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Wednesday, March 18, 2009

03/18/09 Greenwich Post Breaking News: Jim Himes Announcement





Covering the news of Greenwich, Connecticut


Breaking News



U.S. Rep. Jim Himes (D-4) announced Tuesday he will co-sponsor the Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act of 2009, along with U.S. Rep. Doris Matusi (D-Calif.) and U.S. Senator John Kerry (D-Mass.).
Read more




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03/18/09 First Slectma's Office News

Draft Mooring Rules Decision Postponed

First Selectman Peter J. Tesei has announced the postponement of the adoption of proposed Draft Rules and Procedures for Mooring and Anchoring Vessels in the Greenwich Harbor Area based on feedback received from the First Selectman's Coastal Resources Advisory Committee and the public at the meeting held Wednesday, March 18, 2009 5:00 PM, in the Town Hall Meeting Room. Boaters and other interested parties asked questions and submitted written and verbal comments at that meeting.

The existing Town boating regulations will remain in effect, including the Town Municipal Charter Section 307; Town Municipal Code Section 7-89 dated 09/01/1978 regarding the powers and duties of the Harbormaster; the 36 foot limitation in the Department of Parks and Recreation Town managed Marinas and the Superintendent of Marine and Facilities Operations letter of 2/17/2009 regarding transfer of moorings control from the Department of Parks and Recreation to the Harbormaster. The mooring fees for the 2009 summer boating season were established by the Board of Selectmen at their special meeting February 26, 2009: $35 one time application fee and $100 seasonal fee. The $35 fee used to establish a mooring and vessel data base is waived for organizations with over 100 moorings filing electronically.

Boaters wishing to submit an application for an individual, non-commercial mooring permit may continue to use the original form. The current Town boating regulations remain in effect for all applicants. As noted previously, boaters are exempt from the "clearly visible horizontal blue band and name of vessel" provisions contained in the "Note" section of the form. These provisions, originally developed for the State of Connecticut, Department of Transportation version of the form are optional for Town of Greenwich boaters.

The new application process along with the new mooring fees as well as maintenance dredge funding requests recently submitted to Federal officials, represent an increased focus on the management of the Town's waterways, which include 27 miles of coastline, seven harbors, 3 federal navigation channels, 30 islands and hundreds of moorings. The First Selectman's Coastal Resources Advisory Committee will continue to work toward the goal of developing a community based set of rules and procedures.

First Selectman Tesei thanked Chairman John Craine and his committee for their work efforts designed to enhance the safety, environmental protection and enjoyment of this valued asset that significantly contributes to the Town's quality of life.

03/18/09 The Raw Greenwich News Feed This Just In.....

The Latest Grenwich News Briefs:

Woman thwarts attempted car robbery at Greenwich gas station
Greenwich Time
By Debra Friedman A woman pumping gas Monday night at a gas station on East Putnam Avenue thwarted a man's attempt to steal her car by keeping her doors ...
Greenwich Wins LL Swimming; Fairfield Prep's Grinalds Impressive
Hartford Courant
The victory gave Greenwich 17 consecutive state championships and 32 in the 33 years the CIAC has documented championship results. ...

The Latest Greenwich Blog Post:

AIG= A*sholes in Greenwich - The Economy Article -
Obama, his Administration and Congress has found the right target.
bestcashcow.com - http://www.bestcashcow.com/all/all



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03/18/09 Where The Rich People Live - Business Week Just Ranked The Top 25 Richest Towns And Greenwich Is Not On The List

Poor Areas Like Byram And Davis Avenue Knock Greenwich Out Of Contention

There Is No Gang Graffitti Or Housing Project Roits In:

Brookville, NY, Atherton, Calif., Rolling Hills, Calif., Kenilworth, Ill., Hillsborough, Calif., Roslyn Estates, N.Y., Hidden Hills, Calif., Oyster Bay Cove, N.Y., Chevy Chase Village, Md., Los Altos Hills, Calif., Etc,. Etc,......


Despite the fact that U.S. households' net worth plunged by $11 trillion in 2008, the U.S. is still the wealthiest country in the world—but, as always, some parts of the U.S. are wealthier than others. While many people might think that the greatest pockets of wealth reside in elite areas such as Manhattan's Upper East Side; Greenwich, Conn.; or Bel Air in Los Angeles, these places are so large that they include both residents who are extremely rich and those of more modest means. In fact, with few exceptions, most of the places that have the highest income and net worth in the country are unfamiliar to nearly anyone who doesn't actually live there. And that's just how the people who live there like it. So where are these places? Read on to find out.

Editor's Note: The places were ranked based on their average household net worth and average household net income in third quarter 2008 and were selected from a list of more than 20,000 U.S. Census places. Both factors were weighted equally. Average net worth is an estimate based on total assets minus total liabilities and includes home value. The 2008 data were developed by Gadberry Group using source data from Acxiom, and were measured against 2000 Census data. The selected places do not correspond to city boundaries but are assembled from Census block groups and might include neighborhoods just outside the cities. The ranking was created specifically for BusinessWeek by Gadberry Group, a Little Rock-based location intelligence firm.

PLEASE SEE:

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03/18/09 The Raw Greenwich News Feed - Greenwich Time News Links

BET hears final pleas for money

In the last chance for residents to seek additions to the town's proposed $340.2 million budget, a Board of Estimate and Taxation public hearing last night drew a standing-room only crowd that lobbied for disparate causes against the backdrop of a deep recession that has forced the town to lay off workers.

First Selectman Peter Tesei lent his voice to the push for a new King Street fire station, asking his former colleagues on the BET to reinstate $175,000 in funding for the design of the facility in the northwest part of town.

"Life safety ranks at the very top of the list of services municipal government must provide to residents," Tesei told the BET, eliciting applause from many in the audience of about 250 people.

GHS students dominate science fair
From designing a meter able to measure tissue tension to tracing the migration of pesticide through the path of a honeybee, several award-winning science projects have earned four Greenwich High School students a trip to a prestigious international science competition this May.

Public Works remains optimistic
The Public Works Department is still hopeful that any problems with the proposed park at the Cos Cob Power Plant site can be resolved following the Planning and Zoning Commission's recent denial of the application.

Fields torn up by vandals
What may have started as a late-night joyride shredded three athletic fields over the weekend, causing thousands of dollars in damage, officials said.

Committee reapproves contested Himes lease
STAMFORD -- In a vote that split largely along party lines, a city committee voted for a second time Monday to lease office space to Rep. Jim Himes

Greenwich boys win, Cutter captures 2 races
NEW HAVEN -- Westhill senior Ryan Cutter won two events and Greenwich took home team honors in the Class LL boys swimming championships Tuesday night.

That's Entertaining: Colorado Chicken Soup
A good friend of ours, who lives in Washington D.C., is the author of a new and well-received book on the history of American women writers.

Allegra has new owner
Sixty-inch banners, bulk mailings and customized advertising are some of the capabilities of the new Allegra Print and Imaging on Eagle Road.

The company, formerly called Rapid Repro of Danbury, got a new owner in July -- city resident Howard Cutler, 46. In November, Cutler moved the business from Commerce Drive to its new location, and after buying an Allegra franchise, changed its name last month.

Allegra Print and Imaging has more than 600 locations in North America and the United Kingdom. It is part of Allegra Network, founded in 1976.

Family of Conn. chimp attack victim seeks $50M
STAMFORD - The family of a woman mauled by a chimpanzee filed a lawsuit seeking $50 million in damages against the primate's owner, saying she was negligent and reckless for lacking the ability to control "a wild animal with violent propensities

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03/18/09 The Raw Overnight News Feed

Housing starts rebound; producer prices rise
CHANNEL 955
STEVE GOLDMAN, MARKET STRATEGIST, WEEDEN & CO. IN GREENWICH, CONNECTICUT: "The inflation number is kind of mixed, but inflation data is not a market mover, and with this decline in the ...

37th annual Student Art Show @ Stamford Art Associ...
WSTC-AM Norwalk
... the competition. The juror for the show is Frank Juliano, who has headed major arts organizations,, including the Greenwich Arts Council. Through grants and donations from individuals, foundations, and area businesses, the Stamford Art Association ...

Greenwich wins Class LL boys swimming crown
Connecticut Post
Every championship run eventually comes to an end, but don't expect the Greenwich boys swimming team's reign of supremacy in Class LL to conclude anytime soon.

Sweeney leads Staples
Westport News
... the basement by beating Weston High (355.62) in the seven-team field. Fairfield's co-op team won (328.15), beating Greenwich (331.36), Glastonbury (332.14) and Ridgefield (336.10). Darien (343.79) edged out the Lady Wreckers for fifth place. "I was ...

48 Conn. newspaper workers accept Hearst buyout
NewsTimesLive.com
... is in a letter sent Monday to employees of the Connecticut Post, News-Times of Danbury, The Advocate of Stamford, Greenwich Time and the Brooks Community Newspapers. Hearst Newspaper Group Publisher Mark Aldam says buyouts are necessary because of ...

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03/18/09 The Jack Pot Jimmys Of The Greenwich Backcountry Are Shaking In Terror As The New York Post Shows Up In New Canaan And Fairfield (Updated)

Jackpot Jimmy Hass Must Be Thinking: "WTF - This Is Not F***ing Fair The New York Post Bypassed All The Greedy Greenwich Backcountry SOBs That Are Being Paid Out Multi Millions In Bonus Money !!!!"

THIS MAN IS JACKPOT JIMMY
New York Post

By FREDRIC U. DICKER and REUVEN FENTON
Meet James Haas, one of AIG's bigtime bonus babies.

The beleaguered firm has yet to publicly identify the execs rolling in dough courtesy of the taxpayers who saved their jobs, but The Post has learned the names of three, all in the troubled financial-products unit.

They're Haas (left, at his multimillion-dollar home on a hill in Fairfield, Conn., last night), Douglas Poling, also of Fairfield, and Jonathan Liebergall, of New Canaan, Conn.

Haas, 47, an executive VP and the co-leader of North American marketing, said, "I wish I could give you a whole story, but I'm ordered not to. You'll hear from my lawyer."

Poling, 48, the unit's general counsel, as well as a director, executive vice president and chief administrative officer, declared, "This is not the time to be talking."

And Liebergall, 43, a unit director and head of municipal finance, said, "I can't talk - I'm not allowed."

An AIG spokesman said last night, "I honestly don't know who got what."


LOOK AT ALL THIS NEW YORK POST COVERAGE FOR AIG
THERE IS NOTHING AT THE GREENWICH TIME:










GREENWICH ROUNDUP HAS TOLD YOU THAT
PITCHFORK POPULISM IS COMING
TO GREENWICH REAL SOON:


Now the politicians and regulators are starting to


support "the people" over "the Greenwich elites"


as details about the $165 million payout for top executives


at AIG have emerged over the past few days


PLEASE SEE:





Doomsday is coming and it’s going to destroy parts of Connecticut, David Wilkerson, the founding pastor of Times Square Church in New York City, is predicting.

David Wilkerson, author of "The Cross and the Switchblade," a book about his ministry to troubled New York street kids that was later made into a movie starring Pat Boone, ruined the weekend for people who follow his blog.......

...... His divine message is a little murky.For instance, it did not come with useful information including when and where damnation would strike. Are people in Greenwich safe?.....




The Latest Greenwich Blog Post:

Jerks Like Henry Kravis Cause America And The World To Hate Greenwich.....


By John Carney


Forget what you've heard about the end of conspicuous consumption. The big hitters are still out there spending like mad. Last month, as you may have heard, Christies auctioned off items from the Yves Saint-Laurent collection for a total of $431 million. Over at Gawker, Owen Thomas points out that the prize for decadence at this "orgy of consumption" goes to an arm-chair that sold for $28 million.


The Economist reveals, in a passing reference, that the man who spent that money on a chair was Henry Kravis


Greenwich Time Editor Managing Editor Bruce Hunter Is Asleep At The Switch As Furious American Are Going Crazy With Thoughts Of Their Tax Dollars Falling Into The Hands Of Greedy Fat Cats In Greenwich And Fairfield County Executives


Hearst Newspaper Managing Editor Bruce Hunter Should Grow A Pair Of Journalistic Balls And Get Ex-Greenwich Time Editor And Now Hearst Newspaper Business Reporter Jim "I Like Writing About Home Brewed Beer" Zebora To Start Outing The Greedy Backcountry SOBs


If The Hunter And Zebora Don't Get Off Their Rear Ends, Then The New York Newspapers Are Going To Start Scooping The Greenwich Time In It's Own Backyard.


Everyone Town Knows That The Greenwich Time Has A Long History Of Not Name Names In The Backcountry. But These Greedy Backcountry Sleazeballs Should Face The Judgement Of Every Working Greenwich Resident They Encounter As They Spend Their Dirty Bonus Bucks.


Incompetent Managing Editor Bruce Hunter Has No Nose For News And Doesn't Realize That This Is Not Going To Just Blow Over.


Here Is A News Flash For The Clueless Bruce Hunter:


An AIG Source Has Told Greenwich Roundup The Truth About The AIG Employee Retention Plan, That Is Causing Working Folks To Start Sharpening Their Pitchforks.


There Are Two Sets Of Bonus Payments.


This Is The First Bonus And Covers December 01, 2007 To November 30, 2008 That Was To Be Paid No Later Than March 15th of 2009.


Most People Including Bruce Hunter Don't Realize That The Clock Is Already Ticking On A Second Round Of Bonus Payments.


The Is Second Bonus Payments Cover December 01, 2008 To November 30, 2009 That Was To Be Paid No Later Than March 15th of 2010.


Next Years Bonus Payments Are A Done Deal


Yes The Greedy Backcountry SOBs Are At Home Patiently Waiting For Their Second Bonus Check As Hard Working Greenwich Taxpayers Holler About How Their Hard Earned Money Is Being Wasted.


Hearst Newspaper Managing Editor Bruce Hunter Should Tell Greenwich Time Reporters To Name Names And Rat Out The Greedy Backcountry Bonus Babies, Because Hardworking Greenwich Families Now Own 80% Of AIG.


UPDATE:
21 Hours Later


When The Greenwich Time Types


Hearst Newspapers Listens:




By Rob Varnonand MariAn Gail Brown
STAFF WRITERS

Posted: 03/18/2009 11:20:34 PM EDT


In the eyes of the public, corporate greed has some new poster boys, and they live and work in Fairfield County.

James Haas and Doug Poling, of Fairfield, and New Cannan resident Jonathan Liebergall were identified by the New York Post as recipients of the highly criticized bonuses from American International Group.....


Amazing But True: Hearst Newspaper Reporters
Even Went And Knocked On Doors


.....Finding supporters of the titans of AIG Financial Products' division is hard. Finding anybody Wednesday to talk about Haas, Poling, and Liebergall in their neighborhoods proved impossible.

No one answered the door at any of their homes, well-appointed, large Colonials with clapboard exteriors and mansard roofs and manicured lawns. Haas' Sasco Hill Road mansion overlooks a private golf course and a creek that flows into Long Island Sound, while Poling's Golden Pond Lane property contains a private pond.....


.....While the men and this small division of AIG and some of its executives face a nation's rage over Wall Street abuses, they also face the wrath of federal and state government officials.

Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., said he would prefer if the managers gave back the bonuses of their own accord. He said it would save a lot of government money and effort.....


While Greedy Fairfield County AIG Executives Did Not Want To Talk To Hearst Newspaper Reporters, Governor Jody Rell Was Willing To Talk And Take Action


Gov. M. Jodi Rell ordered the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection to investigate whether the bonuses violate the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act. AIG cited a Connecticut law as the reason it is making the bonus payments. Workers in Connecticut can sue and recover double the contractual benefits an employer promises if those payments are not met.

"Since the company cited Connecticut law, they will have to live by Connecticut law," Rell said. "It is disgraceful that federal funds designed to prevent financial institutions from collapsing and to make it possible for consumers to again borrow money have instead been used to pay bonuses to AIG in the tens of millions of dollars."


Thumbs Up To Hearst Newspaper Reporters Rob Varnon And Varnonand MariAn Gail Brown Who Do Not Report To Failed Greenwich Time Managing Editor Bruce Hunter


They Work For Connecticut Post Editor Tom Baden, Editor And Managing Editor Michael Daly And These Two Hearst Newspaper Editors Have The Journalistic Balls To Name Names And Let The Chips Fall Where They May.


UPDATE #2


41 Hours Later


o3/19/09


FAILED EDITOR BRUCE HUNTER WANTS TO STOP THE FUME AND GLOOM ABOUT LOCAL AIG PIRATES GETTING A BIG PART OF THE $450 MILLION IN BAILOUT BUCKS THAT RAPE HARD WORRKING TAXPAYERS OF GEENWICH


Failed Greenwich Time Managing Editor Bruce Hunter Wants Us Leave The Greedy Backcountry Bonus Babies Alone


The Fox Newspaper Wanna Be Of Lower Fairfield County
Publishes An Editorial That Says:


"It makes good TV, but the bonuses are a tiny part of the issue. Congress was, at best, asleep as AIG and its cohorts were up to their tricks"




Is there anything more stomach turning in this whole financial mess than the people responsible for it accepting huge chunks of our money as bonuses for a job well done?

But it's time for Congress to wrap up the endless dog and pony show in which members vent their "outrage" at financial bigwigs and direct some of that fury at themselves.


There is blame a-plenty to go around in the giant shell game that has caused our nation's finances to collapse. A lot of it very close to home in fact -- starting with American International Group....


Failed Greenwich Time Managing Editor Bruce Hunter Wants
The Hardworking Taxpayers Of Greenwich To Simply Forget About
The Greedy Backcountry Bonus Babies Who Are Ripping Us Off


......The problems with our economy go so far beyond shameful bonuses that every moment legislators spend grandstanding for the cameras is really just another slap in the faces of the many millions who have already lost so much .......
UPDATE #3
Greenwich Resident Richard Blumenthal
Just Sent Jackpot Jimmy Haas A Supeona
Bloomberg
March 21 (Bloomberg) -- American International Group Inc., whose compensation policies before and after its U.S. bailout are being investigated, turned over information on its executive bonuses to Connecticut’s attorney general.
The insurer provided a list of bonus amounts and contract terms to Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, who said the information supports his view that the basis for paying the bonuses is “completely unjustified,” according to a statement he issued yesterday.
These contracts rip the rug from under AIG’s excuses -- revealing no basis under Connecticut law for these mega taxpayer-funded bonuses,” Blumenthal said. “AIG’s own documents reveal that it turned an emergency bailout into a meritless handout, paying windfalls to employees as reward for financial failure.”
Earlier yesterday, Blumenthal and state legislators subpoenaed AIG Chief Executive Officer Edward Liddy and other company officials to a hearing on bonus pay.
When Liddy appeared before Congress March 18 for a hearing on AIG bonuses, he reminded lawmakers that he took the CEO job after the U.S. government loaned the company $85 billion in September and said he wouldn’t have approved the bonus contracts if he’d been in charge earlier.
Activities at the AIG Financial Products unit in Wilton, Connecticut, will be the topic of a March 26 hearing in Hartford before the state’s Banks Committee, according to a statement from lawmakers.
The division’s actions have destabilized the mortgage and lending markets in Connecticut, and excessive compensation could have led to employees taking risky measures that caused further destabilization, the legislators said in the statement.
Bad Products
“They put their stamp of approval on bad securities products and sold them like gold,” Democratic state Representative Ryan Barry, co-chairman of the General Assembly’s Banks Committee, said in the statement. “We want to examine the pay structure and fee incentives that led to this quick-sale, high-risk culture and see what regulatory gaps exist that can be tightened.”
“They put their stamp of approval on bad securities products and sold them like gold,” Democratic state Representative Ryan Barry, co-chairman of the General Assembly’s Banks Committee, said in the statement. “We want to examine the pay structure and fee incentives that led to this quick-sale, high-risk culture and see what regulatory gaps exist that can be tightened.”
In addition to Liddy, subpoenas will be served on 11 other AIG executives who are believed to have received bonuses, Connecticut officials said, including Douglas Poling. Poling, an executive vice president, got a $6.4 million bonus, said a person familiar with the bonuses.
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