New York - Haiti Observer Blog

President Martelly stopped by the Wall Street Journal in New York to discuss ideas to stabilize and grow his country's economy. It is well-known Haiti was immobilized by 2010's earthquake, with a death toll of 100,000-plus. Ever since the island has labored to draw the interest of international private investors for reconstruction projects.

Public and private investment partnerships, domestic or foreign, have been at the top of Martelly's agenda. He has realized the shambles of the country's infrastructure have rendered it in the eyes of the world ". . . as a basket case . . . whose only hope lay in attracting charitable aid."

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I am asking for prayer for this Haitian family as the remaining members are going through one of the most painful experiences in their lives. A total of five members of the same family were killes last Saturday in a car accident in Long Island. A 37 year old mother, Myriam Lebrun, her mother Moise Yolande, and her three children: Marcus Jeanty, Marcel Jeanty and Kayla Jeanty were all killed.

We have some video of the accident.

Here is live video of the tragic accident.

New York State Police reported that the car the family was driving, a 1998 Honda Accord, struck a tree and burst into flames

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Bill de Blasio, New York City Mayor-elect, has appointed to his transition team community leader, Haitian-American Elsie Saint-Louis in the role of one of his advisors. Saint-Louis, the executive director of Haitian-Americans United for Progress, joins the team among 60 other experts, and leaders in their own right, who will shape de Blasio's new administration.

The names were announced in recent weeks and the news has been met with favorable responses for the diverse selection that also includes Jamaican native Una Clarke, who served as a city councilwoman, the first woman born in the Caribbean elected to the New York City Council, for a decade. Clarke, during her tenure as city councilwoman, served the 40th Council District in Brooklyn after being elected in 1991.

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The new Mayor elected in New York, Bill de Blasio, has assembled a total of 60 individuals to be part of his Transition group and one prominent Haitian-American is part of this team.

Haitian-American community leader Elsie Saint-Louis has been selected to be one of the advisors helping the incoming New York mayor craft his administration.

Elsie Saint Louis has been the Executive Director of Haitian-Americans United for Progress for many years. She has been very vocal in addressing the needs and concerns of the Haitian immigrant community in New York City over the years.

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After a historic win nearly seven years ago of the central Brooklyn district seat that was, for the first time, occupied by someone of Haitian-American descent, Dr. Mathieu Eugene runs the risk of being unseated by a new competitor. Though facing three candidates, including a MTA road car inspector, John Grant, and the ex-wife of a mayoral candidate, Sylvia Kinard, Eugene's main competition is the unassuming Saundra Thomas, who flew in under the radar to impress people who could push her campaign forward into a place of direct competition with Dr. Eugene.

The opposition is undoubtedly a bit of an upset to the Eugene camp, since, as an incumbent, they would have expected their councilman to run, largely, unopposed or without any serious threat, however, Dr. Eugene's ranking as 48th out of 51 council members meant there was a chance for competition.

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JetBlue Airways is beginning non-stop service to Haiti from two U.S. international airports in December. It will be offering trips from both Fort Lauderdale and JFK to Port-au-Prince daily. The two new service routes have been added to encourage the Haitian Diaspora in these states to visit their homeland more often.

Haiti's economy has been dependent on remittances coming from the Diaspora, on average one billion dollars annually. Remittances make up 25% of Haiti's Gross Domestic Product. Motivating the Diaspora to visit more frequently will raise their awareness of Haiti's struggles to recover from the 2010 earthquake. And how their travel dollars--in addition to remittances--can help while the government of Haiti (GOH) improves their performance in handling outstanding donor-aid money.

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Internationally-recognized Haitian-American and Hip-Hop musician, Wyclef Jean, established his Yele foundation, in 2005. After the 2010 earthquake struck Haiti, Yele contracted with HVS Global Hospitality Services to offer a six-month hospitality training course. Yele's payout in monthly installments was to total $285,000. To date HVS has been paid only 61% of the total, causing HVS to file suit in New York City's Supreme Court.

Wyclef Jean's celebrity allowed his foundation to collect nearly $2 million from international donors within a short time-period post-quake. But after some Haitian businesses filed their own lawsuits against Yele for defaulting on debt payments to them, an auditing firm examined the foundation's books and uncovered an embezzlement scheme. Yele had been funneling money to Jean, his business contacts, and family members from $16 million in foundation funds accrued over several years. It was also discovered by the Attorney General of New York Yele had not paid income taxes for a number of years. In response Yele liquidated its assets and hid them.

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Internationally-recognized Haitian-American and Hip-Hop musician, Wyclef Jean, established his Yele foundation, in 2005. After the 2010 earthquake struck Haiti, Yele contracted with HVS Global Hospitality Services to offer a six-month hospitality training course. Yele's payout in monthly installments was to total $285,000. To date HVS has been paid only 61% of the total, causing HVS to file suit in New York City's Supreme Court.

Wyclef Jean's celebrity allowed his foundation to collect nearly $2 million from international donors within a short time-period post-quake. But after some Haitian businesses filed their own lawsuits against Yele for defaulting on debt payments to them, an auditing firm examined the foundation's books and uncovered an embezzlement scheme. Yele had been funneling money to Jean, his business contacts, and family members from $16 million in foundation funds accrued over several years. It was also discovered by the Attorney General of New York Yele had not paid income taxes for a number of years. In response Yele liquidated its assets and hid them.

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This came as a shock and a surprise to the Haitian community in Spring Valley. In April 2013, Spring Valley Mayor Noramie Jasmin and Deputy Mayor Joseph A. Desmaret were arrested Tuesday April 4, 2013 by FBI agents for their alleged involvement in the sale of a land that was supposed to be used for a community center.

This was staged by FBI agents. According to the assistant director of the FBI, George Venizelos, Spring Valley Mayor Noramie Jasmin and Deputy Mayor Joseph A. Desmaret were involved in conning some members of the village's board of trustees to vote for a developer, that Jasmin had a financial stake in the sale.

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The repertoire of award-winning author Edwidge Danticat includes an entry to Oprah's book club as well as critically acclaimed autobiographical epics. Whether she's written a novel or a short story collection, readers are bound to get a story that deals with the difficulties and tensions of living life in a foreign land.

In the memoir 'Brother, I'm Dying' Danticat presented the story of her life and those of the two men she loved the most, her father and his older brother, who both died in a year that brought life's complexities starkly to her mind as, while dealing with death, she also welcomed life with the birth of her daughter.

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