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Reps. Crowley and Mahoney Condemn Use of Children’s Television to Instill Hatred, Violence, and Anti-Semitism in Gaza Youth
Foreign Affairs Committee Unanimously Passes Crowley-Mahoney Bill
(Washington, DC) – Today, the House Committee on Foreign Affairs unanimously passed legislation (H.Res. 1069) authored by Congressmen Joseph Crowley (D-NY) and Tim Mahoney (D-FL) condemning Hamas for using children’s television programming to promote hatred, violence, and anti-Semitism amongst Gaza youth.
Recent footage of an Al-Aqsa TV program for kids called “Tomorrow’s Pioneers” includes a puppet show depicting a child murdering President Bush. Al-Aqsa has also aired shows in which Mickey Mouse and Bugs Bunny look-alikes promote anti-Semitic and anti-Western propaganda. The Crowley-Mahoney resolution denounces Hamas for these actions.
“Hamas’ usage of Al-Aqsa TV programming to promote hatred and violence, especially to our children, is unacceptable. Instead, our children should be taught to respect and accept all people, no matter their faith,” said Congressman Crowley. “I thank my colleagues on the Foreign Affairs Committee for supporting passage of this important resolution, and for working with me to send a strong message to all parties in the region that we must create an environment where we can establish lasting peace in Gaza and across the Middle East.”
“Hamas’ efforts to instill hatred in their children is yet another reason why they should not be allowed to participate in the peace process. This resolution sends the message that the United States expects children to be taught about others in a way that promotes acceptance and responsibility,” said Congressman Mahoney. “I want to thank Chairman Berman of the Foreign Affairs Committee and its members for their support of this important resolution. I look forward to its final passage in the coming weeks.”
Congressman Crowley has visited Israel seven times and is a Member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs; Congressman Mahoney has seen the workings of Hamas first-hand in his recent trip to Israel. H.Res. 1069 will now be sent to the full House of Representatives for consideration.
NEW YORK STATE AND VIRGIN ATLANTIC ANNOUNCE BRAND ALLIANCE TO OFFER 60 DAYS OF WINE TASTING The Hudson Valley, America’s oldest wine region, will participate
NEW YORK – July 1, 2008 – Empire State Development (www.iloveny.com/wine), the lead economic development entity for New York State announced today a brand alliance with Virgin Atlantic. Virgin Atlantic will offer New York State wine tastings at its London Heathrow Clubhouse through August 31, 2008. A representation of wines from four of the State’s six wine regions, including the Hudson Valley, will whet international travelers’ palettes and raise awareness about New York State as a world-class vacation destination. Joining efforts with Virgin Atlantic is the most recent installment of Empire State Development’s multi-faceted media approach to reclaiming “I LOVE NY” for the State as it was originally intended 31 years ago. With a wealth of information and backing from the New York Wine and Grape Foundation, this alliance comes on the heels of the May re-launch of the iconic “I LOVE NY” brand where state officials pledged to focus on promoting New York State with targeted online incentives for today’s traveler. The Hudson Valley is the oldest wine=producing region in the United States. Centuries ago, European colonists found the climate to be similar to their native countries and began planting grapes. The scenery has been compared to Germany’s Rhine River, with wineries in the Hudson Valley hugging the sides of picturesque mountains much as their old world counterparts. “Teaming up with Virgin Atlantic is such a natural fit for ‘I LOVE NY’,” said Thomas Ranese, chief marketing officer of Empire State Development. “We’re confident this small taste of New York State wines will entice Virgin Atlantic’s Upper Class passengers that are traveling to New York to explore the rest that the State has to offer, from our wineries and restaurants to our idyllic hiking and biking trails and cultural hotspots.” Part of the branding for Virgin Atlantic/New York State alliance includes a :30 TV spot that will run during in-flight announcements. The “I LOVE NY” ads that are part of the brand’s re-launch will also appear in monthly editions of Seatback, Virgin Atlantic’s in-flight publication.
Paul Dickinson, Director of Sales & Marketing for Virgin Atlantic commented: “This will give passengers the opportunity to experience wines from one of the wine regions which is less well known here in the UK. We’re absolutely certain that it is going to be an educational and enjoyable experience'' “Paired with our culinary destinations, wineries are an important draw for our region,” said Susan Cayea, spokesperson for Hudson Valley Tourism. Located just north of Manhattan, the Hudson Valley is known for the spectacular scenery that inspired the Hudson River School of Painters. The area is famous for its high-profile tourism sites such as West Point, DiaBeacon, and the Hudson River mansions. The Virgin Atlantic brand alliance is a natural fit for New York State. As one of America’s largest wine producing regions, with over 240 wineries statewide, New York has plenty to offer oenophiles and consumers interested in a culinary getaway. The six wine regions of New York State include Central New York & Lake Ontario; Finger Lakes; Hudson River Valley & The Catskills; Lake Erie Chautauqua; Long Island, North Fork and The Hamptons; and Niagara Escarpment. Other participating wineries in the Heathrow Airport Clubhouse tastings include Wolffer Estate, Peconic Bay Winery, Millbrook Vineyards & Winery, Dr. Konstantin Frank Wine Cellars, Heron Hill Winery and Warm Lakes Estate. All offer winery tours, tastings and the food product to match.
For more information please visit www.iloveny.com/wine.
About New York State New York State features 11 beautiful vacation regions. New York’s attractions span from landmarks such as Niagara Falls and the Empire State Building to well-known treasures like the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown and the Museum of Glass in Corning. Whether it’s wide-ranging outdoor activities like fishing, hiking and boating, culinary wonders and farm-to-table fresh foods, or the rich history and culture of one of the 13 original colonies, New York State offers diverse activities for all travelers. For more information visit www.iloveny.com. Media can find press releases and more at thebeat.iloveny.com.
Gioia Statement On State PSC Approving Settlement For New Yorkers Affected By The 2006 Blackout
QUEENS, NY- Upon receiving the news that the New York State Public Service Commission approved a settlement for New Yorkers affected by the blackout in the summer of 2006, Councilman Eric Gioia (D-Sunnyside), issued the following statement;
"It's a little bit better than nothing, but not much. The people of Queens suffered for 9 days without power because of Con Ed's incompetence. How can you tell a small business owner who lost everything that this is the best that Con Edison can do when they just gave their CEO an $800,000 raise?"
ACKERMAN INTRODUCES LEGISLATION TO REINSTATE RULE REGULATING SHORT SALES OF STOCKS
U.S. Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-NY), a Senior Member of the House Financial Services Committee, today introduced legislation that would reinstate the uptick rule, a regulation that required all short sale stock transactions to be conducted at a price that was higher than the price of the previous trade.
For reasons not fully understood, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) rescinded the uptick rule last year (in July 2007) after the regulation had been in place since 1938. The Congressman’s bill mandates that the SEC reinstate the uptick rule within 90 days of the legislation’s passage.
“In the wake of the elimination of the uptick rule, many volatile stocks that the regulation was designed to protect are being driven down as a result of manipulative short sale practices,” said Ackerman. ”Reinstatement of the uptick rule would help curb these abuses and ensure greater stability and confidence in the market. Under the uptick rule, fewer companies would fail, less investors would be driven out of the market, and more capital would remain in our stock markets.”
In a short sale, an investor borrows shares of a stock from a broker, sells it to others, and then hopes to buy it back at a lower price before returning it to the lender. The difference – if any – is kept as a profit.
The uptick rule was designed to prevent short sellers from being the only investors to cause a stock price to decline. Under the rule, a short sale could only be entered after a trade that caused the last price to increase.
Yesterday, the SEC implemented a limited version of the uptick rule when its Chairman, Christopher Cox, issued an emergency rule to limit naked short sales, where traders sell shares that they have not borrowed or do not intend to borrow. Under this 30-day regulation, the SEC will require that investors own or actually borrow shares of stock before completing a short sale. The rule, which applies to 19 major financial companies, will take effect July 21.
PSC Approves $63M Long Island City Settlement Bill
Credits to
Customers and Other Community Benefits
ALBANY, NY (07/16/2008; 1434)(readMedia)-- The New York State Public Service Commission today approved a settlement, with modifications, in regards to the July 2006 Queens power outage in Consolidated Edison Company of New York, Inc.'s (Con Edison) Long Island City electric system. The proposed settlement agreement was filed with the Commission on April 24, 2008.
"Approval of this settlement includes benefits which could not otherwise be conferred in a litigated prudence proceeding and provides a portion of the remedies to those customers directly affected by the 2006 Queens power outage," said Commission Chairman Garry Brown. "The terms and conditions of this unique settlement were crafted among normally adversarial parties with no opposition. The details of the settlement are set forth on the record in this proceeding supporting the Commission's conclusion that the public interest is served in approving the settlement."
Disallowance of Repair Costs
The settlement contains two basic monetary provisions which were offered by Con Edison in exchange for the termination of the prudence investigation instituted by the Commission in April 2007. The first is the disallowance of $40 million of plant costs and $6 million of accrued carrying charges incurred by Con Edison to replace and repair electricity delivery facilities in the Long Island City network associated with the July 2006 power outages. The second is Con Edison's provision of $17 million in community-benefit funds dedicated to the community directly affected by the 2006 Queens power outage.
The $46 million disallowance regarding repairs and replacements will not be included in Con Edison's earnings base and will not be collected from ratepayers. The benefits of this disallowance accrue to all Con Edison electric customers.
Community-Benefit Funds
The $17 million in community-benefit funds is allocated for three purposes. First, approximately one-half the amount will fund bill credits or direct payments to residents and businesses affected by the Long Island City network outages. The bill credits will be $100 for each residential customer, $200 for each small non-residential customer, and $350 for each large non-residential customer. These bill credits will be applied in full to customers' accounts within sixty (60) days of the Commission's order.
Con Edison also will provide an equivalent payment upon request to residents and businesses who were without power during the July 2006 power outage, but who are no longer customers within the Long Island City network. Additionally, Con Edison will provide payments of $100 to residential claimants and $200 to non-residential claimants or all non-customers who received a food spoilage claim payment following the outage. These payments and credits are expected to total approximately $8 million.
Secondly, a study will be conducted and funded up to $500,000 to investigate the economic and health impacts of the outage on the Long Island City residents and businesses.
Lastly, the approximately remaining half of the $17 million in the community-benefit fund will be equally used for tree planting and other environmental initiatives or greening projects, designed to improve the environment in the neighborhoods directly affected by the 2006 Queens power outage. Upon completion of the selection process for an administrator for the tree planting and other greening projects, the signatories of the settlement will be required to make a filing with the Commission indicating the entity selected. If the Commission does not seek further review within forty-five (45) days of the filing, the filing will be deemed approved.
This tree planting initiative will be incremental to the City of New York's one- million Tree Planting Program, and will be funded with approximately $4 million. A green projects administrator will be chosen by the signatories of the settlement who will identify, implement, manage, and oversee the various greening projects within the affected neighborhoods.
These funds are to be spent as expeditiously as possible, and, in any event will be utilized no later than 36 months after the Commission's order. Such greening projects are expected to assist in improving energy efficiency and reducing demand for electricity, in part due to the cooling characteristics of adding trees and other greening projects in metropolitan areas.
Other Provisions of the Settlement
The settlement also provides for a dispute resolution process for those who may have moved since the 2006 Queens power outage or who received payments for food spoilage during the outage and who Con Edison determines are ineligible for a payment for bill credit under the terms and conditions of the settlement. Staff of the Office of Consumer Service of the Department of Public Service will resolve any disputes.
Con Edison will forgo any New York State income tax deduction to which it would ordinarily be entitled regarding its payment of $17 million for community benefits, thereby preventing any portion of the company's costs from being covered by State taxpayers.
Con Edison also agrees to provide a letter of apology signed by the company's chief executive officer to all affected customers of the 2006 power outage.
Public statement hearings and education forums regarding the terms and conditions of the proposed settlement agreement were held in Long Island City on May 27 and 28. A final evidentiary hearing for the parties was held on June 4, 2008, with no opposition expressed to the terms and conditions of the settlement.
Signatories to settlement include: Con Edison, Staff of the Department of Public Service, the New York State Consumer Protection Board, the Western Queens Power for the People, New York Assemblyman Richard L. Brodsky, The City of New York, and the Public Utility Law Project. The Utility Workers Union of America Local 1-2 stated that it does not oppose approval of the settlement agreement and a Korean community development organization filed correspondence expressing its support for the settlement.
The Commission's order in Case 06-E-0894, when issued, will be available on the Commission's www.dps.state.ny.us Web site by accessing the File Room section of the homepage. Many libraries offer free Internet access. Commission orders can also be obtained from the Files Office, 14th floor, Three Empire State Plaza, Albany, NY 12223 (518-474-2500).