comments from 119 Dutchess residents for pesticide neighbor notification-- join us!...

Hi all...

Over the next week or so our County Legislature's leaders will be deciding what to allow on to the agenda for Committee Day next month and what to keep off the agenda entirely...

So-- email all 25 of us now at countylegislators@co.dutchess.ny.us for pesticide neighbor notification!...

See http://www.petitiononline.com/neighbor ; see below (join us)...119 Dutchess folks signed on so far...

[thx also to Citizens Campaign for the Environment for THOUSANDS of signatures in Dutchess too!]

Fact: 70% of NYS residents live in counties that have Ulster, Rockland, Erie, Monroe, Nassau, Suffolk, Tompkins, Westchester, and Albany counties (along with NYC) already have Neighbor Notification laws for pesticide application; people here in Dutchess deserve the same protection as 70% of New Yorkers.

Fact: Neighbor Notification laws sensibly require commercial lawn pesticide applicators to provide 48-hour advance notice to adjacent property owners prior to certain lawn applications, and posting of residential lawn pesticide applications (see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Precautionary_principle ).

Fact: The Daily Freeman has endorsed neighbor notification laws-- along with Scenic Hudson, Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, NYPIRG, Cancer Awareness Coalition, 1 in 9 (Long Island Breast Cancer Action Coalition), American Lung Association of New York State, Mid-Hudson Breast Health Action Project of the Breast Cancer Network of Benedictine Hospital, National Audubon Society, New York League of Women Voters, National Education Association, National Wildlife Federation, New York Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides, New York League of Conservation Voters, New York State Breast Cancer Network, New York State Healthy Schools Network, New York State United Teachers, New York State Parent Teachers Association Board of Health, Physicians for Social Responsibility, Riverkeeper, Sierra Club-Atlantic Chapter, American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals-New York, Breast Cancer Help, Central New York Labor-Religion Coalition, Citizens Environmental Coalition, Coalition of Community Gardeners, Concerned Parents for a Healthy School Environment, Consumer Policy Institute of Consumer's Union, Fellowship of Reconciliation, Kids Against Pollution, Mothers and Others for a Livable Planet, and Citizen Action of New York.

[thx to Co. Leg. Pete Wassell for co-sponsoring; email us NOW-- countylegislators@co.dutchess.ny.us!]

Pass it on...

Joel
242-3571/876-2488
joeltyner@earthlink.net

p.s. Don't forget-- 135 towns across Canada have literally BANNED aesthetic use of pesticides; all we're talking about here in this case is 48 hours' notice(!)...what's the big hold-up?...why delay for years here?
[see: http://www.organiclandscape.org/en/Canada_&_US_68.html ]

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Fact: Pesticides pose a broad range of health harms to humans-- particularly to pregnant mothers, infants, children, senior citizens and people with impaired health, many types of cancer, neurological
disorders, respiratory ailments, reproductive disorders, and eye and skin damage; see:

"Breast Cancer Fund Study Finds Strong Cancer-Chemical Link" by Elaine Shannon [2/9/09]
http://www.enviroblog.org/2009/02/breast-cancer-fund-study-finds-strong-cancer-chemical-link.html

"Pesticide Linked to Breast Cancer" [BBC 12/4/98]
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/227178.stm

"Breast Cancer Linked to Pesticide DDT, Study Suggests" [Science Daily 10/9/07]
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071009082406.htm

"Pesticides and Breast Cancer: A Wake-Up Call" by Gillian Sanson (re: Meriel Watts book on this)
http://gilliansanson.wordpress.com/2008/02/03/pesticides-and-breast-cancer-a-wake-up-call/

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From http://www.toxicsinfo.org/Lawn/Pesticides%20&%20Cancer.htm ...

TOXICS INFORMATION PROJECT (TIP)
P.O. Box 40441, Providence, RI 02940
Tel. 401-351-9193, E-Mail: TIP@toxicsinfo.org
Website: www.toxicsinfo.org
(Lighting the Way to Less Toxic Living)
Pesticides and Cancer
by Gwen Petreman

Beginning in the late 1970s there have been reports linking pesticides to leukemia in children. A 1987 study by the National Cancer Institute showed that children living in pesticide-treated homes had nearly a 4 times greater risk of developing leukemia (cancer of the blood). If the children lived in homes where pesticide was sprayed on lawns and gardens, the risk of developing leukemia was 6.5 times greater. All the children in the study were 10 years of age or younger. (Dr. John Peters, University of Southern California, Journal of the National Cancer Institute, July 1987.) Cancer rates in the US have increased by 37% between 1950 and 1986. Over a million people are diagnosed with cancer in the US reach year. 10,400 people in the US die each year from cancer related to pesticides. It is estimated that the cost of cancer in term of lost production, income, and medical expenses amount to over US $38 billion each year.

The most convincing evidence that pesticides are carcinogens comes from epidemiological studies. Farmers who frequently use 2,4-D have a six-fold increase in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Scientists believe that the use of lawn chemicals such as 2,4-D has been a significant factor in the 50% rise in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma over the past 20 years in the American population. (World health Organization. 2,4-D Environmental Aspects. Geneva, Switzerland, 1989.) 2,4-D has also been linked to malignant lymphoma in dogs. Pets are exposed to higher doses of pesticides because they are closer to the ground where concentrations are the highest. Parts of their bodies, such as their scrotum and armpits, are often directly exposed to pesticides. They also ingest pesticides when they are grooming themselves. Studies show that the risk of lymphomas doubled in dogs whose owners treated lawns four times a year.

The lawn pesticides, mancozeb and chlorothalonil have been classified by the EPA as "probable" cancer causing chemicals in humans, as they have been found to cause cancer in animals. Mancozeb has also been found to react with sunlight to form a new compound the EPA categorizes as a "known" human carcinogen. The common lawn pesticide 2,4-D has been shown to increase the risk of lymphatic cancer in farmers six times the normal rate, according to a National Cancer Institute report. (Sinclair, W. 18 Studies Show Why Pesticides Are More Dangerous than Previously Realized. Tampa, Florida)

A University of Iowa study found that working as a golf superintendent significantly increased one's risk of getting non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, brain cancer, lung cancer, large intestine cancer, and prostrate cancer. Other experts are starting to find that golfers, and non-golfers who live near golf courses, are experiencing similar health problems. A 1996 research project studied brain cancer rates among 600 people. The research demonstrated a twofold increase risk for developing brain cancer for people who lived within 2600 feet of an agricultural area. (American Journal of Public Health, 86(9): 1289-96, 1996.) In 1983 the National Cancer Institute studied 3,827 Florida pesticide applicators who had been spraying for more than 20 years. They found that these pesticide applicators had nearly 3 times the risk of developing lung cancer and 2 times the risk of developing brain cancer. There was no increased risk for pesticide applicators who had been spraying for only 5 years. (Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 71(1), July 1983.)

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From http://www.innerself.com/Health/breast_cancer.htm ...

Breast Cancer Deception

by Sherrill Sellman

The pesticide breast cancer link was stunningly highlighted in research from Israel which linked three organochlorine pesticides detected in dairy products to an increase of 12 types of cancer in 10 different strains of mice. After public outcry in 1978, the Israeli government was forced to ban the pesticides Benzene Hexachloride, DDT, and Lindane. Interestingly, breast cancer mortality rates which had increased every year for 25 years, dropped nearly 8 per cent for all age groups and dropped more than a thirty-three percent for women ages 25-34 in 1986.

A survey conducted by Dr. Mary Wolff of Mt. Sinai Hospital, New York found that women with breast cancer had four times the levels of DDE found in non-carcinogenic tumors. Also, another study investigated why upper class women in the community of Newton, Massachusetts had higher breast cancer rates than the lower economic women. The researchers attributed the increase to greater use of professional lawn care service and more dry cleaning.

Each year, 180,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer and 44,000 will die of the disease. The US has one of the highest breast cancer rates in the world. Fifty years ago the incidence of Breast Cancer for a woman's lifetime risk was one in twenty. Now it has skyrocketed to one in eight. Clearly the so-called war on cancer has not even made a dent in the breast cancer epidemic as the rates continue to climb at the rate of one per cent per year.

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Breast Cancer Fund: Pesticides
http://www.breastcancerfund.org/site/c.kwKXLdPaE/b.84567/k.5FF6/Chemical_fact_sheet_Organochlorine.htm

A 2006 report from the Long Island Breast Cancer Study Project demonstrated that self-reported lifetime use of residential pesticides was associated with an increase in risk for breast cancer. The increase was found for women who had reported use of chemicals in the aggregate, as well as specifically for use of lawn and garden pesticides. These results are important because they address exposures to chemicals as they happen in ordinary life, and with all the complexities of mixtures and multiple sorts of uses. Many other studies of possible effects of pesticides try to tease out relationships with single chemicals or classes of chemicals, and the results are often contradictory depending on length and timing of exposures, types of chemical being studied and so forth. Despite that, many pesticides and herbicides have been labeled as human or animal carcinogens. Many are also found in water supplies, samples of air and dust from homes.

Triazine Herbicides: Atrazine

Triazine herbicides are the most heavily used agricultural chemicals in the United States. Triazines include atrazine, simazine, propazine and cyanazine. Although all have been shown to cause mammary cancer in laboratory rats, there is relatively little scientific data exploring the relationship between simazine or cyanazine and breast cancer. The literature on atrazine is much more extensive.

Dupont, the maker of cyanazine, negotiated with the EPA a gradual phase-out of the pesticide beginning in 1997. Supplies of cyanazine that remained after December 1999 could be used through the end of 2002. Atrazine was banned in the European Union in 2005 because of its high presence in drinking water, its demonstrated harmful effects on wildlife and its potential health effects in humans. Atrazine is still approved for use in the United States. More than 75 million pounds of atrazine are applied annually in the U.S., primarily to control broadleaf weeds in corn and sorghum crops in the Midwest.
Elevated levels of atrazine are found each spring and summer in both drinking water and ground water in agricultural areas. High levels of triazine (primarily atrazine) in contaminated waters have been associated with an increased risk of breast cancer.

Atrazine is a known endocrine disruptor, causing dramatic damage to reproductive structures in frogs and other wildlife. Research in rodents has shown that atrazine exposure disrupts pituitary ovarian function, including a decrease in circulating prolactin and luteinizing hormone levels, changes that contribute to the effects of this chemical on increases in mammary tumors.

Recent in vitro data suggest that one mechanism by which atrazine exerts its endocrine disrupting effects is by increasing the activity of the enzyme aromatase. Aromatase catalyzes (facilitates) the conversion of testosterone and other androgens to estrogens, including estradiol. Androgens are found naturally in women, although at lower levels than in men. The production of estrogens through the aromatase pathway, however, is of sufficient importance in the etiology of breast cancer that a current class of breast cancer drugs aims specifically to block the activity of aromatase.

Exposure to atrazine during gestation delays development of the rat mammary gland in puberty, widening the window of sensitivity to breast carcinogens. Similarly, exposure of rats late in pregnancy to a mixture of commonly formed metabolites of atrazine also leads to persistent changes in mammary gland development in their pups exposed during gestation. These abnormalities persist into adulthood.

Heptachlor

Heptachlor is an insecticide widely used in the United States throughout the 1980s, especially for termite control. In 1988, the U.S. EPA restricted use of heptachlor to certain applications for controlling fire ants, but agricultural use continued until 1993 because growers were allowed to use up existing stocks. Heptachlor use was particularly high in Hawaii, where it was used extensively on pineapple crops and consequently contaminated both local agricultural crops and dairy supplies. Breast cancer rates in Hawaii have increased dramatically for women of all ethnic groups over the past four decades.

Heptachlor still contaminates both soil and humans. Its breakdown product, heptachlor epoxide (HE) is known to accumulate in fat, including breast tissue. Levels are highest in women ages 20 and older, but HE is also found in the bodies of adolescents 12 to 19 years old, and in eight of 10 samples of umbilical cord blood from newborn infants.
High levels of HE in breast milk and fat tissue from breast biopsies have been shown to be associated with increased incidence of breast cancer.

Although HE does not act like estrogen, it affects the way the liver processes estrogen by allowing levels of circulating estrogens to rise, thereby increasing breast cancer risk. HE also has been shown to disrupt cell-to-cell communication in human breast cells in tissue culture and to increase production of nitric oxide, a chemical that is found naturally in cells and is known to cause damage to DNA.

Dieldrin and Aldrin

From the 1950s until 1970, the pesticides dieldrin and aldrin (which breaks down to dieldrin, the active ingredient) were widely used for crops including corn and cotton. Because of concerns about damage to the environment and, potentially, to human health, the U.S. EPA in 1975 banned all uses of aldrin and dieldrin except in termite control; the agency banned these pesticides altogether in 1987. Thus, most of the human body burden of this chemical comes either from past exposures or lingering environmental residues.

One body burden study showed a clear relationship between breast cancer incidence and dieldrin. Conducted by the Copenhagen Center for Prospective Studies in collaboration with the U.S. CDC, the study examined a rare bank of blood samples taken from women before the development of breast cancer. During the late 1970s and early 1980s, blood samples were taken from approximately 7,500 Danish women ranging in age from 30 to 75. Researchers detected organochlorine compounds in most of the 240 women who were diagnosed with breast cancer prior to the study's publication in 2000. They found dieldrin, which has exhibited estrogenic activity during in vitro assays, in 78 percent of the women who were later diagnosed with breast cancer. Women who had the highest levels of dieldrin long before cancer developed had more than double the risk of breast cancer compared to women with the lowest levels. This study also showed that exposure to dieldrin correlated with the aggressiveness of breast cancer: higher levels of dieldrin were associated with higher breast cancer mortality.

Like many other pesticides found in the environment, dieldrin has been shown to be an endocrine disruptor, both by stimulating estrogen-regulated systems and by interfering with androgen-regulated systems. Addition of dieldrin to human breast cancer (MCF-7) cells in vitro can stimulate their growth and proliferation.

Other Pesticides

A case-control study of 128 Latina agricultural workers newly diagnosed with breast cancer in California identified three pesticides-chlordane, malathion and 2,4-D- associated with an increased risk of the disease. Scientists found that the risks associated with use of these chemicals were higher in young women and in those with early-onset breast cancer than in unexposed women.

Researchers from the National Cancer Institute studied the association between pesticide use and breast cancer risk in farmers' wives in the Agricultural Health Study. This large prospective cohort study enrolled more than 30,000 women in Iowa and North Carolina. Researchers found evidence of increased risk of breast cancer in women using 2,4,5- trichlorophenoxy propionic acid (2,4,5-TP) and possibly in women using dieldrin and captan, although the small number of cases among those who had personally used pesticides precluded firm conclusions. Risk was also modestly elevated in women whose homes were closest to areas of pesticide application.

A recent study of farmers and their families shows that children ages 4 to 11 of farmers using 2,4,5-TP on their farms had high levels of the pesticide in their urine samples soon after the chemical had been applied to the fields. This is of concern given the evidence of increased susceptibility of children and young adolescents to the carcinogenic effects of chemicals.

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Comments here below from some signed on to http://www.petitiononline.com/neighbor -- join us!...

119.
Richard P. McHugh
a no brainer
154 cheslea rd,wappingers falls 12590
118.
Dick Crenson
Pesticide application should be monitored very carefully
12569
117.
Renee Snyder
A no-brainer!
153 Browns Pond Road, Staatsburg, NY 12580
116.
Alicia Lenhart
I support legislation to have notification.
141 Hilltop Road, Rhinebeck, NY 12572
115.
Josh Schlossberg
It is a human rights violation to be exposed to toxic chemicals without consent
5 Cedarcliff Lane, Poughkeepsie, NY, 12601
114.
Chip Hoagland
Having been poisoned by parathion thirty some years ago, I become deathly ill if exposed to any of its derivatives and would like to know what my neighbors might be doing so I don't get violently sick.
1912 Bruzgul Road 12540
113.
Sarah Love
Residents deserve to be informed of pesticide applications because of the health ramifications associated with these chemicals.
12580
112.
Cecilia Stancell
Good idea
426 Bog Hollow Rd. Wassaic, NY 12592
111.
Betsy Jacaruso
This is a good policy
21 Hutton St. Rhinecliff, NY 12574
110.
Deborah West
Makes good sense
595 Route 308 Rhinebeck, NY 12572
109.
Michael West
I agree
595 Route 308 Rhinebeck, NY 12572
108.
Frank Murasso
For Neighbor notification, Too many health issues with potential contamination to animals and children if the surrounding areas are not properly notified. This is a no brainer. Regulations are not to impede business, but to save lives, undue medical, and insurance cost which drive up premiums. simple.
11 Myers Lane, Hyde park NY 12538
107.
Jim Schumm
Transparency sounds good..
12508
106.
Robby Long
Seeems like a logical idea
86 Montgomery, Rhinebeck, NY 12572
105.
Klara Sauer
This policy is long overdue
Rhinebeck, NY 12572
104.
Joel and Kate Kopp
we strongly suppport notification.
12572
103.
Tess McKellen
The need for such legislation is obvious.
22 Violet Place, Rhinebeck, NY 12572
102.
Michael Nickerson
I can't build a fence without zoning permission, so it's not a big leap to at least notify others of the poisons that are being spread near there homes.
12574
101.
Roberta Schiff
people deserve to know
12572
100.
James Rosasco
This just make sense and should not be difficult to pass.
12572
99.
Joseph Cassarino
Of course this makes tremendous sense. Especially for neighbors who have children. Please support this effort!
6569 Springbrook Ave. Rhinebeck, NY 12572
98.
Gerrit Graham
Seems rather like a no-brainer to me; otherwise, we're all either victims or perpetrators of small-scale Agent Orange campaigns, are we not?
Rhinebeck, NY 12572
97.
Connie Hogarth
Absolutely call for notification. I would like to see the use of poisonous pesticides banned completely. We are sacrificing the health of the most vulnerable among us for the greed of pesticide profiteers --so shortsighted , not protecting their own children and families.
20 Hartsook Lane Beacon NY 12508
96.
ilana nilsen
Pretty lawns are not as important as healthy kids and animals
12585
95.
Anne McGrath
I enthusiastically support the right-to-know legislation. To overcome the significant environmental health risks caused by pesticides, we must organize and create political pressure. I'm thankful for the work of Joel Tyner and all the activists who have dedicated their time and energy to this cause.
5752 Route 9 12572
94.
Maria Katzenbach
Supporting pesticides is like unscrewing a bottle of poison and then placing it in front of a child and telling them to take a sip. Extreme language? So are pesticides extreme poisons that the EU has had the sense to decide recently to ban.
37 Williams Road, Red Hook, NY 12571
93.
Patricia & Cornelius du Plessis
Please, for the health of ourselves and our critters!
12564
92.
avatar
notify before spraying!
12571
91.
Michelle Donner
All that stuff is running off right into the Hudson, as if it doesn't have enough problems. I guess the least we can do is know when it's happening.
Market St, Rhinebeck
90.
Joanne Lukacher
This is both a common sense and a good neighbor policy.
31406
89.
Barbara Heldke
none
39 Colonial Drive Red Hook 12571
88.
Laureen Sullivan
these laws should be mandated everywhere
503 92nd Ave N, Saint Petersburg, FL 33702
87.
Denise LaForgue
This law needs to be passed in Dutchess County.
2 East Vacation Drive, Wappingers Falls, NY 12590
86.
Andrea Jean Hansen
This is important for everyone, I know it is a problem for me because I have Asthma.
21 Charles Street Apt 3F Poughkeepsie, NY 12601
85.
Bonnie Allen
I support the Neighbor Notification for Pesticide Application law. If we can't outlaw the use of these chemicals, the least we can do is give notice so neighbors can protect themselves.
41 Kinderhook Drive, Poughkeepsie, NY 12603
84.
Marie-Celeste Edwards
I support mandatory notices to neighbors a minimum of 48 hours prior to a scheduled application of pesticides.
158 N. Clinton St., Poughkeepsie, NY 12601
83.
Russell Cusick
a study two decades ago showed that childeren whose lawns were treated with pesticides had six times greater occurances of Leukemia than children whose lawns werent treated with pesticides....this is a no brainer folks, do the right thing. Thanks!
541 East Mountain Road North, Cold Spring, New York 10516 .3 miles from the Putnam/Dutchess border
82.
Irma Brownfield
Thankyou for protecting our health.
12580
81.
Barbara Hair
I support notification.
32 Great Bear Road, Holmes, NY 12531
80.
Patricia S. Taylor
we need to know
12603
79.
Drayton Grant
This law will increase neighborliness and improve civility. Each of us should talk to our neighbors about our plans that may affect them.
145 Wurtemburg Road Rhinebck NY 12572
78.
Dana J. Tompkins
Where does cancer come from?......
73 College Lane Millbrook, NY 12545
77.
Dr. Mark Sussin
give neighbors a chance to close their windows and avoid exposure to these dangerous chemicals
3 wilmot terrace poughkeepsie ny 12603
76.
Natalie E. Tasciotti
My neighbor sprayed without notifying me!
53 Reggie's Way, Lagrangeville, N.Y. 12540
75.
Linda Faber
Notification is important for personal safety.
359 Mountain View Road, Rhinebeck 12572
74.
Dr. Mark Condon
I am a toxicologist/cancer biologist and Poughkeepsie homeowner. I strongly support NN legislation. Many lawn and yard chemicals are not only acutely toxic, but are quite persistent in the environment and in the tissues of those exposed. I want to know my frequency and level of exposure.
67 Fairview Ave, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601
73.
K Hornick
I support Neighbor Notification for Pesticide Application and ask all legislators to do the same. This is long overdue !
12601
72.
V. Buechele
Help us Protect Ourselves
12601
71.
Dan Rushton
A long time coming
12 Oak Street, Rhinecliff, NY 12574
70.
Sharon Rushton
TIME TO ACT
12 Oak St., Rhinebeck, NY 12572
69.
Cynthia Philip
absolutely important
35 Russell Ave., Rhinecliff, NY 12574
68.
Kathleen Everett
common sense. common courtesy. should be common practice. not too much to ask
chestnut st, rhinebeck 12572
67.
Tom Mansfield
This is long overdue
55 Old Post Rd. North, Red Hook, NY 12571
66.
Beverly Canin
This is long overdue. There is enough evidence of health risks from pesticides for action, but if some deem it insufficient or inconclusive, the Precautionary Principle should prevail.
411 Wurtemburg Road, Rhinebeck 12572
65.
Diana Sommer
The decisions must be made by the People not the government, who decides how many particles per unit are "safe enough". Obviously no chemical is "safe enough"!
47 Rymph Road, LaGrangeville NY 12540
64.
Richard Vineski
Strongly support it!
155 robinson Lane, Wappingers Falls, NY 12590
63.
Corinne Baratta
no comment
269 Marshall Road, Hyde Park, NY 12538
62.
Tim Kleeger
Public health is a tenuous factor in pesticide application
6 Fallkilll Road, Hyde Park, NY
61.
Kurt Hornick
Neighbor notification for pesticide application is reasonable and should be enforced !
12601
60.
Evelyn & Joseph Chiarito
For health safety, we would want to know when pesticide spraying is taking place close by so that we could take precautions. I don't think that is too much to ask for. Do the right thing as so many other counties have done. Thank you for your concern for the health of Dutchess Co.residents.
12522
59.
Suzanne Kelly
short of banning these applications, notification is a necessity
206 Mill Road, Rhinebeck, NY 12572
58.
Doris Kelly
Neighbors should always be informed if they may be exposed to potentially dangerous chemicals. It is common decency.
7 Susan Court, Hyde Park 12538
57.
Bruce Combs
Also see http://www.thepetitionsite.com
108 Grays Deed,Williamsburg Virginia 23185 USA
56.
Douglas McComb
37 Hornbeck Ridge Poughkeepsie NY 12603
55.
Nancy Persely
I'm a nurse in oncology, and have felt that the increase in breast cancer is related to the enviorment. These chemicals are poisons.
18 schoolhouse road Staatsburg, NY 12580
54.
Thomas Baldino
After World War II toxic man-made chemicals increased dramatically. Home owners wanting beautiful green, weedless lawns began using the new pesticides and fertilizers in huge quantities. These pesticides used by home owners are responsible for more poison injected into the environment than any other source. After the war there was a steady increase in the cancer rates. It is time to protect our people from suffering the ravages of cancer by adopting the Neighbor Notificaton for Pesiticide Application law, which is on the books in Albany and is easily adoped by those communities that care about the safety and health of their people.
19 North St., Beacon, NY 12508
53.
Rodney Johnson
This is one more tool for the awareness of non-point source pollution.
141 Hilltop Rd. Rhinebeck, NY 12572
52.
Maggie Pickard
Freedom of Choice
12572
51.
Lorrie Klosterman
Dutchess County residents deserve this protection, which many other counties already provide.
7 Church St. Extension, Red Hook, NY 12571
50.
David Sloman
I support this notification initiative
68 High Acres Dr, Poughkeepsie, NY 12603
49.
Joan Grishman
The ground is saturated with poisons; most should be banned anyway!
Hyde Park, 12538
48.
Kerstin Karvetski
My children play on grass in public parks and in public places. Notification is critical to the health of my family.
12572
47.
Marie Hull-Michaelides
Red Hook, NY
12571
46.
Diane Barkstrom
I'd rather have a healthy family than green lawns.
12571
45.
Jean Sweezey
Please help protect us from pesticides.
10579
44.
Debra Hall
It is imperative to know what chemicals are on the ground and in the water.
Hopewell Junction, NY 12533
43.
Deborah S. Ignaffo
Pesticides are damaging our environment and a threat to our groundwater, etc. etc. etc.
12538
42.
Harvey Podolsky
I agree with the goals of this petition
282 Kansas Rd, Rhinebeck, NY 12572
41.
Sheila Moloney
This is the kind of legislation that defines good government - that which proactively seeks to protect the health, safety, and rights of citizens by regulating dangerous and unnecessary business practices.
25 Upper Hook Road Rhinebeck, NY 12572
40.
Richard Dennison
Research clearly shows blood cancers are higher in workers exposed to pesticides. It is likely all cancers, as well as other health problems, result from exposure to pesticides. If you care about your health and the health of your children, please support the "Neighbor Notification for Pesticide Application" law introduced by Joel Tyner. This seems like a "no-brainer". Why would anyone not support a law which will protect the health of Dutchess County families?
12533
39.
Steve Sansola
Support the Neighbor Notification for Pesticide Application
10 Burger road, Rhinebeck, NY 12572
38.
Margaret O. Kelland
Disclosure is especially important for people with children, pets, or health problems.
13 Susan Lane, Poughkeepsie, NY 12603
37.
George Quasha
This petition represents a person's right to "health" under the Constitution.
124 Station Hill Rd, Barrytown, NY 12507
36.
Charlese M Uribe
Please endorse this petition into a law that would make it mandatory to inform residents when pesticides are applied.
21431 NW 3rd Street Pembroke Pines, FL 33029
35.
Donna Pagnanella
I think pesticide application should be outlawed. We're giving up our health and putting our children at risk for a green lawn?? Just doesn't make much sense to me.
32 Deer Run Road, Poughkeepsie, NY 12603
34.
Catherine Watters
overdue
Rhinebeck 12572-1325
33.
Heather Dahl
Neighbor pesticiding laws need to be in effect to protect everyone
East market St. 12572
32.
Shelly Black
about time
Brandy Ln. 12590
31.
andrea novick
It has always disturbed and frustrated me that people find it difficult to connect the dots. Sometimes we don't know the cause and effect connection, but then sometimes we do and yet........
12572
30.
Alice Wilbeck
I live next to someone who grows trees to sell and would like to be notified of pesticide applications because we have a well
185 Slate Quarry Rd, Rhinebeck, NY 12572
29.
Wiles Avery
It's time the people of this country take it back from the corporations
2376 Route 9G; Staatsburg,NY 12580
28.
Rita Dahl
It is about time
Skytop ridge, Rhinebeck, 12572
27.
Rob Dahl
this notification needs to happen, I get sick all the time from my neighbors
Creamery Rd. 12581
26.
daniel c. melfe
all poisons will be banned from use today
56 fenmore drive wappingers falls, ny 12590
25.
johnduffy
I am very concerned about my neigbors polluitn my well and making us all sick. I want to know what kind of poison they are putting into their lawn. They have commercial sprayers and lawn treatment company's applying chemicals within 50' of my well!!!!
33 warren dr. Hopewell Jct., NY 12533
24.
Richard R Carlson
I don't have a problem with that.
12590
23.
line voided
22.
Robert Renbeck
It's for our health!
Centre Road, Staatsburg NY 12580
21.
Michael J Taylor
I support Neighbor Notification for Pesticide Application
3 Aspinwall Rd Red Hook, NY 12571
20.
Denise Barton
I support Neighbor Notification for Pesticide Application
3 aspinwall Rd Red Hook, NY 12571
19.
Linda Fitzsimmons
It's a matter of simple courtesy to let those who live nearby know when poisons are being released into the air and on the ground.
51 Skyview Drive, Poughkeepsie 12603
18.
Louisa Forrest
It is time to take this health issue seriously by starting with the passing of this important law. It is the duty of all those in public service to safeguard the public health, welfare and safety whenever they have the power to do so.
1106 Cherry Hill Drive, Poughkeepsie, NY 12603
17.
Stephen J. Rogers
!
108 East Market St, Rhinebeck NY 12572
16.
warren reiss
neighbor notification is a matter of simple decency.
89 round lake road, rhinebeck ny 12572
15.
Evelyn Krueger
I'm in favor of the "neighbor Notification for Pesticide Application" in Dutchess Couty.
12571
14.
Chris Davis Cina
As a breast cancer survivor, I feel this is important legislation
12524
13.
Donna Lenhart
This is something that is way overdue!
2122 New Hackensack Road, Poughkeepsie, NY 12603
12.
Elizabeth Smyth
We have a right to be informed and to protect ourselves.
44 Schultzville Rd, Staatsburg, NY 12580
11.
Laurie Husted
Since minimum risk & reduced risk pesticides are exempt from this notification, it makes to inform neighbors if you have hired a commercial applicator for non minimal risk applications!
46 Cambridge Dr., Red Hook, NY 12571
10.
Marian Thompson
It is only fair and sensible to require notification of neighbors when using carcinogenic materials in the environment for our children, animals and ourselves.
1413 Hollow Rd, Clinton Corners, 12514
9.
Debra Hall and Family
Its everyone's right to know if the grass next door has poison on it. This stuff does blow around and is not safe to breath.
130 Creamery Road Hopewell Junction NY 12533
8.
Camilla Wygan
This is the least you can do to protect the health of our children and grandchildren
160 Academy St. Po,K 12601
7.
Cary Kittner
It is common sense to warn neighbors about poisons that might effect them
12507
6.
Virginia Grab
i believe this is an important issue and support this petition
74 montgomery, tivoli, ny 12583
5.
Patricia and Richard Gordon
Our health and our childrens health are paramount.
12571
4.
Richard M. Anderson
Your neighbors shold know if you are using peticides
18 West Marshall Drive, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601
3.
Dorothy Shays Dangerfield
Please protect the health of county residents.
112 Sterling Street Beacon 12508
2.
Doreen Tignanelli
It always amazes me that people with young children and pets use toxic chemicals on their lawns. There are now organic fertilizers, pesticides and disease management products available. Some lawn services offer organic options. Those of us looking to avoid potential health risks should be notified so we can take simple steps such as closing windows and keeping pets indoors.
12603
1.
Vicky Perry
One has to wonder at the short-sightedness of placing profits for the chemical industry over the loss of human capital due to cancer.
62 Old Post Rd. , Red Hook NY 12571

help get Green Ribbon zero-waste rec.'s passed!...(Tonia Shoumatoff article below)...

Hi all...

In the past Co. Leg.'s Pete Wassell, Jim Doxsey, and Steve White all agreed to co-sponsor the resolution below from yours truly (scroll down a bit) calling on our county's Solid Waste Commissioner and Resource Recovery Agency to make our Green Ribbon Solid Waste Management Committee recommendations real...
[see: http://www.dutchessny.gov/CountyGov/Departments/Legislature/ResolutionsPDF/209354.pdf ;
final report here-- http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/assets/pdf/BK142669916.PDF ]

Email all 25 of us: countylegislators@co.dutchess.ny.us to make sure this on agenda, passed in Dec.!...

Fact: More than two thirds of the materials we use are still burned or buried, despite fact we have technical capacity to cost-effectively recycle, reuse, or compost 90% of what we waste.
[see http://www.StopTrashingtheClimate.org ]

As the Institute of Local Self-Reliance has noted-- "On a per-ton basis, sorting and processing recyclables alone sustain 10 times more jobs than landfilling or incineration."
[see: http://www.ilsr.org/recycling/recyclingmeansbusiness.html ]

Thanks again to Green Ribbon Task Force members for a ton of open mtg.'s I chaired on this in 2009:

-- Tom Baldino, City of Beacon Conservation Advisory Council Chair
-- Ryan Courtien, Dover Town Supervisor
-- Shabazz Jackson, Greenway Environmental Services
-- Jack Hess, Hess Hauling
-- Michael Long, City of Poughkeepsie City Administrator
-- Stephen Lynch, R.S. Lynch & Company
-- Jonathan Smith, "Progressive Perspective" columnist for The Hudson Valley News
-- Rita Trocino, Recycle Depot

[and thanks much as well to Co. Leg. Assistant to the Chair Fred Knapp for his time and info on this too; and to Co. Leg. Chair Roger Higgins for the idea (building on my similar idea last year), appointments]

Again-- email us at countylegislators@co.dutchess.ny.us to make sure this on agenda, passed in Dec.!..

[pass it on]

Joel
242-3571/876-2488
joeltyner@earthlink.net

p.s. Join 37 other Dutchess residents for zero-waste, folks-- at http://www.petitiononline.com/zeroyes!...

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On that note-- this from The Millbrook Independent's Tonia Shoumatoff (toniashou@gmail.com)...

Why are we burning and not recycling in Dutchess County?

I became familiar with the Dutchess County recycling program in 1987 when I reviewed the facilities at the Resource Recovery Agency of Dutchess County for an industrial film I wanted to make. I got a tour of the facilities and saw the recyclables being separated on a conveyor belt. I was impressed that real recycling was happening in Dutchess County because at that time because very few counties were doing it. The program was state of the art back then.

After I saw the operation in Poughkeepsie I was inspired to research which towns were recycling and took the entire Town Board of Amenia to look at the admirable operation in the Town of Union Vale and we then launched a recycling program in Amenia at the local transfer station.

What I found out was that metal was lucrative to recycle but you had to hunt out a good market for glass and plastic which were recycled by grades and colors.

This week there has been an investigative series in the Poughkeepsie Journal that has pointed out that waste management in Dutchess County is being sorely mismanaged and most of the garbage is being burned, the valuable metal is not being recycled and the toxic ash is being carted away by unlicensed operators. Our County pays twice as much as any other county in New York State to dispose of trash, $145 per ton.

R. Stephen Lynch, a Nationally recognized expert in the field of municipal sewer, water and waste management was recently appointed to the Resource Recovery Agency Board by the Dutchess County Legislature Environment Committee to help move this agency in the right direction. Steve's firm, R. S. Lynch & Company, Inc. is based right here in Millbrook and since its beginning in 1987, has provided environmental services to a wide variety of clients including the U.S. Senate Committee on the Environment, the National Solid Waste Management Association, the National League of Cities and NYS Environmental Facilities Corporation.

Steve granted the following exclusive interview to the Millbrook Independent:

1) How does recycling happen in Dutchess County? Years ago, the DCRRA was doing a good job, what happened?

Right now the majority of recycling in Dutchess occurs independently of the public sector. Private trash companies take the recyclables to markets that they have access to, IF and only if, it is financially beneficial to them. Metal, glass and plastic sometimes get recycled. Metal is almost always profitable to recycle. But glass and plastic, as other commodities, have a low value in this economy and often do not get recycled.

The County recycling program has been completely delegated to the Resource Recovery Agency and is a very marginal operation where they receive the recyclables from a private carter, a town or a Wal-Mart with a fee schedule…the MRF (Materials Recovery Facility) is an old and obsolete facility which is subcontracted to a private operator called Hudson Baylor. This facility is not economically viable. We are issuing an RFP (Request for Proposal) to see what the best arrangements available are. Unfortunately recycling is not always a profitable business, so not a lot of people are interested in bidding on it. The DCRRA also recycles metal to goes into the incinerator mixed with other household waste. Unfortunately the DCRRA actually pays a company to take this metal away after it has gone through the incinerator even though it has a significant dollar value and is sold for a profit by other waste-to-energy facilities. This is yet another example of the pervasive mismanagement of waste and recyclables which has plagued the County for many years.

2) Is the reason that recycling is not happening more because it is more lucrative for the agency and the carters to burn it? Is there a good enough market for the recyclables and how much does it cost to get it to the markets?

It's a challenge. Recycling is not always a moneymaker; you have to pay if you want to really maximize it. If we had better waste management policies in the County and stopped wasting $6 million annually of tax payer's money on the burn plant we could achieve it. We can take single-stream recycling, a no-brainer technology, and make it profitable.

[I googled 'single-stream recycling' and found out that many cities all over the country have now switched to this method of recycling. Hartfort, CT, Baltimore, MD and many others. We are WAY behind in Poughkeepsie.

Here is what Boulder, CO says about their program: "Our new program is called "single-stream" recycling. It's the future for responsible resource conservation and an important step toward meeting our goal of building a Zero Waste community by 2020. Single-stream recycling makes it almost as easy to use the recycling bin as it is to use the trash can, so for the previously unconverted, there's no excuse for not recycling. It also creates a significant opportunity for communities to get a lot closer to their Zero Waste goals through a revolutionary new system called Three Bin Collection. With all your recyclables collected in one can, communities and recycling haulers can plan to use the second can for compostable materials like food scraps and yard waste, making it possible for you to recover up to 80% of your discards. That leaves little need for that third can, the trash."]

3) What are the dollar and environmental costs of not recycling?

We should be recycling and paying extra to recycle more because there are many environmental benefits to doing it such as not creating more global warming from the burning and the decreased the use of natural resources resulting from recycling. More trees get to stand because we recycle paper. Making products out of recyclable materials requires less energy. It should be both a common sense and moral imperative to recycle. The bottom line here should not be economic.

AS for the dollars, yes, you often can save money not recycling, because recycling costs money and it is cheaper to burn or bury the material. But as I said there is a huge global cost for not recycling. But you cannot expect the carters to be willing to make less money because they should feel morally obligated to do it. It should be the public sector leading the way with good administration and planning but unfortunately that is not happening in Dutchess County.

4) Could Dutchess County require that carters charge by weight of household garbage only and not charge anything for picking up recyclables, thus encouraging more recycling?

Yes, the "pay to throw" policy could and should be enacted and legally enforced quite easily. The towns could also make money themselves by marketing the recyclables directly but usually it is more effective to do it on a regional basis.

The reason we have one of the biggest solid waste disasters in New York state here is because the burn plant is using obsolete technology that the County has been paying millions of dollars of taxpayer's money to repair. If it were closed down then we could focus more on waste reduction and recycling. We could take the non-recyclable waste to a place like Seneca Meadows, which is two hours away and is state-of-the-art including reusing methane. Then we would have more money to actually do recycling and composting.

5) Why is so much solid household waste being burned and could it be composted?

40-50% of the household waste stream is organic solids that can be recycled or composted. There are 4 or 5 different technologies that can do that. "In vessel" composting is an industrial form of composting biodegradable waste that occurs in enclosed drums. The ph is optimized to encourage the growth of microbes, which reduces it to compost in a matter of days.

Shabazz Jackson of Beacon does an excellent job at windrow composting in an elongated pile that gets turned and manipulated.

We are all downstream of the plume of smoke from the plastics that are getting burned off Rte. 9 in Poughkeepsie. It's outrageous. We are breathing burning televisions, computers, batteries, food waste and whatever else people are throwing into the trash. Dutchess could finally afford to explore some alternatives if they were not spending so much on the resuscitating the outdated burn plant.

The County has hired consultants who are advising them to build more plants in the County and expand the existing burn facility which is only processing half of the solid waste of Dutchess County. Following this advice will triple the environmental problems and triple the millions of dollars wasted on the backs of taxpayers. The consultants are focusing in all the wrong places. Even before this tripling of the Counties waste activities there is already a net service fee that says that if the revenues cannot cover the expenses of the burn plant the taxpayers will cover it, all of which comes out of the County general fund…this currently amounts to over $6 million annually budgeted from County tax payers. The consultants are recommending two more taxes on top of this…a waste flow control tax and a new tax on all commercial taxpayers in the County to help pay for the expanded County waste system….this make NO SENSE.

6) Are people listening to you?

I have been talking to people in County Government and at the DCRRA for 15 years and no one would listen. I have clearly been viewed as a threat …someone who's knowledge of these issues could upset the highly political, secretive and closed world of waste management in Dutchess County. But now there has been a sea change. Maybe it's because of the Poughkeepsie Journal stories, the press has a lot of influence, or maybe it's because I am now on the Board of the Resource Recovery Agency.

I asked Pete Wassell, Dutchess County Legislator, and Vice Chair of the Dutchess County Legislature's Environmental Committee to comment:

"I appointed Mr. Lynch to the Dutchess County RRA Board due to his wealth of knowledge on solid waste management. He, as well as, many others has concluded that the DC RRA facility is inefficient and outdated - what is burning at the RRA is our tax dollars. Mother nature has provided a great model for a zero waste system - one that replenishes itself and is sustainable. Other municipalities have embraced recycling and has made it work - now it is time for Dutchess County to step up and get the RRA back on track. We can do right by the environment and eliminate wasteful spending by implementing an intelligent solid waste management system - and that is what we intend to do. Details on RRA recommendations can be found in the Dutchess County Green Ribbon Task Force Report on Solid Waste Management."

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Note re: single-stream vs. dual-stream recycling-- recall-- the following is from the very last part of our county's Green Ribbon Task Force recommendations:

"As Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR.org) President Neil Seldman has stated, 'The best bet for Dutchess County is a dual-stream system of recycling. Single-stream in Dutchess County run by your county government or a local private contractor would be a good change in the right direction, but single-stream with materials fed to a centralized facility miles away would mean no jobs for Dutchess County and low value for your materials, as has happened in Washington, D.C. Many U.S. paper mills will not accept recycled paper from single-stream programs.'

As Conservatree noted in a recent report (cited by the Institute of Local Self-Reliance's Brenda Platt), 'The introduction of single stream collection systems has not had such uniformly positive results for recycled product manufacturers. Instead, it has accelerated an already pronounced slide towards poorly sorted recovered materials, with glass, plastics and metals being delivered to paper mills in bales of fiber, the wrong types of fiber going to paper mills that can only use specific grades, and increased contamination, as well as materials lost to plastics, glass and aluminum manufacturers. Recyclable materials that were recovered for recycling in community programs but then sent to the wrong types of manufacturers generally end up in landfills near the mills. In other words, poor processing trashes recyclables. While more than 75% of recovered materials from many single stream curbside programs are paper fiber, the problems created by delivery of poorly sorted recovered materials affect all recycling manufacturers. Glass and paper fibers mixed in with the plastics, or ceramics and plastics mixed into the glass, or glass mixed with aluminum cans all present serious problems for those manufacturers.'"

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[again-- send letters to all 25 of us at countylegislators@co.dutchess.ny.us for this to be passed in Dec.!]

WHEREAS, recently the Dutchess County Green Ribbon Task Force on Solid Waste Management issued its recommendations after many months of meetings and much public input, and

WHEREAS, Dutchess County's unemployment rate is still about twice what it was two years ago, with about ten thousand local residents out of work; recycling and composting (a zero-waste approach to resource recovery) creates ten times more jobs than incineration and landfilling, according to the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, and in Austin (TX), Seattle (WA), Portland (OR) and many other communities across the country a zero-waste approach has also saved tax dollars compared to a burn-or-bury approach, and

WHEREAS, on a national level, over two-thirds of the materials we use are still burned or buried, despite the fact we have the technical capacity to cost-effectively recycle, reuse, or compost 90% of what we waste; the Dutchess County Resource Recovery Facility puts 3700 tons of carbon emissions into the air every year, and

WHEREAS, Rockland County recycled 41,000 tons of cans, bottles, plastics, and paper last year at their Materials Recovery Facility, with a population almost identical to that of Dutchess County (about 290,000), while Dutchess County recycled only 8,000 tons of cans, bottles, plastics, and paper last year at our Materials Resource Facility, and therefore be it

RESOLVED, that the Dutchess County Legislature believes that the current governance arrangements for waste management in Dutchess County (basically all duties delegated to the Dutchess County Resource Recovery Agency) have failed on many levels, especially by virtue of the fact that costs incurred by the Resource Recovery Agency at the expense of the taxpayers are far in excess of industry standards; the new PLAN must evaluate and identify new and better options, such as a new Dutchess County Waste and Recycling Management Authority, or more active participation of the County's Public Works Committee or Solid Waste Commissioner, and be it further

RESOLVED, that the Dutchess County Legislature calls for an end to the mismanagement currently dominating waste management in Dutchess County; better mechanisms of oversight and transparency are critical to the success of the PLAN and must be clearly outlined by the County's SWM consultant, and the County Legislature calls for the power of budgetary review over any new governance mechanism, and be it further

RESOLVED, that the Dutchess County Legislature, in light of the extraordinarily high costs, inefficiency and mismanagement recently documented at the Dutchess County Resource Recovery Agency, recommend that the new PLAN give careful and thorough consideration to the phasing out of the waste to energy facility over a 2-4 year time horizon and the phasing out or complete transformation for the Resource Recovery Agency over the same period of time; if the DCRRA is phased out, all efforts should be made to secure new County jobs for the administrative staff of the Agency, and be it further

RESOLVED, that the Dutchess County Legislature requests that the PLAN and the Consultant chosen to advise the legislature thoroughly examine the possibility of setting countywide mandated recycling goal of 70% of all municipal solid waste generated in Dutchess County by the year 2020 by substantially increasing our food waste composting infrastructure, and therefore be it

RESOLVED, that the Dutchess County Legislature also issues a Request for Proposals for a report from several nationally known zero-waste experts who have indicated an interest in helping Dutchess County on this, for detailed cost analysis and implementation outlines for a Dutchess County Zero-Waste Pilot Program to be implemented as soon as possible, and be it further

RESOLVED, that the Dutchess County Legislature authorizes the development of several pilot programs around the county, dedicated to the advancement of research and assess the feasibility of a cutting edge zero-waste program for Dutchess County, and the creation of an eco-industrial resource recovery park to create jobs recycling current resources that are disposed of: food waste, fats, oils, greases, glass, electronic scrap, mattresses, and construction and demolition debris, and

RESOLVED, that the Dutchess County Legislature requests that the Dutchess County Resource Recovery Agency work with the Dutchess County Sheriff, Dutchess County Environmental Management Council, Dutchess County Supervisors and Mayors Association, Dutchess County Small Business Committee, and others to make sure recycling bins for cans and bottles and office paper are placed next to all trash receptacles in the county, and make sure that, as county law and the Dutchess County Resource Recovery Agency website states, that "the following materials are required to be kept separate from trash: office paper (copy paper, stationery, computer paper, ledger), newspaper, corrugated cardboard, glass bottles and jars (clear, brown and green colored); metal cans (tin/bi-metal/aluminum); aluminum pie plates and foil; PETE and HDPE plastic containers (except automotive product containers), and major appliances, tires, yard debris," and be if further

RESOLVED, that a copy of this resolution be sent to the Dutchess County Executive, Dutchess County Solid Waste Commissioner, Dutchess County Resource Recovery Agency, Dutchess County Environmental Management Council, Dutchess County Sheriff, and Dutchess County Association of Supervisors and Mayors.

eight ways to save our food system-- our economy-- and our planet (tax Wall Street!)...

Hi all...

Much food for thought below-- mull over, digest-- and call Congress-- (800) 828-0498!...(pass it on)...

"Eight Steps Obama Could Take to Save Our Food System" by Robyn O'Brien
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/11/20-0

"Why Not Tax Wall Street?" by William Greider
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20091207/greider

"Who Are You and What Have You Done with the Community Organizer We Elected" by Robert Scheer
http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/who_are_you_and_what_have_you_done_with_the_community_organizer_we_elected_/

posted yesterday by John Nichols-- "House Rebels Force Fed Audit, Real Economy Onto Agenda"
http://www.thenation.com/blogs/thebeat/499193/house_rebels_force_fed_audit_real_economy_onto_agenda

"An Inconvenient Solution: Al Gore's 'Our Choice'" by Bill McKibben
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/11/20-2

"Congress, Climate Cheapskate" by Bill McKibben
http://www.actforclimatejustice.org/2009/11/bill-mckibben-congress-climate-cheapskate/

"The New (Green) Arms Race" by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/11/19-8

"Moyers Message to Obama: Study History or Repeat Its Mistakes" by Danny Schechter
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/11/21-4

"It's Shameful That Millions Go Hungry in a Land of Plenty" by David Love
http://www.progressive.org/mplove111909.html

"Building a World Fit for Children" by Marie Staunton
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/11/20-6

"America's House of Lords Debates Healthcare" by Steven Hill
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/11/21

[...and don't forget-- re: taxing Wall Street-- what Ike did!...sign on to http://www.PetitionOnline.com/ILikeIke!]

[also see http://www.SinglePayerNewYork.org; http://www.UnitedforPeace.org; http://www.PNHP.org]

Joel
242-3571/876-2488
joeltyner@earthlink.net

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Paul Krugman in yesterday's Times-- "Here's the real tragedy of the botched bailout: Government officials, perhaps influenced by spending too much time with bankers, forgot that if you want to govern effectively you have retain the trust of the people. And by treating the financial industry - which got us into this mess in the first place - with kid gloves, they have squandered that trust."
[see: http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/11/20-5 ]

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From http://www.democracynow.org/2009/11/19/as_wall_street_posts_record_profits ...

As Wall Street Posts Record Profits and US Hunger Rate Grows, Robert Scheer Asks: "Where Is the Community Organizer We Elected?"

A pair of new government reports released this week paint a startling picture more than a year after the economic meltdown. On Tuesday, the New York Comptroller Office said Wall Street profits are set to exceed the record set three years ago. The four largest firms took in $22.5 billion in profits through September. Meanwhile, far more people are going hungry in the United States than previously thought. The Department of Agriculture estimates 50 million Americans, including a quarter of all children, struggled to get enough to eat last year. We speak to veteran journalist Robert Scheer.

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From http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/11/20-0 ...

[see: http://www.CivilEats.com and http://www.EatingLiberally.org !]

Published on Friday, November 20, 2009 by Civil Eats
8 Steps Obama Could Take to Save Our Food System
by Robyn O'Brien

[According to the New York Times, Robyn O'Brien is "food's Erin Brockovich." As the founder of AllergyKids, an organization designed to protect the 1 in 3 American children with autism, allergies, ADHD and asthma, Robyn has appeared on Good Morning America, CBS Evening News with Katie Couric and CNN highlighting the role that chemicals in our food supply are having on our health. Born and raised in a conservative Texas family on supply side economics and the Wall Street Journal, Robyn earned a Fulbright Fellowship, an MBA and served as an equity analyst on a multibillion dollar fund prior to moving to Boulder, Colorado with her husband and four children. She is the author of the book, The Unhealthy Truth: How Our Food Is Making Us Sick and What We Can Do About It.]

The landscape of health has changed. No longer are our families guaranteed a healthy livelihood, not in the face of the current rates of cancer, diabetes, obesity, Alzheimer's and allergies. In the words of Elizabeth Warren, Harvard University law professor who is head of the Congressional Oversight Panel, "We need a new model," and we need a new food system. It's our health on the line.

8 Steps Obama Could Take to Save Food:

1. Evenly distribute government moneys to all farmers. The current system allocates the lion share of our tax dollars (approximately $60 billion) to farmers growing crops whose seeds have been engineered to produce their own insecticides and tolerate increasing doses of weed killing herbicides. As a result, these crops, with a large chemical footprint, are cheaper to produce, while farmers growing organic produce are charged fees to prove that their crops are safe and then charged additional fees to label these crops as free of synthetic chemicals and "organic". If organic farmers received an equal distribution of taxpayer funded handouts from the government, the cost of producing crops free from synthetic chemicals would be cheaper, making these crops more affordable to more people, in turn increasing demand for these products which would further drive down costs. If we were to reallocate our national budget and evenly distribute our tax dollars to all farmers, clean food would be affordable to everyone and not just those in certain zip codes.

2. Reinstitute the USDA pesticide reporting standard that was waived under the Bush administration. In 2008, the USDA waived pesticide reporting requirements (a procedure that has been in place since the early 1990s) so that farmers and consumers would know the level of chemicals being applied to food crops. Given a report just released that reveals a 383 million pound increase in the use of weed killing herbicides since the introduction of herbicide tolerant crops in 1996 and the potential impact that this glyphosate containing compound is having on both the environment and on our health, perhaps the "don't ask, don't tell" policy assumed under the previous administration should be reversed.

3. Reinstate the pre-Bush administration dollar value that the EPA places on the life of every American. in May 2008, the Bush administration lowered the value placed on the life of every American by almost $1 million, benefiting corporations who use this figure in their cost benefit analyses, marking down our lives from $7.8 million to $6.9 million the same way a car dealer might markdown a "96 Camaro with bad brakes. The EPA figure is used to assess corporate liability when a company's actions put a life at risk. While this figure benefits the corporations conducting the cost benefit analysis when assessing the health impact of their chemicals, the costs of these chemicals are being externalized onto the public in the form of health care costs.

4. Allow public debate over the nomination of pesticide lobbyist, Islam Siddiqui for Chief Agriculture Negotiator at the office of the United States Trade Representative. As addressed in a letter sent to Chairman Max Baucus and Ranking Member Charles Grassley of the Senate Finance Committee, Islam Siddiqui, nominated for Chief Agriculture Negotiator at the office of the United States Trade Representative, was formerly employed by CropLife America, whose firm challenged Michelle Obama's organic garden, has consistently lobbied the U.S government to weaken international treaties governing the use and export of toxic chemicals such as PCBs, DDT and dioxins, and blocked international attempts to help regulate pesticides that increasingly linked to chronic skin and respiratory problems, birth defects and cancer in our community. Given that a growing body of scientific evidence supports the theory that chemicals in our food are contributing to the rise in health problems, particularly in children, the appointment of an industry lobbyist to export our challenged food system to the rest of the world may be in the best interest of agrichemical corporations but consideration should also be given to the health implications that these novel chemicals, proteins and allergens may have.

5. Encourage climate change advocates like Al Gore to discuss Pesticide Use by Big Ag and its Chemical Footprint. While speaking openly about the petroleum industry's impact on global warming, leading environmental advocates like Al Gore have been quiet about the chemical contribution that the recent introduction of crops genetically engineered with pesticidal toxins play on global warming despite scientific evidence from the Royal Society of Chemistry highlighting their impact. Since the Clinton Administration's introduction of biotech crops designed and engineered to both withstand increasing doses of weed killing chemicals and produce their own insecticides, new reports based on USDA data, show a 383 million pound increase in the chemicals being applied to these crops since their introduction in 1996. According to the Royal Society of Chemistry, "growing biofuels is probably of no benefit and in fact is actually making the climate issue worse" given that glyphosate, being applied in increasing doses to these crops, breaks down into nitrogen.

6. Update the Consumer Protection and Food Allergen Labeling Act to inform consumers of these newly engineered corn allergens. The recent engineering of novel food proteins and toxins into the US food supply has enhanced profitability for the food industry by allowing commodities like corn to produce their own insecticides. As a result, corn is now considered an insecticide and regulated by the EPA . For this same reason, this corn has been either banned or labeled in products in other developed countries because the new toxins and novel allergens that it contains have not yet been proven safe. Despite the lack of evidence, this corn is in the American food supply. The increase in the rate of food allergies as demonstrated in the December issue of Pediatrics and the growing number of people with this condition- whose bodies recognize food as "foreign" and launch inflammatory reaction in an effort to drive out these "foreign" food invaders, speaks to the need to update and amend the food allergen labeling act to label these newly engineered genetically enhanced proteins and allergens as governments around the world do.

7. Ask the SEC to join the Department of Justice in its investigation into trade practices in agrichemical industry. As the Department of Justice begins its investigation into the impact that Monsanto's monopoly is having on farmers, their financial situation and the food supply, research out of the USDA highlights that the biotech industry is not delivering on what some are calling their "hype-to-reality ratio". As farmers are charged premiums for seeds that have been engineered to produce greater yields, research out of the USDA, Kansas State University shows that these products are not delivering as promised, directly impacting the cost structures of farmers in a razor to razorblade scenario. As farmers purchase genetically modified seeds in the hopes that they will increase yields and drive down cost structure and their dependency on weed killers, studies now suggest that since the introduction of the "razor", these biotech crops introduced 13 years ago, farmers are actually spending more on the "razorblade", the herbicides and weed killers required to manage them, driving farmers debt to asset ratios to record levels. Given that Monsanto's CFO, Treasurer, Controller are all leaving the company by year end, the Securities and Exchange Commission could interview these three exiting executives and learn more about the financial predicaments of Big Ag's customers, the farmers, and the greater ramifications that this monopoly will have on food prices.

8. Appoint a Children's Health Advisor to serve on the USDA's National School Lunch Program. The landscape of children's health has changed. No longer are the American children guaranteed a healthy childhood, not in the face of the current rates of obesity, diabetes and allergies. Perhaps it is time that we follow the lead of governments in other developed countries and create a Chief Advisor for Child and Youth Health whose responsibilities might include, but not be limited to, serving in an advisory capacity to the USDA on the National School Lunch Program. Under the USDA's current budget for the National School Lunch Program of approximately $8.5 billion (in comparison the Pentagon's 2009 budget $600 billion), less than a dollar is available per meal for the purchase of healthy food once overhead costs are taken out. Given that 1 in 3 American children now has allergies, ADHD, autism of asthma and according to an October 2008 study from the Centers for Disease Control, 1 in 3 Fourth graders is expected to be insulin dependent by the time they reach adulthood. As a result, dietary concerns are becoming increasingly prevalent for the estimated 30.9 million children and approximately 102,000 schools and child care institutions that participate in the National School Lunch Program. Given that increasing scientific evidence points to the roles that environmental insults like synthetic growth hormones in milk and trans fats in processed foods are having on our health, investing in a children's health advisor may provide long term benefits to the future of our health care system .
It's our food system on the line. And if our children are any indicator, our health and the economic burden that it presents are on the line, too.

© 2009 Civil Eats

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From http://www.thenation.com/doc/20091207/greider ...

Why Not Tax Wall Street?
Comment
by WILLIAM GREIDER
This article appeared in the December 7, 2009 edition of The Nation.
November 18, 2009

Washington is experiencing a rare and disorienting moment. Big ideas for financial reform that have languished for years are suddenly gaining momentum. Instead of taxing folks to clean up after reckless Wall Street bankers, why not tax Wall Street? Instead of tolerating behemoths regarded as "too big to fail," why not break them up before they do more damage to the country? Instead of genuflecting before the mysterious Federal Reserve, why not strip the temple of its secrets and cleanse it of the self-interested bankers who shape Fed policy?

The fact that these and other unsanctioned propositions are in play and even proposed by respectable figures indicates how deeply the established order has been rattled by the financial crisis. It also demonstrates that members of Congress who bailed out the bankers with public money are quite terrified of voter retribution in the next election.

The center is not holding. That's good news for the Republic, because the center has long been subservient to the demands of financial power. Cynics will say this is a passing tempest that will come to nothing. They might be right. But reformers should make the most of it, at least to agitate the fears of elected politicians--including the president.
Welcome to Mardi Gras, Washington-style. It feels like carnival time, when up is down and down is up, when humble folks parade as kings and queens and the reigning royals are dressed as clowns. As someone who has written about these heretical ideas for decades, I feel a bit giddy at the opportunities for real change, though mindful that the anarchy may not last long.

The most startling evidence of reversal is Chris Dodd, chair of the Senate Banking Committee, who has been a loyal friend of Wall Street and especially Connecticut-based insurance companies. Dodd proposes to strip the Fed of its regulatory functions because of its "abysmal failure" to protect the public, and to replace it with an overarching regulatory administration. Dodd is no doubt motivated by his weak prospects for re-election next year. Still, he earns courage points for violating the longstanding taboo against criticizing the central bank. Likewise, Senator Richard Shelby, the ranking Republican on banking, wants to eliminate bankers' insider influence over regulation at the Fed.

Taxing Wall Street is a more provocative departure, but some representatives are warming to the idea, drawn to Oregon Representative Peter DeFazio's appealing Let Wall Street Pay for Wall Street's Bailout Act. A very small excise tax on all financial transactions--trading stocks, bonds and derivatives--could yield hundreds of billions in revenue. House majority whip Jim Clyburn suggests the securities tax is "a painless way" to pay for highways. Clyburn asks, "If you're Goldman Sachs, if you're making all this money, if you got all this federal money [in a] bailout, and you are paying all these big bonuses to your folks, where is your contribution to this recovery?" Good question.

Senator Bernie Sanders asks another one. If some banks are "too big to fail," why not just make them smaller? His bill would require Treasury to identify and break up too-big financial institutions within one year. Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase are reacting with alarm. They do not normally worry over the senator's progressive thinking, but what's dizzying is that former Fed chair Alan Greenspan has embraced the same concept. When the socialist from Vermont achieves bipartisan consensus with the right-wing Maestro, can Barack Obama be far behind?

The president wants to govern from the center, but the center keeps moving leftward on him. If he doesn't catch up soon, he'll be in trouble.

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From http://www.democracynow.org/2009/11/19/as_wall_street_posts_record_profits ...

As Wall Street Posts Record Profits and US Hunger Rate Grows, Robert Scheer Asks: "Where Is the Community Organizer We Elected?"

A pair of new government reports released this week paint a startling picture more than a year after the economic meltdown. On Tuesday, the New York Comptroller Office said Wall Street profits are set to exceed the record set three years ago. The four largest firms took in $22.5 billion in profits through September. Meanwhile, far more people are going hungry in the United States than previously thought. The Department of Agriculture estimates 50 million Americans, including a quarter of all children, struggled to get enough to eat last year. We speak to veteran journalist Robert Scheer. [includes rush transcript]

Guest:
Robert Scheer, editor at Truthdig and author of many books, including The Pornography of Power: How Defense Hawks Hijacked 9/11 and Weakened America.

AMY GOODMAN: We turn now to the latest on the economy. A pair of new government reports released this week paint a startling picture of where the country is, more than a year after the economic meltdown. On Tuesday, the New York Comptroller's Office said Wall Street profits are set to exceed the record set three years ago. The four largest firms-Goldman Sachs, Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley, JPMorgan Chase-took in $22.5 billion in profits through September. The top six banks set aside $112 billion for salaries and bonuses over the same period. In a recent interview, the CEO of Goldman Sachs, Lloyd Blankfein, defended the bank's massive profits, saying Goldman is, quote, "doing God's work."

Meanwhile, the Department of Agriculture has revealed that far more people are going hungry in the United States than previously thought. The Department estimates 50 million Americans, including a quarter of all children, struggled to get enough to eat last year. The number of children who live in households in which food at times was scarce last year stands at 17 million, an increase of four million children in just a year.

Our next guest has been closely following the impact and causes of the economic meltdown. Robert Scheer, editor at Truthdig.com, author of many books, including The Pornography of Power: How Defense Hawks Hijacked 9/11 and Weakened America. His latest column is called "Where Is the Community Organizer We Elected?" He joins me here in Burbank, California.
Welcome to Democracy Now!, Robert Scheer. OK, just talk about these figures, from hunger to Goldman Sachs.

ROBERT SCHEER: Well, first of all, I mean, the whole thing about the profit of Wall Street that makes it particularly obscene is that we gave them that money. Your previous guest talked about how China is carrying $800 billion of our debt. We're running up a $1.4 trillion deficit. And what happened was, we threw a lot of money at Wall Street. In particular, in relation to Goldman, we had this buyout of AIG, $180 billion. We've guaranteed the toxic assets of these enterprises. And that money, in a really truly shameful way, was passed on directly to the very companies that you mentioned that are giving themselves profits. So there's something-yes, I'll use the word "obscene."

It's also interesting that he should say he's "doing God's work," Blankfein, the head of Goldman Sachs. And my goodness, if Scripture is clear on anything, it's condemnation of those who take advantage of the poor. You know, after all, Jesus threw the money changers out of the temple. Scripture is devastating in its condemnation of usury, the immorality of usury. And yet, in your promo, you mentioned Chris Dodd is trying to get a bill passed that would cap interest rates. You know, where is the Christian right? Where are the Christians? Where are the Jews, for that matter? Or the Muslims? At least the Muslims, in their religious practice, don't believe in interest as a principle, but the idea that we're jacking up credit cards to 30, 35-this is loan sharking. And we can't even get a bill passed through Congress that would cap interest payments.

The other thing is, their rationalization is they're somehow saving the economy. It's the old blackmail thing. They ruined the economy; they got the legislation, the radical deregulation they wanted, that permitted them to become too big to fail-Citigroup and these companies; and then they turn around and say, "If you don't throw all this money at us, the economy is going to go into the Great Depression." But they haven't solved the main problems. Mortgage foreclosures this month are higher than they've been in ten months. We have the commercial housing market exploding, you know, apartment building rentals exploding, going into mortgages. And so, you know, they are not dealing with the fundamentals. What has happened is an incredibly expensive band-aid was put on this. And these people don't even have-they're not even embarrassed.

And the reason I wrote that column is they've also captured the President. And, you know, I voted for this president. I even contributed money that I didn't have to his campaign. You know, I still feel great that he's the President. You know, I'm biased. I like the guy, you know. I like everything about him.

AMY GOODMAN: Yet you ask, where's the community-organizer-in-chief?

ROBERT SCHEER: I am appalled. This is not a minor criticism. I think the guy is betraying-betraying-his own presidency, the promise of his presidency, because he has taken these thieves-and I use the word advisedly. You know, I think people like Lawrence Summers, who pay themselves-you know, maybe he's not legally a thief, but, you know, a guy who pays himself, or gets paid from hedge funds and other people, $15 million in '08, while he's advising Obama about the economy. And he's the guy who, more than anyone else, when he was Secretary of the Treasury in the Clinton administration, pushed through the radical deregulation that allowed these businesses to get in all this trouble and refused to regulate derivatives and all that sort of thing. And then these guys are made the head of the-what? They're going to save us now?

And so, you have the one I attack, particularly, Neal Wolin, who was the general counsel of Hartford, but before that he'd been the general counsel to the Treasury Department, he's now Deputy Secretary of the Treasury, and he's the guy that pushed through the reversal of Glass-Steagall. He wrote the actual words in, you know, the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act. And now he's our deputy. And he condemns-the point of the column was that there's actually a chance to do something now. Chris Dodd has finally seen the light. He is the most important-

AMY GOODMAN: While he is running for reelection.

ROBERT SCHEER: Yeah, running for election.

AMY GOODMAN: Ralph Nader could run against him possibly.

ROBERT SCHEER: Right, and he's also under pressure, because he did get insurance money and all that sort of thing. But the fact is, he's got a bill that makes sense, which is, you know, the Fed has been at the center of the problem. Ron Paul is right. The Libertarians are right. You know, the Fed is out of control. It has a higher degree of secrecy than the CIA. We don't know what they're doing with our money. There is no accountability there. Basically it's run by the banks themselves on the regional level. They're the ones that are listened to. And what's happened is that Chris Dodd said, no, you've got to take power away from the Fed, and you have to put a new agency that will control these "too big to fail" agencies. And the administration is opposed to it. I can't-I mean, I know why they're opposed to it.

AMY GOODMAN: The administration is opposed to it, and the Republican senators are opposed to it.

ROBERT SCHEER: Yeah, exactly.

AMY GOODMAN: Why are they opposed to it?

ROBERT SCHEER: Because they think-they like business as usual. I mean, they are for Wall Street going its own way. They haven't learned the lesson that capitalism uncontrolled is capitalism destroyed.

You know, I really found your previous interview on the China thing fascinating. And why is China doing well? You know, this is a startling lesson here, because we were always told unbridled capitalism is the best capitalism. Well, the Chinese have a marriage, like western Europe, but even more so, of government and the free market. It's not unbridled capitalism. And they've been able to come out of this recession that we created. It's an incredible object lesson here. These commies over there were able to take the capitalist energy and free market model and control it to a considerable degree, and they have an eight, ten percent growth rate now at a time when we're floundering.

AMY GOODMAN: OK, so you have Lloyd Blankfein, head of Goldman Sachs, saying they're "doing God's work."

ROBERT SCHEER: Yeah.

AMY GOODMAN: And then a week later, they issue this apology, apologizing for past mistakes that led to the financial crisis and announcing a plan to work with Warren Buffett to help 10,000 small businesses recover from this recession and spend $100 million a year for five years. Now, the Financial Times did point out the $100 million annual cost is the equivalent of one good trading day, but explain what's going on here.

ROBERT SCHEER: Well, first of all, Buffett is the biggest holder in Goldman Sachs, and Buffett is a man of social conscience. I think he's a very decent, enlightened capitalist of the kind you would hope exists, a long-term view, doesn't want to destroy the system. And Buffett has said a number of sensible things over the years. And I think he put pressure on them. He said, "Look, you guys are out to lunch here. You don't understand how much the people hate you at this point." You know, and Buffett is out there in real America, you know, and he called them on it. But it's chump change, what they're talking about. It's a program to help small businesses.

I just want to say something emotionally, since you brought up the poverty. I happened to be in Riverside, California last week, and this is a place where the American Dream died at this point. These are people who work hard. You know, they clean our buildings. They work in factories. They got conned into buying homes they couldn't afford by people who were then going to package them and sell them somewhere. And you go out there now-I talked to a young man, he bought a house for $350,000, scraped up everything. He works like a dog. His parents have been cleaning buildings for forty years. That house is now worth $120,000. He lost not only-he lost everything his family had ever saved. OK? So we're talking about human tragedy. These people-he went to college, he went to Riverside, UC Riverside, did everything he was supposed to do, works, you know, twelve-hour days. As I say, his family has always worked hard, paid their taxes, scraped up this money. They buy this house and to have the American Dream. And every fourth house-they're making their payments, but, you know, house next door, house over there goes back.

Why didn't we have a freeze on foreclosures? The smartest thing to do. Jon Stewart recommended it on The Daily Show. He's the only person. I mean, where are these pundits, you know? And they would laugh. His guests on The Daily Show would laugh at him when he brought it up. But, you know, a freeze on foreclosures, we still need it. A moratorium on foreclosures for two years. They're not doing it. What they're doing is throwing more and more money at Wall Street.

And I go back to Obama and the point of my column: he has betrayed his own-what is it? It wasn't a revolution, but his own promise. You know, he gave a speech at Cooper Union in '08, in March at Cooper Union. This was two months after Robert Rubin, the mentor of all of these people, said there's no problem, we don't have any flap in the economy, it's just a little mild blip. And Obama gave a speech that was right on. You could give that speech now, and it would be on target. He blamed Wall Street. He blamed radical deregulation. And then, inexplicably, when he got the nomination, he turned to these very same people that had created the problem and said, "OK, now you get us out of it."

And they're not doing it. You know, maybe if they'd gotten religion, maybe if they'd learned their lessons, you know, maybe if they were a different breed-but they're not. You know, and this Neal Wolin, he attacked Chris Dodd. You know, and they say, "Oh, you're going to create nervousness for Wall Street." That was the word they used: you're going to make Wall Street nervous. I want to make Wall Street nervous. You know, the next time these guys figure out another way to fleece us, they should worry they're going to get caught. Maybe they won't do it.

AMY GOODMAN: What about this new government report that's found Goldman Sachs could have suffered dramatic losses if the federal government hadn't intervened to bail out AIG, American International Group, the report by the special inspector general for the government bailout program raising doubts about Goldman's previous claims that it was hedged against potential AIG losses?

ROBERT SCHEER: Yes, well, first of all, this has been-

AMY GOODMAN: What does all that mean?

ROBERT SCHEER: This is the big lie from Goldman, is that, you know, we didn't-look, look what happened. Lehman was Goldman's competitor, was allowed to go belly up, OK? The Secretary of the Treasury was a former head of Goldman Sachs. I don't want to get into conspiracy theories here, but Robert Rubin was a head of Goldman Sachs, OK? And Paulson was a head of Goldman Sachs. They decide not to-you know, and Rubin was involved in these discussions, Lawrence Summers, Paulson and so forth. Timothy Geithner, who is our Secretary of Treasury, was head of the New York Fed for five years while all this was going on. So they say, "Let Lehman go, you know, down the tubes," which is great for Goldman Sachs, because now you have basically two investment houses that are getting all the business. "But on the other hand, we'll put all this money into AIG," which was backing these junkie derivatives, these mysterious packages, "and it will be a pass through. People won't notice, because we're giving it to AIG." $180 billion of our taxpayer money, we taxpayers get nothing in return, AIG is still in the toilet, but Goldman got its money. You know, it got upwards of $20 billion, that they don't have to pay back. They make a big thing about "We're going to pay back some of the TARP funds" and everything. And by the way, they were allowed to become a bank. No hearings, no judicial proceedings and so forth. You know, the very thing Lehman was asking for-"Let us become a bank so we can get some of this TARP funds and everything"-that was granted to Goldman Sachs.

You know, Ron Paul, by the way, who has been trying to go after the Fed, and he has an accountability piece of legislation that the Democrats have gutted, and said, "Let's have an audit of the Fed. Let's find out what does the Federal Reserve do. What are the deals they made? Where did the money go?" We don't have that. And the inspector general of the Treasury Department, the inspector general, you know, Elizabeth Warren, all of these people have pointed-from the Congressional Oversight Panel-all of these people point out, "We don't have the facts. We don't know where the trillions are going." We know trillions have been committed. We know all of these huge pools-Bank of America's $300 billion of toxic assets have been backed up. But there's no accountability.

I have covered the CIA, I've covered national security, and I've covered banking. I did it for the LA Times in one way or another for thirty years, OK? It is more difficult to cover Wall Street, in terms of secrecy and classification and their protection, than it is to cover the CIA and the Pentagon. That much I'll tell you. You know, you get greater claim on the truth covering the Pentagon, as I did in my last book, than I'm having in my current book called The Great American Stick-Up that Nation Books is publishing. And, you know, these people go, "No, it's proprietary. It's our business. It has nothing to do with you." And that goes for the Fed, which is supposed to be a government agency.

And so, for Chris Dodd to say, "No, we have to take power away from the Fed. We have to create a new independent agency to supervise these too big to fail institutions to make sure that they don't go belly up and we taxpayers pay for them again," he's absolutely right. And people watching this, if there's one thing they should demand from the Obama administration, is get behind the Dodd bill on taking power from the Fed and creating a new publicly accountable agency. That's absolutely critical. Without that, we're not going to get out of this mess, and we're not going to prevent a future one.

AMY GOODMAN: Very quickly, you profile-you profile Brooksley Born in an article, "They Shot the Messenger."

ROBERT SCHEER: Yeah.

AMY GOODMAN: What was his message?

ROBERT SCHEER: That was in Ms. Magazine, that my wife wrote, Narda Zacchino, and I worked with her. Brooksley Born is the great hero of the whole drama. Brooksley Born was the head of the Commodity Futures Board. And Brooksley Born, seventeen times, testified before Congress that this was a disaster in the making. And the old boys' club that is now in power-Lawrence Summers, Timothy Geithner, and it was Robert Rubin and Neal Wolin, who condemned Dodd the other day-they smashed Brooksley Born. They took away her power. They pushed through the Commodity Futures Modernization Act that said there can be no regulation of these over-the-counter derivatives. That's why we're in this big mess today. So Brooksley Born should have statues to her, you know? She is on the committee-Nancy Pelosi appointed her to the committee that's supposed to be, you know, overseeing the rewrite of legislation. I'm hoping, you know, that she'll be listened to. But basically it's the old boy club that got us into this mess that is scamming us once again.

AMY GOODMAN: Robert Scheer, I want to thank you for being with us, of Truthdig.com, author of many books, including, appropriately, The Pornography of Power.

save CCEDC!...letters below from Norene Coller, Bill Schlesinger, Linda Keech, Sheila Buff, et. al...

Hi all...

Scroll on down thru text below for great letters from Linda Keech, Norene Coller, Bill Schlesinger, Sheila Buff, Eve Propp, and Thelma Zwirn on the need for us all to pull together asap to make sure our county's chapter of Cornell Cooperative Extension is fully funded in our county budget next year!...

Incredibly, the County Executive has proposed a whopping $496,002 cut to CCEDC for 2010...

[...yes: letters sent to all 25 county legislators at countylegislators@co.dutchess.ny.us do matter, folks!...]

Four events over next few weeks to come out to-- to speak up and speak out for saving CCEDC, etc.:

-- Monday Nov. 23rd 10 am-- press conf. w/agency Ex. Dir.'s in front: County Office Bldg. 22 Market/Pok.

-- Thursday Dec. 3rd 7 pm-- official county budget hearing at Bardavon 35 Market St. Poughkeepsie

-- Monday Dec. 7th 5 pm-- our 14th Annual Holiday Interfaith Candlelight Vigil for Economic Justice and a Just County Budget-- in front of County Office Building at 22 Market Street in Poughkeepsie-- with Grace Smith House Ex. Dir. Judy Lombardi, Rev. Gail Burger of the Dutchess Interfaith Council, Rabbi Paul Golomb of Vassar Temple, Mar Peter-Raoul (Cofounder of Marist Praxis Project for Public Citizenship), & Ann Perry/Holy Light Pentecostal Church, Mae Parker Harris (organized by yours truly)

-- Wednesday Nov. 25th 5:30 pm-- special local forum I'm hosting re: 2010 Dutchess County Budget at Rhinebeck Town Hall (80 E. Market St.)-- to take public input and sharing a number of innovative ways to avoid local tax hikes, cost shifts, massive cuts to crucial county services, and layoffs

Don't forget, folks-- fact is that literally millions of county tax dollars could be saved annually if we merely embraced some of the proven cost-saving, innovative initiatives embraced elsewhere-- like a Canadian Rx option for county employees/retirees (5 counties do this now), joined Municipal and Electricity Gas Alliance (23 counties do this now), bail loan fund for some accused of nonviolent misdemeanors (Daily Freeman has endorsed; GOP/Dems have long supported United Way agency in Tompkins county doing this for 30 years), true zero-waste approach to resource recovery (as in Portland, Seattle, Austin, etc.)--
http://dutchessdemocracy.blogspot.com/2009/11/county-budget-update-14th-annual.html ...

Again-- can't emphasize enough-- email countylegislators@co.dutchess.ny.us-- NOW, folks!...

[pass it on]

Joel
242-3571/876-2488
joeltyner@earthlink.net

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Date: Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:25:14 -0500

From Cornell Cooperative Extension Ex. Dir. Linda Keech (lrk8@cornell.edu)...

Subject: CCEDC 2010 tentative County Appropriation

Following, the information your requested regarding the tentative 2010 County Appropriation for Cornell Cooperative Extension Dutchess County. A total cut of $496,002 has been proposed for Cornell Cooperative Extension Dutchess County ( http://www.CCEDutchess.org ). Note-- for every $1 in CCEDC county funding, $2 additionally is obtained from grants and other sources, $4 additionally is gained in the value of CCEDC volunteer services and $3 additionally is contributed to Dutchess County economic activity resulting in $10. That is, each Dutchess County $1 appropriated to CCEDC is multiplied to equal $10.

Specific program cuts are:

- - A $50,337 (14%) cut for CCEDC's Agriculture/Horticulture Program will mean the loss of technical expertise for our Dutchess County farmers. Agriculture is a major contributor to the economy of Dutchess County. 

- - A $62,904 (50%) cut for CCEDC's Nutrition Information Program will mean a reduction in educational programming and resources including the loss of critical match dollars and the potential loss of grant funded positions.

- - A $163,271 (50%) cut for CCEDC's 4-H Youth Development & Green Teen Community Gardening Programs will mean a reduction in 4-H Youth Development Programs and the elimination of our Green Teen Community Gardening Program - plus the closing of two of our satellite offices (one in Beacon, the other in Poughkeepsie).

[note from me on this-- can you save "proven ATI to be eliminated to cost us more"?...I knew you could]

- - A $219,006 (100%) cut for CCEDC's Environment Program will mean the elimination of CCEDC's Environment Program and staff's expertise, GIS lab and other resources many local municipalities, communities and residents rely on. 

A $496,002 decrease in CCEDC funding for 2010 will have a domino effect - impacting CCEDC's organizational capacity to deliver current grant contracts leading to the withdrawal from these grants and additional losses of program services to Dutchess County residents, municipalities, and communities. This significant decrease will result in the reduction in or elimination of CCEDC's educational programs and services. 

CCEDC's total $496,002 decrease will mean a minimum of 13 positions cut which includes 11 layoffs. Plus 56 Green Teen "teens" will lose seasonal employment due to the elimination of the Green Teen Community Gardening Program. And additional staff may face reductions in hours/time.

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10 November 2009

From Dr. William H. Schlesinger (schlesingerw@caryinstitute.org)...

President, Cary Institute of Ecoysystem Studies
[ http://www.CaryInstitute.org ]

I have recently heard of the proposal to cut funding for the Cornell Cooperative Extension program in Dutchess County, in particular, funding for its environmental programs. I was appalled to hear this news! The nation and the Dutchess County region face an onslaught of increasingly severe, difficult, and critical threats to the environment, and we must realize that a health economy-- indeed a healthy future for all of us-- depends upon a healthy environment. Every day, CCEDC works hard to help individuals and institutions tackle environmental problems to ensure a sound future for all of us.

For instance, just recently the Cary Institute cosponsored a workshop for elected officials and highway superintendents at all levels of county government to address the problems associated with excessive wintertime use of road salt and the alternatives that might be adopted to lessen environmental damages from salt. The CCEDC was instrumental in this effort-- helping immensely in the identification of speakers, topics, and appropriate audience. I have also seen, first-hand, CCEDC efforts in watershed preservation, habitat delineation, and local environmental education. The Town of Washington, Dutchess County, and the entire mid-Hudson region would be impoverished by the loss of these CCEDC programs.

Moreover, the county should realize that as our nation's population grows, the environment will show increasing impacts to its air, waters, and natural habitat, upon which we all depend. This is a time when forward-looking legislators should be planning for a crowded future, realizing that it will be best when the life-support processes of natural ecosystems are maintained for human wellbeing. It is not just growth, but smart growth, that will allow a sustainable future. CCEDC is essential to such an environmental future, and we should maintain it at its full funding level.






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Subject: FW: letter supporting restoration of budget to Cornell Cooperative Extension Environmental Program
Date: Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:53:51 -0500
From: "countylegislature"
To: "County Legislators"


From: Norene Coller [mailto:ncoller@frontiernet.net]
Sent: Friday, November 20, 2009 12:27 PM
To: countylegislature
Subject: letter supporting restoration of budget to Cornell Cooperative Extension Environmental Program

140 Deer Ridge Drive
Staatsburg, NY  12580
November 20, 2009
To members of the Dutchess County Legislature:

Concerning: Cutting the Environmental Program from Cornell Cooperative Extension

I began attending meetings at Cooperative Extension for the former Environmental Management Council in 1976, and was active, often chairperson, until 2005. I then joined the Environmental Program of Cornell Cooperative Extension. I became involved with the organization for the following reasons:

1. Affiliation with Cornell University brought the most up-to-date information and expertise to issues we discussed. 
2. Volunteers from local colleges, research institutes and industry, primarily IBM, were active members, discussing issues and making decisions, thus multiplying the value of staff time.
3. Trips to Cornell University educated volunteers about issues of concern, particularly groundwater contamination, risk of pesticide use and new technologies such as sequential aerial analysis and Geographic Information Systems.
4. Collaborative relationships with the Dutchess County Department of Planning allowed staff, local scientists and volunteers to develop the first Dutchess County Natural Resource Inventory in 1985, bringing the best current information to local communities. An update of the NRI is currently underway. 
5. Regular reports to the Dutchess County Legislature allowed members to be informed about the current environmental issues.
6. The first Geographic Information System (GIS) in the Hudson Valley was developed by the EMC starting in 1985 through the efforts of Jay Wilmarth, IBM retiree. This allowed towns in Dutchess County to obtain accurate, economical, computerized maps for the use of local volunteer boards, engineers and planning professionals. Most recently, in 2008 the Cooperative Extension GIS lab successfully completed mapping agricultural districts, key to fair farm assessments and grant applications for farmland protection plans in Clinton and Northeast. This service is available to all municipalities at reasonable cost.
7. Research conducted by EMC staff developed accurate information on three major county watersheds. This information is now included in planning documents for all the towns involved. Collaboration was provided by staff and interns at Marist College. Ongoing educational programs inform the public about protecting water resources, including groundwater.
8. Advice from the former EMC informed key decisions for the Dutchess County Legislature, in many cases saving the county many millions of dollars:

In 1981 and 1982 the Legislature voted not to do aerial spraying of the county for gypsy moths which twice defoliated all trees in the county.  Dutchess County was the only county in the Hudson Valley not to spray. The next spring the infestation collapsed due to natural causes.  The estimated savings at the time in taxpayer dollars was $250,000.
In 1983 the Legislature voted to discontinue spraying of malathion along roads to kill nuisance mosquitoes. The New York State Department of Health advised that they would not reimburse for spraying since no testing had been conducted to determine that there was a health risk.  The annual cost at that time was $250,000.
In the 1980's the EMC actively sought information from the public to locate potential hazardous waste sites in cooperation with the New York State Department of Health. A potential 259 potential hazardous waste sites were mapped. In one case, sequential aerial analysis by Cornell University revealed the disposal of barrels of waste, which was later confirmed by site testing. A housing development had been planned for that location.  This study was done at no cost to Dutchess County. 
The EMC developed extensive information for the public on proper care of septic systems since groundwater contamination due to inadequate maintenance was an issue in some areas of the county.
The EMC maintained a map of hazardous waste sites and worked closely with communities which were affected by spills of hazardous wastes, assisting homeowners in obtaining assistance. In many cases, the only remediation for these locations has been connecting contaminated areas with public water supply, at great public cost. 
The EMC Director developed a research paper for the Legislature on the affect of the dredging of PCB's in the Hudson River, determining that the dredging would have no affect on communities in the county which obtained their water from the Hudson River.
In 2004 the EMC worked with the Dutchess County Department of Health to publicize and conduct an educational program called "Fight the Bite" in reaction to the outbreak of West Nile Virus the previous summer in the New York City area. No spraying was conducted. 

I have been an active volunteer for the Town of Clinton through their Conservation Advisory
Council. The town has benefited from the services of Cornell's Environmental Program in the following ways: 

1. Since 1997 Clinton has had electronic maps from the GIS office which have given Clinton independent, accurate information as we consider proposals for subdivision and planning issues. This mapping tool is now assisting the Comprehensive Plan and Open Space Committee to analyze changes and plan for the future. GIS maps are being prepared to show key wildlife habitat and species of concern. The costs for these services have been reasonable .

2. The GIS map and analysis of farm soils and agricultural parcels assisted the town in obtaining the $25,000 grant from New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets to develop an agricultural protection plan for Clinton.

3. Research on the Wappinger and Fallkill Watersheds, and management plans for these areas, has provided key data for the updating of the Comprehensive Plan, as well as assisting the town with land use issues. This important information was missing until Cornell obtained grants from the DEC to conduct research. Volunteers from Clinton assisted with this research.

4. Research on town wetlands gave support to the town as we developed and passed the water protection addition to the Town Zoning in 2008. A model wetland ordinance developed by Cornell brought sound recommendations to this legislation.

5. Working with watershed advisory groups, Dutchess County hired a consultant to develop an Aquifer Protection Plan. Recommendations from this plan are key to Clinton since it relates septic system loading to soil types. This plan gives scientific support to Clinton's zoning law for large acre lots since all homes use private wells and septic systems. This will insure clean water and better health for Clinton residents. 

6. Frequent educational programs bring the result of current research to Clinton volunteers. The latest was a conference, co-sponsored by The Cary Institute, on the affect of the use of road salt on local streams and groundwater. Clinton's Highway Superintendent was involved in planning the conference. 

7. Responses to questions from Clinton volunteers to the Cornell Environmental Program has been quick
and provided accurate information for the town. This is an economical means to provide excellent assistance
to volunteers since staff benefits are paid by Cornell and county funds are used to match important grants
to extend services.  

The Cornell Environmental Program has continued to provide outstanding services for Dutchess
County residents and municipalities:

1.      Maintaining an up-to-date GIS office, assisting local municipalities with mapping issues, at very reasonable cost. Local volunteers are being trained to create maps for their municipalities.

2.      Assisting the Cary Institute in mapping habitats of rare animals and plants in Dutchess County.

3.      Educating Dutchess County residents about watershed policy, assisting landowners and municipalities to make good decisions regarding land use to protect and improve water quality.

4.      Developing a program for youth to engage them in educating others in watershed and environmental conservation.

5.      Bringing the latest information to the public about land use policies to assist volunteers for the towns of Dutchess County as municipal practices are developed.

In summary, environmental programs affiliated with Cornell University have provided an excellent
value for Dutchess County taxpayers. Cornell University pays the benefits of the employees. Their value has also been multiplied by thousands of dollars of grant funds obtained by matching funds. These programs have provided accurate information important for the health and well being of residents, as well as expert support for volunteers in Dutchess County towns and for local professionals. 

I urge you to restore funding for the valuable Environmental Program of Cornell Cooperative Extension. 

Sincerely yours,

                                               Norene D. Coller

Norene D. Coller, member of the Cornell Environmental Committee
and Town of CAC

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Date: Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:44:59 -0500
From: Sheila Buff
Subject: CCEDC budget

I'm writing to express my deep concern over the proposed cuts to the 2010 Cornell Cooperative Extension Dutchess County budget. These cuts will have a serious impact on many residents of the county. In particular, the cuts to the environmental program effectively wipe it out. Over the past few years this program has been extremely effective. It has been an excellent source of support, information, training, and maps for CACs and others in local government and administration who need solid, science-based data for informed decision-making. The CCEDC has also played an important role in the resurgence of local agriculture--a source of income and jobs for the county that should be supported, not demolished.

I find it dismaying that County Executive Steinhaus ignores major cost issues such as the problems with the resource recovery agency and focuses instead on cutting the already small budget for the CCEDC. I know you are a strong supporter of the environment and I know you will fight to restore the CCEDC budget.

Many thanks for your help, and all best as always,

Sheila Buff
500 Milan Hill Road
Milan NY 12571
(845) 758-3035
http://www.sheilabuff.com

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From: Eve Propp

Eve Propp
po box 628
Millbrook, NY 12545
845-677-6294

To: countylegislators@co.dutchess.ny.us
X-ASG-Orig-Subj: Budget cuts

Taxes keep increasing and so it is especially difficult to condone all the budget cutting prescribed for Cornell Cooperative Extension in Dutchess County. The 4H Program is such a vital program for kids growing up in this farming area. It keeps them focused & out of trouble. The environment is a pressing issue worldwide, I cannot understand how funding for that is being eliminated.

I moved out of NYC 20 years ago & started a small farm in Millbrook. It started very haphazardly. My son saw a sheep at the farmer's market & thought it would make a good pet. Then I got a donkey to protect the sheep from coyotes. Then my vet told me donkeys live for 40 years & thinking they would be bored walking around a paddock all day I had them trained to pull a cart. After that I asked Dale Mountain, who ran the horse show at the Rhinebeck County Fair if I could show my donkeys. She said I could if I got enough donkey & mule people to participate., which I did. We then got some cows for milk & let the kids at Dutchess Day School come over to help with milking. We got pigs & took them thru the woods to look for truffles, but that was a fruitless task. We got chickens who lay blue eggs after we heard about arucana chickens on the Martha Stewart show. 

I tell you all this because every step of the way, never having lived outside of a city,  I had questions about the animals, about growing vegetables, about haying the fields, about deer destruction, about insects and all these queries were helpfully answered by Cornell Cooperative personnel & by informative literature they provided. I cannot imagine someone in my position not being able to have the help I got from this wonderful source.

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From: ThelmaDiva@aol.com
Date: Sat, 21 Nov 2009 13:56:16 EST

To: countylegislators@co.dutchess.ny.us

I've recently learned of the 50% cuts to the Cornell Cooperative Extension programs. While I know that cuts to programs have to happen, I'm amazed that you find it alright to cut such a beneficial program by so high a percentage. It seems we talk out both sides of our mouths. Do we want to help maintain local farms, train our children in amazing 4H clubs, and sources that support other local environmental programs. This is very dismaying.

This county is all about the environment it offers to its residents and potential residents. It's very hard to run a business here if we have less to offer.

Thelma Zwirn
Millbrook Antiques Mall
PO Box 637
3301 Franklin Avenue
Millbrook, NY 12545
845-677-3301 at the mall
845-677-6699 at the gallery
www.millbrookantiquesmall.com
www.millbrookgalleryandantiques.com