This Blog is created to stress the importance of Peace as an environmental directive. “I never give them hell. I just tell the truth and they think it’s hell.” – Harry Truman
(I receive no compensation from any entry on this blog.)
When the cost of the Bush Rebates are added up there are a whole lot of food stamps that can be supplied to those in need. It was a method to include everyone on the corruption. MARCH 5, 2003 WASHINGTON, DC—Amid growing anti-war protests (click here) and polls indicating eroding public support for an invasion of Iraq, President Bush is offering U.S. taxpayers a rebate in the amount of $300 if we go to war.... You think it is a joke. Why not read the assessment of nearly a decade ago predicting the endangered status of our most coveted entitlements. No joke, just fact. Citizens for Tax Justice (click here) January 8, 2003 (2 pages) "President Bush's new, $674 billion tax cut plan would boost the size of his tax cut in 2001 by one half over a decade, sending our country deeper into debt and endangering important public programs, while doing little to stimulate the economy. A computer analysis of the effects of Bush's new tax cuts shows: - ...three quarters of Bush's tax cuts this year will go to to best-off 10 percent of all taxpayers. - The typical taxpayers will get a tax cut of $289 this year. -...in contrast, taxpayers with income over $1,000,000 would get a tax cut of over $30,000 each. - By the end of the decade, more than half the President's proposed new tax reductions would go to the top one percent.... We just don't want this form of draconian government back in DC. We just don't. We don't belong in Iraq. We never did. We don't need a draconian government. We never did. Don't get caught up in the hype, it is against your best interest.
Russian cartoon titled "Sandy's Rage." Sandy shortened President Obama's campaign. Don't let him down now.
Hermandad Mexicana Latinoamericana (click here) a non-profit, non-governmental, community-based, family members of Mexican immigrant workers in their great majority, and Central and South Americans. People belong to a membership-affiliated organization.
They stand in long lines, (click here) then peer through the tiny holes of glass windows, asking loads of questions. They hope to get a shot at the coveted two-year work permit.
Step by step, they inch closer. They eventually take seats inside small offices. They consult in great detail with those versed in the immigration guidelines of the federal government. It's an entirely different language in and of itself. They pray that their proof of U.S. residency will suffice.
Then, after their paperwork has been stamped, filed and mailed to the U.S.Citizenship and Immigration Service in a distant Washington, D.C., they anxiously wait for that letter of approval, which, in effect, will temporarily suspend their deportations.
The reason to vote for President Barak Hussein Obama is that while on Wednesday life will go on as always, he will work to change that reality. He will move our future closer to being a future of promise and opportunity. Mr. Romney will not. Vote. Take a friend and make Michael proud of our electorate. He is a great guy. He believes in all the purpose for the Democratic Party. He believes Middle Class America is the answer to a productive economy and people with purpose. Give his plea a second thought and then give it a third. President Obama never caused the problems, he was obstructed from solving them. Pull yourself up by the boot straps one more time and let's get on with our future sculpted by us and not hostile agendas of plutocrats that will inevitably cause us more grief and not less. We don't want it back and that is the only resolve that needs to be realized for tomorrow. Vote and put President Obama and the Democrats back in office.
Sunday, November 4th, 2012
To my friend who is not voting on Tuesday:
I get it – and I don't blame you. You're fed up and you could care less whether Tweedledee or Tweedledumber wins on Tuesday – because on Wednesday, your life will be the same, unchanged, regardless who is president. Your mortgage will still be underwater. You will still owe $50,000 on your student loan. Your son will still be in Afghanistan. Your daughter will still be working two jobs to make ends meet. And gas will still be at $4.
Four years ago you gave in and voted – and you voted for Obama. You wanted to believe he would go after the Wall Street crooks who crashed the economy – but instead the banks that were "too big to fail" four years ago are now even bigger and more dangerous. You thought there'd be universal health care – but the new law only went so far (with most of it not taking effect until 2014). You were tired of war and homeland security measures that violated our civil liberties – but we're still in Afghanistan, we're sending in drones to Pakistan and basic constitutional rights to privacy and a fair trial have been ignored. And you thought you'd have a middle-class, good-paying job like your dad had – but you didn't know that Goldman Sachs was Obama's #1 private campaign donor in 2008, and well, he was beholden to corporate America in more ways we cared to think about.
So, I get it why you've had it with all these politicians and elections. In the end, it doesn't really seem to be our country any more. It's run by those who can buy the most politicians to do their bidding. Our schools are made a low priority and women are still having to fight for just the basic human rights we thought they already had.
So, it's hard for me to ask you for this very personal favor. It's OK if you say "no," but I'm hoping you don't.
I cannot believe it is possible that, after a group of rich plutocrats wrecked the economy, threw people out of work and stole our future, we may actually hand the keys to our country over to...a rich Republican plutocrat who made millions by throwing people out of work! This is insane, and despite all the legitimate criticisms of Obama, he is nothing like the tsunami of hate and corporate thievery that will take place if Mitt Romney is president. As bad as it feels now, it will only get worse. I need your help to stop this.
I can't promise you that your life will get better, easier under Barack Obama. I do think he cares and I know for sure that if the other guy is sitting in the Oval Office, I can guarantee you that not only will your life not get better, it will get much, much worse. Don't take my word for it. Just ask your parents what life was like before a 30-year pillage by the Republicans of the middle class. Your parents bought a house and eventually owned it outright. They weren't in debt. College was free. They bought a new car every 3 or 4 years. They took vacations and were home for dinner by 5 or 6 PM. They had a savings account in the bank. They didn't live in fear of not knowing if they'd even have a job next year.
That's all gone. I don't know if we can get it back, but I do know that Mr. Romney would love the chance to complete the final elimination of the middle class and the American Dream.
He must be stopped. Take 20 minutes on Tuesday and go vote. If you don't want to do it for your country, then do it for me! It's the only favor I'll ever ask of you.
Thanks for taking the time to read this. I know that you care, and care deeply, about your future and your kids' future. You have every right to be cynical about all this. And you hold the power to stop the bastards who plan on squeezing every last dime out of you that they can. Take a stand. And make a statement to those who are hoping against hope that you'll stay home on Tuesday. Your presence at the polls is what they fear most.
The sources of the monies for these organizations is coming from The United States Chamber of Commerce. They are spinning off all kinds of organizations with the same theme.
...But the disclosure (click here)did little to shed light on who was behind the $11-million donation to a California campaign fund. The Arizona group, Americans for Responsible Leadership, identified its contributors only as other nonprofits.
The money was passed from Americans for Job Security to the Center to Protect Patient Rights to Americans for Responsible Leadership, according to state authorities. From there, the money was sent to a California campaign committee fighting Gov. Jerry Brown's tax-hike plan, Proposition 30, and pushing a separate ballot measure to curb unions' political influence, Proposition 32.
As of Sunday night, the Arizona nonprofit Americans for Responsible Leadership appeared ready to fight all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court to avoid disclosing any records to state authorities by election day on Tuesday.
The Fair Political Practices Commission has been trying for two weeks to audit the group to determine whether it is improperly shielding the identities of its donors. California regulations says contributors must be identified if they give to nonprofits with the intention of spending money on state campaigns.
Americans for Responsible Leadership reached an agreement with the commission to reveal its contributors on Monday morning, allowing state authorities to skip the audit process. However, the disclosure of more nonprofits did little to satisfy activists who were seeking contributors' true identities.
Derek Cressman of Common Cause, which originally filed the complaint against the Arizona nonprofit, called the group "irresponsible, cowardly money launderers."...
How many of these groups exist with funneled monies from the US Chamber of Commerce? The US Chamber of Commerce stacks the odds against the American people and in favor of Wall Street. No, they are not the same thing.
Fortunately, companies like Chrysler are making a difference. Chrysler is finding a good practice in any market they seek profits, FIRST, hire employees to build an economy that can actually afford their products. Destroying American jobs to outsource is the worst practice a company can participate in. Chrysler has found out that is the truth.
I support Chrysler in seeking to maintain its markets through good paying jobs in the USA while building markets in once third world countries. Nothing short of such dynamics works to grow a global economy.
Those countries will have vibrant economies, increase the quality of life of their citizens and add to increases in demand of many products, not just cars. They are incredibly huge markets for products, just as soon as the people have a disposable income. These markets don't happen overnight, but, once begun they do grow exponentially. Imagine the quality of life uptick a Chinese family will receive when just one of their members are employed by Chrysler producing cars for the Chinese market?
The idea Chrysler could ever expand their markets into China without an investment in their economy is hideous. How is a Chinese citizen suppose to purchase an American Jeep on subsistence wages? Americans are stupid, they just want their markets intact backed by good paying jobs. The Chinese will want to import our cars too, among so many other products. The reason the balance of trade has been so terrible between China and the USA was because the Chinese people were impoverished and their bothers and sisters in the USA were matching the loss of income. Greed was at work and it only served to crash the industry, not grow it.
Americans for Job Security (AJS) (click here) is a "pro-business advocacy organization" based in Arlington, VA. AJS spun off in the late 1990s from a group called The Coalition: Americans Working for Real Change, a group that had been formed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerceto counteract the extensive soft money spending by the AFL-CIO starting in the 1996 elections....
We don't need draconian organizations such as the United States Chamber of Commerce to undermine everything the people of the world are trying to build. The US Chamber of Commerce is promoting corruption and obstructionism. The US Chamber of Commerce didn't just want to compete with unions of American employees, they wanted to destroy them.
By Viveca Novak and Robert Maguire on May 18, 2012 2:35 PM ...The donors to the Center to Protect Patient Rights(CPPR)are almost entirely unknown. Such tax-exempt organizations must detail the groups to whom they gave grants, but not the sources of their own funds. A small grant of $200,000 came to CPPR from American Action Network, yet another 501(c)(4), according to the Form 990 tax return that American Action filed with the Internal Revenue Service this week.
And if its donors are unknown, so is much else about CPPR. According to its own 2010 tax return, which was filed last November, it is run by Sean Noble, who is listed as its director, president and executive director. Noble describes himself on his Twitter account as a "PR/Political consultant, conservative strategist/operative, former GOP Hill chief of staff, blogger, proud father, fighting for liberty." Noble was chief-of-staff to former Republican Rep. John Shadegg of Arizona, for whom he worked for 13 years, and since then has worked as a political consultant and in public relations.
Noble took no salary from CPPR, but his firm, Noble Associates, was paid $340,000 by the group for "management services." Noble was also paid $10,000 to lobby for the group.... Why are all these organizations in Arizona? What is this all about? What is so attractive about Arizona to these organizations? How much duplicity is there and why? Who is pulling in the bucks here? What is the money trail?
In this Monday, Oct. 8, 2012 file photo, Anthony Cavallo, owner of the restaurant Vintage 50, mounts a potato cutter in his restaurant in Leesburg, Va. U.S. service companies grew at a slightly slower pace in October than September because of a decline in new orders. But a measure of employment rose, indicating services firms hired more. The Institute of Supply Management said Monday, Nov. 5, 2012, that its index of non-manufacturing activity fell to 54.2.
The European economy along with that of Australia is still lagging behind the USA causing contracting exports. The impacts of the global economic collapse of 2008 is still lingering. The USA does not exist in the world alone. It is the world we live in and the banks have been taken no prisoners.
NEW YORK | Mon Nov 5, 2012 11:17am EST
Reporting by Leah Schnurr
Additional reporting by Ryan Vlastelica
Editing by James Dalgleish
..."Moderate growth (click here)in the U.S. economy continues," said Joseph Trevisani, chief market strategist at Worldwide Markets in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey.
New export orders contracted to 47.5 from 50.5 against the backdrop of slower global growth and the euro zone's ongoing debt crisis.
Financial markets saw little reaction immediately following the data. Wall Street was little changed in late morning trading as investors were wary of taking aggressive bets the day ahead of the U.S. presidential election.
Services companies in other parts of the world also saw slower growth in October, separate reports showed on Monday. The pace of activity in China slipped, while Britain's sector grew at its slowest in almost two years.
...Passenger amenities (click here) also were part of Boeing’s sales pitch, and United promotes features such as LED lighting that changes in different phases of flight, touchless faucets and toilets, and windows that are the largest in the industry and use dimmers instead of sliding plastic shades to block outside light.
They were tinted a hazy blue against the morning sunshine yesterday on Flight 1116, and the upturned wingtips flexed as the 787 climbed and encountered brief turbulence. Smisek opened the on-board celebration with a toast, and passengers thronged galleys and aisles, praising the lavatories and quiet engines.
“I like the aircraft a lot,” said Mark Schiff, a Chicago lawyer who shifted plans to catch the early morning flight when he discovered the Dreamliner was making the trip. “It’s a much nicer atmosphere. It’s only a two-hour flight, but it’s been a breeze.”
With the composite construction, the 787’s interior can withstand higher humidity, allowing cabin pressurization that puts more oxygen in the air to minimize traveler fatigue and headache. As configured for United, the twin-engine jet seats 219 people....
There are still major banks around the globe continuing to recover. We now know what trickle-down sincerely means. These economic stresses have an impact on the USA economy. It creates a drag on growth. 5:30 AM Sunday Nov 4, 2012 By Bernard Hickey
...The bank (click here) would be able to close all its access channels (online, branches, ATMs) and then reopen for business. This allows the bank to keep operating while the statutory manager works out who will take losses. The assumption is shareholders will be wiped out first, but unsecured term deposits may also take a haircut.
Reserve Bank Governor Graeme Wheeler has pointed out that OBR is not set in stone and it only provides a "very real alternative to bailout" by the Government.
So the moral hazard remains, as does the uncertainty for voters with $111.4 billion in term deposits at the end of September.
Unfortunately, it means the banks have the best of both worlds. They still have the implied guarantee from the Government, which effectively reduces the interest rate they have to pay savers, which is not paid for in the form of any deposit guarantee fee to the Government.
Taxpayers still face the risk of seeing bank losses socialised in future while today's profits are privatised.
A more honest solution would be for the Government and the Reserve Bank to openly state that a bailout would not occur. Term would demand a higher return to compensate for the higher risk, and it would remove the moral hazard that currently subsidises the profits of Australian banks....
Bank braces for 'significantly higher' fines from the US authorities as it sets aside further $800m to cover money-laundering fines Jill Treanor Monday 5 November 2012 07.02 EST ..."We deeply regret our past failings and we must work individually and as an industry to rebuild trust," said Gulliver, who was appointed 20 months ago during a boardroom reshuffle caused by Stephen Green's decision to resign as chairman, accept peerage and become a government trade minister. He conceded the money laundering allegations, which date back to 2002, had "undoubtedly damaged" the HSBC brand.... They always regret it AFTER the fact and once they've been caught. Amazing. It starts with little things. It starts with infractions of ethical standards and it grows in permission to commit major crimes against the consumer. Once the snowball gets rolling there is no stopping it. There is far too much permission for unethical practices in the private sector.
The results could be seen as the latest evidence that Chrysler’s improbable comeback from its government bailout and bankruptcy not only sustainable, but accelerating.
“We’ve changed the conversation at Chrysler Group,” said Sergio Marchionne, the chief executive of both Chrysler and its Italian parent, Fiat. “We continue to work feverishly and are pleased to see that our all-consuming aspiration for excellence is translating into results.”
Chrysler’s solid results are propping up the faltering European operations of Fiat, which was scheduled to release its third-quarter earnings on Tuesday.
Mr. Marchionne may announce new moves to cut losses at Fiat, which is struggling to cope with the steepest decline in sales in Europe in nearly 20 years.
But there’s no need anymore to fix Chrysler, which has repaid its debt to the American taxpayers and totally revamped its product lineup since emerging from bankruptcy 2009....
-He lives up to his promises. -He pursues peace. -The Middle Class has never had such a champion. -He sees education and opportunity for all. -Women and minorities are safe under his leadership. -He wants to erase the national debt, with a balanced approach, that honors our elderly and respects future generations. We need to elect him to make it happen. Did I miss something?
This is so typical of the divisiveness of the media. Somehow the competency of Governor Christie is suppose to translate into competency of Romney. Not. Governor Christie is capable of deciding who he wants to vote for, for the reasons that are his. But, that doesn't change a thing about the competency that existed between the nation's leaders when it counted. I personally think the Governor is making a mistake, but, that is his mistake to make. Mayor Bloomberg stated his reasons he thought differently. To the extent people look for endorsements I suppose all this is important, but, it doesn't change anything. I truly believe President Obama has the ability to lead this nation in ways his opposition does not and Romney has proven that all by himself. I maintain my standards. Mr. Romney doesn't fit those standards. I believe it is important to have competent people at the top of the government, not partisanship. Thinking partisanship is going to solve the problems of climate is a silly notion without a basis in truth. Climate is not about ideology, opinion or opposing ideas. Unfortunately, it has been treated as a political issue when in fact it doesn't even come close. It is time to get on with reality and not the fantasy that political partisanship can make what just occurred to go away. JERUSALEM, Nov 4 (Reuters) - New Jersey Governor Chris Christie (click here) defended his praise for President Barack Obama's support after superstorm Sandy, but said he would stick with his Republican ticket and vote for Mitt Romney in this Tuesday's election.
"The fact of the matter is what New Jerseyans expect from their governor is to work for them, not to work for any particular political party," Christie told Israel's Channel 2 television in an interview broadcast on Sunday.
"I'm a Republican and I have endorsed Mitt Romney, I support him and I intend to vote for him on Tuesday," said Christie, interviewed in his home state by a visiting Israeli television reporter.
Christie, a popular governor widely seen as a possible Republican contender in 2016, had frustrated some in the Romney campaign who feared he had given what could be a critical boost to Obama, a Democrat.... If Governor Christie has a far reaching influence within the GOP then he needs to exert it that carries meaning to improve the quality of life of the citizens of New Jersey in regard to the Climate Crisis. His hero status has to interpret to a standard that works to defeat a proven and dangerous trend in our climate. His decision on his election choices, if partisan, should cause him pause. He saved lives along with President Obama. They worked side by side and this wasn't the first time. He has twice in his governorship faced these storms. This one was especially vicious. It demolished the Jersey Shoreline and the quality of life the people enjoy there. He can no longer deny there are profound problems with our Earth's climate. He knows it would be immoral to do so. I trust him to carry that understanding forward. New Jersey - 2012 Presidential Poll - Obama 56%, Romney 39% A clear majority of New Jersey voters (click here)support the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision upholding most of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), according to a new WNYC/Rutgers-Eagleton Poll. Nearly 6-in-10 registered voters in the Garden State say the Supreme Court was right to uphold the law, while 37 percent wanted it struck down. This represents a significant increase in support, compared to the 47 percent who supported the law in a March, 2010 Rutgers-Eagleton Poll.... The economics of the GOP does not lend to prudent decision making when it comes to Earth's climate. The reason the Climate Crisis is coined as a political issue is because it impacts the economic strategies of the political right wing of the USA. People like Governor Christie have to begin to process the reality he is facing into the economic strategies of his party. They cannot continue to press economic ideology that contributes to the Climate Crisis. A hero carries brevity. I hope he takes that status seriously.
Did these two men deserve bullet proof shades on Marine 1? Of course they did. If they deserve to be protected to carry out the responsibilities of our government they deserve our loyalty to continue their good work.
Last Modified: Sunday, November 4, 2012 at 6:35 a.m.
...The campaign hiatus was fitting and proper, albeit a political no-brainer for President Barak Obamaand GOP rival Mitt Romney. With dozens dead and unaccounted for, with millions without power and wondering about putting their homes and businesses back together, politics needed to take a back seat.
Blunt-spoken New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie perhaps said it best, as he pondered the devastation of his state's coastline, ground zero for Sandy's landfall Monday night.
"I don't give a damn about Election Day," Christie told reporters. "I've got bigger fish to fry" ...
The job of putting more than 20 storm-ravaged states back in working order will be less dramatic. Millions of New Yorkers in the center of the nation's business nerve wondered how they would be getting to work in the days ahead after the subway system suffered a level of damage it hadn't seen in a century....
Both these men embrace the truth. Governor Christie stated, "...It is the truth and if you don't accept that then you don't know me...." or something like that. I don't know that President Obama ever pursues anything but the truth. He lives his presidency in recognition of the truth. It is what I want from my government. Governor Christie made an impression on me. I will not lose that impression anytime soon and certainly not because the media in the USA likes to play with images rather than the truth. I like the guy today. Before this occurred and the like minds of President Obama and Governor Christie came together to act in an emergency I thought Governor Christie was a political bully with nothing to add to the dialogue in this nation except more outrageous hatred of me, my political affections and values developed over a lifetime. I see him very differently today. No one has one complaint about any of the Governors, Mayors or President Obama in regard to the heroics I witnessed within the capacity of our sovereign governments. They are heroes. There is no doubt in my mind. I am convinced their lives lie along a path of greatness. If Governor Christie have ambitions of higher office I wish him well. He deserves it. He deserves it as a loyal member of 'The Truth Club.' I thank them all. There were lives saved. An entire region of this country including states south was managed to protect lives. Has anyone stopped to figure the odds of surviving that storm without the active management by these people? It wasn't good. In Haiti, the country is far smaller and the deaths nearly equal to that of the USA. It was NOT due to crumbling and poor concrete either. We all can remember the tragedy and the deaths numbering nearly 2000 of Katrina. I believe Superstorm Sandy reset the chronometers on many issues, the Climate Crisis is at the top of the list, but, also a political model we lost to extremist views that have attracted hideous amounts of money to corrupt our political system. Having a multi-party system of political elections is not suppose to be about who can corrupt the values of the electorate but about allowing the best of the best to compete for the seats of power of the USA that will effect lives inside and outside our borders. There is much to thank all those involved for minimizing deaths and returning function as soon as is reasonably possible, but, the changes that will occur within our country because we witnessed greatness is yet to be measured. For that alone, I thank them.
People need to be in shelters. The temperatures aren't heading into a deep freeze though. I also understand there are sections of the subway now dry and within function, too. Updated November 4, 2012, 12:30 AM ET
The lights (click here) were back on Saturday in lower Manhattan, prompting screams of sweet relief from residents who had been plunged into darkness for nearly five days by Superstorm Sandy. But that joy contrasted with deepening resentment in the city's outer boroughs and suburbs over a continued lack of power and maddening gas shortages.
Adding to the misery of those without power, heat or gasoline were dipping temperatures. Mayor Michael Bloomberg urged older residents without heat to move to shelters and said 25,000 blankets were being distributed across the city.
"We're New Yorkers, and we're going to get through it," the mayor said. "But I don't want anyone to think we're out of the woods."
Bloomberg also said that resolving gas shortages could take days. Lines snaked around gas stations for many blocks all over the stricken region, including northern New Jersey, where Gov. Chris Christie imposed rationing that recalled the worst days of fuel shortages of the 1970s....
The Weather Channel November 4, 2012 0615 gmt Those warmer temperatures are still prevalent. There is an air mass over Montana that could become problematic next week if it sinks into southern moisture later this week. Looking at Wednesday or so. It is important the recovery moves along even with threatening trends. There is no reason to stop making in roads to more comfort for more people. We'll see what the week brings. The weather system I referred to will not be a Sandy, but, could add undesired problems.
...Three Syrian tanks (click here)entered the demilitarised zone in the Golan Heights on Saturday, Israel said, raising concerns violence from Syria's civil war could heat up a long-quiet frontier that has not seen such an incursion in nearly 40 years.
Israel complained to UN peacekeepers present in the area, a relatively low-key response that suggested it did not see the Syrian armor as an immediate threat. But the entry marks the most serious spillover of Syria's turmoil to date at the frontier, where stray ordnance has exploded on the Israeli side in the past.
Neighbouring countries are dealing with a variety of incidents linked to the conflict Turkey exchanged artillery fire with Syria for a week last month, while Jordan has seen several shootings at the border and clashes linked to the uprising against President Bashar Assad have broken out in Lebanon....
Israel doesn't usually send traffic directors for tanks, they usually send jets.
Defense establishment believes move was related to infighting, IDF lodges UN complaint, waits for it to oversee withdrawal.
Nevertheless, the IDF raised its alert level in the Golan Heights region.
...The Northern Command has been on the lookout for such a development since Syrian infighting approached the Israeli border several months ago. The Northern Command remains committed to a policy of zero-tolerance to challenges to Israeli sovereignty from Syria.
In October, the IDF evacuated tourists from the top of Mount Hermon after sighting dozens of Syrians – many of them with guns – in civilian clothing approaching the border.
The suspects, who may have been rebels, did not infiltrate the border, and stopped their approach to the fence some 500 meters away from the international boundary....
Ferry service resumes (click here) with the first ferry making its way past the Statue of Liberty en route to the Staten Island Ferry Terminal in Manhattan.
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Saturday, November 3, 2012
Service on the Staten Island Ferry resumed at noon Friday, bringing some normalcy to a handful of New Yorkers, and allowing tourists a chance to see the storm-damaged city from a different perspective.
The terminal on the Manhattan side of the harbor was running on generator power and was eerily quiet as boats began to arrive.
"It was scary at first," said Megan Vasquez, 20, after taking the first boat into Manhattan.
"There weren't a lot of people and everyone seemed nervous waiting at the terminal, but when they opened the doors people cheered."
Vasquez ventured into Lower Manhattan to assess the damaged at the medical office where she works near South Street Seaport.
"I just want everything to go back to normal. The city looks like a warzone," the Ellingtonville resident said....
"We've come together (click here) tonight to tell every single person who's suffering that we are here for you. We will do whatever we can to help. We will not leave anyone behind because every single one of you matters," the star said before beginning her performance of her hit "Beautiful."
