The Advocates with Richard J. Garfunkel on WVOX – AM Radio 1460- “New Day, New Hour.”

Wednesday, December 12, 2007, at 12:00 Noon, I am hosting my show “The Advocates” on WVOX- 1460 AM on your dial, or you can listen to its live streaming at www.wvox.com.  One can call the show at 914-636-0110 to reach us on the radio. My special guest this week is Richard Feldman, author of the riveting new book. Ricochet, Confessions of a Gun Lobbyist, published by John Wiley & Sons, and will be available in 2008

Today’s discussion will center on, Mr. Feldman’s rise through GOP politics, and his association and experiences, with both the National Rifle Association and the gun lobby in America. His revelatory book will reveal his education about guns, his philosophy about gun ownership and the need for people to be concerned about their self-defense, and his gradual disillusionment with the current leadership of the National Rifle Association.

Richard Feldman was raised in Nassau County, and attended Boston University, before graduating from Union College in the early 1970’s. He is a practicing lawyer and he believes that the NRA is not an effective advocate for its member’s interests. He articulates the case that their obsessive desire for power, their scare-mongering and drive for money, undermines reasonable solutions that would not only protect gun owner’s rights while reducing accidental shootings and gun violence. Ricochet is not a confessional tell-all about the evils of gun ownership. It is in reality an expose of the NRA, and how it has betrayed the trust of legitimate gun owners and sportsman, who cherish the Second Amendment. Feldman believes that the NRA has “inadvertently strengthened the hand of those who would take your guns away.”

The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution: Right of people to bear arms not to be infringed. “A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.”  

Meanwhile the mission of the “Advocates” is to bring to the public differing views on current “public policy “ issues. “Public policy,” therefore, is what we as a nation legally and traditionally follow. Over the years the “public policy” of the United States has changed or has been modified greatly. As an example, “free public education” is the public policy of the United States. Also, over time great struggles have ensued over the control of the direction of “public policy” For example: free trade vs. protectionism, slavery vs. emancipation, state’s rights vs. Federalism, and an all-volunteer armed forces or the “draft.”

Richard J. Garfunkel

The Advocates with Richard J. Garfunkel on WVOX – AM Radio 1460- “New Day, New Hour.”

Wednesday, December 5, 2007, at 12:00 Noon, I am hosting my show “The Advocates” on WVOX- 1460 AM on your dial, or you can listen to its live streaming at www.wvox.com.  One can call the show at 914-636-0110 to reach us on the radio. My special guest this week will be Michael Carriere, who is currently the Vice President of the Central Labor Council of the AFL-CIO in Westchester and Putnam Counties.  We will also have here today Mr. Glen Hockley, a current member of the White Plains City Council and a strong supporter of trade unionism in White Plains, and Westchester County.

Today’s topic will be the “prevailing wage,” what it is, and how important is it to the health and welfare of members of the trade unions of not only New York, but around the country. Also as part of this discussion I will ask Mr. Carriere his thoughts on the twin issues that affect American labor, cheap imports from undemocratic, non-unionized countries like China, India and the Pacific Rim, who do not have safety or health standards that come anywhere near matching ours, and proliferation of undocumented workers that are flooding our shores and under-cutting the wages of American citizens and workers. 

 As a background to the discussion of the “prevailing wage,” almost all public works constructions are required by the Davis Bacon Act to pay all workers who work on public works projects the “prevailing wage,” in the local area. By definition established over a long period, this wage approximates the local union scale for the particular trade covered. This rate is usually much higher than the wages paid for private work and the contractor has to adjust their bid accordingly face serious consequences. As part of that agreement there must be a “certified payroll,” which is one means to verify compliance.  All contractors working on public work projects are required to provide on a weekly basis a certified copy of the weekly payroll on a specific project naming all workers and showing wages, deductions and benefits paid including a check number. If one doesn’t comply with the “prevailing wage” rules the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE) can use their investigative arm and authority, which could result in adverse rulings against the contractor and the penalties can be onerous.

Mr. Carriere, who has been a Union member for 20 years, came from a Union family. He started a glazier for Local Union 1087 and held many elected positions, before and after, the merger with District Council 9 and the consolidation of Local Unions 206 and 1087.  He is also a strong advocate of apprentice programs, and has contributed his time, and the efforts his union in many charitable projects that include the YMCA rehabilitation in White Plains, food pantries, toys for tots, The Children’s Hospital in Valhalla, various projects in Yonkers and church rehabilitations in Port Chester and Brewster.

Meanwhile the mission of the “Advocates” is to bring to the public differing views on current “public policy “ issues. “Public policy,” therefore, is what we as a nation legally and traditionally follow. Over the years the “public policy” of the United States has changed or has been modified greatly. As an example, “free public education” is the public policy of the United States. Also, over time great struggles have ensued over the control of the direction of “public policy” For example: free trade vs. protectionism, slavery vs. emancipation, state’s rights vs. Federalism, and an all-volunteer armed forces or the “draft.”

Richard J. Garfunkel

The Advocates with Richard J. Garfunkel on WVOX – AM Radio 1460- “New Day, New Hour.”

Wednesday, November 28, 2007, at 12:00 Noon, I am hosting my show “The Advocates” on WVOX- 1460 AM on your dial, or you can listen to its live streaming at www.wvox.com.  One can call the show at 914-636-0110 to reach us on the radio.  My special guest this morning Dr. Lewis J. Perelman, and the topic will revisit the subject raised two weeks ago by Professor Charles Perrow, regarding the natural conflict between the “green” and “blue” agendas.

Dr. Lewis J. Perelman is a Washington-DC policy and management consultant.  A native of Mount Vernon, New York, he received his bachelor's degree in mathematics and physics from the City College of New York, and went on to study space and planetary physics at Columbia University and Harvard University.  He later earned his doctoral degree in administration, planning, and policy from Harvard, where his studies focused on sustainable economic development.

Lewis Perelman has worked for over 30 years—as an analyst, thought leader, teacher, and consultant—on key strategic problems of human ecology: transportation, energy, environmental protection, human capital management, national security, technology innovation, and economic and business development. In 1992 he gained renown for his best-selling book “School’s Out”, which anticipated much of the revolution that the Internet and information technology would end up causing in learning, work, and the keys to business success.

Dr. Perelman currently is planning an online symposium for the Public Entity Risk Institute, scheduled for January, on the subject of “Infrastructure Risk and Renewal”.  Reflecting Dr. Perelman's own recent policy work, the symposium will particularly focus on the growing clash between a “green” policy agenda, concerned with environmental protection and efficiency, and a contrasting “blue” policy agenda, concerned with human security and survival.

While the “green” agenda often claims to aim at “sustainability,” Lewis Perelman warns that not everything that pretends to be “sustainable” really is. True sustainability, Perelman argues, requires a prudent mix of both the green and the blue goals—not only protection against long-range threats but also preparedness, agility, flexibility, and the capacity to adapt quickly to new circumstances. In one word, resilience.

One of the first analysts at the U.S. government’s 30-year-old Solar Energy Research Institute, and recently a fellow at the government’s new Homeland Security Institute, Dr. Perelman has a unique perspective to combine the green and the blue agendas into an overall scheme of social resilience. He criticizes both the green agenda of environmental protection and the blue agenda of national security for being commonly obsessed with a self-defeating strategy of centralized command and control, prevention, and resistance to change. Instead, he sees an emerging challenge within both the green and blue domains from an    alternative policy paradigm that emphasizes decentralization, distributed responsibility, entrepreneurial initiative, adaptation to change, and overall community resilience.

Also joining us again is retired Army Colonel Jeff Gaynor, our call-in guest from Herndon, Va., who is the chief operating officer of eNTEGRITI. His new business interest and activity revolves around the concept of preparing and hardening our infrastructure so it can be more economically sustained and can be more resilient against potential natural and man-made challenges. While in the military, his service encompassed over 30 years of enlisted and comissioned experience. His assignments included: Communications Monitor, Counterintelligence Agent and Operations Officer; Infantry Advisor to Vietnamese Territorial Forces in An Loc; Brigade Intelligence Officer and Secretary General Staff, 25th Infantry Division; Director of the Secretary of Defense/Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff Current Intelligence Presentations Division, Defense Intelligence Agency; 511th Military Intelligence Battalion Commander; Army Programs Officer, General Defense Intelligence Program; and Presidential Communications and Security Officer and Alternate Military Aide to the President during the Reagan and George H. W. Bush administrations.

Mr. Gaynor is the recipient of: The Silver Star; Defense Superior Service Medal; Legion of Merit; three awards of the Bronze Star Medal; Combat Infantryman’s, Joint Staff and Presidential Staff Identification adges and two awards of the Department of Defense Exceptional Civilian Service Medal.

Meanwhile the mission of the “Advocates” is to bring to the public differing views on current “public policy “ issues. “Public policy,” therefore, is what we as a nation legally and traditionally follow. Over the years the “public policy” of the United States has changed or has been modified greatly. As an example, “free public education” is the public policy of the United States. Also, over time great struggles have ensued over the control of the direction of “public policy” For example: free trade vs. protectionism, slavery vs. emancipation, state’s rights vs. Federalism, and an all-volunteer armed forces or the “draft.”

Richard J. Garfunkel

The Advocates with Richard J. Garfunkel on WVOX – AM Radio 1460-

Thursday morning November 15, 2007, at 9:00 am, I am hosting my show “The Advocates” on WVOX- 1460 AM on your dial, or you can listen to its live streaming at www.wvox.com.  One can call the show at 914-636-0110 to reach us on the radio.  My special guest this morning is Charles Perrow, the author of the most interesting book, The Next Catastrophe, from Princeton University Press, which addresses the problem of reducing our vulnerabilities to natural, industrial and terror driven disasters and Mr. John Puma of Mount Vernon, a builder, who has spent most of his career managing communication infrastructure, and has a strong interest in alternate energy sources.

Charles Perrow is Professor Emeritus of Sociology at Yale University. He is a past Vice President of the Eastern Sociological Society; a Fellow of the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences (1981-2, 1999); Fellow of the American Academy for the Advancement of Science; Resident Scholar, Russell Sage Foundation, 1990-91; Fellow, Shelly Cullom Davis Center for Historical Studies, 1995-96; Visitor, Institute for Advanced Studies, 1995-96, Princeton University; former member of the Committee on Human Factors, National Academy of Sciences, of the Sociology Panel of the National Science Foundation, and of the editorial boards of several journals. Currently he is a member of the National Academy’s committee on dependable software systems.  An organizational theorist, he is the author of seven books (three receiving prizes), including: The Radical Attack on Business (1972), Organizational Analysis: A Sociological View (1970), Complex Organizations: A Critical Essay (1972; 3rd ed., 1986), Normal Accidents: Living with High Risk Technologies (1984, revised, 1999), The AIDS Disaster: The Failure of Organizations in New York and the Nation (1990) with Mauro Guillen; Organizing America: Wealth, Power, and the Origins of American Capitalism (2002);  The Next Catastrophe: Reducing Our Vulnerabilities to Natural, Industrial, and Terrorist Disasters (2007); and over 60 articles.

His current interests are in managing complexly interactive, tightly coupled systems (including hospitals, nuclear plants, chemical plants, power grids, aviation, the space program, and intelligent transportation systems); the challenge and limits of network centric warfare; self-organizing properties of the Internet, the electric power grid, networks of small firms, and terrorist organizations; and the possibilities for restructuring society to reduce our vulnerability to increasing disasters, whether natural, industrial/technological, or deliberate.  These grow out of his work on “normal accidents,” with its emphasis upon organizational design and systems theory.  His consultancies and workshops include the US Forest Service, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, NASA, FAA, Naval War College, NIH, NSF, Intel Corp., and DaimlerChrysler.

Our other guest in the studio, is Mr. John Puma of Mount Vernon, NY, a businessman and serial entrepreneur whose career has ranged from management consulting, starting and building companies in emerging technologies, to developing communications systems for multi-national communication giants, to real estate development for the middle and working class citizens, and most recently to work in the alternate energy field.  John, who was brought up on Long Island, and gravitated to Mount Vernon, was educated at the State University of NY, in Buffalo, and took graduate courses in entertainment arts at NYU.

I also expect Mr. Jeff Gaynor as a special call-in guest from Herndon , Va., who is the chief operating officer of eNTEGRITI.

Mr. Gaynor retired from the Army as a Colonel. His service encompassed over 30 years of enlisted and commissioned, Armor, Infantry, and Military Intelligence experience. His assignments included: Communications Monitor, Counterintelligence Agent and Operations Officer; Infantry Advisor to Vietnamese Territorial Forces in An Loc; Brigade Intelligence Officer and Secretary General Staff, 25th Infantry Division; Director of the Secretary of Defense/Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff Current Intelligence Presentations Division, Defense Intelligence Agency; 511th Military Intelligence Battalion Commander; Army Programs Officer, General Defense Intelligence Program; and Presidential Communications and Security Officer and Alternate Military Aide to the President during the Reagan and George H. W. Bush administrations.

Mr. Gaynor is the recipient of: The Silver Star; Defense Superior Service Medal; Legion of Merit; three awards of the Bronze Star Medal; Combat Infantryman’s, Joint Staff and Presidential Staff Identification adges and two awards of the Department of Defense Exceptional Civilian Service Medal.

Meanwhile the mission of the “Advocates” is to bring to the public differing views on current “public policy “ issues. “Public policy,” therefore, is what we as a nation legally and traditionally follow. Over the years the “public policy” of the United States has changed or has been modified greatly. As an example, “free public education” is the public policy of the United States. Also, over time great struggles have ensued over the control of the direction of “public policy” For example: free trade vs. protectionism, slavery vs. emancipation, state’s rights vs. Federalism, and an all-volunteer armed forces or the “draft.”

Richard J. Garfunkel

The Advocates with Richard J. Garfunkel on WVOX – AM Radio 1460-

Thursday morning November 8, 2007, at 9:00 am, I am hosting my show “The Advocates” on WVOX- 1460 AM on your dial, or you can listen to its live streaming at www.wvox.com.  One can call the show at 914-636-0110 to reach us on the radio.  My special guests this morning are Sonja Brown, Kevin Morgan, and Judy Beville. These three individuals were just elected in an historic landslide to represent the Town of Greenburgh.  They accomplished a feat that has rarely, if ever, been done. They triumphed in the September 18th Democratic Primary, defeating three party-endorsed incumbents with 36 years experience on the public payroll. Yesterday they completed this unprecedented sweep in the general election over the same foes. They are a part of Supervisor Paul Feiner’s new team, as the Supervisor won his 9^th consecutive term with over 80% of the vote.  In January, Kevin and Sonja will join the Greenburgh Town Board and hopefully a new era of cooperation, civility and collegiality will again move forward in Westchester’s biggest and most diverse town. Judy Beville, a current member of the Valhalla Board of Education, an educator, and a specialist in mentoring youth, will be the Town’s new Clerk, after the 14-year tenure of Alfreda Williams. Kevin Morgan, a professional Legal Aid Society investigator, a member of the Planning Board, and a decorated, retired police office will join Sonja Brown, a social worker, who has been an advocate for better schools, mentoring minority youth, and has been called an “Outreach Dynamo” on the new Town Board.  We will discuss the campaign, their vision for the future, and their upcoming plan of action for Greenburgh!

Meanwhile the mission of the “Advocates” is to bring to the public differing views on current “public policy “ issues. “Public policy,” therefore, is what we as a nation legally and traditionally follow. Over the years the “public policy” of the United States has changed or has been modified greatly. As an example, “free public education” is the public policy of the United States. Also, over time great struggles have ensued over the control of the direction of “public policy” For example: free trade vs. protectionism, slavery vs. emancipation, state’s rights vs. Federalism, and an all-volunteer armed forces or the “draft.”

Richard J. Garfunkel

The Advocates with Richard J. Garfunkel on WVOX – AM Radio 1460-

Thursday morning, October 25th, 2007, at 9:00 am, I am hosting my show, “The Advocates” on WVOX- 1460 AM on your dial, or you can listen to its live streaming at www.wvox.com.  One can call the show at 914-636-0110 to reach us on the radio.  I am glad to be back at my regular spot on the dial after a long week in Atlanta and western North Carolina. Today’s topic will be on the subprime lending and mortgage crisis. Subprime lending is also called B-paper or second chance lending. Beginning in 2006, the U. S. subprime mortgage industry entered into a period, which many observers and critics have become to call a meltdown. We will try to explore the consequences of this potential economic crisis, and the possible comparisons of another crisis of de-regulation, the Savings and Loan disaster of the mid 1980’s.

The “Advocates” discusses public policy, and our special guest is Mr. John Berenyi, a resident of nearby Connecticut, who has been engaged in mortgage finance and mortgage-backed securities for over 25 years. His experience includes executive positions with CITIGROUP, IF Rothschild and Co., HSBC Capital Markets and other firms in Philadelphia, Chicago and Boston. He completed over $14 billion of mortgage transactions, many with AA or AAA ratings from Moody’s and Standard and Poor’s. He has spoke on mortgage finance policy matters before Congressional Committees, including the House Ways and Means Committee.

Meanwhile the mission of the “Advocates” is to bring to the public differing views on current “public policy “ issues. “Public policy,” therefore, is what we as a nation legally and traditionally follow. Over the years the “public policy” of the United States has changed or has been modified greatly. As an example, “free public education” is the public policy of the United States. Also, over time great struggles have ensued over the control of the direction of “public policy” For example: free trade vs. protectionism, slavery vs. emancipation, state’s rights vs. Federalism, and an all-volunteer armed forces or the “draft.”

Richard J. Garfunkel

The Advocates with Richard J. Garfunkel on WVOX – AM Radio 1460-

Thursday morning, October 11th, 2007, at 9:00 am, I am hosting my show, “The Advocates” on WVOX- 1460 AM on your dial, or you can listen to its live streaming at www.wvox.com.  One can call the show at 914-636-0110 to reach us on the radio.  Because last week’s discussion evoked so much interest we are having a follow-up regarding the “Establishment Clause” and faith-based initiatives.

The “Advocates” discusses public policy, and once again our special guest is Mr. Michael Shapiro, a long-time Scarsdale resident and noted criminal defense lawyer. Michael has as an abiding interest in civil liberties, we will discuss the relevance of the “Establishment Clause,” and whether faith-based initiatives threaten the traditional constitutional “wall” envisioned by Thomas Jefferson.  Mr. Shapiro, who was raised in the Bronx, and was educated at the City College of New York, where he received a Bachelor of Arts cum laude, later earned his JD from New York University. He is currently a faculty member of the Cardozo Law School’s Intensive Advocacy Program and has been a frequent guest panelist at the Harvard Law School. Michael started his legal career as a prosecutor, serving as a special assistant attorney general in the then newly established NY State Office of the Special Prosecutor for Nursing Homes, Health and Social services. He is now a partner with the prestigious Wall Street, New York law firm, Carter, Ledyard & Milburn, which was established in 1854. As a testament to his career, and reflective of his interested in individual liberty, he was just elected to New York’s most exclusive criminal defense group, the NY Council of Defense Lawyers, an elite organization that promotes the protection of individual rights guaranteed by the United States Constitution through education and advocacy.

Meanwhile the mission of the “Advocates” is to bring to the public differing views on current “public policy “ issues. “Public policy,” therefore, is what we as a nation legally and traditionally follow. Over the years the “public policy” of the United States has changed or has been modified greatly. As an example, “free public education” is the public policy of the United States. Also, over time great struggles have ensued over the control of the direction of “public policy” For example: free trade vs. protectionism, slavery vs. emancipation, state’s rights vs. Federalism, and an all-volunteer armed forces or the “draft.”

There will be no show next week, because Linda and I are taking off to Atlanta and North Carolina for a vacation,  and will be back on October 21^st. 

Richard J. Garfunkel

The Advocates with Richard J. Garfunkel on WVOX – AM Radio 1460-

Thursday morning, October 4th, 2007, at 9:00 am, I am hosting my show, “The Advocates” on WVOX- 1460 AM on your dial, or you can listen to its live streaming at www.wvox.com.  One can call the show at 914-636-0110 to reach us on the radio.  The “Advocates” discusses public policy, and our special guest is Mr. Michael Shapiro, a long-time Scarsdale resident and noted criminal defense lawyer. Michael has as an abiding interest in civil liberties, we will discuss the relevance of the “Establishment Clause,” and whether faith-based initiatives threaten the traditional constitutional “wall” envisioned by Thomas Jefferson.  Mr. Shapiro, who was raised in the Bronx, and was educated at the City College of New York, where he received a Bachelor of Arts cum laude, later earned his JD from New York University. He is currently a faculty member of the Cardozo Law School’s Intensive Advocacy Program and has been a frequent guest panelist at the Harvard Law School. Michael started his legal career as a prosecutor, serving as a special assistant attorney general in the then newly established NY State Office of the Special Prosecutor for Nursing Homes, Health and Social services. He is now a partner with the prestigious Wall Street, New York law firm, Carter, Ledyard & Milburn, which was established in 1854. As a testament to his career, and reflective of his interested in individual liberty, he was just elected to New York’s most exclusive criminal defense group, the NY Council of Defense Lawyers, an elite organization that promotes the protection of individual rights guaranteed by the United States Constitution through education and advocacy.

Meanwhile the mission of the “Advocates” is to bring to the public differing views on current “public policy “ issues. “Public policy,” therefore, is what we as a nation legally and traditionally follow. Over the years the “public policy” of the United States has changed or has been modified greatly. As an example, “free public education” is the public policy of the United States. Also, over time great struggles have ensued over the control of the direction of “public policy” For example: free trade vs. protectionism, slavery vs. emancipation, state’s rights vs. Federalism, and an all-volunteer armed forces or the “draft.”

Richard J. Garfunkel

The Advocates with Richard J. Garfunkel on WVOX – AM Radio 1460-

Thursday morning September 27th, at 9:00 am, I am hosting my show “The Advocates” on WVOX- 1460 AM on your dial, or you can listen to its live streaming at www.wvox.com.  One can call the show at 914-636-0110 to reach us on the radio.  Usually the “Advocates” discusses public policy, but this morning our special guest, Mr. Alan Rosenberg will talk about “collecting.”  Alan Rosenberg, a CPA, who has offices here in Westchester and NYC, is a graduate of NYU, a long-time Westchester resident, who was raised in Mount Vernon and has lived in New Rochelle for many, many years. So therefore we are taking a break from the serious issues of the day, and we are going to discuss the art and love of “collecting.” We also expect a call-in from Keith Stupell of New York, one of the leading collectors of German political and economic history, which is featured on stamps, and ephemera.

Meanwhile the mission of the “Advocates” is to bring to the public differing views on current “public policy “ issues. “Public policy,” therefore, is what we as a nation legally and traditionally follow. Over the years the “public policy” of the United States has changed or has been modified greatly. As an example, “free public education” is the public policy of the United States. Also, over time great struggles have ensued over the control of the direction of “public policy” For example: free trade vs. protectionism, slavery vs. emancipation, state’s rights vs. Federalism, and an all-volunteer armed forces or the “draft.”

Richard J. Garfunkel

The Advocates with Richard J. Garfunkel on WVOX – AM Radio 1460-

Thursday morning September 20th, at 9:00 am, I am hosting my show “The Advocates” on WVOX- 1460 AM on your dial, or you can listen to its live streaming at www.wvox.com.  One can call the show at 914-636-0110 to reach us on the radio. The program this week will have as its guests, Ms. Sonja Brown, Mr. Kevin Morgan, Ms. Allegra Dengler and our phone guest Supervisor Paul Feiner. Our topic this morning is electoral change in Greenburgh. The long campaign is over, and what does it mean? (The Feiner Team won an incredible victory this past Tuesday, and I had the pleasure of being the Campaign Manager!)

Meanwhile the mission of the “Advocates” is to bring to the public differing views on current “public policy “ issues. “Public policy,” therefore, is what we as a nation legally and traditionally follow. Over the years the “public policy” of the United States has changed or has been modified greatly. As an example, “free public education” is the public policy of the United States. Also, over time great struggles have ensued over the control of the direction of “public policy” For example: free trade vs. protectionism, slavery vs. emancipation, state’s rights vs. Federalism, and an all-volunteer armed forces or the “draft.”

Richard J. Garfunkel