Originally Posted by Glitterbug22

Also, I should say that I do not just know these facts off the top of my head. I work with a lot of non-profits, and get my facts from the Alliance for Justice (www.allianceforjustice.org)

Originally Posted by Carolyn Verdi

1. Polls :

Both camps have done polls to help them with their efforts. Those working on them in the camps know of the details. There will be no officical release of the polls but the results are helping us in our efforts thats why I can reference them.

2. I am glad that we can agree that Vern has done nothing for Dougherty and therefore his position was not quid pro quo. Granted Dougherty did support Vern, but that is history. Anne Dicker &her team are the new force behind Vern along with the 200 other volunteers from 2003 that had nothing to do with organized labor.

3. Frank Russo was BVUCA's zoning point person who represented BVUCA on the town watch zoning board. Frank left the TW zoning committee for personal reasons.

Finally, BVUCA has never participated in political activity in fact, any member who has run for office has distanced themselves from the group to protect the group's integrity. Though many of our individual members are very politically avtive and big supporters of Vern, they do so as individuals.

Originally Posted by Carolyn Verdi

RE: Italian Memorial Please read my Aug 22nd. thread below. Thousands of dollars??? Don't know where you are getting your info. Get your facts straight.

The National Italian Memorial was the idea of Vern Anastasio and, in its first year, it was chaired by the United States Ambassador to Italy, Thomas Foglietta.

Because Anastasio and Foglietta were involved, Frank DiCicco and Vince Fumo vowed to kill the project. Quietly, they called donors and told them NOT to support the project. They pressured Italian American leaders to exclude the Memorial at their events. And they even ended up selling the city-owned land (an historic immigrant bathhouse) to private developers who will now demolish it and put up a fancy townhouse.

If the Italian Memorial dies, its blood is on the hands of Councilman Frank DiCicco and Senator Vince Fumo.

I was hired as an event planner for the memorial. All monies were collected, recorded and properly held. I have been in business for 20 years and my integrity has never been questioned and I take offense to your comment.

Today, because Vern and the rest of us knew the only way the project MIGHT move forward was to quietly remove ourselves, the funds have been handed over to Councilman DiCicco and the good people at PNC bank. Before stepping off, Vern actually secured a commitment from Jane Golden of the Mural Arts program to spearhead the project and I secured a $75,000 in-kind donation from the cement masons to do all necessary cement work.

Now, we wait to see what, if anything happens next.

Because Vern put this project and our community’s will before politics, he honorably stepped aside to allow DiCicco to take the credit. DiCicco, on the other hand, put politics before the people and allowed his personal venom poison an opportunity to turn a long-neglected historic site into a thing of beauty.

Originally Posted by BettyBoop

Carolyn,

Is this an official rebuke of the ilk of Doc? Will Vern the Magnificent refuse financial and goon support from Local 98? Well, this a breakthrough. I guess Vern will have to stop hanging out and sitting with the goonies at all these public forums. Sleep with dogs, wake up with fleas.