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X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Limba
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20060707T000000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20060707T000000
DTSTAMP:20260423T192041
CREATED:20060707T040000Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20060707T040000Z
UID:4199-1152230400-1152230400@limba.net
SUMMARY:NO Meeting
DESCRIPTION:
URL:https://limba.net/calendar/no-meeting-12/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20060623T000000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20060623T000000
DTSTAMP:20260423T192041
CREATED:20060623T040000Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20060623T040000Z
UID:4193-1151020800-1151020800@limba.net
SUMMARY:Trevor Davis -Small Bus Financial services
DESCRIPTION:This morning’s informative breakfast meeting was about banking. Not traditional banking\, but the kind of banking that can and does help the small business person.\n \nTime was\, according to Community Development Corporation’s Trevor Davis\, when your banker could make an assessment of the lender that would take into consideration unusual and non-recurring events. For example a bankruptcy that was caused by a tragic health problem\, would put a small business lender out of consideration in the traditional banking community. However a loan officer in CDC could make a lending decision based on more complete knowledge of the borrower.\n \nPrior to the time that bankers went to a numerical rating system\, the traditional bankers would do that too\, now those otherwise credit worthy applicants are referred to banks like CDC.\n \nMr. Davis said that there are four kinds of small businesses entrepreneurs and all are important\n1) Survival – I’m in business because I lost my job at GE and I have to survive\n2)Lifestyle – I’m doing what I love and great wealth is of secondary importance\n3)Serial – Create businesses and later sell them or close them depending on viability.\n4) Growth-Here the purpose is to create personal wealth\, and community wealth\, with an eye toward creating a large company\, perhaps even going public.  \n \nNot all of the above\, perhaps none of the above\, would qualify for traditional lending\n \nTraditional bankers have a loan loss expectancy of 1%. The CDC has a default rate of about 4%. I asked if that rate of loss was sustainable\, and the answer was\, yes\, for various reasons including\, that there is no obligation for his bank to show a profit. Other reasons are that there are grants and donations from government and traditional banks to help CDC perform a valuable service.. The good news is that 96% of the loans are paid back\, and that has a social value to the region because many of these small businesses exist because of lay-offs caused by a constantly changing economy.\n \nMr Davis brought up an interesting development that is now being supported by Walmart and Home Depot. Walmart has been offering training for businesses. With the idea that both the local retailer and the big box store can co-exist. Indeed I have seen it happen several times. If you need a supplier that can also answer many of your question\, chances are you’ll be heading to your local hardware store\, not Home Depot. Perhaps the pressure exerted against these retailing giants has borne some significant fruit. These small\, in town stores\, are the natural clientele of the CDC\, and it is important good news that there appears to be a stabilization. That stabilization is aided by the resources made available by banks like the CDC. 
URL:https://limba.net/calendar/trevor-davis-small-bus-financial-services/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20060616T000000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20060616T000000
DTSTAMP:20260423T192041
CREATED:20060616T040000Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20060616T040000Z
UID:4191-1150416000-1150416000@limba.net
SUMMARY:Roger Corbin
DESCRIPTION:“The taxes are so high it’s ridiculous” That was the opening statement from Nassau County legislator Roger Corbin at LIMBA this morning. Mr Corbin admitted that what was needed to change things would be difficult.Taking a page out of Ronald Reagan’s book when he could not advance his programs because he was faced with a Democratically dominated congress. said “I’m going to the people” Corbin quoted Reagan. And that’s just what Mr. Corbin is about.\nThe tax disparity in the various tax districts are substantial\, leaving the poorer districts with little industrial and commercial taxes to support them suffering. That\, according to Corbin\, must be corrected. \nRoger cited the cost of schools and the many school districts that the schools that make up the system. He has the firm belief that the schools can be consolidated\, and save an enormous amount of money without adversely affecting the quality of education. He cited as an example the school system in Montgomery County\, Maryland. Since consolidation the schools system is far less costly\, and improved in quality. Recently an evaluation of those schools put them among the 5 best systems in the country. \nMr. Corbin brought to our attention the numerous fire districts citing the ludicrous duplication and inefficiencies in the structure of the this ad hoc creation of these departments. Libraries were another example of inefficiency. Comparing Long Islands balkanized libraries to the citywide system of New York City. “In New York City you can borrow a book in Manhattan and return it in Staten Island.” stated Corbin. “It’s one system.”\nAccording to Corbin these are 19th century policies\, and must be changed Paraphrasing Reagan Corbin said “knock down these tax walls”\nAmong the other topics Roger spoke about was energy independence. He suggested that municipalities should step up and use the solar electric opportunities that presently exist. He said NY State\, and more specifically Long Island should be manufacturing solar panels.  \nThe Corbin’s articulation of the numerous opportunities that we are squandering reminded me of LIMBA’s founder\, Paul Townsend\,  when he was writing his weekly column.
URL:https://limba.net/calendar/roger-corbin/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20060609T000000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20060609T000000
DTSTAMP:20260423T192041
CREATED:20060609T040000Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20060609T040000Z
UID:4194-1149811200-1149811200@limba.net
SUMMARY:Civil Liberties Union - Dolores Bilges
DESCRIPTION:This morning we had a presentation from Dolores Bilges\, Executive Director of the NY Civil Liberties Union. NYCLU is the local representatives of the national organization\, ACLU. \n \nWe\, or at least I\, had the image of a large organization with an active agenda. Not so! The NYCLU is a small organization with no legal staff. When they get a complaint and need a lawyer to bring suit\, they hire one or more lawyers. There is however an active board of directors. What surprised me was the makeup of the board. Seventy percent of the board are registered Republicans. \n \nAccording to Ms. Bilges\, the Civil Liberties Union has only one client\, the Constitution of the United States\, and in particular The Bill of Rights. Any suit brought on behalf of any person or group of persons is principally designed to protect those guaranteed freedoms \n \nWe discussed the PATRIOT Act in some detail. The CLU actually supports the bulk of the provisions in the act. However they take exception to the ability to harvest library records\, medical records and other personal information without a warrant. At the same time the PATRIOT Act forbids the person or institution that supplies records from disclosing that the records have been turned over.. \n \nWhen we began the Q&A portion the discussion was lively to say the least. There were some that felt that as long as you have done nothing wrong\, you have nothing to fear. Others were more adamant about keeping the ordinary citizens secrets\, just that\, secret. As the discussion continued there were nuanced rejoinders\, where participants were able to agree that some basic freedoms can be\, and must be\, protected\, while at the same time aggressively tracking terrorists.\n \nAs we were thanking our speaker\, I said that this was a good and honest debate from people who had differences on the topic. This is the debate that never took place in Congress. After 9/11 we were all so eager to stop the carnage demonstrated by the savage blow delivered to America. In their haste and fear Congress approved what many people now see as an over reaction. Of course\, not all the audience saw it that way\, but many of them on both sides of the argument said they were pleased that they attended.
URL:https://limba.net/calendar/civil-liberties-union-dolores-bilges/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20060602T000000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20060602T000000
DTSTAMP:20260423T192041
CREATED:20060602T040000Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20060602T040000Z
UID:4190-1149206400-1149206400@limba.net
SUMMARY:Homeland Security - Ken Morelly
DESCRIPTION:Ken Morrelly\, President of Long Island Forum for Technology (LIFT) made a presentation this morning on Homeland Security. The state of New York has allotted $25 Million to establish a center for the development of new products that will be used in the effort to protect the nation. This will not be an incubator. The idea is to use technology that is presently available and apply that technology to the needs of security. The physical plant will be occupied by 20 different companies around the state. There will be a high tech theater to illustrate the various ideas that will be explored. Each of the 20 cells will be peopled by 2 individuals from these 20 participating companies. The site will be linked with the various companies throughout the state.\nThe upper floor will be occupied by Northrop Grumman\, and their mission will be homeland defense. They will have 150 people in the building. Some of the validation of present technology will have applications in defense. Otherwise the technology will be used to help create security systems. Mr. Morrelly pointed out to us the there is a distinction between Homeland Security and Homeland Defense.\nThey expect that in an environment such as this there will be cross pollination of ideas as well as a transference of ideas in systems that they are not presently using what is otherwise known. The chance that serendipity will come into play is great.\nWhile working for New York Telephone company many years ago we did something like this quite by accident. When we deployed personnel to tend to an emergency situation in another city the crafts people traded information on procedures that were not used in their home districts. The learning process was amazing even though we all worked from the very same manuals throughout the country they were able to innovate\, and those effective innovations were now taken home when the emergency was over. I expect we will see a similar transference of knowledge in this project.\nLIMBA has as one of its action projects high speed ferries. Another is better access to rail freight. When asked if these issues would be able to benefit from this center\, Morrelly said that transportation was not one of the issues that the center considered\, but those issues do have a homeland security aspect. \nPictured:  Ken Morrelly\, President of Lift and Pat Howley Executive Director of LIFT
URL:https://limba.net/calendar/homeland-security-ken-morelly/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20060526T000000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20060526T000000
DTSTAMP:20260423T192041
CREATED:20060526T040000Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20060526T040000Z
UID:4189-1148601600-1148601600@limba.net
SUMMARY:NO MEETING MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND
DESCRIPTION:
URL:https://limba.net/calendar/no-meeting-memorial-day-weekend/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20060519T000000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20060519T000000
DTSTAMP:20260423T192041
CREATED:20060519T040000Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20060519T040000Z
UID:4188-1147996800-1147996800@limba.net
SUMMARY:Lisa Strahs Lorenc -- Long Island Works
DESCRIPTION:This morning our speaker was Lisa Strahs Lorenc\, representing Long Island Works. LI Works was initially set in motion through the offices of LIA. The organization  promotes the interests of businesses and working people.They have several programs such as the intern program\, but this morning we discussed the problem of housing our workforce.\nsee www.nextgenerationhousing.com \n \nEvery major company on Long Island has difficulty securing good workers because the cost of housing is so high. Even though the wages\, in many cases are higher than other states and localities\, there is no way that a competitive business can afford to retain employees by matching wages with the cost of housing. \n \nMs. Lorenc went through the various strategies for providing reasonable housing. She cited a program at Grumman that helps support the down payment of an employee’s home.And there are several programs like the Grumman plan. There is also Habitat for Humanity\, The Housing Partnership. and some private interest builders trying to make a dent in the problem. But the problem continues to grow. What is clear is that the problem will not be solved with one simple solutions\, but rather a myriad of solutions. No silver bullets.\n \nLisa went through some of the “reasons” that more is not done. There is clearly an undertone that the people who would be populating these workforce housing arrangements would be flooding our schools with children\, or they may disturb the racial make-up of the neighborhood\, or that they would be people who would not strive to better themselves. All of these assumptions are myths. We will be providing for the people that are technicians\, medical workers\, and skilled people who\, historically\,  have an excellent record of creating a better life for themselves. \n \nChannel 20 will be airing a program that will address this issue and have Ms. Lorenc as a guest The program is Empowered Voices. It will be shown several times.\n \nGreat meeting\, thanks to all who attended.
URL:https://limba.net/calendar/lisa-strahs-lorenc-long-island-works/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20060512T000000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20060512T000000
DTSTAMP:20260423T192041
CREATED:20060512T040000Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20060512T040000Z
UID:4186-1147392000-1147392000@limba.net
SUMMARY:Congressman Steve Israel.- "L I -Center for Energy Research"
DESCRIPTION:The topic this morning was about creating “new” sources of energy. Most of what was discussed is not new. Solar photovoltaic\, bio diesel\, geothermal systems\, ethanol\, are some of the items that were discussed\, and none of them are new.\nWhat may be new is the desire to implement a changed energy environment.. Congressman Steve Israel was our speaker this morning and he is sponsoring a bill in Congress that will create incentives to dramatically increase the employment of these energy technologies. Israel calls his bill “Next Generation Energy Plan.”\nAccording to Steve Israel the efforts to create energy independence is regarded as too hard. “John Kennedy did not take that attitude when we resolved to put a man on the moon.” We in turn must not shrink from the responsibility of changing to fuels and technologies\, we either\, presently have\, or can produce.\nIsrael gave an example of a government program that funds new weapons research. The program is called DARPA. It allows for the research in many questionable technologies that sometime result in a more effective weapons. Mr. Israel questions why we do not create the same kind of funding for energy independence.\nOf course in energy\, we already know that there are many workable technologies. Implementing new technologies and changing infrastructure are the challenges\, and those challenges\, are small potatoes when you compare the effort that was needed when we went to the moon\, or when we created of the original atomic bomb.\nSome of the items in Israel’s proposal are really quite simple. When the federal government replaces 50 thousand vehicles next year\, why not insist on them being hybrids? Or “plug-in hybrids? He asked what manufacturer would not build a car for that demand market? He is proposing a $230 billion “patriotic investment” in various technologies to rid America of the yoke of foreign oil.The $230 billion must be paid for\, and the congressman suggests that merely canceling the latest tax break for those earning more than $400\,000 per year would pay for it.\nHe proposes that municipalities\, schools\, libraries and other public buildings receive funds to retrofit their poorly performing energy systems. He proposes that reward grants be offerred as a prize for innovative developments\, and he would not exclude major corporations from receiving this money as long as we can get the desired results.(We did this many years ago to create the energy efficient refrigerators most of us have in our homes today)\nIsrael said\, in effect buying oil from the Middle East\, puts us in the position of funding both sides in the war against terror. Putting our efforts into energy independence is an important contribution to our national defense.\nWe need\, according to the congressman\, an advanced energy support system to assist in the development of cutting edge energy research and development.\nThere were many energy professionals in the room and there were many questions from the audience. This is definitely a topic that must be revisited and encouraged. pictured: LIMBA President Ernie Fazio \, Congressman Steve Israel and John Hritcko of Broadwater
URL:https://limba.net/calendar/congressman-steve-israel-l-i-center-for-energy-research/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20060428T000000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20060428T000000
DTSTAMP:20260423T192041
CREATED:20060428T040000Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20060428T040000Z
UID:4184-1146182400-1146182400@limba.net
SUMMARY:Paul Arfin Intergenerational Strategies\,  Neal Cohen
DESCRIPTION:This morning’s program was on a topic that I think more and more of us will be forced to contemplate. Retirement is no longer a sleepy interlude between the end of your work years and death. Paul Arfin\, executive director of Intergenerational Strategies\, titled his talk “Don’t Retire\, Rewire” The program was sponsored by Merrill Lynch. Merrill Lynch recently did a study on what people expect to be doing in retirement as well as the realities they will face.\n \nThe program began with Neal Cohen of  Merrill Lynch circumscribing the problems of retirement in an environment where people are expected to live into their eighties. Then Paul Arfin went into the strategies and programs that could be beneficial to those who are retiring\n \nA thousand years ago life expectancy was 25 years\, and that did not change much until the 1900’s. In fact when Otto Von Bismarck established age 65 as the retirement age\, very few people lived that long. It would be the equivalent of establishing age 97 as a retirement age today. \n \nPaul Arfin saw the need to assist in helping those retirees\, and convinced County Executive\, Steve Levy to form a commission on “Creative Retirement\,” to address the concerns of this segment of the population. The number of years spent in retirement continues to increase. In retirement people often work\, not for the cash but to keep active\, feel young\, or perhaps doing what they have longed to do\, but never could\, Arfin said.. \n \nAccording to Paul Arfin\, living in a retirement community\, may be fine for some people\, but not very satisfying to others. Many retirees are looking for the opportunity to volunteer and help others for a variety of personal reasons\, including altruism. According to the Merrill Lynch survey 42% of the retirees are looking to do volunteer work\, and one of the functions of Arfin’s organization is to create a registry for that purpose. \nPicture: Paul Arfin Executive Director of Intergenerational Strategies. On the right Neal Cohen representing Merrill Lynch
URL:https://limba.net/calendar/paul-arfin-intergenerational-strategies-neal-cohen/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20060421T000000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20060421T000000
DTSTAMP:20260423T192041
CREATED:20060421T040000Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20060421T040000Z
UID:4185-1145577600-1145577600@limba.net
SUMMARY:Anthony Caserta-"Evacuating Long Island"
DESCRIPTION:This morning’s presentation dealt with the possible need to evacuate Long Island. This would be particularly difficult if the bridges and tunnels were not accessible. In the case of a tsunami the water may rise to the point where none of the bridge approaches would be passable because all of them are close to sea level. \nTony Caserta\, a professional  engineer with a wide experience in designing and building innovative designs\, proposed a solution. His 35 years experience as an engineer with Grumman gives him a credibility that supports his projections. He  has proposed a vehicle that would be a school bus\, but would have the unique ability to allow the lower sides of the bus to spread out and act as pontoons. Inside these pontoons would be an engine in each pontoon. The premise is that there is no more a ubiquitous vehicle on Long Island than a school bus (estimated 7\,000 in use). The vehicle would have a land speed of 60 m/p/h on land and a top speed of 24 knots on water. The fact that these vehicles are more or less evenly dispersed across the island and that everyone knows where the local school is lends to the attractiveness of this idea. The vehicle can operate as a land vehicle until it reaches the waters edge and instantly convert to its marine mode. Flooded streets are no obstacle either since the flooded street would become a launch ramp. Established launch ramps at the waters edge are available right now but would we would have to create a few more. \nIn the event that re supplying LI and not evacuation was the needed purpose\, the fold down seats would create a large cargo bed. Mr Caserta’s company Inspecto Corp- Pontiphian Division recently received some funding for the idea\, and a prototype will be built. \nThere were several people in the room that could have something to add in terms of the products they sell. Gerry Fitzpatrick represents Harley shipbuilding.and offerred his hull configuration as part of the pontoon design. Roger Ulanoff offerred his services as a video creator.
URL:https://limba.net/calendar/anthony-caserta-evacuating-long-island/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20060414T000000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20060414T000000
DTSTAMP:20260423T192041
CREATED:20060414T040000Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20060414T040000Z
UID:4183-1144972800-1144972800@limba.net
SUMMARY:GOOD FRIDAY -No Meeting
DESCRIPTION:
URL:https://limba.net/calendar/good-friday-no-meeting-2/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20060407T000000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20060407T000000
DTSTAMP:20260423T192041
CREATED:20060407T040000Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20060407T040000Z
UID:4187-1144368000-1144368000@limba.net
SUMMARY:Round Table Discussion of Issues.
DESCRIPTION:Last week we had one of our periodic “round table” meetings.The purpose of these meetings is to hear the voices of the participants in order to form new directions.Here are some of the voices that were heard:John Howell mentioned that Pete McGowan\, regardless of his personal prpblems in politics\, should continue to be recognized for the positive steps he made during his tenure. Then reasserted the need for LIMBA to continue transportation solutions that are anwered by more rail freight. In addition the major centers such as the courts should be linked by rail. Extending the Port Jeff line east would better serve Long Island’s north shore as well. Rudy Fusco restated his belief in the opportunities in air polution and availability that bio-diesel would offer. There was some discussion on the iequity of the star program and taxes in general. Bookhaven National Lab -Has apparently been asked to explore solar power more by the federal government. I believe that means money has been allotted to that purpose. Of course this the right direction we should be going\, At a conference at BNL last week the topic of improving solar power efficiency came up\, or rather I asked the question. It appears that the potential for improving photovoltaic (PV) is enormous. They expect that the new technology would at least double the output. Mark Alessi was surprised to see no enacted evacuation plan. We need an economic fair share for LI.
URL:https://limba.net/calendar/round-table-discussion-of-issues/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20060331T000000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20060331T000000
DTSTAMP:20260423T192041
CREATED:20060331T050000Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20060331T050000Z
UID:4178-1143763200-1143763200@limba.net
SUMMARY:Rudy Fusco\, Bio Diesel innovator / Sponsor- Mr Parking Lot
DESCRIPTION:Rudy Fusco\, President of Mr. Parking Lot\, made a presentation this morning about Bio-Diesel. Bio-disel has been around for a long time. When Otto Diesel invented the compression ignition engine he planned on using a vegetable derived oil. \nWith the advent of abundant and relatively inexpensive petroleum based oil\, we abandoned the concept of “growing” our oil in favor of drilling our oil. \nToday we have to rethink our approach to fueling our economy\, and Mr. Fusco was very effective in making that case. We are faced with not only the questions of cost and availability of petroleum based oils\, but of the consequences of the continued burning of these fuels. As we address the problems of air pollution we find that the petroleum based products are far more detrimental to our health than vegetable based oils. Bio fuels also have a lesser effect on the problem of global warming\nBut one could legitimately ask\, why would the effect on global warming be different than burning petroleum? The answer was made clear in Rudy’s presentation. Bio fuels release carbon dioxide when they burn just like any other carbon based fuel\, but bio fuels absorb carbon dioxide when they are grown. The net effect is that there is no net increase of CO2 when Bio fuels are used. \nWe considered the element of cost. The cost of bio-diesel is competitive only because it is subsidized. However petroleum is also subsidized by tax policy. But it is also subsidized by the military protection of the sources of oil that we provide through the use of our military. And\, that subsidy is enjoyed by the entire world. Europe\, China\, India\, Japan and every other industrial nation is aided by our costly military that serves to protect oil production.  As Mr. Fusco pointed out it\, takes one unit of energy to produce 3.2 units of bio diesel. The closing thought on cost was that\, when the industry matures $1/gallon could be acheived without subsidy. \nMr. Fusco pointed out that Brazil\, back in the early 70’s\, embarked on a bio-diesel program and an ethanol program that has taken that country out of the grip of the international oil trade. Today Brazil produces most of it’s fuel from home grown sugar cane\, and all of the money that is spent remains within the territory of Brazil\, further enhancing that economy. \nWe also discussed the ability to use these new fuels in the engines we have in use today. Some modifications may be needed\, but most engines can already handle a blend of bio and petrol fuels without modification.. And as Rudy pointed out the infrastructure for transporting these fuels are exactly the same. The implication here is that the introduction of these fuels need not be a long drawn out process.  \nThe audience that attended was well versed in the topic\, making the discussion quite lively. Andria Adler program Coordinator of “Clean Cities” .. Harry Davitian of Entek Powers Systems\, Technical writer\, Frances Whittelsey\, and Alan Binder of VisionFuels were among the people contributing to the conversation. \nThank you Rudy Fusco\, and the audience that added measurably to the discussion.
URL:https://limba.net/calendar/rudy-fusco-bio-diesel-innovator-sponsor-mr-parking-lot/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20060324T000000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20060324T000000
DTSTAMP:20260423T192041
CREATED:20060324T050000Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20060324T050000Z
UID:4181-1143158400-1143158400@limba.net
SUMMARY:Irving Like\,  Protecting Fire Island -Holiday Inn
DESCRIPTION:Among the many endearing features of Long Island are the ocean beaches. These beaches are vulnerable to storms and the cost to maintain them is a source of some controversy. Irving Like\, Counsel for the Fire Island Association\, spoke this morning to bring a better understanding of what those beaches mean to all of us\, and how that cost is borne. \n \nThe discussion began by outlining how important those beaches are to the Long Island economy. Over 2 million people visit Fire Island each year and hundreds of millions of dollars are attracted to Long Island simply because these beaches exist. Of course these beaches also are also a major recreational asset for all of Long Islanders. The south shore of Long Island is an enormous potential flood plain. A category 4 storm would inundate the south shore communities all the way up to Sunrise Highway. There are 73\,000 homes and hundreds of thousands of people that would be affected. The barrier beaches are a natural buffer\, that if left to erode would end the protection afforded by those barrier beaches. \n \nFire Island is 32 miles long. Only 6 miles of the island contain residences. The balance\, 80%\, of the land is state\, federal\, and town properties. Some of it is parks\, such as Robert Moses Park\, Bellport Beach\, and other municipal public uses\, but most of it is still wild. This necklace of barrier beach contains an enormous reserve of wild life\, making it the largest natural preserve in the region. Hundreds of species of birds\, fox\, owls\, and aquatic life have found a haven here. \n \nThe question was posed as to why the people that live there do not pick up the cost\, since they are the primary beneficiary of this valuable asset. Well\, in fact they are big contributors. The formula for funding beach replenishment is 65% federal and the balance comes from state and local sources. The amount that is paid by local government works out to be $10 million. $5 million is paid by the residences of Fire Island\, and $5 million by the rest of Long Island. Is that fair? Well\, to put that into perspective. The $5million cost is shared by 17\,000 people on Fire Island\, and the $5million paid by the mainland is shared by 2 1/2 million people. In other words the cost to the mainlanders is minuscule\, while the cost to the Fire Island residences is substantial. \n \nMr. Like went on to explain that there is a plan in effect right now. However the Army Corp of Engineers has yet to act on it. By virtue of earlier legislation the 100 year plan for the barrier beaches was to be completed in 1999. The plan would by\, necessity\, benefit the entire island in order for it to be effective. Two federal agencies have failed to act on legislation that presently exists. In the meantime nobody is letting the major recreational areas to be reclaimed by the sea\, but the remedies are “band aids” and in the long run more costly that a comprehensive plan.
URL:https://limba.net/calendar/irving-like-protecting-fire-island-holiday-inn/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20060317T000000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20060317T000000
DTSTAMP:20260423T192041
CREATED:20060317T050000Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20060317T050000Z
UID:4176-1142553600-1142553600@limba.net
SUMMARY:Irwin Kellner NorthFork/CBS Marketwatch Economist
DESCRIPTION:This morning’s speaker\, Dr Irwin Kellner\, was his usual\, informative self. Dr. Kellner likes to pepper his talks with some humor which went over very well\, but there was no doubt about the seriousness of his message. \nIrwin began by stating that we were still in an expansion mode for the economy and it’s conceivable that the expansion will last a little longer. He explained that the job creation that has been touted\, recently has actually been quite anemic. Among the pitfalls\, as he sees them\, are the fact that our savings rate is negative. Personal debt is higher than ever. Wages are flat\, and we are spending more than we are earning\, which is not sustainable. According to Kellner “The days of wine and roses are over” \nThe outlook for the future is weak\, so investments in the stock market may not be the best move. \nHome prices are showing higher values\, but again this is misleading. On the high priced homes the market prices may be rising\, but in the less expensive homes the prices are falling. Moreover there are 66% more houses being offered than a year ago. Having many houses for sale has a tendency to depress the price. \nThe national debt will absorb more and more of the available capital\, and that will have the effect driving up interest rates. \nThe message was that general slowdown of the economy should be expected.. Long Island\, while not immured to the national outlook of a slowdown\, does have some bright spots that will help us. We are far more diversified than we were in the past. There are no large companies that have so many employees that a shutdown would cripple the economy.\nLater in the Q&A\, Irwin was asked if the unemployment rates really tell the story. Dr. Kellner told us the relatively low unemployment rates\, approximately 5%\, fails to acknowledge the people who are no longer counted because they gave up looking for work. It also fails to account for those who are working in jobs that pay far less than the jobs that were lost\, and finally there is no differentiating a part time worker from a full time worker. If we take these factors into consideration our unemployment rate is more like 10%.. Not a pretty picture\, for sure\, but Long Islanders should fare better than the rest of the nation.
URL:https://limba.net/calendar/irwin-kellner-northforkcbs-marketwatch-economist/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20060310T000000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20060310T000000
DTSTAMP:20260423T192041
CREATED:20060310T050000Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20060310T050000Z
UID:4180-1141948800-1141948800@limba.net
SUMMARY:Angie Carpenter\, Keeping balance in local government
DESCRIPTION:Friday morning we had the pleasure of hearing from Suffolk County’s Treasurer\, Angie M. Carpenter on the subject of what her office does and why it is important for the county to continue to have an independent Treasurer.  Angie opened up with a little of her background as a small business career before she went into public service\, which is focused on making Long Island a place where we live\, not leave.  After term limits pushed her out of the Legislature\, she arrived at the Treasurer’s office expecting to find a laid-back\, slow paced office\, but found herself with a dedicated\, motivated staff.  She explained the different divisions of the Treasurer’s office\, their functions and how they interface with Suffolk’s town Tax Recievers and the public.Having laid the foundation of the function for the office\, she presented her case for maintaining the Treasurer’s office\, by noting how the major bond rating agencies liked the way that this was constructed\, and pointing out that after the Orange County\, CA’s bankruptcy debacle\, they changed their model to Suffolk’s style\, with the independent Comptroller and Treasurer.  Presently\, the Treasurer is an elected post\, which serves to maintain that independent watchdog status over the County’s finances.  She also followed up her explanation of her office’s  function with her view of what the savings to the county would be if her office was eliminated.  The only jobs that would go away were her’s and a few deputy positions\, because the functions that the Treasurer’s office performs are not currently duplicated in the Comptroller’s office.  She also reiterated that there is strong support in the Legislature for maintaining the status quo\, and recounting a story that affirms her conviction that she believes in the process and structure of the office.  A legislator said that they might support the move to eliminate the position\, but would want it to take effect after her term was up\, because she was duly elected\, and to not serve out her term would be changing the rules of the game in midstream.  Angie was willing to say that if it is the right thing to do to eliminate her office\, then do it now\, to save the money\, rather than simply playing out the string until it’s end.  She strongly believes in this\, and her independence was shown in the Q & A session.  One of our members fired a question asking her position on the county keeping the difference in the sale price and taxes owed on a delinquent property\, and used the example of what happened to a family in Amityville last year where the difference was quite substantial\, and it was a story that tugged at everybody’s heartstrings.  Instead of pandering to the crowd and agreeing that this was an egregious example of greed by the county\, Angie explained that some procedures were dictated by state law\, and spoke to the additional costs associated with seizing a property and auctioning it off\, and keeping the consequences of tax delinquency in the forefront of the public’s mind.As always\, it was another jump start to our Friday morning\, with a substantial breakfast for the mind and an exchange with an important public official on a timely subject.This meeting was presided over\, and recap written by Craig Plunkett  EMF 
URL:https://limba.net/calendar/angie-carpenter-keeping-balance-in-local-government/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20060303T000000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20060303T000000
DTSTAMP:20260423T192041
CREATED:20060303T050000Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20060303T050000Z
UID:4174-1141344000-1141344000@limba.net
SUMMARY:Congressman Nadler\, The benefits of a new Jersey Tunnel
DESCRIPTION:This morning our speaker was Congressman Jerry Nadler. The congressman has been keenly interested in transportation issues going back to when he was a state assemblyman.\nMr. Nadler began with a historical overview of transportation infrastructure\, and how the building of the Erie Canal catapulted New York from handling 2% of the international trade to 38%. Efficiencies were gained again when the Erie Lackawanna railroad was built. According to the congressman\, the slide to oblivion has been constant as the world changes about us. To paraphrase the congressman\, the state of rail freight is sorely lacking.\nHe spoke about the transportation bill that was recently passed. The presidents guidelines dictate that only money developed by highway funds (gas taxes) could be used. That would come to $256 billion The actual needs would have required that $390 billion be spent. The final bill came $286 billion. In this scenario the infrastructure will fail at a greater rate than it can be restored.\nFuel taxes are collected on each gallon of fuel. As fuel increases in cost we buy less of it\, resulting in lower and lower revenues being collected.. On the other hand if we continue to increase the number of vehicles on the road\, we may get higher revenues\, but we also put an even higher stress on our infrastructure\, resulting in more need to rehabilitate the infrastructure.\nBut Mr. Nadler’s main reason for speaking today was to discuss the merits of a proposed freight tunnel. Specifically a rail freight tunnel that will connect New Jersey to Brooklyn. By using a tunnel to come into Brooklyn and therefore\, Long Island we could eliminate 1 million trucks from the streets of New York. Moreover this redundancy that would be created would relieve the traffic from the George Washington Bridge. Presently 80% of all food coming into New York is brought in over the GWB. If terrorists are successful in bringing down that bridge\, New York would not be able to adequately supply itself.\nRail freight coming and going on Long Island comprises only 1.8% of the total\, whereas in other parts of the country it is more like 40%. We can do better. The cost of the tunnel is estimated at $4.2 Billion for a two track system and the payback would be substantial.\nMr. Nadler covered some peripheral issues of rail freight that need to be addressed. For example; In New York State we don’t allow freight rail cars to exceed 286\,000 lbs. The rest of the nation allows 335\,000 lbs cars. Our infrastructure is capable of handling it\, and presently we allow the passenger lines to use locomotives that are substantially heavier. This makes no sense.\nThe congressman was very knowledgeable on every aspect we could think of asking him about. And we did ask a lot of questions. Some of them were covered in this piece. The conversations that were developed continued long after the meeting had formally adjourned. The LIMBA board will decide on the support of this project based on the usefulness to Long Island. This letter reaches several thousand subscribers and any comments from our readers will be helpful
URL:https://limba.net/calendar/congressman-nadler-the-benefits-of-a-new-jersey-tunnel/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20060224T000000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20060224T000000
DTSTAMP:20260423T192041
CREATED:20060224T050000Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20060224T050000Z
UID:4182-1140739200-1140739200@limba.net
SUMMARY:Bill Chaleff Innovative Green Achitecture
DESCRIPTION:This morning’s meeting was advertised as a discussion of energy efficient homes. In fact it was so much more. Bill Chaleff of Chaleff & Rogers Architects began the session speaking about the reality of global warming. The phenomena known as the “green house effect”is very much upon us\, and the cause is largely due to the burning of fossil fuels. \n\nThe presentation was surprisingly technical\, but delivered in a way that was easy to understand. The means of heat transfer were explained as\, conductive\, convective\, and radiation. Those terms were explained to the satisfaction of this general audience. In explaining radiation Bill pointed out that the sun travels across millions of miles of space at absolute zero\, (-453F) and only creates heat when it enters the earth’s atmosphere. He explained that the earth’s greenhouse is what makes life possible. On the other hand\, an enhanced greenhouse effect would have devastating effects on the planet.  \n \nChaleff explained that energy is the main driver in the creation of the modern society. He went on to say there is no direct correlation between energy consumption and the quality of our lives. Americans use 3 times as much energy per capita than modern societies in Japan\, Germany\, Scandinavia\, and other first world nations. The reason that these countries use less energy is the design of their buildings and automobiles. \n \nOf the 82 million barrels of oil we use every day\, 10% comes from the Middle East. Reducing our needs by 10% according to Mr.Chaleff would be very easy\, and without inventing another new thing. \n \nFrank Lloyd Wright designed houses that were passive solar 60 years ago. This technology made inexpensive to heat\, and more comfortable than standard construction. Montezuma’s castle was solar designed to take advantage of the heat gathering design in winter while using the cooling aspects of the design in summer. Today we can parlay that knowledge using materials in buildings such as Structurally Insulated Panels\, or SIP’s as they are called.. \n \nStructural Insulated Panels are also not new. It has been in use about 40 years. SIP’s create a building envelope that is easy to heat\, easy to construct\, creates a quiet environment\, and is incredibly strong. When hurricane Andrew swept across Florida years ago there were a few house still standing when it was over. Those house used SIP design. \n \nThese low energy use designs make all other means of energy more viable\, regardless of cost\, because we will use so little of it. Can we actually shake this addiction to oil? The answer for me was buttressed by this very interesting discussion. Yes\, we can!
URL:https://limba.net/calendar/bill-chaleff-innovative-green-achitecture/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20060217T000000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20060217T000000
DTSTAMP:20260423T192041
CREATED:20060217T050000Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20060217T050000Z
UID:4175-1140134400-1140134400@limba.net
SUMMARY:No Meeting President's Day Weekend
DESCRIPTION:
URL:https://limba.net/calendar/no-meeting-presidents-day-weekend/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20060210T000000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20060210T000000
DTSTAMP:20260423T192041
CREATED:20060210T050000Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20060210T050000Z
UID:4177-1139529600-1139529600@limba.net
SUMMARY:Kenny Moore VP Keyspan
DESCRIPTION:Kenny Moore of Keyspan has the title of Corporate Ombudsman. He gave a talk at LIMBA this morning that was as instructive as it was entertaining. People who come to LIMBA don’t necessarily expect to be entertained\, but when we are\, it makes the message that much better. Throughout\, his remarks were peppered with humorous asides\, and self deprecating humor.\n\n \nHe began by playing a piece that was first seen on CBS’s “Sunday Morning” show and the segment showed how the company has paid a lot of attention to concepts that include “emotional intelligence.” The idea being that the nuts and bolts of business are important but the business model that recognizes that there are real people working in the company\, and they have emotional needs that must be recognized.\n \nPeople in the company who have been ignored or otherwise treated as having little value tend to shut down. Even while most people will continue to perform at an acceptable level\, they may never again give you their creativity and innovation. I asked Kenny what is the demonstrable effect of encompassing the needs of the whole person. He looked at me for a long pause and said\, “You’re asking the wrong question.” In essence his reply was that all of this may not measurable\, but still very important.\n \nDuring Q&A Kenny was asked\, “What about companies that are more representative of people in this room\, meaning 5-50 employees. Do the same rules apply? He seemed to like that question because he gave it a lot of time. Implementation of his concepts in a small company\, in his opinion\, would be different\, but only in the details. \n \nKenny remarked that the image of corporate America is distorted. There are many companies that have a deep sense of service and conscience. The Enrons are not the predominate model. He also said that the concepts that Keyspan has embraced are becoming more and more the norm. Ending on that high note we adjourned the meeting.
URL:https://limba.net/calendar/kenny-moore-vp-keyspan/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20060203T000000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20060203T000000
DTSTAMP:20260423T192041
CREATED:20060203T050000Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20060203T050000Z
UID:4171-1138924800-1138924800@limba.net
SUMMARY:Terrel Cass\, Gen Mgr WLIW Ch 21
DESCRIPTION:Members and friends\nWell\, today was real treat. Our speaker was WLIW General Manager Terrell Cass. It is refreshing when a man who has such a serious message can deliver it in such a humorous manner. \nPublic television has played and is playing such a big part in our lives. To know that conscientious people are at the helm of this most valuable resource is encouraging. \n \nOne of the WLIW presentations that Mr. Cass spoke about was the travel films. In particular is the film of New York. This production is magnificent and breathtaking. Similar films have been produced by the station in Italy\, Scotland\, and various other parts of the world. Cass gave us some insights on how these films are produced. \n \nThe films are shot from cameras that are located in a bubble under a helicopter that was designed for this purpose. The vibration suspension systems that float the cameras gives steady flowing pictures of the landscape below. The effect is that of what an eagle may see while in a glide. These films are so popular\, and they serve a great material for the stations fund raisers.\n \nMr. Cass spoke about WLIW’s affiliation with WNET in New York. This joining of forces has been a big plus for our Long Island station. I asked Terrel if he was afraid the WNET partnership would lead to the loss of its Long Island identity. He said that that concern was dealt with in the original agreement. The marriage is three years old now and the net gain to Long Island is the resources of a much wealthier partner while maintaining a Long Island centric station.\n \nWe asked him about the technical advances in the broadcast quality. Here again WLIW was a winner. The analog signal is being replaced with a digital signal\, which results in a much higher quality signal\, a feat that is expensive and probably would not have been available without the resources of WNET. \n \nThe bad news is that the government funding has decreased to only 9% of the total budget and at WNET is only 6%. However that is also the good news\, since the these units are viable based on what we\, the public\, can provide to support them. Unfortunately many places in the country are more dependent on government subsidy\, which limits the quality and quantity of programming available to them. \n \nThis was a very lively meeting and we thanked him for an excellent presentation. Mr. Cass stayed on to answer many questions on a one to one basis after we officially adjourned.
URL:https://limba.net/calendar/terrel-cass-gen-mgr-wliw-ch-21/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20060127T000000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20060127T000000
DTSTAMP:20260423T192041
CREATED:20060127T050000Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20060127T050000Z
UID:4172-1138320000-1138320000@limba.net
SUMMARY:MTA Inspector General\, Matthew Sansverie
DESCRIPTION:This morning we had a very interesting presentation from Matthew Sansverie. Matthew is the Inspector General of the MTA. \nThe term “Inspector General” explained Sansverie came from Napoleon Bonepart. When Napoleon asked his generals to give a report on conditions and progress they tended to give rosy reports. However Napoleon needed the truth\, so he assigned a general without a command of his own\, to report on the other generals and their commands. The term Inspector General was coined.\nMr. Sansverie explained his function as an overseer and then gave a number of specific examples. Once while having investigators on the yard premises of Metro North his investigators noticed that the employees were apparently leaving the premises approximately one hour after they arrived. The employees were punching in and then leaving for home. \n \nContractors were reporting that they were paying the prevailing wages and computing the wage bills they submitted an a larger workforce than they actually used\, pocketing the difference. Other contractors were getting jobs while having hundreds of thousands of state tax bills outstanding. Sansverie stopped that practice by coordinating with the tax department and paying tax money owed to the state from the contractors earnings. \n \nOf course\, some of these offenses were criminal\, and they were referred to prosecutors. I told Matthew he reminded of prosecutor Fitzgerald who is prosecuting Libby\, and I asked what motivated him. He said “doing the right thing.” I believe him\, it motivates me. \n \nAs usual the Q&A was lively and we did not get to all of the questions\, but Matthew was gracious and answered questions from many people after we officially ended the meeting.
URL:https://limba.net/calendar/mta-inspector-general-matthew-sansverie/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20060126T000000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20060126T000000
DTSTAMP:20260423T192041
CREATED:20060126T050000Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20060126T050000Z
UID:4206-1138233600-1138233600@limba.net
SUMMARY:Randy Croxton
DESCRIPTION:Mr. Croxton is an architecht of notable fame and a recipient numerous awards for designing low energy use buildings. These buildings excell in comfort and livability. He will be discussing the possibilities that are available to us. The reduction in building operating costs\, the comfort and health of the people that use these buildings\, and the lower pollution these buildings create will be the focus.
URL:https://limba.net/calendar/randy-croxton/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20060120T000000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20060120T000000
DTSTAMP:20260423T192041
CREATED:20060120T050000Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20060120T050000Z
UID:4170-1137715200-1137715200@limba.net
SUMMARY:Round Table Discussion
DESCRIPTION:This morning we had one of our “round table” discussions. The item of repowering is now in the works\, and when we find ourselves in a mode where we are seeing changes\, it makes sense to look at where else we can make our influence felt. \n \nLast week we had a powerful\, thought provoking presentation from HIP’s president Dan McGowan. We floated the idea that we may have an effect on the thinking of our legislators regarding healthcare. After an interesting discussion we decieded that we should make an effort to create change of thinking on this topic. \n \nWe discussed the idea of creating a panel on healthcare. The proffessionals on the panel will give us their take and then open up the discussion to the comments and questions of the audience. Roger Ulanoff said that we could make a proffessional quality tape of the session\, edit it and put it on our website as a streaming video. We could do one of these programs every three months reaching into other pressing topics.\n \nIn addition to Healthcare we may handle Education School Consolidation\, Land Use\, Waste Handling\, and Transportation. We may not address all of these topics but we will refine our goals as we move forward. \n \nThe committee that will organize the education segment has been tentatively formed. The participants are Cliff Sondack\, Tony Casserta\, Irv Hansen\, Walter Bernstein\, Jim Trudden and Charlie Richardson. \n \nAfter we have established the success of the first program we will tackle the others. We are excited that LIMBA is making a dramatic foray that will bring attention to these important issues. Our unflagging efforts have paid off in the past. They will in the future as well.\n 
URL:https://limba.net/calendar/round-table-discussion/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20060113T000000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20060113T000000
DTSTAMP:20260423T192041
CREATED:20060113T050000Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20060113T050000Z
UID:4169-1137110400-1137110400@limba.net
SUMMARY:Dan McGowan Pres HIP "Universal Health Care"
DESCRIPTION:This morning’s program was introduced by Jeff Levy\, from Leadership Solutions.\nOur speaker was Dan McGowan\, President of HIP NY. Mr. McGowan was asked to speak at LIMBA because I heard him say\, at another venue\, that universal health care is where we should be going. “The number of uninsured are rising\, and the insured are fewer. We now have 46 million uninsured people in this country”\nMr. McGowan noted that he had misgivings about other universal healthcare plans in other countries. On the other hand while having shortcomings\, all of these plans had better outcomes than our system. “The United States has better health facilities than any country in the world\, bar none. The expense far exceeds the per capita costs of any country\, but in terms of successful outcomes we are 37th.” In those 36 countries that precede us there are some pretty poor countries. We ought not to be proud of that.\nIt is McGowan’s contention that preventive\, and early care would contribute to better outcomes. Of course that means putting money and resources in play before the patient needs expensive care. He gave an example of statistics he had on the Hispanic segment of the population that was experiencing a high rate if hip and knee replacements. The rate was many times higher than the insured people of similar demographics. These were workers did hard physical work\, and had no easy access to care. The lack of early care resulted in these expensive procedures.\nThese “penny wise and pound foolish” approaches to healthcare absorb more resources than a carefully coordinated approach to health care would.\nMr. McGowan was critical of the costly prescription drug plan that was recently enacted. He said the plan does not allow for competitive bidding\, as a result the plan is costing three times what it should.\nDuring the Q&A Dan was asked. What do we do? “Stop letting others make decisions for you. The insurance companies are protecting their interests\, the hospitals theirs\, the drug companies theirs\, and the doctors theirs. Who is speaking for the American people? The answer is no one.”\nDan stated early in his address that universal healthcare would not end the insurance industry. {Which may be true. Back in the 30’s when social security was being shaped\, they argued that SS would kill the life insurance business. It didn’t! In fact the greater awareness of the need\, enhanced the life insurance business.}\nJudging from the passionate involvement of the audience\, this is an important issue. Small business people are throwing up their hands\, and big business is suffering through. Toyota had been looking to construct a new production facility in the United States. They were actively considering three sites in three states in the US. The cost of health care was the determining factor and Toyota is now building the plant in Canada.\nThank you Mr. Mcgowan for an interesting and informative meeting.
URL:https://limba.net/calendar/dan-mcgowan-pres-hip-universal-health-care/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20060106T000000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20060106T000000
DTSTAMP:20260423T192041
CREATED:20060106T050000Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20060106T050000Z
UID:4168-1136505600-1136505600@limba.net
SUMMARY:Congressman Tim Bishop
DESCRIPTION:This morning we had Congressman Tim Bishop from the 1st Congressional District speak at LIMBA\n \nHe was asked to give a congressional update.\n \nMr. Bishop began with talking about unfinished business. He spoke about education cuts when asked about “no child left behind.” These cuts are having a detrimental impact on Long Island. He went on to say that these are real cuts\, not due to inflation. The absolute number of $’s are down. \n \nThe Alternative Minimum Tax\, which vexes many two earner families on Long Island\, was not dealt with in the last session\, while taxes cuts on high income people were enacted. \n \nHe discussed Pay-Go which was the system of budgeting that was agreed upon by president Clinton and his Republicn dominated congress. Basically no budget item could be introduced without a cut somewhere else. A discipline that has gone by the boards. \n \n\nI began the questioning by taking Tim to task on how the congress gave away its constitutional right to declare war. Since the people’s House is the only body that can legitimately declare a war\, why give that responsibility away\, precluding in depth debate? He explained that the mood of the country was altered by memories of 9/11 and also by the {hyped} information that was given to the congress. \n \nWhen asked about immigration policy\, he was supportive of some kind of guest worker program.  The bill that passed the House would make 11 million people criminals. This bill has just about no chance of getting through the Senate.\n \nInfrastructure bills include funds for the Brooklyn to New Jersey Tunnel. While this tunnel may be useful in the future it does nothing for us in the next 10 years.  East Side Access\, the Second Avenue Subway funds were allocated too. This is good news for construction jobs and the future efficiency of transportation. \n \nBishop was somewhat critical of the energy bill which focuses on domestic drilling for oil. His criticism was centered on the simple fact that the US has only 2% of the know oil reserves and uses 25% of the oil in the world. In other words no matter how much you drill\,  it-aint-gonna-happen. Mr. Bishop suggested that a “Manhattan” like project to solve energy needs is what we should be doing. \n \nHe spoke about Iraq and the prospects for success. His thoughts were less sanguine than the happy talk you get from the White House. He stated that he hoped that the Iraqi’s would be able to shoulder their own responsibilities by midyear\, otherwise an uncontained civil war could be the results. A civil war that could spill over to Syria\, Turkey and Iran. \n \nThere was very little said about the scandal that is presently unfolding in Washington. That’s probably just as well since there is so much more to know about that pot of swill. \n \nWhen the meeting was adjourned Mr. Bishop gave a lot of time to those people who wanted to ask questions on a one to one basis.
URL:https://limba.net/calendar/congressman-tim-bishop-2/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20051223T000000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20051223T000000
DTSTAMP:20260423T192041
CREATED:20051223T050000Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20051223T050000Z
UID:4166-1135296000-1135296000@limba.net
SUMMARY:NO Meeting
DESCRIPTION:
URL:https://limba.net/calendar/no-meeting-11/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20051223T000000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20051223T000000
DTSTAMP:20260423T192041
CREATED:20051223T050000Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20051223T050000Z
UID:4167-1135296000-1135296000@limba.net
SUMMARY:No Meetiing
DESCRIPTION:
URL:https://limba.net/calendar/no-meetiing/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20051216T000000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20051216T000000
DTSTAMP:20260423T192041
CREATED:20051216T050000Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20051216T050000Z
UID:4164-1134691200-1134691200@limba.net
SUMMARY:Charles Wang- CA founder "The Lighthouse"
DESCRIPTION:Members and friendsOur speaker this morning had a packed house. LIMBA board member\, and former Suffolk County Executive Robert Gaffney Introduced the speaker. \nThe topic involved one of the most ambitious plans conceived in recent times. Charles Wang\, who we identify as the founder of Computer Associates\, is continuing to think big with his concept of the Lighthouse Development. This project has\, in the words of famed Chicago architect Daniel Burnham\, has “the power stir men’s blood.” \nThe Lighthouse Development encompasses a myriad of mixed uses\, including retail\, bistro’s and restaurants\, cultural venues\, health and fitness facilities\, sports arenas\, parks\, and commons that will be attractive to families and pedestrians. While it is the central structure\, known as The Lighthouse\, that claims the name to this vision\, it is all the other elements that combine to create a proud venue. \nThe graphics for this endeavor are breathtaking. While watching the animation\, which was very professionally done\, I could sense myself breathing deeply as I watched the concept unfold on the screen. The graphics lasted about 8 minutes and then Charles spoke to the audience in his very communicative style that he is famous for. After that portion he asked the audience for questions\, which they were eager to give him. \nUsually the Q&A is the most interesting part of the program\, and the axiom proved true again. Mr. Wang has an easy and fluid style. He is succinct\, pithy\, informative and charming. When asked about the best case scenario for starting\, the answer was three years. There was a question about legislative support and sadly\, political people are not eager to think as innovators. There were questions about transportation links\, parking\, and power generation needs. There were no questions about esthetics\, which were so well dealt with in the graphics. \nAfter we adjourned Mr. Wang remained to answer many questions on a one on one basis\, as well as pose for many pictures. \nFor the next two weeks we will adjourn for the holiday recess and return on January 6th\, when Congressman Tim Bishop will be our speaker. More on that later\, meanwhile have a great weekend. \nErnie Fazio
URL:https://limba.net/calendar/charles-wang-ca-founder-the-lighthouse/
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20051209T000000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20051209T000000
DTSTAMP:20260423T192041
CREATED:20051209T050000Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20051209T050000Z
UID:4165-1134086400-1134086400@limba.net
SUMMARY:Holiday Party
DESCRIPTION:Members and friends\n\nToday’s meeting of LIMBA was a celebration of the holidays. Many old friends responded to the Holiday Gathering invitation. The entertainment was provided by the multi instumented Larry Siegel\, and an old favorite\, Jim Graseck on his violin. Jim has earned the nickname as the “Victor Borge of the violin” and they both delighted the audience. Larry with his humorous songs and Jim with his running monologue as he played beautifully executed pieces on the violin\, and really connected with an appreciative audience. The entertainers even indulged me\, by asking me to sing a few songs. \n \nThe Hilton Garden was at its best\, Bill Armstong and his staff were great and the room was decorated in a  festive holiday tradition. Many thanks ti Bill\, Therese\, and the rest of the Hilton Garden staff. \n \nWe were able to provide a very well received event at a reasonable cost because our sponsors offset our extra costs. Our sponsors for the event were Terry Townsend\, Kelly Gutradt-The Tuttle Agency\, Vincent Frigeria-Keyspan\, Joy Munro-AFLAC\, and Froydis Cameron-Broadwater. Thanks to all.\n \nNext week we will have an interesting presentation on a major development project being promoted by Charles Wang. It’s called the Lighthouse\, and it is dramatic. I’ll Have more on that next week. Meanwhile\, have a nice weekend.\n \nErnie Fazio
URL:https://limba.net/calendar/holiday-party/
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END:VCALENDAR