Sunday, September 28, 2014

'Partyism' Now Trumps Racism

We have become so brainwashed in the USA that we are willing to trash and insult people because of their political party. It can be Black vs. Black or Latino vs. Latino; once it's about party lines all bets are off.

It's pretty sick that we turn against our people for the sake of "The Party". Today people don't bother to examine the persons motives, history, background or  body of work. The mere fact that they express support for the ENEMY party, they become toast. 

Take a look at Venezuela where the wealthiest country in Latin America has crumbled into the stone by a government that has used Partyism to remain in power. And so it is here in the states; Partyism is the meat and potatoes of  politicians here. They don't need to say anything else. Lets not discuss the facts, just attack without debate without listening, without thinking. That keeps everything locked up tight the way it is, the way both parties love it.

The only way we will regain control of our government is by voting smart. Let's pick the best individuals and not become partisan zombies.

Willie Colón
Partisan anger at the polls. Photographer: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Partisan anger at the polls. Photographer: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
If you are a Democrat, would you marry a Republican? Would you be upset if your sister did?
Researchers have long asked such questions about race, and have found that along important dimensions, racial prejudice is decreasing. At the same time, party prejudice in the U.S. has jumped, infecting not only politics but also decisions about dating, marriage and hiring. By some measures, "partyism" now exceeds racial prejudice -- which helps explain the intensity of some midterm election campaigns.

In 1960, 5 percent of Republicans and 4 percent of Democrats said that they would feel “displeased” if their son or daughter married outside their political party. By 2010, those numbers had reached 49 percent and 33 percent. Republicans have been found to like Democrats less than they like people on welfare or gays and lesbians. Democrats dislike Republicans more than they dislike big business.

Consider one of the most influential measures of prejudice: the implicit-association test, which is simple to take. You see words on the upper corners of a screen -- for example, "white" paired with either "good" or "bad" in the upper left corner, and "black" paired with one of those same adjectives in the upper right. Then you see a picture or a word in the middle of the screen -- for example, a white face, an African-American face, or the word "joy" or "terrible." Your task is to click on the upper corner that matches either the picture or the word in the middle.

Many white people quickly associate "joy" with the upper left corner when it says "white" and "good" -- but have a harder time associating "joy" with the left corner when the words there are "black" and "good." So too, many white people quickly associate "terrible" with the left corner when it says "black" and "bad," but go a lot more slowly when the left corner says "white" and "bad."

To test for political prejudice, Shanto Iyengar and Sean Westwood, political scientists at Stanford University, conducted a large-scale implicit association test with 2,000 adults. They found people’s political bias to be much larger than their racial bias. When Democrats see "joy," it’s much easier for them to click on a corner that says "Democratic" and "good" than on one that says "Republican" and "good."

To find out whether such attitudes predict behavior, Iyengar and Westwood undertook a follow-up study. They asked more than 1,000 people to look at the resumes of several high-school seniors and say which ones should be awarded a scholarship. Some of these resumes contained racial cues (“president of the African American Student Association”) while others had political ones (“president of the Young Republicans”).

Race mattered. African-American participants preferred the African-American candidates 73 percent to 27 percent. Whites showed a modest preference for African-American candidates, as well, though by a significantly smaller margin. But partisanship made a much bigger difference. Both Democrats and Republicans selected their in-party candidate about 80 percent of the time.

Even when a candidate from the opposing party had better credentials, most people chose the candidate from their own party. With respect to race, in contrast, merit prevailed.

In a further test of political prejudice, Iyengar and Westwood asked 800 people to play the trust game, well known among behavioral scientists: Player 1 is given some money (say, $10) and told that she can give some, all or none of it to Player 2. Player 1 is then told that the researcher will triple the amount she allocates to Player 2 -- and that Player 2 can give some of that back to Player 1. When Player 1 decides how much money to give Player 2, a central question is how well she trusts him to return an equivalent or greater amount.

Are people less willing to trust people of a different race or party affiliation? The researchers found that race didn’t matter -- but party did. People are significantly more trusting of others who share their party affiliation.

What accounts for the explosive growth of political prejudice? Modern campaigns deserve some of the blame. Iyengar and his colleagues show that when people are exposed to messages that attack members of the opposing party, their biases increase. But the destructive power of partyism is extending well beyond politics into people's behavior in daily life.

To contact the writer of this article: Cass R. Sunstein at csunstei@law.harvard.edu.
To contact the editor responsible for this article: Mary Duenwald at mduenwald@bloomberg.net.

Friday, September 26, 2014

LATIN MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT COMMSSION

 
 
 

WILLIE COLÓN ENDOSA A ROB ASTORINO PARA GOBERNADOR




Soy demócrata... Mi gente, esto sucede todo el tiempo; votamos y trabajamos para que nuestro candidato democrático sea elegido y después de que ganen se olvidan de sus promesas.   Hay poco o ningún acceso. Tratando de de tener un vista es como tener una audiencia con el Papa.   Probablemente más fácil con su santidad.

 

¿Por qué? Es que el voto latino es un chiste. Los demócratas saben que ni siquiera pensamos en girar hacia el otro candidato. Esto queda fuera de la cuestión, porque es el malo; porque eres un traidor si votas por el republicano.

 

Así que, no importa lo malo que el demócrata sea, hasta si va a la cárcel; todavía tenemos que votar por ellos.

 

¿Qué tan inteligente es eso?   Una vez elegidos cambian totalmente y nos tratan con desprecio y gobiernan con impunidad porque: 1) ya votaste por él   2.) La próxima vez volverá hacer exactamente lo mismo.

 

Las elecciones se tratan de nuestras necesidades y no las necesidades del partido. Queremos que TODOS los funcionarios y candidatos de TODOS los partidos nos acudan y codicien nuestro voto.

 

Para que esto suceda, tenemos que votar más inteligente; tenemos que votar por el candidato que cumpla con nuestras necesidades. Los latinos tienen que convertirse en un voto decisivo. 

 

En este caso, personalmente, me gusta el hombre; él es un hombre decente que sería un excelente gobernador.   Él es el ejecutivo del condado de Westchester que no es picadillo de hígado, 450 millas cuadradas y alrededor de un millón de habitantes de cual aproximadamente 17% son latinos.

 

Rob Astorino no viene de una familia real o dinastía política. Él no cree que su familia nació  para gobernar. 

 

Fue a la escuela en la Universidad de Fordham en el Bronx. Él tiene una licenciatura en Comunicaciones y antes de entrar en la política, se convirtió en uno de los fundadores de la radio ESPN. Él pertenece a AFTRA -American FEDERACIÓN DE RADIO Y TV ARTISTA, como yo. Él tiene religión; ha sido titular en el Canal Católico en Sirius Radio.

 

Lo conocí el año pasado y me impresionó como un hombre cuerdo, humilde, confiado.  Él no se dio cuenta hace de un par de meses atrás que tenía que hablar español para conseguir votos. Estudió el Español desde joven porque quería; porque él admira y respeta nuestra cultura.   Rob Astorino, en este momento, tiene una de las más diversas administraciones en el estado. Eso dice mucho acerca de cómo funcionaría nuestro gobierno estatal.

 

No necesitamos a alguien con mucho dinero y bolsillos profundos, que se esconde, lanzando una andanada de anuncios negativos y ni siquiera molestarse en aparecer para un debate. No queremos a alguien que comienza una comisión sobre crimen y la obstruye cuando comienza a dirigirse hacia él.

 

En esta elección, en este momento, voy a votar por Rob Astorino para el próximo gobernador del gran estado de Nueva York e insto a todos los demócratas y los latinos a unirse a mí.

White S.C. Cop Fired, Charged After Shooting Unarmed Black Man

White S.C. Cop Fired, Charged After Shooting Unarmed Black Man

South Carolina state trooper Sean Groubert has been charged with assault and battery for shooting an unarmed Black man during a traffic stop.A South Carolina state trooper has been arrested and charged with assault and battery for shooting an unarmed Black man during a traffic stop earlier this month.
Lance Corporal Sean Groubert was also fired from his job with the South Carolina Highway Patrol.
On Sept. 4, Groubert stopped 35-year-old Levar Edward Jones for a seatbelt violation in the parking lot of a gas station/convenience store in Columbia. On dash-cam video from Groubert’s cruiser, Jones is seen getting out of his car, seemingly surprised to see the officer pull in behind him.
“Can I see your license, please?” Groubert asked. When Jones reached into his car to retrieve his license, Groubert started shouting for Jones to get out of the car and drew his weapon. As Jones obeyed and leaned back out of his car, Groubert started shooting. At least four rounds were fired, with one hitting Jones in the hip.
Jones put his hands in the air and fell to the ground, as Groubert ordered him to get down and put his hands behind his back.
“I just got my license, you said get my license,” Jones can be heard saying. “I grabbed my license, right here. That’s my license, right there.”
“What did I do, sir?” Jones asked as he was put into handcuffs. Groubert asked Jones if he was hit. “I think so, I can’t feel my leg,” Jones replied. “I don’t know what happened. I just grabbed my license.”
When Jones asked why Groubert opened fire, the trooper said, “Well, you dove headfirst back into your car. Then you jump back out, I’m telling you to get out of your car.”
Jones can be heard apologizing.
Warning: The dash-cam video below includes the actual shooting.

Groubert “did without justification unlawfully shoot Levar Jones, which produced great bodily injury or was likely to cause great bodily injury. Audio and visual recordings, as well as written statements, obtained are further evidence to indicate the shooting incident was without justification,” according to the arrest warrant.
The charge of assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature carries a possible 20-year prison sentence. Groubert entered a not-guilty plea and posted $75,000 bond Wednesday night. He is due in court again on Oct. 24.
Groubert’s attorney says there is more than one way to interpret the dash-cam video and claims that Jones reaches for his license in an “aggressive” manner.
While he awaits trial, Groubert will not be returning to work. South Carolina Department of Public Safety Director Leroy Smith announced in a statement late last week that Groubert had been fired from the Highway Patrol.
After my review of the facts surrounding this matter, I have determined that Mr. Groubert’s actions rose to such an extent that his employment with us must be terminated. The facts of this case are disturbing to me, but I believe this case was an isolated incident in which Mr. Groubert reacted to a perceived threat where there was none. The department’s Use of Force Policy makes clear that officers shall use “only the level of force necessary to accomplish lawful objectives” and that “the use of force must be discontinued when it becomes apparent to the officer that the force is no longer needed.” That protocol was not followed in this case.
Further, this incident occurred in broad daylight. Mr. Groubert had a clear and unobstructed view of Mr. Jones. While Mr. Groubert was within the law to stop Mr. Jones for a safety belt violation, the force administered in this case was unwarranted, inconsistent with how our troopers are trained, and clearly in violation of Department policies. These violations demonstrate behavior that deviates from SCDPS standards and cannot be tolerated.
The Highway Patrol professionally makes around 750,000 traffic contacts per year. Our troopers are trained to protect the public we serve, and motorists’ safety is paramount to us. Groubert’s actions in this situation were contradictory to the outstanding training our troopers receive. This case has been thoroughly investigated by the State Law Enforcement Division and has been turned over to the Fifth Circuit Solicitor’s Office for review and determination of any subsequent criminal charges. The SCDPS Office of Professional Responsibility’s internal investigation of this case continues. Additionally, the trooper’s in-car video is part of an ongoing criminal prosecution review and, therefore, will be released in coordination with Solicitor’s Office. I want to thank the community for its patience as we continue our administrative investigation into this matter.
Jones, who was treated and released from a local hospital, hopes the shooting can spur change nationwide.
I know that the community has questions and people are interested in what and why this happened to me,” Jones said in a statement to WIS-TV. “I thank God every day that I am here with a story to tell and hope my situation can make a change. My recovery is coming [along] well, and hope this situation can make a change, not just here at home in South Carolina, but coast-to-coast.”

Thursday, September 25, 2014

WILLIE COLÓN ENDORSES ROB ASTORINO


 
 
I am a democrat… Mi gente, it happens every time. We vote and work to get our democratic candidate elected and after they win. They forget their promises.  There is little or no access. Trying to meet with them is like having an audience with the Pope.  Probably easier with his holiness.

Why? Because the Latino vote is a joke. Democrats know we don’t even think about swinging to the other candidate. That’s out of the question because it’s evil; because you’re a traitor if you vote for the republican.

So, no matter how bad the democrat is, even if he’s going to jail; we still have to vote for them.

How smart is that?  Once elected they totally change on us and deal with us with contempt and rule with impunity because:  1.) you already voted for them.  2.) Next time around you’ll do exactly the same thing again.

Elections are about US and what WE need not about the party. We want ALL elected officials and candidates from ALL parties to come to come to us, to covet our vote.

To make that happen, we have to vote smarter; we need to vote for the candidate that meets OUR needs. Latinos have to become a swing vote. 

In this case, personally, I like the man; he’s a decent man who’d make an excellent governor.  He’s the Westchester county exec which is not chopped liver, 450 square miles and about a million population 17% are Latinos.

Rob Astorino doesn’t come from a royal family or political dynasty. He doesn’t think his family was born to rule. 

He went to school at Fordham University in the Bronx. He has a BA in Communications and before he went into politics, became one of the founders of ESPN radio. He belongs to AFTRA -AMERICAN FEDERATION OF RADIO & TV ARTIST, like me. He’s got religion; he’s started the Catholic Channel on Sirius Radio.

I met him last year and he came across as a sane, humble, confident man.  He didn’t just realize a couple of months ago that he needed to speak Spanish to get votes! (And come with a couple of phonetically memorized phrases; sounding like Frank Perdue) He studied the language from way back because he wanted to; because he admires and respects our culture.  Rob Astorino, right now, has one of the most diverse administrations in the state. That says a lot about how he would run our state government.

We don’t need somebody with tons of money; deep pockets, that hides, throws a barrage of negative commercials and not even bothers to show up for a debate. We don’t want somebody that starts a crime commission and obstructs it when it starts to head his way.

At this election, at this time, I’m voting for Rob Astorino for the next governor of the Great State of New York and I urge all Democrats and Latinos to join me.

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Milton Cardona by Bruni Hostos - GoFundMe

Milton Cardona by Bruni Hostos - GoFundMe                



 
Milton Cardona

BRONX, NY MEMORIALS                                                                     Donate Now    

 

The Cardona family is in need of help with funeral expenses. Any contribution is helpful. Thank you..

15 Funniest Car Repair Fails of All Time

15 Funniest Car Repair Fails of All Time
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69th Session of the United Nations General Assembly

September  2014
 

69th Session of the United Nations General Assembly

 
Key Points
 
  • The 69th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), a major series of meetings by the worldwide intergovernmental body, will begin on Tuesday, September 16, 2014 and continue throughout early October. 
  • There are currently no direct threats to the upcoming UNGA, however, the United Nations has previously been referenced as a possible terrorist target and the facilities of the international body have been attacked abroad in the past. 
  •  This year’s UNGA comes at a time of escalated geo-political tensions as a result of humanitarian crises, violent unrest, and instability throughout the Middle East and Africa, including conflicts in Iraq, Syria, Libya, and Israel/Gaza. 
  • Over 130 heads of state, foreign ministers, and diplomatic staff are anticipated to participate in the meetings, increasing the likelihood of potentially disruptive demonstrations.

 

Overview

The opening of the 69th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) will begin on Tuesday, September 16, 2014 at the U.N. headquarters in New York City. High profile meetings between international diplomats and heads of state will take place throughout the remainder of September and will conclude in the first week of October. The UNGA’s General Debate is slated to begin on Wednesday, September 24 and will conclude on October 1. The General Assembly will focus on the development and realization of its agenda beyond 2015. Additionally, several major dialogues and meetings addressing international security and humanitarian aid-related issues are scheduled to take place this year including a high-level meeting of the U.N. Security Council which will be hosted by U.S. President Barack Obama during the week of September 22 that could lead to a resolution on potential military action to combat the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). More than 130 heads of state, foreign ministers, and diplomatic staff will be attending UNGA meetings. Recent developments indicate that a number of pressing international issues will likely be discussed, including the humanitarian crises and instability in Sub-Saharan Africa and the state of negotiations between the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council plus Germany (P5+1) and Iran over its nuclear proliferation program. In addition to the UNGA meeting, several institutions throughout the city will be organizing events which will be attended by heads of state and foreign ministers during this time.
 
Police Department City of New York
If You See Something, Say Something – 1-888-NYC-SAFE (1-888-692-7233)
 

Threat Assessment

There is currently no threat information indicating plans to attack the U.N. headquarters during the 69th UNGA session, however large gatherings of elected officials, symbolic government locations, and densely populated crowds remain attractive targets for al-Qa’ida, and other international terrorist organizations as well as homegrown violent extremists that may adhere to the violent ideology shared by these groups. This was demonstrated during the April 15 Boston Marathon attacks, which left four people dead and more than 240 injured. Reports indicated that the two individuals responsible for the Boston bombings aspired to carry out additional improvised explosive device (IED) attacks in New York City’s Times Square. Publicly accessible plazas, choke points along VIP convoys, as well as entrance and egress areas, may be viewed as prime locations for attacks involving assaults with firearms, hazardous materials, explosives, and other tactics. This year’s UNGA comes at a time of heightened geo-political tensions abroad as a result of unrest throughout the Middle East, Africa, and Eastern Europe including conflicts in Central African Republic, Nigeria, Iraq, Yemen, Syria, Libya, eastern Ukraine, and Israel/Gaza. Al-Qa’ida in Arabian Peninsula’s (AQAP) most recent English- language publication, titled “A Message of Support for Our People in Gaza,” called for retaliatory attacks against Jewish and U.S. interests worldwide in response to Israel’s latest offensive in the Gaza Strip. Additionally, the recent kidnappings and beheadings of U.S. citizens by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant prompted the United Kingdom to raise its terrorism alert on Friday, August 29, 2014, to “severe,” indicating that an attack was “highly likely.” While there are currently no known ISIL threats to the U.S. homeland, the terrorist group’s access to Western recruits and the possibility of small scale attacks carried out by those inspired by ISIL remains a concern. The United Nations and its various agencies across the world have been attacked in the past by terrorist groups, including al-Qa’ida. On August 19, 2003, the U.N. Assistance Mission in Iraq based at Baghdad’s Canal Hotel was hit with a massive vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED). The bombing killed at least 22 people including the U.N.’s Special Representative in Iraq and wounded more than 100. The attack was ultimately claimed by al-Qa’ida in Iraq (AQI). Another notable attack took place on August 26 in Abuja, Nigeria, when the local U.N. mission there was attacked with a VBIED, killing at least 18 persons. The Nigerian group Boko Haram claimed responsibility. In the attack, the driver of the VBIED rapidly accelerated on a straight road leading to the compound, rammed an SUV packed with explosives through the perimeter security gate and detonated the device in the main entrance of the facility. In June 2013, al-Shabaab, an organization which threatened retaliation this week for the killing of its leader Ahmed Abi Godane, targeted a U.N. compound in Mogadishu with a truck bomb and a follow-on small arms assault that left at least 13 dead. Most recently, on August 28, 2014, at least 45 Fijian U.N. peacekeepers were abducted along the Syrian side of the Golan Heights by al-Qa’ida’s official affiliate in Syria, Jabhat al-Nusrah. In addition to general terrorism threats, several controversial political figures will likely attend the UNGA including Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, as well as representatives from the Israeli government and Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, which could lead to potentially disruptive demonstrations.

 

Implications for New York City 

  •  Large public gatherings, particularly those of international significance, and events in New York City remain a top target for individuals inspired by al-Qa’ida, its affiliates, ideologically adhered groups, and homegrown violent extremists. 
  • Foreign terrorist organizations and domestic extremists have previously targeted heads of state, foreign diplomats, and other high-ranking political figures. 
  • AQAP remains committed to conducting and or inspiring attacks against the U.S. after previous failed plots. 
  • Violent extremist groups have been known to conduct pre-operational surveillance in advance of major attacks, and security personnel should be alert to suspicious behavior and activities including loitering near potential target locations, extensive photography, and probing questions regarding safety procedures and personnel.

Monday, September 15, 2014

Médicos cubanos logran desertar desde Venezuela tras sobornar a funcionarios - Nacional y Política - EL UNIVERSAL

Médicos cubanos logran desertar desde Venezuela tras sobornar a funcionarios - Nacional y Política - EL UNIVERSAL


CARACAS, jueves 07 de enero, 2010 | Actualizado hace

Médicos cubanos logran desertar desde Venezuela tras sobornar a funcionarios


Nelia, un médico general de 29 años de Santiago de Cuba, llegó a Bogotá el mes pasado después de lo que ella describió como un año de pesadilla, trabajando en un programa Barrio Adentro en la ciudad de Valencia. Ella rehusó revelar su apellido por miedo de la represalia en casa. Agregó, 'Los Chavistas nos quieren allí y la oposición no. Y hay más personas de oposición que Chavistas"


Alrededor de 500 médicos cubanos han desertado hacia EEUU desde Venezuela (El Nuevo Herald)
06:01 PM Miami.- Alrededor de 500 médicos cubanos han desertado desde Venezuela hacia Estados Unidos tras sobornar la mayoría de ellos a funcionarios con el pago de diversas cantidades, desde los 300 a los 2.000 dólares, según fuentes de los grupos de exilio cubano en Miami.

El último caso se produjo el miércoles cuando siete médicos cubanos lograron salir del aeropuerto de Maiquetía, después de ser retenidos durante varias horas y tras el pago de cientos de dólares por persona, reseñó Efe.

"Los funcionarios venezolanos y cubanos en Maiquetía someten sistemáticamente a una fuerte presión sicológica a los médicos que quieren salir hasta que finalmente pagan un soborno", explicó a Efe el médico cubano Keiler Moreno, que salió del país hace cinco meses.

El doctor Moreno ayudó a varios de sus colegas que lograron abandonar ayer Caracas y les esperó en el aeropuerto de Miami para que hiciesen los trámites legales con los agentes del Servicio de Inmigración y Aduana.

"Somos de la misma promoción que se graduó en medicina en el 2007 y nos ayudamos los unos a los otros", agregó.

Varias asociaciones católicas y la organización no gubernamental Solidaridad Sin Fronteras (SSF) se encargarán también de prestar asistencia a los cuatro hombres y tres mujeres cubanos que llegaron el miércoles y que son los últimos que han salido de Venezuela.

Según fuentes del exilio cubano, alrededor de 2.000 médicos y otros miembros del personal sanitario han desertado desde el año 2006 y solicitado visados para ir a Estados Unidos.

De esa cifra, 500 procedieron de Venezuela y, solamente en el último año, llegaron a Miami alrededor de 200.

"Estuve en Venezuela ocho meses y hace cinco llegué a Miami. Para poder salir hay que solicitar un visado de entrada a Estados Unidos en la embajada estadounidense en Caracas. El problema es que los funcionarios venezolanos no dan el permiso de salida. Al final, todo se resuelve con un soborno", contó Moreno.

Este médico de 27 años destacó que los funcionarios cubanos y venezolanos someten a los galenos que quieren salir "a una tortura sicológica que puede generar crisis de pánico".

"Buscan, en definitiva, el arrepentimiento, pero, si se resiste un poco, el soborno hace el resto", agregó.

Alrededor de 45.000 médicos y otros trabajadores de la salud cubanos participan en Venezuela en el programa de sanidad pública "Barrio Adentro", que trata de suplir las carencias del sistema venezolano.

"El problema de los médicos venezolanos es que el sistema público no les paga y se ven obligados a ejercer la medicina privada", explicó Moreno.

Aunque los galenos cubanos que llegan a Estados Unidos no pueden ejercer la medicina hasta la convalidación de los títulos correspondientes, el doctor Moreno señaló que prefieren afrontar toda esa etapa antes que seguir bajo un sistema plagado de corrupciones.

Los siete médicos cubanos que llegaron el miércoles a Miami seguirán varios días bajo la custodia del Servicio de Inmigración hasta recibir sus permisos de estancia, que les permitirán tramitar su residencia en el país.

Exported to Venezuela, miserable Cuban doctors clamor to get into U.S


Exported to Venezuela, miserable Cuban doctors clamor to get into U.S.



At the current rate, more than 1,500 Cuban healthcare workers will be admitted to the U.S. this year
Cuba keeps 10,000 healthcare providers in Venezuela in part to pay for oil
One Cuban doctor in Venezuela describes workload as 'crushing'
Worsening conditions in Venezuela are causing increasing numbers of Cuban medical personnel working there to immigrate to the United States under a special program that expedites their applications, according to Colombian officials who help process many of the refugees.
On Wednesday, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in Washington said the number of Cuban doctors, nurses, optometrists and medical technicians applying for U.S. visas under the Cuban Medical Professional Parole Program is running as much as 50% ahead of last year's pace, which was nearly double that of the year before.
At the current rate, more than 1,500 Cuban healthcare workers will be admitted to the United States this year.
For geographical reasons, neighboring Colombia is a favored trampoline for Cubans fleeing Venezuela, whose leftist government has struggled to rein in runaway inflation, shortages of goods and services and rising social unrest.
Cuba, which prides itself on a comprehensive healthcare system and has long exported doctors and nurses to friendly countries, maintains an estimated 10,000 healthcare providers in Venezuela. The medical outreach program is intended as partial payment for 100,000 barrels of oil that President Nicolas Maduro's government ships to the Castro administration each day.

Nelia, a 29-year-old general practitioner from Santiago de Cuba, arrived in Bogota last month after what she said was a nightmarish year working in Venezuela's Barrio Adentro program in the city of Valencia. She declined to disclose her last name for fear of reprisal back home.
Nelia said her disillusionment started on her arrival in Caracas' Maiquetia airport in mid-2013. She and several colleagues waited there for two days, sometimes sleeping in chairs, before authorities assigned her to a clinic in Valencia, she said.
"It was all a trick. They tell you how great it's going to be, how you will able to buy things and how grateful Venezuelans are to have you. Then comes the shock of the reality," Nelia said. Her clinic in Valencia had no air conditioning and much of the ultrasound equipment she was supposed to use to examine pregnant women was broken.
She described the workload as "crushing." Instead of the 15 to 18 procedures a day she performed in Cuba, she did as many as 90 in Venezuela, she said. Crime is rampant, the pay is an abysmal $20 per month and Cubans are caught in the middle of Venezuela's civil unrest, which pits followers of the late President Hugo Chavez — whose handpicked successor is Maduro — against more conservative, market-oriented forces.
"The Chavistas want us there and the opposition does not. And there are more opposition people than Chavistas," said Nelia, who was interviewed in a Colombian immigration office in Bogota.
 A 32-year-old Cuban optometrist who identified himself as Manuel and who also fled Venezuela to apply for U.S. residency said that at his clinic in Merida he was prescribing and grinding up to 120 pairs of eyeglasses a day, triple his pace in Cuba.
"As a professional you want to be paid for what your work is worth. What we were getting, $20 a month, was not enough to pay even for food and transportation, much less a telephone call to Cuba now and then," Manuel said. "That's the main reason I want to go to Miami, to earn what I'm worth."
Cubans have long had favored status as U.S. immigrants. Virtually any Cuban is guaranteed automatic residency and a path to citizenship simply by setting foot on U.S. territory, legally or not. The Cuban Medical Professional Parole Program gives medical personnel a leg up by allowing them to apply for residency at U.S. embassies.
Though some Cubans apply at the U.S. Embassy in Caracas, the Venezuelan capital, others say they fear being seen there. Also, airfare to the United States from Colombia is much cheaper than from Venezuela.
The increasing flow of Cuban doctors is only part of a rising tide of Cubans seeking to reach the United States, many through Colombia. Lacking the special status of medical personnel, many U.S.-bound Cubans first land in Ecuador, where the government requires no visas. They then typically pass through Colombia to Panama with the help of coyotes, or human traffickers. However, many are detained in Colombia.
Of 1,006 illegal immigrants detained in Colombia from January through July of this year for failing to have proper visas, 42% were Cuban, according to Colombia's immigration agency director, Sergio Bueno Aguirre. The flow of Cubans had more than doubled from the year before.
One Colombian Foreign Ministry official who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the political sensitivity said the U.S. policy of allowing Cubans immigrant status simply by arriving in the United States has fed organized crime in Colombia and in other transit countries.
"Coyotes helping the Cubans transit through Colombia often use the migrants to carry drugs or submit to prostitution," the official said. "Or the coyotes will just abandon them at a border, creating a big headache for the Colombian government, which has to take care of them or send them back home."
Kraul is a special correspondent.
Copyright © 2014, Los Angeles Times

AGAIN, I FIND MY SELF AGREEING WITH SENATOR DÍAZ

How are you going to take an oath to uphold the Constitution of the US, The Constituion of NYS and the City Charter and then refuse to recognize the flag?
AT A 9/11 MEMORIAL!


We have a bunch of "Masserrati Marxists, Limousine Liberals & Cyber Socialist" up here in states; People who are against anything US but make a very good living here. People  who want socialism for Latin America but stay here with their airconditioning, department stores, cable & satellite tv and their luxury cars.

I agree with Tara Palmeri and Senator Díaz; they should go fight for independence or socialism in Latin America and Puerto Rico and stop being such opportunistic hypocrites.
 
Willie Colón

The Actions of Melissa Mark-Viverito
By Senator Rev. Rubén Díaz
32nd Senatorial District

You should know that here in the United States of America, every citizen has been taught to face the flag and stand at attention with their right hand over their heart when “The Star Spangled Banner” is played or sung, and when the Pledge of Allegiance is recited. Our salute is directed to the flag of the United States.  

This sign of respect is done by any good citizen during public ceremonies when the national anthem is played and the flag is displayed.  People even stand up and honor the national anthems of other countries when their national anthems are played and their flags are displayed.

After reading Tara Palmeri's article, "Mark-Viverito doesn’t place hand over heart during 9/11 ceremony" in the September 13, 2014 edition of the New York Post, I thought about the American flag that was displayed during New York’s 9/11 Memorial Ceremony, and the national anthem that was sung and nationally televised to honor the more than 3,000 people who lost their lives thirteen years ago in the terrorist attacks on America.  I thought about the hallowed ground where the Twin Towers once stood and where the 9/11 ceremony took place.  

I thought about everyone in attendance, including current and past governors, mayors and elected officials who all placed their hands over their hearts to honor the flag while the national anthem was being sung in memory of the heroes and heroines and victims of 9/11 – everyone, that is, except for the New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito.

You should know that this is not the first time that Melissa Mark-Viverito has behaved in this manner. She has never honored the American flag at any event.  Her Independentista Party in Puerto Rico “Partido Independentista Puertorriqueño, PIP” does not believe in American governance of Puerto Rico.  Her Independentista Party adheres to the philosophy to reject America and to do everything to expel the Americanos from Puerto Rico.

You should know, as I have said before, the Independentista Party in Puerto Rico doesn’t like the Americans and they don’t want the Americans to be in Puerto Rico.

I could understand and even respect those Puerto Ricans who have decided to stay in Puerto Rico and from there, fight for the independence of the island. But I cannot understand nor respect those individuals who have abandoned Puerto Rico while claiming to be followers of the Independentista Party in Puerto Rico, and come to this nation in search of the American dollar.

Apparently, the American dollar is bad for the people in Puerto Rico – but it IS good for those who come here hating America but eat, work, make money, participate in and obtain all of those benefits that this great nation offers.

You should know that the fact that New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito – who happens to be Puerto Rican – refused to honor the American flag during the 9/11 Memorial Ceremony is a gross act of disrespect not only to the American people, but also to the more than 3,000 victims of 9/11 and their families, to the heroes and heroines of 9/11, and to us Puerto Ricans who live in, love and respect this nation that has given us so much.

My advice to Melissa Mark-Viverito is that she should know that the biggest message she could send to everyone – especially as an Independentista – is to publicly resign as a Member and Speaker of the New York City Council, and return to Puerto Rico to join all those there who are fighting for the independence of Puerto Rico.  This way, the whole nation will know how honest, truthful and sincere she is to the Independence of Puerto Rico.

Otherwise, as long as Melissa Mark-Viverito continues to have free cars, free chauffeurs, free offices, a big salary, huge stipends and lulus, medical insurance - and ALL of those other benefits paid for by the American dollar here in the USA, she is sending the wrong message.

Ladies and gentlemen, after getting all of those benefits from America, the least she can do is to stand up and show her respect when the American flag is displayed and the national anthem is sung.


Tara Palmeri's article
http://nypost.com/2014/09/13/mark-viverito-doesnt-place-hand-over-heart-during-911-ceremony/


Tuesday, September 9, 2014

A retired cop’s shocking life of drugs and crime | New York Post

A retired cop’s shocking life of drugs and crime | New York Post



A retired police commander kept a stunning secret for more than two decades: Before joining the NYPD, he peddled crack, tried to murder a fellow drug dealer and was close pals with a notorious cop killer.

Corey Pegues — who collects a $135,000 tax-free line-of-duty disability pension for a back injury — revealed his sordid past on the “Combat Jack’’ podcast Aug. 13, in a blatant attempt to hype his yet-to-be-published book.

Pegues, 45, who retired in April 2013 after more than 20 years on the force, is untouchable because the statute of limitations has expired on his crimes, most of which he confessed to committing in his teens and 20s in Queens.

The former deputy inspector bragged that as a young gangbanger, he made enough money selling crack to buy 75 pairs of expensive sneakers as well as gold jewelry now worth some $30,000.

He chillingly admitted pulling the trigger twice on a rival drug dealer, saying the man would have been killed if the gun hadn’t misfired. “I was maybe like 17,’’ he told the interviewer. “I was like, ‘Yo, I’m going to murder him’ . . . It was all about street cred.’’

Modal Trigger
Edward Byrne
In his most shocking revelation, Pegues — who is married with children, including a daughter in the NYPD — bragged that he was a close pal of David McClary, the coldblooded triggerman who fired five shots into the head of rookie Officer Edward Byrne as the cop sat in a patrol car guarding the home of a witness in 1988.

He had advice for aspiring criminals: “The biggest asset I learned from the streets is don’t trust nobody. Everybody’s a threat. I don’t trust my mother,’’ he said in the interview. “You can’t trust nobody.”

The NYPD declined to comment. A senior police official, though, said, “I doubt any of it is true — but if it is, shame on him.”

Other cops had no doubts.

Rumors about Pegues’ gangsta past had circulated for years, including how he once sported a tattoo — “Thug’s Life” — on his neck that he had removed.

Any of his past crimes would have disqualified him from joining the NYPD, had those vetting his application been aware of them. But Pegues was able to sign up without a hitch.

He rose steadily in the ranks and became a deputy inspector who commanded the 67th Precinct in East Flatbush.

He also served as an adjunct professor at Monroe College in The Bronx, teaching criminal justice for more than four years, according to his LinkedIn résumé.

During the interview, Pegues boasted of his loyalty in the early 1980s to crack kingpin Kenneth “Supreme” McGriff.

McGriff, who ran the feared “Supreme Team,” was sentenced to life without parole following his 2007 Brooklyn federal court conviction for racketeering, drug trafficking, murder-for-hire and other crimes, records show.

What Pegues most feared was that his colleagues in the NYPD would learn about his friendship with a cop killer.

“You’re talking about the most infamous murder in the history of the Police Department with [Officer] Eddie Byrne, and I have to hide that relationship for 20-something years,” he said.

“If they [fellow cops] would have had any inclination that David McClary was my man . . . I probably would have had a hard time,’’ he said in a monumental understatement. “It would have been a problem.”

The president of Pegues’ union was outraged. “I was shocked and disgusted hearing the criminal conduct bragged about,” Roy Richter of the NYPD Captains Endowment Association told The Post. “If true, it is a complete betrayal of the oath and the sacrifice police officers make to society.”

Other cops took to The Rant, an Internet bulletin board popular with officers, to trash Pegues.

“This guy was promoted to deputy inspector and he openly admits to carrying an illegal firearm, selling drugs and even attempting homicide,’’ wrote one. “How embarrassing to the department.”

Additional reporting by Leonica Valentine

What’s Really Wrong With Rikers - NYTimes.com

What’s Really Wrong With Rikers -

juvie solitary - seabrook
Norman Seabrook is the president of the
New York City Correction Officers’
Benevolent Association.
NYTimes.com



A RECENT investigation by the Department of Justice concluded that a culture of violence permeated the jails on Rikers Island in New York City, particularly the facilities housing adolescent detainees. The report came just a few weeks after this newspaper published its own investigation into violence against mentally ill patients at the jails.
 
These reports have led many in the public and city government to blame the correction officers at Rikers, and have generated calls for radical changes to the correction system.
There’s no denying that some correction officers have crossed the line and acted in a brutal fashion. Neither I, as the president of the New York City Correction Officers’ Benevolent Association, nor any correction officer I know, condone this kind of conduct. Those found guilty should be punished.
Nevertheless, blaming correction officers for what is happing on Rikers Island is counterproductive, misleading and profoundly unfair.
 
Part of the furor over Rikers rests on a belief that correction officers are little more than hired brutes, poorly screened and barely trained. But that’s not true. They are dedicated law enforcement professionals doing an extremely difficult job. Nearly half the officers are women, and the majority of them are people of color. Many are second- and third-generation members of the department.
 
Like police officers, correction officers are hired after background checks, psychological exams and physical and medical screening. They undergo 16 weeks of extensive training at the Correction Academy facility in Middle Village, Queens, and are trained in everything from riot prevention to the appropriate use of force techniques and chemical agents.
 
After all this, they are asked to do an almost impossible job, on a daily basis. At any given time there is approximately one correction officer for every 50 inmates on Rikers Island. We don’t carry firearms in the jails, yet we are locked in with the most violent members of society. Many of these inmates, an increasing number of whom have diagnosed mental disorders, are skilled at manufacturing deadly weapons, which they regularly use on one another and on officers.
 
To be blunt, the fact that people are not regularly dying there is a testament to the professionalism of the officers. If it were not for their daily struggle against the mounting chaos, I am sure the federal courts would have closed Rikers long ago. The officers are blamed for the violence that exists without being given credit for the lives they are saving.
 
What is not apparent to the public are the physical and emotional costs that come with serving as the first line of defense in the jails system. Last year 196 correction officers were seriously injured by inmate assaults, including several whose faces were disfigured with razors. Such assaults are fully documented, but the public rarely learns of them.
 
Conditions at Rikers and other city jails are more dangerous for another reason. Unlike jails elsewhere in the country, court decrees here give most inmates permission to move widely around the jail and interact with one another — at group recreation, in the library — making each jail more like Grand Central Terminal then a correctional facility. This holds true even for many of the system’s violent and mentally ill inmates; care, custody and control of this kind of population in this kind of setting is demanding and very stressful.
Correction officers aren’t alone in bearing the brunt of the violence at Rikers; attacks by inmates against doctors, nurses and mental health workers increased to 39 in 2013, from eight in 2011.
 
And yet the response from the system’s leadership — both the top echelons of the Department of Correction and the private contractors who work alongside it — has been silence.
 
Top department managers repeatedly fail to supervise the safety and security of correction officers, mental health workers and inmates. And earlier this month it was revealed that, after a six-month investigation by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, a contractor, Corizon Health, was fined $71,000 for failing “to address the serious problem of assaults against its employees” on Rikers Island.


And they have done almost nothing to account for the rising number of mentally ill inmates in the city jails, even though that is clearly a major factor in the increase in violence. In fact, they have stood aside while severe reductions in correction-officer staffing in recent years cut into our already tenuous hold on order within the jails.
 
My colleagues and I have raised these issues repeatedly, in news conferences as well as at City Council hearings and Board of Correction meetings, but our concerns fall on deaf ears.
 
It often takes a crisis to provide a catalyst for public policy changes, especially when they might be costly. We certainly have a crisis now. Mayor Bill de Blasio and his new correction commissioner, Joseph Ponte, have some clear choices to make. Let’s work together and use this crisis as an opportunity for real change.
 
Norman Seabrook is the president of the New York City Correction Officers’ Benevolent Association.