond community now:

http://www.democrats.org/2006victorybonds

It's been a big Election Day, and every Democrat has earned the right to celebrate today. We won elections up and down the ballot tonight because Democrats are ready to lead.

There's one more thing anyone watching the Democratic Party should know today:

We're only getting started.

Thank you.

Governor Howard Dean, M.D.

Open Letter to Congressman Elect John Hall

Dear John Hall:

You WON...we won! In less than two months, you will be sworn in as a part of a large new class of Freshman members of Congress. We here in the 19th District are proud of you, and excited about your future in Washington, DC. There are LOTS of issues that will need to be addressed upon your arrival in the capital, issues that have divided our district, and divided our nation. I want to discuss those issues, give you one simple citizen's views on some of those issues.

Iraq War-Stay the course verse Cut and Run. If only it were actually that simple of a choice. One thing is crystal clear...Bush's failed Stay the Course plan is not working, and Rumsfeld needs to go (IS GOING....great news!) at all cost. Question is, where do we go from there, and what is going to be the Democratic Plan to effect POSITIVE change in Iraq, and see our efforts properly focused on the War on Terror. Obviously, as one lone citizen, I am limited in what I know on Iraq, much of what goes on hidden from my eyes. Based on what I have been able to discern, seems we only have two viable choices.

1. Greatly increase our troop strength in Iraq, and get back on a war footing until we actually weed out and defeat the insurgency, and as a part of that, we have to defeat and disarm the local militia's. I do not see this as a viable reality unless we are willing to put at least 400,000 troops on the ground in Iraq who are properly trained and equipped. Is this a viable reality without re institution of the draft? Are we as a nation willing to make that large leap away from our all volunteer military, do we even have a choice at this point?

2. Embrace many of the concepts and ideas expressed by Congressman Murtha, and redefine our entire involvement in Iraq. If a civil war is unavoidable in Iraq, we cannot leave our troops stuck in the middle of it, and cannot afford to chose sides in such a fight.

There are NO PRETTY CHOICES. We want our troops home, and sooner than later...the question becomes, how to do it in a way that still makes political sense, not just here at home, but on the larger global stage. Which leaves us still with the war on terror. I think we owe Afghanistan more of a commitment, and think we also owe our own citizens far more than we have gotten so far from President Bush and his administration. First thing on the home front has to be TRUE BORDER AND PORT SECURITY...which in turn brings us to what I feel is the second biggest problem on the laundry list of items needing immediate attention, what to do about illegal aliens, and the 12-20 million already here, the majority of them being from Mexico.

Early on in the primary it was apparent you and I saw this issue from different perspectives, but I was/am impressed that you were willing to openly discuss the issue, and were willing to LISTEN...something few in office seem capable of doing, and it was that willingness to listen and discuss such a hot button issue that impressed me, and won me over to your side. Now you are Congressman John Hall, and will be dealing with this issue, as our nation depends on Washington finding solutions. This contentious issue, perhaps more than any other is the key to Democrats holding on to the important gains they made in last nights elections. The only workable solution I see, is dealing with the issue comprehensively, but singularly.

1. Secure our border, stop the influx of NEW BODIES illegally entering our nation. Yes, we have to figure out what to do with those already here, but we cannot really deal with that problem until we solve the more immediate problem, which is the ever growing number of illegal aliens in America. With each passing day, week, month and year that the federal government ignores this problem, the larger the number grows, and as that number of illegal aliens grows, so grows the cost being paid by those of us in the lower and middle class sectors of American society. Don't try to tell us our jobs are not being stolen, or that our wages are not being depressed, as they are. I know it first hand, have watched my own chosen livelihood slowly disappear like vapors burned away by the suns early morning rays. Further, local police and governments refusing to be involved in finding workable solutions are negatively impacting many of us...I would encourage you to speak to families, homeowners who have the misfortune of owning houses in neighborhoods being taken over by illegal aliens, take a serious look at the declining values of our homes because of neighboring homes that now have 30-40 people living in them. These problems will only grow worse if we refuse to secure our Southern Border, and stop the flow of illegal aliens coming into America.

2. Shut off the JOBS MAGNET. Honesty and integrity in government...that's a part of what this new sweeping Democratic Majority is supposed to be about. Well, a big part of why we have 12-20 million illegal aliens here, is BIG BUSINESS has a love affair with cheap wages, and this large pool of illegal aliens provides that huge pool of bodies that allows these corporations to keep our wages down. It's a basic rule of economics called supply and demand. A large supply of ready and available workers allows companies to offer less in wages, and less in benefits such as major medical coverage, and retirement benefits. So, it is time to create SERIOUS sanctions against any one who hires an illegal alien. More importantly, these new enforcement measures are meaningless if A) the money is not budgeted to actually enforce the sanctions, and B) if government at all levels (local, state and federal) do not play an active role in finding, identifying and prosecuting everyone and any one who employees an illegal alien.

3. Close the anchor baby loop hole that sees illegal aliens doing whatever it takes to give birth to a baby on US soil. Right now, by conservative estimates America has over 4 million anchor babies who's parents are here illegally. This was not the original intent of the 14th Amendment, and this law needs changed to shut down this additional magnet. Those already born here should be allowed to have US Citizenship, but the policy has to be changed.

4. What to do with those already here is a difficult problem, and solving it requires hard choices, and not everyone is going to be happy, no matter what approach is taken. Allowing all those already here to stay is simply not acceptable, and would be patently unfair to legal American citizens in the lower rungs of our economy. Sending all 12-20 million back home also is not acceptable, though could be workable...the solution is to be found somewhere in the middle, and I would suggest that middle ground is found with the cut off date of January 1st, 2001...we have to draw a line in the proverbial sand, and then stick to it. If you were here before then, you would qualify for some kind of a pathway to citizenship (barring any criminal prosecutions or a criminal record), but if you arrived here after that, sorry but you have to go back to your home country, and stand in line.

5. Chain immigration...when a person decides to migrate to a new country, that is a personal decision. It is unfair to America and our citizens to have artificial limitations on our immigration policy by allowing immigrants to use the backdoor to bring more people here. Family unification is something that should be thought about and decided on before someone decides to migrate, and it should not be our responsibility to MAKE EXEMPTIONS in the name of said family unification's.

6. Guest Worker Programs...this always has been, and will be a very slippery slope. How many illegal aliens who are here now came in to work as migrant farm workers? How many already here came in for one job, and then moved into another? Further, is it fair to bring in certain workers (IT comes to mind) because they will take a starting salary which is lower than the prevailing wage of an American worker in that industry?

The whole issue of wages brings us to minimum wage. The Democrats are promising to raise the minimum wage to $7.50 and hour in their first ONE HUNDRED HOURS...so what, the minimum wage in Ireland is now $9.50 and hour. At 7.50 and hour, working a forty hour work week, a minimum wage worker grosses only $300 a week. Take out all the deductions for social security, federal taxes, state and local taxes, unemployment, workers comp and the like, and that three hundred drops quickly, and we still have not factored in sales taxes on goods purchased, state and federal taxes piggy backed onto gasoline, and you can quickly see that raising the minimum wage to $7.50 an hour is inadequate at best.Being generous, take home pay at $7.50 an hour would net someone $13,000 a year...can we say POVERTY?

We can do better than that! How much has the wage of a Congressman/woman gone up since say 1996?

Cheap wages, cheap prices...it's a TRAP! Like it or not, we are a consumer driven society, and until or unless we change that reality, cheap wages risk killing our economic machine and throwing America into a depression as you wipe out the middle class, and the ability for our citizens to better themselves. The rally cry for some seems to be a chiding, "Go to college, better yourself, make yourself more marketable." Have we as a country become so callous as to believe those without a college degree are somehow less deserving of a living wage, and some respect for their contribution to the whole? Further, how can someone struggling to get by on slave wages realistically afford a college education?

There are so many areas of our government that need addressed, so many problems that need to be solved, and I cannot begin to touch on all of them (such as Social Security) in one open letter, but shall bring up one more....campaign finance reform, and TERM LIMITS. This American is tired of the special access given to BIG MONEY brokers. When Sue Kelly was in office, she did not have TIME to meet with people like me, I was a nobody, along with around 95 percent of the district. No money, no access was/is the rule of the day. It was a bit disheartening last night to see you make a BEE LINE to one small circle of men hiding over in the corner after you finished your interviews last night. Even more disturbing to see you rush off, guarded by huge menacing body guards, sad watching you hide behind the curtains, then rush out and leave without taking the time to move around among those who GOT YOU THERE, it smacked of BUSINESS AS USUAL with many of us feeling dismissed and once again removed from the process...not saying it was or is so, but telling you how it felt. We support(ed) you because you seemed to be one of us, and made us believe that our voices would be heard in Washington...for that to happen, we need serious limitations on PAC Money, and on money doled out by lobbyist and other special interest groups....one man one vote SHOULD MEAN SOMETHING inside the Washington Beltway. Further, we need TERM LIMITS...back in 1994 we had been promised term limits, Sue Kelly herself said 12 years, or six terms...that promise was not kept, and I would encourage you and the new Democratic majority to fulfill that promise made to Americans in that last revolution.

I congratulate you on your remarkable win, and am proud to have played a small part in making it happen. If I can be of any help, feel free to contact me, and I will be at your disposal. It's my greatest hope that you will make all of us in District 19 proud of you and your accomplishments as our Congressman. It's my greatest fear that I'll wake up in two years and realize that nothing changed, and that Washington, DC is still the same old same old.

Respectfully,

Porgie Tirebiter