Power of Ten Update
In this Issue:
- Protest Rally at Ramapo Town Hall TODAY
- Journal News Urges Passage of Bill to Save East Ramapo
- State AG: Hillcrest Sale used falsified appraisal
- Slumlords endanger schoolchildren
- Where in the World is Governor Cuomo?
- Message from the editor
1) Protest Rally at Ramapo Town Hall TODAY:
This message from The Neighbors of Hillcrest and Wake Up Rockland:
The PROTEST/RALLY will gather in the rear parking lot of Ramapo Town Hall at 7:00PM. We need you to come out and support this broader effort with others in the community.
The problems with the Town of Ramapo government have gone well beyond anything that the average reasonable resident could expect. Yet we standby and “cherry pick” the issues to object to as they affect our own community within this town. Its past time for us to unite and raise our voices against ALL of the injustice that we, the majority tax payers have suffered. Silence on the East Ramapo School District situation, Patrick Farms, Chicken slaughter house in residential areas, over development, favoritism laws, secretive and arrogant governance, misuse of taxpayer money, condoning / perpetrating housing discrimination, protecting slumlords, and neighborhood busting are just some of the misdeed of this administration. It’s time for all of us to focus the attention on the core problem which is the elected officials in the Town of Ramapo.
When: Tuesday, August 6, at 7:00 PM
Where: Ramapo Town Hall, 237 Route 59, Airmont NY
2) Journal News Urges Passage of Bill to Save East Ramapo
The Journal News: Editorial: East Ramapo waits for help
The Power of Ten submitted a petition with 6,152 names to Governor Cuomo urging changes in education law to enable the NY State Board of Regents to intervene. The bill died in committee. After discussing the issue with Commissioner King, The Journal News is saying “It clearly needs to be resurrected”.
3) State AG: Hillcrest Sale used falsified appraisal
The Journal News: Appraiser charged in East Ramapo school sale
Back in 2010, the East Ramapo school board refused to release copies of the appraisal on which they based their decision to sell public property, bought and built with YOUR tax dollars, until forced by an appeal to the Commissioner of Education. That appeal, filed by Power of Ten editor Steven White was eventually successful. The appraisal was examined by Save Our Schools President Robert Forrest, who has worked as a professional appraiser, and it was the details of his investigation which became the basis for the complaint to the NY Attorney General.
4) Slumlords endanger schoolchildren
The Journal News has followed their award winning East Ramapo Coverage with a blistering series of articles on reckless real estate profiteering that is putting school children, among others, at risk:
The Journal News: Landlords profit from illegal, dangerous housing, fire officials say
The Journal News: Haphazard housing: Ramapo lax as landlords profit
The Journal News: Ramapo laws let illegal schools operate for years
The Journal News: Editorial: Ramapo needs political resolve
5) Where in the World is Governor Cuomo?
Article by Michael Bongiorno, Former Rockland County District Attorney, in Our Town Newspaper:
Where in the World is Governor Cuomo?
6) Message from the editor
While The Power of Ten has been enjoying a lazy summer, The Journal News has been hard at work covering issues in East Ramapo. Their coverage of East Ramapo has won an AP award for Watchdog Journalism! Congratulations to all the Journal News staff from The Power of Ten – Steve White, editor