Put It Above Ground

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA SIGNS LEGISLATION TO ESTABLISH ANNIVERSARY OF 9/11 AS A NATIONAL DAY OF SERVICE AND REMEMBRANCE

- 9/11 Once Again Inspires a Call to Service –

-Founders of 9/11 Day of Service Attend Bill Signing Ceremony in Washington, DC -

WASHINGTON, D.C., Tuesday, April 21, 2009 – President Barack Obama today signed into law the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, which for the first time includes federal authorization to establish September 11 as an annually recognized National Day of Service and Remembrance.

“Today President Barack Obama created a historic, enduring and compassionate legacy that truly honors the 9/11 victims and their families, first responders and rescue and recovery workers, the soldiers who have take up arms to defend our freedom and safety, and the many volunteers who spontaneously contributed their efforts in the immediate aftermath of 9/11,” said David Paine, founder and president of MyGoodDeed.org, the nonprofit group that led a seven-year campaign to formally establish 9/11 as an annually recognized day of service and remembrance. “There isn’t a better or more fitting way to remember 9/11 than for all of us as Americans to voluntarily set aside time on the anniversary of the September 11 attacks to help others in need.”

“As a 9/11 family member, I cannot think of more inspiring, appropriate and constructive tribute to my late brother and all those who perished, were injured or rose in service – to rekindle at least for one day each year the remarkable spirit of compassion and service that unified our country,” said MyGoodDeed.org co-founder and vice president Jay S. Winuk, whose younger brother Glenn J. Winuk, an attorney, volunteer firefighter and EMT, died in the line of duty in the collapse of the World Trade Center. “This groundbreaking national service legislation will greatly benefit the nation in so many meaningful ways as we face these challenging times.”

Paine and Winuk were among a select group of service sector leaders, government officials and other dignitaries who attended today’s ceremony at the SEED School in Washington, D.C. to witness President Obama signing into law the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act.

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A New Catalyst for Volunteerism

U.S. Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) and U. S. Rep. Peter King (R-Long Island) both worked closely with the sponsors of the Serve America Act in the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives to draft and include language to establish 9/11 as a National Day of Service and Remembrance.

“I could not be more proud to work to pass this important provision,” said U.S. Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY), who joined with U.S. Representative Peter King (R-Long Island) in first proposing to Congress back in 2004 that 9/11 should be designated a national day of service. “September 11 should not only be a day for mourning – it should be a day to think about our neighbors, our community and our country. We can take a tragic day in our nation’s history and turn it into a force for good.”

“I have been active in seeking a service day for years,” said Rep. King. “America came together in the aftermath of 9/11, reminding us what it truly means to be part of this great nation. By making 9/11 a national day of service, that same spirit of giving will continue in a day of remembrance, unity and selflessness.”

“We greatly appreciate Senator Schumer’s, Congressman King’s and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton’s tireless dedication to this cause, as well as the support we received from Senators Edward Kennedy (D-MA) and Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), and Representatives George Miller (D-Calif.), Carolyn McCarthy (D-Calif.) and Buck McKeon (R-Calif.), all of whom joined together to include the 9/11 Day of Service in this important national service legislation,” Winuk said.

Under the new law, the anniversary of 9/11 would be observed annually in ways somewhat similar to Martin Luther King Jr. Day, although it intentionally will not be a federal holiday. “We do not wish to see it ever become a state or federally designated day off,” said Paine. “Instead, we hope that individuals, businesses and organizations will be inspired on their own to voluntarily engage in community service, perform good deeds of any nature, and participate in other private and organized activities in remembrance of the events of 9/11.”

To support this observance, the new legislation authorizes the Corporation for National and Community Service, which oversees federal national service programs, to make grants and provide other assistance to community nonprofits and other groups that want to organize 9/11 service and remembrance activities.

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“Our hope is to organize the single largest day of service in U.S. history on the 10th anniversary of 9/11,” said Paine, referring to September 11, 2011, just two and a half years away. “Though millions of people already support the MyGoodDeed.org initiative by engaging in charitable service each 9/11, we realize it will take some time to build widespread awareness of this formal observance. We are very are confident, however, that the 9/11 National Day of Service and Remembrance will ultimately play a very significant role in energizing volunteerism in America, while also bringing a sense of national healing to one of the worst human tragedies in U.S. history.”

MyGoodDeed.org is a 501c(3) charitable organization based in New York. Each year MyGoodDeed.org organizes activities that encourage individuals and organizations to set aside time on the anniversary of 9/11 to perform simple acts of good deeds and service that help others in need. Since the initiative began as a grassroots movement, more than one million people have visited the MyGoodDeed.org Web site, from all 50 states and 170 countries, with many posting their plans to perform good deeds and service projects on 9/11.

MyGoodDeed.org has been supported by private contributions from American Express, Ambac Financial Corporation, the Jim Fassel Foundation, Keefe Bruyette and Woods, MBIA and Sony Corporation. Google, Yahoo and AOL provide in-kind support in the form of free online public service announcements. Other in-kind assistance is provided by the law firms of Holland & Knight LLP in New York and Nossaman LLP in Washington, D.C. Work in support of key 9/11 legislative objectives is provided by the 9/11 Day of Service Committee, a 501c(4) nonprofit organization. Visit www.MyGoodDeed.org, subscribe to Twitter updates at: www.twitter.com/MyGoodDeed, and follow MyGoodDeed.org on Facebook at http://apps.facebook.com/causes/87522/15257999?m=cc366e79.

Media contact info::

Broadcast media: Susan Roth at prsue@rothpr.com, 301-530-3539 (office); 202-997-5672 (cell)

Print/Online media: Jennifer Burke Labriola at burkepr@gmail.com, 203-405-1479 (office); 203-586-9769 (cell)

Other contacts: David Paine, MyGoodDeed.org, david.paine@MyGoodDeed.org, 949-233-0050; Jay Winuk, jay.winuk@MyGoodDeed.org, 914-523-3227 (cell

A lecture series featuring prominent architects, authors and historians exploring themes and issues of particular relevance to Lower Manhattan. All in architecturally significant Downtown locations. Lectures are free. Space is limited and reservations will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis for each lecture. All information is subject to change. Topic: Passion on all Sides: Planning a Memorial Museum at Ground Zero

 Please click on the link, below to register ASAP. I hope to see you there.

http://www.downtownny.com/thirdthursdays/registration/

Dear 9/11 First Responder:

We are in the process of putting together a documentary film based on the health and other challenges faced by the 9/11 first responders .

Our goal is to inform the American public about what is really happening to these heroes in the hope that they will support their health and other much deserved compensation.

We invite any first responder who would care to be interviewed by the film maker, Brian Johnson, or simply to provide personal input on the topic, to contact us via the web site at

www.ThreeWeeksInSeptember.com or call Brian at 386-717-9815

Finally help may be on the way for some 9/11 first responders suffering from medical ailments.

Judge Alvin Hellerstein of the Southern District of New York has assigned two special masters to examine some of the suits brought by nearly 10,000 plaintiffs.

Judge Hellerstein seems to be the only one concerned about what is going on at WTC Captive Corp as last year he also demanded that lawyers from both sides turn over information on each case and is pushing for trials and settlements.

As you know if not for some coverage by New York Post reporter Sue Edelman who continues to pursue this story very little of this is covered by the media.

We did a little more research on what is going on with World Trade Center Captive Insurance Company.

First of all click on the link below for a press release from a year ago relating to the company and the mishandling of claims. As usual there was little or no follow up to this.

Press Release: Status of Compensation for 9/11 Illnesses

http://www.where-to-turn.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=42103

Our first clue that nothing was going to come of this should have been that it was released on April Fools Day 2008.

As usual with how any 9/11 or WTC issue has been handled the joke was on us.

In response to the concerns addressed in the press release an audit by the Inspector General for the Department of Homeland Security found that the World Trade Center Captive Insurance Company did nothing Illegal and has the right to fight every claim.

This is like a scene right out John Grisham’s “The Rainmaker” they will continue to deny every claim that comes in.

The only difference is in the book the client wins.

Here we have the Office of Homeland Security stating that it is perfectly legal for this company to use funds designated to help victims to pay legal and administrative fees.

The last time I looked grants and contracts for not for profits had to be justified by the number of people the program serviced.

Only a certain percentage of the grant or contract could be used for legal or administrative fees.

But it appears here that the World Trade Center Captive Insurance Company does not have to play by the same rules.

Over the last four years more than 99% of the costs charged have been administrative and legal.

Not a single dollar has been paid to anyone who suffered from toxic exposure as the only claims paid ($320,000) were for orthopedic injuries.

The company went as far as to try to have all the claims thrown out of court by arguing that the city had blanket immunity because the injuries were a result of a terrorist act.

But that didn’t work so now they just litigate every claim.

So by the time they pay all the lawyers and staff, combined with what they continue to lose in the stock market it appears there will be little left to pay any claims.

And the claims continue to be submitted and at last count there were over 10,000 claims for respiratory and toxic injuries alone.

If they had no intention of paying claims they could have bought a rubber stamp marked “DENIED” for $1.99 and saved hundreds of millions.

The result for the victims would have been the same.

Hopefully Judge Hellerstein will have more of an impact then the Inspector General who called for tighter scrutiny of legal and administrative costs at the WTC Captive Insurance Corp.

Obviously that did not strike any fear with the WTC Captive Corp as over the past year they have continued to pay out millions in salaries and legal fees while continuing to deny every claim.

Maybe now some victims will get relief and just maybe some action can be taken against those running the WTC Captive Insurance Corp as they continue to spend like drunken sailors on everything but compensation for those injured.

1,627th WTC victim identified 

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/newyork/ny-nywtc0212609477apr01,0,4898044.story 

For related articles go to http://www.where-to-turn.org/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=23

To All,

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey operates many of the busiest and most important transportation links in the region. They include John F. Kennedy International, Newark Liberty International, LaGuardia, Stewart International and Teterboro airports; AirTrain JFK and AirTrain Newark; the George Washington Bridge and Bus Station; the Lincoln and Holland tunnels; the three bridges between Staten Island and New Jersey; the PATH (Port Authority Trans-Hudson) rapid-transit system; Port Newark; the Elizabeth-Port Authority Marine Terminal; the Howland Hook Marine Terminal on Staten Island; the Port Authority Auto Marine Terminal; the Brooklyn Piers/Red Hook Container Terminal; the Greenville Yard-Port Authority Marine Terminal; and the Port Authority Bus Terminal in midtown Manhattan. The agency also owns the 16-acre World Trade Center site in Lower Manhattan and is a partner in the Access to the Region’s Core tunnel project.