THE WORLD READS WHITE PLAINS CITIZENETREPORTER — 8,324,077 VISITS IN ONE YEAR

WPCNR WHITE PLAINS LAW JOURNAL. Special to WPCNR From The Pirro Group. June 25, 2010 (Edited):

Attorney Albert J. Pirro filed for an injunction in U.S. District Court in White Plains as previously reported by WPCNR News today on behalf of 144 retired police officers to block the City of White Plains’ demands that they pay 15 percent of the cost of their health insurance by July 10.

“These officers risked their lives to protect the public for salaries which, at that time, were relatively low,’’ said Pirro(shown above,outside the United States Court House in White Plains), after filing for the injunction. “These benefits were guaranteed in their collective bargaining agreement with the city, and now these officials are going back on that promise. To now abandon these public servants is a disgrace.’’Photo, Courtesy, The Pirro Group

Pirro is suing the city in federal court, charging that it violated his clients’ civil rights by reneging on its contract agreement to pay for the full cost of health benefits. The suit also names Mayor Adam Bradley and the City Attorney John Callahan (shown above. Mr. Bradley is to the left, Mr.Callahan on right. Photo, WPCNR News

Pirro said the city was breaking its promise to the officers, many of whom are now elderly and living on fixed incomes and cannot afford the sudden expense. He said at the same time the city was granting raises to commissioners who have personal ties to the mayor, it took benefits away from these retired officers. He estimated that the savings for the 144 retired officers amounted to only about $270,000 a year of the city’s $154.9 million budget.

The city notified 800 retired civil servants, including police and firefighters of the change in policy in a June 3 letter, demanding that they pay the first quarterly installment by July 10 or face the loss of their health coverage. The added costs amount to as much as $2,395 a year.

On June 15, Pirro filed a notice of claim putting the city on notice of the suit. Pirro said that former city Mayor Alfred Del Vecchio and Mayor Joseph Delfino would  provide affidavits supporting the retired officers.

Pirro said he hopes that the case will be heard sometime next week. Retired officers and other interested parties can follow developments in the lawsuit on the website – www.honoryourpromise.com.

The first quarterly payments are due from the retirees by July 10.

WPCNR COMMON COUNCIL CHRONICLE-EXAMINER. By John F. Bailey. June 24, 2010 UPDATED 6:15 P.M. E.D.T.:

After an Executive Session last night, the Common Council voted publicly to hire Lamb & Barnosky attorneys of Long Island, to handle expected litigation the city faces from the White Plains Retirees Association in a lawsuit to be filed in federal court in White Plains Friday morning at 10 A.M., according to a spokesperson for The Pirro Group.

Lamb & Barnosky is the firm of city labor advisor Richard Zuckerman who handled the recent negotiations with the police, fire, CSEA and Teamsters and the Binding Arbitration presentations last fall resulting in the 3.75% and 4% retroactive raises for the Police and Fire unions. 

Asked if L & B has won anything for the city in previous legal tilts, Mayor Adam Bradley said, “Lamb & Barnosky has been a long time advisor to the city on labor matters for years.”

In other news, John Callahan, City Chief of Staff said Common Council meetings and possibly work sessions would begin to be streamed on the internet this summer on the city website. Exact date for the breakthrough was not set.

Callahan and Mayor Bradley said the city does not have a new press policy,  that the policy the CitizeNetReporter was confronted with last Friday, was not really a policy, but reporters were told to channel their requests for information directly to the Communications Director, Antoinette Biordi because some commissioners had provided information to the press that was not correct, and Bradley said the city wanted to avoid misinformation being dessiminated. They would not name the loose-lipped uninformed commissioners or officials or the offending media. 

Chief of Staff Callahan, asked by Councilman David Buchwald who would handle press inquiries after Ms. Biordi leaves the city employ as of July 1, Callahan said he and Mayor Bradley would “he guessed” be handling it. Bradley defended his record as being very accessible to the media the first five months and 23 days of his administration and gave out his cellphone number. Bradley had no comment on his domestic violence case when asked its current status. Bradley said the general public, not the media could still contact Commissioners and Departments directly.

Mayor Bradley, asked about when the city was going to create a new Comprehensive Plan  said he would form a pre-committee to identify issues to be tackled in the new Comprehensive Plan this summer. A new Comprehensive Plan is due in 2013, the fourth year of the current administration.

In the discussion of key issues, Mayor Bradley agreed it was a good idea to have quarterly budget reviews beginning October 1.

4 persons from the general public attended the meeting.