Hey Tappan Zee-ers, For those new to the petition, I started a fund-raiser here for the cause: www.gofundme.com/savethetappanzee There is a very detailed explanation of what the money would be used for there. Please check it out before making judgements. Now, Abraham Lincoln once said, "You can please some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time. But you can never please all of the people, all of the time." Wise words as I realize that with 100,000+ people on this petition, I am never going to be able to make everyone happy. I will do my best to respect everyone's valuable opinion, but at some point, a leader needs to make a decision, and simply hope that it's the right one. I started this petition with one mission: to save the name of the Tappan Zee Bridge. Many of you think that I have strayed the course by starting a fund-raiser, and particularly one that mentions a museum; a fair number of you think I am too 'cheerleader-y'; some of you think I am a fraudulent, money-grabber--none of this true. A. This petition alone has incited some politicians to draft a bill that will potentially be presented in January to the legislature. This petition did that. But that doesn't mean the bridge name returns. Maybe it will, and that would be great. But don't we want to do ALL that we can do preserve that bridge's rightful name? If so, we need to mobilize and do more. It needs to be an organized effort. If we sit back and do nothing, politicians of both parties will continue to become rich while they laugh at our laziness, complacency, cowardice, and stupidity. B. A museum is news. It's advertising. Don't you see that anything we can do to bring attention to the cause is helping the cause? Some of you think that a museum is an expensive diversion from the true mission. Au contraire. It will make our issue relevant again. And that is crucial. Further, a museum MAY cost a lot of money to build, but if we have the money, I think it's a great cause to honor the Tappan Indians and the Dutch. And it doesn't have to be expensive. We could set up a permanent exhibit at an already existing museum. We could create an online virtual museum on a website. There are so many options, but any of them would be news, and therefore relevant to the mission. Most importantly (and this is no criticism), most of you don't understand not-for-profit law. If we are a traditional not-for-profit, we are limited in how much 'lobbying' we can do. Therefore, we may have to have an educational mission that dominates what we are doing. I continue to research alternative legal structures, but until I find one that permits unlimited lobbying, we can't have lobbying be our primary mission, and therefore a museum is a logical way to further our mission, while also ensuring we don't get ensnared with IRS issues. C. Yes, I am a cheerleader. It's who I am. That will never change. I have a huge personality, and you'll see that if we ever get this off the ground, that I'm an amazing public speaker. I'm an actor and performer. Yes, I can "tone it down", but I honestly don't want to. It requires too much effort to edit everything I am doing in order to "remove my personality". If once this is funded, the board of directors wants to replace me, I will step aside for whomever they choose. D. I am no crook, no fraud, no money-grabber. I am a good and decent man trying to keep the momentum going without being taken advantage of in the process. Yes, I am an attorney, but that doesn't mean I'm a crook either. I am someone who has started and run many businesses. I also have a standing offer to return to China anytime I want to teach English again and become a center Manager in Shanghai, (an offer which one day I plan to accept, because I loved living and working in Shanghai). Today, I spend my days tutoring others in Chinese, Public Speaking, Marketing, and other subjects through a tutoring website and through my other already tax-exempt company Break Diving, Inc. I have a small stable of entertainment legal clients who work with me on a part-time but regular basis. I also work for my mother, helping her with her legal and financial matters, and as property manager of a vacation property she owns in Maine. I'm not a guy trying to scam all of you out of your money. I haven't even touched any of the money donated already, and I won't until it's clear I have the support of enough of you. But do I expect to be paid for doing this? Well, wouldn't you? It's an exhaustive amount of work. Just writing this message to you has taken nearly two hours. But all that being said, if not enough money is raised, so be it: I will refund the money donated, and move on with my merry life and look forward to Christmas! But your donation can REALLY make a difference: www.gofundme.com/savethetappanzee If you truly believe in what you signed, you will realize that there's a lot more work to be done. Now Assemblyman Kevin Byrne has agreed to meet me. Supervisor Chris Day has agreed to meet me. Others who I can't yet disclose have reached out. There is talk of setting up town halls across the state. And putting up signs of advocacy across the state. This is a BIG movement. And... this all takes time. And money. So thanks again for your support. If you would like to make a contribution to this cause, please visit: www.gofundme.com/savethetappanzee -Monroe