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 SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey. April 22, 2008: Weeks prior to the passing of the recent state budget, the legislature and the Governor’s Office agreed to cut the BASIC STAR Exemption for homeowners by 5% then cut it another 5% on the eve of passing the state budget . 

The resulting increase in the White Plains taxpayers’ school tax pays for 85% of the $1.4 Million increased in school aid touted by local legislators as helping to lower property tax increases in the city announced last week.

The legislature at the request of legislature leaders and the governor  cut the Basic and Enhanced Exemptions by changing the law previously limiting year-to-year cuts in the BASIC STAR to 5% (increasing the White Plains taxpayers’ school tax by approximately $1.2 Million, and in differing amounts for all 26 Westchester County towns, cities and municipalities), according to a spokesperson for the New York Office of Real Property Services interviewed by WPCNR today.

The effect  has White Plains School Tax Payer  is essentially paying for virtually all of  $1.4 Million in increased School Aid  through increased taxes.

When a Tax Saving Move Actually Raises Taxes.

The $1.4 Million in school aid increase was announced last week by White Plains representatives  and was reported by  the  White Plains City School District  as making it possible to lower the district tax rate and lower taxes.  Communities across the state subject to the 90% of previous year’s assessment formula face the same tax situation where a “tax savings” is actually taking the form of a tax increase.

First drop in STAR “Floor” Limit in 10 Years

“There was a statutory method put into place when star was originally enacted back in 1997, and it’s been the same method (for 10 years),” Geoffrey Gloak, Director of Public Information  for the New York State Office of Real Property Services told WPCNR Tuesday.

“The only change this year was that the floor that the minimum, or the maximum, the floor could drop from one year to another was previously 5%, it was dropped to 10% this year, that was in light of the state fiscal crisis,” Gloak said. “There were a lot of difficult decisions to be made, and that was one place where the decision was made to allow the exemption to drop, rather than just 5% allow it to drop 10%, if it indicated. In other words the exemptions would probably be dropping more than 10%, but as a result of the “floor,” they’re protected from dropping any more than 10%.”

WPCNR asked Gloak who was responsible for ordering the 10% cut.

Governor’s Office, Legislature Ordered Lower “Floor.”

Gloak reported, “The proposal was put forth in  (former) Governor Spitzer’s original executive budget proposal. Then it was negotiated by the legislature and the governor’s office. Then it was agreed to in the budget.”

WPCNR asked if this meant the legislature had to have known about this when they passed the budget.

Gloak said, “One would assume that would be correct. They passed the budget. It’s not like ORPS came up with this idea. Basically we’re just computing the numbers as the law requires them to be computed.”

WPCNR contacted the Governor’s Office for the answer to this question, but as  night descended on White Plains,  the Governor’s Office has not responded on which party – the governor or the leaders of the two houses decided on the STAR cuts.

School District learned of first half of cut in March

prior to Adoption of budget April 14.

The School District received notice that White Plains taxpayers would receive less STAR Exemption March 3, prior to the School Board adopting their budget April 14.  However that in itself was not unusual. The assessed value BASIC and ENHANCED STAR Exemptions have dropped 5% each of the previous two tax years.

At that time, City Assessor Lloyd Tasch wrote Assistant Superintendent for Business, Fred Seiler, informing him the STAR Exemption would be reduced 5%,  (from $3,700 to $3,520) and leave the district with $249,519,555 assessed value after STAR exemptions. The budget and tax rate was figured on that premise and the announcement of $1.4 Million more in state aid – much praised and with much self-congratulation by local legislators who “fought” for it.

By the way….

On April 14, the New York State Office of Real Property Assessments  announced the final STAR Exemptions and informed City Assessor Tasch of the additional 5% cut in a letter on April 15, stating “As you may know, the 2008 New York State budget changes the way STAR exemptions are calculated, in that the floor value has been reduced from 95% of the 2007 exemption amounts to 90%. It further dictates that all 2008 exemptions must comply with the new level.”

In a letter of Friday April 18, three days ago, Lloyd Tasch informed the school district that the Assessed Value with STAR had increased $251,534,411 because the STAR BASIC Exemption had been lowered an additional $190, bringing the White Plains Taxpayer’s Basic Exemption down to $3,330.

$1.2 Million Additional Taxes Paid to Whom?

Mr. Seiler explained that the White Plains taxpayers would pay an additional $1 Million in taxes as a result. Seiler explained that the district for the district because he said the state by cutting the exemption would not reimburse the district for that loss.

Asked if he knew about the extra 5% prior to the approval of the budget April 14, Mr. Seiler said “Not until I saw the letter yesterday (, Monday April 21), that the Superintendent (Timothy Connors) brought up. I got the letter from the Assessor. I read through it and it looks like, I think you’re right how the state’s allocating it.”

The State Reimbursement of STAR Decreases.

To see what has really happened by the state’s quiet action, Seiler explained how STAR works:

“The amount that every taxpayer gets (reduced), BASIC STAR and ENHANCED STAR, the city tells us how much that is. We then bill the state of New York for that. And it looks like we’re going to be billing them for $1 Million less than we thought because we’re going to be getting $1 Million more from the taxpayer.”

Seiler explained that of the $146 Million in revenue expected from Mr. and Mrs. and Ms. White Plains in the new budget, that is paid by actual taxpayers and STAR reimbursements from the state. However, because of the exemption, the taxpayers will kick in more and the state pay less. “What the state will say is they are not going to send out quite as much (back) to the school district.”

WPCNR computes the estimated additional amount  the  White Plains taxpayers will pay thanks to the lowered STAR Exemptions to be between $1.1 and $1.2 Million, based on Mr. Seiler’s information.  Seiler had not figured the exact amount Tuesday afternoon.

WPCNR asked Seiler the effect on the White Plains taxpayer:  “The amount we have (receive) for property tax payments is exactly the same. The individual is going to get a little bit less, But the amount that Albany sends us (for STAR reimbursement) is reduced by an equal dollar amount. The amount we’re collecting, the amount we collect  from the individual taxpayer goes up a little bit, but the amount we get from Albany goes down by the corresponding dollar amount. The district is neutral no change for us, the individual loses out. I don’t know why Albany is doing this, whether they feel it’s more accurate accounting.”

Windfall for State? July Surprise?

Asked if this seemed like a windfall for the state, Seiler said, “It sounds like it.”

At the time the school district passed the $184.4 School Budget on Monday, April 14, the school aid was touted by the district as a boon which enabled the district to lower the tax rate and lower the tax increase on White Plains homeowners to 5.9%.

However, that is not exactly the case because the STAR BASIC and STAR ENHANCED discounts were quietly lowered by the legislature, raising White Plains taxpayers’ tax bill by a collective $1.2 Million, effectively making the White Plains taxpayer pay for most of the increased aid.

Viewed another way, by lowering the BASIC and ENHANCED STAR Exemptions, the state has increased its tax collections, by paying out less in STAR EXEMPTIONS and in the White Plains case, found a way to have the White Plains taxpayers fund more of the district budget without realizing it until they get their tax bill in July.

District keeps the difference.

The bottom line: the person owning a $700,000 home in White Plains, whose assessed value has not gone up in three years  will have their exemption cut by $370 of assessed value giving them a taxable value of $15,145. This results in a school tax for 2008-2009 of $7,618.

 In the current year, that homeowner is paying $7,012 in school taxes. The tax dollar increase to this homeowner is $186 strictly from the state cutting of the BASIC STAR.

There is a school of thought that feels that this should be balanced against the STAR EXEMPTION savings. However, the taxpayer still has to pay in the increase in taxes resulting from the 10% drop in both EXEMPTIONS.

The new 2008-2009 BASIC STAR Exemption for the City of White Plains is $3,330 (deducted from your assessed value, and $6,500 for ENCHANCED STAR.

Multiply this across the state, and it creates a school tax increase statewide.

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WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. From Westchester County Board of Legislators. April 21, 2008: County Board Chairman Bill Ryan (D, IN, WF-White Plains) today announced that a Supreme Court judge in White Plains has upheld the Board of Legislators’ decision to deny Amodio’s Garden & Flower Shop admission into the Westchester County Agricultural District.

Amodio’s, which presented itself to the legislature as a nursery and greenhouse, expanded its operations to include topsoil manufacturing, mulching and rock crushing.

“It was clear from all of the heavy processing equipment, large trucks, dust and noise this was not a nursery and greenhouse business that fit in with a residential neighborhood,” Ryan said. “This was a public nuisance.”

Amodio’s, located on Mamaroneck Avenue in the south end of White Plains, applied for entry into the county’s agricultural district in January 2006. Admission to the district would have protected Amodio’s  low-level industrialized use of the property. And while the Westchester County Agricultural and Farmland Protection Board advised Amodio’s it would recommend admission, the County Board following a public hearing and special Committee on Environment & Energy meeting on the matter disapproved of the application.

In turn, Amodio’s decided the board’s decision was “in violation of lawful procedure, affected by errors of law, arbitrary and capricious and an abuse of discretion and not based on substantial evidence,” according to court records.

Supreme Court Judge Rory J. Bellantoni disagreed. In his decision, Bellantoni said the board actions were not arbitrary or capricious.

“I am pleased the Supreme Court upheld our decision,” Ryan said. “We gave the matter serious consideration and saw that Amodio’s activities were inconsistent with farm work and did not meet the standards of inclusion into the agricultural district.”

Legislator Tom Abinanti, (D, IN, WF-Greenburgh) chairman of the Committee on Environment & Energy, added: “The Board of Legislators enacted the Agricultural District Law to encourage the preservation of farmland, not to reward commercial activity which disrupts a residential neighborhood.”

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WPCNR VIEW FROM THE UPPER DECK. By Bull Allen. April  19, 2008: Last Friday night, the Yankees Chien-Ming Wang started a ball game at Fenway Park against the Boston Red Sox. Nine innings later, Mr. Wang walked off the mound having shut out Boston, 2-0, with a complete game shut out. Do you believe it?

Do you realize how rare an achievement this is?  Well take it from me it is.

The Big Ball Park in The Bronx. 1950s. When it was Yankee Stadium.

FLASH! Yankee Pitcher Pitches a Complete Game.

WPCNR VIEW FROM THE UPPER DECK. By Bull Allen. April  19, 2008: Last Friday night, the Yankees Chien-Ming Wang started a ball game at Fenway Park against the Boston Red Sox. Nine innings later, Mr. Wang walked off the mound having shut out Boston, 2-0, with a complete game shut out.

Do you believe it?

Do you realize how rare an achievement this is?  Well take it from me it is.

For you see through 162 games last season, the New York Yankee pitching staff only managed one complete game. Think of it: only one Yankee pitcher the entire season pitched a complete game.

Now for you young whipper snappers out there,  you may be wondering what is a complete game?

A complete game is a game where a starting pitcher throws every pitch in the game for his team, and walks off the mound in the last inning, whether he is the winner or losing pitcher.

The complete game in today’s school of mediocre pitching coach management is a lost art form. Mr. Wang was also the only Bomber pitcher to pitch a complete game in 2007.

Why do pitching staffs fall apart today, and pitching collapse into disarray? It is because not enough complete games are thrown in the major leagues.

Why is that? Because sometime thirty-five years ago in the 1970s, Sparky Anderson of the Cincinnati Reds, and to a lesser extent Tony La Russa of the Chicago White Sox and Oakland A’s developed the art of the middle reliefman and the closer.  These two managers separated the roll of the fireman, who used to come into ballgames in the seventh inning – usually the last of the seventh or even the eighth to finish a game, who was the big specialist of the time – and created the “holder,” the middle relief man who could hold a lead.

Anderson was mocked at the time for not having a pitching staff when he managed the Big Red Machine. He had no big time stud pitchers, instead he would pitch four or five good starters for 5 or 6 innings then go lefty-righty matchups from the sixth inning on. After he won championships this way in 1975 and 1976 defeating superior pitching staffs of the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees, it became the way to do it.

Starters pitched less and less innings in the 80s and 90s. The Atlanta Braves were a throwback, relying on a strong starting four who often pitched into the seventh: The Smoltzes, the Niekros, the Madduxes, with one fireman finishing off the game.

There also developed a kind of an account executive pitching coach who defined pitching by the numbers. As the great pitching coaches of old left the game: the Johnny Sains, the Jim Turners, the Whitlow Wyatts, the account executive pitching coach arrived. Most of the account executive pitching coaches were characterized by their lack of success as pitchers in the major leagues, most of whom were used in middle relief, when middle relief was the worst tag you could have in the major leagues.

A middle reliever when I was growing up was a Gene Brabender, a Paul LaPalme, a Joe Nuxhall, He was usually used in a blowup, and middle reliever was a nice name. Usually among fans we called him the mop-up man, who saved good pitchers arms in a game hopelessly out of reach. Rare was the time when a major league team trailing 7-2 or 6-1 or 9-2 in the middle innings could come back, because the starting pitching was so good in the 50s and 60s.

Usually the fireman came into the game when Spahnie or Whitey, Juan or Sandy was absolutely out of gas in the eighth or ninth. Casey would wave for Bob Grim or Ryne Duren or Luis Arroyo who’d come in with men on base and the big boppers coming up. Their job was to throw a strikeout or a ground ball. Often they did. They put out the fire.

However, gone is the role of the fireman in today’s game.

Wang’s performance Friday was a masterpiece against the most powerful lineup in baseball. He handcuffed the Saux and threw a 2-0 shutout.

In contrast to that game, you had the New York Mets agonizing Sunday afternoon 9 inning 4 hour game against the Brewers. The Mets starter could not get people out. The Mets relievers rushed into the breach coughed up a 6-2 lead, with Milwaukee winning 9-7.

What is going on here?

I have a theory. The pitchers of today do not have enough experience pitching out of jams, because they are relieved through the minor league careers. As soon as their pitch count is reached, out they go. They are coddled by pitching counts.

Warren Spahn, the great Milwaukee southpaw interviewed by Roger Kahn in The Head Game in 2000 had this to say about pitchers today:

“I don’t think pitchers throw enough today. They go once a week. They pitch five innings. They don’t throw batting practice between starts. We’re in an era preoccupied with jogging, getting your heart rate up, weight lifting. I think a lot of players lift and run instead of doing what’s necessary to stay in pitching shape. Throw and throw. I’d pitch a game and the following day pitch batting practice, fifteen minutes for stamina. The next day I’d run some in the outfield. Day after that I was ready for another start.

Kids today seem bigger, with longer fingers, and they like the split-fingered fast ball, a sinking pitch. I’m afraid the curve ball is being neglected. A pitcher with a fine curve, Carl Erskine ( the Dodgers, 1950s) would have wonderful success right now.”

When I see game after poorly pitched game…when I hear commentators talk about six innings being a quality start…it drives me crazy. Then the “quality start” is followed by a “holder” who often puts a couple of batters on and coughs up a run or two. The holder is usually chosen on basis of whether he is left handed or right-handed to “match up” with what side of the plate batters are coming up to hit on. The manager is playing the percentage here. But, but, but – pitchers rarely come into a game with their best stuff  (closers excluded). Hence you have the lack of control leading to walks, pitches a little too up and boom-boom, the lead is gone. This happens a lot. 

So out to the bullpen they go for a righthander, once the left-hand hitters have been walked on or hit their way on and the syndrome continues.

By June, the bullpens are depleted by this over usage. Sorearms happen and new arms are rushed up from the minor leagues and the pitching gets worse.

Sometimes the new arms come into the league and the hitters do not know them. The Yankees got away with this last year with their young pitchers’s success. So far this season the young pitchers are not doing so well. The book is in on them.

And another thing: as Spahnie said in his interview with Mr. Kahn, “Something else. Attitude. How I loved to pitch. Whenever they gave me the ball and it was my turn, I always  had the same thought. This is my day in the sun.”

Today’s pitchers with the exception of proven starters (albeit many of whom are 6 inning pitchers): the Becketts, the Santanas may have the ability to pitch out of trouble, but their managers rarely give them a chance from the fifth inning on. I do not know how you teach that without allowing them innings – a lot more than 5.

On the other hand, major league baseball by shrinking the strike zone is killing pitchers. To get a strike today the pitcher has to throw it right down the middle below the belt. They do not get the high strike called. This is where the great pitchers lived fifty years ago. The change at the letters. The screwball. The big hook curve. And they could pitch inside. Head music made the outside pitch sing.

Spahnie during the last half of his career never pitched high and he was winning without a fastball. How? By pitching in the lower half of the strike zone (which in his day was letters to knees, not belt to knees):

Spahnie recalls in 1961, after beating the Cubs 2-1: “I ignore the upper half of the strike zone. These days I throw only below the waist. Of course if a batter has a profound weakness – say he can’t hit a high inside fastball – I’ll still throw to that spot. But a batter with a profound weakness doesn’t last in the major leagues.”

Warren Spahn won 363 games in the major leagues. He started 665 games, and pitched 382 Complete Games in a career from 1946 to 1965.

By contrast,  Johan Santana, the most sought-after starter in the free agent sweepstakes has won 93 major league ball games in 8 years, starting 175 games he is on a pace to match Spahnie in starts, however Johan has pitched only 6 complete games. He threw only one complete game in 2007 in  33 starts.

But as Rich Rodriguez the Michigan football coach says, “It does not matter. It’s in the past.”

Meanwhile we have baseball’s miserable pitching coaches glorifying the inept middle reliefers – by awarding holds to pitchers who come in a game, put runners on, but do not give up runs when their reliever induces double plays or lucky catch line drives to save their bacon.

Can the soft underbellies of today’s major league bullpens be taught to throw strikes in good spots? I see no pitching coaching in the major leagues. These pitchers come up and cannot throw strikes in big spots that can get hitters out. Where is the coaching in the minor leagues?  They also are not good fielders, either.

But it goes back to the way starting pitchers are used today. Ninety pitches and out. Are you kidding me? Fastpitch softball pitchers routinely throw 120 pitches in a tough game, twice a week. If pitching counts strengthen arms, I have not seen it. I cannot remember a time when starting pitchers have been so fragile, can you?

More conditioning, more throwing, and some coaching from pitchers who have won twenty games in the majors would get pitching turned around in the right direction.

Forgive me, but I must digress and talk about the terrible outfield play in the major leagues.

I have seen far too many outfielders today who do not hit the cutoff man. Johnny Damon, the inept Yankee centerfielder does this all the time. His weak arm costs the Yankees games, especially in Yankee Stadium, which is why Melky Cabrera plays in the Stadium. Cabrera is finally giving the Yankees strong outfield play.

But a lot of outfielders do not hit the cutoff man. They throw loopers to the plate offline. Throw ahead of the runner allowing the trailing runner to take the extra base.

The fundamentals of outfield play are not being drummed in in the minor leagues today, this is the only answer I can think of for the unintelligent outfield play I see demonstrated on a nightly basis.

And another thing: Do you think the major league scheduler has ever looked at what the weather is like in the Middlewest and north east in the first weeks of April?

I do not think so. By scheduling openers in the north of the country at undomed stadia, when the Yankees, Tigers, Red Sox, Indians, Twins, Cardinals and Chigos have to play in 40 degree weather at night, we are seeing a rash of pulled hamstrings, hurt arms and what have you.

It is just braindead having openers in the northeast the first two weeks of April. You have teams in California, Arizona, Georgia, Seattle, Toronto, Florida, Texas, where the weather can be nicer. Do they use those sites – not as much as they should. I’d have opened the  Red Sox, Mets and Yankees on the West Coast or in Minnesota or Canada and bring the Metropolitans and the Bombers into New York just about now – when opening days in New York used to happen.

That’s the view from the upper deck…

This is Bull Allen, saying so long, everybody.

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WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey. April 17, 2008: WPCNR News has learned that the New York State Office of Real Property Services has lowered the STAR exemption statewide effective with the fiscal year. The effect of this is to lower the discount White Plains homeowners receive on their home assessments. The formula has been changed. This will have the effect of lowering your discount, and therefore increasing your school tax, depending on the formula which has just been forwarded to assessors.

WPCNR continues to follow this story to determine the impact on the local school tax, just approved by the White Plains Board of Education.

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WPCNR MUCKRAKER’S NOTEBOOK. April 16, 2008: It is time to open the Muckraker’s Notebook in these days of obfuscation, defocus and sound bite, it is time to pull up a chair at the cozy flat at  221 Baker Street, enhale the fragrance of the World’s Greatest Detective’s Turkish tobacco as the swirl of pipe smoke filters through the flat. Sipping Mrs. Hudson’s tea, and nibbling on a scone. There in smoking jacket, the World’s Greatest Detective holds forth in comments which intrepid reporters should take to heart:

“The Press, Watson, is a most valuable institution, if you know how to use it.

What you do in this world is a matter of no consequence. The question is, what can you make people believe that you have done?

On the contrary, Watson, you can see everything. You fail, however, to reason from what you see. You are too timid in drawing your inferences.

It is of the highest importance in the art of detection to be able to recognize out of a number of facts which are incidental and which vital. Otherwise your energy and attention must be dissipated instead of being concentrated.

How often have I said to you that when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth?

Any truth is better than indefinite doubt.