WHITE PLAINS CITIZENETREPORTER 3,374,995 VISITS IN ONE YEAR—65,000 VISITS A WEEK BY 985,281 VISITORS

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WPCNR The Saturday Bailey. NEWS COMMENT by John F. Bailey. July 19, 2008: The Associated Press reported Friday that Barack Obama raised $52 Million in June and Senator McCain about half that. Overall since Mr. Obama started his campaign he has raised $340 Million to Mr. McCain’s $132 Million.

Since most Americans are receiving $1,200 in stimulus package checks from the government, and by cracky, this inconvenient recession has not ended yet, could it be that the appetite for fundraising demonstated by the two Presidential candidates is keeping America from moving forward by taking discretionary spending money out of their pockets and putting it into candidates’ pockets?

No wonder those darlings of Wall Street aren’t getting billions in bonuses this year. You Americans out there contributing to political campaigns are not doing your part in fueling the economic engine, buying stocks, buying gas, buying cars, putting downpayments down on houses. Why aren’t you doing that, people?

Instead of spending their $1,200 on products, HDTVs, car downpayments and gas, could it be Americans are giving away their stimulus jing to the presidential campaigns?

So the money just sits there in candidates’ coffers waiting to make television networks, radio stations, campaign button makers, and campaign advisors and key workers rich. (The big time consultants do not work for free. And when they are “donating their time” they expect payback in future power.)

Even local politicians are raising money taking it out of the Westchester economy and letting it sit there to gear up for pipe dream runs for higher office.

Frankly why do they need to raise funds anyway? I should think they could whistle stop across America, sponsored by Amtrak,  or take buses donated by Trailways, or in trucks donated by General Motors (a lot of trucks are gathering dust in GM lots as I write), and certainly their speeches and eventual performance would be better if they wrote speeches themselves and actually had to think about them instead of policy wonks writing them. They forget their positions from day to day!

This is the way it used to be. It is a disservice to the American economy to beg shamelessly for money every day so you can be elected and become powerful, then immediately forget us.

Every single Albany legislator has forgotten us, and I probably will bet some of you out there now are going to fundraisers for your favorite Albany hack within the next few weeks. When you do, do me a favor, ask him or her why they are not in Albany wrangling on the property tax? Why are they not in Albany doing something about the equalization rate? Why are they not working on the budget for next year now? Are they going to make casinos legal across the state (it is our only hope)? Make them squirm a little. Just a little.

They are not working. And to top it all off, they are out asking us to give more money to them so they can be reelected to do more of nothing for us except take more of our money which we make for them.

So before you even think about writing a big check to Obama or McCain, your favorite assemblyperson or state senator, or even Governor – stop – write it out and give it to someone you know and like to help them out. Remember you may think that elected official cares for you.

But he or she is just  playing you. You want to be liked. You want the elected official to help you. Please.

What if, just what if, no one came to fundraisers any more. Politicians would not be able to put up phony ads and commercials. They would not have staffs to pump out the lies. There would be no “Friends of Fairweather Frank.”

If you do send money to Mr. McCain or Mr. Obama, or any candidate, write on the check what you want them to do for you –  work.

They forget that. But you have to write a very big check so they will realize the work they do for you is more important than the work they do for the student who sends you $25. Anyone in politics knows you pay attention to the $400,000 contributors from oil companies, insurance companies, drug companies, automobile companies (when is that General Motors bailout coming by the way), airlines, the list goes on.

This fundraising must stop now.  It is unseemly that these politicians are taking money out of Americans’ pockets who naively believe their candidate will actually improve matters and work for change, or the status quo. The contributor who contributes big time money is simply buying influence, not spending to further an ideal.

You may as well burn the money.

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WPCNR THE HOUSING NEWS. From the Mayor’s Office. July 17, 2008: Mayor Joseph Delfino and members of the Common Council  recveived a letter today from the Westchester County Housing Opportunity Commission, urging the Council and the city to relent and not charge Windsor Terrace higher buyout fees they are now subject to that went into effect in March when the Council passed the new regulations requiring 10% of units in their projects to be set aside for affordable housing or subject to buyout fees. 

The organization writes: “We believe, that in these cases (Windsor Terrace and Hale Terrace), equity requires that the projects not be burdened ex post facto. The request relief is expecially appropriate in the context of the severe threat to the survival of a whole host of major projects in the City due to the current difficulties that affect investment and lending in real estate.  ” 

The letter is signed by George Raymon, Chairman.

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WPCNR VIEW FROM THE UPPER DECK. By Bull Allen.  July 17, 2008: The New York Mets after dogging it for two months, petulant under the professionalism of Willie Randolph  put together a 9 game winning streak by surprise, playing hard (what a concept) for new Manager Jerry Manuel,  and now are being anointed contenders for first place. Suddenly Met pitchers have found the plate and are making good pitches – against kind of lousy ball clubs I might add.

The Big Ball Park, 1956

The New York Yankees are pretender contenders and can only hope the Tampa Bay Rays collective hitting slump against the Tribe (looking like the Sioux at the Little Big Horn last weekend and leaving the Rays reeling) shatters that team’s confidence enough so New York can acquire the Wild Card.

But what the first half of the season said about the New York professional baseball teams on both sides of Long Island Sound is that like the NFL, baseball has indeed achieved parity. Every team is flawed or mediocre (or pretty good and exciting, depending on your optimism). The myth that half the teams have a chance to win the Super Bowl, so naively accepted by the pro football public has been fiendishly, slowly moved into major league baseball by the Dr. Frankenstein of baseball, This Bud’s for You Selig.

How has this been done? By shrinking the strike zone, making even the best of pitchers vulnerable. Pitchers are being forced to pipe the ball for a strike. The Koufaxes, Spahnies, Seavers and Carltons of thirty years ago would have trouble today because their big sweeping curves and sinkers and high fastballs would be balls today. This is killing young pitchers who come to the leagues without enough stuff and control. The walks get them in trouble and when they come in with it the hitters just take them downtown.

The masters of the cut fastball like the Yankees Riviera and Boston’s Papalbon survive  on their one and two innings of work, but the starters – thanks to the pitch count philosophy today—without a six-pitch repertoire like Ray Holliday of the Jays, the hitters will be getting you inside of six innings. If you have a lot pitches you survive…Ray Halliday, Greg Maddox, Sabathia, and the Boston horse are examples.

He juiced up the baseball. (But you’ve heard this all before from me.)

He allowed steroids under his watch.

And now he’s bringing us instant replay (just on long flies and possible homers, mind you), in the playoffs. Please. (This is a subject of a whole column.)

So settle back and have a brew, fill out your scorecard and let’s bite some reality dogs.

Now how did the Mets put together that 9-game win streak?  They beat Philadelphia three times (quality wins), then blew out San Francisco and Colorado, the previous two teams the worst in the league.

Well after 4 games against Cincinnati – starting tonight they have to take all 4 – because reality then sets in for the Metropolitans, 3 with Philadelphia, 3 with St. Louis, 3 with Florida. The suddenly invincible pitching staff will be tested. I want them to go 9-4 on that 13-game stretch, that is taking each series. Five hundred doesn’t do it. But everybody is playing .500 – like the NFL.

The Yankees who after getting back in contention with a two-sweep of Tampa Bay – feasted only to lose three out of four to Toronto, a pesky club – now face nothing but quality ball clubs for the next 26 games. To go say 16-10 would be nice. Can the young starters who the Yankees have once again yanked up out of the farm system hang together? Will the bullpen which has done better of late hang together?

The Bombers play Oakland for 3, Minnesota for 3, and then 3 against Boston (which could have buried the Yankees two weeks ago, but did not and will be looking to moider them in the Fens), then 3 with schizophrenic Baltimore, then they play the Angels whom they never beat for 4 games. They go to LA at 500, they could be done by the end of the month. Then they get Texas, which is a much better club this year for 4, and finish up with the Angels and Minnesota. Brutal. Kansas City comes up a little too late.

And, has anyone noticed that there are 18 major league teams, more than half the 31 big league clubs that have a shot at the playoffs? The fiendish plan of turning MLB into the NFL is working. It is making huge money for baseball. However, will anyone feel good if Arizona wins the NL West and gets into the World Series and wins? How does that galvanize a World Series?  This Wild Card really  creates a lot of mailed in series on the part of the better teams through the year.

The two ballclubs in New York have made some really poor personnel decisions, while being afflicted with predictable injuries. Posada has broken down and cannot throw anyone out as a catcher. The Yankees have Molina as a defensive catcher, but Molina cannot hit. Big out at the end of the lineup. Matsui is out. Jeter is not hitting his usual self and Cano is having the sophomore jinx. The Melkman just ain’t hittin (sophomore jinx again).  

Consistency you say. Usually bad ball clubs are inconsistent. That’s why they’re bad. And the more inconsistent they are, the worse they are. Consistency also has a lot to do with the next day’s opposing pitcher, and your starting pitcher.

The rookies in the outfield are trying to fill in but cannot hit on a par with Matsui and Damon, who is injured. Sure the Yanks have injuries, but you might have figured that would happen they are old and getting older next year. (See my column of last fall.) But thanks to the watered down world of wild card baseball, and the ever cheerleading press box flacks,  the wobbly Yankees have a chance. But, that is the myth, the seduction of the wild card. The fans are buying the dream.

The clubs are like subprime mortgages, they’re nice but blowup big time at the end.

The Metropolitans should be ashamed of themselves for playing badly enough to get rid of Willie Randolph (who should have had the Yankee job, Girardi hardly deserved it), as should the sports press for not pointing out that this winning streak has been fashioned against the worst clubs in baseball.

More to the point, Delgado and Beltran performing better for Manuel than they did for Randolph, just because they did not like Willie is horrible. A lot of immaturity on that ball club. Do you think Manuel is more professional than Mr. Randolph?  No. What was the nasty dynamic that caused everybody to lay down for Willie — especially last September.

Over in the Bronx, as the Stadium resounded with All-Star Glory Monday and Tuesday nights, you got a feeling the Yankees will never be the Yankees again when they move to the new Yankee Stadium. It is going to be sad when 50,000 come out to watch a ballclub that is too old to win, has aging stars, and no pitching  next year.

And, how can the Yankees allow Milwaukee to get Sabathia? One solid starter could get the Yankees a shot at it this year. Where were the Steinbrenners on that one?  There are still pitchers out there…but they need hitters, too.  A trade for the Texas slugger who hit 28 out in a single night might be in order. Putting him in left behind A-Rod would be very nice, and then you could sign him and get A-Rod out of here for some quality young starters, a catcher and a centerfielder. (Damon is through.)

If the Yankees are to pull off another run the second half Cashman and the front office will have to do it, because the roster right now doesn’t have the firepower nor the defensive ability. You also wonder if the Joba Chamberlain thing was overblown. Had he started from the get-go they might have won 5 more games. Which would have them in first place. And Girardi would be being hailed as the second coming of Joe Torre.  Bad call on Chamberlain by front office and the Manager.

The Metropolitans well – Wagner has to stop blowing saves. They have to show they can go a lot better than .500 against the good teams in this stretch coming up. Hopefully Mr. Met will give us his take on the great Metropolitan Mystery: Are they too old? Too young at certain positions? Has the pitching coach suddenly turned into Johnny Sain?

Come in Mr. Met, where are you?

For Yankee fans, it is up to the front office. And also, Girardi has to stop platooning with a roster that is not all major league hitters. Hitting all lefties when you have lefties who cannot hit is not going to work. Hitting all righties same thing.

You have to play your best hitters and best defense all the time now.

Well there’s always Yankeeography next year. Back to those days of yesteryear the mediocre early 70s when the Yankees  on Channel 11 “Here come the Yankees, they’re really going to learn to fear the Yankees…”  showed promotion spots about Yankee tradition inbetween innings showing the Mantles, Berras, Fords and Dimaggios and Ruths and on the radio (WABC, I think) Frank Messer (“Good evening ladies and gentleman wherever you might be listening to Yankee baseball,  it’s a pleasure to bring you Yankee baseball,”) Phil Rizzuto (“You Huckleberry, Messer” “Holy Cow!”)  and Bill White  described Ron Blomberg, Horace Clark, Gene Michael,  Greg Nettles, Bobby Murcer, Mel Stottlemyre, Fritz Peterson and Mike Kekich on the radio. A good team, but which always finished about 7 games out.  And the Peterson-Kekich trade is still the best Yankee trade of all time, I might add.

Well, time to let the glorious summer heat simmer the pennant race and separate the contendas from the pretendas.

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WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. July 16, 2008: Two weeks ago, Superintendent of Schools Timothy Connors said that the State Education Department Report Cards were expected to be available “in two weeks,” and that the district wished to see the complete report cards before commenting in more detail on test scores. Connors did say test scores in the district had improved tremendously

Today, the State Education Department website (currently in a state of revamping), still had not posted the reports. A Press Spokesperson said the 2006-2007 Report Cards dealing with the test scores last year, would not be posted until the end of July. This is a sharp contrast to previous years, when the reports were on the SED website the first week of June. The NYSED Department Communications is issuing a statement to WPCNR on the cause of the delay. Manual pdf

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WPCNR DOWNTOWN. From The White Plains Rotary. July 16, 2008:  The White Plains Rotary, the largest in New York State, has named Georgene Mongarella, owner of the design firm The Color Schemer of Scarsdale, as its new president.

 In true Rotary fashion, Mongarella is deeply involved in her community.  She teaches her profession, interior design, at the Scarsdale High School, and serves on the Board of Architectural Review, also in Scarsdale. She chaired the Scarsdale Showhouse in 2005 which worked to preserve the Rowsley Estate (home of the Scarsdale Women’s Club.)She served on the Board of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) for three years.

She is on the Boards of United Way of White Plains, the Westchester Coalition of the Hungry and Homeless and the Gift of Life (through Rotary 7230)   She also serves as a Trustee for the Scarsdale Historical Society and volunteers on design projects for terminally ill children through the Make A wish Foundation.Mongarella is the personification of the Rotary motto: Service above Self. 

“I am thrilled to be serving as Rotary president this year, she said, as strains of the tune, “To dream the impossible dream” played in the meeting room. Among other awards she has received were the 2007 ASID presidential award and Westchester ARC’S 2007 Community Image Builder.

 Her clients include six of the New York Yankees, one New York Giant, and Nick Wolff of Century 21 Wolff, who sponsored her in Rotary. She and her husband Joe reside in Scarsdale.  He is always there for her and to support her goals; her life goal is to make the world a better place. Those who know her well think she is setting the bar quite high for the rest of us.