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 QUILL & EYESHADE.  By John F. Bailey. Based on NY State Dept. of Taxation & Finance Statistics. December 4, 2018:

Westchester County Sale Tax Receipts experienced a lackluster October that was expected to be bolstered by start of school and consumer returns from vacation.

As the County Legislature prepares to approve the county budget, the approximate 6% increase in sales tax receipts has failed to continue into the fall.

The  County sales tax dollar momentum in July started to slow with a 4.7% increase over 2017  after demonstrating a strong 6% trending through the first six months.

In August  the county had its first decline compared to 2017—declining $400,000 from 2017 figures. In September, there was a ½% increase.

The figures for October,  from the State of New York  put in doubt whether the County Budget Department  estimate of $578 Million in sales tax dollars 4 weeks ago will be met.

WPCNR previously estimated that the county would hit the $550 Million level, (if 6% were sustained the last four months of the year.

Now with a very soft  2018 October of $41,374,329 , (1.5% more than October 2017), the trend of softer retail activity has to be of some concern.

The Department of Taxation and Finance does hold out hope that figures are not reconciled until the final month of the quarter, and there may be some  dollar lag.

• The Westchester economy would have to generate a 35% lift over sales tax dollars received in November and December of 2017 ($95 MILLION in the two months of Nov-Dec in 2017 with 33.3 Million above that $95 Million) to break over the $578 Million figure estimated by the county in early November.
• More realistically, a 12% Gain (returning to the growth sustained through the first 7 months of the year over the Nov-Dec totals last year)would create $106 Million(over last year’s final two month total of $95 Million  ) would generate a handle of $556.5  Million way off $578 Million
• A 15% gain would create an additional $14 Million more plus the $95 Million and put the county at $559 Milion.
• A 20% gain would mean $19 Million more over the 95 Million over the next two months and  $564.2 Million.
• A 25% gain over last year’s $95 Million would add $23.8 Million and we’d be getting close: $569 Million
• A 30% gain over $95 Million would add $28.5 Million and get County Sales Tax dollars to $573.7 Million
• A 35% gain over $95 Million would add $33.3 Million (a total of $128 Million) and hit the target $578.4 Million

(Note: the above calculations start from the sales taxes generated so far this year $449,943,467. To that figure WPCNR figured what a 12%, 15%, 20%, 25%, 30%, and 35%  increase in the $95.2 Million collected in November and December last year would bring in  then added those % increases to $95.2 Million and added the sum to $449,943,467 to figure roughly what the county needs to come close to their projection of $578 Million)

How likely is it that the receipts are way late in coming in in October?

Is it plausible the $95 Million generated the last two months of 2017 will grow by  $33.3 Million more generating the $128,511,517 needed to hit the $578 Million?

That  requires a lot of consumer buying, about $16 Million more in sales tax dollars each month over last year.

I  hope there is just a big delay in reporting in October to account for that anemic growth of 1.5%

The gruesome October figure of 1.5% was unfortunate had October rebounded to the 6% level of growth, the October handle would have been $2,446,437 more for the kitty.

A 15% Gain would put the county at $559 Million;  20% Gain in Nov-Dec would generate $564.2 Million. A 25% gain, had October been a rebound month.

The County Legislature may be wrestling with devoting the $25 Million surplus generated so far fully to fund balance to stabilize the county’s bond rating which the rating agencies lowered slightly. Or they could devote the surplus to cover the $35 Million existing at the end of 2018.

However the bigger picture that fall numbers are flat with last year’s pace is more sobering looking to county revenues in 2019. The county will definitely need an increase in the sales tax rate, or a BnB tax or an Uber/Lyft tax to keep pace.

Unless of course the county has been promised $578 Million in sales tax already, and the county knows that figure is coming. It is a mystery how the county arrived at the $578 Million figure even when the 6% trend did not compute to that high a figure.

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WPCNR REALTY REALITY. From the Westchester County Industrial Development Agency. December 4, 2018:

 The Westchester County Industrial Development Agency (IDA) has unanimously approved a resolution of intent to provide financial incentives for a $76.8 million transit-oriented, mixed-use residential project to be built next to the Metro-North train station on Halstead Avenue in Harrison.

At its November 29 meeting, the IDA Board approved $1,352,966 in sales tax exemptions for Avalon Bay Communities to develop the three-building complex which consists of 143 rental units, seven affordable units, 27,000 square feet of commercial space and 758 on-site parking spaces. The project also includes two landscaped plazas connecting the train station platform with Halstead Avenue. Monthly rents for the apartments are estimated at $2,500 for one bedroom and $3,000 for two bedrooms. The exterior design takes cues from existing storefronts opposite Halstead Avenue and will complement the Halstead Avenue streetscape. The project, which will be built in two phases over a 30-month period, is expected to create 410 construction jobs and 8 permanent jobs.

Avalon Communities is also constructing a parking garage on a lot adjacent to the residential building that is owned by the Metropolitan Transportation Association (MTA). The garage will have 475 spaces owned by the MTA for commuters, 77 spaces for residents of the residential project and 46 spaces for the commercial users.

“The IDA is pleased to provide financial incentives to Avalon Communities for this innovative   transit-oriented development that will bring new rental housing and retail space to downtown Harrison as well as improved access to the Metro-North train station. We are also pleased that this project will create more than 400 new construction jobs for the County,” said Bridget Gibbons, Director of the Westchester County Office of Economic Development.

In other business, the IDA board approved resolutions for final authorization for financial incentives for two residential projects in White Plains. The projects are:

131 Mamaroneck Avenue & 1 Mitchell Place (The Bridgestone) is a $223.4 million mixed-use residential development in downtown White Plains comprised of 434 rental apartments and approximately 8,000 square feet of retail space in three multi-story buildings with parking and other amenities.  Twenty-seven of the apartments will be affordable. The IDA is providing project developer Lennar Multifamily Communities with $27 million in real estate tax benefits, $3.25 million in sales tax exemptions and $1.5 million in mortgage recording tax exemptions.

440 Hamilton Avenue is a $203 million mixed-use residential development in downtown White Plains that involves the adaptive reuse of a 12-story office building for construction of 255 apartment units and 2,420 square feet of commercial retail space. Six percent of the units will be affordable at 60% of Westchester County Area Median Income (AMI). The plan also calls for developing an adjacent surface parking lot on Barker Avenue with an apartment building with

213 units and parking for the project’s residents and associated retail space. IDA benefits include $3,335,400 in sales tax exemption and $1,685,630 in mortgage recording tax exemption.

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ALL OVER THE WORLD

TONIGHT 7:30 PM COUNTYWIDE ON FIOS CH. 45

IN WHITE PLAINS ON ALTICE CH. 76

John (Bailey) Peter (Katz) and Jim (Benerofe)

ON

JIM BENEROFE IN THE ORIENT

MARTIN GINSBERG’S NEW CITY SQUARE PROJECT GATEWAY TO WP

THE HARRISON EXPLOSION OF DEVELOPMENT ON WESTCHESTER AVE

CONSTRUCTION STARTS AROUND TOWN

SENATOR ANDREA STEWART-COUSINS POLICY PRIORITIES AS SHE TAKES OVER AS MAJORITY LEADER IN THE STATE SENATE

GOVERNOR  CUOMO REPORTS ON HIS MEETING WITH PRESIDENT 

GEORGE LATIMER BUDGET MESSAGE TO THE WESTCHESTER COUNTY ASSOCIATION.

AND MORE

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WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER From the Westchester County Department of Communications. November 29, 2018:

Thursday afternoon, County Executive George Latimer signed the Home Improvement Licensing Law Amendments, also known as the “Anti-Wage Theft Bill.”

This new law requires the County to consider judgements against contractors for non-payment or under-payment of employees when examining new license applications and license renewals.  Contractor applicants also will be required to disclose any business-related judgements against them – particularly those involving non-payment or underpayment.

Latimer said: “This is a win-win for Westchester County taxpayers. It both results in increased revenues for County while it is welcomed by both consumers and professional contractors because it helps ensure consumers are doing business with reputable companies and helps those in the contracting business already because it weeds out the ‘fly by night’ bad actors who do business in Westchester and undercut legitimate businesses who play by the rules.”

The bill, authored by Legislators Nancy Barr and Chris Johnson, passed the Board of Legislators unanimously.

Barr said: “As a freshman legislator, it is so exciting to see how local government and communities can work together to really do things that improve people’s lives. It really does happen and this law is a perfect example. The issue of wage-theft has been a problem for a long time and the community has stepped in to help those who have fallen victim – and now all of that hard work has led to passage of a law at the County level that will move things in the right direction.”

Johnson said: “Legislator Barr and I came together to introduce, and now pass, this law because we knew there were people who weren’t getting their fair share, people were going to work every morning and coming home short changed. We also spoke to contractors and business people who employ those individuals and they said ‘we want a fair playing field because when we charge consumers we have to include the price of labor and we are getting undercut.’ So this legislation made sense from all perspectives.”

Director of Consumer Protection, the department charged with enforcing this new law, Jim Maisano said: “We are the Consumer Protection Department, our job is to protect all consumers – and this law is going to help us do a better job. A bad actor who doesn’t pay their employees is not someone who you want showing up at someone’s house to do any project because they are going to rip off the consumer. I can assure you that we are going to aggressively pursue wage theft violations in Westchester County.”

Don Bosco Community Center Executive Director Dr. Ann Heekin said: “Each time a stolen wage is lost, it is a family that will go without adequate food, without paying their rent or a child without a winter coat that they need. This gets very real and very human. Each case they we work on at Don Bosco has a name, not just a number, and that is why we do the work we do. But the truth is, our best work comes when we work with people like our County Executive and County Legislators, who have the power to put into law what we are trying to advocate for. All Westchester residents should be proud that this has passed.”

The law takes effect on January 1, 2019.

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Pete Rose leading off, Wrigley Field, Chicago, 1975. Let’s play 2. Photo: WPCNR 

WPCNR VIEW FROM THE UPPER DECK. By “Bull” Allen. November 29, 2018:

He was the greatest all-around ball player I ever saw: Charlie Hustle.

Pete Rose Number 14 of the Cincinnati  Reds and Philadelphia Phillies. He created World Champions everywhere he played (he is often given credit for supplying the winning attitude on the field in the 1980 and 1983 Philadelphia Phillies World Series teams and managed the Cincinnati Reds to three 2nd place finishes in 1985,1986, and 1987, too.

He got his great nickname, “Charlie Hustle” when Whitey Ford of the Yankees and Mickey Mantle in the dugout during spring training who were watching Pete as a rookie run to first base after a walk.

Whitey wisecracked to the Mick, pointing to Rose “Charlie Hustle!”

The moniker stuck. And it was true.

Rose was competiveness in person. His running to first base on a walk intimidated a pitcher. It intimidated the catcher, and he’d make a quick turn as if to go to second.

He always attempted to take an extra base, though he was not a fast player. And when he slid, he slid headfirst especially in third base. What a play! He’d go airborne halfway between 2^nd and 3^rd and like Superman fly 3 feet off the infield dirt right at the third baseman. He was a throwback to Ty Cobb, but better. He got clutch hits. He started rallies and he could field every position on the diamond.

He never got hurt. Though his rough play earned him forever hatred in New York because of his fight with Bud Harrelson, the Met shortstop back in the 70s. He also bowled over Ray Fosse the Cleveland all-star catcher in an All-Star game, virtually ending Fosse’s career. Pete played hard and to win all the  time.

He also had the most hits of any player who ever lived: 4,256. He hit .303 lifetime in 14,053 At Bats.  Ty Cobb had 4, 191 in 11,429 AB’s and hit .367.

Pete Rose played hard all the time.

He was baseball when he played. Fans came out to see him.

He was a motivater, supplying the winning spirit in  the Philadelphia Philles  helping them to two World Series in 1980 and 1983 after 30 years of Phillie futility.

Pete inspired others to be better. He was a leader.

Yet, because he admitted to betting on his team to win games. Baseball sanctimoniously banned the greatest player of the last 55 years with the most hits of any player of all time from the Hall of Fame.

I am smoking furiously on a White Owl and blasting the typewriter keys in the press box. And I’m drinking black coffee. Rob Manfred, the new Commissioner of Baseball has signed a deal to allow betting on baseball on MGM betting platforms.

Is baseball really serious about sharing official stats data and allowing MGM to include bets on baseball games in their gambling platforms? They’ve already signed the contract.

Come on!

If there is one game easy to fix it’s baseball.

The Pale Hose of 1919, the infamous Black Sox, 8 of whom took $100,000 from gamblers to throw the 1919 World Series.   Unusual wildness by White Sox ace Ed Cicotte gave Cincinnati the first game. Lefty Williams, a control artist walked the bases loaded in the 4^th of the second game and gave up a triple, Cincy hung on for a 4-2 win and a 2-0 lead.

After a White Sox win, Ed Cicotte committed two fielding errors in game four giving the Reds 2 runs and a 2-0 win. They lost the next game, then won the next two then lost the 8^th game, (when Lefty Williams in on the fix, coughed up 4 runs in the first) eventually losing 10-5 and the series 5 games to 3.  Bad fielding led to lapses in several White Sox losses in that series. Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis banned 8 White Sox for life after that series: they were Shoeless Joe Jackson, Ed Cicotte, Lefty Williams, Happy Felsch, Chick Gandil, Swede Risberg, and Fred McMullen. Forever they are known as the Black Sox. Chicago did not contend for a pennant again until 1959.

The 8 players threw the series for money that equaled for salaries for the season.

Now players make a lot more money today. But to ban Pete Rose for merely betting on his own team was making an example.

Now Mr. Manfred has expressed that baseball with its new arrangement with MGM Resorts, would increase attendance. According to the New York Times, baseball attendance was down 4% last season (a season of unusually rainy and cold weather),  to below 70 Million fans, (which is the most attendance of any professional sport other than NASCAR racing I believe).  The Times said it was the fifth year in 6 seasons that baseball attendance had declined.

Manfred and MGM Resorts said baseball will involve fans in during the game  with in-game bets for example. Also would set guidelines for teams and players participating in agreements with gambling promotions. If this isn’t ripe for fixing I do not know what is.

Manfred is killing the game. It is a slap in the face to Mr. Rose.

But it is time to lift the ban on Pete Rose and put him in the hall. He has done his penance.

Pete Rose always inspired the young players, the kids. He taught them hustle, getting the most out of yourself. Perhaps he was weak betting horses and betting on his own team.

But the last 25 years have given us  stars using corked bats, steroids to put up big numbers, break records, and most recently prolong careers. Baseball hardly disciplined this substance abuse and outright cheating and those players who did this are not all banned. One of them is even a national baseball commentator.

The baseball commissioner seems to forget that gambling can develop into an obsession, get bettors in over their heads, and develop into compulsive gambling. Baseball used to be the game that developed character in children and gave them heroes.

Of course we flipped baseball cards as kids a form of gambling that taught us the risks involved in flipping your Mantles or your Musials or Herb Plews or Reno Bertoia cards. You could lose.

Besides baseball is very hard to handicap. Form rarely holds true.

Leo Durocher is still in the Hall of Fame, even though his electronic signal stealing in 1951 from the Polo Grounds clubhouse stole a pennant. They have not removed his plaque.

To the fan Pete Rose has been in the  Hall of Fame for a long time.

Let’s make it official.

We don’t remember Commissioners and owners.

We remember the players.

It’s time.