BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Limba - ECPv6.16.5//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:20090308T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20091101T060000 END:STANDARD 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 END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20100305T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20100305T000000 DTSTAMP:20100305T050000Z CREATED:20100305T050000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20100305T050000Z UID:4403-1267747200-1267747200@limba.net SUMMARY:Joint meeting with LIMBA/LICA (L I Contractors Assoc) DESCRIPTION:LICA Executive Director\,Mark Herbst has invited all LIMBA members to attend a legislature meeting at the Melville Marriott located at 1350 Walt Whitman Rd. \nThere is no charge\, but please confirm your attendence \,by; \nFax 631 7573607 \nPhone 631 757 1698  or \nEmail ernie@limba.net  \nDo not attempt to register on the website URL:https://limba.net/calendar/joint-meeting-with-limbalica-l-i-contractors-assoc/ LOCATION:NY END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20100312T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20100312T000000 DTSTAMP:20100312T050000Z CREATED:20100312T050000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20100312T050000Z UID:4391-1268352000-1268352000@limba.net SUMMARY:Richard Kessel\, President & CEO NY Power Authority DESCRIPTION:Members and Friends: \nWe were pleased to welcome again Richard Kessel\, electricity maven for the state of New York. The unsinkable\, energetic Richie gave the capacity crowd a rundown on the what the New York Power Authority (NYPA) is\, where its going\, and what its pressing issues are. \nVery fashionably late\, Richie joked about knowing how to get to ALCOA’s North Country plant in Massena\, New York better than the Long Island hometown hotel we met at this morning. Opening with a hello to the many people that he has worked with on Long Island over the years\, he emphasized that in the energy business you are only as good as the crew that works for you\, and was effusive in his praise for the folks running LIPA and the Transmission and Distribution ( T&D ) network for National Grid. Richie was also proud of LIPA’s record of performance\, having resisted a base rate increase for the twelve years since its founding in 1998\, and the $12 Billion invested in the T&D network on Long Island. \nNYPA is a statewide enterprise operating T&D and electric generating facilities. Richie estimated that he spends 30-40% of his time traveling the state\, and the challenges in running NYPA are much the same as running LIPA. The main thrust and mission of NYPA is to utilize energy to keep and create jobs in New York. Returning to Massena\, he described NYPA’s agreement with Alcoa that allowed the smelter to remain open\, preserving hundreds of jobs. He estimated that over two thousand jobs have been kept in New York during his tenure at NYPA so far. \nRichie went on to describe the efforts of NYPA to help Globe Metals to stay in New York\, Computer Associates to retain and expand its data center on Long Island\, and keep International Wire and Cable in Camden\, New York afloat. Job creation was a theme also with attracting Yahoo’s newest Data Center to Lockport\, NY. \nAlong with utilizing electric subsidies to preserve and create jobs\, building electrical infrastructure is another job creation strategy. Richie defended his record of T & D and generation investments at LIPA\, while describing the repowering efforts in Astoria Queens\, and his championing of the creation of a new "Electric Thruway " between Long Island and Canada along existing rights of way. Working closely with Hydro-Quebec and National Grid\, the thruway would bring cheaper hydropower from new projects in Canada down through New York state and Long Island. Richie also described a new Trans-Hudson cable that is estimated will save ConEd ratepayers $2 Billion over the next 20 years and increase the reliability of the grid. \nHe also detailed his long time efforts to bring renewables and energy efficiency to the fore with the LED Traffic light program in Nassau County\, upgrades at the Bergen Point Sewer Plant in Suffolk\, and the new 100 Megawatt Statewide Solar Project\, which will quintuple the solar generation in the state. An infamous supporter of wind projects\, he also described the Great Lakes offshore wind project\, which is targeted to generate between 120-500 Megawatts of power in an area where wind power is already embraced. \nThe meeting contained a lively\, wide-ranging Q & A with Richie addressing local issues of ESCOs and strategic efforts of financing solar power\, extending the meeting past its close but being very gracious and generous with his time and knowledge. Again\, a friday morning well spent at LIMBA in the company of one of the state’s literal power players\, and a room full of movers and shakers of the local economy.  \nSee the video for this meeting at http://www.proimagegroupinc.com/limba/3-12-10/ \nCraig Plunkett URL:https://limba.net/calendar/richard-kessel-president-ceo-ny-power-authority-2/ LOCATION:NY END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20100319T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20100319T000000 DTSTAMP:20100319T040000Z CREATED:20100319T040000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20100319T040000Z UID:4402-1268956800-1268956800@limba.net SUMMARY:Bill Schoolman -STOP THE MTA Tax DESCRIPTION:Bill Schoolman is the owner of Classic Coach and Hampton Luxury Coach. He has been successful as a businessman and in that pursuit he has shown himself to be an innovator.  He came to LIMBA this morning with a message that is difficult to refute or ignore. He accused the MTA of having a 45-year history of fiscal irresponsibility. \nThe MTA tax  was recently imposed on businesses of all kinds\, not for profits\, municipalities\, and in fact any entity that has employees. Mr. Schoolman is appalled by the tax\, and believes it should be repealed. However he has no faith in the legislature in rescinding the tax\, but he believes a lawsuit could be successful. He then went into some detail as to why we should expect very little from the legislature. The biggest factor is that the NYC politicians want the tax and they would be able to prevent a 2/3 vote it would take from happening. \nSchoolman bases his case on the apparent unconstitutionality of the legislation that created the tax. After researching the state law and the authorities law Schoolman concluded the state constitution was violated 5 times\, and once under the Public Authorities law \nAfter focusing some intention on the viability of the lawsuit\, Schoolman asked the question\, "How is the money at MTA spent". He then cited several bizarre examples for the audience on how they have spent money in the past \n\nExample 1. A train mechanic had a gross income $283\,000. By manipulating the overtime rules he was able to generate that income so that his retirement can be boosted to $10\,000 per month.Mr. Schoolman pointed out that the maximum labor cost in the transportation business should be 41% or less\, at the MTA it is 67%\nExample 2 The MTA uses dogs as part of their security program. The spent $7 million on a new dog house.\nExample 3 The MTA is building or has built an employee lounge at Grand Central Station costing $20 million\nExample 4 The MTA built a headquarters building in Manhattan that was scheduled to cost $145 million\, but the final cost was $845 million.\n\n\nSchoolman alleges that these extraordinary contract costs are caused by fraud and total lack of oversight. "The business model is a failure. The MTA should go bankrupt and be sold off to people who know how to make money" according to Mr. Schoolman. \nHe has a website for his not for profit he has created to fight back. Anyone who would like to join him in his lawsuit go to  www.mtataxpayerabuse.org \n— # — \nVideo taping by Pro-Image Group\, Bart Pellegrino\, President. Thanks for your proffessionalism in your craft. Link to video will be available here on the wbsite as soon as it is available. \nMike Allen of Soundview Studios will be helping us with the video in the future. Photography for our website is provided by Eagle Eye photography- Jim Mooney\n \n  URL:https://limba.net/calendar/bill-schoolman-stop-the-mta-tax/ LOCATION:NY END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20100326T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20100326T000000 DTSTAMP:20100326T040000Z CREATED:20100326T040000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20100326T040000Z UID:4387-1269561600-1269561600@limba.net SUMMARY:Helena Williams\, President LIRR DESCRIPTION:LIMBA Recap March 26\, 2010 Helena Williams\, President of the Long Island Rail Road\, East Side Access Update \n Ms. Williams last came to LIMBA during her stint as the Interim Executive Director of the MTA.  Today\, she opened her talk with the tale of helping to recruit Jay Walder from Transport of London to the MTA\, bringing him from the frying pan into the fire.    Her introduction was a good segue into a description of that fire\, and the dire circumstances that the MTA and its member agencies are facing.  Preservation of some service to Greenport was a small victory\, to give that up would have severed a long standing historical tie for the LIRR.   Right now\, Ms. Williams is fighting a holding action to keep the LIRR in good shape while waiting for the economy to turn around and be robust again. \nAddressing some of the transit-oriented development advocates and freight rail enthusiasts in the audience\,  she spoke of Transit Oriented Development as bringing future LIRR customers into the fold and having plenty of capacity to support more rail freight to take more trucks off Long Island roads.  More rail freight means more revenue for the LIRR. \nThe main topic of her talk\, East Side Access\, helps the Suffolk County housing market because it makes commuting from eastern long island more possible to the east side of Manhattan\,  preserving that quality of life in the suburbs.  The new LIRR terminal in Grand Central Terminal will be served by the current M7 electric cars\, which the railroad is very happy with\, and they are beginning to design the next generation of cars\, the M9 fleet.  The entire railroad is eagerly anticipating the connecting of the LIRR and Metro-North Railroads\, but there is lots of system integration work to do.  Harold Interlocking needs a tremendous amount of work to connect the new tracks that will run to GCT\, and a new platform will be built in Jamaica to serve Brooklyn with a new type of shuttle service.  The creation of Moynihan station will primarily benefit intercity rail run by Amtrak\, but the LIRR is looking to get some Penn Station improvements out of that project! \, particularly an expansion of the main Penn Corridor that runs between the E and 2&3 subway lines to increase pedestrian capacity. \n\n\n\n\n\n\nunderground construction\n\n\n\nThe next phase of her talk was the presentation of a great video on the progress and methods of construction of ESA.  Animations of the tunnel boring\, maps of the rail routes\, and depictions of the new concourse were shown.  It is a great project that Ms. Williams is justifiably proud of being a part of.  It is a grand new public works project\, a great expansion of the railroad\, a very positive development.  Funding for the next two years is fully in place\, for the present capital program\, but the final years of the project need to be implemented and funded in the next MTA capital program.  Ms. Williams asked us for our support for this funding.  Another project that will require financial support is the double tracking of the mainline between Ronkonkoma and Farmingdale.  Unlike the third track project\, this does not require additional land\, and will help reverse commuting and take better advantage of East Side Access. \nClosing her talk\, she referred to the upcoming collective bargaining negotiations;  where there really needs to be some relief for the railroad around work rules and penalty pay.  These efforts will help the LIRR ease some of its costs.  The Q &  A portion of the program opened with a tough assault on the MTA taxes and some large ticket projects by the MTA\, which Ms. Williams ably handled\, although the projects mentioned were not LIRR projects. \nA follow up question on disability reform progress was again tackled by a frank discussion of what the LIRR could and could not control.  The LIRR has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the State AG’s office to cooperate in its investigation of disability fraud.  A lot of this is out of the control of the LIRR and under the jurisdiction of the Federal Rail Road Retirement board. \nAgain\, a well spent Friday morning at LIMBA\, where we got to hear from and talk to an important leader of one of the most vital links in our region’s economic health and stability. URL:https://limba.net/calendar/helena-williams-president-lirr/ LOCATION:NY END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR