THE WORLD READS WHITE PLAINS CITIZENETREPORTER — 8,324,077 VISITS IN ONE YEAR | 2,905,611 VISITORS VISIT 8,324,077 TIMES 3 TIMES EVERY DAY IN ONE YEAR. HIGHEST ACTIVITY IN WPCNR HISTORY.White PlainsCitizeNetReporter lifted its worldwide visits from unique visitors to wpcnr.com to 8,324,077,a 1,306,419 increase in visits in one year from 7,017,658 visits to the site last year which covers White Plains and Westchester County. The 8,324,077 visits were made by 2,005,611 unique visitors who visited wpcnr an average of 3 visits a day. ON JULY 20- -2026 visitors have accessed wpcnr and made 3,072 visits an average of 1.6 visits. In the last week 33,495 individual vistors made 54,458 visits, averaging 1.6 visits. In the last month, 152,940 visitors recorded 229,338 visits (1.5 visits)

Councilman Boykin Issues Statement on Contract NIX: Flexibility Needed.

Posted on December 18, 2008 by John Bailey

WPCNR COMMON COUNCIL-CHRONICLE EXAMINER. December 18, 2008: Councilman Benjamin Boykin, who joined with Councilpersons Milagros Lecuona, Rita Malmud, Dennis Power and Tom Roach to defeat the union-ratified Police/Fire contract Wednesday evening issued this statement to WPCNR Thursday evening:

Councilman Benjamin Boyin. August 5, 2008

The Common Council voted 5 to 2 to turn down the proposed Police and Fire union contracts negotiated between the Mayor and the unions.

The reason for turning down the contracts relate to the term of the contracts and salary increase amounts given the economic situation of the city and the general economic environment. With the city laying off employees, closing the library on Fridays, reducing the current year budget by $4.0 million and cutting back on some services, financial flexibility is critical to our city’s long term financial viability.

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Under the city charter, the Mayor is charged with negotiations with the unions. The Common Council can accept/reject the proposed settlements.

In early December, I called the Mayor’s office and requested that Councilwoman Malmud and I meet with the Mayor to provide some comments on the contracts that were presented to us in November. The Mayor did not want to meet with us.

We have a wonderful police and firefighters in our city. They are top notch and professional. They protect the public and safety of our city.

The salary settlements included in the contracts are generous even in good economic times. We now are facing an economic tsunami and the largest economic crisis since the Great Depression. Economic circumstances have changed and we must adjust to this new fiscal reality. It is critical that our city maintain its financial flexibility in these uncertain and dire economic times.

I believe that a one year contract with the proposed schedule changes and training changes and an appropriate salary adjustment should be completed. It would provide the unions with an increase in these tough economic times and provide the city with financial flexibility to response to rapidly changing economic situations.

Councilman Ben Boykin

Should The Yanks and Mets Be Bailed Out for $450 M More in Loans?

Posted on December 18, 2008 by John Bailey

WPCNR VOICE OF DA FAN. December 18, 2008: Ahh, the spirit of giving is in the air! As the Associated Press reported two weeks ago, and The New York Times reported several weeks ago, both the Yankees and the Mets who have just signed several high-priced free agent players, the managements of both teams have asked New York City to float them more city financing to finish their new Stadiums, both scheduled to open in April.

This is amazing chutz-pah. Cheeky, even in the midst of the city’s biggest financial crisis since the early 70s (when Abe Beame “knew the buck”). As if the Yankees and Mets ever contributed anything to the city with their $7 beers, $5 dollar hot dogs and $5 Sodas, $40 nosebleed seats, and decaying ballclubs and lousy baseball last year. And the Yankees are still fighting the city over the right to sack the old Yankee Stadium for the memorabilia profits. Well the Metropolitans and The Yankees sure do know the buck — as well as Goldman Sachs.

The Yankees have asked the city for $259 Million in tax-exempt bonds and $111 Million more in taxable bonds to be floated on their faux Yankee Stadium in addition to the $940 Million in tax-exempt bondies and $25 Million in taxable municipal bonds for the $1.3 million ball park in the Bronx. These bonds can be resold at a profit by organizations they are issued to.

The Metropolitans are not asking for as much begging for a mere $83 million more over the $615 Million approved for their $800 Million Citi Field (that name still fills me with disgust.)

Shortly after these requests, these financial juggernauts signed pitchers for massive contracts. You could make the case the city owns those new players.

The point of today’s Voice of Da Fan Poll is should the city float this extra financing for these private organizations — whom their managements have said are not for sale and do not need “bailing out?” Vote in the poll on the right.

Rita Malmud on the Contract NIX — Mayor Refused to Meet.

Posted on December 18, 2008 by John Bailey

WPCNR COMMON COUNCIL CHRONICLE-EXAMINER. December 18, 2008: Councilwoman Rita Malmud has issued this statement to WPCNR on the Common Council 5-2 decision to reject the three year contract ratified by the Police and Fire unions, last night. Here is Ms. Malmud’s statement:

Councilwoman Rita Malmud, August 5, 2008

WPCNR: Would you care to give me a statement on why you and your colleagues rejected the police-fire contract?

Councilwoman Rita Malmud: When the City is significantly cutting jobs, programs, and materials, we cannot afford to increase salaries at a rate comparable to when City coffers were richer and the general economy robust.

WPCNR: 2. What is next? According to the best of your knowledge?

Councilwoman Malmud: Only the Mayor has the State authorized power to negotiate union contracts. I assume our Mayor will begin talks anew with the unions to find a different resolution that we can all accept.

WPCNR: 3. Why did the council not make it’s uncomfortableness with the contract known before scheduling this voter?

Councilwoman Malmud: The Mayor and his staff take many months to negotiate a proposed contract. After a careful review of limited information given to us only a few weeks ago, Council President Boykin and I asked to meet with Mayor Delfino last week to give him insight into our own reservations, as well as similar comments we had heard from some of the other Councilmembers. Mayor Delfino refused to meet with the two of us on this subject. Council President Boykin and I are acutely aware that we are not negotiators here, only fiscal shepherds. To comment publicly before the administratively appointed vote date would lend credence to interfering with negotiations.

Council Rejects Mayor’s Police-Fire Deal, 5-2. Mediation May Be Next: Wood

Posted on December 17, 2008 by John Bailey

WPCNR COMMON COUNCIL-CHRONICLE EXAMINER. Special to WPCNR from Don Hughes. December 17,2008 UPDATED 11:25 P.M. E.S.T.: Before an audience of about 50 firefighters and police officers, the Common Council rejected the 3-year, 3.75%, 4% and 4% contract with work rules changes, presented them by the Mayor, turning down the contract a vote of 5-2 this evening.

Paul Wood, City Executive Officer in a written statement released to WPCNR tonight said,

“We’re disapointed that what we considered a good contract for the City was rejected. I’ll have to speak to the union and see if we go back to the negotiating table or to mediation. “

Councilpersons Benjamin Boykin, Milagros Lecouona, Rita Malmud, Dennis Power, and Tom Roach voted against the contract. Councilman Glen Hockley and Mayor Joseph Delfino voted for approval of the contract. The contract is reported to have been negotiated exclusively by Mayor Delfino and Executive Officer Paul Wood.

With each councilperson speaking at length on the topic, the major sticking point for the five nay-sayers was length of the contract.

Those five voting against it preferred a one-year contract, instead of committing the city to 4% in both years two and three. It was unclear whether the council members voting against it were comfortable with the 3.75% in the first year.

Paul Wood was queried by WPCNR late Thursday evening on whether any member of the Common Council ever informed the Mayor or him that they only wished to make a one year agreement, and Mr. Wood said, “No.”

No members of the public were permitted to speak for or against the contract. The members of the council appeared to be supportive of the work rules changes in which police would be permitted 12-hour duty tours and firemen 24-hour duty tours.

Councilman Benjamin Boykin rejected Mayor Joseph Delfino’s contention that the rate of inflation was 4.7%, Boykin saying it was 2.7%. It was unclear at the close of the meeting what the next step on hammering out an agreement would be.

The Council was presented with the agreement in Executive Session four weeks ago on November 12 in Executive Session. Details of the contract were not available to the public until this week when WPCNR reported them

Councilperson Dennis Power told the Mayor last night, that Councilpersons Malmud and Boykin wanted to speak with the Mayor about the contract. Delfino said that the Council should have spoken collectively in the work session on the contract.

In a presentation to the Council after the vote on the budget situation, Gina Cuneo-Harwood, the city Financial Officer offered no new revelations on the budget, predicting the city expected a sales tax collection for the year of $50 Million, which would beat the city target of $45 Million. She also said she expected mortgage recording taxes to be down $1.3 Million, also not exactly new news.