“You can’t do anything without the f—ing money”

By Ilya Galak

… Halloran, captured on a surreptitious government tape, explained the approach last September after allegedly pocketing a payoff.

“You can’t do anything without the f—ing money,” he declared. “Money is what greases the wheels — good, bad or indifferent.”

“That’s politics. That’s politics,” he added. “Not about whether or will, it’s about how much….”

Source: CLICK HERE

Many people around the world think that USA is a capitalist society with a free market. Nothing can be more far from the truth. We Americans live in a crony capitalist society.

Crony Capitalism. Just what is it and why is it so bad? Crony Capitalists are those who seek to win in the market place, not by honest competition, but rather through government favoritism in the forms of advantageous laws, tax regulations, and other such methods. This is the heart of corruption and special interest groups as we know them today. Some among them may not realize it yet, but average people, both Conservative and Liberal are equally against crony capitalism, but they just blame each other for its existence.

Liberals blame conservatives because the free market creates rich people and they can buy politicians off. So liberals propose more regulations to try and limit said rich people’s power. Conservatives blame Liberals for creating Big Government, which won’t allow businesses to survive and grow without strong political connections.

So what can be done in order to fix the system? How can we make politicians accountable to the people, not the special interest groups? How can we make the government work for us, not us work for the Government?

I am sure there are no easy answers, but let’s try to put something on the table and start the brainstorming:

1. Campaign finance reform

The first thing that needs serious reform is campaign financing. I propose a new system. We don’t need super PACs and lobbyists to finance campaigns. Instead, let actual people, not organizations and corporations, be the source of money. Only “We the people” – US Citizens only, can donate to the political campaigns of our choice up to $250 each. If the politician wants to get elected in this system, they will have to do much, much more town hall meetings and grassroots campaigns to get elected. In the current system, our politicians spend more time meeting with special interest lobbyists, because one visit can mean an easy million dollars towards their campaign, provided they do some favors.

2. Eliminate all earmarks

Let’s do something about those earmarks. We found that politicians use most of the earmark money to purchase votes and get re-elected. As Benjamin Franklin said: ”When the people find they can vote themselves money that will herald the end of the republic”

3. Transparency

All politicians on every level shall put info about all their meetings with lobbyists, coalitions, representatives of “non-for-profit” organization, and any other special interest group on the internet. The system is so corrupted and broken today, that I do not see any other choice.

4. Term limit

For senate, congress and all local levels of government – 3 terms: 2 years each. Mainly we need it to prevent an accumulation of power; Shedon Silver in NYS is a great example. After their last term a politician is not allowed to be a candidate for any other political race or work for the lobbyists company.

5. Party affiliation

There should be no party affiliations for any candidates during political races. People must run on their record and ability to do their job, not on their party affiliation.

6. Fighting with political corruption

A huge role should belong to the District Attorneys in the fight against corruption in the government. But today they are not free to do their job. That’s because they have to depend on local politicians and local special interest groups to get elected every term. Here’s an idea: How about having the position of DA be a federal appointment, that way the DA can go after corruption in the local government without any risk to their office. Note: defense attorney Jefferson Siegal called U.S. Attorney Preet Bharar a ‘walking term limit’

Source: http://www.justice.gov

7. Legislations.

We need to stop creating all those absurd laws and regulations that kill our businesses and regulate our daily lives. We have to start repealing these laws to let people and businesses breathe. Laws against political corruption, not for it. Do not forget, Sheldon Silver and Vito Lopez used taxpayer money to cover up sexual harassment allegations, absolutely legally.

8. Made in USA

Manufacturing must be brought back to the USA. Without it the country is doomed no matter what. Why? That’s a whole other discussion. But in order to do that we must fix our political problems, stop corruption and start to think about our kids’ future.

Super Storm Sandy Recovering Into the Future

An Event of Information, Free Give-A-Ways, Entertainment

Sunday, August 11^th, in New Dorp High School from 11:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m

MEET THE CANDIDATES FORUM ON STATEN ISLAND

Press Release

Contact: Janine Materna

Phone: (917) 957-8448

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

PLEASANT PLAINS, PRINCE’S BAY, RICHMOND VALLEY CIVIC ASSOCIATION

HOSTS CITYWIDE MEET THE CANDIDATES FORUM

The Pleasant Plains, Prince’s Bay, Richmond Valley Civic Association is hosting a citywide “Meet the Candidates Forum” on Monday, June 10, 2013 at 7:30pm at the CYO/MIV Center (Mount Loretto), 6581 Hylan Blvd, Staten Island, NY.

During this forum the Civic Association plans on hearing the views of the various candidates vying for Mayor, Comptroller, and Public Advocate.

“As a community based organization we believe it’s our responsibility to invite the candidates to the often “forgotten” South Shore of Staten Island. The forum will serve as an opportunity for our fellow Islanders to hear, first hand, each candidates platform,” said Civic President, Janine Materna.

“This event is an opportunity to get up close & personal with our future leaders and ensure they understand our community needs and we understand their plans for addressing them,” said Civic Board Member, Bill Marco.

The forum is free and open to the public. The Civic Association is asking attendees, if they can, to please bring a canned good and/or other non-perishable item to replenish the St. Edward Food Pantry at Mount Loretto.

The Civic Association welcomes the community to join our membership. We meet the 2nd Monday of each month at the CYO (MIV) Community Center at Mount Loretto from 7:30pm – 9:00pm.

Refreshments will be served.

For more information, please contact Civic President, Janine Materna at Janine.Materna@gmail.com OR at (917) 957-8448.

Statue of Liberty. “The New Colossus- Anthem Of Freedom”

By Ilya Galak

Jewish American poet, Emma Lazarus, wrote the poem on the Statue of Liberty, entitled
“The New Colossus,” in 1883. Being re- inspired Alla Bogoslovskaya brought the poem to life in song form .Music By Alla Bogoslovskaya
Lyrics By Emma Lazarus
Performed By Brian Delany Starr
Produced at AB Studio Productions LLC

The Statue of Liberty is the symbol of Freedom presented to the great “United States of America” by the country of France. This statue is an icon, a powerful symbol standing for freedom, justice, liberty and the rights and responsibilities of every American Citizen. America is our country…all of us who have chosen to live free. We all have an obligation to stand for the freedom that our great country represents. This song was inspired by the poem,”The New Colossus” written by Emma Lazarus over two hundred years ago, still standing as a stirring statement of the American ethos.
Being re- inspired Alla Bogoslovskaya brought the poem to life in song form .
This creation was written for all, who claim American citizenship, as well as for all who come to this great land and wish to live, serve and be a part of the greatest country in the world .
So… as you listen to the song and hear the great words, we welcome you to America”…the land of the Free and the Home of the Brave!’ Look for “The New Colossus” at iTune

Music By Alla Bogoslovskaya

Lyrics By Emma Lazarus

Performed By Brian Delany Starr

Produced at AB Studio Productions LLC

Jewish American poet, Emma Lazarus, wrote the poem on the Statue of Liberty, entitled “The New Colossus,” in 1883. Written in an effort to raise funds for the Statue of Liberty’s pedestal, the poem welcomes immigrants from across the world to the United States.

Emma Lazarus’s biography as a Jewish American adds meaning to her poem. Lazarus was descended from immigrants with roots in both Spain and Eastern Europe, and she felt a deep connection to the plight of immigrants in her day.

“Colossus” alludes to the Colossus of Rhodes, a massive statue built in antiquity to thank Helios, the sun god, for protecting Rhodes from invaders.

The New Colossus

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
“Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she
With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

Emma Lazarus, 1883

“Made in USA”

By Ilya Galak, Hesham El-Meligy & Alan Galak

The Staten Island Initiative

All things considered, why there is this deafening silence from unions on the topic of bringing manufacturing jobs back to the United States? Why aren’t they jumping up and down screaming at Politicians on both sides about this?

In America, we once had what was one of the best manufacturing industries in the world. As you know, that is no more, because most of these jobs have been gradually offshored.

Since the year 2000, we lost about 2.7 million manufacturing jobs, of which half a million were in high-tech industries such as telecommunications and electronics. Simply put we hardly manufacture anything anymore. We instead buy tons of foreign manufactured goods – often made by American companies — and then wonder why we are lacking good-paying jobs. We need to restart our engines, manufacture, and export.

In this piece, we’re not getting into why manufacturing is vital to fix our economy. If you need to learn more, Professors Google, Bing, Yahoo, and many others provide many links to many professional and credible resources on the topic. You see, the bottom line is that without manufacturing, our economy is doomed.

It is important to remember that the jobs of production workers, supervisors and managers in heavy industry enterprises, such as metallurgy, helped build and define the middle class throughout the 20th century. It is also important to note that manufacturing jobs have on average higher compensation than service sector jobs.

What can be done to bring back this vital part of our economy AND who’s going to do it?

For starters, we can’t really expect the crony capitalists; the executives of the greedy crony corporations that shipped our jobs overseas, to return them back without a major fight. Their only concern is profit, and their goal is to make as much money as possible, as quickly as possible. If it’s cheaper to make thing in China, they move the jobs to China.

We won’t be able to count on our politicians either, no matter which party they’re from. You probably already know that the two controlling parties have been infiltrated (to be polite) long ago by the people who sent our jobs overseas. P.J. O’Rourke said: “When buying and selling are controlled by legislation, the first things to be bought and sold are legislators.”

Also, simply saying that “we the people” want this to happen won’t be enough. We don’t have the power that we used to have because many of us became ignorant, apathetic, and corrupted. The fact that New York State Democratic Assemblymen Sheldon Silver and Vito Lopez got re-elected after their scandals says more about how we became and how our corrupt(ed) election and political systems work than anything else.

Another thing is that we know it takes a lot of money and political power to get anything meaningful done on the ground. So are there political powers that would benefit financially from bringing manufacturing jobs back to the U.S.? Also, do they have the special interest powers needed to challenge the crony corporations and politicians?

The answer is YES. It’s the Unions. But are they doing anything in that regard?

In the past few months the NYC school bus drivers went on strike, the teachers in Chicago went on strike, and the municipal workers in Wisconsin went on strike. All of them fought for hardly anything more than extra taxpayer money in their pockets. But we’ve never seen them protesting on Capitol Hill, or even at local city halls, demanding action to bring manufacturing back home to America. Common sense would argue that Unions would want manufacturing back in the U.S. That would be a net positive to the entire economy, particularly to unions, but why are they really hardly doing anything in that regard? This is beyond our comprehension.

It’s time to start a real grassroots movement, a real push, a real organizing effort, to lead the fight of bringing manufacturing back to the United States. A movement that works to make the slogan “Made In USA” a reality. A movement that is for the people, by the people, and not beholden to any interest but the interest of the people. It is time for us to put aside our differences and stop allowing others from keeping us divided and conquered. We must stand united or face the consequences. It doesn’t matter if you’re conservative or liberal, support Roe Vs. Wade or against it, union or non-union; bringing manufacturing back to the United States is among the few things we all agree on.

Such a movement needs the strong will of principled people from all backgrounds and occupations to take a stand for this cause. Such a movement needs all the recourses and help it can get, and that’s where the Unions can really shine. Their grassroots, resources, lobbyists, and political connections might just give this movement the edge it needs.

And remember what Plato said:

“One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors.”

Did You Do Anything to Keep Liberty Alive?

By Dr. Robert Owens

One day our grandchildren may ask us this question. Will we have an answer that will make us and them proud or will we have to sit silent knowing we stood silent when it was time to speak or remained passive when it was time for action? Now is the time for all believers in limited government to stand up and be counted. Now is the time for all who believe, “that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” to remember “That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.”

The coming 2014 mid-term elections may well be the most important in our lifetime. America faces a crisis as profound as the Revolution and as divisive as the Civil War. This has been brought on by the Progressives who seek to fundamentally transform America through evolutionary means. Incrementally, one entitlement program, one regulation, and one tax rate increase at a time, these Evolutionaries have used class warfare, activist judges, a politically-correct education system, and a complicit media to create a dependent constituency. They’ve constructed a matrix of sports addiction, celebrity worship, and recreational prescription medicine that makes the bread and circuses of Rome appear as crude as they were effective. Welcome to the Brave New World.

In 2008 the Progressives achieved what the media called a “Veto Proof” majority in both houses. This was typical of the Progressive-controlled media’s spin. With a fellow Progressive holding court in the White House there was no chance the long cherished dreams of national health care, massive interference in the economy, and expansion of the bureaucracy would be vetoed. The description of the majorities should have been “Filibuster-proof” meaning there was no way for the minority party to thwart the will of the majority. Even when the Democrats lost their 60^th seat in the Senate with the addition of a Progressive Republican taking Teddy Kennedy’s seat, they still had a filibuster-proof majority. The only reason they did not achieve more of their agenda such as amnesty for illegal immigrants is that members of their own party balked at a complete surrender of our heritage.

Fast forward to 2013 and after 3 years of the 2010 Tea Party led re-capture of the House Nancy Pelosi and her troops are chomping at the bit to finish their Evolution and drive the final nails in the coffin of limited government.

Those who wish to stop the mad rush into the arms of an all-embracing Federal Government must register! They must vote! They must do all they can to influence anyone and everyone to elect a true veto proof majority with the power and the will to reverse the slide into insolvency, which will trigger either a default upon our overwhelming debt or a collapse of our economy. Either of which opens the door for the current administration to impose their statist solutions irrevocably altering the nature of the United States. The name will remain the same but let no illusions of normalcy cloud your sight; this will be a new nation, the Obamanation.

In the coming mid-term elections it is imperative that those who wish to reverse course send a veto- proof majority in both the House and the Senate to Washington or President Obama will block every attempt to return to the traditional American model of limited-government. And even if this happens the newly awakened Patriots must realize their victory will energize the portion of the country desiring a European-style welfare state. They must realize just as Truman in 1948 ran against the “Do-nothing Congress” more than against Tom Dewey and Clinton in 1996 ran against the “Mean-spirited” Congress more than against Bob Dole, in 2014 Mr. Obama and his surrogates will run against the “Obstructionist” Congress more than against any individual opponents the Republicans might nominate.

The Town Hall meltdowns of 2009 and the Tea Party phenomenon of 2010 have surged across America as no spontaneous movement has in many years. The energy and enthusiasm of this grassroots explosion has rocked primaries from Coast-to-Coast. The political establishment in both parties were bracing for a tsunami of popular indignation at the ballot-box in 2012. Instead the republicans nominated another Progressive which left the conservative base sitting on the sidelines.

The Republicans managed to hold the House leaving the Democratic Majority Leader to lead well-disciplined troops in blocking every move the Conservatives make, and the media will hang the ensuing deadlock squarely around the neck of the Tea Party.

In 2014 to make sure that the rising Tea Party Samson successfully pulls down both the House and the Senate pillars of the Temple of Progressivism, the novice Conservative political activists need to understand voting is not enough. We need to exert every ounce of influence among friends, neighbors, and family to bring out an historic vote. We should stand ready to drive people to the polls, work the polls, do anything we can to plant the flag of Liberty once again in the capital of the Land of the Free and the home of the Brave.

Turning to the Word of God we’re counseled, “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” Our Founders declared, when tyranny raises it head, when a government founded to ensure the rights of citizens begins to trample upon those rights their descendants should remember, “That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to affect their safety and happiness.”

As peaceful citizens let those who love Liberty use their guaranteed rights to write, speak, assemble, and vote to preserve what we’ve been given for our children and our grandchildren. Let every politician know, whether they wish us well or ill, that “we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and the success of liberty.” If we will do this, if now that it’s our time upon the stage we’ll take a stand beside the Founders, the Framers, and the Greatest Generation when our children or grandchildren ask us, “Did you do anything to keep liberty alive? we will be able to say more than, “I didn’t notice what was going on,” or “I couldn’t find the remote.”

Dr. Owens teaches History, Political Science, and Religion. He is the Historian of the Future @ http://drrobertowens.com © 2013 Robert R. Owens drrobertowens@hotmail.com Follow Dr. Robert Owens on Facebook or Twitter @ Drrobertowens / Edited by Dr. Rosalie Owens

Take one step into the Staten Island Community Center…

By Michael Pruglo

Take one step into the Staten Island Community Center and Islander’s Kids Learning Day Care Center and you immediately sense something different about this place. There is a mixture of home, community, organization, and belonging all at once. It is difficult to even tell that the entire community was struck by Super storm Sandy just a mere six months prior.

The hallways are decorated with photographs of the children dancing, upcoming picture days, and student work. Children are singing in the different classrooms to songs being played on the piano. The aroma of homemade food fills the building as breakfast is prepared in the kitchen.

The center opened in 2004 to serve the Dongan Hills area of Staten Island, and quickly news spread of its excellence to all of Staten Island, and even New Jersey and Brooklyn. Since then, it has become well known as a center for academic excellence, dance, music, art, summer programs, and Universal Pre-Kindergarten through the City of New York. Unfortunately, the building was severely damaged during the storm, but reopened in less than two months. The people of the community have come together in an incredible effort to rebuild, even better than the original. The first level now has gorgeous, completely redesigned music, dance, and art studios, where the kids can enjoy both: group, and privately scheduled piano, guitar, dance, chess, and art lessons from our highly qualified professionals.

The Islanders Kids Day care center also boasts the New York City Board of Education Universal Pre Kindergarten program, as well as one third of the students entering the City’s Gifted and Talented programs each year. The goal of the Islander’s Kids Learning Center is to bring affordable, well-rounded, advanced education, with high expectations to children 2.0 to 6.0 years old, regardless of race, creed, or cultural background.

The Staten Island Community Center (SICC), school age program goal is to remain as a stable place for children to spend time together in a supervised environment after school. Our teachers pick them up from school, help them with their homework, and provide a nutritious snack. We want to continue to pull school age kids off the streets and provide choices in music, art, and dance so that they can express themselves through the arts. We are providing creative channels for their energy.

The neighborhood is a diverse New York City residential area. The center’s mission is to socialize children in this environment. “We bring all of our children there for their second birthday,” says one mother. “The experience simply cannot be replaced.”

The center’s director/owner, Ella Fridman, has over 30 years of teaching experience in both early childhood education, and music. “We socialize children at a very early age.” The children have obvious routines and enjoy their schedules. They are calm, and make transitions with ease. The entire center runs like clockwork.

Renovations are ongoing after Super storm Sandy both in our building, and in the Staten Island community. Sandy is gone, but we stand up stronger and better than ever!

The Staten Island Thinker Citizens Magazine

“When the people find that they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic. Sell not liberty to purchase power" – Benjamin Franklin