Spitzer’s Agenda for the Senate: What’s at Stake.

WPCNR’S ELIOT SPITZER’S Letter from Albany. By Governor Eliot Spitzer. October 16, 2007: After months of inaction, the Senate Majority has agreed to return to work on October 22nd. Much work from the spring still remains undone:



Senate Majority Returns to Work October 22 to the hallowed confines of the Senate Chamber in Albany.




Wick’s Reform: Reforming Wick’s Law to lower construction costs on public projects is imperative. The failure to act by the State Senate in June has since cost New York taxpayers over $34 million dollars.

Approving Key Appointments: Eighty-seven highly qualified individuals have been nominated to fill critical positions in my administration, yet the Senate Majority refuses to approve their roles. Crucial leadership has been left in limbo in the areas of Energy, Economic Development, Health Care and Transportation.

Cutting off “Albany’s Golden Spigot”: In July, the legislature agreed to major campaign finance reform, yet the Senate has stalled on passing a bill. The changes would lower contribution limits, enhance enforcement, and increase disclosure and transparency in the way campaign funds are raised and spent.

Its time for the Senate Majority to stop playing the politics of self-preservation and start showing the leadership it so ardently claims to possess.

Your legislators are accountable for the work they do—or fail to do—and I encourage you to communicate to them our shared belief that the status quo is simply no longer acceptable. At www.spitzer2010.com, you can contact your legislator and ask them to carry out the people’s business when he or she returns next week.

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County to Bond for $105 Million for Flood Fix, New Safety Building, Lab, Vehicl

WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. From Westchester County Department of Communications. (Edited) October 15, 2007 UPDATED: County Executive Andy Spano today proposed a $105 Million general fund capital projects budget for 2008 year that introduces a five-year, $50-million flood mitigation program. The news release  appears to say the county plans to bond for the entire $105 Million, but does not estimate the total cost over the years to the taxpayers. WPCNR is attempting to clarify whether that is correct. The capital budget has been increased 5.9% for 2008


The plan calls for construction of a new County Department of Public Safety Building for $9 Million; a new “Molecular Diagnostic Lab at Labs and Research in Valhalla ($4.58M) which will add “new technologies” the purpose of which is “helping doctors and hospitals make quicker diagnosis to save lives and protect the public”; rehabilitation of the Department of Emergency Services Main Facility($9M); replacement of windows in the Michaelian Building and 112 East Post Road; purchasing of hybrid buses and 20 electric vehicles and a charging station; $31. 5 Million for the the Refuse Disposal and Sewer Districts; and $3.48 Million for airport capital projects — that do not impact the city budget.  (WPCNR has inquired as to the details.)



“The ravages of last April’s Nor’easter have made it clear that we need to act decisively to protect our communities from flooding,’’ said Spano. “Continued development and changes in weather patterns have left our communities more vulnerable than ever. Areas that never had problems before were devastated last April. Homes and businesses became uninhabitable. Some residents who could least afford it, lost everything. This is an issue that crosses municipal lines and we must focus on possible solutions together.’’


To that end, Spano held a Flood Summit last spring and appointed a Flood Mitigation Task Force to propose solutions. Funds set aside in the capital budget could be used to finance projects recommended by the task force. The amount to be spent on such projects in 2008 awaits the task force’s recommendations.


Bonding for $105 Million



The capital budget proposal, which was delivered to the Westchester County Board of Legislators today, is a spending plan for projects that the county would pay for with bonds. The interest costs of these bonds go into the county’s operating budget as expenses. The costs to Westchester of borrowing are kept relatively low due to the county’s triple-A bond rating, the highest rating possible.


Spano’s proposed budget for operating expenses will be released Nov. 15. The Board of Legislators has until the end of December to adopt it along with the capital projects budget. The proposed capital budget is 5.9 percent higher than last year’s.



The $105 million included in the general purpose capital projects budget includes these highlights:


Public Health and Safety




· Funding for the construction phase of a Molecular Diagnostic Lab at Labs and Research in Valhalla. These latest technologies will identify SARS, tuberculosis, whooping cough, and resistant HIV strains more rapidly, helping doctors and hospitals make quicker diagnosis to save lives and protect the public.


· Funds for construction of a new Public Safety Headquarters Building. (The design phase of this project was provided in previous years.) When the original building was constructed, there were only 60 police officers. Today the department has nearly 300 employees. As the demands increase on the Department of Public Safety to protect the residents in the areas of crime, terrorism and security, more space is needed for it to function properly,” Spano said.


· Funding for the rehabilitation of the Department of Emergency Services’ Main Facility. “By reconfiguring the space for additional program use, more first responders throughout Westchester can be trained to better protect our residents,” Spano said.


Energy Savings




· As part of his commitment to leading by example in the efforts to lower energy costs and fight global warming, the budget proposes funding to replace windows in two of the county government’s oldest building in White Plains: 112 East Post Road and the Michaelian Office Building at 148 Martine Ave.


· Funds to continue purchasing hybrid buses.


Open Space





· Funding of $5 million to continue parkland acquisition through Spano’s multi-year Legacy Program. To date, the program has funded skate parks and ballfields in Yorktown, Yonkers, Port Chester, Rye Brook and White Plains, and the Miracle Field in Hartsdale for disabled children.


Other Funds


Separate budgets for capital projects at the airport (proposed at almost $3.4 3 million) and for sewer, water and refuse districts (proposed at almost $31.5 million) do not impact the county’s operating budget.


Airport projects, funded through the Airport Special Revenue Fund, include upgrades to electric systems and infrastructure, taxiway rehabilitation and the resurfacing of the terminal roadway network



It also includes replacement of over 20 gas and diesel powered vehicles with electric vehicles and the installation of a charging station, addressing both energy savings as well as environmental concerns. (Federal funds for these improvements will be sought.)



· The 2008 Proposed Capital Budget for the Refuse Disposal and Sewer Districts in the requested amount of $31,480,000 provides for the continued infrastructure improvements and rehabilitation of plants, pump station upgrades and equipment replacement. .

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38 Days to Kickoff at Parker Stadium.

WPCNR PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE DAY. By the WPCNR Roving Photographer. October 14, 1007: The stands have arrived on the husk of old Parker Stadium as the stadium rounds into the homestretch, preparing for the kickoff on Thanksgiving Day, November 22.



Parker Stadium: 38 Days to Kickoff. October 14, 2007


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Greeley’s 3 touchdown strikes in 2nd Quarter, Sink Tigers, 27-7

WPCNR PRESS BOX. October 13, 2007: White Plains took a 7-6 lead over Horace Greeley in the first minute of the second quarter, and then things went bad. The Quakers mixing up elaborate quarterback draws, counters and getting outside in a hurry behind superb blocking put up three unanswered touchdowns, the second set up by an interception, the third and clinching six coming off a high snap to the White Plains punter that set it up,  to overpower the Tigers, 27-7 at Eastview School.



Mike Howard kicks PAT to Put White Plains ahead 7-6, before Horace Greeley struck for three touchdowns.  Ray Mitchell scored the Tiger touchdown on a 1-yard plunge.


Greeley drove 80 yards in 9 plays, highlighted by a 39 yard run by Joe Yeres to a first and goal on the Tiger 9, followed by an 8 yard touchdown run by Dylan St. John to take a 12-7 lead at the 7:30 mark before the half.


Matt Brophy picked up a Tiger pass at the Greeley 40 on a Tiger 3rd and 8 and returned it to the Tiger 40 with 5 minutes to go. Then  a Brett Garson pass to St. John carried  28 yards to the Tiger 12, and Dylan St. John lugged it in untouched for a 18-7 lead with 4:20  minutes to go. A 2-point conversion lengthened the spread to 20-7.


Next came the Tiger Tamer. With the Tigers facing 4th down on their own 9, a high snap to punter Dan Berroa caused Dan to get the kick off just barely…giving Greeley a first down on the Tiger 24. Not a good thing. On the first play QB Garson hit Brophy leaping high between two Tiger defenders at the 5. Brophy leaped high,  outjumping the double coverage,  making a circus catch and scampered into the end zone to give Greeley a 26-7 lead. With the point, the score was 27-7 at halftime. A long pass to Shavaughn Green at the Greeley 10 was just missed by Shivaugh, leaving the score 27-7 at time ran out. White Plains could not move the ball in the second half.


The Tigers scored their first touchdown keyed by a 15 yard face mask penalty that put them inbusiness at the Greeley 30 yard line. After a run, Maurice Thomas rumbled up the middle to the Quarker 11, a 19 yard ramble.Ray Mitchell carried for a first down on the 1, and scored on the next play. Mike Howard added the point on a kick and the Tigers had a shortlived lead, 7-6 after a minute of the first quarter.



Tigers and Quakers playing in the lengthening shadows of autumn.

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