Girls Prep East Harlem believes in educating the whole child. To this end, the school will balance rigorous academics with character development, healthy living and artistic expression. Girls Prep will celebrate four core values: scholarship, merit, sisterhood and responsibility. Students will learn to treat their “sisters” with kindness and respect. The girls will attend music or art everyday and alternate between gym and yoga classes in the afternoon. They will receive 45 minutes of intensive small-group reading every day.

Two teachers will be present in each classroom. Lead Teachers at Girls Prep are fully certified and have at least three years of teaching experience. Girls Prep also has a Fellows program which was created to develop a pipeline of high-quality teachers. A two year commitment, the Girls Prep Fellows Program combines full-time mentored teaching with a subsidized master's degree. In addition, Girls Prep East Harlem will employ four specialists to meet student needs. An Instructional Coach will teach small groups and tailor and combine existing curricula. A Special Education Coordinator, English Language Learners Coordinator and School Social Worker will engage students whose needs are not always met in a traditional classroom.

Girls Prep East Harlem will partner with families to ensure each child’s success. Each school year will begin with a home visit by the student’s teachers. This initial visit allows families and teachers to establish a relationship before the school year begins. At school, a full-time Director of Student and Family Affairs will dedicate her time to answering family questions or concerns. Families are welcome to visit or volunteer any time and Girls Prep will host a variety of school-wide family events such as workshops, picnics, movie nights and breakfasts. Each girl will have a binder that she carries to and from school every day. These binders allow families and teachers to communicate easily and often about their daughter’s progress. All families will also have cell phone numbers for their daughter’s teacher.

Girls Prep East Harlem is currently accepting applications for the 2009-2010 school year. All applications are due by April 1st, 2009.

More information about Girls Prep East Harlem can be found on the school’s website: www.girlsprep.org. Any questions can be directed to Cora Weissbourd, School Planning Associate, (212) 388-0241 x359 or cweissbourd@girlsprep.org.

"Shona: Crafts from Congo" is a small sewing group for handicapped women in Eastern Congo. These women live at the heart of the current fighting, and work in a culture that teaches handicapped people to beg in the streets. The goal of Shona is empowerment. One stitch at a time, these handicapped women are standing on their own, providing for themselves and their families through the work of their own hands. Shona products are available online at www.shonacongo.com This is fair trade in its truest sense. By purchasing from Shona you are purchasing directly from the craftswomen themselves. And this is hope. Though the war in Congo continues to rage, these women are fighting for a better way of life. By purchasing their products, you are supporting their claim to a better world.

Councilwoman Mark-Viverito attained her current position by garnering 25% of the vote in the September 2005 Democratic Primary. If the number of those who support her remains the same, then she can expect a tough uphill fight in the upcoming Democratic primary from the challengers below. If she has increased support during the last four years, then all challengers will face the uphill battle to unseat her.

Just who are these possible candidates? The rumor mill is churning with the following names as potential candidates and challengers to Councilwomen Melissa Mark-Viverito.

Nelson Antonio Denis
Former East Harlem Assemblyman Nelson Antonio Denis has been rumored to be interested in the city council seat. He has a history of being a hard and dedicated campaigner and a great public speaker. He also has a history of unseating incumbents. Not a bad skill especially if one wants to unseat an incumbent. Other Denis pluses are his ability to bring diverse groups of people together, his genuine friendliness, and his retention and dissemination of salient facts. In other words, he gets along with others, knows what he is talking about and how to convey to an audience.

Hector Santana
Former Adam C. Powell, Chief of Staff, and Empire State Development Corporation administrator has also been rumored to want to run for the East Harlem city council seat. Mr. Santana is experience in putting together business initiatives which pan out and work. He has been instrumental in creating the East Harlem Tourism Board. He has also implemented business initiatives in both East Harlem and Washington Heights. He volunteered at ground zero after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. It seems Hector Santana is ready to seek elective office,

Possibilities
How does all this pan out? It all depends on two things. How much stronger or weaker Councilwoman Mark-Viverito has gotten over the last four years and how her challenger’s do during the campaign. Incumbencies are a great thing to have when you win by a majority, but when you win with only 25% of the vote the odds may not be with the incumbent. Only time, a lot of work and energies will tell. It will also greatly help the councilwoman if she continues to received the support of the 1199 union.

It remains to be seen if anyone will in fact challenge Councilwoman Mark-Viverito. What what success if any they may have. Four years is a long time for the Councilwoman to solidify her base of support and add to it. Odds are always in favor of the incumbent, incumbent slayers not withstanding. What do you think?

Press Release

PRINCETON, NJ (October 27, 2008) – The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation today announced Maria Ramos, a longtime health literacy activist in impoverished New York City communities, as one of ten exemplary Americans who will receive the Community Health Leaders Award for 2008. The distinguished annual award honors extraordinary men and women from all over the country who conquer huge obstacles and take commanding action in local communities to tackle some of the most challenging health and health care problems facing the nation. Awardees are celebrated with national recognition and $125,000.

This year, more than 800 nominations were submitted from across the United States. Through a rigorous process, the Foundation selected ten outstanding individuals, all of whom have worked to improve health conditions in their communities through exceptional creativity, courage and commitment. The Foundation chose Ramos this year for her leadership in developing an initiative to provide free health screenings for hundreds of disadvantaged taxi and limousine drivers in the South Bronx and East Harlem communities. Ramos will accept her award on October 29 at a special ceremony honoring each of the 2008 recipients during the Community Health Leaders Annual Meeting in San Diego.

"Maria Ramos' commitment to her community drives her out-of-the-box thinking that all communities need to adapt to meet constantly evolving challenges," said Janice Ford Griffin, national program director for the award. "Maria is tenacious in her efforts to figure out what will work and how to make it happen."

Through the Taxi/Limousine Drivers Health Initiative, Ramos deploys staff members to 70 taxi bases daily to deliver crucial health services to hundreds of drivers. Using dispatch radios, staff members announce services that are available on-location for that day. The individuals conduct health screenings, including glucose, blood pressure and prostate, breast and colon cancer; administer flu shots; schedule medical appointments and assist drivers with enrolling in health insurance plans. They also educate drivers about chronic illnesses such as asthma, cancer and heart disease. In an effort to limit drivers’ time off the road, Ramos’ "express care" system delivers all services within an hour.

Ramos’ work addresses the health care needs and improves health outcomes for many taxi drivers who suffer from poor circulation and other medical conditions as a result of the sedentary nature of their work. Some fear pursuing health services that they are unfamiliar with and, therefore, have not sought needed treatment. Others have refrained from seeking medical help because of frustrations with language and communication barriers in medical offices. Ramos encourages drivers to take control of their health and manage their medical conditions regardless of such fear or aggravation. In many cases, she also works to alter drivers’ "on-the-go" eating habits to reduce their risks for obesity and diabetes. More than 3,000 drivers comprise the service area of Ramos’ program. Drivers served are predominantly Dominican, West African, Columbian and Venezuelan male immigrants between the ages of 21 and 60. Most are uninsured. In a letter of recommendation supporting Ramos’ nomination for the award, Assemblywoman Carmen E. Arroyo, who represents New York’s 84th district, wrote that Ramos’ program is among her "greatest accomplishments" as a "pioneer for public health" in New York City.

Ramos and each of the 2008 awardees will join the ranks of 153 Community Health Leaders in 45 states and Puerto Rico honored since 1993. The $125,000 award consists of a $20,000 personal gift and $105,000 to support their work. In addition to Ramos in New York, this year, Community Health Leaders hail from Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Alabama, Massachusetts, California, Utah, New York, North Dakota and Hawaii. Nominations for the 2009 Community Health Leaders Award can be submitted through November 7, 2008. For details on how to submit a nomination, including eligibility requirements and selection criteria, visit www.communityhealthleaders.org.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation focuses on the pressing health and health care issues facing our country. As the nation’s largest philanthropy devoted exclusively to improving the health and health care of all Americans, the Foundation works with a diverse group of organizations and individuals to identify solutions and achieve comprehensive, meaningful and timely change. For more than 35 years, the Foundation has brought experience, commitment, and a rigorous, balanced approach to the problems that affect the health and health care of those it serves. When it comes to helping Americans lead healthier lives and get the care they need, the Foundation expects to make a difference in your lifetime. For more information, visit www.rwjf.org.

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Community Health Leaders 2008

Area(s) of Expertise: Access to Care

Leader's Biography 2008:
MARIA RAMOS, Network Associate Director, Generations +/Northwestern Manhattan Health Network, New York, New York
In 2003 Maria Ramos saw a need for health services among New York City’s taxi and limousine drivers who frequently suffer from medical conditions as a result of their sedentary work and “on-the-go” eating habits. What began as an opportunity to bring healthcare to those living and working in Harlem and the South Bronx communities, has developed into a mechanism to deliver healthcare services to drivers at 70 taxi bases across New York, where over 3,000 drivers and their families can have access to care. Ramos and her outreach staff travel to area taxi bases daily, utilizing dispatch radios to announce the availability of services for that day. Most services are provided within an hour, which appeals to drivers, who average three customers within that time frame. Ramos’ success has led to other projects, including a collaboration with the taxi bases and the Department of Aging to increase awareness of available healthcare services programs to seniors as she continues to find innovative efforts to meet the healthcare needs of New Yorkers.

Where this Leader can be reached today:
Network Associate Director Community Health Education Program
Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center
234 E 149th St
Bronx, NY 10451-5504
Phone: 718-579-4981
Fax: 718-579-4602
E-mail: ramomar@nychha.org

The ribbon cutting ceremony was held outside and went off without a hitch. Everyone then went back inside to sample the coffee and chat with friends. The inside of the café is spacious a nice rustic color scheme. Artistic photos cover the walls to give the café an artistic flavor. The East Harlem Café will be a great place to meet with friends over a cup of Joe or to hold small meetings for your group. It is rumored the communties’ intelligencia will begin to gather there. See you there!!

We had come from East Harlem, New York City, to the University of Virginia in Charlottesville; an historic journey to an historical institution. This was the university system that was built by Thomas Jefferson, with the hard work of all his slaves, and where Edgar Allen Poe had attended, before dropping out after a year. Through the Universal Preparatory Program of Spanish Harlem (UPPerSPaHa), we had endeavored to bring a group of 18 high school students, nine boys and girls each, to study and otherwise hang out on the university campus, to live and work, for the first two weeks in July. We then were to go back to New York City where we would continue the program for the next three-weeks…

We had already accomplished quite a bit. With a staff of seven men and two women, made up mostly of teachers and professional artists, we had prepared a program wherein the students would be able to experience “college life” in a real university setting. We had classes in English and math, as well as studying video-making, photography and poetry.

Many fantastic field trips were planned, like going to King’s Dominion, a whole amusement theme park that had these great rides that would scare the shit out of you and make you pee in your pants; and we were going to ride inner tubes down the James River on Saturday. We had visited Thomas Jefferson’s sprawling plantation and had toured his wonderful mansion, Monticello. It was really a marvelous home full of his great inventions. Jefferson was quite a guy, and I couldn’t help walking away with the notion, “Look what this guy built with our bare hands!” But, still, one could objectively appreciate what the man had accomplished, and the struggle of contradictions with which he had to grapple everyday of his early American life. We had also taken the students to a Confederate cemetery, where, through an iPod speaker system we played Billie Holiday’s “Strange Fruit,” blaring from the pedestal of a Confederate Soldier’s statue, while the students listened and contemplated, standing over the graves of soldiers who’d been dead for over a hundred and thirty years, then made journal entries on their thoughts and feelings. It was extremely emotional as the students somehow related the cemetery to the death of their ancestors. Yeah, we were having quite an educational experience with these kids in Virginia.

It was a great trip so far, and Mary Magdeline, the Director of Programs, who had arrived on Tuesday from New York and was joining us for the last few days of the trip, was quite impressed with how well we were working together, and what we had achieved.

Strange Fruit
Southern trees bear a strange fruit
Blood on the leaves and blood at the root Black bodies swinging in the southern breeze Strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees;

Pastoral scene of the gallant south
The bulging eyes and the twisted mouth
Scent of magnolias, sweet and fresh
Then the sudden smell of burning flesh;

Here is a fruit for the crows to pluck
For the rain to gather, for the wind to suck For the sun to rot, for the trees to drop Here is a strange and bitter crop.

Songwriters:
Lewis Allan (Abel Meerpol);
Maurice Pearl;
Dwayne P. Wiggins.

video – Billie Holiday performs “Strange Fruit”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4ZyuULy9zs

video – Nina Simone performs “Strange Fruit”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVxVa3D11n4&feature=related

So, this was it; I, a famous poet, was out and about in Charlottesville, Virginia, all by myself. Since we had visited the plaza earlier in the day with the students, in order to conduct the gentrification interviews, I had heard that at the end of the plaza there was a performance stage, where every Friday night they have bands play live music for free. So, I wanted to see this…

The moon was full and there was a planet, just to the right, Venus or Mars, I didn’t know. I remembered the previous night, where I lay on my back on the grass with a small group of the students in front of our dorm, as we looked up at all the stars we never see in the city, and picked out constellations and other celestial forms. It was just so mellow, everything. I thought that perhaps tomorrow, we could bring the kids down to hear the concert. That would be something…

Needless to say, a few days after we returned to New York, I was fired; Buñel was let go the day after that…

Other firings soon started occurring at the UPPerSPaHa headquarters.
Regarding myself, I had never been fired in my entire life, not from anything, so it came to me as quite a shock. I’m still in shock.

That’s why I began writing this in the first place; as an exercise in expressing my narrative voice; as well as for its catharsis. Thank God for Literature! I wanted to flesh-out the ill feelings that I was left with from this sour experience; to talk to myself about it, and clear some things up in my head as well as in my heart. I wanted to attempt to be as honest with myself as I could possibly be.

Nevertheless, I’ve not been pleased with how I’ve been treated by this organization. I found my dismissal rather brutal, and dismissive of all that I had helped to accomplish, in addition to being meted out quite disrespectfully. They wanted to impose a condition to my exiting, whereby I would sign a “Termination Agreement and General Release”
contract, which would have denied this narrative expression; thus proving what I enjoy saying, that “denial is always the first indication of the Truth.” I refused. They had wanted to financially short-change me of the compensation due me for my work-effort up to that point, which was quite substantial. And, as of this writing, I have yet to retrieve my personal, professional and archival belongings, which during the course of my employ as Poetry Consultant, I had brought from my home in order to better serve our students, and which I had left at my desk area when I was “let go.” Many of these articles include rare and irreplaceable signed publications and poems by the late Rev. Pedro Pietri, and others. They can’t keep these things; they don’t belong to them. They’ve refused to allow me to return to retrieve them, and have informed me that they’ve boxed them and will return them to me, just as soon as I return their laptop computer. But, I will not – not until I have seen with my own eyes what’s in those boxes. Otherwise, what’s missing will be lost. They do not have a right whatsoever to exact such a condition, when they have breached my respect for them by their aforementioned actions. I don’t trust them anymore, and, quite frankly, that pains me.

And this is actually what the most troubling issue is here. A Scepter of Insensitivity is haunting El Barrio, some mystical arrogance of administrational prudery. Perhaps, the gentrification of El Barrio, and of El Barrio’s institutions and programs – housing, educational, social, and political, et al, and etcetera – might have something to do with this? Maybe there’s something going on? Of late I’ve witnessed, as a whole slew of our people, who have dedicated their entire professional lives to the education and welfare of our children, are now questioning whether or not they have made the right life-career decision; if they’ve not squandered their lives, forfeiting instead more lucrative ventures in a capitalist system. Several such people, unassociated with this incident, have also been dismissed recently from UPPerSPaHa. They are, for the most part, Professionals in their fields with many years’ experience, now out of work, and looking for new employment, hopefully with medical and dental benefits.

Throughout the long and distinguished history of El Barrio, earlier residents of all ethnicity and cultural backgrounds have always sought to improve their living conditions. To this end, they organized themselves and have developed and sustained programs including the study and expression of the arts and culture, as well as having founded a myriad of social serving institutions. The proud residents of El Barrio acknowledge every service that’s extended them and their children; and arts and education programming are no exception to this appreciation.
We have always been well capable of administering, with love and caring, the daily services and operations of such programs and institutions.

However, now we find that many of these are being taken over by “interlopers” of one sort or another, who come into El Barrio with their classroom textbook-tested theories to try out on us – like a brand new dress for the poor, little girl of ethnic extraction – “One-Size-Fits-All” philosophy. . All that they know about “us” and the problems within our community – and how to solve them – is what they’ve read somewhere in a book. In fact, these people, whose total life-experience amounts to the adventures portrayed in the last novel they’ve read, manage to get themselves installed into executive positions of power, where, with a congenial condescension, these pedagogy “experts” dismiss our ability to identify, and our willingness to address our own needs. Their Superhero-Alta-Egos will not allow them to recognize or acknowledge our own medicinal remedies.

Haven’t they’ve stripped away enough of our community and parental rights? Haven’t they’ve done so, and then forced blame upon us when our children have lashed out against society – for lack of parental guidance and discipline? Do we really need someone else to come in and teach the village how to bring up a child?

Now, while we may express gratitude for the funding and resources provided us, it is essential to realize that we, as Human Beings, prosper further through the actionable vision of Empathy, rather than by the stagnant, albeit sincere and well-intentioned, narrow-minded charity of Sympathy. I believe that the only things that these professional interlopers know how to do are count pennies and decipher the whereabouts of the bottom-line – and that’s exactly what they’re here for. It seems like that – and to buy a newly built Condominium on one of our blocks – preferably far away from us, although still in the neighborhood, and walking distance to and from the subway.

It is with these strings attached, that these munificent souls dictate not only how the funds that they provide should be distributed (or otherwise utilized or squandered), but what can be taught, and how.

I’ve seen enough Hollywood films dealing with this “do-the-right-thing”
notion, to know what happens next. So it is that if “They” feel that our children will not benefit from the arts, then they need not be exposed to them. And, so far as I have seen of what goes on within some not-for-profit programs, it seems a Board of Directors must be established for the purpose of legitimizing the program’s mandate to “Funders” and the “Banks.” And then these Boards do everything in their power in order to prevent the staff from achieving its altruistic aims and goals. It’s like, the Board says, “Let ‘Our Program’ help your child get into college – just not Harvard, or Princeton, or Yale, or Stanford…”

So now that it is possible in El Barrio to purchase tofu and wheatgrass in the local bodegas, the questions become more relevant, rather than racist, to our survival in our own neighborhood: “Will the Gentrifiers improve the quality of our local schools by enrolling their children? Or will they devalue our property and schools’ programs, by divesting their children’s enrollment?” The truth of the matter is thus; if you’re not involved in your community, somebody else will be…

In the end, of course, it will always be our resilient kids who’ll suffer the most…

I personally know of many artists who devote themselves to their art, while diligently dedicating themselves to the work that they perform with the youth of today. Our community is replete with such natural resources as artists who are educators as well, and each of them waits patiently to be tapped before their life-assets run out without appreciation. That’s why the community must always be involved with arts and education programs, and what’s going on within their walls – to assure that our teaching artists are among the artists teaching art and culture.

Unfortunately for UPPerSPaHa, what was lost in the mayhem of the controversy was what we had undeniably achieved; we left New York City with eighteen frightened teenagers, and returned with eighteen young adults who had gained a vastly different outlook on the world around them, and by extension, American history came closer to their reality.

This is probably truer for them, than it might be with a great many of their fellow students and neighbors. We had finally “gotten to them.”
Finally, they saw us as “cool.” The obstacle that makes education difficult – “Resistance to Knowledge” – was removed from their attitude of “knowing it all” and we were able to dialogue like scientists of human nature. It was okay now, for students interested in creative writing to sit down with the poet and discuss the Universe, from micro- to macrocosm, for instance…

*Names have been changed to protect whoever believes in their innocence.

The campaign season has begun, and to no great surprise, I'm now a Republican talking point. But I assure you, I've brought no dishonor to my family, the Congress, my constituents, or my country.

Last July, the Republican Party declared guerrilla war against Democrats and since then has made every effort to smear me and members of my party. It wasn't enough that they had denied 10 million American children healthcare, blocked extension of unemployment benefits, and tried to scuttle $2 billion in promised 9-11 recovery funds for New York.

My record in the Ways and Means Committee and 38 years in Congress is unassailable, so they've pried into my private life and used insinuation and half-truths to write stories that sell papers – what car I drive; where I live; where I vacation with my family; and how I handle my personal finances. They've piled on, even questioning my motives for raising funds for a public college in my district.

I've never violated the public trust, so I'm not worried. I've laid all the available facts on the table and answered every allegation, all of which were based on inaccurate newspaper stories. At my request, the Ethics Committee is investigating whether I've committed any errors of omission. Independent experts are being called in to correct any mistakes in my government filings. In the meantime, my work as Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee has not been affected in any way.

For now, nothing is more important than victory in November. So, I'll continue doing my best to help elect Barack Obama president and to expand the Democratic majority in Congress. At stake are all the hopes of Americans to turn this country around and ensure a better future for our children and grandchildren.

The devastating meltdown of the economy has made even clearer the urgent need for an end to policies that favor war over prosperity and greed over fairness. Next year, the nation's priorities must be the creation of jobs, health care for all Americans, the best education for our children, security for our seniors, and the restoration of fairness to our tax system. Those aspirations will be realized only with President Obama in the White House and a strong progressive-minded Congress behind him.

Thank you for the prayers and all of the support over the years.

Sincerely,
-Charlie

Charles B. Rangel
Member of Congress

• Use of class time to by recruiters to recruit students
• Non universal distribution of Opt-Out forms to all students/parents
• Lack of counselors to point out risks and benefits of joining the military
• Not knowing where to report an overly aggressive military recruiter
• Recruiters intimidating Teachers and Principals

Borough President Stringer and the A.C.L.U. say that the survey suggests that educators, parents, students and administrators have not been adequately informed by the Department of Education about the issue of military recruitment. They also say that some parents have reported experiences with aggressive military recruiters citing harassment and privacy violations.

At a May 13, 2008 East Harem community meeting military recruiters were chastised for their use of class time to recruit, the non-universal distribution of Opt-Out forms, and the lack of counselors to point out the risks of joining the military. They also mention two ridiculous objections, the wearing of military uniforms while recruiting, and arriving at schools in military vehicles. These practices were objectionable to the group because “they influence impressionable young people”. The meeting purpose was to “create steps to protect students” against aggressive military recruitment practices in New York City Public Schools. No military recruiters were present as none were invited to defend themselves from these accusations.

Absurdity at Best
This anti-military project of our elected officials and the A.C.L.U. is an attempt to keep the military from doing their job, mainly defense and recruitment. It stems from a misunderstanding of the use and need of the military at best, their dislike of U.S. foreign policy and of anything military. Since they don’t agree with foreign policy they reason they can weaken it by weakening our military. This is naive and dangerous thinking. Dangerous in that a weaken military will only encourage terrorist to strike both abroad and here at home. It puts all of us at risk.

Let’s take their objections one by one and see how all this pans out.

The Use of Class Time.
The Department of Education gives the military the same access to students as it does for vocational schools, colleges, and businesses. So if schools give any of these other entities class time, the military can not be discriminated against by not giving them the same type of access others get.
This writer did ask a few East Harlem high schools how they handle recruitment. Most allow military recruiters a small room where only students who wish to talk to them can go. Those who do not wish to talk to recruiters don’t go to that room at that time. This is simple and no class time is used. And each students has the choice to talk to a recruiter or not too. This writer thinks it is unfortunate that military recruiters are not allowed to make their presentation to the whole student body. Although anti-military activists and elected officials want a counselor to tell students about the risks of joining the military, they do not allow recruiters to make one presentation to all so that they all know what they are saying “No” too. This is rather interesting from those who like to profess “choice” and “tolerance”.

Non Universal Distribution of Opt-Out forms
This is the only criticism that has any basis in fact. Some schools are either not getting or getting but not distributing and explaining the how and why of the Opt-Out Forms. These forms allow a student/family to inform recruiters that they are not interested and that they should henceforth not be recruited. Meaning, no visits at home, phone calls, cards, letters, etc.. The opt-out form is a fair way to deal with not wanting to be recruited. What is not fair is what this writer has heard about some schools filling out the forms for and without the student’s knowledge in an effort to keep recruiters from recruiting “their students”. You can guess at these schools leadership political leanings.

The non universal distribution of Opt-Out forms is not a matter for the military. It is a Department of Education matter and should be addressed by having a meeting with those officials and not as part of an anti-military meeting. The military does not control the creation, use, or distribution of those forms. So this is a silly charge to level against the military.

Lack of Counselors to point out the Risks of Joining the military
The lack of counselors to point out the Risks of Joining the military is a weird complaint for a number of reasons. First teachers can always point out the risks involved in joining the military. The risks being that you may have to go to war, and that you may get hurt or killed while on duty.

One does not need to hire counselors to warn students against joining our great military. And we should not use over-worked counselors to take time from their busy workload to do the same. Teachers will suffice. It is surprising that elected officials who should know better than to ask our educational professionals to stop what they are doing to in effect push their political agenda. They have much more important things to do then to become a vanguard for the liberal left.

And lastly, the lack of counselors is a Department of Education issue, not one to blame on the military.

Not Knowing Where To Report Abuses
This complaint is yet another which the military has nothing to do with. The Department of Education is the authoritative place to take this complaint. That there are no mechanisms in place or that some schools don’t read their memos from the Department of Education has nothing to do with the military. The military has no control over where to go to report abuses. So this complaint should have been reserve for a meeting about those things lacking at the Department of Education.

Recruiters Intimidate Teachers and Principals.
This charge against the recruiters seemed weak. As a former school board member and PTA parent this writer has never seen tough U.F.T. teachers or principals back away from anything. Principals especially rule well over their schools and this writer doubts for a second that any principal would allow anyone to intimidate them, not even a military recruiter. It’s possible, but darn hard to believe.

Soldiers Are Getting Killed
Does anyone not spot the obvious problem with this line of thinking? This writer also heard this at a local protest in front of a recruiting station (see prior story). Let’s make this simple. Policemen can get hurt in the line of duty. So can Firemen, Coast Guardsmen, electricians etc.. There are many jobs where danger is part of the job. Not wanting a military because people can get hurt is like pulling all the policemen in the city out of the streets for the same reason. Being in the military entails the possibility that one may see action and risk injury or death because of said action. It is a silly consideration and one made from an uninformed point of view, that being, not know the purpose and use of the military.

This writer is sure glad that the World War II generation were brave enough to support the war effort, else we’d be speaking German right now. The military is there for a reason.

This objection also rings hallow because some of the very same people who object to 4,000 soldiers being killed in the war think nothing of the 4,000 unborn babies aborted each and every day. Half of these babies are girls and will never be able to "Choose" to reproduce or not. Where is their protest against this American genocide?

Civilians Are Being Killed By Our Troops
Civilian casualties do occur in war. The United State is one of a few countries where the goal is to keep civilian casualties at a minimum. Hence the use of laser guided bombs. Pinpoint bombs save civilian lives. It does not help that some enemy states put their munitions plants within populated civilian residences. What the Liberal Left does not mention is the liberation and thankfulness of the people of Iraq. They are now free from the tyranny of Saddam Hussein and have begun pretty normal lives, especially after the “Surge”. The surge worked and the quitters were wrong. The defeatists should hide their heads in shame.

Use of Uniforms and Military Vehicles
If this is not the dumbest objection ever I don’t know what is!! It is a juvenile claim. Of course they are going to wear their uniforms! Hello! Duhhh!! It’s part of what identifies them as being military. And yes the uniforms do look nice and suggest organization. It is suppose to do that, not only to students, but to the world at large. And all military personnel are to be in uniform while on duty. This is military law. Recruiters do not have a choice in this matter. Speak to the Pentagon about it, but don’t bother the recruiters with this nonsense.

Besides, everyone recruiting students has a uniform. Businessmen have their suits, Policemen and Firemen have their uniforms and do wear them to school. The example of doctors was mentioned during the May 13th meeting, but this writer has seen doctors in scrubs at schools. What if all liberal elected officials were made to wear nothing but a diaper while speaking in public? That would prevent them from unduly influencing students because of their dress. But that would also be silly. So why ask recruiters to not wear their work cloths? It is their professional dress. It is required by law. And it is a stupid request. When presenting arguments for or against something, use reason and not nonsense about recruiters having an unfair advantage because they wear their uniforms.

Last thoughts
It is sad and frightening that elected officials should want to emasculate this countries’ military. They want to castrate this nation and weaken its power, strength and pride. Some believe that “the military is bad” (simplistic and wrong), others just want to make us weak because they disagree with our foreign policy. (you may disagree but don’t put the rest of us at risk with a weak military). It is like cutting off your nose when scratching it will do. It is dumb and suicidal.

Ever notice how they have nothing good to say about this great nation? They create nothing yet want to take everything from the rest of us. (think high taxes and socialism) Does the word parasite come to mind?

Freedom Is Not Free
The cost of freedom has always been high, and Americans have always paid it. But we must also pay that debt for those who follow us. How can we ask anything of this great country if we are not willing to defend it? Protesting in front of recruiting stations says “I want all the benefits of living here, but don’t wish to contribute to the cost of keeping this place free”.

All those who are part of this anti-military effort would do well to remember that freedom is not free, that their very right and ability to protest, comes from the blood and sacrifice of others. And to keep in mind ALL those who gave their lives that we may be here today, fully free to even have this silly discussion. It has always taken blood and guts to ensure our liberty. This writer challenges these elected officials and the A.C.L.U. to try this very same protest in Cuba, Russia, North Korea, China and see what happens.

American land of the Free and home of the Brave (and now home of the liberal wimps, wussies –not the word I actually want to use, but close enough)

May God Bless America

J. Marion Sims is famous for pioneering a treatment for vesicovaginal fistula A vesicovaginal fistula can be caused by injury to the urinary tract, which can occur accidentally during surgery to the pelvic area, such as a hysterectomy. It can also be caused by a tumor in the vesicovaginal area or by reduced blood supply due to tissue death (necrosis) caused by radiation therapy or prolonged labor during childbirth.

The most common symptom is constant urine leakage from the vagina. The patient may also experience irritation in the area of the vulva, and frequent urinary tract infections." (Penn State Health & Diseases Topics A-Z)

It seems that Dr. Sims learned, tweaked and homed his treatment for vesicovaginal fistula by working on his own patients and on African Slaves women and children. Dr. Sims has been accused of treating the African Slave women without the use of any anesthetic during the procedure (operation). Although he did administer an opiate after the procedure to alleviate the pain. Some have also accuse Dr. Sims of deliverately trying to addict these women to the opiate. Due to all his pioneering work, Dr. Sims is known as the "Father of Gynecology". His treatment has allowed thousands of women to lead normal lives. Since his time treatments built upon his pioneering work have helped eve more women.

Dr. Sims did in fact try and improve his treatment for vesicovaginal fistula whenever he came across it in his line of work. This included white and African Slave women. The difference was that Dr. Sims did not administer an anesthetic to the African Slave women. Still his actual knowledge was garnered by both white and African Slaves. So that the procedure itself was not a mutilation of slave women and a correct procedure for white women. Secondly, after perfecting his treatment, he applied it equally to all women. And all women benefit to this day.

It seems that the main contention really is that Dr. Sims did not administer an anesthetic to the African slave women. This write acknowledges that was indeed unfortunate and not what I would wish on the worlds worst people. It was unfortunate because those women suffered great great pain. Some of them were repeatedly operated on by Dr. Sims to correct the problem, some to the tune of over 30 times. It is unimaginable the pain these particular women went through.

Repeated operations more than suggest two things, one that Dr. Sims was seeking (exploring) a way to correct this medical problem, hence the repeated attempts, and two that he was determined to try until he found the correct procedure. He could have tried any procedure once or twice, failed, and given up thereby dooming thousands of women to suffer. But he persisted till he figured out how to help these women, all women.

Call for the Removal of the Statue
But some are calling for the removal of Dr. Sims' statue under the accusation that he was "racists" and that he "tortured" slave women. A statue that has been in its present and only location since 1894. Just how fair is that call for the statue's removal?

Let's look at the facts:
Dr. Sims did in fact work out his procedure on women the majority of which were slaves.
Dr. Sims did in fact not anesthetize slave patients choosing instead to give then opiates after the procedure. It is possible that Dr. Sims did not think the slave women to be human beings at all. A not uncommon way of thinking back then, hence the civil war. All of the above does not bode well for the Dr. Sims as more Doctor than monster.

What can mitigate against seeing Dr. Sims as a monster or torturer? First it must be remembered that Dr. Sims operated at a time when anesthesia was just beginning to be used with medical confidence (1846). Not all surgeons had access to anesthesia let alone used it initially. It took time for anesthesia to known, distributed and used properly. Dr. Sims did use it on his white females patients, but not on his African Slave patients as he may not have thought them as fully human. Again a belief common to that time. He did think enough of them to give them an opiate (pain killer) to relive post operative pain. So he was not totally without concern or empathy for these women.

What current day activists are trying to do is punish Dr. Sims for not being like us. He is being punished for not thinking like a 20th-21st Century activist. Much like poor Christopher Columbus, Dr. Sims is the victim tremendously displaced hindsight. Activists are holding past historical figures "guilty" of something they could not possibly possess, which is Current Day Thinking. Basically they are trying impose current day social morality on a 19th century man. The man not having benefited from the last 150 years of knowledge in areas of medicine, and moral discourse. But is still held accountable for it.(for what he does not have) It's like blaming cavemen for not using acrylics to do their cave paintings.

The danger of using present thinking to judge historical figures is that the same will be done to us. It is nothing but unfair to anyone it is thrust upon. Imagine 100 years from now when abortion is illegal (due to respect for life). Some writer decides that the statues of all who supported abortion should be brought down, no matter how much "social justice" they did in our current time. Would it be fair to be judged on just one thing? No matter how much good you did?

Or lets say that vegetarians have their way an impose no meat eating upon society. And they decide that all who ate meat should be erased from history. Would you want to be judged in the future on something you barely give a second thought to now?

What this writer is saying is that we must remember the historical context that others had to live in and respect that they did the best with what they knew. They did not have the benefit of our way of thinking. This does not excuse bad behavior or ways of thinking. We can say that Columbus did not treat the American Indians well (sorry I'm too educated to be PC minded), but also realize that way of thinking was not an uncommon way for Europeans to think back then.

But we can still say that Lenin, Stalin, Mao, Che, Castro, Sandinistas, and others of their ilk were indeed evil people (results of atheism, the biggest killer of people ever). But they all lived in a time when they should have known better by virtue of all the human rights, natural rights and theology around during the turn of the century (1900).

The same can not be said of Dr. Sims. He never heard the great men like Martin Luther King, or Supreme Court Justice Thomas. He never went through the civil rights era and learned from that. He never had the benefit of our current thinking. But he did find a procedure to help all women, white, black, asian, etc.. who had a vesicovaginal fistula. He did not use this correct procedure only on white women, but on all women who came to him for help. And as use of his procedure spread among all surgeons even more women were helped regardless of color, ethnicity, or language.

What do do?
It seems Dr. Sims did some good along with some bad. But even the bad that he did, he did in an effort to find a corrective procedure for vesicovaginal fistula. His intention was not to mutilate or disfigure his patients. His intention was to find a way to makes things right, by finding a corrective procedure for vesicovaginal fistula. What do we do with that knowledge of all the good he did? Do we dismiss all the good he did? He was no Dr. Josef Mengele. He was trying to help his patients.

Lastly, a generation of citizens decided to honor Dr. Sims' life by erecting a statue of him. He received honors from Belgium, France Italy, Spain and Portugal. It seems presumptuous and elitist of us to undo their judgment and honoring of Dr. Sims. We are telling that generation and those countries that we know better than they who lived in that very time.

Whatever you decide please remember that you will be judged as you judge and that future generations judge your judgment. Using the same criteria that is being used against Dr. Sims, it could be argued that most of our U.S. and Puerto Rican artist could be called on the rug and taken from history for all of their faults. Dr. Sims at least helped people by virtue of being a doctor, found a procedure to correct vesicovaginal fistula, among all the good medicine he practiced. But how will all our cultural and musical heroes (all the druggie and alcoholic artists) defend themselves having only their art and money received from it (self interest) to show for their faults? How would you like a 25th Century activist judge you and this whole generation based on something we have not even experienced in our time?

Dr. Sim's status should remain right where it is. It would seem sad and petty to yank that statue out of its current location. And for those who whole heartedly believe his statue should go, the question is this: How does the statue's removal correct anything? What does it accomplish? To what end is this act directed? It does not punish Dr. Sims, he is part of eternity now. Is the statue removal effort, an attempt, to scratch a "social justice" itch? Do activists not have bigger and live fish to fry? Or will they continue to pick on those who can not defend themselves because they have died - the easy targets?

Lastly, remember, none of us are totally good. Unlike Dr. Sims, we do not have hundreds or thousands of patients to show how we spent our lives. Most of us have more good intentions than good works done to show for our lives. And yet we dare judge a man who did mostly good, for women no less. It does seem ungrateful.

It goes to show is that hindsight does not a good judge make. - JBR

East Harlem.com does not agree with any of the protester's sentiments. The war is necessary as it send a message to terrorist that the U.S. will not be bullied. And it is strange to hear about putting our youth in danger, as that is part of what it takes to accomplish a military task. It's like wanting to pull policemen out of the streets because criminals might hurt them.

But this writer does respect the protester's opinion and their right (in the great American tradition) to have their voice be heard. In fact it is because we have had a strong military for over 200 years that these very protesters have the right and ability to protest. And this writer is proud of having been part of the long line of those who have served in the military. You might say, I served so that they may be able to protest. And that is not a bad deal at all.

Too all the protesters out there, let your voices be heard and continue to keep it peaceful. JBR

Growth
Mr. Rivera remembers looking at his first statistics and seeing 12 whole hits a day. "It took a few years, but eventually more and more people became aware of the website to the point that it now gets 525,000 hits a month or serves about 116,000 pages a month. About half from college students doing research for classes.

East Harlem.com has grown in other ways over the years too. It has added a Discussion Forum, Guestbook, Photo Gallery, and Events database.

Other Sites
And the website is not the only East Harlem community website. It was joined by local community activist Marina Ortiz's Virtual Boricua and the more recent East Harlem Preservation, Sadly, another site, MiBarrio.org was discontinued. This write hopes that it's absence is temporary.

East Harlem.com has been on the news twice (once on MSNBC and once on NY1) and its photos have been used to look for grants, in wine publications, text book covers and various college reports. It also mets the students of both New York University and Columbia School of Journalism. The webmaster has also hosted various student visitors throughout the years.

The Future
The website will continue to provide news about the East Harlem community. With new features to come "online" soon. If there was one thing the Mr. Rivera would change would be to have more contributors writing for the site. Various students have written some stories in the past and Mr. Leon Tulton has been a great asset too, writing numerous stories. But it would be nice to have different points of views and a lot more activity on the Discussion Forums.

How long can Mr. Rivera keep the site up? "Well money is not an issue, but time is. And I need to find more time and energy to devote to the website. Here's to another 12 years, who knows what the web will look like then" adds Mr. Rivera.

The services offered at BBRAXTON are like that of a barber shop, salon, and spa all rolled into one. According to its website, services include manicures and pedicures, natural hair care (including twist and lock maintenance), and therapeutic massage.

Male customers who attended the celebration party spoke positively about the salon. East Harlemites Owen Charles, 27, and Audie Vilot, 32, expressed their gratitude for this type of service being located in the community. "There"s definitely a market in this particular part of Harlem," Charles said. Vilot added that he was pleased to see the store opened in his neighborhood instead of an area below 96th Street. "There are people here [in East Harlem] who have regular jobs [or are making] six-figure [salaries] who want the better things in life without having to go downtown," he said.

Other customers from outside El Barrio also voiced their approval of BBRAXTON. Frazier Tharpe, 47, of New Jersey stated that he liked how the salon maintains an atmosphere of exclusivity for men who may feel hesitant about getting the types of services traditionally received by women. Marcus McGaughey, 32, from Brooklyn also said that he appreciated the "gentlemen's club" feel to the salon. "It"s a place that makes you feel exclusive and different from the rest," he said.

When asked how they felt about men who take pride in their personal grooming being stereotyped as either being gay or metrosexual, the male clients argued that these perceptions serve no purpose other than to stigmatize and do not look at the full spectrum of what defines a professional man. "I don't see a problem with men doing what women have been doing for ages," Marcus Felder, 24, an East Harlem resident, said challenging the negative perception of being well-groomed. Ayejay Spraggin, 33, of West Harlem, also expressed his opposition to professional men like himself being labeled as gay or metrosexual because he like to take care of his personal appearance. "It's perceived that you're more masculine if you're more rough and unclean," he said. "That's something that we need to challenge."

Although BBRAXTON successfully hit its first-year mark, the owner confessed that the business did initially encounter some obstacles along the way, including three burglaries and facility issues. "It was bad enough that we had to deal with three break-ins, but we also had to deal with flooding inside the building due to the pipes freezing up and bursting," Braxton said. "We definitely came a long way since those trying times."

Braxton said that she wants to expand the facility by buying a vacant store next door. She is also in the process of duplicating her East Harlem success by opening another salon in Las Vegas, Nevada. "Expanding opens up plenty of opportunities, but Harlem will always be home for BBRAXTON."

For more information about BBRAXTON or to schedule an appointment, visit its website at http://www.bbraxton.com or call 212-369-3094.

By Leon Tulton
leontulton@yahoo.com

"The fight to save Mitchell-Lama is not new," Stringer told the 500 plus members of the audience who attended the conference. "Residents, advocates, and elected officials have been fighting for decades to protect this critical stock of affordable housing."

According to the borough president, the New York State Mitchell-Lama Housing Program was created in 1955 for the purpose of building affordable housing for middle-income residents. The program, named after two former state legislators who sponsored the legislation, MacNeil Mitchell and Alfred Lama, has been credited by many for sparking the development of affordable housing in New York City. Developers who agreed to adhere to the regulations of the Mitchell-Lama program were rewarded with low-interest mortgage loans and property tax exemptions in exchange for building more affordable housing. Although the Mitchell-Lama program encouraged developers to create affordable housing in the city, it also contained a provision that allowed developers to withdraw from the program, or buy out, after 20 years upon prepayment of the mortgage (or after 35 years in the case of developments aided by loans prior to May 1, 1959). When developments buy out, they are no longer subject to Mitchell-Lama regulation, and apartment need not be kept affordable for moderate-income families. With the real estate market in New York City at an all-time high, more landlords of Mitchell-Lama properties felt that they could make a bigger profit from their buildings through increased rent if they opted out of the Mitchell-Lama program.

The mass exodus of property owners from the Mitchell-Lama program is a growing concern among elected officials such as City Comptroller William C. Thompson. His office has estimated that New York City has lost nearly 25 percent of its affordable housing (36, 629 units) developed under Mitchell-Lama. In 2004 and 2006, the comptroller produced two reports that addressed the fast decline of affordable housing in the city. "Unfortunately since the release of the 2004 and 2006 reports, the [affordable housing] situation has worsen," Thompson said at the March event explaining that more housing units are continuing to withdraw from Mitchell-Lama at an alarming rate. He cited how last year 28 Mitchell-Lama developments (nearly 13,000 units) had started the process to leave the program. Of the 28, nine (approximately 5,700 units) have officially left Mitchell-Lama. "If all 28 [developments] completely withdraw, New York City will have lost 33 percent of affordable units built under Mitchell-Lama," the comptroller warned.

In the 2006 report, the Comptroller's Office identified three apartment complexes in Northern Manhattan whose status in the Mitchell-Lama program was pending. These three are Lakeview at 35 East 106th Street, Bethune Towers at 650 Lenox Avenue, and Lionel Hampton Houses at 301 West 130th Street. East Harlem.com contacted the three buildings to get the owners" reasons for wanting to leave the Mitchell-Lama program. Robert Seavey, one of the two co-owners of Lakeview, stated that he didn't want to comment because he's currently in talk with the City and State and was concerned that any public statement may hinder the on-going negotiation. A representative of Baoton Management, the agency that runs Bethune Towers, refused to comment for this story. "We don't want to participate in this story," the person said before abruptly ending the telephone conversation with this reporter. The manager of Lionel Hampton Houses, who only identified herself as Ms. Rivera, also refused to comment and wouldn't identify the name and contact information of the owner. "I'm not authorized to reveal this information," said Ms. Rivera who added that Lionel Hampton Houses has since left the Mitchell-Lama program in 2006.

Unlike other communities in Manhattan, Washington Heights and Inwood have fewer Mitchell-Lama apartments in the area. According to the 2006 City Comptroller report, only two apartment complexes in Washington Heights and Inwood were listed as housing in the Mitchell-Lama program, Inwood Gardens and Inwood Terrance. Despite the few Mitchell-Lama housing in the community, Washington Heights and Inwood residents may still be affected by the Mitchell-Lama crisis. Evan Hess of Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation argued that Mitchell-Lama tenants displaced from their apartments may look for new housing further north of the borough. "Mitchell-Lama housing was designed for middle-class families," he said. "If they are priced out, they will go to neighborhoods like Washington Heights and Inwood, essentially competing with the area's poorer residents for the few affordable housing that we have."

On July 2007, New Yorkers received some good news from the State when Governor Eliot Spitzer and the Division of Housing and Community Renewal announced regulation to close the "unique and peculiar" loophole, which until now has allowed landlords leaving Mitchell-Lama to immediately and drastically increase rents in their buildings to market rate. By closing the loophole, this will potentially ensured that over 19,000 rent-regulated units would remain affordable in the future.

For Stringer, this was a small victory in the never-ending battle to preserve affordable housing for his constituents. "The Mitchell-Lama community has been fighting to protect their homes for years," the borough president said. "This victory is long overdue and would never have been possible without the tireless advocacy of tenants and organizers throughout New York City and New York State." Bell also viewed Spitzer's announcement as good news for tenants like herself. "Now that we won the victory against the U&P loophole, we need to keep up the momentum that this significant victory has brought us," she said. "It's fabulous that our advocacy has proven effective and we got to bring our individual talents together to fight for the cause for low-and-middle-income-targeted housing."

By Leon Tulton

Reverend Gilberto Lopez, the 23rd Precinct's clergy liaison, explained that he organized the community memorial ceremony to give East Harlemites a venue to remember those they lost in their own community. He stated that although East Harlem residents affected by the 2001 tragedy observe the citywide 9-11 memorial ceremony each year, they may not feel connected because the media usually overemphasize 9-11 as affecting only those in downtown Manhattan. "We want to make a statement that not only downtown people were affected, but uptown workers and families as well," Reverend Lopez commented about East Harlem's first annual memorial event. "The whole idea [of this event] is to bring the community to one accord."

Representatives from law enforcement spoke about the importance of continuously honoring both uniformed and civilian victims who perished on September 11, 2001 when two passenger airplanes hijacked by terrorists were flown into the World Trade Center towers, resulting in approximately 2,974 deaths. "We must never forget 9-11 and never forget those who laid down their lives for us," Reverend Jay Gooding, executive director of Chaplains Helping in Police Situations, a chaplain group formed shortly after 9-11, said. Captain Eddie Carrasco, executive officer of the 23rd Precinct expressed how 9-11, despite the tremendous horror associated with the day, had another unexpected effect. "Instead of breaking us down and separating us, the terrorists brought us together and made us stronger," he said describing the resilience of New Yorkers.

When asked to reflect on how 9-11 impacted on their lives, members of law enforcement who attended the ceremony shared their stories with this reporter. Trooper E. J. Herrera of the New York State Police described how his fellow troopers felt the loss of local police officers at the World Trade Center. "In law enforcement, we're one big family so whenever there's any loss, it hurts all of us," he said. "Everyone was down, not just as [members of] law enforcement, but as Americans." Sergeant Miriam Luciano, an auxiliary police officer of the New York Police Department's 26th Precinct, recalled how the tragedy affected the public. "A lot of people were sad "you can see it on their faces," A/Sgt. Luciano said.

Two East Harlem residents interviewed for this story described their own 9-11 tales to this reporter. Gloria Castellanos, through a translator, told how a former employer she worked for was at the World Trade Center site and witnessed the dead bodies at the scene. She described how her former boss was so traumatized by the horror that he eventually turned to drugs and ultimately left New York City. Kwuana Olin recalled how the tragedy extinguished the joy she had a few days earlier when she gave birth to her daughter three days before the terrorist attack. She added that her cousins were at the site that day and thought that she lost them when the towers fell. "Thank God they were alive," she said. "When my cousins came home, they were covered in soot from head to toe."

At the end of the ceremony, kids who attended the event released into the air red, white, and blue balloons, symbolizing a person lost in the tragedy. "Children represent the future of our community," Reverend Lopez stated. "It's important to share our stories about 9-11 so that the memories of those lost in the tragedy will never be forgotten."

Leon Tulton
leontulton@yahoo.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

New York, NY - Senator Jose M. Serrano (D-Manhattan/Bronx) today applauded Governor Eliot Spitzer's decision to sign into law a bill that would provide much needed assistance for artist housing needs.

The legislation, introduced by Assemblywoman Joan Millman (D-Brooklyn), would provide grants over a two-year period of $12,000 for individual artists, or $22,000 for a group of artists who share live-work space.

"This legislation is long overdue for the artists in our communities," said Senator Serrano. "Artists, in so many ways, provide the cultural vitality and the economic machinery that our growing communities need. Governor Spitzer recognizes this fact, and I congratulate him for supporting this legislation."

The Governor signed the bill with the expectation that the state legislature would provide the funds to support the grants in their next budget. "In the past, our legislature's support for artists has been abysmal at best. I will do all that I can to ensure that funding is provided in next year's budget for this critical program."

As Chair of the Senate Democratic Task Force on the Arts and Cultural Affairs, Senator Serrano has been a vocal proponent of the arts as an economic engine - one that can help spark the Upstate economy, and empower working class communities in New York City.

This past month, the Senator hosted the Fourth Annual East Harlem Arts Festival, which has emerged as a diverse and popular venue for local talent. In his yearly legislative grants, the Senator has consistently funded respected cultural institutions - both large and small - in East Harlem, Roosevelt Island and the Bronx.

Serrano concluded: "By putting in place the affordable infrastructure for artists to live and work, we are ensuring that New York - both city and state - remain the Cultural Capital of the World."

Now, what could possible be wrong with the governor singing this legislation into law? There are a few problems with this idea. For instance, why do artist get this special treatment? And why housing aid? The response one is likely to get to that question is that artist by virtue of being artist do not make much and therefore need assistance, right?

But why are we subsidizing those who (1) choose to become artist and who then (2) do not obtain regular employment until their art takes off and sustains them? A lot of actors work waiting tables until their careers take off or until they are discovered. They are self supporting while they pursue their art. The way it should be done.

But being asked to use tax money to provide for those who wish to pursue their art is a bit over board. Artist who choose to live solely off their art are more than welcome to do so. But they should not expect the good people of the state or city of New York to support them in their decision not to seek employment that could sustain them while they pursue their art careers.

They can choose to work doing anything else that can support them. Or they can choose to live off their art. But this is a choice they make. This choice has consequences, that being of probably not making much of a living. But why should the tax payer be FORCED to pay for their career decisions; their housing in any way shape or form?

The best way to help "self-starving" artist is to have a state and city economy where jobs are plentiful, where everyone can obtain employment. That way artist can be employed (yes not as artist), but at least they are not living off the rest of us. Yes, artist should pursue their hearts vocation, but not at the tax payers expense.

Struggling married couples with children are much more in need of housing assistance. As are the poor or anyone else who finds themselves in a situation, not of their choosing, where they need housing assistance from their fellow man.

Some artist do provide for a more vibrant economy, but so do a lot of other work people, construction workers, policemen, firemen, shoe salesmen, etc... They are not asking for a free ride. No one else should either.

Remember, the state has no money. It does not create anything. The state is a steward of the tax payer's money. I ask our state representatives to be good stewards of our tax money. The middle class can't keep taking assaults on their wallets. At some point they will revolt. And this writer will be fighting along side them. Let the Over Taxed Revolt Begin! What do you think?

Note: This writer loves art, art that edifies and that is understandable. If the layman can not understand the art, then the artist has failed to convey the meaning of the art and has just failed period. Abstractions are not art. JBR