ENT FROM GOVERNOR DAVID A. PATERSON REGARDING ORDER OF FORECLOSURE FOR RIVERTON HOUSES.
February 4, 2010
ALBANY, NY -- The following information was released by the office of the governor of New York:
Governor Paterson today issued the following statement regarding the order of foreclosure for Riverton Houses, in Harlem:
"On Tuesday, State Justice Braun of the Supreme Court of Manhattan ordered the foreclosure sale of the storied Riverton Houses, a middle-class Harlem enclave that ran into trouble a year ago when its new owner failed to make good on optimistic revenue projections and defaulted on his mortgage. The 1,230 unit complex sits between 135th and 138th Streets, from Fifth Avenue to the Harlem River.
"This project was purchased and refinanced at the height of the real estate market in 2005, with the assumption that the new owner would convert the units to market rate apartments. I am concerned that the current foreclosure action will result in diminished services for these tenants, especially those 1,100 families in rent-stabilized apartments.
"I have directed the State's housing agencies, the Division of the Housing and Community Renewal and NYHomes, to work with the tenants, lenders and potential purchasers to maintain and preserve this important Harlem landmark as permanent affordable housing."
Friday, February 5, 2010
HARLEM WEEK-END
EL MUSEO DEL BARRIO: ‘NEXUS NEW YORK: LATIN/AMERICAN ARTISTS IN THE MODERN METROPOLIS,’ through Feb. 28. A bright light at the top of Museum Mile, the city’s premier Latino art center has reopened after a makeover with a dense, episodic and absorbing visual history of the Latino art presence in New York in the first half of the 20th century. As much an archival display as a standard art show, it focuses on luminous, culture-changing personalities, from the Mexican-born art impresario Marius de Zayas, who teamed up with Alfred Stieglitz to bring the first Picasso show to New York; to Joaquín Torres-García, a Uruguayan who arrived in New York in 1920 and saw proto-Pop Art everywhere; to the Chilean Roberto Matta, a dynamic agent for Old World Surrealism in the New World. In addition, El Museo now has its first permanent-collection gallery, with an installation, “Voces y Visiones,” that reaffirms historical connections to the nearby East Harlem neighborhood. 1230 Fifth Avenue, at 104th Street, East Harlem , (212) 831-7272, elmuseo.org. (Cotter)
STUDIO MUSEUM IN HARLEM: ‘30 SECONDS OFF AN INCH,’ through March 14. This exhibition of 60 disparate artworks by 42 contemporary artists from several generations might be called revisionist. It takes a refreshingly visual, even formal, approach to art that is usually plumbed for political and social meanings based largely on the artist’s identity. Its curator, Naomi Beckwith, wants to emphasize the meanings — social and otherwise — embedded in the actual objects on view. Her success is mixed, partly because she doesn’t spend much time explaining the experiential nature of her selections in the catalog, and also because she includes too many familiar, established artists. But she makes many excellent choices, introduces some promising young talent and displays a visual intelligence that is often rare in her chosen profession. 144 West 125th Street , (212) 864-4500, studiomuseum.org. (Smith)
Thursday, February 4, 2010
QUEEN AFUA HEAL THYSELF
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NBC cook defends fried chicken choice for Black History Month
 clipped from www.thegrio.com
Questlove's twitpic of the NBC cafeteria menu
Within minutes the sign was gone from the commissary - though the meal continued to be served |
N.Y. Haitians See Chance for Clout
 clipped from www.nytimes.com
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Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Art of the Jazz Soloist
Date: Tue, Mar 16th
Time: 7:30pm
Cost: Free
Time: 7:30pm
Cost: Free
Scenes Through the Cinema Lens: Art of the Jazz Soloist
Scenes Through the Cinema Lens is an original retrospective focusing on the performing arts in film. Each screening examines a different theme and allows audiences to enjoy selections from well-to lesser-known films. With its strong focus on jazz orchestras and vocalists, this year’s series will highlight several of the great performers who appeared at the Lost Jazz Shrines and rarely seen footage of luminaries such as Count Basie, Nina Simone, Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong. Tonight’s edition, Art of the Jazz Soloist, features extraordinary performances by Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie, Woody Shaw, Rahsaan Roland Kirk and many more.
Riverton Houses in Harlem to Be Sold in Foreclosure
 clipped from www.nytimes.com
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Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Black Voices Must be heard re Haiti
Black Voices Must be heard re Haiti
By Alton H. Maddox, Jr
If Blacks enjoyed political representation and not just political presence in the United States , it would be unnecessary for me to ask you to make a clarion call to get medical treatment for Haitians in dire need of medical treatment.
Former Sen. John Edwards and actor, John Travolta, can freely travel to Haiti while the passports of our leaders have been lifted. Moreover, these leaders have refused to initiate a class action lawsuit against the U.S. State Department.If Blacks enjoyed political representation and not just political presence in the United States , it would be unnecessary for me to ask you to make a clarion call to get medical treatment for Haitians in dire need of medical treatment.
The U.S. military is now refusing to evacuate Haitians in dire need of critical medical care to the United States . Florida has filed a complaint for having to help Haitians while Gov. David Paterson can only be found in suspect locations. Hospitals in New York are not open to Haitians. This is a shame.
In a racist response to the flawed immigration policy towards Haiti , this country has fashioned a policy of "humanitarian parole" towards severely-injured, Haitian children. The name of the policy itself is sinister and racially-defamatory. Black faces are associated with crime even when they are children.
When it comes to all persons of African ancestry, including Haitians, this country is invariably engaged in racism and it is of no moment that the United States is indebted to Africans for building this country and fighting off its enemies.
If the United States is not going to grant reparations to descendants of enslaved Africans, it should, at least, be susceptible to granting humanitarian aid to afflicted Africans. Instead, through threats, intimidation and buy-outs, Blacks have no right to legal or political representation. In other words, it is illegal for Blacks to use their tongues for their own benefit.
This country got bogged down in a war in Vietnam . Afterwards, it airlifted Vietnamese refugees out of Vietnam . It also airlifted Albanians from Kosovo. Black people must rise up and speak out. We have no leadership. Preachers and politicians are in Uncle Sam's back pocket. Are they in Haiti today?
Spread the word today. Power rises up from the bottom. The cream goes to the top. Call members of Congress at 202-224-3121. Call Gov. David Paterson at 212-681-4580. Remind him that politics is a two-way street. "If you scratch my back, I will scratch yours."
The following are the specific telephone numbers and websites of designated members of the House of Representatives:
Yvette Clarke
202-225-6231
202-226-0112 (fax)
www.clarke.house.gov.
Gregory Meeks
202-225-3461
202-226-4169 (fax)
718-725-6000
www.house.gov/meeks
Donald Payne
202-225-3436
202-225-4160 (fax)
973-645-3213
www.house.gov/payne
Charles Rangel
202-225-4365
202-225-0816 (fax)
212-663-3900
www.house.gov/rangel
Jose Serrano
202-225-4361
202-225-6001 (fax)
718-620-0084
www.house.gov/serrano
Edolphus Towns
202-225-5936
202-225-1018(fax)
718-855-8018
www.house.gov/towns
Nydia Velazquez
202-225-2361
202-226-0327 (fax)
718-599-3658
www.house.gov/velazquez
"Those who fail to learn from the lessons of history are condemned to repeat them." "History is repeating itself." Nearly a century ago, the Marines invaded Haiti and illegally occupied it for nearly three decades. Under the pretext of helping afflicted Haitians from the January 12 earthquake, the military has reoccupied Haiti .
The situation in Haiti today resembles Iraq after the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq . There is no functioning state apparatus in Haiti . The entire infrastructure of Haiti has been gutted. Looting is running amuck in Haiti and it should not be attributable to the Black masses. Haiti will be rebuilt in the image of the United States for the benefit of the United States .
White missionaries are up to it again. This time it is happening in Haiti . Thankfully, the kidnapping scheme of the body snatchers from Idaho was foiled. Obviously, the United States is in cahoots with this illegal activity since these white body snatchers would have had to re-enter the United States with scores of kidnapped children of African ancestry. The Congressional Black Caucus is, once again, asleep at the switch.
From TheBlackList
Contributed by "RodJuan"
Orphans in Haiti ..............
Haiti earthquake: orphans for sale for $50
Orphans in Haiti are being offered for sale to foreigners for as little as £30 amid warnings that up to one million children in the country have been left vulnerable to abuse and trafficking in the wake of the earthquake.
Rangel spends campaign donations on lawyers - NYPOST.com
Rangel gift$ to lawyers
By S.A. MILLER
WASHINGTON -- Embattled Rep. Charlie Rangel spent huge amounts of campaign cash in the last quarter of 2009 on lawyers to fend off congressional ethics investigations, campaign-finance reports show.
The Harlem Democrat dropped $575,000 on five teams of lawyers since Oct. 1 -- the lion's share of the $687,000 he spent that quarter.
It's twice the $235,000 he raised in that three-month span.
For the past year, the House ethics panel has been probing Rangel's use of congressional letterhead to raise money for a center that bears his name at City College; his failure to report or pay taxes on rental income from his villa in the Dominican Republic; and his deal for four rent-stabilized apartments at Lenox Terrace in Harlem.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Temps only, but thousands will be hired for census
Temps only, but
thousands will be hired
for census
BY Meredith Mazzilli
DAILY NEWS WRITER
Monday, February 1st 2010, 9:05 AM
Thousands of temporary workers will
be hired citywide by the U.S. Census Bureau.
With the 2010 census underway, a job helping to
collect personal information from your neighbors
might seem like an easy way to make money.
But while mass hiring for the temporary jobs will
take place citywide, competition is tough and job
availability varies widely by neighborhood.
As many as 100,000 people are likely to be
interviewed for jobs at 32 local offices in the five
boroughs and some surrounding counties, said
Tony Farthing, regional director of recruitment for
the U.S. Census Bureau.
Between 500 and 1,000 people will be hired for
each of the offices. The pay is from $14.50 to $20
an hour, depending on the position. Visit census.
gov and enter your zip code to find the next hiring
event. Info also is available at (866) 861-2010.
"These are temporary positions, one to three weeks
mostly - don't quit your day job," Farthing said.
Preference is given to applicants who live in the
same neighborhood as the census office.
Candidates need to take a written test; applicants
can take it multiple times to try to improve their
score.
"We're testing every day, seven days a week," said
Vanessa Molina, a manager of census recruiting.
Most positions won't be filled until mid-April.
Hiring at census offices will vary based on the rate
of citizen response - the fewer census forms mailed
in, the more workers needed to follow up to ensure
as complete a count as possible. Data from the
census are used to help decide how billions in
government spending are allocated.
The door to door workers who try to make sure
every person in every household is counted, known
as enumerators, make up most of the hires and work
May through June.
"We're looking for enumerators, clerks, recruiting
assistants, crew leaders and crew leader assistants,"
Molina said. "There is one test for all the positions.
We're going to need thousands."
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Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn neighborhoods such
as Park Slope and Cobble Hill have proven among
the most difficult to staff, so job-seeking residents
in those areas may have more luck.
Bilingual candidates also have an edge. The agency
particularly needs workers who can speak Korean,
Portuguese or French.
Farthing noted that applicants who take the test are
scoring better than in past years, perhaps a
reflection of the high unemployment rate, which has
left many skilled workers jobless.
"We used to hire people who were getting scores of
70% to 75%," he said. "If we got someone with a s
core of 80%, we were happy. The way the economy
is, I have more people like you wouldn't believe
getting 100%."
Jason Anno, a 21-year-old student at the Borough
of Manhattan Community College who lives on the
Upper West Side, attended a hiring event on
Thursday.
"I heard about the census hiring from a flyer posted
at school - it seemed like a good way to make
money," he said.
Anno was more interested in administrative work
than canvassing in apartment buildings. "I would
rather not knock on peoples' doors," he said.
Lilia Chelala of Tribeca, who's working as a census
recruiting agent, said, "I'm very happy - I love
giving jobs to people."
AFRICAN-AMERICAN FINE ART
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Dear Art Collector, The catalogue for our February 23rd sale of African-American Fine Art is now available online. • Online Catalogue here This exciting auction offers 162 lots of 20th Century paintings, sculptures, photographs and works on paper from many notable collections and estates. Highlights include scarce and important works by Meta Vaux Warrick Fuller, James VanDerZee, Malvin Gray Johnson, Selma Burke, Sargent Johnson, Barkley Hendricks, Hughie Lee-Smith, Norman Lewis, Jacob Lawrence, Haywood "Bill" Rivers, Charles White, Hale Woodruff, David Hammons and Chakaia Booker. Please contact me if you have any questions about the sale. Nigel Freeman, Director African-American Fine Art Swann Auction Galleries 212-254-4710 ext. 33 nfreeman@swanngalleries.com Image: Charles White - Lot 83 |
At Auction: Tuesday - February 23, 2010 at 2:30 pm AFRICAN-AMERICAN FINE ART  Swann Auction Galleries 104 East 25th Street New York NY 10010 tel 212-254-4710 • fax 212-979-1017  |
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The Counter Revolution
 clipped from www.nytimes.com
All Franklin McCain, Ezell Blair Jr., David Richmond and Joe McNeil did was ask for coffee and doughnuts and politely decline to move until they were served |
Benefits for state workers to cost taxpayers $7.9 billion by 2012, a 42 percent jump over this year
$8 billion benefits bombshell
By BRENDAN SCOTT Post Correspondent
Last Updated: 8:44 AM, February 1, 2010
Posted: 4:38 AM, February 1, 2010
ALBANY -- The price of providing state workers with generous pensions and gold-plated health plans could reach a mind-boggling $7.9 billion by 2012 -- a 42 percent increase over the current tab, state budget documents show.
The Paterson administration expects the cost of providing benefits to the average state employee will equal 62 percent of their salary within three years, according to Budget Division estimates.
That's up from 44 percent now and about double typical rates in the private sector.
Today, the average state worker costs taxpayers about $91,724, including $63,750 for wages, plus $27,974 for pensions, health care and other goodies.
The average cost of pay and benefits could balloon to $114,000 a year if trends continue through 2012, according to a Post analysis of the data. Perks alone would cost $43,000.
"It's just unsustainable," said Lise Bang-Jensen, who runs the Manhattan Institute's NY Public Payroll Watch blog. "Public-employee unions obviously want to keep the status quo, and that's understandable. But whether taxpayers can continue to pay these benefits is a good question."
Health-care and retirement costs have outpaced inflation for years. The Budget Division blames the current spike on pension contributions, which soared after retirement funds shed tens of billions of dollars in the recession.
Benefit costs are projected to jump $880 million in 2010 alone, a 16 percent increase over the current $5.5 billion bill.
A spokesman for the Civil Service Employees Association, which represents the largest pool of state workers, said the union would be willing to discuss cost savings in upcoming contract talks.
"It's obviously in [Gov. Paterson's] interest to present this in a worst-case scenario," CSEA spokesman Stephen Madarasz said.
brendan.scott@nypost.com
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