Volume 5, Issue 2

April 2, 2014

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DEAR PARA MEMBERS,

Back in January, we wrote to our members about the increasing volume of "Bridgegate" stories and the controversy surrounding the order to close key access lanes in Fort Lee to the George Washington Bridge -- for four days, September 11, 2013 being one of them. Since we last wrote, the news has gained more and more scope and heat, with the Port Authority Board of Commissioners on the hot seat, various calls to realign, restructure or just break up the Port Authority, and now the resignation of PA Chairman David Samson five days ago. And then there are the several investigations, from the federal to state levels, and within the PA itself, which have yet to yield final reports (not including Governor's Christie's own fast-tracked investigation which was released to much discussion last week).

You, like many of us on PARA's Board and our unflagging Webmaster, Joseph SanSevero, may have reached news fatigue already, but there's no chance this is going away, especially with more and more digging into the redirection of capital and other PA resources to support pointed political interests. There's the demise of the ARC Tunnel Project, redirection of capital dollars to the Pulaski Skyway reconstruction, and three other road projects in NJ, and projects in Hoboken and Harrison that received particular PA financial interest, against a backdrop of conflicts of interest at the PA Board level.

As Dave Gallagher, PARA's President notes in our upcoming Spring Newsletter (expect to receive it in the mail mid-May), "As retirees, our interest is more than mere curiosity... the emotions run strong." The integrity of the PA, where many of us spent a lot of our working lives, seems to be on trial. Many of us have friends who are employees, trying to do the right thing in the most professional way possible. Keeping up with the news so that we are well-informed is important, so we can speak knowledgeably in our communities and in other influential circles. It's one more way to honor the work of retirees and to support an honest and healthy future for the PA.

Several of us on PARA's Board and our Webmaster are tracking the news related to the above daily, with perhaps a day or two off here and there. We cull those stories that have the most direct connection to the Port Authority, and have been posting links to articles, news clips, blogs and other media posts on the PARA Website home page under "Current Items of Interest." Please check in to this page, and to the running news archive we are keeping for reference.

We think it is an important service and hope you will help us spread the word to your friends and colleagues. Please encourage them to sign up for these online PARA Bulletins so they can keep up with PARA news for its members.

Sincerely,

YOUR PARA BOARD

DISCLAIMER:

The Port Authority Retirees Association, Inc. does not provide, and this notice does not constitute, legal or other professional advice. We recommend you contact your own professional advisor for such matters as neither The Port Authority Retirees Association, Inc., nor anyone associated with this notice, assumes responsibility for your relying on the information provided, even though we have attempted to ensure that it reflects our understanding of what is presented.

WHAT IS PARA?

The Port Authority Retirees Association (PARA), a not-for-profit corporation, was formed in 1989 to promote the welfare of retirees of the Port Authority (and PATH). That is accomplished by PARA's acting as spokesperson for Port Authority retirees. We foster and encourage legislation that maintains or improves our circumstances primarily as it affects the pensions of the New York State Retirement System. Our more than 4,000 members are strengthened by PARA's affiliation with the Alliance of Public Retiree Organizations (APRO) representing more than 350,000 members.