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Sometimes You Need a Big Dog
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WPCNR THE SUNDAY BAILEY News & Comment by John F. Bailey. March 27, 2022:
I remember as if I was watching Instant Replay in my mind.
It was lunchtime recess on the Roselle Avenue School Playground in Old Pleasantville. I was in 6h grade. I was milling around on the playground with other boys when the bully of the 6th grade decided to challenge me on the playground he called me a name. Fights were common back then in elementary school as playgrounds were not supervised.
He did not like me because I ignored him. Then he said, “I’m talking to you.”
I backed up and he put his hands on my chest and pushed me flat on the ground. Hard.
I started to get up, not knowing what to do.
I backed off backpedaling then he advanced on me both arms extended to push me again.
Then other boys started backing off quickly.
As my big cocky adversary advanced on me, out of the corner of my eye I saw this grey and white blur galloping toward me. I forgot to mention I lived a block down Weskora Avenue from the school.
My dog Vickie always walked me to school and waited patiently for me to come home from school to walk me back was racing onto the playground.
She looked like Rin Tin Tin or Lassie coming to the rescue out of a movie serial, or Yukon King coming to Sergeant Preston’s aid
And on she came! Barking furiously! (All that was missing was the William Tell Overture!
Full speed she runs into the melee of boys racing out of her way, who were backing off, scattering as she approached!
She skidded to a halt between the bully and me, rising up on hindlegs placing both fore paws on his shoulders, snarling and pushed him flat to the ground, stood over him in his face.
“Mr. Big Stuff” did not know what hit him.
Down he went, flat on his back.
I grabbed my dog’s collar and pulled her back. Saying, “No, Vickie, no…it’s all right.”
Well Mr. tough guy pushed back on his legs pronto , scrambling, got to his feet and ran.
The crowd of boys looked on in awe.
The bully never threatened me or anyone around school again.
I took my dog and walked her home.
Today of course the dog would have been impounded and probably destroyed as a dangerous animal.
She was lucky, she never bit him. No authorities saw. And no one complained. Not even a parent.
It brings to mind the realization that sometimes you have to have a big dog to come to your aid when you can’t defend yourself. My dog protected me without question.
We are two months into the Russo-Ukraine War.
Ukrainians are amazingly courageous, brave and stoic. I hope I’d be as brave as they are enduring Russian troops and mercenaries (murderers for hire) laying back and lobbing missiles into cities killing thousands of innocent people. What lessons in courage.
But the Ukrainians need a big dog here. They need some Big Dog Leaders.
Sadly there are no Big Dogs today.
The big dog countries are hanging back by not cutting off Russian oil and gas imports and bringing Russia to an economic halt.
No Russian commercial aircraft should be patronized. No stock transactions with Russian banks or exchanges should be condoned. Internet connections should be pre-severed. Cut the wires on communications. Russian telecasts and websites should be dumped by servers if they have not already done so. Can we stop airing Russian video propaganda statements on news networks? Mercenary businesses aiding Russia should be hampered financially.
The big dogs are afraid of retaliation by Russia with cybar disruption, missiles, nuclear strikes or worse
But are NATO “Big Dogs” more afraid of losing political power in their own countries by stopping buying Russian oil and gas exports and inconveniencing their citizens — that is the question.
They need to put the screws on the Russian Government now. Like they did when Russia walled Berlin. When President Truman ran the Berlin Airlift to feed the cut-off city in 1948).
The U.S. needs to use our oil and gas resources to back the NATO countries unwilling as yet turn off the Russian Oil and gas supplies and see how long it takes for Russian citizens to demand relief. Total economic embargo is needed here.
The Big Dogs have to rise up and have nothing to do with this genocide on the Ukrainian nation and decent human beings who have done nothing wrong.
How many holocausts will we tolerate to preserve our self-interests?
It is time to call in markers from the United Arab States to supply the oil that Russia supplies to Europe. And send our natural gas to Europe.
I am sick of hearing how well our economy is recovering. It’s an illusion. Inflation. Blame American business they are raising the prices.
When you’re a Big Dog, you cannot think of yourself when you see something so demented and horrifyingly wrong that it needs to be stopped.
A FOURTH TERM FOR ANDREW CUOMO: FANTASY OR REALITY?
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WPCNR NEWS & COMMENT By Professor Stephen R. Rolandi. March 26, 2022:
Former Governor Andrew Cuomo, despite his resignation last summer, a scathing audit on the mishandling of the reporting of COVID-19 data in nursing homes, etc., has re-appeared in the news as well as a recent barrage of television commercials which appear to suggest another campaign this fall.
The last New York Governor to win four terms was the late Governor and Vice President Nelson A. Rockefeller who served from 1959-73; Andrew’s father, Mario Cuomo, won three terms (1982; 1986; 1990) only to lose a fourth bid to George Pataki in 1994. Andrew Cuomo won three terms (2010; 2014; 2018) only to resign in disgrace with 17 months remaining in his term, with Lt. Governor Kathy Hochul succeeding him.
It now appears that Mr. Cuomo will not be able to compete in the June 28th Democratic Party primary – the filing deadline is April 7th.
An independent candidacy appears more likely, with that deadline May 31st (45,000 signatures are required).
Given his high name recognition, $ 16 million campaign war chest, and some significant support as measured in recent polls, I do not believe that he would have any difficulty securing the necessary petitions nor identifying someone of stature to serve as the Lt. Governor nominee of the yet-to-be formed third party.
Current political party enrollment data may offer some encouragement for Mr. Cuomo. Of the state’s nearly 13 million enrolled voters, only 49% are registered Democrats. Republicans account for only 22% of all voters. There are about 3.5 million voters who do not identify with any political party. Recent polling also seems to suggest that the former Governor still enjoys some support from women and minority voters.
There may be a large field of gubernatorial candidates – in addition to Governor Hochul and Rep. Lee Zeldin, the Libertarian Party has nominated activist Larry Sharpe and the Working Families Party NYC Public Advocate Jumaane Williams. I would expect the Green Party to name a candidate; the GP received 104,000 votes on its line for Governor in 2018.
The last third-party candidate to win a state-wide post was James L. Buckley who was elected U.S. Senator in 1970 with 39% of the vote. Several states – Maine, Minnesota, Vermont and Connecticut — have elected independent gubernatorial and U.S. Senate candidates, the most recent example being Senator Bernie Sanders.
In a 6 way race, Andrew Cuomo could conceivably win; a more likely outcome would be Cuomo’s draining enough votes away from Governor Hochul to elect Lee Zeldin.
Bear in mind, too, that if Andrew Cuomo were to come in second place, his new party would not only have official ballot status, but also equal representation on state, county and local election boards, as well as the patronage that goes with it.
Under this scenario, Andrew Cuomo could hold the balance of power in New York politics for the next several years.
Time will tell.
(Professor Rolandi served in the administrations of Governors David Paterson and Andrew Cuomo from 2008-13 as Deputy Commissioner, New York State Division of Human Rights. A political scientist, he is an Adjunct Professor of Public Administration at Pace University and John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York. His views are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of his current/former employers).
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WHITE PLAINS WEEK THE MARCH 25 REPORT WITH JOHN BAILEY AND JOHN MO RINO ON FIOS CH 45 ACROSS THE COUNTY ON www.wpcommunity media.org
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WESTCHESTER TALK RADIO
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See it Now on www.wpcommunitymedia.org
WESTCHESTER DISTRICT ATTORNEY ROCAH PROMOTES LATHEIA SMITH FIRST BLACK WOMAN TO SERVE AS SENIOR CRIMINAL INVESTIGATOR IN COUNTY
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WPCNR POLICE GAZETTE. From the Office of the Westchester District Attorney. March 24, 2022:
Westchester County District Attorney Miriam E. Rocah announced the promotion of Latheia Smith, the first woman, and also the first Black woman, to hold the position of Senior Criminal Investigator in the history of the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office.
“Latheia Smith is an extraordinarily talented investigator who has dedicated her life to making her community safer through a career in law enforcement. She shares my vision of a criminal justice system that balances justice for victims with fairness for all involved,” DA Rocah said.
“I am proud to promote Investigator Smith in recognition of her many exceptional talents, skills and achievements. Making this Office truly representative of the diversity of the communities we serve by having women and women of color in leadership positions in law enforcement is critically important and I remain committed to this as one of my top priorities.”
“Working at the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office has provided me with the opportunity to serve the County that I live in by working cases and assisting agencies with their investigations,” Investigator Smith said. “As a law enforcement officer, my ability to help victims and their families while they are going through a criminal matter is incredibly rewarding. I’m thrilled to be promoted to Senior Criminal Investigator, and am proud to not only be the first woman in that role, but also the first Black woman.”
Investigator Smith began her career in 2003 with the Mount Vernon Police Department, where she worked on and investigated a wide range of cases in the General Investigations Division, Narcotics Division and Street Crime. Her dedication and experience handling confidential informants, securing search warrants, and successfully coordinating criminal investigations with other law enforcement agencies resulted in her being promoted to Detective.
In 2009, Investigator Smith joined the District Attorney’s Office Criminal Investigators Squad, where she has investigated and assisted in the prosecution of homicides, sexual assaults, child abuse, elder abuse, narcotics cases, and domestic violence. Investigator Smith, who is currently assigned to the Criminal Investigators Special Prosecutions Unit, oversees investigations into matters including human trafficking, sex crimes, domestic violence, elder abuse and child abuse.
DA Rocah’s promotion of Investigator Smith on February 21, 2022, follows a series of promotions of women and women of color to key leadership positions during her first year in Office.
Specifically, since January 2021, DA Rocah appointed the first Black woman to an Executive Assistant District Attorney position (and the first Executive level Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer), the first Black woman and first Hispanic woman to the Deputy Division Chief level, and a woman as Chief of the largest Division in the Office.
In addition to those four promotions, DA Rocah promoted 15 women, including six women of color, over the past year to the Bureau Chief and Branch Chief level, and important Coordinator positions.
ASSEMBLYMAN BURDICK OF THE 93RD ON THE NEW YORK STATE BUDGET
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| Dear Friends, With only a few days left before the adoption of the budget (see below), citizens come to Albany to make their case for funding. It’s wonderful to have people back up here with their energy and enthusiasm – such a happy contrast to the empty hallways in the darkest days of the pandemic. With many of my constituents affected by and advocating for a number of important initiatives, I have been participating in press conferences and rallies to show my support.  Yesterday may have been the peak point, and it was exciting to join in the effort. Late morning, I joined advocates, allies, and many of my colleagues in the legislature at a press conference to emphasize the need for a $15 million Transgender Wellness and Equity Fund in the budget. This fund will provide important investments in the transgender and gender-expansive communities, to improve health and wellness outcomes.Closely following was another press conference to promote the Clean Slate proposal,  which would seal certain criminal records – following a multi-year waiting period – after those convicted have fully served their sentences and been released. Frequently, such individuals are turned away from jobs and housing, even years later, due to their criminal records. This proposal will allow many of those who have paid their debt, and have been law-abiding citizens since, to have the fresh start they need to be successful and productive members of society. Governor Hochul has proposed a version of Clean Slate in her budget proposal.I then briskly made my way over to the Amtrak train station in Rensselaer, to join a festive and cheerful march over the bridge to the Capitol, advocating for the replenishment of the  Excluded Workers Fund. This fund was set in place last year to provide relief for workers, including undocumented immigrants, who could prove they had worked prior to the pandemic, lost work because of the pandemic, and were ineligible or excluded from unemployment or other pandemic relief. The fund, now fully expended, provided vital relief while injecting money into the New York economy, including in the 93rd Assembly District.Returning to my office, I was thrilled to meet with CUNY students who trekked up to Albany to meet with legislators. I recently joined with my Assembly colleagues to support increased funding levels in the budget for both SUNY and CUNY. For the many students living in my district who attend SUNY schools, the funding would provide for operating support, increases in tuition assistance, support for SUNY hospitals, aid to community colleges, and higher funding for mental health services and students with disabilities.Days like this are always a great reminder of the impact the NYS legislature has on so many, and why I am so grateful to have the job that I do. Update: 2022-2023 Budget As I mentioned in my previous email, March is when the Governor and NYS legislature come together to complete the budget in advance of the start of the state’s fiscal year on April 1. Last week, both the Assembly and Senate released their “one-house budget” resolutions, in response to the Executive Budget released by Governor Hochul in January. My colleagues and I advocated for increased funding in several key areas that I am pleased to report are reflected in the Assembly’s budget, including increased funding for the environment, childcare, state-wide universal pre-K, CUNY & SUNY, pandemic relief, affordable housing, aid for those struggling with past due utility bills, gun violence prevention and mental health counseling. There is also increased funding for disability programs and services, victims’ services, veterans’ services, and legal services. For more details on the Assembly’s budget proposal, please click here.The next steps are negotiation and compromise, and I am confident that the legislature – acting in collaboration and cooperation with the Governor – will deliver an on-time, fiscally-prudent budget that will provide well for the needs of our communities. |
WPTV’S “JOHNNY V”ORPERIAN ON THE BRAND NEW “BASEBALL 2022” SATURDAY NIGHT AT 7 ON “PEOPLE TO BE HEARD” FROM THE BIG BALL PARK WITH “BULL ALLEN” THE VOICE OF BASEBALL PAST TALKIN’ BASEBALL
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TOGETHER THE HARDBALL EXPERTS ANALYZE THE NEW MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL AGREEMENT
WHAT’S NEW?
THE 12 TEAM PLAYOFF
SETTLEMENT OR SELL OUT?
WHO DECIDES THE NEW RULES?
NEW DRAFT PICS–TANKING RETARDENT–OR INCENTIVE TO TANK?
THE GAME’S FUTURE–RATINGS UP BUT NEW YOUNG FANS FEW– THE SHRINKING ICEBERG
THE SHOW FOR REAL FANS WHO CARE: WE KNOW YOU’RE OUT THERE IN THE UPPER DECK
“HI, NEIGHBOR…TUNE IN AND WEIGH IN AND HAVE A GANSETT”
SATURDAY NIGHT ON FIOS CH 45 AT 7 OR ON WHITE PLAINS OPTIMUM CH 76 OR ANYTIME ON
WWW.WPCOMMUNITYMEDIA.ORG
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HARRIET TUBMAN IS COMING TO WHITE PLAINS
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WPCNR MAIN STREET JOURNAL. From Benjamin Boykin, County Legislator, District 5. March 22, 2022:
The City of White Plains and the White Plains Business Improvement District (WP BID) have secured “Harriet Tubman – The Journey to Freedom” sculpture for display in White Plains.
The sculpture will be placed in Renaissance Plaza (aka Fountain Park) for public viewing from April 1 through June 30. This location in the heart of downtown White Plains ensures the sculpture will have high visibility and will be easily accessible to the public.
The City and the WP BID will create and promote a calendar of programs and events to highlight the sculpture’s presence. This calendar will include City and BID-sponsored events, as well as a number of programs and events sponsored by community organizations, such as:
- An outdoor showing of the Movie, Harriet, on Court Street on Saturday, May 21
- A tribute concert to Harriet Tubman in Renaissance Plaza on Wednesday, June 22 featuring the Sounds of A&R aka SOAR, an evening of Soul, R& B, Gospel and Jazz
- The annual Juneteenth Parade and Festival sponsored by the White Plains Juneteenth Heritage Committee on Saturday, June 11
For more information, visit https://wpbid.com/tubman
About the sculpture
The 9 foot high, 2,400 lb. bronze sculpture was created by artist Wesley Wofford of North Carolina. Originally commissioned for a private client, the sculpture has more recently been made available to the public and has traveled to a number of locations around the United States.