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Testifying at Comptroller Stringer's Sandy Oversite Hearing

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Tuesday, May 20, 2014 - Arverne, Rockaway, NY - The doors opened at 6:30pm, and I was late having to drop my son off at a Rockaway Little League game.  I entered Mt. Carmel Church in Arverne at 6:50pm and was alarmed to see that there was a great deal of seating in the pews.  

Prior to this event, Jason Hilliard, Queens Borough Director, meet with a small group of residents and members of community organizations at Arverne Pilgrim Church in Rockaway to encourage outreach for this event.  "This is not a meeting," he said more than once.  This was a hearing and residents' testimonies can potentially lead to a criminal investigation of agencies' spending of Sandy money.  

The hearing began at 7pm on the dot and quickly the empty spaces in pews filled up until there was only standing room!

I jumped on the line to testify.  I had about 20 or so residents before me. Testimony after testimony expressed grievous failures with FEMA and Build It Back.  Families left to make desperate choices like depleting retirement funds or unable to make choices and having to remain in uncomfortable and unhealthy conditions, such as inhaling toxins.  

I was heartbroken.

While I am all for the Comptroller's office going after misuse or misdirected Sandy funding, and getting homeowners needed funding - I was denied FEMA and Build It Back assistance, my question to the Comptroller was will he support resident lead initiatives responding to unemployment and a stressed local economy?

His answer was "Yes!"  He put Jason Hilliard, Queens Borough Director, on the spot setting up a meeting in front of the crowd. I was glad I had met Jason before the hearing, and he did approach me requesting my proposal for the worker cooperative project being launched and lead by residents.  I did.  He said we'd conference via phone today.  No call yet.  Let's see.

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