LEFT of the HUDSON

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Congressman, civil rights icon and health care reform proponent to speak in Pearl River

Congressman John Lewis, one of the protagonists of the 1960s civil rights movement, will speak at the Pearl River Hilton on April 8 at 6 pm as part of the Nyack NAACP's Freedom Fund Dinner.

Lewis became nationally known during his prominent role in the Selma to Montgomery marches, where he marched side-by-side with Dr. Martin Luther King. During the first march, Lewis and other peaceful protesters were beaten mercilessly by the notoriously racist Alabama police. Lewis's skull was fractured and his wounds are still visible today.

In 1986, Lewis was elected to Congress where he serves as one of the House's lions of civil liberties. He was the first member of Congress to call for the impeachment of George W. Bush and he is a staunch opponent to the Iraq War. Congressman Lewis has also been a strong proponent of health-care reform.

Also honored at the dinner will be several local educators, NAACP mentors and the Haverstraw Town Board. More details to come.

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Iggy Pop croons for Harold Ford, Jr.

The site of proto-punker Iggy Pop performing "Search and Destroy" and "I Wanna Be Your Dog" to a crowd of austere stuffed-shirt types at the Waldorf Astoria Ballroom is ridiculous and ironic in itself. What's even more absurd is the near terrified look on the face of erstwhile Senate candidate Harold Ford, Jr. in this picture from Monday's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. While his wife, Emily, stares quite approvingly at the agless rocker's pectorals, the former Tennessee Congressman—who once backed a Constitutional Amendment to ban gay marriage—looks decidedly distressed by the pansexual implications of being serenaded by a sweaty, shirtless, 63-year-old gym rat.

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Friday, February 19, 2010

State Parks in Rockland set to close

New York State Parks officials announced today that they plan to close 55 parks and historic sites and reduce services at other parks to help shrink the state’s $8.2 billion budget deficit. Several parks and sites located in Rockland County will be affected. The cuts are reportedly in addition to park services cuts implemented over the past two years, which included reduced services at Nyack Beach State Park. The affected parks and sites include:
  • High Tor State Park. The pool will be closed.
  • Stony Point State Battlefield Historic Site. The site will be closed.
  • Tallman Mountain State Park. The pool will be closed.
  • Harriman State Park. The Anthony Wayne park area will be closed and there will be reduce maintenance at group camps.
In addition to these sites in Rockland, many other parks in the region will be affected:

  • Knox Headquarters Historic Site (Orange County). The site will be closed.
  • New Windsor Cantonment SHS (Orange County). The site will be closed.
  • Schunnemunk State Park (Orange County). The park will be closed.
  • Donald J. Trump State Park (Westchester County). The park will be closed.
  • FDR (Roosevelt) State Park (Westchester County). Reduced Swimming Pool Season
  • Hudson Highlands State Park (Putnam County). Arden Point Area will be closed.
  • James Baird State Park (Dutchess County). Reduced Golf Course Season
  • Mills Norrie State Park (Dutchess County). Reduced Golf Course Season
  • Olana State Historic Site (Columbia County). Closed two days per Week
  • Philipse Manor Hall Historic Site (Westchester County). The site will be closed.
  • Rockefeller State Park Preserve (Westchester County). The park will be closed.
  • Taconic Outdoor Education Center (Putnam County). The site will be closed.
  • Taconic State Park – Rudd Pond (Dutchess County). The site will be closed.
  • Wonder Lake State Park (Putnam County). The park will be closed.

The Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation released the suggest list of closures and cuts today. The office is facing a $29 million cut in funding, which is about 16 percent of its annual budget. It's fiscal year begins in April. The cuts are in addition to park services cuts implemented over the past two years, which included reduced services at Nyack Beach State Park.

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Friday, February 12, 2010

Introducing ReBootNY: Saving NY from our Senate

Last fall, 30 political activists from across the State of New York met in Albany to discuss the ongoing crisis in the New York State Senate. I was called to this meeting and asked to represent the 38 State Senate District. There, we resolved that our State government is a disgrace. We concluded that the State Senate, in particular, is a disaster; Senators fight over power and personal privilege to the exclusion of all else and New Yorkers suffer because of it.


Our group has met several times since. Our first project was the Fire Monserrate campaign, an online movement calling on the ouster of State Senator Hiram Monserrate. We understood that expelling someone from an elected position wasn't a task to be taken lightly. However, as Sen. Monserrate was convicted of assaulting his girlfriend, we felt circumstances dictated that the Senate had to act. Domestic violence, we agreed, has no place in society, let alone the Senate chamber.

Our online petition gathered about 2000 signatures which included many public officials and political office holders. We received countless emails of support and the media came calling to find out who we were and why we thought this was important. In some, not insignificant way, we believe we helped lead the effort which concluded in last Tuesday's State Senate resolution to expel Monserrate from office.

While we're pleased with this grassroots effort, we know that cleaning up the Senate doesn't end with the expulsion of just one Senator. Our ad hoc group that met last fall has now become a full-fledged political action committee with the purpose of ousting many of our dysfunctional State Senators and replacing them with reform-minded individuals. We call our organization ReBootNY.

ReBootNY is dedicated to electing better State Senators; Senators who will change how business is done in that chamber so it benefits all New Yorkers instead of those who pay the price of admission to secret rooms of power. We have made it our mission to rebuild state government, with the Senate being our first, and most important task. We are working to elect new, honest, ethical leaders committed to reform so that elected officials can focus on their true mission; solving New York's desperate problems and making it the best state it can be.

But 30 people can't win this fight. We need thousands of New Yorkers to join us in our cause. I invite you to visit ReBootNY's Web site, become our fan on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter. And last, it's never been my style to ask for contributions, but if you are one of those who are fortunate enough to have a few extra dollars in these hard times, please consider making a donation to ReBootNY. It would be money well spent to help put our state back on the right path.

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Monday, February 8, 2010

Library Vote in Nyack Tomorrow

Please vote on Tuesday Feb 9 at The Nyack Library for Dee O’Hagan for Nyack's Library Board. All registered voters living in the Nyack School District can cast their ballots between 10am and 9pm.

Dee is a South Nyack resident with two young children. I first met her about six years ago when she lived on Aldine Park. I have since found her to be an extremely measured person with a great understanding of children and education.

O'Hagan is currently a librarian at Nyack High School. Thus, she understands the fiscal responsibilities involved in running a library. She would provide a great perspective on how to make cost-effective decisions for the Nyack Library.

Typically the Library Board elections a rubber stamp of the standing board; members run unopposed. But Dee carried a petition, received 41 signatures, enough to get her on the ballot, and tied incumbent Michael Growney with 107 votes in the initial election last month. Tomorrow's vote is a runoff between these two candidates.

I think Dee would make an excellent addition to our library's board. Please take a moment from your day tomorrow and vote for her.

There will also be a library budget vote tomorrow, Tuesday February 9th. Polling is at both the Nyack and Valley Cottage libraries.

Also, there is a requested budget increase of 4.2 percent. This should amount to about $23.14 per year for the average household.

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Saturday, January 30, 2010

Maddow and Olbermann come to FIOS in NY, NJ

MSNBC is coming to Verizon's FIOS service in Bergen, Rockland and Orange Counties. This is big news for progressives and liberals in the area. FIOS subscribers have either have had to go without the popular news channel, or those wanting to subscribe to FIOS have delayed switching to the fiber-optic cable alternative.

Verizon's FIOS service has not offered MSNBC in much of the NY/NJ Metro area because of a deal it's parent company, NBC struck with Cablevision several years ago. The contract blocked the news channel from appearing on services that compete with Cablevision's Optimum service.

Verizon had filed complaints with the Federal Communications Commission in order to get the network on FIOS. It is not clear whether intervention by the government led to this development. Nor is it clear that this is a result of an agreement betweeen Cablevision, FIOS, and NBC's new corporate parent, Comcast, which is yet another cable television provider.

Progressive stalwarts such as Rachel Maddow, Keith Olbermann, and Ed Schultz can now be watched on channels 103 and 1545 (in high definition). The service on FIOS begins February 2.

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