Colonel Sanders or Tom Ognibene?

There have been reported sightings of a strange visitor entering the home of civic maniac Robert Holden. Under the cover of dark, neighbors have seen a man that resembles either Colonel Sanders or very gaunt Tom Ognibene.

There has been speculation that Robert Holden is Christina Wilkinson's personal Kentucky Fried Chicken dealer. Ms. Wilkinson is prohibited by city law from buying buckets of fried chicken within the five boroughs because of the grotesque way she eats through hundreds of pounds of fowl in one sitting. During one such sitting, she mistakenly took a small white poodle for a wayward chicken and began to eat the pet.

Could Colonel Sanders be visiting Robert Holden and sneaking extra crispy chicken legs to satiate the enormous appetite of Christina Wilkinson?

There also has been speculation that Tom Ognibene is trying to curry favor with Egomaniac Holden. Ognilooney may once again be hiring the evil dictator to create campaign lit in his illegal basement using taxpayer money. Not since Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette has there been such an abhorrent union that seeks to destroy the common man. When asked about residents concerned about his suspicious dealings with Department of Buildings employees, Ognibene defiantly stated, "Let them eat cannoli's!"

Could it be true that Ognilooney and Pol Pot Holden are having clandestine meetings in the middle of the night in an illegally converted basement plotting to take over the world?

Elizabeth Crowley Behaving Badly

In another surprising twist, opposing political ideologues, Tom Ognibene and Charles Ober are creating a one-time unholy union to denounce the despicable letter that is being circulated around the 30th district bashing Mr. Ober because he is gay. The two are speculating that it was Elizabeth Crowley and the Queens Democratic Machine that authored the anti-gay manifesto in attempt to undermine Mr. Ober's candidacy.



April 29, 2008
The Daily Politics
Elizabeth Benjamin
Ober, Ognibene Decry Anti-Gay 'Hate Mail' In The 30th (Updated)


Two anti-establishment 30th CD candidates - Democrat Charles Ober and Republican Tom Ognibene - will team up tomorrow to denounce an anonymous letter recently received by residents throughout the Queens district that attacks Ober because he is gay.

Ober's campaign alleges that the letter, which employs the word "faggot" multiple times, is part of a "dirty tricks" effort to undermine his candidacy.

In a brief phone interview, Ober, who says he is the first openly-gay candidate for office in the 30th CD, declined to say who he thought was behind the letter, but did note that he is not being supported by the Queens Democratic Party, which is backing Elizabeth Crowley, cousin of Rep. Joe Crowley, the party chair.

"I can only suspect," Ober said when asked who might have sent the letter. "But it is part of a pattern of intimidation."

Ober said his supporters have received calls pressuring them to drop their backing of him (from whom he wouldn't say), and that people carrying his petitions were followed, harassed and had doors slammed in their faces.

Ober, who has been endorsed by the Stonewall Democratic Club, insisted he will not be frightened out of running. He intends to file petitions tomorrow at the Board of Elections.

Ober said he learned of the letter when people who had received it began calling his campaign HQ and faxing over copies. He professed not to have read the whole thing.

According to Ober, Ognibene, who did not receive the backing of the Queens County GOP, (the party endorsed Anthony Como, an aide to Sen. Serf Maltese, although the Conservatives are supporting Ognibene) called out of the blue to offer to join him in denouncing the letter.

The two candidates are holding a press conference at 11:30 a.m. tomorrow at the war memorial at Myrtle and Cooper avenues in Glendale.

UPDATE: Crowley's campaign manager Alyson Grant e-mailed over the following statement:
"These flyers should be investigated and the perpetrators should be prosecuted. However, the cheap political theatrics of Charles Ober and Tom Ognibene do a disservice to the people of Queens.

It's outrageous that Charles Ober is allowing himself to be used by Tom Ognibene and the Republicans, since Ognibene's entire career has been an affront to everything Ober claims to stand for.
Rather than standing with Republican Tom Ognibene, Charles Ober should work with other Democrats to take back this seat for the party."

Ognibene Resumes Feud with Ober?

Looks like former council member Tom Ognibene has not forgotten his feud with council member wannabe Charles Ober that stemmed from Ognilooney's participation in the redistricting effort in 2003. Tom Ognibene was the prime proponent and the chief architect of the gerrymandering plan that created a lot of resentment and opposition between party factions. According to political insiders, Charles Ober stood up against Ognibene because he felt the redistricting was unfair and that Tom and his buddies were trying to "stack the deck" in their favor. Unfortunately, for Mr. Ober, Ognibene and his "friends" have long memories.

There is a disturbing letter being circulated about Mr. Ober that is offensive, ignorant and hateful. It attacks Mr. Ober's sexuality and it verbally assaults all homosexuals. We refuse to reprint the letter in its entirety because it is a vicious and disgusting attempt to discredit a person based sole on hi sexual preference.


Here are two quotes from the letter:

"We already have too many faggots trying to change the laws"

"Imagine the village here in Glendale or Middle Village. Queerville U.S.A"


As a conservative there are many issues that I do not support regarding the gay and lesbian community. However, I respect their right to voice their opinions and desire to run for elected office without fear of discrimination or violence.


Some have speculated that this mean-spirited letter was created by the Ognibene campaign to exact retribution for Olber's opposition and verbal assaults against the Ognibene crew's gerrymandering scheme.


Is it possible that Ognibene would stoop this low?

Elizabeth Crowley’s Campaign Goes to the Dogs

Warning. This video is painful to watch and the poor dogs had to listen as Liz Crowley howl through the English language. Maybe my hearing is going in my golden years, but Ms. Crowley sounds a bit “slow” and strikes me as having some sort of mental difficulties while thinking and speaking simultaneously. But don’t take my word for it, see and hear for yourself.



PS. The only reason League of Humane Voters of NYC endorsed Elizabeth Crowley is because her cousin is Congressman Joe Crowley. They have no idea (and wouldn’t care) that she put a puppy in a microwave to dry it off after a bubble bath. Sadly for the pup, Ms. Crowley did not use a microwave safe bowl.

Political Patronage at Christ the King

The Patriots just received this e-mail from a person claiming they have information that supports the claim that Ognibene is using Christ the King Regional High School as a political tool. The Board of Trustees must look into this matter to ensure that the integrity, honor and reputation of Christ the King are not tarnished by a few individuals abusing their position for personal gain.

Dear Patriots,

I just read your article, “Ognibene Persuades Teachers to Petition” and wanted to provide you with additional information to substantiate this claim. Tom Ognibene and Mike Mischel have conveniently appointed a special committee to appoint Assistant Principals for each grade level. As you can imagine, these highly coveted positions are desired by many of the hard-working teachers employed at Christ the King.

However, it is to no one’s surprise that teachers who are working for Ognibene’s campaign will be given preferential treatment and a patronage appointment. Therefore, it was no shocker that Mrs. Veronica Oswiecimski-Arbitello has been appointed as the 11^th Grade (junior class) Assistant Principal. Her husband, Joe Arbitello has been working hard for the Ognibene campaign and securing the assistant principal appointment for his wife (Joe’s father was given a lucrative custodial and security position by Mike Mischel). As you can imagine, many teachers are concerned that political nepotism will supersede professionalism, hard-work and dedication to the students.

Thank You.

Concerned Educator

It appears that Ognilooney just can’t help himself and it should be clear to the community that we can’t afford to elect self-serving, manipulative and corrupt individuals to public office.

Ognibene “Persuades” Teachers to Petition

Rumor has it that Elizabeth Crowley is not the only candidate strong arming people to get petition signatures for the upcoming June 3^rd special election. It appears that Mr. Ognibene and friends are vigorously “persuading” Christ the King teachers to hit the pavement. Some have said that the carrot promises to be fresh and nutritious while the stick promises to be large and heavy.

Teachers feel “obligated” and “pressured” to “volunteer” because as Vice-Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Ognibene has power on “decisions” that could impact a teacher’s career at the school. In addition, Tom’s good friend and political ally Mike Mischel (Board of Trustee President) has also been “actively recruiting” Christ the King personnel to help Mr. Ognibene in his quest for political ascendancy making individuals even more uncomfortable and “willing” to “volunteer”.

The Patriots feel that politics should be banned from the Christ the King Board room and that individuals are allowed to volunteer on their own volition without fear of reprisals.

"Liberty may be endangered by the abuse of liberty, but also by the abuse of power."

-James Madison

NOT GUILTY

From Deborah Feyerick

NEW YORK (CNN) -- A judge acquitted three New York Police Department detectives of all charges Friday morning in the shooting death of an unarmed man in a 50-bullet barrage, hours before he was to be married.

Detectives Michael Oliver, left, Gescard Isnora and Marc Cooper were accused in the 50-bullet barrage.

Detectives Michael Oliver and Gescard Isnora were found not guilty of charges of manslaughter, assault and reckless endangerment in the death of Sean Bell, 23, and the wounding of two of his friends.

Detective Marc Cooper was acquitted of reckless endangerment.

Justice Arthur Cooperman issued his verdict in the bench trial. There was no jury.

Hundreds of people gathered outside the Queens courthouse in anticipation of the verdict.

The Rev. Al Sharpton called for calm Wednesday. He was accompanied by Bell's fiancee and other supporters on the steps of City Hall.

Bell, 23, was killed just before dawn on his wedding day, November 25, 2006. He and several friends were winding up an all-night bachelor party at the Kalua Club in Queens, a strip club that was under investigation by a NYPD undercover unit looking into complaints of guns, drugs and prostitution.

Undercover detectives were inside the club, and plain-clothes officers were stationed outside.

Witnesses said that about 4 a.m., closing time, as Bell and his friends left the club, an argument broke out. Believing that one of Bell's friends, Joseph Guzman, was going to get a gun from Bell's car, one of the undercover detectives followed the men and called for backup.

What happened next was at the heart of the trial, prosecuted by the assistant district attorney in Queens.

Bell, Guzman and Trent Benefield got into the car, with Bell at the wheel. The detectives drew their weapons, said Guzman and Benefield, who testified that they never heard the plain-clothes detectives identify themselves as police.

Bell was in a panic to get away from the armed men, his friends testified.

But the detectives thought Bell was trying to run down one of them, according to their lawyers, believed that their lives were in danger and started shooting.

In a frantic 911 call, police can be heard saying, "Shots fired. Undercover units involved."

A total of 50 bullets were fired by five NYPD officers. Only three were charged with crimes.

Oliver, who reloaded his semiautomatic in the middle of the fray, fired 31 times, Isnora fired 11 times, and Cooper, whose leg was brushed by Bell's moving car, fired four times, the NYPD said.

No gun was found near Bell or his friends.

Soon after his death, Sean Bell's fiancee, Nicole Paultre, legally changed her name to Nicole Paultre Bell. She is now raising the couple's two daughters, ages 5 and 1.

"I tell [them] that Daddy's in heaven now," she said. "He's watching over us. He's our guardian angel. He's going to be here to protect us and make sure nothing happens to us."

Detectives Endowment Association President Michael Palladino said forensic and scientific evidence presented during the seven-week trial contradicts the testimony of prosecution witnesses.

But Paultre Bell's father, Lester Paultre, said, "For those naysayers who say the police was doing their job, they should imagine their child in that car being shot by the police for no reason."

Paultre Bell, Guzman and Benefield have filed a wrongful-death lawsuit in federal court that has been stayed pending the outcome of the criminal trial. Guzman was shot 16 times, and four bullets, too dangerous to remove, remain in his body, according to his lawyer, Sanford Rubenstein.

Federal prosecutors in the Eastern District of New York have been monitoring the trial. In the event of an acquittal, it is likely authorities would conduct a review to determine whether there were any civil rights violations. All three victims were African-American

Courtesy of CNN.com

Robert Holden and the JPCA Exploit Alleged Victim

Robert Holden and the Juniper Park Civic Association will stoop to an all-new low as they cordially invite Gallagher's alleged victim to speak at their upcoming meeting. Sadly, Robert Holden is trying to disguise his disgraceful exploitation as an informational presentation on the affects of alleged criminal acts, alleged criminal investigations and the outcome of alleged criminal proceedings. However, it is perfectly clear that Robert Holden and Juniper Park Civic Association are shamefully exploiting the alleged victim to prolong their personal vendetta and attack on the former councilman.

This decision will ultimately backfire on Holden and the alleged victim. It is rumored that many reporters will be in attendance to ask the alleged victim some difficult questions about the alleged crime and the circumstances surrounding that Sunday afternoon and evening. Even more tantalizing is the rumor that "close" family members and "acquaintances" are eagerly awaiting their chance to paint a different picture of the alleged victim by sharing their stories of past "indiscretions" and similar "accusations" that may drastically sway public opinion.

This invitation by Holden and the Juniper Park Civic Association also raises questions about Holden's and other JPCA executive board members' involvement in the case. People have speculated for months that Holden's blind hatred for Gallagher caused him to solicit the help of a con artist to set the former councilman up for a fall. It also makes it clear that the alleged victim is preparing her civil case and getting ready for a payday.

We hope someone takes a picture of Holden's face as the victim tells her story. Once again, let us see the sick and perverse pleasure he gets from other people's misery.

"Karma is a real bitch" - Ghandi

DOB Commissioner Resigns

Do we think this was a voluntary resignation or an amicable firing?

What say you?

Lancaster Out as DOB Commissioner
by Azi Paybarah | April 22, 2008

Patricia Lancaster is out as the commissioner for the city's Department of Buildings.
Michael Bloomberg announced her departure in a statement just now.

From Bloomberg:

“This morning, I met with Patricia Lancaster at Gracie Mansion and accepted her resignation as New York City’s Buildings Commissioner. Over the past six years, Patricia has moved the Department of Buildings a long way forward by fighting corruption, strengthening inspections and oversight, increasing the public’s access to information, and bringing increased levels of professionalism and integrity to all levels of her agency. Patricia led a comprehensive overhaul of the City’s byzantine building code, the first in 40 years, which will make the construction of homes, schools, stores and offices in New York City safer, more affordable, and more environmentally friendly for years to come. Patricia leaves a strong foundation of reform and improvement for her successors to build on, and I thank her for her dedication to making New York City a far better place to live, work, and visit.”

Statement by Commissioner Patricia J. Lancaster:

“Today I submitted my resignation, which Mayor Bloomberg accepted. It has been an honor serving in his Administration and I thank the Mayor for this opportunity. After six years in public service, I made this decision because I felt it was time to return to the private sector. I am proud of the groundbreaking work the department has done during my tenure to root out corruption, increase transparency, overhaul the building code, and increase safety for workers and the public alike. My message today to the talented and capable staff at the Department of Buildings is to keep up the hard work: you’ve made so much important progress. It has been my distinct pleasure working with you.”

http://www.observer.com/2008/lancaster-out-dob-commissioner

Ognibene Lies To Priest

The Patriots were alerted that on Sunday April 20^th during a Romanian Orthodox celebration of Pascha (Easter), Ognibene intruded on the religious observance to get petition signatures. This intrusive act would be vulgar enough but telling the head priest that the petition sheets were "voter registration" forms is despicable. Dmitri Constantinescu stated, "We felt that our kindness and unfamiliarity with the election process was taken advantage of. Thankfully, this will only happen once."

Once again Tom Ognilooney is bending the rules to suit his own needs while he manipulates the community. Does Ognibene have any shame? Lying to constituents, lying to the media, lying to investigators and now shamefully lying to members of the clergy! Oh the indignity!

Let the War Begin! Special Election set for June 3rd

The Board of Elections says Mayor Michael Bloomberg set June 3rd for a special election to fill the Queens City Council seat for the 30^th district.

Get ready for fast and furious campaigning and mud-slinging.

Reports state that the election will cost the city around $400,000. The person elected to fill the seat will finish out the remainder of the year. In November, there will be another election to determine who will serve out rest of Gallagher's term, which expires at the end of 2009.

Crowley in Hot Water with Campaign Finance (again)

Elizabeth Crowley has angered her union brothers and sisters of DC 9. They are annoyed that they are being forced to go out and campaign for Dizzy Ms. Lizzy and for the fact that they never observed hold a paint brush, open a paint can or paint a wall.

Brothers and Sisters in solidarity,

Stand up and say something. I am in the painters union DC9. We were told a few days ago that we have to take a personal day to go out and campaign for Liz. Liz is the one with the no-show job that her cousin the congressman got her. She is the laziest person we have ever met and we all do not like her yet we are being forced to go out and get signatures for her so she can run for election. We had to do this for her in 2001 and I'll be damned if any of us are going to do it now for her.

Many other guys on this job site have been told by their shop stewards that they have to go out also. Like the plumbers and the sheet metal guys. Now think of this, they are coming here telling us that we have to go out or we are not going to be working here any longer.

Many of us say this is crap. So some of us took the liberty of calling the elections office and they told us to call the campaign finance and we did. They are investigating this. They said that this is a serious allegation. They also want to hear from other guys that are in similar situations. The lead investigator assigned to this case is Eric at 212-306-7147. He said that anyone that calls will remain anonymous.

They also said that this is a crime. That we can go to jail for participating in this type of action. They also said that anyone who signs the petitions can be called into court to testify and when the feds start investigating this we will have to give sworn statements to them. I do not know about anyone else, but I am not going to jail for anyone.

So some of us are going to call in sick to get out of this mess. But I thought everyone should know exactly what is going on and how serious this matter is and that we have reported it to the authorities and it is seriously being investigated. Beware, this could come back to hurt us all later. Let her go get her friends to go out not us. We make over $100,000 a year not to go out and get petitions for Crowley, I don't care who her cousin is.

We wonder what Crowley’s Crusaders have to say about this. Looks like they should be crushing corruption in their own camp!

Council Corruption Craze

The Patriots are requesting that the Department of Environmental Protection immediately take drinking water samples from the council chambers and try to determine if some rogue nation has poisoned the water causing embezzlement fever. First Quinn, then Stewart and now Arroyo! Who else will be diagnosed with this strange affliction?

However, if the drinking water proves to be safe and potable with no trace of any toxins, then swift and draconic justice should be doled out as generously as our elected officials doled out taxpayer money to phantom bogus organizations.

Since 2001, more than 17 million dollars of our money has been given to fictitious organizations and have lined the pockets of thieves disguised as public servants. Now that we know they served their own interests over ours, it is time that we demand that they repay us by serving time in jail.

Wasn't Tom Ognibene a councilman in 2001? Is this the corrupt experience he proclaims proudly?

BUSTS IN POL '$LUSH' RUSH

145G CHARITY-FRAUD RAP FOR AIDES *COUNCIL FUND SCANDAL GROWING

By KATI CORNELL, TOM TOPOUSIS and DAVID SEIFMAN

The Coronation of Frank Gulluscio

People who attended Mr. Gulluscio’s recent fundraiser are saying that they felt they were attending a coronation rather than a political fundraiser. Over 300 people from all parts of the city came to show their personal and financial support for Mr. Gulluscio and his race for city council. It is being reported that the event was a huge success because friends and supporters brought in over $30K. Many are saying that’s pretty good moolah for a first event and a clear indication that Gulluscio has the overwhelming support and confidence of his community.

Unfortunately, not everyone is happy over Gulluscio’s success. The unknown and much disliked other candidate, Eric Ulrich (who we like to call Ulbitch) is crying like a baby. Ulbitch is so angry that he has reported seeing prostitutes on every corner, on every street in the 32^nd Council District so he can get his name in the papers. Poor little Eric Ulbitch doesn’t have a chance of winning and an awe-inspiring majority of the community wish he would just go away. People have even made a few suggestions what Ulbitch should do instead of politics:

· Artificially inseminate warthogs at the Bronx Zoo.

· Tom Ognibene’s pool boy.

· Poster Child for the legalization of abortion.

· Juniper Park Civic Association President.

· Liquid Drano taster.

St Saviour's Hires (un)Professional Demolition Crew

St Saviour's is being dismantled by imposters posing as professional restorers.

A photographer took these disturbing photos:

We were surprised to see Ms Wilkinson holding something else other than an Arby's Double Beef Bacon Cheeseburger.

We were surprised that anyone in their right mind would let a rarely sober Ed Kamperman use a power tool.

We were surprised that Bob knew which side of the hammer to use and that a hammer is used for construction purposes and not for beating helpless human beings.

HOLDEN FINDS HISTORIC REMAINS ON ST SAVIOUR'S SITE

These may look like ordinary cats but Bob Holden and Christina Wilkinson have conducted DNA testing in Bob's secret basement laboratory and made a startling discovery. These cats belonged to the famous Indian Chief, OooeeWalaWalaBingBang which in English means "one who runs through crap" Legend has it that these two cats were the spiritual guide for the Chief and were instrumental in the tribe winning a 1651 battle against Dutch settlers.

Holden and Wilkinson are planning to donate the remains to the famous Feline Museum in Wallacoochie Georgia.

Bob stated, "Thank God I saved the church and discovered these remarkable artifacts. If it weren't for me, Bob Holden, these important feline remains and link to our past would have been lost forever." When asked why cat remains are so important, Mr. Holden revealed that he believes that humans have evolved from cats and not apes.

The Grimm Bros Gave us Tom Thumb and the 30th District Gave us Tom Dumb

Last night during a “Meet the Candidates” (for the 30^th Council District) event hosted by the Middle Village Property Owners, Tom Ognibene made a stunning announcement.

Tom Dumb stated that he will run in the upcoming special election, again in November 2008 but HE WILL NOT run in 2009. Ognilooney said that in 2009 he will then be ready to turn over the seat to more young, energetic and fresh candidates. The Patriots suggest that Tom should return all that “fresh” blood he said he received from the doctors because it looks like it was tainted with LSD.

It is obvious that Ognibene fails to realize that the 30^th Council District needs strong, energetic and effective leadership NOW. Unfortunately, Tom doesn’t understand the importance of continuity and stable representation in the city council which is instrumental in obtaining the funding and support our district needs and deserves. As in the past, Ognizcraze is clueless when it comes to placing the needs of the community over his own political aspirations and financial gains.

We hope that Tom Ognipension drops out of the race and finds other ways to increase his monthly retirement entitlements rather than once again exploiting the position of an elected official for his personal benefit.

Charlie Throws Stones at Goliath Democrat Machine

City Council hopeful, Charles Ober, is challenging the Queens County Democratic Organization executive committee to validate its resolution to endorse Elizabeth Crowley, cousin of the county leader, U.S. Rep Joseph Crowley. The Patriots can’t wait to hear the county machine’s rationale for selecting Crowley over the other potential democratic candidates.

Here is a list of Elizabeth Crowley’s qualifications that might be submitted to the Ober camp:

1. Ms. Crowley has 100 relatives that live in Maspeth.

2. She can spell Maspeth on her second try.

3. Her name begins with a C and ends in Y.

4. She looks good in a pant suit.

5. A certain assemblyman is off to jail and will cause no further embarrassment to Liz.

6. She can find Ridgewood with her newly installed GPS.

7. Refer back to numbers 1 through 6

“Elizabeth Crowley has no apparent community based qualifications for city council other than her insider relationship with the Queens Democratic machine.” Ober noted. Ober, a Ridgewood Democrat is running for the city council seat being vacated by Dennis Gallagher. “Unlike Elizabeth, I was not even given the chance to address the full county executive committee to make my case.” said Ober of the executive committee’s deliberations over the special election race in the 30^th district, which includes Glendale, Liberty Park, Maspeth, Middle Village, Richmond Hill, Ridgewood, and Woodhaven.

“I was told that it was a forgone conclusion.” added Ober, “I was also informed that if I did go forward with my bid for the city council seat, county was going to take me to court to challenge my petitions to make sure that I did not make it on the ballot. Either way I was not going to win, I was told flat out.”

Ober also was told by the executive committee members that one of the reasons for endorsing the candidacy of Crowley was the money she has raised. “I would have hoped that county would have seriously examined the relevant experience of the candidates first and the contributions that each have made to the civic life of the district, not considerations that have little to do with the best interest of the people that live in the community.” Ober declared. “Executive county members made it clear that they will use the courts to keep me off the ballot, instead of letting the people decide who the they want to represent them, which is suppose to be the democratic way, not taking candidates to court to keep them from running and financially ruin them.” Ober said. “Why should political leaders outside our district, deprive the voters in district 30 a real choice, rather than an only choice.”

Poor Mr. Ober is going to get a first hand education on how the Queens Democratic Machine operates and how it deals with “problems”. Good luck Charlie, you’re going to need it.

Read, Charles Ober Challenges Queens County Democratic Organization Endorsement of Elizabeth Crowley.

Thanks to Lost in the Ozone

Visit davidmquintana.blogspot.com for other stories.

her stories

Crowley Exploits Community Rally

On Saturday, April 12 members of the community, came together at a rally to save Woodhaven Lanes from closing its doors forever. I was also in attendance because I have enjoyed the bowling alley for decades and currently bowl in one of its senior leagues.

The rally was well attended by residents, the media and local elected officials. Senator Serf Maltese, Assemblywoman Audrey Pheffer and City Council candidate Anthony Como stopped by to offer their support and provided a few words of encouragement. Neither of the three interjected any of their political ambitions or did they try to solicit a vote until Elizabeth Crowley showed up.

Ms. Crowley showed up with a senior gentleman in tow and proceeded to hand out a Xeroxed piece of campaign literature to community members participating in the rally. On one side of the cheap copy paper was a NY Daily News article dated January 22^nd, 2008 praising Crowley's 70G war chest for the city council race and on the other side was a poorly written two paragraph summary of why Crowley is wrong for our community. You would think that if she raised 70G that she could spend a little money on professional campaign literature.
Moreover, you would think she could spend a little on advisors who could tell her that handing out campaign literature at an important community rally is distasteful, disrespectful and disgusting.

After Ms. Crowley left people were extremely annoyed at her obvious exploitation of the rally. Elizabeth Crowley should be more considerate of the community and refrain from campaigning at events where residents are fighting hard for their community. Crowley would have gotten more support if she would have just stayed away.

Read the Queens Chronicle article, "Bowlers Upset Over Plans To Close Woodhaven Lanes"

NYC Council Mutiny

According to the NY Daily News, Christine Quinn was reaching out to colleagues to try to suppress the anger and resentment of city council members. This under current of bitterness and opposition to Quinn's involvement and handling of Slushgate is starting to boil over with some members calling for her immediate resignation.

Quinn recently admitted to the wrong doing and on Friday proposed a reform system to prevent this from happening in the future. This was an amazing display of arrogance, hubris, and indignation by the Speaker. She feels that it is ok to break law if after you get caught, you change the rules to prevent others from committing the same crime. This would be similar to Eliot Spitzer deporting every escort and prostitute to Lichtenstein. Even Mayor Bloomberg praised Quinn's changes and applauded her for creating more transparency in government causing people to questions the mayor's sanity. In the Mayor's defense, Christine Quinn has had her head so far up Bloomberg's ass that every time he opens his mouth, Quinn can see who he is speaking with.

Speaker Quinn tries to quell Council troops upset over Slushgate probe
BY ADAM LISBERG, MATTHEW LYSIAK and ELIZABETH BENJAMIN
DAILY NEWS WRITERS
Monday, April 14th 2008

City Council Speaker Christine Quinn burned up the phone lines over the weekend, trying to calm an uprising by rank-and-file Council members infuriated by the financial scandal on her watch.

Her fellow lawmakers were caught by surprise when Quinn's secret slush fund was exposed, then were blindsided again Friday when she said she would reform the system by limiting their discretionary funds as well.

That prompted a series of extraordinary meetings by delegations from Queens, Brooklyn and the Bronx, Council sources said.

"We're upset," Councilman Erik Martin Dilan said at Brooklyn Borough Hall last night, after the Brooklyn delegation emerged from a 2-1/2-hour meeting. "The Council wasn't briefed about the investigation, and now the speaker is proposing changes," Dilan said. "We acknowledge we need change, but don't want to cede the power of the City Council."

Councilman Kendall Stewart, who was subpoenaed in connection with the probe last fall but said he is not a target, added, "The changes that the speaker is talking about cannot be allowed to happen. A lot of our smaller groups would be left out."

Brooklyn Councilman Charles Barron has called for Quinn to step down, and although other members tossed around the word coup yesterday, they said there were no plots to oust her from her post.

Quinn spokesman Jamie McShane said the speaker acknowledges the hurt feelings and is calling and meeting with her colleagues to address them.

"Chris acknowledges that she should have consulted her members prior to announcing the reforms," McShane said. "She's reaching out, seeking feedback and suggestions, and she'll continue to do so throughout the week."

Brooklyn Councilman Lew Fidler told the Daily News there was no reason to push Quinn from the speaker's office - just a need for "better communication."

The slush fund scandal - in which money was parked in the names of phony groups to pay for midyear expenses - has muddied Quinn's reputation as a reformer, which she had hoped to use in a run for mayor next year.

Some Council members suggested she recuse herself from budget negotiations and that the Council's Ethics Committee should probe the multimillion-dollar funds.

The changes were praised by Mayor Bloomberg and good-government groups, but could make it harder for members to dole out pork in their districts.

That worries some candidates planning to run for the Council in 2009, when 36 of the 51 members will be term-limited from office.

"People have been unnerved for some time by [Quinn's] complete abdication of power to the executive," said one lawmaker. "She has surrendered the Council to the mayor for a couple of years now."

Ognibene Fundraiser Flop

It is being reported that Ognibene's fundraiser on Saturday April 12^th was a major flop and a clear indicator of Ognibene's lack of community support. According to circulating reports, the fundraising event was poorly attended as a mere 20 people showed up to give their meager support to Tom Ognibene. Political insiders have commented that Mr. Ognibene could be out of the race shortly because he is unable to attract financial supporters or campaign volunteers to effectively mount a successful race against the other candidates. As a result, community members are hoping that Tom Ognibene can read the writing on the wall and drop out of the race.

Famous Queens Resident Series, Part XXXVI

John Leguizamo – The “Summer of Sam,” “Romeo and Juliet” and Broadway performer developed his act growing up in Jackson Heights.

Fast-talking and feisty-looking John Leguizamo has continued to impress movie audiences with his versatility: he can play sensitive and naïve young men, such as Johnny in Hangin' with the Homeboys (1991); cold-blooded killers like Benny Blanco, gunning down reformed gangster Al Pacino in Carlito's Way (1993); a heroic Navy SEAL, stopping aerial terrorists in Executive Decision (1996); and drag queen Chi-Chi Rodriguez in To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar (1995). Arguably, not since ill-fated actor and comedian Freddie Prinze starred in the smash TV series "Chico and the Man" (1974) has a youthful Latino personality had such a powerful impact on critics and fans alike.

Born July 22, 1964, in Bogotá, Colombia, Leguizamo was four when his family emigrated to the United States. He was raised in Queens, New York, attended New York University and studied under legendary acting coach Lee Strasberg for only one day before Strasberg passed away. The extroverted Leguizamo started working the comedy club circuit in New York and first appeared in front of the cameras in an episode of "Miami Vice" (1984). His first film appearance was a small part in Mixed Blood (1985), and he had minor roles in Casualties of War (1989) and Die Hard 2 (1990) before playing a liquor store thief who shoots Harrison Ford in Regarding Henry (1991). His career really started to soar after his first-rate performance in the independent film Hangin' with the Homeboys (1991) as a nervous young teenager from the Bronx out for a night in brightly lit Manhattan with his buddies, facing the career choice of staying in a supermarket or heading off to college and finding out that the girl he loves from afar isn't quite what he thought she was.

The year 1991 was also memorable for other reasons, as he hit the stage with his show Mambo Mouth (1991) (TV), in which he portrayed seven different Latino characters. The witty and incisive show was a smash hit and won the Obie and Outer Circle Critics Award, and later was filmed for HBO, where it picked up a CableACE Award. He returned to the stage two years later with another satirical production poking fun at Latino stereotypes titled Spic-O-Rama (1993) (TV). It played in Chicago and New York, and won the Drama Desk Award and four CableACE Awards.

In 1995 he created and starred in the short-lived TV series "House of Buggin'" (1995), an all-Latino-cast comedy variety show featuring hilarious sketches and comedic routines. The show scored two Emmy nominations and received positive reviews from critics, but it was canceled after only one season. The gifted Leguizamo was still keeping busy in films, with key appearances in Super Mario Bros. (1993), Romeo + Juliet (1996) and Spawn (1997). In 1998 he made his Broadway debut in Freak (1998) (TV), a "demi-semi-quasi-pseudo-autobiographical" one-man show, which was filmed for HBO by Spike Lee.

Utilizing his distinctive vocal talents, he next voiced a pesky rat in Doctor Dolittle (1998) before appearing in the dynamic Spike Lee-directed Summer of Sam (1999) as a guilt-ridden womanizer, as the Genie of The Lamp in the exciting Arabian Nights (2000) (TV) and as Henri de Toulouse Lautrec in the visually spectacular Moulin Rouge! (2001). He also voiced Sid in the animated Ice Age (2002), co-starred alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger in Collateral Damage (2002) and directed and starred in the boxing film Undefeated (2003) (TV). Afterward, Leguizamo starred in the remake of the John Carpenter hit Assault on Precinct 13 (2005) and George A. Romero's long-awaited fourth "Dead" film, Land of the Dead (2005). There can be no doubt that the remarkably talented Leguizamo has been a breakthrough performer for the Latino community in mainstream Hollywood, in much the same way that Sidney Poitier crashed through celluloid barriers for African-Americans in the early 1960s. Among his many strengths lies his ability to not take his ethnic background too seriously but also to take pride in his Latino heritage. He has opened many doors for his countrymen. A masterly and accomplished performer, movie audiences await Leguizamo's next exciting

Courtesy of www.imdb.com

Veterans Want to Court Marshall Speaker Quinn

Sadly, veterans often get screwed when it comes time for elected officials to put their money where their mouth is. Veterans realize that they have to fight for every penny they receive from the government. Therefore when veterans learned that Speaker Quinn created a fictional veterans group called “Association of Concerned Veterans” to hide $422,763 in slush dollars that real veterans will never receive, they were fighting mad.

Veterans are not the only group calling for Quinn’s head. Every organization that has had to fight for money to fund their causes is feeling cheated.

Tracy Dick of the blog Room Eight Politics is calling for the City Council to take action and poses the question, “Where are your cojones?"to the council members.

The Patriots also feel that Quinn has betrayed the public trust and should be punished.

Vets slam Quinn Over ‘slush fund’

BY VICTOR G. MIMONI

Wednesday, April 9, 2008 7:55 PM EDT

Veterans are putting on their “war face” in the wake of a published report that City Council Speaker Christine Quinn’s office used a phony veterans group to park more than $422,000 of taxpayer money in what is being called a $4.5 million “slush fund.”

According to the published report, the amount was “set aside” between 2007 and 2008, by listing 30 phony groups on the city budget, as receiving grants.

Since 2002, more than $17 million has reportedly been doled out by the speaker through similar means, according to reports. Former Speaker Gifford Miller (2002-2006) has not responded to numerous calls from the media.

The “American Association of Concerned Veterans” was listed as being allocated the largest amount, $422,763. Like the other groups, with inspiring names like “Coalition for a Strong Special Education,” it never existed.

The ploy gave “the speaker a stash of cash with which to thank or pay off politically important allies or cooperative council members,” a council source is reported to have said. Quinn reportedly said she ordered the practice, which is said to date back to 1988, ended. She “only recently discovered her staff had not complied,” according to the report. However, that’s not good enough for some vets. “It’s a disgrace,” fumed Raymond Molina, a local commandant of the Marine Corps League. “The only time they want a veteran is to hold a flag in the background and make them look good,” the Vietnam War vet said. John Rowan, the national president of the Vietnam Veterans of America, said he once worked for the City Council. At first, Rowan was “confused” because he’d never heard of the veterans group. “We’ve been getting nowhere trying to get city funding for veterans initiatives for years,” he said. Pat Toro, President of Queens Chapter 32 of the Vietnam Veterans group accused Quinn, who is running for mayor next year, of “playing stupid.” “She’s got a lot of nerve,” Toro growled, “If we did something like that, they’d put us in jail.” Toro explained that after years of wrangling by City Councilmember Hiram Monserrate, who is a former Marine, $1 million was allocated citywide, to create one-stop help centers for veterans. “That was out of $5 million we were looking for,” Toro said. “We had already created our own center in Middle Village, and we wound up splitting Queens’ share of the money with LaGuardia Community College’s vet center. That money could be used by the veterans instead of being used by her.” Peter Vallone Sr., who served as Speaker of the Council from 1988 until December 31, 2001, told The Queens Courier, “They have every right to be angry.” Vallone stressed that budgets have to be written in advance “It’s necessary to build in flexibility” to deal with legitimate expenditures that can’t be foretold when the budget is written. “I think part of it was term limits,” he said, suggesting that inexperienced staffers made unfortunate choices in order to achieve the long-standing “flexibility” goal. “We never [used bogus organizations] when I was in office,” he said. The vets aren’t satisfied with reports that two top aides were “forced out or resigned,” or Quinn’s reported claims that she “blew the whistle” on the practice and is co-operating with the investigation. “They should all be held accountable, even her” Molina insisted. Repeated calls to Quinn’s office were not been returned as of press time.

Crowley Camp Draws First Blood

The Patriots received this flyer yesterday from a group calling themselves the Crowley Crusaders. The Crowley Crusaders are attacking Ognibene for his indiscretions, abuse of power, shady business dealings and his choice of friends.

Has Ms. Crowley ever heard the saying, “you shouldn't throw stones if you live in a glass house”?

It appears that the first shots have been fired and the battle for the 30^th Council District has officially started. This is going to be fun to watch.

Dear Friends,

In the upcoming special election it is imperative that we elect a qualified effective leader for our district. More importantly, this is an opportunity to bring back dignity and respect to the 30th Council District. With this is mind we wanted to bring to your attention some disturbing facts about former Councilman Tom Ognibene who wants your support in the upcoming election.

• In 2001, Ognibene was under investigation for his relationship with corrupt buildings consultant, Ronald Lattanzio.
• The Village Voice article, Inside Edge June 12, 2001 reported that wire taped conversations revealed that Ognibene was part of the “culture” of corruption surrounding the Department of Buildings.
• In exchange for Ognibene's assistance and political influence to help Lattanzio, the former councilman received numerous gifts, including campaign contributions and "other services." The NY Times articles, Vacation Offers For Councilman Are Scrutinized June 13, 2001, Councilman Denies Improperly Helping Building Consultant June 20^th, 2001 and Councilman Got Gifts, Says Witness In Trial June 22^nd 2001 all detail the corrupt relationships and the gifts provided in return of Ognibene’s influence.
• Tom Ognibene abused his position to obtain lucrative city jobs for family members.
• Ognibene was denied a judgeship because of his alleged illegal behavior.
• It was reported that Ognibene was involved in questionable business dealings executed at Christ the King that included the sale of pornographic memorabilia.
• Tom Ognibene and “friends” use Christ the King resources and equipment for personal use and individual financial gains.
• It is alleged that Ognibene was instrumental in getting a civic leader's wife a job in Governor Pataki's NYC office and in exchange the civic leader allegedly returned the favor and gave Ognibene an all expenses paid vacation.
• Tom Ognibene did not get the support of his own party due to his “questionable” past.

Before casting your vote in the upcoming special election ask yourself a few questions. Do you need an elected official who uses his influence to help corrupt city officials? Do you want an elected official who sells his integrity for a vacation? Do you need an elected official who practices nepotism and political patronage? Do you want an elected official who uses a private school for personal financial gains? Do you need Tom Ognibene representing you?

Crowley Crusaders

Crowley Collecting Petition Signatures Prematurely? Illegally?

A concerned resident has informed the Patriots that Elizabeth Crowley is not playing by the rules. Individuals have been stating that Ms Crowley is trying to get a "jump" on her competition by collecting petition signatures before the official date of proclamation and announced first day to circulate and file petitions.

Election fraud is a serious matter and undermines the democratic process for a fair election. If anyone has information or has signed a petition, they should contact the Board of Elections immediately.

Board of Elections:

32 Broadway 7^th Floor

New York, NY 10004

212-487-5300

Queens Board of Elections

120-06 Queens Boulevard

Kew Gardens, NY 11418

718-730-6730

It would be a shame to learn that Ms Crowley believes that the only way she can win is by cheating.

Holden Sells Out Maspeth to Save Wooden Church

It appears that St Saviours church may be saved from the wrecking ball and moved to All Faith's Cemetery in Middle Village. The owner of the property has graciously agreed to give preservationists time to raise money to save the church building from demolition. The cost of moving the church could cost approximately a half million dollars so the public is being asked to donate money. If you are interested in donating money you should mail your checks to:

Newtown Historical Society
P.O. Box 790275
Middle Village, NY 11379

It is wonderful that the church is being saved but what happened to fighting overdevelopment and obtaining the much needed green space for Maspeth residents? Didn't the JPCA argue that the St. Saviour's site contained historical artifacts and possibly Indian burials? Didn't Robert Holden spew vitriolic rhetoric how it was imperative that the church and property needed to be preserved together to protect their historical significance? Didn't rally after rally after rally call for the creation of a museum, community center and park for the residents of Maspeth?

"I said look, all we want is the church, if you could just give us the church, donate the church to us, we'll get it off the property," said Robert Holden of the Juniper Park Civic Association.

The Patriots commend the developers for their Holden "appeasement scheme" and finally realizing that if you stroke his ego he will go away. Not surprisingly, this "appeasement scheme" has worked in the past for 7/11, Arby's and Wallgreens. All three of these establishments were protested until they paid off the JPCA antagonists. The payoffs were disguised as public donations to the Juniper Park Civic Association and Midville Dodgers or as advertising dollars in the Juniper Berry and Forum West. Holden and his cronies have their price and will sell out the community for their own gains or personal edification.

Unfortunately for the residents of Maspeth, Robert Holden, Tony Avella, Tony Nunziato and Christina Wilkinson have exchanged the hopes and dreams of Maspeth residents for the preservation of a wooden church. Robert Holden and his misfits are adding insult to injury by moving the church to Middle Village and clear the Maspeth property for industrial or residential development.

Don't be fooled our friends, this is not a win for Maspeth. This a major defeat for the people who live around the St Saviours site. Robert Holden never cared about the residents of Maspeth because Holden only cares about Robert Holden.