| August Archive |
|
| August 4, 2003 "Who would best represent us?" There has been many email inquires concerning signing a retainer with a particular legal firm or consortium of firms, involving illness, property value loss, or long range illness possibilities. Some have asked "Who would best represent us?" Some residents have not signed a retainer with any firm. On July 13, 2003, an "Information" sheet was sent out that listed legal firms, their addresses and telephone numbers. For your convenience, the legal firms are listed on the bottom of this email. Ultimately, the choice must be made by you alone, but doing some homework will assist you in that choice. The following information will help you in doing that homework. For sometime now I have had computer print outs of all the firms that have made presentations to the residents of the village. As I thought you might be interested in obtaining these exact same print outs, I am passing along the information below that will get you that information. Much like the Dun and Bradstreet business directory, for the world of business, there is a parallel publication in the field of law firms. It is known as Martindale-Hubbell. This publication will give you the firm's size, ranking and practice areas. It will also give dates of birth, education and special practices of each attorney within that firm. Knowledge is power, and this is knowledge you should consider. The following instructions will get you that knowledge. I would like to mention that I have heard of a woman in a New Jersey toxic dump area that was not afflicted with any physical illnesses at the time and did not sign a client/lawyer retainer. Four years later, she was diagnosed with cancer. Unfortunately…… too late!!!! As always, please share this information with neighbors and friends that do not have email. Best regards, Instructions on how you can search for lawyers and/or lawyers firms.
List of Law Firms |
| August 22, 2003
IBM responds to ten (10) pertinent questions On July 23, 2003, the RAGE Organization wrote a letter to Mr. Wayne S. Balta, IBM Vice President Corporate Environmental Affairs and Product Safety, asking ten (10) pertinent questions relative to the toxic situation in the Village of Endicott. You may recall seeing this letter in our TOXIC SPILL NEWS email of July 30, 2003. The response was hand delivered to me last week by Kevin Whalen, IBM Project Team Groundwater Vapor Project, Endicott, New York. See questions and the IBM responses below. Please allow a few minutes for this letter to come into view as it is a scanned copy of the letter. If you have a printer, it may be easier to read in printed form. As always, please share this information with neighbors and friends that do not have email. Best regards, IBM Response (PDF-Adobe Acrobat) Top |
| August 29, 2003
A call from the Office of Senator Schumer. MEDIA - FINAL Sometime on the afternoon of August 27 maybe 3:30 PM, I received a call from the Office of Senator Schumer, via a staff member. The information relayed was to the effect that Senator Schumer was going to make a press release and perhaps mention it during his visit to Oneonta, NY on August 28 regarding the following: The Senator would be suggesting that the NYSDEC with IBM officials, in concert, create a program of open discussions with, or create a Citizen Advisory Committee to hold discussions pertaining to the Endicott toxic situation. I have given this idea several hours thought, and have discussed this with others before making any judgment pro or con to the idea. While the Citizen Action Group, as it initially started out, and is now known as Resident Action Group of Endicott – RAGE Organization – we will be coming up to our first anniversary this coming October. Thus, getting a Citizen Advisory Committee together is not new, as we have been sending Senator Schumer as well as Senator Clinton copies of our emails which we send to people listed in our data base with known email addresses. The Senator already knows we exist! So then, I must ask, why this sudden interest? It seems to be a case of not giving notoriety to any Citizen Advisory Committee as suggested by the Senator’s office, but an attempt to placate the Senator’s office, as “doing something for the public”. Where were the Senator’s concerns a year ago when this toxic, VOC situation came to light? Is this the best idea that the Senator, an elected official of the people, can come up with? What on earth makes the Senator think that IBM, after bobbing and weaving through almost 25 years of semi-secrecy will be forthcoming with a group of citizens, no matter who they are? Senator, come to Endicott and I along with several other people will give you a tour in reality. People are sick, people have cancer, and yes people have died – and we have no answers to this, but we all have our suspicions. So, where is Senator Schumer’s support? Where is our other state Senator’s support? Trust me when I say, sickness, illness, nervous disorders and cancer is not a political, racial or ethnic problem. Cancer is an “equal opportunity disaster”. It destroys life and lives, relationships and neighborhoods. We need help, real help and we need it now! In fact we needed it yesterday! “Save our Community”. I have contacted Senator Schumer’s office as I have contacted the junior New York Senator’s office about three months ago with the RAGE Organization mission and goals, yet I have heard nothing back from neither one. What the people of the Village of Endicott need is action – not more discussion. We have already asked all the questions! Would it not make more sense to suggest that IBM and the DEC meet with: Village Trustees, Village Engineer and the Village Attorney on a regular basis, followed by a resident Q&A time slot after such a meeting? If the Senator’s best suggestion, after brainstorming with his staff, is to form a Citizen Advisory Committee to talk with IBM, I can only surmise that the other New York Senator may follow with the suggestion to have a bake sale! Please contact Congressman Hinchey, he gives a damn, and he can fill you in on this matter. Very truly yours, |