http://community2.myfoxny.com/service/displayHomePageExperience.kickAction?page=Homepage&as=6475 New blogs from Johndeutzman on MyFoxNY Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:03:21 GMT Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:03:21 GMT myfoxny@fox5ny.com (myfoxny) myfoxny@fox5ny.com (myfoxny) KickApps Feed Builder 2009-11-20T03:03:21Z 34 http://community2.myfoxny.com/service/searchEverything.kickAction?as=6475&sortType=recent 0 http://community2.myfoxny.com/_Hackensack-Shakedown/BLOG/1503239/6475.html After watching our story, what's your opinion? Who is getting the "shakedown"?   1. Are the officers who don't "play the game," as they say, being intimated by the chief and supervisors?   OR   2. Are the chief and the city victims of a bunch of unhappy cops who are trying to grab control and money from the department?   After watching our story, what's your opinion? Who is getting the "shakedown"?   1. Are the officers who don't "play the game," as they say, being intimated by the chief and supervisors?   OR   2. Are the chief and the city victims of a bunch of unhappy cops who are trying to grab control and money from the department?   Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:03:21 GMT http://community2.myfoxny.com/_Hackensack-Shakedown/BLOG/1503239/6475.html Johndeutzman 2009-11-20T03:03:21Z News MyFoxNY After watching our story, what's your opinion? Who is getting the "shakedown"?   1. Are the officers who don't "play the game," as they say, being intimated by the chief and supervisors?   OR   2. Are the chief and the city victims of a bunch of unhappy cops who are trying to grab control and money from the department?   news nonadult false Hackensack Shakedown? text blog news 1168 0 0.0 http://community2.myfoxny.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=4844791&as=6475 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/6475/photos/PHOTO_2720613_6475_4844791_ap_160X120.jpg false 13 0 1503239 4844791 Gold 2346 http://community2.myfoxny.com/_TSA-and-The-Stolen-Watch/BLOG/1500310/6475.html      Well this certainly is a new “experience” on the airport security line.  We have put in two requests for the video to see if it reveals exactly what came down on the day the victim’s watch was stolen.  We’re not interested in the watch theft as much as how the TSA handled this.  If the video shows the TSA forcing Jeff to empty out his stuff in the “pat down area”, the TSA would then have to answer more questions about why this watch theft tied up so many people involved in “homeland security”.  The watch theft is purely a police matter.  We assume the tape is being withheld until the watch theft case is settled.     The biggest concern is that there are two completely different versions of what happened that day. Jeff’s Version: That the TSA accused him of stealing his own watch and called the police on him for trying to file a false report. TSA Version:   That Jeff was belligerent, they never accused him of stealing his own watch and called the police at Jeff’s request.   Both versions are on the police report.  Lying to the police is a crime.    I’d love to get your opinion and have you share any airport security stories you may have.      Well this certainly is a new “experience” on the airport security line.  We have put in two requests for the video to see if it reveals exactly what came down on the day the victim’s watch was stolen.  We’re not interested in the watch theft as much as how the TSA handled this.  If the video shows the TSA forcing Jeff to empty out his stuff in the “pat down area”, the TSA would then have to answer more questions about why this watch theft tied up so many people involved in “homeland security”.  The watch theft is purely a police matter.  We assume the tape is being withheld until the watch theft case is settled.     The biggest concern is that there are two completely different versions of what happened that day. Jeff’s Version: That the TSA accused him of stealing his own watch and called the police on him for trying to file a false report. TSA Version:   That Jeff was belligerent, they never accused him of stealing his own watch and called the police at Jeff’s request.   Both versions are on the police report.  Lying to the police is a crime.    I’d love to get your opinion and have you share any airport security stories you may have. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 02:07:09 GMT http://community2.myfoxny.com/_TSA-and-The-Stolen-Watch/BLOG/1500310/6475.html Johndeutzman 2009-11-18T02:07:09Z Transportation MyFoxNY      Well this certainly is a new “experience” on the airport security line.  We have put in two requests for the video to see if it reveals exactly what came down on the day the victim’s watch was stolen.  We’re not interested in the watch theft as much as how the TSA handled this.  If the video shows the TSA forcing Jeff to empty out his stuff in the “pat down area”, the TSA would then have to answer more questions about why this watch theft tied up so many people involved in “homeland security”.  The watch theft is purely a police matter.  We assume the tape is being withheld until the watch theft case is settled.     The biggest concern is that there are two completely different versions of what happened that day. Jeff’s Version: That the TSA accused him of stealing his own watch and called the police on him for trying to file a false report. TSA Version:   That Jeff was belligerent, they never accused him of stealing his own watch and called the police at Jeff’s request.   Both versions are on the police report.  Lying to the police is a crime.    I’d love to get your opinion and have you share any airport security stories you may have. transportation nonadult false TSA and The Stolen Watch text blog transportation 188 0 0.0 http://community2.myfoxny.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=4844791&as=6475 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/6475/photos/PHOTO_2720613_6475_4844791_ap_160X120.jpg false 4 0 1500310 4844791 Gold 2346 http://community2.myfoxny.com/_Access-A-Ride-Questions/BLOG/1484337/6475.html The truly disabled by law are required to have equal access to most things so that they can live as normal a life as possible. At great expense, the MTA has tried to design buses, subways and trains to accommodate the disabled. Access-A-Ride comes into play for people who cannot take a bus or subway for all or some of their trips. Those who qualify are provided with door to door service that costs them the normal $2.25 fare but costs the public a total of $66 a trip.Based on what I've looked into, the MTA has done a fantastic job of trying to make this work. Federal law requires the MTA to provide this service, and the agency has contracted with private providers to coordinate an extremely complex system of picking people up and dropping them off when they request a ride. The number of people using Access-A-Ride keeps increasing dramatically each year, and the cost to run the program is approaching half billion dollars a year.The advocates for the disabled community are among the most vocal and politically active in the city. They rightfully speak up if the think they are being denied access. However, this puts the MTA under great political pressure not to make waves or offend anyone. It's a tough position to be in considering the agency has a disastrous financial mess on their hands.There are two ways to tighten things up: Be stricter in the process that qualifies people for access a ride. Right now it's a very subjective judgment call by contracted health professionals. The have to determine if a person really needs Access-A-Ride for all or some of their trips because for some reason they can't take the subway or bus. People who are denied are allowed to appeal and the disabled community and politicians become outraged if the MTA tries to tighten this process up. The end result is that some people who really don't need the service wind up with what amounts to a very expensive $66 a trip taxi ride at the public's expense. Raise the fares for Access-A-Ride; any attempt to increase the fare has been met with tough political opposition. This is a touchy subject and we'd love to hear from you. The truly disabled by law are required to have equal access to most things so that they can live as normal a life as possible. At great expense, the MTA has tried to design buses, subways and trains to accommodate the disabled. Access-A-Ride comes into play for people who cannot take a bus or subway for all or some of their trips. Those who qualify are provided with door to door service that costs them the normal $2.25 fare but costs the public a total of $66 a trip.Based on what I've looked into, the MTA has done a fantastic job of trying to make this work. Federal law requires the MTA to provide this service, and the agency has contracted with private providers to coordinate an extremely complex system of picking people up and dropping them off when they request a ride. The number of people using Access-A-Ride keeps increasing dramatically each year, and the cost to run the program is approaching half billion dollars a year.The advocates for the disabled community are among the most vocal and politically active in the city. They rightfully speak up if the think they are being denied access. However, this puts the MTA under great political pressure not to make waves or offend anyone. It's a tough position to be in considering the agency has a disastrous financial mess on their hands.There are two ways to tighten things up: Be stricter in the process that qualifies people for access a ride. Right now it's a very subjective judgment call by contracted health professionals. The have to determine if a person really needs Access-A-Ride for all or some of their trips because for some reason they can't take the subway or bus. People who are denied are allowed to appeal and the disabled community and politicians become outraged if the MTA tries to tighten this process up. The end result is that some people who really don't need the service wind up with what amounts to a very expensive $66 a trip taxi ride at the public's expense. Raise the fares for Access-A-Ride; any attempt to increase the fare has been met with tough political opposition. This is a touchy subject and we'd love to hear from you. Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:41:19 GMT http://community2.myfoxny.com/_Access-A-Ride-Questions/BLOG/1484337/6475.html Johndeutzman 2009-11-11T00:41:19Z News MyFoxNY The truly disabled by law are required to have equal access to most things so that they can live as normal a life as possible. At great expense, the MTA has tried to design buses, subways and trains to accommodate the disabled. Access-A-Ride comes into play for people who cannot take a bus or subway for all or some of their trips. Those who qualify are provided with door to door service that costs them the normal $2.25 fare but costs the public a total of $66 a trip.Based on what I've looked into, the MTA has done a fantastic job of trying to make this work. Federal law requires the MTA to provide this service, and the agency has contracted with private providers to coordinate an extremely complex system of picking people up and dropping them off when they request a ride. The number of people using Access-A-Ride keeps increasing dramatically each year, and the cost to run the program is approaching half billion dollars a year.The advocates for the disabled community are among the most vocal and politically active in the city. They rightfully speak up if the think they are being denied access. However, this puts the MTA under great political pressure not to make waves or offend anyone. It's a tough position to be in considering the agency has a disastrous financial mess on their hands.There are two ways to tighten things up: Be stricter in the process that qualifies people for access a ride. Right now it's a very subjective judgment call by contracted health professionals. The have to determine if a person really needs Access-A-Ride for all or some of their trips because for some reason they can't take the subway or bus. People who are denied are allowed to appeal and the disabled community and politicians become outraged if the MTA tries to tighten this process up. The end result is that some people who really don't need the service wind up with what amounts to a very expensive $66 a trip taxi ride at the public's expense. Raise the fares for Access-A-Ride; any attempt to increase the fare has been met with tough political opposition. This is a touchy subject and we'd love to hear from you. news nonadult false Access-A-Ride Questions text blog news 770 0 0.0 http://community2.myfoxny.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=4844791&as=6475 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/6475/photos/PHOTO_2720613_6475_4844791_ap_160X120.jpg false 32 0 1484337 4844791 Gold 2346 http://community2.myfoxny.com/_MTA-Car/BLOG/1461872/6475.html Little things can lead to bigger things. We started out on this story with a tip that a garage on Greenwich St. in lower Manhattan had several MTA cars in it. The tipster wanted to know how much the parking was costing the taxpayers. While checking things out, we noticed that some MTA employee (who turned out to be Joseph Smith, the MTA bus boss) got a weird chauffeured ride a few blocks to work one morning. It was enough to keep us watching. The next time we went down to the garage, we saw the guy who give Smith a ride, take Smith's official car on a one hour journey to fill it with gas. We thought it was odd that the same agency that seems obsessed with telling us to take mass transit was practicing some rather bizarre and seemingly wasteful uses of an official MTA car. Then we saw Smith take his official car, park it in the taxi stand, and have a beer at a bar. Probably the most interesting outcome of all this is Smith's own admission that taking his buses around town is sometimes not the most efficient way to do things.As for the parking garage, it's owned by the MTA. The MTA leases it out and makes money on it, so the original tip was off -- but it led us to other stuff. There are signs in the subways that ask us to report waste and inefficiency in the MTA. We were just doing our civic duty with this one.I'd love to hear from you. Little things can lead to bigger things. We started out on this story with a tip that a garage on Greenwich St. in lower Manhattan had several MTA cars in it. The tipster wanted to know how much the parking was costing the taxpayers. While checking things out, we noticed that some MTA employee (who turned out to be Joseph Smith, the MTA bus boss) got a weird chauffeured ride a few blocks to work one morning. It was enough to keep us watching. The next time we went down to the garage, we saw the guy who give Smith a ride, take Smith's official car on a one hour journey to fill it with gas. We thought it was odd that the same agency that seems obsessed with telling us to take mass transit was practicing some rather bizarre and seemingly wasteful uses of an official MTA car. Then we saw Smith take his official car, park it in the taxi stand, and have a beer at a bar. Probably the most interesting outcome of all this is Smith's own admission that taking his buses around town is sometimes not the most efficient way to do things.As for the parking garage, it's owned by the MTA. The MTA leases it out and makes money on it, so the original tip was off -- but it led us to other stuff. There are signs in the subways that ask us to report waste and inefficiency in the MTA. We were just doing our civic duty with this one.I'd love to hear from you. Fri, 06 Nov 2009 02:50:57 GMT http://community2.myfoxny.com/_MTA-Car/BLOG/1461872/6475.html Johndeutzman 2009-11-06T02:50:57Z News MyFoxNY Little things can lead to bigger things. We started out on this story with a tip that a garage on Greenwich St. in lower Manhattan had several MTA cars in it. The tipster wanted to know how much the parking was costing the taxpayers. While checking things out, we noticed that some MTA employee (who turned out to be Joseph Smith, the MTA bus boss) got a weird chauffeured ride a few blocks to work one morning. It was enough to keep us watching. The next time we went down to the garage, we saw the guy who give Smith a ride, take Smith's official car on a one hour journey to fill it with gas. We thought it was odd that the same agency that seems obsessed with telling us to take mass transit was practicing some rather bizarre and seemingly wasteful uses of an official MTA car. Then we saw Smith take his official car, park it in the taxi stand, and have a beer at a bar. Probably the most interesting outcome of all this is Smith's own admission that taking his buses around town is sometimes not the most efficient way to do things.As for the parking garage, it's owned by the MTA. The MTA leases it out and makes money on it, so the original tip was off -- but it led us to other stuff. There are signs in the subways that ask us to report waste and inefficiency in the MTA. We were just doing our civic duty with this one.I'd love to hear from you. news nonadult false MTA Car text blog news 2721 0 0.0 http://community2.myfoxny.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=4844791&as=6475 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/6475/photos/PHOTO_2720613_6475_4844791_ap_160X120.jpg false 44 0 1461872 4844791 Gold 2346 http://community2.myfoxny.com/_Yankees-Jacket/BLOG/1459388/6475.html Ultimately the Question here is what do you think this guy’s jacket is worth?  How much do you think the settlement should be?  Also I’m wondering how deep and secret is the underground market for this stuff?  I’d love your opinion. CLICK HERE if you have a tip about the jacket. CLICK HERE to read the complaint.   Ultimately the Question here is what do you think this guy’s jacket is worth?  How much do you think the settlement should be?  Also I’m wondering how deep and secret is the underground market for this stuff?  I’d love your opinion. CLICK HERE if you have a tip about the jacket. CLICK HERE to read the complaint.   Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:46:15 GMT http://community2.myfoxny.com/_Yankees-Jacket/BLOG/1459388/6475.html Johndeutzman 2009-11-04T19:46:15Z Sports MyFoxNY Ultimately the Question here is what do you think this guy’s jacket is worth?  How much do you think the settlement should be?  Also I’m wondering how deep and secret is the underground market for this stuff?  I’d love your opinion. CLICK HERE if you have a tip about the jacket. CLICK HERE to read the complaint.   jacket, sports, yankees nonadult false Yankees Jacket text blog jacket,sports,yankees 306 0 0.0 http://community2.myfoxny.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=4844791&as=6475 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/6475/photos/PHOTO_2720613_6475_4844791_ap_160X120.jpg false 1 0 1459388 4844791 Gold 2346 http://community2.myfoxny.com/_Mystery-Plates/BLOG/996257/6475.html Whether it is murder or a parking violation, it's awful to be accused of something you didn't do. In this case the guy's car hasn't left his garage in years and the plates are still in the wrapper in his New Jersey home. But somehow he got tickets not once but twice in Manhattan. Oh, by the way, the victim here is also a cop.Instead of being concerned that there is someone running around with counterfeit plates or there's some fishy ticket writing out there, the system makes an innocent victim go through hell. The mentality of the judges in the scenario is absurd. They are making the assumption that the guy is up to something. He provides them with evidence that his car is a black Camaro not a blue Suburban but they want more proof… Huh? In order to request more evidence or rule guilty, the judges would have to believe that this guy was switching plates on cars (a crime). But as esteemed officers of the court, they didn't report the "crime" they conjured up in their minds; they just kept on busting the guy's tail.Since this was a New Jersey plate, the registration cannot be scanned with the so called "accurate" scanners. The plate is manually entered on the ticket along with other information. Many of the judges do not even know that the "accurate" can be manually overridden. They assume that since it's a scanned ticket that it has to be the right car… Wrong.The State Supreme court (re: parking tickets) has ruled that unless a respondent's argument is not "patently incredible" or "obviously a lie" the burden of proof shifts back to the city. In this case the guy had a very solid argument. But the standard of proof here seems to be "Guilty until proven innocent beyond and above any reasonable doubt." I'd love to hear from you. Whether it is murder or a parking violation, it's awful to be accused of something you didn't do. In this case the guy's car hasn't left his garage in years and the plates are still in the wrapper in his New Jersey home. But somehow he got tickets not once but twice in Manhattan. Oh, by the way, the victim here is also a cop.Instead of being concerned that there is someone running around with counterfeit plates or there's some fishy ticket writing out there, the system makes an innocent victim go through hell. The mentality of the judges in the scenario is absurd. They are making the assumption that the guy is up to something. He provides them with evidence that his car is a black Camaro not a blue Suburban but they want more proof… Huh? In order to request more evidence or rule guilty, the judges would have to believe that this guy was switching plates on cars (a crime). But as esteemed officers of the court, they didn't report the "crime" they conjured up in their minds; they just kept on busting the guy's tail.Since this was a New Jersey plate, the registration cannot be scanned with the so called "accurate" scanners. The plate is manually entered on the ticket along with other information. Many of the judges do not even know that the "accurate" can be manually overridden. They assume that since it's a scanned ticket that it has to be the right car… Wrong.The State Supreme court (re: parking tickets) has ruled that unless a respondent's argument is not "patently incredible" or "obviously a lie" the burden of proof shifts back to the city. In this case the guy had a very solid argument. But the standard of proof here seems to be "Guilty until proven innocent beyond and above any reasonable doubt." I'd love to hear from you. Tue, 06 Oct 2009 23:48:03 GMT http://community2.myfoxny.com/_Mystery-Plates/BLOG/996257/6475.html Johndeutzman 2009-10-06T23:48:03Z News MyFoxNY Whether it is murder or a parking violation, it's awful to be accused of something you didn't do. In this case the guy's car hasn't left his garage in years and the plates are still in the wrapper in his New Jersey home. But somehow he got tickets not once but twice in Manhattan. Oh, by the way, the victim here is also a cop.Instead of being concerned that there is someone running around with counterfeit plates or there's some fishy ticket writing out there, the system makes an innocent victim go through hell. The mentality of the judges in the scenario is absurd. They are making the assumption that the guy is up to something. He provides them with evidence that his car is a black Camaro not a blue Suburban but they want more proof… Huh? In order to request more evidence or rule guilty, the judges would have to believe that this guy was switching plates on cars (a crime). But as esteemed officers of the court, they didn't report the "crime" they conjured up in their minds; they just kept on busting the guy's tail.Since this was a New Jersey plate, the registration cannot be scanned with the so called "accurate" scanners. The plate is manually entered on the ticket along with other information. Many of the judges do not even know that the "accurate" can be manually overridden. They assume that since it's a scanned ticket that it has to be the right car… Wrong.The State Supreme court (re: parking tickets) has ruled that unless a respondent's argument is not "patently incredible" or "obviously a lie" the burden of proof shifts back to the city. In this case the guy had a very solid argument. But the standard of proof here seems to be "Guilty until proven innocent beyond and above any reasonable doubt." I'd love to hear from you. news nonadult false Mystery Plates text blog news 503 1 5.0 http://community2.myfoxny.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=4844791&as=6475 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/6475/photos/PHOTO_2720613_6475_4844791_ap_160X120.jpg false 18 0 996257 4844791 Gold 2346 http://community2.myfoxny.com/_Cop-Quota/BLOG/860835/6475.html We all know that there are quotas or "performance goals" for police officers when it comes to writing tickets. How many you have to write in a given time period depends on your exact role with the department. This time around we've uncovered a "mini quota" where a certain supervisor won't let a cop go home early unless he writes "X" amount of tickets.I guess the good news here is that the NYPD has done such a good job cleaning up crime, ticket writing has become an obsession for certain supervisors. The bad news is that the public is the target of expensive tickets that they wouldn't normally get. I'd love to hear from you… your comments are anonymous and it's a good time for cops and the public to vent. John We all know that there are quotas or "performance goals" for police officers when it comes to writing tickets. How many you have to write in a given time period depends on your exact role with the department. This time around we've uncovered a "mini quota" where a certain supervisor won't let a cop go home early unless he writes "X" amount of tickets.I guess the good news here is that the NYPD has done such a good job cleaning up crime, ticket writing has become an obsession for certain supervisors. The bad news is that the public is the target of expensive tickets that they wouldn't normally get. I'd love to hear from you… your comments are anonymous and it's a good time for cops and the public to vent. John Mon, 28 Sep 2009 23:37:48 GMT http://community2.myfoxny.com/_Cop-Quota/BLOG/860835/6475.html Johndeutzman 2009-09-28T23:37:48Z News MyFoxNY We all know that there are quotas or "performance goals" for police officers when it comes to writing tickets. How many you have to write in a given time period depends on your exact role with the department. This time around we've uncovered a "mini quota" where a certain supervisor won't let a cop go home early unless he writes "X" amount of tickets.I guess the good news here is that the NYPD has done such a good job cleaning up crime, ticket writing has become an obsession for certain supervisors. The bad news is that the public is the target of expensive tickets that they wouldn't normally get. I'd love to hear from you… your comments are anonymous and it's a good time for cops and the public to vent. John news nonadult false Cop Quota text blog news 1036 0 0.0 http://community2.myfoxny.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=4844791&as=6475 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/6475/photos/PHOTO_2720613_6475_4844791_ap_160X120.jpg false 25 0 860835 4844791 Gold 2346 http://community2.myfoxny.com/_Fake-Real-Estate-Agent/BLOG/777643/6475.html The media (myself included) in this town is very tough on public officials. Many times I'm stumped trying to figure out exactly what their function is. Here's a positive story where The Manhattan Borough President's Office not only helped people who were scam victims but the staff worked hard to put together pieces of the puzzle and discover this was a huge scam and that this woman had taken money from people who could not afford to be ripped off.Maybe there are more of these stories that happen "behind the scenes" and we just don't here about them. It's refreshing to see that Scott Stringer's office has a genuine concern for the people they serve. The media (myself included) in this town is very tough on public officials. Many times I'm stumped trying to figure out exactly what their function is. Here's a positive story where The Manhattan Borough President's Office not only helped people who were scam victims but the staff worked hard to put together pieces of the puzzle and discover this was a huge scam and that this woman had taken money from people who could not afford to be ripped off.Maybe there are more of these stories that happen "behind the scenes" and we just don't here about them. It's refreshing to see that Scott Stringer's office has a genuine concern for the people they serve. Tue, 22 Sep 2009 00:18:05 GMT http://community2.myfoxny.com/_Fake-Real-Estate-Agent/BLOG/777643/6475.html Johndeutzman 2009-09-22T00:18:05Z News MyFoxNY The media (myself included) in this town is very tough on public officials. Many times I'm stumped trying to figure out exactly what their function is. Here's a positive story where The Manhattan Borough President's Office not only helped people who were scam victims but the staff worked hard to put together pieces of the puzzle and discover this was a huge scam and that this woman had taken money from people who could not afford to be ripped off.Maybe there are more of these stories that happen "behind the scenes" and we just don't here about them. It's refreshing to see that Scott Stringer's office has a genuine concern for the people they serve. news nonadult false Fake Real Estate Agent text blog news 521 0 0.0 http://community2.myfoxny.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=4844791&as=6475 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/6475/photos/PHOTO_2720613_6475_4844791_ap_160X120.jpg false 4 0 777643 4844791 Gold 2346 http://community2.myfoxny.com/_Craiglist-Car-Scam-Part-3/BLOG/719717/6475.html The sale of used cars on craiglist.org has become such a problem; it doesn't seem worth the risk. To save a couple hundred bucks, maybe even a couple thousand, you could lose it all if your car comes back stolen and the authorities take it back.The crooks have mastered the art of messing with the system so that even a CarFax check will not pick up the fact that something is fishy.It's much safer and wiser to stick with a licensed, stable and big car dealership in your area. If something goes wrong you know who to go after. There are dozens of investigators around the country trying to hunt down the latest New York based ring of thieves and they haven caught them yet. >WATCH REPORT The sale of used cars on craiglist.org has become such a problem; it doesn't seem worth the risk. To save a couple hundred bucks, maybe even a couple thousand, you could lose it all if your car comes back stolen and the authorities take it back.The crooks have mastered the art of messing with the system so that even a CarFax check will not pick up the fact that something is fishy.It's much safer and wiser to stick with a licensed, stable and big car dealership in your area. If something goes wrong you know who to go after. There are dozens of investigators around the country trying to hunt down the latest New York based ring of thieves and they haven caught them yet. >WATCH REPORT Fri, 18 Sep 2009 01:47:08 GMT http://community2.myfoxny.com/_Craiglist-Car-Scam-Part-3/BLOG/719717/6475.html Johndeutzman 2009-09-18T01:47:08Z News MyFoxNY The sale of used cars on craiglist.org has become such a problem; it doesn't seem worth the risk. To save a couple hundred bucks, maybe even a couple thousand, you could lose it all if your car comes back stolen and the authorities take it back.The crooks have mastered the art of messing with the system so that even a CarFax check will not pick up the fact that something is fishy.It's much safer and wiser to stick with a licensed, stable and big car dealership in your area. If something goes wrong you know who to go after. There are dozens of investigators around the country trying to hunt down the latest New York based ring of thieves and they haven caught them yet. >WATCH REPORT news nonadult false Craiglist Car Scam Part 3 text blog news 431 0 0.0 http://community2.myfoxny.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=4844791&as=6475 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/6475/photos/PHOTO_2720613_6475_4844791_ap_160X120.jpg false 2 0 719717 4844791 Gold 2346 http://community2.myfoxny.com/_ATM-SafetyTips/BLOG/717699/6475.html Our expert, Harry Houck, a former NYPD detective, has the following advice to help you avoid being scammed at an ATM machine. 1. Use only bank ATMs, which are attached to a bank branch. He advises you to only make transactions during the day. 2. Never use private ATMs, like the ones you see in bodegas and on the sidewalks. 3. Use your free hand to conceal the hand that is entering your pin. 4. Verify transactions and balances in your accounts online daily. Feel free to ask me questions and I will try and respond based on what I learned in talking with the experts. READ THE INDICTMENT RELATED TO JOHN'S STORY Our expert, Harry Houck, a former NYPD detective, has the following advice to help you avoid being scammed at an ATM machine. 1. Use only bank ATMs, which are attached to a bank branch. He advises you to only make transactions during the day. 2. Never use private ATMs, like the ones you see in bodegas and on the sidewalks. 3. Use your free hand to conceal the hand that is entering your pin. 4. Verify transactions and balances in your accounts online daily. Feel free to ask me questions and I will try and respond based on what I learned in talking with the experts. READ THE INDICTMENT RELATED TO JOHN'S STORY Wed, 16 Sep 2009 23:42:02 GMT http://community2.myfoxny.com/_ATM-SafetyTips/BLOG/717699/6475.html Johndeutzman 2009-09-16T23:42:02Z News MyFoxNY Our expert, Harry Houck, a former NYPD detective, has the following advice to help you avoid being scammed at an ATM machine. 1. Use only bank ATMs, which are attached to a bank branch. He advises you to only make transactions during the day. 2. Never use private ATMs, like the ones you see in bodegas and on the sidewalks. 3. Use your free hand to conceal the hand that is entering your pin. 4. Verify transactions and balances in your accounts online daily. Feel free to ask me questions and I will try and respond based on what I learned in talking with the experts. READ THE INDICTMENT RELATED TO JOHN'S STORY atm, news, safety, tips nonadult false ATM SafetyTips text blog atm,news,safety,tips 309 0 0.0 http://community2.myfoxny.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=4844791&as=6475 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/6475/photos/PHOTO_2720613_6475_4844791_ap_160X120.jpg false 5 0 717699 4844791 Gold 2346 http://community2.myfoxny.com/_Amerimod/BLOG/716280/6475.html The fear of losing your home -- the number one investment for most people -- is unbearable. So, in the midst of this family crisis, companies are calling people offering to "help." If you are drowning in the ocean, you probably will grab anything people thrown in the water to save you. In this case, The New York Attorney General's office alleges that Amerimod is throwing you what amounts to a block of cement.It's another "money up-front" deal. You pay 1 percent of your home's value up front, in most cases that's between $2,000 and $5,000, for "help" modifying your mortgage. In reality, most people can deal directly with their bank to modify their mortgage or get help from dozens of agencies that are out there. When you give money up front to anyone, not matter what the deal, there is a huge risk you will never see it again.I'd love to hear from you.John>STORY AND MORE INFORMATION The fear of losing your home -- the number one investment for most people -- is unbearable. So, in the midst of this family crisis, companies are calling people offering to "help." If you are drowning in the ocean, you probably will grab anything people thrown in the water to save you. In this case, The New York Attorney General's office alleges that Amerimod is throwing you what amounts to a block of cement.It's another "money up-front" deal. You pay 1 percent of your home's value up front, in most cases that's between $2,000 and $5,000, for "help" modifying your mortgage. In reality, most people can deal directly with their bank to modify their mortgage or get help from dozens of agencies that are out there. When you give money up front to anyone, not matter what the deal, there is a huge risk you will never see it again.I'd love to hear from you.John>STORY AND MORE INFORMATION Wed, 16 Sep 2009 00:19:40 GMT http://community2.myfoxny.com/_Amerimod/BLOG/716280/6475.html Johndeutzman 2009-09-16T00:19:40Z News MyFoxNY The fear of losing your home -- the number one investment for most people -- is unbearable. So, in the midst of this family crisis, companies are calling people offering to "help." If you are drowning in the ocean, you probably will grab anything people thrown in the water to save you. In this case, The New York Attorney General's office alleges that Amerimod is throwing you what amounts to a block of cement.It's another "money up-front" deal. You pay 1 percent of your home's value up front, in most cases that's between $2,000 and $5,000, for "help" modifying your mortgage. In reality, most people can deal directly with their bank to modify their mortgage or get help from dozens of agencies that are out there. When you give money up front to anyone, not matter what the deal, there is a huge risk you will never see it again.I'd love to hear from you.John>STORY AND MORE INFORMATION news nonadult false Amerimod text blog news 409 0 0.0 http://community2.myfoxny.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=4844791&as=6475 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/6475/photos/PHOTO_2720613_6475_4844791_ap_160X120.jpg false 1 0 716280 4844791 Gold 2346 http://community2.myfoxny.com/_Facebook-Scam/BLOG/714853/6475.html I’ve done dozens of stories about scams that involve wiring money to strangers for some type of business deal. This new scam is disturbing because it takes advantage of the comfortable “friends and family” feel of Facebook to make you think you are really helping out someone you care about. Part of this scam is that the “victim” has been robbed and their cell phone, wallet….everything is stolen.  The “victim” is using a library computer as the only way to communicate. So, if you believe all of that you might not even try to call the real loved one to see if they are in trouble.  We have been provided several helpful tools by both Facebook and Western Union to help you learn about these scams.  The most important thing to know is that if you wire money, Western Union or Money Gram it can be “intercepted” almost anywhere in the world if the crook has fake I.D. and/or passwords or secret questions you have already provided them as the sender because you think the person is legit. As always, I welcome your comments and any stories you can share about being a victim of this type of scam. CLICK HERE FOR FACEBOOK AND WESTERN UNION TIPS I’ve done dozens of stories about scams that involve wiring money to strangers for some type of business deal. This new scam is disturbing because it takes advantage of the comfortable “friends and family” feel of Facebook to make you think you are really helping out someone you care about. Part of this scam is that the “victim” has been robbed and their cell phone, wallet….everything is stolen.  The “victim” is using a library computer as the only way to communicate. So, if you believe all of that you might not even try to call the real loved one to see if they are in trouble.  We have been provided several helpful tools by both Facebook and Western Union to help you learn about these scams.  The most important thing to know is that if you wire money, Western Union or Money Gram it can be “intercepted” almost anywhere in the world if the crook has fake I.D. and/or passwords or secret questions you have already provided them as the sender because you think the person is legit. As always, I welcome your comments and any stories you can share about being a victim of this type of scam. CLICK HERE FOR FACEBOOK AND WESTERN UNION TIPS Tue, 15 Sep 2009 01:13:09 GMT http://community2.myfoxny.com/_Facebook-Scam/BLOG/714853/6475.html Johndeutzman 2009-09-15T01:13:09Z Technology MyFoxNY I’ve done dozens of stories about scams that involve wiring money to strangers for some type of business deal. This new scam is disturbing because it takes advantage of the comfortable “friends and family” feel of Facebook to make you think you are really helping out someone you care about. Part of this scam is that the “victim” has been robbed and their cell phone, wallet….everything is stolen.  The “victim” is using a library computer as the only way to communicate. So, if you believe all of that you might not even try to call the real loved one to see if they are in trouble.  We have been provided several helpful tools by both Facebook and Western Union to help you learn about these scams.  The most important thing to know is that if you wire money, Western Union or Money Gram it can be “intercepted” almost anywhere in the world if the crook has fake I.D. and/or passwords or secret questions you have already provided them as the sender because you think the person is legit. As always, I welcome your comments and any stories you can share about being a victim of this type of scam. CLICK HERE FOR FACEBOOK AND WESTERN UNION TIPS facebook, technology nonadult false Facebook Scam text blog facebook,technology 392 0 0.0 http://community2.myfoxny.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=4844791&as=6475 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/6475/photos/PHOTO_2720613_6475_4844791_ap_160X120.jpg false 2 0 714853 4844791 Gold 2346 http://community2.myfoxny.com/_Traffic-Agent-Games/BLOG/661120/6475.html We know for sure that a traffic agent or a cop shouldn't be playing games while on duty. Even if it's the guy's break he shouldn't be seen in the police car playing video games or whatever he was fiddling with on his PSP. The NYPD has been mum on this investigation, but insiders tell me the punishment can range from a slap on the wrist to a more intense investigation into exactly what this guy does while on duty. If indeed he was in the car and playing games for two hours as the guy in our story alleges he could be the target of a full-blown investigation into his ticket writing habits.In addition to the pictures, the other questionable item is the "missing mirror" ticket. I talked to several police sources; many of them were on the job for more than 20 years. Most of them said they never wrote a missing mirror ticket and called it a baloney ticket (but they didn't use the word "baloney" they used a word describing something you wouldn't normally put in a sandwich). Curiously, the mirror was on the van when we saw it, and it didn't look like it was replaced. I'd love to hear your opinion and especially would like to hear from traffic agents. They get a lot of flak on the street and in the media and deserve to have their voices heard anonymously on my blog. We know for sure that a traffic agent or a cop shouldn't be playing games while on duty. Even if it's the guy's break he shouldn't be seen in the police car playing video games or whatever he was fiddling with on his PSP. The NYPD has been mum on this investigation, but insiders tell me the punishment can range from a slap on the wrist to a more intense investigation into exactly what this guy does while on duty. If indeed he was in the car and playing games for two hours as the guy in our story alleges he could be the target of a full-blown investigation into his ticket writing habits.In addition to the pictures, the other questionable item is the "missing mirror" ticket. I talked to several police sources; many of them were on the job for more than 20 years. Most of them said they never wrote a missing mirror ticket and called it a baloney ticket (but they didn't use the word "baloney" they used a word describing something you wouldn't normally put in a sandwich). Curiously, the mirror was on the van when we saw it, and it didn't look like it was replaced. I'd love to hear your opinion and especially would like to hear from traffic agents. They get a lot of flak on the street and in the media and deserve to have their voices heard anonymously on my blog. Tue, 08 Sep 2009 19:49:23 GMT http://community2.myfoxny.com/_Traffic-Agent-Games/BLOG/661120/6475.html Johndeutzman 2009-09-08T19:49:23Z News MyFoxNY We know for sure that a traffic agent or a cop shouldn't be playing games while on duty. Even if it's the guy's break he shouldn't be seen in the police car playing video games or whatever he was fiddling with on his PSP. The NYPD has been mum on this investigation, but insiders tell me the punishment can range from a slap on the wrist to a more intense investigation into exactly what this guy does while on duty. If indeed he was in the car and playing games for two hours as the guy in our story alleges he could be the target of a full-blown investigation into his ticket writing habits.In addition to the pictures, the other questionable item is the "missing mirror" ticket. I talked to several police sources; many of them were on the job for more than 20 years. Most of them said they never wrote a missing mirror ticket and called it a baloney ticket (but they didn't use the word "baloney" they used a word describing something you wouldn't normally put in a sandwich). Curiously, the mirror was on the van when we saw it, and it didn't look like it was replaced. I'd love to hear your opinion and especially would like to hear from traffic agents. They get a lot of flak on the street and in the media and deserve to have their voices heard anonymously on my blog. news nonadult false Traffic Agent Games text blog news 723 1 5.0 http://community2.myfoxny.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=4844791&as=6475 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/6475/photos/PHOTO_2720613_6475_4844791_ap_160X120.jpg false 24 0 661120 4844791 Gold 2346 http://community2.myfoxny.com/_Supermarket-Scam-Part-2/BLOG/511322/6475.html                                     (Persistence Pays Off)    Many people get screwed over in bad business deals…they get lied to and cheated. Many times the victims don’t bother to consider criminal charges. Victims chose to sue the guy or forget about it.  In this case the landscaper, Rob, had found out that Chuck DeFranco may have tricked more than one person into “investing” in his supermarket scheme.  He decided to go to Fox 5. We were able to tie several cases together and the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office was able to secure an indictment.    The difference between a bad business deal and a criminal charge is usually based on “a pattern of fraud” the actual charge here is “scheme to defraud”.  When facing criminal charges, a person is more likely to find money that magically disappeared before they were not facing criminal charges.  There are more victims out there. There could be more charges. I’d love to hear from you.                                     (Persistence Pays Off)    Many people get screwed over in bad business deals…they get lied to and cheated. Many times the victims don’t bother to consider criminal charges. Victims chose to sue the guy or forget about it.  In this case the landscaper, Rob, had found out that Chuck DeFranco may have tricked more than one person into “investing” in his supermarket scheme.  He decided to go to Fox 5. We were able to tie several cases together and the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office was able to secure an indictment.    The difference between a bad business deal and a criminal charge is usually based on “a pattern of fraud” the actual charge here is “scheme to defraud”.  When facing criminal charges, a person is more likely to find money that magically disappeared before they were not facing criminal charges.  There are more victims out there. There could be more charges. I’d love to hear from you. Fri, 14 Aug 2009 01:49:41 GMT http://community2.myfoxny.com/_Supermarket-Scam-Part-2/BLOG/511322/6475.html Johndeutzman 2009-08-14T01:49:41Z News MyFoxNY                                     (Persistence Pays Off)    Many people get screwed over in bad business deals…they get lied to and cheated. Many times the victims don’t bother to consider criminal charges. Victims chose to sue the guy or forget about it.  In this case the landscaper, Rob, had found out that Chuck DeFranco may have tricked more than one person into “investing” in his supermarket scheme.  He decided to go to Fox 5. We were able to tie several cases together and the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office was able to secure an indictment.    The difference between a bad business deal and a criminal charge is usually based on “a pattern of fraud” the actual charge here is “scheme to defraud”.  When facing criminal charges, a person is more likely to find money that magically disappeared before they were not facing criminal charges.  There are more victims out there. There could be more charges. I’d love to hear from you. 5, fox, investigates, news nonadult false Supermarket Scam Part 2 text blog 5,fox,investigates,news 676 2 5.0 http://community2.myfoxny.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=4844791&as=6475 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/6475/photos/PHOTO_2720613_6475_4844791_ap_160X120.jpg false 6 0 511322 4844791 Gold 2346 http://community2.myfoxny.com/_Catering-Hall-Part-2/BLOG/498112/6475.html There's a simple question to be answered here: If this place was an illegal nightclub in Manhattan, let's say near the mayor's house in the Upper East Side, how long would it be open? The honest answer to that question will lead to all other reasonable conclusions about what's really going on in this neighborhood.Despite objections by the neighbors for 9 years and despite objections by the city's Department of Buildings for at least 7 years, this place continues to hold weddings. Even if you don't live here, you need to know that city attorneys, paid with your tax dollars, have been tied up fighting this place over and over again. The city has won each and every time in front of the Board of Standards and Appeals and now the state Supreme Court. The weddings continue.This is a hot topic and will probably bring lots of debate to this blog again. I only ask that you don't make it personal and attack people on here. There's a simple question to be answered here: If this place was an illegal nightclub in Manhattan, let's say near the mayor's house in the Upper East Side, how long would it be open? The honest answer to that question will lead to all other reasonable conclusions about what's really going on in this neighborhood.Despite objections by the neighbors for 9 years and despite objections by the city's Department of Buildings for at least 7 years, this place continues to hold weddings. Even if you don't live here, you need to know that city attorneys, paid with your tax dollars, have been tied up fighting this place over and over again. The city has won each and every time in front of the Board of Standards and Appeals and now the state Supreme Court. The weddings continue.This is a hot topic and will probably bring lots of debate to this blog again. I only ask that you don't make it personal and attack people on here. Thu, 06 Aug 2009 22:56:20 GMT http://community2.myfoxny.com/_Catering-Hall-Part-2/BLOG/498112/6475.html Johndeutzman 2009-08-06T22:56:20Z News MyFoxNY There's a simple question to be answered here: If this place was an illegal nightclub in Manhattan, let's say near the mayor's house in the Upper East Side, how long would it be open? The honest answer to that question will lead to all other reasonable conclusions about what's really going on in this neighborhood.Despite objections by the neighbors for 9 years and despite objections by the city's Department of Buildings for at least 7 years, this place continues to hold weddings. Even if you don't live here, you need to know that city attorneys, paid with your tax dollars, have been tied up fighting this place over and over again. The city has won each and every time in front of the Board of Standards and Appeals and now the state Supreme Court. The weddings continue.This is a hot topic and will probably bring lots of debate to this blog again. I only ask that you don't make it personal and attack people on here. news nonadult false Catering Hall, Part 2 text blog news 675 0 0.0 http://community2.myfoxny.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=4844791&as=6475 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/6475/photos/PHOTO_2720613_6475_4844791_ap_160X120.jpg false 7 0 498112 4844791 Gold 2346 http://community2.myfoxny.com/_Online-Used-Cars/BLOG/486366/6475.html Fox 5 has spent a lot of time talking to victims, experts and investigators about the shady car deals coming down on line. The simple advice: If you are buying a car, go to an established, licensed dealer at a fixed location. The online crooks have now come up with ingenious ways to clone VIN numbers and fake titles to trick you into buying a stolen or shady car. The car will even pass your own CARFAX investigation. CARFAX is an excellent service designed to help consumers and dealers trace the history of a car. The problem is, if a VIN number is cloned and put in the windshield, everything will check out on CARFAX -- everything will seem fine. In our story, CARFAX did detect a lien on one of the cars involved, but the seller produced a brand-new title, which made it seem like the lien was paid off and not yet recorded in CARFAX. In most cases, the car will even get through the initial registration and insurance process. But the horror story begins after the DMV takes a closer look at your title and finds something weird. The DMV will come to your house, take your car away; and if it's stolen or has a lien, you are out thousands of dollars. It's not worth the risk. In the meantime, if anybody has some useful information or may know more about the shady car ring we are looking into, I'd love to hear from you. Fox 5 has spent a lot of time talking to victims, experts and investigators about the shady car deals coming down on line. The simple advice: If you are buying a car, go to an established, licensed dealer at a fixed location. The online crooks have now come up with ingenious ways to clone VIN numbers and fake titles to trick you into buying a stolen or shady car. The car will even pass your own CARFAX investigation. CARFAX is an excellent service designed to help consumers and dealers trace the history of a car. The problem is, if a VIN number is cloned and put in the windshield, everything will check out on CARFAX -- everything will seem fine. In our story, CARFAX did detect a lien on one of the cars involved, but the seller produced a brand-new title, which made it seem like the lien was paid off and not yet recorded in CARFAX. In most cases, the car will even get through the initial registration and insurance process. But the horror story begins after the DMV takes a closer look at your title and finds something weird. The DMV will come to your house, take your car away; and if it's stolen or has a lien, you are out thousands of dollars. It's not worth the risk. In the meantime, if anybody has some useful information or may know more about the shady car ring we are looking into, I'd love to hear from you. Thu, 30 Jul 2009 20:30:12 GMT http://community2.myfoxny.com/_Online-Used-Cars/BLOG/486366/6475.html Johndeutzman 2009-07-30T20:30:12Z News MyFoxNY Fox 5 has spent a lot of time talking to victims, experts and investigators about the shady car deals coming down on line. The simple advice: If you are buying a car, go to an established, licensed dealer at a fixed location. The online crooks have now come up with ingenious ways to clone VIN numbers and fake titles to trick you into buying a stolen or shady car. The car will even pass your own CARFAX investigation. CARFAX is an excellent service designed to help consumers and dealers trace the history of a car. The problem is, if a VIN number is cloned and put in the windshield, everything will check out on CARFAX -- everything will seem fine. In our story, CARFAX did detect a lien on one of the cars involved, but the seller produced a brand-new title, which made it seem like the lien was paid off and not yet recorded in CARFAX. In most cases, the car will even get through the initial registration and insurance process. But the horror story begins after the DMV takes a closer look at your title and finds something weird. The DMV will come to your house, take your car away; and if it's stolen or has a lien, you are out thousands of dollars. It's not worth the risk. In the meantime, if anybody has some useful information or may know more about the shady car ring we are looking into, I'd love to hear from you. news nonadult false Online Used Cars text blog news 599 0 0.0 http://community2.myfoxny.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=4844791&as=6475 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/6475/photos/PHOTO_2720613_6475_4844791_ap_160X120.jpg false 7 0 486366 4844791 Gold 2346 http://community2.myfoxny.com/_DMV-Decals/BLOG/441518/6475.html I guess when the DMV buys stickers that don't stick, it is a sticky situation for all of us.A DMV spokesperson tells us that the two-year contract with Securemark Decal for inspection stickers had a value of $659,531.50."We have negotiated with the vendor to replace the defective supply. We already received an initial replacement order of 400,000 documents and are working with the vendor on additional restitution," the spokesperson said. As far as ticket agents writing tickets for unstuck stickers despite being warned by the state -- welcome to the big city, kids!I wonder if the state senators were sniffing some of that bad glue… hmmm.I would love to hear from you.>INFORMATION ABOUT THE STICKER PROBLEM I guess when the DMV buys stickers that don't stick, it is a sticky situation for all of us.A DMV spokesperson tells us that the two-year contract with Securemark Decal for inspection stickers had a value of $659,531.50."We have negotiated with the vendor to replace the defective supply. We already received an initial replacement order of 400,000 documents and are working with the vendor on additional restitution," the spokesperson said. As far as ticket agents writing tickets for unstuck stickers despite being warned by the state -- welcome to the big city, kids!I wonder if the state senators were sniffing some of that bad glue… hmmm.I would love to hear from you.>INFORMATION ABOUT THE STICKER PROBLEM Thu, 16 Jul 2009 19:07:10 GMT http://community2.myfoxny.com/_DMV-Decals/BLOG/441518/6475.html Johndeutzman 2009-07-16T19:07:10Z News MyFoxNY I guess when the DMV buys stickers that don't stick, it is a sticky situation for all of us.A DMV spokesperson tells us that the two-year contract with Securemark Decal for inspection stickers had a value of $659,531.50."We have negotiated with the vendor to replace the defective supply. We already received an initial replacement order of 400,000 documents and are working with the vendor on additional restitution," the spokesperson said. As far as ticket agents writing tickets for unstuck stickers despite being warned by the state -- welcome to the big city, kids!I wonder if the state senators were sniffing some of that bad glue… hmmm.I would love to hear from you.>INFORMATION ABOUT THE STICKER PROBLEM news nonadult false DMV Decals text blog news 529 0 0.0 http://community2.myfoxny.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=4844791&as=6475 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/6475/photos/PHOTO_2720613_6475_4844791_ap_160X120.jpg false 9 0 441518 4844791 Gold 2346 http://community2.myfoxny.com/_Battling-Windmills/BLOG/395527/6475.html The fictional character Don Quixote fought windmills because he imagined that they were ferocious giants. We tried real hard to find out if the fear of the car wash windmill/wind turbine is based on reality or fiction. We tried to talk to Dr. Alan Bess, who was arrested for making internet threats against the car wash, he had no comment.  He referred us to his attorney.  His attorney, Walter Faust Esq. is a neighbor of his who has also spoken out against the car wash windmill. He never retuned our phone calls.The mayor of Wayne, Christopher Vergano,  has spoken out against the windmill, too: “When you look out your back door, you don’t want to look at a nuclear power plant, you don’t want to look at a wind turbine,” We went to the mayor’s office, he wasn’t in. We got his cell phone number and left two messages, he never called back, we went to his house, he wasn’t home. We called the mayor’s office again and we were referred to Township Zoning Director John Szabo. He never returned our calls.There is a phenomenon out there known as “Wind Turbine Syndrome.” You can Google it and come up with all kinds of stuff. It is up to the scientists and doctors to determine if any of these problems are real and if they meet the true, unbiased test of long term medical research. The jury seems to be out on that one. UPDATE: The day after our story aired, Wayne’s Mayor, Christopher Vergano,  did call me.  He said he couldn’t comment on anything due to the pending lawsuit and that the Township is looking at their current wind turbine ordinance which bans the turbines within  1,640 feet of a residential area, a school or day care center. I’d like to hear from you.John  WATCH THE REPORT The fictional character Don Quixote fought windmills because he imagined that they were ferocious giants. We tried real hard to find out if the fear of the car wash windmill/wind turbine is based on reality or fiction. We tried to talk to Dr. Alan Bess, who was arrested for making internet threats against the car wash, he had no comment.  He referred us to his attorney.  His attorney, Walter Faust Esq. is a neighbor of his who has also spoken out against the car wash windmill. He never retuned our phone calls.The mayor of Wayne, Christopher Vergano,  has spoken out against the windmill, too: “When you look out your back door, you don’t want to look at a nuclear power plant, you don’t want to look at a wind turbine,” We went to the mayor’s office, he wasn’t in. We got his cell phone number and left two messages, he never called back, we went to his house, he wasn’t home. We called the mayor’s office again and we were referred to Township Zoning Director John Szabo. He never returned our calls.There is a phenomenon out there known as “Wind Turbine Syndrome.” You can Google it and come up with all kinds of stuff. It is up to the scientists and doctors to determine if any of these problems are real and if they meet the true, unbiased test of long term medical research. The jury seems to be out on that one. UPDATE: The day after our story aired, Wayne’s Mayor, Christopher Vergano,  did call me.  He said he couldn’t comment on anything due to the pending lawsuit and that the Township is looking at their current wind turbine ordinance which bans the turbines within  1,640 feet of a residential area, a school or day care center. I’d like to hear from you.John  WATCH THE REPORT Thu, 18 Jun 2009 01:02:19 GMT http://community2.myfoxny.com/_Battling-Windmills/BLOG/395527/6475.html Johndeutzman 2009-06-18T01:02:19Z News MyFoxNY The fictional character Don Quixote fought windmills because he imagined that they were ferocious giants. We tried real hard to find out if the fear of the car wash windmill/wind turbine is based on reality or fiction. We tried to talk to Dr. Alan Bess, who was arrested for making internet threats against the car wash, he had no comment.  He referred us to his attorney.  His attorney, Walter Faust Esq. is a neighbor of his who has also spoken out against the car wash windmill. He never retuned our phone calls.The mayor of Wayne, Christopher Vergano,  has spoken out against the windmill, too: “When you look out your back door, you don’t want to look at a nuclear power plant, you don’t want to look at a wind turbine,” We went to the mayor’s office, he wasn’t in. We got his cell phone number and left two messages, he never called back, we went to his house, he wasn’t home. We called the mayor’s office again and we were referred to Township Zoning Director John Szabo. He never returned our calls.There is a phenomenon out there known as “Wind Turbine Syndrome.” You can Google it and come up with all kinds of stuff. It is up to the scientists and doctors to determine if any of these problems are real and if they meet the true, unbiased test of long term medical research. The jury seems to be out on that one. UPDATE: The day after our story aired, Wayne’s Mayor, Christopher Vergano,  did call me.  He said he couldn’t comment on anything due to the pending lawsuit and that the Township is looking at their current wind turbine ordinance which bans the turbines within  1,640 feet of a residential area, a school or day care center. I’d like to hear from you.John  WATCH THE REPORT deutzman, investigative, john, news nonadult false Battling Windmills text blog deutzman,investigative,john,news 1951 3 5.0 http://community2.myfoxny.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=4844791&as=6475 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/6475/photos/PHOTO_2720613_6475_4844791_ap_160X120.jpg false 42 0 395527 4844791 Gold 2346 http://community2.myfoxny.com/_Supermarket-Scam/BLOG/343716/6475.html      Wow!  Whenever someone asks me advice on how to pick a doctor, contractor lawyer etc. I always tell be people to ask someone you trust.  Ask friends, neighbors relatives, people who will not steer you wrong.       So much for that theory on this one. This "friend" not only steered people wrong but in at least one case he's ruined a guy's life. The most amusing part is that he has spent the last week weaseling around trying to figure out how many people Fox 5 talked to.  The worst thing that can happen to a con man is to have his act exposed.n happen to a con man is to have his act exposed.      Wow!  Whenever someone asks me advice on how to pick a doctor, contractor lawyer etc. I always tell be people to ask someone you trust.  Ask friends, neighbors relatives, people who will not steer you wrong.       So much for that theory on this one. This "friend" not only steered people wrong but in at least one case he's ruined a guy's life. The most amusing part is that he has spent the last week weaseling around trying to figure out how many people Fox 5 talked to.  The worst thing that can happen to a con man is to have his act exposed.n happen to a con man is to have his act exposed. Thu, 11 Jun 2009 01:53:05 GMT http://community2.myfoxny.com/_Supermarket-Scam/BLOG/343716/6475.html Johndeutzman 2009-06-11T01:53:05Z News MyFoxNY      Wow!  Whenever someone asks me advice on how to pick a doctor, contractor lawyer etc. I always tell be people to ask someone you trust.  Ask friends, neighbors relatives, people who will not steer you wrong.       So much for that theory on this one. This "friend" not only steered people wrong but in at least one case he's ruined a guy's life. The most amusing part is that he has spent the last week weaseling around trying to figure out how many people Fox 5 talked to.  The worst thing that can happen to a con man is to have his act exposed.n happen to a con man is to have his act exposed. news nonadult false Supermarket Scam text blog news 3051 2 5.0 http://community2.myfoxny.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=4844791&as=6475 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/6475/photos/PHOTO_2720613_6475_4844791_ap_160X120.jpg false 7 0 343716 4844791 Gold 2346 http://community2.myfoxny.com/_Vanishing-Husband-Part-2/BLOG/335173/6475.html It looks like all of the anxiety and suffering this family went through may have a positive result. State lawmakers now want to be sure that a person who is arrested has the right to make a long-distance phone call. Assemblyman Mike Dendekker, who is the man behind the bill, discovered a few things doing his research on this problem. The main issue seems to be the failure of police procedure to keep up with technology.Miguel says he was not allowed to make a phone call to his wife because her cell phone had an out-of-state area code and that the police told him that they don't make long-distance calls. But here are a few things to keep in mind:1. Most people are allowed to keep their cell phone numbers when they move, so a lot of people who live here have out-of-state numbers.2. Many people rely on their contact list on their cell phone and don't memorize phone numbers like they used to. So if the cops take your phone, you may not remember anyone's number to call.3. A lot of people arrested in New York are either from out of town or going to school here. The first logical call for them to make would be a long-distance call.4. Long-distance calls are cheap or free these days.As always, I'd love to hear from you. >WATCH PART 1 OF THE REPORT >READ PART 1 OF THE BLOG It looks like all of the anxiety and suffering this family went through may have a positive result. State lawmakers now want to be sure that a person who is arrested has the right to make a long-distance phone call. Assemblyman Mike Dendekker, who is the man behind the bill, discovered a few things doing his research on this problem. The main issue seems to be the failure of police procedure to keep up with technology.Miguel says he was not allowed to make a phone call to his wife because her cell phone had an out-of-state area code and that the police told him that they don't make long-distance calls. But here are a few things to keep in mind:1. Most people are allowed to keep their cell phone numbers when they move, so a lot of people who live here have out-of-state numbers.2. Many people rely on their contact list on their cell phone and don't memorize phone numbers like they used to. So if the cops take your phone, you may not remember anyone's number to call.3. A lot of people arrested in New York are either from out of town or going to school here. The first logical call for them to make would be a long-distance call.4. Long-distance calls are cheap or free these days.As always, I'd love to hear from you. >WATCH PART 1 OF THE REPORT >READ PART 1 OF THE BLOG Thu, 04 Jun 2009 19:42:13 GMT http://community2.myfoxny.com/_Vanishing-Husband-Part-2/BLOG/335173/6475.html Johndeutzman 2009-06-04T19:42:13Z News MyFoxNY It looks like all of the anxiety and suffering this family went through may have a positive result. State lawmakers now want to be sure that a person who is arrested has the right to make a long-distance phone call. Assemblyman Mike Dendekker, who is the man behind the bill, discovered a few things doing his research on this problem. The main issue seems to be the failure of police procedure to keep up with technology.Miguel says he was not allowed to make a phone call to his wife because her cell phone had an out-of-state area code and that the police told him that they don't make long-distance calls. But here are a few things to keep in mind:1. Most people are allowed to keep their cell phone numbers when they move, so a lot of people who live here have out-of-state numbers.2. Many people rely on their contact list on their cell phone and don't memorize phone numbers like they used to. So if the cops take your phone, you may not remember anyone's number to call.3. A lot of people arrested in New York are either from out of town or going to school here. The first logical call for them to make would be a long-distance call.4. Long-distance calls are cheap or free these days.As always, I'd love to hear from you. >WATCH PART 1 OF THE REPORT >READ PART 1 OF THE BLOG news, nyc, nypd, police nonadult false Vanishing Husband Part 2 text blog news,nyc,nypd,police 602 0 0.0 http://community2.myfoxny.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=4844791&as=6475 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/6475/photos/PHOTO_2720613_6475_4844791_ap_160X120.jpg false 9 0 335173 4844791 Gold 2346 http://community2.myfoxny.com/_Hart-Island/BLOG/287432/6475.html Hart Island, the city's Potter’s field, is rich in history and certainly is an interesting place. Through her Hart Island Foundation, Melinda Hunt has passionately helped people find missing loved ones and in the process, has become one of the few experts on the Island.  The Department of Correction assures us that they do everything in their power to make sure burial records are accurate and that remains can be found if necessary.  With current science, including the amazing things that can be done with DNA, it’s extremely important that the city has the ability to locate human remains accurately. As far as the missing babies go, Melinda has pushed for an investigation and from what we can tell… the city’s Department of Investigation is looking into what happened.  The Department of Correction tells us that they know exactly what happened and have found exactly where the babies were buried. I’d love to hear your opinion of Hart Island. WATCH THE REPORT Hart Island, the city's Potter’s field, is rich in history and certainly is an interesting place. Through her Hart Island Foundation, Melinda Hunt has passionately helped people find missing loved ones and in the process, has become one of the few experts on the Island.  The Department of Correction assures us that they do everything in their power to make sure burial records are accurate and that remains can be found if necessary.  With current science, including the amazing things that can be done with DNA, it’s extremely important that the city has the ability to locate human remains accurately. As far as the missing babies go, Melinda has pushed for an investigation and from what we can tell… the city’s Department of Investigation is looking into what happened.  The Department of Correction tells us that they know exactly what happened and have found exactly where the babies were buried. I’d love to hear your opinion of Hart Island. WATCH THE REPORT Sat, 23 May 2009 21:23:47 GMT http://community2.myfoxny.com/_Hart-Island/BLOG/287432/6475.html Johndeutzman 2009-05-23T21:23:47Z News MyFoxNY Hart Island, the city's Potter’s field, is rich in history and certainly is an interesting place. Through her Hart Island Foundation, Melinda Hunt has passionately helped people find missing loved ones and in the process, has become one of the few experts on the Island.  The Department of Correction assures us that they do everything in their power to make sure burial records are accurate and that remains can be found if necessary.  With current science, including the amazing things that can be done with DNA, it’s extremely important that the city has the ability to locate human remains accurately. As far as the missing babies go, Melinda has pushed for an investigation and from what we can tell… the city’s Department of Investigation is looking into what happened.  The Department of Correction tells us that they know exactly what happened and have found exactly where the babies were buried. I’d love to hear your opinion of Hart Island. WATCH THE REPORT city, correction, department, hart, hunt, investigations, island, melinda, new, news, of, york nonadult false Hart Island text blog city,correction,department,hart,hunt,investigations,island,melinda,new,news,of,york 351 0 0.0 http://community2.myfoxny.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=4844791&as=6475 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/6475/photos/PHOTO_2720613_6475_4844791_ap_160X120.jpg false 2 0 287432 4844791 Gold 2346 http://community2.myfoxny.com/_The-Vanishing-Husband/BLOG/284458/6475.html This story generated a lot of buzz within the station. It's one of those things that people will probably be talking about for a few days. To most, it might be amazing that a guy and his family would suffer through all of this because a guy caught riding his bicycle on the sidewalk. However, I ran this one by a lot of cops and a lot of people in the system and they say this type of stuff happens a lot.Is it right that the NYPD is involved in this petty stuff in the first place? Most people and most cops from the "old school" would say the whole thing should never have happened. Why in the world even bother to stop a guy for riding his bike on the sidewalk?Things have changed, these days police respond to orders from supervisors who may be responding to complaints from the community to go after certain infractions. The so called "quality of life" issues, that if left unchecked could lead to chaos. Once the stop was made and the guy didn't have I.D. it set up a scenario where the cops went by the book and arrested him. Throughout the whole process, cops are told to use their "discretion." Just like any other profession, you have nice cops, cops that bust your chops, cops who assume everyone is a dirt bag, and cops who just want to kiss the boss's butt and go home. There is no evidence whatsoever that this guy gave the cops a hard time.I'd love to hear your opinion.John>WATCH MY REPORT This story generated a lot of buzz within the station. It's one of those things that people will probably be talking about for a few days. To most, it might be amazing that a guy and his family would suffer through all of this because a guy caught riding his bicycle on the sidewalk. However, I ran this one by a lot of cops and a lot of people in the system and they say this type of stuff happens a lot.Is it right that the NYPD is involved in this petty stuff in the first place? Most people and most cops from the "old school" would say the whole thing should never have happened. Why in the world even bother to stop a guy for riding his bike on the sidewalk?Things have changed, these days police respond to orders from supervisors who may be responding to complaints from the community to go after certain infractions. The so called "quality of life" issues, that if left unchecked could lead to chaos. Once the stop was made and the guy didn't have I.D. it set up a scenario where the cops went by the book and arrested him. Throughout the whole process, cops are told to use their "discretion." Just like any other profession, you have nice cops, cops that bust your chops, cops who assume everyone is a dirt bag, and cops who just want to kiss the boss's butt and go home. There is no evidence whatsoever that this guy gave the cops a hard time.I'd love to hear your opinion.John>WATCH MY REPORT Thu, 21 May 2009 01:52:50 GMT http://community2.myfoxny.com/_The-Vanishing-Husband/BLOG/284458/6475.html Johndeutzman 2009-05-21T01:52:50Z News MyFoxNY This story generated a lot of buzz within the station. It's one of those things that people will probably be talking about for a few days. To most, it might be amazing that a guy and his family would suffer through all of this because a guy caught riding his bicycle on the sidewalk. However, I ran this one by a lot of cops and a lot of people in the system and they say this type of stuff happens a lot.Is it right that the NYPD is involved in this petty stuff in the first place? Most people and most cops from the "old school" would say the whole thing should never have happened. Why in the world even bother to stop a guy for riding his bike on the sidewalk?Things have changed, these days police respond to orders from supervisors who may be responding to complaints from the community to go after certain infractions. The so called "quality of life" issues, that if left unchecked could lead to chaos. Once the stop was made and the guy didn't have I.D. it set up a scenario where the cops went by the book and arrested him. Throughout the whole process, cops are told to use their "discretion." Just like any other profession, you have nice cops, cops that bust your chops, cops who assume everyone is a dirt bag, and cops who just want to kiss the boss's butt and go home. There is no evidence whatsoever that this guy gave the cops a hard time.I'd love to hear your opinion.John>WATCH MY REPORT arrest, bigger, cops, fish, fry, have, money, News, nypd, of, police, taxpaers, the, to, waste nonadult false The Vanishing Husband text blog arrest,bigger,cops,fish,fry,have,money,News,nypd,of,police,taxpaers,the,to,waste 2181 5 5.0 http://community2.myfoxny.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=4844791&as=6475 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/6475/photos/PHOTO_2720613_6475_4844791_ap_160X120.jpg false 115 0 284458 4844791 Gold 2346 http://community2.myfoxny.com/_The-Bay-Ridge-Wall/BLOG/275926/6475.html How would you feel if your neighbor put up a huge wall two inches from your house? What would you do about it?Here's the catch: Unless there's some immediate threat to health and safety, the city can't come on the property and tear down the wall. So conceivably, the wall could stay up forever. Your thoughts?John How would you feel if your neighbor put up a huge wall two inches from your house? What would you do about it?Here's the catch: Unless there's some immediate threat to health and safety, the city can't come on the property and tear down the wall. So conceivably, the wall could stay up forever. Your thoughts?John Tue, 12 May 2009 23:22:05 GMT http://community2.myfoxny.com/_The-Bay-Ridge-Wall/BLOG/275926/6475.html Johndeutzman 2009-05-12T23:22:05Z News MyFoxNY How would you feel if your neighbor put up a huge wall two inches from your house? What would you do about it?Here's the catch: Unless there's some immediate threat to health and safety, the city can't come on the property and tear down the wall. So conceivably, the wall could stay up forever. Your thoughts?John news, property, wall nonadult false The Bay Ridge Wall text blog news,property,wall 1194 0 0.0 http://community2.myfoxny.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=4844791&as=6475 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/6475/photos/PHOTO_2720613_6475_4844791_ap_160X120.jpg false 26 0 275926 4844791 Gold 2346 http://community2.myfoxny.com/_The-Plate-Reader-Chase/BLOG/267306/6475.html What a wild day. We start out doing a “show-and-tell” story about mobile license plate readers and we wind up in a wild, high-speed chase!  First of all, it’s the first time in 30 years in the business that I’ve actually experienced being in a chase. Your adrenaline kicks in and your brain gets into a “zone” you know it could get real bad real quick but you are totally focused on what is going on. I’ve been in a couple of near-death experiences in my life, car accidents, struck by lighting and attacked by thousands of yellow jackets. The feeling is the same. Your body and mind kick into this weird space…maybe getting you prepared to die…it’s a nice little “buzz.” I was so impressed with how cool and professional Mount Vernon’s police officer Donald Moore Jr. was under these circumstances. He backed off immediately when things got ugly and he still wound up catching the guy. The Mount Vernon Police Department and commissioner David Chong were outstanding. They gave us the privilege to ride along with Officer Moore. They are from the “old school” of police media relations.  They gave us access; we get a great story and have nothing but great feelings about the Mount Vernon Police Department. Other departments in the area need to realize that 90 percent of the time the media and the cops are on the same side and can form a powerful alliance to inform the public.   The real star of this story is the mobile plate reader. I was blown away with how the thing works and also how many “deadbeats” there are out there with plate issues. I’m happy to take any questions about our adventure or the plate reader. John   What a wild day. We start out doing a “show-and-tell” story about mobile license plate readers and we wind up in a wild, high-speed chase!  First of all, it’s the first time in 30 years in the business that I’ve actually experienced being in a chase. Your adrenaline kicks in and your brain gets into a “zone” you know it could get real bad real quick but you are totally focused on what is going on. I’ve been in a couple of near-death experiences in my life, car accidents, struck by lighting and attacked by thousands of yellow jackets. The feeling is the same. Your body and mind kick into this weird space…maybe getting you prepared to die…it’s a nice little “buzz.” I was so impressed with how cool and professional Mount Vernon’s police officer Donald Moore Jr. was under these circumstances. He backed off immediately when things got ugly and he still wound up catching the guy. The Mount Vernon Police Department and commissioner David Chong were outstanding. They gave us the privilege to ride along with Officer Moore. They are from the “old school” of police media relations.  They gave us access; we get a great story and have nothing but great feelings about the Mount Vernon Police Department. Other departments in the area need to realize that 90 percent of the time the media and the cops are on the same side and can form a powerful alliance to inform the public.   The real star of this story is the mobile plate reader. I was blown away with how the thing works and also how many “deadbeats” there are out there with plate issues. I’m happy to take any questions about our adventure or the plate reader. John   Tue, 05 May 2009 02:04:12 GMT http://community2.myfoxny.com/_The-Plate-Reader-Chase/BLOG/267306/6475.html Johndeutzman 2009-05-05T02:04:12Z News MyFoxNY What a wild day. We start out doing a “show-and-tell” story about mobile license plate readers and we wind up in a wild, high-speed chase!  First of all, it’s the first time in 30 years in the business that I’ve actually experienced being in a chase. Your adrenaline kicks in and your brain gets into a “zone” you know it could get real bad real quick but you are totally focused on what is going on. I’ve been in a couple of near-death experiences in my life, car accidents, struck by lighting and attacked by thousands of yellow jackets. The feeling is the same. Your body and mind kick into this weird space…maybe getting you prepared to die…it’s a nice little “buzz.” I was so impressed with how cool and professional Mount Vernon’s police officer Donald Moore Jr. was under these circumstances. He backed off immediately when things got ugly and he still wound up catching the guy. The Mount Vernon Police Department and commissioner David Chong were outstanding. They gave us the privilege to ride along with Officer Moore. They are from the “old school” of police media relations.  They gave us access; we get a great story and have nothing but great feelings about the Mount Vernon Police Department. Other departments in the area need to realize that 90 percent of the time the media and the cops are on the same side and can form a powerful alliance to inform the public.   The real star of this story is the mobile plate reader. I was blown away with how the thing works and also how many “deadbeats” there are out there with plate issues. I’m happy to take any questions about our adventure or the plate reader. John   news nonadult false The Plate Reader Chase text blog news 712 0 0.0 http://community2.myfoxny.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=4844791&as=6475 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/6475/photos/PHOTO_2720613_6475_4844791_ap_160X120.jpg false 2 0 267306 4844791 Gold 2346 http://community2.myfoxny.com/_State-Spending/BLOG/263583/6475.html The simple scoop is that as New Yorkers face a dire economic crisis, their legislators in Albany are spending more money just to run their offices and do business.The State Comptroller's Website has fantastic information:>OPENBOOKNEWYORK.COMYou can do your own investigations on all types of state agencies to see what they are spending.As always, I'd like to hear from you too.John The simple scoop is that as New Yorkers face a dire economic crisis, their legislators in Albany are spending more money just to run their offices and do business.The State Comptroller's Website has fantastic information:>OPENBOOKNEWYORK.COMYou can do your own investigations on all types of state agencies to see what they are spending.As always, I'd like to hear from you too.John Fri, 01 May 2009 01:56:58 GMT http://community2.myfoxny.com/_State-Spending/BLOG/263583/6475.html Johndeutzman 2009-05-01T01:56:58Z Politics MyFoxNY The simple scoop is that as New Yorkers face a dire economic crisis, their legislators in Albany are spending more money just to run their offices and do business.The State Comptroller's Website has fantastic information:>OPENBOOKNEWYORK.COMYou can do your own investigations on all types of state agencies to see what they are spending.As always, I'd like to hear from you too.John government, politics nonadult false State Spending text blog government,politics 459 1 5.0 http://community2.myfoxny.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=4844791&as=6475 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/6475/photos/PHOTO_2720613_6475_4844791_ap_160X120.jpg false 15 0 263583 4844791 Gold 2346