Feckless and Cruel .... indeed!

One of my many duties


From the Times:

Editorial
Feckless and Cruel
Published: July 30, 2010

In a shameful bout of election-year politicking, the House has rejected badly needed help for rescue workers and residents still suffering from the Sept. 11, 2001, destruction of the World Trade Center. What should have been swift bipartisan approval of a plan for medical and economic compensation turned into an ugly political brawl.

The House action was an insult, especially to the tens of thousands of ordinary citizens who pitched in selflessly for weeks in the cleanup, and have since developed grave illnesses from the toxic dust and debris of ground zero. Their needs were pushed aside as lawmaking degenerated into a game of election-year chicken.

The Democratic leadership, cowed by the Republicans’ relentless campaign-focused bluster no matter what the bill, foolishly ordered limited debate. That meant they had to accept an impossible two-thirds vote for approval. Republicans then voted no in near lock step. Mayor Michael Bloomberg was correct in pronouncing a pox on all as the bill fell short, 255 to 159.

The measure, which calls for $3.2 billion in medical aid over eight years and $4.2 billion in economic compensation, should have been put to a simple majority vote. If Republicans chose to oppose it with campaign boilerplate, the blame for failure would undeniably be theirs.

The House leadership needs to bring the measure back for a second vote requiring a simple majority. A small window remains after the summer recess. Lawmakers will have a chance to show that, beyond the fear and loathing that’s driving vicious House partisanship, a shred of comity can still be managed, especially when it comes to the victims of Sept. 11.

The main sponsors, Representatives Carolyn Maloney and Jerrold Nadler, Democrats of New York, and Representative Peter King, Republican of New York, are rightly still pressing to get the bill passed this year. This September marks the ninth anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. The country must not forget any of its victims.

Maria Rita

Pissed but coping...
I'm coping ... sort of. Lately I've become a fan of Brazilian singer Maria Rita.

Here is her Cara Valente (loosely, Tough Guy)




Maria Rita is the daughter of Elis Regina and César Camargo Mariano.


Meu Samba, O Homem Falou & Tá Perdoado




I'm counting blessings and listening to Maria Rita. Chocolate is involved as well. I'll rally in a day or so. And then I hope to have some sort of plan.

HR847 - I am PISSED

More information: Aye versus Yea Explained



This might have been me — or one of the other 40,000 rescue workers
________________________________

Last night, the House of Representatives voted on HR847, the James Zadroga bill, which would provide people like me, who participated in the rescue effort after 9/11, with health care. It was defeated (narrowly). So, I've been wallowing in a funk of depression and disgust.

govtrack.us has a handy-dandy breakdown of the vote, and I am copying it here:

House Vote On Passage: H.R. 847: James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010

Number:	House Vote #491 in 2010 [primary source: house.gov]
Date:	Jul 29, 2010 9:46PM
Result:	Failed
Bill:	H.R. 847: James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010

			Needed To Win
Yea:	255	(59%)			243	12	0
Nay:	159	(37%)			4	155	0
Present:	0	(0%)			0	0	0
Not Voting:	18	(4%)		7	11	0
Required:	2/3 of 414 votes (=276 votes) (Vacancies in Congress will affect vote totals.)

NIOSH head Dr. John Howard fired

Dr. John Howard, who heads the agency responsible for overseeing federally-funded health care for 9/11 first responders and others exposed to Ground Zero toxins, was fired by the Bush administration. The New York Times reported that the head of the Centers for Disease Control had "decided to go in a different direction." According to a NY1 news story, Dr. Howard "often at odds with the White House over his push to create health monitoring and treatment programs for workers who say they got sick at the Trade Center site."

Rep. Carolyn Maloney was outraged, saying “It appears that the Bush Administration fired Dr. Howard just for doing his job caring for Americans who are suffering as a result of 9/11. It’s outrageous that the administration would treat the heroes of 9/11 so poorly on the day before our nation celebrates its independence.” Meanwhile, according to Albany's CBS6 News, Governor Paterson is asking President Bush to reappoint Dr. Howard.

Politico.com's David Rogers asserts that the ouster is a result of political infighting.


Dr. Ron Howard

About the Connaughton dossier

I suppose I am trying to understand who this guy is and how he came to do what he did. Perhaps it is incomprehensible. Oh well... I'll further review the info I've come across and see what I can find out.

My guess is that I won't really get any information unless someone sometime does a biography or a tell-all. Still, this is a start.

In any case, I suppose I should thank my lucky stars that it wasn't worse and also be very, very grateful for the people who have stood by me and helped me along. Else, I might go to a dark place.

James Connaughton - Dossier

Slowly and as I can, I am trying to amass information on James Connaughton, the head of the White House's Council on Environmental Quality.



Home address?
James Connaughton
3930 Livingston St NW
Washington, DC 20015-2922
(202) 244-3147

EPA report (2003) on WTC response
"The White House Council on Environmental Quality influenced, through the collaboration process, the information that EPA communicated to the public through its early press releases when it convinced EPA to add reassuring statements and delete cautionary ones."

Rolling Stone article on Bush administration's denial of global warming

NASA's "Dr. Hansen went public with a charge that made headlines around the world—that the Bush administration had been trying to silence his warnings about the urgent need to address climate change." Comments on Connaughton. From Democracy Now!

Brother-in-law is Bush's "gatekeeper" from Washington Post

Grist story on Connaughton

DayLife search for Connaughton - explore at length

Nomination to CEQ announcement from WhiteHouse.org

Nomination article from NYT as found on CommonDreams.org
"For chairman of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, Mr. Bush has picked James Connaughton, a partner at Sidley & Austin, a law firm that advises corporate clients and trade groups on environmental law. He has represented General Electric and Atlantic Richfield in fights against the E.P.A. about cleanup of Superfund sites."

Connaughton confirmation hearing delayed by Nevada senator in Chemicals and Engineering Weekly

Confirmation speech

Connaughton's statement at confirmation hearing from The Environmental Management Report, a newsletter about ISO matters published by the QSU Publishing Company

Wedding announcement in the New York Times
Current wife? (Same person, uses name Susanna rather than Evelyn)
Yes, this guest list confirms Susanna Connaughton, Executive Director, U.S. Comission for UNESCO is his wife.
Apparently, she recently left this post.

Tiny bio and a picture plus DoS bio (same info below)
New Executive Director of the NatCom Susanna Connaughton has been appointer Executive Director of the U.S. National Commission for UNESCO. She started on Monday, October 16, 2006 and left the week of June 29, 2008.

The State Department announcement state that Ms. Connaughton has an MBA from Northwestern (Kellogg) in public and non-profit management and marketing and an undergraduate degree in government. She most recently served at the National Association of Homebuilders and has had various private and public sector experiences, including serving as a Commissioner on the DC Commission on National and Community Service.
I believe she is married to James Connaughton, Chairman of the Council on Environmental Quality."


Articles that mention "James Connaughton" in the New York Times

Articles that mention Connaughton in the Washington Post

Article on meeting between Sen. Hillary Clinton and James Connaughton NYT

Connaughton in with Steven Griles lobbying problem in Washington Post

Connaugton on video various times in 2007 and 2008 from Energy Policy TV

Office Address and description from WK Kellogg list:
James Connaughton
722 Jackson Place, N.W,
Washington, DC 20503
Ph: (202) 395-5750
The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) coordinates federal environmental efforts and works closely with agencies, including USDA, and White House offices in developing environmental policies and initiatives. The chair serves as the principal environmental policy advisor to the president. CEQ reports annually to the president on the state of the environment, oversees federal agency implementation of the environmental impact assessment process, and acts as a referee when agencies disagree over such assessments.

Another address from FunOutdoors.com
The Honorable James Connaughton
Chairman, Council on Environmental Quality
Executive Office of the President
Room 360 EEOB
Washington, DC 20502
Phone: 202-456-6224 Fax: 202-456-2710

Wikipedia entry - nothing on 9/11

(I wish I had access to Nexis!)

I will try to find a transcript and the documentation of Mr. Connaughton's confirmation by the US Senate on June 14, 2001, which should have far more information.

WhiteHouse.org page for CEQ


The following is a screen shot of Mr. McNaughton's puff-piece biography from the White House's web site, whitehouse.org. I'm keeping the screen shot for use later on, when there is a new head of the CEQ and the previous link will, presumably, no longer lead to the bio.

Another bio from (Department of) State.gov is the same but adds: "An avid vocal harmony singer, sailor, and beachcomber, Mr. Connaughton resides in Washington, D.C. with his wife Susanna and two young children, Spencer and Grace."

James Connaughton - The Man Who Decided Up to 400,000 People Were Expendable

For those of us who have become sick as a result of the Government's lies about the toxins in the air after 9/11, it is extremely difficult to understand who would lie like that and why.

Here is a clip from edited by the folks at TPM.com; they got the best of the Senate hearings on the matter, held on June 20, 2007, from C-SPAN. I can't wrap my mind around a person like James Connaughton: who does this?




Check out his profile at NNDB, a small profile in the Utne Reader, and another small profile in Mother Jones. It's remarkable that this guy has been able to stay under the radar.

WTC Responder Day

Yesterday was a great gift to 9/11 Responders: we were feted and our accomplishments recognized on a day assigned to celebrate us.

I ran into friends, met some important advocates (one, Suzanne Mattei, for the first time), and painted part of a mural by responders for responders.

Some of the participants:

At left, Suzanne Mattei of the Sierra Club; at right, John Feal of the FealGood Foundation


Check out a photo essay: 9/11: Still Killing

The following is Sierra Club's documentary 9/11 Forgotten Heroes

9/11: Toxic Legacy

The CBC and the Discovery Times Channel created the documentary 9/11: Toxic Legacy, which I found, in five parts, on YouTube. I've posted them here.

Part 1


Part 2


Part 3


Part 4


Part 5

Dust to Dust: The Health Effects of 9/11

Below is Heidi Dehncke-Fisher's excellent documentary on the effects of the WTC toxins and the US Government's responsibility in inflicting the toxins on responders and New York's population. I found it on video.google. More information on this piece can be found at the Sundance Channel's web site.

Relief for WTC responders

Like so many responders to the WTC attacks, my health was severely compromised by toxins — toxins that the then-chief of the Environmental Protection Agency, Christine Whitman, denied were present.


The biggest gift I have received has been the care of the medical team and various psychotherapists.

My medical team is based at Bellevue Hospital's WTC clinic. With their help, my health has improved enormously. God bless them all, particularly my nurse, Olga Cernadas.

Three truly gifted and compassionate psychotherapists have supported me in more ways than I ever expected; they are Marcela Hoffer of the now-defunct Columbia University Resiliency Program, Sapana Patel of the Center for Trauma at Columbia University and the NYS Psychiatric Institute, and Pastor Martha Jacobi of the faith-based mental health program Faithful Response.

I wish I had photos of the medical and psychotherapy providers who have enhanced my well being, but the only ones I do have are of Sapana Patel , currently an assistant professor at Columbia University and a fellow at the NYS Psychiatric Institute, Pastor Martha Jacobi, a Lutheran minister whose service includes EMDR psychotherapy for WTC responders.


At left, Sapana Patel; at right, Pastor Martha Jacobi

WTC Responder Day

First Annual WTC Responder Day
June 14, 2008

The event will begin at 10AM with a motorcycle procession from 55 Water Street to the corner of Barclay and Greenwich Streets (main location map here). (To get to the main location, take the E train to WTC; 1, 2, 3, A or C train to Chambers Street; or the 4 & 5 train to Fulton Street.)

Shortly after the motorcycles arrive at Barclay and Greenwich Streets, an opening ceremony will take place. Following the ceremony and opening remarks, WTC responders will commence a "speak out" during which they will be provided several minutes to tell their WTC related story in a public forum. (Information from wtcexams.org here.) The festivities also include:

• Interfaith service
• Gallery exhibits
• Art & music workshops
• Ear acupuncture & bodywork
• Concert

I hope to see many friends there.

WTC Responder Day

I got this from the wtcexams.org web site and am posting it for others here. Still waiting on the particulars, but expect a response, so call me if you need them. Also, if anyone has information on the particulars, please post it in the comments, won't you?

The First Annual WTC Responder Day
Saturday, June 14th, 2008

A day honoring the courageous men and women who worked on the rescue, recovery and clean-up following the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center

Anticipated free events for responders, their families, co-workers and friends include:

• Opening ceremony
• Motorcycle Procession
• Speak-Out
• Interfaith service
• Gallery exhibits
• Art & music workshops
• Ear acupuncture & bodywork
• Concert

For information please call the
WTC Medical Monitoring and Treatment Program
Special Events Phone Line at (212) 241-6307
or visit www.wtcexams.org

A partnership of the New York State AFL-CIO, the New York City Central Labor Council, the WTC Medical Monitoring and Treatment Program, labor unions, firefighters and police officers, responder organizations, and community and faith-based groups

Remember the patriotism of all on this special day!

Download the flyer!