Dear friends and members, Yesterday, Congressman Jerrold Nadler (NY), US Senator Robert Menendez (NJ), and US Congressman Albio Sires (NJ), along with the mayors of several Hudson Country towns, held a joint press conference announcing the introduction of a bill in the NJ state legislature that would prohibit sightseeing helicopters from using NJ state-licensed facilities: http://www.stopthechopnynj.org/blog In essence, if this bill becomes law, tourist choppers will no longer be allowed to park overnight in NJ heliports, making it difficult for them to operate. New Jersey lawmakers and Congressman Nadler are to be commended for this effort. and we wish them success. Ultimately, however, as Congressman Nadler pointed out, the solution lies with Bill de Blasio. The Mayor has complete control over the situation, as he has the power to legally terminate the concession agreement with the operators of the Downtown Manhattan heliport, the take-off and landing pad for all of the tours. Why then, despite widespread opposition to these needless tours, hasn't the Mayor cancelled the contract already? Two dozen elected officials wrote him letters last year asking him to ban the tours. Everyone, including the Mayor, knows that these flights bring virtually no money and no jobs to NYC, so why is Bill de Blasio so beholden to this parasitic group of private, out-of-state, for-profit vendors? We had a bit of a reprieve from the noise the past few weeks, this being the low tourist season, but with warm weather and daylight savings time fast approaching, that reprieve is about to end. Please, once again, contact Mayor de Blasio and tell him that he must get rid of these tours once and for all: http://www.stopthechopnynj.org/contact-the-mayor.html Thank you and together we will win! StoptheChopNYNJ Follow us on Twitter!