Category: Joe Crea
Anti-Gay Tactics Used by Both Parties During Midterm Elections
By Joe Crea
WASHINGTON, Nov. 13, 2002–Through direct mail, radio and television, both Republicans and Democrats used a record number of anti-gay tactics during the midterm elections this fall said the Human Rights Campaign (HRC). But in the thirteen cases documented by the HRC, two involved Democrats attacking Republicans.
“HRC continues to assert a non-partisan element when almost all of the anti-gay stances in the midterm elections were conducted by Republicans,” said Representative Barney Frank (D-Mass). “These examples further indicate that the Republican Party is anti-gay.”
David Smith, communications director for the HRC, a non-profit group, said he didn’t agree with that characterization since an “anti gay comment is an anti-gay comment” and were used by both parties.
Rep. Frank also said that there was an “organized effort” by Republicans to use anti-gay tactics. Speaking in reference to one of the two cases where a Democrat attacked a Republican, he said that Senate nominee Alex Sanders (D-SC) “just blurted out” an anti-gay comment during a debate when he attacked Rudy Giuliani’s endorsement of his opponent Rep. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) saying that “Giuliani’s wife kicked him out and he moved in with two gay men and a Shih Tzu. Is that South Carolina values? I don’t think so.”
Smith said that HRC looked very hard for an organized national effort by Republicans in this midterm election cycle and found that none were “organized” and had no “common denominator except that they were anti-gay attacks.”
The Log Cabin Republicans (LCR), the largest group of gay and lesbian Republicans, said that Democrats did their fair share of gay baiting, some of which was not even listed on the HRC report.
LCR director of public affairs, Michael Mead, said Rep. Frank is “so partisan and so blind that he can’t see the forest from the trees” and noted that Rep. David Phelps (D-Ill), who introduced a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, placed pink-colored leaflets on parked cars noting that his Republican opponent, John Shimkus, was endorsed by the LCR and was pro-gay rights. Shimkus went on to win the race.
And also missing from the list, according to the LCR, was a whispering campaign conducted by Democrats in Hawaii who sought to spread rumors that that Republican gubernatorial candidate Linda Lingle, was a closeted lesbian. LCR said that no gay Democratic leaders or groups spoke out against this action.
HRC cited various cases in which Republicans used anti-gay tactics. In Arkansas’s 4th District race, Republican Jay Dickey smeared his Democratic opponent, Mike Ross, implying that he wanted to let “gays promote their lifestyle to children…”
And in the Florida Governor’s race, a Orlando political consultant and former executive director of the state Christian Coalition, produced a telephone message that implied Democrat candidate Bill McBride supported gay marriage. The call ended with, “This call is paid for on behalf of Jeb Bush campaign, Republican,” though it wasn’t endorsed by Republican Governor Jeb Bush.
“If some right wing nut wants to do something, there’s not much one can do,” said Michael Mead, Director of Public Affairs for the LCR. “But when you have the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee doing this it is particularly egregious.”
But according to the HRC report the National Republican Congressional Committee also sent out a direct mail piece attacking Ed O’Brien (D-Pa) saying he “received support from some of the most radical special interest groups in the nation-including groups that support expansion of gay rights.”
One case during the midterm elections that has been met with a mixed response involved a television ad supported by state Democratic Party leaders in Montana that questioned the sexual orientation of Republican state Senator Mike Taylor. The piece showed Taylor, former beauty school owner and hairdresser, administering skin care to a man by massaging his cheekbones.
Rep. Frank called the ad more “insensitive” than a case of gay baiting but the LCR and HRC said it was an absolute attack piece.
“The audience it was intended for had anti-gay tones and the gay community as a whole was outraged,” said Smith.
Published in The New Bedford Standard Times, in Massachusetts.
On The Launch Pad and Ready to Go: All They Need Now Are The Funds
By Joe Crea
WASHINGTON, Nov. 14, 2002--Citing a depleted Superfund program, the Environmental Protection Agency has denied Atlas Tack Corp and six other high-priority toxic waste sites, the necessary funds required to clean up year's worth of virulent wastes, according to various environmental groups.
The Sierra Club said the Superfund program, a trust fund that's used to clean-up hazardous waste sites when the polluter cannot be found or refuses to pay, is not being funded properly. It once boasted an impressive 3.6 billion in 1995 when a mandatory polluter's taxes expired. Presently, the funds have dwindled to nothing and the U.S. Public Interest Research Group projected 28 million in funds for FY03.
"Everyone knows that these are dangerous sites and you could get sick by being near them," said Julie Wolk, an environmental health advocate for US PIRG. "It's getting close to a crisis-type situation and becoming more obvious that they must be cleaned up."
US PIRG said that by refusing to reauthorize a tax that placed the burden on polluters rather than citizens, the Bush administration was trying to phase out the Superfund program completely.
"This is the first administration blatantly going on the record to not support this tax and Reagan was the one who authorized it," said Jessica Frohman, national conservation organizer for the Sierra Club. "It wasn't reauthorized during the Clinton administration, but he was trying to get it reauthorized. We feel there's no reason why the individual taxpayers should be cleaning up these sites."
According to the EPA's regional office in Massachusetts, Atlas Tack was asked to clean up their site in 2000 and they never responded. "The EPA could file a suit against then and at one point we asked for the money in phases to accomplish our three goals, taking the buildings down first, cleaning the upland areas and then the marsh but they never responded," said Elaine Stanley, the Environmental Protection Agency's remedial project manger.
In a profile on their website entitled, "Communities At Risk: Fairhaven, Massachusetts," the Sierra Club said that Atlas Tack Corp left enough wastes and pollutants behind that "could threaten the health of more than 7,000 people who live within a mile of the facility and more than 15,000 people who drink groundwater from wells within three miles of the site."
The EPA Mass office estimates that the cleanup is going to take a little over two years. The funding requested will handle what remains contaminated at the site.
According to Ms. Stanley, most superfund sites are getting less and less funding. "Once a site gets funding it's easier to get money," said Stanley. "It's hard to start new sites."
Since the beginning of 2001, the EPA Mass office has been examining how toxic the marsh is. Presently they are in the final stages of the clean up, having completed the chemical analysis and concluding the remedial design.
A priority panel, composed of managers from across the country, determines who will get funding. The sites get ranked based on cost, health, ecological risks and when it can be completed.
When Atlas Tack closed its doors in 1985, the cost for the EPA to clean up the site has been $2.8 million. Atlas Tack manufactured wire tacks, steel nails and similar items. The company discharged most of its wastes-cyanides, heavy metals and arsenic-for thirty decades into an unlined lagoon used as a settling pond. The deposits contaminated the groundwater and spread into neighboring estuaries.
"We've been funded for the feasibility study, which examines alternative options, and the remedial investigation which determines the nature of the risks," said Ms. Stanley. "We are pretty much dressed up and ready to go for the construction part but we have not been funded for this."
Published in The New Bedford Standard Times, in Massachusetts.
USPIRG says ‘Revere Copper Products Violating Law’
By Joe Crea
WASHINGTON, Nov. 07, 2002--Several weeks ago marked the 30th anniversary of the Clean Water Act, ambitious legislation that has regulated hazardous discharges in our nation's waterways. On the eve of this celebration, a public interest group said that thousands of facilities including Revere Copper Products in New Bedford have been violating their permit by exceeding their permit dumping levels of hazardous metals.
The U.S. Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) released "In Gross Violation: How Polluters are Flooding America's Waterways with Toxic Chemicals," detailing the lax enforcement of the CWA by the Environmental Protection Agency and state environmental agencies. About 5,116 major facilities in the U.S. have exceed their permit limits at least once between January 1, 1999 and December 31, 2001 and 1,768 of these facilities have discharged chemicals that are known or suspected to cause cancer and other serious health ailments, according to the report.
The report states that Revere Copper Products in New Bedford has exceeded their permit dumping levels of zinc into the Acushnet River by 3,179 percent over their normal limit. In a prepared statement, the company's Vice President of Environmental and Human Resources, Kevin P. Cleary, called the report 'misleading,' and said that it created a 'false impression.'
Cleary said the zinc levels were recorded at monitoring points located within the wastewater process 'well before the discharge to the Acushnet River.'
"The facility itself reports this information to the EPA so I don't understand what they're (Revere Copper Products) saying in this statement," said Richard Caplan, a US PIRG researcher who contributed to the report. "This is not an insignificant violation. It's quite significant. They've violated the law."
The health effects of high hazard chemicals like zinc are numerous. It's a suspected blood, immuno, reproductive, respiratory and skin toxin. And any workers in the area that are exposed to accidental releases of the chemical in the facility could experience many ailments from respiratory problems to affixation, said Liz Hitchcock Communication Director for U.S. PIRG.
"When you confront these violators they often say, 'well, people take Zinc lozenges,'" said Hitchcock. "However, the average level of zinc dumped into the Acushnet River by Revere Copper Products is 3,179% over their permit limit. Those aren't lozenges levels."
US PIRG said that their report makes clear that facilities are not being deterred from violating the law despite the fact that fines could be numerous for violaters.
According to the Sierra Club, if a company unknowingly violated their permits, they can be charged no less than $2500 and nor more than 25,000 per day of the violation. But for those who willingly violate their permits, the daily fines can reach close to $50,000.
"Those are pretty sizable fines especially if you are exceeding your permit for a few years," said Ed Hopkins, director of the Sierra Club's Environmental Quality program. "But, the courts are very sensitive about putting companies out of business, so a lot of the time it's rare that the full penalty is imposed," said Hopkins."
Hitchcock says that one of the problems with the CWA is that it doesn't have 'mandatory enforcement' attached to it. "With 88,000 violations of the law, that might indicate that there was less than enthusiastic enforcement happening," said Hitchcock. "California and New Jersey have passed laws that establish mandatory fines but the
CWA as is, gives the charge to the states to enforce the law."
In his statement, Cleary said that his company 'considers environmental performance to be a matter of continuous improvement' and is in the process of installing 'additional water treatment enhancements including a final pH treatment system and increased equalization capacity.'
Published in The New Bedford Standard Times, in Massachusetts.
House Passes Iraq Resolution, Frank Votes Against
By Joe Crea
WASHINGTON, Oct. 10, 2002--Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) warned on Thursday that if the United States engages in a unilateral war with Iraq, Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein is likely to use his vast arsenal of weapons of mass destruction.
Frank spoke in a phone interview after the House voted to pass a White House-backed resolution authorizing the use of force in Iraq.
The resolution, which passed, 296-133, was strongly supported by Republicans and won some Democratic approval, including that of Minority Leader Rep. Dick Gephardt (D-Mo).
Frank, who voted against the measure, favored the "two-step amendment," better known as the Spratt Amendment after its sponsor, Rep. John Spratt (D-S.C.). The amendment, which was defeated Thursday, would have forced President Bush to return to Congress should he fail to gain support from the United Nations for an international coalition.
"The intelligence people say Hussein will probably use his chemical weapons" in a war with the United States, Frank said in the interview. "He didn't use them previously, because he was deterred by the fear of what we would do to him. Now he has nothing to lose."
In the Senate, Bush gained a new ally, Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.), who announced his support for the measure.
"Because this resolution is improved, because I believe that Saddam Hussein represents a real threat and because I believe it is important for America to speak with one voice at this critical moment, will vote to give the president the authority he needs," Daschle said in prepared remarks.
Originally skeptical of the resolution, Daschle urged his colleagues to conclude the debate immediately and vote on the measure. The Senate was expected to vote late Thursday or Friday.
Frank expressed concern about the impact of such a resolution, should a war eventually be waged.
"Take the tax cut, the war in Afghanistan, homeland security, compensating Sept. 11 survivors, the airline bailout and add to that Iraq and reconstruction, I think Bush needs to revisit the tax cut," Frank said.
Published in The New Bedford Standard Times, in Massachusetts.
Nation’s Leading Medical Experts Discuss West Nile Threat With Washington Lawmakers
By Joe Crea
WASHINGTON, Sept. 24, 2002--As West Nile virus cases continue to increase, two Senate panels held a joint hearing Tuesday on the health threats the virus poses and the overall adequacy of the federal and state response.
"The goal of our hearing is to determine whether all necessary steps are being taken by federal, state and local governments to assist communities afflicted by the West Nile fever," Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.), the chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, said in his opening remarks.
The committee, together with the Senate Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, Restructuring and the District of Columbia, heard sworn testimony from Dr. Julie Louise Gerberding, the new director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases; and Dr. Jesse Goodman, the Deputy Director of the Food and Drug Administration's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research.
Gerberding, whose husband contracted a mild strain of the West Nile virus, said the CDC continues to work to strengthen the nation's public health infrastructure, one of the best defenses against any disease outbreak.
Kennedy criticized the Bush Administration's "serious cutbacks" in the public health infrastructure. Gerberding was ambivalent about whether more money was required.
"The system is stretched," she said. "However, we've done the best we can with the resources we have."
Gerberding also urged the public to take precautionary measures such as draining standing water, a haven for mosquitoes, and encouraged individuals, especially older people, to wear insect repellent containing DEET, a chemical that impairs mosquitoes' ability to detect human scents.
The lawmakers seemed reassured that the nation's blood supply was safe as Goodman chronicled and detailed the discriminating donor screening, blood testing and quarantining. He also said that in recent years, there has been a "remarkable decrease" in the transmission of viral diseases through blood, and he encouraged the public to continue donating, because the demand is considerable and the supply remains low.
Responding to a question about how grave a threat the West Nile virus posed to the public, Fauci said the disease would not kill large numbers of people--like HIV, which has taken 23 million lives--but still remains important.
"This is not a massive public health crisis, but it's something that shouldn't be written off as trivial," said Fauci, who predicted that a vaccine would be available within the next few years.
Kennedy said that in the fight against the virus, "the battlegrounds will be our nation's emergency rooms and the heroes will be our nation's health care professionals. To win this war we need to restore funding for hospitals, invest in the training of doctors and nurses and rebuild our public health capacity. The price of victory may be high but the cost of defeat is higher still."
Published in The New Bedford Standard Times, in Massachusetts.
Local New Bedford Woman at D.C. Cancer Rally, Honors Mom and Others
By Joe Crea
WASHINGTON, Sept. 19, 2002--Wearing purple clothing and earrings, Lorraine Desrosiers Sylvia entered the Massachusetts tent, at the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life "Celebration on the Hill." The space was bustling with activity and joyous laughter. She immediately smiled and it seemed as if her radiance broke through the day's overcast weather.
Today, she and thousands of other dedicated individuals attended the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life "Celebration on the Hill" event on the National Mall that advocates cancer awareness, celebrates the lives of cancer survivors and honors the memory of those who have passed. Sylvia, a lifelong New Bedford resident, has volunteered for the American Cancer Society for the past nine years.
The event in front of the U.S. Capitol was crammed with a concert stage and 50 tents that housed volunteers from all 50 states who were planning, sharing, laughing and crying.
"We really are here today to make an impact and let everyone know we care about cancer and that we vote," said Sylvia.
Joining Sylvia on this pilgrimage were her husband, Richard Sylvia, and all 15 members of her American Cancer Society support group. Her friends in the group were not shy when offering their opinions about the 58-year-old New Bedford resident.
"She's the kind of person who will say, 'Gee, Laura, can you help me out? And the next thing you know you are a committee chairperson," said Laura Hergenhan, 53, of New Bedford.
Sylvia's image as a Town Crier prompted another friend, Dale Correia, 53, of New Bedford, to say that "she's one of those people that carries around an imaginary soap box."
Her friends all agree. Sylvia is one of the most caring individuals they know.
For Sylvia, who lost her mother and three cousins to cancer, there was plenty to remember and honor in Washington today.
"I miss her just as much today," said Sylvia, speaking about her mother, Loretta Lariviere, who died 30 years ago. "She was awesome."
Lariviere had lymph node cancer and Hodgkin's disease, and according to her daughter, always participated in experimental drug trials with the hope of saving other people's lives.
"What's so wonderful about it is that people don't die of that type of cancer anymore," said Sylvia. "Maybe her research helped save lives. So she's my hero."
But the day also was an opportunity for Sylvia to celebrate, as she knows many who have survived cancer, like her aunt, Beatrice Johnson, 69, of Fairhaven, who was in attendance.
And Sylvia had her own brush with cancer some years ago when doctors removed a tumor that turned out to be non-malignant. As a result, she ignores the latest controversy surrounding the validity of mammograms.
"The trauma that I went through waiting to find out was horrible," said Sylvia. "And the tumor was found with a mammogram so I think they are very important."
Sylvia became involved in the American Cancer Society after her close friend, JoAnn Richard, asked if she would volunteer with her after Richard's father died of cancer.
"I want to do this for my dad," Sylvia's friend told her. "Will you help me," asked Richard.
After that, Sylvia became a team captain for the Relay For Life of Greater New Bedford-an overnight event that celebrates survivorship and raises money for research and awareness programs for local American Cancer Society chapters--for nine years. In Washington, she served as an ambassador for the national event.
New Bedford's Relay for Life, held every year in June, has been ranked in the top ten relays throughout the nation for the past four years. This year, the event took in $538,000, celebrated the lives of 1,170 survivors and sold 14,000 Luminarias-candle lanterns lit in a ceremony after dark in honor or memory of a loved one touched by cancer.
"I sold 302 Luminarias for this relay," said Sylvia, mentioning the local Democratic congressman. "Congressman Barney Frank bought ten from me."
The Massachusetts delegation has supported the Relay for Life cause, she said, adding that Frank and Democratic Sens. Ted Kennedy and John Kerry all have been advocates of campaign programs to eradicate cancer and fund research. And to show their support, they even took their message to President Bush, said Sylvia.
Sylvia said she has received letters from members of the Massachusetts delegation to Congress informing her, "They recently met with him (Bush) and he said that it's (cancer) an important issue to him and we need to fund the cancer programs. So that was good news."
In the meantime, Sylvia continues to focus on her volunteering efforts and still attempt to honor the memory of her mother. "I think my mother was always proud of her children," she said. "She would be equally as proud of us today."
In a heart-warming moment, Sylvia noted that her mother's last name was Lariviere, which in French means, "the river" and her last name, Desrosiers, means "of the roses" in French.
"Together, they say, 'The River of Roses.' I've always liked the way that sounds."
Published in The New Bedford Standard Times, in Massachusetts.
