Marching on to war
New
York’s Democratic senators sided with President Bush last week, giving him the
authority to wage war against Iraq when he wants to. But three Rochester-area members of the House of
Representatives put up a fight.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Both Senators Hillary Clinton and
Charles Schumer voted yes on the joint resolution to give Bush the power to
attack Iraq unilaterally.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Among the 126 House Democrats voting
“no”: Louise Slaughter and John LaFalce. Republican Amo Houghton of Corning,
whose new Congressional district includes a substantial portion of Monroe
County south of the city, was one of only 6 Republicansย — and the only one from New York State —
to vote against the president.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Republicans Tom Reynolds of Erie
County, who represents part of the western Rochester suburbs, and James Walsh
of Syracuse, whose new district includes some eastern suburban areas, voted in
favor of the resolution.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย In the House, the vote was 296 in
favor of the Bush plan (215 Republicans and 81 Democrats) to 133 opposed.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย In the Senate, where the vote was 77
to 23, only one Republican — Rhode Island’s Lincoln Chafee — resisted the
president. Independent and former Republican James Jeffords of Vermont also
voted “no.” The Democrats voting “no”: Kennedy of Massachusetts, Byrd of West
Virginia, Feingold of Wisconsin, Wellstone and Dayton of Minnesota, Mikulski
and Sarbanes of Maryland, Levin and Stabenow of Michigan, Akaka and Inouye of
Hawaii, Leahy of Vermont, Corzine of New Jersey, Bingaman of New Mexico, Conrad
of North Dakota, Boxer of California, Graham of Florida, Durbin of Illinois,
and Reed of Rhode Island.
Honeoye renaissance
Immediately
south of Honeoye Lake, cradled by spectacular hills, sit some of the most
extensive and ecologically valued wetlands in Upstate New York. For many years,
these wetlands were owned by the late developer Emil Muller, who turned several hundred acres into “Wild Rose
Ranch” and controlled some extensive pastures and woodlands, too. But now, with
a deal involving the Muller family, the Nature
Conservancy, and New York State, Wild Rose Ranch and surroundings —
around 2,000 acres in all — will become a new state Wildlife Management Area. And this means full public access.
Indeed, part of the land is already open to the public, says Jim Howe, deputy
director of the Nature Conservancy’s Central and Western New York chapter.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Cemented with $1.1 million from the
state’s Clean Air/Clean Water bond act and Environmental Protection Fund, the
deal brings three large parcels together. The Nature Conservancy was steward of
two of these parcels for several years; soon the group will acquire the third
parcel from the Emil Muller Trust and then deed it to the state. “We’ve helped
preserve [the land] from residential development,” says Howe, noting the land’s
scenic attractions. Howe lauds Emil Muller’s widow, Florence Muller. “She’s
really had a great vision,” he says. Part of that vision, he says, was the gift
of the Wild Rose Ranch headquarters to Finger Lakes Community College, which
now uses it to house the Muller Biological Field Station.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Will there be a direct path from the
new wildlife management area to Harriet Hollister Spencer State Recreation Area
to the west? According to Howe, time will tell. The two areas sit achingly
close to each other, though there’s quite a difference in elevation. But even
without a connecting trail, the Spencer Rec Area and the new “WMA” will be a
well-matched pair of natural treasures.
Predatory
lending foiled
Albany
has been cooking with progress against “predatory
lending,” that is, a set of practices that take advantage of vulnerable
borrowers (often the poor and seniors on fixed incomes) through inordinately
high interest rates, steep processing fees, and tricky “fine print.”
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย On October 11, State Attorney
General Eliot Spitzer, Governor George Pataki, and the state banking
superintendent announced a nationwide agreement with Household International,
the parent company of Beneficial Finance and Household Finance corporations. By
the terms of the agreement, said a news release, Household will pay $484
million in restitution to the states involved; New Yorkers who were affected
will share in $37 million or more.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย What was Household up to? One
example: The company had been charging customers an average 7.25 percent in
fees for a home-financing loan; now it will limit the fees to 5 percent. The
company will also rein in the fees and points it charges for refinancing home
loans. In a prepared statement, the company said it will be “more rigorous when
it comes to compliance monitoring” from now on. “We apologize to our valued
customers for not always living up to their expectations,” the company said.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Meanwhile, New Yorkers for
Responsible Lending, a statewide anti-predatory lending coalition, hailed the
enacting of a new homeowner protection law. The law imposes tighter regulation
on “subprime” mortgages — high-cost loans often made to borrowers who are
deemed credit risks, or peddled to others who don’t realize they could get more
affordable loans. Some local players deserve credit for the new law, especially
staffers of the Public Interest Law Office of Rochester. A recent PILOR study
found that “subprime lending grew by over 600 percent in the Rochester
metropolitan area between 1993 and 1999″ — and that subprime loans accounted
for 42 percent of all refinancing loans in the city in 2000.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย A PILOR news release cited
Assemblymember David Gantt’s support. And Assemblymember Susan John, another
cosponsor, issued a prepared statement: “No New Yorker,” John said, “should
have the home they worked so hard for stolen from them by a predatory lender;
this law lets fast-talking predatory lenders know their days of exploitation
are over.”
Correcting
ourselves
After
a gremlin infected his GPS and ate up his memory, Jack Bradigan Spula wrongly
placed the Politics of Food/School 9 community garden (“Things go better with
food,” October 9-15) at the nonexistent intersection of North Clinton and
Driving Park avenues. Even a gremlin knows the garden’s actually at the corner
of North Clinton Avenue and Upper Falls Boulevard.
Sitting
for peace
As
the country moves ever closer to a war with Iraq, members of the local chapter
of The Buddhist Peace Fellowship are expressing their concern and opposition by
holding monthly meditations in front of the Federal Building on State Street.
“The purpose of the sittings is to witness suffering in the world due to
violence and to provide a presence of peace,” says participant Kit Miller.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย The group started meeting again
about 18 months ago, after being inactive for a number of years. “We wanted to
bring our spiritual practice into the world through various kinds of activism,”
says Martha Howden. While most of the people involved with BPF and the monthly
sittings are members of local Buddhist organizations, anyone may attend the
sittings.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย The local BPF has been involved with
a number of different issues, including the death penalty and local poverty,
but since 9/11 its emphasis has shifted to the worldwide suffering caused by
violence. “Meditation helps us see that there is no difference between
ourselves and others,” Miller says, “and that violence done to anyone is done
to all beings.” “In the stillness of meditation,” adds Venerable Amala
Wrightson, a Zen Buddhist priest, “we may more easily connect with others who
are suffering.”
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย While recognizing that action
against Iraq may be inevitable, Miller says the action should be “non-violent
and multi-national.” Ven. Wrightson added her hope that any action “…will be
through the UN and with the close involvement of Iraq’s near neighbors.”
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย The group plans on continuing its
monthly sittings. The next one is scheduled for Monday, November 11. For the
location or other information, contact Kit Miller at kitdave@frontiernet.net or
Martha Howden at mmhowden@aol.com. The national BPF website is www.bpf.org.
—
Joseph Sorrentino
This article appears in Oct 16-22, 2002.
