Wall Street Bust May Give Obama The Opening He Needs
BY JOHN TOSCANO

Supporters of Barack Obama, who have been praying for a miracle to stop the John McCain juggernaut that started to roll when McCain took Sarah Palin aboard, may have gotten it on Monday when Wall Street took another jarring hit.

Throughout the campaign, the Democratic presidential nominee has tried to link his rival to the way President George W. Bush has run the country, running down the economy and helping to bring on the mortgage foreclosure mess.

So when news that giant investment bank Lehman Brothers had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection hit the airwaves, Obama immediately reacted. At a rally in Colorado, he blasted the Bush administration: "For eight years, we've had policies that have shredded consumer protections, that loosened oversight and regulation and encouraged outsized bonuses to CEOs," Obama proclaimed. "The result is the most serious financial crisis since the Great Depression."

Then with hardly a pause, he added: "I certainly don't fault Senator John McCain, but I do fault the economic philosophy he subscribes to."

McCain didn't help himself with his first comment on the Lehman debacle. While these are difficult times, "The fundamentals of our economy are strong," he responded.

The remark was very similar to Bush's reaction in Washington.

Later, McCain tried to recover the fumble by saying he was talking about American workers.

The newest investment bank collapse, coming on the heels of the Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae busts, and accompanied by more dire predictions about the worsening economy, provided Obama with the opportunity to recover from the rut his campaign had been in since Palin came into the picture.

Obama and his campaign staff had consistently bashed McCain for voting with Bush 90 to 95 percent of the time and steadily criticized his announced plans to continue with the Bush tax policies if elected. However, with the distraction provided by Palin and McCain's counter punches on other issues, the Democrats' attack didn't seem to stick. But Monday's stock market plunge and the Lehman Brothers failure provides a setting for Obama to keep hitting his opponent with a better chance that the blows will have an effect.

The latest Wall Street plunge might also set the stage for the campaign to get back to a discussion of issues and away from the personality contest the campaign turned into when Palin entered the picture.

There's a possibility also that, given the seriousness of the country's economic problems, Palin's attractiveness as a candidate and her value to McCain might diminish if the focus gets back to issues and away from personalities.

As it was, Palin was starting to come under greater scrutiny as the media kept hammering away at certain aspects of her record as mayor and governor. She and the McCain campaign were also drawing criticism for shielding her from the press.

We may be seeing some changes in the dynamics of the campaign as we enter the final 48 days of this marathon of a presidential campaign. T he goals of the Central Astoria Local Development Coalition (CALDC) begin with enhancing

and sustaining the community as

a diverse, entertaining, clean, and promising area for businesses and residents. It is hard to say where CALDC will not lend their aid to the community, because as long as the Coalition's executive director, Marie Torniali, is concerned, if it has to do with Astoria, it has to do with her organization.

Torniali's commitment to her work is supported by staff members, including Housing Advisor Teresa Raimondo, Projects Assistant Marjorie Fasano and Administrative Assistant Patricia Alfieri. This focused team has as its mission to ensure that Astoria continues to be a thriving community full of cultural events, clean streets, satisfied tenants and landlords, welloperated businesses and pedestrian pleasantries such as flower baskets and Christmas lights. They put together handy and accessible leaflets that provide information on events, restaurants, shopping and general overviews of what Astoria has to offer.

The Central Astoria Local Development Coalition has been in operation since 1979 as a non-profit organization, with its original president, Julian Wager, still in office. It operates under a Board of Directors whose members represent business groups, civic organizations, the 114th Precinct Community Council, the 114th Civilian Observation Patrol (Civ-OP), activists and individual businesses under CALDC's four different catchment areas enclosed by boundaries of Astoria Boulevard, Northern Boulevard, the Brooklyn Queens Expressway and the East River. CALDC functions within these boundaries and helps advocate for and maintain the shopping districts of Steinway Street, 36th Avenue, Broadway, and 30th Avenue. This is made possible with money from corporate funders, the city Department of Cultural Affairs and elected officials. Assemblymembers Michael Gianaris, Margaret Markey and Catherine Nolan; state Senator George Onorato; Borough President Helen Marshall, and City Councilmember Peter Vallone Jr., among others, commit themselves as a partnership to make CALDC possible.

As a business advocate, CALDC works with approximately 1,200 businesses in the area to provide marketing to shoppers through street banners, print media, TV advertising, Web pages and brochures. This type of advertising boosts public awareness of different places to shop and dine as new establishments open up constantly. Many small businesses are operated by immigrants, so CALDC can help sort out unfamiliarity with laws and procedures. With the help of its affiliates, CALDC also provides street cleaning services to make sure a cleaner neighborhood is provided to visitors and locals alike.

Tenants and their landlords make up a large portion of CALDC's work. As mediators for the people of the community, CALDC is the go-to organization for issues such as building repairs, trouble understanding leases, drug and crime problems and frequently, senior citizens who cannot find help. "Oftentimes, it's as simple as calling 311 or filling out forms," Torniali said. "They [community residents] just don't realize this." If CALDC receives complaints from the residents of the same building, the organization will step in and try to reach out before the problems escalate. They will send letters to the residents citing the main concern and in the event of criminal issues, will team up with the 114th Precinct to educate residents on how to create a safer living environment.

CALDC's advocacy work with senior citizens has led to the development of programs to assist and protect seniors' safety in the buildings where they reside as well as making sure they find affordable housing. This same sort of effort reaches out towards immigrants and even young people who have never dealt with leases and landlords and all the difficulties in between. To make the lives of tenants even easier, CALDC put together a clear and concise guide to tenants' rights that can be purchased for $1 at their office on Steinway Street.

Cultural programs undertaken by CALDC include the Waterfront Concert Series in Astoria Park, which has just wrapped up its 26th year. "During Beatlemania, people stood in the rain with their umbrellas until we had to cut the concert short," Torniali recalled as each concert drew lively and eager crowds. The summer of 2008 also saw the introduction of Movie Night in the Park, which for its first year had a quite impressive turnout. With the beautiful sunset as backdrop, a theatre size screen showed movie favorites such as "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" and "Ratatouille".

CALDC-sponsored children's programs take place at local parks and playgrounds such as Athens Square Park and Dutch Kills Playground. Local youngsters are encouraged to sing, play music, and dance. One of the most spectacular events of the year, the CALDC-sponsored Independence Day fireworks display, which drew nearly 15,000

people this past year, is an Astoria favorite.

It brings together a community under each colorful spark in the sky, all thanks to the hard work of this organization.

What does the future hold for CALDC? Torniali and her diligent team strive to continue with their current community programs and focus on bringing in new and diverse shops and restaurants. She wants to continue with the Facade Program, which will encourage people through grants to upgrade building facades. Introducing benches on the streets and planting more trees are intended to make the streets pedestrian friendly. Talks of an Astoria visitors' center are in the works, along with a Plaza Program that will create small, green, sitting area-size parks. Most important, in the end, Astoria can be thankful that such efforts are being put forward to bring this community closer to the people. As Wager believes, CALDC will "continue to be a beacon of help in Astoria".

Central Astoria Local Development Coalition offices are located at 28-27 Steinway St., Astoria, 11103; 718-728-7820, FAX: 718-728-7413, e-mail: centralastoria@ aol.com; www.centralastoria.org.