WHITE PLAINS CITIZENETREPORTER SETS RECORD VISITS FOR YEAR 7,017,658 VISITS! 2,098,003 VISITORS MADE 6 VISITS A DAY EVERY DAY. 63,330 UNIQUE VISITORS MADE 133,730 VISITS IN DECEMBER. WPCNR AVERAGED 17,284 VISITORS A WEEK, VISITING 31,270 TIMES.

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WPCNR MAIN STREET. From Chris Schwartz, Grace Church. December 21, 2011:

  Following four years of tradition, Dr. Bruce Pinker, owner of Progressive Foot Care in White Plains, joined ranks with the Westchester/Putnam Central Labor Body AFLCIO and its affiliates in a “Holiday Shoe Drive” to collect shoes for the homeless. Footwear in all shapes and sizes was collected over a two month period and donated to Grace Church Community Center (GCCC) for distribution at the agency’s Open Arms Men’s Shelter, Samaritan House Women’s Shelter and Soup Kitchen.  Over 1,000 pairs of shoes were collected. 

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WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. From the Westchester County Department of Communications. December 20, 2011:

County Executive Robert P. Astorino said Tuesday that the declaration of a bargaining impasse by the CSEA continues a pattern of delay tactics by Westchester County government’s largest union that could lead to many more layoffs in the future.

            “The Board of Legislators and I came to an agreement that saved more than 180 jobs in the 2012 budget,” Astorino said. “Unfortunately more than 40 layoffs will still be required. As long as union leaders keep insisting that taxpayers pick up the entire $100 million cost of their members’ health care, the county will have no choice but to eliminate more and more jobs going forward. We can’t employ people that we can’t pay for. The math doesn’t work any other way.”

Last week, the Civil Service Employees Association declared its negotiations with the county at an impasse. The county’s position is that the impasse could have been avoided if the union had engaged in good faith bargaining instead of stalling tactics.

·        The union demanded that negotiations only be held when its representatives were on paid leave time from their regular county positions, insisted that meetings be of a short duration and argued about what room the meetings would be held in.

·        The CSEA’s first health care proposal to save money was for the county to fill prescriptions with drugs from Canada, which is illegal.

·        When the union finally made a health care proposal involving employee contributions, it was for its members to contribute $10 dollars per month, amounting to $120 for the entire year for a family health plan, which costs county taxpayers almost $20,000 per year.

·        The same day it made the employee contribution offer, the union withdrew it.

 “It is extremely frustrating,” said Astorino. “The CSEA’s behavior shows a complete lack of seriousness and respect for the collective bargaining process. Offering the smallest possible contribution – and then withdrawing even that miniscule concession – proves the union’s leaders do not understand the financial realities facing everyone in Westchester.”

As part of its healthcare contribution offer, the union tied it to substantial increases in wages and fringe benefits. In contrast, the CSEA’s parent union at the state level this year agreed to contributions as high as 31 percent of the premium for its health insurance plan, as part of a package that included multiple wage freezes.

            When the county union was questioned by the county’s labor negotiator Vincent Toomey over this disparity, it responded by withdrawing its proposal to contribute anything towards healthcare.  

            “The CSEA says in its notification of the impasse that it had sought a contract that was fair to its membership, the county and to taxpayers,” said Toomey. “However, its actions tell a different story.”

In 2010, the average salary of a private sector worker in Westchester County was $62,900, according to the New York State Department of Labor. In contrast, the average salary of a public sector worker (state, local and federal blended together) in Westchester was $69,112 in 2010. The average salary of a Westchester County employee in 2010 was $71,324. When fringe benefits, such as pension and health care, are added, the average total compensation for county workers rises to $110,000.

With the two sides at an impasse, a mediator will be appointed, who will serve in an advisory capacity to the parties.

             Astorino said he was particularly frustrated by the lack of urgency on the part of the CSEA union leadership, especially when the jobs of their members were at risk. For two years, in public and private, Astorino has been asking the unions to take him up on his “jobs for savings” offer, which asks the CSEA to make the same health care contributions as agreed to by the state CSEA and use those savings to minimize layoffs. Contributions at the state levels would save Westchester taxpayers an estimated $19 million.

            “Our county workers do a great job and I want to keep as many of them employed as possible,” said Astorino. “But the unions have to help. Meaningful health care contributions will keep more people employed. That’s the jobs for savings plan. But each month that goes by without an agreement will only lead to more layoffs. ”

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WPCNR CAMPAIGN 2012. December 19, 2011 UPDATED 9:32 P.M. E.S.T. UPDATED 11:45 A.M. E.S.T. December 21, 2011:  

Reports that the Hilary Clinton Run Hillary 2012 petition campaign have spread to the Washington D.C., area were received by WPCNR Wednesday morning, indicating that a national campaign to wrest the 2012 Democratic Presidential nomination from President Barack Obama may be developing.

WPCNR first confirmed reports as of 1:30 P.M. Monday that a series of recorded phone calls announcing the start of a draft Secretary of  State Hillary Clinton for President 2012 went out to registered voters in Westchester County. No other news media by early Monday evening had picked this up, but the Huffington Post later Monday reported the calls are being made only in New York and North Carolina.

The recorded announcements urge recipients of the phone call to go to www.runhillary2012.net  and “sign the petition.”

The website includes recent endorsement statements from Congresswoman Maxine Waters and Antonio Villaraigusa, Mayor of Los Angeles and earlier statements by journalist Bogdan Kipling, Rebecca Shambaugh and General Wesley Clark. 

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WPCNR WHITE PLAINS LAW JOURNAL. By John F. Bailey. December 17, 2011:

Federal Judge Kathy Siebel this week ruled a federal lawsuit against the city, trying to protect full medical care benefits for prior 1995 police officers can proceed to trial.  

But police retirees who joined the city before July 1, 1995  got surprise bills for thousands of dollars from the city owed for their share of medical benefits this week, the week before Hannukah and Christmas as part of the judge’s ruling that the retirees case as merit.

The retirees (retired police officers) are fighting the city effort (invented during the first year of the Adam Bradley administration) to force police department retirees hired before 1995 to pay 15% of their health benefits effective July, 2010. The Retirees claim this is a violation of their contract.

Albert J. Pirro (pictured, July 2010) who filed the suit on behalf of the police officers told WPCNR Friday the judge ruled the retirees’ case may proceed to argument in federal court, rejecting city efforts to have  the suit dismissed.

However, as part of Judge Siebel’s ruling, close to one hundred city retirees received bills from the city for 15% of their health care premiums due for what WPCNR believes is the last 18 months (6 quarters of fiscal 2010-11, 2 quarters of fiscal 2011-12, and perhaps the next quarter, January, February, March.

Pirro said Judge Siebel lifted the restraining order he had obtained in July 2010,  prohibiting the city from collecting the premium portion from retirees the last 18 months.

Officer Robert Riley, President of the White Plains Police Benevolent Association,  confirmed bills had gone out.  “One retiree has received a letter and a bill for $2,000 from the city, and that employee makes $17,000 in his pension,” Riley said. “I think it is a disgrace for the city to do this to the retirees who helped make this city what it is.It is unfair financially.”

Riley said he is watching the progress of the Retirees suit carefully, because he said he has 66 active police officers who joined the city before 1995, who will be affected by the outcome of this suit.  Riley theorized that the lifting of the injunction obtained by lawyer

In a WPCNR  interview Friday evening, with Albert J. Pirro, the attorney for 97 police retirees, said Judge Kathy Siebel ruled that there is merit to the retirees’ suit on constitutional grounds, and she will allow the suit to be argued in federal court.

The city had argued that the case should be dismissed. Now, Pirro believes the case will begin to be heard in March.

Police retirees, the exact number is not known, confirm having received bills for their medical benefits this week.

One WPCNR phone call, requesting a statement and an e-mail asking further questions to John Callahan, city Chief of Staff and Corporation Counsel, have not been responded to as of midnight. The Mayor has not issued a statement.

Unclear is how many bills have been sent out to those retirees, the average amount they are being billed for, whether payments the retirees make will be held in escrow by the city and interest accrued, and what the retirees pay per plan, and whether lump sums past due are now due, and whether all had to pay.

Pirro indicated that some retirees who were in circumstances that made it hard for them to pay the new medical benefits were excluded, but did not have time to give details because he was rushing to file court papers by 5 P.M.

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WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. From the Westchester County Department of Communications. December 14, 2011 UPDATED 1:20 P.M. E.D.T.:

County Executive Robert P. Astorino sent down 27 vetoes Wednesday, totaling about $10 million of the just-approved $1.689 billion budget. The number is about 10 percent of the 247 vetoes he issued last year.

            “That the number of vetoes is much smaller than last year is indicative of the fact that the 2012 budget was forged with bi-partisan support,” Astorino said.

 “Republicans and Democrats delivered a budget within the broad goals I set – do not raise the tax levy, preserve essential services and protect the county’s triple A credit ratings. But the public also needs to know that there are areas where I think stronger or different actions were needed to address, rather than merely postpone, some of the county’s fundamental financial problems.”

Martin speaking for the legislature responded in her statement:

Though he had initially proposed 210 layoffs, Astorino said he would not veto the roughly 180 jobs restored by the Board of Legislators. He hoped this action would be taken for what it is – a good-faith gesture intended to bring a sense of urgency and seriousness to the bargaining table – and not an excuse for the unions to delay talks until the brink of budget negotiations late next year.

“Once again I am renewing my offer of jobs for savings,” Astorino said. “The unions need to know that every month without healthcare contributions means more potential layoffs next year. The math is the math. Union members have to start contributing in a meaningful way for their healthcare – just like everyone else. Otherwise, layoffs are inevitable and the number will be determined by a board that no longer has a Democratic super majority.”

 The vetoes for the 2012 budget targeted the following items:

·        The board’s addition of $1.9 million for a non-mandated subsidy to three non-county neighborhood health centers, while cutting $848,000 from the Health Department’s mandated budget for Early Intervention. The non-county health centers all receive federal, state and private funds and have been operating with surpluses.

“To take money from county programs that are mandated and give it to outside agencies for non-mandated programs just doesn’t make sense,” said Astorino.

·        The board’s addition of $4.3 million for non-mandated day care subsidies, while cutting $5.1 million from the Department of Social Services budget, including $1.3 million from Emergency Assistance to Families and $1.9 million from Child Welfare, both mandated programs. Overall the county will spend $26 million on day care subsidies in 2012.

To stretch those dollars to meet the demand, Astorino had proposed raising the parental portion to 35 percent from 20 percent, which would increase by 622 the number of children who could be served. DSS has warned that by keeping the level at 20 percent, it is likely to run out of money for the program in October.

·        The board’s addition of $243,436 to restore the Route 76 bus line. The county had been losing $8 per rider on this route which only serves 160 passengers. The County Executive had proposed having the route largely absorbed by Route 13. The move would have affected only 30 passengers on Route 76, while eliminating the losses and adding a direct service between Rye and White Plains.

·        The board’s addition of $990,000 for Cornell Cooperative Extension. Astorino continues to argue that the programs run by CCE duplicate other county-run programs and are non-essential.

·        The board’s addition of $378,000 for Invest in Kids. Astorino leaves intact funding for $1.3 million in Invest in Kids programs (generally as proposed in his original budget), but vetoed funding for a number of programs run by outside agencies that had either not participated or passed muster during the county’s RFP (request for proposal) process.

            Overall, Astorino reiterated his concern that the entire budget process could be more transparent and less rushed. Of specific concern is the board’s practice of having a budget vote the same day that it issues its final recommendation for budget deletions. “Until the deletes are presented, there is no way to have meaningful discussions on the final budget,” he said. He urged the board to change this “self-imposed” practice and allow sufficient time for the public and press to evaluate and comment on budget changes.