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WPCNR SNOW TIMES. DECEMBER 14, 2013:
Due to inclement weather, the Ebersole Ice Rink has closed as of 11 A.M.
The Holiday Ice Show “iced” by the Ebersole Skating School every year has been postponed until next Saturday, December 21.
All public sessions today and all ice hockey games are cancelled.
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WPCNR SOUTH END TIMES. December 14, 2013:
The Common Council has managed to get their FASNY Findings changes incorporated into the Findings Statement scheduled to be voted either able to be mitigated, or unable to be mitigated at a new Special Meeting of the Council December 19, 2013.
A letter was widely circulated by e-mail and to this website Friday night, accusing the city of ramrodding the project through in a secretive, confusing manner, and not making the Council changes in the Findings Statement clear, to wit:
” We just checked the City website after a long work week, and found a new version of the findings. We also learned that the meeting is now set for December 19. We had checked at 6:00 p.m. and this had not been posted. In addition, one cannot tell the difference between the initial findings (statement) and the new version, without comparing word-by-word a complex, 140+page legal document. One must ask why there is this kind of “news dump” on a Friday night — this tactic is usually employed to garner as little attention as possible to controversial actions or issues.
We do not believe that the City’s latest action complies with the concepts of transparency and fairness to the public, including those whose quality of life and property values will be harmed by this development. As attorneys with a combined total of 62 years in practice, we believe that this conduct is completely inconsistent with principles of due process. The document states that FASNY has been working closely with the City, it’s consultants, and counsel for months, yet the findings upon which you will vote are posted for your constituency on a Friday night at the height of the Holiday season. Unlike the developer, the average citizen does not have a full complement of professionals to analyze and comment upon a massive document like this on short notice.
We are simply at a loss to understand the biased approach which the CIty has taken in favor of a developer at the expense of long standing citizens and taxpayers, such as ourselves. Thank you for your consideration on our views. “
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WPCNR CITY HALL CIRCUIT. December 13, 2013:
City Hall has rescheduled the French American School of New York Findings ruling Special Meeting to be held Thursday, December 19. The original meeting to make this decision on whether or not the FASNY construction plan to build its new school campus on the former Ridgeway Country Club was postponed Monday because members of the Common Council were not ready to vote.
A majority of 4 to 3 is required to enable the project to proceed, or be classified as having “unmitigatable” impacts.
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THEY’RE BACK ON 45 AND 76 TONIGHT AND ALL AROUND THE WORLD ON
www.whiteplainsweek.com
John Bailey — The CitizeNetReporter
PETER KATZ
ON
THE WHITE PLAINS WHITE OUT
THE WHITE PLAINS COP OUT
FASNYLAND
THE SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT QUALIFICATIONS WHAT’S MISSING!
TEACHERS TAKE A STAND
THE VIRUS EPIDEMIC
SEE A COMPLETE COMMON COUNCIL MEETING CONDENSED IN ONE SHOW — PLUS LIVELY COMMENTARY — IMPOSSIBLE BUT TRUE FASNY FARCE
AND BONUS
PEOPLE TO BE HEARD
AT 10 ON MONDAY OR 10:30 ON WEDNESDAY
YOU’VE GOT
STATE SENATOR GEORGE LATIMER
ON CORRUPTION IN ALBANY
HOW ALBANY HAS CHANGED WHERE THERE’S BEEN NO CHANGE
CAN UPSTATE ECONOMIES BE REVIVED BY STATE MONEY?
A PREVIEW OF THE LEGISLATURE ISSUES 2014
THE MANDATE MANTRA — IS ALBANY INCLINED TO CUT THEM? WHY THEY HAVE NOT.
AND MORE FROM WHITE PLAINS MAN IN ALBANY
ON PEOPLE TO BE HEARD
WHERE PEOPLE WHO HAVE SOMETHNG TO SAY, HAVE THEIR SAY.
NEWS THAT LIFTS YOU OUT OF YOUR CHAIR!
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WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey. December 12, 2013:
The White Plains Teachers Association represented by Kerry Broderick,(above) presented the Board of Education with a resolution they want the Board to adapt and send on to the state and federal government, calling for reduction of reliance on standardized tests as measures of education, teacher, and school effectiveness.
The White Plains Teachers resolution did not ask the Board to take the militant stance teachers unions and educators did Monday calling for a slowdown of the Common Core implementation, suspension of high stakes testing for three years, and call for adequate fair public funding of school districts and schools across the state.
Broderick addressing the Board in the public comment segment of the White Plains meeting remarked on the White Plains Teachers supporting the national rallies against the Common Core curriculum rollout and emphasis on standardized testing that took place Monday.
The American Federation of Teachers and New York State United Teachers held protests in Nyack and Yonkers Monday, sharply criticizing the Common Core according to Gannet Reporters Gary Stern and Mareesa Nicosia. Those reporters wrote the NYSUT have prepared bills to stop high stakes testing and for the state to move more slowly on the Common Core Curriculum phase-in.
The White Plains Teachers Association resolution is more moderate.
It does not call for a suspension of testing, but instead a reduction in the weight the tests have in evaluating the progress of students’ and teachers’ effectiveness.
Broderick said White Plains Teachers wore blue “National Day of Action” Action shirts Monday to support the effort by educators for “fair funding of public education, a 3 year moratorium on assessment tests, and a return to established best education practices.”
The actual resolution presented the Board does not go that far, while actually acknowledging the Common Core has some merit, it reads:
CALLING UPON THE NEW YORK STATE COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION AND THE NYS BOARD OF REGENTS TO STOP THE OVERRELIANCE ON STANDARDIZED TESTS AS A MEASURE OF STUDENT PERFORMANCE AND PRINCIPAL/TEACHER EFFECTIVENESS.
WHEREAS, every student deserves a quality public education dedicated to preparing engaged citizens, creative and critical thinkers, and lifelong learners ready for college and careers; and
WHEREAS, while the implementation of the Common Core will ultimately help students, teachers and teaching and learning, the growing reliance on and misalighment of standardized testing is eroding student learning time, and narrowing the curriculum and jeopardizing the rich, meaningful education our students need and deserve; and
WHEREAS, despite the fact that research recommends the use of multiple measures to gauge student performance and teacher effectiveness, the state’s growing reliance on standardized testing is adversely affecting students across all spectrums, the morale of our educators and further draining already scarce resources; and
WHEREAS, the federal, elementary and secondary education act’s testing policies fail to appropriately accommodate the unique needs of students with disabilities and English language learners in assessing their learning, resulting in test scores that do not accurately represent a true measure of the contributions of teachers and schools; and
WHEREAS, it is time for policymakers to recalibrate the number, duration and appropriate use of standardized tests so that we can refocus our efforts on student learning; now therefore, be it
RESOLVED, that we call upon the Commissioner of Education, the NYS Board of Regents and other policymakers to reduce the use of and over-reliance on standardized testing; and be it further
RESOLVED, that we call on the U.S. Congress and Administration to reduce federal testing mandates and support the role of and focus on multiple measures of student learning and school quality in accountability systems.
The Clerk to the Board of Education, Michele Schoenfeld said the Board did not act on the Resolution because they had not been aware it was going to be presented. She said the resolution might be put on the agenda next month, but that the Board of Education had not to her knowledge discussed it since its presentation.
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WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. December 11, 2013:
The Board of Education met Monday evening and saw a presentation from School Leadership, LLC, the firm hired to conduct a search for a new Superintendent of Schools, who will, it is hoped be in place at the start of the new school year, July, 2014.They also approved advertising for the position.
The summary of what over 300 persons filling out a questionnaire (created by School Leadership LLC as to what they felt was important for any prospective new White Plains Superintendent of Schools to demonstrate was:
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That Old Christmas Magic: Damien Amadio, White Plains Commissioner of Building, snapped this last night over at the Stop N Shop on South Kensico Avenue. Thanks for getting us into the Christmas Spirit
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WPCNR ALBANY ROUNDS. From the Governor’s Press Office. (EDITED) December 10, 2013:
Today, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s Tax Relief Commission recommended (subject to legislature approval), the creation of a program to freeze property taxes for two years.
In year one of the freeze all eligible homeowners in taxing jurisdictions that adopt local budgets that remain within the property tax cap would receive a State credit equal to the growth in their property taxes.
In Year 2, the freeze will continue for those homeowners living in jurisdictions that remain within the property tax cap and take measures to reduce costs, such as sharing services with other jurisdictions or consolidating.
In addition, while programs that cap and freeze real property taxes can keep the burden of real property taxes from increasing, there is a need to provide relief to taxpayers who are already over-burdened by the current level of property taxation. The Commission recommends that the State develop a program that would target real property tax relief based on an individual homeowner’s ability to pay.
Lower\st Tax Rates in 44 years for Businesses to Make New York Competitive
To encourage New York’s economic competitiveness, investment and further growth, the Commission recommends lower rates for businesses and a simplified tax structure.
This includes the reform and simplification of the State’s primary corporate income taxes coupled with a reduction in the corporate income tax rate to 6.5 percent, the lowest corporate rate since 1968.
The rate for upstate manufacturers upstate would be reduced further, to 2.5 percent, the lowest rate ever. In addition, all manufacturers will benefit from a recommendation by the Commission to reduce property taxes on manufacturers by 20 percent through a State credit program.
Move up Utility Assessment Phaseout
To further encourage business expansion, the Commission recommends that the temporary utility assessment (18-a), scheduled to be eliminated in 2018, will be eliminated in 2014 for industrial customers and all other customers will see an accelerated phase out of the surcharge. Together, these proposals will tackle the remaining barriers to investment and job growth that exist in the current tax regime.
Raise Estate Tax Threshold to $5.25 M
The Commission recognizes the need to update the estate tax. New York remains one of only 17 states with either an estate tax or an inheritance tax, and only two states currently have a lower exemption. Because estate tax thresholds have not kept pace with the rise in home values, more and more middle-income New Yorkers find themselves subject to the tax.
The Commission is therefore recommending a major reform of the estate tax, increasing the State’s threshold to $5.25 million, indexed to inflation, and lowering the tax rate.
Finally, the Commission endorses the majority of the Tax Reform and Fairness Commission proposals to simplify the structure of New York’s tax system by eliminating nuisance taxes.
The Commission’s recommendations focus on providing property tax relief for New York homeowners and businesses and enhancing the State’s economic competitiveness. In addition to providing tax relief, the Commission recommends providing incentives to local governments to reduce the cost of operations. Further recommendations include lowering the corporate tax rate to its lowest level in 46 years; reducing the tax rate for manufacturers Upstate to its lowest level ever; and updating the Estate Tax to bring New York in line with other states. This report is enabled by three years of fiscal integrity and responsible budgeting that puts the state in a position to examine new ways to provide tax relief to New Yorkers. The final report can be accessed here: http://www.governor.ny.gov/assets/documents/commission_report.pdf.
“For far too long, property taxes have been a crushing burden on New York homeowners and businesses, hurting job growth and driving individuals and families from the state,” Governor Cuomo said. “While we have made tremendous progress over the last three years in bringing down taxes for all New Yorkers, this Commission has taken the two billion dollar surplus that resulted from our responsible budgeting and fiscal reforms to propose even further reductions for New York taxpayers. I look forward to working together with the Legislature to review these recommendations and continue our efforts to reverse the state’s reputation as a tax capital and make New York a friendlier state for families and businesses.”
The Commission’s recommendations for tax relief build off three years of holding state spending to 2%, ending automatic budget inflators in Medicaid and education spending, pension reform that will save taxpayers tens of billions of dollars, and a downsized state labor force.
Governor Pataki said, “Governor Cuomo asked us to focus on real property taxes and we did, delivering a robust program that will provide real relief to middle class taxpayers and especially those on fixed incomes. The Commission also recommends much needed reforms to estate, business and energy taxes and ensuring the PIT top rate phases out as planned. The Commission worked overtime to deliver our recommendations today and I’m proud of the package we’ve assembled.”
Chairman H. Carl McCall said, “This report shows once again what is possible when partisan differences are put aside for the good of the people. The members of the panel embraced the Governor’s charge and his cooperative approach to come up with bold recommendations made possible by three years of fiscally sound budgeting that has yielded a two billion dollar surplus. The old Albany would have spent this money, but under Governor Cuomo’s leadership, we will be giving it back where it belongs – in the pocket of tax payers.”
The key recommendations put forward by the Commission are based on the finding that the property tax remains the most burdensome tax facing individuals, families, and businesses in New York State, and a critical impediment to economic growth. New Yorkers continue to face some of the highest property tax bills in the nation, whether measured in absolute terms, or as a percentage of home value. The Commission recommends using $1 billion of the $2 billion revenue pool to further reduce the burden of the property tax on homeowners, and provide incentives for cost reduction at the local level.
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WPCNR COUNTY CLARION LEDGER. From the Westchester County Board of Legislators. December 10, 2013:
The Westchester County Board of Legislators (BOL) approved a 2014 County Budget tonight that includes funding to re-open the low-income Title XX child care program and for support of other social “safety net” programs that protect seniors, at-risk youths and homeowners facing foreclosure.
“This budget represents a commitment to the values and forward-thinking that makes Westchester a special place to live, work and raise a family,” said BOL Chairman Ken Jenkins (D-Yonkers). “My colleagues on the Board and I understand that it is essential to keep the County taxes down through cost-cutting and smart spending. In fact, our future prosperity depends on it. But we must also remain dedicated to strengthening our communities by helping residents in need. This budget accomplishes all this, and I thank my Board colleagues for their efforts, and thank all those residents and advocates who spoke at the public budget hearings.”
The Title XX child care program has been frozen by County Executive Robert P. Astorino since 2010. For the past three years BOL members have tried to re-open enrollment in the Title XX child care program, but to no avail. In the 2014 Budget, the two caucuses compromised to post an addition of $900,000 that will provide a total of 180 slots for children, who otherwise might be put into programs that are less safe or too expensive.
“We heard from our residents and child care advocates loud and clear that creating more Title XX slots was a priority,” said BOL Majority Leader Pete Harckham. “The approval for this budget plan shows that healthy dialogue and a spirit of compromise can make good things happen. This will help to keep low-income parents working and contributing to Westchester’s economy rather than needing more expensive social services.”
While certain costs increased across the budget, the BOL was able to make a number of social “safety net” additions to the 2014 budget proposed by County Executive Rob Astorino without raising taxes by trimming projected expenses in the departmental budgets.
Among the additions put into the 2014 Budget by the BOL were nearly $1 million in advocacy programs for domestic violence education, literacy enrichment and resource centers for new immigrants.
“People are still struggling in our communities, whether they are seniors on fixed-incomes or working mothers,” said BOL Vice Chair Lyndon Williams (D-Mount Vernon). “Beneath the wealth and prosperity in Westchester, there is homelessness and residents with mental health issues. This budget works toward helping residents, and also gives them a chance to step up the economic ladder.”
This year, hundreds of Westchester residents and business owners attended the open meetings on the 2014 budget that the BOL hosted, and were able to participate in the decision-making process soon after County Executive Astorino introduced the Proposed 2014 Budget on November 15. The three public hearings and numerous department-by-department budget presentations were all streamed ‘live’ and then archived online at the BOL website (www.westchesterlegislators.com).
“The citizen participation in the County budget process receives is remarkable,” said Legislator Judy Myers (D-Larchmont), chair of the BOL Budget & Appropriations Committee. “It shows they’re paying attention to how their tax dollars are spent, and that they care about Westchester and the well-being of their neighbors.”
Although the entire 2014 County Budget spending plan totals $1.74 billion, most of the advocacy and safety net programs added to the budget by the BOL cost an average of $8,000 a year.
“I’m always amazed at how Westchester’s not-for-profit organizations stretch the dollars they get from the County,” said Legislator Alfreda Williams (D-Greenburgh), chair of the BOL Community Services Committee. “Their partnerships with the County allow residents to be served at the community level across the county, making a real difference in countless lives. The small investments we make with them always bring big results.”
“Good governance begins with openness and transparency,” said Legislator Bill Ryan (D-White Plains). “Westchester residents deserve to know which agencies and organizations are getting County funding. It gives them an understanding of how their tax dollars are being spent.”
The BOL considered adding $650,000 toward the reduction of pension amortization in the 2014 Budget, but the measures was not approved. When Moody’s Investor Service downgraded Westchester County’s general bond rating from AAA to Aa1 last month, one reason it gave was the County’s borrowing for its pension obligations.
“The financial picture in Westchester is a good one because of proper safeguarding over the years,” said Legislator Catherine Borgia (D-Ossining), chair of the Government Operations Committee. “Keeping the County’s bond rating at the top saves us money in the long run, so we will continue to take measures to limit borrowing and protect our fund balances.”
“Good budgets require that we act as responsible stewards of infrastructure, resources and investments, and of the fiscal legacy that is being left for future generations” said MaryJane Shimsky (D-Hastings-on-Hudson). “These are things that spur economic development and help attract new businesses and homeowners to the county.”
County Executive Astorino now has ten days to sign or veto the 2014 County Budget.
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WPCNR COMMON COUNCIL-CHRONICLE EXAMINER. By John F. Bailey. December 9, 2013:
The decision on the Findings statement on the French American School of New York will have to wait at least a week because the Common Council voted to table the Findings Statement resolution because changes by certain Coucilpersons they wanted included in the Findings Statement could not be incorporated soon enough for all the council to read.
The Mayor called the Special Meeting to order at 7 P.M. sharp as is his habit. He made a brief statement saying the Council was going to table items 1 and 2 because changes received just Monday afternoon from council people had not been incorporated into the Findings Resolution about to be voted on.
He asked for a second, and the resolutions were tabled to a date to be decided. One councilman told WPCNR it was expected to be taken up December 17.
The vote to table was greeted by boos from the full chamber of citizens who turned out for the go or no go Findings decision. The Mayor scolded the audience for booing, calling it “inappropriate.”
Councilwoman Milagros Lecouna told WPCNR after the meeting that statements were being added to make it clear specifically the steps involved in meeting a raft of conditions what the French American School of New York has to do to build the project. Lecouna said the council choice of entry was the North Street entry to the FASNY property, which involved moving of the White Plains High School driveway, and city Board of Education approval.
Robert Stackpole, an opponent of the project and a member of the Gedney Association, commented to WPCNR, that the Findings Statement was “an environmental fantasy.”
Michael Zarin, lawyer for the French American School of New York had no comment on the content of the Findings Statement, and neither did two members of the French American School Board of Directors.
In order for the project to proceed, the Findings Statement needs a 4-3 favorable vote by the Common Council, and the Special Permits the French American School needs to receive must be approved by a 5-2 vote, according to John Callahan, City Corporation Counsel.
To be continued next week.
The meeting took two minutes by the clock on the Common Council Chamber wall. It had been scheduled for six days.