Pressured Papandreou Drops Referendum, Wants Coalition
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S O C V ΓΡΑΦΕΙ ΤΗΝ ΙΣΤΟΡΙΑ Bringing the news W ΤΟΥ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΣΜΟΥ to generations of E ΑΠΟ ΤΟ 1915 The National Herald Greek Americans N c v A wEEKly GREEK AmERICAN PUBlICATION www.thenationalherald.com VOL. 15, ISSUE 734 November 5-11, 2011 $1.50 Pressured Papandreou Drops Referendum, Wants Coalition Faced With PASOK Dean Skelos Can Take Rebellion, EU Anger, Premier Favors The Heat in Albany Compromise And Can Bring it, Too By Andy Dabilis TNH Staff Writer By Constantine S. Sirigos In a visit to TNH’s Long is - ATHENS – With a mutiny in the TNH Staff Writer land City headquarters, Skelos ranks of his ruling PASOK So - proudly told of how his mater - cialist Party over his plans to NEW YORK – “If you can’t take nal grandfather, George Strati - conduct a referendum to let the heat, get out of the kitchen,” gos, built up the business from Greeks decide whether to sup - President Harry S. Truman fa - a handful of employees to as port more international bailout mously said. New York State many as 50 in its 45-year his - loans and the tough austerity Senator Dean Skelos can take tory, but unlike his grandfather’s measures accompanying them, it. Long before he entered the customers, who could depend Prime Minister George Papan - pressure cooker of NY State pol - on the quality of the baked dreou withdrew his gambit itics, where as Senate Majority goods he sold, the customers of amid reports he wanted a short- Leader and the states’ highest- NY’s state government – namely, term coalition government with ranking Republican he is one of the citizens - have long won - the rival Conservative New those whom Newsday calls the dered if any good could come Democracy Party, with elections “’three men in a room in Albany out of Albany. This year, how - to follow. Europe was in turmoil who control state government ever, there were signs of change. over the call for a referendum and the flow of money and leg - Andrew Cuomo, the newly that came only days after Pa - islation,” he withstood 100-de - elected Democratic governor, pandreou got support from Eu - gree temperatures near the and Skelos, who became Major - ropean Union leaders for a sec - ovens of his grandfather’s bak - ity Leader after Republicans re - ond bailout of $157 billion and ery. gained control of the State Sen - a 50 percent reduction in repay - ate, managed to sit down and ments, but that came with the hammer out a state budget on conditions of more pay cuts, tax time for the first time since EUROKINISSI hikes, slashed pensions and lay - WITH THIS ISSUE Cuomo’s father Mario was gov - As PM George Papandreou walks through the corridors of power in Athens, the people of Greece offs, further roiling Greek soci - ernor. The triumph was the fruit are trying to figure out if he is coming or going. Most however, think it’s all over for him. ety which has reacted with 18 of discussions between Cuomo months of protests, riots, and and Skelos about how to make strikes. The money is being put Albany work more effectively up by the Troika of the Euro - and efficiently. Skelos told TNH pean Union-International Mon - that he and Cuomo agreed that Christoforatos Seeks to Join Court etary Fund-European Central having a budget on time would Bank which has demanded the convey the extremely important Draconian measures in return, message that Albany is finally By Constantine S. Sirigos and focus right from Kinder - or other when she was growing leading Papandreou’s critics to functioning. TNH Staff Writer garten that would have risen to up. say he was ceding Greece’s sov - Skelos, born and educated in the top of any profession she Things began to change after ereignty. Rockville Centre and a graduate NEW YORK – More than 120 chose – Christoforatos majored she became active in the Hel - Papandreou had argued that of its South Side High School, people were present at the Cavo in math as an undergraduate – lenic Lawyers’ Association the Greek public sector was Washington College in Mary - Lounge in Astoria on Wednes - the desire to practice law ar - (HLA). She is now HLA’s Board bloated – with generations of land, and Fordham University day, Oct. 26 for a fundraiser in rived fairly late for her, and she Chair and has served as HLA’s political hires under both parties School of Law in New York City support of the candidacy of at - does not consider herself a secretary, treasurer, vice presi - who have taken turns ruling the – he studied law at night while torney Kate Christoforatos for politician. State Supreme Court dent, and president, showing country – and needed to be cut, working various odd jobs during New York State Supreme Court Justices are not appointed, they how important such organiza - but has faced unrelenting the day – counts the on-time Justice. Most of the guests were must be elected, and although tions are for individuals and the demonstrations. Greece’s first budget as one of his great attorneys, representing one of political campaigning does not community as a whole, prepar - bailout set in motion last year, achievements, but he is happy the many professions in which come naturally to the articulate ing people for leadership roles. a series of $152 billion in rescue to share credit with the gover - Greek-Americans are thriving, attorney, she knows how to get Current HLA President Mamie loans, backfired and created a nor. Christoforatos’ candidacy being people’s support despite that she Stathatos adds, “She is also our deep recession because of the an auspicious sign. was not someone who was al - Continued on page 3 A star student with energy ways president of some group Continued on page 4 Continued on page 7 Greek-American Mehiel Ban Sees Light at End of Cyprus Tunnel - Again Sells Multimillion Dollar Co. TNH Staff NEW YORK – After a two-day By Angelike Contis stakeholders.” Son of a promi - meeting this week at the se - TNH Staff Writer nent Greek-American business - cluded Greentree Estate in Man - man with the same first name, hasset, east of New York City, NEW YORK – There was more Mehiel became Chairman of the U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki- than trick or treating on the ex - Board at Corrugated in January moon expressed optimism that ecutives of KapStone Paper and 2011. His father built up the Demetris Christofias, the Presi - Packaging Corp.’s minds when, family packaging empire start - dent of the Republic of Cyprus on October 31, the Illinois-based ing in 1966 in Baltimore, Mary - and Turkish Cypriot leader company finalized its purchase land. Dervis Eroglu were on track for of U.S. Currogated Inc. Currogated is a producer and a resolution of their longstand - Dennis Dorian Mehiel, CEO distributor of currogated pack - ing differences, to the conster - and COO of U.S. Currogated, age products. Under the deal, nation of many long-time ob - Inc. noted of the reportedly KapStone has purchased Curro - servers of the Cyprus problem. $330 million sale: “It would be gated’s recycled containerboard On the basis of those talks, difficult to imagine a better fit paper mill in Cowpens, South the UN announced there would for our business than this trans - Carolina, as well as 14 of its 20 be a summit in January, despite action with KapStone.” In a converting facilities in the East the substantial weakening of press release on the topic on and Midwest. A KapStone press Christofias’ standing in Cyprus, September 22, he said: “The release noted that six of Curro - bedeviled as he is by an eco - combination of KapStone’s ex - gated’s facilities would remain nomic crisis, threats from isting mill footprint, value sys - under Mehiel’s management. Turkey over the Republic’s ex - tem and industry legacy make Kapstone had previously an - ploration for hydrocarbon de - this an ideal scenario for our nounced that the acquisition posits, the fallout from the July customers, employees and other would cost some $330 million 11 explosion that killed 13 peo - though, as Bloomberg Business - ple and knocked out the island week noted, the final financial nation’s main power plant, and TNH/COSTAS BEJ For subscription: terms of the purchase were not intensive preparations for The three leaders involved in the Cyprus talks clasp hands in a show of good will and optimism 718.784.5255 disclosed. KapStone paid for the Cyprus to take over the EU’s ro - in New York this week. (L-R) Demetris Christofias, the President of the Republic of Cyprus, [email protected] purchase of the company in cash tating presidency next year. U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, and Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu. and a $525 million credit facility Ban declared the “discussions by Bank of America, Merrill have been positive, productive achieved. Both leaders have as - said “further efforts were der Downer, special adviser to Lynch, and Barclays Capital. and vigorous…This has given sured me that they believe that needed over the next two Ban, “refused to comment on me confidence that a compre - they can finalize a deal," accord - months to move to the end Continued on page 5 hensive settlement can be ing to Reuters, though Ban also game of negotiations.” Alexan - Continued on page 7 2 COMMUNITY THE NATIONAL HERALD, NOVEMBER 5-11, 2011 HAWC Inspires Greek American Women to Soar GOINGS ON... n NOVEMBER 5 from the ‘50’s, ‘60’s, ‘70’s, and By Constantine S. Sirigos Diamond then shared the Award to the daughters of the a few years I will go to the back FLUSHING – Hellenic Public Ra - up.