BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Limba - ECPv6.15.20//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-WR-CALNAME:Limba X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://limba.net X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Limba REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/New_York BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20100314T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20101107T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20110313T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20111106T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20120311T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20121104T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20130310T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20131103T060000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20120127T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20120127T000000 DTSTAMP:20260421T182320 CREATED:20120127T050000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20120127T050000Z UID:4477-1327622400-1327622400@limba.net SUMMARY:LIMBA-Dr Pearl Kamer at Farmingdale College\, Knapp Hall DESCRIPTION:Today’s experience at LIMBA was not only an opportunity to learn more about Long Island\, it was also an opportunity for students to see what we do at LIMBA. This meeting was held on the Farmingdale Campus in the University Club. The students in the room were encouraged to participate in the Q&A portion and they did\, enthusiastically. \n  \nDr Pearl Kamer\, Chief Economist for the Long Island Association and President of the Farmingdale College Council was our speaker this morning. \n  \nPearl began with optimistic news about the national economy. The percentage of those without jobs has gone down. The number of people counted among the unemployed had gone down nationwide. The operative word here is "counted". We no longer count those people who have surrendered and are no longer looking for work. In addition to that we give equal status of a job that pays half as much as another job lost the same weight. So if you lose 1\,000 jobs averaging $70\,000 and replace those 1.000 jobs with ones that average $35\,000 your stats will look the same\, but the effect on the economy will be significantly different. It gets worse; part time work is also included. In other words we are getting slightly better\, but we are not "out of the woods" \n  \nDr Kamer addressed the European sovereign risk problem. She is wary of the ill effects of another European collapse. It could happen that there may be trouble ahead \n  \nShe then spoke about the housing crises. She covered the causes. Banks made obtaining a mortgage insanely easy\, and borrowers were irresponsible and unrealistic about their ability to pay. The overhang of foreclosures continue largely because banks are unwilling to make those reductions of principal that would facilitate some people staying in their homes. Others that are in even worse financial shape\, couldn’t hold on to their homes no matter how accommodating the bank became. So the slough out will be long and costly to the society in general. Home values on ALL homes will remain weak during this readjustment. \n  \nManufacturing was another issue handled by the speaker. Manufacturing has been in a long decline for about 5 decades and now comprises about 10% of the national GDP. That could rise with the advent of highly specialized manufacturing. The vocational schools and community colleges are already teaching many of the skills that will be needed. Again education is a long-term commitment with a long-term pay-off. \n  \nWhen we wrapped up the session the students understood the concept of shaping public policy by participating in the discussion with policy makers. The conversation around the room after the meeting convinced me that this was a worthy experiment. Dr Keen\, Farmingdale’s president\, participated in the program and he agreed. URL:https://limba.net/calendar/limba-dr-pearl-kamer-at-farmingdale-college-knapp-hall/ END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20120120T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20120120T000000 DTSTAMP:20260421T182320 CREATED:20120120T050000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20120120T050000Z UID:4496-1327017600-1327017600@limba.net SUMMARY:LIMBA-Taubman Mall at Oyster Bay Property Development DESCRIPTION:  \nDan Perkins working as a consultant to Taubman\, the company that is proposing the Mall at Syosset made a presentation at LIMBA this morning \n  \nTaubman builds malls for high end retailers and they are company that builds specifically to their own standards\, and they enjoy a reputation for quality. They intend to have Nordstom\, Barney’s and other quality retailers in this mall \n  \nThe development they are proposing will have good access to an excellent network of roads. The site was\, in the past contaminated\, but Taubman put the resources into the property to clean it up in 2004. While this has been termed a "Mega-mall" it is only 39 acres\, a fraction of the size of Roosevelt Field\, and 2/3 the size of Walt Whitman Mall. \n  \nAccording to Perkins the property is zoned industrial. Indeed it is surrounded by industrial users\, so the impact on residential users is quite minimal. The commercial use as proposed by Taubman is the issue\, but according to audience member and former utility executive Dr Matt Cordaro\, that site was once considered a prospect for a baseload energy plant. An industrial use of that nature would provide few jobs and would seem to be less desirable than the new proposed use. \n  \nThe mall construction would provide 3500 union scale jobs. The resulting 2000 retail jobs in high value merchandise would be quite high as well. It is expected the salaries would be about $80 million for the people working there. There would be about $5million dollars in tax revenues paid in local real estate taxes\, and there would be little or no stress on the local school system. The presenter made many good points including Taubman’s reputation of being a good neighbor. \n  \nWe at LIMBA are fortunate to have many experts in various disciplines. The following piece was contributed by another LIMBA member\, traffic and planning expert Arvind Vora. \n"Zoning laws have basic purpose of maximum utilization of land for the well being of the people in that jurisdiction\, i.e. Village or Town. For the health of our body well balanced diet is necessary so is the balance use of land for the well being of our communities. For proper use of land master plan is devised and every generation or so it is updated to accommodate changes in our lifestyle and changes in the society. \nThe land where Upscale/Boutique Mall is proposed is currently zoned as an industrial use. Person of Taubman’s stature knows very well that buyer of property undertakes a substantial risk if contemplated purpose of the land is other than industrial. Community would have no ground to oppose any industrial use but they are well within their rights to oppose change of zoning. One can think of many creative industrial usages where traffic mitigations\, community/school opposition and host of other factors commonly labeled NIMBYISM do not play a role. Newly invented chip by IBM or host of high tech product can be manufactured here. \n  \nAs to traffic the land is bounded by best possible transportation network i.e. highways & railroads. Both Northern Parkway and Long Island Expressway are the best possible roadways Long Island has seen and will ever see in the near future. Both roadways carry traffic in excess of design capacity (happens to be the case for all limited access highways in and around NYC.)We traffic engineers are capable of finding mitigating measures but at what cost? Who are the best judges: \nResidents who have invested their life; elected officials\, in power for a short duration; investors\, whose main goal is to increase profits; soft power professionals be they planners\, traffic engineers\, PR \, consultants and so on. \nConstruction jobs\, tax revenues and permanent jobs will be created even with proper industrial usage or for that matter any usage." \n  \nArvind Vora\, a retired traffic Engineer with 40 years of traffic experience on Long Island has not represented any party associated with the Mall in the past or at present. URL:https://limba.net/calendar/limba-taubman-mall-at-oyster-bay-property-development/ END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20120113T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20120113T000000 DTSTAMP:20260421T182320 CREATED:20120113T050000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20120113T050000Z UID:4498-1326412800-1326412800@limba.net SUMMARY:Martin Luther King Jr Holiday weekend- No Meeting DESCRIPTION: URL:https://limba.net/calendar/martin-luther-king-jr-holiday-weekend-no-meeting/ END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20120106T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20120106T000000 DTSTAMP:20260421T182320 CREATED:20120106T050000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20120106T050000Z UID:4495-1325808000-1325808000@limba.net SUMMARY:The newly elected DESCRIPTION:Several elected officials that were victorious in November to discuss the future as they see it URL:https://limba.net/calendar/the-newly-elected/ END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20111230T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20111230T000000 DTSTAMP:20260421T182320 CREATED:20111230T050000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20111230T050000Z UID:4492-1325203200-1325203200@limba.net SUMMARY:LIMBA Holiday recess- NO MEETING DESCRIPTION: URL:https://limba.net/calendar/limba-holiday-recess-no-meeting-2/ END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20111223T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20111223T000000 DTSTAMP:20260421T182320 CREATED:20111223T050000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20111223T050000Z UID:4491-1324598400-1324598400@limba.net SUMMARY:LIMBA Holiday recess- NO MEETING DESCRIPTION:Happy holidays URL:https://limba.net/calendar/limba-holiday-recess-no-meeting/ END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20111216T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20111216T000000 DTSTAMP:20260421T182320 CREATED:20111216T050000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20111216T050000Z UID:4480-1323993600-1323993600@limba.net SUMMARY:Vincent DeMarco Sheiff Suffolk County DESCRIPTION:  \nVincent F. DeMarco\, Sheriff of Suffolk County \n\n \nToday’s speaker at LIMBA was Vincent DeMarco\, Sheriff of Suffolk County\, and frankly I learned few things I did not know before. \n \n  \nThe office of Sheriff has a long history. It was established under constitution of New York State. In the earliest days it was an appointed position and today it is an elected position. \n  \nThe Sheriff’s Department controls all the County Jails that house thousands of prisoners. The sheriff’s office also has ties to Nassau jail facilities and Rikers Island. The sheriff department has many of its employees empowered as police officers and often makes arrests. More recently they have been asked to patrol the Long Island Expressway. County Executive Levy gave this task to them to the chagrin of the Suffolk County Police. According to DeMarco they are asked to be as cooperative as possible while still enforcing traffic violations. They are also asked to accommodate a stranded motorist when there is the opportunity. \n  \nDeMarco spoke about the historic failure of the "correction system" according to him they do not correct behavior they are more likely to make the offender worse. He has taken on programs that are designed to actually modify behavior. "Rehabilitation is less realistic when you are dealing with a 40 year old than when dealing with a younger offender" However Mr. DeMarco told us that even the youngest offenders have a high rate of recidivism. With programs they are using lately the record shows that positive results are possible with youthful offenders. Instead of a 70% recidivism it may now be 40%. That is far from perfect but a clear improvement. \n  \nHe addressed the situation where the inmate should not be in jail at all. Mentally ill people sometimes commit crimes and they need mental health facilities\, not jail\, but they wind up there because no one knows what else to do with them. The care is expensive and not always available. \n  \nThe sheriff department has the inglorious task of evicting people from their homes when there is a default\, or the renter is evicted for non-payment of rent \n  \nThe sheriff’s office is one of those agencies that are big\, but largely out of view. \n \nErnie Fazio \n \n  \n  URL:https://limba.net/calendar/vincent-demarco-sheiff-suffolk-county/ END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20111209T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20111209T000000 DTSTAMP:20260421T182320 CREATED:20111209T050000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20111209T050000Z UID:4488-1323388800-1323388800@limba.net SUMMARY:Holiday Party DESCRIPTION:We usually create a summary of the day’s program. That’s a little difficult to do because this was a festival of the season that unfolded for those in attendance. It was planned but what took place in that room was largely spontaneous and great fun. \nWe invited the great and funny violinist James Graseck. Jim is a man who connects with audience on several levels. One level is that of a superbly talented musician\, another is his great sense of humor. And still another is his loving approach to an audience. There is no doubt about his affection for the people in the room. \nWe hired a new comic this year\, NYC retired firefighter John Larrochia. John\, while being new to the group\, felt very much at home\, and the audience embraced him. The rales of laughter were a great testament to his ability to connect. We loved it. In a conversation with John later he remarked at the responsiveness of the audience and was very happy he made this engagement. \nHere are the individuals and companies we need to thank for this great Holiday Celebration. We needed an uplift and you folks provided it.\nThanks you. \nMerry Christmas and a wonderful Hanukah Season to all.\nMuch love\nErnie Fazio \nNational grid Ray Homberger\nTerry Townsend\nD James Marketing – Doreen & Jim Guma\nEMD Electromotive Designs LLC – Joseph Ambrosio & Partners\nRuskin Moscou & Faltichek-Alex Bateman\nCovanta Energy -John Waffenschmitd\nHoliday Inn -Donna Rizzo\, Eleanor Winick & Derek \nStaff\nBill Miller M&T Bank\nBonnie Cornett\nRenee Hudak\nJustin Savello\nFrank Imburgio- Desktop Solutions \nAnd our wonderful entertainers. URL:https://limba.net/calendar/holiday-party-3/ END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20111202T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20111202T000000 DTSTAMP:20260421T182320 CREATED:20111202T050000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20111202T050000Z UID:4481-1322784000-1322784000@limba.net SUMMARY:Robert McMillan-Healthcare what's new DESCRIPTION:Our speaker this morning was Robert McMillan. Bob has used the experience gained in his varied career to create a series of talks on which he has expert status. One of those areas of knowledge is healthcare insurance and the business of medical practice. While not being a doctor he was on the board of the American medical Association. He was also a board member of Empire Blue Cross. \n  \nHe began by giving us a little background. Teddy Roosevelt was the first president to propose universal healthcare. The topic has come up under the administrations of many different presidents. \n  \n(President Nixon had a plan that was far reaching and better than the plan we have today. That was stopped because in the opinion of Ted Kennedy it did not go far enough. Here is a case of killing the good because you are fighting for the perfect-my note not Mr McMillan’s) \n  \nWhat gave healthcare the nudge was wage and price controls during WWII. Employers were not allowed to raise wages\, so unions bargained for healthcare. Today 61% of all healthcare plans are provided by employers. But costs have been escalating out of proportion to all other costs. Today the cost of the steel in an American automobile is less than the cost of health insurance for the employees that have assembled it. There has been a 100% increase in healthcare costs between 2000 and 2010\, and there is no abatement. The total cost of healthcare is now $2.6 trillion per year. According to McMillan the cost of Medicare is higher than the revenues that are collected to fund it. \n  \nHe reminded the audience that there is a law suit that is heading to the Supreme Court that challenges the constitutionality of the mandate to cover all citizens. The Supreme Court allocates an hour or less to hear most arguments that come before that body. The court has allocated 5 ½ hours to hear this case. That is a testimonial to the complexity of the legislation that they will be judging. \n  \nFrom Bob’s explanation of the new legislation it appears to be unsustainable. The law has requirements that may make it unprofitable\, or at least less profitable. The law requires that 80 % of the premiums on private insurance go to health service and that % is going to rise to 85% in a few years. \n  \nHaving knowledgeable people in the room created the fertile ground for a good Q&A session. "Perhaps we are approaching medical care from the wrong direction maybe we should be looking at the root of the cost spiral" was suggested. Electronic Medical record keeping was suggested and that when completed will no doubt be a big help. Electronic storage and retrieval of medical information such as x-rays is now a reality\, and while the initial cost of conversion is substantial\, the cost operation is a fraction of what it used to be. \nPersonally I came away from the session with the impression that the status quo is bad\, but this legislation may create the impetus for a workable system. URL:https://limba.net/calendar/robert-mcmillan-healthcare-whats-new/ END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20111125T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20111125T000000 DTSTAMP:20260421T182320 CREATED:20111125T050000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20111125T050000Z UID:4486-1322179200-1322179200@limba.net SUMMARY:Thanksgiving No Meeting DESCRIPTION: URL:https://limba.net/calendar/thanksgiving-no-meeting/ END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20111118T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20111118T000000 DTSTAMP:20260421T182320 CREATED:20111118T050000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20111118T050000Z UID:4485-1321574400-1321574400@limba.net SUMMARY:Brookhaven Rail Terminal - Next phase DESCRIPTION:Our speakers today were the operators of the Brookhaven Rail Terminal\, Gerry Drumm and Andy Kaufman \n  \nMany years ago under the leadership of our founder\, Paul Townsend\, LIMBA set as an objective the improvement of rail freight on Long Island. Two years ago LIMBA invited the BRT owners to explain what they thought they could accomplish. We saw what they wanted to do and enthusiastically endorsed their efforts. The town\, under the leadership of Supervisor Mark Lesko\, embraced the idea as well. The community was contacted and they expressed what concerns them. Those concerns were answered by the principals. This is the best and most successful coordination of interested parties I have seen in a long\, long time. This was a text book example of smart negotiations. \n  \nHow important is this rail freight installation? We at LIMBA set a goal of creating a system that would increase rail freight capacity from 2% to 10%. We thought that was an ambitious goal\, and it is\, but consider this. Going to 10% will remove 300\,000 tractor trailers from the LIE. This installation alone will remove 100\,000 trucks from the LIE in the first year. Furthermore the BRT is only built out on 28 acres. They can expand as they build their business on the remaining 90 acres. In other words they will come close to removing 300\,000 trucks with just this facility. The reduced air pollution\, road congestion\, and the reduced need for road repair represents a major win for Long Island. \n  \nThe BRT yard will handle aggregate\, lumber\, appliances\, and generally any cargo that does not need special treatment such as refrigeration. The future plans will include refrigerated warehousing and dry shelter \n  \nThere is so much more that can be done\, however. A few years ago we invited Congressman Nadler to speak at LIMBA\, and he has been a champion of creating a cross harbor freight tunnel from Bayonne to Brooklyn. That tunnel has seen new life recently\, but that will take a number of years to complete. Meanwhile the rail freight barge that connects Bayonne to Brooklyn has been refurbished by the Port Authority. That effort also lends itself to increased rail freight to Long Island. The network of tracks that exist under Brooklyn is extensive and a great asset as we move into the future. \n  \nThere has been $25million invested so far\, when completed $100 million will have been invested \n  \nThe other cooperating entities are the Long Island Railroad under the leadership of Helena Williams and New York and Atlantic Railroad’s Paul Victor. Yes we can get big things done with the right projects and the right efforts. Judy White was the coordinator of this effort. \nCongratulations to all. \n  \nErnie Fazio URL:https://limba.net/calendar/brookhaven-rail-terminal-next-phase/ END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20111111T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20111111T000000 DTSTAMP:20260421T182320 CREATED:20111111T050000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20111111T050000Z UID:4484-1320969600-1320969600@limba.net SUMMARY:Veterans Day - NO MEETING DESCRIPTION: URL:https://limba.net/calendar/veterans-day-no-meeting-2/ END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20111104T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20111104T000000 DTSTAMP:20260421T182320 CREATED:20111104T040000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20111104T040000Z UID:4483-1320364800-1320364800@limba.net SUMMARY:Islip Foreign Trade Zone- Astrid Fidelia DESCRIPTION:Executive Drector of the Foreign Trade Zone\, Astrid Fidelia\, will be our Speaker. The value and benefits the Trade Zone to the Long Island business coimmunity will be the topic. This program will have special significance to people who have an interest in foreign trade. Learn how your business or your clients can benefit. Please join our discussion and gain from the good networking that takes place. \nMeeting will take place at:\nHoliday Inn – 3845 Veterans Memorial Hwy\, Ronkonkoma\nMeeting room opens at 8AM. Meeting begins at 8:30 AM and adjourns at 9:30\n$15 members $ 25 non-members\nRegister on line: www.limba.net/breakfastform.php or call 631 757-1698 URL:https://limba.net/calendar/islip-foreign-trade-zone-astrid-fidelia/ END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20111028T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20111028T000000 DTSTAMP:20260421T182320 CREATED:20111028T040000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20111028T040000Z UID:4482-1319760000-1319760000@limba.net SUMMARY:LIMBA Saving $ on Education with quality- Marty Cantor DESCRIPTION:Marty Cantor was our speaker this morning. Cantor is an economist and has apparently has given his topic\, education costs\, a great deal of thought. \nMarty started out by pointing out that among the anti-competitive elements we are dealing with on Long Island property taxes. About 70% of those taxes are school taxes. The effect of the high costs is lost jobs. In the last 10 years Long Island lost 70\,000 manufacturing jobs. We replaced all but 1700 of those jobs\, but we replaced them with much lower paying jobs. \n  \nWe have virtually no chance of replacing those higher earning people and that places an unsustainable burden on the people. He pointed out that while “green jobs” \nAre being touted as the replacements for those manufacturing jobs. According to Cantor they are mostly coming from the ranks of the heating and air conditioning industry. While those jobs are being saved\, they are adding significantly to the pool of good jobs. Bio-tech jobs are being developed\, but they are being pirated away from Long Island almost as fast as they are being developed. In addition the infrastructure has been neglected making it more difficult to do business here. That backdrop set the tone for the urgency to act. \n  \nThe driving force of education is not teacher’s salaries as much as the cumbersome structure of the system. \n  \nCantor dissected the problem after declaring that there are benefits in creating a town-wide school district. There are school boards that have inexperienced and untrained people on them except for the members that worked in the system and like things just as they are. We need a town-wide elected board that is professional and independent. The rubber stamp boards are people who are highly influenced by the local superintendent. \n  \nThere are as many superintendents as there are school districts on Long Island\, 126. The city of New York has one. There is a professional management of our schools that will resist this consolidation\, and there are those that say consolidation will not save money. That argument just does not hold up. It defies all logic. If you reduce the number of superintendents that have salaries in excess of $275\,000 and you reduce that number to 11 from 126\, that has to save money. There are several other levels of management that work under the superintendents that can also be eliminated. \n  \nThere is equipment that is owned by every school district that can be owned by a town-wide entity\, just as a battalion supplies the military subdivisions\, that it serves. \n  \nThe “Princeton Plan” did not impress Cantor either. That plan segregates schools into grades such as K-3\, 4-6\, 7-9\, 10-12. That could mean that you have 3 children in your family going to three different schools. There’s a real sausage factory feel to that plan\, Cantor doesn’t like it. I don’t know how it saves money and there are social implications that are disturbing. \n  \nAccording to Cantor the 2% tax cap will not solve the cost problem if the schools are not forced to make significant structural changes. The tax cap will cause class sizes to increase because the established bureaucracy will sacrifice the quality of education before they agree to a structure that could eliminate their jobs. The speaker stated that the savings would be about $300 million. \n  \nThere was an idea that could save money that was voiced during the Q&A. We could settle the pension we are obligated to pay with an enormous bond issue that would be a prelude to changing the pensions going forward. There were a couple of people in the audience that have looked at that possibility and they think it has merit. The education system is not like a business that most many of us are used to. In public education we are used to increasing taxes when we run out of cash. That is no longer acceptable \n  \nErnie Fazio URL:https://limba.net/calendar/limba-saving-on-education-with-quality-marty-cantor/ END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20111021T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20111021T000000 DTSTAMP:20260421T182320 CREATED:20111021T040000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20111021T040000Z UID:4493-1319155200-1319155200@limba.net SUMMARY:Steve Levy- Balanced Budget with tough Decisions DESCRIPTION:County Executive Steve Levy requested an opportunity to speak before LIMBA this morning. He believes the budget that he has put on the table will be disturbing to many\, but the measures he is taking are absolutely necessary.\n\nAmong the problems are the Medicaid bills. While they were difficult enough a few years ago they are infinitely worse now. Another issue is pensions. The pensions for County employees are funded by what is known as "defined benefit" plans. This guarantees that the recipient gets the benefit outlined in the plan\, no matter what the underlying investment performance. In a market where investments are falling\, the employer must inject extraordinary amounts of new cash to meet the "defined benefit". Of course we\, the taxpayers\, are the employers. The increased cost over the next two years is between $85 and 95 million. These plans are almost non-existent in the private sector because of this volatility. \n\n\n Another albatross that was thrown at the county was a requirement to build a new $180 million jail\, with an annual operating cost of $20-30 million. In addition\, the occupancy had to be less dense than our children would experience in a college dorm. A sprung on the property of the old jail can withstand 135 mph winds. During the recent tropical storm\, the state insisted that it should be evacuated even though wind were not expected to be anywhere near that strength and in fact did not exceed 55mph. The state is seeking to punish the county for not evacuating the sprung. \n\n\n Levy has had some notably successes in reducing costs\, one such case was to take highly paid police officers off PAL duties and office duties and other non-police functions and put them in the community doing real police work. Another successful move was using sheriff to police the highways. And while sheriff personnel receive the same training as the regular force\, they are paid considerably less. This move saved about $11 million per year. \n\n\n Last year Levy’s budget\, approved by the legislature\, called for the closure of the county owned nursing home and the same of the empty facility. The legislators too the money projected from the sale of the empty facility so that they could pay for member items — and then they joined in a lawsuit to prevent the closure. This resulted in a $20 million hole in the budget. This year Mr. Levy’s budget again calls for the closure of the nursing home again and\, unless that is reversed by the legislature that will save the county $8 million this year and every year thereafter. \n\n\n Mr. Levy does not like the idea of selling off assets that have a recurring use. The nursing home will never be needed again because there are alternatives. Selling off a publicly owned building to private parties\, like the jail as some legislators have suggested\, will create some money to pay the current bills\, but if you have to rent that property back\, it becomes a recurring expense that soon is far more costly than the temporary monetary gain. He gave the example of NY State selling Attica Prison\, and now the state pays dearly for using that asset each year. \n\n\n The county does have some disaster reserves. The legislature and the unions are suggesting that those reserves be used to cover the shortfalls. "No" says Levy\, that makes us vulnerable and next year we may be faced with the same shortfall. Selling valuable assets that are owned by the people and using reserves are not the answer according to Levy. It’s not good management. \n\n Levy admits that these are unpalatable measures\, but it is exactly the type of measures that business people are making in a difficult economic environment. URL:https://limba.net/calendar/steve-levy-balanced-budget-with-tough-decisions/ END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20111014T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20111014T000000 DTSTAMP:20260421T182320 CREATED:20111014T040000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20111014T040000Z UID:4479-1318550400-1318550400@limba.net SUMMARY:Special Prog -Ask the Lawyer-Kaufman Dolowich Voluck & Gonzo DESCRIPTION:"Ask the Lawyer" – October 14\, 2011  \n  \nGary Wirth\, partner in the law firm of Kaufman Dolowich Voluck & Gonzo LLP\, brought to us a program this morning called "Ask the Lawyer." Gary began with pointing out the difference of approach of who pays legal fees. He compared the English system where the losing side pays the fees of both sides\, and the American system where each side pays his own fees. This feature of the legal system never occurred to me. According to Mr. Wirth that system can be adopted by a letter of agreement between the involved parties. It would have to be negotiated before any legal work has begun. The question to Wirth was; "Why put yourself in the position of paying all the legal fees if you lose?" Wirth’s replied that both sides think they are going to win at inception and may therefore make that bet. The concept has the added value of encouraging settlement. I learned something new today. \n  \nWe discussed the value of arbitration and mediation. Most of us didn’t know there was a difference\, but according to Gary\, arbitration is binding and mediation is not. With mediation you may end up in the same place you started except now you had legal fees to pay and no resolution\, and those legal fees can be substantial. \n  \nWe discussed fees too. It is not cut and dried as many of us thought. We may think in terms of hourly rates\, or contingency fees\, but there are variations on those fee structures too. First of all the stated hourly rate can be negotiated. There also can be a fee at inception that will continue as an hourly fee. Or\, there can be a flat case fee. As far as the contingency fee is concerned\, the percentage can be negotiated. A fairly straight forward case of liability\, where the plaintiff is expected to win may be attractive to the counsel if he believes there is a very large settlement expected\, and the time requirement are expected to be reasonable. That was the second lesson of the day. \n  \nSmall Claims Court; Not all legal matters require a lawyer. In Small Claims Court (recent limit is $5\,000) A complaint may be filed for money damages only. While Judges are very precise on the law in a court with a lawyer representing a client\, a plaintiff that is representing himself is offered guidance by the court. For many cases Small Claims Court is appropriate. \n  \nMr. Wirth touched upon other topics and then handled question. \n  \nThis informative format was sponsored by the speaker’s law firm Kaufman Dolowich Voluck & Gonzo\, Woodbury NY. LIMBA thanks you. \n  \nErnie Fazio URL:https://limba.net/calendar/special-prog-ask-the-lawyer-kaufman-dolowich-voluck-gonzo/ END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20111007T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20111007T000000 DTSTAMP:20260421T182320 CREATED:20111007T040000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20111007T040000Z UID:4478-1317945600-1317945600@limba.net SUMMARY:LIMBA- Islip Supervisor - Phil Nolan\, speaker DESCRIPTION:Supervisor Phil Nolan – Oct 7 2011 \nMr. Nolan made his presentation today by pointing out some changes that he made when he took the reins of Islip town government. He began to learn very quickly that there were some questionable practices that needed to be addressed. \nThe practice of confidential pay. These were payments that were made to public employees because they had to handle confidential information. Nolan reasoned that the job description did not make any provisions for this fact\, and that the stated income was all that was needed. According to Nolan this was an excuse to favor a few people. Rescinding those payments resulted in a $625 K/ year savings. \nHe then attacked health plans that were paid in full for part time employees. An employee working 10 hours/ week would be entitled to a $13\,000 health plan (now $18\,000). That was ended. \nAt the same time tax revenues were plummeting. Nolan stated that he did not come into the job with the mind-set at reducing the size of government\, but the economic emergency required\, what sometimes\, were heart breaking decisions. There were 1029 town positions when he came to the job\, and now there 720. The downsizing was achieved mostly by attrition. \nTechnology use in the town was more like 1950 than a modern array of systems. He took on the job of bringing the towns systems into modernity. In conjunction with that effort\, he made permitting a lot faster than in the past. Modern systems and the right attitude were needed to make permitting better on every level faster. There was a workers compensation revue that resulted in a savings of $6.5 million/year \nFuture Considerations\nThe future will include the hub at Ronkonkoma that fellow supervisor of Brookhaven Mark Lesko initiated. This 50 acre development promises to create an efficient transit oriented business grouping\, that will employ many and be in close proximity to the airport\, and the railroad. \nThere were some aspersions cast upon the commissioner of the airport by Mr. Nolan’s opponent\, when he appeared at LIMBA.  Nolan defended Commissioner Theresa Rizutto in no uncertain terms. This insult is an affront that I take personally. "She is a professional that rose quickly in her career due to her hard work\, and dedication." Then he read a few testimonials that were written by LIA president Kevin Law\, LICA executive director Mark Herbst\, and ABLI Executive Director Des Ryan. \nErnie Fazio URL:https://limba.net/calendar/limba-islip-supervisor-phil-nolan-speaker/ END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20110930T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20110930T000000 DTSTAMP:20260421T182320 CREATED:20110930T040000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20110930T040000Z UID:4487-1317340800-1317340800@limba.net SUMMARY:This meeting was rescheduled to 10/21 NO Meeting 9/30 DESCRIPTION: URL:https://limba.net/calendar/this-meeting-was-rescheduled-to-1021-no-meeting-930/ END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20110923T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20110923T000000 DTSTAMP:20260421T182320 CREATED:20110923T040000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20110923T040000Z UID:4465-1316736000-1316736000@limba.net SUMMARY:Utility Grade Electric Storage- Brian Perusse\, AES Energy DESCRIPTION:Stored Energy System for Long Island\nOur speaker this morning was Brian Prusse and the discussion was about the use of batteries to help support the grid. The age-old problem with power plants is the difficulty with matching load to production. Firing up a major power plant takes time. On the other hand\, the moment you activate a switch you expect the power to be there. Loads in the system are constantly changing and these plants need to over produce or risk a brownout. By having reliable storage that can be almost instantaneously introduced\, the power company can produce power closer to the projected need and be more efficient. \n  \nNuclear was introduced to the utility systems about 40 years ago and those plants were designed to produce a base load. Nuclear plants are not easily regulated and work best when producing a steady flow. That makes nuclear suitable for the base amount of power with the peaks being met by so-called peakers that can be fired up relatively quickly. But even these peakers take a little time to meet the perceived load. Batteries can meet the load almost instantly. Utility scale storage has application for the nuclear industry even if not a single new nuclear plant is ever built. \n  \nAnother strategy for load leveling is a very sophisticated and robust transmission system. Being able to move power to where it is needed employs automated systems that we have.  That strategy works better in the open spaces of the country than in places like Long Island where no one wants to see the power transmission facility built\, and even that strategy is not a perfect solution. \n  \nMr. Perusse gave us a little history on the AES Company. AES has a presence in many places in the world as generating company\, and began solving the problem of variable needs for their own installations. They began by solving small scale problems and as technology advances allowed they were able to tackle power systems that would have been cost prohibitive in the past. \n  \nThe future may include a large scale use of batteries that are installed in cars. During the evening the cars will absorb cheaply created power and reintroduce that power at a time in the day that would be advantages to the utility company. However we are not there yet\, and it may be some time before enough electric cars are in place to accomplish this kind of load leveling. In the meantime battery technology has gotten less costly and safer. \n  \n AES created a plant in Chile and that system has worked very well. There is a 32-megawatt storage plant that is being built in South Carolina and there is an 8-megawatt storage facility in Johnson City near Binghamton. The proposed plant for Long Island is much larger than the previously built storage systems at 400 Megawatts. That sounds big and it is big\, but compared to the size of the Long island system it is small. We can generate 5800 megawatts if needed and about 2000 of those megawatts are produced by older\, dirtier and less efficient plants. This 400 MW can be introduced almost instantly and that feature by itself creates a scenario where we actually can produce less power so the capacity will be able to serve the region. URL:https://limba.net/calendar/utility-grade-electric-storage-brian-perusse-aes-energy/ END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20110916T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20110916T000000 DTSTAMP:20260421T182320 CREATED:20110916T040000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20110916T040000Z UID:4466-1316131200-1316131200@limba.net SUMMARY:Randi Busse- Special Program-Retaining customers and clients DESCRIPTION:LIMBA program speaker Randi Busse \n  \nThe program at LIMBA was different from our usual format. Instead of having a high profile Long Islander\, we have a professional speaker. Randi Busse usually speaks to corporate America clients\, and her topic today about building the loyalty of your customer base. \n  \nAfter asking her audience to participate by telling her what we thought customers valued. She created a list and turned it around asked the audience. "Isn’t this what you expect as a customer?" \n  \nThe thought that the sales person is in fact "in business for himself" was explored. An employee that sells as if he owned the place is desirable trait. That sense of "ownership" is the basis of successfully connecting with the client. That ownership shows itself in the completed service the sales person is willing to commit. \n  \nRandi discussed the impersonal approach that many corporations use by employing outsourced customer service. The service employees could be anywhere in the world\, and they could be reading from a book. They often speak very good English but do not know the idiosyncrasies of the American dialect. \n  \nBusse discussed the economics of retaining customers. It costs about six times more to create a new customer than to properly service an existing account. The experience of the audience seemed to agree that there is great value in selling to established accounts. There are needs that are always changing. If you as the sales person are not there to inform\, and guide\, you will not be around to complete sale of newly acquired need. \n  \nIt was interesting to see that the audience appeared to be so receptive. Perhaps we all know how to be thoughtful and see where we can be of better service to our client base\, but in our pursuit of new business we neglect one important detail. People want to be treated with respect. URL:https://limba.net/calendar/randi-busse-special-program-retaining-customers-and-clients/ END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20110909T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20110909T000000 DTSTAMP:20260421T182320 CREATED:20110909T040000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20110909T040000Z UID:4475-1315526400-1315526400@limba.net SUMMARY:Tom Croci - Candidate -Islip Town Supervisor DESCRIPTION:Yesterday’s speaker was Tom Croci. Croci has served as a Navel intelligence officer and also served in the George Bush Whitehouse\, and is now in the reserves. He is the Republican candidate for the supervisor of Islip Town. He told us that he was new to politics and his motivation is that of frustration rather than political ambition. \n  \nHe believes that strong leadership and determination sometimes works well in the political arena. He gave as an example the man he is now working for\, Lee Zelden. Zeldin was given no chance of creating legislation that rescinded the MTA. It’s a tax that just about everyone thinks is an unfair tax (that would include LIMBA). He stated that Zelden was successful in passing the legislation in the Senate. It now must go to the Assembly and be signed by the Governor. He thinks it will pass. \n  \nCroci said local government "must remove the choke hold on business". Deregulation will help business work more efficiently and get out of the way. During the Q&A he was asked about the type of regulation that protects the public\, such as airline safety rules. He appeared to be OK with that. \n  \nMr. Croci thinks that there is a disincentive for bureaucrats to be more helpful. The incentive to do less and risk little is greater than the incentive to expedite work. One questioner remembered that the administration of Mike LoGrande when he was Islip Supervisor there was a timetable for processing development plans and LoGrande was on top of things. Rejections were swift and final and so were approvals. Today the timidity of the people making these decisions ties up a developers resources too long. Even when the project is approved much time has elapsed and a lot of legal and planning resources have been spent. Perhaps Leadership needs to be more supportive of the people on staff as well defining guidelines for them. \n  \nTom Croci appears to actually think about the questions asked of him. I did not see any rapid fire canned responses to questions that are right out of a political catechism. \n  \n  \n  URL:https://limba.net/calendar/tom-croci-candidate-islip-town-supervisor/ END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20110902T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20110902T000000 DTSTAMP:20260421T182320 CREATED:20110902T040000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20110902T040000Z UID:4473-1314921600-1314921600@limba.net SUMMARY:Labor Day Holiday- No Meeting DESCRIPTION: URL:https://limba.net/calendar/labor-day-holiday-no-meeting/ END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20110826T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20110826T000000 DTSTAMP:20260421T182320 CREATED:20110826T040000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20110826T040000Z UID:4472-1314316800-1314316800@limba.net SUMMARY:OPEN DESCRIPTION: URL:https://limba.net/calendar/open/ END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20110819T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20110819T000000 DTSTAMP:20260421T182320 CREATED:20110819T040000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20110819T040000Z UID:4474-1313712000-1313712000@limba.net SUMMARY:Serota Properties Bram Weber and Michael Cassidy Presenting DESCRIPTION:Bram Weber and Michael Cassidy – August 19\, 2011\n \n  \nThis morning we had a presentation on a large multi use development project in the Town of Islip. The presentation was delivered by developer Serota Properties’ Michael Cassidy and Bram Weber of the Weber Law Group\, who are representing the company. \n  \nIslip Pines \nThe Plan calls for a multi-use development that includes residential\, commercial/industrial and retail uses on approximately 136 acres. It is located where Sunrise Highway and Veterans Memorial Highway meet. \n  \nHousing \nThe housing is one and two bedroom residences that should be attractive to singles in the workforce housing market and people who are downsizing. The implication here is that it will generate real estate and school tax but are not expected to generate many school children. The net effect on the area should be positive. The developer expects the price of the units to be in the 250k range. \n  \nRetail \nThis walkable community will have local retail stores that will be convenient and attractive. Landscaping and generous sidewalks with dining opportunities tend to make it hospitable. \n  \nIndustrial/ Commercial \nInstead of risking the future to unplanned warehouse and other uses that are permitted under present zoning\, the developer would like to see quality smaller industrial development and significant commercial development that could employ the residents of the plan. Under that rubric a 200 room hotel is planned as well as a cinema. \n  \nOpen Space \nApproximately 4.1 acres will be set aside for\, tennis courts\, playing fields and a first class recreational building. With parking. All of the facilities will be open to the surrounding Islip residents as well as the on-campus residents. \n  \nEconomic Impact \nThere will be about 900 construction jobs generated during the 3 ½ years of construction and 2600 permanent jobs when the plan is fleshed out. Presently the property generates less than $500K in taxes. After being developed the estimated tax collection goes up to $6 million. \n  \nEnergy \nThe plan calls for energy efficiency in all of the structures\, low water use landscaping plantings\, cool roof technology\, use of renewable energy resources. And locally produced building materials that meet that criteria. The energy plan is includes having the LIPA lines run underground. \n  \nThis meeting gave the presenters an opportunity to meet some of our members. At LIMBA we encourage the networking with the presenters and there were many discussions after the meeting closed. For more info and conceptual drawings go to \n  \nhttp://www.serotaproperties.com/islip_pine.html    URL:https://limba.net/calendar/serota-properties-bram-weber-and-michael-cassidy-presenting/ END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20110812T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20110812T000000 DTSTAMP:20260421T182320 CREATED:20110812T040000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20110812T040000Z UID:4476-1313107200-1313107200@limba.net SUMMARY:Nassau District Atty Kathleen Rice at Adelphi DESCRIPTION: Kathleen Rice – August 12\, 2011\n  \nNassau County DA\, Kathleen Rice\, was our speaker this morning at a meeting we held at Adelphi. Kathleen asked what message she could deliver to the business community as District Attorney. It was question that was answered by the fact that law enforcement allows for honest business people to prosper. \n  \nDA Rice began by talking about white collar crime. The term sounds genteel but the damage done to society can be deep and pervasive. She does not consider white collar crime any less important than outright thuggery. Another big agenda item with Kathleen is drunk driving. This crime is cateregorized as a felony\, largely \nbecause of her efforts. Ignition interlock is a system that was implemented by her office to prevent a drunk driver from driving his or her car. It’s not fool proof and it does not detect other drugs\, but most impaired driving is still caused by alcohol consumption \n  \nAccording to Ms Rice drug use and street sales of drugs have resulted in a heavy prison population that would be better handled as rehab\, and re-education cases. At the same time those programs while breaking the cycle of conviction\, jail\, and repeat arrests are cheaper to administer. \n  \nIn dealing with juvenile crime has taken a softer approach. She is convinced that juvenile incarceration only makes the problems a youthful offender may have are doomed to get worse with incarceration. The "Youth Corp" that was begun during her watch addresses most youth problems better and cheaper than incarceration. \n  \nThe veterans are also a concern of hers. The veterans come back from battle with mental wounds that are deeper and more life changing than the loss of a limb. For this effort the "Veterans Corp" was created. Many of these vets are on drugs or using alcohol. It serves no one to treat these vets\, who have already given much\, to treat their afflictions in the criminal justice system \n  \nShe brought to our attention the use of prescription drugs by young people. A lot of the drugs were legally obtained by another family member that needed them fore pain or treatment for a traumatic experience. The over prescribing by doctors of these drugs aggravates the problem. There is also the presentation of phony Rx’s that are presented to the druggist for controlled substances. Again the approach is better if it is more to rehabilitate than to be punitive. \n  \nLastly Rice discussed human trafficking. A problem that most of us are not very aware of\, but according to Rice it is a big problem and widespread. It is a problem that her office has made some inroads against. \n\nIn getting back to Rice’s opening question about law enforcement and business the conclusion is that a civil society that has good laws that are vigorously adhered to creates a climate of trust and security. Knowing that a business can expect redress to those criminals that are so destructive community allows us all to go about our business. \n\n  \nNext week we have a very important meeting that will be held at our usual location in the Holiday Inn. The discussion will be about a major redevelopment plan in Islip. Please be there as this could mean opportunities for many local businesses. Announcement was in this week’s LIBN. Look for your email Monday \n  \nErnie Fazio URL:https://limba.net/calendar/nassau-district-atty-kathleen-rice-at-adelphi/ END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20110729T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20110729T000000 DTSTAMP:20260421T182320 CREATED:20110729T040000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20110729T040000Z UID:4469-1311897600-1311897600@limba.net SUMMARY:Proffessor Karl Grossman -Nuclear Power-Is it Safe? DESCRIPTION:Karl Grossman – July 29\, 2011\n \n  \nProfessor of Journalism\, SUNY/College at Old Westbury \n  \nThis morning Mr. Karl Grossman addressed LIMBA about nuclear power and his experience as an investigative reporter. His knowledge of the topic is encylopedic and his passion for the topic is deep and genuine. Mr. Grossman’s bio is available on wikipedia. \n  \nMr. Grossman began by describing his early years as a reporter on Long Island. He was instrumental in keeping a four lane highway from being built on Fire Island\, despite the plans by the powerful community planner Robert Moses. Mr Grossman related that in those early years as a reporter\, he learned to answer the all important question – "how do things really work?" For instance\, the claims made by Moses that the highway was required to shore up beach land could be proven to be untrue. Eventually the highway project was scrapped by getting the area classified as "National Seashore". Grossman remembers that Paul Townsend (founder of LIMBA) was also instrumental in this effort. \n  \nMr Grossman then related a quote from Adam Rickover\, considered the father of naval reactors. According to Mr Grossman\, Rickover made statements in his retirement address that nuclear power was a mistake\, and should be banned to save future generations. Grossman then relayed a history of nuclear power\, and how it was born from the famous group of WWII ‘Manhattan Project’ scientists working to beat Germany in the race to harness a nuclear bomb. According to Grossman\, the years after World War II saw a concerted effort by the US Government to use nuclear power in civilian settings such as nuclear power plants. Brookhaven National Labs was founded in order to advance this particular purpose. As nuclear power gained momentum\, many US universities received funding as well. Of course big businesses such as Westinghouse and GE became the world leader in supplying the nuclear plants. Mr. Grossman contends this created a generation of business people\, scientists and academics who are champions of nuclear power because it is their main source of income. \n  \nGrossman related how a nuclear power plant works: it creates nuclear waste which\, in some cases\, must be isolated from any other life forms for a million years. He also pointed out that there is always some trace radation leakage (some is even allowed by Federal agencies)\, and that current research indicates all exposure to radiation\, even traces\, is harmful. \n  \nGrossman then spoke specificially about Long Island’s involvement in the history of Nuclear Power. According to Grossman\, power plants to be built within New York City were deemed unsafe and therefore were plans were relocated to Long Island. Lilco needed the cash infusion and was eager to build the plants. The never opened Shoreham plant was only to be the first of many on Long Island. Mr. Grossman contends that Long Island could have been the site of a Fukushima type disaster if these multiple plants had been built. Grossman also spoke about the Fukushima disaster – specifically he contends that press and government are not forthcoming in exposing the health problems that this disaster will bring. \n  \nMr. Grossman then spoke about many types of renewable energy: solar\, geothermal and wind. Mr. Grossman quoted a number of sources\, including the UN\, that indicate that 100% of the world’s energy needs can be supplied with renewable power. According to Mr Grossman\, the need for nuclear power is obsolete. Grossman related that he has had an energy audit created in his residence by Jay Best of Green Audit USA and now has enough solar power in his own home so that he will not pay anything for electric bills this year and may even have a small credit. \n  \nMr. Grossman concluded by echoing Admiral Rickover’s call to ban nuclear power\, and reminded us of his initial motivation: to learn "how do things really work". \n  \nAs always there were a number of questions from LIMBA members. Mr. Grossman relayed that in other countries\, a ‘green party’ has helped force change through the democratic process. He is dismayed that this process does seem to be possible here in the US. He also answered a question relating to other\, innovative sources of renewable energy such as photovoltaic being developed at the National Renewable Lab. \n  \nLIMBA was very pleased to such a knowledgeable and experienced speaker address us this morning. URL:https://limba.net/calendar/proffessor-karl-grossman-nuclear-power-is-it-safe/ END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20110722T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20110722T000000 DTSTAMP:20260421T182320 CREATED:20110722T040000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20110722T040000Z UID:4459-1311292800-1311292800@limba.net SUMMARY:Speaker Angie Carpenter DESCRIPTION:Our speaker Friday morning\, Angie Carpenter\, is a person that is very well known to most of us. Ms. Carpenter presently serves as the Suffolk County Treasurer\, but she has also served as a county legislator. \n  \nShe began as an independent business owner who frequently spoke up when local issues were being discussed. As a result friends told her she should run for office\, a notion she dismissed out of hand\, at least at first. Events of the day have a way of dictating your next move. When Rick Lazio ran against Tom Downey he was given the smallest of chances of winning\, but he did\, and that left Rick Lazio’s seat in the Suffolk County Legislature vacant. Angie decided this was her time and won that position. \n  \nAs a legislator Angie took the job serious and served on many committees. The time commitment caused her to close her business and devote all of her work to the county. She discussed the need for and the dedication of municipal workers. According to Carpenter they are for the most part dedicated and hard working\, with the exceptions that you’ll find in any business\, private or public. \n  \nBecause of her serious involvement in many issues that were dealt with by the legislators Carpenter feels she has a good understanding of the needs of the county. She expressed a confidence in her ability to serve as County Executive and then fielded questions. \n  \nIn the audience was Bob McMillan\, Former Chairman of the Panama Canal Commission and candidate for US Senate. He will be making a presentation on immigration in the near future. He is in the closing picture today. \n  \nErnie Fazio URL:https://limba.net/calendar/speaker-angie-carpenter/ END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20110715T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20110715T000000 DTSTAMP:20260421T182320 CREATED:20110715T040000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20110715T040000Z UID:4467-1310688000-1310688000@limba.net SUMMARY:Therea Rizzuto -Islip MacArthur - New role Metro N Y DESCRIPTION:Teresa Rizzuto is the Commissioner of our local airport\, Long Island MacArthur Airport. She spoke to us this morning. This airport has been a valued asset to the region for a long time. It is an economic engine that provides 6\,000 direct and indirect jobs. In the entire state the aviation industry contributes $50 billion dollars to the New York economy and employs 400\,000 people. In other words\, this is a serious industry\, and our airport is relatively small. \n  \nLong Island MacArthur Airport serves scheduled commercial and general aviation (private planes). It is the only airport with that dual purpose and that makes the facility that much more valuable. \n  \nThe airport is in a position today where it is actually handling less commercial traffic than it did a few years going from 2.6 million passengers to 1.7 million today. We believe that part of the problem is that LIMA has not been listed as a New York Airport. That has changed or it is about to change. Of the airports that serve the metropolitan region about 3 million people would be better served by using LIMA. If you measure the elements of flying\, which include the proximity to the airport\, ease of travel and parking when you get there\, LIMA is a better choice for Long Islanders. \n  \nWhat we need are more airlines servicing the airport and therefore more flights. It’s a chicken and the egg situation. If you campaign to bring more passengers the loading gates there had better be planes to accommodate them. The airlines are reluctant to establish routes to the airport because currently the traffic looks like it isn’t there. We believe that the traffic would be there if the planes were there. After all\, the traffic was considerably higher in the past. Where did those passengers go? Well they went to JFK\, LaGuardia and Newark. I have flown out of all of those airports at one time or another as well as LIMA\, and believe me LIMA is better. \n  \nYears ago we had the same problem\, and the town at that time was losing money on the airport and was considering closing it. Our organization\, LIMBA\, created an awareness program called "Use It or Lose It" It worked. \n  \nThe Port of New York Authority owns the airports to the west. The Town of Islip owns LIMA. The PA is not sympathetic to the needs of Long Island. It appears that they would rather corral the air travel to the airports they own. That’s good for them but bad for traveling public on Long Island. \n  \nMs. Rizzuto spoke about marshaling the forces of the business community to create a new awareness program. At the same time we must convince the present carriers that we can increase the business and perhaps get other carriers to commit to flying out of our hometown airport. \n  \nSo far we are not thinking that LIMA will be a full fledged international airport\, but international flights through Toronto Canada would be feasible because Toronto already clears international traffic heading to the US \n  \nJet Blue is considering expansion of their system to Providence RI or\, alternately Long Island. If we can’t convince them that Long Island is a more viable choice\, we’re not very good salesmen. I don’t believe we are afraid of losing the LIMA facility but we could\, and it is in our best interest to retain a robust airport that makes it attractive to locate businesses nearby. \n  \nErnie Fazio URL:https://limba.net/calendar/therea-rizzuto-islip-macarthur-new-role-metro-n-y/ END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20110708T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20110708T000000 DTSTAMP:20260421T182320 CREATED:20110708T040000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20110708T040000Z UID:4468-1310083200-1310083200@limba.net SUMMARY:Robert Catell\, Chairman- Adanced Energy Center\, DESCRIPTION:This morning our speaker was Bob Catell\, Chairman of the Advanced Energy Research and Technology Center at SUNY Stony Brook. Stony Brook’s Vice President of Economic Development Dr Yacov Shamash was there to introduce the speaker. \n  \nMr. Catell began by giving a little background on the needs the center will be addressing in terms of energy generation and making the distribution grid more responsive and efficient. "If Thomas Edison could come back today he would not only recognize it\, he would be able to fix it" according to Catell. This does not mean that the system is in bad shape\, it means it hasn’t fundamentally changed. \n  \nNatural gas is an area of Bob’s expertise and he gave us a briefing on how we have discovered that there is a lot more gas that can be mined than we previously thought. He discussed the controversy of the mining process known as Hydro-fracking or fracking. The process has the potential for harm if not properly executed\, but by putting watershed areas off limits the process can be safe. The Marcelles Shale has the estimated potential of sixty years of production to meet the needs of the country (15 trillion cubic meters)\, and the fact is we do not know the true potential. It could be considerably more. \n  \nThe AERTC is working on various methods of electric energy production as well as strategies that will vastly increase efficiency. These efforts are actually the collective efforts of many entrepreneurs and inventors working in an environment that "incubates" ideas and grows companies that will hopefully someday prosper.. Inventors and innovators are often inspired by each others success and basic understanding of one technology can lead to insight in another. \n  \nThe Advanced Energy Center and CEWIT are working on grid schemes that will redirect\, curtail and do what is needed to avoid a general black-out. At present cascading power failures are possible and we don’t know what the system is doing at any given time. If the grid could self diagnose\, redirect power\, and lop off troubled areas without human intervention\, major failures would be a thing of the past. \n  \nIn addition a robust\, fully integrated\, and efficient system would be able to accommodate all the various power sources that are being developed. Among those advancing technologies is wind generation\, which increased\, in the past year by 50% \n  \nSolar power converts about 16% of the sun hitting it. Technologies that are presently being developed could go to 50%. That would be a remarkable increase and the implication is lower cost and smaller collection areas. \n  \nAll kinds of generation must be embraced according to Catell. River flow generators\, wind\, solar tidal flow are all going to be employed in the places the make sense.  "There is no magic bullet" as Catell put it. \n  \nStill with all of the innovations the best potential lies with efficiency\, and all of this would help on issues such as air pollution\, oil imports\, costs\, and of course jobs\, jobs\, jobs. URL:https://limba.net/calendar/robert-catell-chairman-adanced-energy-center/ END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20110701T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20110701T000000 DTSTAMP:20260421T182320 CREATED:20110701T040000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20110701T040000Z UID:4471-1309478400-1309478400@limba.net SUMMARY:No Meeting Holiday weekend- Happy and safe 4th DESCRIPTION: URL:https://limba.net/calendar/no-meeting-holiday-weekend-happy-and-safe-4th/ END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR